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Biomedical subjects

E Eckert

Publications and source records attributed to E Eckert.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Role of interleukin-6 and transforming growth factor-beta in anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder characterized by extreme weight loss and abnormalities of the neuroendocrine and immune systems. To determine the potential role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) in anorexia nervosa, serum concentrations of these cytokines were measured in patients with anorexia nervosa during starvation and after weight gain. Serum IL-6 and TGF-beta concentrations were both significantly elevated during starvation and returned to levels comparable to those of normal-weight controls by the end of therapy. In contrast, serum TNF-alpha levels were undetectable in all patients and controls. Cytokines may play previously unsuspected roles in anorexia nervosa and its complications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Comorbidity of psychiatric diagnoses in anorexia nervosa.

The comorbidity of psychiatric diagnoses was examined with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule in 62 women who participated in a 10-year follow-up study of anorexia nervosa. Sixty-two age- and sex-matched controls, their parents, and parents of the anorectic probands were also interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. There was a statistically significant comorbidity of the affective and anxiety disorders with anorexia nervosa. The first-degree relatives of the anorectic probands had significantly more alcoholism and total number of psychiatric diagnoses compared with the first-degree relatives of controls. There were two mothers with bulimia nervosa, two cases of anorexia nervosa and two of bulimia nervosa in other first-degree relatives of anorectic probands, and no cases of eating disorders in the first-degree relatives of controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Sauna abuse as a clinical feature of bulimia nervosa.

The authors describe a series of 14 patients with bulimia nervosa who regularly spent long periods of time in saunas as a weight-control technique. This practice is probably more common in parts of the world where Finnish saunas are in widespread use. Many of these patients also engaged in other behaviors that resulted in dehydration, such as diuretic abuse and laxative abuse.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Bulimia nervosa with and without a history of overweight.

In a review of the records of 454 patients with bulimia nervosa, 87 (19.2%) reported having a history of weight greater than 130% ideal body weight, although they were normal weight at evaluation. As contrasted to patients who had no history of having been overweight, this group of patients had a later onset of bulimia symptoms, weighed more and were more likely to be very dissatisfied with their current weight and to fear becoming overweight. The eating problems were similar in both groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Comparison of ultrasound-controlled fine needle and coarse needle puncture of defined lesions in the abdomen].

Within a 2-year period 677 diagnostic fine needle (DFP) and coarse needle punctures (DGP) were performed in 536 patients. In 34 patients (14 women; 20 men; 54 +/- 17.6 years) the abdominal tumour mass was punctured with the fine needle (22 g) as well as with the coarse (18 g) needle. Sensitivity of DGP accounted for 72%, sensitivity of DFP was 82.6%. Specificity was 100%, respectively. Complications could not be observed, neither with the coarse needle nor with the fine needle. Due to the high sensitivity of DFP this method should be employed first in the diagnostic work up of abdominal tumours.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1989

Genetic factors in the electrocardiogram and heart rate of twins reared apart and together.

Important physiologic mechanisms have been thought not to exhibit large amounts of variability, due in part to the assumption that critical biologic functions will have evolved to an evolutionary optimum. The attainment of this optimum would necessarily eliminate individual differences in these variables. Using a sample of monozygotic and dizygotic twins reared apart since birth or early infancy, 12-lead electrocardiographic recordings and vectorcardiograms were obtained. Values of these variables for monozygotic and dizygotic twins reared together were obtained from other studies. Maximum likelihood tests of genetic and environmental components of variation for PR interval, QRS duration, QT interval and ventricular rate indicated a significant contribution of genetic effects (most heritabilities ranged from 30 to 60%), with a negligible contribution from common familial environmental effects.

Electrocardiography↗
PubMed1988

Bulimia with and without a family history of drug abuse.

Patients evaluated in an eating disorders clinic and found to meet DSM-III criteria for bulimia were classified as to the presence or absence of a family history of drug abuse in at least one first-degree relative. Patients with a positive family history of drug abuse (N = 102, 37.1%) did not differ significantly from patients without this history (N = 173, 62.9%) on the variables of age at evaluation and age of onset of eating disorder, or as to their pattern or severity of bulimic behaviors, including binge-eating, self-induced vomiting, and laxative abuse. However, the patients with a family history of drug abuse were more likely to have experienced drug abuse problems themselves, to have been treated for chemical dependency prior to being evaluated for their eating disorder and to have a history of having been overweight. Those in the positive family history group also reported more family disruption.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Pathologic wall changes in the gallbladder in patients with gallstones and in healthy probands. Imaging using high frequency annular array sector transducers].

2154 computerized ultrasound diagnoses of 1623 patients were evaluated retrospectively from January 1st to October 31st 1987. The frequency of pathologic gallbladder wall changes in patients with stones and normal controls was examined applying 5 MHz annular array sector transducer. The occurrence of polyps, septae, sludge, kinking, carcinoma and adenomyomatosis was noted separately. The prevalence of polyps and septae in gallstone patients was increased fourfold if compared to the total number of examined patients. Sludge was found in 5.9% of gallstone patients compared to 2.2% in normal controls. Carcinoma and adenomyomatosis were present only in cases of cholelithiasis; the prevalence of these pathologic wall changes is obviously rare. The importance of polyps and septae in biliary lithogenicity is discussed.

Carcinoma↗
PubMed1987

[Ultrasound guided fine- and coarse-needle puncture of the abdominal and retroperitoneal space].

Within a period of 21 months, 167 fine-needle and 86 cannula (1.67 mm external diameter) punctures of the abdominal or retroperitoneal space were performed under sonographic control. Sufficient material was obtained with 93.4% of fine-needle punctures. With regard to differentiation between malignant and benign lesions, fine-needle punctures had a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 100%, if the material was examined by an experienced cytologist. Sensitivity dropped to 55,1% if the same material was interpreted by a less experienced cytologist, but specificity was still 98.1%. Sufficient material for histological examination was always obtained with the cannula, already at the first puncture. With cannula puncture there were two complications: bleeding requiring transfusion and peritonitis.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1986

Anorexia nervosa. Treatment efficacy of cyproheptadine and amitriptyline.

Patients with anorexia nervosa have concurrent problems of emaciation and depression. Therefore, treatment with medications affecting both weight gain and depression seemed reasonable. Seventy-two anorectic patients were randomly assigned in a double-blind study to receive cyproheptadine hydrochloride, a weight-inducing drug, amitriptyline hydrochloride, a tricyclic antidepressant, or placebo. Overall, cyproheptadine had a marginal effect on decreasing the number of days necessary to achieve a normal weight. There was a differential drug effect present in the bulimic subgroups of the anorectic patients: cyproheptadine significantly increased treatment efficiency for the nonbulimic patients and significantly impaired treatment efficiency for the bulimic patients when compared with the amitriptyline- and placebo-treated groups. The differential cyproheptadine effect on the anorectic bulimic subgroups is the first pharmacologic evidence of the validity of these subgroups. Cyproheptadine had an anti-depressant effect demonstrated by a significant decrease in the Hamilton depression ratings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Affective disorder and substance abuse in women with bulimia.

One hundred and eight women with bulimia were evaluated for affective disorder and alcohol or drug abuse, by means of the DSM-III diagnostic criteria. In this sample, 43.5% had a history of affective disorder and 18.5% had a history of alcohol or drug abuse. Approximately 56% of the bulimia patients scored within the moderate to severe range of depression on the Beck Depression Inventory.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1980

[Mesenteric plication by the Childs-Phillips method for the prevention and therapy of small intestine obstructions. Experiences in 148 cases].

Transmesenteric small bowel plication (Childs-Phillips) was performed in 148 patients (99 adults, 49 children) at the University Clinic of Würzburg over a 10-year period. Of a total of 31 reinterventions, only 4 were caused by the method; recurrent intestinal obstruction occurred in 6.1%. In a total of 51 patients peritonitis was present at the time of mesenteric plication, which is not considered a contraindication for the method. Early postoperative mortality was 38.5%, but in none of these 57 cases was it due to the method itself.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Leukopenia in anorexia nervosa. Lack of increased risk of infection.

To determine whether patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and leukopenia have an increased risk of infection, we reviewed the incidence of leukopenia and infection in 68 cases of AN and studied the mechanism of profound neutropenia in one. Compared with controls, patients with AN had substantially lower total leukocyte counts and absolute neutrophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte counts. Despite frequent and often severe panleukopenia, the patients with AN had no more infections than did the control subjects. The patient with severe neutropenia ahd a hypocellular bone marrow biopsy specimen showing relative myeloid hyperplasia, normal distribution of neutrophils between the marginal and circulating pools, and normal bone marrow neutrophil reserves as estimated by response to hydrocortisone sodium succinate. We conclude that patients uith AN and associated leukopenia do not have increased infection propensity.

Adolescent↗