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Biomedical subjects

E Johansson

Publications and source records attributed to E Johansson.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Selenium and its protection against the effects of mercury and silver.

The content of mercury and silver (mean values) was estimated by ICP-MS in the rot tips of amalgam-filled teeth, non-filled teeth and milk teeth. The concentration of mercury in amalgam-filled teeth was 6.0 mg/kg in non-filled adult teeth 0.2 mg/kg and in milk teeth 0.3 mg/kg. The concentration of silver in amalgam-filled teeth was 2.6 mg/kg, in non-filled adult teeth 0.08 mg/kg and in milk teeth 0.06 mg/kg. A theory is presented on how selenium protects against the formation of free radicals by heavy metals and/or peroxides which result in cellular damage.

Dental Amalgam↗
PubMed1991

Traumatic brain injury in northern Sweden. Incidence and prevalence of long-standing impairments and disabilities.

Based on a retrospective survey of hospital admissions and autopsies the incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) for the age range 16-60 was found to be 24.9/10,000 in the Umeå district of Northern Sweden. In male youngsters aged 16-19 the incidence was remarkably high in comparison with reports from other parts of the western hemisphere. Self-reports on the prevalence of impairments and disabilities 1 1/2-3 years after the injury were obtained by a mailed questionnaire. Among the subjects with brain concussion 1/3 reported impairments and 1/10 disabilities, most commonly leisure-disability. By factor analysis impairments and disabilities could be logically grouped into three factors. Two of these factors clearly circumscribed combinations of impairments and disabilities, one of them being dominated by instrumental ADL, the other by basic self-care ADL. The third factor incorporated the classic post-concussion triad and memory. Taken together the findings indicate that many subjects with an early diagnosis of brain concussion, hospitalized for only one day, experienced losses in pre-injury functions and abilities. It is therefore suggested that not only radiologically and/or operatively confirmed TBIs but also subjects with brain concussion should be followed after discharge in order to minimize losses in social well-being.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1990

Clinical results with subcutaneous implants containing 3-keto desogestrel.

Eight healthy women using one Silastic implant of 30 mm length filled with 3-keto desogestrel, the active metabolite of desogestrel, were studied for 36-664 days. The release rate of 3-keto desogestrel was quite constant and around 30 micrograms/day. No ovulations occurred. One woman was amenorrheic, while the others had different bleeding patterns, often with periods of spotting. No other side effects were recorded. The mean plasma levels of 3-keto desogestrel were 0.9 nmol/l after 1 month and 0.5 nmol/l after 12 months. 3-Keto desogestrel was less effective than testosterone, estradiol or levonorgestrel in displacing 3H-dihydrotestosterone from SHBG. It is concluded that contraception with 3-keto desogestrel delivered through an implant is a promising method for further investigation. With a single implant we found a duration of at least one year.

Binding, Competitive↗
PubMed1990

The biological response of selenium in individual erythrocytes and GSH-Px in lambs fed sodium selenite or selenium yeast.

Twenty Swedish Landrace lambs were divided randomly into two equal groups, group I and group O. Group I received approximately 0.1 mg selenium as sodium selenite per day and group O 0.1 mg selenium as selenium in yeast per day. The animals were fed per day 1.2-1.5 kg of hay and 0.3 kg of a commercial concentrate supplemented with vitamins and minerals. The trial lasted 3.5 months. As monitored by micro particle induced X-ray emission (mu-PIXE), the number of selenium bearing erythrocytes increased faster in group O than in group I indicating some difference in the metabolism of inorganic and organic selenium. During the trial the concentration of sulphur decreased in the erythrocytes in group O. The reason for this is not known. The zinc and copper concentrations of individual erythrocytes were unaltered. The blood GSH-Px activity increased at the same rate in the two groups indicating that selenium as sodium selenite and selenium in yeast was about equally available. The rate of growth in the two groups was almost the same and a significant difference in the final weight was not observed.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Altered elemental profiles in neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis.

The elemental profiles of thrombocytes and mononuclear cells were investigated in five patients with Infantile and eight with Juvenile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis. The patients with the infantile form had suffered from the disease for a year and those with the juvenile form for some six years. The thrombocytes exhibited increased concentrations of calcium and magnesium, but the same concentrations of iron and zinc as found in healthy subjects. The mononuclear cells exhibited an increased concentration of iron and a reduced concentration of zinc. The elevated concentrations of magnesium, calcium and iron in the thrombocytes and mononuclear cells may represent the end products of ceroid pigmentation. Five patients with Juvenile and one with Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis were treated with antioxidants along with vitamins E, B2 and B6, but this treatment did not affect significantly the concentration of iron in the mononuclear cells. However, selenium was detected in some mononuclear cells in all the patients so treated. This was unexpected since iron (III), being antagonistic to selenium in the form of selenite--which was the antioxidant given--forms a stable complex which cannot be broken down biologically.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Synthesis of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-D-galacto se by the sequential use of beta-D-galactosidases from bovine testes and Escherichia coli.

beta-D-Galp-(1----3)-D-GalNAc (1) was synthesised from lactose and GalNAc on a mmolar scale by transgalactosylation using beta-D-galactosidase from bovine testes. The large proportions of unwanted oligosaccharides in the product mixture were removed by treatment with beta-D-galactosidase from E. coli, which left 1, monosaccharides, and a small proportion of trisaccharides. Carbon-Celite chromatography then gave 1 in a yield of 21% based on the GalNAc added.

Acetylgalactosamine↗
PubMed1989

Circulating levels of selenium and zinc in relation to nutritional status in patients with head and neck cancer.

There is evidence that selenium and zinc are involved in malignant neoplasia. The exact role of these trace elements, however, is not completely understood. For this reason, we studied circulating levels of selenium and zinc in relation to food intake and nutritional status in 14 patients with head and neck cancer. Six patients without cancer served as controls. The patients with cancer were in different stages of disease. They were untreated or in an initial phase of oncologic treatment. Five of these patients were severely cachectic according to weight loss and nutritional status, which included body mass index, anthropometric values, and serum albumin level. These patients also demonstrated decreased circulating levels of selenium and zinc. Plasma glutathione peroxidase (selenium-dependent enzyme) activity, however, was not significantly different when the cachectic patients with cancer were compared with controls. We found that the plasma selenium level was positively correlated to both short-term and long-term selenium intake when all 20 patients were accounted for. However, no significant correlation could be shown between plasma selenium and serum albumin levels. Although only one patient demonstrated a plasma value below the reference value, serum zinc was positively correlated to the serum albumin level. We conclude that plasma selenium concentrations are essentially related to food intake but not necessarily to weight loss. Low circulating levels of zinc are, rather, associated with the catabolic state of the patient with cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Determination of delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol in human fat biopsies from marihuana users by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC/MS) method for analysis of delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 1-THC) in human fat samples is described. The fat sample, obtained from heavy marihuana users 1 week before and 4 weeks after smoking, is homogenized in hexane + 2-propanol, centrifuged, and the supernatant mixed with Lipidex 5000. The solvent is evaporated and the dried gel is packed in a glass column. delta 1-THC is eluted from the column with methanol + water + acetic acid, diluted with water and the eluent is passed through a bed of Octadecylsilane-bonded silica. After washing and drying, the retained delta 1-THC is eluted with hexane, derivatized with N-methyl-N-(t-butyl-dimethysilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) and finally purified by HPLC on an Octadecyl Sl 100 column in methanol. The amount of delta 1-THC is determined by GC/MS, using selected ion monitoring, and a deuterated internal standard. The recovery of delta 1-THC is about 80%, and the concentration of delta 1-THC in the fat samples analysed ranged between 0.4 and 193 ng/g wet tissue.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1989

Comparison of the clinical courses in patients with juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis receiving antioxidant treatment and those without antioxidant treatment.

Juvenile neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis (JNCL) is a progressive encephalopathy characterized by a neural and extraneural accumulation of ceroid and lipofuscin like storage cytosomes and by an autosomal recessive inheritance. It begins with a gradual loss of vision at the age of 4-7 years and is accompanied by epilepsy, a loss of motor function, and a progressive dementia (Santavuori 1988). We have studied 26 Finnish JNCL patients treated with vitamins E, B2, B6 and sodium selenite (antioxidant treatment) by using a JNCL disease specific scoring system introduced by Kohlschütter et al. (1988). Scores were given for the problems of vision, intellect, language, motor function, as well as epilepsy, and compared with the data of 17 German JNCL patients not treated with antioxidants (Kohlschütter et al. 1988). Loss of vision began at the same time among the Finnish and the German JNCL patients. However, loss of intellectual, language, and motor functions and total blindness occurred later among the group of Finnish JNCL patients treated with antioxidants. Courses of the epileptic seizures were rather heterogenous and slightly favouring the Finnish patients. This study supports the theory that antioxidant treatment retards JNCL disease. The study design, however, contains many possible biases, so that the results must be interpreted cautiously.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed1989

Terminal elimination plasma half-life of delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 1-THC) in heavy users of marijuana.

The terminal elimination half-life of delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 1-THC) was investigated in eight men who were heavy users of marijuana. A stable isotope assay, following smoking deuterium-labeled delta 1-THC, was used to determine plasma concentrations. In two additional users plasma levels were followed after administration of unlabeled delta 1-THC. The subjects were asked to smoke a "loading dose" of 56 mg delta 1-THC during two days and then abstain from all marijuana use for 4 weeks. The pharmacokinetic behavior was consistent with a multicompartment model with a mean plasma elimination half-life of delta 1-THC of 4.3 days when concentrations were followed for 10-15 days after smoking. In the two subjects with detectable plasma levels during 4 weeks, half-lives of 9.6 and 12.6 days was obtained.

Dronabinol↗
PubMed1989

Synthesis of Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc and Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta-SEt by an enzymatic method comprising the sequential use of beta-galactosidases from bovine testes and Escherichia coli.

Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc (1) and Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta-SEt (2) were synthesized on a 100 mg scale by the transgalactosylation reaction of bovine testes beta-galactosidase with lactose as donor and N-acetylglucosamine and GlcNAc beta-SEt as acceptors. In both cases the product mixtures contained unwanted isomers and were treated with beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli which has a different specificity, under conditions favouring hydrolysis, yielding besides the desired products, monosaccharides and traces of trisaccharides. The products were purified to greater than 95% by gel filtration, with a final yield of 12% of 1 and 17% of 2, based on added acceptor. In a separate experiment Gal beta 1-6GlcNAc beta-SEt (3) was synthesized by the transglycosylation reaction using beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli. No other isomers were detected. Compound 3 was purified by HPLC.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Prevalence of black-pigmented bacteroides species in root canal infections.

The prevalence of black-pigmented Bacteroides species in the root canals of 72 teeth with apical periodontitis was evaluated. Twenty-two of the canals contained one or more species of black-pigmented Bacteroides. Bacteroides intermedius (14 strains) and Bacteroides endodontalis (5 strains) were most common. Of the species Bacteroides gingivalis, Bacteroides loeschei, and Bacteroides denticola, 2, 3, and 1 strains, respectively, were isolated. The median number of bacterial cells recovered from the root canals containing black-pigmented Bacteroides was 2.8 x 10(5) and from the other canals 3.0 x 10(3). The mean number of strains was 7.9 and 3.3, respectively. Sixteen of the 22 root canals containing black-pigmented Bacteroides species were associated with acute apical abscesses and purulent drainage through the root canal. The other six teeth with black-pigmented Bacteroides were asymptomatic. One additional abscess was present among the 72 cases. This root canal contained Actinomyces israelii and Actinomyces naeslundii.

Actinomyces↗
PubMed1989

Histopathological study of transient acrodermatitis enteropathica due to decreased zinc in breast milk.

Two children, one born prematurely and the other born at full term developed acrodermatitis enteropathica due to marginal or low levels of zinc in their mothers' breast milk. Skin from both patients was studied with light and electron microscopy. The most characteristic light microscopic features were parakeratosis, absence of the granular layer, and pallor of the upper epidermal cells. Normal flattening of the upper Malphighian cells did not occur. Electron microscopic examination revealed that keratohyalin was decreased to absent, and the upper malpighian cells were edematous with vacuoles and large numbers of ribosomes, but small numbers of tonofilaments. Large amounts of keratinosome-derived-lamellae were found in the intercellular spaces in the keratinization area. The keratinosome-derived-lamellae were focally intermingled with opaque lipid plaques or myelin figures, probably derived from keratinosomes. The electron microscopic findings show abnormal keratinization and suggest that it is related to a disturbance of keratinosome metabolism due to zinc deficiency.

Acrodermatitis↗
PubMed1989

Maximal voluntary force of bilateral and unilateral leg extension.

The aims were: (1) to investigate whether the 10-20% lower force during bilateral (BL) as compared to unilateral (UL) leg extension could be due to a general inability to activate fully a large number of muscles simultaneously, (2) to analyse the EMG signal of the quadriceps femoris during leg extensions, (3) to study the BL/UL force ratio in extension of the knee, and (4) to study the BL/UL leg extension force ratio in untrained and trained subjects. A 10% lower maximal voluntary isometric force was demonstrated during BL as compared to UL leg extension. This force discrepancy did not change when a total arm load of 250 N was applied simultaneously. Nor did the absolute force levels change, which indicates that the lower BL leg extension force is not due to a general mechanism of reduced activation with an increased number of muscles recruited in maximal voluntary contractions. Integrated EMG activity, mean power frequency and root mean square value of the EMG amplitude did not differ between UL and BL leg extensions. The knee extension force was slightly greater (4%) during BL than UL contractions. These findings are arguments against a reduced activation of the knee extensor muscles being the cause of the lower bilateral leg extension force. No differences in BL/UL force ratio were noted between groups of untrained and trained subjects despite the fact that several of the trained groups do different forms of BL leg extensions regularly. Thus, it does not appear that training readily affects the BL/UL leg extension force ratio.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Comparison of radiometric and microbiological assays for the determination of folate in fortified gruel and porridge.

The results obtained by a radiometric assay of folate in fortified gruel and porridge, using a commercially available radioassay kit, were compared with those obtained by a standard microbiological assay with Lactobacillus casei. A lower level of folate was found with the radiometric assay. Comparison of the results obtained with the two methods gave a correlation coefficient of 0.991 when the analysis was performed on samples extracted at the same time. A lower correlation coefficient was obtained between the result if the extractions were carried out on different occasions. The radiometric assay is a acceptable method for the routine determination of folate in fortified gruel and porridge.

Edible Grain↗
PubMed1989

Ethics committees in health care institutions in the New York City metropolitan region: a report of two nursing surveys.

Two surveys were conducted independently to ascertain whether health care institutions in the New York City metropolitan region currently have ethics committees and to gather information related to their functioning and use by nurses. Comparable findings in the overlapping samples suggest that approximately one-third of surveyed institutions do not have interdisciplinary ethics committees. Where the committees do exist, they may not be adequate to address nurses' ethical concerns.

Bioethical Issues↗