Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Berg

Publications and source records attributed to G Berg.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Prevalence and determinants of Helicobacter pylori infection in preschool children: a population-based study from Germany.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is among the most common infections in humans and has been recognized as major cause of various gastroduodenal diseases. There is limited knowledge, however, on the prevalence and determinants of this infection in children. We addressed these issues in a population-based cross-sectional study in Southern Germany. METHODS: Study subjects were all preschool children in Ulm, a city in the South of Germany, who were screened for school fitness by physicians of the public health service in 1996. Infection status was determined by 13C-urea breath test. In addition, the parents of the children were asked to fill out a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS: In total, 945 out of the 1201 eligible preschool children participated in the study (response rate = 79%). The children were aged 5-8 years. The majority were of German nationality (72.6%). Overall, 127 children (13.4%) were infected with H. pylori. Nationality, place of residence in the first year of life and duration of living in Germany were strongly associated with H. pylori infection status. The prevalence varied from 4.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.3-6.8%) in children with German nationality who were born in Germany or had lived in Germany since their first year of life to 66.7% (95% CI: 29.9-92.5%) in the children with Turkish nationality who came to Germany after the first year of life. CONCLUSION: Our results showed a large variation in prevalence of H. pylori infection in children living in the same geographical area according to nationality. They indicate an association between living conditions in early childhood and H. pylori infection and indicate that H. pylori associated morbidity may evolve very differently in population subgroups living in the same area.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Increased numbers of circulating interferon-gamma- and interleukin-4-secreting cells during normal pregnancy.

PROBLEM: Systemic immune responses during normal pregnancy are suggested to deviate toward secretion of T helper (Th)2-like cytokines. METHOD OF STUDY: Blood samples from 11 healthy primigravidae in their first, second, and third trimesters, and 8 weeks postpartum were examined. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated and the numbers of interferon (IFN)-gamma- and interleukin (IL)-4-secreting cells were identified by using the enzyme-linked immunospot test. RESULTS: In all three trimesters of pregnancy, and also postpartum, the numbers of IFN-gamma- and IL-4-secreting cells were significantly higher compared with nonpregnant controls (Mann-Whitney; P < 0.001). The numbers of IFN-gamma- and IL-4-secreting cells gradually increased as the pregnancy progressed compared with postpartum (Kruskas-Wallis; P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, for IFN-gamma and IL-4, respectively). The ratios of IFN-gamma/IL-4 during pregnancy and postpartum were unchanged, and also when compared with nonpregnant controls. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a systemic up-regulation of both Th1- and Th2-like immune responses during normal pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Characterization of alpha2-adrenoceptor subtypes in pregnant human myometrium.

The aim of the present investigation was to determine which subtypes of the alpha2-adrenoceptors are being expressed in the human pregnant myometrium at term pregnancy. In radioligand binding studies, the specific binding of [3H]rauwolscine to human myometrial membranes was specific and of high affinity with Kd of 2.8 +/- 0.6 nMand Bmax of 95 +/- 5 fmol/mg protein. Results from competition for the binding of [3H]rauwolscine using subtype-selective ligands, oxymetazoline (alpha2A-subptype), chlorpromazine (alpha2B-subtype) and prazosin (alpha2B-alpha2C-subtype), suggested that the alpha2A- and alpha2B-subtypes are being co-expressed. In order to examine if also the alpha2C-subtype is being expressed we used an optimal concentration of oxymetazoline or chlorpromazine which would block the high-affinity site, equivalent to the alpha2A- and alpha2B-subtype respectively. Competition curves of both oxymetazoline and chlorpromazine still showed a significantly better fit using a two-site model, suggesting that the alpha2C-subtype also is being expressed. The expression of alpha2C-subtype mRNA was confirmed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction on mRNA isolated from myometrial biopsies. In conclusion, our results suggest that all three subtypes of alpha2-adrenoceptors are being coexpressed in the human myometrium at term pregnancy and that alpha2-expression is dominated by the alpha2A-subtype.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗
PubMed1998

Femoral injection of echo contrast medium may increase the sensitivity of testing for a patent foramen ovale.

OBJECTIVE: The diagnosis of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) as a cause of stroke is of increasing interest especially in young (<45 years) patients. METHODS: We studied potential right-to-left shunting using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and bilateral transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) simultaneously in 44 patients. All patients were younger than age 45 years and suffered from an acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. Other possible etiologies were excluded. Echo contrast medium was injected in an alternating mode via antecubital or femoral veins. Tests were performed with and without the Valsalva maneuver. The criteria for a PFO were that the contrast pass from the right to the left atrium (TEE) and early detection (<10 seconds) of more than 10 micro air bubbles in at least one MCA by TCD. RESULTS: A PFO was diagnosed in 22 patients (50%). The detection rate with TEE/TCD was 11.4%/4.5% via antecubital injection, 18%/13.6% via antecubital injection plus the Valsalva maneuver, 38.6%/36% via femoral injection alone, and 50%/50% via femoral injection plus the Valsalva maneuver. The difference between femoral and antecubital injections was significant with and without the Valsalva maneuver (p < 0.01, chi2 test). There were no differences between TEE and TCD after femoral injection with the Valsalva maneuver. The brain transit time was 4.6 +/- 2.1 seconds for femoral injection and 6.3 +/- 4.1 seconds for antecubital injection. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity in detecting a PFO was markedly increased by femoral injection. This may be caused by different inflow patterns to the right atrium: inferior vena caval flow is directed to the right atrial septum, whereas superior vena caval flow is directed to the tricuspid valve. Thus, femoral injection may help to improve the detection of PFO and may explain the differences between TEE and TCD findings in previous studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Different proliferative responses of Gi/o-protein-coupled receptors in human myometrial smooth muscle cells. A possible role of calcium.

The majority of studies investigating the proliferative effect of Gi/o-protein-coupled receptor agonists are performed in recombinant receptor systems or cell lines. In these systems the relative stoichiometry of receptors compared to other cell components might be changed, which may lead to anomalies in cellular responses in contrast to natural occurring systems. In the present study, we have used primary cultures of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) isolated from human myometrium to characterize the proliferative effects of agonists binding to two different G protein-coupled receptors. Treatment of quiescent SMCs with lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and noradrenaline resulted in significant increases in [3H]thymidine incorporation. However, LPA was almost four times more effective than noradrenaline in this respect. The proliferative effects of the agonists could be completely blocked by pertussis toxin, indicating that the response are mediated through Gi/o-proteins. The selective alpha 2-adrenergic receptor (alpha 2-AR) antagonist yohimbine dose-dependently reduced the effect of noradrenaline suggesting that the proliferative response was mediated through alpha 2-ARs. The proliferative effects induced by LPA and noradrenaline was markedly reduced in SMCs treated with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein and the cAMP elevating compound forskolin. However, LPA but not noradrenaline induced rapid rises in the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration [Ca2+]i. The ability to increase Ca2+ might be one explanation why LPA produce a more pronounced proliferative response than noradrenaline in primary cultures of human myometrial SMCs.

Adrenergic Agents↗
PubMed1998

Parental smoking and infection with Helicobacter pylori among preschool children in southern Germany.

Exposure to parental smoking is known to increase children's susceptibility to a variety of infections. We investigated the relation of parental smoking to infection with Helicobacter pylori in a population-based study among preschool children who were screened for school fitness in the city of Ulm, Germany, in 1996. Current infection with H. pylori was measured by a 13C-labeled urea breath test. Information on factors potentially related to H. pylori infection, including parental smoking in the household, was obtained from children's parents through a self-administered standardized questionnaire. Among 1,201 eligible children, 945 participated in the study (response rate = 79%). Overall prevalence of active infection was 13.7%. After adjustment for confounding factors, we found a strong positive relation between smoking by the father in the household and H. pylori infection (odds ratio = 3.7; 95% confidence interval = 2.3-6.1). By contrast, there was a strong negative relation between smoking by the mother and H. pylori infection (odds ratio = 0.4; 95% confidence interval = 0.2-0.8) that was most pronounced among children who had been breastfed. These striking patterns cannot be explained by current knowledge.

Child↗
PubMed1997

[Myocardial pump failure in dilated cardiomyopathy and pheochromocytoma].

Progressive dyspnoea developed in a 37-year-old woman over a period of 2 months. A chest x-ray and echocardiography revealed a massive dilatation of the heart with thrombi in both ventricles. The endomyocardial biopsy was classified as myocarditis in two different departments of pathology. The patient developed thromboembolic events and an untreatable heart failure which led to the patient's death. The necropsy revealed a dilated 600-gram-heart and thrombi in both ventricles. On histological and immunohistological examination of the heart, the original diagnosis was corrected to catecholamine-induced dilated cardiomyopathy.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1997

[Early treatment of acute myocardial infarct: implementation of therapy guidelines in routine clinical practice, MITRA pilot phase].

The prognostic value of thrombolytics, aspirin, beta-blockers and ACE-inhibitors has been well documented in large clinical trials, but the application of these drugs in clinical practice is not known. MITRA is a multicenter study of 54 hospitals in a defined region in southwest Germany. The aim is to document actual clinical practice (pilot phase) and to establish an individually optimised prognostic therapy for acute myocardial infarction, considering only the absolute contraindications for each drug. In the pilot phase, 1303 consecutive patients with acute transmural myocardial infarction were enrolled. The median age was 66 years, the prehospital time was 2.7 hours. 47% had an anterior infarction. In the subgroup of patients without absolute contraindications, only 53.4% were treated with thrombolytics, 87.6% with aspirin, 37.1% with beta-blocker, and 17.4% with ACE-inhibitor. Out of these, patients were classified as "optimally treated" if they received thrombolysis, aspirin as well as beta-blocker. Patients were also included if any of these medications was withheld in the presence of absolute contraindications. Treatment was defined suboptimal, if the patients did not receive any of these three medications despite the absence of absolute contraindications. Only 29% (n = 383) received an optimal post-infarction therapy and 71% (n = 775) a suboptimal treatment. The univariate analysis revealed 10 variables influencing optimal therapy. In this subgroup patients were younger, they more often had clear ECG-findings or left bundle branch block, an anterior infarction, acute cardiac failure, AV-block, bradycardia, recent trauma or surgery (less then 2 weeks) and a severe chronic obstructive lung disease. The prehospital time was more often available. Early mortality after 2 days was 5.0% versus 9.3% in the suboptimal treated patients (OR: 0.5, CI: 0.30-0.86) the total inhospital mortality was 10.9% in the optimal versus 17.7% in the suboptimal group (OR: 0.6, CI: 0.38-0.84). In a multivariate analysis the parameter "optimal treatment" was found to be an independent predictor of the early (OR = 0.4; CI: 0.20-0.69) and the inhospital mortality (OR = 0.4; CI: 0.25-0.64). The following in-hospital events occurred: stroke 2.8%, reinfarction 12.9%, cardiac failure 21.5%, cardiogenic shock 10.4% and in-hospital mortality 18.1% (2-days mortality 9.5%). Pharmacological therapy for acute myocardial infarction is inconsistent with the recommendations suggested in recent clinical trials and needs to be individually optimised. Optimal treatment is an independent predictor of early and inhospital mortality.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1997

Effects of nitric oxide and superoxide on relaxation in human artery and vein.

Endothelium-derived relaxing and contracting factors play an important role in atherosclerosis, re-stenosis and graft survival. Internal thoracic artery (ITA) and saphenous vein (SV) are used as conduit vessels in coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). The long-term graft patency rate is higher with ITA than SV. Effects of nitric oxide and superoxide on vascular relaxation in isolated rings of ITA and SV from patients undergoing CABG were investigated. NG-nitro-L-Argenine methylester (L-NAME) was used to block nitric oxide synthesis and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and tiron to scavenge superoxide. Responses to carbachol were taken as a measure of stimulated nitric oxide release and increased responses to phenylephrine after addition of L-NAME as a measure of basal nitric oxide release. Immunocytochemical demonstration of endothelial nitric oxide synthase was performed using anti-endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (anti-eNOS) NOS antibody. Stimulated nitric oxide release was observed in ITA and SV but basal release was reduced or absent in SV. Treatment with SOD and tiron potentiated carbachol stimulated relaxation in ITA and SV. Tiron treatment resulted in a significant increase in basal nitric oxide in veins. eNOS immunoreactivity was more intense in ITA than SV, compatible with reduced nitric oxide production in veins. This may contribute to the reduced patency of venous grafts.

1,2-Dihydroxybenzene-3,5-Disulfonic Acid Disodium ↗
PubMed1997

Helicobacter pylori in out-patients of a general practitioner: prevalence and determinants of current infection.

Data on prevalence and determinants of Helicobacter pylori infection in well-defined populations are scarce. We investigated the prevalence and determinants of active H. pylori infection in a population of out-patients attending a general practitioner in Southern Germany. Infection status was determined by [13C]urea breath test. In addition, information on potential risk factors and medical history was collected. Five hundred and one of the 531 eligible patients participated in the study (response rate of 94.4%). In total, 117 of the 501 patients had a positive [13C]urea breath test (23.4%). Prevalence of H. pylori infection increased with age from 10.8% (95% CI 5.7-18.1%) in the age group 15-29 years to 30.8% (95% CI 22.1-40.6%) in the age group 60-79 years and was 20.3%, 30.4% and 28.2% for the age groups 30-39, 40-49 and 50-59 years, respectively. Education and childhood living conditions, especially the number of siblings, were identified as additional independent determinants of infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Use of oral contraceptives and serum beta-carotene.

OBJECTIVE: Antioxidants, in particular carotenoids, may influence the risk for cardiovascular disease. This study investigates the influence of oral contraceptives (OC) on the serum concentration of beta-carotene, which may in turn affect the risk of cardiovascular diseases due to its antioxidative impact. DESIGN: Cross-sectional epidemiologic study. Examinations included a detailed questionnaire on medical history and lifestyle factors, a 7 day food record, and blood samples. SETTING: National health and nutrition survey among healthy people living in private homes in West Germany in 1987-1988. SUBJECTS: Nonpregnant and nonlactating women aged 18-44 (n = 610). RESULTS: Overall, the use of OC was negatively associated with serum beta-carotene concentration in bi- and multivariable analyses after adjustment for age, smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary intake of beta-carotene, use of vitamin supplements, body mass index, pregnancies, and serum concentrations of total triglyceride and cholesterol. A strong interaction between OC use and age on beta-carotene concentration was observed. While no relationship between OC use and serum beta-carotene was seen in the youngest age-group (18-24 y), there was a modest but significant negative association between OC use and beta-carotene levels among 25-34 y old women. The use of OC was associated with a strong decrease in beta-carotene levels among 35-44 y old women. The interaction between OC use and age could partly be explained by age dependent use of OC with higher estrogen content. CONCLUSIONS: OC use seems to be strongly related to serum beta-carotene levels, particularly among women above the age of 35. Further studies are needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms of this association and its implications for health risks of OC use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Paternal leukocytes selectively increase secretion of IL-4 in peripheral blood during normal pregnancies: demonstrated by a novel one-way MLC measuring cytokine secretion.

PROBLEM: It has been proposed that immune responses in normal pregnancy are Th2-like, thereby protecting the fetus and placenta from being rejected. Some studies have shown Th2-deviated systemic responses to different antigens and mitogens. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the specific T cell cytokine responses directed toward paternal histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA), because this is the most prominent target for rejection of the feto-placental unit. METHOD OF STUDY: A novel one-way mixed leukocyte culture (MLC) combined with the detection of cytokine secretion with a sensitive ELISPOT assay was developed. Peripheral blood from 11 pregnant women was investigated with respect to allo-reactivity toward paternal leukocytes and pooled leukocytes from unrelated blood donors. This was done at three different occasions during pregnancy and 8 weeks after delivery. Nine age-matched non-pregnant women served as controls. RESULTS: In the second and third trimesters of pregnancy significantly larger numbers of IL-4-secreting cells (Th2) were induced by paternal leukocytes as compared to unrelated leukocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate a selective immune deviation toward Th2, which may protect the fetus from rejection and thus may be an important homeostatic mechanism in normal pregnancies.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Patterns, structures, and amino acid frequencies in structural building blocks, a protein secondary structure classification scheme.

To study local structures in proteins, we previously developed an autoassociative artificial neural network (autoANN) and clustering tool to discover intrinsic features of macromolecular structures. The hidden unit activations computed by the trained autoANN are a convenient low-dimensional encoding of the local protein backbone structure. Clustering these activation vectors results in a unique classification of protein local structural features called Structural Building Blocks (SBBs). Here we describe application of this method to a larger database of proteins, verification of the applicability of this method to structure classification, and subsequent analysis of amino acid frequencies and several commonly occurring patterns of SBBs. The SBB classification method has several interesting properties: 1) it identifies the regular secondary structures, alpha helix and beta strand; 2) it consistently identifies other local structure features (e.g., helix caps and strand caps); 3) strong amino acid preferences are revealed at some positions in some SBBs; and 4) distinct patterns of SBBs occur in the "random coil" regions of proteins. Analysis of these patterns identifies interesting structural motifs in the protein backbone structure, indicating that SBBs can be used as "building blocks" in the analysis of protein structure. This type of pattern analysis should increase our understanding of the relationship between protein sequence and local structure, especially in the prediction of protein structures.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Melatonin together with noradrenaline augments contractions of human myometrium.

The hormone melatonin is known to influence the circadian rhythm, and it probably also mediates some of the physiological changes that occur in the body at night. Inasmuch as uterine activity is greater during darkness, we investigated whether melatonin could modulate uterine contractility. Biopsies were performed during caesarean sections to obtain uterine tissue from women who had reached full term. The obtained samples were mounted in organ baths, and spontaneous contractions were recorded. Melatonin alone did not change myometrial contractility, whereas melatonin in combination with noradrenaline potentiated contractions. These results may indicate that melatonin plays a role in the timing of labour, since labour often begins late in the evening.

Dose-Response Relationship, Drug↗
PubMed1996

Randomized comparison of coronary thrombolysis achieved with double-bolus reteplase (recombinant plasminogen activator) and front-loaded, accelerated alteplase (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator) in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The RAPID II Investigators.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic benefit of thrombolytic therapy has been shown to correlate directly with completeness (TIMI grade 3 flow) and speed of reperfusion of the infarct-related coronary artery. The purpose of the RAPID II study was to determine whether a double-bolus regimen of reteplase, a recently developed deletion mutant of wild-type tissue plasminogen activator, could improve 90-minute coronary artery patency rates achieved with the most successful standard regimen, an "accelerated" front-loaded infusion of alteplase. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-four patients with acute myocardial infarction were randomized to receive (along with intravenous heparin and aspirin) either a 10 plus 10 megaunits double bolus of reteplase or front-loaded alteplase. The primary end point of "patency at 90 minutes, graded according to the TIMI classification" was centrally assessed in a blinded fashion. Infarctrelated coronary artery patency (TIMI grade 2 or 3) and complete patency (TIMI grade 3) at 90 minutes after the start of thrombolytic therapy were significantly higher in the reteplase-treated patients (TIMI grade 2 or 3: 83.4% versus 73.3% for front-loaded alteplase-treated patients, P = .03; TIMI grade 3: 59.9% versus 45.2%, P = .01). At 60 minutes, the incidence of both, patency and complete patency, was also significantly higher in reteplase-treated patients (reteplase versus alteplase, TIMI grade 2 or 3: 81.8% versus 66.1%, P = .01; TIMI grade 3: 51.2% versus 37.4%, P < .03). Reteplase-treated patients required fewer acute additional coronary interventions (13.6% versus 26.5%, P < .01), and 35-day mortality was 4.1% for reteplase and 8.4% for alteplase (P = NS). There were no significant differences between reteplase and alteplase in bleedings requiring a transfusion (12.4% versus 9.7%) or hemorrhagic stroke (1.2% versus 1.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Reteplase, when given as a double bolus of 10 plus 10 megaunits to patients with acute myocardial infarction, achieves significantly higher rates of early reperfusion of the infarct-related coronary artery and requires significantly fewer acute coronary interventions than front-loaded alteplase without an apparent increased risk of complications.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The name game.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Attitude to Health↗