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Biomedical subjects

G Strohmeyer

Publications and source records attributed to G Strohmeyer.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Sclerosing cholangitis with papillary stenosis in an HIV-infected patients with Cryptosporidium infection].

We report the case of a 46-year old HIV-infected patient who suffered from severe recurrent diarrhoea for 18 months. In stool cultures cryptosporidiae were identified. The cryptosporidial enteritis was unresponsive to therapy. In the further course of cryptosporidial infection the patient developed HIV-associated cholangitis with increasing upper abdominal pain, progredient laboratory cholestasis and morphological changes indicating posthepatic cholestasis. Papillary stenosis with erosive papilitis caused by cryptosporidia was diagnosed. Sphincterotomy significantly improved the clinical status of the patient. Cholangitis with associated crytosporidial infection in a HIV-infected patient ist discussed and necessary diagnostic and differential therapeutic approaches are described.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1994

[Endoscopy in the intensive care unit].

The present study retrospectively evaluates all endoscopies performed on a medical intensive care unit during the period from 1986 to 1992. During these seven years, 415 endoscopies were performed of which 77.8% were done as an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The most frequent findings consisted in esophagitis (23.6%), ulcers of the stomach or duodenum (20.2%), esophageal varices (10.1%) and erosive-hemorrhagic gastritis (9.6%). More than 2/3 of all endoscopies were performed because of an gastrointestinal bleeding with upper bleeding being three times more frequent than lower bleeding. The endoscopy was able to identify the cause and site of bleeding with certainty or high probability in 92.8%. Esophagitis was the most frequent cause of bleeding (30.7%) followed by ulcers in the duodenum and stomach (25.6%), esophageal varices (14.8%) and erosive gastritis (13.7%). In more than 90% of patients with esophagitis a nasogastric tube had been administered during the two preceding days. Therefore, the tube is probably responsible for the esophagitis. The present data show that bleeding from esophageal lesions are about ten times more frequent in patients treated in an intensive care unit when compared to data published for the general group of patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Considering the frequency of bleeding from esophagitis in intensive care patients, an administration of a nasogastric tube should be done only when mandatory.

Critical Care↗
PubMed1994

Low vitamin E content in plasma of patients with alcoholic liver disease, hemochromatosis and Wilson's disease.

The RRR-alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) content in plasma from 46 patients with liver diseases and 23 healthy controls was determined by high performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection. Patients were divided into three groups: alcoholic liver diseases (n = 17; group A), hemochromatosis (n = 17; group B) and Wilson's disease (n = 12; group C). Lipid-standardized alpha-tocopherol levels were determined to neutralize differences due to hyperlipemia. The ratio of serum vitamin E to serum lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids) was highest in healthy controls and in patients in group A with cirrhosis and normal transaminases and bilirubin. Patients in group A with acute or chronic ethanol intoxication and high bilirubin levels had a 37% lower lipid-standardized vitamin E level than controls. Patients in group B with hemochromatosis, showing high serum iron (> 180 micrograms/dl), a low free iron binding capacity (< 8 mumol/l) and high ferritin-levels (< 450 micrograms/l), had a 34% lower vitamin E/lipid ratio than healthy controls. No significant lowering of the vitamin E/lipid ratio was observed in the other patients in group B. A significant decrease (37%) in the vitamin E/lipid ratio was only detectable in patients with Wilson's disease (group C) showing high free serum copper (> 10 micrograms/dl). The data support a role for free radicals in the pathogenesis of active liver diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[How many patients with chronic viral hepatitis qualify for interferon therapy? Prospective analysis of university ambulatory care].

How many patients with chronic viral hepatitis are suitable for interferon therapy? A prospective analysis of a university out-patient department. The present study prospectively analyzes 273 consecutive patients admitted to the outpatient-hepatology clinic for interferon therapy of chronic viral hepatitis from 1989 to 1991. 149/273 (54.6%) patients suffered from hepatitis-B viral infection (HBV). Of the 107 patients with NANB-hepatitis (39.2%) 103 patients finally proved to have hepatitis-C viral infection (HCV) (96.3%). In 17/273 patients (6.2%) the outside diagnosis of viral hepatitis was wrong. The percentage of men versus women was significantly greater in HBV (71.8% vs. 28.2%) than in HCV infection (52.4% vs. 47.5%) (p < 0.01; c2-test). The admittance of patients increased from 68 patients in 1989 to 88 patients in 1990 and 117 patients in 1991. The percentage of HCV-patients increased from 26.4% in 1989 to 38.6% in 1990 and 43.6% in 1991. The number of patients with HCV-infection admitted by non-university hospitals versus practitioners and internists was significantly greater in HCV-infection (48.5% vs. 51.5%) compared to HBV-infection (hospitals: 36.9%; practitioners: 63.1%) (p < 0.05). Interferon therapy was initiated in 131/252 patients (52%) with HBV- or HCV-infection. HCV-patients were treated with interferon significantly more frequently (59.2%) compared with HBV-patients (46.9%) (p = 0.05). Since interferon therapy was initiated in only about 50% of HBV- and HCV-patients, the selection criteria for such treatment need to be publicized more effectively. The marked increase in patients with HCV-infection suggests that recent improvements in serology of viral hepatitis are widely and appropriately used in clinical practice.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Electrophysiological motor testing, MRI findings and clinical course in AIDS patients with dementia.

Thirty-three HIV-positive patients with clinical signs of dementia according to the 1991 AAN criteria underwent psychometric, electrophysiological and radiological examination and were compared with a group of normal healthy subjects and a cohort of clinically asymptomatic HIV-1-positive individuals of comparable education and social environment. Compared with the other groups, test performance was severely impaired in the demented patients. Results of motor testing and MRI revealed that subcortical structures were not exclusively affected, but most severely and early, thus characterizing the clinical feature in HIV-1-associated dementia. In demented patients a rapid deterioration was observed, leading to death within about 12 months on average, which is a markedly shorter survival time than described in the literature for non-demented HIV-1-positive individuals.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗
PubMed1993

Protein kinase C and adenylate cyclase as targets for growth inhibition of human gastric cancer cells.

In the human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS the effects of the protein-kinase-C-activating phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), the protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine, the adenylate-cyclase activating agent forskolin, and the permeable dibutyryl-adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (Bt2cAMP) on the proliferation were assessed. Cell counting followed 5 days of incubation. Prolonged activation of protein kinase C by TPA, inhibition of protein kinase C by staurosporine, activation of adenylate cyclase by forskolin or a direct increase of the intracellular cAMP level all result in a dose-dependent growth inhibition of AGS gastric tumour cells. Half-maximal inhibition was achieved at 100 pM for TPA, 1 nM for staurosporine, 20 microM for forskolin, and 600 microM for Bt2cAMP. It is concluded that protein kinase C and adenylate cyclase play a fundamental role in the growth of AGS gastric cancer cells. Interference with these enzymes involved in the signal transduction of growth regulation in tumour cells may represent a target in the development of new antiproliferative principles.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1993

Age-dependent decline in cognitive information processing of HIV-positive individuals detected by event-related potential recordings.

Cognitive event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded in 100 HIV-positive patients of all CDC stages without clinical CNS deficits with an auditory oddball paradigm. Four latency peaks and three amplitudes were evaluated (N1, P2, N2 and P3 latencies, N1-P2, P2-N2 and N2-P3 amplitudes). In contrast to an age-matched control group of comparable education and social environment, a statistically significant N2-P3 amplitude reduction was found in the patient group deteriorating with the CDC stages. The physiological N2-P3 amplitude reduction with age in normals was found to be twice as fast in HIV-positive individuals. No group-statistically relevant EEG abnormalities were found in the patient group. In psychometric testing, there was no marked depressive syndrome in the HIV-positive individuals, but a mild slowing of speed-dependent abilities.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Pathogenesis of genetic haemochromatosis.

Genetic haemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive inherited iron overload disease. The genetic defect and the underlying metabolic error are not known. Several observations indicate that the 2-4-fold increase of iron absorption is due to a regulatory defect of a membrane iron transport system in duodenal mucosal cells. The key pathophysiologic factor may be the increase of gut-derived non-transferrin bound iron liganded to low-molecular mass organic molecules. A putative membrane carrier protein for non-transferrin bound iron was identified and preliminary data suggest its enrichment in plasma membranes of human mucosal cells as well as in liver and other organs which are affected in genetic haemochromatosis. Cellular accumulation of ionic iron leads to peroxidative decomposition of organelle membrane phospholipids with the consequence of cell degeneration and cell death. Impairment of organ function and structural alterations such as cirrhosis of the liver are clinical manifestations.

Ferritins↗
PubMed1993

Glucose resistance contributes to diabetes mellitus in cirrhosis.

Insulin resistance is a characteristic feature of glucose-intolerant and diabetic cirrhotic patients. The pathogenic factors, however, that are responsible for the development of impaired glucose tolerance in cirrhosis, remain unclear. To examine whether the ability of hyperglycemia per se to enhance glucose uptake (by means of mass-action effect) is impaired in cirrhosis, we measured (insulin-independent) whole-body glucose disposal during hyperglycemia (hyperglycemic clamp studies, +125 mg/dl, in combination with an infusion of somatostatin (500 micrograms/hr), insulin (0.1 mU/kg min) and glucagon (0.5 ng/kg min) to "clamp" hormone levels at baseline), whole-body glucose oxidation (indirect calorimetry) and glucose turnover (prime-continuous infusion of [6,6-2H2-]glucose in a clinically homogeneous group of cirrhotic patients with glucose intolerance (n = 7) or frank diabetes mellitus (n = 7) and in control individuals (n = 7). Fasting plasma glucose concentrations were normal in glucose-intolerant patients but were significantly increased in diabetic patients (158 +/- 19 vs. 87 +/- 2 mg/dl in controls; p < 0.01). Plasma glucose concentrations were clamped at 214 +/- 4 mg/dl in controls, at 212 +/- 4 mg/dl in glucose-intolerant patients and at 287 +/- 19 mg/dl in diabetic patients; plasma insulin and glucagon concentrations were maintained at baseline levels. In the basal state, total-body glucose disposal (which equals basal hepatic glucose output) was normal in glucose-intolerant patients (2.25 +/- 0.11 mg/kg min) but was increased in diabetic patients compared with controls (3.32 +/- 0.26 mg/dl vs. 2.45 +/- 0.10 mg/dl; p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Fecal occult blood testing: comparative evaluation of a two-hole versus a three-hole single slide test.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of the three-hole fecal occult blood test hemoCARE in the detection of colorectal neoplasia in asymptomatic individuals in comparison with the conventional two-hole single slide test Hemoccult. Tests were distributed to 10,269 subjects older than 45 years. A total of 62.8% of the participants returned both tests, which were positive in 374 (5.8%). The diagnostic evaluation of 208 cases revealed 57 colorectal adenomas and carcinomas. The hemoCARE test was associated with a larger number of false-positive results than the Hemoccult test (p < 0.01). Fecal occult blood testing with the three-hole test demonstrated a significant increase in the yield of colorectal neoplasms as compared with the two-hole test (57 vs. 48 detected colorectal neoplasms; p < 0.01) without modifying the positive predictive value.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1992

[The prevention of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia by pentamidine inhalation].

167 HIV-positive patients (155 men, 12 women; mean age 31 [18-61] years) with CD4 lymphocyte counts below 250/microliter every 4 weeks received 300 mg pentamidine per aerosol inhalation during out-patient visits, as prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii. 89 patients were clinically in the AIDS stage and 33 in the AIDS-related complex (ARC) stage. 29 patients had a lymphadenopathy syndrome, while 16 were asymptomatic. 130 patients received primary prophylaxis, while 37 who had previously had an attack of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia were given pentamidine as secondary prophylaxis. During a mean observation period of 8 months three patients developed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (1.7%): their CD4 lymphocyte count was under 20/microliters. Pentamidine inhalation reduced the incidence of a first attack of pneumonia to 0.18% per month and recurrence to 0.32% per month. These figures confirm the great effectiveness of primary and secondary prophylaxis with pentamidine inhalation.

AIDS-Related Complex↗