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Biomedical subjects

H Berger

Publications and source records attributed to H Berger.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

[Appendectomy - tenets of a century].

A small hospital reports on the results of 1302 appendectomies: all degrees of morbidity of the appendix and all patient ages are represented. There were only 2 deaths (0.15%), which also illustrates the very satisfactory success rate in the 16 "urgent early relaparotomies" (only 1 of 11 patients died). Richly demonstrated by case reports, it deals with diagnostic, indicative, and intraoperative problems and finally broaches the subject of "suppurative pylethrombophlebitis" secondary to acute appendicitis, including the question about its fateful course.

Abscess↗
PubMed1983

Xeroradiographic determination of Achilles tendon thickness in familial hypercholesterolemia confirmed by tissue cultures.

Twenty-three patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FHC) confirmed by tissue cultures of skin fibroblasts (2 homozygotes, 21 heterozygotes) and 3 patients with sporadic hypercholesterolemia were evaluated for Achilles tendon (AT) thickness by xeroradiography. Both homozygotes had thick ATs and coronary heart disease (CHD), 20 heterozygotes had thick ATs, but only 8 of them had CHD. One heterozygote had a small AT value, but CHD for a long time. The 3 patients with sporadic hypercholesterolemia, one with CHD, had small AT. There was no correlation between serum cholesterol concentration and AT thickness, between age and AT thickness, nor between AT thickness and CHD.

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMed1983

Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis of the hemolysin (cereolysin) determinant from Bacillus cereus.

From a cosmid gene bank of Bacillus cereus GP4 in Escherichia coli we isolated clones which, after several days of incubation, formed hemolysis zones on erythrocyte agar plates. These clones contained recombinant cosmids with B. cereus DNA insertions of varying lengths which shared some common restriction fragments. The smallest insertion was recloned as a PstI fragment into pJKK3-1, a shuttle vector which replicates in Bacillus subtilis and E. coli. When this recombinant plasmid (pJKK3-1 hly-1) was transformed into E. coli, it caused hemolysis on erythrocyte agar plates, but in liquid assays no external or internal hemolytic activity could be detected with the E. coli transformants. B. subtilis carrying the same plasmid exhibited hemolytic activity at levels comparable to those of the B. cereus donor strain. The hemolysin produced in B. subtilis seemed to be indistinguishable from cereolysin in its sensitivity to cholesterol, activation by dithiothreitol, and inactivation by antibodies raised against cereolysin. When the recombinant DNA carrying the cereolysin gene was used as a probe in hybridization experiments with chromosomal DNA from a streptolysin O-producing strain of Streptococcus pyogenes or from listeriolysin-producing strains of Listeria monocytogenes, no positive hybridization signals were obtained. These data suggest that the genes for these three SH-activated cytolysins do not have extended sequence homology.

Bacillus cereus↗
PubMed1983

The role of growth of normal and preneoplastic cell populations for tumor promotion in rat liver.

A number of different compounds, including phenobarbital, hypolipidemic drugs such as clofibrate and nafenopin, the sex steroids progesterone, cyproterone acetate, estradiol and mestranol, chlorinated hydrocarbons such as DDT, hexachlorocyclohexane, and TCDD and the antioxidant butylhydroxytoluene, appears to promote the development of liver tumors from previously induced initiated cells. The mechanisms of tumor promotion by several representative prototypes of these compounds were studied in rat liver in vivo. All liver tumor promoters mentioned above stimulate growth of normal liver. The growth response is due to cellular hypertrophy and/or increased rate of DNA (and cell) replication and/or decreased rate of cell death. Hepatocytes in foci or islands of altered cells (putatively preneoplastic) show higher rates of replication than normal liver cells; various different liver tumor promoters cause a further increase of proliferation of focal cells. The increased proliferative activity is found in different island phenotypes and thus seems to be a useful marker of the putative preneoplastic state. The focal cells respond to several factors limiting proliferation in normal liver, suggesting that they are not autonomous with respect to growth control. Early preneoplastic foci grow slowly without promotion, despite the relatively high rates of cell replication. Thus their cells seem to have a much shorter life-time than normal hepatocytes or to undergo reversion to the normal phenotype. Promoters seem to accelerate island enlargement by increasing cell replication and delaying cell death or remodeling. Thus, tumor promoters enhance the manifestation of the proliferation advantage of the putative initiated cell population. In addition, promoters cause increases in the number of detectable islands. This can partially be explained by enlargement of existing islands, but phenotypic changes that would enhance the probability of detection of remodelling islands and growth of dormant initiated cells, probably contribute to the apparent increase of island number. Putative preneoplastic foci of unknown origin are frequent in the liver of aged Wistar rats. They are morphologically and functionally very similar to those induced by carcinogens and are responsive to the mitogenic effect of tumor promoters. Promotion of these "spontaneous" foci may explain tumor appearance after long-term application of promoters.The findings may provide a basis for improved identification of initiated hepatocytes (and of initiating hepatocarcinogens) and for detection of tumor promoters. All suspected liver tumor promoters tested so far induced enhanced preneoplastic cell proliferation after single doses. The long-term carcinogenicity bioassay as currently performed does not discriminate between initiating and promoting properties of a test compound if the animals used develop spontaneous preneoplastic lesions in the organ affected.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Prognostic groups of patients with stage I melanoma.

The thickness of melanomas, presence or absence of ulceration, and the sex of the patient were the three dominant variables affecting the eight-year survival of 1,191 patients with clinical stage I melanoma in the prospective German melanoma group. With regard to these variables, three prognostic groups were defined representing 30%, 9%, and 61% of the patients, respectively. The good prognosis group (93% of patients surviving eight years) consisted of women with melanomas that were 1.5 mm thick or less. The intermediate prognosis group (78% of patients surviving eight years) consisted of men with nonulcerated melanomas that were 1.5 mm thick or less. The poor prognosis group (46% of patients surviving eight years) consisted of all who were left with remaining melanomas, ie, all those with melanomas thicker than 1.5 mm, and in men ulcerated tumors that were 1.5 mm thick or less.

Female↗
PubMed1983

[Malignant melanoma: prognostic evaluation using correlation coefficients].

Many of the clinical and histological variables of malignant melanoma are correlated with each other. This interaction can be examined with simple and partial correlation coefficients. The exophytic growth of the melanoma, the level of invasion, the melanoma type of Clark, and the predominating cell type are correlated with the thickness of the tumor. These variables do not influence the patient's survival in tumors with the same thickness. Sex of the patient and ulceration and diameter of the melanoma are independent variables which are not correlated with the tumor thickness. They influence the patient's survival for tumors of the same thickness. The site of origin of the melanoma is not related to the tumor thickness but to the sex of the patient. The influence on the survival of this variable is controversial.

Female↗
PubMed1982

[Small reflectometers, independent of the electric current, for home blood glucose monitoring. Testing for correctness and precision].

Thirty small reflectometers not requiring mains electricity (23 Glucosemeter and 7 individual appliances of various makes) were tested under standardised laboratory conditions as to their relative and absolute accuracy in the measurement of blood glucose. The hexokinase method delivered the reference values. The investigation demonstrated systematic deviations of 1 to 97%, coincidental deviations of 8 to 24% and total deviations of between 25 and 153%. If one accepts a value of up to 50% for the total deviation only 13 out of 30 reflectometers are acceptable. The results show that each individual meter must be assessed by the doctor before it can be given to the patient for glucose monitoring at home.

Blood Chemical Analysis↗
PubMed1982

[Complete triploidy (69,XXX) surviving until the age of 7 months].

A patient with complete triploidy surviving until the age of 7 months is described. The diagnosis was established by the observation of 69,XXX chromosomes in lymphocyte and fibroblast cultures. Our findings suggest two active X chromosomes, since only one Barr body was found in buccal smear and drumsticks were within the normal range for females. Clinical findings disclosed a left-sided hemihypertrophy. There were several degenerative stigmata such as craniofacial dysmorphism, hypertelorism, low-set malformed ears and a high-arched palate. The CNS malformation consisted of microcephaly, diffuse cortical atrophy and a cavum septi pellucidi. There was soft tissue syndactily of all extremities and polydactily of the right lower extremity. Psychomotor development was severely retarded. Our patient presented with severe convulsions, retardation and recurrent bacterial infections, particularly of the respiratory tract. The girl died suddenly at the age of 7 months fulminating bilateral pneumonia. Permission for autopsy could not be obtained.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1982

[Red pigment dyes and acne. Clinical observations and experimental investigations (author's transl)].

Acne-like changes were observed on a child's cheeks after colouring them with a red felt-tip pen. Numerous comedos appeared around a red tattoo coloured with felt-tip pen ink on a 16 year old girl. In animal experiments using rabbits' ears, two organic pigment inks found in these types of felt-tip pens could be proved to be the cause of a comedo-producing reaction. We are concerned here with quinacridone dye, pigment violet 19 (C.I.46.500), and the chlorine containing azo dye, pigment red 7 (C.I. 12.420).

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed1982

A comparison of plasminogen activators derived from rat plasma, primary rat hepatocytes and isolated perfused rat liver.

Of the two cell types it was possible to culture from the dissociated rat liver, hepatocytes and Kupffer cells, only the former were fibrinolytically active. Rat hepatocytes during the first 24 hr in culture secreted two plasminogen activators with molecular weights identical to those found in rat plasma, an 80,000-dalton form (PA-80) and a 45,000-dalton form (PA-45). Partially purified preparations of plasminogen activators from both sources were subjected to isoelectric focusing (IEF) to compare characteristics further. There were three distinct peaks of PA-45 in each preparation with isoelectric points of 7.1, 7.2 and 7.4; all electrophoretic forms had the same low affinity to fibrin. PA-80 from both sources displayed similar IEF profiles with forms ranging from pH values of 7 to 8, all with the same high affinity to fibrin. The major form of PA-80 in the plasma preparation had an isoelectric point of 7.9 whereas that in the hepatocyte preparation had an isoelectric point of 7.6. The isolated perfused rat liver was also shown to produce both PA-80 and PA-45 emphasizing the physiological relevance of the findings with hepatocytes. It is concluded that in the rat hepatocytes contribute to the plasma profile with regard to the plasminogen activator content.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

[Antitumor effect of retinoids (author's transl)].

Retinoids given in a high dosage are able to reduce or prevent the growth of experimental skin tumors in animals. Our study on the systemic effect of aromatic retinoid (Ro 10-9359) on DMBA-induced skin tumors in rabbits supported these findings. The antitumor effect seems to be independent of the type of tumor induction. Previous reports and the possibility of using this retinoid effect in the treatment of skin tumors in man are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

DMBA-induced tumors and their prevention by aromatic retinoid (Ro 10-9359).

Both auricles of 21 domestic rabbits were painted with dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA). Eleven animals of this group were additionally fed aromatic retinoid (AR) by an esophageal tube. Two control animals were not treated at all. Eight or 9 weeks after the beginning of the study six of the seven remaining animals, which had only been painted with DMBA, developed a total of 25 keratoacanthoma-like tumors (KA). On the other hand, none of the seven animals left, which were painted with DMBA and fed AR showed any tumor by this time. The systemic effect of AR was studied in biopsies from the snout and the back. The epidermis of the snout showed 'mucous mataplasia' by histochemical and electron-microscopic criteria, whereas the epidermis of the back was not significantly altered. The production of intra- and extracellular lamellated material indicated an additional effect of AR on epidermal lipid metabolism. The effect of AR in the prevention of DMBA-induced tumors was characterized by 'mucoid cytolysis' and karyolysis.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗
PubMed1982

Cloning of the chromosomal determinants encoding hemolysin production and mannose-resistant hemagglutination in Escherichia coli.

We have cloned the chromosomal hemolysin determinants from Escherichia coli strains belonging to the four O-serotypes O4, O6, O18, and O75. The hemolysin-producing clones were isolated from gene banks of these strains which were constructed by inserting partial Sau3A fragments of chromosomal DNA into the cosmid pJC74. The hemolytic cosmid clones were relatively stable. The inserts were further subcloned either as SalI fragments in pACYC184 or as BamHI-SalI fragments in a recombinant plasmid (pANN202) containing cistron C (hlyC) of the plasmid-encoded hemolysin determinant. Detailed restriction maps of each of these determinants were constructed, and it was found that, despite sharing overall homology, the determinants exhibited minor specific differences in their structure. These appeared to be restricted to cistron A (hlyA), which is the structural gene for hemolysin. In the gene banks of two of these hemolytic strains, we could also identify clones which carried the genetic determinants for the mannose-resistant hemagglutination antigens Vb and VIc. Both of these fimbrial antigens were expressed in the E. coli K-12 clones to an extent similar to that observed in the wild-type strains. These recombinant cosmids were rather unstable, and, in the absence of selection, segregated at a high frequency.

Base Sequence↗