[Gestational diabetes: screening and therapy at the University Gynecologic Clinic, Innsbruck].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Drexel.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL2-cholesterol, and HDL3-cholesterol were studied in 18 patients with Type 2 diabetes. Prior to entering the clinical trial, the study subjects were in stable control under a fixed mixture of 20% regular and 80% NPH (isophane) biosynthetic human insulin twice daily. The patients were randomized to treatment with either biosynthetic human proinsulin or biosynthetic human NPH insulin (controls) twice daily. Glucose control was kept constant in both groups throughout the study. Of the nine patients treated with proinsulin, eight exhibited a decrease of plasma triglycerides (median decrease by 0.13 mmol/l). In contrast, all nine controls showed a rise (median increase by 0.69 mmol/l) of plasma triglycerides (p less than 0.001). In keeping with the fall of plasma triglycerides, HDL2-cholesterol rose in all but one proinsulin-treated patients. Both treatment modalities reduced HDL3-cholesterol with a median decrease of 0.20 mmol/l (p less than 0.01) with proinsulin and 0.26 mmol/l with NPH insulin (p less than 0.05). We conclude that human proinsulin is able to reduce plasma triglycerides and to increase HDL2-cholesterol in the majority of patients with Type 2 diabetes and thus appears to alter favourably risk factors for coronary heart disease.
The effect on fat metabolism of an intensified insulin treatment regimen was tested in 23 type I diabetics and compared with that of conventional insulin treatment. Definite improvement in blood glucose levels was found after a one-year intensified treatment schedule (HbA1 of 8.1% under intensified treatment, compared with 10.6% under conventional treatment). The intensified treatment schedule also resulted in a significant reduction in plasma triglycerides from an average of 114 mg/dl to 94 mg/dl (p less than 0.05), at the same time the plasma HDL-cholesterol levels increased. Plasma concentrations of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol remained unchanged. Thus intensified insulin treatment was shown to improve glucose metabolism, lower HDL-cholesterol and in this way improve the risk profile for macroangiopathy.
A prospective study compared the perinatal morbidity of 141 normal pregnancies (group I) with that of 108 pregnancies in whom gestational diabetes had been treated early (group II) and 35 with unsatisfactorily treated gestational diabetes (group III). The therapeutic goal in gestational diabetes was to have a postprandial blood-glucose level of less than 130 mg/100 ml. If this was not achievable through diet alone, insulin was injected once daily. Neonatal macrosomia, dystrophy, acidosis, hyperbilirubinaemia, hypoglycaemia and hypocalcaemia had a normal incidence in group II, but in group III macrosomia was twice as frequent as in group II (P less than 0.02), and acidosis (pH less than 7.20) twice as frequent (P less than 0.05). The results indicate that strict metabolic control in gestational pregnancy will achieve a normal rate of perinatal morbidity.
We modified the liquid-chromatographic assay of Schleicher and Wieland (J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 1981; 19:81-7) for measuring lysine-bound glucose in serum proteins, increasing its performance and practicality. After precipitating serum proteins from 10- to 50-microL samples with ethanol (700 mL/L) and hydrolyzing these in 6 mol/L HCl, we inject 20 microL of the diluted hydrolysate directly into the chromatograph, which consists of an acid-resistant C18 precolumn combined with a high-resolution C18 main column. The eluent is 3.5 mmol/L H3PO4 solution containing 30 mL of acetonitrile per liter. These modifications increase sensitivity, provide excellent resolution and longevity of stationary phases, shorten assay times to 15 to 20 min, and are suited for automation. The assay is highly sensitive and highly specific, quantifying nanomoles of lysine-bound glucose per milligram of protein. A precision (CV) of 5.1% is achievable at physiological and supra-physiological glucose concentrations, and analytical recovery is 99%. This inexpensive method has been applied to serum albumin, bulk serum proteins, and preparations of low-density lipoproteins and immunoglobulins.
The reliability of semiquantitative densitometric lipoprotein electrophoresis was compared with that of the quantitative determination of plasma lipoproteins by zonal ultracentrifugation on plasma from 73 patients. As an alternative to the measurement of lipoproteins by electrophoresis other, simple laboratory methods were used and also compared with plasma lipoprotein concentrations obtained by zonal ultracentrifugation. It was found that quantitative measurement of plasma lipoproteins by densitometric electrophoresis correlated positively to actual plasma concentration by zonal ultracentrifugation, but other simple methods of lipid determination--of plasma cholesterol; of triglycerides; of HDL and LDL cholesterol--are definitely better for obtaining plasma lipoprotein concentrations. Lipoprotein electrophoresis should not be used for the quantitative determination of plasma lipoproteins.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is closely connected with an increased concentration of cholesterol and a decreased concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-chol) in human plasma. No general agreement exists about the atherogenic potential of increased plasma triglycerides. Although both a negative correlation between plasma triglycerides and post heparin lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and a positive correlation between the plasma concentration of HDL-chol and LPL-activity are well documented, only a few studies have investigated the relationship between CAD and LPL. Therefore, 109 male patients with angiographically assessed CAD were investigated with respect to plasma lipids, post heparin LPL, and plasma testosterone and estradiol, which are both known to influence LPL-activity. Many well known results were confirmed. The extent of CAD, assessed by coronary angiography as coronary score (CS), was significantly positively correlated to plasma cholesterol, plasma triglycerides, plasma phospholipids, plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-chol) and age. CS was significantly negatively correlated to LPL-activity and to the plasma concentration of HDL-chol. LPL itself was significantly negatively correlated to plasma cholesterol, plasma triglycerides and phospholipids, and significantly positively correlated to HDL-chol and plasma testosterone. The most surprising result of this study was the significant correlation between CS and LPL (r = -0.4624; p less than 0.001), a correlation which could explain the increased plasma triglycerides and decreased plasma HDL-chol.
The continuous subcutaneous infusion of opiate, a new approach to the alleviation of severe chronic pain, has been carried out using a pump system normally employed for the infusion of insulin. Relapses of pain can be controlled with bolus doses. This mode of application was compared with conventional therapy in 11 patients. All patients were free of pain during the continuous infusion, but none showed a satisfactory response during conventional treatment. The improved response under continuous opiate infusion was attained with much lower doses and thus with fewer side effects. The procedure is therefore highly effective and well tolerated.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
89 consecutive men for whom coronary angiography was requested because of suspected coronary artery disease were investigated with respect to plasma lipids, lipoproteins, post-heparin lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and some hormones that influence LPL. The severity of coronary-artery disease was expressed by the coronary score (CS). Coronary-artery disease correlated with total plasma cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-chol), and HDL2. In addition, there was a strong negative correlation (r = -0.479, p less than 0.001) between CS and LPL, as well as positive correlations between CS and plasma triglycerides (p less than 0.01) and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL, p less than 0.01). The impairment of LPL activity correlated with increased VLDL and decreased HDL-chol. The extent of coronary-artery disease is thus strongly influenced by an LPL deficit. LPL activity correlated with plasma testosterone, and there is evidence that low plasma testosterone may be partly responsible for the low LPL and HDL-chol.
The distinct increase in the highly atherogenic plasma low-density lipoproteins (LDL) caused by the wellknown LDL-receptor defect is considered to be responsible for the development of atherosclerosis in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). In contrast to the atherogenic LDL, the high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are considered to have a protective effect against the development of atherosclerosis and have hitherto been insufficiently investigated in association with FH. HDL2 are assumed to be important in the removal of free cholesterol from the peripheral tissue to the liver, but this hypothesis needs to be supported by further experimental investigations. In this study 18 patients (7 men/11 women) with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) were compared with 18 healthy controls (8 men/10 women). From fasting plasma the following parameters were determined: cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, HDL-cholesterol, by rate zonal ultracentrifugation the lipoproteins VLDL (very low-density lipoproteins), IDL (intermediate-density lipoproteins), LDL (low-density lipoproteins), HDL2 and HDL3, as well as the activities of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HTGL). In addition, the percentage composition of the major apolipoproteins (apo) of HDL2 and HDL3 were determined by polyacrylamide disc-gel electrophoresis. In LDL of patients with FH the percentage amount of protein was significantly (p less than 0.01) smaller than in controls. Furthermore, in HDL2 of patients with FH, the percentage content of apo-A II and apo-D was significantly (both p less than 0.01) higher than in controls. In HDL3 of patients with FH a significantly smaller (p less than 0.02) amount of apo-E was revealed than in controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
In order to study the effects of chronic alcoholism, 3 groups of patients were investigated and compared to 10 healthy controls. Group I consisted of 9 heavy drinkers, who exhibited type V hyperlipidemia (HLP) under alcohol intake. Group II consisted of 7 patients, who previously had type V HLP under the influence of alcohol. At the time of the investigation, however, they had ceased alcohol drinking for at least 6 months and were normolipidemic. Group III consisted of 7 heavy drinkers without hyperlipidemia. Compared to controls, group I had significantly decreased plasma concentrations of high density lipoproteins2 (HDL2) and HDL3 (both P less than 0.01); activities of post-heparin lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HTGL) as well were excessively decreased (both P less than 0.01). In group III LPL was also decreased (P less than 0.01), but HTGL was distinctly (P less than 0.01) higher than in controls. No such differences could be demonstrated for the patients of group II. Acute alcohol withdrawal from a patient suffering from alcoholism with HLP led to a sharp increase of LPL with a simultaneous decrease of VLDL within 2 days and a more delayed increase of LDL, HDL2 and HTGL, all reaching normal values within 12 days after cessation of alcohol drinking. With respect to the apolipoprotein (apo) composition of HDL2, patients of group I and group III exhibited a significantly lower percentual content of apo C-I at the expense of a significantly higher content of apo A-II as compared to controls and patients of group II. In group I and II, the percentual content of apo D in HDL2 was significantly higher than in controls and in group III. It is concluded that severe alcohol intake strongly impairs LPL in patients with HLP. The pronounced increase of HTGL in some patients (group III) may protect these individuals from HLP. The increased content of apo D in HDL2 may be a possible primary trait for alcohol-inducible HLP.
A viscometric technique is outlined for the measurement of red cell aggregation (RCA). Samples are submitted to a constant shear rate of 2,4 s-1. The resulting time dependent torque signal reaches a peak soon after starting the rotation and falls within seconds to a constant baseline, thereby describing an area "F" with the baseline. The shear history of the sample being strictly controlled, "F" is reproducible and shows a direct, positive correlation with RCA as determined for instance in the "aggregometer".
Insight into the mechanisms of contamination is a necessary prerequisite for efficient and meaningful decontamination. The incorporation of anorganic ions into human skin has been studied with aqueous solutions of radionuclides. Within 30 min of wetting about 1 microliter fluid per cm2 skin area penetrates into the capillary spaces of the horny layer, promoted by surface-active properties of the sebaceous lipids. Adsorption onto horny layer constituents is especially important for polyvalent cations. In general it is dependent on pH and on the ionic charge. For all substances in aqueous solution the structure of the horny layer causes a nearly exponential decay of concentration with depth of penetration (about 100:1 across the horny layer at 1 mg keratin/cm2 skin area). This is the reason for the very low penetration rates. The results may be used to establish some rules for skin decontamination.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
In the course of one year 357 patients were treated in our department for poisoning, nearly always with suicidal intent. Altogether 249 patients were admitted to the wards for 24 hours or longer, and 108 of these (44.6%) were taken into the intensive care unit. Apart from myocardial infarction (276 patients/year), poisoning is the most common reason for admission to the intensive care unit. The age distribution showed a maximum between 15 and 20 years. Only one case proved fatal, representing a mortality rate of 0.3%.