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Biomedical subjects

H Ludwig

Publications and source records attributed to H Ludwig.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Persistent, tolerant or subacute infection in Borna disease virus-infected rats.

The rabbit-adapted Borna disease (BD) virus strain V was passaged by intracerebral infection of 1-day-old Wistar rats. Infectivity titres reached 10(8) infectious units per gram of brain 4 weeks after infection. No clinical signs were evident. The persistent infection could be induced with adapted or field strains of BD virus. Strains were identified by neutralization tests. The virulence of the rabbit-adapted BD virus for the rat increased with rat passages. The 5th passage induced clinical symptoms in animals infected at 1 week of age or older. Between 20% and 50% of diseased rats died. Virus-specific antigen was detectable immunohistologically in neurons of rats infected at all ages. Animals inoculated at 1 or 2 months of age, but not the neonatal rats, showed signs of inflammation in the brain. Infected rats produced specific antibodies. In the older groups (infected at ages of 1 or 2 months), and especially in surviving animals, occasionally, neutralizing antibodies with high titres were found. Transfer of primed spleen cells resulted in subacute disease. These findings demonstrate that neonatal rats can acquire a persistent, tolerant infection and that expression of disease is mediated by immunological factors.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Serum ferritin and beta 2-microglobulin in patients with multiple myeloma.

In 76 patients with clinically well-defined multiple myeloma (median age at diagnosis: 68.5 years), serum ferritin (SF) and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) were measured by RIA methods. Seventy sex- and age-matched healthy individuals served as controls. Both serum ferritin (median: 343 vs 193 micrograms/liter; P less than 10(-7] and beta 2M (median: 4.25 vs 3.5 mg/liter) showed a significant increase (P less than 0.05) in myeloma patients compared to controls. Intercorrelation analysis revealed significant correlations between SF and tumor mass, serum creatinine, and beta 2M, and between beta 2M and tumor mass, percentage of plasma cell infiltration in bone marrow, agglutinine titers, serum creatinine, hemoglobin, and age of the patients. Both tumor proteins might gain clinical importance particularly in those patients in which precise monitoring of disease is impossible either due to lack of paraprotein production or due to the particular paraprotein type. This seems to account for patients with light chain paraproteins, and for those patients with biclonal gammopathies or with IgE and/or IgD paraproteins.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

The morphologic response of the human endometrium to long-term treatment with progestational agents.

The effects of progestational agents on the human endometrium are masked by the proliferating action of endogenous estrogens or by an estrogen compound used for oral contraception. It is therefore difficult to describe the morphology of the endometrial reaction caused by progestational agents alone. The endometria of 12 women were examined, 11 of whom were on a long-term, low-dose regimen of progestogens for contraception; the twelfth was on a short-term, high-dose regimen of injectable progestogen for adjuvant therapy of breast cancer. Endometria from the patients were evaluated with respect to the following parameters; gland mitoses, gland tortuosity, pseudostratification, basal vacuolation, signs of secretion, stromal edema, predecidual reaction, and leukocytic infiltration. The morphologic examination was performed with the light microscope using different stainings and with the scanning electron microscope.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

[Severe pregnancy hemostasis disorders: diagnosis and therapeutic procedures].

We evaluated 21 pregnant patients with severe disorders of haemostasis by retrospective chart analyses, 15 patients were treated with intravenous heparin (10.000 to 20.000 I.U.) during and after surgery. Eighteen of 21 patients developed renal failure and 8 died. Postoperative bleeding complications making laparotomies mandatory occurred in 10 patients. These bleeding complications are seen in relation to the heparin treatment instituted immediately after surgery. We do not favor the administration of heparin during the immediate obstetrical postoperative period, the more as Antithrombin III-concentrate is now available. Surgical intervention in order to achieve haemostasis is of paramount therapeutic importance. Drainage of infections remains furthermore the most important task in those obstetrical emergency cases where infections play a predominant role. To maintain or to re-establish the normovolemic perfusion ameliorates the rheological conditions which should monitored with care.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Radiography and bone scintigraphy in multiple myeloma: a comparative analysis.

The sensitivity of radionuclide imaging for detecting skeletal lesions was compared with that of radiography by evaluating 573 different anatomical sites in 41 patients with multiple myeloma. Radiography revealed a significantly greater number of myeloma-related bone lesions than did radionuclide imaging. Of the 179 myeloma-related bone lesions detected when both techniques were applied, 163 were seen by radiography and 82 by radionuclide imaging. Ninety-seven lesions were detected by radiography alone and 16 lesions seen by scintiscanning only, yielding a sensitivity of 91% for the former and of 46% for the latter technique. Radionuclide imaging proved superior to radiography only occasionally in the rib cage, and rarely in other anatomical sites. These findings suggest that radiography is the method of first choice in obtaining a skeletal survey in patients with multiple myeloma. In cases with continued pain, unexplained by standard radiography, the skeletal survey should be supplemented by tomography and radionuclide imaging.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1982

[Serum ferritin and beta-2-microglobulin in multiple myeloma].

In 76 patients with clinically well defined multiple myeloma (median age at diagnosis: 68.5 years) serum-ferritin (SF) and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) were measured by RIA-methods. 70 sex and age-matched healthy individuals served as controls. Both serum-ferritin (median: 343 micrograms/l vs. 193 micrograms/l; p less than 10(-7)) and beta 2M (median: 4.25 mg/l vs. 3.5 mg/l; p less than 0.01) showed a significant increase in myeloma patients compared to controls. Intercorrelation analysis revealed significant correlations between SF and tumour mass, serum-creatinine and beta 2M and between beta 2M and tumour mass, percentage of plasma cell infiltration in bone marrow, agglutinin titer, serum-creatinine, hemoglobin and age of the patients. Both tumour proteins might gain clinical importance particularly in those patients in which precise monitoring of disease is impossible either due to lack of paraprotein production or due to the particular paraprotein type. This seems to account for patients with light chain paraproteins, and furthermore for those patients with biclonal gammopathies or with IgE- and/or IgD-paraproteins.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[Lymphocyte subpopulations in multiple myeloma. Shift in the helper/suppressor cell relation].

Absolute and relative proportions of lymphocyte subpopulations were studied in 21 patients with multiple myeloma and 22 controls. For characterization of cell subsets monoclonal antibodies against differentiation antigens were applied as well as other established techniques. A significant reduction in the absolute and relative proportion of T-lymphocytes (OKT3+, E-rosette+) and of helper-inducer T cells (OKT4+) was found. The absolute counts of OKT8+ suppressor-cytotoxic T cells were of the same magnitude in patients and controls resulting in a significant increase of their relative proportion in patients with multiple myeloma. Moreover, a significant but uniform reduction of leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, OKM1+ cells and B-lymphocytes was found. The relation of T helper-inducer/suppressor-cytotoxic cells was significantly decreased in terms of a relative increase in suppressor T cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1982

Epidemiologic and age-dependent data on multiple myeloma in Austria.

The mortality rates for multiple myeloma showed an increasing trend between 1969 and 1979, when multiple myeloma accounted for 6% of the reported cancer deaths in Austria. The median age at diagnosis was relatively high: 68.5 years for males and 69.0 years for females. The age-corrected male:female ratio of 1.23:1 indicated a higher incidence of multiple myeloma in males. Age-standardized (standard population for Europe) incidence rates amounted to 1.5/100,000 male inhabitants and 1.2/100,000 female inhabitants/year. In subsample of patients with multiple myeloma, the paraprotein types as well as the k:lambda ratio resembled the frequency distribution of normal immunoglobulins. There were no age-related differences for the stages of the disease and the poor risk factors at diagnosis for patients 85 years old or younger or for those over 65 years of age at diagnosis. Survival rates were significantly higher for younger patients than for older ones, with a 50% survival time of 45 and 26 months, respectively. The differences resulted solely from the dissimilar general life expectancies in both groups, and survival rates with strict regard to multiple myeloma proved to be identical in younger and older patients.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1982

Genetic aspects of susceptibility to multiple myeloma.

An up-dated survey of the information pertaining to the role of genetic factors in susceptibility to multiple myeloma is attempted. Our own results include the HLA-A, B, and C types in 68 patients, the G1m and Km allotypes in 86 patients, and the frequencies of ABO blood groups in 126 patients with multiple myeloma. The allotype G1m(x) was significantly (p less than 0.05) more frequent in the patient group. Since the results in the literature on a possible HLA association have been inconsistent, all relevant available data were combined for an assessment of 379 patients versus 5041 controls. In this comparatively large patient group, the previously reported increase of HLA-4c (HLA-B5 + B18 + Bw35) complex could be confirmed and identified as a weak (RR = 1.7) but significant (p less than 0.05) association of susceptibility to multiple myeloma with HLA-B5. Evaluation of G1m allotypes in the combined sample of 258 patients and 4550 controls and Km in 179 and 2457, respectively yielded no significant differences.

Disease Susceptibility↗
PubMed1982

[Treatment of metastasizing breast cancer with aminoglutethimide].

Aminoglutethimide was applied for treatment of 10 patients (8 postmenopausal, 2 ovariectomized) with metastasizing breast cancer. The patients were extensively pretreated with cytostatic and hormonal measurements and already completely resistant to these therapies. Using aminoglutethimide (500-1000 mg daily) plus additional substitution with 20-40 mg hydrocortisone one complete and three partial remissions could be achieved. Stabilization was observed in 3 cases. The duration of remission varied between 4-8 months in 3 cases and lasted one month in a further patient.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Pregnancy specific beta 1-glycoprotein and alpha 2-pregnancy associated globulin in tumours of the female genital tract.

Tumour tissues obtained from 35 patients with malignancies of the female genital tract were investigated for production of pregnancy specific beta 1-glycoprotein (PS beta 1G) and alpha 2-pregnancy associated globulin (alpha 2-PAG). PS beta 1G was found in all five trophoblastic tumours studied and in 10 of the 30 nontrophoblastic cancers. alpha 2-PAG was not detected in any of the neoplastic tissues. In 18 of the patients with non-trophoblastic tumours PS beta 1G and alpha 2-PAG serum concentrations were also determined. No correlation between serum and tissue findings were noted. Thus, PS beta 1G does not seem to be a valuable serum indicator for monitoring the extent or variation of tumour mass in nontrophoblastic gynecological malignancies. Likewise, alpha 2-PAG is unlikely to serve as a clinical useful tumour marker in various gynecological cancers.

Alpha-Globulins↗