Consensus and comprehensive linkage maps of the bovine sex chromosomes.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Thomsen.
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Continuous Wilms' tumor gene (WT1) expression is a typical feature of leukemic blasts in AML, ALL, and blast crisis CML patients. It is easily detectable by a variety of RT-PCR protocols, which differ mainly in their sensitivity. The nuclear WT1 protein can be found in blasts of approximately 50-60% of acute leukemia patients at diagnosis. Conversely, WT1 is only transiently expressed in normal hemopoiesis. Early CD34+ hemopoietic progenitors express WT1, whereas no WT1 mRNA transcripts can be found in mature blood cells and differentiation-induced committed CD34- progenitors. As a powerful complementary diagnostic tool, testing for WT1 expression can be helpful to discriminate between eosinophilic leukemia (EoL) patients and patients with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndromes. Conflicting data about the usefulness of testing for WT1 expression to monitor minimal residual disease (MRD) in treated leukemia patients will be discussed. Finally, research strategies to circumvent shortcomings in detecting leukemia-associated WT1 expression will be outlined.
A total of 1,130 bulls belonging to 20 half-sib families of German dairy cattle were genotyped for 229 microsatellite markers on 30 chromosomes. The data were used in an attempt to map quantitative trait loci applying regression as multiple-marker regression. For association analysis with a granddaughter design, the estimated breeding values for 3 milk traits were used: milk production, fat production and protein production. The empirical values of significance thresholds were determined by using a permutation test on the experimental data. Several significant QTLs were found on some chromosomes, especially on the chromosome 14. The results give a strong support for the experiments of Coppieters et al. and Ron et al.
We examined the changes in the early postmortem platelet count in postmortem blood and the reasons for these changes by counting the platelets, by performing in vitro hypostatic tests, by estimating the percentage of erythrocytes by volume in postmortem blood samples, by immunohistochemistry (anti-CD61, anti-fibrinogen), and by immunoelectron microscopy (anti-CD62, anti-CD63, anti-thrombospondin). The apparent initial increase in the platelet count in postmortem blood was found to be caused by hypostatic phenomena. The subsequent discontinuous decrease in the platelet count despite continuing hypostasis in the corpse can be explained in part by postmortem thrombolysis and the development of reversible platelet-platelet aggregates. The main point is, that changes in the postmortem blood environment cause potentially reversible adhesion of platelets to pre-adsorbed fibrinogen on erythrocytes. Thus the decrease in the number of platelets in postmortem blood is not attributable to postmortem clotting but to a decrease in the number of countable platelets in postmortem blood.
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The response to activation by collagen and arachidonic acid of platelets obtained at various intervals within the first 10 hours postmortem (hpm) was measured using a platelet aggregometer. Compared with platelets harvested from living donors, the power to aggregate remained largely intact for platelets harvested within the first 2 hpm, but dropped dramatically between 4 and 8 hpm, and was lost completely by 10 hpm. In the light of the in vivo interactions known to take place between platelets and factors of the plasma coagulation cascade, these results suggest that generalized intravascular blood coagulation ceases to take place within the first 10 hpm. After 10 hpm, fibrin can still be precipitated, but the thrombin concentration necessary for this to occur no longer leads to platelet activation.
The report of the bovine chromosome 4 (BTA4) workshop is presented. Six laboratories contributed a total of 30,168 informative meioses from 62 loci. Twenty-two loci were typed by at least two independent laboratories and were used to construct a consensus linkage map of BTA4. The remaining 40 loci were subsequently incorporated into a comprehensive map. The sex-averaged consensus map covered 131.4 cM. The female map was 124.3 cM in length, while the male map was 134.3 cM. The comprehensive sex-averaged map spanned 141.6 cM. The length of the female and male comprehensive maps were 123.1 cM and 156.4 cM, respectively. Average genetic distance between loci was 6 and 2.3 cM for the consensus and comprehensive linkage maps, respectively.
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Leukocyte and platelet accumulations around apparently empty spaces ("air bubbles") in the blood of the right heart or branches of the pulmonary artery should constitute histomorphological evidence of a venous air embolism prior to death. Such findings have been evaluated as the result of active cellular reactions to air bubbles and as a vital reaction. This interpretation was reviewed by injecting a frothy mixture of blood and air into the pulmonary artery of six human lungs 12-110 h post mortem. The lungs were fixed and (immuno)histologically prepared (haematoxylin-eosin staining, immunohistological visualization of platelets, fibrinogen and fibrin). Leukocyte and platelet accumulations around "air bubbles" in blood were provoked late post mortem by injection of the frothy blood-air mixture and are thus possibly not the result of vital cellular reactions. The case is rather that attachment of particles (cells) to flowing air bubbles in an aqueous medium (blood) could correspond physicochemically to a flotation process such as those used in industry for separation techniques. A flotation process would, however, require an intensive dynamic blood-air bubble contact, which would only be obtainable if cardiac action is maintained for a sufficient length of time after air embolism. Leukocyte and platelet accumulations around "air bubbles" in the blood would then indeed be properly interpreted as a vital reaction (albeit possibly not resulting from vital cellular reactions) and could be used as evidence of an air embolism prior to death.
In an earlier study, we assessed the aggregation of postmortem platelets following stimulation with collagen and arachidonic acid [1]. We now extend those investigations to include the effects of stimulation with various concentrations of adenosine-5-diphosphate (ADP) and epinephrine on the aggregation of platelets in 463 blood samples during the first 10 h postmortem (hpm). Stimulation with low concentrations of ADP and of the weak in vivo agent epinephrine evoked only potentially reversible 1st order aggregation and not irreversible 2nd order aggregation, indicating that the release reaction of platelets is already impaired in the early postmortem hours by milieu changes within the cadaver. These findings, like those of our previous study, demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing the aggregation behaviour of postmortem platelets as a tool for estimating time of death as well as for differentiating between intravital and postmortem hematomas.
The number of reports about blood transfusion-related HIV and hepatitis virus infections is increasing, presently. Thus, it should seriously be considered to inform the patient of any anticipated blood loss necessitating a transfusion of blood products. This is especially necessary for surgical procedures with only a low risk for high blood loss, such as endonasal surgery as a common otorhinolaryngological procedure. However, reports about the incidence of blood transfusion during this kind of surgery are very rare. The medical histories of 6,296 patients who underwent sinus surgery between 1982-1993 in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the University of Kiel were analyzed. Twenty-nine of these patients received a transfusion. Risk factors for required blood, the necessity of pre-operative information and the recommendation policy for pre-operative donation of autologous blood are discussed. The intra-operative blood losses of 120 patients who did not require a transfusion and who underwent sinus surgery in 1986 and 1989, were analyzed. The transfusion rate was 0.46% on average during the 12-year period. The incidence of blood transfusion and the amount of intra-operative blood loss decreased after combination of endonasal surgery with controlled intra-operative hypotension (0.07%; p < 0.01). Risk factors for the necessity of a transfusion in these cases were extensive polyposis and purulent exacerbation of the disease. There are risks for a blood transfusion in endonasal surgery. Every transfusion carries a certain risk for the infection with HIV or hepatitis, therefore every patient should be informed about the possibility of a blood transfusion prior to the operation. Endonasal microscopic sinus surgery performed by well-trained surgeons, combined with controlled intra-operative hypotension lowered the risk for a transfusion significantly (p < 0.01).
PURPOSE: To evaluate the short-term effectiveness and biocompatibility of Dacron-covered stent-grafts for percutaneous treatment of carotid aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In eight swine, nine aneurysms were created surgically in the common carotid artery. Percutaneous treatment was performed with Dacron-covered stent-grafts. Seven of eight swine underwent follow-up angiography at 2, 3, 4, and 5 weeks after stent implantation. Histologic examinations of tissue from the site of stent implantation were performed at the same intervals. RESULTS: Initial closing off of the aneurysm was possible in all swine. Angiographic follow-up revealed patency of only one Dacron-covered stent-graft after 2 weeks. In six of seven swine, the stent was occluded on the follow-up angiogram. One of the swine died of unclear cause after 1 week. The stent-graft of this swine was not occluded. In all Dacron-covered stent-grafts, inflammatory reaction with granulocyte infiltration was found next to the Dacron material. CONCLUSION: Primary treatment of carotid aneurysms with Dacron-covered stent-grafts is effective. However, the short-term patency rate is poor, which probably can be attributed to the limited biocompatibility of the Dacron cover. An acute inflammatory reaction against Dacron seems responsible for the poor patency rate.
UNLABELLED: Gastric ulcer haemorrhage is associated with a high immediate mortality, but few data exist on the late prognosis of these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the long-term recurrence rate and late outcome in patients with gastric ulcer complicated by bleeding. In a prospective follow-up study 90 consecutive patients with a bleeding gastric ulcer discharged after non-operative treatment (bleeding controlled by endoscopic electrocoagulation or ceased spontaneously) were followed up once every year for five to eight years (median 6.5 years). Recurrent ulcer was seen in 17 patients, repeat haemorrhage being the presenting symptom in 13. The estimated cumulative recurrence rate after two, five and eight years was 10%, 19% and 33%, respectively. Recurrence rate was unaffected by sex, complicating disease, and NSAID ingestion before and after the index bleeding episode. The recurrence rate of patients with a history of ulcer before the index bleeding episode did not differ from that of patients with no previous ulcer history. A significantly increased risk of recurrence was seen in patients with previous bleed as opposed to patients with previous non-bleeding ulcer (p < 0.05). The cumulative survival rate was significantly reduced compared to the expected survival rate of the sex- and age-matched background population (p < 0.01), primarily due to diseases not related to the ulcer disease. CONCLUSION: Bleeding gastric ulcer is associated with a relatively low long-term recurrence rate, except in a few patients with a history of previous bleeding ulcer, who have an increased risk of recurrence. Patients with bleeding gastric ulcer have an excess mortality not related to the ulcer disease.
Immunohistochemical detection of C5b-9(m) is a reliable marker of very early cell necroses due to myocardial infarction. However, it is conceivable that it is also present in myocardial cell necroses caused by other types of hypoxic injury or by direct external trauma. If so, this would greatly limit the diagnostic value of C5b-9(m) in forensic practice. To clarify this issue, we performed immunohistological staining for C5b-9(m) in myocardium of 67 cases of 'direct' or possible 'indirect' myocardial injury not due to infarction.
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OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of transfusion therapy with leukocyte-depleted platelet concentrates in comparison to transfusion support with standard platelet concentrates on the frequency of HLA alloimmunization in hematologic-oncologic patients. DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. SETTING: Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology at a University Hospital. PATIENTS: 52 hematologic-oncologic patients randomized in 2 groups. INTERVENTIONS: Exclusive substitution with leukocyte-depleted blood components (platelet concentrates and packed red cells, filter group) or with standard platelet concentrates and leukocyte-depleted packed red cells (control group). Determination of the development of HLA antibodies. RESULTS: 27% of the patients in the control group (4 out of 15) developed HLA antibodies in contrast to zero patients (0 out of 22) in the filter group (p < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this comparative clinical study show that the consequent and exclusive support with leukocyte-depleted blood components is an effective approach for prevention of HLA alloimmunization in long-term substituted patients.
Attendance at the casualty department of the Central Hospital in Naestved was investigated during two similar periods before and after changes were made in the practitioner-on-call system. The total number of patients admitted (either via casualty or referred from a practitioner) were registered. A total of 4454 attendances took place during the two periods, 2330 of these being before the changes and 2123 after the changes in the practitioner-on-call system. In the present material there were 1673 orthopaedic and 136 medical patients before and 1552 orthopaedic and 133 medical patients after the reorganization. No changes in medical specialities of the attendances in the two periods could be pointed out. 2110 patients were admitted to hospital in the first period, 2299 in the second period. The study concludes that no changes in the pattern of attendance at the casualty department could be shown after the reorganization in general practice.
In recent years, there has been a growing public demand that the emergency department (ED) should be staffed by an orthopaedic surgeon. We questioned the necessity of this, and here present a prospective study of 4500 consecutive patients attending the ED of Naestved Hospital. About 70% of the patients were found to have injuries or ailments that belonged to the orthopaedic specialty, and were treated by doctors from this department, but only 15% of these cases required treatment by a specialist in orthopaedic surgery. The remaining contacts to the ED concerned cases belonging to other specialties. Eight percent of all contacts resulted in admission, half to the orthopaedic ward and half to other departments. In conclusion, about 60% of all cases could be treated by any doctor, and the ordinary physician would in actual fact be able to treat more cases than the orthopaedic surgeon with at least as good a result. Thus, we question whether the orthopaedic surgeon is the best person to be in charge of the ED.