Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Warnatz

Publications and source records attributed to H Warnatz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Guideline for the joint swelling symptom--primary physician problem management and referral indications. German Society of Rheumatology "Quality Assurance" Committee].

The guideline "Joint Swelling" is addressed to primary care physicians--general practitioners, internists or orthopedists without special experience in rheumatology. It provides a framework for interviewing patients, as well as for physical, laboratory and imaging examinations and for selection of treatment appropriate to the level of primary care. Situations which call for urgent evaluation and criteria for referral to rheumatologists are described. The appendix contains comments on signs and symptoms to differentiate arthralgia from joint swelling and on the diagnostic value of a history of joint swelling without confirmation by the physician. Further recommendations for the evaluation of patient history and physical and technical examinations are given in a tabular form. The significance of laboratory and imaging procedures is discussed.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1997

Clonal expansion and decreased occurrence of peripheral blood gamma delta T cells of the V delta 2J delta 3 lineage in multiple sclerosis patients.

gamma delta T cells are implicated in autoimmune diseases but their precise function remains unclear. In multiple sclerosis (MS) brain tissue, gamma delta T cells co-localize with heat shock protein (hsp)65+ oligodendrocytes and are oligoclonally restricted in the V delta 2J delta 3 lineage. To investigate the homing properties and the degree of heterogeneity of V delta 2J delta 3+ gamma delta T cells in MS, peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 34 MS patients, 42 controls (14 autoimmune control patients, 28 healthy volunteers), and 11 lymphatic tissues of MS patients and controls were studied by RT-PCR and sequencing. V delta 2J delta 3 TCR rearrangement was detected in 27 out of 28 healthy controls, and was significantly less frequent in MS patients (24 out of 34) and autoimmune control patients (seven out of 14). It was present only in five out of 11 tissue specimens, none of them from MS patients. Direct sequencing and cloning/automated sequencing of the V delta 2J delta 3 PCR products indicated heterogeneity in healthy controls and oligoclonality in MS patients, but also in autoimmune control patients. Differences between MS patients and healthy controls were more accentuated in exacerbating hospitalized patients than in clinically stable outpatients participating in a clinical trial. Only one V delta 2J delta 3 sequence of a total of 85 different sequences obtained was shared between two MS patients. Taken together, evidence for clonal expansion of V delta 2J delta 3+ gamma delta T cells was found in PBL of MS patients. This T cell subset, previously shown to be present in 100% of chronic-active MS plaques, might home to the CNS in MS, resulting in its under-representation in the blood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Kinetics of cytokine secretion by mononuclear cells of the blood from rheumatoid arthritis patients are different from those of healthy controls.

Mononuclear cells from peripheral blood (PBMC) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy controls were incubated with alpha-CD3. Cytokine secretion from 2 h to 72 h of incubation was measured by ELISA. There were no significant differences in secretion of T cell derived IL-2 and IL-4 in cultures from RA patients and controls. The macrophage-derived cytokines, IL-1 beta and tumour-necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were secreted with a steep increase of concentration during the first 16 h of incubation by PBMC from RA patients. PBMC from healthy controls secreted both cytokines at a constantly rising rate with a maximum for TNF-alpha at 48 h and for IL-1 beta at 72 h. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is secreted in significantly reduced concentrations by PBMC from untreated RA patients compared with controls. Gold-salt treatment led to a slightly delayed and enhanced secretion of TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta, an enhanced secretion of IL-2 and a restored secretion of IFN-gamma.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte↗
PubMed1990

[Interleukin-1 in the pathogenesis of chronic polyarthritis].

The cytokine interleukin-1 plays an important role in the production and modulation of the immune response in rheumatoid arthritis. It is produced by macrophages of the inflamed synovial tissue and induces the autocrine production of interleukin-1, amplifies the T-cell dependent immune response and has potent effects on inflammatory reactions of many non-lymphoid cell-systems. By means of a sensitive and specific ELISA interleukin(Il)-1 beta was measured in the peripheral blood and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in comparison to controls in significantly increased levels (medium values: 280 pg/ml and 325 pg/ml versus less than 20 pg/ml). The Il-1 beta concentrations in the peripheral blood and in the synovial fluid were well correlated, but there was no correlation to other inflammation parameters like erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein, however, a good correlation to the nephelometrically measured rheumatoid factor (r = 0.71). In twelve hour cultures of adherent cells significantly increased spontaneous intracellular Il-1 beta-production was determined in synovial fluid macrophage cultures of rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to peripheral blood monocyte cultures of controls (median values 91.0 ng/10(6) cells versus 31.5 ng/10(6) cells). The secretion into the culture supernatant has to be stimulated by additional lipopolysaccharide. Interferon-gamma inhibits the spontaneous intracellular Il-1 beta-production of synovial fluid macrophages from rheumatoid arthritis patients. These findings may be of importance for the effect of the interferon-gamma therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1989

Spontaneous and LPS-stimulated production of intracellular IL-1 beta by synovial macrophages in rheumatoid arthritis is inhibited by IFN-gamma.

In the peripheral blood (PB) as well as the synovial fluid (SF) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients significantly elevated levels of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) were determined compared to controls by means of a sensitive and specific ELISA (median values: 280 pg/ml and 325 pg/ml vs. less than 20 pg/ml). In 12-h cell cultures of adherent cells, significantly increased spontaneous intracellular IL-1 beta production was determined in SF macrophage (SFM phi) cultures of RA patients compared to PB monocyte (PBMo) cultures of controls (median values: 91.0 ng/10(6) cells vs. 31.5 ng/10(6) cells). However, secretion must be elicited by additional stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) significantly inhibited the spontaneous intracellular IL-1 beta production in SFM phi 12-h cultures of RA patients.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1988

Interleukin-2 secretion by synovial fluid lymphocytes in rheumatoid arthritis.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor bearing cells and soluble IL-2, measured in a bioassay with IL-2 dependent human T-cell blasts, were recognized in synovial fluid, but not in the peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). After stimulation in vitro with appropriate concentrations of the mitogen concanavalin A (Con-A), comparable proportions of IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) bearing cells were seen in cultures of synovial fluid lymphocytes (SFL) and in cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). On the other hand, higher levels of secreted IL-2 were found in SFL cultures compared to corresponding PBL cultures of RA patients and normal donors. Specificity of the IL-2 bioassay was confirmed by blocking the T-cell blast proliferation (induced by SFL culture supernatants), by 83 +/- 4%, after addition of a monoclonal anti-IL-2R antibody. Despite the high levels of soluble IL-2, only a weak proliferative response was observed in the corresponding SFL cultures.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

An ELISA for IgA, IgG and IgM-RF measurement. I. Parameters of the assay.

A simple and rapid solid phase ELISA for the stepless determination of IgA, IgG and IgM-RF was developed. The ELISA works with Fc parts of human IgG as antigen. Specificity, validity and precision were tested. RF complex dissociation by urea and separation by gel filtration was performed in several samples to obtain information of the transfer of non-RF-IgG by pentameric IgM-RF. The RF-ELISA may give better information on the significance of RF of the three Ig classes in the clinical course of RA.

Calibration↗
PubMed1988

An ELISA for IgA-IgG and IgM-RF measurement. II. RF in several disease and control groups and under gold therapy in RA.

The before introduced solid phase ELISA was employed for the RF determination in the sera of RA patients and controls. The threshold values for positive results (calculated as the 95% distribution percentile of healthy donors) were 8, 3, and 3 U/ml for IgA, IgG, and IgM-RF, respectively. The results confirm the validity of the assay with clear negative results in several negative control groups (healthy donors, patients of the oto-, rhino-, laryngeal ambulance, diabetes mellitus, degenerative arthropathies; n = 111, median IgA, IgG and IgM-RF values of less than or equal to 2, less than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 1 U/ml, respectively; 25-75% distribution percentiles within the median value) and positive results in the positive control group (seropositive RA; n = 20, median IgA, IgG and IgM-RF values of 324, 479 and 170 U/ml, respectively). 16/24 patients with so-called seronegative RA (negative Latex Fixation Test or Waaler Rose Test) had positive results in the ELISA, two of them had rheumatoid nodules clinically. The IgG-RF activity in the ELISA appears to be a good parameter for the course control of RA under gold therapy. 10 RA patients with clinical improvement of disease (declining ESR, CRP, joint index) after six months of gold therapy (= 0.6 g total gold amount) had a decline of total RF activity of 70% in median, whereas 10 patients with no clear effect on disease activity had only a decline of 20% in median.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1986

Evidence for enhanced interleukin 2 (IL-2) secretion and IL-2 receptor presentation by synovial fluid lymphocytes in rheumatoid arthritis.

Synovial fluid lymphocytes (SFL) and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and reactive oligoarthritis were investigated for activated T cells (Ia+SIg-), IL-2 receptor bearing cells (Tac+) and IL-2 production in vivo and in vitro. In contrast to negative results with blood, the synovial fluid of the arthritic joints contains considerable amounts of IL-2 activity (median: 11.8 mu/ml), elevated proportions of Ia+SIg- activated T cells (median: 12.5%) and of IL-2 receptor bearing cells (median: 2.5%). In vitro, after stimulation with several Concanavalin A (Con A) doses, SFL develop proportions of IL-2 receptor cells comparable to PBL. Furthermore, they produce higher values of IL-2 activity than comparable PBL cultures. The proportions of Ia+SIg- activated T cells increase only moderately after Con A stimulation compared to in vivo data, indicating different activated T cell subsets in the synovial fluid (Ia+SIg-, Tac+). The findings are discussed as an expression of an acute hyperactivation of lymphocytes in an inflamed joint.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Detection of macrophage activity in the blood and synovia of chronic polyarthritis patients using an activated oxygen microassay].

A microassay was developed for the estimation of macrophage (M phi)-activation by released activated oxygen. From peripheral blood or synovia M phi are isolated. O-2 which is released by activated M phi is photometrically detected by cytochrome c reduction. Differences in O-2-production do not exist between monocytes of rheumatoid arthritis patients and controls. In contrast synovial M phi from rheumatoid arthritis patients show increased levels of O-2-production.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1984

[A solid-phase ELISA with specificity for rheumatoid factors of classes IgA, IgG and IgM].

A solid phase ELISA was developed for the simple and rapid determination of rheumatoid factors (RF) of all major immunoglobulin classes. Micro-ELISA-plates were coated with human Fc-fragments and incubated with various dilutions of serum samples as well as with an international RF reference serum. Rheumatoid factors were quantitatively detected by rabbit antibodies (RaHIgA(alpha), RaHIgM(mu), RaHIgG(Fab] conjugated with alkaline phosphatase. The specificity of the ELISA was proved by means of binding inhibition of all rheumatoid factor classes by heat aggregated human IgG. A comparison of the IgM-RF titres of the latex fixation test with the IgM-RF concentration values of the ELISA yielded high correlation (r = .81).

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1983

Studies on immunoregulatory mechanisms in acute and chronic hepatitis B.

Patients with acute hepatitis B and HBV-induced chronic hepatitis as well as normal control persons participated in the study. Hepatitis patients of both groups have decreased OKT4+/OKT8+T cell ratios due to an percental increase of OKT8+T cells in peripheral blood compared to the data of controls. Lymphocyte cultures of chronic hepatitis patients show reduced DNA synthesis after stimulation by allogeneic non-T cells, PHA, Con A and PWM. PWM-induced immunoglobulin secretion by B cells, determined by means of a reverse haemolytic plaque assay (RHPA) and a solid phase ELISA, showed comparable results in hepatitis B patients and controls. The AMLR, which is thought to reflect an autologous immunoregulatory phenomenon, is slightly impaired in cultures of hepatitis B patients in comparison to controls. Con A-induced suppressor cell activity on T cell reactions is decreased in hepatitis, whereas suppressor cell activity on B cell activation is within the same range as in cultures of controls. It is concluded from these data, that suppressor cell activity on T cell function is impaired in hepatitis B, whereas B cell functions and suppressor cell activity on B cell function are in the normal range. The results with the functional assays and the finding of increased proportions of OKT8+T cells in hepatitis B are considered to reflect properties of different T cell subpopulations, responsible for different immunoregulatory functions.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1980

[Follow-up study on antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and cell-mediated cytotoxicity to HBs-antigen conjugated target cells in patients with hepatitis B (author's transl)].

Results of a follow up study on ADCC and CMC to HBs antigen conjugated target cells in patients with hepatitis B are given. The cytotoxic reaction was measured immediately after onset of the disease, three weeks and three months thereafter CMC was increased over the whole observation period. The results in hepatitis B patients were significantly different to those in normal controls. The ADCC in the presence of an antiserum to HBs antigen was in patients with hepatitis B immediately after onset of the disease reduced in comparison to the controls; it increased during the three months to the values of the controls in patients with uncomplicated disease. Experiments with isolated lymphocyte populations showed that the ADCC is mainly dependent on Fc receptor bearing lymphocytes whereas the CMC is mediated by T-cells and Fc-receptor bearing cells.

Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity↗
PubMed1979

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) to HBsAg-coated target cells in patients with hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis (CAH).

A new technique using HBsAg-coated Chang cells as target cells was developed in order to measure cell-mediated immune reactions to HBsAg. The specificity of cytotoxic reactions was tested in experiments using Chang cells conjugated with human serum albumin. Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) specific for the HBsAg-coated target cells was demonstrated up to dilutions of anti-HBsAg serum of 10,000 : 1, when lymphocytes from the peripheral blood of normal individuals were added to the target cells. Spontaneous cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) to HBsAg-coated target cells was demonstrated for lymphocytes from patients with hepatitis B and from patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH), but not for lymphocytes from healthy controls. The CMC of hepatitis B lymphocytes to HBsAg-coated target cells was inhibited in the presence of antiserum to HBsAg. In experiments using purified lymphocyte populations evidence is presented that the CMC is T-cell dependent. HLA-restriction of the CMC was not observed. The described cytotoxicity test system has the advantage that target cells conjugated with defined antigens are used and that relevant control target cells are available.

Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity↗