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Biomedical subjects

H Wolff

Publications and source records attributed to H Wolff.

300 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Percutaneous biopsy of the liver.

Retrospective evaluation of 510 percutaneous CT-guided biopsies of the liver mainly fine-needle aspiration biopsies for cytology (89% of cases), yielded an overall accuracy rate of 92% and a sensitivity of 94%. The relatively high percentage of false-positive diagnoses (7% of all benign tumors) may be reduced by more consistent consideration of possible errors in cytology and a more consistent use of large bore biopsies.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Accelerated phase in partial albinism with immunodeficiency (Griscelli syndrome): genetics and stem cell transplantation in a 2-month-old girl.

UNLABELLED: A 2-month-old girl presented with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia, hypertriglyceridaemia and silvery-greyish hair, suggesting the diagnosis of Griscelli syndrome (partial albinism with immunodeficiency). This diagnosis was confirmed by the characteristic agglomeration of melanin in the hair shaft and accumulation of melanosomes in melanocytes of the skin. The patient was homozygous for polymorphic markers around the myosin-Va gene on chromosome 15q21, which co-localize to the Griscelli disease locus. Natural-killer cells were in the lower range. The stimulation of lymphocytes with antigen and mitogen was normal. The patient's accelerated phase, characterized by haemophagocytosis was treated with prednisolone, rabbit anti-thymocyte globulins, and intrathecal methotrexate. Remission was maintained with cyclosporin A until HLA-compatible peripheral blood stem cell transplantation from her mother. CONCLUSION: The silvery-greyish hair associated with fever, pancytopenia and hypertriglyceridaemia is the clue to early diagnosis of Griscelli syndrome and important to prevent death before stem cell transplantation.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 15↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dorfman-Chanarin syndrome in a Turkish kindred: conductor diagnosis requires analysis of multiple eosinophils.

Dorfman-Chanarin syndrome is a rare, autosomal recessive inherited lipid storage disease with congenital ichthyotic erythroderma due to an acylglycerol recycling defect. Demonstration of lipid vacuoles in neutrophils from peripheral blood smears (Jordans' anomaly) in patients with ichthyotic erythroderma leads to the diagnosis. In spite of frequent liver, muscle, ear, eye and central nervous system involvement, Dorfman-Chanarin syndrome may present clinically as monosymptomatic ichthyosis. Here, we report clinical and laboratory investigations in a consanguineous family from Turkey with 3 affected family members, and demonstrate the lipid vacuoles in epidermal Langerhans' cells for the first time. Langerhans' cell phenotyping suggests that the skin inflammation is due to the gene defect and not to underlying atopic dermatitis. Microscopic examination of eosinophils for lipid vacuoles to identify conductors revealed variable percentages of normal and vacuolized eosinophils in conductors, suggesting the microscopic analysis of at least 10 eosinophils for conductor identification.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Differential proteinase expression by Pseudomonas aeruginosa derived from chronic leg ulcers.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonizes 20-30% of all venous leg ulcers. Hypothetically, P. aeraginosa could release proteases and cytotoxic substances in the environment of chronic ulcers, thus negatively affecting the wound-healing activity in this patient group. Here we show that P. aeruginosa isolates from leg ulcers exhibit a highly variable expression of the proteinases elastase and alkaline proteinase. We propose that bacterial phenotype should be taken into account in future studies on the clinical outcome of leg ulcers colonized by P. aeruginosa.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Birth weight and smoking practices during pregnancy among Mexican-American women.

The smoking practices of a national sample of Mexican-American mothers and the resulting effects of those practices on birth weight were examined. Data were from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics during 1983-1984. We found that 24% of the mothers had smoked during their pregnancy, with a mean of 11 cigarettes per day. Infants of these women weighed 101 g less at birth than did infants of nonsmoking mothers and had a low birth weight rate of 8.0% compared with the 5.1% low birth weight rate for the sample as a whole. Multiple regression results indicate a 7.4 g decrease in birth weight for each cigarette smoked per day during pregnancy. Cultural factors that promote a low birth weight rate for Mexican-Americans that is comparable to that of non-Hispanic whites despite increased rates of poverty and inadequate health care do not protect against the insidious effects of cigarette smoking.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antisperm antibodies.

To find optimal test conditions of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antisperm antibodies (ASA), several variations (solid phases, antigen load, incubations etc.) have been performed. In contrast to the so far used polystyrene microtiter plates, which have to be coated with spermatozoa by the help of glutaraldehyde, we applied positively charged PVC microtiter plates being able to adsorb unfixed spermatozoa and thus avoiding alteration of spermatozoal antigens by glutaraldehyde. The ELISA proved to be more sensitive than conventional methods, e.g. the GAT, the SIT and the TAT, and also more effective since the technique allows screening of more than one hundred test samples for ASA within one day. First results are presented evaluating sera and seminal plasma of andrological and dermatological patients and ten known fertile men for ASA by the described ELISA technique.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Connective tissue growth factor in indomethacin-induced rat gastric ulcer.

The healing of gastric ulcers requires not only the complete epithelial covering but also the restitution of connective tissue. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and its downstream mediator, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), are potent stimulators for connective tissue formation during wound healing. The expression of TGF-beta, CTGF and type III collagen mRNA in indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers in rat, was investigated by Northern blot analysis. We also examined the localization of CTGF producing cells by in situ hybridization. Northern blot analysis showed expression of TGF-beta mRNA on days 1 and 3 after indomethacin administration, expression of CTGF mRNA on days 1, 3 and 7 and type III collagen mRNA expression on days 1, 3, 7 and 12, respectively. Control animals showed no expression of TGF-beta, CTGF or type III collagen mRNA. In situ hybridization showed CTGF mRNA positive cells on days 1, 3 and 7 after ulcer induction in fibroblast-like cells and in some of the blood vessels. Thus our findings indicate that growth factor CTGF, together with TGF-beta, participates in gastric ulcer healing by regulating connective tissue formation and angiogenesis. These results are compatible with the role of CTGF as a downstream mediator of TGF-beta effects.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Impact of clinically silent inflammation on male genital tract organs as reflected by biochemical markers in semen.

Three hundred eight-nine healthy, infertile patients were studied to determine the effects of inflammation on genital tract organs. Clinically silent inflammation was diagnosed by measuring polymorphonuclear granulocyte (PMN) elastase in semen. Seminal vesicle, prostate, and epididymis functions were assessed by measuring fructose, citric acid, and neutral alpha-glucosidase in semen. There was a significant relationship between high PMN elastase levels and low citric acid levels in semen; fructose and neutral alpha-glucosidase were not related to PMN elastase. Semen samples with increased PMN elastase levels (greater than 250 and greater than 1,000 ng/ml) showed a high incidence of pathologic citric acid levels (67% and 73%, respectively). These biochemical data indicate that the prostate is the main target in clinically silent male genital tract inflammation.

Biomarkers↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Male genital tract inflammation associated with increased numbers of potential human immunodeficiency virus host cells in semen.

In this study we investigated whether elevated levels of the inflammatory mediator granulocyte elastase in seminal plasma were associated with increased numbers of CD4+ T helper/inducer lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages in semen, the principal host cells of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Semen samples were obtained from 105 men attending an infertility clinic. CD4+ lymphocytes, monocytes/macrophages and cells expressing the common leukocyte antigen (CD45) were identified by monoclonal antibodies (MAb's) in a biotinstreptavidin immunoperoxidase technique. Granulocyte elastase levels in seminal plasma were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In 17 men, granulocyte elastase levels were higher than 1000 ng/ml seminal plasma, indicating male genital tract inflammation. Compared to men with low/normal granulocyte elastase levels in semen (less than 250 ng/ml), these men showed significantly higher mean numbers of total leukocytes, CD4+ lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages in semen (P less than 0.001); median cell numbers for the group with high/inflammatory granulocyte elastase levels were increased 38-fold for total leukocytes (19,800,000 versus 520,625 per ejaculate), 19-fold for monocytes/macrophages (2,594,000 versus 134,565), and 6-fold for CD4+ lymphocytes (82,900 versus 14,100). Because of the increased numbers of potential HIV-host cells in inflammatory semen, male genital tract inflammation may be an important cofactor in the sexual transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus.

Adult↗