Biomedical subjects

J Burmeister

Publications and source records attributed to J Burmeister.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1990

[Adhesion, migration and phagocytic behavior of blood granulocytic neutrophils from the rat and humans in essential hypertension].

Relations between the functions of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PML) and essential hypertension have been studied. In spite of an increased number in the blood of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) their neutrophils moved for shorter distances than PML of normotensive animals. Neutrophils of hypertensive patients were characterized by a decreased reaction to chemotactic stimulation and an increased adhesion. These alterations of leukocyte functions observed in hypertensive subjects became reversible by treatment of the cells in vitro with verapamil. Therefore, the use of calcium antagonists in the therapy of hypertension could influence the functions of leukocytes favourably.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Differential effects of oestrogen treatment on the proportionality of growth in tall girls.

We studied the differential inhibitory effects of conjugated oestrogens on lower leg length and standing height increments in 17 excessively tall girls compared to a control group of 17 tall healthy untreated girls. Standing height, lower leg length and body weight were recorded at weekly or monthly intervals. Standing height velocity dropped from 150 microns/day to 122 microns/day, whereas daily weight gain increased from 17 to 48 g/day during oestrogen treatment. The oestrogen induced decrease of standing height velocity could be explained by a marked inhibition of lower leg growth velocity from 42 microns/day to 30 microns/day (native data) or 35 microns/day to 8 microns/day (data corrected for weight gain) (P less than 0.001), whereas no differences of trunk growth velocity could be detected. Thus, the findings strongly suggest that pharmacological doses of oestrogens only affect epiphyseal growth.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Predictive criteria for successful growth promotion in growth hormone therapy of short stature: a comparison between common endocrine parameters and knemometry.

Due to increased availability of growth hormone (GH) for the treatment of short stature, its use has been proposed for a number of conditions besides classic GH deficiency. We have studied growth response during a one year treatment period with 14 IU/m2/week of GH in a heterogenous group of 24 short children with various conditions associated with short stature (SDS for body height ranging between -2.2 and -4.4). Thirteen children could be classified as "responders" with growth rate increments of 2 cm/yr or more above pretreatment growth rates, and 11 children as "non-responders". The children were measured regularly both by stadiometry and knemometry at weekly intervals. GH stimulation by insulin, arginine and spontaneous overnight secretion of GH, and SM-C generation were evaluated in the children and found to be of no predictive value for the individual responsiveness to GH administration except in one boy with classic GH deficiency. However, serial measurements of the lower leg length provided useful information for individual predictions in 21 out of the 24 children as early as 10 weeks after the start of the GH treatment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Standards for the predictive accuracy of short term body height and lower leg length measurements on half annual growth rates.

Determinations of body height and calculations of growth velocity are still the major parameters for the assessment of normal and aberrant growth. The present study was performed to investigate the minimum time interval between consecutive measurements that is necessary for a statement on significant length increment both of total body height and lower leg length. We present standards for the predictive accuracy of short term measurements for the prediction of the conventional half annual growth rate. We also provide centiles of the predictive error that occurs when the difference between two consecutive measurements is used to determine a half annual growth rate.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Analysis of differential growth of the right and the left leg.

In spite of well documented standards for length and annual growth rates of the femur and tibia, there is little information on short term longitudinal bone growth. We investigated differential growth dynamics of the lower leg in 10 children, aged 6:3 to 14:2 years, by knemometry, a novel and non-invasive technique of accurate lower leg length measurement with a technical error of 0.09 to 0.16 mm. Mini growth spurts were detectable in 7 of the children and occurred synchroneously in both legs. Approximately half of the variance of the weekly lower leg length increments could be attributed to synchrony of leg length increments, but a significant amount of residual variance remained which exceeded the technical error of the measurements. Run-analysis of the individual series of right vs. left differences of the weekly lower leg length increments provided evidence for alternating periods of overgrowth of one leg compared to the contralateral side in 5 out of the 10 children. We concluded that there is suggestive evidence of partial independence of lower leg growth in the short term.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

[Measuring short-term periodicity of pediatric growth].

The study of human growth is traditionally based on investigations of body height. Differences of height which significantly surpass the technical error of the measuring device then by definition represent growth. However, this definition proved to be unsatisfying if applied to changes of body stature within very short time intervals. We have measured 73 healthy children, aged between 2.9 and 15.9 years, for periods of 180 to 306 days once or twice weekly, and 23 healthy children of similar ages for periods of 3 months, 4 to 5 times per week. The individual series of lower leg length measurements (technical error 160 microns) were analyzed by a smoothing procedure yielding mean daily lower leg growth rates. The series of almost daily measurements were additionally analyzed in order to find periodic elements. In the case of weekly measurements, marked periodic changes of mean daily lower leg growth rates were found with sharp growth spurts once every 30 to 55 days. Additional investigations of the series of almost daily lower leg length measurements showed evidence that the above periodic changes of growth rate were caused by aliasing between shorter periods overlapping each other and the exact 7-day intervals of measurements. We found a number of dominant periods particularly at 7 to 9-day intervals.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

Can the knemometer shorten the time for growth rate assessment?

A total of 105 healthy children of both sexes and various ages were measured once or twice weekly by knemometry over periods of 161-202 days on 11-50 occasions. These data were used to calculate percentiles of the predictive error that occurred if short-term lower leg length differences were used to extrapolate half-annual growth rates. From these data, and observations on day-to-day variations of the lower leg length, it was concluded that growth rates derived from single differences between two consecutive lower leg length measurements are invalid and without predictive power for mean long-term lower leg increments. However, a novel statistical approach is presented, which results in the evaluation of daily lower leg growth rates to visualize quasi-continuous growth kinetics. Examples of successful and unsuccessful growth promoting therapeutic interventions are provided to demonstrate knemometric assessment of a significant modification of short-term growth kinetics.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

[Effect of verapamil and nifedipine on the adhesion, migration and phagocytosis of human neutrophilic granulocytes].

The calcium antagonists Verapamil and Nifedipin have a different effect on adherence, migration and phagocytosis of human neutrophilic granulocytes. Whereas Verapamil (10(-4) mol/1) will inhibit the leukocyte function, Nifedipin is ineffective. The leukocyte function cannot be expected to be impaired by using Nifedipin and Verapamil in therapeutic doses. The differences in efficiency and their possible causes are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

[Effect of amrinone and trapidil on adherence, migration and phagocytic behavior of neutrophilic granulocytes of the human].

Amrinone and trapidile belong to a group of positive inotropic and simultaneously vasodilating substances, whose effects are based on an inhibition of phosphodiesterase (PDE), thus enriching intracellular c-AMP. In neutrophilic granulocytes these PDE-antogonists will produce an inhibition of adherence and phagocytosis, whereas the migration was not affected. The lower leukocyte effective concentration of 10 mmol/l can be achieved by a therapeutical application, so that a slight inhibition of the leukocyte function has to be accounted for as a side effect.

Amrinone↗

PubMed1983

[Migration and adhesiveness of human and rabbit blood leukocytes under the influence of metabolic blocking agents and hirudin].

The adherence inhibition by lymphokines and by hirudin do not correspond to another, in the first case it is connected with a migration inhibition, the second with a slight increase of migration. There are significant differences between granulocytes and lymphocytes in relation to adherence and migration caused by the influence of inhibitors on the metabolism. The possible reason is the different basic metabolism of these two kinds of cells. But the two inhibitors of glycolysis NaF and monoiodoacetic acid acts in a similar way as inhibitors on the migration of granulocytes and lymphocytes. The negative influence of hirudin on the adherence of lymphocytes and the promoting effect in the migration experiments account for participation of components of the coagulation system in both cell functions. Possibly mechanisms of the attachment are directly concerned. From the wide conformity of the experiments with metabolism inhibitors and reactions of cell-mediated immunity under influence of lymphokines we like to conclude that lymphokine-caused migration inhibition and adherence inhibition were produced by an impairement of metabolism.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

[Analysis of lymphocyte adhesion and the phenomenon of immunologic adhesion inhibition].

Investigations were performed in rabbits to elucidate the cell physiological parameters of the inhibitor reaction of adhesion. For this purpose, an improved method of measuring the cell adhesion was used. The well-known fact that culture cells will reveal a much stronger reaction could be confirmed. This may be due to the high increase of T-lymphocytes because of findings concerning cell differentiation with acid alpha-naphthylacetate esterase (ANAE), whereas no corresponding results could be found for the particular role of macrophages. It could be proved that the inhibitor reaction already began 20 minutes after the antigen contact. On the basis of these facts beta-lymphotoxin might be assumed to play a part in the inhibitor reaction. A direct relationship between oxygen consumption and the inhibitor reaction of adhesion could not be proved. The respiratory depression frequently observed might be due to the cytotoxic effect of excreted lymphotoxins. As the inhibitor reaction of adhesion could be identified even after 1-1 1/2 years, it can be regarded as a longterm immunophenomenon. The findings with metabolic blockers underline that the primary adhesion of lymphocytes is supported by the oxidative metabolism and not by glycolysis which is generally characteristic of granulocytes.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

A radioimmunoassay for human antibody specific for microbial antigens.

A simple and sensitive method for detecting and quantitating antibody specific for microbial antigens is described. Bacterial, fungal, parasitic or viral antigens attached to bromoacetyl cellulose or the intact cells themselves were added to a series of two-fold dilutions of human serum. After a short incubation period, which allowed human antibody to attach to the antigens, the complex was thoroughly washed and carbon-14 labeled anti-human light chain antibody was added to each dilution. The resulting complex was washed, collected on a filter pad, placed in a scintillation vial and radioassayed. The relationship between radioactivity bound and --log2 of the serum dilution was linear. The endpoint for each assay and a confidence interval was calculated by doing inverse prediction from simple linear regression. Results obtained using this assay indicated the presence of antibody in a pool of normal human sera specific for herpes virus and for both cell surface and intracellular antigens of Streptococcus mutans, Naegleria fowleri, and Cryptococcus neoformans. In general the dominant response was against the intracellular antigens rather than cell surface antigens.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

PubMed1976