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Biomedical subjects

J Clausen

Publications and source records attributed to J Clausen.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Heavy metal pollution among autoworkers. II. Cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese, and nickel.

Garages and auto-repair workshops may be polluted with other heavy metals besides lead. Blood of autoworkers with high lead content was analysed for cadmium, chromium, copper manganese, nickel, ALAD activity and carboxyhaemoglobin level. Cadmium and copper levels in blood of autoworkers were comparable with those of the control subjects while chroimium and nickel levels were significantly higher (P less than 0-01 for both metals), and scattered raised values of manganese were found. There was no significant mutual correlation between levels of various heavy metals determined in whole blood. High copper levels were slightly related to decreasing ALAD activity (P less than 0-1). Nineteen per cent of autoworkers were found to have an abnormally blood level of carboxyhaemoglobin. The amount of particulate heavy metal in autoworkshop air was not related to biochemical abnormalities found in the autoworkers. Various sources of pollution of these heavy metals in autoworkshops are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Clinical, social and biochemical studies on Batten's syndrome, alias Spielmeyer-Vogot or Stengel's Syndrome.

The clinical and biochemical data on 13 patients with Batten's syndrome are described. Clinically the disease was characterized by progressive maental and somatic deterioration. Initially, vision loss was found between the ages 4 and 8 years. This was associated with 1 or 2 years of normal school attendance followed by attendance at a school for mentally retarded from the age of 8 to 11; then warding was established at a school for blind children and later on a hospital for epileptic patients when seizures and mental retardation made hospitalization necessary. Biochemically, an increased peroxidation rate was revealed in peripheral thrombocytes. This abnormality was associated with a significant decrease in peroxidase activity of leucocytes assayable with p-phenylenediamine, but not with Guajacol. The peroxidase defect seemed to concern an azide-resistant peroxidase. However, in serum the glutathione peroxidase was only found insignificantly decreased.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1977

An epidemiological study on paramyxovirus antibody titers in multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The present epidemiological study concerned and evaluation of the level of measles antibodies (hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay) and para-influenza-1 (Sendai) antibodies (complement fixation (CF) test) in serum of 107 control individuals (38 women), 176 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients (93 women), 717 relatives to MS patients (361 women), 9 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (all women), 46 relatives to SLE patients (28 women), 57 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (37 women), and 143 relatives to RA patients (85 women). In MS and their relatives the HI titer value was significantly raised and the CF titer only insignificantly increased. In SLE the HI titers were insignificantly raised but the CF values significantly decreased. In RA HI values were insignificatly raised, but the CF values were significantly decreased among females lacking rheumatoid factor in serum. In the individuals under study, HI values did not correlate with CF values. In MS two groups of patients could be treated, i.e. one group with raised HI values and one with normal distribution of titers. The data obtained are discussed in light of the theory, that all three disease entities may be "Slow Virus Diseases".

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Lymphocyte stimulation in multiple sclerosis patients untreated and treated with transfer factor. Long-term studies on the effect of different stimulants on myo-(2-3H)inositol incorporation into phosphatidylinositol of lymphocytes.

The lymphocytes from controls, untreated MS and MS patients treated with transfer factor were stimulated with PHA, PWM, PPD, LPS and MA and the increased incorporation of myoinositol into phosphatidylinositides was determined. As compared with controls, the untreated MS patients revealed significantly lower index of stimulation with PHA, LPS, PPD and MA. The response of lymphocytes from MS patients treated with transfer factor was intermediate. No correlation between disease progression and stimulation of inositol incorporation was observed. Analysis of variance showed that the myoinositol test is not applicable in long-term studies to distinguished single subjects, however it is useful to determine differences between MS patients and controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Lysolecithin fusion of cells from multiple sclerosis patients with Vero cells.

Investigations were performed on cell cultures derived from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in order to trace a possible virus infection as a cause of the disease. Cell cultures were established from one brain autopsy specimen and four lymph node biopsies from MS patients. Lymphocytes from 28 MS patients and six healthy controls were used for fusion or cocultivation experiments, either immediately after isolation or after mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC). Lysolecithin fusion and cocultivation experiments were made with Vero cells and with, respectively: cultured brain cells, lymph node cells and lymphocytes from MS patients. Electron microscopical examination revealed intranuclear filamentous structures in 5 per cent of the cells in primary cultures of MS brain and lymph node and in control skin organ cultures. Multinucleated cells were found in six out of 19 cocultures of Vero cells and MS lymphocytes preincubated for 2 days at 37 degrees C. The cultures were tested for the presence of viruses, i.e. measles virus and virus producing hemadsorption with human type O and/or guinea pig erythrocytes and virus against which the MS patients showed serum FA-antibodies. No virus antigen could be demonstrated in the cells.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Heavy metal levels and delta-amino-levulinic acid dehydrase levels in peripheral polyneuropathy.

On the basis of assay of heavy metals in whole blood (lead, cadimum, chromium, copper, nickel and manganese) and delta-amino-levulinic-acid dehydrase (ALA-D) and ALA in urine in a normal Danish population, the levels of these clinco-chemical factors were assayed in 23 patients with peripheral neuropathy of unknown etiology. All patients studied showed electro-physiological sign of denervation and/or reduced motor or sensoric nerve conduction velocity. Cadmium and manganese were never found to be increased. In all but four patients, an increase of one or more heavy metals was found. Ten patients showed raised levels of two or more metals, the dominant metal being lead (10 cases), nine patients showed increased in chromium. A significant corrleation was found between increasing lead levels and decreasing ALA-D activity. Although normal concentrations of manganese were found, correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between increased manganese and decreased ALA-D. The raised values of heavy metals could not be traced to occupational or other exposure to heavy metals and the increased values were not related to tobacco consumption. The findings are discussed in relation to known data on neuropathy and the results seem to indicate a multifactorial patholgenesis of the disease. Among factors contributing to the precipitation of the syndrome may be raised levels of heavy metals.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Electromyographic changes in automechanics with increased heavy metal levels.

Twenty automechanics possessing increased whole blood values of one or more of the following heavy metals; chromium, copper, lead, manganese and nickel, were studied for peripheral nerve affection by means of electromyography (both sensoric and motoric nerve potentials were recorded). The heavy metal contents were related to the findings of denervation, distal motor latency, distal sensory latency, motoric and sensoric conduction velocities. Apart from two workers, in whom only lead was assayed, the remaining group of 18 were assayed for all heavy metals under study. Six workers showed increased distal motor and/or sensory latency and seven decreased nerve conduction velocity (four motoric and three sensoric affections). Of the workers with nerve affection, three showed increased levels of lead (nickel and chromium also raised). Four workers showed increased lead, nickel and chromium and one of lead, chromium and manganese. All in all, 10 out of 20 workers (50 percent) with elevated lead levels showed definite signs of peripheral neuropathy and seven out of 14 with raised nickel values showed these signs but they could all be accounted for by the increased lead levels. All except seven workers with raised lead levels in the whole group showed values above the critical limit of 80.0 mug/100 ml in whole blood. The data argue for the highly toxic effect of lead and other heavy metals on the peripheral nervous system and stress the diverse toxic exposure which automechanics undergo during their work. The possibility of there being a synergistic action between heavy metals and components of mineral oil and petroleum is discussed.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1976

The influence of vitamin E deficiency and combined deficiency in vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids on the biosynthesis and degradation of rat central nervous system myelin.

The ability to incorporate intracranially injected 14C-labelled leucine into central nervous system (CNS) myelin was studied in developing rats fed a control diet, a diet deficient in vitamin E and a diet deficient both in vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The turnover of radioactivity incorporated into myelin and the distribution of radioactivity between the individual proteins of rat CNS myelin at various stages of the deficiency state was studied. Impaired myelin formation was found in cases of both types of deficiency. The level of incorporated radioactivity was raised by both types of deficiency throughout the experimental period. The mean half life of myelin radioactivity was found higher in combined deficient animals as compared to control and vitamin-E-deficient rats. The distribution of radioactivity between myelinproteins, separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, appeared identical in the three experimental groups.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1975

Acid proteinase and peroxidase activity in spielmeyer-Vogt's syndrome (Batten's syndrome-Stengel's syndrome).

The acid proteinase and the peroxidase activity of peripheral leucocytes of respectively 12 and 13 patients suffering from Spielmeyer-Vogt's disease, alias Batten's disease, alias Stengel's disease was studied. Cathepsin D activity was found to be normal in the disease, but the cathepsin B activity was decreased by 24 percent. However, the decrease was insignificant. The peroxidase assay was made using Guajacol as well as p-phenylenediamine as substrate. When the assay was performed with p-phenylenediamine, the enzymic activities were significantly decreased (p less than or equal to 1%) compared to the activity of normal control leucocytes. Assaying peroxidase activity by means of Guajacol revealed a non-significant difference between the two groups. The data obtained indicate the syndrome under study to be due to hampered peroxidase activity. The defect found explains the occurrence of lipofuchsin in the nervous system previously demonstrated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Studies on the serum lipid and lipoproteins in steatosis of the liver.

In a medical department, specialized in liver diseases, 45 patients (33 men and 12 women) suffering from steatosis of the liver have been examined with reference to serum lipid abnormalities. Twenty-eight of the patients were chronic alcoholics. Annual check-ups, including biopsy of the liver, were made to evaluate the development of the steatosis. The patients did not receive treatment with drugs or diet. Thirteen patients showed hypercholesterolemia, 16 increased serum triglyceride and 8 increased serum phosphorus lipid. Two showed a type I lipoprotein anomaly and 33 a type II-like pattern, defined as increased beta-lipoprotein associated with increase of serum cholesterol, was found in four cases. Three had a type III and three a type IV abnormal pattern, with increased pre-beta-lipoprotein and serum triglyceride levels. Correlation analysis revealed correlations between pre-beta-lipoprotein and serum triglyceride as well as between serum triglyceride and serum free fatty acid levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

The synthesis of prostaglandins in platelets from patients with multiple sclerosis.

As a continuation of our previous studies on the synthesis of prostaglandins (PGs) in human thrombocytes, the present study concerns the biosynthesis of PGs in thrombocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis, as this condition has been suggested to be linked to thrombotic and/or thrombocyte abnormalities. It was found that in these patients a statistically decreased synthesis of PGE1, PGE2 and PGF took place compared to the corresponding values in normal subjects. The ratio between PGE1 and PGE2 was, however, unchanged.

Adult↗