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Biomedical subjects

J Huber

Publications and source records attributed to J Huber.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

In vitro influence of ketoprofen on the proteoglycan metabolism of human normal and osteoarthritis cartilage.

We investigated the influences of ketoprofen on the proteoglycan (PG) turnover of human articular cartilage explants in three groups: normal young with a high basal PG synthesis, normal adult and osteoarthritis cartilage, both with a low basal PG synthesis. Ketoprofen had no influence on the mean PG synthesis rate of normal adult and OA cartilage after 4 days of culture nor on the cartilage PG content after 8 days of culture. There was no relation between the histological grade of OA and effects of ketoprofen. In normal young cartilage ketoprofen induced an increase of the PG synthesis rate when added to the culture in a concentration of 10(-4) M. No correlation existed between the effect of ketoprofen and the basal PG synthesis of normal cartilage.

Adult↗

Aortic aneurysm in a 5-year-old boy with tuberous sclerosis.

A 5-year-old boy known to have tuberous sclerosis was admitted with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The aneurysm was resected and replaced by a bifurcation prosthesis. Follow-up, which amounts up to 4 years, has been uneventful. Prompt recognition and surgical treatment are essential in the management of this rare but potentially lethal condition.

Aorta, Abdominal↗

Functional properties of crossed spinocerebellar tract neurones with cell bodies in the S1 segment.

Functional properties of a crossed spinocerebellar tract with cell bodies located in laminae VII and IX of the S1 segment were investigated using intracellular recording. The neurones were found to be excited by group I and II muscle afferents and afferents of skin, joint and interosseus nerves. Volleys from group II muscle afferents and cutaneous afferents evoked inhibition in these cells. It is concluded that S1 spinocerebellar neurones convey a similar type of information to that of dorsal spinocerebellar tract and ventral spinocerebellar tract neurones but integrate it in a different way.

Animals↗

Breast cyst fluid concentrations of beta-endorphin, steroids and gonadotrophins in premenopausal women with gross cystic disease.

Breast cyst fluid (BCF) and plasma levels of beta-endorphin (beta-EP), oestradiol (E2), progesterone (P), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin (PRL) and cortisol were assayed radiochemically in a group of 10 premenopausal women aged 45-50 years suffering from gross cystic breast disease. The concentration of beta-EP (fmol/ml) in BCF (17.6 +/- 4.6 S.E.) was over four times higher than that in plasma (4.2 +/- 0.5 S.E.). The level of E2 was 41 times higher (1738.2 +/- 350.5 S.E. pg/ml) and that of P was 47 times higher (65.47 +/- 8.25 S.E. ng/ml) in BCF than in plasma. The significantly increased values of beta-EP, E2 and P in BCF and the identification of beta-EP in the cyst-lining epithelium indicated that local synthesis occurs. Growth factor-like properties of beta-EP and E2 are responsible for the propagation of cystic changes. The autonomous formation and activity of beta-EP, E2 and P in cystic formations were not correlated with LH, FSH, TSH and cortisol levels, which were significantly higher in plasma than in BCF. The concentration of PRL in BCF was not significantly higher than that in plasma. Moreover, the plasma concentrations of testosterone, androstenedione, thyroxine, triiodothyronine, thyroxine-binding globulin and sex-hormone-binding globulin were within the normal ranges. In this study we demonstrated synergism between beta-EP and steroid hormones which encourages the development of gross cystic disease in premenopausal women.

Estradiol↗

[Estrogen substitution therapy in climacteric: should progesterone be omitted in hysterectomized women?].

The replacement therapy in postmenopausal women is seen to be for transformation of the oestrogen-stimulated endometrium only, which does not apply to hysterectomised women. Because of the influence of estrane on lipids, one often advises against a replacement therapy with progestogens in hysterectomised women. With increasing knowledge of encountered extragenital functions of sexual steroids, the latter is questionable, if natural progesterone is given, which is (said to be) lipid-neutral, performing the function of the progestogens, which is quite more than reproduction only, more efficiently than estrane or gonane. Due to the competitive blocking of aldosterone the effect of progesterone is sodium-diuretic and diuretic, being as important as the therapy of climacteric complaints, as well as the consequence, which is the result of the physiological connection between progesterone and encephalics. Moreover, the effect of the progestogens is to tonicise the vascular system and is linked to a number of intestinal hormones in order to adjust their function. Therefore, progesterone seems to perform a great variety of extragenital functions. Menopausal women should not be deprived of the benefits of these functions within the framework of a replacement therapy.

Climacteric↗

[The effectiveness of intravaginal estriol tablet administration in women with urge incontinence].

In postmenopausal patients, stress and urge incontinence often occur as a consequence of oestrogen deficiency. We performed a comparative study in a prospectively randomised and placebo controlled group of women with urge incontinence to investigate different dosages of intravaginally applied oestriol. Clinical and urodynamic parameters were also compared. 15 women (Group I) received 1 mg oestriol applied daily intravaginally over 3 weeks; 15 women (Group II) received a daily dosage of 3 mg and 10 women received a placebo. A complete clinical and urodynamic evaluation was carried out twice at a 4-week interval. The women receiving a daily dose of 3 mg oestriol applied intravaginally demonstrated a significant improvement of the parameters strong desire to void, pollakisuria, and nycturia. No improvement was seen in patients with motoric urge incontinence.

Administration, Intravaginal↗

Clinical experience with a new norgestimate-containing oral contraceptive.

Research in the area of oral contraception currently focuses on the development of selective progestogens that combine targeted progestational and antiovulatory activity with a minimal potential for androgenicity. The present dual-center study was conducted to investigate the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of a new monophasic oral contraceptive (OC) containing 250 micrograms norgestimate in combination with 35 micrograms ethinyl estradiol (Ortho-Cyclen or Cilest). Ninety-seven healthy women of childbearing age participated in the study: 37 received the new norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol combination OC as primary therapy and 31 were switched over from other OCs. The norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol formulation was well tolerated and was associated with excellent cycle control. After six cycles of use, there were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of spotting or breakthrough bleeding compared with baseline, nor were there any significant changes in the incidence of headache, nausea, or mastalgia. Body weights remained constant for the duration of the study, as did systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Of particular note was the absence of any statistically significant alterations in metabolic parameters, including blood glucose or lipoprotein levels. These findings are consistent with the results of several other European studies and indicate that the norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol combination OC combines superior cycle control with minimal risk of androgenic side effects.

Adult↗

[Steroid hormone receptors in synovial tissue].

Among the variety of symptoms of the postmenopausal syndrome joint pain seems to be an important problem for the patient as well as for her doctor. Because of the excellent response of the hormone substitution therapy it is asked if the synovial membrane is a target organ for oestradiol. Biopsies from the knee joint of ten women (not having any hormone therapy)--excised during knee joint surgery--were examined. Only in two cases oestrogenreceptors were found. Accordingly the synovial membrane cannot be seen as a direct target organ for oestradiol and so other mechanisms must play a role in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal joint pain.

Adolescent↗

Fertility, pregnancies and offspring complications after bone marrow transplantation.

Hormonal assessment including luteotropic hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), oestradiol and sex hormone binding globulin was performed 1-6 years after allogeneic, syngeneic and autologous bone marrow transplantation in nine patients with severe aplastic anaemia (SAA) and 14 patients with haematological malignancy (HM). Among nine allografted SAA patients, seven aged less than 26 years showed normal gonadal function while two women above 26 years had premature ovarian failure. All eight female patients transplanted for HM had premature ovarian failure. Among six male patients transplanted for HM, four have elevated FSH but normal LH and T levels, while two have normal LH, FSH and T levels or elevated LH and FSH levels but decreased T levels, respectively. Three patients transplanted for SAA (two female, one male), but none of those transplanted for HM, parented four healthy children. A high incidence of offspring complications was noticed, including (i) persistence of fetal circulation syndrome, (ii) erythroblastosis fetalis, and (iii) prolonged newborn icterus. One female patient transplanted for SAA had an abortion in the 25th week of gestation. These observations confirm previous reports on recovery of fertility, mainly in younger patients transplanted for SAA; there was, however, an unexpectedly high incidence of pre-, peri- and postpartum complications in the offspring of bone marrow graft recipients.

Adolescent↗

Characterization of functional nerve growth factor-receptors in a CNS glial cell line: monoclonal antibody 217c recognizes the nerve growth factor-receptor on C6 glioma cells.

The biological effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) have been shown to be mediated by the high-affinity form of the nerve growth factor receptor (NGF-R) in sympathetic and sensory neurons, and in PC12 cells. We report here that the central nervous system C6 rat glioma cell line likewise expresses functional high-affinity NGF-Rs. The expression of NGF-R mRNA in C6 cells can be up-regulated by cycloheximide and its own ligand, NGF; and it can be rapidly down-regulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF). Furthermore, C6 cells display NGF responsiveness by expressing c-fos mRNA within 30 minutes of treatment with NGF; and after 4-5 days of NGF exposure, C6 cells cease dividing as measured by [3H]-thymidine uptake, change shape, and reveal neurite-like processes. Scatchard analysis of [125I]-labelled NGF bound to solubilized C6 cells confirms the presence of both high- and low-affinity receptor protein. Crosslinking radiolabeled NGF to its receptor in the presence or absence of excess unlabeled NGF, followed by immunoprecipitation with monoclonal antibody (mAb) 192-IgG (a known anti-NGF-R antibody) and SDS-PAGE reveals a 100 kD band corresponding to the NGF/NGF-R complex. An identical band is observed when the immunoprecipitation is carried out with mAb 217c, suggesting that the 217c epitope is related to NGF-R. The 217c antibody was generated against C6 cells and shown to be a cell surface antibody (Peng et al., Science 215:1102-4, 1982); several investigators have used it subsequently as an immunocytochemical marker for Schwann cells. The significance of NGF-Rs in a CNS glial cell line is unclear, but association of NGF with the control of proliferation and/or differentiation of primitive glial cells is suggested.

Animals↗

Developmental regulation of myelin-associated genes in the normal and the myelin deficient mutant rat.

Oligodendrocyte development and myelinogenesis, both in vivo and in vitro, are characterized by the sequential and coordinate expression of markers which participate in the differentiation of oligodendrocytes as a prerequisite for myelination. The myelin deficient (md) rat shows greatly reduced mRNA expression for several oligodendrocyte markers: glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), myelin basic protein (MBP) and proteolipid protein (PLP). Brain GPDH mRNA levels are initially equivalent in md and unaffected littermates, but the mutant rats fail to display the normal developmental increase in gene expression. Immunostaining of brain tissue sections also reveals decreased expression of these oligodendrocyte markers. The number of oligodendrocytes containing GPDH-like immunoreactivity is reduced in mutant rats, and in general these cells appear morphologically less complex with shorter processes. However, the intensity of staining in many oligodendrocytes appears equivalent to that observed in unaffected rats. Expression of the neuronal marker, glutamic acid decarboxylase, and the astrocyte markers, glutamine synthetase and glial fibrillary acidic protein, are largely unaffected at either the mRNA or protein level. Mixed glial cultures prepared from the brains of neonatal male md rats possess fewer oligodendrocytes compared to cultures derived from unaffected littermates, and the temporal sequence of marker development is delayed. Although an abnormality in the PLP gene is suspected in the md rat, these findings document profound deficits in many oligodendrocyte gene products.

Animals↗

HER-2 oncogene amplification and overall survival of breast carcinoma patients.

DNA was extracted from tumour samples of 77 patients with primary breast carcinoma and HER-2 proto-oncogene amplification was assessed. Prognostic indices such as number of positive lymph nodes, tumour size and histological grading were strongly associated with overall survival. No statistically significant correlation between amplification of HER-2 and overall survival was observed. In addition, prognostic indices, HER-2 amplification and disease-free interval was not correlated. Analysis of HER-2 amplification alone is not a useful guide in the management of patients with mammary carcinoma.

Breast Neoplasms↗

The effect of the number of electrocardiograms analyzed on cardiovascular disease surveillance: the Minnesota Heart Survey (MHS).

One method used to control costs in community cardiovascular disease surveillance is to limit the number of electrocardiograms (ECGs) used to validate acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The Minnesota Heart Survey investigated the impact of decreasing the maximum number of ECGs analyzed on classification of ECG pattern and final AMI diagnosis (definite, probable, none). A 50% sample of all 1980 acute CHD hospital discharge records (ICD-9 code 410 or 411) from 30 of 31 Twin Cities hospitals were abstracted. Comparing results using all available ECGs in the record (maximum of 12) with those obtained using up to 4 ECGs showed little differences in the ECG classification or final AMI diagnosis.

Electrocardiography↗

[Gynecologic Doppler ultrasonography].

The resistance of the vessel of the ovarian artery changes during the cycle. At the time of ovulation the resistance of the vessel of the ovarian artery decreases under the influence of steroid production in the ovary. The resistance decreases and the blood flow increases. In our study we could show that women with a normal cycle have low pulsatility indices in the ovarian arteries when oestradiol is rising. In women with PCO-Syndrome the blood flow in the ovarian artery is very low in spite of the fact that the patients got hormonal treatment. On the day of follicular puncture in our IVF-group and also on the day before, the pulsatility-index of the ovarian artery was very high in patients with PCO-Syndrome and it was significantly lower in patients with normal cycle. The women with PCO-Syndrome had also low oestradiol levels in the plasma. In the group with PCO-Syndrome no woman became pregnant, women with high oestradiol levels and low PI of the ovarian artery at the time of follicular puncture became pregnant in 19%.

Adult↗

[Hypergonadotropic amenorrhea (WHO III) as osteoporosis risk].

In 21 patients, suffering from amenorrhoeic hypergonadotropic ovarian insufficiency (age 27 +/- 3 years [FSH: 43 +/- 10, LH: 40 +/- 8]), the bone density was measured by single-photon densitometry (SPA), before starting a hormonal replacement therapy with oestrogen/progesterone. Every 5 months, the trend in bone density change was measured in all cases. The bone density before hormonal treatment was lower in the WHO III-group (1.36 +/- 0.21 g/cm; 1.09 +/- 0.26 g/cm2) than in the age-matched group (1.57 +/- 0.21 g/cm; 1.28 +/- 0.31 g/cm2). Bone density increased after hormonal therapy (p less than 0.05). These results point to the necessity of hormonal replacement therapy in cases of WHO III.

Adolescent↗

Antibodies to the mycobacterial 65-kd heat-shock protein are reactive with synovial tissue of adjuvant arthritic rats and patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

The expression of 65-kd mycobacterial heat-shock protein (HSP)-related antigens in synovial membrane from rats and humans with arthritis was studied using three monoclonal antibodies and one polyclonal antiserum directed to antigens of mycobacteria. The antibodies labeled synovial tissue sections from both adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats and from patients with either rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA); especially the synovial lining cells appeared to be positive. The cytoplasmic staining patterns in rats and humans were essentially the same and were not related to the extent of inflammation ie, the size of lymphoid infiltration. In control tissues no cytoplasmic staining was observed. The results suggest a role for a 65-kd HSP or a cross-reactive molecule in the immunopathologic process of arthritic disease.

Animals↗