Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Klein

Publications and source records attributed to J Klein.

At least 559 records · Page 31Linked to original sources

[The refining of liquid swine manure as a substrate for biotechnologic transformation processes].

Pure and mixed cultures of Clostridium Spec. were tested in sterile and nonsterile batch fermentations in order to increase the content of short chain fatty acid in different liquid swine manure substrates. Fatty acid concentrations of 15 g/l were reached by a thermochemical pretreatment of the substrates and the application of a mixed culture of Cl. acetobutylicum, Cl. butyricum and Cl. paraputrificum. The distributions of C2-C5 fatty acids were determined. The results represent the basis to intensify the process of the biotechnological conversion of liquid swine manure.

Animals↗

Determination of gestational cocaine exposure by hair analysis.

Drug self-reports are often unreliable and standard blood and urine tests detect only recent cocaine use. Since cocaine is deposited in hair, we have applied a radioimmunoassay to hair extract to detect past cocaine use. Hair from 16 adult users was positive for benzoylecgonine, in the presence of negative findings from urine screening tests. Benzoylecgonine in admitted heavy users averaged 8775 ng/g of hair (range, 640 to 29,089 ng/g of hair), whereas in occasional users it averaged 624 ng/g of hair (range, 32 to 1210 ng/g of hair). Benzoylecgonine was not detected in hair of 21 adults who reported no use of cocaine ever and whose urine samples were negative for the metabolite. Neonatal hair from seven infants whose mothers were known cocaine users averaged 5430 ng of benzoylecgonine per gram of hair (range, 200 to 27500 ng/g of hair). Hair from two infants 2.5 and 3.5 months of age averaged 6050 ng of benzoylecgonine per gram of hair. However, values were negative for infants 1 year and older, corresponding to loss of fetal hair in the few months after birth. Because studies reporting reproductive risks of cocaine compare exposed and nonexposed groups, validation of drug-free status of control subjects is extremely important. Hair analysis may remedy the disadvantages of currently used methods and may identify intrauterine exposure to cocaine in babies when a maternal drug history is not available or of doubtful truthfulness.

Adult↗

Physical methods for characterization of microbial surfaces.

There are different concepts for explaining the adsorption of microorganisms to solid surfaces: the DLVO theory and the surface free energy. Basic aspects of both theories are discussed. Established methods for determining the surface properties of microbial cells are reviewed: Electrophoretic mobility, colloid titration, electrostatic interaction chromatography, bacterial adherence to hydrocarbons, partitioning in an aqueous two-phase system, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, contact angle measurement and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. They are discussed and classified according to their potential for the correlation of cell surface characteristics and adsorption behavior.

Adsorption↗

Exercise-induced silent ischemia: age, diabetes mellitus, previous myocardial infarction and prognosis.

The purposes of this study were 1) to determine the prognosis of silent ischemia in an unselected group of patients referred for exercise testing, and 2) to assess whether age or the presence of myocardial infarction or diabetes mellitus influences the prevalence of silent myocardial ischemia during exercise testing. The design was retrospective, with a 2 year mean follow-up period. The study group consisted of 1,747 predominantly male in-patients and outpatients referred for exercise testing at a 1,200 bed Veterans Administration hospital. The main result was that the mortality rate was significantly greater (p = 0.02) among patients with abnormal ST segment depression than in patients without ST depression. The presence or absence of angina pectoris during exercise testing was not significantly related to death. The prevalence of silent ischemia was not significantly different among patients categorized according to myocardial infarction or diabetes mellitus status, but was directly related to age. It is concluded that, in patients with an ischemic ST response to exercise testing, the presence or absence of angina pectoris during the test does not alter the risk of death. The prevalence of silent ischemia during exercise testing is not statistically different among patients with recent, past or no myocardial infarction or with insulin-dependent or noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Age Factors↗

[Toxicity to rodenticides and its treatment].

A case is presented of exposure to a rodenticide which caused a severe disorder of hemostasis, including macroscopic hematuria, several months after the patient was exposed to it. Response to treatment with vitamin K and barbiturates came only after 70 days. The cause-and-effect relationship between exposure to the rodenticide and the disorder in hemostasis is based on the clinical course and on the late response to treatment.

Adult↗

Use of the exercise test to predict prognosis after coronary artery bypass grafting.

The objective of this study was to predict the prognosis of patients who become symptomatic after having undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using clinical and exercise test responses. A retrospective analysis was performed of all veterans referred for clinical indications to a Veterans Administration Medical Center for a treadmill test after having undergone CABG. Of 2,044 patients who were exercise tested from April 1984 to May 1987, 296 had previously undergone CABG. Clinical data considered included age, sex, medication and symptom status, history of myocardial infarction, type of myocardial infarction and time from CABG. The exercise test responses considered were MET level, maximal heart rate, maximal systolic blood pressure, chest pain pattern and ST-segment response. During a 2-year follow-up after exercise testing, there were 15 deaths, 11 nonfatal myocardial infarctions, 6 repeat CABGs and 3 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties. Although MET level and maximal heart rate were significantly related to prognosis and no patient who exceeded 8 METs died, the predictive power of these exercise test responses was low and ST-segment depression was not predictive at all. The inability of the exercise electrocardiogram to predict cardiac events in patients after CABG requires the use of other methods of testing to identify those who need invasive studies and intervention.

Angiography↗

Two monoclonal antibodies identify thymic-repopulating cells in mouse bone marrow.

The progenitor cells in the bone marrow that home to and repopulate the thymus have been incompletely characterized. In particular, it is not clear whether thymocytes differentiate directly from pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells that seed to the thymus, or whether T lymphoid-committed stem cells (prothymocytes) arise in the bone marrow before the thymic migration. In order to resolve this question, we have used mAb specific for cell-surface Ag to identify the bone marrow cells which can seed to and repopulate the thymus of irradiated mice. We report here that the majority of thymic-repopulating cells in mouse bone marrow express low levels of the Thy-1 Ag (Thy-1lo) plus high levels of a newly described Ag termed stem cell Ag (Sca-1). Two distinct populations of thymic-repopulating Thy-1loSca-1+ cells in mouse bone marrow can be discriminated based on expression of any of a number of hemolymphoid lineage-specific (Lin) markers. Thus, Thy-1loLin-Sca-1+ and Thy-1loLin+Sca-1+ fractions of bone marrow contain thymic-repopulating cells. A second Ag, stem cell Ag-2 (Sca-2), is expressed by Thy-1loLin+Sca-1+ cells but not by Thy-1loLin-Sca-1+ cells. The Thy-1loLin-Sca-1+ fraction expresses intermediate levels of the phagocyte glycoprotein-1 Ag, and comprises 30% of the Thy-1loLin- bone marrow cells, which have previously been shown to be highly enriched in pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells. By facilitating the isolation of highly purified subpopulations of bone marrow cells that can repopulate the thymus, Sca-1 and Sca-2 should provide an experimental tool for describing the developmental potential of such bone marrow subsets.

Animals↗

Acute changes in renal function associated with deferoxamine therapy.

In three patients who received intravenous deferoxamine there was a twofold to eightfold increase in plasma creatinine level and a parallel decrease in creatinine clearance that resolved when treatment with the drug was discontinued. In two thalassemic patients, diuresis was evident by urine output exceeding fluid intake. The mechanism was studied in dogs that exhibited an acute and significant decrease in inulin and para-aminohippuric acid clearances induced by intravenous deferoxamine. Saline diuresis could prevent the decrease in the glomerular filtration rate but not the decrease in renal blood flow caused by deferoxamine. Deferoxamine induced an acute increase in the fractional excretion of sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, and urate, which may explain the relative diuresis observed in two of the patients. In a subsequent experiment, ferrioxamine induced an increase in the fractional excretion of sodium and chloride but did not affect the glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow. Our studies suggest that adequate hydration may be needed to preserve renal hemodynamics during intravenous deferoxamine therapy. Repeated measurements of renal function should accompany treatment with this agent.

Adolescent↗

Disposition of oral methotrexate in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and its relation to 6-mercaptopurine pharmacokinetics.

We studied the disposition pharmacokinetics of methotrexate (MTX) given orally to 16 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and its relation to the pharmacokinetics of 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) in the same children. There was an eightfold variability in area-under-concentration time-curve (AUC) of MTX achieved by the same dose. Excellent correlation existed between peak concentrations and AUC0----infinity (r = 0.95, P less than 0.001). Elimination T1/2 was between 1.34 and 5 hours (mean 2.16 +/- 0.23 hr, mean +/- SE). A weak correlation existed between AUC achieved by 1 mg/m2 MTX and patients' age or body weight. Weak but significant correlation existed between AUC achieved by 1 mg/m2 of MTX vs. 6MP (r = 0.54, P less than 0.05). In 13/16 patients peak concentrations were achieved at 60 minutes. There was a significantly larger AUC of 6MP achieved by a standardized dose in longer therapy (greater than 15 mo) vs. short therapy (less than 12 mo) (462 +/- 75 and 246 +/- 58 ng.ml-1.min.mg-1.m2, P less than 0.025). No statistical differences in AUC of MTX were found between short and long therapy. The large interpatient variability in MTX pharmacokinetics supports the possibility that differences in absorption and/or clearance of the drug may affect the clinical response. Because of the excellent correlation between peak and AUC of MTX, and because 3 measurements, at 30, 60, and 90 minutes will almost invariably identify the peak, this measurement can be used to estimate AUC for purpose of correlation with clinical outcome.

Administration, Oral↗

Endotoxin protection against pulmonary oxygen toxicity and its reversal by acetyl salicylic acid: role of eicosanoid production by broncho-alveolar lavage cells.

Small doses of endotoxin markedly increase the survival rate of adult rats exposed to 98% oxygen for periods that are normally lethal. The lysine salt of acetyl salicylic acid (L-ASA) partially reverses this protective effect of endotoxin. In this pilot study we investigated the level of eicosanoid production by broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) cells and found that BAL cells of endotoxin protected rats, present in abundance, have an equal or increased capacity of HHT, 15-HETE, 12-HETE, LTB4 and 5-HETE production. These data suggest that production of the lipoxygenase products by BAL cells does not seem to play an important role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary oxygen toxicity. We did not find any indication for the occurrence of shunting of arachidonic acid metabolism to the lipoxygenase pathway as an explanation for the reversal of endotoxin's protective action by L-ASA.

Animals↗

The D17Tu5 locus in the t complex: implications for the origin of t haplotypes and inbred strains.

The mouse x Chinese hamster cell line R4 4-1 contains only one mouse chromosome, the bulk of which corresponds to Mus musculus chromosomes 17 and 18 (MMU17 and MMU18, respectively). A genomic library was prepared from the R4 4-1 DNA, and a mouse clone was isolated from the library, which-with the help of somatic cell hybrids-could be mapped to the MMU17. A locus defined by a 2.7-kb long Bam HI probe from this clone was designated D17Tu5 (Tu for Tübingen). The locus proved to be polymorphic among inbred strains and wild mice. By testing of recombinant inbred strains and partial t haplotypes, the D17Tu5 locus could be mapped to a position between the D17Leh66E and D17Rp17 loci within the t complex. Two alleles were found at this locus, D17Tu5a and D17Tu5b, defined by Taq I restriction fragment length polymorphism. Both alleles are present among inbred strains and wild mice of the species M. domesticus. All complete t haplotypes tested carry the D17Tu5a allele and all tested wild mice of the species M. musculus, with the exception of those bearing t haplotypes, carry the D17Tu5b allele. Additional alleles are found in some populations of wild mice and in other species of the genus Mus. The distribution of the two alleles among the inbred strains correlates well with their known or postulated genealogy. Their distribution between the two species of Mus and among the mice with T haplotypes suggests a relatively recent origin of the t haplotypes.

Alleles↗

Molecular characterization of four intra-t mouse recombinants.

Recombination in the proximal region of mouse chromosome 17 is greatly reduced in heterozygotes carrying the wild-type and the t complex-type chromosomes. The reason for this is the presence of two non-overlapping inversions in the t complex. Rare crossing-over does, however, occur within the t complex of the t/+ heterozygotes. Here we characterize four such exceptional intra-t recombinants, tTu1 through tTu4. To map the positions of the genetic exchange in these four recombinants, we analyzed them with DNA probes specific for 16 loci distributed over the t complex. The analysis revealed that in three of the four recombinants, an equal crossing-over occurred in the short region between the two inversions, producing chromosomes carrying either the proximal inversion only (tTu1 and tTu4) or the distal inversion only (tTu2). In the fourth recombinant (tTu3), unequal crossing-over occurred within the proximal inversion between loci D17Leh119 and D17Leh66, producing a chromosome in which the region containing loci Tcp-1, T, and D17Tu5 has been duplicated. The duplication of the Brachyury locus leads to the suppression of the tail-shortening effect normally produced by the interaction of the dominant (T) and recessive (tct) alleles at this locus so that the T/tTu3 mice have normal tails.

Animals↗