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Biomedical subjects

J Kraus

Publications and source records attributed to J Kraus.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

[Endoscopy and biopsy of the pancreatic duct--a new method of pancreas diagnosis].

Newly developed endoscopes make it possible to inspect the major papilla, the pancreatic and choledochal ducts without previous papillotomy. First results of this new method in surgical specimens and patients are presented. Ductal dilatations, and irregularities as well as secretion plugs and calcifications are characteristic phenomenons of chronic pancreatitis; the diagnosis of a malignant pancreatic tumour can be made by observing an irregular compression of the pancreatic duct and the infiltration of its wall. Perhaps by this method precursors of ductal pancreatic cancer will be recognized. We assume that ERCP will be supported by this method.

Ampulla of Vater↗

Infection as a contributory cause of death in patients hospitalized for motor vehicle trauma.

The age and length-of-stay specific incidence of fatal infections and the percentage of deaths due to infection were determined in a population-based sample of patients hospitalized for more than 2 days for motor vehicle injuries. The percentage of deaths due to infection was determined from a statewide sample of death certificates, and the patient fatality rates for hospitalized motor vehicle crash injury patients were determined from statewide Professional Activities Study data. Fatal pulmonary infections were far more common than fatal nonpulmonary infections. The incidence rate of fatal pulmonary infection was highest among those with hospital stays of 7 to 28 days and among those 70 years of age or older. Incidence rates varied substantially by age and length of hospital stay from a low of 8 deaths per 100,000 patient-days for adult female patients with stays longer than 28 days to a high of 102 deaths per 100,000 patient-days for elderly men with stays of 7 to 28 days. The incidence rates documented in this study may improve the identification of blunt trauma patient groups with the greatest need for prophylactic antiinfective measures.

Accidents, Traffic↗

[Persistence of a conjugate eye and head deviation of hemispheric origin].

The conjugate eye and head deviation (CD) after acute hemispheric stroke normally resolves into poor days, but delayed recovery may occurs after previous contralateral frontal lobe damage or after acute right parietal lesion. This is a report of a ten months persistent CD at rest, without visual or auditory stimuli. CT showed a bilateral capsular infarct of the genu and a recent right frontal posterior infarct. The persistence of the deviation may thus be explained by such a combination of bilateral anterior lesions.

Aged↗

Isolation of cDNA clones coding for human tissue factor: primary structure of the protein and cDNA.

Tissue factor is a membrane-bound procoagulant protein that activates the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation in the presence of factor VII and calcium. lambda Phage containing the tissue factor gene were isolated from a human placental cDNA library. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the cDNAs indicates that tissue factor is synthesized as a higher molecular weight precursor with a leader sequence of 32 amino acids, while the mature protein is a single polypeptide chain composed of 263 residues. The derived primary structure of tissue factor has been confirmed by comparison to protein and peptide sequence data. The sequence of the mature protein suggests that there are three distinct domains: extracellular, residues 1-219; hydrophobic, residues 220-242; and cytoplasmic, residues 243-263. Three potential N-linked carbohydrate attachment sites occur in the extracellular domain. The amino acid sequence of tissue factor shows no significant homology with the vitamin K-dependent serine proteases, coagulation cofactors, or any other protein in the National Biomedical Research Foundation sequence data bank (Washington, DC).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Genetic relationship among human papillomaviruses associated with benign and malignant tumours of patients with epidermodysplasia verruciformis.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) 5, 8, 19 and 25 induce macular skin lesions in patients with epidermodysplasia verruciformis. HPVs 5 and 8 are known to prevail in skin carcinomas, which develop in about one-third of these patients. We compared the viral DNAs by heteroduplex analysis and on the basis of partial nucleotide sequences. The colinear genomes were closely related and showed nucleotide sequence homology in the range of 40% to 90%. Homology values between 70% and 80% were observed throughout roughly 4 kb of the heteroduplex molecules as estimated after 'calibration' by partial sequencing. Heteroduplex analysis did not support the hypothesis that the different HPV types arise by recombination and allowed no grouping to correlate with the association with malignant tumours. The upstream regulatory sequences of HPVs 8, 19 and 25 appeared highly conserved but differed from those of previously sequenced papillomaviruses in length, in the TATA motif, in the copy numbers and positions of the ACCGN4CGGT palindrome and of a YGCCAA direct repeat, and in two strictly conserved blocks of 33 and 29 nucleotides.

Base Sequence↗

A new variant of sphingomyelinase deficiency (Niemann-Pick): visceromegaly, minimal neurological lesions and low in vivo degradation rate of sphingomyelin.

Three males (aged 10 years, 3 years 9 months and 2 years 8 months) with profound sphingomyelinase deficiency are presented. The sphingomyelin storage in the liver biopsies attained 30-fold, 65-fold and 16-fold increases against controls, respectively. Levels of bis(monoacylglyceryl) phosphate were also increased. In two cases the bone marrow contained foam cells with liquid crystals of sphingomyelin. Besides the visceral involvement dominated by hepatosplenomegaly, all three cases showed discrete, so far stationary (8 years, 42 months and 28 months) neuropathic features and retinal lesions resembling the classical cherry-red spot. Electrophysiological examinations showed a variable reduction of peripheral nerve conduction velocity and prolongation of the latencies of somatosensory, visual and auditory evoked potentials. Ultrastructural examination of skin nerves showed a slight storage, mainly in Schwann cells. In some myelinated fibres there were pseudomyelinic ovoids. The cases therefore displayed features of both A and B types of sphingomyelinase deficiency and should be conventionally classified as intermediate. However, the very low levels of in vivo sphingomyelin hydrolysis (not exceeding 6%, against 30 +/- 10% in type B and 77 +/- 5% in controls) were clearly within the range of type A values (5 +/- 2%). Accordingly, we suggest that the cases may be biochemically classified as variants of type A disease.

Child↗

Twenty-four-hour monitoring of esophagopharyngeal pH in outpatients. Use of four-channel pH probe and computerized system.

A 24 hour computerized four-channel esophagopharyngeal pH system is described. Using a 1.5 mm diameter esophageal probe containing four separate antimony-tipped electrodes and a small patient-worn digital recording computer, inpatient and outpatient studies are performed in the physiologic environment of the patient's workplace or home. Stored pH data in the computer are teletransmitted from satellite esophageal pH laboratories to a central esophageal pH laboratory for analysis, scoring, printout, and storage. Satellite laboratories located in hospitals, clinics, and physicians' offices use a minimum of equipment and obtain a quality computer-based printout. This preserves patient-physician relationships in the home environment and is cost-effective. Four case reports are presented identifying the advantages derived from the four-channel system localizing and quantifying the extent of cephalad transport of refluxed upper gastrointestinal content. The system has unique clinical and research potential in all age groups in such disparate problems as sleep apnea, laryngitis, bradycardia and cardiac irregularities, and aspiration pneumonia and pulmonary abscess.

Adolescent↗

Occupation and education in relation to risk factors of ischaemic heart disease in the male industrial population.

In a sample of 3,757 men aged 40-50 years, all employees of a large industrial plant, the authors studied the prevalence of several risk factors (RF) of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in relationship to profession and education of probands. Blue collar workers were more frequently heavy smokers and regular alcohol consumers than white collars. Compared with other workmen professions a tendency towards a higher risk profile was present in employees doing strenuous manual work. These were heavier smokers, had higher blood pressure and serum cholesterol. Within white-collar professions a higher risk profile was observed in managers with high responsibility than in personnel of the research and development departments. The former were heavier smokers, had higher serum cholesterol and greater overweight. The education level was in indirect association with smoking, hypertension and obesity but correlated directly with regular alcohol consumption. Socio-economic factors evidently influence the prevalence of risk factors of IHD also in the Czech industrial population.

Adult↗

Survival times and case fatality rates of brain-injured persons.

Survival time after injury (the time from injury to death) imposes an important constraint on the timing of the delivery of postinjury medical care. From a population-based study of brain-injured people, the survival times in 542 cases with fatal outcomes were studied. Prehospital deaths as well as hospital deaths were included. Survival times were considerably shorter for 95 people with untreatable injuries (Abbreviated Injury Scale level 6) than for the remaining 447 whose injuries were potentially treatable. For the former group, the median survival time was 10 minutes; for the latter, it was 2 hours. For those with potentially treatable injuries, the median time from injury to receiving medical assistance was approximately 30 minutes and 82% received medical assistance within 1 hour of injury. Short survival time was associated with prehospital death, young age, high Injury Severity Score, and having a nonbrain injury as the most severe injury. For patients who arrived alive at a hospital, intracranial surgery was associated with increased survival time.

Brain Injuries↗

Incidence and risk of coronary heart disease in an industrial population. A five-year prospective study.

In a large machinery factory a cohort of 3754 men aged between 40 and 50 years have been studied for 5 years. Total and coronary mortality rates have been determined and also the incidence of certain non-fatal states which required hospitalization due to various types of coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, brain apoplexy, diabetes mellitus and malignancies. Among the subjects exposed to CHD risk factors (RF), i.e. among smokers, hypertensive and hypercholesterolemic subjects, and among those who had a positive coronary family history and a positive cardiovascular (chest pain) questionnaire, both total and coronary mortality rates were several fold higher and they increased almost exponentially with increasing numbers of RF. Among the RF it was the cardiovascular (chest pain) questionnaire which had the highest prognostic value. Workmen manifested a higher total and coronary mortality than did the employees in the technico-economical professions (TEP). The highest mortality rate was found among the workmen employed in heavy manual occupation. In contrast the lowest total coronary mortality rate was observed in the TEP having little responsibility in their vocation and also among qualified workmen and specialized technical and scientifical workers.

Actuarial Analysis↗