Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Smolen

Publications and source records attributed to J Smolen.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

[Immune thrombocytopenia in Hodgkin's disease].

Thrombocytopenic purpura of the idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) type is an unusual and poorly documented complication of Hodgkin's disease. In an eight year period, three patients out of 140 with Hodgkin's disease developed thrombocytopenia; two of them presented a clinical picture undistinguishable from classic ITP. In both platelet antibody could be demonstrated. The third patient developed thrombocytopenia during an acute exacerbation of the underlying disease. Successful therapy of thrombocytopenia was achieved by methylprednisolone alone in one case and by cyclophosphamide in combination with methylprednisolone in the other two cases. These case reports demonstrate again that thrombocytopenia in Hodgkin's disease take place in active phases as well as in periods of complete remission; in the latter thrombocytopenia may reflect a part of immunological imbalance closely related to the pathophysiological background of Hodgkin's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Ocular manifestation of temporal arteritis. Immunological studies.

Since immunological mechanisms may be involved in the pathogenesis of temporal arteritis, serum samples of 15 patients with ocular manifestations of temporal arteritis were investigated for the presence of circulating immune compleses (CICs) and antinuclear antibodies (ANAs). In addition, the serum levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, and the complement components C3 and C4 were determined. In none of our patients could CICs be detected. Serum samples of two of the patients were positive for ANA. The values for IgG, IgM, C3, and C4 were within normal limits. Our data indicate that circulating C1q-binding immune complexes and ANAs are not the cause of ocular manifestation of temporal arteritis. This does not exclude the possibility that other forms of circulating immune complexes or the local formation of immune complexes might play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1980

Experimental arthritis induced by granulocyte collagenase.

Purified human granulocyte collagenase (1 mg %, 10 mg % or 50 mg %) was injected into rabbit knee joints (three groups of 6 animals each) three times within one week. Synovium and synovial fluid were investigated 18 hours, 1 week and 3 weeks after the last injection. After 18 hours, synovial fluids showed distinct cellular exudation, its size depending on the amount of collagenase applied. A smaller number of cells was seen after one week, while normal cell counts were observed 3 weeks after the last injection. Histologically, synovium showed an acute arthritis after 18 hours, whereas after 1 and 3 weeks a chronic proliferative form of arthritis with predominant activation of fibroblasts was diagnosed. As compared with an experimental arthritis induced with rheumatoid synovial collagenase, granulocyte collagenase was less arthritogenic. Neither trypsin nor saline injections induced distinct cellular exudation into synovial fluids nor histologic signs of arthritis.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

[Clinical experience with levamisole treatment of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (author's transl)].

Levamisole treatment was started in 8 patients with inactive SLE. Four patients, who have now been followed up for over 12 months, have not shown clinical deterioration. Three of these patients received concomitant maintenance corticosteroid therapy, the dosage of which could be reduced in each case. A decrease in anti-DNA antibodies was observed in all 4 patients. Levamisole had to be withdrawn in the other 4 patients. One patient developed an exacerbation of her LE skin manifestations after two months, whilst in another patient fever and skin rash (probably drug-induced) were observed after one month. The cooperation of the 2 other patients was not satisfactory and the drug had, thus, to be withdrawn. In conclusion, 4 out of 8 patients with SLE showed a beneficial response to levamisole therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[Anemia in patients with malignant testicular tumors].

Changes in erythropoiesis were studied in 94 patients with testicular germ cell tumours (24 seminoma, 70 nonseminomatous tumours). Additionally ferrokinetic studies with 59Fe were performed in 29 patients with proven metastases. Only 2 of 37 tumour-free patients sustained moderate anemia after recess of primary therapy (2 seminoma, after X-ray-irradiation). In patients with disseminated tumour disease the anemia and the reduction of 59Fe-utilisation correlated positively with the elevation of serum estradiol concentrations, whereas no correlation could be established with testosterone serum levels.

Anemia, Hypochromic↗
PubMed1979

[Intestinal resorption with 3H labeled enzyme mixture (wobenzyme)].

0.2 g of an enzyme mixture (Wobenzym) labelled with 3H-acetic anhydride, were given orally to guinea pigs, which were arranged in 4 groups of 5 animals. The animals of each group were sacrificed at intervals of 30 minutes, 2, 4 and 24 hours after application. Radioactivity of the small and large intestine, plasma, urine, liver, heart, kidney, and skeletal muscle were determined. It could be shown that the labelled mixture of enzymes was absorbed from the intestine and was demonstrable in significant amounts in plasma, urine, heart, kidney, liver and skeletal muscle.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

[Hemolytic anemia in Hodgkin's disease].

In 12 of 128 patients with Hodgkin's disease (10%) haemolytic anaemia could be observed. In 3 of 12 patients an (auto-)immunological etiology of haemolysis was proven by the positive antiglobulin-test. In the rest of patients (9 of 12) the haemolytic syndrome could be explained by the concomitant enlargement of the spleen. In addition to high-dose prednisolone, splenectomy is the method of choice for the treatment of the haemolytic syndrome (4 of 6 patients). If adequate treatment of Hodgkin's disease is provided, the disease (2--37 months) will not be influenced by haemolytic anaemia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Demonstration of anticollagen antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluids by 14C-radioimmunoassay.

Twenty-seven synovial fluids from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and 17 synovial fluids from controls were investigated in a new radioimmunoassay for anticollagen antibodies. In vitro labeled human 14C-collagen of type I in native or denatured state was used as antigen. Passive hemagglutination was used in comparison. Parameters for defining positive results in radioimmunoassay were evaluated on the basis of control synovial fluids. Synovial fluids from 20 RA patients (74%) showed antibodies to denatured collagen; synovial fluids from 8 RA patients (30%) also demonstrated antibodies to native collagen. Control fluids of posttraumatic effusions were negative; among the other controls synovial fluid from 1 psoriatic arthritis patient reacted positively. Inhibition experiments showed that antibodies to denatured collagen cross-reacted with native collagen. Inhibition with human denatured type III collagen displayed strong cross-reactivity of anti-type I collagen antibodies with type III collagen.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Induction of acute and chronic arthritis by intra-articular injection of preformed collagen-anticollagen complexes.

Three groups of rabbits were injected intra-articularly into the knee joints with preformed complexes of hydroxamated collagen and antiserum to denatured collagen respectively, with hydroxamated collagen and normal serum, hydroxamated collagen, anticollagen serum or saline as controls. From twelve rabbits, receiving only one injection and investigated 8 h later, only the joint tissues of rabbits which received immune complexes showed acute arthritis with severe infiltration of polymorphonuclears, leucocyte thrombi in vessels and haemorrhages. From six rabbits, receiving two consecutive injections (day 0 and day 2) and investigated 12 h after the last injection, only the joint tissue of rabbits which received immune complexes showed subacute-chronic arthritis. From sixteen rabbits receiving four consecutive injections day 0, day 2, day 7 and day 14) and investigated 7 days after the last injection, only the joint tissue of rabbits which received immune complexes showed severe chronic arthritis with infiltration of plasma cells, lymphocytes and nodule-like accumulation of lymphocytes whilst their joint fluid showed additionally a distinctly increased number of polymorphonuclears (3-15 x 10(6)) which differed with P less than 0-01 statistically from all controls.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1976

Experimental pulpal immunization. I. Route of application and demonstration of immune response.

The experimental exposure of the pulpal room of rabbit teeth made it possible to apply an ovalbumin agar gel deposit into the pulpal room and subsequently investigate the immune response. Diffusion of antigen from the agar into environment was proven. After 3 weekly applications 5 rabbits showed hemagglutinating anti-ovalbumin titers between 1:128 and 1:512, while 7 rabbits receiving 10 weekly applications had titers between 1:8000 and 1:128,000. Control rabbits which received the agar deposit alone showed no antibody response. Control rabbits which obtained 3 identical weekly doses of ovalbumin in PBS by subcutaneous injection showed an identical immune response as animals immunized via the pulpal room. Specificity of antibodies was ascertained by passive hemagglutination with control antigens and hemagglutination inhibition. Intradermal injection of ovalbumin in 3 rabbits which obtained pulpal immunization, induced an Arthus reaction. The precipitating property of ovalbumin antibodies and their identity with defined ovalbumin antisera was proven by gel diffusion. The results obtained show, that antigens present in the pulpal room provide a strong immunogenic stimulus.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis: preliminary report of the Consensus Study Group of the European Workshop for Rheumatology Research.

The most suitable measures to assess the disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs were considered in a prospective study. This was organised across Europe in 12 specialised centres and 282 patients were studied. The patients were all considered to be in need of therapy with a slow-acting anti-rheumatic drug and were studied at the initiation of therapy, and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. There were 215 patients who remained on treatment for 6 months. The most useful measures to assess disease activity were: the number of swollen joints, the number of tender joints, pain, the patients' assessment of response, and ESR. These should form a minimum data set when assessing the activity of rheumatoid arthritis. Some measures such as grip strength, hemoglobin, and the C-reactive protein level showed too much variation between centres and will require considerable standardisation before they can be used across Europe. There were problems in collecting functional data and further work is needed to develop a functional questionnaire available in all European languages with culturally suitable questions.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) and the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI): a review of their usefulness and validity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Composite indices or pooled indices are useful tools for the evaluation of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They allow the integration of various aspects of the disease into a single numerical value, and may therefore facilitate consistent patient care and improve patient compliance, which both can lead to improved outcomes. The Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) and the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) are two new tools for the evaluation of disease activity in RA. They have been developed to provide physicians and patients with simple and more comprehensible instruments. Moreover, the CDAI is the only composite index that does not incorporate an acute phase response and can therefore be used to conduct a disease activity evaluation essentially anytime and anywhere. These two new tools have not been developed to replace currently available instruments such as the DAS28, but rather to provide options for different environments. The comparative construct, content, and discriminant validity of all three indices--the DAS28, the SDAI, and the CDAI--allow physicians to base their choice of instrument on their infrastructure and their needs, and all of them can also be used in clinical trials.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗