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Biomedical subjects

K Ernst

Publications and source records attributed to K Ernst.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

[Effects of muscle needle biopsy on parameters of humoral and cellular immunity in pigs].

The shot biopsy is a common experimental technique for the collection of samples to investigate muscle tissue characteristics or to determine meat quality features in pigs. Its application seems to be also possible in interdisciplinary research projects investigating animal stress, behaviour, and welfare. The present study on 12 group-housed pigs (age: 12 weeks, weight: 29.3 kg) shows the influence of this wound-causing technique on different humoral and cell-mediated parameters of the immune system at 1, 3, 5, and 9 days after biopsy compared to the initially investigated levels before. An enhancement of the blood sedimentation rate and both the IgG and the cellular immune response in vivo (leukocytes, lymphocytes) as well as in vitro (ConA) was observed. Furthermore, there were signs of a secondary wound infection 5 days after biopsies were taken possibly caused by mutual oral manipulation of the animals. We conclude that the muscle shot biopsy technique can be used on group-housed pigs as a method to investigate muscle physiological characteristics. The technique, however, induces immunological reactions which may interfere with stress-induced immune reactions.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Dysfunction of transcallosally mediated motor inhibition and callosal morphology in patients with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: In order to assess the functional integrity of motor pathways through the corpus callosum (CC) in patients with schizophrenia transcallosally mediated inhibition (TI) of voluntary tonic EMG activity of first dorsal interosseus muscle following ipsilateral focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (fTMS) was investigated. In addition thickness and length of CC were calculated. METHOD: Twelve patients suffering from schizophrenia and 12 healthy controls were investigated. CC morphology was measured in mid-sagittal MRI-slices. Latency and duration of TI were calculated. RESULTS: In schizophrenics the duration of TI was significantly prolonged, whereas latencies were not. In addition, a lack of TI was found unilaterally in three patients. Measurements of CC revealed a significantly reduction of the length and thickness in the anterior part of CC in patients. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that measurement of TI could be used to detect clinical silent affection of transcallosal motor pathways in schizophrenics. The effect of neuroleptic drugs has to be explored.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (ppc) gene family of Flaveria trinervia (C4) and F. pringlei (C3): molecular characterization and expression analysis of the ppcB and ppcC genes.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is a central enzyme of C4 and CAM photosynthesis but plants, in addition, contain various non-photosynthetic isoforms with characteristic and variable functions. The partial sequence and a detailed expression analysis of the PpcB and PpcC genes which encode non-photosynthetic PEPC isoforms in the C4 plant Flaveria trinervia and the C3 species F. pringlei is presented. Southern analyses showed that PpcB and PpcC sequences are most probably of single-copy in the genomes of F. trinervia and F. pringlei. With gene-specific probes the various ppc transcripts could be distinguished unequivocally from one another and the expression patterns of all ppc genes were compared. PpcB and PpcC transcripts of both F. trinervia and F. pringlei were detected preferentially in roots and stems and at low levels in leaves. Their accumulation patterns are thus similar to each other, but different from that of the PpcA genes which in F. trinervia encode the C4 isoform of PEPC. Transgenic analysis of the 5'-flanking regions of the PpcB genes of both F. trinervia and F. pringlei in tobacco revealed that the PpcB promoter/beta-glucuronidase reporter genes were preferentially expressed in the phloem and the roots. Comparison of the PpcB promoter/reporter gene with the accumulation pattern of the PpcB transcripts in F. trinervia and F. pringlei suggests that the expression of the PpcB genes is predominantly controlled by transcription.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1996

[Neoplasms in nevus spilus].

Among 946 patients with nevus spilus we observed 5 patients (3 women and 2 men) with transformations on it-2 cases with malignant melanoma and 3 cases with spitz-nevus. Histologically the nevus spilus is a superficial variant on congenital pigmented nevus missing corial parts. Because of the risk of transformation a regular skin examination is advisable, a prophylactical excision of nevi spili as used in congenital pigmented nevi should be discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Rare keratoacanthoma variants].

Keratoacanthomas are made up of the same spinocellular differentiated cell material as squamous cell carcinomas, but they differ from the latter in origin and growth properties. The majority--in our series 98% of 741 examined cases--are of the "crateriform" type, which after rapid growth during the initial stage give way to spontaneous regression, mostly with complete restoration of the cutaneous structure. Less than 2% belong to the rare destructive variants with disturbed or absent regression and persistent invasive growth. Keratoacanthoma marginatum centrifugum, mutilating keratoacanthomas and aggregated keratoacanthomas can lead to extremely severe defects. None of the "conservative" treatment methods recommended in the literature up to now has proved effective, with the exception of surgery and radiotherapy with tumour ratio doses. Many publications are obviously based on uncritically interpreted individual observations.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

[Results of cryosurgery in 394 patients with hypertrophic scars and keloids].

Cryosurgery with liquid nitrogen led to total or partial success in 64% of 336 patients with keloids and in 82% of 58 persons with hypertrophic scars. In 11% and 3% of the patients, respectively, the results were disappointing. In 19% and 12%, patients broke off the painful and long-term therapy. Nonetheless, in view of the results of other therapeutic methods, we prefer cryosurgery (either as monotherapy or combined with corticoids or conventional surgery) for keloids. For hypertrophic scars, however, the therapy is restricted to exceptional cases since nearly all lesions regress spontaneously within a few years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Hyperparathyroidism induced by hypothyroidism.

The coexistence of hyperparathyroidism and thyroid tumors and/or chronic thyroiditis has raised the possibility of an etiologic relationship. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the chronic elevation of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is related to the development of hyperparathyroidism. Three groups of 24 rats each were treated for 12 weeks as follows: group 1 received propylthiouracil (PTU) in their deionized water; group 2 received PTU and thyroid hormone to suppress TSH and to serve as a control group for possible direct effects of PTU; and group 3 was not treated at all and served as another control group. At 12 weeks, 95% of group 1 rats (PTU only) showed hyperplasia of the parathyroids with a 30% mean increase in circulating parathormone.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1993

[Keratoacanthoma of the external ear].

Six hundred and seventy-eight keratoacanthomas were treated in Hornheide during the past 30 years. Nearly 10% (67) were located on the auricles. One patient suffered from two tumors. The records of 8 patients were lost. Fifty-two of the remaining 59 cases involved males and only 7 patients were female. There was a striking difference between the sex incidence of the patients with auricular tumors and the overall total of the keratoacanthomas, with a nearly equal involvement of both sexes in the latter. The growth time of lesions before treatment was mostly defined in weeks or even days. The prevalence increased with age and only 2 patients were younger than 50 years. Therapy depended on growth stage, tumor diameter and localization. Therapeutic measurements ranged from excessive surgical treatment to no treatment. In practise, special dermato-oncologic experience is necessary for making any decisions concerning the best method of treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[How can one achieve compliance?--On the after-care of psychiatric patients after clinic discharge].

For 384 of 558 hospitalized psychiatric patients who were discharged within six months and for whom it was possible to plan aftercare, compliance was controlled by a phone call three months after discharge at the institution or practice to which the patient had been directed. Eighty percent of the ambulatory patients complied (schizophrenic patients: 84%). After three months 70 percent of the compliers still were in treatment. The hospital's arranging an appointment for the patient had the strongest influence on compliance. The success of this strategy is confirmed by the literature.

Aftercare↗
PubMed1992

[The status of Italian psychiatric reform: the example of Lombardy in comparison with Switzerland].

In Italy, the worldwide reduction in numbers of psychiatric beds since the fifties had led already by 1971 to a much lower per capita rate of beds than in most European countries. In Northern Italy the psychiatric reform of 1979 speeded up the ongoing reduction of beds, ameliorated conditions for hospitalized patients and built up ambulatory care. A comparison with three Swiss cantons shows that, in Lombardy, the largest and economically most developed Italian Region, the rate of patient contacts with outpatient services has probably reached or surpassed the level found in Switzerland. Contacts by home visits are much more frequent than in Switzerland. The number of psychiatric beds per 1,000 inhabitants is 0.7 in Lombardy and thus has been reduced to one third the Swiss bed-ratio. Comparisons of Italian with Dutch and Danish psychiatric register data show that the Italian psychiatric service as a whole reaches a considerably smaller segment of the severely disordered patients. The Region of Lombardy has recently been trying to increase the psychiatric bed-ratio by agreements with private hospitals. The shortage of beds is not compensated by the ambulatory services and is leading to increasing stress for the families of the severely disordered.

Bed Occupancy↗
PubMed1991

High phosphate diet-induced primary hyperparathyroidism: an animal model.

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is increasing in incidence and detection, primarily because of the aging of our population and the widespread use of automated serum calcium determination. As a result, a substantial number of "early" cases or "biochemical" PHPT are being detected. The indications for parathyroidectomy in such early cases of PHPT are currently under debate, primarily because of economic issues. These factors underscore the importance of research into the basic mechanisms and natural history of PHPT. We investigated an animal model of diet-induced PHPT that retains two crucial aspects of PHPT: elevation of endogenously produced parathyroid hormone (PTH), accompanied by gross and microscopic changes in the native parathyroid glands. Female Long-Evans rats were divided into six groups of 15 each and fed a control diet (Ca/P of 1:2) or a high-phosphate diet (Ca/P of 1:7) for 1-, 2-, or 3-month intervals. Compared with the control animals, serum PTH levels were elevated at all three time intervals in the experimental group, whereas serum calcium levels were decreased at all time intervals. Serum creatine levels were also elevated at all time intervals, whereas serum phosphorus levels did not change. Parathyroid histopathologic studies demonstrated no change at 1 month, whereas nine of 15 experimental animals showed mild hyperplasia at 2 months and 13 of 14 showed mild to moderate hyperplasia with gland enlargement at 3 months compared with control animals. Histopathologic examination of the kidneys showed no change at 1 month but focal parenchymal inflammation with calcium deposition at 2 and 3 months in the experimental groups. In conclusion, the high-phosphate diet successfully induced the earliest changes of PHPT: elevated PTH levels and parathyroid hyperplasia. However, because renal function was mildly compromised early on, some element of early secondary (renal) hyperparathyroidism may have supervened quickly. Because this model is simple, it may be useful to investigate this complex syndrome further, as well as its natural history and the complications it produces in other organs such as the kidneys.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Radiotherapy of primary human melanomas--experiences and suggestions.

We treated 60 invasive primary human melanomas by soft X-rays. In 23 additional cases radiotherapy was applied after total excision of a primary melanoma. Only in two cases was a tumor observed in the field of irradiation during the follow-up period: a recurrence of a primary melanoma and a skin metastasis. Radioresistance cannot be unequivocally assumed in either case. Since deeply situated in-transit metastases cannot be destroyed by soft X-rays in spite of our good results we regard radiotherapy of invasive primary melanomas as a second choice treatment to be administered if impaired general health, excessive tumor growth in certain localisations or refusal of the patient do not allow a major operation. Nodular parts of primary melanomas should be excised before radiotherapy to obtain material for histopathological confirmation of the diagnosis and to determine the thickness of the tumor. X-rays of lower hardness can subsequently be applied.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Cryosurgical treatment of precancerous cheilitis abrasiva].

Between 1984 and 1988, 44 patients suffering from cheilitis abrasiva praecancerosa were treated with cryosurgery using a nitrous oxide cryoprobe. A single treatment proved sufficient in 35 patients (80%). 9 patients (20%) developed a recurrent lesion 4 to 28 months after cryosurgery. All recurrences appeared within the first year. On account of the recidivity of the disease, we recommend a careful follow-up of the patients. On the other hand, cryosurgery has the advantage that it can be applied in elderly persons as well as in patients with concomitant internal diseases. In pracancerous lesions, the common drawbacks of a surgical therapy such as diminution of the lower lip and impairment of the superficial sensitivity can be avoided with the help of this technique. Invasive carcinomas of the lower lip, however, should not be treated with cryosurgery.

Aged↗