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Biomedical subjects

K H Frank

Publications and source records attributed to K H Frank.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

[Antinuclear antibodies as early diagnostic criteria of developing collagen disease in quartz dust exposure--a case report].

One and a half years antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA) against Scl-70 and U1-RNP were found in the serum of a quartz dust exposed worker before the clinical manifestation of the progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). Only a discrete lung fibrosis and an enlargement of the heart was seen at the time of the first autoantibody detection. Because workers with an intensive and long-lasting quartz dust exposition take a high risk to develop PSS a sensitive ANA-screening is indicated at minimum suspicion of chronic collagen disease. The detection of a high ANA-titer in a clinical healthy person may give a hint for the possible future development of such a disease and requires the observation of the clinical course and the paraclinical and immunological parameters. A lung fibrosis and/or an enlargement of the heart in X-ray photographs would indicate visceral early manifestations of the PSS before skin symptoms appear.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1989

The Erlangen micro-lightguide spectrophotometer EMPHO I.

The Erlangen micro-lightguide spectrophotometer EMPHO 1 was designed for fast diffuse reflection (remission) spectrophotometry in small tissue volumes. The aim was to construct a compact, modular instrument with a high repetition rate which can be adapted to moving organs, e.g. the beating heart in situ, by the use of highly flexible micro-lightguides. Focusing problems, which cannot be solved when conventional optical devices such as microscopes are used in moving tissues, become negligible. A bandpass interference filter disk, which is rotated by a motor serves as a monochromating unit. One diffuse reflection spectrum in a selected wavelength domain is recorded during each revolution of the motor. Special filter disks, with spectral ranges of 400-520, 500-630, 600-1200 nm can be used for different tasks. The monochromated light is transmitted by means of a flexible fluid-lightguide to a photomultiplier tube. The electrical signal, which is proportional to the light intensity is recorded by an IBM-compatible AT. An analogue to digital converter has been developed for the AD conversion. Sampling of the spectra occurs in steps of 2 nm triggered by a decoding unit, containing an EPROM where the function between the wavelength-angular position characteristic of the filter disk is stored. A decoder wheel mounted on the same axle as the driving motor is used to program the decoder unit and to recall the wavelength position function. The decoding procedure enables a high wavelength reproducibility to be attained. The monochromating device allows a sampling velocity of 100 spectra per second. The EMPHO I has been successfully applied to experiments in the beating heart, the brain, the eye, the liver, the small intestine and the skeletal muscle of mammals. First investigations have also been performed in the heart during open heart surgery and in human skin. The apparatus has a high sampling rate and the small catchment volume allows measurements of remission spectra in tissue volumes supplied by only a few capillaries. The absolute oxygenation and the relative haemoglobin concentration can be determined by on-line computer evaluation of the recorded spectra and displayed on a screen.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Measurements of angular distributions of Rayleigh and Mie scattering events in biological models.

Remission spectroscopy in living tissues can only be performed because scattering processes induce a pronounced amount of backscattered light. New types of scattering chambers were constructed in order to investigate the angular distribution of light intensities caused by scattering events typical for living tissues. Different solutions and suspensions containing microspheres, haemoglobin molecules, erythrocytes and liver homogenate were used in order to gain basic information applicable to remission spectrophotometry in tissue. Reflection spectroscopy in biological tissues is only possible because of the scattering properties of the material under observation. Light which penetrates the sample is remitted from the tissue. The remission is caused by the scattering of the light by different biological structures and particles. This scattered light gives information about the optical properties of the particles and structures in an integral form. A scattering chamber for small sample volumes has been developed for measurements of the optical properties of various particles in suspension. Measurements of scattering diagrams from microspheres with an average diameter of 7 microns, artificial particles, haemoglobin solutions, mixtures of microspheres and haemoglobin as well as erythrocytes and mitochondria have been performed. The different optical behaviour of the measured signals is qualitatively discussed.

Erythrocytes↗
PubMed1989

[Screening and studies of the specificity of antinuclear antibodies in lupus erythematosus and scleroderma sera in the tumor cell monolayer substrate].

The comparative study of the human tumour cell line HeLa and rat liver sections for the detection of antinuclear antibodies by the indirect immunofluorescence technique demonstrates the superiority of HeLa monolayer in sensitivity and specificity. Use of monolayers is essential for the diagnosis of antinucleolar and anticentromere ANA specificities and permits differentiation between anti-Sm/RNP, anti-SS-B and anti-Scl-70. ANA profiles are evaluated in 142 sera of 72 patients with different forms of lupus erythematosus and scleroderma and in 216 sera of healthy subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Hodgkin's disease--immunological aspects].

The significance of immunological aspects in lymphogranulomatosis for the pathophysiological understanding of the disease was confirmed recently. Moreover, immunologic knowledge increasingly influences diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of Hodgkin's disease. In this survey cell-markers and cell-function of subpopulations of cells, participating in the disease are described. The origin of Hodgkin's- and Reed-Sternberg-cells as well as the aetiopathogenesis of the disease are discussed.

Antigens, Differentiation↗
PubMed1988

[Hodgkin and Sternberg-Reed cells--cell origin, cell marker, cell function].

The controversy in literature with regard to the origin of Hodgkin's and Reed-Sternberg cells persists, however only two conceptions seem to be plausible at present: the first is based on the relation to histiocytic elements, the second postulates lymphocytic precursors. The significance of surface-markers of these malignant cells in cryostat-sections and in cell-cultures and the relevance of their functional properties are discussed with respect to pathophysiology, clinical appearance, diagnosis and prognosis of Hodgkin's disease. The authors present two tendencies in the classification of malignant lymphomas based on the present knowledge achieved especially by monoclonal antibodies: the first includes aspects of integration between non Hodgkin's lymphomas and Hodgkin's disease, illustrated by the Ki-1-lymphoma, the second is related to separation of entities of the group of Hodgkin's lymphomas (for example the nodular paragranuloma). The aetiopathogenesis of Hodgkin's disease is considered as a causal trinity of virus infection, genetic determination and immunologic predisposition.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1988

Immunoblotting of monoclonal anti-cytoskeletal antibodies with cytoskeletal extracts of HeLa and MCF-7 cells.

Cytoskeletal extracts of HeLa and MCF-7 cells were separated by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, electrotransferred to nitrocellulose paper and exposed to five of our monoclonal antibodies (mabs) against structures of the cytoplasm as demonstrated in indirect immunofluorescence. Three of them reacted with cytokeratins according to histological evidence. All mabs tested in this study were reactive in immunoblotting. The broad-range anti-cytokeratin antibody A45-B/B3 was shown to react with cytokeratin polypeptides 8 and 18 and possibly 7, but not with cytokeratin 17.A53-B/A2 bound only to cytokeratin 19.Mab A 51-B/H4 showed a reaction with cytokeratin 18. Two mabs not yet described in detail (A45-C/H1 and A45-C/H9) reacted with a single band of 25 kD and may detect a cytoskeleton-associated protein.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1986

[T cell receptors. New knowledge of structure, genetic organisation, ontogenesis, and malignant transformation].

T cell receptors which are members of the "immunoglobulin-superfamily" are capable of discriminating "self" from "non-self" and can be considered as analogues membrane-bound immunoglobulins. The minimal essential component, an alpha/beta glycoprotein heterodimer, is structurally similar to Fab1-fragments of immunoglobulins with constant and variable domains. Its genomic organisation strongly resembles that of antibodies. The alpha/beta-heterodimer is found to be associated with the CD3 complex of T lymphocyte membranes triggering cell activation. Another member of the T cell receptor family, the gamma-chain, is expressed during early stages of intrathymic differentiations. Cytotoxic and helper T cell lines contain gamma-chain-specific mRNA in much smaller amounts. It may be a reliable marker of T cell malignancies. The T alpha-gene family is also involved in the pathogenesis of T cell malignancies.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1985

[Immunoglobulin D--new insights into its structure and function].

The IgD is unique with regard to its structure, differences between species, genetic organization and behaviour in the immune response. With the successful analysis of the structure a new picture of the function has been emerged. The function of the membrane-bound IgD as a trigger receptor of B cells is qualitatively different from the mIgM. The secreted form could act as an intercellular messenger in the network regulation of the immune response. The mechanisms of the induction and maintenance of the immunological memory and tolerance remain unclear.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1984

[Pharmacokinetics and cardiac effect of beta-acetyldigoxin and digitoxin in combination therapy with nifedipine].

The effect of nifedipine (N) on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of beta-acetyldigoxin (AD; n = 11) and digitoxin (DGT; n = 10) was studied in 21 patients with cardiac insufficiency stage II-III NYHA. Glycoside plasma concentration and renal excretion as well as electrocardiogram heart rate, atrioventricular transconduction time (PQ), duration of electrical systole corrected for heart rate (QTc), mean amplitude of T waves in leads V2 to V6 (TV2-6) and systolic time intervals total electromechanical systole index (QS21), left ventricular ejection time index (LVETI), pre-ejection period index (PEPI), PEP/LVET-ratio were recorded repeatedly before and during co-administrations of 40-60 mg/day N. Plasma AD concentrations were 0.64 +/- 0.22 ng/ml (mean +/- SD) before and 0.61 +/- 0.21 ng/ml during co-administration of N over 10-14 days, plasma DGT concentrations 13.9 +/- 4.1 ng/ml before and 13.7 +/- 4.5 ng/ml during co-administration of N over 4-6 weeks. Daily glycoside excretion was not affected by treatment with N. Heart rate and PQ-interval were not significantly changed during co-administration of N whereas T-wave flattening was intensified and QT-duration was lengthened. Concomitant treatment of AD and N led to an increase of PEPI and PEP/LVET compared to AD alone in ten patients whereas the systolic time intervals after concomitant treatment of DGT and N in most patients did not differ from those after DGT alone. From our findings we conclude that N had no clinically significant effect on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of AD or DGT.

Acetyldigitoxins↗