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Biomedical subjects

K Hoffmann

Publications and source records attributed to K Hoffmann.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Generalized essential telangiectasia successfully treated with high-energy, long-pulse, frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser.

BACKGROUND: Generalized essential telangiectasia is a rare cutaneous disorder with limited therapeutic options. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the treatment with high-energy, high-frequency, long-pulse Nd:YAG laser in a patient with generalized essential telangiectasia. METHODS: A 62-year-old woman presented with a 20-year history of generalized essential telangiectasia. She had extensive telangiectasias primarily on the forearms and lower legs. The patient was treated with an Nd:YAG laser using a fluence of 20 J/cm2 and a pulse width of 20 msec. A sapphire water-cooled chill tip was used to cool the skin during laser therapy. The treatment was performed every 4 weeks over a period of 6 months. RESULTS: After six treatment sessions an almost complete clearance of telangiectatic lesions was observed. Side effects such as purpura, scarring, and pain did not occur. After a follow-up of 6 months, small telangiectatic lesions relapsed. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the Nd:YAG laser appears to be an effective and safe treatment option for generalized essential telangiectasia.

Female↗
PubMed2001

[Long-term patients in supported housing after deinstitutionalisation--part V of the Berlin Deinstitutionalisation Study].

OBJECTIVE: In part IV of the Berlin Deinstitutionalisation Study, we reported a positive change in quality of life for 65 resettled patients one year after discharge. In this part, we investigated changes in a longer follow-up period. METHODS: A group of 66 patients discharged into supported housing was assessed one and five years after baseline. Quality of life, needs for care, patients' assessment of treatment, re-hospitalisation and characteristics of care were studied in a control-group design. RESULTS: After five years, 61 % of the patients continued to live in highly staffed settings (mean staff-patient-ratio: 1 : 3.5). Eleven percent had moved on to independent living and 16 % had returned into an institutional setting. Standard mortality ratios were 4.4 (all causes of death) and 62.5 (2 suicides only of schizophrenic patients). After one year patients (n = 20) showed a significant increase in satisfaction with their living situation and more social contacts. Over the longer period of time, there were also favourable changes, which failed to reach statistical significance (n = 24). Average length of inpatient stay per year of the illness was decreased significantly at both follow-ups. CONCLUSIONS: Interpretation of the findings is difficult because of the small sample size and selection effects. Most of the former long-stay patients appear able to live in the community with a significant decrease of time spent in hospital. Whilst patients were particularly satisfied with their accommodation at one year follow-up, this did not lead to a generalised improvement in subjective quality of life and other subjective criteria in the long term. In line with other recent studies on community mental health care one may conclude that small case loads alone do not have major beneficial effects. Further research should evaluate more systematic and targeted models of mental health care in the community in general and of supported housing in particular.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Cluster of tuberculosis cases in North Carolina: possible association with atomizer reuse.

BACKGROUND: Three patients with identical strains of M tuberculosis (TB) underwent bronchoscopy on the same day at hospital A. METHODS: We reviewed each patient's clinical history, hospital A's infection control practices for bronchoscopies, and specimen and isolate handling at each of 3 laboratories involved. We searched for possible community links between patients. Restriction fragment length polymorphism was performed on TB isolates. RESULTS: The first patient who underwent bronchoscopy had biopsy-confirmed granulomatous pulmonary TB. A sputum sample collected from the third patient 6 weeks after the bronchoscopy produced an isolate with an identical restriction fragment length polymorphism pattern to isolates collected during the bronchoscopies. No evidence existed for community transmission or laboratory contamination; the only common link was the bronchoscopy. Different bronchoscopes were used for each patient. Hospital ventilation and wall-suctioning were functioning well. Respiratory technicians reported sometimes reusing the nozzles of atomizers on more than one patient. A possible mechanism for transmission was contamination from the first patient of the atomizer if it was used to apply lidocaine to the pharynx and nasal passages of other patients. CONCLUSIONS: A contaminated atomizer may have caused TB transmission during bronchoscopy. Hospital A changed to single-use atomizers after this investigation.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Dietary patterns and their association with food and nutrient intake in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam study.

Dietary pattern analysis has recently received growing attention, as it might be more appropriate in studies of diet-disease associations than the single food or nutrient approach that has dominated past epidemiological research. Factor analysis is a technique which is commonly used to identify dietary patterns within study populations. However, the ability of factor solutions to account for variance of food and nutrient intake has so far remained unclear. The present study therefore explored the statistical properties of dietary patterns with regard to the explained variance. Food intake of 8975 men and 13 379 women, assessed by a food-frequency questionnaire, was aggregated into forty-seven separate food groups. Dietary patterns were identified by principal component analysis and subsequent varimax rotation. Seven factors were retained for both men and women, which accounted for about 31 % of the total variance. The explained variance was relatively high (>40 %) for cooked vegetables, sauce, meat, dessert, cake, bread other than wholemeal, raw vegetables, processed meat, high-fat cheese, butter and margarine. Factor scores were used to investigate associations between the factors and nutrient intake. The patterns accounted for relatively large proportions of variance of energy and macronutrient intake, but for less variance of alcohol and micronutrient intake, especially of retinol, beta-carotene, vitamin E, Ca and ascorbic acid. In addition, factors were related to age, BMI, physical activity, education, smoking and vitamin and mineral supplement use.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Comparison of self-reported alcohol intake with the urinary excretion of 5-hydroxytryptophol:5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid, a biomarker of recent alcohol intake.

Under-reporting of alcohol intake has been frequently reported. However, due to the lack of an objective reference method, e.g. a biomarker, information about the extent of under-reporting of alcohol intake obtained with dietary assessment instruments is not available. The objective of this study was to compare reported alcohol intake data derived from a 24 h recall with a biomarker of recent alcohol intake, the urinary excretion of 5-hydroxytryptophol (5-HTOL):5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA). Embedded into the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam Study, Germany, a validation study that collected 24 h recall data and 24 h urine samples was conducted. Cohort study participants (n 107) volunteered to participate in this validation study. Among them were five subjects who reported no consumption of alcoholic beverages but had a 5-HTOL:5-HIAA ratio that indicated recent alcohol intake when the clinical cut-off point was taken as a judging criterion. After exclusion of these under-reporters, the Pearson's correlation coefficient between reported alcohol intake and the 5-HTOL:5-HIAA ratio was 0.92 (P<0.0001). Except for low alcohol intake of <0.1 g/kg body mass, a significant increase in 5-HTOL:5-HIAA excretion was observed with increasing amounts of alcohol intake. In conclusion, the 5-HTOL:5-HIAA excretion ratio appears to be a valuable quantitative biomarker of recent alcohol consumption. Denial of alcohol intake can be detected, but for the quantification of under-reporting of alcohol intake 24 h reference data are not yet available. With these data at hand, however, 5-HTOL:5-HIAA could become a biomarker for validation purposes in nutritional epidemiology.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
PubMed2001

Overcoming host- and pathogen-mediated resistance in tomato and tobacco maps to the M RNA of Tomato spotted wilt virus.

A viral genetic system was used to map the determinants of the ability of Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) to overcome the R gene (Sw-5) in tomato and the resistance conferred by the nucleocapsid gene of TSWV (N gene) in tobacco. A complete set of reassortant genotypes was generated from TSWV isolates A and D. TSWV-A was able to overcome the Sw-5 gene in tomato and the TSWV N gene in tobacco, whereas TSWV-D was repressed by both forms of resistance. The ability to overcome both forms of resistance was associated with the M RNA segment of TSWV-A (M(A)). Overcoming the Sw-5 gene was linked solely to the presence of M(A), and the ability of M(A) to overcome the TSWV N gene was modified by the L RNA and the S RNA of TSWV-A, which is consistent with previous reports that suggest that the nucleocapsid gene is not the primary determinant for overcoming the nucleocapsid-mediated resistance. Sequence analysis of the M RNA segment of TSWV-A, -D, and the type isolate BR-01 revealed multiple differences in the coding and noncoding regions, which prevented identification of the resistance-breaking nucleotide sequences.

Bunyaviridae↗
PubMed2001

Conservation of signaling pathways of xenobiotic-sensing orphan nuclear receptors, chicken xenobiotic receptor, constitutive androstane receptor, and pregnane X receptor, from birds to humans.

Chicken xenobiotic receptor, pregnane X receptor, and constitutive androstane receptor are orphan nuclear receptors that have recently been discovered to regulate drug- and steroid-mediated induction of hepatic cytochromes P450 (CYP). This induction is part of an adaptive response involving numerous genes to exposure to drugs and chemicals and has major clinical and toxicological implications. Here we report experiments in the chicken hepatoma cell line LMH that suggest evolutionary conservation of the signaling pathways triggered by pregnane X receptor, constitutive androstane receptor, and chicken xenobiotic receptor. Thus, the phenobarbital-inducible enhancer units of the mouse Cyp2b10, rat CYP2B2, and human CYP2B6 genes were activated in reporter gene assays by the same compounds that activate the chicken CYP2H1 phenobarbital-inducible enhancer units. Chicken xenobiotic receptor, pregnane X receptor, and constitutive androstane receptor all bound to the CYP2H1 phenobarbital-inducible enhancer units in gel-shift experiments. In CV-1 cell transactivation assays, mammalian pregnane X receptors activate the chicken phenobarbital-inducible enhancer units to the same extent as does chicken xenobiotic receptor, each receptor maintaining its species-specific ligand spectrum. To assess the reported role of protein phosphorylation in drug-mediated induction, we treated LMH cells with okadaic acid and observed increased mRNA of delta-aminolevulinate synthase and CYP2H1 whereas expression of CYP3A37 was decreased. The effects of okadaic acid and other modifiers of protein phosphorylation in LMH cells are comparable to those seen on CYP2Bs and CYP3As in mammalian primary hepatocyte cultures. These results indicate that closely related nuclear receptors, transcription factors, and signaling pathways are mediating the transcriptional activation of multiple genes by xenobiotics in chicken, rodents, and man.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Mutant rhodopsin transgene expression on a null background.

PURPOSE: To study mechanisms leading to photoreceptor degeneration in mouse models for autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP) based on the rhodopsin P23H mutation. METHODS: Mice of a transgenic line expressing a rhodopsin triple mutant, V20G, P23H, and P27L (GHL), were mated with rhodopsin (rho) knockout mice. Littermates of various ages and genotypes (GHL+rho+/+, GHL+rho+/-, and GHL+rho-/-) were examined for outer nuclear layer thickness and outer segment formation (histology), fate of mutant rhodopsin (immunocytochemistry), and photoreceptor function (electroretinogram; ERG). RESULTS: Mice expressing GHL-rhodopsin in the absence of wild-type rhodopsin had severe retinopathy, which was nearly complete by postnatal day (P)30. GHL-rhodopsin formed homodimers nearly exclusively on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels, whereas wild-type rhodopsin predominantly formed monomers. Expression level of mutant rhodopsin in predegenerate (P10) GHL+rho-/- retinas was low, approximately 10% to 25% of normal levels. No elaboration of disc membrane or outer segment formation was observed at any time point examined. The mutant rhodopsin was found mostly in perinuclear locales (endoplasmic reticulum; ER) as evidenced by colocalization using the antibodies Rho1D4 and calnexin-NT. CONCLUSIONS: GHL-rhodopsin dimerizes, localizes to the ER, and fails to transport and support outer segment formation. Additionally, the mutant protein does not support a scotopic ERG a-wave and accelerates photoreceptor degeneration over that occurring with the rhodopsin knockout alone. These findings indicate a cytotoxic effect of the mutant protein, probably elicited by an unfolded protein response.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

[Breed and sex differences in the temperament of calves in a cow-calf operation].

Behavioural traits related to temperament were studied in German Angus (Aberdeen Angus x German dual purpose breeds) and German Simmental cattle. Temperament was defined as the animal's behavioural response to handling. 498 calves (279 German Angus, 219 German Simmental) were tested with two different restrain tests. The animals were tested three times individually during a fixation procedure (days of live: 5, 19, 33) or weighting (days of live: 62, 138, 193). LSQ-means were calculated with a model including breed, year and sex as fixed effects and the sire as a random. Furthermore a regression on the age of the calf was included. Behaviour of the animals were recorded. Significant differences in the recorded parameters were found between the breeds on day 19 and 33 for one test and day 62 for another test. German Angus and male calves were less difficult to handle regarding the different parameters. Both tests could be used to show differences between the breeds.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2001

Defined UV protection by apparel textiles.

This article was written to update information on test methods and standards for determining the UV protection of apparel textiles and on factors affecting UV protective properties of fabrics, from dermatological and textile technological viewpoints. Articles from dermatological and textile technological journals published from 1990 to 2001 were identified from MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica/EMBASE, World Textiles, and Textile Technology Digest. Peer-reviewed dermatological articles, textile technological research articles, and normative publications were selected. Independent data extraction was performed by several observers. Spectrophotometry is the preferred method for determining UV protection factor of textile materials. Various textile qualities affect the UV protection factor of a finished garment; important elements are the fabric porosity, type, color, weight, and thickness. The application of UV absorbers in the yarns significantly improves the UV protection factor of a garment. With wear and use, several factors can alter the UV protective properties of a textile, including stretch, wetness, and degradation due to laundering. Standards in the field exist in Australia and Great Britain, and organizations such as the European Standardization Commission in Europe and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists and the American Society for Testing and Materials in the United States are also establishing standards for the determination and labeling of sun protective clothing. Various textile qualities and conditions of wear and use affect UV protective properties of apparel textiles. The use of UV blocking fabrics can provide excellent protection against the hazards of sunlight; this is especially true for garments manufactured as UV protective clothing.

Clothing↗
PubMed2001

Electromagnetic exposure effects the hippocampal dentate cell proliferation in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

The chronic effect on hippocampal neurogenesis after exposure (30 min/day for 14 days) to a high frequency (35,53 kHz) electromagnetic field, double modulated at extremely low frequencies (ELF; 1, 8, 12, 29 and 50 Hz), was studied in young adult gerbils. Immediately after the last exposure proliferation of dentate granule cells was identified by in vivo labeling with 5-bromo-2-desoxyuridine (BrdU). Exposure to 1, 29 and 50 Hz resulted in a statistically significant reduction of cell proliferation rates, but only the 50 Hz-group manifested the effect highly significantly (-29,3 %). On the other hand, gerbils exposed to 8 and 12 Hz showed no significant change of postmitotic cell proliferation as compared with the sham treated controls. The results suggest that the effects of ELF on the granule cell proliferation are mediated by neurotransmitters and hormones which regulate hippocampal neurogenesis.

Animals↗