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Biomedical subjects

K Lange

Publications and source records attributed to K Lange.

280 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Molecular forms of soluble HLA in body fluids: potential determinants of body odor cues.

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) has been linked to encoding for individual olfactory identity. Experiments in mice and rats proved that behavior and mating were, at least in part, determined by genes within the MHC. This study was aimed at investigating whether sHLA are excreted in human urine, saliva and sweat. In particular examination of the molecular forms in these fluids would give clues to whether break down forms of soluble MHC molecules might participate in shaping behavior. Major bands of 45, 40, and 23 kD were detectable. Increased levels of sHLA were measured using a quantitative ELISA in urine shortly before ovulation decreasing to normal levels thereafter. In animal models strain specific MHC-linked odor cues have been detected in urine. Thus, excretion of sHLA in urine might indicate a similar role for these molecules in humans.

Body Fluids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The outcome of single-dose cefuroxime treatment in patients with pharyngeal gonorrhea.

This study of single-dose cefuroxime treatment of pharyngeal gonorrhea included 13 patients from whose throat specimens taken on the day of treatment Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated and who returned for follow-up examinations one and two weeks later. The regimen used was cefuroxime (1.5 g im) plus probenecid (1 g orally). The treatment failed in six patients (46%). Failure of treatment was not associated with decreased in vitro susceptibility of the infecting strain to cefuroxime. In pharyngeal gonorrhea the diagnosis by culture and effective control of treatment require repeated sampling for bacteriologic examinations.

Cefuroxime↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A conditional inference framework for extending the transmission/disequilibrium test.

The transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT) of Terwilliger and Ott [Hum Hered 1992;42:337-346] and Spielman et al. [Am J Hum Genet 1993;52:506-516] is widely used to detect linkage and/or association between a genetically influenced disease and the alleles of a codominant marker locus. The TDT was specifically designed to avoid the spurious population associations produced by ethnic stratification of a sample of affected people. In this paper, we describe permutation extensions of the TDT that share this advantage. Our conditional inference framework permits extensions to multiple alleles, multiple loci, unaffected siblings, and genotypic rather than allelic associations. In the case of multiple loci, the conditional perspective provides a straightforward correction for multiple tests that can be substantially more powerful than the standard Bonferroni correction.

Alleles↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cutaneous inflammation and proliferation in vitro: differential effects and mode of action of topical glucocorticoids.

The nonhalogenated double ester of prednisolone, prednicarbate (PC), is the first topical glucocorticoid with an improved benefit/risk ratio verified clinically and in vitro. To evaluate if this is due to unique characteristics of this steroid, a new compound created according to an identical concept, prednisolone 17-ethylcarbonate, 21-phenylacetate (PEP), and the new halogenated monoester desoximetasone 21-cinnamate (DCE) were tested and compared to PC, desoximetasone (DM) and betamethasone 17-valerate (BMV). Isolated foreskin keratinocytes served for in vitro investigations of anti-inflammatory processes in the epidermis, fibroblasts of the same origin were used to investigate the atrophogenic potential. Inflammation was induced by TNFalpha, resulting in an increased interleukin 1alpha (Il-1alpha) synthesis. As quantified by ELISA, all drugs significantly reduced Il-1alpha production. But PC and BMV appeared particularly potent, followed by DM and the two new congeners, which revealed minor anti-inflammatory activity. Glucocorticoid esters including PEP are rapidly degraded in keratinocytes (85% within 12 h). Hence, a ribonuclease protection assay of Il-1alpha mRNA was performed allowing short incubation times and thus minimizing biodegradation. This assay confirmed the anti-inflammatory potency of native PC and BMV. In contrary DCE and PEP did not reduce Il-1alpha mRNA to a significant extent. Therefore PEP acts as a prodrug only. In fibroblasts, Il-1alpha and Il-6 syntheses indicate proliferation and inflammation, respectively. Whereas PC and PEP inhibited Il-1alpha and Il-6 production in fibroblasts only to a minor extent, cytokine synthesis was strongly affected by the conventional glucocorticoids BMV and DM, but also by DCE. The minor unwanted effect of PC and PEP on fibroblasts was also reflected by their low influence on cell proliferation as derived from (3)H-thymidine incorporation. Again, more pronounced antiproliferative features were seen with the halogenated glucocorticoids. In the following, the correlation between antiphlogistic effects in keratinocytes (suppression of Il-1alpha) and antiproliferative effects in fibroblasts (suppression of Il-1alpha and Il-6; (3)H-thymidine incorporation) was analyzed. Here, PC is revealed as the only glucocorticoid with an improved benefit/risk ratio. Native PEP is shown to be almost ineffective and DCE presents exactly the opposite features of PC. It is tempting to speculate if this is due to different glucocorticoid receptor subtypes or different signaling pathways in keratinocytes and fibroblasts.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lod score curves for phase-unknown matings.

For a phase-unknown nuclear family, we show that the likelihood and lod score are unimodal, and we describe conditions under which the maximum occurs at recombination fraction theta = 0, theta = 1/2, and 0 < theta < 1/2. These simply stated necessary and sufficient conditions seem to have escaped the notice of previous statistical geneticists.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Matrix-metalloproteinases in Hodgkin lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Classical Hodgkin lymphomas are characterized by relatively few tumour cells and prominent proliferation of plasma cells, histiocytes, lymphocytes and eosinophils. In addition there is a varying degree of sclerosis, which is especially prominent in nodular sclerosis. These morphological peculiarities led to the idea that the interaction between tumour cells and bystander cells as well as the extracellular matrix may be important in Hodgkin lymphomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-four classical Hodgkin lymphomas (CHL) were analysed regarding the expression of EMMPRIN, MMP-2, -7, -9, -10 and-11 using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The tumour cells were positive for EMMPRIN in 100% of the cases. In 82% of CHL the Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells (HRS) were negative for MMP-2. In contrast the surrounding non-neoplastic cells were MMP-2-positive in 71% of the cases. The HRS cells stained positive for MMP-7 in 68% of CHL, whereas only a few surrounding cells were positive for this marker. In all but one case (97%) the HRS cells were negative for MMP-9. However, the surrounding cells stained positive in 32%, thus resembling the staining pattern for MMP-2. Only scattered cells of both populations, HRS cells as well as bystander cells, stained for MMP-10 and -11, and no specific staining pattern was observed. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate a complex interaction between tumour cells and bystander cells with regard to metalloproteinases. The expression of EMMPRIN in the tumour cells may induce the expression of MMP-2 in the surrounding non-neoplastic cells. MMP-2 can be activated by MMP-7, which is expressed in the tumour cells. It is tempting to speculate that an interruption of this cycle could be of therapeutic benefit.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Asymptomatic poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis in relatives of patients with symptomatic glomerulonephritis. Diagnostic value of endostreptosin antibodies.

Our previous studies have shown that endostreptosin (ESS), a cytoplasmic protein of group A streptococci, in all probability is the causative agent of poststreptococcal acute glomerulonephritis (PSAGN). Elevated antibody levels to ESS have been shown to be diagnostic for PSAGN and to correlate well with the course of the pathologic disease process. One hundred and twenty-one completely asymptomatic family members of 29 index patients with overt PSAGN were studied. Of these 121 asymptomatic family members, 26 (21.5%) had two or more abnormalities warranting a diagnosis of asymptomatic glomerulonephritis (GN): proteinuria/hematuria (18), low C3 (10 less than 85 mg/dl), high antibody titers to streptolysin O (15). Twenty-three (88.5%) of these family members with evidence of asymptomatic GN had a significant elevation of ESS antibody titers. The mean arithmetic titer for the complement fixation test was 1:24 (normal less than 1:7.5) and the mean ELISA value 0.154 (normal less than 0.075). With a certain percentage of PSAGN cases, especially adults, progressing to chronicity, the ESS antibody determinations by complement fixation and/or ELISA may be simple methods to detect and to follow-up such asymptomatic patients at risk. The high incidence of asymptomatic PSAGN (26/121) in family members of patients with overt PSAGN makes these data very significant in respect to the question of the origin of chronic glomerulonephritis without a history of overt PSAGN. Since chronic PSAGN is probably a sequel of an undiagnosed, asymptomatic disease, it may contribute materially to the contingent of end-stage renal disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Estradiol concentrations in premenopausal women with coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Because of the beneficial effects of estrogen, premenopausal women are normally protected against coronary heart disease (CHD) and are at lower risk for myocardial infarction; consequently, CHD occurs very rarely in menstrually active women. Given this background, the aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that decreased concentrations of estrogen are associated with CHD in premenopausal women. METHODS: Fourteen premenopausal women with CHD were investigated and compared with a healthy control group comparable for age and cardiovascular risk factors. Relevant characteristics of patients and controls were assessed: age, blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, former pregnancies, ovariectomy and related surgical interventions, smoking history and former use of oral contraceptives. To ensure the premenopausal status of the participants, the regularity of the menstrual cycle and the follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations were also assessed. Plasma estradiol and progesterone and urine estrone concentrations (24 h urine collection) were measured at day 6 after estimated ovulation to assess the relative increase in plasma estradiol and progesterone during the second half of the menstrual cycle. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, premenopausal women with CHD had significantly lower concentrations of plasma estradiol (408.9 +/- 141 pmol/l and 287.8 +/- 109 pmol/l respectively; P = 0.0228) and total estrogen (2061 +/- 693 pg/mumol creatinine and 1607 +/- 448 pg/mumol creatinine respectively; P = 0.025) in the urine. However, the progesterone concentrations were not significantly different between the groups. These findings might be explained by a partial ovarian dysfunction, as the patient group had a significantly higher number of tubal sterilizations (eight compared with one). CONCLUSION: Our data provide support for the hypothesis that decreased concentrations of estradiol might be an additional pathogenetic factor for the development of CHD in menstrually active premenopausal women.

Adult↗