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Biomedical subjects

K Rasmussen

Publications and source records attributed to K Rasmussen.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide is related to systolic but not diastolic myocardial function. Determination by echocardiography 24 h after myocardial infarction.

The relationship between plasma ANP and systolic and diastolic left ventricular myocardial function, as determined by echocardiography, was investigated. Thirty-one patients were examined 24 h after onset of acute myocardial infarction. The systolic parameters measured were: wall motion index (WMI), ejection fraction, systolic volume index and diastolic volume index. Diastolic function was evaluated by mitral flow analysis and isovolumic relaxation time. The following parameters were measured in the mitral flow: peak velocity of early flow, peak velocity of atrial flow, the earlylatrial ratio, deceleration rate of the early flow and atrial filling fraction. A blood sample was drawn from each patient for ANP analysis at the same time as the echocardiographic examination. A correlation between plasma-ANP and systolic function was found (ejection fraction: r = -0.60, P < 0.001; systolic volume index: r = 0.68, P < 0.001; diastolic volume index: r = 0.47, P < 0.01; WMI: r = -0.42, P < 0.05) whereas no correlation was found between any of the diastolic parameters and plasma ANP (P > 0.10 for all the variables). We conclude that there is a significant correlation between plasma ANP and systolic function, as evaluated by echocardiography 24 h after AMI, whereas there was no corresponding relationship between plasma ANP and diastolic function.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The prognostic value of exercise testing early after myocardial infarction in patients treated with thrombolytics.

Exercise testing early post AMI was evaluated as a predictor of reinfarction in patients treated with thrombolytics. AMI patients exercise-tested prior to discharge were included in the study (n = 178). The patients were followed for 2.9 +/- 0.9 years (mean +/- 1 SD) for the development of new cardiac events defined as cardiac death or reinfarction. Cox regression analysis of clinical and exercise test variables showed that there was significant predictive value of treating heart failure with drugs from two or more therapeutic groups (P < 0.001; hazard ratio 9.4 (3.1-28.2) (estimate and 95% confidence interval)), such as those with a previous history of myocardial infarction (P = 0.001; hazard ratio 4.0 (1.7-9.6)) and of significant ST depression (P = 0.029; hazard ratio 2.5 (1.1-5.7)). Significant ST depression could be substituted by the delta ST/delta HR index (P = 0.042; hazard ratio 2.8 (1.2-6.8)). The exercise test had independent but limited prognostic value in AMI patients treated with thrombolytics. The delta ST/delta HR index did not improve the predictive value of the exercise test.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Glucose homeostasis during exercise in humans with a liver or kidney transplant.

To investigate the role of liver nerve activity on hepatic glucose production during exercise, liver-transplant subjects (LTX, n = 7, 25-62 yr, 4-18 mo postoperative) cycled for 40 min, 20 min at 52 +/- 3% (SE) maximal O2 consumption (VO2max) and 20 min at 83 +/- 1% VO2max, respectively. Kidney-transplant (KTX) and healthy control subjects (C) matched for sex and age exercised at the same %VO2max as LTX. VO2max was lower in both LTX (1.59 +/- 0.12 l/min) and KTX (1.59 +/- 0.07) than in C (2.60 +/- 0.26). At rest plasma renin and insulin were higher and plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol lower in transplant corticosteroid-treated subjects compared with C. In LTX, hepatic glucose production (Ra) increased from 11.9 +/- 0.9 (rest) to 17.6 +/- 1.8 and 25.5 +/- 1.8 mumol.min-1.kg-1 at 52 and 82% VO2max, respectively. Peripheral glucose uptake was similar to Ra, and glucose remained at basal postabsorptive levels. During exercise the Ra increase as well as norepinephrine, insulin, and growth hormone responses were similar in LTX compared with both KTX and C. The increase in epinephrine was smaller in LTX than in C, the only group showing an increase in cortisol. The increase in plasma renin activity during exercise was attenuated in KTX compared with LTX and C. During exercise blood lactate rose more and plasma glycerol and free fatty acid levels were lower in LTX and KTX compared with C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Sham feeding increases glucose tolerance by a mechanism independent of insulin secretion in normal subjects.

The effect of sham feeding on glucose metabolism was studied in eleven normal subjects. At random, one intravenous glucose tolerance test (25 g glucose/4 min) was preceded by 15 minutes of pure sham feeding (the sight and smell of a meal but not the taste) which continued for the first 15 minutes after the intravenous glucose load. Pancreatic polypeptide increased significantly during sham feeding and decreased significantly in response to the glucose injection. The glucose disappearance rate was significantly improved from 1.56 +/- 0.22 to 2.07 +/- 0.33 min-1 when the glucose tolerance test was preceded by sham feeding (p = 0.02). Incremental areas of plasma insulin, plasma C-peptide, and insulin secretion rates were not significantly influenced by sham feeding. We conclude that sham feeding by the sight and smell of food improves glucose tolerance in normal subjects without alteration in insulin secretion.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The FSHD-linked locus D4F104S1 (p13E-11) on 4q35 has a homologue on 10qter.

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) has recently been shown to be associated with deletions that are detectable using probe p13E-11 (D4F104S1). Although these deletions reside within large, highly polymorphic restriction fragments (20-300 kb), the "mutant" fragment is usually shorter than 28 kb and can routinely be detected using conventional agarose gel electrophoresis. Yet, the complete visualization of the alleles requires pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Family studies showed that p13E-11 detects two nonallelic loci in this size range, only one of which originates from chromosome 4q35. We have assigned the other p13E-11 locus to chromosome 10qter by linkage analysis in CEPH pedigrees. Knowing the location of both loci improves the diagnostic reliability, as the exact origin of "small" EcoRI fragments can be determined by haplotyping. Since FSHD shows genetic heterogeneity, this 10qter locus became an interesting candidate to be the second FSHD locus. However, analysis of a large chromosome 4-unlinked FSHD family did not provide evidence for linkage on chromosome 10qter.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1994

[Cheese-packers' disease--respiratory complaints at a cheese-packing dairy].

Twenty-one present and three former employees working in the paching room of a cheese-making dairy underwent clinical examinations including symptom history, smoking habits, chest examination, and pulmonary function tests. Blood samples were drawn to determine level of peripheral eosinophil count and antibodies to microorganisms detected by air samples. Air sample concentrations of Penicillium camemberti var. candidum, used in the cheese-production, were very high (> 6000 colony forming units per cubic metre of air). In 15 of the 24 exposed workers, precipitating antibodies towards this fungus were detected, but no antibodies were detected in a reference consisting of pooled blood from 1000 donors. Of the sixteen workers with airway symptoms five had asthma requiring treatment. Two-thirds of the symptomatic cheeseworkers but only half of those without symptoms had precipitating antibodies. The high frequency of precipitating antibodies together with the clinical causes of the airway symptoms indicates an aetiological relationship between airway symptoms and heavy exposure to Penicillium camemberti.

Air Microbiology↗
PubMed1994

[Vibration-induced white toes].

A case of vibration-induced white toes and subtle neuropathy in a man aged 46 years is presented. He used to work with his left foot placed on a vibrating pedal for two to three hours a day during 12 years, driving a small wagon at a mink farm.

Automobile Driving↗
PubMed1994

Arrhythmias in subjects with and without a history of palpitations: the Tromsø Study.

The study looked at palpitations in relation to the prevalence of arrhythmia, as assessed by 24-h ambulatory electrocardiography (ECG) in a population sample. The subjects were randomly drawn from among those involved in a cardiovascular survey. Forty-three of those who answered 'Yes' and 54 of those who answered 'No' (84% of those eligible) to the following question, participated: 'Have you observed sudden changes in your heart rate or heart rhythm during the preceding year?' In both groups mean age was 49 years and 58% were men. There was no relationship between recorded arrhythmia and perceived palpitations during monitoring. The prevalence of at least one arrhythmic episode (ventricular or supraventricular arrhythmia or pauses > = 1.5 s) was significantly higher in those who had perceived palpitations during the previous year (98%) than in those who had not (74%) (P < 0.0014). Through a simple question about palpitations during the preceding year we were able to identify significantly a population with true arrhythmias. However, the question could not be used to define a population entirely without arrhythmia. The high prevalence of arrhythmia in subjects without reported palpitations indicates that it is a normal finding which alone should not demand further clinical investigations.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Nitric oxide synthesis in patients with advanced HIV infection.

The discovery that humans produce nitric oxide and that this molecule plays an important role in cell communication, host resistance to infection, and perhaps in host defence to neoplastic disease, has created much interest in further research on its function in the body. A cytokine-inducible high output L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway was recently detected in patients with advanced malignancy treated with IL-2. The production of nitric oxide was thus examined in patients with advanced HIV infection and in intensive care unit control patients. Extrinsic nitrate and nitrite consumption were carefully controlled in the diet or through the use of total parenteral nutrition. Seven of eight HIV+ patients were placed into positive nitrogen balance. Nitric oxide synthesis was found to be within the normal human range. In contrast, nitric oxide synthesis in extremely ill intensive care unit patients was low normal to depressed.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Cardiorespiratory reflexes, vibratory and thermal thresholds, sensory and motor conduction in diabetic patients with end-stage nephropathy.

The neuropathic profile was studied in 26 patients with long-standing, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and end-stage nephropathy using tests to evaluate large and small nerve fibres and autonomic function. Clinically, 18 patients (69%) has symptoms and signs of peripheral neuropathy, 9 (35%) had symptoms of autonomic involvement. Vibratory sensation was impaired in 20 patients (77%) in the lower limbs and in 6 (22%) in the upper limbs; cold and warm sensation was equally often impaired in the feet and in the hands with no significant difference between patients with and without neuropathy. Heart rate variation was abnormal in 23 patients at rest (88%), in 24 (92%) during deep breathing and during the orthostatic test. Conduction studies revealed abnormalities in two or more nerves in all patients regardless of whether or not they had overt neuropathy clinically. Thus, the applied multimodal tests revealed evidence of impaired function in large or small nerve fibres or both in all patients independent of clinical findings.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Effect of pancreas and kidney transplantation on the neuropathic profile in insulin-dependent diabetics with end-stage nephropathy.

From a series of 26 diabetics selected for combined pancreas and kidney transplantations 9 died before surgery was scheduled, one died after surgery and 4 rejected the transplants. The effect of pancreas or kidney transplantation or both on vibratory perception and thermal thresholds, various motor and sensory conduction parameters were studied in 9 of the remaining 12 patients. In 6 both the pancreatic and renal grafts were functioning, in 2 the pancreas was rejected, and in 1 the kidney. At an average follow-up of 41 months after surgery, the mean total score of clinical and electrophysiological improvement in 6 patients with successful combined transplantation was 5.5 +/- 1.6 compared with -4.3 +/- 2.5 in 3 patients with one surviving transplant (P < 0.001). Similarly, the average increase in nerve conduction velocity was 5.8 +/- 1.1 m/s in patients with two functioning grafts whereas it decreased 2.9 +/- 0.7 m/s in those with only one (P < 0.001). The quality of life was considered improved in patients with successful outcome of the two organ transplantations in contrast to the statements of those with only one.

Autonomic Nervous System↗