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Biomedical subjects

L Johansson

Publications and source records attributed to L Johansson.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Treatment of the mucosa with local anaesthetics in ulcerative colitis.

A new paradigm for the treatment of ulcerative colitis has recently been presented: Treatment of the mucosa with lidocaine (2%) enemas for prolonged periods. This therapy was introduced based on the hypothesis that hyperreactive autonomic nerves may play a pathogenetic role in the disease. One hundred consecutive patients have now been treated and the results presented. The proctitis patients all responded to the treatment, despite previous therapeutic failures in more than two-thirds of the cases. They were treated for 3-12 weeks, but 68% had a relapse (observation period 20 months). Of the 49 patients with proctosigmoiditis, two-thirds had chronic symptoms resistant to previous therapy. One of these patients did not respond to lidocaine, but developed fulminant total colitis. The other patient had therapeutic failure with lidocaine but responded well to subsequent cortisone enemas. The patients were treated until the subsets of T-lymphocytes (OKT4+ and OKT8+) disappeared from the mucosa. This occurred in parallel with symptomatic relief and eventual healing in 83% of the patients after treatment for 6-34 weeks. Of all the patients with proctosigmoiditis, 42% presented with recurrent symptoms (observation period 16 months). Of the 17 patients with left-sided colitis, all went primarily into remission within 2-4 months, but 23% had a relapse (observation period 13 months). The 6 patients with total colitis had symptomatic relief and improvement of histology when treated over 3-8 months. One patient had recurrence after 12 months. Treatment with a local anaesthetic in ulcerative colitis is a new approach to mucosal inflammation. The beneficial effects may be due to blockade of certain neural effects, such as epithelial proliferation and shedding and congestion of the mucosal vasculature, with actions on cells of the immune system.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Preclinical neurophysiological signs of parkinsonism in occupational manganese exposure.

To study the effects from low level exposure to manganese, 30 men at steel smelting works and 60 nonexposed reference subjects, were neurophysiologically examined using: (i) Electroencephalogram (EEG), Event related auditory evoked potential (AEP/P300), Brain stem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) and diadochokinesometry. No group differences concerning EEG or BAEP were found. Diadochokinesis was slower and there was a tendency towards prolonged P300 latency in the exposed group as compared to the referents. These effects may be interpreted as early (subclinical) signs of disturbances of the same type as parkinsonism.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[The Norwegian diet is steadily improving].

The main goal of the Norwegian food and nutrition policy for the period 1975-1990 was to reduce the fat content in the diet to 35% of the energy supply. Our latest data on food supply and consumption show that this target has been reached, and that dietary fat now contributes to 34% of the energy. The dietary changes have probably contributed to the decrease in cardiovascular disease that has taken place since the early 1970s. It is most likely that public health continue to improve through further changes in diet, and the National Nutrition Council has prepared a strategy aimed at achieving a Norwegian diet with a fat content providing only 30% of the energy supply.

Dietary Fats↗
PubMed1991

Rearrangement of 9p13 as the primary chromosomal aberration in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the respiratory tract.

Two adenoid cystic carcinomas, one of the nasal cavity, the other a bronchial tumor, were cytogenetically analyzed. The former had a t(6;9)(q21-22;p 13-21) as the sole karyotypic abnormality. The latter had two related abnormal clones, resulting in the mosaic karyotype 46,XY,t(9;17)(p13;p13)/46,Y,t(X;6)(p22;q23),t(9;17)(p13;p13). The karyotypic profiles of the two cases, the only respiratory tract adenoid cystic carcinomas that have been cytogenetically characterized, differ little from those of previously reported adenoid cystic carcinomas of the major salivary glands, underscoring the fundamental biologic similarity among these tumors even when they develop from different structures and in different anatomical sites and organs. Because in the second case the t(9;17) obviously must have preceded the t(X;6), we conclude that both tumors had rearrangement of 9p13 as the primary cytogenetic change. The data thus add to the evidence that 6q changes are frequent, albeit at least sometimes secondary, aberrations in malignant salivary gland tumors. A subset of adenoid cystic carcinomas instead have rearrangement of 9p as the primary, and presumably pathogenetically essential, abnormality.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Molecular analysis of 4p deletion associated with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome moving the "critical segment" towards the telomere.

We report molecular studies in 2 patients with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, probing genomic DNA from the patients and their parents with markers that have been mapped to 4p16.3. One of the patients was heterozygous for alleles detected by probe F5.53, which maps to the centromeric end of the D4S10 locus, but hemizygous for loci located more distally. The region in common, which was deleted in both these patients, is within 4p16.3. This observation suggests that the gene(s) for Wolf syndrome may be contained within this region, and that the "critical segment" is located more distally than previous cytogenetic observations have suggested. Furthermore, we found that the deletion was of maternal origin in one patient, and of paternal origin in the other.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1991

Elderly care policy, formal and informal care. The Swedish case.

This paper discusses the consequences of a 'greying' Sweden with respect to the present Swedish policy for the care of the elderly and the role of the family as care provider for the elderly. The present system of elderly welfare is questioned, based on demographic facts, a review of the service systems and research findings. The tentative conclusions are two-fold. Firstly, present trends point to a shift in the Swedish welfare model, from a publicly financed and run elderly care system to a mixed model based on public, private and voluntary resources. Secondly, the fact that the informal care system functions as the main provider of services for the elderly, means that the development and implementation of support programmes for the family caregivers is of crucial importance for the future. The challenge for the 1990s, then, is to improve conditions for informal carers in order to enlarge the caring capacity of the community.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Estrogen treatment of tall girls: dose dependency of effects on subsequent growth and IGF-I levels in blood.

Three groups of girls with mean final height predictions of 185.3 cm were treated in 3-week cycles with 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 mg of ethinylestradiol. The three groups were comparable with regard to chronological age, bone age, height prediction, and duration of treatment. Reduction in final height of 5.5-5.9 cm/group in comparison with the initial prediction was observed in all treated groups. This reduction appeared independent of estrogen dose. Subsequent height increases were limited to about 50% of the predicted gain in all cases. In a comparable group of untreated tall girls the prediction method overestimated the final height by 1.2 cm. In the groups receiving 1.0 and 0.5 mg EtE2 a significant reduction in IGF-I levels was achieved within three to six months after the start of estrogen therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on the vitamin A status of Hartley guinea pigs, Sprague-Dawley rats, C57Bl/6 mice, DBA/2 mice, and Golden Syrian hamsters.

Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on hepatic, renal, lung, and serum vitamin A levels were investigated in species/strains, which show highly variable susceptibility to TCDD toxicity. Young male Hartley guinea pigs, Sprague-Dawley rats, C57Bl/6 mice, DBA/2 mice, and Golden Syrian hamsters received single intraperitoneal doses, in the range 0.5-400 micrograms TCDD/kg body weight, aimed to produce a similar toxic and limited lethal effect in all species. Animals were sacrificed 1, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 112 days after TCDD injection. The time-related increase in hepatic vitamin A storage was inhibited by TCDD in all species studied, but the doses required to produce the inhibition were considerably varied due to species. The duration of the inhibition was dependent both on dose and species. All species, except for the guinea pig, managed to increase the liver reserves of vitamin A at the end of the study, as compared to the amount present at the time of TCDD treatment. A marked increase in renal vitamin A content, related to TCDD exposure, was observed in the rats, as opposed to a slight decrease in the guinea pigs and no effect in mice or hamsters. All species tested, except for the C57Bl/6 mouse, showed a marked TCDD-related decrease in pulmonary vitamin A. The rat was the only species which showed a consistent effect (a small increase) in serum vitamin A levels, as a result of exposure to TCDD. The effects of TCDD on the hepatic and pulmonary vitamin A contents correlated reasonably well with the observed toxic response in this study. However, the correlation could not be observed for the effects of TCDD on renal, and serum vitamin A levels.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Manganese exposure in steel smelters a health hazard to the nervous system.

In a study of the effects of low-level exposure to manganese (0.19-1.39 mg/m3 for 1-45 years) 30 men (aged 20-64 years) from two steel smelting works and 60 unexposed referents (aged 22-65 years) were examined with the use of a general health inquiry, electroencephalography, event-related auditory evoked potentials, brain-stem auditory evoked potentials, diadochokinesometry, simple and complex reaction time, finger tapping, digit span, mental arithmetic, vocabulary, a coding task, manual dexterity, symptoms, and mood scales, the diagnostic interview scheme, a dynamic rating scale for neurasthenic syndrome, and a comprehensive psychopathological rating scale. No group differences were found in the electroencephalography or the psychiatric examinations. However, there were increased frequencies of some symptoms, the diadochokinesis was slower, the P-300 latency and reaction time were increased, and finger-tapping and digit-span performance were impaired in the exposed group. These effects were interpreted as early (subclinical) signs of disturbances of the same type as parkinsonism.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Changing food habits].

The main goal of the Norwegian policy on food and nutrition for the period 1975-1990 is to reduce the proportion of fat in the diet to 35 per cent of the energy supply. This should be achieved through a gradual change in diet. Figures on food supply and consumption show that this target has been reached. The dietary changes have probably contributed considerably to the decrease in cardiovascular disease since the early 1970s. It is most likely that public health can still gain much from further changes in the Norwegian diet.

Feeding Behavior↗
PubMed1990

Potential antipsychotic agents 5. Synthesis and antidopaminergic properties of substituted 5,6-dimethoxysalicylamides and related compounds.

A series of 3-substituted 5,6-dimethoxysalicylamides III (9-13 and 15) has been synthesized from the corresponding 2,5,6-trimethoxybenzoic acids. Relaxation times T1 and carbon chemical shifts of the methoxy groups in III showed that the 6-methoxy group adopts a nearly perpendicular orientation and the 5-methoxy group takes on a more coplanar orientation with respect to the ring plane in solution. The salicylamides III display a very high and stereoselective affinity for the [3H]spiperone and [3H]raclopride binding sites in vitro. Regioisomeric salicylamides IV also exhibit pronounced, but lower than III, affinity for the [3H]spiperone binding site. The structural requirements were further assessed by studies of the related amino analogues 23 and 24 and hydroxy analogue 27. The 3-bromo compound 11 (FLB 463) was studied in various in vivo models and compared with the dopamine-D2 antagonists sulpiride, raclopride, eticlopride, and haloperidol. The high potency of 11 to selectively block dopamine-D2 receptors in vitro and in vivo combined with indications on a low potential for motor side effects makes it a very interesting new member of the class of substituted salicylamides.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Potential antipsychotic agents. 7. Synthesis and antidopaminergic properties of the atypical highly potent (S)-5-bromo-2,3-dimethoxy-N-[(1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]benzamide and related compounds. A comparative study.

(S)-5-Bromo-2,3-dimethoxy-N-[(1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]benzamide (6) and some related compounds, i.e. the R isomer 7, the 3-hydroxy analogue 8, the desbromo derivative 9, the monomethoxy compound 10, and the 2,4-dimethoxy analogue 11, have been synthesized from the corresponding benzoic acids. The benzamides, lacking o-hydroxy groups, were evaluated for their affinity for the [3H]spiperone binding site and for their inhibition of apomorphine-induced behavioral responses in relation to the effect of the corresponding salicylamides. Besides the 2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzamide 12 and the related 1,4-benzodioxane (13) and 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran (14), carboxamides were investigated in order to evaluate the stereoelectronic requirements on the 2-methoxy group for the receptor interaction. The study supports the view that the o-methoxy group may adopt coplanar, as well as perpendicular orientations, and maintain the intramolecular hydrogen bonding required in the bioactive conformation. The benzamide 6 was found to be equipotent with the analogous highly active salicylamide 3 (FLB 463) both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, 6 displayed a preferential inhibition of the hyperactivity component of the behavioral syndrome, which is regarded to indicate a low tendency to induce extrapyramidal side effects in man at antipsychotically effective doses. The benzamide class of compounds (6-10) were found to be somewhat more sensitive to the structural modifications than the salicylamide class, i.e. the o-hydroxy-substituted benzamides (2-5). The potent and selective benzamide 6 (FLB 457) is highly suitable for investigations of dopamine D-2 mediated responses and, in radiolabeled form, for receptor binding studies in vitro and in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Immunohistochemical examination of 25 cases of Merkel cell carcinoma: a comparison with small cell carcinoma of the lung and oesophagus, and a review of the literature.

Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC) were compared to small cell carcinomas of the lung (SCCL) and oesophagus (SCCO). Most MCC were of the intermediate cell type while SCCL and SCCO were usually of the small cell type. Only MCC of trabecular type could be separated from SCCL and SCCO by means of histopathological examination alone. All MCC (25) stained with cytokeratin CAM 5.2, 20 of which in a "paranuclear globular" or combined "paranuclear globular"/diffuse pattern while 17 MCC stained with cytokeratin AE1/AE3. Cytokeratin CAM 5.2 reacted with 60 percent of the SCCL and 86 percent of the SCCO, and cytokeratin AE1/AE3 with 33 and 28 percent respectively. Neurofilament stained 17 MCC in a "paranuclear globular" pattern but none of the SCCL and SCCO. All MCC with a diffuse staining pattern for cytokeratin CAM 5.2 were negative for neurofilament. The results of this study and review of the literature indicate that in most instances Merkel cell carcinoma can be separated from other SCC, pulmonary as well as extrapulmonary, by means of histopathological and, above all, immunohistochemical examinations.

Antigens, CD↗