Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Ehrenfeld

Publications and source records attributed to M Ehrenfeld.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Selective C4 deficiency, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Whipple's disease.

A 45-year-old female with selective deficiency of C4 and systemic lupus erythematosus developed puzzling gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms in the last 6 months of her life. Extensive investigation of the gastrointestinal tract did not yield any diagnosis, and the patient died shortly afterwards. Autopsy revealed evidence of a typical Whipple's disease of the jejunum and lymph nodes. This association has not been previously described. The disease is reviewed with emphasis on its being an opportunistic infection in an immunosuppressed host with a complement deficiency and SLE.

Complement C4↗
PubMed1983

Local necrotizing effect of snake venoms on skin and muscle: relationship to serum creatine kinase.

Twenty-five snake venoms were tested for their ability to induce an increase of serum creatine kinase (CK) level after i.m. injection (0.125-1.0 mg/kg) into rates. Of six Australian elapid venoms only those from Pseudechis colletti guttatus and P. australis produced a steep rise of CK-activity (30-70 times the normal value) 4 and 16 hr after injection (0.5 mg/kg). Viperid and crotalid venoms had only slight effects (2-5 times the normal value) even in doses of 1.0 mg/kg except for a sample of Crotalus adamanteus venom which caused a 20 fold increase in CK-level. From this venom a toxin of 5800 mol. wt. consisting of 50 amino acid residues was isolated. This toxin exhibited similarities in amino acid composition and in lethality to crotamine from Crotalus durissus terrificus and to a toxin from C. horridus horridus. The toxin from C. adamanteus induced some increase of CK-level in rats, but this does not account entirely for the activity of the crude venom, whereas crotamine and the toxin from C. horridus horridus were ineffective. Phospholipase A2 (fraction II) from Pseudechis colletti guttatus venom caused a dose-dependent increase of CK-level and myoglobinuria. Intradermal injection of snake venoms into mice is useful for testing hemorrhagic activity, but is too insensitive to measure necrotizing effects. Venom induced myonecrosis can be evaluated by assaying the CK-serum level and by histological examination.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Gastrointestinal effects of long-term colchicine therapy in patients with recurrent polyserositis (familial mediterranean fever).

Twelve patients with recurrent polyserositis (RP, familial Mediterranean fever) on colchicine prophylaxis (1.0-2.0 mg daily) for three years or more were evaluated for the presence of gastrointestinal effects possibly attributable to the drug. Two patients had bulky stools, two others had transient diarrhea, and one had heartburn. Serum vitamin B12, calcium, and carotene levels were normal in all cases, and D-xylose absorption was normal in 11 of the 12. Three patients had mild steatorrhea (7.5, 7.9, and 9.9 g daily). Jejunal biopsies from these and a fourth patient with bulky stools but normal fecal fat excretion showed no abnormal histological changes. However, (Na + K)-ATPase activity was significantly decreased in all four cases. Colchicine had to be discontinued in only one of the 12 cases. It is concluded that mild steatorrhea and enzyme inhibition may occur in patients on long-term colchicine prophylaxis and that careful periodic observations for this and other adverse effects is imperative in such patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Arterial embolism in thyrotoxicosis with atrial fibrillation.

The incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in 142 patients with thryotoxicosis was 21% and that of thromboembolic disease was 8.5%. Male sex, increasing age, and associated rheumatic or hypertensive heart disease were significantly associated with the presence of AF. Thromboembolic episodes occurred in 12 (40%) of the patients with AF and in none of the 112 patients without AF. Cerebral emboli accounted for 53% of the episodes. In view of the grave prognosis of the embolic episodes, patients with thyrotoxicosis should be treated with heparin during attacks of AF and with oral anticoagulants when they have chronic fibrillation.

Atrial Fibrillation↗
PubMed1981

Risk factors for coronary artery disease in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Effects of age, sex and ethnicity.

The characteristics of 200 patients with acute myocardial infarction were determined and analyzed according to age, sex and country of origin. Older patients (greater than 65 yr) were characterized by an overall low-risk profile. Women with myocardial infarction (especially less than 65 yr) were characterized by a high-risk profile, although fewer smoked cigarettes and their high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were higher than in men. In patients of Asian-African origin, hyperlipoproteinemia of the type IIb variety was more prevalent and the plasma triglyceride levels were higher than in the other patients. The analysis has thus indicated several distinct risk patterns among the study population; in particular, plasma and lipoprotein lipid levels were found to be an important predisposing factor for coronary artery disease in young patients, in women, and in immigrants from Asian and African countries.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1980

Continuous production of monoclonal rheumatoid factor by EBV-transformed lymphocytes.

Human B lymphocytes are immortalized by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV, ref. 1). The virus can be used to establish lymphoblastoid cell lines that produce and actively secrete specific antibodies. The original method, which we have used for various antigens is based on selection of the specific surface antigen receptor-positive lymphocytes from the peripheral blood lymphocytes of a donor who was previously sensitized to the corresponding antigen. Furthermore, by cloning the polyclonal anti-NNP cell line we have produced human monoclonal antibodies for the first time in vitro. About 5-20 microgram ml-1 stably produced specific antibody is obtained in the supernatant of the cell lines. This approach can be used for the in vitro production of monoclonal human autoimmune antibodies by EBV-immortalized lymphocytes from patients with autoimmune diseases. We demonstrate the continuous production in vitro of a monoclonal IgM and anti-IgG antibody (rheumatoid factor, r.f.) by a lymphoblastoid cell line established from a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1980

Effect of colchicine on polymorphonuclear leucocyte chemotaxis in human volunteers.

1 The effect of colchicine on polymorphonuclear leucocyte chemotaxis was assessed in eight healthy volunteers. Four of them received 1.0 mg colchicine and the other four received placebo daily for 8 successive days. 2 Chemotaxis decreased significantly within 24 h of the ingestion of colchicine; the values remained low throughout the 8 days of treatment and returned to normal within 48 h of cessation of medication. 3 There were no significant changes in the placebo treated subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Monocyte function in rheumatoid arthritis.

Monocytes derived from peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) had a marked defect in their bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus albus and Listeria monocytogenes; whereas the phagocytic capacity of monocytes from RA patients for both Staph. albus and Shigella flexneri was similar to that of monocytes from healthy subjects. There were no significant differences between the patient and control groups with regard to antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) of monocyte against antibody-coated EL4 leukemia tumor cells. No correlation was observed between the rheumatoid factor (RF) titer in the serum of RA patients and the ADCC capacity of their monocytes. The ADCC of normal monocytes was reduced markedly following their incubation with serum from RA patients. It suggested that the defect in bactericidal activity in monocytes from RA patients may explain, at least in part, the susceptibility of RA patients to infections.

Adolescent↗