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Biomedical subjects

M Ernst

Publications and source records attributed to M Ernst.

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

Reduced brain metabolism in hyperactive girls.

OBJECTIVE: This study assesses the effect of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and gender on cerebral glucose metabolism (CMRglu), using positron emission tomography and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose. METHOD: Nineteen normal (6 females; 14.3 +/- 1.3 years old) and 20 ADHD adolescents (5 females; 14.7 +/- 1.6 years old) participated in the study. An auditory continuous performance task was used during the 30-minute uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in global or regional CMRglu between ADHD (N = 20) and normal (N = 19) adolescents. However, the global CMRglu in ADHD girls (N = 5) was 15.0% lower than in normal girls (N = 6) (p = .04), while global CMRglu in ADHD boys was not different than in normal boys. Furthermore, global CMRglu in ADHD girls was 19.6% lower than in ADHD boys (p = .02) and was not different between normal girls and normal boys. Clinical rating scales did not differentiate ADHD girls from ADHD boys, nor normal girls from normal boys. CONCLUSIONS: The greater brain metabolism abnormalities in females than males strongly stress that more attention be given to the study of girls with ADHD.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Oral candidosis in HIV-infected patients. Prognostic value and correlation with immunological parameters.

In a prospective study, 29 patients were observed over a period of 42 weeks for signs of oral candidosis (OC), immunological parameters and other typical AIDS-related events. Before the study started, no OC was observed in any of the patients. During the observation period, OC was diagnosed in 12 of the 29 patients (41%). 5 of these 12 patients (42%) developed full-blown AIDS during the 42 weeks. In contrast, a progression to AIDS was observed in only 1 of the 17 patients (5.9%) without OC. The laboratory findings for patients with and without OC showed statistically significant differences for neopterin (23.6 against 14.4 nmol l-1), CD4 counts (417 against 763/mm3) and CD4/CD8 ratios (0.45 against 0.85). Based on these results, it seems justifiable to consider prophylactic measures such as pentamidine inhalation and/or treatment with zidovudine in HIV-infected patients with immunodeficiency and occurrence of OC.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Platinum-based, leukocyte-depleting chemotherapy does not alter induced sputum markers of neutrophilic inflammation in COPD patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophilic inflammation is a major feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and several novel therapies aim at the suppression of neutrophils in COPD. Due to the abundance and redundancy of mediators involved in neutrophilic inflammation, there is an ongoing controversy about the feasibility of such anti-neutrophilic approaches. Systemic chemotherapy has broad side effects, including neutrophil toxicity. OBJECTIVES: In this observational study, we have measured cellular and neutrophil-related inflammatory markers in induced sputum of COPD patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing platinum-based chemotherapy. METHODS: 15 COPD/NSCLC patients were followed during their first course of chemotherapy with cisplatin (60 mg/m(2) days 1 and 7) and etoposide (100 mg/m(2) days 3, 4, and 5). Sputum induction was performed before, and 3 weeks after chemotherapy. Peripheral blood count, sputum total cells and differentials, and the concentrations of the inflammatory markers interleukin (IL)-8, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in sputum supernatant were analyzed. RESULTS: Similar to COPD controls (n = 12), COPD/NSCLC patients had increased levels of absolute and relative sputum neutrophils, IL-8, and MMP-9 at baseline, when compared with healthy controls (n = 14, p < 0.001, all comparisons). After chemotherapy, there was a significant reduction in peripheral blood leukocytes (pre: 10,736 +/- 550, post: 6,536 +/- 1,064 cells/microl, p = 0.002) and log neutrophils (pre: 8.9 +/- 0.09, post: 8.1 +/- 0.2 cells/microl, p = 0.004), whereas log sputum neutrophils (pre: 0.3 +/- 0.37, post: 0.18 +/- 0.3 cells x 10(6)/ml, p = 0.1), IL-8 (pre 15.9 +/- 3.8, post: 17.7 +/- 3.6 ng/ml, p = 0.7), and log MMP-9 (pre: 5.3 +/- 0.57, post: 5.6 +/- 0.7 ng/ml, p = 0.33) remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: A single course of platinum-based chemotherapy markedly decreases peripheral blood neutrophils, but has no effect on inflammatory patterns of induced sputum in COPD patients with unresectable NSCLC.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Transcription of tal-1, a putative oncogene playing an important role in childhood T-ALL, can be shown in normal peripheral blood cells by a highly sensitive RT-PCR assay.

Rearrangement of the tal-1 gene is the most frequent clonal marker in childhood T cell acute leukemia. Previously, tal-1 mRNA expression has been observed only in cells of the erythroid, mast cell, and megakaryocytic lineages and in blastic lymphoid cells of normal bone marrow, not in normal lymphocytes or monocytes of the peripheral blood (PB). In this study we addressed the question of tal-1 expression during normal hematopoietic development by performing reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on RNA from PB cells of 12 healthy donors. Ten of 10 unsorted samples were RT-PCR positive for tal-1 expression. Sorted T cells and monocytes from three donors showed tal-1 RT-PCR products. This is the first direct experimental evidence of tal-1 transcripts in these two normal PB cell types.

Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lithium and conduct disorder.

Lithium administration has been effective in treating severe aggression in children and adolescents with Conduct Disorder. An overview of the pertinent literature is presented. Side effects associated with lithium administration are discussed. Guidelines for lithium administration are given, including dosage regulation, monitoring of serum lithium, as well as of side effects and laboratory measures. When prescribed judiciously, under careful monitoring, lithium can be an important part of the comprehensive treatment program.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of monocytes in the induction and regulation of IFN-gamma production by lectin-activated human T lymphocytes.

The data presented show that the production of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) by pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-activated T lymphocytes requires monocytes and that the amount of lymphokine produced depends on the number of monocytes present in the culture. Accessory function of monocytes was independent from their ability to secrete IL-1 but required cell-cell contact, since blocking of adhesion molecules reduced the IFN-gamma production. Furthermore, production of IFN by lectin-preactivated T lymphocytes could not be triggered by IL-2 but also required monocyte-T cell interaction.

Cell Communication↗
PubMedDate not supplied

rIL-2-activated killer cell generation is influenced by autologous TNF-alpha production.

Low-density (LD) lymphocytes and their CD16+ and CD16- subsets were cultured with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) in the presence or absence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-neutralizing antibodies (Abs). Cultures were evaluated with respect to the cell recovery, K562 cytolytic potential and interferon (IFN)-gamma production. The addition of anti-TNF-alpha neutralizing Abs to rIL-2-activated cultures of LD lymphocytes resulted in greater cell expansion and a decrease in cytolytic potential. In the CD16+ subpopulation of LD lymphocytes, there was an increase in cytolytic potential and no improvement in the cell yield was observed. The CD16- subpopulation of LD lymphocytes was not affected by the Abs. In cultures with anti-TNF alpha Abs (polyclonal or monoclonal), a decrease in the rIL-2-dependent generation of IFN-gamma was observed. Recombinant TNF-alpha, when added to rIL-2-supplemented cultures of LD lymphocytes, enhanced the rIL-2-induced generation of IFN-gamma in a dose-dependent manner. TNF-alpha appeared to up-regulate rIL-2-induced IFN-gamma production by LD lymphocytes and to modulate lymphokine-activated killer cell generation (neutralization of TNF-alpha promoted cell expansion in LD lymphocyte cultures and cytotoxicity in CD16+ lymphocyte cultures).

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Expression and functional role of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (CD26) on human natural killer cells.

The expression and functional role of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DP IV, CD26, EC 3.4.14.5) was studied on human natural killer (NK) cells. Here we show that freshly isolated NK cells do express only low amounts of DP IV. However, after IL-2 stimulation of NK cells (70% purity) surface DP IV expression was significantly increased in a subpopulation (30%) of these cells. Specific DP IV inhibitors (Lys-[Z-(NO2)]-piperidide, Lys-[Z(NO2)]-thiazolidide) and polyclonal antibodies directed against the ectopeptidase suppressed DNA synthesis and cell cycle progression of NK cells. The natural cytotoxic activity of DP IV+ CD56+ cells was found unchanged in comparison to those of DP IV- CD56+ cells. DP IV inhibitors had no effect on the natural cytotoxicity of mononuclear cells. From these data we conclude that DP IV is involved in the regulation of proliferation of NK cells, whereas natural cytotoxicity seems to be regulated independently.

Cell Cycle↗