Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Fischer

Publications and source records attributed to M Fischer.

At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources

[Diagnostic viewpoints in deep leg-/pelvic venous thrombosis].

In 60 to 90% of patients with deep vein thrombosis, successful recanalization with prevention of postthrombotic syndrome and decreased risk of pulmonary embolism can be achieved through early diagnosis and aggressive treatment, thrombolysis or surgical correction. In our experience, if treatment is delayed more than four days after onset, the results are unfavorable; in the latter case, provided necrotizing inflammation is not present, we treat only with anticoagulation. The indication for surgery is considered established if thrombolytic treatment is contraindicated, in the presence of necrotizing inflammation, if thrombolysis is unsuccessful and for recurrent pulmonary embolism which is carried out mostly with a caval filter. Anticoagulation alone in most patients will not lead to successful results. Sixty percent of deep vein thromboses arise ascending from lower leg thromboses. Further points of predilection are the junctions of the popliteal vein, the veins in the inguinal region and the caval bifurcation. In principle, any calf pain should suggest the possibility of beginning lower leg thrombosis. With regard to the history, it is important to know if the event is the first of its kind or recurrent (Table 1). Additionally, deep vein thrombosis may be suspected in the presence of local trauma, in women on contraceptives, in patients with hemoblastoses, after surgery in the lower pelvic or leg region and, in particular in women, in the presence of pelvic venous impediment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

[Complete androgen blockade (orchiectomy + flutamide) versus androgen blockade with cytostasis (orchiectomy + estramustine) in the treatment of virginal advanced prostate cancer].

The results of orchiectomy + flutamide (n = 28) versus orchiectomy + estramustine (n = 27) in the initial therapy of advanced prostatic cancer were compared in a prospective randomized study. The minimum observation period was one year. In the group orchiectomy + flutamide the incidence of side effects was 25%, the response rate (complete + partial remission) was 28% and the progression rate was 18%. 5 patients (18%) died within the first year. In the group orchiectomy + estramustine the incidence of side effects was 22%, the response rate (complete + partial remission) was 29% and the progression rate was 33%. 2 patients (7%) died within 1 year of treatment. There is no significant difference either in the response rate or the progression rate between the two groups.

Aged↗

[Food contamination by emissions from dry cleaning compounds].

Tetrachloroethene (perchloroethylene) from dry-cleaning units may contaminate adjacent flats in the same building. Increased concentrations of tetrachloroethene have been found in foodstuffs in homes situated above dry cleaning units and in foodstuffs from groceries located neat drycleaning units. The concentrations were extremely high in foods rich in fat.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗

The evaluation of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylglycol sulfate as a possible marker of central norepinephrine turnover. Studies in healthy volunteers and depressed patients.

Much evidence indicates that urinary 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylethyleneglycol (MHPG) is an insensitive measure of central norepinephrine metabolism. This conclusion, however, seems to apply mainly to total urinary MHPG, since previous findings point to the possibility that the major proportion of urinary MHPG sulfate originates in the CNS, while most urinary MHPG glucuronide originates in peripheral organs. To examine this hypothesis, experiments were performed by which we altered MHPG turnover in man at two different stages: firstly, strong physical exercise (ergometer) increased the urinary excretion rate of MHPG glucuronide and not that of MHPG-sulfate; secondly, ethanol (l g/kg), which is known to block the metabolism of MHPG to vanilmandelic acid in the liver, increases the urinary excretion rate of the glucuronide and not that of sulfate. Both experiments indicate that alteration of peripheral norepinephrine turnover changes the urinary excretion of MHPG glucuronide only and not that of sulfate, thus providing strong, albeit indirect, evidence for a primarily central origin of MHPG sulfate. Preliminary experiments in 32 depressed patients showed little difference in both MHPG fractions compared with healthy controls, apart from a slightly reduced excretion rate of glucuronide. These findings fail to provide any evidence of central, and only small changes in peripheral norepinephrine metabolism in depression.

Adult↗

A method of quantify confounding in regression analyses applied to data on diet and CHD incidence.

We present a method to display the results of linear regression when the independent variables are highly correlated. In this method the sum of squares of regression (SSR) for pairs of variables are partitioned into orthogonal and shared components. A shared component is the reduction in the SSR of one of the variables when the other variable is added to the regression equation. This method shows how the SSR for one variable depends on the other variables present in the regression equation and explains apparent inconsistencies between forward and backward stepwise regression. To demonstrate the potential usefulness of this method we reanalyzed previously reported data on the relationship between coronary heart disease (CHD) and diet. The analysis suggested that carbohydrate and alcohol intake are negatively associated with CHD because they are associated with greater caloric intake. Protein and fat intake are also associated with greater caloric intake, but in addition they are associated with factors that increase the risk of CHD.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Characterization of membrane components of the flask-shaped mycoplasma Mycoplasma mobile.

The cell membrane of Mycoplasma mobile was isolated by either ultrasonic or French press treatment of intact cells. The membrane fraction contained all of the cellular lipids, but only one-third of cellular proteins and had a density of 1.14 g ml-1. The soluble fraction contained the NADH dehydrogenase activity of the cells, as well as a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 55 kDa that was phosphorylated in the presence of ATP. Lipid analyses of M. mobile membranes revealed that membrane lipid could be labelled by radioactive glycerol, oleate and to a much higher extent by palmitate but not by acetic acid. The membrane lipid fraction was composed of 54% neutral and 46% polar lipid. The major constituents of the neutral lipid fraction were free fatty acid, free cholesterol and cholesterol esters (45, 25 and 20%, respectively, of total neutral lipid fraction). The free cholesterol count was 13% (w/w) of total membrane lipids with a cholesterol:phospholipid molar ratio of about 0.9. Among the polar lipids, both phospho- and glycolipids were detected. The phospholipid fraction consisted of a major de novo-synthesized phosphatidylglycerol (approximately 63% of total phospholipids), plus exogenous phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin incorporated in an unchanged form from the growth medium. The glycolipid fraction was dominated by a single glycolipid (approximately 90% of total glycolipids) that was preferentially labelled by palmitic acid and showed a very high saturated:unsaturated fatty acids ratio.

Bacterial Proteins↗

The tip of the iceberg: a validation study of the Victorian Congenital Malformations/Birth Defects Register.

Among 1500 children under 4 years of age admitted consecutively to two paediatric teaching hospitals in Victoria in 1985 the prevalence of birth defects was 20%. Fewer than half of these defects had been notified to the Victorian Congenital Malformations Register. Only chromosomal anomalies and, to a lesser extent, major structural malformations present at birth were adequately ascertained. The implications for birth defects monitoring and for service planning are discussed.

Child, Preschool↗

Production of infectious duck hepatitis B virus in a human hepatoma cell line.

The differentiated human hepatoma cell line Hep-G2 was transfected with cloned duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) DNA. Introduction of closed circular DNA into the human liver cells resulted in the production of viral proteins: core antigen was detected in the cytoplasm, and e antigen, a related product, was secreted into the medium. Moreover, viral particles were released into the tissue culture medium which were indistinguishable from authentic DHBV by density, antigenicity, DNA polymerase activity, and morphology. Intravenous injection of tissue culture-derived DHBV particles into Pekin ducks established DHBV infection. In conclusion, transfection of human hepatoma cells with cloned DHBV DNA results in the production of infectious virus, as occurs with cloned human hepatitis B virus DNA. Human liver cells are therefore competent to support production of the avian and mammalian hepadnaviruses, indicating that liver-specific viral gene expression is controlled by evolutionarily conserved mechanisms. This new DHBV transfection system offers the opportunity to rapidly produce mutated DHBV which then can be further investigated in Pekin ducks.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

[Verification of control in alcoholism research. Review of the literature and theoretical relations].

After a literature review about 45 studies on control orientations in alcoholism research, which focus literature from 1977 to 1986, the theoretical background of these studies is discussed. In contrast to the earlier findings, which were founded upon onedimensional measures of generalized locus of control, the results of recent studies, which use multidimensional or domain-specific measures of control orientations, show consistently, (1) that alcoholics before and at the beginning of a treatment have low internality, higher powerful others externality, and especially high chance control orientations, (2) that control orientations have a special diagnostic value for alcoholics, (3) that internality increases during inpatient treatments, and (4) that control orientations measured before or at the beginning of a treatment are comparatively good predictors of treatment effects (treatment dropouts, abstinence, relapse). There are too first empirical hints for the indicative value of control orientations for special treatment programs. Besides the hypothesis of loss of control in drinking and the approach of social-cognitive learning theory to alcoholism a developmental, action-theoretical founded model of drug abuse is described, which can not only integrate recent results on control orientations in alcoholism research but also opens perspectives for a more systematic, theory-based research.

Alcoholism↗

[Blood cell concentration of methotrexate in long-term therapy of inflammatory rheumatic diseases].

To verify the possibility of a concomitant therapy control in 31 patients (18 psoriatic arthritis [PA], 13 rheumatoid arthritis [RA]) the blood cell concentration of Methotrexate (MTX) was continuously measured over a period of 6 months. The determinations were carried out by using a RIA of the CIS Corp. At any time MTX was determined laboratory and clinical examinations were done and the P-III-P serum-level was measured by using a RIA of the Behringwerke. The cellular MTX showed to be statistically significantly elevated compared to baseline, whereas within ranges of total cumulative dosages only insignificant fluctuations could be noticed. Like in the treatment of Psoriasis a strict correlation between the weekly administered dose and the cellular MTX could be established, the total cumulative dose, however, had no influence on the cellular MTX-level. In the treatment of RA slightly higher weekly dosages were necessary, which caused significantly higher cellular MTX concentrations in RA patients. Some correlations between clinical as well as serological parameters of disease activity could be noticed, nevertheless they do not allow distinct interpretations. In both diseases a significant relationship between the cellular MTX-level and the P-III-P serum-level could be realized. A storage of MTX in blood cells, especially in erythrocytes, seems to be evident. To reach therapeutical benefit in RA slightly higher mean dosages may be necessary. A therapy monitoring by the means of continuous determinations of cellular MTX seems to be impossible. In contrast an approach to the early detection of liver fibrosis can be given by the correlation between cellular MTX and the P-III-P serum levels.

Adult↗

Identification and characterization of the repetitive DNA element in the genome of insect iridescent virus type 6.

The genome of the Chilo iridescent virus (CIV) was analyzed for existence of repetitive DNA sequences by DNA-DNA hybridization using a defined and complete gene library of the viral genome (209 kbp) and by heteroduplex mapping. These experiments revealed the presence of repetitive DNA elements in the CIV genome, which are located in the EcoRI fragment H and in the EcoRI DNA fragment C at the coordinates 0.535 to 0.548 (EcoRI/Pstl DNA fragment, 2.7 kbp) and 0.920 to 0.944 (PvuII CIV DNA fragment L, 5.1 kbp), respectively. The DNA nucleotide sequence (2708 bp) of the EcoRI/Pstl subfragment was determined. The comparative analysis of the DNA sequences of this particular region of the viral genome with the DNA sequences of the PvuII DNA fragment L (5064 bp) revealed the presence of several DNA sequences within the EcoRI/Pstl subfragment of the EcoRI CIV DNA fragment H which show homology to DNA sequences of the PvuII DNA fragment L. For example, a DNA element (box A, 91 bp) is located at nucleotide positions 1981 to 2072 of the EcoRI CIV DNA fragment H which are complementary (greater than 90%) to the nine regions of the PvuII DNA fragment L (L-boxes 1 to 9). Furthermore heteroduplex mapping revealed the existence of a stem-loop structure (stem, 65 +/- 10 bp and loop, 652 +/- 80 bp) at the genome coordinates 0.571 to 0.582 (2.5 kbp, HindIII/EcoRI subfragment of the EcoRI CIV DNA fragment H). This indicates that an inverted repeat sequence is located at this region of the viral genome. The DNA nucleotide sequence of this subfragment was determined (2555 bp) which confirmed the data obtained from electron microscopy. An inverted repeat DNA sequence located at nucleotide positions 304 and 1011 is able to form this type of stem-loop structure.

Base Sequence↗

DNA nucleotide sequence analysis of the PvuII DNA fragment L of the genome of insect iridescent virus type 6 reveals a complex cluster of multiple tandem, overlapping, and interdigitated repetitive DNA elements.

The DNA nucleotide sequence of the PvuII DNA fragment L (0.920 to 0.944 map units (m.u.] of the genome (209 kbp) of insect iridescent virus type 6 was determined. The size of this DNA fragment was 5064 bp with a base composition of 39.79% G + C and 60.21% A + T. The DNA sequence contained many perfect direct repeats of sizes up to 145 bp. In addition to these repetitions, a cluster of four imperfect repetitive DNA elements (R1 to R4) with a complex structural arrangement was detected. R1, R2, and R3 existed in duplicate (two boxes (B] between nucleotide positions 271 and 3466) and their size were as follows: R1-B1/B2 (567/568 bp), R2-B1/B2 (917/931 bp), and R3-B1/B2 (92/88 bp). The R4 repetitive element was found in 12 boxes (between bases 1301 and 4417), which were interrupted at nucleotide positions 1883 to 2236 and 3341 to 3587. These interruptions define three segments (S) harboring boxes B1 to B3 (S1), B4 to B8 (S2), and B9 to B12 (S3). The size of the individual boxes was found to be 239, 233, 107, 244, 222, 242, 242, 148, 240, 242, 242, and 102 bp for R4-B1 to B12, respectively. Five open reading frames (ORFs of 118 to 333 amino acid (AA) residues) were detected. The analysis of the amino acid sequences of the largest ORF revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence of the putative gene product contained two repetitions TR1 (three domains of 50 AA) and TR2 (two domains of 74 AA). Sequences of 43 amino acid residues of ORF 5 (160 to 202 AA) were homologous within the majority of ORFs. A consensus sequence-MANL(X)6 IGSSST(X)6 L(X)1 LGS(X)1 LQISG(X)2 L(X)1 VN- was found in all five ORFs. Although classical canonical and noncanonical transcriptional start signals were detectable, polyadenylation signals were not observed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗