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Biomedical subjects

M Meurer

Publications and source records attributed to M Meurer.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

[Serological and immunological diagnosis of HIV-1 infection. Studies of 198 infected cases].

Since 1985, a total of 4281 patients at the Department of Dermatology, University of Munich, were tested for HIV-1 antibodies. Using the ELISA test, 273 were found to be positive, of whom 198 were examined clinically. At the time of the first serological test, 76 of these 198 patients (38.4%) had no clinical symptoms, 98 (49.5%) had a lymphadenopathy syndrome, and 29 had the full-blown picture of AIDS (12.1%). The following additional tests were performed on the 198 patients: antibodies against virus envelope and core proteins, concentration of serum immunoglobulins G, A and M and beta 2-microglobulin, absolute leukocyte and lymphocyte counts, T4/T8 ratio, and intracutaneous cellular immune reaction. Antibodies against virus envelope proteins were present in all the patients. Antibodies against virus core proteins were present in 82% of patients in the latent stage, 64% of patients with the lymphadenopathy syndrome, but only 45% of those with AIDS. Clearcut deviations within the three groups were also present with respect to serum levels of IgG and beta 2-microglobulins, as well as the T4/T8 ratio and the intracutaneous reaction against recall-antigens.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1987

[Clinical aspects, diagnosis and therapy of syphilis in pregnancy and in newborn infants].

A clinically manifest primary or secondary syphilis that develops during pregnancy has become an extremely rare occurrence. What is more frequently found in pregnant women, however, is a reactive syphilis serology where there is otherwise an absence of clinical symptoms or where, at least, there are untypical symptoms. What has to be decided in these cases is whether one is dealing with latent seropositive syphilis that can be transmitted to the child and thus needs to be treated, or with a serum scar resulting from an infection which occurred some time before. As a rule, this decision can be reached serologically by demonstrating Treponema-specific IgM antibodies by means of the 19S-IgM-FTA-ABS test or some similar methods. In the case of specific IgM detection, immediate treatment of the mother, and thus of the child, is important. Daily intramuscular injections of 1 million I.U. penicillin over a total of 21 days are recommended. Only in proved cases of penicillin allergy should one resort to erythromycin; although it must be said that there is no guarantee that this will produce a therapeutically sufficient fetal blood level. In rare cases such as these, the child must therefore be retreated with penicillin after birth. Today, the clinical signs of premature or retarded congenital syphilis are hardly ever seen in their classic form. Symptoms are frequently uncharacteristic - especially in the case of premature births - and can only be distinguished from other congenital infections with difficulty.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Erythromycin↗
PubMed1987

Ceftriaxone given repeatedly cures manifest syphilis in the rabbit.

Repeated intramuscular injection of ceftriaxone to rabbits with manifest syphilitic orchitis leads to clinical cure as does penicillin, given the serum levels reached are similar to the ones obtained clinically in man. Totally different to untreated controls the Treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA) titers remain relatively low and later even tend to decrease further. Thus, it seems justified to start clinical trials on the definite role of ceftriaxone in the treatment of clinical syphilis.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

[Latent and manifest acquired syphilis--clinical aspects, diagnosis and therapy].

The annual reported incidence of new syphilis infections in the FRG is decreasing; cases with atypical or oligosymptomatic forms of syphilis, however, show a relative increase. In contrast to the primary or secondary stage, the late stages of syphilis are very rare. Of great diagnostic importance is the serological examination which today can be limited to the VDRL and TPHA tests for screening and the FTA-ABS test for confirmation. In cases with an atypical clinical picture or history, the necessity for treatment can be verified with the 19S-IgM-FTA-ABS test and demonstration of treponemal IgM antibodies. Penicillin is still the drug of choice for the treatment of syphilis. In patients who are allergic to penicillin, the administration of erythromycin, tetracycline and, recently, of cephalosporins can be considered.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1987

[Value of the 19S IgM FTA ABS test in the diagnosis and therapy of syphilis. Personal experiences and remarks on the method].

Sera from patients with syphilis in various stages (525 sera specimens from untreated and 496 from treated patients) were tested, as were 17 sera specimens from infants with suspected neonatal syphilis. The tests employed for the detection of treponemal and reaginic antibodies were IgG-FTA-ABS, IgM-FTA-ABS, 19S-IgM-FTA-ABS, TPHA, VDRL and the complement fixation test. The purpose of this study was to see whether in all cases the demonstration of antitreponemal antibodies of the IgM class is a reliable criterion for treatment of seropositive patients. This was shown to be valid in nearly all cases where specific IgM was demonstrated by the 19S-IgM-FTA-ABS test. Possible biological or technical factors leading to erroneous results of this test are discussed.

Fluorescent Antibody Technique↗
PubMed1986

[The antinuclear antibody spectrum in circumscribed forms of scleroderma].

Sera from 56 patients with circumscribed scleroderma (CS) were tested for the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) by indirect immunofluorescence on HEp-2-cells. 16 patients (28.6%) had ANA, mostly in low titers of 1: 40 and with uncharacteristic fluorescence patterns. Nucleolar antibodies as in progressive systemic sclerosis were seen in a few cases only. Two female patients demonstrated antibodies with a centromere-like pattern. ANA were most frequently found in patients with atrophodermia idiopathica progressiva (60%) and in linear CS (44%). Rheumatoid factor was present in 62% of patients with linear CS; it was less frequent in other forms of CS. Antibodies against double-stranded DNA were found only in one female patient, but three patients with systemic involvement had antibodies to single-stranded DNA. Antibodies to soluble nuclear Scl-70, Ul-RNP and LA(SSB) antigens or to the cytoplasmatic Ro(SSA)-antigen, respectively, were not detected in the patients with CS. These results demonstrate that humoral autoimmune phenomena may occur in CS, mainly in patients with linear CS. These phenomena, however, are less frequent and specific than in progressive systemic sclerosis or in other collagen vascular diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Dermatitis herpetiformis and growth retardation.

We report a juvenile patient with dermatitis herpetiformis, growth retardation and delayed onset of puberty. All symptoms reversed on gluten withdrawal and drug therapy was not required. It is suggested that dermatitis herpetiformis in this patient is the result of long-standing coeliac disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Lymphadenopathy associated virus/human T-cell lymphotropic virus III antibodies in homosexual men with and without sperm antibodies.

For the evaluation of a possible relationship between antisperm antibodies and LAV/HTLV-III antibodies, both markers were determined in the sera of 89 homosexual men. Thirty-one of 89 men (35%) had sperm antibodies in their sera, and 21 of 89 men (24%) had LAV/HTLV-III antibodies. There was no significant relationship between the occurrence of both kinds of antibodies, so that infection with the LAV/HTLV-III retrovirus in homosexual men seems not be influenced by the presence of antisperm antibodies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Comparative in vitro susceptibility of Treponema pallidum to ceftizoxime, ceftriaxone and penicillin G.

A procedure dating back to the early penicillin era is adapted in order to determine the activity of the new cephalosporins ceftizoxime and ceftriaxone against Treponema pallidum in vitro. While the well-known activity of penicillin G is confirmed for the virulent Nichols strain (0.002 micrograms/ml lead to 50% immobilisation) the new cephalosporins turn out to be almost as efficacious. The concentration of ceftizoxime leading to 50% inhibition amounts to 0.004 micrograms/ml. The corresponding figure for ceftriaxone is 0.01 micrograms/ml. The potential importance of these findings for the treatment of syphilis in man are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

[Centromere antibodies and antibodies against Scl 70 nucleoprotein in progressive systemic scleroderma. Diagnostic and prognostic significance].

Frequency and diagnostic significance of two scleroderma-specific antinuclear antibodies were examined in 104 patients with progressive systemic scleroderma (PSS). Antibodies against an antigen in the centromere region of chromosomes (centromere antibodies) were demonstrated by indirect immuno-fluorescence on HEp-2 cells in 18 patients (17%) and antibodies against Scl-70 nucleoprotein (Scl-70 antibodies) by gel precipitation with soluble nuclear extracts (ENA) in 21 patients (20%). In none of the patients did both antibodies occur. In patients with Scl-70 antibodies severe illness was predominant with extensive cutaneous sclerosis in 86%, lung involvement in 85% and joint involvement in 89%. Humoral inflammatory signs were marked in this group. Patients with centromere antibodies predominantly had acroscleroderma (56%) with subcutaneous calcinosis (83%) and telangiectasias (83%), as known from the CREST syndrome. Humoral immune phenomena were rare. With regard to Raynaud's syndrome, involvement of the oesophagus, age and the duration of disease, there was no difference between the two groups. On the other hand, in patients with centromere antibodies lung involvement (22%) and joint involvement (35%) was significantly less common (P less than 0.01) than in all other scleroderma patients. Centromere antibodies and Scl-70 antibodies, which can be demonstrated already in the symptom-poor early phase of PSS, can thus be used as diagnostic parameters for different forms of PSS with differences in the degree of skin and organ involvement.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Photodynamic action of uroporphyrin on the complement system in porphyria cutanea tarda.

We investigated the effect of UV light (320-460 nm) on total hemolytic CH50 activity and C3 cleavage in sera obtained from 14 patients with porphyria cutanea tarda. Irradiation with 5, 10, or 50 J/cm2 resulted in a 12%-60% loss of CH50 and a 5%-30% cleavage of native C3 as estimated by planimetric evaluation of the immunoelectrophoretic C3 pattern. The complement changes were most pronounced in sera from patients with active disease and were minimal or absent in patients who were in remission. In all cases, the decrease of CH50 and C3 cleavage was proportional to the plasma-porphyrin concentration and the dose of radiation. After exposure to 320- to 460-nm light, similar changes were seen in normal human serum (NHS) to which exogenous uroporphyrin had been added. Beta-carotene and chloroquine had no inhibitory effect on the photodynamic complement activation. The C3 cleavage in irradiated NHS containing uroporphyrin was not affected by 10 mM EGTA, but was partially inhibited in the presence of 30 mM EDTA, thus indicating that the interaction of photoexcited uroporphyrin with the complement system differs from classical-pathway complement activation.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Epidermal synthesis and expression of HLA-DR on keratinocytes in lupus erythematosus.

It has been suggested that aberrant expression of HLA-DR plays an important role in the induction of an autoimmune reaction. In lupus erythematosus (LE), skin represents a major target for autoimmune attack. We therefore tested lesional and nonlesional skin from 11 patients with different clinical subtypes of LE for the presence of HLA-DR molecules on keratinocytes using a monoclonal antibody against a non-polymorphic HLA-DR determinant. In all lesions tested, HLA-DR-positive keratinocytes were present, whereas in nonlesional skin, these cells remained HLA-DR negative. To exclude the possibility of passive absorption of DR molecules, the de novo synthesis of HLA-DR was demonstrated by the presence of cytoplasmic HLA-DR gamma chains in keratinocytes. If aberrant HLA-DR expression is a primary event, it could facilitate the recognition of autoantigens on keratinocytes by immunocompetent cells. Alternatively, the synthesis of DR molecules could be induced as a secondary event by mediators derived from the inflammatory infiltrate.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Treatment of cutaneous lupus erythematosus with etretinate.

Nineteen patients with different clinical subsets of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE) were treated with the aromatic retinoid etretinate. In 11 of them excellent or good treatment results were obtained within two to six weeks. Best response to etretinate therapy was seen in male patients with discoid lupus erythematosus. Etretinate should prove a valuable drug in LE therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[Ichthyosis hystrix with parakeratosis in the form of cornoid lamellae].

We report on a keratinization disorder in four brothers in a family in which members had been affected in three generations. Clinical signs and genetic, histopathologic, autoradiographic and ultrastructural examinations all support the diagnosis of hystrixlike, proliferative ichthyosis with cornoid lamellae and autosomal dominant inheritance. The relationship of the disorder to other hystrixlike genetic keratinization disorders is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

[Dermatitis herpetiformis Duhring with linear deposits of IgA (linear IgA dermatosis)].

Three patients with linear deposits of IgA along the epidermal basement membrane were studied. The clinical and histopathological picture as well as the response to dapsone were typical of dermatitis herpetiformis. Two of the three patients were HLA-B8/DR3-positive. By immunoelectron microscopy, the previously reported two types of linear IgA deposits were confirmed: in one patient, the IgA precipitates were localized below the basal lamina as in dermatitis herpetiformis, in the other two above the basal lamina in the lamina lucida as in bullous pemphigoid. The immunoelectron microscopic findings imply that in some patients with linear IgA dermatosis a pathomechanism different from that in classical dermatitis herpetiformis may be operative.

Adult↗