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Biomedical subjects

M Simon

Publications and source records attributed to M Simon.

At least 847 records · Page 47Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro activity of flomoxef in comparison to other cephalosporins.

Flomoxef and cefazolin had nearly the same activity against staphylococci, which was stronger than that of other cephalosporins. Against Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus pneumoniae, cefotaxime and cefazolin were more active than flomoxef, but the other cephamycins were less active than flomoxef. In comparison to the other cephalosporins, latamoxef and flomoxef had higher activity against Branhamella catarrhalis, whereas cefotaxime, latamoxef and cefotetan were more active against Haemophilus influenzae. Flomoxef was the only drug exhibiting activity against Clostridium difficile. The activity of flomoxef and latamoxef against Bacteroides fragilis was stronger than that of the other cephalosporins, but Bacteroides bivius was resistant to each of these antibiotics.

Bacteria, Anaerobic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Congenital varicella syndrome.

The authors are reporting a typical case of congenital varicella syndrome following maternal varicella during the 17th week of pregnancy. At birth, the newborn showed necrotic bullae on the skin that healed later with characteristic scars. Other typical anomalies, i.e. hypoplastic limbs with muscular atrophy and clubfoot, intrauterine atrophy, dysphagia and anisocoria were also found. In view of the risk of serious malformations following intrauterine varicella infection attempts should be made to prevent varicella zoster virus infection during pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tick factors and in vitro cultivation influence the protein profile, antigenicity and pathogenicity of a cloned Borrelia garinii isolate from Ixodes ricinus hemolymph.

A Borrelia garinii isolate (NE11H) was obtained from the hemolymph of infed Ixodes ricinus. NE11H expressed four major proteins of 33 kDa, 32 kDa, 23 kDa and 22 kDa. During in vitro culture, NE11H successively lost the expression of the 22 kDa and 23 kDa proteins and the NE11H variant (NE11Hp15) was not recognized by an immune serum specific for the OspC protein (anti-OspC IS). However, when reintroduced into tick midguts, NE11Hp15 spirochetes present in the midgut again reacted with anti-OspC IS. A clone derived from the wild type line, cNE11H, lacked the 22 kDa but not the 23 kDa protein. The 23 kDa protein of cNE11H was recognized by anti-OspC IS. In addition, the two descendant lines (NE11Hp15 and cNE11H) lost their capacity to induce clinical arthritis in SCID mice. When cNE11H was reintroduced into ticks and reisolated from various tick organs, most reisolates presented the same reaction with anti-OspC IS as cNE11H. Interestingly, two reisolates obtained from the tick midgut reexpressed large amounts of the 22 kDa protein which was recognized by anti-OspC IS and these two reisolates induced clinical arthritis in SCID mice. The results confirm that proteins of 22/23 kDa are differentially expressed during in vitro subcultures and in ticks, and show that proteins which are not detectable after in vitro culture may be reexpressed after reexposure of B. burgdorferi to its former environment in the tick. The data suggest that the pathogenicity of B. burgdorferi for mice might be influenced by environmental factors via differential expression of 22/23 kDa proteins.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Measuring the severity of depression through a self-report inventory. A comparison of logistic, factorial and implicit models.

The present study investigates the psychometric adequacy of a self-report inventory of depression (the QD2) with respect to the severity of depressive symptoms, within the framework of a unidimensional model of depressive states. Responses to the 52 QD2 items, by 481 subjects divided into four groups (depressed, psychiatric, somatic and control), were subjected to a Rasch analysis. Results show that 15 items (QSD(R1] display a satisfactory goodness of fit for both items and persons, as defined by the Rasch model. This set of items, solely related to 'pure' depression, gives a measure of the severity of depression, free from anxiety symptoms. The discussion focuses upon the advantages of the Rasch model as compared to traditional tests. The Rasch 15-item solution should provide a parsimonious tool for future studies on the classification of depressive disorders.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spirochetes: vaccines, animal models and diagnostics.

The detailed characterization of various proteins from spirochetes using molecular biology techniques has made possible new approaches to vaccine and diagnostic development that are described in this session. The importance of animal models was emphasized and illustrated.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of two methods for rapid detection of cytomegalovirus viraemia in cell culture.

Two methods for rapid CMV viraemia detection in cell culture with immunoperoxidase staining performed 40 h post-inoculation were compared, on 230 blood samples: (1) a 24-well plate centrifugation assay and (2) a 25-cm2-culture flask technique, without centrifugation. The flask technique was significantly more sensitive than the 24-well plate technique. Moreover, the flask assay was more cost-effective and offered other advantages such as easier sterile handling and less damage of the cell monolayer.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Hodgkin's disease disclosed by myelofibrosis of primary appearance. Apropos of 2 cases].

Two male patients, aged 36 and 73 years respectively, gradually developed febrile pancytopenia with profound alteration of their general condition and major inflammatory repercussions. No superficial or deep lymph node enlargement was found initially. Patient n degree 2 had an enlarged spleen. In both cases histological examination of the bone marrow showed an extensive and apparently nonspecific myelofibrosis. The subsequent development of superficial lymphadenopathy provided a firm diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease with mixed cellularity. These two cases belong to the category of exceptional massive medullary forms of Hodgkin's disease described by Duhamel et al. in 1979.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Self-assembling nanocomplexes from insulin and water-soluble branched polyesters, poly[(vinyl-3-(diethylamino)- propylcarbamate-co-(vinyl acetate)-co-(vinyl alcohol)]-graft- poly(L-lactic acid): a novel carrier for transmucosal delivery of peptides.

The design of carriers for protein delivery that provide protection against enzymatic degradation and facilitate protein transport across epithelial surfaces, thus avoiding parenteral administration, remains a challenge. Self-assembling nanoscale protein/polymer complexes might present a promising approach. We synthesized water-soluble, amphiphilic polyesters, poly[(vinyl-3-(diethylamino)-propylcarbamate-co-(vinyl acetate)-co-(vinyl alcohol)]-graft-poly(L-lactic acid), containing a positively charged backbone, and studied the spontaneous formation of nanocomplexes (NC) with insulin. NC were characterized using dynamic light scattering, zeta-potential measurements, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Insulin loading was determined with HPLC, and the binding constants were obtained by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The NC formation was followed using nephelometric and light scattering techniques. Water-soluble, positively charged, branched polyesters with amphiphilic properties were obtained in a three-step polymer-analogous reaction. The degree of amine substitution, DS, in the PVAL backbone was varied between 0.04 and 0.5, and grafting this backbone with L-lactide increased the molecular weight from 18 kDa to 81 kDa. The polymer composition was optimized to facilitate NC formation with insulin resulting in a DS of 0.09 and a poly(L-lactide) side chain substitution of 0.5 with an average chain length of two lactic acids. Depending on polymer composition, stable NC of 200-500 nm diameter were formed with insulin, and the binding constants ranged from 4.7 x 10(5) to 9.5 x 10(6) M(-1). Positively charged surface charges ranging from +5 to +35mV and an insulin loading up to 98% of 33 IU/mL were obtained. The NC visualized by AFM revealed spheroidal particles with an entangled internal structure. It was demonstrated that this class of multifunctional polymers is capable of self-assembly with a peptidic substrate. The resulting nanosized complexes offer the potential for mucosal insulin/protein delivery and merit further investigations under in vivo conditions.

Biological Transport↗
PubMedDate not supplied

High levels of cytokeratin 19 fragments but no evidence of cytokeratins 1, 2, 10/11, 14 or filaggrin in the serum of squamous cell lung carcinoma patients.

The CYFRA 21-1 assay detects circulating fragments of cytokeratin 19, which is a sensitive marker for the diagnosis of lung cancers, particularly squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas. Epidermis-type proteins, such as cytokeratins 1, 2, 10/11 and 14 or filaggrin, are also expressed in squamous cell carcinomas. These could also be pertinent tumor markers, ideally as sensitive as CYFRA 21-1 and more specific for squamous cell lung cancer. To verify this hypothesis, using monoclonal antibodies produced in our laboratory, we developed immunoassays specific for these proteins. After optimization, the immunoassays were evaluated in sera from 91 controls and 138 patients with squamous cell lung cancer and compared to conventional tumor markers (CEA, SCC Ag and CYFRA 21-1). Less than 14% of the sera were above the lower limit of detection of the cytokeratin- and filaggrin-specific immunoassays. Moreover, part of these positive sera were induced by the presence of interfering heterophilic antibodies in sera. Thus, in patients with squamous cell lung cancer, we confirmed the high diagnostic sensitivity of CYFRA 21-1 (55.6%) but were unable to detect significant levels of epidermis-type cytokeratins or filaggrin.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cytotoxicity evaluation of soft contact lens care solutions on human conjunctival fibroblasts.

PURPOSE: To determine whether different contact lens care solutions for soft lenses cause damage to human conjunctival cells. METHODS: Primary cultured human conjunctival fibroblasts were incubated with various concentrations of four different commercially available soft contact lens care solutions (OptiFree, Renu, SoloCare, Titmus) at concentrations of 5, 10 and 50 microl/ml medium. Toxicity was examined by determination of (1) the cell viability and mitochondrial activity with the colorimetric MTT test, and (2) the number of living cells with a cell analysis system (CASY 1) as compared with untreated cells. RESULTS: For all four soft contact lens care solutions at a concentration of 5 mul/ml medium, no significant decrease in mitochondrial activity of the human conjunctival fibroblasts was found by the MTT test. At 10 microl/ml, only OptiFree and Titmus reduced mitochondrial viability significantly. The greatest reduction in mitochondrial activity occurred with all of the four soft contact lens care solutions at a concentration of 50 microl/ml. No significant decrease in the number of living conjunctival fibroblasts was observed by CASY 1 even at higher concentrations of the four solutions investigated. CONCLUSION: This in vitro study demonstrates that the examined soft contact lens care solutions induce changes in mitochondria of human conjunctival cells only at higher doses as observed by the MTT test. However, this damage to the mitochondria did not lead to cell death as shown by the cell analysis system.

Cell Survival↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A case of tracheobronchopathia chondroplastica].

A new case of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica is reported, demanding for the diagnosis besides the radio-clinical investigations, also the pathologic proof. The etiology is unknown.

Bronchial Diseases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Access to laboratory testing: the impact of managed care in the Pacific Northwest.

Patient access to health-care services has become an important issue owing to the growth of managed care organizations and the number of patients enrolled. To better understand the current issues related to access to laboratory testing, with a particular focus on the impact of managed care, we gathered information from a network of clinical laboratories in the Pacific Northwest. Two questionnaires were sent to the 257 Laboratory Medicine Sentinel Monitoring Network participants in November 1995 and March 1996 to investigate trends in the availability and utilization of laboratory testing services and changes in onsite testing menus. Although laboratories reported that managed care was a factor in their decisions about laboratory practices, testing decisions were more likely made for business reasons, based on medical practice changes and marketplace influences not associated with managed care.

Clinical Laboratory Techniques↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical laboratory test menu changes in the Pacific Northwest: an evaluation of the dynamics of change.

To characterize changes in on-site test volumes and test menus and to identify the factors influencing these changes, we gathered information from a network of clinical laboratories in the Pacific Northwest in 1996 and again in 1999. The two studies allow for a snapshot of these changes for specific periods and also an evaluation of the dynamics of change in clinical laboratory practices between 1994 and 1999. Throughout this 5-year span, business-related decisions have had the primary influence in determining where testing is performed. The overwhelming factor in deciding to retain certain tests on-site is whether the patient test volume is adequate to be cost-effective. Decisions to add or delete tests also are closely tied to marketplace competition, costs of testing equipment and supplies, and ability to obtain adequate reimbursement. Laboratory regulations have had a decreasing influence on on-site test menus in the network laboratories and particularly in physician office laboratories (POLs). The use of waived tests has increased dramatically, with POLs accounting for the majority of laboratories that added waived tests.

Clinical Laboratory Techniques↗