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Biomedical subjects

M Wiese

Publications and source records attributed to M Wiese.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Acute poisoning with Diffenbachia picta.

Plants from the Araceae family contain unidentified volatile compounds that are highly irritative or corrosive. Patient aged 38 was admitted with acute poisoning with Diffenbachia picta exhibited as severe salivation, burning and pain of the oral cavity, mucosal edema and blistering. Treatment was conservative similar to that in corrosive poisonings. Patient was discharged after 14 d hospitalization without postburning complications.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1995

Accelerated Schedule for Hepatitis B Immunization.

Background: A considerable number of people remain unprotected against hepatitis B. These people may require immunization at short notice before being exposed to situations or locations where a risk of infection is present. Currently, full active immunization against hepatitis B, when administered according to recommended schedules, takes 2-6 months. This open, randomized multicentric study evaluated the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in adults when it was administered according to three different rapid vaccination schedules. Methods: Five hundred and twenty four healthy adults (aged 18-59 years) were randomly divided into three groups. Hepatitis B vaccine was given intramuscularly in the deltoid muscle at months 0, 1, and 2 (group A); weeks 0, 14, and 28 (group B); and weeks 0, 7, and 21 (group C). Symptoms were recorded by the subjects on individual diary cards. AntiHBs were measured using radioimmunoassay (Ausab-Abbott); a seroprotective titer was defined as 10 IU/L. Results: At day 28, no significant difference in seroprotection rates (SPRs) i.e., seroconversion >= 10 IU/L,was observed, between groups B (55.6%) and C (65.2%), but both these groups had significantly greater SPRs than group A (15.0%). Although not significant (p=.07), groups B and C also had higher SPRs than group A (78.5% and 76.4% versus 65%) at day 56. One month after completing the three dose schedules, the SPRs were as follows: 89.0% (group A); 78.5% (group B); and 76.4% (group C), increasing to > 94% at month 7 to 8 in all three groups. The SPRs at month 13 were 95.8%, 98.9%, and 98.6%, respectively. Among the three groups, no significant differences were observed from month 2 onwards in either SPRs or geometric mean titers. In groups A, B, and C, 3.7%, 5.0%, and 7.1% of the vaccine injections were associated with local symptoms. Also 8.3%, 6.2%, and 6.3% of subjects exhibited general symptoms following each vaccine dose; all symptoms were transient and resolved spontaneously. Conclusions: This recombinant hepatitis B vaccine administered at weeks 0, 7, 21, or at weeks 0, 14, 28, rapidly elicits high rates of seroprotection, which persist at least until month 12.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Transmission of hepatitis C virus to children and husbands by women infected with contaminated anti-D immunoglobulin.

In 1978-79 a single-source outbreak of hepatitis C occurred in 2533 women who had received virus-contaminated anti-D immunoglobulin. Children and husbands of 74 women with self-limited, and of 86 women with chronic, hepatitis C were followed up for over 10-15 years. In 3 of 231 investigated children (1.3%) serological evidence for HCV infection was found. However, none of the children developed an apparent or chronic hepatitis. Serum samples of the 94 husbands investigated showed no HCV antibodies or HCV RNA. We consider the risk of intrauterine or perinatal transmission of HCV, as well as that of transmission through close family contacts, to be low. No evidence was found for sexual transmission for women to men.

Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic↗
PubMed1995

Ser/Thr-rich repetitive motifs as targets for phosphoglycan modifications in Leishmania mexicana secreted acid phosphatase.

The insect stage of the protozoan parasite Leishmania mexicana secretes a phosphomonoesterase in the form of a filamentous complex. The polypeptide subunits of this polymer are modified by phosphoglycans and/or oligomannosyl residues linked to phosphoserine. Based on peptide sequence data of a predominant 100 kDa protein of the filamentous complex, two tandemly arranged, single copy genes, lmsap1 and lmsap2, were cloned and sequenced. lmsap1 predicts a protein with features characteristic of acid phosphatases and a remarkable serine- and threonine-rich region of 32 amino acids close to the C-terminus. In the otherwise identical lmsap2 product, this region is extended to 383 amino acids and is composed of short Ser/Thr-rich repeats. Deletion analysis demonstrates that lmsap1 encodes the major 100 kDa protein of the complex while a minor 200 kDa component is derived from the lmsap2 gene. Null mutants of either gene retain the ability to secrete acid phosphatase filaments, while a deletion of both genes results in Leishmania defective in enzyme formation. The Ser/Thr-rich domains are the targets for phosphoglycan modifications as shown by the expression of secreted fusion proteins composed of these C-terminal regions and the N-terminal domain of a lysosomal acid phosphatase.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1995

Analysis of hepatitis C virus quasispecies populations by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) forms complex quasispecies populations which consist of a large number of closely related genetic variants. This genetic heterogeneity may cause antigenic variation or drug resistance. We used heteroduplex analysis by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) to characterize genetic variants of HCV. The high resolution of TGGE was proven by comparison of DNA sequence data of different cDNA clones from the HCV 5'NCR with their corresponding migration pattern in TGGE. Using this method we were able to identify virus variants of the HCV 5'NCR even if they only differed from each other by a single base. HCV populations from three patients with chronic hepatitis C were found to consist of genetic variants, although the degree of the heterogeneity varied. In addition, we compared the genetic heterogeneity of the core and E2 regions of the HCV genome in one patient. Our results demonstrate that TGGE is a useful tool for characterization of the genetic heterogeneity of virus populations in vivo.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1995

[How can the patient's home be changed into a work place for the nurse? Interaction theoretical note on the role of the professional nurse in ambulatory care].

In home-care-situations nurses are confronted with the special problem of changing the house of the patients into a nurse's place of work and to play at this "stage" the role of professional nurses. The role-theory of Goffman is the background to outline some structural barriers for the performance of this role. In such and other care-giving-situations the nurse must be able to keep a necessary amount of role-distance, to regain professional autonomy.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed1994

Drug membrane interaction and the importance for drug transport, distribution, accumulation, efficacy and resistance.

Some aspects of drug membrane interaction and its influence on drug transport, accumulation, efficacy and resistance have been discussed. The interactions manifest themselves macroscopically in changes in the physical and thermodynamic properties of "pure membranes" or bilayers. As various amounts of foreign molecules enter the membrane, in particular the main gel to liquid crystalline phase transition can be dramatically changed. This may change permeability, cell-fusion, cell resistance and may also lead to changes in conformation of the embedded receptor proteins. Furthermore, specific interactions with lipids may lead to drug accumulation in membranes and thus to much larger concentrations at the active site than present in the surrounding water phase. The lipid environment may also lead to changes in the preferred conformation of drug molecules. These events are directly related to drug efficacy. The determination of essential molecular criteria for the interaction could be used to design new and more selective therapeutics. This excursion in some aspects of drug membrane interaction underlines the importance of lipids and their interaction with drug molecules for our understanding of drug action, but this is not really a new thought but has been formulated in 1884 by THUDICUM: "Phospholipids are the centre, life and chemical soul of all bioplasm whatsoever, that of plants as well as of animals".

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Characterization of phosphoglycan-containing secretory products of Leishmania.

This article presents an overview on phosphoglycan-containing components secreted by the insect and mammalian stages of several species of Leishmania, the causative agents of leishmaniasis in the Old and New World. Firstly, promastigotes of all three species considered, L. mexicana, L. donovani and L. major, shed lipophosphoglycan (LPG) into the culture medium possibly by release of micelles from the cell surface. Like the cell-associated LPG, culture supernatant LPG is amphiphilic and composed of a lysoalkylphosphatidylinositol-phosphosaccharide core connected to species-specific phosphosaccharide repeats and oligosaccharide caps. Secondly, all three species release hydrophilic phosphoglycan. Thirdly, all three species appear to secrete proteins covalently modified by phosphosaccharide repeats and oligosaccharide caps. In the case of promastigotes of L. mexicana, these components are organized as two filamentous polymers released from the flagellar pocket: the secreted acid phosphatase (sAP) composed of a 100 kDa phosphoglycoprotein and a protein-containing high-molecular-weight-phosphoglycan (proteo-HMWPG) and fibrous networks likewise composed of phosphoglycan possibly linked to protein. Structural analyses and gene cloning suggest that the parasites can covalently modify protein regions rich in serine and threonine residues by the attachment of phosphosaccharide repeats capped by oligosaccharides. We propose that the networks formed in vitro correspond to fibrous material previously demonstrated in the digestive tract of infected sandflies. In the case of L. donovani, the sAP is also modified by phosphoglycans but contains neither proteo-HMWPG nor does it aggregate to filaments. Finally, L. mexicana amastigotes release proteo-HMWPG via the flagellar pocket into the parasitophorous vacuole of infected macrophages.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1994

Eye-movement desensitisation. Symptom change in post-traumatic stress disorder.

A novel approach is described for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eye-movement desensitisation (EMD) requires the patient to generate images of the trauma in the mind and define physiological and emotional arousal states. While concentrating on these states, lateral multisaccardic eye movements are induced. Ten consecutive cases are reported who presented with symptoms originating from a range of traumas. The effectiveness of EMD in reducing symptoms outlined by DSM-III-R is described. An independent rater indicated that eight of the ten cases showed considerable improvement in PTSD symptoms following EMD, which was maintained at follow-up. Particular reference is given to the 'specificity' of EMD in treating symptoms and the changing pattern of effect at follow-up.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Monoclonal antibodies directed against Leishmania secreted acid phosphatase and lipophosphoglycan. Partial characterization of private and public epitopes.

Leishmania promastigotes, the stage of the parasite characteristic for the sandfly vector, express an abundant glycoconjugate, called lipophosphoglycan, at their surface. Lipophosphoglycan consists of lysoalkyl-sn-glycerophosphoinositol linked to a phosphosaccharide core conserved in all species, which is connected to PO4-6Gal beta 1,4Man alpha 1 repeats with species-specific substitutions at the Gal residue; the repeats are capped by conserved and species-specific oligosaccharides. Most Leishmania species also secrete an acid phosphatase, which, in Leishmania mexicana, is a filamentous complex composed of a phosphorylated glycoprotein and non-covalently associated proteo-(high-molecular-mass)phosphoglycan. The secreted acid phosphatase complex was used as an antigen to derive a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). A total of 25 mAbs (17 novel and 8 previously described) were tested by different techniques for their specificity against lipophosphoglycan and secreted acid phosphatase from several Leishmania species. This comparison and the modification of the antigens by chemical or enzymic treatments allowed a classification of the mAbs into several groups. First, from 25 mAbs examined, 22 recognize lipophosphoglycan and the enzyme complex of L. mexicana; only three are specific for secreted acid phosphatase. Two of the latter group are also directed against carbohydrate structures, whereas the third mAb recognizes the 100-kDa polypeptide of the complex. The secreted acid-phosphatase-specific class detects antigen in the flagellar pocket of promastigotes while all anti-lipophosphoglycan mAbs bind to the cell surface. Second, all 15 anti-lipophosphoglycan mAbs investigated in detail appear to be directed against the phosphosaccharide repeats or the cap structure rather than the phosphosaccharide core. Two mAbs recognize terminal cap-structures containing Man alpha 1,2Man residues. Four antibodies are specific for L. mexicana and are probably directed against PO4-6[Glc beta 1,3]Gal beta 1,4Man alpha 1 repeats while six mAbs react with the unmodified repeats. Two antibodies specific for Leishmania major recognize Gal beta 1,3-substituted repeats unique for lipophosphoglycan from this species. Analysis by immunoblotting indicates that the high-molecular-mass proteo-phosphoglycan of L. mexicana secreted acid phosphatase carries epitopes for all anti-lipophosphoglycan mAbs suggesting the presence of capped phosphosaccharide repeats while the enzymically active glycoprotein subunit is modified by caps but probably not by repeats. In the case of Leishmania donovani secreted acid phosphatase, the enzymically active polypeptide may be directly modified by repeats. The mAbs are used to characterize changes in lipophosphoglycan structure, which occur in culture during the transition of promastigotes from the logarithmic to the stationary growth phase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1993

Concerted circadian oscillations in transcript levels of nineteen Lha/b (cab) genes in Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato).

Steady-state mRNA levels of nineteen members of the Lha/b (cab) gene family of Lycopersicon esculentum, encoding nine different types of light-harvesting complex (LHC) polypeptides, were determined by primer extension analysis. Each Lha/b gene is expressed and individual mRNAs accumulate to distinct levels. The relative contribution of each Lha/b mRNA to the total Lha/b mRNA levels is very similar in different green organs (leaves, stems, fruits, sepals) and after light treatment of etiolated seedlings. Detailed analysis of Lha/b mRNA accumulation in leaves under light/dark conditions, continuous darkness and continuous light revealed diurnal and circadian oscillations of Lha/b mRNAs for all genes. Only minor instances of divergence from a general expression pattern are apparent. Together these results indicate a concerted expression of all genes, suggesting that similar or identical molecular mechanisms and signal transduction chain control the expression of all Lha/b genes.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

A majority of proliferating T cells in cutaneous malignant T cell lymphomas may lack the high affinity IL-2 receptor (CD25).

IL-2 is a major growth factor for all T-cell subsets acting via a specific membrane receptor. To investigate its role in the pathogenesis of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs), we analysed the expression of high-affinity IL-2 receptors (IL-2Rs) on proliferating cells in these disorders. We showed by immunohistochemical double staining that most cycling cells do not express high-affinity IL-2Rs. Four T-cell lines were established from patients with CTCLs. Two lines required both IL-2 and IL-4 for growth, one line required IL-2 and one line IL-4 alone. The last of these lacked expression of the IL-2R alpha-chain. Thus, IL-2 may not be the only, or the most important, growth stimulus in CTCLs and reactive skin infiltrates. T helper cells, which dominated the infiltrate, might represent TH2 cells.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1993

The morphological substrate of autonomic regulation of the bronchial epithelium.

Observations of explanted bronchial mucosa show that ciliary function is maintained for 7 days subsequent to explanation. This finding demonstrates that non-neural mechanisms exist which regulate ciliary function. Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies both for light and electron microscopy were performed on human bronchial biopsy material and lung resection specimens in order to recognize the morphological substrate of this regulatory mechanism. A complex system of cytokeratin filaments and microtubules radiate through the whole cytoplasm of ciliated cells with direct contact to the nucleus, cilia, microvilli, desmosomes and to the apical terminal adhesive complex. Between the basal bodies and the apical terminal adhesive complex microfilaments can be found. In the apical cytoplasm a dense filamentary network is seen in association with the adhesive complex. These morphological findings indicate that the cytoskeleton of the bronchial epithelium plays a key role in the co-ordination of ciliary function.

Bronchi↗
PubMed1993

Application of neural networks in the QSAR analysis of percent effect biological data: comparison with adaptive least squares and nonlinear regression analysis.

Artificial neural networks (ANN) can be used for the direct QSAR analysis of percent effect biological data, thus avoiding the bias introduced by arbitrarily chosen classes and the loss of information due to prior classification. For two data sets the ANN results are compared with those obtained by adaptive least squares and nonlinear regression analyses. In comparison with the other methods the neural network shows higher predictive power and does not require an explicit equation relating the observed effect to physicochemical descriptors.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

A time hierarchy-based model for kinetics of drug disposition and its use in quantitative structure-activity relationships.

By using the time hierarchy of the processes determining the fate of drugs in biosystems (absorption, transport, distribution, protein binding, and elimination), a one-compartment open model is formulated at a subcellular level for the disposition phase of pharmacokinetics. The resulting disposition function describes the kinetics of the intracellular disposition of drugs as determined by their hydrophobicity, acidity or basicity, affinity to proteins, and rate parameters of elimination. Structure-activity relationships, based on the function with incorporated extrathermodynamic relations, fit the literature data well (fixed-time bioactivity-hydrophobicity profiles, kinetics of microbial degradation of organic compounds, and kinetics of analgesic effects of fentanyl derivatives in rats). Application of the approach, creating a basis for the construction of model-based quantitative structure-time-activity relationship, to biosystems of varying complexity is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Interaction of prostaglandin E1 with alpha-cyclodextrin in aqueous systems: stability of the inclusion complex.

Prostavasin, an inclusion complex of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) with alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD), is used in the therapy of thrombosis. Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements have been made to study the interaction of PGE1 with alpha-CD. The observed interaction (chemical shift) and the derived dissociation constant prove that only weak interaction forces are operative and that complete dissociation occurs upon dilution.

Alprostadil↗