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Biomedical subjects

N Müller

Publications and source records attributed to N Müller.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Lung function and chest radiograph abnormalities among construction insulators.

We carried out a prevalence survey of pulmonary health parameters among current and retired construction insulators (50 years old and older) from all areas of British Columbia, Canada. The study population included 59 active workers (81 percent participation in this group) and 29 workers who were retired or inactive due to illness (69% participation). Radiograph results were compared to those from actively working bus mechanics from the same age group, and retired grain and civic workers, who were all tested in the same manner. Chest radiographs were read independently by two readers and were graded according to the ILO classification system. Pleural abnormalities alone were found in 34% (20) of active workers (5% in comparison group) and 45% (13) of non-active workers (14% in comparison group). Rates for parenchymal abnormalities for these same groups (ILO grade 1/0 or higher) were 17% (5%) and 20% (5%), respectively. Airflow obstruction was present in 35% (31) of the insulators and was associated with age and the presence of diffuse pleural thickening, and 5 or more years of employment in pulp mills. Restrictive lung function was present in 22% (19) of the insulator population and was associated with age and radiographic evidence of parenchymal fibrosis. The results indicate that construction insulators, a group at high risk for asbestos-related lung disease, also have a high prevalence of airflow obstruction. This was associated not only with smoking, but also with diffuse pleural thickening and a history of pulp-mill employment, suggesting that airflow obstruction in this population is also partly work related.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Cellular immunity in schizophrenic patients before and during neuroleptic treatment.

A possible connection between immunological alterations and schizophrenia has been discussed for many years. We studied 55 schizophrenic patients in an acute stage of illness before they began neuroleptic treatment. 35 patients who showed clinical improvement on neuroleptics, and 51 healthy controls. Our interest was focused on parameters of cellular immunity. We found an increased lymphocyte response to stimulation with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in patients before neuroleptic therapy and also an increased response to stimulation with PWM and PHA during treatment compared to controls. Stimulation with antigens generally showed a lower lymphocyte response in patients than in controls, but the difference was only significant after stimulation with tuberculin before neuroleptic treatment and after stimulation with varidase, diphteria-toxoid, tuberculin, vaccinia, and rubella during neuroleptic treatment. The number of CD3+ and CD4+ cells, but not the number of CD8+ cells, was increased before and during treatment in comparison to controls. Suppressor-cell activity was reduced in three different suppressor cell assays before and during neuroleptic medication compared to controls. We therefore conclude that alterations of the immunological system which are, as has been demonstrated, not due to treatment with neuroleptics might play a role in schizophrenia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Coincidence of schizophrenia and hyperbilirubinemia.

In a retrospective study, the bilirubin plasma concentrations of every patient admitted to the Psychiatric Hospital were collected. Patients suffering from liver disease, substance abuse, overt hemolysis, or increased liver enzymes were excluded. Schizophrenics showed a significantly higher incidence of hyperbilirubinemia than patients suffering from other psychiatric disorders. This phenomenon seems to be independent of drug usage and therefore points to a relationship between hyperbilirubinemia and schizophrenic psychosis. Hypothetic explanations, such as a possible genetic disposition for Gilbert Syndrome, an increased vulnerability of red-cell membranes, and the role of estrogens in schizophrenic patients, are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Extremely long plasma half-life of amitriptyline in a woman with the cytochrome P450IID6 29/29-kilobase wild-type allele--a slowly reversible interaction with fluoxetine.

A 61-year-old woman, a nonsmoker, was admitted to the hospital because of endogenous depression. No concomitant disease, especially kidney or liver dysfunction, was diagnosed. After 9 days of treatment with 125 mg of amitriptyline (AMI) daily, she developed signs of a severe anticholinergic syndrome. Plasma concentrations of AMI (510 ng/ml) and nortriptyline (NOR; 320 ng/ml) were very high and the half-life of AMI was about 120 h. The debrisoquine metabolic ratio was 0.55 and 0.79 on two occasions, which shows that she had no deficiency of cytochrome P450IID6. This result was confirmed with a dextromethorphan test, analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (29/29-kb fragments), and genotyping with allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (homozygous 29 kb wild-type alleles). Patients with high plasma levels of tricyclic antidepressants are usually poor metabolizers of debrisoquine. Before the administration of AMI, our patient was pretreated with fluoxetine. A slowly reversible interaction with fluoxetine or an extremely long-lasting metabolite may be responsible for the long plasma half-life of AMI.

Alleles↗
PubMed1991

[Preoperative autologous blood donation--analysis of side effects and complications].

From August 1989 to April 1990, 511 patients donated preoperative blood for elective cardiothoracic, orthopedic or orthodontic operations. No side effects related to donations showed 64% of the patients, anemia 22%, vaso-vagal reactions 11%. From the autologous units 39% were transfused to the cardiothoracic, 63% to the orthopedic and 68% to the orthodontic patients.

Blood Component Transfusion↗
PubMed1991

Filtration of platelet concentrates.

The transfusion of leukocyte-containing blood products causes a number of side reactions, which among others induces alterations of the immune system of the recipient leading to alloimmunization or immunosuppression. Antibodies against antigenic determinants of the major histocompatibility complex-proteins of class I are the major cause of alloimmunization. Though platelets are easy targets for HLA antibodies, they cannot induce the antibody production themselves. This requires leukocytes, carrying the MHC-proteins of the class II. Standard platelet concentrates for the clinical routine have more than 10(6) leukocytes. Leukocyte filters with a special surface modification reduce the number of leukocytes in platelet concentrates underneath this CILL-value (critical immunogenic load of leukocytes), thus reducing the antigenic, immunogenic effects of leukocyte contamination considerably.

Blood Component Transfusion↗
PubMed1990

Nuclear-magnetic-resonance investigations of the biliverdin-apomyoglobin complex.

The recently described biliverdin-apomyoglobin complex has been investigated by two-dimensional NMR methods and molecular modeling with respect to the geometry of the chromophore and its position within the myoglobin pocket. Nuclear Overhauser effect correlations between the ligand and apoprotein amino acid residues prove that the bile pigment assumes a cyclic helical conformation and a position similar to heme in native myoglobin.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Echinococcus multilocularis: characterization of a DNA probe.

A 0.6 kb DNA fragment has been isolated from a genomic sublibrary of the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis. This DNA-fragment showed a strong hybridization signal to 32PdCTP labeled total DNA prepared from E. multilocularis metacestode material. The fragment was subcloned into the Escherichia coli vector Bluescript BS+ resulting in the recombinant plasmid pAL1. The recombinant parasite DNA probe was labeled by biotinylation and hybridized to Southern blots of resolved EcoRI/PstI digested genomic DNA originating from E. multilocularis, E. granulosus and other helminth species (Taenia hydatigena, T. crassiceps, T. saginata, Mesocestoides corti, Hymenolepis diminuta, Moniezia expansa). The Southern blot hybridization experiments revealed that the DNA probe pAL1 was specific for E. multilocularis and E. granulosus. By comparison of the hybridization banding patterns a clear discrimination between E. multilocularis and E. granulosus was possible at the genome level. Furthermore, pAL1 was used to detect genetic variation within a set of different E. multilocularis isolates which had been experimentally maintained in mice by parasite tissue transplantation.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Humoral and cellular immune response in mice and dogs induced by a recombinant Echinococcus multilocularis antigen produced by a Salmonella typhimurium vaccine strain.

A gene fragment (II/3-10) from the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis coding for a species-specific antigen was expressed in the live attenuated Salmonella typhimurium vaccine strain LT2 M1C. The recombinant vaccine (S. typhimurium + pVM II/3-10) was assessed for its potential to induce both a humoral and cell-mediated immune response in mice and dogs. Both subcutaneous and peroral administration of the vaccine resulted in antibody synthesis and lymphocyte priming of C57BL/6J mice against S. typhimurium antigens as well as against the recombinant E. multilocularis antigen. Two vaccinated (subcutaneous and peroral) dogs showed a strong humoral immune response to S. typhimurium antigens and to the recombinant E. multilocularis antigen, but proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes was not detectable against the bacterial S. typhimurium antigens. Regarding the recombinant E. multilocularis antigen, borderline lymphocyte proliferation was demonstrated following subcutaneous and none following peroral administration of the recombinant vaccine to dogs.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Emphysema in silicosis. A comparison of smokers with nonsmokers using pulmonary function testing and computed tomography.

The presence of emphysema in silicosis is believed to be secondary to the development of progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). However, it is difficult to separate out other causative factors, particularly cigarette smoking. In order to attempt to distinguish these factors, we examined 30 patients with silicosis by means of pulmonary function testing and computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest. Eighteen of these patients were either exsmokers or current smokers, and 12 of them were nonsmokers. The CT scans were read independently by two observers on two separate occasions. Silicosis was graded on a 5-point scale from 0 to 4; emphysema was graded as a percentage of lung involved. Percent emphysema was associated with level of pulmonary function (FEV1, FVC, and DLCO) independent of its association with either cigarette smoking or silicosis grade (p less than 0.01). Silicosis grade was associated with DLCO (p less than 0.05) independent of its association with either cigarette smoking or percent emphysema, but was not associated with level of FEV1 or FVC. In the group without PMF (silicosis Grade 0, 1, or 2), smokers had worse emphysema than nonsmokers (p less than 0.01); there was no such difference among the patients with PMF (silicosis Grade 3 or 4). Only one of the nonsmoking subjects with silicosis but without PMF had any emphysema detected on CT. Our data suggest that silicosis, in the absence of PMF, does not cause significant emphysema, and that it is primarily the degree of emphysema rather than the degree of silicosis that determines the level of pulmonary function.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Bacterial growth of thrombocyte preparations during storage time].

Standard practice of platelet storage at room temperature may contribute to the risk of sepsis after platelet transfusion. Platelets in vitro inoculated with 10(3) or more different microorganisms showed logarithmic bacterial growth throughout the 5 days of storage. These data support the hypothesis that bacterial contamination of platelets might become clinically significant during the 5 days of storage.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1990

[Autologous blood transfusion in elective mouth, jaw, and facial surgery. Experience with 53 patients].

From June 1987 to July 1989 53 patients with elective operations donated their own blood for a later possible retransfusion. Although autologous transfusion was time-consuming nearly all patients accepted this method because they received the safest of all possible transfusions. So preoperative psychological anxieties could be reduced and the decision for the operation was made easier.

Adolescent↗