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Biomedical subjects

N Rasmussen

Publications and source records attributed to N Rasmussen.

87 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Sequelae from bacterial meningitis and their relation to the clinical condition during acute illness, based on 667 questionnaire returns. Part II of a three part series.

During the years 1966-1976, 875 patients with bacterial meningitis were treated at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. In late 1979 and early 1980 a survey by questionnaire was conducted among survivors concerning the impact of the disease. Replies were received from 667 patients (96.4 per cent). The most common complaints after meningitis were headache (32 per cent) inability to concentrate (31 per cent), altered working capability (33 per cent) and loss of memory (24 per cent). Approximately 20 per cent suffered from impaired hearing, visual disturbances and dizziness. Five per cent had convulsions. Each questionnaire was evaluated for sequelae, and when present these were rated as mild, medium or severe. One-third of the patients had sequelae and in 6 per cent these were severe. Sequelae were most commonly associated with drowsiness, coma, agitation and confusion on admission to hospital.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Eight hundred and seventy-five cases of bacterial meningitis. Part I of a three-part series: clinical data, prognosis, and the role of specialised hospital departments.

Between 1966 and 1976, 875 patients with bacterial meningitis were treated at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet. Among 495 patients admitted directly to the department, fatality rates were 0.4 per cent for meningococcal infections (including septicaemia), 3.7 per cent for haemophilus meningitis and 8.7 per cent for pneumococcal meningitis. The total fatality rate for directly admitted patients was 3.8 per cent, and 4.0 per cent had sequelae on discharge. Patients transferred from other hospitals often had complications, and their fatality rate (20.1 per cent) was markedly higher than that for directly admitted patients, but not significantly higher than that for patients treated elsewhere in Denmark (17.6 per cent). The low fatality at a specialised unit may reflect an open and swift admission procedure and the preparedness of staff familiar with the management of meningitis. During the first five years after discharge, the relative death risk was increased among meningitis patients but later declined to that found in the general population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

875 cases of bacterial meningitis: diagnostic procedures and the impact of preadmission antibiotic therapy. Part III of a three-part series.

Data on the bacteriological findings, diagnostic measures and clinical course of 875 patients with bacterial meningitis are presented. Findings from the medical records and from a follow-up questionnaire survey of 667 of these cases revealed no significant difference between patients treated with antibiotics before admission (pretreated) and those who were not treated before admission (non-pretreated) with respect to clinical condition on admission, mortality and late sequelae. Pretreatment was, however, associated with a longer duration of symptoms. Apart from cases due to Neisseria meningitidis, there were no significant differences in diagnostic findings between pretreated and non-pretreated cases. In the group of pretreated meningococcal patients, however, positive blood cultures, pleiocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and positive cultures from sites other than blood and CSF were less frequent than in the non-pretreated cases.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1983

Specific cellular immunity in acoustic neuroma patients.

An indirect leukocyte migration agarose technique to detect cell-mediated immunity was modified to obtain a specific assay for release of human leukocyte migration inhibitory factor. Acoustic neuroma patients exhibited a significant cellular immune response against acoustic neuroma extract (P less than .01) as well as perilymph from acoustic neuroma patients (P less than .01) when compared to healthy control persons. All 19 patients tested reacted to acoustic neuroma extract. Seven of 21 perilymph samples did not elicit migration inhibition. Crossover determination of antigenicity of two negative and four positive perilymph samples against three patients revealed highly reproducible results, uncorrelated to perilymph concentration of potassium and protein. Flow cytofluorometry did not reveal malignant DNA patterns in 10 acoustic neuromas examined. Immunofluorescence studies did not reveal autoantibodies against acoustic neuromas in sera from 11 patients. The responsible antigen(s), the mechanism of immunization, and the diagnostic implications remain to be determined.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Inherited congenital bilateral atresia of the external auditory canal, congenital bilateral vertical talus and increased interocular distance.

Six out of twenty descendants of a reportedly affected grandfather have congenital bilateral symmetrical and isolated subtotal atresia of the external auditory canal. Four of the six affected descendants have bilateral foot anomalies--two affected cousins having congenital vertical talus. All of the three affected boys in the third generation have increased interocular distance. Short fifth fingers, bilateral single transverse palmar creases, pyloric stenosis and congenital exotropia were found infrequently and are considered coincidental features. Apart from the atresia, oto-rhinolaryngologic examination, mental function, dermatoglyphics, IgA, kidney function and heart function of the affected descendants were all normal. The karyotype of four affected descendants examined was normal. An autosomal dominant inheritance with variable expressivity is suggested.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Artificial ventilation and prognostic factors in bacterial meningitis.

The use of artificial ventilation in patients with bacterial meningitis was increased from 8.0% of 176 patients admitted in 1966-1968 to 31.5% of 162 patients admitted in 1975-1976. The therapeutic regimen was otherwise unchanged. The fatality rate decreased from 14.2% in the first period to 8.6% in the second, whereas the rate of neurological sequelae increased from 11.3% to 16.9%. A linear logistic model analysis was applied to correct for the influence of factors of known prognostic importance in the two periods, e. g. age, level of consciousness at admission, mode of admission and etiology. The analysis showed a significant 50% reduction in fatality rate (p = 0.05), whereas the corrected rate of neurological sequelae appeared similar in the two periods. Our results suggest that an increased use of respirator treatment may improve the prognosis in bacterial meningitis.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mortality in the years following bacterial meningitis.

During the years 1966-1976, 875 patients were treated for bacterial meningitis at the University Clinic for Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen. By about January 1, 1980, all 782 surviving patients had been traced. 87 had died in the observation period of four to 15 years. Mortality in the years following meningitis was studied by means of a comparison with the expected mortality in a matched normal population, using a computer program for the determination of late excess mortality. Late excess mortality was significantly increased during the first two years following discharge after meningitis and was of the same magnitude in the major etiological groups. The cumulative five-year late excess mortality rate was higher in the group of patients between 30 and 60 years, in those transferred from other hospitals, in those in coma or somnolence on admission and in those developing convulsions during hospitalization. In the group of patients aged 30 to 60 years, 11 patients died during the first two years after discharge. In nine of these cases, the main cause or the concomitant causes of death were conditions predisposing to infections or bacterial meningitis. The frequency of the causes of death in the 87 patients who died was not significantly different from that among the general Danish population.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Patient-specific cell-mediated immunity against human acoustic neuroma extract.

Lymphocytes from 8 patients with acoustic neuromas and 8 healthy control persons were exposed to acoustic neuroma extract. Indirect leukocyte migration agarose technique was applied for detection of leukocyte migration inhibition (LMI). The standard technique was additionally modified using a specific assay for release of human leukocyte migration inhibitory factor (LIF). Both the standard technique and the LIF-specific assay revealed a significant LMI exerted by lymphocytes from patients, as compared with control persons. The LIF-specific assay demonstrates that the LMI is an expression of cell-mediated immunity due to release of LIF. The immune reaction is raised against an unknown antigen in acoustic neuroma extract. Further studies must determine whether the immune reaction is specific for acoustic neuroma patients vis-a-vis patients with other tumours, especially other neuromas.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antigenicity and protein content of perilymph in acoustic neuroma patients.

11 acoustic neuroma patients, exhibiting cell-mediated immunity in vitro against acoustic neuroma extract, were tested for cell-mediated immunity in vitro against perilymph samples from other acoustic neuroma patients. 14 of 21 perilymph samples were antigenic. None of three healthy persons reacted against antigenic perilymph samples. The perilymph antigenicity was reproducible and negatively correlated to the perilymph sample volume. Differences in sample volume could not be ascribed to admixture of endolymph, cerebrospinal fluid, plasma or blood. The perilymph protein concentration varied from 31 to 54 g/l. Gel electrophoresis of perilymph proteins revealed less staining in the alpha-region compared to plasma proteins and a distinct band in the pre-gamma region absent in plasma. Tau-transferrin was not detected in any of 13 samples. The findings support that the cell-mediated immune response against acoustic neuroma extract may be mediated through release of antigen(s) to the perilymph.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies to proteinase-3 and application in the study of epitopes for classical anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies.

Wegener's granulomatosis is associated with autoantibodies (classical antineutrophil cytoplasm antibodies, c-ANCAs) to a serine protease called proteinase-3. In this study three IgG class monoclonal antibodies, designated 4A3, 4A5 and 6A6, against proteinase-3 were generated to study the immune response of c-ANCA-positive patients. All monoclonal antibodies were tested by immunofluorescence staining of human granulocytes and gave a staining pattern identical to the pattern obtained with sera from patients with Wegener's granulomatosis. On protein transfer blots of neutrophil alpha-granule extract, all monoclonal antibodies stained a 29-kD protein band corresponding to proteinase-3. Also, in a direct binding ELISA with alpha-granule extract as antigen, binding of the monoclonal antibodies to the antigen could be completely inhibited by adding a pure preparation of proteinase-3. In the ELISA type of competition experiments, none of the monoclonal antibodies could substantially inhibit binding of any of the other antibodies to the antigen, indicating that all monoclonal antibodies recognize separate epitopes on the antigen. The same conclusion was reached from experiments by real-time competition analysis using a Pharmacia BIAcore system. The monoclonal antibodies were used to study whether some epitopes on proteinase-3 are preferred by patient autoantibodies. A total of 36 patients sera was tested by competing for autoantibody binding to proteinase-3 with the monoclonal antibodies in an ELISA. Autoantibody binding to proteinase-3 could be partially or completely inhibited by either the 4A5 (50% of the sera) or by the 6A6 antibody (11%). The 4A3 antibody could only partially inhibit 8 of the sera (22%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗