Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Weber

Publications and source records attributed to P Weber.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Impaired pancreatic function in patients with Crohn's disease with and without pancreatic autoantibodies.

Pancreatic autoantibodies (PABs) are found in 31% of patients with Crohn's disease (CD), but they do not correlate with the activity of intestinal disease or the incidence of acute pancreatitis. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency has been observed in patients with CD. The aim of our study was to correlate the occurrence of PABs with exocrine pancreatic function to explore the clinical significance of these antibodies. Serum samples of 64 patients with CD were tested for PABs by indirect immunofluorescence. In addition, all patients were tested for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency by a fluorescein dilaurate test. PABs were detected in 26 of 64 patients (40%). The PAB-positive and -negative groups did not differ in clinical characteristics, such as age, sex, involvement of intestine, previous surgical interventions, drug therapy, and disease activity. Seven of the antibody-positive patients (27%) had impaired pancreatic function, in contrast to three of 38 PAB-negative patients (8%) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, exocrine pancreatic function is impaired significantly more often in PAB-positive than in PAB-negative patients. A prospective follow-up is required to determine whether PAB-positive patients are more likely to develop pancreatic insufficiency later in their course of disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Neutrophil antibodies (pANCA) in chronic liver disease and inflammatory bowel disease: do they react with different antigens?

OBJECTIVE: A high frequency of perinuclear neutrophil antibodies (pANCA) has been described in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We evaluated the presence of pANCA in chronic liver disease and compared the immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses of pANCA in inflammatory bowel disease with chronic liver disease. Since the antigen reacting with pANCA could not be determined, the antigenic role of various neutrophil antigens was evaluated. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Detection of pANCA and their IgG subclass was performed by immunofluorescence. One hundred and forty patients with chronic liver disease, 96 patients with inflammatory bowel disease and 40 healthy controls were tested for pANCA. pANCA positive and negative sera were evaluated for their reactivity with different neutrophil antigens in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system. RESULTS: pANCA were found in 8 of 23 patients (35%) with autoimmune hepatitis, in 6 of 21 patients (28%) with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), in 18 of 25 patients (72%) with PSC, in 3 of 48 patients (6%) with viral hepatitis, in 30 of 48 patients (62%) with UC, and in 2 of 48 patients (4%) with Crohn's disease. All 20 patients with alcoholic liver disease and 40 healthy controls were negative for pANCA. In contrast to the patients with UC who had 83% IgG1 and only 13% IgG3 antibodies, patients with PSC and PBC had an overexpression of IgG3 antibodies (PSC: 50% IgG3; PBC: 67% IgG3). A proportion of pANCA positive sera recognized lactoferrin, myeloperoxidase, cathepsin G, laminarase and alpha 1-antitrypsin. CONCLUSION: pANCA is not present only in patients with UC but in autoimmune liver diseases such as PSC, autoimmune hepatitis and PBC. Considering the IgG subclass of pANCA, the antibody response of patients with UC is different from patients with liver disease. No unique pANCA specific antigen could be detected, so heterogeneity of pANCA has to be considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Nitric oxide is necessary for a switch from stationary to locomoting phenotype in epithelial cells.

The restitution of epithelial integrity is accomplished in part by cell migration. Studying this process, we have found that nitric oxide (NO) release migrating epithelial BSC-1 cells displayed a biphasic response to the inflicted wounds; an initial transient release of NO is followed by a delayed sustained elevation. Whereas the constitutive endothelial NO synthase (NOS) did not show any spatial or temporal changes associated with wounding, the inducible NOS became expressed 3 h after wounding and showed higher abundance at the edges of epithelial wounds. L-Arginine (L-Arg) or NO donor, S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine, exerted motogenic effect in epithelial and endothelial cells. Inhibition of NOS with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or a selective knockout of inducible NOS with antisense oligodeoxynucleotides reduced the rate of spontaneous or epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced BSC-1 cell migration. Migrating cells showed the polarized expression of NOS, suggesting a head-to-rear NO gradient. Several growth factors (EGF, insulin-like growth factor I, hepatocyte growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor) were motogenic for BSC-1 cells, but this effect was abrogated by pretreatment with L-NAME. We conclude that endogenous NO production is a prerequisite for BSC-1 cell migration. A vectorial NO release may be essential for the spatially and temporally coordinated reciprocal phenomena that occur at the leading and trailing edge of locomoting epithelial cells. Although the exact mode of NO action remains uncertain, it is conceivable that the production of NO serves as a cellular switch from the stationary to the locomoting epithelial phenotype.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Vitamin C and human health--a review of recent data relevant to human requirements.

The recent scientific literature indicates that beyond merely protecting against scurvy vitamin C contributes to many aspects of human health. The main areas of research reviewed include: 1. Vitamin C requirements of smokers. The data indicate that the vitamin C requirement of smokers is higher by at least 60 mg per day (up to 140 mg per day) than that of nonsmokers. 2. Important functions of the body, such as immune response, pulmonary function, and iron absorption are related to vitamin C intakes. Daily vitamin C intake of at least 150-200 mg per day enhance these functions. 3. Vitamin C may play critical roles in the prevention of CHD, cancer and cataract. Based on the available data, vitamin C intakes of at least 80-120 mg per day are associated with lowering the risk of these chronic diseases. 4. The literature documents that these and much higher intake levels of vitamin C are safe.

Ascorbic Acid↗
PubMed1995

[Comparative epidemiology of the resistance of enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to fluoroquinolones in an outpatient study].

OBJECTIVES: Since the clinical introduction of fluoroquinolones in general practice for the treatment of a wide range of infections, we have carried out an annual survey of the susceptibilities of Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from domiciliary infections to quinolones (nalidixic acid and ofloxacin) as well as to amoxycillin, co-amoxyclav and co-trimoxazole. METHODS: From 1990 to 1993, within the same three month period of the year, a total of 1750 strains were collected at three private clinical laboratories in greater Paris. The in vitro activities of antibiotics were evaluated using the standard disc-diffusion test. MICs of ofloxacin were determined for all intermediate and resistant strains. RESULTS: Resistance to quinolones remained unchanged during this four year period. Among Enterobacteriaceae, less than 3% of strains were resistant to fluoroquinolones. A regular decrease in the annual percentage of co-amoxyclav susceptible strains was noted: from 82.4% in 1990 to 68.1% in 1993 (p < 0.001). Resistance (intermediate plus resistant strains) was more frequent in patients more than 60 years old, in those who had received quinolones up to one month before specimen collection or in those who had been recently (within 3 months) hospitalised. Similar data were obtained for amoxycillin or co-amoxyclav. CONCLUSION: Our study, together with those performed by other European investigators, demonstrates that the prevalence of quinolone resistant strains in general practice remains low and stable despite high consumption of fluoroquinolones.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Tenascin-C binds heparin by its fibronectin type III domain five.

Two sites on tenascin mediate interactions with glycosaminoglycan chains of proteoglycans. One is situated on the fibrinogen-like domain, whereas the other lies within the fibronectin type III homology region (Aukhil, I., Joshi, P., Yan, Y.Z., and Erickson, H.P. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 2542-2553.). We now characterize the latter binding site more closely by means of recombinant protein fragments derived from the type III homology region of tenascin. Using a heparin-Sepharose column, we localize the second heparin binding site to the fifth fibronectin type III domain. This is confirmed in solid phase assays by incubation of fusion proteins with biotin-labeled heparin. In addition, we demonstrate the binding of heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate to domain five. Molecular modelling of this domain reveals a conserved heparin-binding motif that we propose as the putative binding site. The fact, that different glycosaminoglycans may bind to this domain, implies that different classes of proteoglycans may in vivo compete for the same site.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

[Use of creatine phosphate in treatment of cardiocerebral syndrome associated with acute myocardial infarct in the aged].

BACKGROUND: The objective of the investigation was to compare possibilities how to influence the general neuropsychic symptomatology described as cardiocerebral syndrome during the first three days of an acute myocardial infarction (AIM) in old age by means of creatine phosphate (CP). METHODS AND RESULTS: The investigation which extended over 8 months comprised 50 subjects admitted to the coronary unit (CU) because of AIM symptomatology, age 65-93 years (75.1 +/- 5.6 years). Twenty-five subjects were given, using a uniform protocol, during the first three days at the CU, 18 g CP (Neoton, Schiapparelli) by the i.v. rut. The control group of 25 subjects (randomized) with AIM of comparable parameters (age, sex, location and course of IM) were not given CP. Evaluation of the dynamics of mental deterioration by means of a test of cognitive functions (MMS) during the first three days after IM by means of simple regression analysis, comparing the two groups, revealed a favourable effect of CP on mental functions as compared with the control group (p = 0.05). In the CP treated group there was, as compared with the control group, on the 1st and 2nd day a lower incidence of stenocardias (statistically not significant; p = NS), ventricular dysrhythmias (p = NS) and cardiac failure (p = NS). CONCLUSIONS: Administration of creatine phosphate did not produce any undesirable side effects. Objective evidence was provided of the favourable effect of CP on mental deterioration in cardiocerebral syndrome in AIM in old age.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Structural, immunological and functional comparisons of factor H, rheumatoid arthritis protein (RHP), and its apparent normal counterpart (N-RHP).

The isolation and characterization of two human serum proteins, RHP and N-RHP, are described. N-RHP appears to be the normal counterpart of RHP which is found at elevated levels in sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis [Rosano et al. (1988b) Inflammation 12, 351 - 360]. Although both proteins crossreact with anti-Factor H and have identical N-terminal amino acid sequences, they differ from Factor H in pI, solubility at low ionic strength, and in glycosylation. RHP differs from Factor H and N-RHP in antigenicity in the rabbit, in effect on the C1q-anti-C1q precipitin reaction, and in ability to disaggregate C1, the first component of the complement system. Removal of RHP, N-RHP and Factor H from binding to C1q is a prerequesite for separation of RHP and N-RHP from Factor H by anion exchange chromatography and isoelectric focusing. The finding of uniquely demonstrable RHP activity (enhancement of C1q-anti-C1q precipitin activity) in unfractionated sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but not in normal sera, suggests that RHP is not an artefact of Factor H produced during isolation.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1995

Effects of topical preparations on the erythemogenicity of UVB: implications for psoriasis phototherapy.

BACKGROUND: Topical preparations are sometimes applied before phototherapy without consideration of their potential to block UVB. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to examine the ability of topical preparations to block UVB. METHODS: Volunteers pretreated with mineral oil, a clear liquid emollient, 5% crude coal tar, 6% salicylic acid ointment, emollient creams, and petrolatum underwent minimal erythema dose testing. Transmission of UVB through a clear film coated with the preparations was measured. RESULTS: Tars and salicylic acid blocked UVB. Thick application of petrolatum and emollient creams can reduce transmission of UVB. Mineral oil and a clear liquid emollient did not significantly affect transmission or erythemogenicity of UVB. CONCLUSION: Clear liquid emollient and mineral oil can be used before phototherapy. If not removed before phototherapy, preparations containing tar or salicylic acid, or thickly applied petrolatum or emollients, can block UVB and presumably reduce its efficacy in the treatment of psoriasis.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1995

[First experiences with electron beam computed tomography of the heart:comparison with heart catheterization and echocardiographic findings].

AIM: To evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrafast CT in comparison to established methods in cardiology. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cine and flow studies were performed in 30 patients with cardiac diseases on evolution CT. Cardiac structure and function were analysed visually and quantitatively (left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular myocardial mass, patency of coronary arteries, perfusion of left ventricular myocardium). The CT findings were compared with echocardiographic and angiographic findings. RESULTS: Cardiac structure, functional parameters and disorders of myocardial contraction were clearly detectable by ultrafast CT, which proved inferior in assessing cardiac valves. The patency of the first and second third of normal main coronary arteries could be estimated correctly. The estimation of the distal third, of obstructed coronary arteries and of the role of collaterals was impossible. Ten of 16 areas of myocardial infarction showed low or no enhancement. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrafast CT excellently reflects cardiac structure and function. It is an alternative to echocardiography. In view of the results of coronary artery patency one can hope that part of cardiac catheterisation would be avoidable in future.

Adult↗