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Biomedical subjects

P Werner

Publications and source records attributed to P Werner.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Pulmonary function, activated T cells, peripheral blood eosinophilia, and serum activity for eosinophil survival in vitro: a longitudinal study in bronchial asthma.

A close correlation among the number of activated, peripheral blood T helper cells, eosinophilia, and airflow obstruction has been reported in patients with asthma. To test these cross-sectional data we performed a prospective, longitudinal study investigating the relationships among T-cell activation in peripheral blood, eosinophilia, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and serum activity toward eosinophil survival in 20 individuals with asthma over a period of 21 days after admission to a clinic located 1560 m above sea level. During the study, maintenance treatment with inhaled beta 2-agonists and theophylline was unchanged. Five patients had also been taking inhaled corticosteroids, and this was also not changed during the study period. According to the changes in pulmonary function observed at the end of the study, patients were divided into three groups: twelve patients whose pulmonary function improved by more than 10% from baseline (group I), four patients whose pulmonary function deteriorated by more than 10% from baseline necessitating therapeutic intervention (group II), and four patients with no change in FEV1 (< 10% from baseline) (group III). Activation of T cells as determined by interleukin-2 receptor expression, number of eosinophils, and serum activity toward eosinophil survival in vitro declined in group I; whereas FEV1 increased. The decrease in FEV1 in group II was associated with an increase in interleukin-2 receptor-positive T cells, number of eosinophils, and serum activity. In group III FEV1, interleukin-2 receptor expression on T cells, the number of peripheral blood eosinophils, and the measured serum activity for eosinophil survival in vitro did not change significantly from baseline.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Organization of the mouse 5-HT3 receptor gene and functional expression of two splice variants.

The structure of the mouse 5-HT3 receptor gene, 5-HT3R-A, is most similar to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) genes, in particular to the gene encoding the neuronal nAChR subunit alpha 7. These genes share among other things the location of three adjacent introns, suggesting that 5-HT3R-A and nAChR genes arose from a common precursor gene. The alternative use of two adjacent splice acceptor sites in intron 8 creates, in addition to the original 5-HT3R-A cDNA (5-HT3R-AL), a shorter isoform (5-HT3R-AS) which lacks six codons in the segment that translates into the major intracellular domain. This splice consensus sequence is not found in human genomic DNA. In mouse, we demonstrate by RNAse protection assay that 5-HT3R-AS mRNA is approximately 5 times more abundant than 5-HT3R-AL mRNA in both neuroblastoma cell lines and neuronal tissues. We used the Semliki Forest virus expression system for electrophysiological characterization of 5-HT3R-AS and 5-HT3R-AL in mammalian cells. No differences in electrophysiological characteristics, such as voltage dependence, desensitization kinetics, or unitary conductance were found between homomeric 5-HT3R-AS and 5-HT3R-AL receptors. Their properties are very similar to those of 5-HT3 receptors in mouse neuroblastoma cell lines.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1994

Individualized care alternatives used in the process of removing physical restraints in the nursing home.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the individualized care alternatives used during the process of removing physical restraints in a nursing home. DESIGN: Descriptive survey. SETTING: A non-profit geriatric long-term care facility. SUBJECTS: Sixty-three physically restrained residents (mean age = 85.3 years). MEASURES: Information regarding the different care alternatives used to replace physical restraints was obtained from the Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist implementing the process of removing restraints. RESULTS: The physical restraints of six of the 63 participants were removed without implementing any care alternative. With the remaining 57 participants, an average of 3.3 different care alternatives were used (range 1-7 care alternatives). Environmental alternatives (such as wheelchair adaptations and alternative seating) were used with 86% of the restrained residents; alterations in nursing care (such as additional supervision and toileting schedules) were used with 77% of the participants. Psychosocial and physiological alternatives, as well as the use of structured activities, were used less frequently. At the end of the study period, five residents remained restrained. CONCLUSIONS: This papers shows the complexity of the process of removing physical restraints in the nursing home. The need of an individualized approach is stressed.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Reducing restraints. Impact on staff attitudes.

1. Changing the practice of using physical restraints must include nursing staff members as one of the main targets for change. 2. Following education and the implementation of a restraint-reduction program, 58% of the nursing staff participants found restraint use to be less important in caring for the elderly. Changes were more significant, however, immediately after the mandatory inservice program. 3. Nursing staff members whose perceptions changed tended to be registered nurses or licensed practical nurses who had more years of experience and more seniority at work. 4. The provision of ongoing education to nursing staff members is a necessary step to decrease feelings of frustration and stress and to assist the staff in being aware of alternatives to restraints.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Evaluation of the Ceprate LC34 affinity system for the enrichment of CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells from cord blood.

Umbilical cord blood (CB) has been shown to contain sufficient hematopoietic stem cells for allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) and to contain progenitor cells susceptible to retrovirally mediated gene transduction. Enrichment of CD34+ cells from fresh unseparated or thawed unseparated CB could offer several advantages for (1) the storage of CB samples in an unrelated stem cell bank, which includes a decrease in volume and thus less storage space and (2) gene transfer into these cells. Cord blood was collected from the umbilical cord vein immediately after vaginal full-term delivery and samples of 5-12 ml (total leucocytes: 100 +/- 50 x 10(6)) of fresh unseparated (n = 6) and thawed unseparated (n = 8) CB were processed to enrich CD34+ cells using the Ceprate LC Biotin-Avidin affinity system. CD34+ cells, present at a frequency of 1.2 +/- 0.8% among leukocytes from CB (calculated by immunophenotyping and fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis), can be rapidly enriched to 54.4 +/- 12.3% (range, 38.6-87.1%) from fresh unseparated CB and 44.6 +/- 28% (range, 13.6-76%) from thawed unseparated CB. Hematopoietic progenitor assays for unseparated (cell concentration 3 x 10(4), 1 x 10(5), 3 x 10(5)) and CD34-enriched cells (cell concentration 1 x 10(3), 3 x 10(3), 1 x 10(4)) were performed in the presence of 5 U human interleukin-3 (hu IL-3), 30 U hu-IL-6, 10 U human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, 6 U erythropoietin, and 15 ng human stem cell factor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed1993

[The prevalence of neurodermatitis among school children in the Hannover administrative district].

A special questionnaire was developed to obtain up-to-date data on the prevalence of atopic dermatitis among children. It was validated by specialist diagnosis in 320 children, providing a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 97%. This questionnaire was used for all school entrants in 1990 in the Hanover District. A total of 4,916 children were examined and the questionnaire satisfactorily completed by a relative or guardian (usually the mother) of 4,651. The prevalence of atopic dermatitis was 11.8%, ranging from 8.4% to 17.3% among the 20 constituent communities. The regional differences were smaller than the scatter of diagnostic classifications by the school doctors and the reports of a positive history by the parents. The results demonstrate the validity of a systematic enquiry employing relevant diagnostic and anamnestic items.

Child↗
PubMed1993

Restraining cognitively impaired nursing home residents.

Patterns of physical restraint use were measured according to time of day, location on the unit, and persons in the environment on three units of one long-term care facility. An in-depth examination clarifies aspects of temporal, environmental and social conditions under which restraint use typically occurs in cognitively impaired and agitated nursing home residents.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Comparison of sputum-ECP levels in bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis.

Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is a cationic protein secreted by eosinophils with toxic properties for the respiratory epithelium. Sputum-ECP levels have been shown to correlate inversely with airflow obstruction in asthma. In the present study we investigated whether ECP concentrations are different between asthmatic patients and patients with chronic bronchitis. Sputum-ECP concentrations from seven patients with bronchial asthma and seven patients with chronic bronchitis matched for FEV1 were compared (FEV1 Asthma: 66.1 +/- 29.0% of predicted; FEV1 Chronic Bronchitis: 65.2 +/- 33.3% of predicted; p = n.s.). Furthermore, sputum-ECP levels in 4 asthmatic patients with severe airflow obstruction and in 1 patient with chronic bronchitis were measured before and after initiation of a 7-day oral therapy with methylprednisolone 20 mg BID. Changes in sputum-ECP values were compared with changes in FEV1 in these 5 patients. Sputum-ECP levels and pulmonary function were measured as previously described (Am Rev Respir Dis 1992: 145: 604). Sputum-ECP levels from asthmatics were significantly elevated compared with patients with chronic bronchitis: asthma: 893.4 +/- 346.2 micrograms/l per g sputum; chronic bronchitis: 30.0 +/- 8.5 micrograms/l per g sputum (p = 0.002). The degree of airway obstruction correlated with the sputum-ECP levels in asthmatic (r = 0.76, p = 0.05), but not in the patients with chronic bronchitis (r = 0.24, p = n.s.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

5-Azadeoxycytidine distinguishes between active and inactive X chromosome condensation.

Treatment with 5-azadeoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) causes dramatic inhibition of mitotic condensation in the inactive X chromosome, without affecting the active X chromosome and autosomes. The undercondensed chromatin structure is most prominent in the late-replicating regions of the inactive X chromosome, whereas specific earlier-replicating segments on the inactive X probably associated with large blocks of genes that escape inactivation remain normally condensed. This segmentation of inactive X chromosomes has been evolutionarily conserved and is unique to mammals. It suggests temporal or mechanistic separation in condensation of inactive X chromatin. Condensation of chromatin structure is a novel and general feature of inactive X chromosomes that may be involved, directly or indirectly, in the maintenance and stabilization of X inactivation.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[Not Available].

After the November Revolution the Government, supported by strong pressure groups, made several attempts to establish naturopathy and homeopathy as subjects at the Prussian Universities. Thus in 1919, a decision of the Prussian parliament to install a "Chair of General Therapy" led to fierce discussions between representatives of the government on the one hand and members of the medical faculties on the other. In 1927, a "Chair in Homeopathy" was created, which also lead to several controversies. The full professors of the medical faculty of the Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin strongly rejected the idea. They were supported by their colleagues at other universities. Their motives seem to have been both financial and scientific.

Faculty, Medical↗
PubMed1992

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of the cDNA encoding human apolipoprotein H (beta 2-glycoprotein I).

Apolipoprotein H, also known as beta-2-glycoprotein I, was purified from human serum, and antiserum produced to denatured apolipoprotein H detected a cDNA clone from a lambda gt11 library derived from human liver. This cDNA coded for the complete sequence of the mature protein. The cDNA insert, along with a polymerase chain reaction product which extended the 5' end of the message, were subcloned and both strands were sequenced. The apolipoprotein H precursor was found to code for 345 amino acids, 326 of which appear in the mature protein. The deduced amino acid sequence of human apolipoprotein H differs from its rat homologue by the presence of a 48-amino acid stretch which is absent from the rat protein. The remainder of the proteins share a greater than 80% similarity. The amino acid sequence of apolipoprotein H consists largely of repeated units approximately 60 amino acids in length. These repeats are comparable to "sushi structures" found in a large number of diverse proteins, including complement components, receptors and regulators of complement activation, serum proteins, membrane-associated adhesion proteins, and other structural and catalytic proteins. Apolipoprotein H was shown to be transcribed by human hepatoma cell lines Hep 3B and Hep G2, and rat liver by detection of mRNA using northern blot analysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

The KA-2 subunit of excitatory amino acid receptors shows widespread expression in brain and forms ion channels with distantly related subunits.

A new ionotropic glutamate receptor subunit termed KA-2, cloned from rat brain cDNA, exhibits high affinity for [3H]kainate (KD approximately 15 nM). KA-2 mRNA is widely expressed in embryonic and adult brain. Homomeric KA-2 expression does not generate agonist-sensitive channels, but currents are observed when KA-2 is coexpressed with GluR5 or GluR6 subunits. Specifically, coexpression of GluR5(R) and KA-2 produces channel activity, whereas homomeric expression of either subunit does not. Currents through heteromeric GluR5(Q)/KA-2 channels show more rapid desensitization and different current-voltage relations when compared with GluR5(Q) currents. GluR6/KA-2 channels are gated by AMPA, which fails to gate homomeric GluR6 receptor channels. These results suggest possible in vivo partnership relations for high affinity kainate receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Primary structure and alternative splice variants of gephyrin, a putative glycine receptor-tubulin linker protein.

A 93 kd polypeptide associated with the mammalian inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR) is localized at central synapses and binds with high affinity to polymerized tubulin. This protein, named gephyrin (from the Greek gamma epsilon phi upsilon rho alpha, bridge), is thought to anchor the GlyR to subsynaptic microtubules. Here we report its primary structure deduced from cDNA and show that corresponding transcripts are found in all rat tissues examined. In brain, at least five different gephyrin mRNAs are generated by alternative splicing. Expression of gephyrin cDNAs in 293 kidney cells yields polypeptides reactive with a gephyrin-specific antibody, which coprecipitate with polymerized tubulin. Thus, gephyrin may define a novel type of microtubule-associated protein involved in membrane protein-cytoskeleton interactions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗