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Biomedical subjects

R Ackermann

Publications and source records attributed to R Ackermann.

266 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Human fibrin glue as a new therapeutic concept in cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis and macrohematuria].

Successful treatment of hemorrhagic cystitis after systemic chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide yields up great problems up to now, because all therapeutic modalities that have been done were accompanied with severe side-effects. A 16 year old girl presented massive chemical cystitis and severe bleedings of the bladder mucosa after systemic long-term low-dose chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide. In this case bladder lesions could be cured completely by endoscopic application of fibrin adhesive through a cystoscope. Side-effects were not noted.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Loss of function of the tissue specific transcription factor HNF1 alpha in renal cell carcinoma and clinical prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Human renal cell carcinogenesis is associated with loss of expression of tissue-specific genes and loss of function of tissue-specific transcription factors such as HNF(hepatic nuclear factor)1 alpha. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study HNF1 alpha DNA-binding activities and protein amounts were determined by gel retardation assay and Western blot analysis, respectively, in 42 non-metastasized renal cell carcinomas and paired normal tissues. RESULTS: 36 tumors out of 42 (86%) showed diminished binding activity of HNF1 alpha. In most cases (26 out of 42) this appeared to be due to decreased amounts of HNF1 alpha protein, but 10 tumors contained equal or even higher amounts of HNF1 alpha, in spite of reduced binding to DNA. Only 6 tumors out of 42 had unaltered HNF1 alpha binding activity. A clinical follow-up was obtained for 40 patients. Over an average follow-up period of 39 months no significant differences in the survival rate were observed between patients having lost or retained HNF1 alpha function. However, since most of the patients with retained function are still alive, long-term follow-up might be warranted. CONCLUSIONS: The very high incidence of loss of HNF1 alpha function indicates the important biological role of this change in renal cell carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Prenatal ultrasound findings in Arnold-Chiari deformity].

The Arnold-Chiari malformation is a congenital deformity characterized by displacement of parts of the cerebellum, fourth ventricle, pons and medulla oblongata into the spinal canal. The ACM almost always is associated with a hydrocephalus and a myelomeningocele. The report demonstrates the sonographic findings of a ACM at 20 weeks' gestation. Clinical findings, aetiology and pathogenesis of the malformation are discussed.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tick-borne meningopolyneuritis (Garin-Bujadoux, Bannwarth).

We studied 100 patients with tick-borne meningopolyneuritis (Garin-Bujadoux, Bannwarth), the neurologic component of European erythema chronicum migrans disease. They had intensive radicular pain, asymmetric polyneuritis combined often with uni- or bilateral facial palsy, lymphocytic meningitis without or with only slight meningismus, and a course lasting three to five months. Neurologic abnormalities were preceded by the bite of a tick or an insect in 37 percent of patients or by an erythema in 41 percent. In addition, many patients had extraneural involvement, such as fever or fatigue. The outcome was favorable in all cases, and occurred faster with antibiotic treatment, but a few patients had slight residual peripheral nervous system deficits.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ixodes ricinus spirochete and European erythema chronicum migrans disease.

From three endemic locations of erythema chronicum migrans disease in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, we recovered 19 isolates of a spirochete from Ixodes ricinus ticks. The infection rate in adult ticks was 16 percent. The isolated spirochete is immunologically related to the Ixodes dammini spirochete, Borrelia duttoni, and Treponema pallidum. Using indirect immunofluorescence, the sera of 90 patients with erythema chronicum migrans disease showed antibody titers against the isolated spirochete, which correlated with the clinical course. Similarly, antibodies were demonstrated in the sera of 21 patients with acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans. These results suggest an etiologic role for the Ixodes ricinus spriochete in European erythema chronicum migrans disease.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
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[Thanatophoric dwarfism - prenatal diagnosis of a fatal form of osteochondrodysplasia using ultrasound].

The report presents the ultrasonographic diagnosis of thanatophoric dwarfism in the 33rd week of pregnancy. This congenital osteochondrodysplasia is characterized by a relatively large head, a narrow thorax, a protuberant abdomen and micromelic limbs, and hydramnios is often present. The early diagnosis of this lethal malformation allows the obstetrician to decide on the appropriate way of delivery.

Bone Diseases, Developmental↗
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Lyme disease in Belgium.

A sero-epidemiological clinical and risk-group study was performed in Belgian Military men with a home-made Elisa kit, with the N34 Bb strain kindly provided by Prof. Ackermann Cologne. In the sero-epidemiological group the seroprevalence (age 18-28 years) was 3.2% In the clinical group the results were correlating to the serological and clinical data. In the risk group 44% were IgG positive. In conclusion the exposure of a standard Belgian young male population is low. (Overall IgG seropositivity 3.2%) (Total N = 1,916).

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Establishment and characterization of two new human renal cancer cell lines (DNT-11 and DNT-63) derived from metastases.

Two new human cell lines (DNT-11 and DNT-63) derived from renal cell carcinoma metastases were established and characterized. They have been passaged up to 50 times in vitro for more than 4 years. Each line has an epithelial morphology. Cell cycle time of DNT-11 and DNT-63 was 60 hours and 48 hours, respectively. Both cell lines expressed HLA class I antigens, but were found to be negative for HLA class II. DNT-11 and DNT-63 had a hyperdiploid DNA content. They exhibited anchorage independent growth, and the plating efficiency of DNT-11 and DNT-63 was 0.85% and 1.65%, respectively. These two cell lines may provide a useful tool for studying the biology and immunology of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Detection of fetal urinary obstructions requiring therapy in routine prenatal ultrasound].

Routine ultrasound during pregnancy is also performed for the detection of fetal malformations. This retrospective study comprises 31 children treated for urinary tract infection within 19 months postnatally. The charts of the young patients were evaluated how often a dilatation of the upper urinary tract (more than 3 cm in diameter) was observed already during pregnancy. In 18 patients (58%) the dilatation was detected antenatally and was missed in 13 (42%). Reasons of the low sensitivity may include low technical standard of the sonographic equipment and limited skill of the investigators.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Differential transfection efficiency rates of the GM-CSF gene into human renal cell carcinoma lines by lipofection.

One of the major questions in any gene therapy approach is the selection of the appropriate vector system. Here, the optimization of a gene transfer protocol for renal cell carcinoma using lipofection as a nonviral gene transduction system was evaluated. To select the promoter which gives the highest expression, different plasmids which are able to express Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene as a reporter gene under the control of different promoters were tested: human cytomegalovirus promoter (pCMVbeta), simian virus 40 promoter (pSVbeta), adenovirus promoter (ADbeta), and herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter (TKbeta). The pCMVbeta revealed the highest expression of the beta-gal gene in the renal cell carcinoma (RCC) lines. Thus this CMV promoter was selected for the expression of the granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulator factor (GM-CSF) gene. Three different lipids (LipofectAmine, LipofectAce, and Lipofectin) were compared for their transduction efficiency, and the optimal conditions for quantitatively high lipofection rates were established. The consistently best results regarding gene expression as well as viability of the RCC lines were obtained when Lipofectin was used. Gene expression was monitored by a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and functionally validated by a cell proliferation test. The GM-CSF expression profile showed a peak at 48 hours after transfection and was still detectable after 5 days. Here the feasibility of efficient lipofection of the GM-CSF gene into RCC lines is demonstrated. Most importantly, considerable differences in the relative quantity of GM-CSF gene transfer into the different RCC lines was observed here. This may be of critical relevance for the design of any clinical gene transduction protocol in tumor cell vaccination attempts.

Carcinoma, Renal Cell↗