Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Lange

Publications and source records attributed to R Lange.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

[Liver complications in HELLP syndrome].

In a 5 years period 5 female patients suffering from a severe HELLP syndrome were treated. The problems concerning diagnostic and treatment are discussed. 3 patients had to be operated on in an emergency state. The operations were performed because of acute and severe abdominal bleeding. Two of the patients needed liver transplantation as an emergency procedure, one of them died after hepatectomy on the list. Another one died 7 weeks after successful transplantation in a state of prolonged sepsis. The two conservatively treated and the one transplanted patient are still alive and well.

Adult↗

[Normal findings with duplex sonography of liver blood vessels--experience in the examination of 100 patients with healthy livers].

100 patients of our kidney transplantation program and uneventful as regards their liver history were indexed by the pulsatile flow (PFI) of the hepatic artery and the damp curve (DI) of the hepatic veins. The average age of the patients was 36 years (20-50y). The pulsatile flow index (PFI) was calculated as 0.4 to 0.7. The damp index (DI) as 0.3 to 0.54. In 10 of these volunteers the measurement was performed 3 times per day for 5 days: there was no difference to be found in comparison to the values of the total group. The presented values of the PFI and DI give the normal range and will be the basis for further investigations in patients after liver transplantation or suffering from liver diseases.

Adult↗

Adjustable tricuspid valve annuloplasty assisted by intraoperative transesophageal color Doppler echocardiography.

Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) can play a major role in active guidance of cardiac surgery. This study describes a new application of TEE for assisting tricuspid suture annuloplasty. Twenty-five patients (aged 52 +/- 11 years) who underwent mitral valve replacement and tricuspid valve annuloplasty were studied intraoperatively by TEE. After cardiopulmonary bypass, the suture annuloplasty was adjusted on the beating heart until palpable regurgitation was eliminated. Further adjustment of the suture was performed under echocardiographic guidance until color Doppler flow imaging showed the most adequate correction of tricuspid regurgitation (TR). A significant decrease in the semiquantitative grade of TR, of regurgitant jet area and of the ratio jet area/right atrial area was obtained when the suture was adjusted under echocardiographic guidance. The peak inflow velocity and the gradient across the tricuspid valve did not show significant changes throughout the procedures. The results showed that the tricuspid suture annuloplasty guided by TEE enables a substantial reduction in residual TR without creating valve stenosis.

Adult↗

[Increased plasma endothelin concentrations in patients after liver transplantation and in liver cirrhosis].

Endothelin, one of the most potent vasoconstrictors known today, is released by the vascular endothelium. Patients after liver transplantation and patients with liver cirrhosis show significantly higher plasma endothelin concentrations and significantly reduced results in the quantitative liver function tests (ICG-HL, GEC, Lidocaine-HL, MEGX) compared with healthy control persons. The plasma endothelin concentrations were better correlated with the more liver bloodflow dependent function tests (ICG-HL, Lidocaine-HL) than with the more metabolic-capacity dependent function tests (GEC, MEGX). As cyclosporine A in vitro can increase the liberation of endothelin, we conclude that in patients after liver transplantation an endothelin mediated cyclosporine induced hepatotoxicity might be the reason for the demonstrated association.

Endothelins↗

[Measuring impedance for evaluating ischemia damage to the human liver in preparation for transplantation].

In 22 human donor livers the measurement of the non-invasive bioelectrical impedance was performed prospectively to evaluate the degree of tissue damage sustained during cold ischemia. The results of the measurement were correlated with liver function, the method of organ preservation and the period of ischemia. The impedance was measured in vivo as 620 ohm (at 192 Hz), the phase angle as -7.4 degrees (at 5 kHz). The results were compared with the data obtained from 72 patients who underwent elective laparotomies. The 22 donor livers were studied further during ischemia. The method was found to be a reliable way of detecting severe damage to the hepatocytes during the cold ischemia.

Adolescent↗

Development of quasi-multicellular bodies of Treponema denticola.

The formation of quasi-multicellular bodies of Treponema denticola was analysed using different electron microscopical methods. These bacteria could develop four different conformations: (i) normal helical forms; (ii) twisted spirochetes, forming plaits; (iii) twisted spirochetes,forming club-like structures; (iv) spherical bodies in different size. Treponemes within spherical bodies, plaits, and clubs proved to be enclosed in a common outer sheath in which the normal arrangement of their axial flagella was lost. The development of the quasi-multicellular bodies starting from the monoforme spirochetes was elucidated and this morphogenetic process is illustrated by a schematic drawing. Factors which might be involved in the induction of the structures are discussed and their possible pathogenetic importance is considered.

Freeze Fracturing↗

Acute liver necrosis in the HELLP syndrome: successful outcome after orthotopic liver transplantation. A case report.

We discuss the case of a 30-year-old primipara woman who developed a liver rupture as a complication of the HELLP syndrome. A liver necrosis and bleeding made a hepatectomy necessary. A portocaval shunt was able to maintain the patient until she underwent urgent liver transplantation. In an excellent state of recovery, the woman and her baby were discharged from the hospital 66 days after having been admitted.

Adult↗

Comparison of Borrelia burgdorferi ultrasonicate and whole B, burgdorferi cells as a stimulus for T-cell proliferation and GM-CSF secretion in vitro.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from five patients with confirmed Lyme borreliosis (LB) and from seven seronegative healthy subjects were incubated with ultrasonicated sterile-filtrated B. burgdorferi and with whole live Borrelia burgdorferi cells (strain RT1). PBMC culture conditions were 1 x 10(5) PBMC/well/ 10% autologous plasma (AP) and 2 x 10(5) PBMC/well/ 10% pooled human AB-serum (ABS). Recall antigens and Pokeweed mitogen (PWM) served as specific and nonspecific control stimuli. When whole B. burgdorferi cells were used as antigen, both the borreliosis patients (borr) and the healthy subjects (contr) reacted with an elevated stimulation index (SI) and secretion of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in vitro (SI borr. = 4; SI contr. = 3.7. GM-CSF borr. = 3.1 U/ml; GM-CSF contr. = 5.4 U/ml). A significant difference was observed when the B. burgdorferi sonicate was used. In this case, only the borreliosis patients reacted with an elevated PBMC proliferation and GM-CSF secretion (SI borr. = 6.1; SI contr. = 1.4. GM-CSF borr. = 7.6 U/ml; GM-CSF contr. = 0.3 U/ml) (p < 0.001).

Adult↗

Chromosome studies in in-vitro fertilization patients.

Human fertility problems may be due to chromosomal aberrations in one or both partners. In couples asking for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) the question arises as to whether chromosomal analysis is necessary. We analysed the karyotypes of 72 couples attending our clinic for IVF. Normal chromosomes were found in 131 individuals. One male was found to be a carrier of a Robertsonian translocation t(14q;21q), a second male had a reciprocal translocation t(2;4)(q14;p15) and 11 females exhibited sex chromosome mosaicism. A single cell aberration was demonstrated in 26% (38/144) of all individuals studied. These results clearly show that chromosomal analysis should be performed in couples asking for IVF.

Chromosome Aberrations↗

Further evidence for Borrelia burgdorferi infection in morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus confirmed by DNA amplification.

We present further evidence in support of the notion that Borrelia burgdorferi is possibly involved in the pathogenesis of morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA). Running a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a primer set specific for the flagellin gene of B. burgdorferi enabled us to demonstrate the presence of Borrelia DNA in skin biopsies of patients with morphea (nine of nine) of LSA (six of six). Biopsy specimens obtained from patients with erythema chronicum migrans (two patients, four of four samples) and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (one patient, one of one sample) also showed positive PCR results. By contrast, there was no amplification of Borrelia DNA in control biopsies either from patients with chronic eczema (three of three) or psoriasis (two of two) or from normal skin (three of three). Antibodies directed against B. burgdorferi were only detected in the serum of patients with erythema chronicum migrans (two of two) and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (one of one) but were not present in cases of morphea (five of five), LSA (three of three), or in control subjects (three of three). These data suggest that B. burgdorferi may play a role in the pathogenesis of both morphea and LSA. Furthermore, we conclude that PCR analysis provides an important diagnostic tool, even in seronegative Borrelia infections.

Adolescent↗

Osmotic regulation of rpoS-dependent genes in Escherichia coli.

The rpoS gene, which encodes a putative alternative sigma factor (sigma S), is essential for the expression of a variety of stationary-phase-induced genes as well as for stationary-phase-specific multiple-stress resistance. As previously shown for the otsA and otsB genes (R. Hengge-Aronis, W. Klein, R. Lange, M. Rimmele, and W. Boos, J. Bacteriol. 173:7918-7924, 1991), we demonstrate here that additional rpoS-controlled genes (bolA, csi-5) as well as at least 18 proteins on two-dimensional O'Farrell gels could be induced in growing cells by osmotic upshift via an rpoS-dependent mechanism. Also, rpoS-dependent thermotolerance and resistance against hydrogen peroxide could be osmotically stimulated. In contrast, the expression of glgS, while exhibiting strong stationary-phase induction, was only weakly increased by elevated osmolarity, and several rpoS-dependent proteins previously identified on two-dimensional gels were not osmotically induced. During osmotic induction of rpoS-dependent genes, rpoS transcription and the level of sigma S remained unchanged. We conclude that osmotically regulated genes represent a subfamily within the rpoS regulon that requires differential regulation in addition to that provided by sigma S.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Complex transcriptional control of the sigma s-dependent stationary-phase-induced and osmotically regulated osmY (csi-5) gene suggests novel roles for Lrp, cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein-cAMP complex, and integration host factor in the stationary-phase response of Escherichia coli.

osmY (csi-5) is a representative of a large group of sigma s-dependent genes in Escherichia coli that exhibit both stationary-phase induction and osmotic regulation. A chromosomal transcriptional lacZ fusion (csi-5::lacZ) was used to study the regulation of osmY. We show here that in addition to sigma s, the global regulators Lrp, cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein-cAMP complex (cAMP-CRP), and integration host factor (IHF) are involved in the control of osmY. All three regulators negatively modulate the expression of osmY, and they act independently from sigma s. Stationary-phase induction of osmY in minimal medium can be explained by stimulation by sigma s combined with a relief of Lrp repression. Stationary-phase induction of osmY in rich medium is mediated by the combined action of sigma s, Lrp, cAMP-CRP, and IHF, with the latter three proteins acting as transition state regulators. The transcriptional start site of osmY was determined and revealed an mRNA with an unusual long nontranslated leader of 244 nucleotides. The regulatory region is characterized by a sigma 70-like -10 promoter region and contains potential binding sites for Lrp, CRP, and IHF. Whereas sigma s, Lrp, CRP, and IHF are clearly involved in stationary-phase induction, none of these regulators is essential for osmotic regulation of osmY.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Troponin T release after heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND: For the diagnosis of myocardial cell damage the measurement of the serum concentrations of myofibrillar antigens has several potential advantages over the assessment of traditional serological markers. These include the expression of myofibrillar antigens as cardiospecific isoforms and their high intracellular concentrations. Recently a sensitive and specific enzyme immunoassay for cardiac troponin T has been developed that shows little cross-reactivity with skeletal isoforms. OBJECTIVE: To characterise myocardial cell damage after orthotopic heart transplantation, concentration of circulating troponin T were measured prospectively in serial blood samples from 19 consecutive patients taken during the first three months after transplantation. RESULTS: Mean (SD) serum concentrations of cardiac troponin T reached a maximum of 3.6 (1.8) micrograms/l at 7.1 (4.2) days after transplantation and remained higher than 0.5 micrograms/l (twice the detection limit of the assay) in all patients for at least 43 days (mean (SD) 59 (20) days). There was considerable variation in cumulative troponin T release (area under the concentration curve) between the patients (ranging from 27 to 150 micrograms x days/l) that was not related to the total ischaemic time before transplantation or to the patient's renal or hepatic function, preoperative cardiac diseases, major histocompatibility complex matching or the number of complications related to rejection. CONCLUSIONS: Because the half life of cardiac troponin T serum is 2 h the current data show that antigen continued to be released from implanted hearts during the first postoperative months in quantities similar to minor Q wave myocardial infarction. Troponin T release after transplantation continued for much longer than after myocardial infarction or other cardiac surgery. Processes other than perioperative ischaemic damage must be responsible for the considerable individual differences in the release of cardiac troponin T.

Female↗