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Biomedical subjects

T L Vischer

Publications and source records attributed to T L Vischer.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Efficacy and tolerability of tenoxicam--an overview.

One-hundred and thirty-three clinical studies have been conducted with tenoxicam in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthrosis, extra-articular rheumatism, ankylosing spondylitis and acute gouty arthritis. Its efficacy has been demonstrated in double-blind comparative studies against placebo, and dose-finding studies have found the optimal dose to be 20 mg. Most trials comparing tenoxicam with another NSAID have used piroxicam, an earlier oxicam derivative which also has a long half-life. In general, efficacy was similar in both drugs with a trend in favour of tenoxicam. The tolerability of tenoxicam has also been studied in detail. In short-term studies 11% of patients receiving 20 mg tenoxicam and 18% on 40 mg tenoxicam experienced side-effects (p less than 0.01), as did 20% treated with 20 mg piroxicam (p less than 0.01 against 20 mg tenoxicam). In long-term studies clinical tolerability of 20 mg tenoxicam was found to be superior to that of 20 mg piroxicam. The types of side-effects encountered were mainly gastrointestinal disturbances, followed in frequency by skin rashes. However, all side-effects were generally mild and reversible. The efficacy of tenoxicam is clearly established and its tolerability is acceptable with a 20 mg dose. Tenoxicam thus seems a promising drug and a useful addition to the therapeutic armamentarium.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗
PubMed1987

Efficacy and tolerance of naproxen versus pirprofen in the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis.

A double-blind, double-dummy study design was used to compare the efficacy and tolerance of naproxen with that of pirprofen in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Sixty patients were assigned randomly to receive either 500 mg naproxen twice daily or 400 mg pirprofen twice daily for 4 weeks. Both groups were similar in all respects except age, which was significantly greater in the naproxen-treated patients than in the pirprofen-treated patients. Both treatments yielded statistically significant improvement in duration of stiffness after inactivity, global pain, pain on full passive movement, pain during a selected activity, and physicians' and patients' assessments of overall arthritic condition. There were no significant differences between the two groups in either the incidence or the severity of adverse effects of the drugs, most of which involved gastro-intestinal disturbances. Both medications were shown to be well tolerated, acceptable, and effective for treating osteoarthritis.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Class II HLA antigens and rheumatoid factors in rheumatoid polyarthritis. Inverse influence of DR4 and DR7 antigens?].

A linkage disequilibrium was searched for between HLA-DR antigens and rheumatoid factor level both measured using latex agglutination and a solid phase immuno-enzymic assay (FR-PAP) among 251 sera from patients suffering from classical rheumatoid arthritis for at least 5 years, recorded in the Cooperative Swiss Study on Rheumatoid Arthritis. An association between the presence of HLA-DR7 and low levels of rheumatoid factor was found. This association was stronger when the DR4, 7 heterozygous subjects were excluded. The comparison of the DR7, not equal to 4 and DR not equal to 4, not equal to 7 subjects demonstrated that the DR7 effect was independent of DR4. Although the association between DR4 and high levels of rheumatoid factor was not statistically significant in this study, these data suggested an opposite influence of DR4 and DR7 on rheumatoid factor level among rheumatoid arthritis suffering patients. The influence of DR4 appeared to be dominant among heterozygous DR4, 7 patients.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1984

HLA-DR antigens and the antibody response against Epstein-Barr virus.

Antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antigens, i.e. the viral capsid antigen (VCA) and the Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA), were determined in two independent populations with known HLA-DR phenotypes. The first population consisted of 151 patients with rheumatoid arthritis; the second one of 88 healthy parents of leukemic children. Although the group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis differed significantly in the frequency of 4 DR antigens from the second group, both groups had the same correlation between HLA-DR antigens and the antibody response to EBV antigens. There was a significant correlation between HLA-DR1 and reduced titers of antibodies to VCA, whereas the persons with only one identifiable DR antigen had higher anti-VCA titers. The persons with HLA-DR5 had significantly higher anti-EBNA titers than those without DR5.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Neutral proteinases induce rheumatoid factor production in mouse spleen cell cultures.

Mouse spleen cells were cultured for 4 days in RPMI 1640 medium with 5% fetal calf serum. The neutral proteinases trypsin and plasmin, and bacterial lipopolysaccharide LPS, all polyclonal B lymphocyte activators, stimulated the development of immunoglobulin producing cells as detected by the protein A plaque assay. At the same time, direct plaque forming cells reacting with mouse, human and rabbit IgG and the Fc fragment of human IgG were induced by the stimulants. The plaques could be inhibited by free IgG or Fc fragment. In the culture supernatants, IgM and IgM anti-IgG antibodies were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays. Both general IgM and IgM anti-IgG antibodies increased under the influence of the proteinases and of LPS. The results are discussed in relation to rheumatoid factor production during inflammatory diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

[Mechanism of action of gold compounds].

The mechanisms of action of gold salts are still poorly understood. While Auranofin (AF) has a direct anti-inflammatory action in animal models, Myochrysin (MC) has not. Both gold compounds inhibit various enzymes. Among these, lysosomal enzymes are of particular interest. Gold is known to accumulate in the lysosomes, and gold salts modulate certain macrophage functions in the immune system. The role of organic gold salt ligands containing, like D-penicillamine, a thiol group is still unclear. Positive data characterizing responders versus nonresponders are not yet available. As in other clinically heterogeneous diseases, medical action has mainly been based on clinical empiricism which, although resting on false premises, has helped to find a comparatively efficacious treatment. In fact, the proposals for further studies to shed light on the mode of action presented here may equally be ill conceived. However, these studies would at least expand our understanding of rheumatoid arthritis and thus be beneficial in the long run.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Induction of proteolytic activity in serum by treatment with anionic detergents and organic solvents.

Using casein plates as a sensitive assay for proteolytic activity, it was observed that sodium-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and other anionic detergents induce caseinolysis when mixed with sera and plasma. Caseinolysis was dependent on the presence of plasminogen in the fluids and could be blocked by inhibitors of serine proteases and antibody to plasminogen. Similarly, organic solvents such as isopropanol induced caseinolysis after mixing with plasma, but not normal serum. Isopropanol dissociated complexes of alpha 1-antitrypsin or alpha 2-macroglobulin with trypsin preformed in vitro. As both SDS and organic solvents are widely used in biochemical investigations of biological fluids, attention should be paid to the possible induction of proteolysis.

1-Propanol↗
PubMed1983

Pyrophosphate arthropathy in the carpal and metacarpophalangeal joints.

The hand x-rays of group of patients with generalised osteoarthrosis alone were compared with those patients with generalised osteoarthrosis and chondrocalcinosis (CC). An arthropathy seemingly specific for CC could be identified in the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and carpal joints. In the MCP joints it was characterised by subchondral rarefactions, deviation of the joint axis, joint space narrowing, and osteophytosis. Usually only the second and/or third MCP joints are affected. In the carpal joints similar subchondral cysts, sometimes associated with joint space narrowing, were found much more frequently in the group with CC. There was no direct relation with the presence of calcification.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

[Chondrocalcinosis].

Chondrocalcinosis is an arthropathy caused by deposits of calcium pyrophosphate-dihydrate microcrystals (CPPD) in the joints and occasionally in the tendons and ligaments. In our region it is almost always seen in its sporadic form in elderly subjects. The patients can be without symptoms or present four different clinical entities: an acute arthritis which can resemble and even be mistaken for an attack of gout or a septic arthritis; an inflammatory polyarthritis suggesting a rheumatoid arthritis; most frequently it appears as a benign polyarthrosis; sometimes it runs a destructive course capable of seriously damaging one or several joints. In certain cases chondrocalcinosis is associated with another metabolic disease. Familial forms have been described in some countries. Factors which induce the formation of the deposits of CPPD in the articular cartilages, fibrocartilages, the synovium and occasionally in the tendons and ligaments remain obscure. In contrast to urate gout, chondrocalcinosis appears to be due to a disturbance of pyrophosphate metabolism localized almost exclusively in the articular region. Its association with polyarthrosis rather frequently leads to destructive arthropathies. No etiological treatment for chondrocalcinosis exists at the present time. Therapy is limited to the administration of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and physiotherapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

The effect of protease inhibitors on the immune response in mice.

The effect of protease inhibitors on the immune response in mice was investigated. Soybean inhibitor, aprotinin, alpha 1-antitrypsin and ovomucoid (1 mg) diminished significantly the direct plaque forming cell response per spleen 3 days after immunization with 10(8) sheep erythrocytes (SRBC), when given at the same time as the antigen. With alpha 1-antitrypsin, the effect was not significant 4 days after immunization. With soybean inhibitor, no significant suppressive effect was seen, when the inhibitor was given either 24 hours before or after the antigen. Both aprotinin and ovomucoid diminished a secondary response to SRBC, limited to the indirect plaque forming cells. Soybean inhibitor had an equivocal effect on the secondary response. A suppressive effect of soybean inhibitor, but not ovomucoid was seen using KLH-FITC or LPS-FITC as antigens. Neither soybean inhibitor nor aprotinin had an effect on the induction of delayed-type skin reactivity to oxazolone or FITC.

Animals↗