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Biomedical subjects

V Beer

Publications and source records attributed to V Beer.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Pitfalls in the use of surrogate markers for human immunodeficiency virus disease: further evidence on pathogenesis.

The administration of drugs to human immunodeficiency virus patients with a pronounced CD4+ T lymphocytopenia may cause non-specific binding of the murine antibodies used in flow cytometry. This has produced spurious reports of early thymocytes in the circulating blood of human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals following treatment with an anti-adhesion monoclonal mouse antibody (Cytolin+). Recent clinical experience with Cytolin+ confirms the pathogenic role of leukocyte adhesion pathways in human immunodeficiency virus infection. However, this experience also illustrates how comparisons of viral burden can be misleading. For nine patients with low CD4 counts, Cytolin+ alone reduced the mean ribonucleic acid-polymerase chain reaction by 0.45 log to 39 800 particles per mL. Ten patients with more advanced disease added Cytolin+ to an established regimen of standard antiretroviral drugs. Their mean polymerase chain reaction was only reduced by 0.2 log to 91 501. Yet, 67% of the former patients experienced a major clinical event within seven months, whereas the latter patients remained stable during this time.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Social class gradients in years of potential life lost in Switzerland.

Analysis of the official Swiss mortality data have shown considerable social differences. In an earlier study of Swiss men aged 15-74 for the period 1979-1982 the social class mortality differentials have been analysed using standardized mortality ratios (SMR). The present study extends this previous work by calculating years of potential life lost (YPLL) before age 75, an additional indicator of mortality that puts more importance on deaths at younger ages. Emphasis is given on causes contributing to most years of life lost, especially to accidents and violent deaths, which result in more than 30% of total years of life lost. The distribution of years of life lost of the most important causes to social classes is illustrated also for age-specific groups. Additionally, this article presents all causes which account for more than 3% of total years of life lost. The social inequalities are shown as ratios between the social class with the highest (skilled manual workers) and the lowest risk (professionals). Most years of life are lost by skilled manual workers not only in general but also cause-specific. While the SMR from all causes of death showed a 2-fold difference between professionals and skilled manual workers, the social gradient in YPLL rate was even larger (2.5). Hence, the measure of years of potential life lost emphasizes the disadvantage of skilled manual workers to die earlier than professionals. The concept of YPLL proved to be a useful additional indicator not only of mortality in general, but also especially for monitoring causes, related to the lower social classes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Disseminated "Mycobacterium genavense" infection in patients with AIDS.

We describe 18 patients with advanced HIV infection, most of whom had a chronic illness characterised by fever, diarrhoea, and massive loss of weight. Biopsy and necropsy samples revealed abundant acid-fast microorganisms in intestines, liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and many other tissues, which did not grow on solid media, although limited growth was observed in liquid blood cultures. Using primers complementary to bacterial 16S rRNA we amplified DNA sequences from tissue and leucocyte extracts and from blood-culture bottles. The sequences obtained were unique and suggest that the microorganism is a new member of the genus Mycobacterium, for which we propose the name "Mycobacterium genavense". Disseminated infection with "M genavense" should be considered in the differential diagnosis of HIV-infected patients with extreme immunosuppression, wasting, and fever.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Chronic Mycobacterium avium complex infection of the central nervous system in a nonimmunosuppressed woman.

We report the case of a woman who developed chronic meningitis and a brain abscess due to Mycobacterium avium, without immunosuppressed state. She was treated with antituberculous drugs but the infection progressed and she died 4 years after first becoming ill. The occurrence of CNS infection with M. avium in the absence of acquired immunosuppression is rare. Its diagnosis is difficult, delaying clinical recognition and appropriate therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Mycobacterium marinum granuloma in a fish fancier. Apropos of a case with sporotrichoid lesions].

A 43-year-old fish fancier with fish tank granuloma presented with a sporotrichoid-like skin infection of the right arm with multiple papulo-nodular lesions along the lymphatic drainage. Acid fast bacilli were found in skin biopsy specimens and Mycobacterium marinum grew in cultures. The clinical and histopathological findings in M. marinum infection are reviewed and the differential diagnosis, laboratory findings with this atypical mycobacterium, and therapeutic modalities are discussed. Finally, the importance of an adequate and pertinent patient's history for a correct and timely diagnosis is stressed.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Mortality analysis: when is single evaluation of the basic cause of death allowable, when should multi-causality be assessed?].

Data quality is often a critical point in mortality studies. The purpose of the present report is to present criteria for assessing the value of death-certificate-based mortality studies. For this purpose all 57,454 Swiss death certificates of the year 1979 were analysed. Reliability of the diagnosis listed on the death certificate was investigated by comparing for each case of a linked sample of 12,478 deaths the cause of death with medical information available from the hospital record. Retrieval rates (percentage of cases for which the given diagnosis appears in both registries) were calculated for the primary diagnoses named in each data set. These can be considered as measures of reliability of diagnoses. The graphs given indicate a high reliability for cancers and accidents. Reliability was lower for other causes of death such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, rheumatic diseases. Restriction to the primary cause of death can be accepted for most cancers, accidents and violent deaths. For other causes of death, decisions must be made individually and multicausal analysis may be indicated. In addition, knowledge of the reliability of the diagnoses of interest is necessary for the interpretation of results derived from death certificate-based mortality studies.

Cause of Death↗
PubMed1987

[An instrument for the study of occupationally-induced cancers using mortality statistics: the example of Swiss furniture and foundry workers].

This article presents the conditions necessary for the use of mortality statistics to investigate occupational cancer risks. These include the use of various data sources (linked files for verification of death certificate items, cancer registries for histological information) and the consideration of trends and cohort effects. In such a way, arguments for or against specific causal relations between occupation and disease can be gained.

Facility Design and Construction↗
PubMed1987

Mycobacterium malmoense--report of a case in Switzerland.

Mycobacterium malmoense was isolated in four different sputum samples of a 45-year-old alcoholic smoker. The biochemical and culture characteristics of this species are described and compared with a reference strain (ATCC 29571). The isolated strain was sensitive in vitro to rifampicine, ethionamide, kanamycine and erythromycin. Therapy consisted of right-upper-lobe lobectomy and a two-year antimicrobial therapy. There was no sign of relapse at the end of the treatment period.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗
PubMed1986

[Pleuropulmonary infection caused by Mycobacterium smegmatis. Case description and literature review].

The case is described of a patient with a tracheostomy subsequent to laryngectomy for carcinoma, who developed a pleuro-pulmonary infection due to Mycobacterium smegmatis complicating lipoid pneumonia after prolonged instillation of gomenol oil into the tracheostoma. The adjuvant property of lipids for the development of respiratory infections due to M. smegmatis and other rapid-growing mycobacteria is discussed in the light of the cases described in the literature.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1986

[Occupation-related socioeconomic groups in Switzerland: social scientific bases and validity studies].

A system of 15 socio-economic groups (SOEG) based on occupation and position within occupation is proposed and discussed as a basis for statistical analyses of mortality data. In order to check the validity of this classification, a random sample of 3058 male death certificates is compared with the information obtained from the corresponding 1980 census records. The comparison reveals that most of the SOEGs have satisfactory validity. The same is true for a model emulating the widely used English system of Social Classes (SC). Estimates of the differences in mortality between SOEGs or SCs can be improved significantly applying correction factors derived from the sample of linked death certificates and census records.

England↗
PubMed1986

[Mortality differences according to socioeconomic group in Switzerland 1980: 15 to 74-year-old males].

In this paper, SMRs by socio-economic group are given for Swiss men, aged 15 to 74. One of the classifications given is similar to the English Social Classes, the other is based on distinction of self-employed and white/blue collar wage earners by economic sector (agriculture, industry or services; Table 1). The resulting differentials are similar in size to those observed between men and women, and are present with both classification schemes. Some methodological issues are discussed: SMR's have been adjusted using a random sample of 3058 death certificates from 1981 linked to their census records. Quality of occupational information does not deteriorate much up to age 74. These results are of interest as Switzerland has enjoyed an unprecedented spell of full employment and rising wages between 1950 and 1980. Implications for social security are mentioned.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

[Mycobacteria].

A brief review is presented of those properties of mycobacteria (genus Mycobacterium) which have a bearing on human medicine. The properties are set out in the form of tables covering the important cultural and biochemical tests used in taxonomy, resistance vs. sensitivity to a range of antituberculous drugs, and virulence and pathogenic effect in man and laboratory animals.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1973

[Mycobacterioses].

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Anti-Bacterial Agents↗