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Biomedical subjects

V Wagner

Publications and source records attributed to V Wagner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

An epidemiologic-immunological inquiry into the incidence of altered immunity in children of school age.

The authors examined 536 children 10 years of age to evaluate their immune status and the development of allergies and recurrent respiratory inflammations. Altered resistance was found in as many as 47% of children, pollen allergy and atopic eczema in at least 10.5%, habitual rhinitis in 15.2%, asthma in 3.5% and recurrent inflammatory infections in 13.1%. A higher rate of alterations was found where environmental conditions were deteriorated. Elevated IgE, changes in IgG, IgA and IgM as well as increased levels of acute phase proteins suggest a relationship between the degree of immune impairment and clinical manifestations. Our results imply there are large numbers of children with altered immunity and point to the fact that in common practice only 14% of them are attended to by the clinical immunologist and thus receive causal treatment. It is therefore concluded that, in line with the expansion of noxious factors which accompany our civilization, more attention should be given to the development of immunity in the young population.

Child↗
PubMed1990

The effect of oral midazolam on anxiety of preschool children during laceration repair.

Preschool age children often experience marked anxiety and physical pain during laceration repair. Locally infiltrated anesthetics or topical tetracaine, adrenaline, and cocaine (TAC) usually control the physical pain but have little or no effect on anxiety. Midazolam is a short-acting benzodiazepine with anxiolytic, hypnotic, and antegrade amnestic effects. In a double-blind, randomized clinical trial, we evaluated the efficacy of midazolam in alleviating anxiety during laceration repair in children less than 6 years old. On admission to the emergency department, anxiety level was determined on a scale of 1 to 4 based on a predetermined behavior criteria. Patients with high anxiety level (3 or 4) received a single oral dose of either midazolam (0.2 mg/kg) or placebo. The anxiolytic effect of midazolam was considered adequate if the anxiety level decreased two or more points (from 4 to less than or equal to 2 or from 3 to 1) during laceration repair. In the midazolam group (30), 70% of the children had a two-point or more decrease in anxiety level compared with 12% in the placebo group (25) (P less than .0001). No respiratory depression or other complications were noted in the midazolam group. We conclude that a single oral dose of midazolam (0.2 mg/kg) is a safe and effective treatment for alleviating anxiety in children less than 6 years old during laceration repair in the ED.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1990

Immunological profiles in workers occupationally exposed to inorganic mercury.

Forty-one male mercury-exposed workers were examined for the serum concentration levels of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM), alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M), ceruloplasmin (CPL) and orosomucoid (ORO). In the period preceding this investigation the mercury concentrations in workplace air ranged from 0.106 to 0.783 mg.m-3, the range of urinary mercury concentrations was from 0.029 to 0.545 mg.1(-1). All but two (IgG and A1AT) of the immune parameters tested were at the levels that were evidently higher than those found in a control group of 55 workers matched by age who lived in a relatively clean area. The percentage of individuals with no value out of the range of normal physiological limits was in the controls almost 80%, in the exposed 36.6% only. These findings confirm the literature data which show that an inhalation exposure to inorganic mercury may evidently have a stimulating effect on some serum proteins in humans.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1990

Potentially fatal hereditary angioedema: a review and case report.

Hereditary angioedema is a disease based upon a biochemical deficiency which may result in sudden and unexpected death principally from respiratory distress due to swelling of the pharyngeal tissues. Dental treatment is not an uncommon initiator of such edema. To perform dental care safely, it is necessary to understand the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the condition. This article presents a review of these features, and indicates via a case report how knowledge of them was essential in conducting safe, effective and efficient dental treatment.

Angioedema↗
PubMed1990

Efficacy of tetracaine-adrenaline-cocaine topical anesthetic without tetracaine for facial laceration repair in children.

To determine whether the tetracaine component traditionally used in tetracaine-adrenaline-cocaine (TAC) is necessary to obtain effective topical anesthesia, a prospective study was performed to compare TAC and adrenaline-cocaine preparations for the repair of facial lacerations in children. Physicians were "blind" to which preparation was being used. Of 55 patients studied, 24 received TAC (103 sutures placed) and 31 received adrenaline-cocaine (151 sutures placed). The anesthetic efficacy of each preparation was approximately 95%; there were no adverse reactions related to administration of either medication or complications of wound healing noted in either group. The tetracaine component of TAC is superfluous for obtaining topical anesthesia of minor dermal lacerations of the face in children. The TAC formulation can be simplified by omitting tetracaine without compromising anesthetic efficacy.

Anesthetics, Local↗
PubMed1990

Immunoglobulins and some serum proteins in children with altered resistance coming from areas with variously polluted atmosphere.

In four areas with different types of atmospheric pollution 534 children of school age were examined for serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM and IgE), saliva IgA (sIgA), lysozymes (LYS) and acute phase reactants (alfa-l-antitrypsin - A1AT, alfa-2-macroglobulin -A2M, ceruloplasmin -CPL, transferrin - TRF). The children were divided into two groups: those with altered resistance (AR) comprising allergoses of all types and recurrent or persistent infections and those without the above health problems, i.e. healthy (H). There were more children with AR in areas with higher atmospheric pollution than in control areas. The frequency of AR was higher among boys than among girls. In the control area BN, a number of parameters in the AR group differed significantly from those in the H group. In areas with substantial atmospheric pollution these differences were generally less pronounced. Significant differences were found between the control and polluted areas in many indicators. In the area KO characterized by an intermediate degree of industrial pollution the means of the tested parameters were habitually elevated, whereas in the heavily polluted areas they were decreased. The most sensitive tests for evaluating differences between the areas were the levels of A1AT, LYS, and IgE, while the variations of sIgA, sLYS and CPL were less pronounced.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1989

Restriction site mapping of adenovirus types 9 and 15 and genome types of intermediate adenovirus 15/H9.

Physical maps were established for seven genome types of the intermediate adenovirus (AV) 15/H9 and for the serologically related prototypes AV15 and 9 using the enzymes BamHI, BglII, and HindIII. The polarity of the fragment order was determined by hybridization with known AV2 fragments. AV15/H9 strains showed more restriction sites in common with AV9 than with AV15. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that intermediate AV15/H9 strains have emerged by recombination.

Adenoviruses, Human↗
PubMed1989

Lack of correlation between serum and salivary concentration levels of immunoglobulin A and lysozyme (muramidase).

The study was conducted in a group of 232 individuals comprising 114 males and 118 females 20 to 67 years old. As revealed by the linear regression analysis method, mean serum concentration levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and lysozyme (LYS) were unrelated to values found in the spontaneously secreted saliva specimens. Levels of serum IgA were clearly age-dependent, but no such correlation was recorded in the case of secretory IgA. These findings suggest that tests for salivary IgA can hardly be taken as an equivalent to IgA determinations in the human serum.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Efficacy of TAC topical anesthetic for repair of pediatric lacerations.

A prospective evaluation of 103 consecutive children who received TAC (tetracaine, epinephrine [adrenaline], cocaine) liquid topical anesthetic for the repair of their minor dermal lacerations was performed. A unique method of TAC application was used that consisted of applying the medication to the inner margins of the wound cavity and allowing it to stand for several minutes prior to the application of a TAC-saturated gauze pad to the wound surface. Of 670 sutures placed, 637 (95%) were done without eliciting pain. The TAC topical anesthetic was more than 95% effective in providing complete anesthesia for wounds located on the face and lip; it was equally efficacious in anesthetizing larger wounds (greater than or equal to 5 cm in length and/or greater than or equal to 5 mm in depth). No adverse reactions resulted from the application of TAC. A single wound healing complication occurred in 103 patients. TAC is a safe, effective method for anesthetizing minor lacerations of the skin in children. Its painless method of application relieves patient discomfort and maximizes patient compliance during the repair procedure, both of which enhance the accurate approximation of lacerated tissue.

Anesthetics, Local↗
PubMed1988

The effect of feeding human milk and adapted milk formulae on serum lipid and lipoprotein levels in young infants.

The effect of feeding with human milk and commercially available milk substitutes was studied in a group of 154 healthy infants during the first 3 months of life by assessment of body weight, body length, head circumference, skinfold thickness, serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. Human milk and the different milk formulae have the same energy content (kcal/100 ml) and total fat, total protein and total carbohydrate contents are comparable but they differ in respect of their fatty acid compositions. The various diets were chosen freely by the parents and the newborns were exclusively fed either human milk (n = 56), Multival 1 (n = 31), Humana 1 (n = 33), or Pre Aptamil (n = 34). No significant differences in body weight, body length or head circumference were observed between any of the different dietary groups. Fat storage, as assessed by measurements of skinfold thickness, was significantly less in breast-fed children compared to those on the formula diets. Breast-fed and Pre Aptamil-fed infants had the highest levels of total serum cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and LDL. No differences were observed in the levels of total serum triglycerides, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)- and high density lipoproteins (HDL)-cholesterol, VLDL and HDL. There were no strong correlations between the physical and the biochemical parameters. No indication of an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis was associated with any of the dietary treatments for the duration of this study. However, these investigations support the hypothesis that subtle early nutritional variation can influence mechanisms that regulate lipoprotein and cholesterol levels in later life.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1988

Half-strength TAC topical anesthetic. For selected dermal lacerations.

A prospective evaluation of 75 consecutive children with lacerations of the face, lip, and scalp who received TAC (tetracaine, epinephrine [adrenalin], cocaine) topical anesthetic for the repair of their wound was performed. The TAC preparation contained one-half the conventional concentration of cocaine (5.9%) and tetracaine (0.25%) previously used in other studies that have evaluated its anesthetic efficacy. A maximal dosage of 3 ml of TAC (containing 175 mg cocaine and 7.5 mg tetracaine) was applied to each laceration. The diluted TAC preparation provided complete anesthesia for approximately 95% of the more than 400 sutures placed. No adverse reactions were noted in any patient who received TAC, and in no instance did a complication of wound healing occur. The original formulation of TAC was arbitrarily composed, and the maximum concentration per dosage of the potentially toxic component medications of TAC that can be "safely" applied to dermal lacerations in children remains to be defined. Utilization of this diluted preparation will diminish the risk of potential systemic toxicity from the absorbed component medications of TAC without compromising anesthetic efficacy.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1988

Relationship of blood protein levels to outdoor air pollutant concentrations in a semicohort of school-age children living in urban areas differing by quality of air.

Variations in some humoral immune responses to polluted air were studied in two semicohorts of children, initial age 10 years, from two urban communities differing from each other by the degree of ambient air pollution. The material for analysis (blood, saliva) was collected every autumn and spring in 3 successive years, giving a total of 6 sets of specimens for each examinee. All blood specimens were examined for the serum level of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM), lysozyme (LYS), total serum protein (TP) and the level of the acute reactants alpha 2 macroglobulin (A2M), alpha 1 antitrypsin (A1AT), transferrin (TRF) and ceruloplasmin (CPL). The saliva specimens were examined for the level of lysozyme (sLYS) and secretory IgA (sIgA). The mean protein concentrations for each of the 6 sampling series were correlated with the mean of 24-h emission concentrations measured in the last 3 months preceding the autumn or spring sampling series. In the community area characterized by a low-degree non-industrial pollution of air the correlations of immunoglobulins to SO2 and floating particles (FP) in air were as a rule inversed while the response from TP, LYS and acute reactants was direct. In the community contaminated by industrial pollutants, correlations between proteins and SO2 were markedly weaker, but there was a significant positive correlation between H2S and levels of IgA and A2M in blood and sIgA and sLYS in the saliva. A high degree of positive correlation was also observed between H2S and levels of IgM and LYS. Inverse correlations were only between levels of LYS and FP, SO2 and H2S. Significant correlations were also between contaminant concentrations and FP. The associations found between the contaminant concentrations in air and levels of blood and saliva proteins supports the hypothesis that quality of air may have considerable impacts on defense mechanisms. Seasonal variations in the quality of air may increase the rates of childhood morbidity for acute upper respiratory tract infections.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed1988

Immunological profiles in workers of a power plant burning coal rich in arsenic content.

A group of 47 male adults working in a thermal power plant burning coal containing 900 to 1,500 g of arsenic per ton dry weight was examined on the blood serum immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM content and levels of acute reactants alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M), transferrin (TRF), orosomucoid (ORO) ceruloplasmin (CPL), and lysozyme (LYS). Investigations in the control group comprising 27 workers from another power plant in the same district where the coal content of arsenic was more than 10 times lower were analogous. The inter-group differences in means were evaluated by t-test, differences in the association of values by F-test, and the correlations with age and the length of exposure were assessed using the regression analysis method. The differences in mean IgG, IgA, IgM, LYS and A2M levels between the exposed and control groups of workers were insignificant or of borderline significance only. In contrast, differences in TRF, ORO and particularly CPL levels were statistically highly significant, in all instances P less than 0.001. In the control group, persons with abnormal values in at least two immunobiochemical tests used accounted for 3.7%, in the group of the exposed for 51% (P less than 0.002). All these findings, especially the rise in CPL concentration levels in the exposed group are discussed on the background of the rise in cancer mortality rates found previously in this group of power plant workers.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed1988

Factors of humoral resistance in workers exposed to vinyl chloride with a view to smoking habits.

Serum samples were assayed in 110 workers (59 smokers and 51 non-smokers) at PVC manufacturing factory, the results being compared with those obtained in a group of age-matched healthy controls. Non-smokers had significantly higher levels of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM), while in smokers there was an increase in IgM only. Lysozyme levels (LYS) were elevated in all exposed subjects, but there was a highly significant decrease in the total protein (TP) content. Alfa-2-macroglobulin (A2M) and orosomucoid (ORO) were also elevated in exposed workers. A significant increase was found in ceruloplasmin (CPL), with smokers having higher levels than non-smokers. No difference was detected between the examined groups in transferrin (TRF) and alfa-1-antitrypsin (A1AT). Exposure duration did not correlate with any of the assayed parameters. The positive correlation of IgA levels and inverse correlation of CPL with age in the control group could not be confirmed in the exposed subjects where a significant inverse correlation between age and AlAT levels, which was found to be positive in exposed non-smokers, proved to be inverse in the subgroup of smokers. The authors discuss possible explanations of the reported findings.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed1988

Immunobiochemical profiles of workers differing in the degree of occupational exposure to vinyl chloride.

The immunobiochemical studies were conducted in a group of 98 production workers engaged in polyvinyl chloride manufacture from ethylene (group A workers) and in a group of 59 vinyl chloride workers from a chemical plant employing classic production technology from acetylene (group B workers). Both groups of workers were matched by age (group A workers: 37.7 +/- 8.66 years; group B workers: 34.9 +/- 11.2 years) and average exposure length (group A workers: 8.6 +/- 3.0 years; group B workers: 10.7 +/- 8.4 years). All workers were examined for the serum concentrations of immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM and acute reactants lysozyme (LYS), transferrin (TRF), ceruloplasmin (CPL), alpha-l-antitrypsin (AlAT), alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) and orosomucoid (ORO). The statistical analysis included calculations of means, standard deviations and 95% confidence intervals. Differences in means were evaluated by t-test, differences in the distribution pattern of values by F-test. Abnormality of values was assessed by comparisons to normal values valid in Czechoslovakia. Group A worked in conditions meeting the MAC 10 mg VC.m-3 comparing with group B workers had elevated levels of IgG (P less than 0.005), IgA and IgM (P less than 0.001 both). Group B workers differed from group A workers by exhibiting significantly elevated levels of AlAT, and CPL. (P less than 0.001). The differences in the frequency of abnormal values between group A and group B worked in substantially less favourable hygienic conditions were significant for immunoglobulins elevated in group A and for ORO (P less than 0.01) and CPL (P less than 0.001) elevated in group B. The possible relationship of these immunobiochemical findings with the degree of vinyl chloride exposure are critically analyzed.

Adult↗