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Biomedical subjects

W Domschke

Publications and source records attributed to W Domschke.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Importance of combined treatment with IL-10 and IL-4, but not IL-13, for inhibition of monocyte release of the Ca(2+)-binding protein MRP8/14.

Expression of the two myeloic related proteins MRP8 and MRP14 is restricted to distinct stages of monocytic differentiation. Heterodimeric MRP8/14 complexes (27E10 antigen) have been shown to represent their biologically active forms. In this study, we investigated the effects of Th2-cytokines on release of these proteins from freshly obtained blood monocytes and monocytes cultured for 7 days in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Monocytes were stimulated with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) in the presence or absence of interleukin-13 (IL-13), IL-4 and IL-10, and secretion of MRP8, MRP14 and MRP8/14 was assessed by using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system. Peripheral monocytes secreted significantly increased amounts of MRP14 and MRP8/14 but not MRP8 under stimulation with PWM. IL-10 and IL-4, but not IL-13, down-regulated the PWM-stimulated MRP8/14 secretion in a dose-dependent manner. Maximal inhibition required that IL-10 and IL-4 be added up to 1 h before or simultaneous with PWM. A combination of IL-10 and IL-4 even at suboptimal concentrations significantly suppressed protein secretion much more than using IL-10 or IL-4 at a doubled concentration alone. Peripheral monocytes cultured for 7 days in the presence of GM-CSF showed two-to threefold higher protein levels compared with freshly obtained blood monocytes but responded inefficiently to either IL-4, IL-13, or IL-10 alone. However, treatment with IL-10 in combination with IL-4 but not IL-13 strongly suppressed MRP14 and MRP8/14 release by these cells. The unresponsiveness of 7-day-cultured blood macrophages suggests that more differentiated and activated cells may lose their ability to respond to anti-inflammatory cytokines. Combined cytokine treatment may therefore more effectively control the progression of chronic inflammatory processes.

Antigens, Differentiation↗
PubMed1997

Colon carcinoma cell lines stimulate monocytes and lamina propria mononuclear cells to produce IL-10.

Cytokines released from tumour cells may have function as signals to neighbouring immune and inflammatory cells. Several studies have shown that the immunoregulatory cytokines IL-10 and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) as well as prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) play an important role in tumour-induced immunosuppression. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of colon carcinoma cell lines on IL-10 production in peripheral monocytes (PBMC) and lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMC). We examined four colon carcinoma cell lines (HT-29, Caco-2, Colo-320 and HCT-116) and determined their production of TGF-beta1, IL-10 and PGE2. Peripheral monocytes were isolated by density gradient centrifugation and LPMC were isolated from surgical specimens using a collagenase digestion method. Monocytes and LPMC were cultured with colon carcinoma cell conditioned medium or in co-culture with colon carcinoma cells. Supernatants were then determined for the production of IL-10 by ELISA assays. All colon carcinoma cell lines stimulated peripheral monocytes as well as LPMC to produce markedly increased levels of IL-10. Colon cancer cells secreted negligible levels of IL-10, but high amounts of TGF-beta1 and PGE2. Neutralization of TGF-beta1 by administration of anti-TGF-beta as well as neutralization of PGE2 with anti-PGE2 antisera reduced the IL-10 production of monocytes markedly, indicating that tumour cell-derived TGF-beta1 and PGE2 are major factors for IL-10 stimulation. In vitro stimulation of monocytes with TGF-beta1 and PGE2 could confirm that TGF-beta1 as well as PGE2 at picogram concentrations were able to prime monocytes for enhanced IL-10 production. Our results demonstrate that colon carcinoma cell lines enhance the ability of monocytes and intestinal macrophages to produce IL-10. The stimulation of monocyte IL-10 by colon cancer cell-derived TGF-beta1 and PGE2 may act as a tumour-protecting mechanism by impairing the activation of anti-tumour cytokines.

Carcinoma↗
PubMed1997

Colitis as the initial presentation of Wegener's granulomatosis.

Wegener's granulomatosis is a vasculitis which commonly presents with symptoms referable to the upper airway system, lungs, joints, eyes and kidneys. We present a case in which colitis combined with sinusitis could retrospectively be attributed as the initial manifestations of Wegener's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Role of endogenous nitric oxide in the control of exocrine and endocrine pancreatic secretion in humans.

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide (NO) is an unstable vasodilator formed by NO synthetase (NOS) from L-arginine (L-Arg) in various cells but its role in the control of pancreatic secretion in humans has not been examined. AIMS: This study was designed to determine the role of endogenous NO in the control of exocrine and endocrine pancreas using NOS inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-L-Arg (L-NMMA). METHODS: Pancreatic secretion was stimulated by intravenous infusion of secretin (80 pmol/kg/h) plus caerulein (50 pmol/kg/h) and duodenal content was aspirated by gastroduodenal tube. Two series of tests with secretagogue infusion were performed, one, with addition of graded doses of L-NMMA and, another, with addition of a constant dose of L-Arg alone followed by L-NMMA alone and finally by a combination of L-Arg and L-NMMA. RESULTS: Addition of L-NMMA in graded doses (2-8 mumol/kg/h) reduced dose dependently the secretin-caerulein stimulated pancreatic enzyme secretion without alterations in the volume flow and bicarbonate outputs. The addition of L-Arg to L-NMMA reversed the inhibitory action of L-NMMA on protein enzyme response to secretin-caerulein in these subjects. Secretin-caerulein infusion caused significant increase in plasma insulin and pancreatic polypeptide levels but without changes in plasma glucagon or somatostatin levels. L-NMMA alone resulted in a significant fall in plasma insulin and pancreatic polypeptide levels, while L-Arg added to pancreatic secretagogue infusion caused a significant increase of plasma insulin and pancreatic polypeptide levels above those attained with secretagogues alone. After the addition of L-Arg to L-NMMA, both plasma insulin and pancreatic polypeptide levels rose significantly above the levels observed with L-NMMA plus secretin-CCK stimulation. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that the suppression of NOS reduces pancreatic enzyme secretion and the plasma insulin and pancreatic polypeptide levels suggesting that endogenous NO affects both exocrine and endocrine pancreatic secretion in humans.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Gastric ulcer healing in the rat: kinetics and localisation of de novo procollagen synthesis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To gain further insight into the role of the extracellular matrix during healing of peptic ulcers, sequential changes of procollagen expression were studied over 30 days of ulcer healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Procollagens alpha 1 (I), alpha 1 (III), and alpha 1 (IV) RNA and their polypeptides were assessed in acetic acid induced rat gastric ulcers by in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Three days after ulcer induction, intense hybridisation signals were obtained with all probes, with procollagen alpha 1 (I) showing the highest transcript levels. Procollagen gene expression remained elevated up to day 15, but was reduced to initial low levels on day 30. Immunohistochemical staining documented increased deposition of the three procollagen types parallel to their respective transcript levels, again with type I showing the earliest and the most prominent deposits. The highest procollagen transcript levels were found in the intact submucosa surrounding the ulcer margins, followed by the muscularis propria and the serosa, with the lamina propria exhibiting the lowest transcript levels. CONCLUSION: The procollagens studied are regulated differentially at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. The early onset and long duration of procollagen expression as well as the involvement of all layers of the gastric wall points to their central structural and functional role in gastric ulcer healing.

Acetic Acid↗
PubMed1997

Physiological role of nitric oxide in gallbladder emptying in men.

This study was designed to determine the role of nitric oxide in gallbladder (GB) contractions in men. The studies were performed in 10 young healthy male volunteers. GB emptying was examined by ultrasonography under basal conditions and after intravenous infusion of cholecystokinin (CCK8; 12.5 pmol/kg x h) or yolk intake in tests without (saline) and with intravenous infusion of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; 4.0 micromol/kg x h) and/or L-arginine (1 mmol/kg x h). The plasma CCK level was determined by radioimmunoassay. It was found that the basal GB volume was about 27 +/- 3 ml, and after CCK8 infusion or yolk meal this volume was reduced within about 30 min by about 93 and 80%, respectively. Pretreatment with L-NMMA caused reduction of the baseline volume by about 15% and significantly augmented the GB emptying induced by CCK8 infusion and yolk intake. L-Arginine alone failed to affect basal or stimulated (CCK or yolk) emptying of the GB, but when combined with L-NMMA, it reversed the enhancement of GB contraction caused by L-NMMA. The basal plasma CCK level was 1.2 +/- 0.3 pmol/l and rose to 7.9 +/- 2.1 pmol/l with CCK8 infusion and to 4.7 +/- 1.8 pmol/l after yolk meal. No significant change in plasma CCK levels was observed in tests with L-NMMA and/or L-arginine. We conclude that under physiological conditions, the GB contractile activity is regulated predominantly by CCK, but endogenous nitric oxide has a tonic relaxing influence on this activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Analysis of a protein kinase C-alpha mutation in human pituitary tumours.

It is generally accepted that protein kinase C-alpha (PKC-alpha) is an important enzyme in the cellular regulation of growth and differentiation by phosphorylating proteins. Recent studies have described a point mutation of PKC-alpha (position 908 of the genetic sequence, codon GAC becoming GGC) in invasive human pituitary tumours which leads to an exchange of amino acids in the protein. We investigated 11 human pituitary tumours to evaluate the data obtained previously. cDNA was subcloned and up to ten individual clones were sequenced from each tumour, resulting in 85 clones analyzed in total. All of the pituitary adenomas showed a normal wild-type sequence of PKC-alpha DNA. Even if the tumour was 'invasive' (infiltration of the dura mater) no mutation at position 908 of the sequence was found. Moreover, using Western blot analyses we did not observe any differences in PKC-alpha protein expression in invasive as compared with noninvasive pituitary adenomas. Until now we have been unable to confirm the data of other investigators, suggesting that mutated PKC-alpha is an inconsistent feature of invasive pituitary tumours.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1997

Differences in decorin and biglycan expression in patients with gastric ulcer healing.

BACKGROUND: The small interstitial proteoglycans decorin and biglycan have been shown to interact with various extracellular matrix molecules and with transforming growth factor-beta. These interactions are proposed to be important for tissue repair, as the former interactions may affect the diameter and spacing of collagen fibrils, and the latter interaction the proliferation and differentiation of cells embedded in the matrix. The aim of this study is to localize these proteoglycans in the stomach and to investigate their suitability as potential markers of extracellular matrix activity in gastric lesions. METHODS: Immunohistochemical techniques and in situ hybridization were used to study the phenotypic expression of these two proteoglycans in routinely processed specimens of human stomach tissue from 8 patients with gastric ulcer and 10 healthy control persons. RESULTS: In normal gastric tissue, immunostaining for both proteoglycans was found in the interstitium, with a more pronounced staining in the pylorus region than in the corpus area. In addition, biglycan showed a strong staining of parietal cells. In specimens of healing gastric ulcers a larger deposition of decorin throughout scar tissue could be shown, and a higher expression of decorin was also found by in situ hybridization. Biglycan was only found at the edges of the lesions. CONCLUSION: This study shows for the first time the presence of decorin and biglycan in human gastric mucosa. We also showed that these proteoglycans may be involved in the gastric ulcer healing processes.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Disturbed gastric motor activity in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is accompanied by a wide spectrum of disorders that affect the central and peripheral nervous system. Damage to the peripheral and central nervous system, including its autonomic division, may become manifest at any stage of the disease. METHODS: Twenty HIV-positive patients with abdominal complaints like dyspepsia, dysphagia, vomiting, and nausea underwent several function tests to determine oesophageal motility, gastric motor and electric activity, and gastric emptying rate. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) classification was used to determine the stage of the disease, which varied from B2 to C3. Before gastric motility examinations all patients underwent endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and none of them showed any morphologic changes of the stomach or oesophagus. Biopsy specimens taken during upper GI endoscopy did not show any histologic alterations of the gastric or oesophageal mucosa. RESULTS: Manometry of the antrum showed an unchanged postprandial (after 200 ml liquid, caloric meal) motility index (MI) when compared with the fasting period (mean fed MI, 174 +/- 43; mean fasting MI, 136 +/- 51). The same was seen for frequency, amplitude, and duration of antral contractions. The electrogastrographic recordings showed basal rhythm of 3 cpm, and no significant changes of the electric pattern were observed postprandially. The amplitude of electric oscillations (power content) significantly increased postprandially when compared with the fasting period. The gastric emptying rate of liquids, measured by means of the 13C-acetate breath test, was faster in HIV patients than in healthy controls. On the other hand, in HIV patients the scintigraphically determined emptying rate of solids was significantly delayed compared with the normal values. There were no significant differences in the oesophageal motility pattern with regard to the amplitude, duration, and propagation of peristaltic waves when compared with the values obtained from healthy volunteers. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that HIV-associated visceral neuropathy may present already in relatively early stages of infection and may contribute to abdominal symptoms that occur frequently in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Epidermal growth factor in gastric ulcer healing by nocloprost, a stable prostaglandin E2 derivative.

BACKGROUND: The gastroprotective and ulcer-healing properties of prostaglandins, especially in gastric ulcers induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are well established. Ulcer healing is an active process of filling the mucosal defect with migrating and proliferating epithelial cells combined with angiogenesis in granulation tissue at the ulcer bed. Growth factors, especially epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) are crucial in the regulation of the reconstruction of damaged mucosal structures. METHODS: In this double-blind, randomized, prospective study 40 patients with gastric ulcer were treated with nocloprost, a stable prostaglandin E2 derivative, or with ranitidine. All subjects underwent endoscopy before and after 4 and 8 weeks of anti-ulcer therapy. During endoscopy mucosal biopsies were performed for determination of EGF content in gastric mucosa at the ulcer margin and in the intact mucosa. Additionally, EGF output in saliva and its plasma concentrations were determined in all subjects before and during the treatment. RESULTS: The gastric ulcer healing rate after 4 weeks was significantly higher in patients treated with nocloprost than in those treated with ranitidine (63% versus 39%, respectively). At initial examination the EGF content in the gastric mucosa obtained from the ulcer edge was significantly higher than that in the intact mucosa. There was a significant increase in the EGF content in both the ulcer margin and the intact mucosa in subjects treated with nocloprost but not in patients under treatment with ranitidine. Similarly, patients treated with nocloprost had significantly higher EGF output in saliva and higher EGF concentration in plasma throughout the anti-ulcer therapy. CONCLUSION: Nocloprost is superior to ranitidine in the treatment of chronic gastric ulcers, and these effects could be due, at least in part, to higher expression and mucosal content of EGF in the ulcer area.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Endogenous nitric oxide in the control of esophageal motility in humans.

Recent animal studies have suggested that nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the regulation of esophageal motility, being partly responsible for latency period and latency gradient between the onset of a swallow and contractions of esophageal circular smooth muscles. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether endogenous NO is responsible for physiological timing of forthcoming contractions in the human esophageal body after swallowing. Eight male volunteers (age 21-25 years, weight 67-82 kg) were involved in this placebo controlled study on the effects of increasing doses of the NO synthase blocker, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA 1.0-4.0 mumol/min i.v.), and/or L-arginine (L-arg) (30 mumol/kg-min i.v.) on the peristalsis of esophageal body in response to wet swallows (5 ml of water) and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) resting pressure. The esophageal motor activity was determined manometrically using 3-channel electronic catheter. Additionally, during all examinations arterial blood pressure (BP) was measured every 5 min. L-NMMA resulted in a significant and dose-dependent reduction in the latency period between swallows and the onset of contractions which was most pronounced in the distal esophagus (control: 7.07 +/- 0.74 s vs. L-NMMA 4.0 mumol/min: 5.87 +/- 0.57 s), and this effect was partially reversed after addition of L-arg to the L-NMMA infusion (6.91 +/- 0.62 s). L-NMMA infusion significantly reduced the duration of contractions and increased the velocity of onset propagation but did not change the amplitude of contractions and again, these effects were reversed during simultaneous infusion of L-arg. The resting tone of LES increased significantly during infusion of L-NMMA and these effects were reversed by addition of L-arg. The mean BP significantly increased during infusion of L-NMMA (control 97.0 +/- 5.7 vs. L-NMMA 4.0 mumol/min: 116.4 +/- 3.1 mm Hg) and this was also reversed by L-arg. We conclude that in humans endogenous NO is involved, at least in part, in the physiological regulation of motility patterns of the distal esophageal body and LES.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Development of duodenal ulcer concomitant with successful Helicobacter pylori eradication.

The discovery of an association of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and gastroduodenal ulcer disease has changed our thinking about the pathogenesis of peptic ulcers. The focus of treatment has been directed away from acid suppression as the only therapeutical component to the additional use of antibiotics for eradication of this microorganism. We present the case of a woman with chronic peptic ulcer disease in whom the development of a duodenal ulcer was documented concomitant with Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy utilizing omeprazole and amoxycillin. This regimen had been successful in both healing another peptic lesion in the duodenal bulb and eradicating Helicobacter pylori, yet it proved unable to prevent the early rise of a new ulcer. In conclusion, this finding suggests that Helicobacter pylori and hypersecretory states are not the only causes of relapsing duodenal ulceration.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Helicobacter pylori and gastric adaptation to repeated aspirin administration in humans.

The gastric irritant properties of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are well established but the pathogenic mechanisms by which these agents damage the mucosa or delay its repair are poorly understood. The phenomenon of gastric adaptation after repeated exposures to ASA is well documented but the involvement of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in NSAID-induced gastropathy and adaptation has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was 1) to compare the gastric damage in response to repeated exposures to ASA in the same subjects before and after eradication of H. pylori and 2) to examine the morphological and functional changes of gastric mucosa during the 14 day treatment with ASA in H. pylori-infected subjects before and after eradication of this bacteria: Eight healthy volunteers (age 19-28) with H. pylori infection were given ASA 1g bd during 14 days before and after H. pylori eradication. Mucosal damage was evaluated by endoscopy before and at 3, 7 and 14 days of ASA administration using modified Lanza score. During endoscopy mucosal biopsies were obtained for determination of DNA synthesis, by measuring 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA. Prior to each endoscopy gastric microbleeding was determined in three consecutive gastric washings. Three months after successful eradication of H. pylori confirmed by 13C-urea breath test and mucosal rapid urease test, the same subjects received again 14 day treatment with ASA and underwent the same examinations as prior to the therapy. In all subjects, ASA administration induced acute gastric damage with endoscopic Lanza score reaching maximum at 3rd day. In H. pylori-positive subjects, this damage was maintained at similar level up to day 14th, whereas in H. pylori-eradicated subjects, this damage was lessened at day 14th by about 60-75%. Gastric microbleeding also reached its maximum at 3rd day of ASA treatment being significantly higher in H. pylori-eradicated subjects than in those with H. pylori infection. This microbleeding decreased to almost normal values by the end of the study in all H. pylori-negative subjects but remained significantly elevated in H. pylori-infected subjects. DNA synthesis before and following ASA administration was significantly higher in subjects after H. pylori eradication than in those with H. pylori infection. Moreover, this DNA synthesis showed significant increase at day 7 of ASA administration only in H. pylori-eradicated subjects. We conclude that: 1) gastric adaptation to ASA is impaired in H. pylori-positive subjects but eradication of H. pylori restores this adaptation, 2) the DNA synthesis and possibly also mucosal cell turnover in response to ASA are suppressed in H. pylori infection and this can be reversed by eradication of H. pylori.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1996

Expression of type I and IV collagen mRNAs in healing gastric ulcers--a comparative analysis using isotopic and non-radioactive in situ hybridization.

The sensitivity and practicability of in situ hybridization methods utilizing isotopic or non-radioactive labeling were compared. The aim of this study was to determine whether digoxigenin-labeled riboprobes are as sensitive as 35S-labeled probes to detect changes in type I and IV procollagen expression in an animal model of rat gastric ulcer. Both labeling and detection methods yielded similar results, with a superimposable signal distribution in the specimens. High levels of procollagen type I and IV transcripts were observed in spindle-shaped cells, presumably fibroblasts or myofibroblasts, localized in the ulcer base and rim. The increased expression of these collagen types suggests a remarkable upregulation of collagen expression during the healing of gastric ulcers. Liver tissue adhering to perforated ulcers displayed signals related to non-parenchymal cells, with hepatocytes demonstrating no detectable transcripts of type I or IV collagen genes. Due to the identical pattern of signal distribution by both hybridization techniques it is concluded that non-radioactive in situ hybridization is of value in monitoring highly expressed genes and yields results similar to those achieved with radioactive probes. In these cases, non-radioactive techniques are preferable because they are performed more rapidly and do not require handling of isotopes.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Immunoregulatory properties of IL-13 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease; comparison with IL-4 and IL-10.

Activated monocytes with increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines play a major role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Immunoregulatory cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-10 can effectively suppress the proinflammatory response of activated monocytes. IL-13 is a recently described antiinflammatory agent in vitro. The aim of our study was to determine the in vitro immunosuppressive capacity of IL-13, IL-4 and IL-10 in patients with IBD. Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from 27 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 27 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 16 healthy controls. Cells were stimulated with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) after treatment with IL-13, IL-4 and IL-10, and secretion of IL-1beta, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-6 was assessed using sandwich ELISA systems. Peripheral blood monocytes secreted significantly increased amounts of TNF-alpha and IL-6 under stimulation with PWM in patients with CD, while UC patients showed significantly elevated levels of IL-1beta. The antiinflammatory cytokines IL-13, IL-4 and IL-10 were all capable of inhibiting monocyte secretion of IL-1beta in a dose-dependent manner. With regard to IL-13 and IL-4, there was no significant suppression of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in patients with active IBD. By contrast, IL-10 was able to down-regulate all proinflammatory cytokines in active IBD as well as in controls. Proinflammatory cytokines from patients with inactive IBD could be significantly down-regulated by all three immunoregulatory cytokines. The inhibitory effect of IL-13 on TNF-alpha and IL-6 production in differentiated macrophages was diminished in IBD patients, as well as in controls. In disease controls we also observed a reduced inhibition of TNF-alpha and IL-6 after treatment with IL-13. In conclusion, the antiinflammatory activity of IL-13 is partially reduced in patients with active IBD. The hyporesponsiveness of activated and differentiated monocytes to IL-13 and IL-4 does not seem to be a disease-specific phenomenon.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Crohn's disease (CD) patients suffering from peripheral arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis reveal restricted T cell receptor V beta regions in different temporal phases of disease.

Little is known about the mechanisms triggering and controlling both the development and perpetuation of extraintestinal complications in CD. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the T cell immune response in CD patients with joint complications may be altered when compared with patients without extraintestinal manifestations. We used a semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction assay to analyse the T cell antigen receptor repertoire in peripheral blood T cells from eight CD patients suffering from peripheral arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, 12 CD patients without extraintestinal manifestations, and from seven non-CD patients with ankylosing spondylitis showing typical changes on joint radiographs. Being concerned that different patterns may be seen in different phases of the inflammatory disease process, we have also taken care to analyse sequential samples at various time points of the disease. Expression of all 22 V beta genes was found in each healthy control and in each CD patient without extraintestinal manifestations and showed no major variation over time. Southern hybridization analysis of amplified products revealed a highly restricted V beta repertoire in all CD patients suffering from peripheral arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. In contrast, non-CD patients with ankylosing spondylitis without signs or symptoms of gastrointestinal problems demonstrated the presence of the entire V beta repertoire. Our longitudinal studies confirmed variable V beta usage over time, as certain transcripts were found only in distinct temporal phases of disease. Our data are not directly suggestive of a common superantigen model of CD, but instead emphasize a specific decrease in signals throughout the T cell receptor V beta repertoire in CD patients suffering from joint complications.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Mini-probe ultrasound of the upper gastrointestinal tract--1995 state of the art and perspectives. Workshop on Mini-Probe Ultrasound in Gastroenterology, Münster, 28 October 1995].

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) allows for intraluminal sonographic imaging of the oesophagus, stomach, pancreatobiliary duct system, the papilla of Vater, as well as the colon and rectum. EUS has proved valuable for diagnosis and staging of tumours of the upper intestinal tract. EUS can also provide valuable additional information concerning lesions that cannot be immediately classified. As doing this involves, first, removal of the conventional endoscope and, second, insertion of the echo endoscope, EUS is not suitable for routine examinations. Therefore EUS has remained an independent endoscopic diagnostic modality. Moreover, due to their diameter conventional echoendoscopes cannot be inserted into the pancreatobiliary duct system. Fine calibre high frequency ultrasound probes promise a resolution of less than 2 mm in diameter. The following report is a summary of a one-day workshop which took place in Muenster, Germany on Oct. 28, 1995. Its goal was to define the current state of the art of miniaturised endoscopic ultrasound probes in the field of gastroenterology. During this workshop, possible clinical applications for diagnosis, therapy, as well as follow-up were described and discussed. The potential of miniaturised endoscopic ultrasound probes was explored in terms of possible future technical developments.

Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal↗