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Biomedical subjects

W Knapp

Publications and source records attributed to W Knapp.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

[Immunopathological complications in enteric yersiniosis: incidence and serological diagnosis (author's transl)].

Using the Widal reaction, significant titres against Yersinia enterocolitica, O-group I and V, were found in 300 of 2843 patients (10.5%) with reactive arthritis or arthralgia, and in 38 (1.3%) against Y. pseudotuberculosis type I to V. Of 510 patients with erythema nodosum 86 (16.9%) and 30 (5.9%), respectively, had significant agglutinin titres against one or the other. The results confirm the aetiological significance of Y. pseudotuberculosis, type I to V, in reactive arthritis and erythema nodosum, as well as the essential saturation of patient sera especially with Salmonella of the B or D group in the demonstration of significant antibody titres against Y. pseudotuberculosis, type II and IV. Complement-fixation tests cannot be recommended for the diagnosis of enteric Yersiniosis and its complications. Only in 201 of 554 serum samples (36.3%) with significant agglutinin titres against Y. enterocolitica O-group I and V (0 : 3 and 0 : 9 after Winblad) did the results of the Widal reaction and the microcomplement-fixation reaction agree, titres apart.

Arthritis↗
PubMed1981

Concanavalin A-induced suppressor cell activity and in vitro immunoglobulin secretion in rheumatoid arthritis: correlation with clinical and immunological parameters.

Concanavalin A-induced suppressor cell activity was found moderately but significantly (P less than 0.05) decreased in RA patients treated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (31 +/- 7% suppression) as compared to patients on remission-inducing drugs, such as gold, penicillamine, or chloroquine (51 +/- 6%) or to healthy individuals (50 +/- 6%). Also, lymphocytes from patients with antibodies to collagen mediated lower suppression (33 +/- 7%) than lymphocytes from patients without evidence for these autoantibodies (61 +/- 11%). No significant difference between patients and controls or between individual groups of patients were observed in regard to IgM and IgG secretion induced by pokeweed mitogen. Thus, although no indication for a severe derangement of regulatory cells in peripheral blood of RA patients could be observed in this study, a slight deficiency of ConA-inducible suppressor cells that may be reverted by remission-inducing drugs seems to be present in RA.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Mesenteric lymphadenitis due to Yersinia enterocolitica.

The histopathological diagnosis of Yersinia enterocolitica infections in mesenteric lymph nodes is described on the basis of biopsy material from 14 cases collected at the Lymph Node Registry in Kiel. In all cases, the aetiological diagnosis was verified by demonstrating significant antibody titres in serological tests and, in two cases, by isolating Yersinia enterocolitica from faeces. The mesenteric lymph nodes showed a rather specific histological picture. In all cases, the capsule was thickened by oedema and stained metachromatically. The cortical and paracortical pulp was always hyperplastic owing to an increase in the number of immunoblasts, plasmablasts, and plasma cells. The sinuses were dilated and filled with intensely basophilic cells that varied in size from small to large (plasmacytoid cells and precursors). Small, or relatively large accumulations of "immature histiocytes" (transformed lymphocytes) were seen in the sinuses in about two thirds of the cases. Occasionally, there were small foci of small histiocytes (emigrated monocytes) in the cortical pulp. An abscess similar to the abscesses found in abscess-forming reticulocytic lymphadenitis due to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was evident in only one case. The differential diagnosis is also discussed. The diseases to be considered are mesenteric lymphadenitis due to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis or salmonella infection, and nonspecific mesenteric lymphadenitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Effect of BCG on concanavalin A-induced suppressor cell activity and lymphocyte stimulation in stage I melanoma.

Suppressor cell activity was determined in 14 patients with stage I melanoma, treated with or without adjuvant Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy, and in 27 normal healthy volunteers. An in vitro test system was used in which peripheral blood mononuclear cells when stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) significantly suppress proliferative responses of fresh autologous mononuclear cells. In addition, lymphocyte stimulation capacity to optimal and suboptimal concentrations of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was determined in 44 BCG treated or not BCG treated melanoma patients and in 40 normal individuals. ConA induced suppressor cell activity was significantly (p less than 0.02) impaired in BCG treated melanoma patients (21.3 +/- 3.1% suppression) when compared to not BCG treated patients (39.8 +/- 5.6%) or to normals (38.3 +/- 9.3%). Lymphocyte stimulation capacity was depressed in all melanoma patients when suboptimal concentrations of PHA were used but was found to be not significantly altered at optimal concentration of PHA. The present study reveals that BCG immunotherapy impairs ConA induced suppressor cell activity in melanoma patients but does not influence lymphocyte stimulation capacity.

BCG Vaccine↗
PubMed1981

Localization of enterobacterial common antigen in Yersinia enterocolitica by the immunoferritin technique.

Rabbits were immunized with the enterobacterial common antigen (ECA)-immunogenic strain Escherichia coli F470. ECA-specific antiserum was obtained by absorbing the resulting antisera with the genetically closely related ECA-negative strain E. coli F1283. These two strains also served as positive and negative controls in the localization study of ECA in Yersinia enterocolitica strain 75, smooth and rough forms (Ye75S and Ye75R), by the indirect immunoferritin technique. Cells of Ye75S grown at 22 degrees C showed no labeling with ferritin after treatment with the ECA-specific antiserum and subsequent ferritin-conjugated goat anti-rabbit antibodies. If the cells were grown at 40 degrees C, however, most of the cells showed weak ferritin labeling. At this higher growth temperature, the lipopolysaccharide of this strain contains less O-specific chains (6-deoxy-L-altrose), as was shown in a previous study. The rough mutant Ye75R, which lacks O-specific chains completely, showed denser labeling with ferritin. These results indicate that ECA on the cell surface of Ye75S is covered by O-specific chains of the lipopolysaccharide if grown at 22 degrees C and is therefore not accessible to ECA antibodies. It becomes accessible, however, when O-chains are lacking (R mutants) or when they are reduced in size or amount (growth at 40 degrees C).

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1981

[Relative bioavailability and influence of a quinidine retard-formulation on blood-pressure and ECG in healthy volunteers (author's transl)].

In the present study on healthy volunteers plasma levels of (5-vinyl-2-quinuclidinyl)--(6-methoxy-4-quinolyl)-methanol (quinidine, Chinidinorm) and ECG were studied after administration of a single oral dose of 492 mg quinidine-base as quinidine-bisulfate in form of two slow-release formulations with different galenics. Both formulations show similar retard-characteristics. Serum concentration curve, area under the serum concentration curve, peak serum quinidine levels (1.44 mg/l for both formulations), apparent elimination rate constant (k2 = 0.0882 and 0.0805 h-1, respectively) and elimination half-life show no significant differences. Under the influence of quinidine there is a small but significant increase of the systolic blood pressure during peak serum quinidine levels. The ECG shows increased QT-duration, T-peak and R-peak. There are no significant differences between the two slow-release formulations.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

[Seasonal isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis from tonsils of healthy slaughter pigs (author's transl)].

45 strains of Yersinia (Y.) enterocolitica from which 36 respectively 9 belonged to O-group I or V and 28 strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis from which 15 respectively 13 isolates belonged to serotype I or II were isolated from 70 tonsils of 480 examined, clinically healthy slaughter pigs. In the tonsils of three animals were found both species together. Y. enterocolitica was isolated during the whole year, but especially in the months of November (17.5%) and December (32.5%). Y. pseudotuberculosis was found during the time of winter and spring, most frequently in the months of January (30%) and December (17.5%). The bacteriological findings and the possible significance for human infections are discussed.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1980

Effect of BCG on monocyte-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in stage I melanoma.

The functional activity of monocytes in human disease and the role of this particular cell type in host defense is a matter of current interest. Among several assays for monocyte function, an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity microassay is regarded as a convenient test system in which monocytes of a Ficoll-Hypaque-separated mononuclear cell fraction act as effector cells and consequently lyse 51Cr-labeled, antibody-coated human erythrocytes. This assay was applied to a total of 35 individuals: 20 patients with Stage I melanoma and 15 healthy control subjects. All melanoma cases were treated by means of excision of the primary lesions and subsequent regional lymphadenectomy. Ten patients were selected at random and received additional adjuvant BCG immunotherapy for periods of 9.4 +/- 1.7 months. The mean percentage of 51Cr released in melanoma patients not receiving BCG was significantly lower (P less than 0.01%) than that in healthy control subjects. Monocyte numbers, as evaluated by means of nonspecific esterase staining, were not statistically significantly different.

Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity↗
PubMed1980

[Acquired agammaglobulinaemia: clinical and immunological aspects (author's transl)].

Chronic recurrent bacterial infections, especially sinusitis, bronchitis and pneumonia, frequently taking a fulminating course, were the characteristic leading clinical symptoms of acquired agammaglobulinaemia in three women. This abnormally increased susceptibility to infection had previously caused numerous hospitalisations, operations and punctures as well as high-dosage antibiotic treatments. Analysis for immunological defects provided evidence of a lymphocyte-inherent defect in two patients, while in the third there was an abnormally increased suppressor-cell activity as a cause for the humoral immunodefect. Gammaglobulin substitution was tried in all three patients, but in one it had to be discontinued because of severe intolerance to homologous serum proteins. In the other two a high dosage substitution regimen, undertaken at 14-day intervals, has resulted in almost complete normalisation of antibacterial defences and of the clinical state.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Increased monocyte-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) in Hodgkin's disease.

Monocyte-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) was tested in 23 patients with histologically proven Hodgkin's disease and 29 healthy normal controls. Seven patients presented with active and 16 with inactive disease. The lytic capacity of the individual monocytes was significantly (P < 0.02) higher in patients with Hodgkin's disease than in normals. However, no significant difference was found between the numbers of monocytes in both groups of individuals, as determined by non-specific esterase staining. No correlation was found between the lytic capacity of monocytes and the activity of the disease.

Adolescent↗