Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

W Schramm

Publications and source records attributed to W Schramm.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Hemorheological effects of oral contraceptives.

To determine the hemorheological effects of oral contraceptives, 50 healthy young women took no medication for 3 cycles. Subsequently they were randomized into group A and B. Group A took Diane-35, B took Microgynon each for 6 cycles. Finally 3 cycles without medication followed. Blood viscosity was quantified by ex vivo measurements of hematocrit, blood and plasma viscosity, red cell filterability, fibrinogen and colloid oncotic pressure. In group A fibrinogen rose at the end of the medication phase. In group B fibrinogen, blood and plasma viscosity increased on medication. The former 2 variables remained elevated even after discontinuation of the oral contraceptive. The data combined with those from the literature suggest that low-dose oral contraceptives lead to no biologically meaningful changes in blood rheology while higher doses induce limitations of blood fluidity which could be involved in the increment of cardiovascular risk by these medications.

Adult↗

Amplitude modulation of the nightly melatonin rise in the neonatal lamb and the subsequent timing of puberty.

Spring-born female lambs require a decrease in day length for the normal timing of puberty the following autumn. If this decrease occurs early in postnatal life (i.e. 0-10 weeks), puberty is delayed. This study tested the hypothesis that failure of the neonatal lamb to respond to the critical long-day to short-day signal is due to inadequate nocturnal melatonin secretion. The approach was to artificially increase, to adult levels, the low nighttime rises of melatonin during the early postnatal period. Eight female lambs served as controls; they were raised on short days until 17 wk of age, and then exposed to 5 wk of long days, after which they were returned to short days. This alternating sequence of photoperiods during mid-development would be expected to induce normal puberty. Sixteen experimental females were exposed to the critical block of long days much earlier; they were placed in long days between 2 and 7 wk of age and in short days thereafter. Half (n = 8) received no further treatment. The other half (n = 8) were infused nightly with melatonin during the 8-h dark phase of the 5-wk, long-day photoperiod. This increased the amplitude of the natural nighttime melatonin rises 3- to 4-fold, well into the adult range.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Analysis of Variance↗

A new AT III-heparin-complex preparation: in vitro and in vivo characterisation.

The in vitro experiments show that the anticoagulant affect of a new AT III-Heparin-complex preparation in plasma is similar to heparin. The in vivo experiments indicate that the thrombin inhibition is even improved by using the complex preparation, because the aPTT values after complex treatment remained stable for more than one hour in the desired range. Bleeding complications are less likely after complex treatment, because much smaller maximum aPTT values are reached. The prolonged half life of the complex preparation possibly allows a reduced and more accurate dosage.

Animals↗

[Pathogenesis and laboratory diagnosis of venous thrombosis].

UNLABELLED: Due to the increasing number of elderly as well as chronically-ill patients, venous thrombosis assumes an increasing role as a typical complication of many courses of disease. Postoperatively, in patients without anticoagulation, fibrinogen tests show venous thrombosis in the lower extremities in up to 50% but not all were clinically relevant. Prophylactic treatment has markedly lowered the manifestation of deep venous thrombosis. Nevertheless, in current epidemiologic studies, the prevalence of thrombotic disease is three-fold higher (1:7,500) than that of bleeding diseases (1:20,000). PATHOGENESIS: Congenital deficiency or congenital dysfunction of inhibitors of activated clotting factors have provided insight into the functional principles of limited proteolysis. Unequivocal causes of recurrent thrombosis are deficiency or dysfunction of AT III, protein C, protein S or plasminogen (Figure 1). Dysfibrinogenemia, in about 10% of the patients, leads to a tendency to thrombosis. Unclarified remains the relevance of lowered values for factor XII, heparin-cofactor II (HC II) and histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) (Table 1). Congenital disorders usually manifest themselves in the early adulthood. For the clinical manifestation of venous thrombosis, imbalance between pro-coagulatory and inhibitor factors are of importance, therefore the compensatory capabilities of other protease inhibitors, for example, alpha-2-macroglobulin should be taken into consideration. In acquired lowering of hemostasis factors, the balance in the plasma protein cascade should be assessed (Figure 1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Blood Coagulation Tests↗

[Remote artificial respiration and anesthesia in nuclear magnetic resonance imaging].

Ferromagnetic equipment and equipment driven by alternate current cannot be used close to patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging. Therefore, we tested a ventilator (Siemens Servo 900-D) that was placed more than 7 m away from the patient (outside the magnetic influence of 1.5 teslas) using tubing measuring 9 m in length. Tubing for children above the age of 8 and adults had a width of 22 mm; for neonates and children up to the age of 8 the width was 10 mm. Since the compressed air in such long tubes must be taken into consideration, we plotted nomograms for children and adults that helped to estimate respiratory minute volume including the compressed volume and a table to read the volume of compressed air that has to be added to respiratory volumes already established for ventilated patients from the ICU. In eight patients aged 7 weeks to 56 years (4 to 75 kg body wt.), capnography and blood gases showed that the nomograms were sufficiently accurate to allow safe ventilation. To improve safety, remote monitoring is recommended using long tubing or lines for oscillometric blood pressure measurement, capnography, and pulse oximetry as well as telemetric ECG.

Adult↗

Class II (DR) antigen expression on CD8+ lymphocyte subsets in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

In a selected group of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients we confirm the expansion of a CD8+ T-lymphocyte subset, i.e., the CD8+/Leu7+ cells, which account for 30% of the lymphocytes, compared to 3% in the control donors. In addition, a CD8+ T-lymphocyte subset that coexpresses class II (DR) antigens, i.e., CD8+/DR+ cells, is also increased from 1.5% in controls to 27% in the HIV-infected patients. Using three-color immunofluorescence and flow cytometry we can demonstrate that the CD8+/Leu7+ and the CD8+/class II+ cells are not distinct but overlapping subsets. In the HIV-infected patients 42% of the CD8+/Leu7+ cells were strongly positive for class II and these CD8+/Leu7+/class II+ cells accounted for 13% of all lymphocytes. These findings indicate that the expanded CD8+/Leu7+ cells are activated and hence might be actively involved in immune defense in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

AIDS-Related Complex↗

Increased thromboplastic potential in diabetes: a multifactorial phenomenon.

Coagulation parameters, platelet aggregation, and thromboxane production as well as metabolic parameters were measured in 31 diabetic patients, 12 without and 19 with clinically manifest late complications, and in 14 healthy control subjects. Spontaneous in vitro aggregation as well as ADP, collagen, and arachidonic acid induced aggregation were higher in both groups of diabetic patients, without an increase in thromboxane B2 production. In diabetic patients with late complications an increase in fibrinogen, fibrinogen cyanogen bromide peptide, factor VIII related antigen, C1-esterase inhibitor, and antithrombin III was observed in comparison to healthy subjects. Fibrinogen, C1-esterase inhibitor, and factor VIII related antigen were already elevated in diabetic patients without clinically manifest late vascular complications. No strict correlations were found between serum glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and glycosylated albumin, on the one hand, and coagulation promoting or inhibiting factors, aggregation or thromboxane B2 production, on the other, in either control or diabetic subjects. Also no correlations existed between the coagulation parameters and the aggregation results. In vitro incubation of pooled normal plasma with different glucose concentrations had no influence on the methods by which the coagulation parameters were measured. These data indicate that rather early in the diabetic state many changes take place in different phases of the thrombostatic process, all resulting in an increased hemostatic diathesis.

Adult↗

Monoclonal antibodies used in solid-phase and liquid-phase assays, as exemplified by progesterone assay.

Two immunoglobulins secreted by hybridoma cell lines have been systematically investigated to determine if they could be used in solid-phase assays to give results comparable with those obtained by conventional liquid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA). The antibodies, BQ.1 and BQ.2, bind with high specificity to the steroid hormone progesterone. The affinity constants, Ka, to 125I-labeled progesterone derivatives are 1.1 X 10(11) L/mol and 9.1 X 10(9) L/mol, respectively. Progesterone inhibited the binding of radioiodinated derivatives (amides of tyramine, histamine, and tyrosine methylester with 11 alpha-progesterone hemisuccinate) equally well. For solid-phase assays, we immobilized antibody BQ.1 via Protein A to different polystyrene surfaces (about 30 pg per tube at 50% inhibition of radiolabeled tracer). Under these conditions, the performance of this antibody for the quantification of progesterone was equivalent to that obtained in RIA. For the immobilized antibody BQ.2, only 1/10 of the amount used for optimal results in RIA was required in solid-phase assays. Binding of either antibody to the antigen was undiminished after several freezing-thawing cycles. When immobilized on solid matrices, both antibodies retained up to 95% of their binding properties for one year. Thus high-affinity, high-specificity monoclonal antibodies can be obtained for haptens and, when suitably immobilized, can be used in solid-phase assays with results equal to or better than those obtained with liquid RIA.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Surface modification with protein A for uniform binding of monoclonal antibodies.

We describe optimal conditions for immobilization of two monoclonal antibodies to progesterone for solid-phase assays. Polystyrene surfaces are refined with Protein A to achieve uniform, reproducible, stable, and sterically accessible immobilization of immunoglobulins (IgG). To this end, we optimized the amount of immobilized Protein A, the pH of the medium for immobilization, the concentration of antibody, and the polystyrene surface. We also investigated three carriers for solid-phase assays: 12 X 75 mm polystyrene test tubes, Macrowells (Skatron, Inc.; suitable for processing with multiple pipettors), and microwell strips (Immulon II, Dynatech Inc.). Immunoglobulin does not appreciably dissociate from any of these solid matrices, even if the assay procedure takes several hours. Therefore, we postulate that more than one molecule of immobilized Protein A binds to IgG, or that there is an additional interaction between the antibody and the polymer surface.

Animals↗

A functional defect in the early phase of the immune response observed in patients with hemophilia A.

In search of a functional immunological defect in patients with hemophilia A, we investigated the early phase of the immune response and found a deficiency in the monocyte-T cell interaction after in vitro exposure to a bacterial antigen. T-cell proliferation in response to Escherichia coli-pulsed autologous monocytes was significantly (P less than 0.025) reduced in hemophiliacs [mean dpm +/- SEM (n = 25): 9036 +/- 2600] as compared to healthy controls [mean dpm +/- SEM (n = 24): 17,812 +/- 2985]. This functional defect was expressed in a severe form (antigen-induced monocyte-T cell interaction less than or equal to 2000 dpm) in both HTLV III antibody-positive and -negative patient populations. Significantly decreased T-helper/T-suppressor-cell ratios (mean dpm +/- SEM: patients 1.47 +/- 0.13; controls 2.04 +/- 0.11; P less than 0.001)--but without a concomitant reduction in the absolute number of T-helper cells--could also be observed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Local exchange of oxytocin from the ovarian vein to ovarian arteries in sheep.

Local transfer of 125I-labeled oxytocin from the ovarian vein to arteries supplying the ovary, the oviduct, and the tip of the uterine born has been investigated. In five sheep, 10 infusions of 125I-oxytocin over a period of 1 h were performed, and the concentration of labeled polypeptide in the peripheral plasma was compared to ovarian arterial plasma. During 2 consecutive infusions into each animal's ovarian vein, blood was collected simultaneously from the following sites: ovarian branch of the ovarian artery (OBOA), tubal branch of the ovarian artery (TBOA), uterine branch of the ovarian artery (UBOA), and from the jugular vein. In all experiments the concentration of 125I-oxytocin in ovarian arterial plasma was higher than in peripheral plasma. The ratio of ovarian artery/jugular vein for 125I-oxytocin was: OBOA 2.8, TBOA 1.8, UBOA 1.6. Based on a 4 ml/min blood flow through ovarian arteries supplying ovary, oviduct, and the tip of the uterine horn, the local transfer of the total amount of oxytocin infused was estimated to be about 1% (range: 0.1-4.4%). Analysis of variance did not reveal significant differences in the exchange ratios between OBOA, TBOA, and OBOA. However, the variances within these groups are significant, presumably because of anatomical variation in the degree of surface contact area between arteries and veins at the ovarian pedicle. It is concluded that polypeptides are locally recirculated to ovaries, oviduct, and the tip of the uterine horn in a higher concentration than is supplied by peripheral blood. This could provide a mechanism for local distribution and concentration of the ovarian peptides that regulate reproductive function.

Animals↗

Direct venous-arterial transfer of 125I-radiolabelled relaxin and tyrosine in the ovarian pedicle in sheep.

125I-labelled relaxin and tyrosine were infused into the ovarian vein to investigate transfer to branches of the ovarian artery at the ovarian pedicle in sheep. The ovarian arteries supply the ovary, the oviduct, and the tip of the uterine horn. An exchange of relaxin (n = 24) and tyrosine (n = 18) was observed in blood samples collected from all branches of ovarian arteries. This is expressed as a ratio of radioactivity greater than 1 between jugular venous blood plasma and arterial blood plasma. The average ratio (+/- s.d.) over the total infusion period of 1 h was 1.42 (+/- 0.35) for relaxin and 1.69 (+/- 0.38) for tyrosine with maximal values up to 4.9 and 2.9, respectively. Of the total amount of substance infused (348 pmol/h), 0.22% of the relaxin and 1.19% of the tyrosine reached the adjacent arteries directly. From these investigations it is concluded that molecules with a molecular weight of approximately 6000 can be transferred directly from veins to arteries at the ovarian pedicle, and the efficiency of this exchange does not only depend on molecular size.

Animals↗

[Prevention of thrombosis in the after-care of coronary dilatation and thrombolysis].

An endothelial injury that leads to local thrombogenicity is produced during angioplasty and persists after successful thrombolysis. Thus the risk of thrombosis is augmented after these interventions. The high grade coronary stenosis remaining after lysis increases the shear forces, again stimulating thrombus formation. A higher recurrence rate after angioplasty is seen in the presence of a wall thrombus. Therefore antithrombotic therapy is of importance not only for prophylaxis of reocclusion but also for prevention of restenosis after angioplasty. During angioplasty reduction of wall thrombus formation by acetylsalicylic acid in addition to heparin could be shown, and is likely after lysis. A low dose regimen of acetylsalicylic acid appears to be as effective as high dose treatment and minimizes adverse gastrointestinal reactions. A reduction of thrombotic occlusions of about 50% seems possible. The platelet inhibiting effects of beta blockers an Ca antagonists are not of clinical importance. There is no perfect antiplatelet agent for prophylaxis of occlusion and restenosis, so a combination of drugs with different modes of action may be necessary.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗