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Biomedical subjects

A Binder

Publications and source records attributed to A Binder.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Pathogenetic mechanisms in the Mycoplasma arthritidis polyarthritis of rats.

Mycoplasma arthritidis is the causative agent of severe polyarthritis in rats and mice, which resembles human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Several mechanisms are involved in this disease. M. arthritidis releases substances acting on polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMNs), i.e. oxygen radical formation stimulating substances (500-3,000 daltons), a chemotactic substance (400 daltons) and an aggregating substance (500 daltons). These products were separated from the cell-free culture supernatant by gel chromatography on Sephadex G-15 and G-10 columns. Isolated membranes of M. arthritidis possesses toxic properties for rats, mice, and chicken embryos. Hemolytic activities for sheep red blood cells and toxic effects on fetal rat skin fibroblasts were detected for this 170,000 dalton substance. Cross-reactivity between M. arthritidis and rat tissues was demonstrated in several investigations with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Polyclonal antibodies against M. arthritidis showed a strong reaction in immunofluorescence tests with rat chondrocytes. In Western blot analysis six corresponding protein bands were observed in M. arthritidis membranes and rat chondrocytes, favoring the idea of several shared epitopes. Monoclonal antibodies were established reacting with M. arthritidis as well as with rat and human chondrocytes in the immunofluorescence test and in the enzyme immunoassay. Cross-reactivity could be observed also on the cellular level. T-cell lines of the OX 19 and W 3/25 type were established that could be stimulated by M. arthritidis antigens and by syngeneic chondrocytes. In the initial stage of the arthritis, toxic processes seem to be predominant that are continued by autoimmune reactions in the progressing disease.

Animals↗

Investigation of seal mycoplasmas for their cytotoxic potential on tracheal organ cultures of SPF and gnotobiotic rats.

Eleven mycoplasma strains isolated from several organs of diseased seals during the seal epidemic in the Baltic and North Sea in 1988 and the seal epidemic along the New England coast in 1979-1980, were investigated for their cytotoxic potential by inoculation into tracheal organ cultures of SPF and gnotobiotic rats. The mycoplasma strains belonged to three different species. Administration of 2.0 x 10(2) to 4.5 x 10(7) colony forming units of all of the mycoplasma strains caused an inhibition of the ciliary activity and cytopathological changes within the epithelial cells appearing as bleb-like protuberances by observation with the inverted microscope. There was, however, a distinct difference in the strength of the cytopathological changes caused by the three mycoplasma species. Semi- and ultrathin sections of tracheal rings infected with the seal mycoplasma strain 852, observed by light and electron microscopy, revealed a heavy tissue injury of the tracheal epithelium and dumbbell-shaped mycoplasmas adhering to degenerated epithelial cells.

Animals↗

Sjögren's syndrome: association with type-1 diabetes mellitus.

This study of 102 unselected type-1 diabetic patients has shown that sicca symptoms affect 55% of the patients, although sometimes only during hyperglycaemic phases. While these symptoms might be attributable to the diabetes, the frequency of antinuclear antibodies in those suspected of having Sjögren's (25% by HEp-2) and particularly anti-Ro antibodies (32% by ELISA) reinforces the suspicion that Sjögren's syndrome may underlie their presence.

Adolescent↗

Isolation of anaerobic mollicutes from the intestine of swine.

Anaerobic mollicutes were isolated from the intestinal content and the epithelium of the caecum and colon of 4 of 8 swine. All of the isolates belonged to the same species. This species was resistant to digitonin and polyanethol sulfonate and was able to ferment glucose, hemolyse erythrocytes and lyse horse serum. For testing the cholesterol requirement the strain 4 A 11 was selected which was independent of cholesterol. The agent was different in the immunofluorescence test from the mollicutes reported previously in swine and quite different in its nutritional requirements from cholesterol-independent mollicutes isolated from the rumen of cattle and sheep. Thus the isolated mollicutes seem to represent a new species.

Animals↗

Sjögren's syndrome: a study of its neurological complications.

A detailed retrospective study of 105 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (50 primary and 55 secondary cases), showed that 31 had vasculitis and 18 had neurological abnormalities which after full investigation were not attributable to other causes. Most of the neurological symptoms were mild and when found in patients with secondary Sjögren's syndrome were more characteristic of the underlying autoimmune rheumatic disease. We found no significant association between the frequency of either vasculitis or any autoantibodies and the presence of neurological disease, but did confirm a significant association between vasculitis and the presence of antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens. We therefore question whether severe and relapsing neurological disease is common in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗

A controlled study of oral prednisolone in frozen shoulder.

Forty patients with frozen shoulder were randomly allocated to a treated group who received oral prednisolone or a nontreatment group who received no specific therapy. All the patients were encouraged to perform home pendular exercise. The improvement in pain at night showed a significantly different pattern in the two groups (p less than 0.05), with the treated group improving more rapidly. Pain on movement and at rest and the recovery in the range of movement was not significantly different in the two groups. There was no difference between the patient groups at the end of the study (8 months follow-up) and patients still had a marked restriction in range (p less than 0.0001) when compared to normal controls of similar age and sex.

Administration, Oral↗

Is therapeutic ultrasound effective in treating soft tissue lesions?

Of 76 patients with lateral epicondylitis, 38 were randomly allocated to receive ultrasound treatment and 38 placebo. All 76 were given 12 treatments each over four to six weeks. The conditions of 24 patients (63%) treated with ultrasound and 11 (29%) given placebo improved, the difference being significant at the 1% level. Improvement in particular clinical variables (pain score, weight lifting, grip strength) also showed an advantage for the patients given ultrasound treatment. A simple underwater radiation balance showed considerable fluctuation in ultrasonic output, and frequent checks of output were shown to be necessary. Ultrasound enhances recovery in most patients with lateral epicondylitis.

Adult↗

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy of persistent rotator cuff tendinitis. A double-blind controlled assessment.

The value of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) for the treatment of persistent rotator cuff tendinitis was tested in a double-blind controlled study in 29 patients whose symptoms were refractory to steroid injection and other conventional conservative measures. The treated group (15 patients) had a significant benefit compared with the control group (14 patients) during the first 4 weeks of the study, when the control group received a placebo. In the second 4 weeks, when all patients were on active coils, no significant differences were noted between the groups. This lack of difference persisted over the third phase, when neither group received any treatment for 8 weeks. At the end of the study 19 (65%) of the 29 patients were symptomless and 5 others much improved. PEMF therapy may thus be useful in the treatment of severe and persistent rotator cuff and possibly other chronic tendon lesions.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

The timing of prednisolone dosage and its effect on morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis.

Forty-one patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) maintained on low dose prednisolone (mean 5.8 mg) participated in a double-blind cross-over study to determine the effect of timing (morning or night) of prednisolone dosage on morning stiffness. Prednisolone given at night resulted in a significantly shorter duration of morning stiffness (p = 0.0001) than did an equivalent dose given in the morning.

Adult↗

Photosystem I reaction center from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Mastigocladus laminosus.

Photosystem I reaction center was isolated from the cyanobacterium Mastigocladus laminosus. It contained four different subunits with molecular masses (as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gels) of about 70,000 (subunit I), 16,000 (subunit II), 11,000 (subunit III), and 10,000 (subunit IV) daltons. The purified reaction center contained about 100 chlorophyll a molecules per P(700); however, they could be readily depleted down to about 50 chlorophyll a per P(700) without loss in the photochemical activities. The reaction center was active in cytochrome c photooxidation, but the photooxidation of an acidic cytochrome, like the Euglena cytochrome 552, required the presence of cations. The purified reaction center was found to be similar in several respects to the photosystem I reaction centers from higher plants and, especially, to the one isolated from green algae. Subunit I appeared on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels in the same position and possessed the same shape of an apparent double band as the corresponding subunits I of green plants and of algae. Subunits I and II of photosystem I reaction centers from Mastigocladus, higher plants, and green algae showed immunological crossreactivity. This observation might serve as biochemical evidence for the common evolution of the photosystem I reaction centers. In higher plants and green algae subunit II is a product of cytoplasmic ribosomes and therefore, a high degree of homology should have been preserved upon transfer of its gene from the prokaryote to the nucleus of the eukaryotes.

Journal Article↗

A clinical and thermographic study of lateral epicondylitis.

The diagnosis and management of many soft-tissue lesions remains difficult largely as a result of a lack of objective assessment. It is considered that thermography may fulfil this role. During a therapeutic study of 56 tennis-elbow lesions, detailed clinical assessment was supplemented by serial thermography of the lateral elbow. A characteristic localized thermographic abnormality was found in 53 of the 56 affected elbows and only 3 of 60 (120 elbows) normal age- and sex-matched controls. Microcomputer analysis of the thermal gradient slope across the abnormal area showed a correlation with clinical state, reflecting recovery, and revealing a much smaller diurnal variation than was seen in the solely temperature-based parameters. Clinical features do show some variability both with regard to the site of tenderness and degree of involvement of supination and pronation. While these differences may have pathological significance they do not appear to have prognostic importance. Thermography is a useful objective method for assessment of tennis elbow and may aid the investigation and understanding of other soft-tissue lesions.

Chronic Disease↗

Influence of growth temperature on structure, thermostability and kinetic properties of the ATPase coupling factor AF1 of a thermophilic blue-green alga (cyanobacterium).

The coupling factor AF1 isolated from cells of the thermophilic blue-green alga Mastigocladus laminosus grown at 40 degrees C, 50 degrees C and 60 degrees C is investigated and compared with the chloroplast coupling factor CF1. It is demonstrated that the structure of AF1 is affected by the growth temperature. The AF1 from 60 degrees C shows a split alpha-band in dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis which is not observed in AF1 from 40 degrees C or from 50 degrees C. Only the AF1 from 60 degrees C aggregates with allophycocyanin. The AF1 from 60 degrees C is stable up to 85 degrees C for 60 min whereas the AF1 from 40 degrees C and 50 degrees C denature between 65 degrees C and 70 degrees C. CF1 is much less stable. In contrast to the structure, the kinetic properties of the coupling factor are not influenced by the growth temperature. Furthermore, the reaction rates of all three AF1 preparations have the same temperature optimum which jis also identical to that of CF1. The kinetic properties of the AF1 from 50 degrees C were determined in more detail. In the absence of ADP the saturation curve for ATP shows Michaelis-Menten kinetics with Km = 480 micromol and V = 30 micromol ATP hydrolyzed X mg protein-1 X min-1. With the addition of ADP this curve becomes sigmoidal and V decreases. This behaviour and the Hill values suggest an allosteric enzyme with two active sites acting cooperatively. ADP as a product of the ATPase reaction inhibits the enzyme. The inhibition is not simply competitive, it also influences the cooperativity of the active sites.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗