Biomedical subjects

C Bridts

Publications and source records attributed to C Bridts.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Neutrophil chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and superoxide release in depressive illness.

Recently, some authors have reported defective neutrophil phagocytosis during depression. The present study investigated neutrophil function in 19 healthy controls and in 41 depressed inpatients categorized according to DSM-III into minor, simple major, and melancholic depression. We determined neutrophil function by means of phagocytosis, chemotaxis, and superoxide release. The results show no significant differences in neutrophil function among any of the subtypes of depression and normal volunteers. This suggests that overall neutrophil function is normal during depression. Thus, neutrophils are unlikely to be involved in the increased susceptibility to physical illness of patients with depression.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

A study on the blunted natural killer cell activity in severely depressed patients.

Recently, some investigators have established a blunted natural killer cell activity (NKCA) in severely depressed patients. In order to replicate these findings NKC cytotoxicity assays--on fresh cell suspensions in human plasma and fetal calf serum--were performed in healthy controls and depressed inpatients. Instead of the commonly used 51Cr-release assay we have used a fluorescent NKC cytotoxicity assay, which allows a greater sensitivity. We observed a significantly blunted NKCA in melancholic patients as compared with healthy controls and minor depressives, whilst simple major depressives exhibited an intermediate position. NKC cytotoxicity assays in fetal calf serum were significantly and negatively correlated with the severity of illness. We were unable to establish any relationship between NKCA and measures of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis function, such as baseline, postdexamethasone plasma cortisol and 24 hr urinary cortisol secretion. In addition, we did not find any effects of dexamethasone administration (1 mg orally) on NKCA.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Immune disorders in depression: higher T helper/T suppressor-cytotoxic cell ratio.

This study investigated the leukocyte T helper and T suppressor-cytotoxic cell (sub)set profile of minor, simple major and melancholic depressives versus normal controls. Using both monoclonal antibody staining and flow cytometry, we determined the absolute numbers and percentages of the following T cell immune subsets: T helper (CD4+), T virgin (CD4+CD45+), T memory (CD4+CD45-), T suppressor/cytotoxic (CD8+), CD8+ T suppressor (CD8+CD57-) and CD8+ T cytotoxic (CD8+CD57+) cells. After computing the CD4+/CD8+ ratio, we detected a significantly increased ratio in depressed patients as compared with healthy controls. Depression per se is characterized by a higher percentage of CD4+ and a lower percentage of CD8+CD57- cells. Melancholic depressed subjects exhibit a significantly increased number of CD4+ and CD4+CD45- cells. The combined use of various percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ (sub)sets yields a high degree of marker positivity for melancholia: through cumulative evaluation of those percentages, the marker positivity increases to 68% (sensitivity) and the specificity is 95%. These results together with our previous reports may refer to a depression-related state of T cell activation.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

Purpura fulminans in pneumococcal sepsis.

Two cases of pneumococcal sepsis in splenectomized patients were complicated by purpura fulminans. In addition, acute renal failure developed in both patients, and myolysis in one. Immunological findings in the patient with myolysis suggest a possible role of pneumococcal antigen-containing circulating immune complexes in the pathogenesis of these complications.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

PubMed1981

A method for rapid determination of IgG containing circulating immune complexes using polyethyleneglycol and radioactively labeled protein A.

A simple method for rapid determination of IgG containing circulating immune complexes by commercially available reagents was developed. In this method, serum is incubated with 2.5% polyethyleneglycol. After washing, the precipitate is incubated with radioactively labeled protein A, which binds to IgG in the immune complex. After a further washing, the radioactivity bound is measured. Artificially formed complexes of heat-aggregated human IgG are diluted and a reference curve is constructed. This method is compared to the solid phase C1q-binding method. Our method is slightly more sensitive than the C1q-binding method.

Adolescent↗