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Biomedical subjects

C Mannhalter

Publications and source records attributed to C Mannhalter.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

The prevalence of factor XII deficiency in 103 orally anticoagulated outpatients suffering from recurrent venous and/or arterial thromboembolism.

One hundred and three patients suffering from recurrent venous thrombosis, recurrent arterial thromboembolism and/or recurrent myocardial infarction and 50 healthy subjects were tested for Hageman factor (FXII) coagulant activity and antigen. Among the 103 patients we identified 15 subjects with FXII deficiency (15%), 3 with protein C deficiency (3%) and 3 with protein S deficiency (3%). Combined FXII and protein C, protein S or antithrombin III deficiency was not observed. The 103 patients were divided into subgroups according to the type of thrombotic complication. Among patients with exclusively recurrent venous thromboembolism 8% (p = 0.153) were deficient in FXII. Among patients suffering from recurrent arterial thromboembolism and/or myocardial infarction, the incidence of FXII deficiency was significantly higher (20%, p less than 0.003). In 67% of the patients with FXII deficiency a positive family history of thrombosis could be established. In contrast, only 32% of all venous and 28% of all arterial thrombosis patients had a positive family history. We believe that reduced levels of FXII should be considered as a risk factor in the development of thromboembolism. Consequently, more attention should be payed to the measurement of FXII when evaluating thromboembolic risk factors especially in cases of recurrent arterial thromboembolism and/or myocardial infarction.

Acenocoumarol

Relationship of myc protein expression to the phenotype and to the growth potential of HOC-7 ovarian cancer cells.

In this investigation we demonstrate expression of myc oncoproteins in HOC-7 ovarian adenocarcinoma cells. The cells were exposed to differentiation inducing agents such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), retinoic acid (RA) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1). Myc protein expression in treated cells was then compared with that in control cultures and in monoclonal HOC-7 sublines, which are characterised by distinct phenotypes. Cells exposed to DMSO and DMF became markedly enlarged and flattened and developed cytoplasmic extensions. They looked similar to a subline, which revealed a less malignant and more differentiated cell phenotype. All four inducers prolonged the cell doubling time and reduced the saturation density to levels, normally found in the more differentiated subline. Furthermore, all inducers except RA elevated extracellular fibronectin, which is characteristic for less malignant epithelial cell phenotypes. All four agents inhibited myc oncoprotein expression reversibly (1% DMSO greater than 0.5% DMF greater than 10 microM RA greater than 10 ng ml-1 TGF-beta 1) and in time-dependent manner. Down-regulation of myc protein expression is, therefore, closely related to inducer-dependent growth reduction of HOC-7 cells and to the development of a less malignant cell phenotype.

Actins

C1-esterase inhibitor in uncomplicated pregnancy and mild and moderate preeclampsia.

Routine coagulation tests and measurement of the plasma levels of C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) and antithrombin III were performed in 17 women with mild preeclampsia, 10 women with moderate preeclampsia and 20 women with uncomplicated pregnancy. All pregnant probands were within the third trimester of pregnancy. 20 non-pregnant women were used as controls. The groups were matched in age and the pregnant ones were also matched in gestational age. C1-INH activity and antigen were significantly reduced (p less than 0.002) in normally pregnant women as compared with non-pregnant ones. Further, C1-INH activity was lower in women with mild preeclampsia and significantly lower in women with moderate preeclampsia (p less than 0.05) as compared with normally pregnant women. None of the plasmatic coagulation tests was indicative of a consumption reaction. We conclude that C1-INH activity and antigen reductions are commonly associated with pregnancy. Furthermore, as markedly lower values can be found in mild and moderate preeclampsia, measurement of the C1-INH activity in pregnant women within the third trimester might proof useful to establish the diagnosis of a preeclamptic condition.

Adult

A rapid method for the isolation of genomic DNA from citrated whole blood.

We have developed a DNA isolation method which allows the isolation of high quality DNA from frozen citrated blood and cell lines within 90 min. The procedure avoids the use of toxic organic reagents and tedious extraction steps. DNA prepared by this method is very well suited for restriction fragment length polymorphism and polymerase chain reaction analysis.

Blood Chemical Analysis

Detection of engraftment and mixed chimerism following bone marrow transplantation using PCR amplification of a highly variable region-variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) in the von Willebrand factor gene.

Detection of host cells in peripheral blood and/or bone marrow (mixed chimerism) of patients who have undergone bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is possible using either immunological methods or cytogenetic or molecular genetic analysis. We shall report a new method for the detection of mixed chimerism, which makes use of the fact, that the von Willebrand factor (vWF) gene has a highly variable region-variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR)--within intron 40. vWF-VNTR amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed as described by Peake et al. We have studied 185 peripheral blood and/or bone marrow samples of 26 patients. Median time after BMT was 14 months (range 1-83 months). Of the 11 patients who were studied sequentially during the first 100 days following BMT, mixed chimerism was detected in four, but only transiently. None of these patients has relapsed so far. Of 18 patients who were studied more than 100 days after BMT mixed chimerism was found in three; two of these patients have subsequently relapsed. The advantages of this new method are: (a) it is informative in a high percentage of patients; (b) it requires only small amounts (200 microliters) of peripheral blood; (c) reliable results can be obtained at leukocyte counts of even less than 50 per microliters. The clinical relevance and sensitivity of the method compared with established methods for detection of mixed chimerism remain to be determined.

Bone Marrow

[Molecular genetic studies in the von Willebrand's syndrome].

The successful cloning of the von Willebrand (vW) gene in 1985 and the production of gene probes stimulated a number of molecular genetic patient studies. It turned out that even in the case of patients with severe vW syndrome gross delections were only rarely found. We could not identify a deletion in the eight severe vW patients studied. Thus, at the moment it is not possible to directly demonstrate the genetic defect in vW patients. However, a number of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) within the vW gene were identified. They cosegregate with the gene and can be used for segregation analysis of the disease. These RFLPs should help to achieve better diagnosis of the vW syndrome in the future. This paper shows the data obtained in two families. They demonstrate the usefulness of RFLP analysis for diagnosis of carriers of the vW syndrome.

Adult

Diagnosis of carriers of haemophilia A by RFLP analysis: Austrian results.

RFLP analysis with extragenic and intragenic probes was performed in 25 Austrian families with haemophilia A for the purpose of carrier diagnosis. Diagnosis could be established in 22 families, in 7 families with intragenic and extragenic probes, in 15 families with extragenic probes only. The remaining 3 families were not informative. During routine diagnosis we found three interesting cases which are described in the following paper. Firstly, we identified one deletion with Bcl I/p 114.12. Secondly, we observed an additional polymorphic band (5.2 kb) with Xba I/probe A. Thirdly, we saw one case where Bcl I/p 114.12 and Bgl I/1.8 were not in linkage disequilibrium.

Austria