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Biomedical subjects

E Hofbauer

Publications and source records attributed to E Hofbauer.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

A preliminary study of long-term treatment with interferon gamma-1b and low-dose prednisolone in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have progressive scarring of the lung and usually die within four to five years after symptoms develop. Treatment with oral glucocorticoids is often ineffective. We conducted an open, randomized trial of treatment with a combination of interferon gamma-1b, which has antifibrotic properties, and an oral glucocorticoid. We studied 18 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who had not had responses to glucocorticoids or other immunosuppressive agents. Nine patients were treated for 12 months with oral prednisolone alone (7.5 mg daily, which could be increased to 25 to 50 mg daily), and nine with a combination of 200 microg of interferon gamma-1b (given three times per week subcutaneously) and 7.5 mg of prednisolone (given once a day). RESULTS: All the patients completed the study. Lung function deteriorated in all nine patients in the group given prednisolone alone: total lung capacity decreased from a mean (+/-SD) of 66+/-8 percent of the predicted value at base line to 62+/-6 percent at 12 months. In contrast, in the group receiving interferon gamma-1b plus prednisolone, total lung capacity increased (from 70+/-6 percent of the predicted value at base line to 79+/-12 percent at 12 months, P<0.001 for the difference between the groups). In the group that received interferon gamma-1b plus prednisolone, the partial pressure of arterial oxygen at rest increased from 65+/-9 mm Hg at base line to 76+/-8 mm Hg at 12 months, whereas in the group that received prednisolone alone it decreased from 65+/-6 to 62+/-4 mm Hg (P<0.001 for the difference in the change from baseline values between the two groups); on maximal exertion, the value increased from 55+/-6 to 65+/-8 mm Hg in the group that received combined treatment and decreased from 55+/-6 mm Hg to 52+/-5 mm Hg in the group given prednisolone alone (P<0.001). The side effects of interferon gamma-1b, such as fever, chills, and muscle pain, subsided within the first 9 to 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: In a preliminary study, 12 months of treatment with interferon gamma-1b plus prednisolone was associated with substantial improvements in the condition of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who had had no response to glucocorticoids.

Carrier Proteins↗
PubMed1999

Cytokine expression in bronchial biopsies of cystic fibrosis patients with and without acute exacerbation.

In patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), the progression of pulmonary disease differs considerably, even in identical cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator-genotypes which could reflect an additional influence of the host's immune response. This study therefore measured cytokine expression patterns in CF patients with different clinical presentation. Expression of interleukin (IL)-8, interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), IL-4, IL-10, and transforming growth factor (TGF)beta(I) was assessed in bronchial mucosal biopsies of eight CF patients with acute exacerbation (age 6.0-14.2 yrs), eight CF patients with chronic stable disease (age 7.3-17.4 yrs), and in five normal control subjects by semiquantitative and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction combined with histopathological assessment and immunohistochemical staining. All CF patients expressed IL-8. In acute exacerbation, expression of TGF-beta1 and IFN-gamma was either absent or extremely low. In contrast, all patients with stable disease strongly expressed TGF-beta1. The highest expression of TGF-beta1 and IFN-gamma was found in CF patients with mild disease and a history of infrequent exacerbations. No correlation was found between the expression of IL-4 and IL-10 and patient history. In normal control subjects, only a weak expression of TGF-beta1 was observed. These results show a remarkable correlation between cytokine pattern and the clinical course of cystic fibrosis. High expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 and interferon gamma was associated with mild disease, whereas no or very weak expression of these cytokines was typical for patients with acute disease and frequent exacerbations suggesting a contribution of the immune response to the progression of pulmonary disease in cystic fibrosis.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1998

Elevated activation markers of coagulation in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery.

Surgery is associated with a variable but increased incidence of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE). The risk of VTE after orthognathic surgery is unknown. Recently developed assays for activation markers of blood coagulation allow the detection of a prethrombotic state and may thus help to identify surgical procedures with a risk of postoperative VTE. The pre- and postoperative levels of thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) and prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2) were studied in ten patients undergoing orthognathic surgery. Mean levels of TAT and F1+2 were within the normal range preoperatively (TAT:2.6+1.0 microg/L, F1+2:0.8+0.2 nmol/L). A significant increase in both parameters occurred postoperatively (TAT:21.8+21.4 microg/L, P<0.005; F1+2:1.3+0.4, P<0.02). No increase was observed in a control group (n=13) consisting of patients undergoing minor surgical procedures in general anesthesia. Our study shows that a marked activation of the coagulation cascade occurs during orthognathic surgery which warrants further studies on the true incidence of postoperative VTE in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery.

Adolescent↗