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Biomedical subjects

E Kraus

Publications and source records attributed to E Kraus.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Patient specific documentation of complications in trauma surgery. Concept, problems and results].

Quality management requires correct and comprehensive monitoring of all complications. Since January 1995 in the department of trauma and orthopaedic surgery complications have been recorded immediately when the patient is scheduled for reoperation or when complications become evident during the X-ray conference or at follow-up clinics. Two senior surgeons note all available information on a sheet of paper. Data are completed as soon as possible and entered into a PC data base. All cases are followed up by the respective surgeon and discussed at monthly complication conferences. A case is not closed until the end result has been documented. We discuss the theoretical and practical problems of this procedure and present the statistical evaluation for 1995.

Documentation↗
PubMed1996

Comparison of the 5' end of the rat and mouse cystathionine beta-synthase genes.

We have isolated and characterized a genomic fragment encompassing the first six exons and 2.6 kbp 5' flanking sequence of the rat cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) gene. A previously unknown exon approximately 3 kbp upstream of exon 1 was identified. The transcription start site was mapped to approximately 3 kbp upstream from the translation start codon and contains a consensus cap signal. The putative promoter region contains three GC boxes, in both orientations, and no TATA box. We have also compared a 1171-bp-long DNA sequence of the 5' end of the rat CBS gene with the homologous mouse region of 1125 bp. We found two homologous Sp1 sites in the mouse gene and an overall sequence conservation of 70% with 88-89% similarity in the 80-bp regions surrounding the intron 0 splice sites.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Transplantation of kidneys from expanded criteria donors.

BACKGROUND: The critical shortage of organs for transplantation has resulted in a controversial expansion of the criteria used to define a suitable cadaveric organ donor. The shortage of kidneys has a particularly hard impact on those patients on the waiting list who have uncommon major histocompatibility antigens or who are highly immunized. METHODS: To determine outcomes between patients receiving grafts from expanded criteria donors (ECDs) and others, a retrospective review of 105 consecutive kidney transplantations performed at a single institution during a 3 1/2 year period was conducted. A total of 44 (41.9%) patients received kidneys from ECDs, 45 (42.9%) from conventional cadaveric donors, and 16 (15.2%) from live donors. All patients were treated by the same physicians and received either triple or quadruple sequential immunosuppressive therapy. In general, high risk recipients did not receive kidneys from ECDs. RESULTS: Actuarial graft survival, incidence of delayed function, length of stay, and hospital charges were not significantly different between the ECD and conventional cadaveric donor groups of recipients. A higher incidence of urinary complications occurred in the ECD group (p=0.03). This incidence was noted primarily in the recipients of kidneys from donors 5 years of age or younger. However, no allografts were lost as a result of urinary complications. ECD kidneys that were imported from outside the local catchment area accounted for approximately 25% of all cadaveric transplantations performed. CONCLUSIONS: With appropriate selection of organs from ECDs, acceptable results can be obtained. ECD organs can serve to partially alleviate the extreme organ shortage. These organs should be procured and made available to those centers willing to use them.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The effects of omeprazole and famotidine on mucin and PGE2 release in the rat stomach.

BACKGROUND: Gastric antisecretory agents may inhibit the synthesis or secretion of gastric mucin during acid suppression, which would interfere with mucosal protection and limit the efficacy of the agents. METHODS: Rats were dosed with famotidine, omeprazole, or buffer control for 4 weeks. Mucin synthesis, mucin histochemistry, mucin carbohydrate composition and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release were measured during and after drug treatment. RESULTS: PGE2 release was maximally inhibited after 2 weeks of omeprazole or 4 weeks of famotidine. Total glycoprotein synthesis was inhibited at all times by omeprazole, but only after the cessation of dosing with famotidine. Sulphated glycoprotein synthesis was inhibited by both drugs at 2 weeks. PGE2 release and sulphated glycoprotein synthesis were restored to control values or more by the 5th day after the end of dosing, at which time total glycoprotein synthesis was significantly suppressed in both groups. Histologically, a reduction of PAS-positive surface mucus was observed after 2 weeks of dosing in both groups. Both famotidine and omeprazole reduced the sialic acid content during and after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that long-term anti-secretory therapy also affects the production of factors involved in primary gastric mucosal defence, which should be considered in the assessment of response to treatment in clinical trials.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Hyperhomocysteinemia in premature arterial disease: examination of cystathionine beta-synthase alleles at the molecular level.

Hyperhomocysteinemia occurs in approximately 30% of the patients with premature occlusive arterial disease (POAD). Some of these exhibit significantly reduced fibroblast cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) activities, suggesting that they may be heterozygous for CBS deficiency. To test this possibility, we studied cDNA derived from four well characterized patients with POAD, exhibiting hyperhomocysteinemia and reduced CBS activities, from four normal controls, and from four obligatory heterozygotes for CBS deficiency. Lysates of individual colonies of E.coli, containing full-length PCR-amplification products in the expression vector, pKK388.1, were tested for CBS activity. cDNA from at least seven of the eight possible independent POAD alleles encoded catalytically active, stable CBS which exhibited normal response to both PLP and AdoMet. The sequences of all 3'-untranslated regions of all seven isolated POAD alleles were identical to the normal, 'wild-type' CBS sequences. The results of the expression studies were confirmed for one POAD patient by determining the full-length cDNA sequences for both alleles; these were entirely normal over the complete length of the cDNA. In contrast, the screening method correctly distinguished mutant from normal alleles in all four obligatory heterozygotes studied. We conclude that CBS mRNAs from POAD individuals are free from inactivating mutations, including all 33 previously identified in heterozygous carriers and homocystinuric patients.

Alleles↗
PubMed1995

[Efficiency of a mobile oxygen concentrator for mechanical ventilation in anesthesia. Studies with a metabolic lung model and early clinical results].

Oxygen (O2) for clinical application is generally provided from either a central gas supply via a hospital pipeline system or is delivered to the working place in cylinders as compressed gas. An alternative source is the one-site generation of O2 from air using O2 concentrators based on molecular sieve technology. Whereas O2 concentrators for anaesthesia in remote areas or underdeveloped countries are wide-spread, in Germany their use is common in neither hospitals nor anaesthesiological practice. The maximum O2 content produced by concentrators is 96% with about 4% argon (Ar) and minimal amounts of nitrogen and other noble gases. The total O2 production is systematically limited, and therefore, the delivered concentration decreases with higher flows. There is also a potential possibility of Ar accumulation in rebreathing anaesthesia systems with reduced fresh gas flow. We investigated the efficiency and potential disadvantages of using O2 concentrators in anaesthesia and the influence of Ar on the accuracy of anaesthetic gas monitors. METHODS. The efficiency of the concentrator was characterised as O2 concentration depending on delivered gas flow. The degree of Ar accumulation in rebreathing anaesthesia systems was obtained with an O2-consuming and CO2-producing metabolic lung model consisting of a water-cooled burning chamber with an adjustable gas jet. The expiratory CO2 content was set to approximately 7%, representing an O2 consumption of 350 ml/min while ventilating the model with 500 ml tidal volume and 10 breaths/min. The inspiratory O2 concentration was adjusted to 35% or 70%; the fresh gas flow was set to 0.5 or 1 l/min. The accuracy of different types of anaesthesia monitors for O2, CO2, volatile anaesthetics, and nitrous oxide in the presence of Ar was checked in comparison with data obtained with a mass spectrometer. To evaluate the usefulness of O2 concentrators for anaesthetic practice, the function of a respirator-concentrator unit was investigated in clinical routine for 8 weeks. RESULTS. The efficiency of the concentrator is flow-rate dependent: O2 concentrations higher than 90% are only achieved with flow rates below 5 l/min and decrease to values lower than 50% at 12 l/min or more. Ar accumulation occurred in rebreathing circuits but exceeded values higher than 10% only under minimal-flow conditions (fresh gas flow 0.5 l/min). Ar did not influence the accuracy of common anaesthetic gas monitors. In clinical practice, the performance of anaesthesia using O2 from an O2 concentrator generated no additional problems. CONCLUSIONS. For the future, the use of O2 concentrators for anaesthesia seems to be a practicable alternative to compressed O2 from cylinders. The main application could be in small operating units or anaesthesia practices. The method is safe and without additional risk of hypoxia, even in rebreathing systems and closed circuits, when the O2 concentration in the inspired gas is measured.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1994

B cells are essential for murine mammary tumor virus transmission, but not for presentation of endogenous superantigens.

Murine mammary tumor viruses (MMTVs) are retroviruses that encode superantigens capable of stimulating T cells via superantigen-reactive T cell receptor V beta chains. MMTVs are transmitted to the suckling offspring through milk. Here we show that B cell-deficient mice foster nursed by virus-secreting mice do not transfer infectious MMTVs to their offspring. No MMTV proviruses could be detected in the spleen and mammary tissue of these mice, and no deletion of MMTV superantigen-reactive T cells occurred. By contrast, T cell deletion and positive selection due to endogenous MMTV superantigens occurred in B cell-deficient mice. We conclude that B cells are essential for the completion of the viral life cycle in vivo, but that endogenous MMTV superantigens can be presented by cell types other than B cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[Muscle anomalies of the upper extremity as an atavistic cause of peripheral nerve disorder].

We report on 2 patients with anomalous muscles of the upper extremity causing symptoms of peripheral nerve entrapment. Our first case clinically showed a lesion of the R. dorsalis manus of nervus ulnaris produced by an accessory muscle belly at the dorsum of the hand to be identified as an extensor indicis brevis muscle. The second case presented a carpal-tunnel-syndrome, tunnel into the palm. Phylogenetically and ontogenetically these muscles are classified as atavistic. We demonstrate the homologies of the upper extremity of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, lower mammals and man, which show an upward migration of the muscle masses from the hand to the forearm. By that means the upper extremity gains additionally to the power of the reptiles paw the functionality and free motility of the human hand.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Mls-1-like superantigen in the MA/MyJ mouse is encoded by a new mammary tumor provirus that is distinct from Mtv-7.

Mls-1 is an endogenous superantigen that leads to in vivo deletion and in vitro stimulation of T cell receptor (TCR) V beta 6-, 7-, 8.1-, and 9-expressing cells. The MA/MyJ mouse deletes the identical set of TCR from its mature T cell repertoire; however, it does not contain Mtv-7, the murine mammary tumor provirus (MMTV), whose sag gene encodes Mls-1. Interestingly, the superantigen activity of this mouse strain segregates with a new mammary tumor provirus, Mtv-43, not seen in other inbred strains. The predicted amino acid sequence of the sag gene of Mtv-43 was compared with that of Mtv-7. Strikingly, the COOH terminus of the two molecules is very similar, while all other MMTV-encoded superantigens differ 100% in this segment.

Aging↗
PubMed1992

Augmentation of major histocompatibility complex class I and ICAM-1 expression on glial cells following measles virus infection: evidence for the role of type-1 interferon.

An intracellular staining procedure for the cytoskeletal marker, glial fibrillary acidic protein of astrocytes, has been developed which allows flow cytometric phenotyping of astrocytes within complex mixtures of glial cells. Employing this technique, we show here that measles virus infection of rat mixed glial cell cultures results in a rapid augmentation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and ICAM-1 on the majority of astrocytes in culture. MHC class I levels are increased on macrophages/microglia but ICAM-1 expression is not normally affected on this cell type. Some MHC class II induction is also observed after virus infection but only on astrocytes. A type-I interferon (IFN)-inducible protein, Mx, was identified in cultured glial cells after infection. Qualitatively comparable MHC class I and ICAM-1 enhancement after addition of type-I IFN, supports the conclusion that this cytokine(s) released as a result of virus infection, is responsible for alterations in the expression of molecules on glial cells, that are involved in T cell recognition. Astrocytes after viral infection were more susceptible to alloantigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity was substantially reduced in the presence of mAb specific for MHC class I, ICAM-1 and LFA-1 but not MHC class II. The relevance of these findings to T cell recognition of virus-infected cells in the central nervous system is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Differential thymus dependence of rat CD8 isoform expression.

Expression of the rat CD8 molecule was studied using five novel monoclonal antibodies (mAb), four of which are specific for the V-like domain of CD8 alpha, whereas one reacts either with the beta chain or with a determinant only expressed on the CD8 alpha/beta heterodimer. mAb to both chains effectively blocked purified lymph node CD8 T cells in mixed lymphocyte reaction and in cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Flow cytometric analysis showed that CD8 T cells from lymph nodes or spleen of normal rats almost exclusively express the alpha/beta isoform, regardless of the T cell receptor isotype (alpha/beta or gamma/delta). In contrast, natural killer (NK) cells carry only CD8 alpha chains. This CD8 alpha + beta - phenotype was also prominent among CD8 T cells from athymic rats and from intestinal epithelium of normal rats. CD8 alpha homodimers can also be expressed as a result of activation, as shown by analysis of CD4 CD8 double-positive T cells obtained from highly purified lymph node CD4 T cells by in vitrok stimulation. Such CD4+CD8 alpha + beta - cells also represent a major subset among adult intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL), suggesting local activation. Taken together, the difference in CD8 isoform expression among T cells from athymic rats, NK cells, and gut IEL versus CD8 T cells from peripheral lymphatic organs of euthymic animals suggests that like in mice, expression of the CD8 heterodimer is more dependent on intrathymic maturation than that of the homodimer. Since the more stringent thymus dependence of CD8 alpha + beta + T cells may be due to a requirement for thymic selection on self major histocompatibility complex class I antigens, the virtually exclusive CD8 alpha + beta + phenotype of peripheral rat gamma/delta T cells could mean that antigen recognition by this subset is also restricted by MHC class I molecules.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Propionate induces polymorphonuclear leukocyte activation and inhibits formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-stimulated activation.

Short-chain carboxylic acids (SCCA) are metabolic by-products of bacterial pathogens which can alter cytoplasmic pH and inhibit a variety of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) motile functions. Since cytoskeletal F-actin alterations are central to PMN mobility, in this study we examined the effects of SCCA on cytoskeletal F-actin. Initially, we tested nine SCCA (formate, acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, caproate, lactate, succinate, and isobutyrate). We document here that while eight altered cytoplasmic pH, only six altered cytoskeletal F-actin. We then selected one SCCA that altered both F-actin and cytoplasmic pH (propionate) and one SCCA that altered only cytoplasmic pH (lactate) for further study. Propionate, but not lactate, caused an irregular cell shape and F-actin distribution. Furthermore, propionate, but not lactate, inhibited formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)-stimulated PMN polarization, F-actin localization, and cytoplasmic pH oscillation. Propionate-induced changes in cytoskeletal F-actin and cytoplasmic acidification were not affected by the fMLP receptor antagonist N-t-BOC-1-methionyl-1-leucyl-1-phenylalanine; however, alkalinization was affected. Pertussis toxin treatment completely inhibited propionate-induced changes in F-actin but had no effect on propionate-induced cytoplasmic pH oscillation. These results indicate that propionate (i) bypasses the fMLP receptor and G protein(s) to induce cytoplasmic pH oscillation, (ii) operates through G protein(s) to induce actin oscillation, cell shape changes (to irregular), and F-actin localization, and (iii) inhibits fMLP-stimulated cytoplasmic pH and actin oscillation, PMN polarization, and F-actin localization.

Actins↗
PubMed1991

Influence of mobile phase composition on evaluation of lipophilicity by partition chromatography.

The problems of the concentration dependence of retention indices and the applicability of extrapolated values in the evaluation of lipophilicity were studied. The reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of arylalkanoic acids were carried out with experimental data for substituted estra-1,3,5 (10)-trienes, benzodiazepines, dermorphine derivatives and dansylamides selected from the literature for this purpose. Fair linear relationships between slopes of concentration dependences and extrapolated and non-extrapolated values of RM and log k' were found. Equivalence of these indices in the evaluation of lipophilicity can be inferred. Statistically significant dependences of log P (sigma pi) values on concentration slopes make it possible to use them as new parameters of lipophilicity. The goodness of fit of these relationships increases when the values of ET(30), as a measure of the solvatochromic solvent polarity of mobile phases, are used instead of the change in modifier concentration.

Acetates↗
PubMed1990

Changes in neutrophil right-angle light scatter can occur independently of alterations in cytoskeletal actin.

Forward-angle light scatter (FALS) and right-angle light scatter (RALS) are commonly employed to discriminate between leukocyte subclasses. Recently the application of RALS has expanded, and it is now also used as an indicator of neutrophil actin polymerization. In this communication we critically examine the relationship of RALS to changes in cytoskeletal actin. The data indicate that agonists which stimulate an increase, a decrease, or no change in F-actin content can all stimulate a biphasic change in RALS. We therefore conclude that changes in RALS can occur independently of changes in F-actin content. This leads us to suggest that caution must be taken when interpreting RALS data in relation to changes in F-actin. Furthermore, the data also support the idea originally proposed by Yuli and Snyderman (J Clin Invest 73:1408-1417, 1984), that RALS may be an exceptionally sensitive indicator of cell activation.

Actins↗