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Biomedical subjects

E Mur

Publications and source records attributed to E Mur.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Differential stress management pattern of seropositive and seronegative polyarthritis patients. A brief comment on the publication, "Polyarthritis patients with and without detected rheumatoid factor: a psychological personality comparison"].

46 seropositive female RA patients were compared to 28 seronegative female RA patients using the Stress Coping Questionnaire of Janke et al. (1985). In comparison to seropositive patients, seronegative patients exhibit a stress coping behaviour characterized by more self-pity but less substitutive gratification. They too show fewer attempts at controlling their reactions.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Decreased immunoreactive beta-endorphin in mononuclear leucocytes from patients with rheumatic diseases.

The neuroendocrine polypeptide hormone beta-endorphin (beta-END), which is released from various tissues including the anterior pituitary gland and cells of the immune system, has recently been implicated as having an immunoregulatory role. We used a radioimmunoassay to measure beta-END levels in circulating mononuclear leucocytes from normal subjects and patients with various rheumatic diseases. Levels of beta-END in leucocytes from patients were lower than in leucocytes from healthy subjects (P less than 0.001). Whereas levels of beta-END in leucocytes from patients with the various rheumatic disorders were not significantly different, an inverse correlation was found between beta-END levels in leucocytes and expression of rheumatoid factor (P less than 0.025) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P less than 0.025). This study demonstrates decreased content of beta-END in cells of the immune system related to parameters of inflammatory activity in rheumatic diseases.

Blood Sedimentation↗
PubMed1991

[Alternating chemotherapeutic treatment in patients with localized undifferentiated small-cell carcinoma of the lung].

The results obtained from 23 patients suffering small cell lung carcinoma limited to the thorax, treated with 4 cycles of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine alternating with cisplatin and VP/16, followed by mediastinal and holocranial prophylactic radiotherapy in patients with a complete response (CR) are here presented. An 87% of global responses were obtained with a 64% rate of RC. The average survival rate was 12 months with an 18% of patients alive two years after treatment. The main toxicity was hematologic and neurologic. Even if this alternating regime produces a high response rate, the results are not superior to those obtained with conventional chemotherapy.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1990

Analysis of human tear proteins by different high-performance liquid chromatographic techniques.

A comparison of the efficiencies of hydrophobic interaction chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography, reversed-phase chromatography and gel permeation chromatography in the separation of tear proteins was made using a variety of different buffers. Separation of immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, albumin, PMFA (protein migrating faster than albumin) and lysozyme was accomplished by gel permeation chromatography in less than 30 min using a TSK-type SW3000 column equilibrated with ammonium acetate buffer (pH 4.1) with a high reproducibility. When gel permeation chromatography was used as a completely automated diagnostic method, only minute volumes (1.0 microliter) of tear samples were necessary for the quantitative analysis of proteins. The other three methods proved to be more suitable for the preparation of individual tear proteins but were less suitable for their quantitation.

Albumins↗
PubMed1990

Effective methods for the investigation of human tear film proteins and lipids.

The investigation of human tear film proteins and lipids is of value for the elucidation of contact lens incompatibilities, tear film instabilities, dry eye syndrome and various other eye diseases. Improved efficient methods for the investigation of human tear film proteins and lipids are presented in this paper. Tear proteins were examined by ultrathin sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, celluloacetate gel, isoelectric focusing, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The methods differ in sensitivity, resolution, convenience and reproducibility. Tear lipids were examined by high-performance thin-layer chromatography, and good separation into the major lipid classes was achieved. With this method it is possible to examine the lipids present in tears of an individual subject and not just in pools made up from the tears of several persons.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Decrease of respiratory burst in neutrophils of patients with ankylosing spondylitis by combined radon-hyperthermia treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To define the respiratory burst activity of neutrophils, the total anti-oxidative status of plasma, and the parameters of systemic inflammation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) before and after a combined radon-hyperthermia treatment in the thermal tunnels of Böckstein-Bad Gastein in Austria. METHODS: In 20 patients with AS the effects of a total of 15 hours of radon-hyperthermia-treatment spread over a period of three weeks were studied. The respiratory burst activity of neutrophils was measured fluorometrically using dichlorofluorescein diacetate, the total anti-oxidant status was measured using azinodiethyl-benzthiazoline-sulphonate, and inflammation parameters were determined by routine laboratory assays. RESULTS: Before treatment, the basal neutrophil respiratory burst in patients (n = 20) was 409 +/- 62 fluorescence arbitrary units (AU; mean +/- SEM) and 359 +/- 37 AU in controls (n = 9; p > 0.5); the stimulated respiratory burst (fMet-Leu-Phe, 10(-6) M) was 1,027 +/- 133 AU in patients and 1,152 +/- 218 AU in controls (p > 0.5). After treatment, the basal neutrophil respiratory burst in patients (n = 19) was 137 +/- 16 and in controls it was 174 +/- 35 AU (n = 8; p > 0.1); the stimulated respiratory burst was 670 +/- 66 and 1,305 +/- 82 AU, in patients and controls respectively (p < 0.001). No effects of treatment on the total anti-oxidant status of the plasma or on the parameters of inflammation were detected. CONCLUSION: Combined radon-hyperthermia treatment reduces the respiratory burst activity of the blood circulating neutrophils in patients with AS. If respiratory burst activity from the neutrophils plays a role in the pathophysiology of ankylosing spondylitis, the observed reduction may be related to the beneficial effects of radon-hyperthermia treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Body image of women with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Physical disabilities generally cause severe disturbances in a patient's body image perception. The aim of the present study was to investigate different aspects of body image, including sexual dissatisfaction, in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to their subjective impression of handicap. METHODS: Forty women with RA were investigated using a series of instruments: Strauss and Appelt's questionnaire for assessing one's body (1), the body perception scale of Paulus (2), and an interview focusing on appearance, worries about health and sickness, and sexual dissatisfaction. In addition, clinical parameters and the subjective extent of morning stiffness were documented, and patients with a high degree of morning stiffness were compared to patients with a low degree of morning stiffness. RESULTS: In contrast to patients with a low degree of morning stiffness, patients with a high degree of morning stiffness worried significantly more about their bodies (p < or = 0.05) and reported significantly more problems in sexuality (p < or = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that morning stiffness plays a very important role in how severely a woman feels herself to be handicapped. Severely handicapped women have to deal with anxieties about health and have sexual problems. Physicians should not shy away from addressing these issues and in severe cases psychological therapy should be initiated.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inhibitory effects of leflunomide therapy on the activity of matrixmetalloproteinase-9 and the release of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of the disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) leflunomide on the expression of the matrix metalloproteinase MMP-1 (collagenase) and the activity of MMP-9 that are believed to play a major role in cartilage destruction associated with inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Serum concentrations of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) should offer promise for monitoring tissue degradation in the RA joints during a 6-month therapy with leflunomide. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with RA meeting the ACR-criteria were recruited for the study in a multicentre trial. A dose of 20 mg leflunomide/day (after a 3-day 100 mg/day loading dose), an isoxazole derivate and inhibitor of the "de novo" pyrimidine synthesis, was administered for a study period of 6 months. MMP-1, the activity of MMP-9 and COMP values were measured in serum by enzyme immuno assay. The very sensitive acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) was also determined by EIA. The measurements were performed before and after 3 and 6 months of leflunomide therapy. RESULTS: High levels of active MMP-9, COMP and SAA were detected in the sera of the patients with RA prior to the start of the leflunomide therapy compared to normal control sera. A significant reduction of the MMP-9 activity levels was seen after 3 months immunomodulation with leflunomide and was maintained after 6 months (p < 0.01). The degradation marker COMP and the inflammation marker SAA decreased significantly after 6 months (p < 0.04, respectively p < 0.01). There was also an insignificant tendency of MMP-1 reduction in serum after 6 months. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that a DMARD therapy with leflunomide can cause positive effects on cartilage degradation and inflammation achieving reductions in the acute phase protein SAA, the enzymatic attack of MMPs and the loss of the cartilage matrix component COMP.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Stress and behavior in coping with illness by patients with chronic polyarthritis].

39 female patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis and 17 healthy women were assessed for their stress-coping mechanisms. As compared to healthy controls, the coping behavior of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by a significantly higher degree of playing down the stressful situation through comparison with others, by more substitutive gratification, by more attempts at controlling their reaction, but fewer attempts at controlling the situation. Moreover, patients with rheumatoid arthritis show less self-accusation, but also less guilt-defence. These coping mechanisms are most probably acquired already during the second year after the onset of illness and do not change significantly thereafter.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Stable pattern of stress coping in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The stress coping mechanisms of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (74 women and 27 men) were compared to those of healthy controls (17 women and 16 men) using the Stress Coping Questionnaire of Janke et al. (1). Based on the duration of illness, male and female patients were divided into three groups, those with a duration of illness of less than 5 years, those with 5-15 years and a third group with 15 or more years of illness. From a comparison of these groups with healthy controls, the following conclusions can be drawn: (1) RA patients can be characterized by a coping pattern which is determined by significantly more cognitive mechanisms, e.g. trivialization, more attempts at controlling their reactions and less self-accusation. (2) The patient groups with different disease durations do not differ in their coping patterns. The stress coping behaviour of RA patients seems to be stable and does not appear to be influenced by the duration of illness.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Coping with stress and rheumatoid factor--a comparative study].

Forty-six seropositive female RA patients were compared to 28 seronegative female RA patients and 51 healthy women using the stress-coping questionnaire of Janke et al. (9). In comparison to healthy controls, patients with RA exhibit a stress-coping behavior characterized by more cognitive coping mechanisms, less self-accusation, less aggression, and less use of alcohol or pharmaca. They too use more substitutive gratification, a strategy which is used by seropositive patients even more than by seronegative patients. Further, compared to healthy controls and seronegative patients, seropositive patients describe more attempts to control their reactions in stress situations.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Oxidative burst of neutrophils in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: influence of various cytokines and medication.

OBJECTIVE: Toxic oxygen products are believed to be implicated in tissue damage in some complex-mediated diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. In the present study we compared the superoxide (O2) production of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in 21 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with that of 9 healthy controls, examining the effect of different stimulants and cytokines on the oxidative burst (OB). Since many drugs used in the treatment of RA may alter O2 metabolism, the effects of antirheumatic medication were also studied. METHODS: Generation of superoxide anions was analysed by a flow cytometric method, using the fluorochrome dihydro-rhodamine. As stimulants for OB, we used N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), which acts via a membrane receptor, and phorbol-myristate acetate (PMA), which acts in a membrane receptor-independent manner. As preactivating substances, TNF-alpha, G-CSF and GM-CSF were applied. RESULTS: In RA patients under treatment with antirheumatic medication, fMLP-induced OB (+/- cytokines) was significantly reduced, while O2 production after stimulation with PMA was similar compared to controls. GM-CSF showed the highest level of preactivation in controls, whereas in RA patients TNF-alpha proved to be most potent. In both controls and RA patients, a combination of GM-CSF or G-CSF with TNF-alpha further enhanced OB. No correlation between OB and clinical data or treatment could be established in RA patients. CONCLUSIONS: There is a reduced cytokine priming capacity for OB in RA patients under antirheumatic medication in spite of the presence of an intact enzyme system of OB. Antirheumatic medication combining multiple drugs capable of decreasing OB might effectively modulate oxidative metabolism.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The impact of life events on patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a psychological myth?

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: A large number of studies from the field of "psychorheumatology" have investigated the relationship between critical life events and disease parameters with varying results. In the present study 48 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (mean age 57.8; range 32-78 years) were questioned about life events within the past two years using an "inventory for assessing life change events"-ILE (1). In contrast to previous studies, this inventory not only assesses the number of life events, but also captures the extent of subjectively experienced stress caused by these events. Since psychosocial factors such as social support and coping strategies influence subjectively experienced stress, these factors were taken into consideration for the definition of "life event". Furthermore, a series of objective medical parameters as well as the patient's and the physician's subjective impression of disease activity were assessed. RESULTS: The results show that patients with RA in the earlier stages of the disease cannot be differentiated from severely affected patients in later stages on the basis of life event parameters. In addition, no differences in the life event data could be observed between patients with and those without subjectively experienced episodes of illness in the two years immediately preceding the study. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the course of RA is influenced neither by the number of life events nor by the extent of stress caused by these life events. Therefore, the role of life events should not be overemphasized, at least as far as the disease parameters in RA is concerned.

Aged↗