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Biomedical subjects

F A Gries

Publications and source records attributed to F A Gries.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Age-related association of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus with BfF1 and the HLA-B18, BfF1 haplotype.

Five hundred and ninety-nine patients with insulin-dependent (Type 1) diabetes mellitus were typed for Bf (factor B) polymorphism, and 318 of them for HLA-A, B and C antigens. Bf and HLA antigen frequencies were compared with those in 536 normal controls. A significant positive association between Type 1 diabetes and the rare factor B variant BfF1 was found (p less than 10(-3)), but this was present only in patients aged under 16 years at onset of the disease (p less than 0.005). There was a strongly positive linkage disequilibrium between BfF1 and HLA-B18 in the diabetic patients. This, too was especially pronounced in the juvenile onset cases, in whom it was significantly stronger than in controls (p less than 10(-3)). The known positive associations between Type 1 diabetes and HLA-B8, -B15 and -Cw3 were confirmed.

Adolescent↗

Regulation of diabetic serum growth factors for human vascular cells by the metabolic control of diabetes mellitus.

Serum factors from non-ketotic poorly controlled non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients stimulated growth and protein synthesis of human arterial smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts by 15-42%, compared to serum factors from well controlled diabetics. In contrast, the growth stimulating effect of pooled sera from well controlled diabetics did not differ from the effect of normal sera. Single sera from the same diabetics before and after improvement of the metabolic control stimulated cell growth to a similar degree as the respective pooled sera from different diabetic populations. As far as increased growth stimulation of vascular cells is related to increased angiopathic risk in diabetics, this metabolic regulation of growth factors supports the demand for a continuous optimal control of diabetic metabolism.

Cells, Cultured↗

Cardiovascular risk factors and HDL-cholesterol levels in obesity.

In 1332 patients with different degrees of obesity (344 men, mean age 36 +/- 13 years, Broca Index 1.46 +/- 0.23; 988 women, mean age 37 +/- 13 years, Broca Index 1.67 +/- 0.30), cardiovascular risk factors (RF), serum HDL-cholesterol, and insulin levels were investigated. The most frequent RF was diastolic hypertension (68 per cent), followed by systolic hypertension (56 per cent), glucose intolerance (55 per cent), hypertriglyceridemia (31 per cent), hyperuricemia (19 per cent) and hypercholesterolemia (18 per cent). Only 9.4 per cent of the patients were without RF, and these patients were younger and less obese than patients with RF. Compared with controls, HDL-cholesterol levels were decreased in obese patients, however, the negative linear correlation between relative body weight and HDL-cholesterol levels was only significant in women, not in men. HDL-cholesterol levels were higher in women than in men. Serum insulin levels were correlated positively with relative body weight and negatively with age. Partial correlation analysis revealed a stronger influence of age than body weight on blood pressure, serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose levels. Uric acid levels correlated positively, and HDL-cholesterol levels negatively with relative body weight alone and not with age. On the basis of prevalence of RF, low serum HDL-cholesterol and high insulin levels, obese patients must be considered at high risk with respect to the development of cardiovascular disease.

Adult↗

Treatment of diabetes mellitus and pregnancy.

The pregnancy of woman with diabetes mellitus poses a high risk. During the pre-insulin era the newborn had a 40% chance of survival and there was high mortality in the mothers. Only in recent years has it been possible to decrease perinatal mortality to 2-4% due to the cooperation of diabetologists, obstetricians, and pediatricians in centers with much experience in supervision of mother and child. In the foreground of treatment are the following prerequisites: (1) close metabolic supervision of the mother allowing blood-glucose values between 60-120 mg/dl and mean blood glucose per day around 85 mg/dl during the course of pregnancy; (2) intensive supervision of the fetus; (3) early recognition and adequate treatment of complications. Close metabolic supervision succeeds only by way of blood-glucose self-control. To decrease the rate of deformities, the close metabolic supervision apparently has to commence before conception. This management no longer requires delivery according to the White scheme.

Congenital Abnormalities↗

[Glucagon, growth hormone, and cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in insulin-dependent diabetics (IDD) without autonomic neuropathy (author's transl)].

Insulin-induced hypoglycemias are a sign of non-sufficient counterregulation, in which different contra-insulinary hormones participate. The aim of the study was to investigate, whether there exists a difference between IDD and non-diabetics regarding secretion of glucagon, cortisol, and growth hormone during an insulin-induced hypoglycemia and further on pointing out, expecially, the importance of glucagon. Insulin-induced hypoglycemias are counterregulated in non-diabetics, not in IDD. The missing glucagon secretion during insulin-induced hypoglycemia in IDD seems to be independent from an autonomic neuropathy. Only after high doses of exogenous glucagon can one see a counterregulating increase of glucose. The STH secretion is similar in non-diabetics and IDD during an insulin-induced hypoglycemia and has evidently only a secondary effect in hypoglycemic counterregulation. The STH secretion may be the expression of a diencephal-triggered stress situation. The cortisol secretion is the same in both groups. The gluconeogenetic effect of cortisol is not sufficient to accomplish a fast compensation of hypoglycemia. This does not exclude long-term effects. When inhibiting the secretion of insulin and different contra-insulinary hormones with somatostatin, one is able to demonstrate that glucagon alone is a sufficiently counterregulatory hormone in insulin-induced hypoglycemias.

Adult↗

[Obesity: state of research and therapy].

The classification of obesity into a hypertrophic and a hyperplastic type is apparently becoming less accepted since preadipocytes are not covered by investigation of adipose tissue cellularity. Obesity-associated insulin resistance is probably due to a decrease in number of insulin receptors, induced by hyperinsulinemia. Metabolic factors may contribute to insulin resistance. Long-standing hypersecretion of insulin may exhaust the B-cell, resulting in glucose intolerance and diabetes. There is increasing interest in the (possibly) disturbed energy metabolism in obesity, though clearcut conclusions are not yet possible. For the management of obesity an integrated treatment schedule is recommended including a 1000 calorie mixed diet, intensive nutritional education, motivation, group and individual psychotherapy, physical exercise and physiotherapy. Drastic methods for the treatment of obesity are critically reviewed.

Diet, Reducing↗

[Drug therapy of hypertriglyceridemias (author's transl)].

As a rule, the causal therapy of hypertriglyceridemia is possible only for its secondary forms. Indications for therapy are: a critical rise in triglyceride levels leading to symptoms of acute abdomen, disturbances of the lesser circulation, insulin-resistance or a reduction in the patient's working capacity. Triglyceride levels of 200 mg/dl are considered the threshold value for long-term therapy. In most cases, the desired can be obtained with dietary measures. Drug therapy mainly consists of nicotinic acid and its derivates, clofibrinic acid and its derivates as well as clofibrate successors.

Clofibrate↗

Increased growth stimulation of fibroblasts from diabetics by diabetic serum factors of low molecular weight.

Serum factors from non-ketotic poorly controlled diabetic patients when compared to serum factors from normal subjects, stimulate growth and protein synthesis of cultured fibroblasts from diabetic patients by 25-50%. This increased growth stimulating effect of diabetic serum is mainly related to low molecular weight components (mol. wt. < 12,000 daltons), but not to insulin or glucose. These low molecular weight components of diabetic serum are effective only in combination with serum factors of a molecular weight > 12,000 daltons which are essential for initiation and continuous stimulation of cellular growth. As the growth stimulation by diabetic serum factors with a molecular weight < 12,000 daltons does not differ from comparable normal serum factors, the relevance of these serum factors (e.g. growth hormone, lipoproteins) for the increased growth stimulation of mesenchymal cells in diabetes mellitus seems to be only of limited importance. In as much as these in vitro results represent the in vivo situation, chronic exposure of vascular cells from diabetics to these serum factors could be related to the increased angiopathic risk in diabetes mellitus.

Cell Division↗

Hepatic production of VLDL-triglycerides. Dependence of portal substrate and insulin concentration.

Insulin has an exacerbating effect on endogenous hypertriglyceridemia. Experiments were carried out in order to study the acute effects of insulin in 6 patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia and 6 controls. 0.1 Unit insulin/kg body weight was injected into the portal vein. Blood samples were taken from the portal and hepatic veins and analysed for FFA, glycerol, VLDL-triglycerides (VLDL-TG) and insulin. Liver blood flow was measured with cardiogreen. This technique allowed a study of the acute effect of insulin on the hepatic extraction of substrates and on the hepatic production of VLDL-TG. Under basal conditions the production of VLDL-TG in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia was not statistically different from the production in controls. The results did not provide statistical proof of a correlation between the production and the hepatic uptake of VLDL-TG precursors; however, the production was negatively correlated to the hepatic clearance rate of insulin. During a one-hour observation period after the application of insulin, the production of VLDL-TG was decreased in controls and increased in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia. The application of insulin was also followed by a decreased uptake of free fatty acids and glycerol, this change being similar in controls and in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia. There was no correlation between the effect of insulin on the production of VLDL-TG and on the uptake of substrates by the liver. It is concluded that insulin has a direct effect on the production of VLDL-TG which is independent of substrate supply. The adverse effect of insulin in endogenous hypertriglyceridemia may reflect some type of impaired hepatic responsiveness to insulin.

Adult↗

Studies of heart rate oscillations in diabetics at rest.

Variation in electrocardiographic R-R intervals during rest was investigated as a measure of autonomic function and as a diagnostic tool in diabetes. Diabetics (106) of both sexes with different duration of the disease were compared with 116 metabolically healthy control subjects of the same age range. Diabetic retinopathy was diagnosed using fundus photography, and classified in stages O-II. Coefficient of variation (CV) of R-R intervals in controls is age-dependent. The negative correlation between CV and age in diabetics applied only when retinopathy was absent; in diabetics with late complications, CV was significantly lower (p less than 0.0001) than in the healthy or in uncomplicated diabetic state. The CV decreased with increasing severity of retinopathy permitting routine differentiation of progressive stages of retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy.

Adolescent↗

Analysis of T-lymphocyte subpopulations in juvenile-onset diabetics.

In juvenile-onset diabetics (JOB) subpopulations of T-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood have been analysed by the E-rosetting technique. We determined the number of 'low', 'intermediate' and 'high affinity' ('active') rosette forming T-cells by the use of three different lymphocyte:sheep red blood cell ratios in the assay. When comparing the percentage and absolute number of peripheral T-cells between twenty well controlled JODs and twenty normal persons a slight reduction was found in diabetics. Of the three T-lymphocyte subpopulations only active rosette forming cells appeared to be affected. We conclude that minor differences exist in number and characteristics of peripheral blood T-cells between well controlled JODs and normal persons.

Adolescent↗

Psychometric evaluation of performance in diabetes mellitus.

Two-hundred and fourteen diabetics and 343 controls were studied using a psychological test battery (LPSU-KOLN). Out of these samples, 147 pairs matched for age, sex, and level of education were selected. Diabetics were classified as juvenile onset diabetics (JOD, n = 112) and maturity onset diabetics (MOD, n = 35). The performance was evaluated in four dimensions: Factor I: speed of reaction; Factor II: memory-concentration; Factor III: visual perception; and Factor IV: quality of performance. The data were statistically analyzed using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The speed of reaction of both types of diabetics was significantly lower than of that of controls. The abilities in memory-concentration tasks were also decreased in diabetics in general, particularly in MOD. The visual perception and the quality of performance of diabetics were not different from their controls.

Adult↗

[Massive obesity with disturbance of glucose tolerance (author's transl)].

A long-term study of 63 extremely obese persons with disturbed glucose tolerance showed a further deterioration of glucose tolerance over 10 years. In 9 out of 23 patients manifest diabetes mellitus developed despite partial weight reduction (greater than or equal to 10% of the initial weight excess). Out of 14 patients who did not lose weight during this time even 11 developed manifestations of diabetes. All patients who were in different weight groups at the 5- and 10-year follow-up showed a deterioration in glucose tolerance after 10 years. In the individual groups there were only minimal differences in other characteristics apart from the different weight behaviour.

Adult↗

[Glucose tolerance in the course of treating endogenous hypertriglyceridaemia (author's transl)].

Abnormal glucose tolerance was found in 30 of 100 patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridaemia (74 males, 26 females, age 45.9 +/- 11.4 years, Broca index 116 +/- 25%; 44 type II b, 7 type III and 49 type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia). In 19 cases the abnormal glucose tolerance was discovered during treatment with diet and, if necessary, lipid-lowering substances for an average of 5.8 +/- 2.8 years. Compared with the normal population there was in these patients an 8- to 10-fold increase in the incidence of abnormal glucose tolerance. Therapy-induced lowering of the serum triglyceride concentration was followed by an improvement of the abnormal glucose tolerance. The "antidiabetic" effect of hyperlipidaemia treatment was only slightly improved by concurrent weight reduction. These results indicate that the treatment of hyperlipidaemia in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridaemia is of importance in the prevention of diabetes.

Adult↗