PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Rainer

Publications and source records attributed to F Rainer.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Immunosuppressive therapy in rheumatoid arthritis.

Immunosuppressive drugs are used since 1951 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The most extensive used ones are azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil and methotrexate. The efficacy of these immunosuppressive drugs is clinical proven. Nevertheless it is necessary to use these drugs in severe disease only that has failed to respond to less toxic agents. The number of severe side effects is higher and the consequences of this therapy concerning cancerogenity is not clear yet. The efficacy and side effects of these drugs are discussed and guidelines for using immunosuppressive drugs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are given.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1988

[Relation of neopterin and beta 2 microglobulin to disease activity in chronic polyarthritis].

The correlations of the serum levels of neopterin and beta-2-microglobulin with the disease activity-measured by a clinical index-were investigated in 41 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Both parameters correlated significantly with the sum of the used disease activity index. There was a closer correlation between the serum levels of beta-2-microglobulin and the sum of the index and most of the particular parameters of the index than it was seen for the neopterin serum levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Quick measurement of hematocrit and erythrocyte sedimentation-rate by means of a density tracking method.

An instrument to track the sedimentation properties of red blood cells quickly and automatically and to evaluate the hematocrit as well as the plasma density of a blood sample in the same operation is described. Erythrocyte-sedimentation basically is due to the density difference between the red blood cells and the plasma and the new method makes use of the mechanical-oscillator-technique, where the resonant frequency of the bending-type oscillations of a U-shaped glass tube is related to the density of the fluid with which the tube is filled. The oscillating U-tube is part of a sedimentation-tube of special dimensions and particular spatial orientation. The tube is tilted at 60 degrees, the tip of the U-tube being raised above the horizontal plane. Filling the sedimentation-tube with anticoagulated blood first permits recording of the density of the homogeneous suspension. Then, after a few minutes, the onset of erythrocyte-sedimentation produces a decrease in recorded density. The final value is related to the density of the supernatant plasma-fluid. Hematocrit, blood and plasma density of the undiluted blood sample as well as the sedimentation-rate of the anticoagulated sample are automatically calculated from the recorded sedimentation-curve. The particular arrangement of the tilted sedimentation-tube facilitates a determination of the maximum sedimentation-rate within 15 min at most.

Blood Sedimentation↗
PubMed1987

Viscoelastic properties of whole blood. Influence of fast sedimenting red blood cell aggregates.

Red blood cell (RBC) aggregation is known to be of deciding influence on erythrocyte sedimentation-rate (ESR) and on whole blood viscoelastic properties. The rheological behaviour of blood collected from a control-group with normal ESR is compared to the viscoelastic behaviour of blood collected from two groups with high to very high ESR, whose individuals are suffering from chronical polyarthritis and Morbus Bechterew, respectively. The rheological properties are evaluated by means of an oscillating-flow capillary-rheometer where the viscous (eta') and elastic (eta") component of the complex viscosity (eta) is measured at a constant frequency of 2 Hz. Correcting for the varying hematocrit of the different blood samples according to an exponential equation, the viscoelastic data are found to be elevated in the groups with high ESR. For the viscous properties this is only due to the increase of the plasma viscosity. A correction for the plasma viscosity, however, shows that the viscous properties at low shear- rates (2s-1) are significantly reduced, whereas elastic properties in a range of medium shear-rates (10s-1 to 50s-1) are significantly increased (P less than 0.001, t-test of Student). This result is discussed to be due to the high packing density of the RBC in fast sedimenting aggregates. High packing density reduces the effective volume of the RBC but increases the stiffness of the aggregates.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Serum lipids and lipoproteins in patients with primary gout.

Serum lipid and lipoprotein values of 32 male patients suffering from gout were quantitated and compared with corresponding values of a random control group which did not differ significantly with regard to age, body weight index and socio-economic status. All patients were on therapy with allopurinol which lasted on average for 6 years. The most striking differences between patients and controls were the increased triglyceride and apo B values and the decreased HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and HDL-phospholipid (HDL-PL) values in the patient group. The values of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, apo A-I and Lp (a) were not significantly different between patients and controls. The great differences in the ratios of apo B/LDL-C, apo A-I/HDL-C and apo A-I/HDL-PL values suggest that gout is connected with changes in the chemical composition of the major lipoprotein classes. In three normolipemic individuals who were treated for 3 weeks with allopurinol no changes in lipoproteins and apolipoproteins were apparent. The results are discussed in view of the atherosclerosis risk of patients suffering from gout.

Apolipoproteins A↗
PubMed1984

[Diabetic osteoarthropathy].

The diabetic osteoarthropathy is an important diabetic complication. There is an obligatory connexion of the diabetic osteoarthropathy with the diabetic neuropathy. It seems to be essential for the diagnosis and treatment to separate the neuropathic and arthropathic lesions from angiopathic changes. It should be paid more attention to the diabetic osteoarthropathy in the treatment and training of diabetic patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

[Undesirable effects of gold therapy].

In about 20 to 30% of patients receiving intramuscular gold salts untoward side-effects of variable severity are known to occur with resultant discontinuation of treatment in a high percentage of cases to be on the safe side. Among the most common, albeit harmless side-effects are those affecting the skin and the mucous membranes. These are followed by renal symptoms. Grave complications affecting the hemopoietic system (leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, aplastic anaemia) are rarely seen. Other potential side effects (pulmonary fibrosis, liver damage, neuropathies, vasomotor reactions, loss of hair, nail changes) are extremely uncommon or no more than anecdotal). Meticulous follow-ups at regular intervals are imperative to minimize the associated risks.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1982

[Interactions of non-steroidal anti-rheumatic agents with other drugs].

Rheumatic patients have a higher risk of undesirable interactions, because in most cases they are on a long-term treatment, and due to their second or third disease, they have to take various additional drugs simultaneously for a short or longer period of time. In a review the known interactions between non-steroidal antirheumatic drugs and anticoagulants and oral antidiabetics - these drugs have the most clinical importance - with Phenytoin or Lithium, with digitalis, beta receptor antagonists and corticosteroids are summarized. By means of administration of suitable drugs undesirable interactions can be avoided in most cases. Guide lines for prevention of undesirable interactions are given.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1981

Determination of D-penicillamine in serum by fluorescence derivatization and liquid column chromatography.

A simple and fast method for the determination of D-penicillamine in serum is described. The analysis is based o a fluorescence derivatization of the sulfhydryl group combined with a reversed-phase liquid chromatograhic separation and fluorescence detection. Before derivatization the serum proteins are precipitated with ethanol and removed by centrifugation. As derivatizing agent 5-dimethylaminonaphthaline-1-sulfonylaziridine is used which reacts selectively with thiols under defined reaction conditions. The detection limit is in the pmol range; 50-300 ng of D-penicillamine can be determined with a relative standard deviation of 7-8%. Thus the method permits a simple determination of D-penicillamine in serum at therapeutic levels.

Chromatography, Liquid↗
PubMed1980

[Evaluation of storage-iron distribution in serum and reticuloendothelial system in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (author's transl)].

Serum ferritin, transferrin and the stainable non-heme iron, were evaluated in 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis in various stages and with different medications. We found a correlation between the serum ferritin values and the amount of stainable non-heme iron in the bone marrow, which was independent to the stage of the disease and the medication. The pathogenesis of the anemia in rheumatoid arthritis is discussed, together with the reported results in the literature.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

[Viscosity of synovial fluid and possible artificial lubricants (author's transl)].

The viscosity of "normal" post mortem synovial fluid, and synovial fluid samples of knee joints affected by various joint diseases (inflammatory and non inflammatory) was investigated and compared with flow curves of Hyaluronic acid and Polyacrylamide solutions. The viscoelastic behaviours of synovial fluid seems to be of great importance for the lubrication mechanism of the joints. Differing results of the viscoelastic properties could be determined in different joint diseases. As a result of these changes the lubrication mechanism is impaired and this leads to cartilage wear. Solutions of Polyacrylamide and Hyaluronic acid have been investigated as model-substances, the former showing rheological properties similar to normal synovial fluid. Their application as an artificial lubricant has been investigated.

Acrylic Resins↗
PubMed1976

[The effect of uricosuric and uricostatic drugs on DNA metabolism].

Some of the drugs, which are used in therapy of gout were tested with respect to their influence on semi-conservative DNA-synthesis and DNA-repair in vitro, using different cell systems. The agents (Benzbromarone, Allopurinol, Thiopurinol) were investigated in concentrations similar to blood-levels in normal therapy. The cells were irradiated with ultraviolet or ionizing radiation in order to damage their DNA and DNA-repair (unscheduled DNA-synthesis) was estimated by measuring the incorporation of radioactively labeled thymidine into acid insoluble material under appropriate conditions. The substances showed different effects on DNA-synthesis as well as on DNA-repair, even then, when their supposed influence on enzymes of nucleotide metabolism, was similar.

Allopurinol↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Viscoelastic properties of normal human synovia and their relation to biomechanics].

The viscoelastic parameters of synovial fluid (SF) collected from donors with healthy joints were investigated in a shear rate range between D = 10(-3) to 10(+3) s-1. The rheological parameters obtained from these SF yielded a common Master-curve, which can be accepted as characteristic for healthy human FS: it shows high zero shear viscosity (6-60 Pa X s) and pronounced shear thinning with increasing shear rates. The shear module G, calculated from the first normal stress difference, shows a constant range with values between 1 and 5 Pa. The largest average relaxation times are observed in the range of 2 to 5 s, and they decrease linearly with increasing shear rate to values of 0.01 to 0.05 s. The above viscoelastic properties appear to be necessary for the formation of a fluid film to guarantee optimal joint lubrication and to protect the cartilage from mechanical damage.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Diffusive interstitial pulmonary fibrosis in chronic polyarthritis].

Among 167 in-patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 7 cases (4,2%) of diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosis of variable degree were revealed by chest X-ray examination. There was a predominance of the advanced functional classes according to Steinbrocker (where the duration of the disease was approximately the same as in patients without pulmonary fibrosis). There were higher 1-hour erythrocyte sedimentation rates and gamma-globulin valves and lower levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit in the patients with diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosis than in those without pulmonary changes. The etiological and pathogenetic aspects of several theories are discussed. The therapeutic possibilities are described and the importance of penicillamine therapy is emphasized.

Adolescent↗