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Biomedical subjects

F Scheiffarth

Publications and source records attributed to F Scheiffarth.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Differentiation of lymphocytes in cerebrospinal fluid in disorders of the central nervous system.

In 73 patients with variable CNS-disorders Slg-lymphocytes and RF-lymphocytes originating from CF were characterized by demonstration of surface markers. In the CF the Slg-lymphocytes were increased in comparison to the blood whereas the RF-lymphocytes generelly were decreased. Patients suffering from acute or chronic inflammatory diseases had significantly more Slg-lymphocytes while RF-lymphocytes were significantly decreased in those patients as well as in patients with malignancies. A correlation between the number of Slg-lymphocytes and immunoglobulin-levels was not seen. The respective data in blood did not follow the changes in CF. The results suggest a prevailing stimulation of the humoral immune system of the CNS during inflammatory diseases.

Acute Disease

Lymphocytotoxicity to tumor target cells and interference of serum factors or tumor antigen with lymphocytotoxicity in patients suffering from different stages of breast carcinoma.

The in vitro cytotoxicity of lymphocytes from patients suffering from breast carcinoma against autochthonous, allogeneic and established breast carcinoma cells was evaluated. Lymphocytotoxicity to breast carcinoma cells was observed in all stages of the disease. Control lymphocytes from healthy donors or patients suffering from other carcinoma are not cytotoxic for the breast carcinoma cell lines. A follow-up study of the cell mediated immune reactions before and after surgical removal of the breast carcinoma showed that the cytotoxic lymphocyte population which is demonstrated in the presence of the tumor disappears quickly after excision of the carcinoma. The non-reactivity of lymphocytes is not due to a general immune defect. Serum of the tumor bearers did not block the lymphocytotoxicity in early stage breast carcinoma; in metastatic disease inhibition occurred in more than half of the cases. Preincubation of lymphocytes with antigen preparations of allogeneic breast carcinoma cells did not inhibit the cytotoxicity to breast carcinoma cells whereas autologous serum preincubated with the antigen preparation diminished the lymphocyte reactivity to the target cells in some cases.

Adult

[Long term treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Experiences with D-penicillamine in comparison with gold and immunosuppressive drugs (author's transl)].

In a controlled trial including 80 patients suffering from different stages of rheumatoid arthritis it was demonstrated that D-penicillamine therapy favourably influences the clinical course of the disease as compared to a control group treated with antirheumatic drugs. Particularly the therapy continued over one year resulted in a significant fall of the joint and activity index as well as of the BSR. Side effects were observed in more than half of the cases. Renal, hematological and severe exanthematic complications forced to discontinue the administration of D-penicillamine in 6 of 41 cases. As compared to other therapeutics our study indicates that D-penicillamine and gold treatment are equivalent drugs in rheumatoid arthritis whereas immunosuppressive drugs are reserved for severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis because of their strong side effects.

Adolescent

Fractionation of antigen reactive cells from immunized mice on columns coated with antigen or anti-immunoglobulin sera.

Immunocompetent cells obtained from NIP-RGG immunized mice were fractionated on bead columns coated with antigen or anti-immunoglobulin serum. The separated cell fractions were examined for their capacity to be stimulated by the antigen in short term culture, to produce antigen specific antibodies in the plaque assay and to bind radioactive labeled antigen. Cells which produce hapten specific antibodies or bind radioactive labeled hapten are removed from the cell population passed through a hapten-carrier complex coated column. Cells stimulated by the antigen to an increased DNA-synthesis are also retained by columns coated with the hapten-carrier-complex or the carrier alone; the fractionation seems to be carrier specific. The fractionation of cells is blocked by free antigen in the columnar fluid. However, the fractionation patterns of cells passed through anti-Ig-serum coated columns are different when antibody producing cells and cells stimulated by the antigen are compared. Whereas antibody producing cells and antigen binding cells are almost completely retained by anti-Ig-serum coated columns the cells which are stimulated by the hapten carrier complex are not removed from the passed cells. Studies to characterize the fractionated cell populations according to their sensitivity to anti-theta-serum, to the presence of Ig-receptors and to the phytohemagglutinin stimulation indicate that the antibody producing cells and the antigen binding cells have to be attributed to B-cells whereas the question whether the antigen stimulated cells are T- or B-cells cannot be definitely answered.

Animals

Characterization of a stimulating factor released by immunosuppression.

To get more information about the mechanism of stimulation of the immune response during immunosuppression under certain conditions, stimulating factor (SF) was collected 48 hours after treatment of NMRI-mice with cyclophosphamide. SF was characterized by different steps of separation using centrifugation, dialysis and salt-fractionation. For demonstration of the SF animals were sensitized with SRBC and given different substrates separately. The stimulation of the antibody-production was demonstrated on the cellular level using the plaque-technique. SF was detected by comparing the counts of plaque-forming cells in the spleen of treated mice compared with controls merely sensitized or given the same substrate of normal animals. In this way it was shown that the SF is a soluble factor in the serum with a molecular weight of more than 20,000, but that it is no immunoglobulin.

Animals

Clinical trial of Ro 6-0787, a monovalent specific hapten inhibitor of penicillin allergy.

A second clinical trial of the compound Ro 6-0787, which is a specific monovalent penicilloyl hapten inhibitor of allergic reactions to penicillin has been conducted by investigators from 9 different European groups in 90 patients allergic to penicillin. The effect of a combined Ro 6-0787-penicillin therapy was considered as clinically successful in the large majority of cases, since treatment with penicillin could be pursued or resumed without allergic manifestation in 42 from 46 cases (91 percent). The effect of Ro 6-0787 alone on acute allergic manifestations after interruption of penicillin therapy was more difficult to evaluate but was nevertheless considered satisfactory in 17 from 26 patients (65 percent). A depression of skin hypersensitivity to PPL and/or penicillin and penicillin derivatives sometimes persisting for weeks and months was obvious in numerous allergic patients submitted to combined Ro 6-0787-penicillin treatment. A depressing effect on antipenicillin antibody titers detected by passive hemaglutination was also manifest in some patients. Failure to suppress allergic manifestations was reported in 11 cases, among which some may have been due to insufficient dosage of inhibiting hapten. The overall tolerance of Ro 6-0787 in allergic patients has been very good. Nevertheless, the major obstacle to a wider general use of Ro 6-0787 at the present time appears to be the occurrence of positive skin reactions to that compound in approximately 5 percent of patients allergic to penicillin. It is not yet ascertained whether the occasional positive skin reactions and urticaria to Ro 6-0787 may have been due to aggregation, or incomplete dissolution of the compound or whether it reflects hypersensitivity to another antigenic determinant. With the reservation that patients with positive skin test to Ro 6-0787 have for the time being to be excluded from combined treatment, this monovalent hapten certainly offers a new possibility to resume and/or pursue penicillin therapy in patients demonstrably allergic to that drug.

Adolescent