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Biomedical subjects

G Egger

Publications and source records attributed to G Egger.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The case for using waist to hip ratio measurements in routine medical checks.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a rationale for using waist:hip ratio (WHR) measurements in clinical practice. DATA SOURCES: The article reviews the literature on body fat distribution back to the mid 1950s. STUDY SELECTION: Studies are reviewed which show a clear association between abdominal obesity and a range of ailments including coronary events, hypertension, blood lipid levels, cholecystectomy, diabetes and gallbladder disease. DATA EXTRACTION: Key data on the correlation of body fat distribution and health risks are summarised. DATA SYNTHESIS: Abdominal fat measured by a WHR may be a better single predictor of many diseases than other risk factors such as overall obesity, hypertension, smoking, or hypercholesterolaemia. CONCLUSIONS: The association between WHR and risk indicators appears to be "dose" related, and independent of sex, race and age. High WHRs, however, are more characteristic of men with lower socioeconomic status, whereas weight control programs are more commonly developed for women. A reorientation of weight control initiatives based on health rather than aesthetic priorities is needed. Measurement of WHR should be a routine part of clinical assessments. The predictability of the measure can be improved by combining it with a measure of body mass.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1992

Possible involvement of myeloperoxidase in lipid peroxidation.

1. Exposure of liposomes to the MPO-H2O2-Cl- system results in oxidation of lipids. Malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal are formed. 2. Oxidation of liposomes by stimulated rat neutrophils, assessed by malondialdehyde formation, is inhibited by KCN. This indicates involvement of MPO in the process. 3. The MPO-H2O2 system oxidizes mildly LDL but in the presence of chloride a propagation phase, with a rapid increase of conjugated diene formation, was observed.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Nephrotoxicity of fumaric acid monoethylester (FA ME).

The nephrotoxic actions of high single oral doses of fumaric acid monoethylester (FA ME) have been investigated in the rat. Fifty mg of this substance produced morphologic lesions of the glomeruli without reducing GFR. Following 100 mg, the lesions were more pronounced and GFR was diminished by about 40%. Despite of hemorrhages in kidney cortex the urines did not contain erythrocytes. Urinary protein was augmented in single cases only. Fifty to 100 mg FA ME induced a marked concentration defect after water deprivation. In parallel FA ME reduced lactate production from glucose by kidney inner medulla in vitro. After in vivo application, however, no morphologic lesions were found in this zone of the kidney. FA ME had no effect on oxygen consumption of kidney slices despite of proximal tubular lesions observed histologically after 100 mg orally. Thus, 100 mg of FA ME have distinct nephrotoxic effects in the rat.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Characteristics of ingress and life span of neutrophils at a site of acute inflammation, determined with the Sephadex model in rats.

Neutrophils labelled in vivo with 3H-thymidine accumulate in subcutaneously injected Sephadex, which causes an acute inflammation. Cells die and disintegrate within the Sephadex implants, leaving behind labelled nuclear fragments representing the number of dead cells. The total of immigrated cells and their life span can be calculated from the number of intact cells along with disintegrated cells found in a Sephadex implant. Intensive neutrophil ingress starts after 5 h, and after 6.5 h reaches a maximum of 52 x 10(6) cells per hour. After 11 h, a total of 137 x 10(6) cells has entered a Sephadex implant. The life span varies during the course of the experiment. The shortest life span of 20 min was measured during the period of intensive neutrophil ingress 5.5 h after onset of inflammation. Cellular death and disintegration is evidently due to self-destruction of the cells by peroxidation.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

[The use of sustained-release preparations for eye-platelet diagnosis for noninvasive determination of leukocyte migration in the eye].

An in vivo method for measuring leukocyte migration in man involves the insertion of membrane filter platelets into the lower conjunctival sac. Before insertion, the filter platelets were soaked in solutions of chemotactic test substances and dried. The chemotactic gradient formed by a dissolving test substance stimulates leukocytes from the conjunctival mucosa to immigrate into a filter platelet. The number and the distribution of immigrant cells within the filter platelet yield information on pathological processes. To obtain reliable results, the chemotactic substance used has to show a defined solubility inherent in only a minority of all substances in question. In order to stabilize liberation, the chemotactic test substance is introduced together with a hydrogel-forming substance into a filter platelet. Among a series of tested hydrogel-forming substances, the Guar derivative Meyprogat 90 proved to have the best stabilizing capacity. For an exact measurement of liberation, a new in vitro model was developed that simulates the conditions of drug liberation within the conjunctival sac. In vitro as well as in vivo tests with this type of filter platelets proved their qualification for human medicine.

Cell Migration Inhibition↗
PubMed1987

The involvement of histamine, the cyclooxygenase system and the kallikrein-kinin system in acute inflammation generation, demonstrated with the Sephadex model in rats.

The involvement of histamine, the cyclooxygenase system and the kallikrein-kinin system in the generation of the Sephadex inflammation was investigated by in vivo-blocking of these systems. The changes of the inflammatory reaction after 12 h estimated by cellular migration and plasma exudation reflected the share of the investigated mediators. Blocking the cyclooxygenase by indomethacine caused a 59.1% reduction of the neutrophil and a 77.6% reduction of the lymphocyte reaction. Blocking the kallikrein-kinin system also had inhibitory effects, whereby the way of action probably works via the cyclooxygenase system. Blocking histamine had, in essence, no effect on cellular migration. In all variations of the experiment, the exudation of plasma components was only slightly reduced. There are indications that the flux of mediator activation can bypass a blocked site.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1987

Presenting characteristics of patients with duodenal ulcer and outcome of medical treatment in controlled clinical trials using cimetidine and diethylamine persilate to treat ulcer attack and diethylamine persilate and placebo to prevent relapses.

A double-blind controlled clinical trial on the medical treatment of the acute episode of duodenal ulcer and the prevention of symptomatic relapses was performed. A total of 164 patients with active duodenal ulcer were either treated with cimetidine 1 g/day (70 patients), diethylaminepersilate (DAP) 1.5 g/day (64 patients) or DAP 2.5 g/day (30 patients). DAP is an allegedly protective agent stimulating mucosal prostaglandin synthesis. Cumulative healing rates after 4 weeks in the 3 groups were 66, 28 and 28% and after 8 weeks 94, 70 and 63%, respectively. One hundred and five patients with healed duodenal ulcer received, in a second double-blind study, either DAP 0.5 g/day or placebo. Thus, ulcer healing was more rapid with cimetidine than with DAP. DAP did not prevent relapses. No presenting characteristic was associated with slow healing. Three presenting characteristics--smoking, teetotalling and bleeding episode in the past--were associated with early symptomatic relapse. The present study was compared with a previous study performed by the same group of investigators using a similar study protocol. In both trials, an early relapse was associated with smoking. No other presenting characteristic was identified which in both trials was associated with slow healing or early symptomatic relapse. Thus, smoking appears to be the only one of the commonly available presenting characteristics which allows a prediction of the course of duodenal ulcer disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Gastric ulcer: a double blind comparison of 800 mcg misoprostol versus 300 mg ranitidine.

Seventy-nine patients with endoscopically confirmed gastric ulcers received either ranitidine (37 patients) or misoprostol (42 patients) in a randomized double-blind manner. Fifty-six percent of the patients treated with ranitidine, and 38% of those treated with misoprostol presented with endoscopically healed ulcers after four weeks of treatment. After eight weeks complete healing had occurred in 86% of the patients receiving ranitidine, and 74% of those on misoprostol. These differences were not statistically significant. In smokers, ranitidine was superior to misoprostol, leading to a higher healing rate at four weeks (73% versus 20%). Thus there was no evidence that in patients with gastric ulcer misoprostol overcomes the negative effect of cigarette smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Ranitidine therapy of duodenal ulcer: comparison of once-a-day and twice-a-day administration. A Swiss multicenter double-blind study].

In a Swiss multicenter double-blind trial ranitidine was given in doses of 300 mg nocte and 150 mg b.d. for the treatment of duodenal ulcer. Ninety-seven patients with endoscopically proven ulcer were treated for four, and in cases of non-healing for eight, weeks. Cumulative healing rates with 300 mg and 2 X 150 mg were 77% and 78% after four weeks and 90% and 94% after eight weeks respectively. 60 and 65% of the patients were asymptomatic after four weeks. Smoking did not adversely affect healing. Thus, ranitidine in a dose of 300 mg nocte is as effective as ranitidine in a dose of 150 mg b.d. in the treatment of duodenal ulcer.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Albumin as one-way transport vehicle into sites of inflammation.

Intravenously injected Evans blue combines with albumin. The resulting complex appears in the inflammatory exudate that collects in Sephadex G 200 subcutaneously injected into rats. A comparison between the concentrations of albumin and Evans blue in the blood and in the inflammatory exudate shows that the life-span of albumin in the Sephadex is drastically reduced. After decomposition of albumin, the combined Evans blue is liberated, accumulates in the Sephadex and, after 24 h, attains concentrations higher than in the blood. The experiment is a plausible model for transport and deposition of albumin-bound drugs into and at sites of inflammation.

Albumins↗
PubMed1986

Laboratory handling and its influence on hormonal and metabolic parameters during acute inflammation in rats. A critique of long-term treatment by repeated injections.

Twice a day, rats were exposed to handling stress by sham i.p. injections during a period of five days. This procedure progressively drove up the basic blood levels of free adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine, while insulin decreased to below normal. Blood glucose returned successively from hyperglycemia during the beginning of the experiment to normal later on. If rats subjected to acute inflammation were handled, the parameters blood catecholamines, glucose and the lymphocyte ingress into the site of inflammation all showed the same patterns of changes, suggesting a certain synchronization of the metabolic events. This synchronization failed to occur in animals with inflammation, but without handling. In any case, the disturbed metabolism of handled animals did not normalize during the test period of five days. Therefore, application of test substances by repeated injections is a useless method for the correct investigation of chronic exogenous influences.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1985

[Misoprostol and cimetidine in the treatment of duodenal ulcer. A multicenter Swiss double-blind study].

The efficacy and tolerance of misoprostol a synthetic prostaglandin E1 analogue-and of cimetidine were evaluated in the treatment of duodenal ulcer following a double blind multicenter design. A group of Swiss gastroenterologists recruited 119 patients with endoscopically proven acute duodenal ulcer. They were enrolled and treated according to a uniform protocol either with misoprostol 4 X 50 micrograms daily, with misoprostol 4 X 200 micrograms daily or with cimetidine 4 X 300 mg daily. Patients who were healed after 4 or 8 weeks were followed during 6 months. Cumulative healing rates at 4 weeks in groups receiving misoprostol 200 micrograms, misoprostol 800 micrograms or cimetidine 1200 mg daily were 42%, 58% and 71% respectively. Patients treated with cimetidine showed a more rapid improvement of symptoms than patients treated with misoprostol. Symptomatic recurrences after ulcer healing occurred in almost 40% of the patients within 6 months, irrespective of the type of acute ulcer treatment. Risk factors for slowed healing and increased rate of recurrence were evaluated in the present study, and the results were compared with the results of two previous trials performed according to a similar protocol. Smoking appeared to slow healing and to favor relapses. Moderate consumption of alcohol appeared to decrease the relapse rate. In the present trial, ulcer size was associated with ulcer pain but not with ulcer healing.

Adult↗