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Biomedical subjects

H D Weiss

Publications and source records attributed to H D Weiss.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Post-traumatic migraine: chronic migraine precipitated by minor head or neck trauma.

Minor trauma to the head or neck is occasionally followed by severe chronic headaches. We have evaluated 35 adults (27 women, 8 men) with no prior history of headaches, who developed recurrent episodic attacks typical of common or classic migraine following minor head or neck injuries ("post-traumatic migraine"-PTM). The median age of these patients was 38 years (range 17 to 63 years), which is older than the usual age at onset of idiopathic migraine. The trauma was relatively minor: 14 patients experienced head trauma with brief loss of consciousness, 14 patients sustained head trauma without loss of consciousness, and 7 patients had a "whiplash" neck injury with no documented head trauma. Headaches began immediately or within the first few days after the injury. PTM typically recurred several times per week and was often incapacitating. The patients had been unsuccessfully treated by other physicians, and there was a median delay of 4 months (range 1 to 30 months) before the diagnosis of PTM was suspected. The response to prophylactic anti-migraine medication (propranolol or amitriptyline used alone or in combination) was gratifying, with 21 of 30 adequately treated patients (70%) reporting dramatic reduction in the frequency and severity of their headaches. Improvement was noted in 18 of the 23 patients (78%) who were still involved in litigation at the time of treatment. The neurologic literature has placed excessive emphasis on compensation neurosis and psychological factors in the etiology of chronic headaches after minor trauma. Physicians must be aware of PTM, as it is both common and treatable.

Adolescent

Calcium antagonists and atherosclerosis.

Numerous trials have used calcium antagonistic substances to inhibit or prevent genesis and progression of atherosclerosis, as well as disintegration of intimal proliferates and calcium deposition in atheromas or in matrix tissue of artery walls. In experimental models, various components involved in the development of atherosclerosis can be influenced by calcium antagonists. Transendothelial transport through interendothelial spaces and through the endothelial cells are sensitive to calcium antagonists of various types. Some drugs with calcium antagonistic properties are capable of inhibiting the development of stenosing proliferates caused by ballooning or other types of local artery wall stimulation. With cultures of cells obtained from normal and atherosclerotic arteries, insights into the mechanisms are possible by which various calcium antagonists influence the development and the progression of atherosclerosis.

Animals

Human vascular smooth muscle cells in culture: growth characteristics and protein pattern by use of serum-free media supplements.

This study demonstrates that cultivation of vascular smooth muscle cells from human artery wall is possible under completely serum-free conditions. The effects of attachment factors on cell spreading and cell proliferation are described in detail as well as routine cultivation methods under serum-free conditions (clone cultures, cell migration, subcultivation by use of an exogenous trypsin inhibitor, cryopreservation and readaptation of cells). After a careful adaptation period, only two (BMS and Ultroser G) of the four commercially available serum-free media supplements tested were used successfully for a routine cultivation of the smooth muscle cells over several passages. With both supplements cell proliferation rates were comparable with those obtained in medium containing 10% fetal calf serum. The addition of platelet-derived growth factor or transferrin to serum-free cultures had no growth-stimulating effect. The addition of endothelial cell growth factor isolated from bovine brain caused a significant increase in proliferative activity of cells cultivated with BMS, but not with Ultroser G. Moreover, we report that under the serum-free culture conditions described here, the gamma-actin content of the cells is largely reduced (51% +/- 13% (means +/- SD) for cells cultivated in Ultroser G, and 12% +/- 4% (means +/- SD) for cells cultivated in BMS) when compared with cells cultivated under serum-containing conditions (gamma-actin content = 100%). The alpha-actin content was observed to be unaltered. Even after a careful readaptation of serum-free cultured cells to serum conditions, the gamma-actin content remained reduced.

Actins

[CT diagnosis of the elbow joint].

The normal anatomy of the elbow joint is described. Diverse pathologic joint alterations, e.g. fractures and dislocations, osteochondritis, inflammatory changes, and ulnar nerve lesion are demonstrated. Particular attention is paid to three-dimensional (3D-) reconstruction of demonstrable pathologic findings.

Arthritis

Cell constitution and characteristics of human atherosclerotic plaques selectively removed by percutaneous atherectomy.

The Simpson atherectomy device used for the recanalization of severely stenosed peripheral arteries is able to collect plaque material which can be further characterized. This study reports histological, immunohistochemical and transmission electron microscopic findings on advanced human primary atherosclerotic plaques of peripheral arteries percutaneously removed by a Simpson atherectomy catheter. Material from stenosing plaques consisted of dense connective tissue with abundant amounts of concentrically arranged elastic fibers and lamellae. This meshwork contained numerous cells, often arranged in clusters and oriented with their longer axis parallel to the direction of blood flow. The vast majority of these cells could be easily identified as vimentin-positive and desmin-negative smooth muscle cells containing lipid deposits in the perinuclear region and numerous glycogen particles. Monocytes/macrophages were observed only very infrequently. Plaque tissue contained a range of smooth muscle cell phenotypes. Most of the cells were of an intermediate phenotype, i.e. sparsely filled with myofilament bundles at the cell periphery and a high amount of organelles such as mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi cisterns. An intact lining of pieces of intimal tissue with endothelial cells was not observed. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of plaque tissue showed the presence of alpha-, beta- and gamma-actin isoforms with a clear predominance of the beta-isoform.

Arteriosclerosis

[Percutaneous embolization with spirals in bleeding uterine cancer].

Percutaneous transcatheter embolization (PTE) in patients with life threatening bleeding carcinomas of the uterine cervix using stainless steel coils, proves to be an effective treating method. There is a low incidence of complications concerning the local cutis, nerves or arteries. PTE does not allow a causal therapy of the malignant disease, but in half of our patients (n = 13) embolization was the precondition for initial or further adequate therapeutic management.

Angiography

[Plasma histamine liberation after the application of nonionic contrast media].

In 94 patients the levels of plasma histamine have been measured after application of three nonionic contrast media (iopromide, iopamidol, iohexol) and after application of blood-isotonic saline solution. A significant liberation of histamine could be observed after administration of contrast media and also after administration of saline solution. Neither between the three nonionic contrast media nor between the contrast media and the saline solution significant differences could be measured. Administering contrast media after subsequently saline solution the levels of histamine were lower than in case of pure contrast media application. Psychogenically induced histamine liberation is discussed.

Contrast Media

[CT of the upper ankle joint. Anatomy--pathology].

Diagnosis of ligament ruptures via the possibilities of conventional radiology is often insufficient. To verify CT efficiency, postmortem specimens were scanned in axial, coronal and sagittal planes and compared with anatomical findings of sections in identical planes. After the preliminary examinations we conducted a study on 32 patients. The examinations of the anterior talofibular ligament showed a correlation between CT and operative findings in 30 of 32 cases.

Adolescent

[Follow-up of local lytic therapy of pulmonary emboli using DSA].

The series consisted of 30 patients with pulmonary emboli diagnosed by DSA. In 18 patients repeat DSA was performed using the central catheter which had been employed for the lytic therapy immediately after the end of treatment. Therapy was carried out from two to 14 days. Bleeding was observed in four of the patients. The final DSA showed complete recanalisation in five patients, partial recanalisation in 11 patients and no angiographic improvement in two.

Adult

[Analysis of dynamic CT curves in kidney transplants with rejection reaction and cyclosporin A poisoning].

The early differential diagnosis between transplant rejection and cyclosporin intoxication is often difficult, although it is important for treatment. We carried out dynamic CT on 48 occasions in patients with normal function, with acute tubular necrosis, rejection and cyclosporin A intoxication. Analysis of the time-density curve of the cortex showed significantly slower enhancement with cyclosporin A intoxication than during rejection. The peak and the arterial curve were also delayed in cyclosporin A intoxication. This evidence of reduced cortical perfusion during cyclosporin A intoxication can be explained by the results of modern pathophysiological studies. In principle, it is possible to distinguish between cyclosporin A intoxication and rejection by means of dynamic CT, but for its routine use the nephrotoxicity of the contrast medium must be taken into account.

Cyclosporins