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Biomedical subjects

H Dirren

Publications and source records attributed to H Dirren.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Selenium losses in 10 burned patients.

To determine the selenium (Se) losses and balances, 10 patients with burns of 32 +/- 9% (mean +/- SD) of total body surface and aged 36 +/- 9 years were studied from D1 (first post-injury) unitl D7. Cutaneous losses were extracted from the textiles surrounding the patients. Serum and urine were collected until D20. Exudative losses of nitrogen decreased progressively (mean 8.7 +/- 3.8 g/24H). Se was detectable in wound seepage only during excision-grafting: mean operative loss was 342 +/- 191 mug. Mean urinary Se excretion was 41 +/- 13 mug/24H. Operative cutaneous losses led to some negative balances. Serum Se and glutathione peroxydase (GSHPx) were depressed until D20. Serum Se was related to N intake (p < 0.001). The decreased Se and GSHPx levels reflect a deficiency state, which measured losses did not explain, but limitations of the measurement methods prevented detection of Se cutaneous losses 100 mug/24H.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

Infectious gastroenteritis does not act as a triggering mechanism for the synthesis of serum IgG antibody to beta-lactoglobulin.

beta-Lactoglobulin (BLG)-specific serum IgG antibody was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 1,392 serum samples from newborn to 5-year-old Ecuadorian children enrolled into a representative nutrition and health survey. At a 1:100 serum dilution, 62% of the children showed specific antibody (blank-corrected optical density greater than or equal to 0.1). This prevalence did not change with increasing age. More specifically, we did not observe a prevalence or titer increase of BLG-specific antibody in age groups where the majority of these Ecuadorian children experienced infection with rotavirus (8-24-month age groups) and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (8-12-month age group). In addition, BLG-specific antibody did not differ between children who did or did not experience an episode of diarrhea 15 days before blood sampling. We observed a small but statistically significant difference in BLG-specific antibody between subsamples of Ecuadorian children regularly or only occasionally ingesting milk. Titers were higher in the group consuming more milk.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Nutritional status: haematology and albumin. Euronut SENECA investigators.

In the context of the Euronut SENECA study of nutrition and the elderly, performed in 19 towns situated in 12 European countries, blood haemoglobin and haematocrit, and serum albumin were measured in a large sample of 70-75-year-old subjects. The mean haemoglobin (Hb) values for the different towns ranged from 144 g l-1 to 157 g l-1 for men and from 131 g l-1 to 150 g l-1 for women. The town haematocrit (Hct) means ranged from 43.0% to 48.9% for men and from 39.7% to 46.4% for women. No clear geographical pattern emerged for either Hb or Hct. The 95% ranges (2.5-97.5 percentile intervals) for Hb and Hct for all towns combined (without any claim of being representative of Europe) were very similar to those reported in the NHANES II study of the USA. Prevalences of anaemia, using the WHO definition (Hb less than 130 g l-1 for men and Hb less than 120 g l-1 for women) were 5.2% for men and 5.7% for women. The town mean serum albumins ranged from 40.3 g l-1 to 44.3 g l-1 for men and from 40.3 g l-1 to 43.2 g l-1 for women. No clear geographical pattern emerged. Mean values were somewhat lower than for younger adults and comparable to other published data. Most albumin values were in the normal range, with only 2.0% of both men and women having levels below 35 g l-1 and only 0.4% of men and no women having levels below 30 g l-1. These results show that these 70-75-year-old subjects who chose to participate in the study were in relatively good health as judged from their haemoglobin, haematocrit and serum albumin levels.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

Prevalence and serotype specificity of rotavirus antibodies in different age groups of Ecuadorian infants.

The age-specific prevalence of antibody to rotavirus was studied in 1404 Ecuadorian children enrolled in a national nutrition and health survey. ELISA and neutralizing antibody analysis showed evidence for primary rotavirus infection in 6- to 12-month-old children, who showed also a more-than-threefold increase in significant diarrheal episodes in comparison with infants less than 6 months old. At this age, 56% of the sera with neutralizing antibody were monospecific. With increasing age a gradual decrease in prevalence of monospecific sera, to 10% in 5-year-old children, was observed. Monospecific sera were directed in decreasing frequency against serotypes 4 (56%), 3 (20%), 2 (14%), and 1 (10%). Serotype 4-specific antibody was acquired at an earlier age than were antibodies to the other serotypes, and 91% of sera with dual specificity neutralized serotype 4, whereas only 2% of sera that neutralized three serotypes failed to neutralize serotype 4.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

Age-specific prevalence of antibody to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in Ecuadorian and German children.

Serum samples from 1397 Ecuadorian children 0-5 years of age were tested by ELISA for antibodies to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). A gradual prevalence and titer increase was seen for IgG antibodies to heat-labile enterotoxin in children 6-18 months old; 90% prevalences were reached in the second year of life. At this age less than 10% of West German children showed IgG antibodies to heat-labile enterotoxin. In Ecuador age-related ETEC-specific antibody titer increases correlated with age-related prevalence of diarrheal disease. On the other hand, pooled lipopolysaccharide from different ETEC-associated O serogroups could not be used as a seroepidemiologic marker of ETEC infections.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1988

Zinc status of healthy elderly adults: response to supplementation.

The zinc status of 53 healthy elderly subjects was evaluated. The dietary Zn intake estimated by 24-h recall was 9.2 mg/d and 65% of subjects had intakes less than two-thirds of the RDA. Mean serum Zn concentration (13.0 mumol/L) and urinary Zn excretion (7.0 mumol/d) were normal. The Zn content of platelets, mononuclear cells, and polymorphonuclear cells was 5.8, 147, and 135 nmol/10(9) cells, respectively. Seventeen subjects were supplemented for 28 d with 30 mg Zn/d. The mean concentration of Zn in serum and urine increased 24% and 2.5-fold, respectively. Zn content of platelets and leukocytes did not change with Zn supplementation. The concentration of visceral proteins (ie, albumin, prealbumin, transferrin, and retinol-binding protein) and immunoglobulins (ie, IgG, IgA, and IgM) did not change with Zn supplementation. The data indicate that aging per se does not necessarily imply poor Zn status.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Nutritional significance of alterations in serum amino acid patterns in goitrous patients.

Twenty-nine amino acids were analyzed in the sera of 105 adult Senegambian goitrous patients classified as stages I, II, and III according to World Health Organization recommendations. Mean serum concentration of all essential amino acids revealed highly significant drops (p less than 0.001) as goiter stage increased, except for methionine (Met). Most nonessential amino acids (NEAA) and intermediary metabolites were similarly characterized by a general decrease to the subnormal range, although some resisted depression in stages II and III. Homocystine (Hcy) demonstrated a unique pattern in that it was the only NEAA distinguished by regularly rising serum levels. These data are consistent with the view that endemic goiter is associated with overall stepwise downregulation in protein metabolism. In addition to iodine restriction, generalized malnutrition may aggravate the goitrogenic processes. Serum levels of Met and Hcy strongly suggest that the first step of the transsulfuration pathway is impaired in protein-depleted states due to cystathionine beta-synthase (EC 4.2.1.22) deficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Sex-related patterns in the profiles of human urinary amino acids.

The urinary amino acid profiles of 79 young women and 72 young men were studied with an automated highpressure amino acid analyzer. A nonparametric statistical analysis was applied for detecting profile differences related to sex and other variables. A strong sex-related pattern was confirmed and its power for sex determination was evaluated. For the women, profile differences related to the use of oral contraceptives were also discovered and evaluated. No correlation with the menstrual cycle was detected.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of large intakes of trace elements on recovery after major burns.

Because Cu, Se, and Zn are involved in immune and antioxidative defense mechanisms and tissue repair, deficiencies might aggravate complications classically observed with burns. After measuring massive cutaneous trace element losses in 10 burn patients, our aim in this study was to determine whether large intravenous intakes of Cu, Zn, and Se can modify serum trace element levels and recovery after major burns. Ten patients, aged 34 +/- 6 yr (mean +/- SD), admitted to the burns center of a Swiss university hospital with thermal burns on 41 +/- 9% of their body surface were studied prospectively, with trace element balance studies from day 1 (D1) to D7 postinjury. Urine and blood samples were also collected on D10, D15, D20, and D25. The patients were divided into two groups of five and received either standard (group 1, control) or greatly increased (group 2, treatment: 4.5 mg Cu, 190 micrograms Se, and 40 mg Zn/day) trace element intakes. Energy and protein intake and wound treatment were similar in both groups. The treatment group was characterized by improved Cu, Se, and Zn status (increase in serum levels and various protein indicators), a much larger leukocyte increase between D4 and D14 (mainly neutrophils), and shorter hospital stay (45 days) compared with the untreated group (57 days). Grafting requirements were more extensive in group 1. Although severity of injury and wound treatment were similar in the groups, the duration of hospitalization was lower in the treated group. Further studies are required to determine whether this is related to trace element supplementation.

Adult↗