PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H E Müller

Publications and source records attributed to H E Müller.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Four serologically different groups within the species Blastocystis hominis.

61 strains of Blastocystis hominis were isolated from 340 stool specimens coming from 140 patients with intestinal symptoms and from 200 healthy persons. The overall female to male ratio was 1.9 to 1. Classification of the 61 isolates of B. hominis was determined with the aid of the immunodiffusion assay. Four serologically different groups could be identified. Their frequency ratio in the population studied was 39.5%:39.5%:18%:3%. Group 3 was found more often than the other three groups in stool samples of patients. However, within the statistical deviation, none of the four immunological different groups was found to be correlated with the disease or the sex of the hosts.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

The effect of different water-insoluble anorganic salts on the resistance and storage time of Bacillus stearothermophilus spores used for biological indicators.

The survival of Bacillus stearothermophilus spores was investigated over 7 years. The spores were precipitated with 18 insoluble inorganic salts. There were hydroxides, carbonates, oxalates, phosphates, and sulfate of aluminium, barium, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, and tin. The stability of the spores to dry and moist heat was strongest in precipitates of barium and calcium salts. Most phosphates and the heavy metals caused a rapid inactivation of spores. Finally, the survival of the spores in the 7 years of observation was the best in barium sulfate and calcium oxalate.

Carbonates↗
PubMed1993

Detection of antibodies to Afipia species by the microagglutination test.

A microagglutination test with heat-killed, safranin-stained whole-cell antigen for detecting antibodies to Afipia species has been developed. An upper limit of the normal titer of antibodies to Afipia species was found to be > 10 by testing 430 sera. Therefore, a titer of 20 can be considered the lowest titer suggestive of infection. Overall, 5-7% of the sera were positive for Afipia felis, 3% were positive for Afipia broomeae and 11% were positive for Afipia clevelandensis. The frequency of sera positive for unnamed Afipia genospecies 1-3 was < 1%. The agglutinating antibodies belonged mainly to the IgM class.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1993

[A comparison of BRILA-MUG and lauryl sulfate-MUG bouillon as detection media for total and fecal coliform bacteria in bathing waters in conformity with the Economic Community Guideline 76/160 EWG].

The spectrum of gram-negative rods occurring in surface waters is wide and depending on the season, i.e. the water temperature. The concentration of bacteria is higher in summer than in winter. However, the seasonal difference of the concentration of Enterobacteriaceae is less than that of the Aeromonas spec. and of the non-fermenters. The comparison of yields of total and faecal coliforms determined in samples of surface water by using the brilliant green bile lactose 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucuronide (BRI-LA-MUG) broth and the lauryl sulfate-MUG broth, respectively, shows that the BRILA-MUG broth is more sensitive and gives higher yields than the lauryl sulfate-MUG broth. On the other hand, the lauryl sulfate-MUG broth inhibits more the growth of gram-negative rods, especially that of Aeromonas spec. and non-fermenters, whereas the Enterobacteriaceae are less inhibited.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed1993

[Comparative clinical, microbiologic and serologic studies of the incidence of genital and para-genital infections in prostitutes and women with mainly monogamous relations].

Legislation of the control of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in the Federal Republic of Germany covers neither the complete spectrum of venereal diseases nor all population groups of high risk. We therefore investigated not only the classic STD but also some other STD, i.e. by serologic methods syphilis, HIV infection, hepatitis A, B, C, and herpes simplex genitalis, and by microbiological methods gonococci, chlamydiae, trichomonas, genital mycoplasmas, A-streptococci, B-streptococci, gram-negative enteric bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, staphylococci, listerias and yeasts. The cohorts of women living mainly monogamously and these of prostitutes were compared. They show some differences: There are remarkable differences in the prevalence of clinical symptoms, i.e. vaginal discharge, rubor, pruritus, and genital warts, between the two cohorts and depending on the season. Fluor, rubor, and pruritus were more frequently observed in mainly monogamous women than in prostitutes. Furthermore, the causative organisms of STD were isolated in different frequencies depending on the season particularly from mainly monogamous women. Furthermore, their frequencies depend on the age of the women. Gonococci, chlamydiae, trichomonas, genital mycoplasmas, B-streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus were significantly more isolated from prostitutes than from mainly monogamous women. But, on the other hand, candida and gram-negative enterobacteria are significantly more common in mainly monogamous women than in prostitutes. There are some correlations between clinical symptoms and organisms. The prevalence of syphilis, HIV-infection, hepatitis A, B, and C in the prostitutes were 7, 0.4, 3.5, 15, and 1.6%, respectively. The most intriguing observation is the decreasing incidence of causative organisms of STD in prostitutes during the three years of study. This phenomenon promises an improvement of the health standard of prostitutes by regular medical, microbiological, serological check-ups without charge.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Hepatitis A, B and C as desmoteric infections].

There is a distinct spectrum of infectious diseases in prisons, known as desmoteric infections. We investigated the incidence of HIV, hepatitis A, B, and C in a group of 539 prisoners and compared them with the incidences of these infections in the normal population. The incidence of HIV was 928 out of 100,000. This figure is similar to that of the normal population. Hence, HIV infection does not seem to be a desmoteric disease. In contrast to AIDS the incidences of hepatitis A, B, and C among prisoners were 2968, 1670, and 20,000, respectively. Of course, hepatitis A, B, and C occur 100-200 times more often among prisoners and thus seem to be desmoteric infections. Moreover, especially hepatitis C is correlated strongly with intravenous drug abuse. About 80% of drug abusers were HCV positive and 50% of the total of HC infections are due to drug abusers.

Comorbidity↗
PubMed1992

Varying incidence of Blastocystis hominis in cultures from faeces of patients with diarrhoea and from healthy persons.

A study was performed on the frequency of Blastocystis hominis in the faeces from 100 patients suffering from diarrhoea and from 100 healthy persons. Surprisingly, an increased detection rate was observed in samples from healthy persons after anaerobic cultivation. This increased frequency is obviously not dependent on the kind of serum used as a culture supplement and raises the question whether the protozoa morphologically described as B. hominis represent a homogenous species. When rabbit and horse sera were used instead of human serum for cultivation, in both groups the share of positive cultures increased and more large forms of B. hominis cells were observed. Biological implications are being discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[The federal communicable disease law and refuse disposal from hospitals and medical practices].

Several laws and guidelines on the disposal of waste from hospitals and practice differentiate between diverse types of waste. The LAGA instruction sheet lists five types: type A = hospital waste, type B = medical waste, type C = infectious waste, type D = chemical waste, and type E = human pathological material. Especially the basis of differentiation between medical and infectious waste is the list of notifiable infectious diseases according to section 3 of the Federal Law on Epidemic diseases. Section 10a confines the list to contagious infectious diseases. However, some tropical epidemics and endemic infectious diseases are not taken into account. On the other hand, the list includes a few harmless childhood and other diseases. There is not scientific evidence that wastes of this kind have led to infections in the community. Therefore, the Federal Law on Epidemic Diseases does not seem to be a suitable basis for the differentiation between medical and regulated medical wastes.

Communicable Disease Control↗
PubMed1992

[Legionella and other bacteria in air humidifiers and cooling systems of air conditioning units--a survey].

Air humidifiers using cold water and cooling towers of air-conditioning systems provide the best settings for the growth of bacteria. Hence, we investigated 90 water samples for humidifiers and 15 water samples from cooling towers of hospitals, authorities, schools, and factories. The colony forming units/ml at 20 degrees C and 36 degrees C, the biological activity of added biocidal substances, and the occurrence of legionella were determined. About 90 percent of the samples showed no activity of the biocidal substance added, suggesting the uselessness of such substances. Furthermore, they exercised neither an influence on the CFU of the water samples nor on the occurrence of legionella. Legionella were isolated in 7 per cent of the humidifiers investigated, in 3 per cent of air conditioned buildings, respectively. 13 per cent of the cooling towers contained legionella. The risk of infection by air conditioning systems, humidifiers, cooling towers, and other emitters of infections agents should be controlled by the public health service.

Air Conditioning↗
PubMed1992

[Growth behavior of Enterobacteriaceae in BRILA-MUG-broth and in different modifications of broth].

Both substances, brilliant green and bile, inhibit the growth of gram-positive bacteria in culture media and selectively enrich gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, the brilliant green-lactose-bile broth (BRILA) and the BRLA broth supplemented with tryptophan and methyl-umbelliferyl-beta-D-glucuronide (BRILA-MUG) contain brilliant green as well as bile. Because BRILA-MUG broth as a selective enrichment and differentiating medium of faecal coliform and total coliform bacteria, E. coli and coliforms, respectively, is recommended for testing samples of surface water according to the EC guidelines for bathing waters (no. 76/160 EWG), the question arose of the optimal combination of components in the BRILA-MUG broth. As the described investigations show, the addition of buffer substances did not improve the culture properties of the BRILA-MUG broth. However, the original BRILA broth was improved by supplementing it with buffer substances such as CaCO3 or Na2HPO4. The same effect of culture improvement was obtained by removing brilliant green. This modification of BRILA broth is practically identic with the well-known MacConkey broth. On the other hand, the modification of omitting bile from the original BRILA broth causes a remarkable impairment of the culture properties lowering bacterial counts per ml by 3-5 log. The observations suggest that brilliant green inhibits both, gram-positive bacteria as well as the gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae. Therefore, it is a selective substance of doubtful usefulness.

Anti-Infective Agents, Local↗
PubMed1992

[The more effective immune system of women against infectious agents].

Even the reactions of the immunological system are dependent on the sex. Estrogens are the natural stimulants of the general resistance. On the other hand, androgens especially testosterone have an anabolic effect on the voluntary muscles but they inhibit the immunological system. Therefore, women show more resistance to the most infectious agents with the exception of intestinal parasites. To some extent the higher expectation of life of women may be due to that stronger female resistance to infectious agents. It is true, sport is able to decrease the cardiovascular mortality. However, the training of the voluntary muscles is a burden to the resistance especially in the second half of the life. There is therefore some probability that sport is not prolonging the life.

Female↗
PubMed1992

[How can the vaccination status in Germany be improved?].

Notwithstanding that the costs of health are comparatively high in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), the degree of immunisation against different infectious diseases in the population of the formerly FRG is really lower than in that of the former GDR or many other European countries. This fact may be due to the dualism of uncoordinated vaccinations by the Public Health Service on the one hand and be registered medical practitioners on the other. However, a rational strategy of vaccination should take into consideration that vaccination campaigns by the Public Health Service promise higher effectivity and lower costs than individual vaccinations by registered medical practitioners. Therefore, vaccination campaigns should be performed as much as possible by the Public Health Service whereas individual vaccinations should be given by registered medical practitioners only subsidiarely.

Child↗