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Biomedical subjects

H Herrmann

Publications and source records attributed to H Herrmann.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Lidocaine metabolite formation as a measure of liver function in patients with cirrhosis.

A method for rapid assessment of hepatic function in cirrhotics based on the formation of the lidocaine metabolite, monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX), was evaluated. The formation kinetics and urinary excretion patterns of MEGX clearly distinguished cirrhotics (n = 12) from healthy volunteers (n = 16). In a prospective study, we compared the prognostic value of the MEGX test with that of traditional parameters in transplant candidates. Patients who underwent transplantation during follow-up were excluded. The study included 58 adult patients with biopsy-proven posthepatitic or biliary cirrhosis. During the follow-up period of 120 days, 10 of 58 patients died of their liver disease. At the time of inclusion, we recorded MEGX formation, indocyanine green (ICG) half-life, caffeine clearance, and the Child-Pugh score. These variables were subjected as covariates to a survival analysis (Cox proportional hazards regression model). The results of the MEGX and the ICG test were significantly related to the 120-day survival. In the stepwise analysis, none of the parameters evaluated contributed to a further significant improvement of our predictive ability when added to the values of ICG (improvement: p less than 0.0005) and MEGX (improvement: p less than 0.0005). These findings suggest that the ICG and MEGX tests were the best short-term prognostic indicators. The easy handling favors the MEGX test over the ICG test as a tool for assessment of hepatic function and short-term prognosis in transplant candidates with cirrhosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Comparative study of parenteral and oral immunization to influenza in a large clinical trial. 1. Results of clinico-epidemiologic studies].

360 volunteers were recruited for the investigation from a homologous collective. 174 were immunized parenterally with "Influmun" from SSW Dresden, GDR. 176 volunteers were immunized twice orally with an interval of 60 days with an influenza vaccine inactivated by x-ray using enteric-coated capsules. In an interval of six months ARI-symptoms were investigated. Between 13th and 17th week 1988 an increased ARI-morbidity in the Greifswald-region was observed in which influenza A viruses were involved. In comparison with 312 non-immunized persons of the same age, sex and living area the immunized volunteers of the two groups showed 83.4% less sickness days. 30 persons of the non-immunized group got ill for totally 217 days, whereas only nine persons of the two immunized groups were put on the sicklist for totally 36 days. No significant differences concerning the occurrence and duration of acute respiratory infections (ARI) between the two differently immunized groups could be observed.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1989

Lignocaine metabolite formation as a measure of pre-transplant liver function.

A method for rapid assessment of hepatic function in liver donors based on the formation of the lignocaine metabolite monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX), was used in a prospective study of 69 donor-recipient pairs. The probability of graft survival over 120 days was significantly higher for livers from donors with MEGX test values above 90 micrograms/l than for those from donors with MEGX values of 90 micrograms/l or below. Other liver function tests (bilirubin, prothrombin time, activity of aminotransferases, glutamate dehydrogenase, and cholinesterase, indocyanine green clearance, and galactose elimination capacity) were inefficient at predicting early outcome of transplantation. For a 20-day graft survival, the MEGX test showed prognostic sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 78%. These findings suggest that the MEGX formation test could be valuable for selection of donor organs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Therapy of sterility from the viewpoint of females].

361 gynecological out-patients were questioned by means of a standardised questionnaire concerning their attitude towards the following possibilities of therapy procedures in case of sterility: 1. Artificial Insemination by Husband (AIH) 2. Artificial Insemination by Donor (AID) 3. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) 4. Surrogate motherhood 5. Microsurgery Clearly positive was their attitude towards microsurgery, AIH and IVF. The patients would, in case of a corresponding sterility problem, accept such therapy for themselves. Negative, however, was their attitude towards AID and surrogate motherhood. Acceptance turned out to be significantly higher in regard to the medically and psychologically more precarious procedures like IVF, AID and surrogate motherhood, when asked whether they would tolerate such therapy for other involuntarily childless couples. Acceptance and valuation of procedures repeatedly followed the same order: microsurgery was judged "most moral" and "most natural", then AIH, IVF, AID and last surrogate motherhood. So traditional ideas of standards and values are decisive factors of acceptance. Emotionally the experience of sexuality, the progenitive act and pregnancy seem to belong together. The more a medical-technical procedure will interfere with their privacy the less it will be accepted. No difference in attitude was to be detected in regard to demographic criterions like age or religion. Sterile women, however, were far more prepared to undergo a physically as well as emotionally strenuous therapy in order to have their childwish come true. Personal involvement plays a decisive role in the acceptance of medically and psychologically more precarious procedures like IVF and AID. In comparison the extent of medical-technical efforts, and health risks, seem to be of minor importance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Expression of intermediate filament proteins during development of Xenopus laevis. I. cDNA clones encoding different forms of vimentin.

To provide a basis for studies of the expression of genes encoding the diverse kinds of intermediate-filament (IF) proteins during embryogenesis of Xenopus laevis we have isolated and characterized IF protein cDNA clones. Here we report the identification of two types of Xenopus vimentin, Vim1 and Vim4, with their complete amino acid sequences as deduced from the cloned cDNAs, both of which are expressed during early embryogenesis. In addition, we have obtained two further vimentin cDNAs (Vim2 and 3) which are sequence variants of closely related Vim1. The high evolutionary conservation of the amino acid sequences (Vim1: 458 residues; Mr approximately 52,800; Vim4: 463 residues; Mr approximately 53,500) to avian and mammalian vimentin and, to a lesser degree, to desmin from the same and higher vertebrate species, is emphasized, including conserved oligopeptide motifs in their head domains. Using these cDNAs in RNA blot and ribonuclease protection assays of various embryonic stages, we observed a dramatic increase of vimentin RNA at stage 14, in agreement with immunocytochemical results obtained with antibody VIM-3B4. The significance of very weak mRNA signals detected in earlier stages is discussed in relation to negative immunocytochemical results obtained in these stages. The first appearance of vimentin has been localized to a distinct mesenchymal cell layer underlying the neural plate or tube, respectively. The results are discussed in relation to programs of de novo synthesis of other cytoskeletal proteins in amphibian and mammalian development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Expression of intermediate filament proteins during development of Xenopus laevis. II. Identification and molecular characterization of desmin.

During embryogenesis of avian and mammalian species the formation of intermediate filaments (IFs) containing desmin is characteristic for myogenesis. In view of important differences of patterns of IF protein expression in embryogenic pathways of amphibia on the one hand and birds and mammals on the other, we have decided to study the expression of desmin during early embryogenesis of Xenopus laevis by cDNA hybridization and antibody reactions. Here we describe the isolation of a cDNA clone encoding Xenopus desmin and the deduced amino acid sequence (458 residues; Mr 52,800) which displays a very high degree of conservation during vertebrate evolution from Xenopus to chicken and hamster, with a similar degree of sequence divergence between all three species compared. In addition, we have noted, by both cDNA-hybrid-selection-translation and immunoblotting of cytoskeletal proteins a second desmin-related polypeptide of Mr approximately 49,000. RNA (Northern) blot analyses show the occurrence of three different desmin mRNAs (1.9, 2.6 and 3.0 kb) which seem to represent different polyadenylation sites, displaying quantitative differences in different kinds of muscle tissues. During embryogenesis, desmin mRNA has first been detected in stage-14 embryos and then increases drastically to high levels at stage 18 and thereafter. Immunofluorescence microscopy using desmin-specific antibodies shows that this synthesis of desmin is restricted to somite tissue. The embryonic time course of synthesis of desmin and desmin mRNA is discussed in relation to those of other muscle proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

[Epidemiology and strategy for the control of chronic respiratory diseases].

The conditions of tertiary prevention of chronic bronchitis are determined by prevalence, number of cases of inability to work, time of disease periods and age-depending mortality. An age-specific increase could be proved for all parameters. The critical age-line is about the 50th year of age. 75% of the bronchitis patients under medical care are older than 50 years of age. Measure of care ought to be concentrated on the time before the 50th year of age and on cases of risk. By an earlier beginning of medical care it is possible to increase the efficiency of tertiary prevention.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed1988

In vivo generation of R68.45-pPGH1 hybrid plasmids conferring a Phl+ (meta pathway) phenotype.

Plasmid pPGH1 originating from Pseudomonas putida strain H carries all the genes required for the degradation of phenol (or cresols) via the meta cleavage pathway. Besides mobilization of pPGH1 by a plasmid of the incompatibility group P-1, hybrid plasmids conferring the Phl+ phenotype could be selected, when R68.45 was the conjugative plasmid. The hybrids contain the complete R68.45 and part of pPGH1. Integration of Phl-DNA of pPGH1 into R68.45 occurred exclusively via the IS21 region of R68.45.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1988

Cytoskeleton-associated plectin: in situ localization, in vitro reconstitution, and binding to immobilized intermediate filament proteins.

The association and interaction of plectin (Mr 300,000) with intermediate filaments and filament subunit proteins were studied. Immunoelectron microscopy of whole mount cytoskeletons from various cultured cell lines (rat glioma C6, mouse BALB/c 3T3, and Chinese hamster ovary) and quick-frozen, deep-etched replicas of Triton X-100-extracted rat embryo fibroblast cells revealed that plectin was primarily located at junction sites and branching points of intermediate filaments. These results were corroborated by in vitro recombination studies using vimentin and plectin purified from C6 cells. Filaments assembled from mixtures of both proteins were extensively crosslinked by oligomeric plectin structures, as demonstrated by electron microscopy of negatively stained and rotary-shadowed specimens as well as by immunoelectron microscopy; the binding of plectin structures on the surface of filaments and cross-link formation occurred without apparent periodicity. Plectin's cross-linking of reconstituted filaments was also shown by ultracentrifugation experiments. As revealed by the rotary-shadowing technique, filament-bound plectin structures were oligomeric and predominantly consisted of a central globular core region of 30-50 nm with extending filaments or filamentous loops. Solid-phase binding to proteolytically degraded vimentin fragments suggested that plectin interacts with the helical rod domain of vimentin, a highly conserved structural element of all intermediate filament proteins. Accordingly, plectin was found to bind to the glial fibrillar acidic protein, the three neurofilament polypeptides, and skin keratins. These results suggest that plectin is a cross-linker of vimentin filaments and possibly also of other intermediate filament types.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Expression of intermediate filament proteins during development of Xenopus laevis. III. Identification of mRNAs encoding cytokeratins typical of complex epithelia.

A Xenopus laevis mRNA encoding a cytokeratin of the basic (type II) subfamily that is expressed in postgastrulation embryos was cDNA-cloned and sequenced. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of this polypeptide (513 residues, calculated mol. wt 55,454; Mr approximately 58,000 on SDS-PAGE) with those of other cytokeratins revealed its relationship to certain type II cytokeratins of the same and other species, but also remarkable differences. Using a subclone representing the 3'-untranslated portion of the 2.4 kb mRNA encoding this cytokeratin, designated XenCK55(5/6), in Northern blot experiments, we found that it differs from the only other Xenopus type II cytokeratin known, i.e. the simple epithelium-type component XenCK1(8), in that it is absent in unfertilized eggs and pregastrulation embryos. XenCK55(5/6) mRNA was first detected at gastrulation (stage 11) and found to rapidly increase during neurulation and further development. It was also identified in Xenopus laevis cultured kidney epithelial cells of the line A6 and in the adult animal where it is a major polypeptide in the oesophageal mucosa but absent in most other tissues examined. The pattern of XenCK55(5/6) expression during embryonic development was similar to that reported for the type I polypeptides of the 'XK81 subfamily' previously reported to be embryo-specific and absent in adult tissues. Therefore, we used a XK81 mRNA probe representing the 3'-untranslated region in Northern blots, S1 nuclease and hybrid-selection-translation assays and found the approximately 1.6 kb XK81 mRNA and the resulting protein of Mr approximately 48,000 not only in postgastrula embryos and tadpoles but also in the oesophagus of adult animals. Our results show that both these type II and type I cytokeratins are synthesized only on gastrulation and are very actively produced in early developmental stages but is continued in at least one epithelium of the adult organism. These observations raise doubts on the occurrence of Xenopus cytokeratins that are strictly specific for certain embryonic or larval stages and absent in the adult. They rather suggest that embryonically expressed cytokeratins are also produced in some adult tissues, although in a restricted pattern of tissue and cell type distribution.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

[The effect of time and dosage of isosorbide mononitrate on objective and subjective parameters in angina pectoris].

The efficacy of the isosorbide mononitrate preparations ISMN-20 (elantan 20) and ISMN-50 (elantan long) and the influence of the time of dosage on the quality of life was investigated in 3624 patients with the clinical diagnosis coronary heart disease and stable angina pectoris in an open multi-center trial. The frequency of attacks was significantly reduced (p less than 0.001) during 4 weeks of therapy. 35.4% of patients were free from attacks by the end of the trial. Consumption of acute nitrates decreased from an average of 5 to 2 applications per week. Circadian rhythm in the patients' profile of attacks remained unchanged under mononitrate therapy which allows the conclusion that this therapy is well adapted to the daily routine. The times of dosage of ISMN-20 (in the morning and at lunch-time or in the morning and in the evening) both had an identically good effect on the reduction of the attacks at night. ISMN-20 as well as ISMN-50 proved to provide efficient protection at night. After 4 weeks of therapy 86% of the patients showed an improvement of the loads of daily routine (climbing stairs, fast walking etc.). 71% noted an improvement in former limited recreational activities and 76.5% a relief concerning former limited activities in their job. 79.6% of patients felt an improvement of their quality of life by the mononitrate treatment. 70.8% of study patients were motivated for a consequent long-term therapy with the mononitrate with priority for the sustained release preparation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Plectin and IFAP-300K are homologous proteins binding to microtubule-associated proteins 1 and 2 and to the 240-kilodalton subunit of spectrin.

Structural and functional characteristics of plectin from intermediate filament preparations of rat glioma C6 cells were compared to those of the intermediate filament-associated protein of Mr = 300,000 (IFAP-300K) of baby hamster kidney cells (Yang, H.-S., Lieska, N., Goldman, A.E., and Goldman, R.D. (1985) J. Cell Biol. 100, 620-631). After radiolabeling and proteolytic digestion under varied conditions, both proteins yielded nearly identical peptide maps. Immunological cross-reactivity, co-migration on one- and two-dimensional high-resolution gels, chromatofocusing, and amino acid analysis demonstrated structural homology as well. In vivo labeling with 32Pi showed that plectin was the target for cAMP-independent protein kinases which phosphorylated 18-kDa domains at the end(s) of the molecule. Previously reported phosphorylation sites for cAMP-dependent and a newly identified site for Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases were located on different domains. In solid-phase binding assays, plectin bound to vimentin, microtubule-associated proteins 1 and 2, the 240-kDa chain of brain fodrin, and alpha-spectrin from human erythrocytes. Similar characteristics were revealed for corresponding 300-kDa components of various other cell lines, supporting the concept that plectin is a general cytoskeletal cross-linking element, probably of multiple function.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Left or right transaxillary approach in lower extremity arteriography for severe occlusive vascular disease. An anatomic study of a roentgenologic problem.

In an anatomic study of 46 specimens, the angle of the brachiocephalic trunk and the left subclavian artery to the tangent of the aortic arch was measured in an effort to decide which route offers the quickest access to the descending aorta in lower extremity angiography for severe occlusive vascular diseases. The study shows that the average angles (77.1 +/- 16.0 degrees for the brachiocephalic trunk/77.7 +/- 16.3 degrees for the left subclavian artery) are not significantly different. Since the right axillary approach incurs other risks that could only be compensated by significantly quicker access, i.e. shorter maneuvering time in the aortic arch we conclude that in patients of all ages the left side should be the access route of choice.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Transductional analysis of the cysII region of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The close linkage between hisI and mutations of the cysII group in Pseudomonas aeruginosa was confirmed by mapping experiments with new mutants. All mutants of the cysII group were blocked in the cysteine biosynthesis before sulfite (this include the mutant cys-5605 which had previously been mapped by Mee and Lee, 1969). Most of the sulfite requiring cys mutants belonged to this group. The farthest distance between two mutations of the cysII group was calculated by the Wu formula to be approximately 2.5 kbp. We, therefore, suggest that more than one gene of the cysteine pathway may be located within this region.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1986

The Hfr status of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is stabilized by integrative suppression.

A temperature-sensitive mutant (dna-11) with the phenotype of a mutant defective in the initiation of DNA replication, was isolated from an Hfr-like FP2 donor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Reversion of its temperature-sensitive character was achieved by integrative suppression rather than by backmutation or an additional suppressor mutation. The dna-11 mutant proved to be helpful in stabilizing the Hfr status of the original host.

Conjugation, Genetic↗