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Biomedical subjects

H von Wulffen

Publications and source records attributed to H von Wulffen.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and gastritis among young adults in China.

To investigate the prevalence of gastritis and H. pylori infection among young Chinese in Henan Province, a high incidence area for oesophageal cancer in China, the gastric mucosa was examined in 194 asymptomatic subjects, aged 15-26 years, in the course of an epidemiological study of precursor lesions of oesophageal cancer. Histopathological grading of gastritis and determination of H. pylori infection were performed on haematoxylineosin and Warthin-Starry stained section. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the presence of serum IgG antibodies to H. pylori. A very high prevalence of gastritis (93.8%) was found: 71 subjects (36.6%) presented with superficial gastritis (14 active), 94 (48.5%) with diffuse gastritis (92 active) and in 17 cases (8.8%) diffuse gastritis (16 active) was accompanied by focal atrophy. Silver staining detected H. pylori in 166 (85.6%) of the study participants. However, serological techniques identified H. pylori in only 109 (56.2%). H. pylori was seen in all the 119 cases showing histological signs of active gastritis, in 41 of the 63 cases (65%) without activity, and also in 50% (6/12) of histologically normal subjects. H. pylori infection was found to be associated with a 2.5-fold higher prevalence of chronic atrophic gastritis compared with non-atrophic gastritis. A family history of stomach cancer, consumption of pickled vegetables more than twice a month, and a high monthly salt consumption (> 500 g/month) also showed a positive association.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Seroreactivity to Campylobacter jejuni and gangliosides in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Seroreactivities to Campylobacter jejuni or Campylobacter coli and to the gangliosides GM1 and GD1b were studied by quantitative and immunoglobulin class-specific ELISAs in 42 patients with recent onset of acute Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), in 39 patients with positive Campylobacter serology but no neurologic disease, and in 52 healthy blood donors. GBS patients showed positive reactivities to C. jejuni in 57%, 26%, and 2% for IgG, IgA, and IgM, respectively, while blood donors had corresponding values of 6%, 2%, and 4%. IgG, IgA, and IgM reactivities to GM1 were 48%, 78%, and 56% for GBS patients and 4%, 2%, and 4% for blood donors, respectively. Reactivities to GD1b were 77%, 51%, and 15% for the GBS group and 2%, 8%, and 8% for the blood donors, respectively. Patients with positive Campylobacter serology but no neurologic disease also had antibodies to GM1 and GD1b in over half of the cases. Increased titers to C. jejuni closely correlated with increased titers to GM1 and GD1b.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Performance of Helicobacter pylori acid extract and urease enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in relation to 14C-urea breath test.

The 14C-urea breath test has been shown to be a reliable non-invasive method to detect the presence or absence of H. pylori infection. Alternatively, a number of techniques have been devised to detect circulating antibodies against H. pylori in serum, the most commonly used being enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). In the present study we compared the value of two ELISA antigen preparations, an acid glycine extract and a urease preparation, in relation to the results achieved in a 14C-urea breath test. Seventy-five gastroenterology outpatients were screened for the presence of H. pylori infection using the urea breath test. At the same time serum specimens were obtained. Thirty-seven patients had a positive breath test, i.e. they expired more than 2% of the oral 14C test dose within 60 min. Using the breath test as reference, sensitivity and specificity for the acid extract were 89.2% and 84.2% respectively, and for the urease ELISA 81.1% and 89.5%. Agreement between the two ELISAs was found in 82.7%, overall agreement between all three tests was observed in 77.3%. All three tests were found to be useful for monitoring therapy directed against H. pylori.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1988

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of immunoglobulin A and G antibodies to Campylobacter pylori.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) employing an acid-glycine extract was used to detect IgG and IgA antibodies to Campylobacter pylori in sera from 179 patients with upper gastrointestinal disease, 174 blood donors and 65 children. The incidence of positive ELISA results clearly increased with the severity of histopathologic findings in the antrum mucosa and was also high in patients with peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. The incidence in blood donors and children was much lower and increased with age. The results achieved with the ELISA were similar to those observed previously using the immunoblot method. Differences between whole cell preparation and acid-glycine extract with respect to their protein profiles and immunoblot reactivities were minor. IgM titres were very low and could not be related to histopathological findings, peptic lesions or culture findings. The ELISA may be particularly useful for monitoring the outcome of therapy aimed at eradication of Campylobacter pylori.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Purified verotoxins of Escherichia coli O157:H7 decrease prostacyclin synthesis by endothelial cells.

Two immunologically distinct verotoxins purified from Escherichia coli C600, lysogenized with distinct temperate phages from E. coli strain 933 of serotype O157:H7, were compared by SDS-PAGE and different biological assays. The two toxins termed verotoxin 1 (VT1) and verotoxin 2 (VT2) differing in molecular weight exhibited similar biological activities. Both preparations were toxic for HeLa cells and lethal for mice. Epidemiological evidence of verotoxinogenesis in some cases of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) and the recent observations of inadequate prostacyclin production by endothelial cells associated with HUS prompted us to study the effect of purified verotoxins on prostacyclin synthesis in rat aortic tissue. Our results demonstrate a significant reduction of prostacyclin by both toxins at picomolar levels. The suppression of prostacyclin release by a lower concentration of VT2 as compared with VT1 reflects the relative potencies of these toxins in HeLa cell toxicity and mouse lethality. The results suggest an effect of verotoxins on endothelial cells and support the concept of these toxins as virulence factors in E. coli.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Immunoblot analysis of immune response to Campylobacter pylori and its clinical associations.

Systemic immune response to Campylobacter pylori was detected by the immunoblot technique in serum samples from 200 patients, 129 blood donors, and 96 children. The results of the IgG immunoblot test showed excellent correlation with the detection of C pylori by culture and also with histopathological examination of the antrum, as well as with peptic ulcer disease. An IgA response also occurred and gave results comparable with those of the IgG immunoblot test, although on a quantitatively lower scale. The IgM immunoblots were of no help in the serodiagnosis of C pylori infection. The protein bands that seemed to be the most specific for C pylori and which were consistently observed in patients positive for C pylori were a 110 kilodalton and a 63 kilodalton band on the IgG immunoblot and an 89 kilodalton band on the IgA immunoblot. A 94 kilodalton and a 28 kilodalton band were also included in the evaluation. While immunoblot analysis may be used effectively for the serodiagnosis of C pylori infection and can distinguish between patients with normal antrum mucosa and those with gastritis, the test does not help to distinguish between those patients with antrum gastritis who subsequently develop peptic ulcers and those who do not.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

[Evaluation of the efficacy of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine].

A recombinant vaccine against hepatitis B derived from yeast cells (Gen-HB-Vax, Co. MSD/Behring) has been evaluated in 59 healthy young volunteers (37 men, 22 women) with an average age of 24.4 years. The seroconversion rate was 100%, and no major side effects were observed. During a follow-up period of 24 months concentrations of antibodies against HBsAg were shown to decline to one tenth within 16 to 17 months. Triple vaccination led to protective antibody titres for about 27 months on average. Based on these findings we suggest the following recommendations concerning revaccination: an anti-HBs titre of more than 10,000 mIU/ml four weeks after third vaccination should be reassessed 3-5 years later, and titres between 1000 and 10,000 mIU/ml after 2-3 years. A control of the antibody titre should be performed after 1-2 years if the titre is 200-1000 mIU/ml after the third vaccination, and after 6-12 months if it is 100-200 mIU/ml. Antibody titres between 10 and 100 mIU/ml should already be reassessed about 3-6 months later. We recommend an immediate revaccination for persons with anti-HBs titres below 10 mIU/ml. This corresponds to the course of antibody concentrations which could be seen in former studies with the conventional serum-derived vaccine. Maximum anti-HBs titres are slightly below those observed with the serum-derived vaccine.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome associated with an infection by verotoxin producing Escherichia coli 0111 in a woman on oral contraceptives.

A case of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) associated with an infection by a verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC), serotype 0111:NM, in a 22-year-old woman who had been on oral contraceptives is presented. VTEC-associated cases of HUS infected by E. coli 0111 have been reported before, but never in adults. The kinetics of the humoral immune response to verotoxin in the patient is observed over three months and described for the first time. The possible role of contraceptives that have been incriminated in the etiology of HUS before is discussed as well. Possible benefits of therapeutical interventions such as hemodialysis, therapeutic plasma exchange, converting enzyme inhibitors, or antibiotics still need clarification. However, it is strongly suggested to include tests for VTEC in the work-up of patients suffering from HUS.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Campylobacter pylori: significance, diagnosis and treatment].

The association between colonization of the antrum mucosa by Campylobacter pylori and antrum gastritis as well as peptic ulcers has been documented in a number of studies. The ability of these bacteria to produce a cytotoxin and a protease that hydrolyzes the mucosa-protecting mucin assigns pathogenetic properties to this species that suggest an etiological role for C. pylori in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcers and gastritis. This concept is supported by some preliminary results of therapeutic trials which have shown that successful eradication of the organism leads to histologic improvement of the gastritis and markedly reduced relapse rates regarding peptic lesions. Best results were achieved using combinations of a bismuth salt with an antibiotic such as amoxicillin. Diagnosis of C. pylori infection is based on culturing the organism from antral biopsies. Detecting the urease activity directly in the biopsy has also been shown to be an effective and reliable method. As a noninvasive method serologic testing for C. pylori may also be employed. An IgG-ELISA used by us showed a good correlation with cultural and histological results.

Campylobacter↗
PubMed1987

Low prevalence of particle-associated reverse transcriptase activity in serum from patients with non A - non B hepatitis.

Sera from 367 patients presumed to have NANB hepatitis were screened for reverse transcriptase activity. In 29 cases significantly increased enzyme activities could be observed. In contrast, sera from 338 patients did not contain significant reverse transcriptase activities. 207 healthy individuals, 7 patients with hepatitis A and 6 patients with hepatitis B who served as controls were all negative for reverse transcriptase activity. The specificity of the enzyme assay was demonstrated by estimation of reverse transcriptase activity in sera from 10 "healthy" HIV-1-antibody positive individuals. In 3 out of 10 cases significant reverse transcriptase activity was observed associated with the human immunodeficiency virus. Our results indicate that the presence of particle-associated reverse transcriptase activity in serum from patients with NANB hepatitis is indicative of the presence of a retrovirus-like agent in these cases. However, the relatively low prevalence of reverse transcriptase positive cases associated with the NANB hepatitis makes it rather questionable whether this agent is a frequent and specific factor in the etiology of NANB hepatitis.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

Detection of Campylobacter pyloridis in patients with antrum gastritis and peptic ulcers by culture, complement fixation test, and immunoblot.

The association of Campylobacter pyloridis with antrum gastritis and peptic ulcers was described. We investigated antral biopsies from 180 patients who underwent gastroscopy. By culture or Gram stain or both, we found overall 98 (54%) of them to be positive for C. pyloridis. In the various groups the following percentages were found to be positive: normal antral mucosa 3% (n = 30); moderate superficial antrum gastritis, 49% (n = 83); severe superficial antrum gastritis, 86% (n = 44); duodenal ulcer, 83% (n = 54); and gastric ulcer, 72% (n = 18). A serological screening that used a complement fixation test yielded the following results: highest rates of positive complement fixation titers were seen in patients with severe gastritis and those with duodenal ulcers, both with 79%; the lowest incidence was in a group of 20 blood donors, with 5%. Positive complement fixation titers in gastritis patients also correlated well with characteristic patterns on immunoglobulin G and A immunoblots, while there was no specific reactivity observed on immunoglobulin M immunoblots.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1985

Quantitation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antigen in serum in the presence of antibodies to HBV core antigen: comparison with assays of serum HBV DNA, DNA polymerase, and HBV e antigen.

A quantitation procedure for hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) in serum without prior removal of antibodies to HBcAg is described. The virus nucleoprotein core was released from hepatitis B virus (HBV) particles by treatment with Nonidet P-40 detergent and allowed to form immune complexes with homologous antibodies to HBcAg present in the sera of HBV-infected individuals. After precipitation with 2.0% polyethylene glycol-1.5% Tween 20, the HBcAg immune complexes were dissociated by treatment with 3 M KSCN and then adsorbed onto polystyrene beads in the presence of the SCN- ions. Thereby, HBcAg and antibodies to HBcAg were linked independently of each other to the matrix, and the core antigen could be quantitated directly by incubation of the beads with 125I-labeled anti-HBc. Even in the presence of an excess of antibodies to HBcAg in the polyethylene glycol precipitates, HBcAg could be detected without appreciably affecting the sensitivity. The assay proved to be specific for core determinants and exhibited excellent reproducibility. The application of the HBcAg assay in 185 hepatitis B e antigen-positive sera revealed HBc antigenemia in 99% of the sera containing hepatitis B e antigen at titers of greater than or equal to 1:256 and 43% of the sera with lower hepatitis B e antigen levels. However, only in 6 of the 34 HBcAg-negative sera could HBV DNA be detected by blot hybridization. When correlated with HBV-associated DNA polymerase (DNAP) activity, HBc antigenemia was found in all DNAP-positive sera (n = 95) and in 39% of the hepatitis B e antigen-positive sera without detectable DNAP activity (n = 44). Of the DNAP-negative sera with HBc antigenemia, 94% contained HBV DNA, whereas in the absence of HBcAg, HBV DNA could be detected only in 3 of 27 DNAP-negative sera. With regard to sensitivity, the HBcAg assay appeared to be less sensitive than the hybridization technique, but more sensitive than the DNAP assay.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1979

[The diagnosis of organic brain damage with common psychodiagnostic tests (author's transl)].

WIP, Hopper-VOT, Benton-Test d2-Test, and the KVT were used to examine 124 brain-damaged people with sufficiently secured localized wounds on the brain (48 frontal, 30 temperoral, 29 parietal and 17 occipital lobe damaged patients). The results showed considerable differences depending on the localisation of the injury. The differences between the frontal lobe damaged and the parieto-occipital damaged patients were significant. A normal score in one or more tests does not exclude a frontal lobe damage.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗