Biomedical subjects

J Glück

Publications and source records attributed to J Glück.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Intracellular production of IL-2, IL-4 and IFN-gamma by peripheral blood CD3+ cells in intermittent allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Allergic inflammation is mainly driven by type 2 T helper cells. The aim was to assess the changes in production of type 1 and 2 cytokines by CD3+ T cells dependent on natural exposure to allergens in subjects with intermittent allergic rhinitis (IAR) and in non-atopic subjects. MATERIAL: A total of 13 patients with IAR and 13 healthy non-atopics were recruited into the study. 11 patients with IAR were examined during the grass pollen season and 11 patients outside the season, 9 of them were assessed on both occasions. METHODS: A flow cytometric assessment of intracellular expression of IL-2, IL-4 and IFN-gamma by CD3+ cells was performed. For statistical analysis non-parametric tests were used. RESULTS: A tendency to decreased production of IL-4 outside the season was observed (6.94% [3.42-13.33] in season vs. 2.06% [0.7-3.6] out of season). The production of IL-4 was higher in the rhinitic group in the season than in the control group (1.93% [1.07-4.97], p=0.0034) and production of IL-2 was higher both in and outside the season (9.1% [3.94-15.09] and 10.0% [4.79-25.35] vs. 3.64% (2.64-5.03), p=0.037 and 0.045, respectively). IL-4/IL-2 and IL-4/IFN-gamma ratios were higher in the IAR group in the season than outside the season. CONCLUSION: A tendency towards a switch from a predominant type 2 response during natural allergen exposure to its suppression outside the season was found, together with a stable type 1 response.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

[Mosquito bites hypersensitivity: clinical and therapeutic approach].

Hypersensitivity to mosquito bites is an underestimated clinical and therapeutical problem. When feeding, female mosquitoes inject saliva, containing antigens and potentially toxic substances, into the human skin. The cutaneous response to mosquito bites is expressed as pruritus and oedema. The systemic symptoms are observed rarely. Nevertheless, the symptoms caused by mosquito bites are troublesome. In this paper clinical picture of mosquito bites consequences and up-to-date conceptions pathomechanism relating to their are shown. Moreover, prophylactic and therapeutical approaches are presented.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Idiothetic orientation and path integration in unilateral hippocampal atrophy and sclerosis.

We determined the effects of hippocampal lesions on idiothetic spatial orientation by exposing 14 patients with unilateral hippocampal atrophy and/or sclerosis (HAS) and 10 normal controls to random rotational displacements (+/-30 degrees -180 degrees ) in darkness and examined their ability to rotate themselves back to the initial position. In comparison to controls, the patients responses were distinctly hypometric (p<0.005). Patients with right hippocampal lesions showed a trend towards higher come back errors p = 0.08). Normal controls could maintain their accuracy over five consecutive trials. Patients, beginning with less accuracy, showed significant improvement after each trial (p<0.001). The findings suggest that unilateral HAS impair the immediate recall of idiothetic spatial information, but does not affect long-term spatial learning.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Platelet aggregation in atopic dermatitis.

Many observations suggest the active role of platelets in allergic inflammation. However, this problem is poorly researched in atopic dermatitis. The aim of study was to examine the intensity and velocity of platelet aggregation and a potential relationship with some immunological parameters (total IgE and specific-IgE serum levels) in atopic dermatitis patients. Platelet aggregation was evaluated in 12 subjects with atopic dermatitis and 12 healthy, nonatopic persons, according to the Born method, in a dual-channel aggregometer, in response to three exogenous stimulators (ADP, thrombin and collagen). The intensity and velocity of platelet aggregation and total platelet counts did not differ between the two groups irrespective of the type of extrinsic stimulator used. In contrast to other atopic diseases, in atopic dermatitis platelet aggregation is not impaired.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

Odor identification, consistency of label use, olfactory threshold and their relationships to odor memory over the human lifespan.

The purpose of this study was to investigate olfactory threshold, odor identification, consistency of label use and their relationships to odor memory in the context of semantic/episodic memory across the human lifespan. A total of 137 subjects aged 4-90 years were tested with several olfactory test procedures. We found that olfactory sensitivity was well developed in children despite the finding that their odor naming and odor memory were inferior to that of adults. In the elderly population, olfactory functions gradually declined, with odor memory and odor identification demonstrating the most significant decline. Semantic encoding was differentially related to odor memory over the human age span. Whereas consistency of label use was the main predictor for odor memory in children and young adults, olfactory identification ability was the main predictor in the elderly study group. We also calculated response bias for the separate age groups and found no differences between children, young adults and elderly. However, with age false alarm rates increased. We conclude that children possess equal olfactory sensitivity compared with adults; however, due to limitations in linguistic capabilities and familiarity to odorants, odor memory and odor identification performance was limited. Additionally, our data indicate major alterations of olfactory processing in advanced age with substantial losses in odor memory and odor identification performance.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

[Coexistence of bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus type 2--retrospective analysis].

Bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus type 2 are often found among adult patients. However, coincidence of these two diseases is very rare. The aim of the study was the retrospective analysis of all patients with bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus type 2 hospitalised in Department and Clinic of Internal Diseases and Allergology in Zabrze, Silesian School of Medicine in Katowice in 1988-1997. Diabetes mellitus type 2 was diagnosed according to WHO criteria of 1985 and bronchial asthma was diagnosed with the use of American Thoracic Society criteria. Bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus type 2 occurring together were found in 18 patients (0.3% of all hospitalized patients). In most patients the symptoms of bronchial asthma preceded the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus by a few years. All these cases were heterogeneous in terms of the duration of the diseases, clinical picture, and therapeutical approaches. In patients with bronchial asthma the existence of diabetes mellitus type 2 was not related to use of glikocorticosteroids. Patients in whom the coexistence of bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus type 2 was found should be subjects of further studies to extend our knowledge of patomechanism of these diseases.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Chemokine RANTES in atopic dermatitis.

Chemokines play a key role in inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to estimate chemokine RANTES in the sera of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and to analyze the correlation between RANTES serum level and the immunological and clinical parameters of the disease. Serum levels of RANTES (ELISA; R&D Systems), total IgE and specific IgE (FEIA; Pharmacia CAP System) were estimated in 24 patients with AD, 28 patients with pollinosis (PL) and 22 healthy nonatopic subjects (HC). The division of the AD group into a pure AD (pAD) subgroup, without a coexisting respiratory allergy, and a subgroup of patients with AD and a respiratory allergy (AD+AO) was done according to Wütrich. Levels of RANTES were higher in the AD group than in the HC group and the PL group. RANTES levels did not differ among subgroups with various clinical scores and between the pAD and AD+AO subgroups. There were no correlations between levels of RANTES and total IgE. Significant positive correlations between serum levels of RANTES and Dermatophagoides farinae and cat dander-specific IgE were found in the AD group. We conclude that the serum level of chemokine RANTES differs patients with AD from patients with PL. The increase of RANTES concentration in the serum of patients with AD depends neither on a clinical picture nor an IgE system.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Effects of tryptophan depletion on drug-free patients with seasonal affective disorder during a stable response to bright light therapy.

BACKGROUND: A dysfunction of the serotonin system may play a major role in the pathogenesis of seasonal affective disorder. Bright light therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of winter depression in patients with seasonal affective disorder. Light therapy-induced remission from depression may be associated with changes in brain serotonin function. METHODS: After at least 2 weeks of clinical remission, 12 drug-free patients who had had depression with seasonal affective disorder underwent tryptophan depletion in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, balanced cross-over design study. RESULTS: Short-term tryptophan depletion induced a significant decrease in plasma free and total tryptophan levels (P < .001 for both, repeated measures analysis of variance), with peak effects occurring 5 hours after ingestion of a tryptophan-free amino acid drink. It emerged that tryptophan depletion leads to a transient depressive relapse, which was most pronounced on the day after the tryptophan-depletion testing. No clinically relevant mood changes were observed in the control testing. CONCLUSIONS: The maintenance of light therapy-induced remission from depression in patients with seasonal mood cycles seems to depend on the functional integrity of the brain serotonin system. Our results suggest that the serotonin system might be involved in the mechanism of action of light therapy.

Adult↗

PubMed1974