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Biomedical subjects

J Greif

Publications and source records attributed to J Greif.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Nedocromil sodium and placebo in the treatment of bronchial asthma. A multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group comparison.

The efficacy of nedocromil sodium (4 mg twice daily by inhalation) in treating bronchial asthma was assessed by double-blind, placebo-controlled group comparison in 69 adults from three centers. The patients (34 active, 35 placebo) had a history of bronchial asthma with at least 15 percent reversibility. Inhaled corticosteroids, used by 22 and 24 subjects in the active and placebo groups respectively, were discontinued before the study, in which a two-week baseline was followed by six weeks of treatment. Two-weekly clinic assessments of lung function, symptoms and final opinions of treatment were significantly (p less than 0.05 p less than 0.001) in favor of nedocromil sodium. Daily diary cards showed a similar trend with significant drug effects seen after the third week. Blood and urine samples showed no abnormalities and the majority of patient withdrawals (five from nedocromil sodium and six from placebo treatment) were due to worsening asthma. Overall, we found nedocromil sodium to be well tolerated and effective in the management of bronchial asthma.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1989

The combined effect of nifedipine and sodium cromoglycate on the airway response to inhaled hypertonic saline in patients with bronchial asthma.

The combined effect of oral nifedipine and aerosolized sodium cromoglycate on the airway response to inhaled sodium chloride at increasing concentrations was randomly studied in 10 patients with bronchial asthma. Nifedipine (20 mg) protected the airways in 6 of the 10 patients, and sodium cromoglycate (20 mg) in all the 10 patients. Following both drugs, the airway response to hypertonic saline was further reduced when compared to each drug on its own. It is concluded that the combination of nifedipine with sodium cromoglycate might be of benefit in the treatment of difficult asthmatic patients.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1989

Comparison between refractoriness after distilled water-induced asthma and exercise-induced asthma.

Inhalation of distilled water (DW) frequently induces bronchoconstriction in asthmatic patients. We compared the degree of refractoriness to repeated inhalation of DW to that of repeated exercise challenge in 14 asthmatics. Refractoriness was seen following inhalation of DW. The maximum drop in FEV1 (% of predicted) following the first challenge was 31 +/- 13% and the maximal drop following the second challenge was 18 +/- 9% (P less than .01). The pattern of the airway response seen during 45 minutes following repeated inhalation of DW and exercise was similar. Cross refractoriness was also seen when inhalation of DW followed exercise challenge. It was concluded that both stimuli probably share a common mechanism of action on the airway.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

The effect of food and exercise on the skin response to compound 48/80 in patients with food-associated exercise-induced urticaria-angioedema.

Food-associated, exercise-induced urticaria-angioedema is increasingly being recognized. We studied five atopic individuals in whom ingestion of food was followed by exercise-induced urticaria-angioedema. The combined effect of food and exercise on skin wheal response to compound 48/80 and histamine was studied. Symptoms could be reproduced in only four of the patients who performed strenuous exercise after ingestion of food to which they were skin sensitive. When symptoms appeared, that is, after a combination of food and exercise challenge, there was a marked increase in the wheal response to compound 48/80 (greater than 200%) and not to histamine. Food or exercise challenge alone did not induce any significant change in the skin reactivity to compound 48/80 or to histamine. It was concluded that mast cell releasability could be increased when the patient was subjected to combined factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Correlation between PGE2 production and suppressor activity of alveolar macrophages from patients with interstitial lung diseases.

The suppressive activity of alveolar macrophages (AM) obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), on PHA stimulation of autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes (APL) was evaluated. The effect on lymphocyte stimulation was evaluated by coculturing the AM and APL cells at a ratio of 1:1. PGE2 released by AM during the culture period was measured by a radioimmune assay. The patients included in the study were 11 cases with interstitial lung disease (ILD), 8 cases of lung cancer (CA), and 5 controls (CO). Addition of AM of patients from the CA group resulted in slight suppression of lymphocyte stimulation in 4 cases, slight enhancement in 3 cases and no effect in one case. AM from the CO group induced slight suppression in 4 out of 5 cases. AM from all 11 ILD cases exerted a significant high suppressive activity (65.6% +/- 18.2 - P less than 0.001 by comparison with the CO and CA groups). In ILD cases, a dichotomous pattern was found in regard to relation between high suppressive activity of AM and release of PGE2: in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients, high suppressive activity of AM (70.4% +/- 15.4) correlated well with elevated secretion of PGE2: 3.58 +/- 0.26 ng/ml/10(5) cells (P less than 0.02 compared to CO). AM from sarcoidosis patients suppressed PHA stimulation by 61.6% +/- 19.3 but secreted only 0.357 +/- 0.26 ng/ml/10(5) cells of PGE2 (P less than 0.02 compared with the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis group). Therefore, it seems that other factors, in addition to PGE2, might be involved in the suppressive activity of AM from interstitial lung diseases.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Suppressor cell activity of human alveolar macrophages in interstitial lung diseases.

It has been shown that alveolar macrophages (AM) are able to modulate lymphocyte proliferation in vitro. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of AM on the proliferation of autologous peripheral lymphocytes (APL) in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) compared to controls. Thirty patients were investigated: eight with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), nine with sarcoidosis(SA), seven with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and six controls (CO). AM and APL were co-cultured at an increasing macrophage/lymphocyte ratio: 1%, 10%, 20% and 50%. A dose-dependent effect was observed and related to the number of AM added to APL, enhancing at low ratios and suppressing at high ratios. Suppression of proliferation by 50% AM differed in the four groups tested: 94.6% (92-98) in IPF, 73.0% (49-100) in SA, 43% (25-57) in RA, 32.4% (22-41) in the CO (P less than 0.01, P less than 0.05, and P0.05 respectively, compared to CO). Suppressive cell activity of AM from patients with ILD was higher than suppressive cell activity of the CO group. Suppression with 10% of AM in ILD group was 18% (2.2-62) compared with 2.58% (-13-17) in the CO group (P less than 0.05). 20% AM in ILD group showed 35% (3-76) suppression in comparison with 9.76% (-11-27) in the control group (P less than 0.01), 50% AM in ILD have a suppressive activity of 71% (25-100) in contrast to 32.4% (22-41) in control (P less than 0.01). In conclusion, AM from patients with interstitial lung diseases have a significantly stronger suppressive effect on the proliferation of autologous peripheral lymphocytes than controls. This is a new aspect of the study of activation of AM in these kinds of disorders.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1988

IgE values in the allergic and healthy Israeli population.

This study was designed to establish IgE values in different allergic diseases in an Israeli population and healthy controls. The geometric mean IgE in the control group was 41 IU/mL (range = 15 to 111 IU/mL) and in the atopic group 142 IU/mL (range = 36 to 556 IU/mL). The highest values were found in patients with asthma plus allergic rhinitis plus atopic dermatitis and asthma plus atopic dermatitis. The lowest values were from patients with urticaria. There was a gradual increase in IgE levels from 4 to 10 years and then a gradual decrease. IgE was significantly higher in males, particularly in the 21 to 40-year age group and above 60 years. There was no difference in IgE levels in the various ethnic groups. There was a correlation between IgE levels and the number of positive skin tests. Peripheral eosinophilia was found in one-third of the patients with low IgE and in 2/3 of the patients with IgE above 500 IU/mL. An IgE of 120 IU/mL or more was found in 56% of patients with asthma in addition to other atopic diseases. Only 10% of normal controls had an IgE value of 120 IU/mL or more. These results are similar to those reported from European and North American countries.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Bronchial inhalation challenge with ultrasonically nebulized saline; comparison to exercise-induced asthma.

The airway response to ultrasonically nebulized sodium chloride of increasing concentration (0.9%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) was assessed in twenty asthmatic patients and five healthy subjects. Their response was compared to a standard exercise provocation test. Each concentration was inhaled for five minutes and the airway response was assessed by the measurement of the maximal expiratory flow volume curves. While only 65% of the patients developed significant bronchoconstriction to exercise, 90% had such response to inhaled sodium chloride of 20% or less. None of the healthy subjects showed any significant airway response. It is concluded that the inhalation of hypertonic sodium chloride is a sensitive method for the evaluation of airway hyperreactivity and can be used instead of the exercise provocation test in asthmatic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Segregation of peripheral blood lymphocytes in sarcoidosis according to their affinity to insolubilized histamine.

Using a method based on the differential affinity of mononuclear cells to insolubilized histamine, we were able to distinguish several differences in the composition of T cell subpopulations between healthy control subjects and sarcoidosis patients. In 5 of 10 patients with sarcoidosis, the ability of T cells to respond to three mitogens was severely depressed, while in the remaining 5 it was similar to the response of normal subjects. After the elimination of a subpopulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) that adhered to the histamine column, the response to mitogens of the unbound cells of normal control subjects was significantly lower than values obtained before separation. The histamine-unbound lymphocytes of the five patients with active sarcoidosis, whose unseparated PBMC responded poorly to mitogens, reacted significantly better to the mitogens than before the separation. This pattern of responsiveness has been previously only in PBMC of patients with autoimmune diseases. It seems that some patients with sarcoidosis possess a subpopulation of T-lymphocytes with suppressor activity and a specific affinity to insolubilized histamine, the elimination of which restores the level of response to almost normal.

Adult↗