Biomedical subjects

J Menzel

Publications and source records attributed to J Menzel.

167 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[Enzyme breakdown of immune complexes].

4 types of immune complexes according to the Heidelberger curve were prepared as an in vitro model for immune complexes in rheumatoid arthritis and collagen diseases. Immune complexes of high and moderate antigen excess and immune complexes of high and moderate antibody excess were incubated with increasing concentrations of a mixture of enzymes or papain or pancreatin. The concentration of immune complexes was determined by a solid phase C1q radioimmunoassay before and after incubation. Up to 90% of the complexes of antigen excess were disintegrated even by low doses of enzymes (5-10 mg%); total cleavage appeared at 80 mg% enzyme concentration. Complexes of the antibody excess zone were gradually disintegrated by enzyme concentrations gradually increasing from 5 to 80 mg%, where total cleavage appeared. Single enzymes showed less cleavage activity than enzyme mixtures. Although enzymes were administered to supernatants of the Heidelberger precipitation containing soluble immune complexes as well as enzyme inhibitors, enzymatic activity was not impaired and immune complexes were disintegrated. The results of these investigations are discussed in regard to treatment with enzymes.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Collagenolytic enzymes of the skin in chronic polyarthritis - transformations during D-penicillamin therapy].

Collagenolytic enzymes, soluble and nonsoluble collagen were determined in skin specimens of 5 healthy volunteers, and 16 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 7 RA-patients being on D-penicillamine, 9 without basic therapy. The following results were obtained: Collagenolytic enzymes were elevated in patients with RA compared with age matched controls. After administration of D-penicillamine the enzyme activity was found lower than values obtained in controls. Acid soluble collagen and nonsoluble collagen was not found statistically different in the three groups. These findings strongly suggest an inhibitory effect of D-penicillamine on the elevated collagenase activity in RA patients. Similar results in corneal tissue were reported by Francois and coworkers who treated corneal ulcers with D-penicillamine.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Acute autoimmune collagen-induced arthritis in rabbits.

Three groups of rabbits were investigated: I. 9 rabbits, immunized with rabbit collagen type I, received 1 intraarticular injection of same antigen in the right knee, and control preparations in the left knee. II. 4 rabbits, immunized with calf collagen type I, received the same intraarticular injections as in group I. III. 2 non-immunized rabbits received also the same intraarticular injections. Synovial fluid and synovium were obtained in all groups 18 hours after intraarticular injection. Knee-joints of all animals immunized and challenged intraarticularly with rabbit collagen showed strong cellular exsudation (mean 1.800 X 10(3) cells,) in contrast to control joints (mean 21 to 484 X 10(3) cells). Histologic investigation of synovium of group I animals showed in rabbit collagen injected knees in contrast to controls, vascular reactions with enlargement of small vessels, thikening of endothelial cells, perivascular infiltration and aggregation of polymorphonuclears in lumen of vessels. Intraarticular injection of rabbit collagen in calf collagen immunized rabbits, induced a limited cellular exsudation, (mean 670 X 10(3) cells) which was lower than in rabbit collagen immunized animals, however also more pronounced than in control joints. Whilst results after intraarticular injection of rabbit collagen in rabbit collagen immunized animals are interpreted as early signs of autoimmune arthritis, results after intraarticular injection of rabbit collagen in calf collagen immunized animals are regarded as milder symptoms of synovitis induced by crossreactivity of antigens.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Immunoprotective activity of the galactoside-specific lectin from mistletoe after tumor destructive therapy in glioma patients.

35 patients suffering from malignant stage III/IV glioma were enrolled into a prospectively randomized clinical trial. All patients were provided with standard oncologic treatment (neurosurgery, radiation, basic clinical care according to protocol and indication) and randomly divided into a) treatment group: receiving subcutaneous injections of a ML (a galactoside-specific lectin from mistletoe) standardized mistletoe extract, 1 ng ML-1/kg BW, twice a week for 3 months, starting on day 1 post surgery, b) control group: without additional complementary treatment. Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood leukocytes was done by flow cytometry (pre surgery; day 1, week 1, month 3 and 6 post surgery) to evaluate the immunomodulating capacity of ML-1 standardized mistletoe extract. Standard tumor destructive treatment of glioma proved to be suppressive for peripheral blood lymphocytes, since all subsets tested revealed statistically significant down regulation. Unlike the lymphocyte counts and activities of patients from the control group who gave preoperative values after 3-6 months), mistletoe treatment induced a statistically significant up regulation of cell counts (CD-3, CD4, CD-8 cells) and activities (CD-25, HLA/DR positive cells) after 3 months, as compared to preoperative values. Obviously, a strong immunoprotective/immunostimulatory effect was induced by the treatment of glioma patients with ML-1 standardized mistletoe extract which correlated with an improved quality of life, as determined by a standard questionnaire (Spitzer).

Brain Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Efficiency of treatment with galactoside-specific lectin from mistletoe against rat glioma.

The cytotoxic activity of the galactoside-specific lectin from mistletoe (mistletoe lectin-1, ML-1) towards the anaplastic glioma cell line (F98) was investigated in vitro (three dimensional spheroid model) and in vivo (Fischer 344 rats). Both model systems demonstrated the dose dependent cytotoxicity of ML-1. F98 glioma cell spheroid growth was significantly inhibited after incubation with defined ML-1 concentrations of 10 and 100 ng/mL. To investigate the in vivo efficacy Fischer 344 rats were intracerebrally implanted with F98 glioma cells and assigned to local and systemic ML-1 treatment, respectively. Histological and immunohistochemical evaluations proved a reduction of tumor volume for both treatment modalities, most pronounced and statistically significant after systemic (immunomodulating) administration of the optimal ML-1 dosage (1 ng/kg BW, subcutaneously) and after low dose (10 ng ML-1 per application (10 microL) local treatment. High dose ML-1 administration (10 ng/kg BW; systemically; 100 ng/application, locally) was less effective than low (optimal) dose treatment and apparently the systemic/immunomodulating approach gained greater benefit for glioma bearing rats.

Animals↗