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Biomedical subjects

K Guggenberger

Publications and source records attributed to K Guggenberger.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

[Electrodermal activity--"psychovegetative resonance" in AIDS patients].

The habituation of the electrodermal reaction (EDR) is one of the most used variables among psychophysiological indicators in investigations in men. In our department a specific computer assisted technique for measuring habituation, mean amplitude, area underneath the line and "emotional reflection" was developed. 15 acoustic stimuli (500 Hz tone at 72 db intensity lasting for 500 msec) are presented to the patient. The habituation criterion is reached when there are no reactions to 3 consecutive stimuli. Since the first reports in 1981 AIDS has become an expanding major public health problem. Therefore the aim of our investigation was to study electrodermal activity in AIDS-patients, especially the habituation of the EDR. 37 addicted AIDS-patients participated in the study voluntarily and were compared to 30 drug addicted HIV-negative patients, 30 homosexual AIDS-patients and 20 healthy normals. Furthermore the patients were divided according to the stages of their disease. The drug addicted AIDS-patient group habituated earlier than the addicted HIV-negative group, the healthy normals, and the homosexual patients. The drug dependent AIDS-patients were more psychovegetatively suppressed. As compared to the healthy normals and addicted HIV-negative patients the homosexual AIDS-patients differed in emotional reflection; they showed a higher degree of excitement, while in drug dependent AIDS-patients a lower emotional reflection was found. Concerning emotional intensity similar results were obtained. Differences in the mean amplitudes reached the level of statistical significance between homosexual AIDS-patients and the healthy normals and addicted HIV-negative patients respectively. Within as well as between both groups differences concerning stage III and IV could be observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acoustic Stimulation↗

High risk of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and of AIDS related complex (ARC) in hemophiliacs seropositive for more than 5 years.

A group of 90 hemophiliacs who had been regularly treated with non virus-inactivated factor VIII or IX concentrates were studied in 1983. At that time 50 patients were HIV-1-antibody positive, 6 additional seroconversions occurred until 1985. 26 of the 50 patients seropositive in 1983 are currently asymptomatic. 4 patients have developed the lymphadenopathy syndrome, 9 patients AIDS and 11 patients ARC (CDC IV C 2). 6/9 cases of AIDS and 10/11 cases of ARC have occurred only after 1985. Patients, who subsequently became symptomatic, had significantly higher IgG levels in 1983, otherwise no predictive laboratory tests were identified. Patients with T4 counts above 500/microliters became symptomatic later, but after 5 years the incidence of AIDS was comparable in patients with original T4 counts of more than or below 500/microliters.

AIDS-Related Complex↗

[Psychometric and psychophysiologic studies in AIDS patients with reference to the "declining performance syndrome"--level reduction].

It has been reported that the acquired immune deficiency syndrome can present neuropsychiatric symptoms of major depressive disorders, adjustment disorder with depressed mood and organic brain syndromes with affective, delusional and demented features. The aim of the present study was to determine deficits in performance and to measure psychophysiological variables in drug addicted AIDS-patients. 28 drug addicted AIDS-patients and 17 homosexual AIDS-patients participated in the study voluntarily and were compared to healthy normals. 18 patients belonged to stage III, 27 to stage IV. Performance was measured by numerical memory test, Benton test, Alphabetic reaction test and computer-assisted rigidity test. Psychophysiological parameters were evaluated by computer-assisted "static" and "dynamic" pupillometry, computer-assisted measurements of skin conductance-level, -reaction and habituation; and critical flicker frequency analyses. Performance in drug addicted AIDS-patients differed from controls and especially from healthy normals within a minimal range ("Denivellierungssyndrom"--decline of level of performance). No AIDS-dementia could be objectivated. Furthermore drug-dependent AIDS-patients demonstrated autonomous desactivation, reduced pupillary reagibility and suppressed vegetative irritability.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Efficiency of the polymerase chain reaction for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus type (HIV-1) DNA in the lymphocytes of infected persons: comparison to antigen-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and virus isolation.

Seventy-one human immunodeficiency virus type (HIV-1)-positive patients were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), virus isolation, and antigen detection for the existence of HIV in blood. The identification of HIV DNA by PCR, using three different pairs of primers, yielded a clearly higher detection rate (86%) than with two primer pairs (75%) and was far more sensitive than virus isolation (45%) and antigen ELISA (14%). The PCR-negative results were clearly correlated to asymptomatic clinical stages. However, there was a limited correlation between the clinical stage of disease and the amount of HIV DNA that could be detected in equal numbers of CD4+ cells from different patients, which might be due to their treatment with azido-thymidine (AZT).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Initial clinical experiences in a large Austrian patient sample with immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS): I. Type and course of encountered infections].

This study presents a report on the first clinical experiences gained in 68 hospitalized HIV antibody-positive patients from Austria, covering a period of twelve months. 36 patients (52.9%) belonged to risk group I or Ib (homo- or bisexual), whereas 26 (38.2%) patients were i.v. drug abusers (risk group II). 5 (7.4%) patients fulfilled the criteria of stage II of the CDC classification of HIV-associated clinical symptoms, 10 (14.7%) were classified as stage III and the remaining 53 patients (78%) as stage IV. The most frequent and also the most serious problem was the development of opportunistic infections. Multiple infections were found in 45.7% of all cases. Kaposi's sarcoma was found in 9 patients who all belonged to risk group I. During the entire observation period 10 patients died as a consequence of HIV-1-induced immunodeficiency and the resulting opportunistic infections and/or neoplasms.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Alkaptonuria (ochronosis)].

A 39-year-old male patient observed an increasing bluish pigmentation of the ear cartilage associated with recurrent back-pain. Darkening of the urine after the addition of sodium hydroxide led to the suspected diagnosis of alkaptonuria. This diagnosis was confirmed by the detection of urinary homogentisic acid by thin-layer chromatography.

Adult↗

[An unusual clinical form of pemphigus vulgaris].

A 36-year-old woman developed bullous skin lesions which clinically seemed most likely to be dermatitis herpetiformis or bullous pemphigoid. However, histological examinations as well as immunofluorescence and electron microscopic observations substantiated the diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris.

Adult↗

[Immunocytoma simulating chronic acrodermatitis atrophicans].

A 76 year old female developed an acrodermatitis-chronica-atrophicans-(ACA)-like lesion on her foot. Histological examination and quantitative determination of immunoglobulins in homogenates from the skin lesion revealed an immunocytoma of the IgM type. Malignant lymphoma originating in ACA lesions or concomitting ACA are well known. The case described here indicates that primary malignant lymphoma of the skin clinically can simulate ACA and creates diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic problems.

Acrodermatitis↗