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Biomedical subjects

K Herrmann

Publications and source records attributed to K Herrmann.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Immunity against measles and rubella in Massachusetts schoolchildren.

A statewide serosurvey was conducted among 6th, 10th and 12th grade Massachusetts schoolchildren in 1982. Sera were screened using a standard measles hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, a sensitive measles plaque neutralization assay, and four rubella assays with corresponding sensitivity limits of approximately 15, 10, 7.5, and 5 international units (IU) of rubella antibody/ml respectively. Using the most sensitive assays, seroprevalence was 98.6% for measles antibodies and 93.1% for any rubella antibodies. For persons who received single doses of either combined measles and rubella vaccines or separate single vaccinations at different times, there were no significant differences in seroprevalence using sensitive assays. Of persons who received combined vaccines, 99.3% had antibody against measles compared to 98.4% of single antigen recipients. For rubella, 98.6% of combined vaccine recipients had antibody compared to 95.7% of single antigen recipients. These seroprevalence data indicate the effectiveness of a combined vaccination program and support epidemiologic data indicating virtual elimination of these diseases in Massachusetts schoolchildren.

Adolescent

[Organic acids in vegetables. I. Brassica, leaf and bulb vegetables as well as carrots and celery].

18 German vegetable species were analyzed for their organic acid content. Organic acids were isolated by methanol extraction followed by ion exchange. After derivatisation with BSA the trimethylsilyl derivatives were analyzed by gas chromatography using SE-52 and OV-1701 glass capillaries. The predominate acids are malic and citric acid, and in most cases malic acid was the most abundant. Succinic, fumaric, and quinic acids are wide spread, tartaric acid was found in carrots, lettuce, endives, chicory, and celery. Other acids such as malonic, shikimic, and t-aconitic acids occurred sporadically. Lactic acid which was determined by two other methods was not detected in any vegetable species.

Acids

[Occurrence of chlorogenic acids in potatoes].

Ten varieties of potato cultivated under the same conditions were analyzed for the occurrence of chlorogenic acids by high performance liquid chromatography. 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (n-chlorogenic acid) is the predominant compound with 22-71 ppm, (on average of 41 ppm) depending on variety. 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid (phi 11 ppm), 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (phi 7 ppm), 3,4-dicaffeoylquine acid (phi 3 ppm), and at times 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (in traces) were also demonstrated. Caffeic acid compounds are not distributed uniformly in the potato tuber. They occur in strongly decreasing concentration from the outer sections to the inner ones. About 50% of these compounds are located in the potato peel and the adjoining tissue.

Chemical Phenomena

Specific antibody response after in vivo antigenic stimulation in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Several in vitro studies have demonstrated a polyclonal B cell response to antigenic stimulation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To determine if this polyclonal response occurs in vivo, 18 patients with SLE were antigenically stimulated with the pneumococcal vaccine Pneumovax . Mean antibody response to immunization was the same in SLE and normal control subjects. Although elevated antibody levels to several viruses were present in SLE subjects preimmunization, these levels did not change postimmunization. Total immunoglobulin levels, immune complex levels, and antiblood group B antibody levels did not change in SLE patients after immunization. Antiblood group A titers rose in both SLE patients and normals due to a media contaminant in the Pneumovax . Thus, SLE patients appear to have a specific antibody response to antigenic stimulation with pneumococcal polysaccharide. Polyclonal activation as seen in vitro in SLE may be more restricted in vivo.

Adult

[Hydroxycinnamic acid esters in brassicaceous vegetables and garden cress].

The esters of caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic acid with glucose or quinic acid and sinapoylglucose were determined in cauliflower, kale, Brussel sprouts, red, white, Savoy and Chinese cabbage and in garden cress by two different HPLC methods with gradient elution. In addition the occurrence of sinapin (sinapoylcholin) was checked. The pattern of hydroxycinamic acid esters in the Brassica species varied appreciably. In garden cress besides sinapin only sinapoylglucose was found. Sinapoylglucose is dominating in the group of glucose esters besides minor amounts of feruloylglucose. The 5-isomers of quinic acid esters, with neochlorogenic acid (5-caffeoylquinic acid) as the main compound, are dominating among the quinic acid esters. Considering the 3- and 4-isomers of quinic acid esters only 3- and 4-caffeoylquinic acids were determined in lower concentrations. Sinapoylquinic acid could never be recognized. Sinapin was determined in the Brassica species only in few cases in traces.

Brassica

Acid lysosomal hydrolases in systemic sclerosis and other connective tissue diseases.

The activities of five lysosomal hydrolases were determined fluorometrically in the serum of patients with systemic sclerosis (PSS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), dermatomyositis (DM), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or Raynaud's disease (RD). In PSS the beta-galactosidase activity was significantly increased compared with controls and the other connective tissue diseases. The beta-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase was significantly increased in PSS, SLE and DM. In PSS both enzymes were more active in the early stage of the disease than later. These changes of enzyme pattern seem to be a relatively reliable marker for the differential diagnosis of PSS compared to other connective tissue diseases, especially for RD, in which the beta-galactosidase activity was significantly decreased. Further work is required to determine whether these polysaccharide-degrading acid hydrolases play a role in the pathogenesis of PSS.

Acetylglucosaminidase