PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

K Lindström

Publications and source records attributed to K Lindström.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Glycosphingolipid expression in spontaneously aborted fetuses and placenta from blood group p women. Evidence for placenta being the primary target for anti-Tja-antibodies.

A 12-week-old fetus and one 17-week-old fetus + placenta were obtained after spontaneous abortions from two women of blood group p. The 17-week-old fetus was dissected into intestine, liver, brain and residual tissue. Nonacid glycosphingolipid fractions were prepared from the tissues. Glycolipid characterization was carried out using thin layer chromatography immunostained with monoclonal antibodies and bacteria and by 1H NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. In the placental fraction substantial amounts of globotetraosylceramide (P-antigen) and globotriaosylceramide (Pk-antigen) were identified. In contrast, the fetuses contained only trace amounts of these structures, as revealed by immunostaining. These results indicate that the primary target for the antibodies of the anti-Tja serum is the placenta tissue, resulting in termination of the pregnancy.

Abortion, Spontaneous

Serological and immunochemical characterization of anti-PP1Pk (anti-Tja) antibodies in blood group little p individuals. Blood group A type 4 recognition due to internal binding.

Serum samples from 13 blood group little p individuals were tested by radioimmunoassay for their IgG antibody subclass distribution against the P, P1 and Pk antigens. There was no uniform subclass distribution pattern, although all but one had IgG3 antibodies against all the P system antigens tested. Studies were performed adsorbing anti-Tja serum sequentially to columns with synthetic carbohydrate antigenic determinants within the P system coupled to silica beads (SynsorbsR). The effect on agglutinin and indirect antiglobulin titers was determined after adsorption to SynsorbsR with different P-system antigens (P1, Pk, P). Adsorption to all the three SynsorbsR was needed to eliminate or strongly reduce antibody titers. The effect on IgM, IgG, IgA as well as IgG subclass antibody binding to P, P1 and Pk antigens was also determined by radioimmunoassay and chromatogram binding assay. Anti-PP1Pk antibodies from a little p woman with repeated abortions were shown to bind to glycosphingolipid antigens prepared from one of the aborted placentae using a chromatogram binding assay. This binding was eliminated by serum adsorption to SynsorbsR with P1, Pk and P carbohydrates. Anti-PP1Pk antibodies were also shown to bind to extended structures in the globoseries, i.e. globopentaosylceramide, globohexaosylceramide (globo-H) and globoheptaosylceramide (globo-A). This binding is most probably due to antibodies recognizing internal sequences in the carbohydrate chain. Attempts were made to visualize the binding epitope of the antibodies by computer molecular modelling.

Adult

Alterations of glycosphingolipid-based blood group antigen expression on erythrocytes and in plasma studied on consecutive samples after a blood group O to A bone marrow transplantation.

A blood group A1Le(a-b+) individual with chronic myeloid leukaemia had received a bone marrow graft from an HLA-identical OLe(a+b-) donor. Twelve months after bone marrow transplantation (BMT), the red blood cells of the patient became agglutinable with anti-A blood group reagents. To elucidate whether the blood group A antigen expression was of plasma or of bone marrow origin, total non-acid glycosphingolipid fractions were prepared from red blood cells and plasma collected 17 months after BMT, and from plasma collected 13, 15 and 19 weeks after BMT. The glycolipid fractions were analysed by thin-layer chromatography and immunostained with monoclonal A-antibodies, and permethylated and permethylated-reduced derivatives of selected plasma samples were analysed by mass spectrometry. The results strongly indicate the presence of host bone marrow-produced blood group A red blood cells. Furthermore, the presence of a blood group H active pentaglycosylceramide type 1 (H-5-1) (Table I), characteristic for an OLe(a-b-) secretor, was seen in plasma 3-4 weeks before clinical chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD). After treatment of chronic GVHD, this expression disappeared. The blood group ALeb (A-7-1) antigen produced by the recipient seems to be present and to increase with time in all plasma samples. This also seems to be the case for the Leb and A-6-1 antigens.

ABO Blood-Group System

Non-acid glycosphingolipid expression in plasma of an A1 Le(a-b+) secretor human individual: identification of an ALeb heptaglycosylceramide as major blood group component.

Total non-acid glycosphingolipids were isolated from plasma of an A1 Le(a-b+) secretor individual with Refsum's disease (phytanic acid storage disease). The glycolipids were separated into 11 fractions by open column chromatography and by HPLC. The fractions were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and tested for different blood group A activities as well as blood group Le(a )and Leb activity. The fractions were structurally characterized by proton NMR spectroscopy and FAB mass spectrometry and in selected cases by EI mass spectrometry of the permethylated and permethylated-reduced derivatives. Degradation analysis was performed on partially permethylated or permethylated-reduced alditol acetates. The dominating blood group compound was found to be a blood group A active type 1 chain difucosylheptaglycosylceramide. Other blood group compounds were identified as a blood group A active type 1 chain monofucosylhexaglycosylceramide, a blood group Leb hexaglycosylceramide, a blood group H active type 1 chain pentaglycosylceramide, and a globotetraosylceramide (the P-antigen). The presence of a Le(a) glycosphingolipid and blood group A type 3/4 chain structures were also found by immunostaining. Glucosyl-, lactosyl-, and globotriaosylceramides were the dominating short chain compounds. The amount of phytanic acid incorporated into the monoglycosylceramide fraction was found to be less than 5% of the fatty acids.

Animals

[Job stress and well-being of care providers: development of a standardized survey instrument].

The main aim was to develop a standardized survey instrument for measuring job stress and well-being in hospital settings. The actual study group consisted of 349 workers from medical bed wards, first aid unit wards and bed wards for gynecology and obstetrics in a middle-sized hospital in the Helsinki region. Based on the factor analysis of separate questions, the following content areas were chosen for the job stressor scales: haste at work, problems in interpersonal relations at work, problems in occupational collaboration with others, too much responsibility, safety and health risks, lack of appreciation, troublesome patients, and lack of equipment and resources. Content areas for well-being scales and items were general job satisfaction, strain symptoms, perceived mental and physical work load. The reference values of the questionnaire and reliabilities for the scales were calculated. The application and further development of the questionnaire was discussed.

Factor Analysis, Statistical

Evaluation of Doppler ultrasound for blood perfusion measurements.

The need to develop clinical methods for the noninvasive monitoring of regional blood perfusion, i.e., the blood flow through the very fine capillaries in body tissue, has long been felt. Hitherto existing methods exhibit limitations, such as insufficient measurement depth and poor time- or space-resolution, which restrict the measurements that can be performed. Dymling (1982) introduced a new CW Doppler ultrasound method for noninvasive blood perfusion measurement which might be one possible solution to this problem. Preliminary experiments indicated a correlation between blood flow and measured perfusion value. Unexpectedly large variations in the recorded perfusion values lead to further investigation of the method, both in vitro using a specially designed flow phantom and in vivo. This study indicates that at least some of the large variations recorded are the result of measurement errors caused by movement artifacts or ultrasonic signal interferences. Methods to diminish the effects of these artifacts are discussed.

Artifacts

Calculation of pulse-wave velocity using cross correlation--effects of reflexes in the arterial tree.

The need to investigate the elastic properties of arterial vessels in situ for the early recognition of degenerative disorders in arteries has long been apparent. Pulse-wave diagnostics has been used in traditional medicine, but only in a qualitative way. By measuring the vessel diameter change, simultaneously at two levels along an artery, it should be possible to calculate the pulse-wave velocity (PWV). A newly developed ultrasonic instrument, DIAMOVE, was designed to provide a two-dimensional, real time, B-mode image for display of the exact position of two measurement sites; a computer-controlled digital phased-locked loop detector for the measurement of diameter changes; and a personal computer for the display of the momentary displacement of the artery walls. The cross-correlation technique was used on the information from the vessel wall movements to calculate the resulting PWV. Early measurements on healthy patients showed some unexpected artifacts, which were found to be due to reflected waves, affecting the shape of the pulse-wave at the sites of measurement. A modified PWV estimation algorithm, where only the foot of the pulse-wave in every beat is utilized, seems to have solved this problem and now makes the method suitable for clinical use.

Algorithms

Aortic diameter pulse waves and blood flow velocity in the small, for gestational age, fetus.

An ultrasound phase-locked, echo-tracking system was used for noninvasive measurements of pulsatile diameter changes in the descending aorta of 60 small, for gestational age (SGA), fetuses and of 60 fetuses appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Pulsed Doppler ultrasound was used for the recording of blood flow velocity in the aorta and in the umbilical artery of the SGA fetuses. In the SGA fetuses, a weight-related higher end-diastolic diameter and a lower relative pulse amplitude suggest that diastolic blood pressure was increased; a less steep rise of the initial ascending part of the pulse wave and a lower relative pulse amplitude suggest that the absolute stroke volume was decreased. Except for a positive correlation between relative pulse amplitude and mean velocity in the aorta, no correlation was found between diameter pulse waves and blood flow velocity. Aortic diameter pulse waves apparently yield no unequivocal information as to peripheral resistance, for which purpose blood flow velocity waveform analysis would seem, at least at present, to be the only available method.

Adult

A new ultrasonic method for fluid property measurements.

A new ultrasonic method for fluid property measurements is described. The method uses ultrasound to generate acoustic streaming in a fluid. The resulting flow velocity will vary due to several viscous parameters of the fluid. If there are acoustic scatterers in the fluid, it will be possible to monitor the resulting flow velocity with an ultrasound Doppler device. The same acoustic energy is then utilized both to generate the acoustic streaming in the medium and to measure the resulting flow. The method seems to be very well suited for monitoring biological processes. Of special interest, for measurements on contaminated blood or on fluids in a fermentation process, is the method's ability to investigate liquids in a completely closed vessel.

Animals

Measurements of ultrasonic fields with optical diffraction tomography.

This article describes a light diffraction technique that allows a measurement of ultrasonic pressure and phase in the cross-section of an ultrasonic beam. The light diffraction measurements are based on the Raman-Nath model of ultrasonic continuous-wave light diffraction. The diffracted light intensity can be expressed as an integration of sound pressure along the light path. This integration is analogous to the integration of the absorption coefficient in x-ray tomography. Tomography algorithms can be employed on the light measurement data to calculate the pressure and phase in a measuring plane perpendicular to the ultrasound propagation vector. The reconstruction of the measurement plane is done with an implementation of an algebraic reconstruction technique (ART). Satisfactory results are obtained with 10 projections. The measurement method is applicable up to Raman-Nath parameter values of 2.3. The experimental results are compared to miniature PVDF hydrophone measurements.

Algorithms

Two-dimensional airborne ultrasound real-time linear array scanner--applied to screening for scoliosis.

Diagnostic ultrasound is an established, noninvasive and harmless method for imaging the shape and appearance of organs and other tissues inside the body, and it has been used in many clinical applications for more than three decades. We have now applied some of this well-known technique together with the use of airborne ultrasound in medical applications, to build an equipment for anthropometrical investigation outside the body, e.g., measuring and registration of the shape and form of the human back. This is mostly done for screening purposes of young people in an attempt to find patients developing scoliosis, and in order to circumvent some of the disadvantages with the traditional screening method in this field of medical application.

Back

Inflammatory cell response in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after nitrogen dioxide exposure of healthy subjects: a dose-response study.

The combination of environmental chamber exposure and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was used to study the effects of the common air pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Eighteen healthy nonsmokers were exposed to NO2 during 20 min in an exposure chamber during light bicycle ergometer work. All subjects were examined with BAL at least 3 wks before exposure, as a reference. The subjects were re-examined with BAL, in groups of eight, 24 h after exposure to 4, 7 and 10 mg NO2.m.3 (2.25, 4.0 and 5.5 ppm), respectively. An inflammatory cell response was found after exposure to all concentrations. An increase in the number of lymphocytes in BAL fluid was observed after 7 and 10 mg.m.3 (p less than 0.05 and 0.02, respectively). An increase in the number of mast cells, that appears to be dose-dependent, was found after exposure to all concentrations. The proportion of lysozyme positive alveolar macrophages was elevated after exposure to 7 mg.m.3. The inflammatory mediators fibronectin, hyaluronan, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and beta 2-microglobulin were unchanged by exposure. Due to the findings of inflammatory cell changes far below the peak exposure limits for work places in industrialized countries, 9-18 mg.m.3, the safety of these limits is questioned. Studies are in progress in our laboratory using BAL to evaluate the effects of repeated NO2 exposure.

Adult