Biomedical subjects

L Leifeld

Publications and source records attributed to L Leifeld.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

[Hepatic pseudolesion caused by puncture].

We report the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of a hepatic pseudolesion due to percutaneous liver biopsy in a 30-year-old female patient with known chronic hepatitis C and renal insufficiency. In the course of transplant preparation, an abdominal spiral-CT examination pre and post i.v.-contrast injection as well as an angiography with CT-hepaticography and CT-portography were performed. In these examinations a 1 cm, hepatocellular-carcinoma mimicking liver lesion was found; it was hypodense in the CT-portography and showed a marked enhancement in the CT-hepaticography. This "pseudolesion", which was supposed to be due to the liver biopsy, resolved spontaneously.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

T cell-dependent activity of ganglioside GM1-specific B cells in Guillain-Barré syndrome and multifocal motor neuropathy in vitro.

Synthesis of anti-ganglioside GM1 antibodies of the IgM class by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from patients with immune-mediated neuropathies and motor neuron diseases and from normal controls was stimulated by Pokeweed mitogen (PWM) in vitro. In patients with acute Guillain-Barré syndrome or multifocal motor neuropathy and high serum titers of IgM anti-ganglioside GM1 antibodies this culture response was greatly enhanced as compared to controls and already detectable in unstimulated cultures. Limiting dilution analysis demonstrated high frequencies of GM1-specific B cells in these patients. Anti-ganglioside GM1 antibodies of the IgG and IgA class were only produced by PBMNC from patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome corresponding to serum titers. In cultures taken at intervals over 6 months in vitro B cell activity for IgM, IgG and IgA anti-ganglioside GM1 antibodies in two Guillain-Barré syndrome patients declined accompanied by clinical improvement and falling serum titers. We conclude that GM1-specific PWM-responsive B cells pre-exist in peripheral blood and respond to T cell-dependent stimulation in Guillain-Barré syndrome and multifocal motor neuropathy.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Intrahepatic mRNA levels of interferon gamma and tumor necrosis factor alpha and response to antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVES: The impact of intrahepatic messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on the outcome of antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis C was evaluated. METHODS: Semiquantitative mRNA determination was performed on 36 pretreatment liver biopsies by reverse transcription/competitive polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Sustained response (normal aminotransferase levels and negative hepatitis C virus [HCV] RNA for more than 6 months) was achieved in 13 patients, whereas 23 of 36 patients did not achieve sustained response (12 partial responders, 11 complete nonresponders). In sustained responders, pretreatment intrahepatic mRNA levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha were lower than in nonsustained responders (IFN-gamma, 0.23 +/- 0.10 vs. 0.35 +/- 0.07, respectively; p = 0.024 and TNF-alpha, 1.2 +/- 0.7 vs. 2.3 +/- 1.4, respectively; p= 0.009); similarly, HCV viral load was lower in sustained responders than in nonresponders (663,424 +/- 756,389 copies/mL vs. 1,656,713 +/- 1,517,683 copies/mL, respectively; p = 0.037). In addition, TNF-alpha mRNA levels were correlated to HCV viral load and liver fibrosis scores. CONCLUSIONS: Higher intrahepatic mRNA levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha may reflect interferon resistance of HCV strains and may contribute to tissue damage in patients refractory to antiviral treatment.

Adolescent↗