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Biomedical subjects

M R Buhl

Publications and source records attributed to M R Buhl.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Varicella zoster virus vaccine--a review].

The available published data on the efficacy and safety of a live attenuated varicella vaccine is presented. The data indicate that immunosuppressed leukemic children at high risk for severe varicella can be vaccinated resulting in complete or partial immunity in most children. Vaccination of immunosuppressed children is often associated with fever and rash. There seems to be a decreased risk of herpes zoster in vaccinated leukemic children when compared with a group of naturally infected leukemic children. In order to diminish the risk of varicella zoster virus (VZV) transmission to these high-risk persons family members of these, if susceptible to varicella infection, should be immunized. Although vaccination of healthy children is highly effective and associated with a low frequency of adverse events, vaccination in this group may be questioned due to the benign course of varicella. Due to the more severe VZV-infection seen among non-immune healthy adults, it seems reasonable to offer vaccination to this group. It will, however, require extensive serological testing to identify seronegative individuals. From a theoretical point of view a booster-vaccination to the elderly population, resulting in detectable cell-mediated immunity to VZV, should reduce the risk of herpes zoster. Large placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm if such an immunization can prevent herpes zoster in this age group.

Adult

[Contributing causes of malaria among Danish travellers].

A retrospective evaluation of contributing causes of malaria among Danish travellers, based on patient files and telephone interviews, is presented. Four centres participated, and 33% of all malaria cases reported to the Danish authorities in 1993 and 1994 were included (in total 82 patients). Ten out of 52 patients with falciparum malaria had not taken any chemoprophylaxis at all. Among the 42 patients who had, only 14 were both correctly advised and fully compliant. Within the remaining 28 patients, lack of compliance concerning the chemoprophylaxis was reported in 16, inadequate chemoprophylaxis was prescribed to 12 patients, and a further eight (19%) were underdosed. Only four out of 30 patients with vivax, ovale or malariae malaria had not used chemoprophylaxis. The distribution of contributing causes of chemoprophylaxis failure was similar to that of falciparum malaria, although noncompliance was more predominant in patients developing vivax, ovale or malariae malaria (58% compared to 38% in falciparum malaria).

Africa

[Survival time after the diagnosis of AIDS in the county of Funen].

Since the diagnosis of AIDS was first made, a lot of efforts have been made to improve survival. Different studies have found varied results, both geographically as well as over periods of time. During the period 1.1.1985 to 31.12.1993 142 patients that were HIV-positive were seen in the geographically well defined area of Funen. During the period 1.1.1985 to 31.12.1990 the median time elapsed between the patient being found to be HIV-positive and the patient presenting with an AIDS-defining disease was found to be 8.8 years. In the period 1.1.1991 to 31.12.1993 it was 2.6 years (95% CL 1,3-?). The AIDS defining diseases were Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in 43% of the cases, and oesophageal candidiasis in 24%. The median survival time after being diagnosed with AIDS was 2.0 years (95% CL 1,7-2,4). Heterosexual infection seems more pronounced in our material than for the country as a whole.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections

[Results of treatment of meningitis during a 10-year period].

A review of 131 cases of purulent meningitis is presented. The patients are mainly non-pediatric and, because of that, meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae predominates. This is the main reason for the high overall mortality of 15.6%. The main etiological cause of lethal meningitis was Streptococcus pneumoniae, and it is discussed whether chloramphenicol, previously shown to exert an antagonistic effect on beta-lactam antibiotics, contributes to the relatively high mortality. It is suggested that chloramphenicol should be withdrawn from meningitis treatment and replaced by cefuroxime.

Adult

Urinary hypoxanthine and pseudouridine as indicators of tumor development in mesothelioma-transplanted nude mice.

A human mesothelioma was heterotransplanted to nude mice, and the urinary excretions of hypoxanthine, xanthine, pseudouridine, orotic acid, 7-methylguanine, and 1-methylhypoxanthine have been followed before and after the tumor transplantation. The compounds were measured by means of isotachophoresis, which has been found a rapid and precise method. The tumor reached maximum size within 30 days, and at this time a significantly increased excretion of pseudouridine and hypoxanthine was observed. Tumor growth was stopped by chemotherapy (vincristine, cyclophosphamide, prednisolone, and Adriamycin), and corresponding to this, a decrease occurred in both pseudouridine and hypoxanthine excretion to normal values.

Animals

The effect of cooling rate during perfusion on function and morphology of rabbit kidney grafts.

The effect of cooling of rabbit kidneys during the initial flush with Collins' solution for simple hypothermic storage was studied. After cooling at an average rate of 3.7 degrees C/min. graft function was found to be immediately life-sustaining, and renal morphology after perfusion as well as 30 min. and 24 hours posttransplant was found to be normal. Posttransplant function after cooling at a rate of 7.2 degrees C/min. was significantly lower, permitting survival of only 30% of recipient animals, and damage was seen in proximal tubular cells.

Animals

Urid acid accumulated in isolated kidney grafts: an assessment of agonal ischaemia.

Hypoxanthine-xanthine washed out from kidney tissue during preservation has previously been found to be a reliable measure of the in vitro assessment of the deleterious effect of ischaemia on the functional regenerative ability of the graft. We have now studied the question: can uric acid accumulation in the isolated kidney graft be employed as a retrospective measure of the agonal ischaemia? We have found that uric acid alone accumulates in renal tissue during the agonal phase, in an amount that remains unchanged during the subsequent in vitro ischaemia. The determination of hypoxanthine-xanthine and uric acid in kidney perfusate samples during preservation must thus be presumed to be an optimal clinical-chemical method of assessing the graft ischaemia.

Adenosine Diphosphate

The predictive value of 5'-adenine nucleotide depletion and replenishment in ischaemic rabbit kidney tissue.

Renal ischaemia produced by clamping of the blood vessels in situ for periods of 10 to 150 minutes resulted in a progressive depletion of the total content of adenylates in the kidney tissue (sigma ATP, ADP, AMP). Initial dephosphorylation of ATP and ADP, resulting in further catabolism of AMP to hypoxanthine and xanthine, accumulated in the ischaemic tissue. The postischaemic ability of the kidney tissue to functional regeneration was in correlation with the ischaemic adenylate loss (r = +0.94, P less than 0.001) as well as the accumulation of hypoxanthine and xanthine (r = -0.90, P less than 0.001). The initial adenylate resynthesis rate was constant during recovery (0.5--0.8 mumol/g . h-1), independent of the duration of the preceding ischaemia. Determination of the postischaemic adenylate regeneration thus gave no additional prediction of the reversibility of the ischaemic parenchymal damages.

Adenosine Diphosphate