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Biomedical subjects

O Goetz

Publications and source records attributed to O Goetz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

[Skin reactions of the delayed type in cytostatically treated malignant neoplasms of childhood].

In 31 children with different cytostatic treated malignancies delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity (DCH) and their relationship to different peripheral white blood-cell counts was investigated. DCH was assessed by a multi-antigen-test device, which allows the simultaneous intracutaneous application of 7 standardized recall-antigen solutions. The grade of DCH reaction was measured by a "score", which reflects the sum of the diameters of all single positive reactions. The follow-up time was 3 years for each patient. At start of therapy 17 out of 31 children had pathologically decreased score values. In 16 out of these 17 children score values increased to normal during the cytostatic treatment. Patients with score values increasing from low to normal had a significant better outcome of their disease than patients with other score courses. A good correlation was found between an increase of score values and tumor-mass reduction. No positive correlation between the score and the peripheral white blood-cell counts could be evaluated, but a significant reciprocal correlation was found between the score and the peripheral absolute lymphocyte counts. Cytostatic drugs had no influence on the score. The results suggest, that the DCH can reveal immunological alterations, which are caused by the extent of tumor burden and by specific influences on the immune system and which are almost not influenced by the administration of cytostatic drugs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Active immunization against varicella of children with acute leukaemia or other malignancies on maintenance chemotherapy.

Twenty-six patients with acute leukaemia and other malignancies susceptible to varicella were vaccinated with the Oka-strain live attenuated varicella vaccine during maintenance chemotherapy. All recipients showed no adverse clinical reactions. There was no spread of vaccine virus. Seroconversion was 94% in seronegative patients. Among those having low antibody titres before vaccination, a booster effect was demonstrable in 56%. None of the seroconverted recipients contracted varicella despite documented contact exposure. No case of herpes zoster occurred. The results suggest that, in immunocompromised children, live varicella vaccination has a protective effect against varicella infection which may result in a mortality rate of up to 7% in these patients.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1984

[Comparative study of the prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus infections in Iran and Germany].

352 persons from Iran and 469 persons from West-Germany were tested for EBV-antibodies using an immunofluorescence assay. In Iran the virus infection starts early in infancy and attains higher antibody values as compared with age related German population. In the age group of 1-5 years 70% of the Iranians are antibody positive in contrast to only 56% of the Germans in the same age group. The high prevalence of EBV-antibodies is due to unfavourable hygienic facilities as well as to regional overpopulation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

[A method of modernized milk formula preparation in children's hospitals].

Nurses on the ward prepare the milk formula just before feeding by the nurse on the ward. Bottles and nipples are cleaned mechanically by dishwashers using alkaline cleaner for bottles, or a mild-alkaline cleaner (WA 725 S) and an antiseptic (Septo DA) for nipples. The nipples are sealed into plastic bags immediately after cleaning using sterile equipment. No further sterilisation is necessary as frequent bacterial culturing has shown. This procedure is safe, easy, and saves cost and time.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

[Infections in children with leukaemia or malignant tumour treated with cytostatic agents: long-term study of 200 cases (author's transl)].

All children with leukaemia or malignant tumour receiving cytostatic agents were followed by virological tests over three years. Serological tests or virus isolation in 200 children demonstrated 238 instances of viral infection. Only those of the herpes group led to severe symptoms which, however, responded to treatment. The course of infections induced by respiratory viruses was no different from that in children not receiving immunosuppressive agents. It was possible, by using a "virus risk register", to give early protection to infected children by the appropriate prophylactic means. In addition to the virus infections there were seven cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia which ended fatally in two. Since the prophylactic use of cotrimoxazole there have been no further cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[A specific IgM test for the diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus infections (author's transl)].

IgM antibodies specific for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were measured in 302 patients with high IgG antibody titers to study whether EBV was the cause of disease in children having one or more symptoms of classical infectious mononucleosis. IgM antibodies specific for EBV were found in all patients with the defined clinical picture of infectious mononucleosis. In addition the majority of cases with clinical suspicion of the disease had also specific IgM titers. Besides infectious mononucleosis EBV can also be the cause of other diseases like hepatitis, and lymphadenitis: we found IgM antibodies specific for EBV in 48% of patients with nonbacterial lymphadenitis and in 64% of patients with hepatitis not due to hepatitis A or B virus. In contrast to observations by others we were able to show heterophile antibodies in cases with incomplete features of infectious mononucleosis. IgM antibodies to EBV were found in 4 out of 85 controls only. We conclude that untypical features of infectious mononucleosis can be caused by EBV also. Therefore the determination of specific IgM antibodies to EBV can be helpful in the diagnosis of uncharacteristic EBV infections.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

[Distribution of cytomegalovirus in children and adults in the Munich area (author's transl)].

In a regional contamination study 798 healthy persons from the Munich area were examined for cytomegalovirus antibodies. The highest proportion of antibodies (60%) was found in neonates in the first days of life. At the age of 6 to 24 months, only 10% of the children were still seropositive. At this time the maternal antibodies were no longer important. In late adult life, 57% of those examined possessed antibodies against the virus. An attempt was also made to isolate the cytomegalovirus from the urine of 157 healthy persons. This isolation was only possible in three apparently healthy infants aged from 3 to 12 months.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

[Cerebral damage and cytomegalovirus infection (author's transl)].

Serological tests were performed on 58 children with microcephalus and 223 children with cerebral damage but no microcephalus (all patients were living in the Munich region). In the microcephalus group 38% had antibodies against cytomegalovirus, while in healthy controls the incidence was only 18%. Mean titre levels were significantly higher in microcephalic children. Of eleven microcephalic children seven were cytomegalovirus excreters: all of the latter had severe cerebral defects. On the other hand, in patients with cerebral damage but no microcephaly there was no difference serologically or with regard to virus excretion from healthy controls. The authors suggest, in conformity with opinions expressed by others, that there is a definite connection between--usually unrecognised--cytometalovirus infection and certain forms of cerebral damage. They may be atypical and symptom-poor diseases in which CNS signs appear only in the course of time.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1978

[Hepatic disease in childhood and cytomegalovirus infection (author's transl)].

135 children with hepatitis and 179 patients with hepatomegaly of undetermined etiology were investigated for complement fixing antibodies to cytomegalovirus. 69 patients with hepatitis (51%) and 74 patients with hepatomegaly (41%) had a titer of 1:4 or above as compared with a control group of children without hepatic pathology in whom positive response occurred in only 20 resp. 18%. The mean titer found in the sero-positive patients was also significantly higher than that in the control group. In contrast, the incidence of positive sera in newborns with hyperbilirubinemia of unknown etiology did not differ significantly from that in a healthy control collective. Of 57 patients with liver disease, 20 excreted cytomegalovirus which was isolated 55 times from 103 urine specimens. These patients included 9 with hepatitis and 11 with hepatomegaly. Of 129 children without any indication of liver disease, cytomegalovirus could be demonstrated in only 3. Our results point toward a causal connection between the presence of cytomegalovirus and the development of hepatic disease in childhood.

Adolescent↗