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Biomedical subjects

Peter Vaith

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Vaith.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome (MCS)--suggestions for an extension of the U.S. MCS-case definition.

PURPOSE: To validate and extend the US case definition for the Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome (MCS) from 1999 by a systematic literature-review. DATA SOURCE: MEDLINE-research from 1997 to August 2003, research in the Cochrane-Library in August 2003, earlier reviews since 1997. STUDY SELECTION: Headings and abstracts were screened by one reviewer. All references dealing with multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) which covered topics of interest such as symptom-profiles, differential diagnostic procedures, etc. were included in the analysis. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Topic-specific data extraction and synthesis was done by one reviewer. Data interpretation was discussed by all other authors. RESULTS: Out of 1429 references 36 publications proved to be suitable for the review. The results can be summarized as follows: exposure-related symptoms associated with self-reported multiple chemical sensitivities can be divided into non-specific complaints of the central nervous system--CNS (main characteristics) and functional disturbances in other organ systems (optional complaints). There is a significant overlap of MCS, CFS and fibromyalgie. At present no standards for a diagnostic procedure based on the criteria outlined above are existing CONCLUSIONS: MCS should only be diagnosed in patients who are mainly suffering from exposure-related non-specific complaints of the Central nervous system. The suggested diagnostic procedure follows the guidelines for CFS which are extended by diagnostic clarification of functional disturbances in other organ systems.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2003

Human IgG1/IgG3 cryoglobulin suggesting lack of allelic exclusion.

Immunoglobulins undergoing cold-dependent precipitation are known as cryoglobulins. A type I cryoglobulin after Brouet et al. from serum of a patient with severe cutaneous vasculitis and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis was purified by reversible temperature-dependent precipitation and analyzed using FPLC, Western blotting and peptide sequencing. The isolated cryoglobulin consisted of a single complex of a molecular weight of above 210kDa observed under non-reducing conditions in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Under reducing conditions, this complex resolved into three bands, two of which were reminiscent of Ig heavy (HC) chains and one of Ig-light chains (LC). The FPLC-purified type I cryoglobulin showed reversible precipitation analyzed by spectrophotometry. Delineation of the peptides involved in complex formation by immunoblot analysis and peptide sequencing revealed IgG3-V(H)4/Igkappa-VkappaIII/JkappaII and IgG1/V(H)3 molecules with evidence of somatic mutation. Coomassie blue-staining suggested that molar amounts of the IgG3-heavy chain were much higher than that of the IgG1-heavy chain. Treatment with SDS and boiling did not disrupt the unusually high molecular weight Ig complex. Pre-treatment of the cryoglobulin in 6M guadinium hydrochloride followed by gel filtration chromatography suggested covalent association of the IgG3, IgG1 and Igkappa molecules. Therefore, it might be that the cryoglobulin was produced by a single plasma B cell clone which passed immunological check-points in terms of B cell selection in the bone marrow in the absence of allelic exclusion, class switching and affinity maturation by somatic mutation.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

[Ocular syphilis].

BACKGROUND: Syphilis has distinctly increased in the last decades. It is necessary to know the different eye changes in syphilis. PATIENTS: In four patients, between 34 and 71 years of age, typical as well as unusual syphilitic eye changes were found. In three patients diagnosis was made due to the inflammatory eye changes. RESULTS: An iritis was found in two patients (62 and 34 years old). In addition, the 62-year-old patient showed the unusual fundus picture of both vasculitis and neuroretinitis, with macular exudates and swelling of the optic disk. A venous occlusion, a rare sign in syphilis, was diagnosed in a 55-year-old patient. A 71-year-old patient revealed the characteristic finding of a placoid chorioretinitis. All four patients showed a swelling of the optic disk. CONCLUSION: Syphilis should be suspected even in older patients with an uncertain origin of uveitis, optic nerve disease, pupillary changes, or eye motility disturbances giving rise to carry out serologic tests in patients with the suspected diagnosis.

Adult↗