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Biomedical subjects

R Huss

Publications and source records attributed to R Huss.

72 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[How reliable is conventional blood pressure registration? Comparison with a semi-automatic device].

The aim of the present study was to determine observer error in measuring blood pressure by the conventional auscultatory method. Casual blood pressure was measured in two age-matched groups of normo- and hypertensive patients with a conventional mercury sphygmomanometer (n = 181) or a semiautomatic device (n = 176) by ten doctors of the university hospital. Although there were no significant differences in mean systolic or diastolic blood pressure values between the groups, the conventionally determined values showed a distinctively different pattern of distribution in comparison to the semiautomatically taken readings. With conventional readings a highly significant preference for terminal digit "0" (44%) and fewer systolic and diastolic values in the lower blood pressure range were observed. Furthermore there was a higher frequency of conventional readings ending in "8" than in "2". Terminal digit preference in the whole group was mainly due to the doctors, who did not measure blood pressure to the nearest 2 mmHg mark. Our results thus stress the importance of better and regular training in the correct technique of measuring blood pressure in order to reduce sources of observer bias.

Automation↗
PubMed1991

Potentiation of vascular smooth muscle cell activity by cyclosporin A.

Pretreatment of rat vascular smooth muscle cells with cyclosporin A caused concentration- and time-dependent enhancement of both angiotensin II- and platelet-derived growth factor-stimulated cellular functions, which may be related to a rise in vascular tone. In particular, cyclosporin A increased cytosolic free calcium, and augmented the agonist-induced formation of inositol polyphosphate. In addition, it markedly increased the sensitivity of the cells to platelet-derived growth factor-mediated stimulation of thymidine incorporation. The potentiation of vascular smooth muscle cell activity by cyclosporin A may be a novel mechanism by which it exerts an adverse vasoconstrictor effect.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1990

[Diminished vision, loss of libido, headache].

A 34-year old patient was diagnosed to suffer from a carcinoma of the pituitary gland. A developing panhypopituitarism was seen first and the complete extirpation of a chromophobe, non-secreting adenoma of the pituitary gland was preliminary not successful. During half a year the patient relapsed clinically and morphologically by scanning methods and the progression of the malignancy of the tumor from WHO grad (adenoma) to WHO grad III (carcinoma) was histologically confirmed.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1990

[Disseminated histoplasmosis as the first manifestation of HIV infection].

A 29-year-old man who had been abroad for several years (mainly Mexico) fell ill with fever (up to 39.8 degrees C), night sweats, weight loss of 10 kg in 6 months (height 181 cm, weight 50.5 kg) and abdominal pain. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed many enlarged abdominal lymph nodes. Serological tests were positive for HIV antibodies. Fine-needle biopsy of one of the enlarged lymph nodes revealed numerous macrophages with round inclusions, typical for Histoplasma capsulatum. Disseminated histoplasmosis was confirmed by direct antigen demonstration in serum and urine. The patient's serious clinical condition clearly improved and lymph node enlargement regressed after starting specific i.v. treatment with amphotericin B (initially 20 mg/dl, then 50 mg/dl). Although complete cure of the histoplasmosis in connection with the HIV infection is not to be expected, the patient has remained without symptoms for four months on 50 mg weekly of amphotericin B i.v., later changed to imidazole derivatives (400 mg ketoconazole or 200 mg itraconazole, respectively.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Self-measured blood pressures at home and during consulting hours: are there any differences?

Home blood pressures are lower than casual blood pressures and this difference is probably due to physician-patient interaction in a clinical stress situation. In order to prove this assumption we compared the casual blood pressures of 127 subjects, measured by a physician and by the subjects themselves in the presence of the physician, with self-measured values obtained at home over a 7-day observation period. The casual pressures were higher than the home pressures (delta = 7.6/3.9 mmHg) regardless of whether they were taken by the physician or by the subjects themselves in the presence of the physician. The subjects' casual readings (132.9 +/- 17.5/87.6 +/- 12 mmHg) were slightly, but significantly, higher than those measured by the physician (131.9 +/- 18.4/86.3 +/- 12.6 mmHg) and both systolic and diastolic self-measured casual values were highly significantly correlated with the physician's readings (r = 0.92 and 0.91, respectively; P less than 0.01).

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Individualizing antihypertensive therapy with enalapril versus atenolol: the Zurich experience.

With the present increasing concern for compliance and quality or life during antihypertensive treatment, drug therapy tailored optimally for the individual patient is becoming increasingly important. The aim of the present double-blind crossover study was to analyse the individual as well as the group blood pressure response under enalapril and atenolol. Our results show that the group effects of these drugs did not differ significantly. However, individually, two-thirds of the responding patients showed a preference for either enalapril or atenolol. A response to one drug did not predict a comparable response to the other drug. We conclude that double-blind crossover studies are a possible way of individualizing antihypertensive treatment. However, no appropriate methodology or definitions of terms for these studies have yet been established.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Theophylline blunts the GH-response to growth hormone releasing hormone in normal subjects.

Theophylline enhances GH-secretion in vitro, whereas in vivo a slight decrease of basal GH-levels has been observed. In the present study the effect of theophylline on the GH-responsiveness to acute and continuous administration of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) was investigated. The following protocol was performed. GHRH study. Fifty micrograms GHRH was given as an iv bolus followed by constant GHRH-infusion (100 micrograms/h) over 2 h after which another GHRH bolus of 50 micrograms was given. GHRH plus theophylline study. GHRH was administered as in the first study and theophylline was infused at a constant rate of 3.56 mg/min over 3 h, starting one h before the GHRH bolus. Theophylline study. Only saline and theophylline were infused. GHRH alone led to a GH-rise within 30 min with a maximum of 22.8 +/- 7.2 ng/ml (mean +/- SE) after which GH-levels decreased despite continuous GHRH-infusion to a nadir of 12.1 +/- 4.4 ng/ml at 105 min. The second GHRH bolus led to a minimal GH-increase (13.3 +/- 6.4 ng/ml at 135 min). Theophylline administration resulted in blunting of the GH-response to GHRH in all volunteers, with GH levels fluctuating between 4-6 ng/ml throughout GHRH-administration. Theophylline alone did not affect GH-levels in three subjects studied, whereas in the other one a GH secretory episode 90 min after administration of the drug was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Head trauma evaluated by magnetic resonance and computed tomography: a comparison.

Magnetic resonance (MR) images and computed tomograms of 25 patients with head trauma were compared. MR proved to be superior in many ways for demonstrating extracerebral as well as intracerebral traumatic lesions. Isodense subdural hematomas, which present a diagnostic dilemma on CT images were clearly seen on MR, regardless of their varying CT densities. In a case of epidural hematoma, the dura mater was shown directly as nearly devoid of signal on MR. Direct coronal images provided excellent visualization of extracerebral collections along the peritentorial space and subtemporal area. In a patient with intracerebral hematoma, CT failed to demonstrate residual parenchymal changes in a 3-month follow-up study, but MR clearly depicted the abnormalities. The superiority of MR over CT was also well illustrated in a patient with post-traumatic osteomyelitis of the calvarium.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Urine dopamine during normotensive and hypertensive pregnancies and the puerperium.

Urinary excretion of dopamine, sodium and creatinine have been studied during pregnancy and the puerperium in three groups of women, normotensive, pre-eclamptic and those exhibiting gestational hypertension. Differences in the pattern of dopamine and salt excretion are evident in the two hypertensive groups and lend support to the concept that women who develop gestational hypertension have a defect in the mobilisation of dopamine similar to that observed in males with essential hypertension.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Dopamine-induced diuresis in the cat without changes in renal hemodynamics.

The effects of intravenous (i.v.) and intraarterial (i.a.) injection and infusion of dopamine (DA) on renal hemodynamics, regional sympathetic activity and kidney function were investigated in anaesthetized cats. In response to the i.v. bolus injection of DA (25 microgram/kg), mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) was increased by 19.7%, renal blood flow (RBF) by 16.6%, and regional sympathetic discharges were inhibited. The principal effect of i.a. bolus injection of DA into the renal artery was vasoconstriction. Vasodilation was observed neither after lower doses of DA nor after pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine. During continuous i.v. infusion of 10 microgram DA kg-1 min-1 MABP, RBF, renal sympathetic discharges and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) did not change, whereas urine volume was increased by 120.5%, sodium excretion by 99.7%, chloride excretion by 143.2%, and potassium excretion by 31.9%. Urine osmolality was decreased and osmolal clearance increased. Raising the DA dose to 25 microgram kg-1 min-1 resulted in a fall of GFR, but the diuretic response was not significantly different from that of the low dose. Bulbocapnine (6 mg/kg i.v.) antagonized the DA-induced diuresis. In conclusion, the diuretic effect of DA in the cat is not dependent on a change in RBF, GFR or renal sympathetic activity. This suggests that a tubular site of action is primarily responsible for DA diuresis.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Homing and immunogenicity of murine stromal cells transfected with xenogeneic MHC class II genes.

Syngeneic (murine) and xenogeneic (canine) marrow-derived stromal cells were injected intravenously into SCID and normal mice to examine the homing pattern and persistence of these cells in vivo. By in situ hybridization, these stromal cells were detectable in the bone marrow cavity and the spleen 21 days after injection. Xenogeneic cells did not persist in normal mice but persisted in SCID mice. Conditioning of the recipients with irradiation or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment did not alter these results. In addition, syngeneic murine stromal cells were transfected with the genes for canine MHC class II (DRA + DRB) and transplanted into murine recipients to investigate their homing pattern and immunogenicity. These transfected syngeneic stromal cells did also home to marrow and spleen even in normal recipients. However, these cells led to sensitization of the host towards canine antigens as shown by accelerated skin graft rejection and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH). Thus, immunodeficient (SCID) mice allow for the homing of xenogeneic stromal cells to hemopoietic organs and for prolonged persistence. In immunocompetent (normal) mice, no xenogeneic stromal cells were identified in spleen and marrow, either because of their inability to home or more likely because of immunological rejection. In contrast, syngeneic stromal cells expressing xenogeneic MHC class II genes did home to spleen and marrow and persisted even though the recipient had become sensitized. Their survival may be due to a loss of expression of the transfected gene. Alternatively, the presentation of these xenogeneic gene products in the hemopoietic organs was such that a cytotoxic response was not induced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗