PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Waldherr

Publications and source records attributed to R Waldherr.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

[Carcinoid tumor of the ampulla of Vater. Morphology, diagnosis and therapy of a rare papilla tumor].

We report on a patient with a carcinoid tumour of the ampulla of Vater and review the 33 known cases of the literature with regard to clinical presentation, morphology and therapy. As it is apparent from the location of the tumour, obstructive jaundice, pancreatitis and nonspecific upper abdominal complaints are the most frequent symptoms. The ampullary carcinoid belongs histogenetically to the APUD cell system with the ability of multiple endocrine activity. The expression of somatostatin peptide and neuron-specific enolase are the most common histopathological findings. A systemic function of these hormones, however, has not yet been shown. For diagnostic purposes in surgical pathology we found synaptophysin and chromogranin A to be important markers. For surgical treatment, partial duodenopancreatectomy remains the current therapy of choise, if the tumour exceeds two centimeters in diameter.

Ampulla of Vater↗

Prospective study on the distribution of Campylobacter pylori in unselected patients of an endoscopy unit in West Germany.

In recent years a series of publications predominantly from English speaking countries have reported on the colonization of the gastric epithelium with Campylobacter pylori in association with gastritis and ulcer disease. In this prospective study we investigated the distribution of Campylobacter pylori in unselected patients undergoing routine endoscopy at the Department of Gastroenterology of the University of Heidelberg. A total of 175 patients were included in the study. Campylobacter pylori could be demonstrated by microbiological and histological methods in 17% of patients with normal gastric mucosa, in 44% with chronic active gastritis and in 48% with stomach ulcer. In our series only 6/23 patients with duodenal ulcer were Campylobacter pylori positive. Additionally intragastric acidity and concentrations of total bile acids were correlated to the colonization of Campylobacter pylori. Bile acid concentrations were found significantly (p less than 0.001) lower in patients with gastritis when Campylobacter pylori was present. These data suggest an association of Campylobacter pylori with diseases of the stomach also in West Germany and a negative correlation of these organisms to enterogastric bile reflux.

Adult↗

[Drug-induced hepatitis caused by Fansidar].

We report on a 27-year-old patient with recurrent cholestatic hepatitis in whom the symptoms developed each time after travelling in tropical areas. Our primary diagnosis was recurrent non-A-non-B-hepatitis after exclusion of other forms of infectious hepatitis, but careful exploration identified Fansidar as the causative agent of liver damage.

Adult↗

[Acute granulomatous interstitial nephritis with iritis. Possible induction by non-steroidal antiphlogistics].

A 49-year old woman developed non-oliguric acute renal failure accompanied by bilateral acute anterior uveitis, following a three weeks' period of lethargy, anorexia and temporary fever. Kidney biopsy revealed acute interstitial nephritis with interstitial infiltrations of lymphocytes and monocytes, as well as multiple perivascular epithelioid granulomas. A substantial improvement of renal function was achieved under treatment with systemic corticosteroids. The uveitis resolved completely under additional topical treatment. During a follow-up period of 9 months, there has been no relapse of nephritis or uveitis. The disease of this patient resembles the so-called TINU syndrome of unknown aetiology. Remarkable features of the present case are the histological diagnosis of granulomatous acute interstitial nephritis in the absence of systemic granulomatous disease, as well as a possible association with the administration of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs.

Acute Disease↗

Influence of hypertension on serum concentration of type IV collagen antigens in streptozotocin-diabetic and non-diabetic rats.

The serum concentration of 7S collagen was measured radioimmunologically as a marker of basement membrane type IV collagen synthesis in diabetic and nondiabetic rats with Goldblatt hypertension. In non-diabetic rats the 7S collagen level was significantly raised after induction of hypertension (51%; p less than 0.001), and showed a positive correlation with relative heart weight as an integral parameter of hypertension (r = 0.63; p less than 0.01). In diabetic rats, which displayed a 7S collagen concentration roughly 2.5 times as high as the metabolically normal animals, the 7S collagen level was 27% higher in the hypertensive animals (p less than 0.01). There was no correlation with blood pressure or heart weight, but only a positive correlation with blood glucose (r = 0.51; p less than 0.05). The results indicate that haemodynamic alterations may alter basement membrane collagen metabolism. However, type IV collagen metabolism in diabetes is influenced to a greater extent by metabolic than by haemodynamic factors.

Animals↗

The fate of prorenin during granulopoiesis in epithelioid cells. Immunocytochemical experiments with antisera against renin and different portions of the renin prosegment.

Comparative immunocytochemical experiments with antisera directed against renin and three synthetical peptides (Pro 1, Pro 2A and Pro 3) covering almost the entire span of human renin prosegment were performed on human kidney tissue. With anti-Pro 1, i.e. the antiserum which recognizes the NH2 terminus of human prorenin, no clear immunolabeling of juxtaglomerular epithelioid cell secretory granules could be obtained. It is therefore concluded that the corresponding portion of human prorenin may be cleaved off in the Golgi complex. After application of anti-Pro 3, the antiserum which recognizes the COOH terminus of the prosegment, only the juvenile secretory granules of epithelioid cells were consistently labeled, whereas, in contrast, some of the intermediate and most of the mature secretory granules were anti-Pro 3-negative. As the immunoreactivity of mature renin increased remarkably from protogranules to mature secretory granules, it is suggested that the cleavage of the COOH terminus of the prosegment, i.e. the activation of renin, takes place in juvenile and intermediate granules during condensation of the enzyme. The immunoreactivity of Pro 2A, corresponding to the middle portion of the prosegment, disappeared in a somewhat earlier stage of granulopoiesis than that of Pro 3. It is therefore concluded that the corresponding segmental cleavage, the result of which is a truncated version of intact prorenin, occurs in the protogranules of epithelioid cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cytoplasmic Granules↗

Synergistic effects of diabetes mellitus and renovascular hypertension on the rat heart--stereological investigations on papillary muscles.

The effects of combined renovascular hypertension and diabetes mellitus on the rat heart were investigated in order to detect possible synergistic effects of the two conditions. Hypertensive diabetic and hypertensive nondiabetic young male Wistar rats were compared with diabetic and non-diabetic controls. Since the normal body weight increase of the diabetic animals was markedly suppressed a weight-matched nondiabetic control group was introduced in addition. Hypertension was established for eight weeks by a surgical stenosis of the left renal artery, diabetes mellitus was maintained for four weeks after a single intraperitoneal injection of 75 mg/kg streptozotocin. Light and electron microscopic stereological parameters were obtained for the left ventricular papillary muscles. The whole hearts were also investigated histologically. Qualitative morphology failed to substantiate synergistic effects in the hypertensive diabetic rats. Vascular abnormalities were not observed. The stereological parameters, however, revealed microstructural reactions which were observed exclusively in the hypertensive diabetic group: the volume ratio of mitochondria-to-myofibrils was decreased, the surface-to-volume ratio of mitochondria was increased (reduction of mitochondrial size) and the mean cross sectional area of capillaries was decreased. Similar quantitative mitochondrial changes have been frequently described in long-standing hypertension, but in the present investigation, they were not found in the nondiabetic hypertensive group. It is therefore concluded that diabetes mellitus potentiates the effects of chronic pressure overload on myocardial cells. However, the myocardial fibrosis which has been found by other groups at later stages of hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus was not detected in the present study. The reduced mean cross sectional area of capillaries in hypertensive-diabetic rats may be correlated with early molecular changes of the myocardial interstitium or with early abnormalities of small arteries. Thus our stereological results support the hypothesis that a non-coronary hypertensive diabetic cardiomyopathy occurs in mammalian hearts.

Animals↗

Anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody-mediated glomerulonephritis due to glue sniffing.

A 16-year-old girl developed rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and renal failure. The disease was associated with high titres of antiglomerular basement membrane antibodies in serum, linear deposits of immunoglobulin G and diffuse epithelial crescents on renal biopsy. Past history revealed heavy smoking and deliberate sniffing of Pattex glue, a mixture of hydrocarbons which possibly may affect the structure of glomerular basement membrane. After treatment by repeated plasmapheresis and drug immunosuppression autoantibodies disappeared from serum but renal function was not influenced. Renal damage is a potential hazard for glue sniffing adolescents.

Adhesives↗

Familial glomerulonephritis.

Between 1970 and 1984, the diagnosis of glomerulonephritis was made in 860 patients on the basis of a nephritic sediment and/or renal biopsy; of these patients, 86 (10%) had at least one first-degree relative with glomerulonephritis. These patients originated from 45 families and 1674 family members were screened; 172 had glomerulonephritis, of whom 101 could be classified. The diagnostic breakdown of the 101 patients showed that 50.5% had classical Alport's syndrome; 21.8% had atypical forms; 17.8% had familial IgA glomerulonephritis; 1.9% had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome; and 7.9% had benign familial haematuria. The proportion of patients with glomerulonephritis who had familial disease was higher than expected. The family history is an important point to consider in the examination of patients with glomerulonephritis.

Adolescent↗

Synaptophysin identified in metastases of neuroendocrine tumors by immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting.

Synaptophysin, an Mr 38,000 integral membrane glycoprotein of neurotransmitter vesicles, has been identified in diverse primary neuroendocrine (NE) tumors of both neural and epithelial origin (Wiedenmann and co-workers, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1986; 83: 3500-3504). In the present study, metastases of several types of NE tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma, gastrinoma, insulinoma, small (oat) cell carcinoma of the lung, gastrointestinal carcinoid, and neuroblastoma, were examined for the presence of synaptophysin by immunocytochemistry, with the use of tissue sections as well as centrifuged cell suspensions and by immunoblotting of tumor proteins. The results show that expression of synaptophysin can be maintained during formation of metastases. Therefore, the authors propose that synaptophysin antibodies be used for the positive identification of metastatic NE tumors, notably in differential diagnosis. The possible implications of these findings for tumor diagnosis are discussed.

Endocrine System Diseases↗

Mesangial IgA nephropathy and idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.

A 17-year-old male presented with nephrotic syndrome associated with microscopic hematuria. Renal biopsy showed only minor glomerular abnormalities (light microscopy). Immunohistology demonstrated strong mesangial deposition of IgA. Electronmicroscopy disclosed widespread effacement of foot processes in combination with isolated osmiophilic mesangial deposits. The patient responded to standard corticosteroid therapy with complete disappearance of proteinuria. Microscopic hematuria, however, persisted. Five months after steroid therapy was stopped, the nephrotic syndrome relapsed. It was again steroid-responsive with persisting microhematuria. From clinical and morphological data we conclude that the patient has concomitant idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (minimal change glomerulonephritis) and mesangial IgA glomerulonephritis. The simultaneous presence of these two diseases may give some hint as to their pathogenesis. In both, abnormalities in T cell regulation have been found. If these were indeed involved in the pathogenesis of the two glomerular diseases, a higher than expected probability for the two entities to coexist in the same patient is to be expected.

Adolescent↗

Chronic ursodeoxycholic acid- and chenodeoxycholic acid-feeding-induced changes of colon mucosal cell proliferation in rats.

Hyperproliferation has been suggested to play a major role in bile acid-dependent colorectal tumor promotion. Effects of chronic feeding of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDC) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDC) were tested on cell proliferation in the colon of male noninbred Wistar rats. By use of a dynamic method measuring actual rates of cell production, proliferation was modulated by both bile acids only in the proximal part of the colon. UDC feeding produced mild hyperproliferation of basal crypt cells (cell position 5-8: 7.6 +/- 2.0 vs. 3.5 +/- 1.3 cells/1,000 cells/hr--P less than .05; cell position 9-12: 18.1 +/- 10.7 vs. 10.3 +/- 2.9--P less than .05; cell position 13-16: 18.1 +/- 8.9 vs. 9.1 +/- 2.3--P less than .05). This finding reflected a characteristic compensatory response to superficial cell damage. However, CDC application did not effect cell regeneration in this crypt area but led to a striking drop of cell renewal in higher crypt cell positions (positions greater than or equal to 17), where no proliferation was detectable. These data suggest that CDC exerts its tumor-promoting effect by other means than hyperproliferation.

Animals↗

Prenatal diagnosis of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with a DNA probe.

A highly polymorphic DNA probe genetically linked to the locus of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease was used in linkage studies for prenatal diagnosis in a nine-week fetus at risk for the disease. The fetus was judged to have inherited the polycystic kidney disease mutation, and this was confirmed by microscopic examination of the fetal kidneys at necropsy.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗

Amyloid kidney stones of uremic patients consist of beta 2-microglobulin fragments.

Urinary stones with amyloid structure, obtained from uremic patients, were analyzed according to molecular weight, amino acid sequence, and antigenic content. A major protein of approximately 7 kD, designated AB protein, was isolated by size exclusion using HPLC in 60% formic acid. AB protein reacted in immunodiffusion only with an antiserum to beta 2-microglobulin, with beta 2m spurring over AB protein. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis defined two fragments homologous to beta 2m. One fragment commenced with Ile at position 7 and the other with Ser at position 20, with a cleavage point subsequent to a lysyl residue in both. It is concluded that beta 2m is a precursor of urinary amyloid stones and intratubular concretions of patients with preterminal and terminal renal failure; limited proteolysis is involved in AB amyloid generation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗