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R Weimer

Publications and source records attributed to R Weimer.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

[Autoimmunity and viral infections in type-I diabetes mellitus].

Cytoplasmic islet-cell antibodies, insulin antibodies, islet-cell surface antibodies and islet-cell specific cytotoxicity were determined in serum of the following groups: 131 patients with type I diabetes, 19 with type II diabetes, 29 with mumps, 29 with enterovirus infections, 18 with measles and 28 healthy controls. Cytoplasmic islet-cell antibodies were found predominantly in type I diabetics. Islet-cell surface antibodies, on the other hand, were relatively frequently (60-80%) present in sera of both diabetics and patients with various virus infections. Islet-cell specific cytotoxicity in vitro was found not only in sera of diabetics, but also of patients with mumps or enterovirus infections. Sera of five patients with measles, however, had cytotoxic reactions comparable to those of the controls. These results suggest that cytotoxic antibody reactions against islet cells in vitro occur also in sera of non-diabetic patients. Under certain circumstances, infections which induce such immune reactions may be of significance in the pathogenesis of diabetes.

Adolescent↗

[Autoimmune phenomena in diabetes mellitus. On the pathogenetic and diagnostic significance].

The detection of islet cell antibodies lead to an increasing interest in autoimmune mechanisms in Typ I diabetes mellitus. Other phenomena such as insulitis in juvenile diabetics and in experimental animals, cellular immune reactions and concomitant antibodies against other endocrine organs, antinuclear antibodies and circulating immune complexes supported these suggestions. HLA-association and viral infections could be predisposing and inducing factors, although there are no clear correlations to any viral infection in a larger number of patients so far. For clinical and therapeutic purposes there are not enough sufficient criteria to demonstrate a pathologic autoimmune process in patients before developing diabetes. Up to now there is no realistic possibility and justification for starting an early immunosuppressive therapy.

Animals↗

Strain-dependency in motor activity and in concentration and turnover of catecholamines in synchronized rats.

Circadian rhythm in motor activity was studied with an Animex motimeter in six strains of rats (ACI, BH, BS, DA, LEW, TNO) synchronized by a 12 hr light: 12 hr dark cycle. ANOVA revealed significant interstrain differences in motor activity as well as in the concentration and turnover of central noradrenaline and dopamine. Strain-dependent differences were also found with regard to tyrosine hydroxylase inhibition on motor activity. However, no significant interstrain correlations were found between endogenous concentration and/or turnover rates of the catecholamines and motor activity in normal and drug-treated rats.

Animals↗

Sequential occurrence of IgM, IgM/IgG, and gp120-IgM/IgG complement complexes on CD4+ lymphocytes in relation to CD4+ blood lymphocyte depletion in HIV+ hemophilia patients: results of a 10-year study.

The concept of autoimmune mechanisms playing an integral role in the pathogenesis of HIV disease is rapidly gaining ground. In this study, we determined IgM and IgG antibodies, complement fragments and gp120 on the surface of CD4+ lymphocytes using double-fluorescence flow cytometry. Sequential analysis demonstrated an inverse relationship of autoantibodies and CD4+ lymphocyte counts in the peripheral blood. HIV+ patients without autoantibodies (16/104 = 15%) had the highest CD4+ blood cell counts (324 +/- 264/microliters; mean +/- SD). CD4+ counts were successively lower in patients with complement-fixing IgM (243 +/- 240/microliter), complement-fixing IgG and IgM (139 +/- 138/microliter), or gp120-IgM/IgG complement complexes on the surface of CD4+ cells (38 +/- 45/microliter, P = 0.03). Individual patient profiles show that IgM autoantibodies typically are formed early after HIV infection and appear to deplete CD4+ lymphocytes very slowly, whereas complement-fixing IgG autoantibodies are generated at a later stage and deplete CD4+ lymphocytes more efficiently. The presence of both soluble gp120 and complement-fixing autoantibodies on CD4+ lymphocytes is associated with very low CD4+ cell counts and coincides with progression to terminal disease. Early during HIV infection autoantibody production is rather unstable, but it becomes more stable with disease progression and persists in advanced stages of the disease. These data suggest that autoantibody formation against CD4+ lymphocytes is a pathogenic mechanism for CD4+ cell depletion.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗