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Biomedical subjects

S Andersen

Publications and source records attributed to S Andersen.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Elevated expression of human nonpancreatic phospholipase A2 in psoriatic tissue.

In involved psoriatic tissue, which is characterized by chronic inflammation in both epidermis and dermis, elevated levels of arachidonic acid and eicosanoids have been measured. This implies that a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) may be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The PLA2's are a group of enzymes that release unsaturated fatty acids from the sn2-position of membrane phospholipids. Once released, the fatty acids are converted by various enzymes into biologically very important signaling molecules. Release of arachidonate initiates the arachidonate cascade, leading to the synthesis of eicosanoids such as prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, and lipoxines. Eicosanoids are important in a variety of physiological processes and play a central role in inflammatory mediators, such as lyso-PAF (a precursor for PAF) and other lysophospholipids, may also be formed through the action of a PLA2. We report for the first time the detection of transcripts of nonpancreatic phospholipase A2 (npPLA2, type II) and cytosolic (c) PLA2 in human skin, and overexpression of npPLA2 in involved skin from patients with psoriasis (plaque psoriasis and pustular psoriasis). Limited amounts of npPLA2 enzyme are detected immunologically in the uppermost layers of epidermis from healthy persons. Both involved and uninvolved psoriatic epidermis contain higher levels of npPLA2 than normal skin. Positive cells in dermis showed significantly higher levels of npPLA2 than epidermal cells. In dermis from healthy persons, only weak staining of a few cells could be detected. The two PLA2 enzymes detected in psoriatic skin (cytosolic and nonpancreatic) may both be involved in eicosanoid overproduction in psoriatic tissue, and the npPLA2 may also be involved in potentiating cell activation, especially T cells.

Fibroblasts↗
PubMed1994

Immunohistologic detection of non-pancreatic phospholipase A2 (type II) in human placenta and its possible involvement in normal parturition at term.

Placenta is one of the richest sources of non-pancreatic phospholipase A2 (npPLA2) (type II) in the human body, and the enzyme is the key enzyme releasing unsaturated fatty acids from membrane phospholipids. Prostaglandins (PGs) play a critical role in the initiation and progression of parturition. Cytokines are presumed to play a central role in the initiation of normal labor at term, and cytokines are also found to regulate both synthesis and secretion of npPLA2 enzyme. In an attempt to resolve the physiologic function of the npPLA2 enzyme in placental tissue, immunohistologic localization and enzymatic activity measurements of npPLA2 enzyme were performed. NpPLA2 protein was detected in vascular smooth muscle, endothelial cells and connective tissue cells in placenta and umbilical cord, and the protein was weakly stained in trophoblast cells in placenta. Enzymatic activity was not increased in sera from mother nor child compared to sera from healthy individuals, but the activity in amniotic fluid was considerably higher. Our findings support the candidacy for npPLA2 in enzymatic arachidonic acid release from foetal membranes.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1993

Street sale of heroin--a profitable way of making a living?

The aim of the study was to give an outline of the financial environment of heroin-sale at street level in Norway and the possibilities of making retail sale of heroin a living. Data were gathered through police records and interviews with informants at street level. Retail sale price has been nominally stable at 300 Nkr (28 pounds, i.e., 1 pound = 11 Nkr) per end-user dose since 1978. This price is coupled to the price of one standard service by street prostitutes. Both the end-users and retailers formally make their living from social welfare payments. The retailer purchases from a wholesaler batches of up to 10 g of heroin at a cost of 50,000 Nkr (4800 pounds). At monthly intervals of delivery this yields 120,000 Nkr (11,500 pounds) as net tax-free income per year, on top of the social welfare payments, even when the retailer and his accomplice consumes a third of the purchased quantity. Crime of gain on the part of the retailer is negligible, due to increased risk of also disclosing his drug trafficking.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed1990

Multiple fatty acid binding to albumin in human blood plasma.

Binding equilibria of long-chain fatty acids to human serum albumin, in serum or plasma, were studied by a dialysis exchange rate technique. Palmitate was added to citrated plasma in vitro and it was observed that between six and ten palmitate molecules were bound to albumin with nearly equal affinity. Observations in vivo gave similar results in the following series: (a) in two volunteers with increased fatty acid concentrations after fasting, exercise, and a cold shower: (b) in three male volunteers in whom high concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids, up to 4.6 mM, were induced by intravenous administration of a preparation of lecithin/glycocholate mixed micelles, and (c) in 81 patients with diabetes mellitus, type I. The binding pattern of palmitate in serum or plasma is essentially different from that observed with palmitate added to buffered solutions of pure albumin when two molecules are tightly bound and about four additional molecules with lower affinity. The differences may partly be explained by the presence of chloride ions in blood plasma, reducing the affinity for binding of the first two fatty acid molecules, and partly by facilitated binding of several molecules of mixed fatty acids, as found in plasma.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1↗
PubMed1990

Depression in multiple sclerosis: critique of the research literature.

Depression has been found to be increased in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Depression is currently being studied as either a reactive response, a part of the symptomatology or a precipitating factor of the disease. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the research literature on depression in multiple sclerosis. In addition, implications for neuroscience nurse who work with MS individuals are identified.

Depressive Disorder↗
PubMed1990

Cardiovascular response to gait training and ambulation in a hemiparetic heart recipient.

Little has been reported about the rehabilitation of heart recipients who experience disabling neurologic complications. This is of particular interest to physiatrists because the number of cardiac transplants is increasing and the cardiovascular response of the denervated heart to exercise is altered. The case reported here describes a 42-year-old woman who underwent heart transplantation for ischemic cardiomyopathy. One year after transplantation, the patient was hospitalized for evaluation of headaches and mental status changes. A lymphoma involving the left basal ganglia was diagnosed and the patient underwent a course of radiation therapy. She was transferred for rehabilitation of a left hemiparesis and made functional gains in mobility and self-care skills. Weekly recordings of heart rate and blood pressure were obtained before and after ambulation. Small increases in both heart rate and blood pressure were recorded after ambulation to the point of fatigue. In both parameters, the patient's maximum response was below that reported for nondisabled cardiac recipients, highlighting the need for symptom-oriented exercise guidelines in these patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1989

[Registration of postoperative wound infections by ADB. A trial of the Danop program].

The EDB programme, Danop, which was developed in cooperation with Statens Seruminstitut which is the central department for hospital hygeine in Denmark, was employed during the period 1.7.1987-30.6.1988 for consecutive registration of operative interventions and postoperative wound infection. During the period, 1,660 interventions were registered with a total frequency of infection of 3.5%; 2.6% of these in clean cases and 13.8% in infected cases. About one third of the infections were demonstrated by the general practitioners after discharge. In connection with introduction of registration, a considerable decrease in the number of postoperative wound infections occurred. It is decisive for the employability of the system that a reliable procedure for registration and return information is organized. The system is easy to use and functions well and does not require prior knowledge of edb and it provides excellent current control of and review of postoperative wound infections in one or more departments.

Computer Systems↗
PubMed1989

The course of renal amyloidosis with uraemia.

The course of uraemia in 47 patients with renal amyloidosis has been studied. The median survival with a S-creatinine of 150 mumol/l was approximately 18 months, but 15% survived for more than 3 years. Deterioration arose often suddenly and was of unclear cause. Approximately 25% of the patients improved for a while and the reason for this temporary improvement is also unclear. The unsteady course during the uraemia period for amyloidosis patients makes prognosis calculations very much less accurate than for patients with cystic kidneys.

Amyloidosis↗
PubMed1989

Computer-aided surveillance of surgical infections and identification of risk factors.

A continuous record of postoperative surgical infections was carried out by electronic data processing (EDP) of 4340 orthopaedic and general operations. The overall infection rate was 6.3%, ranging from 2.3% (clean wounds) to 27.1% (dirty wounds). The corresponding deep infection rates were 1.6%, 0.4% and 4.6%. Employing a multiple logistic regression analysis, 10 risk factors were evaluated. Factors found to be significant were: wound contamination, department, duration of operation, date of operation and age, and in addition for the department of general surgery: surgeon, planning of operation, length of preoperative stay and anatomic groups. A statistical model for identification of risk patients is described. Postoperative stay was on average 20.5 days longer in infected patients. We find that EDP-recording may result in an annual cost reduction of at least 175,000 pounds for our hospital.

Denmark↗
PubMed1988

Palmitate binding to serum albumin, measured by rate of dialysis.

Dialysis experiments were performed with an acetylcellulose membrane between two identical sample solutions; a trace amount of radiolabelled palmitate was added on one side and the rate of dialytic equilibration of the label was measured. By comparison with rates measured in standard experiments, using pure albumin solutions, we obtained the reserve albumin concentration for binding of palmitate, previously defined as the concentration of a pure standard albumin which binds the labelled ligand as tightly as it is bound in the sample. Two techniques were developed, one for 1-ml sample volumes, another for 25 microliter. Reserve albumin for binding of palmitate, measured in pure albumin solutions, decreased equally on addition of palmitate and stearate, slightly less with oleate and still less with linoleate, indicating that palmitate and stearate are bound competitively while interaction with binding of the unsaturated acids is less pronounced. Chloride ions compete with binding of palmitate. Reserve albumin concentration in serum samples from 33 male adults was 420 +/- 59 microM (mean +/- SD), and in 33 females, 351 +/- 50 microM. Umbilical cord sera from ten newborn infants averaged 172 +/- 56 microM. The reserve albumin concentrations in the sera of newborn infants are low compared with the normal albumin concentration, which is about 600 microM. This appears to indicate the presence of an albumin species with lower affinity for palmitate.

Adult↗