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Biomedical subjects

S Reiter

Publications and source records attributed to S Reiter.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Pseudomembranous tracheobronchial aspergillosis: a rare manifestation of invasive aspergillosis in a non-neutropenic patient with Hodgkin's disease.

Pseudomembranous tracheobronchial aspergillosis coincident with systemic pulmonary aspergillosis represents a rare manifestation of fungal infection in immunocompromized hosts. We report on a patient with recurrent Hodgkin's disease, showing this infectious pattern after treatment with corticosteroids within the antineoplastic schedule, whereas neutropenia--the main risk factor for mold infections--had not occurred. An impaired number of helper T lymphocytes was merely detected as an additional, but hypothetical risk factor, when investigating the status of immunosuppression. Treated systemically with amphotericin B, the patient recovered quickly, although reported mortality rates are disastrous. What is crucial for the clinical management is an early diagnosis by bronchoscopy and cultural proof of the pathogen followed by an adequate antifungal treatment.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed2002

[The Child and Adolescent Health Survey as a source of data for assessment of the essential aspects of health care in childhood and adolescence].

The German National Health Survey for Children and Adolescents aims at collecting representative data on the health status of the population in the 0 to 18 years age bracket. Examination of about 18.000 participants is planned. In this cross-sectional study relevant data concerning health services will be gathered. These include parameters of health care demands, health insurance, vaccination status and drug utilisation. The data collection will start in the first quarter of 2003 and will probably be terminated in the last quarter of 2005. The study design has been tested in a pilot study for one year and was adapted to the demands of this specific health survey. The instruments used for data collection are a self-administered questionnaire as well as a standardised, computer-based medical interview.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Redox modification of proteins using sequential-parallel electrochemistry in microtiter plates.

Redox modification of proteins has frequently been used to improve the electron-transfer properties in amperometric biosensors. One approach is the coordinative labelling of histidine residues with metal complexes like [Ru(bpy)2Cl2] and [Ru(bpy)2CO3]. Although the reaction depends on a variety of parameters no detailed optimisation of these modification procedures has been done, most probably due to the complexity of the parameter matrix and the expected differences for any individual protein. A multi electrode sequential analyser (MESA) system has been developed which allows one to follow in a sequential-parallel scheme a number of modification reactions by performing electrochemical measurements such as cyclic voltammetry or differential pulse voltammetry in individual wells of a conventional microtiter plate. Using this system, the ligand exchange reaction leading to the binding of the Ru-complex to histidine residues could be investigated with imidazole as a model compound. Furthermore, the selective labelling of soluble PQQ (pyrrolochinolinquinone)-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (sGDH) and glucose oxidase (GOx) with Ru complexes could be optimised and the electrochemical and biological properties of the obtained 'electroenzymes' were examined.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed2001

[Hydro-MRI in inflammatory bowel diseases: a comparison with colonoscopy and histology].

PURPOSE: To compare hydro-MRI with colonoscopy and biopsy specimen regarding the assessment of inflammatory activity and the differentiation of inflammatory bowel diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After an oral bowel opacification using 1000 ml of a 2.5% mannitol solution and a rectal bowel opacification using 250-500 ml of a 0.9% saline solution, axial and coronal breath-hold sequences +/- Gd-DTPA (HASTE-["half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin echo"] and dynamic FLASH-["fast low angle shot"]) were acquired in 27 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The enhancement of the bowel wall as well as morphological MRI findings were correlated with colonoscopy and biopsy specimens. By means of the MRI findings, Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) should be differentiated. RESULTS: In CD, a significant correlation between the contrast enhancement of the inflamed bowel wall (delta SI) and the endoscopic/histopathologic indices could be established (r = 0.52; p = 0.02 and r = 0.72; p = 0.001). In UC, no correlations between delta SI and the endoscopic/histopathologic indices could be found. The correct diagnosis of CD and UC by MRI findings was possible in 22/27 patients (81%). CONCLUSION: Hydro-MRI with dynamic studies is suitable for the assessment of disease activity in CD, but unreliable in UC. Hydro-MRI provides useful information for the differentiation of CD and UC.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Influence of circadian time and age on glomerular angiotensin II receptors in normotensive Sprague-Dawley and transgenic hypertensive TGR(mREN2)27 rats.

In male heterozygous transgenic hypertensive rats, TGR(mREN2)27 (TGR), exhibiting an inverse blood pressure profile and in normotensive Sprague-Dawley (SPRD) controls, the density and affinity of angiotensin II receptors were determined at six circadian times in glomeruli of animals 11 weeks old kept under light-dark 12h:12 (LD 12:12) conditions. Angiotensin II receptors were also studied in rats 18-20 weeks old of both strains at 2h after light onset. As a measure of renal excretory functions, diuresis, creatinine, and protein excretion were monitored using metabolic cages. The expression of angiotensin II receptor mRNA was determined in renal arteries 2h-4h after light onset. The following results were obtained: (1) Renal excretory functions showed significant daily variation, with higher excretion rates in the dark span in both TGR and SPRD rats. (2) No circadian phase dependency was found in the glomerular angiotensin II receptors in both rat strains. However, receptor density was significantly lower in TGR than in SPRD rats. In both strains, receptor number increased with aging. (3) In renal arteries, the angiotensin II receptor mRNA of the main receptor subtype AT1A was neither strain nor age dependent, AT1B- and AT2-receptor mRNAs were significantly lower in TGR than SPRD rats. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that the overactive renin-angiotensin system in TGR rats led to a down-regulation of glomerular angiotensin II receptors that was not accompanied by a down-regulation of the mRNA of the dominant AT1A- receptor subtype. Circadian short-term variations in blood pressure in both TGR and SPRD rats are not reflected by daily variation in angiotensin II receptor density of renal glomeruli or by variation in receptor expression in renal vascular tissue.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2001

Regulation of microglia by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells: selective analysis in CD45-congenic normal and Toxoplasma gondii-infected bone marrow chimeras.

Microglia, the resident macrophage population of the central nervous system, is rapidly activated in murine Toxoplasma encephalitis (TE). However, the precise contribution of microglia to intracerebral immune reactions and the in vivo regulation of microglial activity are still poorly understood. To selectively analyse microglial reactions in TE, we have established a model of radiation-induced CD45-congenic bone marrow chimeras between CD45.2+ C57BL/6 (recipient) and CD45.1+ B6.SJL (donor) mice. These chimeras allow a differentiation of radioresistant CD45.2+ microglia from all other leukocytes, which exhibit the CD45.1+ haplotype. In the normal brain, microglia produced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-10, and IL-15 mRNA. In TE, marked microglial activation was observed with a de novo expression of IL-12p40 and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA, upregulation of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha mRNA, a continuous production of IL-10, and IL-15 mRNA, an induction of major histocompatibility class I and II antigens, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and leukocyte function-associated antigen-1. Furthermore, selective depletion of CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells in the chimeras revealed that microglial cytokine production was critically regulated by CD8+T cells, whereas expression of cell surface molecules was less dependent on T cells. These findings demonstrate a specific regulation of microglia by T lymphocytes during the course of TE.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Immune reactions to Listeria monocytogenes in the brain.

Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a common pathogen of cerebral infections. Experimental studies in mice have revealed that epithelial cells of the choroid plexus, ependymal cells, macrophages/microglia, and neurons are the target cells of LM. For the intracerebral pathogenesis of LM cell-to-cell spread via phospholipase C was particularly important. However, phospholipase C-deficient LM were not completely attenuated and, therefore, other virulence factors may also contribute to the intracerebral spread of LM. In general, all mice suffering from cerebral listeriosis rapidly succumbed to the disease. Active systemic immunization prior to intracerebral infection reduced the mortality rate to 40%. The favorable prognosis of immunized mice correlated with a reduced intracerebral bacterial load, an increased recruitment of protective CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as an upregulated mRNA production of protective cytokines.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Curriculum renewal in child psychiatry.

OBJECTIVE: To ensure uniform design and evaluation of a clerkship curriculum for child and adolescent psychiatry teaching common disorders and problems in an efficient manner across 5 teaching sites and to include structures for continuous improvement. METHOD: The curriculum committee selected for course inclusion disorders and problems of child psychiatry that were commonly encountered by primary care physicians. Instruction methods that encouraged active student learning were selected. Course coordination across sites was encouraged by several methods: involving faculty, adopting a centralized examination format, and aligning teaching methods with examination format. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to measure students' perceptions of the course's value. These evaluative results were reviewed, and course modifications were implemented and reevaluated. RESULTS: The average adjusted student return rate for course evaluation questionnaires for the 3-year study period was 63%. Clerks' ratings of course learning value demonstrated that the course improved significantly and continually across all sites, according to a Scheffé post-hoc analysis. Analysis of student statements from focus-group transcripts contributed to course modifications, such as the Brief Focused Interview (BFI). CONCLUSIONS: Our curriculum in child psychiatry, which focused on common problems and used active learning methods, was viewed as a valuable learning experience by clinical clerks. Curriculum coordination across multiple teaching sites was accomplished by including faculty in the process and by using specific teaching and examination strategies. Structures for continuous course improvement were effective.

Canada↗
PubMed1997

Children's attitudes toward peers with disabilities: the Israeli perspective.

Attitudes toward peers with disabilities were compared in two groups of elementary school children, Israeli (2845 children) and Canadian (1831 children), using the Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes Toward Children with Handicaps (CATCH) scale. Israeli children expressed significantly more positive general attitudes (P=0.0001). The more favourable attitudes were seen in both areas evaluated by the CATCH, the cognitive and the affective-behavioural. In both groups, children who had had previous experience with a disabled person expressed more positive attitudes (P=0.001). An effect of gender was seen in the Canadian but not in the Israeli children. Cultural factors appear to play a role in modelling children's attitudes toward their disabled peers and therefore should be considered before educational programmes are implemented.

Attitude↗
PubMed1996

Preschoolers' responses to ongoing interadult conflict: the role of prior exposure to resolved versus unresolved arguments.

Children's past experiences with interadult conflict are likely to influence their responses to ongoing arguments. Preschoolers' (4- to 5-year-olds) responses to interadult conflict were examined as a function of experimentally manipulated histories of exposure to resolved and unresolved arguments. Children were presented with two live arguments that were either resolved or unresolved, then they were presented with a third argument that was interrupted in progress (i.e., unresolved), and they were interviewed next. Children's overt-behavioral responses were videotaped and coded for distress level. The results support the notion that past experiences with conflict resolution ameliorate children's distress responses to ongoing arguments. In comparison to children previously exposed to unresolved conflict, those exposed to a history of resolved disputes were more likely to (a) exhibit lowered behavioral distress, (b) predict a lower likelihood of a conflictual outcome for the couple's argument, (c) report less negative perceptions of the arguing adults, and were less likely to (d) endorse intervention in conflict through attempts to stop the disputes; (c) and (d) pertained only to girls.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Transition from school to work of students with developmental disabilities and mental retardation: an Israeli perspective.

The present research was conducted in four special education schools for students with developmental disabilities and mental retardation in the Haifa area. The total number of subjects was 72. There were 45 (63%) males and 27 (37%) females. The mean age was 18.1 years (range: 16-19.5). The mean IQ (WISC) was 66.3 points (range: 40-85). The vocational placement at the end of 6 months after leaving school was recorded for each school graduate. A total of 53 teachers--school principles, counsellors, specialized teachers and speech and occupational therapists--filled out specially designed questionnaires covering three areas: (1) students' work programme experience; (2) teachers' ratings of final year students on: academic studies, social behaviour, independence and vocational skills as well as teachers' recommendations, given towards the end of the final year at the school, for the immediate plan of action for each of the graduating students; (3) teachers' ratings of parental involvement with the educational programme of each student. Background variables included IQ, age and gender. The major finding was that 6 months after graduation, one-third of special school graduates were not working, were not enrolled in any formal programme and were idle at home. The variables that were found to correlate with successful placement were students' prior work experience, teachers' ratings of students achievements and their recommendations for each student, and parental involvement.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The self-employment option for people with disabilities: a case study of 'AHVA' desk top publishing company.

From the above results of the evaluation survey it can be concluded that the participants of the 'AHVA' desktop publishing company, who are with multiple and physical disabilities and who have initiated and run their own enterprise, perceived their first year of operation as beneficial. They mastered new technical skills, learned new work-related behaviours, expanded their interpersonal competencies and felt personal growth. They all developed high motivation to make their operation successful. The case study of 'AHVA' desktop publishing company, initiated and run by a group of multiply and physically disable persons, is unique and demonstrates the positive trend for the future. It is an example of personal and group commitment to build a competitive enterprise. It is self determination rather than the actual outcome of services provided, that is the driving force behind their efforts. The team members demonstrated that persons with disabilities can indeed take charge of their lives, be masters of their own destinies, and lead a productive and meaningful life. Here, inclusion is not a one-sided process in which service providers and rehabilitation experts try to integrate persons with disabilities into the community and regular employment. Inclusion is to integrate persons with disabilities into the community and regular employment. Inclusion is achieved here by the self initiative of a group of persons with disabilities. They have created an extraordinary enterprise according to their own special needs. Non-disabled people interact with them on an equal level, as partners in a business, sharing mutual interests of quality production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Behavior↗
PubMed1995

The successful pharmacological treatment of adolescents and young adults with borderline personality disorder: a preliminary open trial of flupenthixol.

Borderline personality disorder is a significantly disabling disturbance often arising in adolescents or young adults. In the absence of demonstrated effective treatments in this population, this open prospective study evaluated the effect of low dose (3 mg per day) flupenthixol in 13 rigorously diagnosed adolescents with borderline personality disorder. Therapeutic outcome over eight weeks of treatment assessed across measures of impulsivity, depression/dysphoria, general psychopathology and global functioning showed significant improvement in all spheres. These findings suggest that low dose flupenthixol may have a role to play in the short-term treatment of this population.

Adolescent↗