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Biomedical subjects

T L Vischer

Publications and source records attributed to T L Vischer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Electroacupuncture in fibromyalgia: results of a controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of electroacupuncture in patients with fibromyalgia, a syndrome of unknown origin causing diffuse musculoskeletal pain. DESIGN: Three weeks' randomised study with blinded patients and evaluating physician. SETTING: University divisions of physical medicine and rehabilitation and rheumatology, Geneva. PATIENTS: 70 patients (54 women) referred to the division for fibromyalgia as defined by the American College of Rheumatology. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomised to electroacupuncture (n = 36) or a sham procedure (n = 34) by means of an electronic numbers generator. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain threshold, number of analgesic tablets used, regional pain score, pain recorded on visual analogue scale, sleep quality, morning stiffness, and patient's and evaluating physician's appreciation. RESULTS: Seven of the eight outcome parameters showed a significant improvement in the active treatment group whereas none were improved in the sham treatment group. Differences between the groups were significant for five of the eight outcome measures after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Electroacupuncture is effective in relieving symptoms of fibromyalgia. Its potential in long term management should now be studied.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Arthropathy due to hemochromatosis: often inaugural manifestation of the disease].

Idiopathic hemochromatosis is a recessive autosomal disorder of iron metabolism manifested by a tissue overload affecting many organs, including the liver, the heart, the endocrine glands and the joints. Of 53 patients we studied, 66% had articular symptoms (mainly arthralgias of the metacarpophalangeal joints) and 49% had radiological lesions such as chondrocalcinosis and structural joint damage. The radiological signs were slightly more frequent in women (56.3%) than men (45.9%). Mean age at diagnosis was moderately higher in the group with arthropathy (52 years) than in the group without (44 years). Analysis of clinical, radiological and biological data, including parathormone values, did not reveal other parameters differentiating the two groups. A family study does not support the hypothesis of double heredity for hemochromatosis and arthropathy. In 20% of the patients the arthropathy was the inaugural feature of the hemochromatosis. The interval between first symptoms and diagnosis for these patients (5.3 years on average) is unfortunately long. Determination of transferrin saturation allows early diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The role of prior knowledge on back-pain education.

To investigate the effectiveness of the Geneva Back School (BS), we studied certain aspects of the retention of what was taught and the changes it induced in the patients. Thirty-nine BS patients were asked to draw their backs both before and after the BS. They were also asked to define the terms arthrosis and herniated disc once before the BS and twice after the program. Analysis of 78 drawings showed that the representation of the back was far from anatomical reality in both instances. The definitions of terms correlated poorly between patients and health care professional before BS. Teaching increased patient knowledge, but did not delete patients' prior notions. Our findings indicate that teaching strategies need to take into account patients' beliefs and knowledge. Health care professionals involved in BS programs should also be aware of the possible misunderstanding of medical terms. These factors may explain, at least partially, BS failures.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

[Popliteal cysts: unusual form of presentation].

Popliteal cysts are usually associated with abnormalities of the knee joint such as osteoarthritis, chronic inflammation or cartilage tears. 15 patients with popliteal cysts demonstrated by arthrography are described who had no obvious lesion of the knee. They had consulted their physician for symptoms without a clearcut relation to the knee joint, such as tenderness on the external side of the calf, ankle edema or paresthesia in the toes. Standard X-rays and clinical examination of the knee were normal except for tender swelling of the popliteal area. The symptoms improved after injection of triamcinolone into the knee joint. Unexplained symptoms of the lower leg may be due to popliteal cysts even in the absence of obvious knee pathology.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

[Regulatory effects of proteases in articular inflammation].

The role of proteases in the stimulation of cells participating in a chronic inflammatory reaction is reviewed. Several neutral proteases stimulate B lymphocytes to produce both specific and unspecific antibodies and such enzymes can replace, at least in vitro, T-helper cells. Proteases might influence macrophages as well, by a MIF-like activity, by increasing spreading in vitro or by liberating from C3 the C3b component which has an activating effect on these cells. Endocytosis of protease - alpha-2 macroglobulin complexes by macrophages induces production of neutral proteases as well. A stimulation of fibroblasts by proteases is possible but not yet clearly proven.

Cartilage Diseases↗
PubMed1979

Protease inhibitors reduce mitogen induced lymphocyte stimulation.

Proteolytic events might play a role during lymphocyte activation. Mouse spleen cells were therefore stimulated in serum-free cultures by PHA, ConA, LPS and dextran sulphate and the effect of various added protease inhibitors on [3H]-thymidine incorporation investigated. Both soybean inhibitor and Trasylol inhibited the response of the cells to all mitogens. The other inhibitors (antipain, leupeptin, ovomucoid, alpha-1 trypsin, alpha-2 macroglobulin) had little or no effect. The marked inhibitory effect of tosyl-lysine chloromethylketone could be neutralized by reduced glutathione, indicating an effect on intracellular glutathione rather than on proteases.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Protease inhibitors reduce the reverse passive Arthus reaction.

Trasylol, ovomucoid, tranexamic acid and soybean inhibitor decrease the vascular permeability as measured by extravasation of 131I-albumin when injected with the antibody at induction of a reverse passive Arthus reaction in the rat skin. Trasylol given systemically also had a suppressive effect, similar to phenylbutazone. When the reaction was induced in the pleural cavity, both Trasylol and tranexamic acid reduced the influx of leucocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Measurements of humoral immunity during treatment with levamisole in rheumatoid arthritis--a review.

Treatment with levamisole in patients with rheumatoid arthritis reduced significantly titers of rheumatoid factor and the amount of circulating immune complexes as determined by the Clq binding activity. It took between three and six months to observe a significant effect. Levamisole treatment had less effect on the amount of immunoglobulins in serum: the values were rarely abnormal before treatment and the changes were small, but reached statistical significance at six months. The effect on complement and complement components could not be evaluated as properly controlled studies were lacking.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1977

The painful heel. Comparative study in rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, and generalized osteoarthrosis.

This study presents the frequency of severe and mild talalgias in unselected, consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, and generalized osteoarthosis. Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis caused a severe talalgia and they were observed mainly in males with Reiter's syndrome or ankylosing spondylitis. On the other hand, sub-Achilles bursitis more frequently affected women with rheumatoid arthritis and rarely gave rise to severe talalgias. The simple calcaneal spur was associated with generalized osteoarthrosis and its frequency increased with age. This condition was not related to talalgias. Finally, clinical and radiological involvement of the subtalar and midtarsal joints were observed mainly in rheumatoid arthritis and occasionally caused apes valgoplanus.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Secondary syphilis revealed by rheumatic complaints.

Six patients (five men and one woman) are described, who consulted rheumatologists with varied rheumatic complaints: four had subacute synovitis with effusion, frequently associated with vague arthralgias; and five of the patients had back pain which was more severe at rest. Most of the patients had some clinical signs of secondary syphilis, such as roseola, loss of hair, or lymphadenopathy, and their serological reactions for lues were strongly positive. Since no other cause for these rheumatic complaints could be found, secondary syphilis was considered responsible for them. In all cases the rheumatic complaints cleared with specific treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

[Differential diagnosis betwen Gougerot-Sjögren syndrome and sialadenosis using quantitative scintigraphy of the salivary glands].

The symptoms of both Gougerot-Sjögren's syndrome and sialadenosis consist in a reduction of salive and tear production. Sialadenosis is either essential or secondary to the intake of certain drugs. As it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between the two diseases a new quantitative scintigraphic method is proposed, where the activity over the salivary glands is compared with a neutral zone. This method has been validated with control sialography and parotid biopsies and permits an easy differentiation between the two conditions.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1976

In vitro stimulation of lymphocytes by neutral proteinases from human polymorphonuclear leukocyte granules.

Two neutral proteinases, polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) elastase and cathepsin G, were purified from azurophil granules of human PMN. Both enzymes were found to stimulate both human and mouse lymphocytes in vitro. Experiments with mouse cells showed that the PMN proteinases are B-cell stimulants. Stimulation appears to depend on direct proteolytic action on the lymphocyte surface and not to require the mediation of serum factors of the help of T-cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

In vitro stimulation of lymphocytes by neutral proteinases from human polymorphonuclear leukocyte granules.

Two neutral proteinases from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), an elastase and the chymotrypsin-like cathepsin G, were purified, and their actions on lymphocytes in culture were studied. Both PMN proteinases stimulate lymphocytes from human peripheral blood and from mouse spleen in vitro, but do not affect thymic cells from either normal or hydrocortisone-treated mice. In stimulated mouse spleen cell cultures, most of the developing blast cells bear surface immunoglobulins, and subsequently appear to engage in antibody synthesis. In their stimulatory action, the two PMN proteinases thus resemble the classic B-cell mitogen LPS and neutral pancreatic proteinases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase. The effects of proteinase inhibitors indicate that lymphocyte stimulation is dependent on the proteolytic activity of the enzymes. This work suggests that PMN proteinases, which are released at sites of inflammation, may modulate the function of lymphocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

[Isolated decalcifying algodystrophy of the hip].

Transitory demineralization of the hip, a special form of reflex sympathetic dystrophy, is a rare condition. It should however be distinguished from more severe conditions such as tuberculosis or neoplastic bone disease. The typical symptoms are illustrated from 3 personally observed cases. The patients, usually men between the ages of 30 and 50 years or women in the last months of pregnancy, suffer severe mechanical pain in the hip, with limping and weakness. They usually need crutches for walking. Clinical examination of the hip reveals only slight restriction of passive movements. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate may be slightly elevated. Bone scan discloses hypercaptation, while other laboratory tests are negative. A few weeks after onset of symptoms, pelvic X-rays show extreme demineralization of the femoral head. On the other hand, the joint space and bony contours remain intact. The prognosis is excellent and the symptoms disappear after a few months or after delivery.

Accidents, Traffic↗