PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

U Hengge

Publications and source records attributed to U Hengge.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

[Neurocutaneous melanosis and malignant melanoma].

A 36-year-old man presented with a giant congenital melanocytic nevus and multiple disseminated melanocytic nevi. After he had developed neurological symptoms (grand mal seizures), a cerebral metastasis of a malignant melanoma without a primary melanoma was found. The patient was diagnosed as having a neurocutaneous melanosis with a cerebral metastasis. In spite of a variety of therapeutic attempts (surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy) he followed a rapidly progressive, lethal course with increased intracranial pressure, hydrocephalus and spinal metastases.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis. Gougerot-Carteaud disease].

Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis is an uncommon dermatosis of unknown etiology which is often difficult to diagnose. Lesions appear on the mid-trunk and affect mostly young females. We report a 15-year-old girl with typical clinical and histologic features of this rare disorder in whom the lesions rapidly improved after minocycline therapy. Topical treatment with isotretinoin and erythromycin was ineffective.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2004

[Eruptive xanthomas].

A 41-year old male patient presented with yellowish papules on the elbows, upper arms, back and the buttocks, as well as yellow streaks in the palmar creases. Laboratory examination revealed Fredrickson type IIb hyperlipidemia. Histologic changes were consistent with eruptive xanthomas. Treatment was started with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and dietary measures were taken to lower serum levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Hyperlipidemia is the cause of eruptive xanthomas and strongly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Incidence and prevalence of neurological disorders associated with HIV since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

OBJECTIVE: To determine the change of incidence and prevalence of neurological disorders caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and opportunistic infections in HIV positive patients under treatment since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: The data of all HIV infected patients were retrospectively analysed, who were examined in the HIV outpatients clinic of the neurological department of the University Clinic Essen between 1995 and 1998 (n=563, total number of visits=735). Data from identified patients were divided into two groups according to the time of examination from 1995 to 1996 (334 visits) and from 1997 to 1998 (401 visits). The incidence and prevalence of neurological disorders were statistically compared between both time intervals. RESULTS: Significantly more patients received HAART in 1997-8 (p<0. 001) and mean CD4+ cell count was significantly higher in 1997-8 (p<0.001). The prevalence of HIV associated dementia and HIV associated polyneuropathy were significantly lower in 1997-8 (both: p=0.02) and the incidence of toxoplasma encephalitis decreased from 5.7% in 1995-6 to 2.2% in 1997-8 (p=0.015). Based on the small number of patients significant changes in HIV associated myopathy, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, cryptoccocal meningitis, and cytomegalovirus-encephalitis could not be detected. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of the most frequent HIV associated neurological disorders and incidence of toxoplasma encephalitis decreased since the introduction of HAART. This may be due to the improvement of immunostatus by HAART as demonstrated by the higher CD4+ cell count in the later time interval. Direct antiretroviral effects within the nervous system may be considered causative as well. The prevalence and incidence of HIV associated neurological disorders and opportunistic CNS infections decreased after introduction of HAART.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Epithelial stem cells in the skin: definition, markers, localization and functions.

In recent years, cutaneous epithelial stem cells have attained a genuine celebrity status. They are considered the key resource for epidermal and skin appendage regeneration, and are proposed as a preferential target of cutaneous gene therapy. Follicular epithelial stem cells may also give rise to a large variety of epithelial tumors, and cutaneous epithelial stem cells likely are crucial targets for physical or chemical agents (including carcinogens) that damage the skin and its appendages. However, as this Controversies feature illustrates, few experts can agree on how exactly to define and identify these elusive cells, or on where precisely in the skin they are localized. Given their potential importance in skin biology, pathology and future dermatological therapy, it is, therefore, timely to carefully reconsider the basic questions: What exactly is a stem cell, and how can we reliably identify epithelial stem cells? How many different kinds are there, and how do they differ functionally? Where exactly in the skin epithelium is each of the putative stem cell subpopulations located, and can we selectively manipulate any of them?

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Genetic immunization with glycoprotein 63 cDNA results in a helper T cell type 1 immune response and protection in a murine model of leishmaniasis.

Genetic immunization is a promising gene therapy approach for the prevention and treatment of infectious disease. Plasmid DNA expressing genes of pathogens is directly introduced into host cells and specific cell-mediated and/or humoral immune responses are elicited against the encoded protein. Leishmaniasis is a significant world-wide health problem for which no vaccine exists. In susceptible animals, such as BALB/c mice, protection from leishmaniasis requires induction of a Thl immune response. In this study, cell-mediated immunity to Leishmania major (L. major) was induced by injecting BALB/c mice intradermally with plasmid DNA expressing the conserved L. major cell surface glycoprotein gp63 (gp63-pcDNA-3). CD4 T lymphocytes from gp63-pcDNA-3-immunized mice proliferated and produced IFN-gamma (but not IL-4) when stimulated in vitro with freeze-thawed parasites, consistent with a Th1 immune response. In contrast, lymphocyte proliferation in animals immunized with freeze-thawed parasites was associated with IL-4 (but not IFN-gamma) production, suggesting a nonprotective Th2 response. Challenge studies revealed that gp63-pcDNA-3 vaccination protected 30% of susceptible mice (21 of 70) from Leishmania infection while neither gp63 protein (0 of 20) nor freeze-thawed parasite vaccines (0 of 50) were efficacious. Dendritic cells derived from skin of gp63-pcDNA-3-injected mice also immunized naive recipients and protected them from leishmaniasis. We conclude that gp63-pcDNA-3 genetic vaccination results in a CD4-dependent Th1 immune response that correlates with protection from disease, and suggest that skin-derived dendritic cells are involved in priming this response.

Adoptive Transfer↗
PubMed1996

Oligosymptomatic neurosyphilis with false negative CSF-VDRL in HIV-infected individuals?

The true prevalence of neurosyphilis in HIV-infection is unknown, since a sufficiently sensitive and specific test is lacking. In a prospective study we found reactive serum TPHA and FTA-ABS IgG tests in 95 (31%) of 307 HIV-infected patients. Three of 11 patients with latent syphilis revealed reactive CSF-VDRL tests, six others only demonstrated CSF abnormalities. Resolution of CSF abnormalities during a six month follow up after high dose antibiotic therapy led to the diagnosis of oligosymptomatic or asymptomatic neurosyphilis in all nine patients. Thus, the specificity of the CSF-VDRL was 100%, but the sensitivity was only 33%. The overall prevalence of neurosyphilis was 2.9%, increasing to 9.5% in patients with a reactive serum TPHA. Our study emphasizes the importance of antibiotic therapy for presumptive neurosyphilis in HIV-infected patients with latent syphilis and CSF abnormalities but nonreactive CSF-VDRL tests, even if they are neurologically asymptomatic or present with complaints inconclusive of neurosyphilis.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Increased neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients: relationship to HIV encephalopathy.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one of the most abundant and phylogenetically best conserved peptides in the mammalian central and peripheral nervous system where it plays an important role in the regulation of cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine, immunological and cognitive functions. In a prospective study we determined neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of 95 HIV-seropositive (n = 49) or seronegative (n = 46) patients who underwent diagnostic CSF examination. CSF and plasma NPY-LI but not noradrenaline concentrations were higher in seropositive than in seronegative patients indicating that raised levels of NPY-LI did not result from a non-specific activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Increased CSF NPY-LI was positively correlated with the degree of HIV encephalopathy (P < 0.01, Kruskal-Wallis test). Inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system and dementia due to other causes in HIV-seronegative patients were not associated with increased CSF NPY-LI. Our data suggest that increased CSF NPY-LI is a relatively specific phenomenon of HIV encephalopathy and may be involved in the pathogenesis of HIV-related neurological dysfunction. The links between retroviral infection and increased expression of neuropeptide Y and their pathophysiological implications remain to be determined.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗
PubMed1994

Elevation of intracranial pressure in acute AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis.

Prior to the AIDS-era, elevation of intracranial pressure was known to be a typical complication of cryptococcal meningitis associated with an increased risk of early death. In AIDS-patients, however, the prevalence and clinical significance of this complication are as yet unclear. We analysed clinical features and courses, CSF findings, serological results and neuroimaging scans in acute cryptococcal meningitis in eight patients with AIDS. Five showed symptoms and signs compatible with raised intracranial pressure, which was life-threatening in one and the most probable cause of death in another. Serial monitoring of intracranial pressure together with repeated CSF analysis revealed that severe intracranial pressure elevation in AIDS related cryptococcal meningitis can occur in spite of effective antimycotic treatment, does not depend on an increased CSF/serum osmolality ratio or CSF overproduction and can be associated with normal cranial computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings. Our data support the hypothesis that CSF reabsorption failure plays the crucial role in the pathophysiological mechanism. External lumbar drainage may be of benefit in selected cases of acute AIDS related cryptococcal meningitis with persisting life threatening elevation in intracranial pressure and normal computed tomogram.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1990

Neolacto (type-2 chain)-sialoautoantigens recognized by human cold agglutinins.

The antigens Fl and Vo, recognized by cold agglutinins, are protease-resistant differentiation antigens like I and i antigens. In contrast to Ii, Fl and Vo are sialidase-susceptible antigens like the protease-resistant Gd antigens. Because I/i antigens are branched/linear type-2 (poly-N-acetyllactosamine or neolacto series) chains which are cleaved from red cells by endo-beta-galactosidase, the effect of the enzyme on Fl, Vo and Gd antigens was studied. Fl and Gd antigens, previously shown to be sialylated branched (Fl), and linear and branched (Gd) type-2 sequences, were not inactivated on red cells by the enzyme, whereas Vo antigenicity was completely abolished. The data suggest that Vo antigen is expressed on sialylated linear poly-N-acetyllactosamine sequence.

Agglutinins↗
PubMed1988

Coexisting anti-I and anti-F1/Gd cold agglutinins in infections by Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

192 sera containing cold agglutinins of apparent anti-I specificity were reinvestigated for concomitant cold agglutinins (CA) against sialic acid-dependent antigens. 35 cases of additional anti-F1 and 3 cases of additional anti-Gd were detected. 53% of cases with coexisting anti-I and anti-F1/Gd CA had a clinical diagnosis of pneumonia, in 39% IgM antibodies against Mycoplasma pneumoniae could be demonstrated. Since F1 and Gd antigens are identical with the structures identified as receptors for M. pneumoniae, the findings support the hypothesis that postinfectious CA are directed against the receptor of the infectious agent.

Agglutinins↗