PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

U Mueller

Publications and source records attributed to U Mueller.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Cross-national reliability, concurrent validity, and stability of a brief method for assessing expressed emotion.

The Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS; Magana et al., 1986) is a brief method designed to assess the "expressed emotion" (EE) status of a respondent. The FMSS-EE rating is derived from statements made by a patient's key relative during a 5-minute monologue, with codes similar to those used in the original EE rating system (e.g., criticism and emotional overinvolvement). Rating is done from the audiotape and takes about 15-30 minutes. The article reports on the results of a cross-national study carried out in Germany using the FMSS with a sample of 60 relatives of schizophrenic patients. Results indicated that (1) German investigators could readily learn the system and could achieve a high degree of interrater reliability; (2) the association with the original index of EE, the Camberwell Family Interview, was comparable to that found by Magana et al.; and (3) the method yields very stable data over a 4-5 week retest period.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Modified rapid venom desensitization.

The clinical and immunologic response to a modified rapid (r) regimen of venom immunotherapy was evaluated and compared to a traditional (t) therapeutic regimen. Nineteen patients in the r group received a starting dose of 0.01 microgram and reached a maintenance dose of 50 micrograms in 7 weeks. Twelve patients in the t group received an average of twenty-one injections on a weekly basis, reaching the same maintenance dose. The age and sex distribution and pre-treatment venom-specific IgE titres (RAST) of both groups were comparable. There were thirteen local reactions to venom therapy in both groups and no systemic reactions. Following therapy, most patients developed a rising titre of serum venom-specific IgG (V-IgG). Serum venom-specific IgE (V-IgE) changes were similar in the two groups; over half of the patients had a falling titre when on maintenance dose. Twelve patients were re-stung after reaching maintenance dose. Only one developed a mild systemic reaction, an individual who failed to show a V-IgG response with rapid therapy. Five of nine patients did not have an anamnestic V-IgE response. This rapid method of venom immunotherapy appears to be safe, clinically effective, and comparable to traditional dosing without additional adverse reaction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Comparison of the allergenicity and antigenicity of yellow jacket and hornet venoms.

The immunologic properties of yellow jacket and hornet venoms were compared by measuring their reaction with rabbit antisera and human IgE and IgG antibodies. Anti-hornet venom rabbit serum showed precipitin bands unique to hornet venom and several bands crossreacting with yellow jacket venom. Anti-yellow jacket venom rabbit serum reacted with yellow jacket venom but failed to react with the hornet venoms. Most sera from patients who had had allergic reactions after vespid stings reacted with yellow jacket and hornet venoms in RAST analysis. A few sera reacted with only one of the venoms. RAST inhibition studies confirmed the crossreactivity of these IgE antibodies. The IgG antibody response of 14 patients was measured after yellow jacket venom immunotherapy. All had rising titers of yellow jacket venom-specific IgG. There was also an increase in the IgG antibody response measured with hornet venom in the majority of patients. The rise was significant with yellow hornet venom (p less than 0.02) but failed to reach significance with bald-faced hornet venom (p greater than 0.05). In IgG radioimmunoassay inhibition studies using yellow jacket venom-coupled discs, yellow jacket venom was considerably more potent than hornet venom. These studies indicate major crossreactivity between yellow jacket and hornet venoms. In this group of patients, yellow jacket venom appeared to be the primary allergen.

Allergens↗
PubMed1982

Studies of chemically modified honeybee venom. I. Biochemical, toxicologic and immunologic characterization.

Allergens of honeybee venom (BV) were modified by formaldehyde treatment (F), acetoacetylation (A) or coupling to polyethylene glycol (P). The biochemical, toxicologic and immunologic properties of these modified BV preparations were analyzed. F showed strongly reduced cytotoxicity, enzymatic activity and reactivity with human BV-specific IgE antibodies but retained the reactivity to BV-specific human and rabbit IgG. In A, enzymatic activity, cytotoxicity and the reactivity with human IgE and rabbit IgG antibodies were only moderately reduced. P lacked enzymatic activity and cytotoxicity and showed only minimal reactivity with IgE and IgG antibodies to BV.

Acetoacetates↗
PubMed1982

Studies of chemically modified honeybee venom. II. Immunogenicity and suppression of reaginic antibody formation.

Honeybee venom allergens modified by formaldehyde treatment (F), acetoacetylation (A), and coupling to polyethylene glycol (P) were studied with regard to their immunogenicity and their IgE-suppressive potential in rabbits and mice. F indiced a strong IgG response in rabbits and especially mice, but only a moderate IgE response in the mouse. Its IgE-suppressive potential in mice was comparable to that of unmodified bee venom. A induced only a weak IgG and IgE response. Its IgE-suppressive potential was greater than that of unmodified bee venom. P was nonimmunogenic and had only a marginal IgE-suppressive effect. F and A seem promising for the treatment of bee sting-allergic individuals.

Acetoacetates↗
PubMed1981

Local intranasal immunotherapy for ragweed allergic rhinitis. I. Clinical response.

Local nasal immunotherapy (LNIT) of ragweed allergic rhinitis was studied in a double-blind controlled trial. Sixty-seven subjects were divided into three groups. Twenty-one received unmodified ragweed extract (RW), 24 received a glutaraldehyde polymer of ragweed extract (PRW), and 22 received placebo. Mean symptom/medication scores during the season were 2.12, 2.76, and 3.93 for the RW, PRW, and placebo groups, respectively. Both RW- and the PRW-treated group scores were significantly lower than those of the placebo group (p less than 0.01, and p less than 0.025, respectively). The results of the patients' self-evaluations indicated that therapy was effective in 71%, 59%, and 41% for the RW-, PRW-, and placebo-treated groups, respectively. Adverse reactions to treatment were limited to the upper respiratory tract and were noted by all patients. They were significantly more severe in the RW-treated patients than those in the PRW- or placebo-treated groups. We conclude that LNIT is an effective therapy for ragweed allergic rhinitis. The use of a PRW decreased adverse reactions significantly while slightly decreasing the therapeutic benefit.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1981

Local intranasal immunotherapy for ragweed allergic rhinitis. II. Immunologic response.

Local nasal immunotherapy (LNIT) was administered in a double-blind study to 67 subjects. Twenty-three received an unmodified ragweed extract (RW), 24 received a glutaraldehyde polymer of ragweed extract (PRW), and 21 received placebo. Serum ragweed-specific IgE (S-IgE), ragweed-specific nasal secretory (NS-) IgE, secretory IgA (SIgA) and IgG, and NS-albumin were measured. RW therapy caused a significant increase in ragweed-specific S-IgE (p less than 0.005) and NS-SIgA (p less than 0.05). PRW therapy caused a significant rise in ragweed-specific NS-SIgA (p less than 0.001). NS-IgE (p less than 0.05), and NS-IgG (p less than 0.01). Ragweed-specific S-IgG was not affected by any of the treatments. There was no consistent correlation between NS-antibody levels and symptom/medication scores.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1981

Comparison of vespid venoms collected by electrostimulation and by venom sac extraction.

Venoms of three vespid species, yellow jacket, bald-faced hornet, and yellow hornet, obtained by either electrostimulation of venom sac extraction were compared with regard to their enzymatic activity, antigenicity, and allergenicity. Phospholipase a, phospholipase B, and hyaluronidase enzymatic activities were present in all six preparations. The activity of venom sac extracts lay in the range found in different batches of venoms obtained by electrostimulation for each species. Analysis of sera from vespid-sensitive patients in the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) with discs coupled with either venom sac extracts or venoms obtained by electrostimulation showed a good correlation of the results within all three species (r = 0.95). In RAST inhibition the potency of venom sac extracts and venom obtained by electrostimulation was similar for each species. Analysis of rabbit antisera to the six preparations revealed similar patterns in immunoelectrophoresis and identity reactions between the major antigens within each species. Tissue protein contamination was detected in all venom sac extracts but not in venoms obtained by electrostimulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Behaviour of bacteriorhodopsin incorporated into lipid vesicles after solubilization with different detergents.

Incorporation of bacteriorhodopsin (BR), derived from the purple membrane by solubilization with detergents, into phosphatidylcholine-(PC-) vesicles resulted in a disperse distribution of the protein particles in the lipid bilayer as revealed by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Rotational diffusion measurements showed a high rotational mobility when the system is kept above the lipid phase transition temperature (Tc). Below the Tc the particles are immobilized as observed by flash photolysis while in electron micrographs, segregation of the protein from the lipids and particle aggregation can be seen. In some cases a hexagonal lattice is observed. Solubilization of the purple membrane with LDAO (lauryl-dimethyl-amine oxide) followed by centrifugation through a sucrose density gradient resulted in BR depleted by 80% of bacterial lipids. Incorporation of this lipid-depleted BR into PC-vesicles did not reveal any significant differences in its mobility of its aggregation behaviour. Incorporation of cholesterol into the vesicle system resulted in a marked immobilization of BR. Freeze-fracture electron micrographs show typical segregation phenomena above the Tc of the pure lipid. In the sample with 30 mole% cholesterol, aggregation of the protein appears to be accompanied by lattice formation.

Bacteriorhodopsins↗
PubMed1976

[Determinatives of the understanding and judging of the speech-impaired's language on the part of speech-functioning people.-An empirical study (author's transl)].

The purpose of the study was to find out the individual and social factors influencing the understanding and judging of the speech-defective's language by speech-functioning persons. In contrast to prevailing opinions, it was proven that the evaluation is not controlled by "adopted" prejudices, but by the real understanding of linguistic and paralinguistic components of language. Within this context, the level of understanding and the significance of these two components in view of the evaluation depends on the sociolinguistic milieu to which the speech-functioning individual belongs.

Adult↗