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Biomedical subjects

W Hunstein

Publications and source records attributed to W Hunstein.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Intracellular lactic dehydrogenase and phosphohexose isomerase activity in leukaemia and malignant lymphoma.

Intracellular activities of total lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and phosphohexose isomerase (PHI) were investigated in the leukaemic cells of 14 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), five with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), seven with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), 19 with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), 16 with leukaemic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and in the lymphocytes of 14 normal persons. Intracellular total LDH-activity of the blasts of AML and ALL was in the same range as the normal lymphocytes. Patients with CLL and NHL had significantly lower levels (P less than 0.01) of total intracellular LDH than the controls. Intracellular PHI activity was consistently lower in the lymphoid malignancies (ALL, CLL, NHL) than in normal lymphocytes (P less than 0.05), or in leukaemic myeloblasts (P less than 0.01). The intracellular LDH/PHI index of the leukaemic lymphoblasts was significantly elevated as compared to lymphocytes from normal subjects (P less than 0.0001) or to leukaemic cells from patients with AML (P less than 0.001), with CLL (P less than 0.0001) or with NHL (P less than 0.001). The patients with CLL and NHL, on the other hand, had significantly lower levels of LDH/PHI ratio than the normal subjects (P less than 0.0001 and P less than 0.025 respectively).

Adolescent

[Significance of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in patients with acute leukemia and malignant lymphoma: results obtained by immunofluorescence assay (author's transl)].

Deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is of diagnostic and therapeutic importance in acute leukaemia and malignant lymphoma. Previous methods for determining TdT activity by biochemical assay are complex and require the use of radioactive substances. There now is available a specific antibody for immunofluorescent demonstration of TdT. The two methods were compared on samples from 43 patients with leukemia or malignant lymphoma. There was very good agreement. High TdT activity was found in 12 of 14 patients with acute lymphatic leukemia and in one of two with acute undifferentiated leukaemia. TdT activity was absent with acute and chronic myeloid leukaemia, chronic lymphatic leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of low malignancy. Immunofluorescence assay, although its results are of similar significance to that obtained with the biochemical tests, is simpler to do. Furthermore, it can be done on normal bone-marrow smear or lymph-node preparations and can be correlated with the morphological findings.

DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase

Glucocorticoid receptors and sensitivity in leukemias.

In an attempt to investigate the utility of glucocorticoid receptor determination to predict clinical responsiveness in human leukemias we have studied glucocorticoid receptors in the leukemic cells from 46 patients and in the lymphocytes from 18 normal donors. In the normal lymphocytes there were 3,875 (Median) specific binding sites per cell. The blasts from 17 patients with ANLL had on average higher levels of binding sites per cell (Median = 7,250, range: 0 to 15,295) than the other leukemias. Of the 15 patients with CLL, six had received glucocorticoid treatment for 3 to 5 years. Their lymphocytes had lower number of receptors (Median = 2,000) than the other cases which were newly diagnosed (Median = 4,500). Four patients had ALL/AUL, three patients had blast crisis as terminal phase of CML, and seven had leukemic Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (Median = 3,500 sites/cell). In 24 patients we have also studied the in vitro sensitivity of the leukemic cells to dexamethasone. There was no marked correlation between glucocorticoid receptor levels and in vitro sensitivity. An attempt to correlate receptor levels with clinical responsiveness demonstrated that glucocorticoid receptor determination might be of value in patients with lymphoid malignancies but probably not in patients with other leukemias.

Adult

Capping of lymphocytes in patients and carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Recent results showed that Duchenne muscular dystrophy is probably associated with a generalized membrane defect. The capping phenomenon in lymphocytes indicates normal intramembrane protein mobility and disturbances of this phenomenon are is believed to reflect membrane alterations. We have investigated capping in lymphocytes from 19 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, 13 carriers, 8 patients' sisters, 14 patients' aunts and 52 normal controls. All 19 patients showed a reduction in capping both with fluorescein conjugated polyvalent goat antiserum (mean +/- SD = 18.5 +/- 5.1% and with fluorescein labeled Concanavalin A (mean +/- SD = 10.8 +/- 3.1%) as compared to controls. Normal persons (n = 52) have a mean of 50.2 +/- 9.9% (SD) capping with polyvalent anti-immunoglobulin (range: 32--72.5%) and 25.6 +/- 3.6% with F-Con A (range: 18.5--31.5%). 12 of the 13 mothers, as well as 5 of the 8 patients' sisters, also exhibited decreased lymphocyte capping to the same extent as the patients. Creatine kinase activity (CK) was elevated only in 4 mothers and 2 of the sisters. Our results indicate that this method might be of value in detecting carriers and can yield less false negative results as the CK-activity test.

Adult

Determination of glucocorticoid receptors in human leukemias.

Determination of steroid receptors has been used to predict steroid sensitivity in various neoplasias. In an attempt to investigate its applicability in human leukemias we have studied glucocorticoid receptors in the leukemic cells from 23 patients with various hematologic neoplasias and in the lymphocytes from 18 normal donors. Specific glucocorticoid binding in intact cells was determined by a whole cell competitive binding assay. Normal lymphocytes have about 4,611 specific binding sites per cell. The blasts from 9 patients with acute myelogenous leukemias (AML) have strongly varying high levels of specific binding sites, ranging from 4,817 to 15,416 per cell. Of the 13 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 5 have received glucocorticoid treatment for years and were clinically resistant to glucocorticoid. Their lymphocytes have lower specific binding sites (range: 2,047 to 3,999) than the other CLL cases which were newly diagnosed (range: 3,734 to 11,020). Our results suggest that determination of glucocorticoid receptors might be of value in predicting clinical responsiveness in leukemias.

Dexamethasone

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in a patient with Hodgkin's disease.

This is a report on a 78-year-old patient with Hodgkin's disease of mixed cell type in stage III B, who, because of his age, underwent only mild cytostatic therapy. Two months after beginning of treatment, cerebellar neurological symptoms developed. He died of bronchopneumonia 3 months later. At autopsy progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy with multiple demyelinated areas in the cerebellum was established. Paracristallinic structures within nuclei of glial cells resembling papovavirus formations were detected by electron microscopy.

Aged

Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase in malignancies.

The leukocyte alklaine phosphatase (LAP) levels were determined in 183 patients with malignant diseases and 71 normal controls. The median LAP scores were 64 units (range 0 to 290) for the patients and 55 (range 2 to 158) for the controls, respectively, and no significant difference could be established. When analyzed according to primary malignancy, only in patients with Hodgkin's disease (n = 14) was the median value higher than normal (p less than 0.001). In patients with distant metastases (n = 48), higher LAP levels were demonstrated (M = 76, range 21 to 290) as compared to patients with no evidence of metastases (M = 53, range 0 to 229), (p less than 0.01). Thus, LAP activity has very limited value in the diagnosis of malignancies. Its elevation in the presence of malignant disease might, however, indicate metastases.

Adult

[Intestinal yersiniosis: 25 cases of infections with Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterocolitica (author's transl)].

Yersinia infections in 16 adults and 9 children are reported. 15 cases were caused by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, 8 of them were proved by serological findings. In 4 cases the infection by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was likely, in 3 other cases possible only. Real infections caused by serotype IV are demonstrated too. Furthermore there were 10 cases caused by Yersinia enterocolitica, 3 of them were proved by bacterial, the other ones by serological findings. Both germs caused identical symptoms: fever (80%), abdominal pains (56%), diarrhoea (52%), erythema nodosum (44%), arthritis (40%), vomiting (16%), weight loss (16%), lymphoma (12%) and others. In children 50% of erythema nodosum was produced by intestinal yersiniosis. The beginning with gastroenteritis and fever mostly was followed by a second phase with returning fever, abdominal pains, erythema nodosum and/or arthritis. Antibiotic therapy had a definite effect only in the first phase of gastroenteritis and in the two possibly relapsing cases. In two of 5 patients with long standing arthritis the HL-AB 27 was present.

Adolescent

Acquired pyruvate kinase deficiency with hemolysis in preleukemia.

Acquired erythrocyte pyruvate kinase deficiency may appear as a symptom secondary to various hematologic disorders, e.g. acute leukemia, sideroblastic anemia, polycythemia vera. The case of a 68-year-old patient with PK deficiency (1.75 U/g Hb) and severe hemolytic anemia is presented, who 1 year later showed acute myeloid leukemia. It is considered that a dialysable inhibiting factor may play a pathogenetic role in this enzyme change since enzyme activity was raised by dialysis. A survey of the literature is presented.

Anemia, Hemolytic

[Iron absorption after oral application of a combination of Fe2+-succinate and multivitamins (author's transl)].

The rate of iron absorption of Fe2+-succinate orally applied with multivitamins, was measured by means of whole-body counter in 45 subjects. The dosage was 330 mg ferrous succinate (115 mg Fe2+). Absorption was generally 4.5% (5.2 mg) in normal subjects, 8.6% (9.9 mg) in subjects with latent iron deficiency, and 29.6% (34 mg) in subjects with manifest iron deficiency. In women taking oral contraceptives and not suffering from iron deficiency, no significant increase in the iron absorption rate was measured.

Administration, Oral

[Proceedings: Hematopoiesis in chronic pyelonephritis. Quantitative-morphological study].

Bone marrow biopsies from the iliac crest in 56 patients with chronic pyelonephritis were evaluated quantitively and correlated with renal function and peripheral blood values (n = 100). In proportion to increasing serum creatinine, mild marrow hypoplasia develops which mainly, and to a statistically significant extent, affects the percentage and amount of erythropoietic cells and megakaryocytes. The simultaneous reduction of erythrocytes and reticulocytes in peripheral blood is more pronounced and only slightly correlated to the marrow cells. There is no correlation between the number of peripheral granulocytes or the decrease in lymphocytes concomitant with uremia, and their respective precursors in the marrow.

Bone Marrow Examination