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Biomedical subjects

W J Klein

Publications and source records attributed to W J Klein.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Piroxicam-induced renal disease.

Two cases of nephrotoxicity associated with piroxicam therapy are reported. In the first case, severe reversible azotemia with hyperkalemia resolved after discontinuation of the medication. In the second case, biopsy-proved acute interstitial nephritis with immune complex glomerulonephritis and hepatitis improved after steroid therapy. The mechanism for such toxicity may be altered hemodynamics, cellular immunity, or humoral immunity related to prostaglandin inhibition.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

Aggression, suicide, and serotonin: relationships to CSF amine metabolites.

In an earlier, separate study, the authors found that human aggression and suicide (a specific aggression-related behavior) were associated with lower levels of CSF 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), a serotonin metabolite. That study focused on subjects with personality disorders without affective illness. In the present study they examine the life history of aggression and history of suicidal behavior in 12 subjects with borderline personality disorders without major affective disorder. Histories of aggressive behaviors and of suicide attempts were significantly associated with each other, and each was significantly associated with lower 5-HIAA levels. Altered serotonin metabolism may be a highly significant contributing factor to these behaviors in whatever diagnostic group they occur.

Adolescent↗

Renal transplantation between HL-A identical donor-recipient pairs. Functional and morphological evaluation.

16 patients underwent renal transplantation from a sibling donor who was prospectively determined to be ABO compatible and HL-A identical with the recipient. Unidirectional mixed leukocyte reactions were performed; in each instance, lymphocyte stimulation in either direction was not observed. The plasma creatinine 10-68 months after transplantation in these 16 patients ranged between 0.9 and 1.9 mg/100 ml. The creatinine clearance ranged from 48 to 113 ml/min, and the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) ranged between 12 and 35 mg/100 ml. Urine protein excretion varied from 0.11 to 1.86 g/day. Six patients exhibited no detectable clinical episodes of acute rejection; they were treated with azathioprine alone and each of them demonstrated normal or near normal renal histology when biopsy specimens were obtained more than 6 months after transplantation. Nine patients experienced acute rejection episodes that required the use of steroid therapy. The severity of these rejection episodes was variable; they included a mild reduction in renal function with an immediate steroid-induced restoration of function and eventual discontinuance of steroid therapy to severe reduction in function requiring prolonged and moderate doses of steroids without return to normal renal function. Renal histological observations in this group ranged from mild to marked cellular and structural changes which fit the criteria of the rejection. One patient demonstrated a gradual loss of renal function with heavy proteinuria. Biopsy of this allograft demonstrated the recurrence of original disease, i.e., lobular glomerulonephritis. The marked variability in the clinical course and allograft morphology in these 16 patients could be explained by antigenic differences at non-HL-A loci. The presence of minor histocompatibility loci has been well documented in other mammalian species and they are most certainly present in man. The need for their identification and definition is stressed.

Adult↗

Lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro. Effect of enhancing antisera.

The ability of antisera to suppress immune responses either in vivo or in vitro is well known. A variety of lymphocyte-target cell systems have been employed to demonstrate inhibition of cell-mediated immunity by antisera in vitro, and skin, tumor, and kidney graft survival have been prolonged by passively administered antiserum in vivo. An in vitro lymphocyte-tumor cell assay system was developed for the purpose of studying the effects of enhancing antisera (in vivo) on lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro. The characteristics of this system with respect to route of immunization, time of harvest of immune cells, lymphocyte:tumor cell ratio, and effect of nonimmune or nonspecifically immune lymphoid cells are presented. Sera capable of enhancement in vivo were tested in this system and shown to inhibit cell-mediated immunity in vitro. Further, in both instances the immunosuppressive effect is mediated by antigen-antibody complexes and not by free antibody alone. Experiments were also carried out to determine the site of action of these suppressive antigen-antibody complexes. Presensitized lymphocytes were exposed to antigen-antibody complexes, washed, and then allowed to interact with fresh tumor cells (not antibody treated). Lymphocytes treated in this manner are incapable of exhibiting cell-mediated immunity in vitro. This evidence supports the concept that the antigen-antibody complexes have a direct immunosuppressive effect on the lymphocyte.

Animals↗

Nuclear fluorescence employing antinucleoside immunoglobulins.

Fluoresceinated antinucleoside globulins were shown to react with the nuclei of L cells. The pattern of nuclear fluorescence was similar to the distribution of nuclear DNA. This reaction was shown to be specific by the following control experiments: 1. Absorption of the specific antibody from an antiadenosine globulin eliminated all fluorescence. 2. Treatment of the cells with nonfluorescent antiadenosine globulin, followed by staining with the fluorescent antiadenosine eliminated almost all of the fluorescence of the nucleus. 3. Treatment of the cells with DNase destroyed the ability of the nucleus to react with antiuridine fluorescent antibodies. 4. Fluoresceinated anti-BSA did not produce nuclear fluorescence. Nuclear fluorescence occurred only in cells harvested during the period of maximum DNA synthesis as measured by the uptake of thymidine. This correlates with the previously demonstrated specificity of the antibodies for denatured DNA.

Animals↗