Reversible leucopenia related to olanzapine.
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Benzodiazepines↗
Biomedical subjects
W Meissner
Publications and source records attributed to W Meissner.
Reorganization of the somatosensory cortex after amputation of the index finger.
Cortical reorganization occurs within the primary somatosensory and the primary motor cortex after amputation of the arm or forearm. Here we report on a patient showing cortical reorganization after amputation of his right index finger. Our findings indicate that the neural networks within the area of the amputated finger in the somatosensory cortex (SI) were invaded by neighbouring structures, i.e. of neural cell assemblies that subserve the thumb and middle finger of his right hand.
Amputation, Traumatic↗
Restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch in surgical treatment for ulcerative colitis.
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Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗
[Anesthesia in surgery].
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Anesthesia, Conduction↗
[Antidepressives in chronic pain. Significant analgesic therapy option].
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Analgesics↗
On-demand analgesia with piritramide in children. A study on dosage specification and safety.
The results of this study show that postoperative patient-controlled pain therapy in children with piritramide is - in a similar way as with adults - a safe method involving a low incidence of side effects. A special pump parameter setting is required with larger bolus dose sizes and longer lockout intervals, not very different from the experience gained with adults, and which is based on other values than those recommended up to now with morphine for paediatric PCA. Side effects were rarely observed. The fear of respiratory depression constitutes no rational reason to deny the younger patients this form of analgesia provided that monitoring is guaranteed.
Adolescent↗
[Loop ileostomy--use and results].
Loop ileostomy (LI) is created to obtain a complete diversion of feces with defunctioning of the distal colon. LI can be temporary or permanent for palliative reasons. The purpose of this study was to assess the morbidity related to LI created at our Institution between 1985 and 1996 in 135 patients. According to the results of the study and the review of the literature, the authors conclude that LI is a simple and safe method, providing an effective fecal diversion. LI should be the procedure of choice if the risk of bowel suture line complications is expected.
Adolescent↗
[Surgical procedure in fulminant colitis and toxic megacolon].
Both fulminant colitis and toxic megacolon are regarded as the sequelae of colitis in which irreversible changes in the whole thickness of colonic wall have occurred. These condition both call for an immediate, emergent surgical intervention. Until recently the procedure of choice in this acute phase of the disease was colectomy with Brooke ileostomy and Hartmann type closure of the distal rectum. Colectomy with ileal pouch anal anastomosis was reserved only for elective surgery. The improvement in surgical technique, but first of all widespread of stapling devices, have shortened the time of operation and simplified the procedure, so that creation of an ileal reservoir is currently more often performed as a one step procedure and without an increased risk. Between 1985 and 1997 in our Department, 120 patients had ileal pouches created for various conditions. There were 72 patients with ulcerative colitis in this series and 10 of them had-one-step procedure involving pouch formation in the acute phase of the disease. Multi-step procedures, including Hartmann's colectomies were performed in 16 patients. One-step operations involving ileal pouch creation in the acute phase of the ulcerative colitis are feasible in selected cases and in experienced centres. Such an approach shortens the time of treatment.
Colitis↗
[Glycemia control in diabetic pregnancies under intensive insulin treatment with and without the aid of the Camit-Diacomp system].
The efficiency of glycemia control was compared in two groups of insulin dependent diabetic pregnancies treated with insulin, with and without the aid of the Camit-Diacomp system. The efficiency of glycemia control was analysed in all three trimesters of pregnancy. Mean diurnal fluctuations of glycemia levels in both study groups were compared. The clinical state of newborns, their glycemia and insulin levels in cord blood were analysed as well. No statistically significant differences of glycemia levels between the two compared groups of patients were found, however the observed significant differences of the HbA1C levels between these groups can speak in favour of the efficiency of treatment under the Camit-Diacomp system, which enables a more precise self control of the treatment and dosage of insulin.
Circadian Rhythm↗
Pharmacokinetics of intranasal alfentanil.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the pharmacokinetics of intranasal and intravenous (IV) administrations of alfentanil in 10 healthy volunteers. DESIGN: Randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial with at least one week between the two modes of administration. SETTING: Healthy volunteers at a university medical center. SUBJECTS: 10 healthy, nondrug-dependent volunteers. INTERVENTIONS: Alfentanil 0.54 mg was administered either intranasally [with 12 ml of sodium chloride (NaCl) 0.9% IV] or IV (with 12 sprays of NaCl 0.9% intranasally). Each subject was assigned once to the intranasal and once to the IV group. To guarantee a complete elimination of alfentanil, there was a time period of at least one week between the different modes of administration. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Venous blood was sampled from a cubital vein at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 20, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after administration. Alfentanil plasma concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. Maximal plasma concentrations were 20.1 ng/ml +/- 7.3 ng/ml after 9 minutes in the intranasal group. At this measurement point, the intranasal alfentanil concentrations were 64.7% (18.7 ng/ml +/- 6.8 ng/ml) of the IV concentrations (28.9 ng/ml +/- 7.9 ng/ml). The calculated bioavailability after intranasal administration was 64.96% +/- 26.3%. CONCLUSIONS: This pharmacokinetic study demonstrates a rapid rise in plasma concentrations, as well as a high bioavailability, following the intranasal administration of alfentanil.
Administration, Intranasal↗
The activity of transcription factor PBP, which binds to the proximal sequence element of mammalian U6 genes, is regulated during differentiation of F9 cells.
Mouse F9 embryonic carcinoma (EC) cells differentiate in culture to parietal endoderm (PE) cells upon induction with retinoic acid and cyclic AMP. In the course of this process, the expression of polymerase III transcripts, e.g., 5S rRNA and U6 small nuclear RNA, is dramatically reduced. This reduction of endogenous RNA content is accompanied by a loss of transcriptional capacity in cell extracts from PE cells. Partial purification of such extracts reveals that the DNA-binding activity of transcription factor PBP, binding specifically to the proximal sequence element (PSE) sequence of vertebrate U6 genes, is significantly reduced. This finding is corroborated by a loss in the transcriptional activity of this factor in reconstitution assays with partially purified polymerase III transcription components. In contrast, the activity of TFIIIA and TFIIIB and the amount of free TATA-binding protein remain unchanged during the differentiation process analyzed here. These data show for the first time that the PSE-binding protein PBP is essentially involved in the differential regulation of polymerase III genes governed by external promoters.
Animals↗
Isolation of transcription factor IIIC from Dictyostelium discoideum.
Transcription factor IIIC (TFIIIC) binds in a sequence-specific manner to RNA-polymerase-III-transcribed genes (e.g. tRNA genes). It sequesters other transcription factors into the preformed complex, thereby activating transcription by RNA polymerase III. The Dictyostelium discoideum homologue of TFIIIC was highly purified by affinity chromatography based on its tDNA-binding activity. This TFIIIC homologue is a multicomponent factor (molecular mass 380 kDa), which binds to the B-box element of the internal tRNA gene promoter without significant A-box interaction. Partially purified D. discoideum TFIIIC is able to functionally complement a human RNA polymerase III in vitro transcription system depleted of human TFIIIC. We provide evidence that partially purified D. discoideum TFIIIC interacts in vitro with gene-external B-box elements present down-stream of many D. discoideum tRNA genes.
Animals↗
Transcription factors required for the expression of Xenopus laevis selenocysteine tRNA in vitro.
It has previously been reported that transcription in vivo of the tRNA(Sec) gene requires three promoter elements, a PSE and a TATA-box upstream of the coding region which are functionally interchangeable with the U6 snRNA gene counterparts and an internal B-block, resembling that of classical tRNA genes (1). We have established an in vitro transcription system from HeLa cells in which three factors, which are either essential for or stimulate transcription were identified. Apart from the TATA-binding protein TBP, the PSE-binding protein PBP was found to be essentially required for expression of the gene. Depletion of PBP from cell extracts by PSE-oligonucleotides abolished tRNA(Sec) transcription, which could be reconstituted by readdition of partially purified PBP. Addition of increasing amounts of recombinant human TBP to an S100 extract stimulated transcription of the tRNA(Sec), the mouse U6 snRNA and the human Y3 genes, an effect which was not observed in the case of a TATA-less tRNA gene. Purified human TFIIA strongly stimulated tRNA(Sec) transcription in a fashion depending on the concentration of TBP. Surprisingly, partially purified TFIIIC was shown to be dispensable for transcription in vitro and unable to bind the B-block of this gene in vitro, although its sequence matches the consensus for this element. Collectively, these data suggest that the mechanism by which transcription complexes are formed on the tRNA(Sec) gene is dramatically different from that observed for classical tRNA genes and much more resembles that observed for externally controlled pol III genes.
Animals↗
[Detection of inactivity of the auditory system in the beginning stage with the Freiburg masked speech test].
Late-onset auditory deprivation or "inactivity" phenomenon has been reported in single cases only because it has not been possible to assemble a larger number of calculable cohorts for which all necessary details concerning individual histories are available. Subjects should not be older than 60 years of age and should have had asymmetric hearing for at least about 10 years or should have been wearers of monaurally fitted hearing aids. The development of late-onset auditory deprivation is presented in 6 single cases. All were assessed by the Freiburg speech discrimination test and the distorted Freiburg speech test, with the latter showing greater sensitivity and variability. It is of special interest that the quotient of distorted speech is reduced in subjects who have normal hearing in one ear and considerable hearing loss in the other ear (for example, in the case of unilateral microtia). This effect may be evidence for significant activation of hearing selectivity developing in the brainstem versus inactivation.
Adolescent↗
Transcription factor IIA stimulates the expression of classical polIII-genes.
Protein fractions containing TFIIA, a transcription factor known to be involved in transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II and 5'-regulated polymerase III genes (e.g. U6), were tested for their role in in vitro transcription of classical pol III genes. These fractions were shown to stimulate a basal transcription system, reconstituted from highly purified fractions hTFIIIB and hTFIIIC. We demonstrate that this stimulating activity isolated from HeLa cells coelutes over at least six chromatographic steps with hTFIIA. Moreover the native molecular mass and the stability of this activity against heat treatment are comparable to those of hTFIIA. Finally we show that recombinant TFIIA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae can substitute for the human factor in pol III transcription in vitro which proves that TFIIA is also involved in the efficient expression of classical pol III genes.
Humans↗
[Experiences with high-frequency hearing tests in the selection of personnel for noise occupations].
A total of 181 persons aged between 16 and 18 were checked fully audiometrically (conventional and high-frequency audiogram). Dates of history about hereditary hearing damage, own ear diseases, noise exposure during frequent visits to discothecs or usage of Walkman etc. were ascertained by questionnaires. The evaluation of the results was carried out with the help of discrimination analysis allowing a multi-dimensional classification. As a result there could be made a sure discrimination analytic separation in persons with ear diseases during their childhood, when the high frequencies from 10 to 15 kHz were taken in. Thus the damage of the inner ear was to be found mainly on the base of the cochlea. Also in cases of hereditary influence there was to be seen a clear deminution in the high frequency area. The group of persons, who regularly went to discos (more than three times a month) as well as the group often using Walkman revealed a sure separation, when the high frequencies above 8 kHz were considered in the calculation. Altogether there could be seen an early damage more clearly in the high frequency area after ear diseases in childhood as well as a result of sound overloading than in conventional hearing area.
Adolescent↗
Elevated serum diiodotyrosine (DIT) in severe infections and sepsis: DIT, a possible new marker of leukocyte activity.
Ether link cleavage (ELC) of T4 yielding diiodotyrosine (DIT) has recently been shown in vitro to be the major pathway of T4 metabolism in phagocytosing leukocytes. To evaluate this pathway in vivo and the possible clinical relevance of DIT measurements in diseases with increased leukocyte activity, radioimmunological studies on serum levels of DIT and other thyroid parameters were performed in 125 critically ill patients classified into 3 groups with bacterial infections according to the severity of infection and 1 group without infections. While the pattern of iodothyronine and TSH levels typical for severe nonthyroidal disorders, i.e. decreased total T3 and elevated rT3, normal or decreased total T4 and TSH, and normal free T4, was found in all four groups of intensive care patients studied, elevated serum DIT was observed only in those patients whose clinical course was complicated by severe bacterial infections. Serial measurements revealed a close temporal connection between the infection phase and increased DIT levels. Median values and 16th to 84th percentile ranges (in parentheses) of serum DIT (normal range, 0.02-0.55 nmol/L) were as follows: sepsis, 1.38 (0.32-5.14); severe nonsystemic infections such as peritonitis and abscesses, 3.84 (0.24-17.2); moderate infections such as pneumonia and tracheobronchitis, 0.44 (0.18-1.16); and critical illness without infections, 0.14 (0.08-0.30) nmol/L. These elevations of circulating DIT could neither be correlated with changes in renal function nor attributed to drug effects. The results of the present study do not allow any definitive conclusions to be made about the mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of increased serum DIT levels in infections. Apart from this open question, DIT appears to be a relatively specific serum parameter for the presence and course of severe bacterial inflammations. Its measurement could provide useful clinical information, particularly for monitoring the time course of deep-seated infections.
Bacterial Infections↗
Physical and immunological characterization of human transcription factor IIIA.
Human transcription factor IIIA (htFIIIA), specifically required for transcription of the gene for 5S ribosomal RNA has been characterized with respect to some of its physical, immunological and functional properties. TFIIIA from HeLa cells, which selectively binds 5S RNA, is a monomer of approximately 35 kDa with a Stokes' radius of approximately 2.65 nm and a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 2.8 S. These values indicate that the human protein is of rather globular shape and hence diverges not only in molecular mass but also in most of the molecular properties from its highly asymmetric counterpart in Xenopus laevis oocytes. By raising specific polyclonal antibodies against hTFIIIA it was shown in Western immunoblots that there was no cross-reaction between anti-hTFIIIA antibodies and the amphibian protein. Conversely, monoclonal antibodies against three domains of X. laevis TFIIIA antibodies and the amphibian protein. Conversely, monoclonal antibodies against three domains of X. laevis TFIIIA did not cross-react with the human transcription factor. The polyclonal antisera raised against hTFIIIA specifically neutralized binding of the human transcription factor to 5S DNA and abolished in vitro transcription of 5S RNA but these antibodies were unable to inhibit 5S RNA synthesis in cellular extracts from Xenopus, Drosophila or yeast cells. Finally, the species variation of TFIIIA could be substantiated by electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealing preferential binding of hTFIIIA to the homologous 5S RNA gene.
Animals↗