Experimentally Assessed Reactive Aggression in Borderline Personality Disorder.

Approximately 73% of patients suffering from Borderline personality disorder (BPD) exhibit aggressive behaviour, which severely hinders therapeutic work and clinical improvement. Because the underlying mechanisms of aggression in BPD are not yet completely understood, additional research in this domain has a high clinical and scientific relevance. We employed a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (mTAP), in order to examine for the first time whether this task can be used to differentiate between BPD patients and healthy controls with regard to reactive aggression.

Are morphological changes necessary to mediate the therapeutic effects of electroconvulsive therapy?

The neurotrophic hypothesis has become the favorite model to explain the antidepressant properties of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). It is based on the assumption that a restoration of previously defective neural networks drives therapeutic effects. Recent data in rather young patients suggest that neurotrophic effects of ECT might be detectable by diffusion tensor imaging.

Subtle cognitive deficits in severe alcohol addicts--do they show a specific profile?

Although alcohol dependency is a burden to society, data on cognitive performance in therapy-resistant patients after multiple withdrawals are poor. In this study, 22 patients without reported cognitive deficits and 20 control subjects performed extensive cognitive testing and a motor task assessing short-term memory. Patients displayed subtle deficits (mainly in executive function), while memory functions were relatively unimpaired.

[Ultrasonic diagnosis of liver diseases].

Sonography has become widely used in the diagnosis of liver diseases. Fatty infiltration of the liver (adiposis hepatica), hepatic cirrhosis, cysts, metastases and tumors can be reliably diagnosed. A valid differentiation between benign and malignant new growths, however, can only be obtained by cytologic and histologic techniques.

Encapsulation of liver microsomes--a further procedure for detoxication.

Due to their partial permeability and their good mechanical properties, the symplex capsules are technically suited for an application in extracorporal detoxification. By this newly developed procedure the activity of encapsulated enzymes is considerably increased; thus, application for extracorporal detoxification seems to be advisable.

[An improved method for the microencapsulation of liver microsomes for use in extracorporeal detoxication].

Rat liver microsomes were microencapsulated in a pure aqueous medium by means of a new technique. The wall of the microcapsules consists of a semipermeable simplex membrane which is stabilized mainly by electrostatic interactions between a polymeric polyanion (sodium cellulose sulphate) and a polymeric polycation (polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride). The metabolic as well as the mechanic parameters of the microcapsules could be markedly improved by separating the metabolic (liver microsomes) from the membrane component (sodium cellulose sulphate) in such a way that two distinct compartments are formed during the preparation of the microcapsules.

[Ultrasound-controlled percutaneous puncture of pancreatic pseudocysts].

The puncture of pancreatic pseudocysts with the help of ultrasound is an attempt of treatment without putting too much strain on the patient. In a number of cases a definitive emptying of cysts is successful so that a surgical intervention with application of an interior drainage can be avoided. Of 4 male patients of medium age treated 2 were successfully to be treated.

[Gastroesophageal reflux--cause of hemorrhaging esophageal varices?].

The results of the examinations do not depend on the peptic theory of the haemorrhage of the oesophageal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis, since the relative frequency of reflux troubles and of gastrooesophageal reflux in patients with liver cirrhosis and haemorrhage of the oesophageal varices was not found greater than in patients with liver cirrhosis and oesophageal varices without haemorrhage as well as the combination of reflux oesophagitis and oesophageal varices was rarely to be observed in the endoscopic material.

Levamisole therapy in chronic hepatitis--results of a multicentric double blind trial.

The effectiveness of levamisole in the immunmodulatory treatment of chronic hepatitis was assessed in a multicentric double blind trial. Twenty patients received in the first week 50 mg, in the second 100 mg and thereafter 150 mg, levamisole on two days every week for 6 months, 20 others received a placebo. Five patients dropped out (non-compliance 1, pregnancy 1, adverse effects 3).

[A new procedure for the revision and reposition of functionless peritoneal dialysis catheters].

The most important requirement for satisfactory transperitoneal dialysis is faultless functioning of the Tenckhoff catheter. Suddenly occurring functional disturbances are often caused by wrong positioning and by envelopment of the catheter by tissue, which require surgical correction. A technique for successfully locating and replacing a transperitoneal catheter by means of an operation laparoscope is described.

[Behaviour of ujoviridin exposure test (ICG) in conjunction with application of hormonal contraceptives (author's transl)].

The effects of Ovosiston, Non-Ovlon, Anacyclin, Eugynon, and Deposiston, all oral hormonal contraceptives, on 75 women in fertile age and on the half-life of Ujoviridin (ICG - indocyanine green) were studied prior to treatment as well as late in the second, sixth, and twelfth cycles of treatment. ICG half-life was found to be extended in the adaptation phase only in response to Deposiston. ICG is recommended for time-related diagnosis of liver changes in women on hormonal contraceptives.

Consumptive coagulopathy during the Bromsulphalein test--indocyanine green as an alternative.

Liver function tests involving the use of Bromsulphalein can lead to hemolysis and consequent DIC. Latent forms can be detected by means of fibrinolytic degradation products and reduction in the number of leukocytes containing acid mucopolysaccharides of the heparin type, together with an increase in the total leukocyte count as a sign of stress. In comparisons between the bromsulphalein and indocyanine green tests, these parameters have sho4n that liver function tests using indocyanine green are harmless.

The analysis of stain loading tests for the assessment of the liver function.

Stain loading curves are analysed by discriminant analysis. In this multivariate statistical method, the stain concentrations measured in the blood at defined intervals after injection are regarded as measurement vectors.

Studies on liver function under the influence of oral contraceptives.

The effects of two sequential therapies using mestranol as an estrogen and chlormadinone acetate and norethisterone acetate, respectively, as a gestagen on the aminotransferase (GOT and GPT), alkaline phosphatase and alpha-amylase activities, the cholesterol, total bilirubin and total protein contents and the indocyanine green (Ujoviridin, VEB Chemiekombinat Bitterfeld) half-life were studied in two groups, each comprising 12 women of fertile age. The serum protein was separated by paper electrophoresis and both the thymol turbidity and zinc sulphate tests were performed during the first treatment cycle. An estrogen-induced rise in alanine aminotransferase (GPT) activity from 6.

[Liver function studies under the influence of hormonal contraceptives (sequential preparations)].

20 fertile women who were treated with mestranol as oestrogen and both gestagenes chlormadinonacetate and norethisteronacetate were investigated. Alkaline phosphatase, ASAT, ALAT, alpha-amylase, cholesterol, bilirubin, serumproteins, indocyanine green half time, paper electrophoresis of serumproteins, thymol and zinc sulfate turbidity tests were examined during the first therapy cycle. Elevation of ALAT activity (6,3 I U/l to 12,14 u/l) was found during treatment with mestranol/chlormadinonacetate.

[Liver function studies under the effect of 4 sequential hormonal contraceptives].

During the first cycle of treatment the influence of four forms of sequence therapy with mestranol and ethinyl estradiol as estrogen and the two gestagens chlormadinone acetate and norethisteron acetate in women at fertile age was examined for the aminotransferases (GOT and GPT), the activity of alkaline phosphatase and alpha-amylase, for the cholesterol, total bilirubin and total protein content of the serum and for the half-life period of indocyanine green. Under the application of mestranol/chlormadinon acetate an estrogen-induced increase of the activity of the alanine aminotransferase (GPT) from 6.38 units/l to 12.

[Assessment of liver function using indocyanine green (Ujoviridin) during normal pregnancy, during labor and in puerperium].

Indocyaningreen (ICG) was given for the characterize of the excretion function of the liver during the course of normal pregnancy, sub partu and post partum. Studies were performed in 168 primi- and multigravidas with normal medical and obstetric histories (mean age of 23,5 years). 0,5 mg ICG/kg body mass were injected intravenously as a bolus.

[Behavior of heparinocytes and fibrinolytic degradation products under sulfobromophthalein or indocyanine green in patients with liver diseases or persons with healthy liver].

Due to a slight haemooysis after the application of bromsulphalein an intravasal coagulation with reduction of the number of heparinocytes and an increase of fibrinolytic split products develops. These changes are to be observed in the vast majority of tests, also in such cases where no clinical signs of an incompatibility appear. Indocyanine-green does not cause these severe disturbances of coagulation.

[Correlations between chronic liver diseases and periodontal diseases with special reference to animal experiments].

The purpose of the present paper was to investigate possible relationships between chronic liver diseases and marginal periodontal diseases, using clinical and radiographic methods as well as animal experiments. The periodontal conditions of 100 patients with histologically confirmed chronic hepatopathies were compared with those in a control group of same size. The results of these studies testify unequivocally to unfavourable conditions in the group of hepatopaths.

[Liver function tests under the influence of sequential treatment using ethinyl estradiol-norethisterone acetate and ethinyl estradiol-chlormadinone acetate].

30 young healthy women were investigated during the first therapy cycle with ethinyl-estradiol-norethisterone acetate and ethinyl-estradiol-chlormadinone acetate as a sequential regime. The following laboratory data were achieved by each of the investigated group of young women: serum aminotransferase (GOT and GPT), serum alkaline phosphatase and alpha-amylase-activity in serum, serum proteins, serum cholesterol, serum bilirubin, serum ZST, serum TTT and the indocyaningreen-clearance of the liver. The serum protein pattern was determined by the paper electrophoretic method.

[Liver function tests after a 6-month deposiston therapy].

18 women were treated with Deposition (4th, 11th and 18th cycle day each 1 mg 17alpha-Ethynyl-3isopropylsulfonyloxy-Estradiol, 25th cycle day 10 mg norethisterone acetate). When these medicines were taken the activities of aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase and alpha-amylase, the contents cholesterol, total bilirubin and proteins of the serum and the paperelectric solution, TTT and indocyanine green half worth time. A little significant decrease of the activity of alaninamino-transferase (GPT) was to be stated.