Sarcoidosis and tuberculosis: a connection to the human leukocyte antigen system.

Infectious, genetic factors, and autoimmunity have been considered as potential causes of sarcoidosis (SA). Pathological similarities between SA and tuberculosis (TB) suggest M. tuberculosis antigen(s) as causative agent(s).

Changed phagocytic activity and pattern of Fcγ and complement receptors on blood monocytes in sarcoidosis.

We have recently revealed that mycobacterial heat shock proteins (Mtb-hsp), involved in forming of immune complexes (CIs), can induce immune response in sarcoidosis (SA). The complexemia may result from inappropriate phagocytosis and clearance of CIs by monocytes with following persistent antigenemia and granuloma formation. Because an aberrant expression of receptors for Fc fragment of immunoglobulin G (FcγR) and complement receptors (CR) on monocytes can be involved in this process, we have evaluated the expression of FcγRI (CD64), FcγRII (CD32), FcγRIII (CD16) and CR1 (CD35), CR3 (CD11b), CR4 (CD11c) receptors on blood CD14(+) monocytes and its phagocytic activity in 24 patients with SA and 20 healthy volunteers using flow cytometry.

[The short- and long-term motivational effects of a patient education programme for patients with coronary artery bypass grafting].

Purpose: An important rehabilitation aim following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is to modify cardiovascular risk factors positively. Among the most potent possibilities for improvement of these factors is a lifestyle change in terms of increasing sports exercise, changing diet patterns, stress reduction, etc. An indispensable condition for these changes is the motivation to implement the necessary changes.

[Nisoldipine in the treatment of essential hypertension. Efficacy and tolerance].

The antihypertensive effect after a single dose of one tablet of Nisoldilpine (Bay k 5552) containing 5 mg, 10 mg or 20 mg respectively, was tested in a double-blind cross-over trial with intra-individual comparison on 60 patients with stable essential hypertension. Mean age was 51.6 +/- 7.

Four years of experience in endomyocardial biopsy--an immunohistologic approach.

Left ventricular biopsies from 376 patients (including 78 patients undergoing bypass surgery) were analyzed by light microscopy (necrosis, infiltration with or without fibrosis) and by immunohistology (bound antibodies). Circulating antisarcolemmal antibodies (ASA) were determined at the time of biopsy using a double-sandwich technique. Circulating antimyolemmal antibodies were assessed in intact rat and human cardiocytes.

Diagnostic relevance of humoral and cytotoxic immune reactions in primary and secondary dilated cardiomyopathy.

Circulating muscle-specific antimyolemmal antibodies (AMLAs) were found in 18 of 61 patients with secondary dilated cardiomyopathy (DC). All 18 patients had clinical or histologic evidence of previous perimyocarditis. AMLAs were found both in patients' serum samples and bound to the sarcolemmal sheath of the autologous myocardial biopsy specimen.

Effect of intravenous and intracoronary nifedipine on coronary blood flow and myocardial oxygen consumption.

The effect of intravenous and intracoronary nifedipine on coronary sinus blood flow, coronary vascular resistance, and myocardial oxygen consumption was studied in 20 patients with coronary artery disease. An intravenous infusion of 1.0 mg nifedipine resulted in a decrease in mean aortic pressure, an increase in heart rate and coronary blood flow, and no significant change in myocardial, oxygen consumption.

[Effect of nitroglycerin on the heart].

Nitroglycerin injection into the left coronary artery triggers an increase of ionized Ca concentration in coronary sinus blood. This coincides with a significant dilatation of the coronary artery and a decrease in left ventricular contractility. According to the results of the investigation it seems to be possible that nitroglycerin stimulates the Ca-ion efflux from the smooth muscle cells and the myocytes.

[Effect of intracoronary nifedipine on coronary sinus blood flow and myocardial oxygen consumption in patients with coronary artery disease].

Unlabelled: Reflex sympathetic nerve activation obscures the direct myocardial effect of Nifedipine after intravenous administration. Consequently, in 10 patients with coronary artery disease 0.1 mg of Nifedipine were injected into the left coronary artery to evaluate its specific effect on coronary sinus blood flow (CSF), coronary vascular resistance (CVR), and myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2).

[Thrombolytic therapy in a case of mitral valve thrombosis (author's transl)].

In this paper we present a case in which thrombolytic treatment with Streptokinase was successful in a 53-year-old patient, who developed valve thrombosis one year after aortic and mitral-valve replacement by Björk-Shiley tilding-disk-valve prosthesis. The patient suffered from pulmonary congestion and cardiogenic shock. In spite of Arterenol infusion the blood pressure fell down to 90/50 mm Hg.

[Transfemoral embolus aspiration from both renal arteries].

In a 50-year-old female patient who had suffered from coronary heart disease for about 3 years, a cerebral embolus resulted in left-sided hemiparesis. Four days later she became anuric. Acute thromboembolis occlusion of the renal arteries was assumed and renal angiography was performed.

[Heart tumour in the right atrium: clinical recognition and therapeutical management (author's transl)].

A 62 year old lady came to the hospital in cause of right heart failure. Right and left heart catheterization and cineangiocardiography revealed a tumour in the right atrium. Further angiographic investigations demonstrated a hypernephroma in the left kidney.

[Mitral valve replacement in large hearts (author's transl)].

Of 61 patients with mitral valve defects operated on, 9 had a heart with an external volume of more than 1700 ml. Five of these patients died, four are still alive today. Three patients from the group with an external heart volume between 1247 ml and 1700 ml died, and in the group of patients with an external heart volume of less than 1247 ml no patient has died as yet.

Arteriosclerotic coronary arterial aneurysms in a 49-year-old man with crescendo angina: family history, natural course and prevalence.

In a 49-year-old man with crescendo angina, elevated serum cholesterol level and an old posterior myocardial infarction, selective coronary arteriography showed multiple arteriosclerotic aneurysms of the right coronary artery associated with extensive and severe arteriosclerotic disease of the left coronary artery. The patient's mother and brother have both died of a myocardial infarction. Another brother suffers from angina and has documented arteriosclerotic coronary artery disease.

[Coronary arteriography in threatened myocardial infarction. Performance and results (author's transl)].

Within 12 months, 315 coronary arteriographies were performed by the Sones-technique. There were no deaths. 6 of these patients with impending infarction were investigated as out-patients.

[A new method of transseptal levocardiography].

Perforations of the left atrial or ventricular wall and extravasations of contrast medium during transseptal left heart catheterization or angiocardiography can be eliminated by replacing the routinely used transseptal catheters with Pigtail-catheters. With 2.8% minor complications without sequelas in 181 successful studies, transseptal angiocardiography of the left heart through Pigtail-catheters is not only less hazardous than injections through the transseptal catheters employed up to now, but bears even less risk than direct retrograde injection into the left ventricle.