Clinical use of a new frameless optical neuronavigation system for brain biopsies: 10 cases (2013-2020).

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the retrospective study was to describe the brain biopsy procedure using a new frameless optical neuronavigation system and to report diagnostic yield and complications associated with the procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records for all dogs with forebrain lesions that underwent brain biopsy with a frameless optical neuronavigation system in a single referral hospital between 2013 and 2020 were retrospectively analysed. Following data were collected: signalment, neurological signs, diagnostic findings, number of brain biopsy samples, sampled region, complications, duration of hospitalisation, whether the samples were diagnostic and histopathological diagnoses. The device consists of a computer workstation with navigation software, an infrared camera, patient tracker and reflective instruments. The biopsy needle was equipped with reflective spheres, so the surgeon could see the position of the needle during sampling the intracranial lesion free handed through a mini-burr hole. RESULTS: Ten dogs were included. Absolute diagnostic yield based on specific histopathological diagnosis was 73.9%. Three dogs had immune-mediated necrotizing encephalitis, two dogs showed a necrotizing leukoencephalitis and two dogs a meningoencephalitis of unknown origin. In two dogs, the brain specimen showed unspecific changes. In one dog, the samples were non-diagnostic. Seven dogs showed no neurological deterioration, one dog mild temporary ataxia and two dogs died within 36 hours post brain biopsy. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: In these 10 dogs, the frameless optical neuronavigation system employed was useful to gain diagnostic brain biopsy samples. Considering the mortality rate observed, further studies are needed to confirm the safety of this procedure and prove its actual clinical effectiveness.

[T-cells regulate the immune-response in allergic rhinitis]. / Die Regulation der Immunantwort bei der allergischen Rhinitis durch T-Lymphozyten.

Allergic diseases show a broad variety of symptoms, depending on the type of allergen and the location where it interacts with the human body. Contact of allergens with the upper respiratory tract result in conjunctivitis or allergic rhinitis. Apart from antigenpresenting cells, T-cells do play an important role in this hypersensibility reaction. Due to the production and secretion of cytokines, T-lymphocytes induce and maintain the corresponding Th-immuneresponse. In addition to regulatory functions, T-cells have potential influence on the chronic progression of allergic inflammatory reactions of the nasal mucosa and are therefore interesting target cells for specific immunotherapy as well as corticosteroid treatment. This article shows the specific function of T-cells during allergic rhinitis and reveals the basics for understanding the mechanism of immunotherapy and chronification of inflammatory allergic diseases of the nasal mucosa.

[Histamine intolerance syndrome. Its significance for ENT medicine]. / Das Histaminintoleranzsyndrom. Seine Bedeutung für die HNO-Heilkunde.

The symptoms of histamine intolerance are similar to those of the IgE-mediated allergic immune response. Patients affected by this disease, mostly middle-aged women, suffer from conditions such as headaches and rhinitis, particularly after consuming histamine-rich foods, indulging in alcoholic beverages, or taking certain pharmaceuticals. Moreover, life-threatening anaphylactic reactions can be observed with this syndrome. This article describes the biochemical processes and cellular background of histamine intolerance syndrome and discusses the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures within otorhinolaryngology. It is our goal to direct attention to this often unrecognized clinical picture and to contribute to increased immunologic knowledge of this disease.

[What are the changes in the nasal mucosa caused by allergic rhinitis?]. / Was passiert bei der allergischen Rhinitis in der Nasenschleimhaut?

Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common illnesses of mankind. It is important to be aware that it is an immunological disease associated with extensive changes in the mucosa of the respiratory tract. The cardinal symptoms are nasal obstruction and/or discharge, as well as itching and sneezing urge. The mechanisms involved are complex and include activation and migration of inflammatory cells, vascular dilatation, increase and changes of glandular activity, activation of nerve endings, onset of a neurogenic inflammation and morphologically demonstrable alterations in the mucosa. All this makes it clear that allergic rhinitis is a disease that has to be taken seriously and treated thoroughly, rather than be treated lightly, as has been the case--perhaps because it is so frequent.

Inhibition of human allergic T-helper type 2 immune responses by induced regulatory T cells requires the combination of interleukin-10-treated dendritic cells and transforming growth factor-beta for their induction.

BACKGROUND: In grass pollen-allergic individuals, T cell anergy can be induced by IL-10-treated dendritic cells (IL-10-DC) resulting in the suppression of T helper type 1 (Th1) as well as Th2 cells. This study was performed to analyse whether such IL-10-DC-treated T cells are able to act as regulatory T cells (Treg) suppressing the function of other T cells in the periphery. As transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta is also a potential inducer of Treg, we additionally analysed the inhibitory capacity of TGF-beta-treated T cells in this system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Freshly isolated CD4+ or CD4+ CD25- T cells from grass pollen-allergic donors were stimulated with autologous mature monocyte-derived allergen-pulsed DC in the presence or absence of T cells previously cultured with IL-10-DC- and/or TGF-beta. RESULTS: Anergic T cells induced by allergen-pulsed IL-10-treated DC or allergen-pulsed DC and TGF-beta enhanced IL-10 production and strongly inhibited IFN-gamma production of freshly prepared peripheral CD4+ or CD4+ CD25- T cells while proliferation and Th2 cytokine production were only slightly reduced. The combination of allergen-pulsed IL-10-treated DC and TGF-beta had an additional effect leading to a significant suppression also of Th2 cytokine production and proliferation. Suppression was not antigen-specific and was mainly mediated by cell-to-cell contact and by the molecule-programmed death-1 and only partially by CTLA-4, TGF-beta and IL-10. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that regulatory T cells that also suppress Th2 cytokine production are induced by two signals: TGF-beta and IL-10-DC. This is of importance for the regulation of allergic immune responses and might be exploited for future therapeutic strategies for allergic diseases.

[Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy with hypertrophy of cervico-thoracal nerve roots in a dog]. / Chronische entzündliche demyelinisierende Polyradikuloneuropathie mit Hypertrophie zerviko-thorakaler Nervenwurzeln beim Hund.

A case of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy in a Magyar Vizsla dame, 7 months of age, is described. The neurological deficits such as movement disorders, hyporeflexia and muscle atrophy, were limited to the front legs. The hypertrophied cervico-thoracal nerve roots could be shown by magnetic resonance imaging. The diagnosis was additionally based on clinical findings, the relapsing course, the good response to therapy with prednisolone, the results of electrodiagnostic workup and muscle and nerve biopsy.

In-medium effects on phase space distributions of antikaons measured in proton-nucleus collisions.

Differential production cross sections of K+/- mesons have been measured in p + C and p + Au collisions at 1.6, 2.5, and 3.5 GeV proton beam energy. At beam energies close to the production threshold, the K- multiplicity is strongly enhanced with respect to proton-proton collisions. According to microscopic transport calculations, this enhancement is caused by two effects: the strangeness exchange reaction NY --> K- NN and an attractive in-medium K- N potential at saturation density.

Observation of different azimuthal emission patterns of K+ and of K- mesons in heavy-ion collisions at 1-2 A GeV.

Azimuthal distributions of pi+, K+, and K- mesons have been measured in Au+Au reactions at 1.5A GeV and Ni+Ni reactions at 1.93 A GeV. In semicentral collisions at midrapidity, pi+ and K+ mesons are emitted preferentially perpendicular to the reaction plane in both collision systems. In contrast for K- mesons in Ni+Ni reactions, an in-plane elliptic flow was observed for the first time at these incident energies.

First evidence for different freeze-out conditions for kaons and antikaons observed in heavy-ion collisions.

Differential production cross sections of K- and K+ mesons have been measured in Ni+Ni and Au+Au collisions at a beam energy of 1.5 A GeV. The K(-)/K(+) ratio is found to be nearly constant as a function of the collision centrality and system size. The spectral slopes and the polar emission pattern differ for K- and K+ mesons. These observations indicate that K+ mesons decouple earlier from the fireball than K- mesons.

Coulomb dissociation of 8B and the low-energy cross section of the 7Be(p,gamma)8B solar fusion reaction.

An exclusive measurement of the Coulomb breakup of 8B into 7Be+p at 254A MeV allowed the study of the angular correlations of the breakup particles. These correlations demonstrate clearly that E1 multipolarity dominates and that E2 multipolarity can be neglected. By using a simple single-particle model for 8B and treating the breakup in first-order perturbation theory, we extract a zero-energy S factor of S17(0)=18.6+/-1.2+/-1.0 eV b, where the first error is experimental and the second one reflects the theoretical uncertainty in the extrapolation.

Evidence for a Soft Nuclear Equation-of-State from Kaon Production in Heavy-Ion Collisions.

The production of pions and kaons has been measured in 197Au+197Au collisions at beam energies from 0.6 to 1.5A GeV with the kaon spectrometer at SIS/GSI. The K+ meson multiplicity per nucleon is enhanced in Au+Au collisions by factors up to 6 relative to C+C reactions, whereas the corresponding pion ratio is reduced. The ratio of the K+ meson excitation functions for Au+Au and C+C collisions increases with decreasing beam energy. This behavior is expected for a soft nuclear equation-of-state.

The occurrence of high-level streptothricin resistance in thermotolerant campylobacters isolated from the slurry of swine and the environment.

This is the first report on the occurrence of streptothricin resistance (MIC > 400 micrograms/ml) in Campylobacter spp. The majority of resistant strains has been typed as C. coli by biotyping and SDS disc electrophoresis of bacterial whole cell proteins. The resistance to streptothricin was strongly connected with resistance to kanamycin (100%) and tetracycline (80%). As an important source of streptothricin-resistant Campylobacter strains we localized slurry of swine previously fed with feed containing streptothricins. Additionally, such strains could also be isolated from river water.

Influence of the anti-inflammatory compound flosulide on granulocyte function.

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) are involved in inflammatory reactions. It is thought that oxygen-derived free radicals released from activated PMN may participate in tissue damage during inflammation. We have shown that flosulide (6-(2,4-difluorophenoxy)-5-methylsulfonylamino-1-indanone ), a novel highly potent anti-inflammatory compound, inhibits superoxide production induced by N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (FMLP), C5a and PMA without impairing bacterial killing or chemotaxis. Flosulide (10(-5)-10(-7) M) was more potent in inhibiting the FMLP-induced respiratory burst of PMN than the structurally related compound nimesulide. FMLP-induced superoxide generation was also inhibited by two human flosulide metabolites. A good correlation between this in vitro effect and in vivo anti-inflammatory potency in rat adjuvant arthritis was found for flosulide and its metabolites. Indomethacin, piroxicam and ibuprofen did not inhibit the respiratory burst at 10(-5) M. FMLP receptor number was decreased by 36% in the presence of 10(-5) M flosulide. However, a 250-fold molar excess of flosulide could not displace labeled FMLP from the receptor. Inhibition of degranulation of primary and secondary granules was a common effect of all anti-inflammatory compounds tested. At a concentration of 10(-5) M, all drugs inhibited degranulation to about the same degree, independent of their in vivo anti-inflammatory activity.

In vitro studies on long-term stability of R plasmids in Escherichia coli K12.

The maintenance and stability in an E. coli K12 host of environmental isolates of R plasmids encoding gentamicin resistance during multiple passages in antibiotic-free and antibiotic-containing broth were investigated in regard to the conferred resistance phenotypes and the respective EcoRI digestion patterns. Only two plasmids belonging to the IncM group maintained stable endonuclease digestion patterns over a 15-month period in both of the media applied. Other members of this group revealed a considerable variability in their EcoRI digestion patterns, but a stability in their resistance determinants. Two IncM plasmids and an IncK plasmid exhibited partial resistance loss under nonselective conditions. The complete segregation of resistance determinants from IncOF plasmids resulted in a stably maintained cryptic core plasmid.

A new metabolite of diclofenac sodium in human plasma.

1. Among the phenolic metabolites of diclofenac in human plasma, an unknown compound (metabolite VI) was detected by h.p.l.c. and g.c. methods. This was also found in baboon plasma. 2. Metabolite VI was identified as 3'-hydroxy-4'-methoxy diclofenac by mass and n.m.r. spectroscopic analysis. Comparison with synthetic reference compound confirmed its structure. 3. In plasma, metabolite VI persists much longer than do unchanged diclofenac and the other phenolic metabolites. In urine, metabolite VI and its conjugates are excreted in trace amounts only. 4. A synthetic sample of metabolite VI was shown to be virtually inactive in animal models of inflammation and pain.

[Isolation and characterization of gentamicin resistance plasmids of coliform bacteria from the waste water of a water treatment plant]. / Isolierung und Charakterisierung von Gentamicinresistenzplasmiden koliformer Bakterien aus dem Abwasser einer Kläranlage.

Gentamicin resistance coliforms detected continuously in raw and purified waste water samples of a sewage treatment plant made up less than 0.1% of all coliforms. 43.9%; 31.4%; 13.3% and 11.3% of gentamicin-resistant coliforms were identified as Enterobacter, E. coli, Klebsiella and Citrobacter, respectively. R plasmids encoding a gentamicin resistance phenotype were isolated and characterized. They range between 55 and 60 MD in size and belong to 3 incompatibility groups (IncOF, IncM, IncK). Using restriction endonucleolytic digestion of plasmids, they could be further characterized and subtyped. In contrast to moderate molecular alterations observed among the IncM plasmids, the IncOF plasmids reveal a high stability of restriction pattern. This IncOF plasmid was predominantly found in E. coli wild strains and detected continuously.