Haptoglobin type and liver disease.

The haptoglobin phenotype has been estimated in patients suffering from chronic liver disease (n = 222) and acute hepatitis (n = 59) in comparison with the haptoglobin pattern of a normal population (n = 1726). The frequency of Hp 1-1 was significantly increased in non-alcoholic chronic liver disease (p = 5%; chi 2-test) in contrast to alcoholic disease. The highest incidence of Hp 1-1 occurred in cryptogenic cases (p = 1%). The follow-up of patients suffering from acute hepatitis failed to indicate any relationship between the haptoglobin phenotype and the course of hepatitis. The results suggest that Hp 1-1 is a genetic marker of special kinds of chronic liver diseases.

[Haptoglobin typing in abortion in the 1st trimester]. / Haptoglobintypisierung bei Abortus im I. Trimenon.

The type of haptoglobin was examined in 239 women suffering from hemorrhage in early pregnancy. The distribution of Hp-types in the different forms of abortion was compared with a reference group. A provable significant deviation in distribution of Hp-types could be traced in case of incomplete abortion. The immunological lower reaction capacity in haptoglobin type 1-1 has been discussed.

Metabolic, hormonal, and immunological alterations in subjects with antecedent mumps infection.

Since mumps virus seems to be one of the most likely candidates in viral etiology of insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) we studied the possible relationship of glucose tolerance (75 g oGTT), beta cell function, diabetes associated HLA antigens, haptoglobin phenotype, islet cell antibodies (ICA) and islet cell surface antibodies (ICSA) in 125 subjects with antecedent mumps infection. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was diagnosed in 3.2% (n = 4) but onset of diabetes did not appear within 14 months after mumps infection. There was no relationship between glucose tolerance and complications of antecedent mumps infection (e.g. pancreatitis, meningitis, orchitis). The prevalence rate of ICA was 76%. ICSA were detectable in about 36% of children and 62% of the adults tested (p less than 0.01). There was no relationship between ICA/ICSA and diabetes-associated HLA antigens, haptoglobin phenotype or beta cell function (fasting C-peptide and insulin response to 75 g oGTT). However, adults with circulating ICA were characterized by a significantly lower insulin response to glucose. Fifty two "risk" subjects characterized by IGT, diabetes associated HLA antigen(s), ICA or ICSA either alone or combined were studied again 26 months after mumps infection. No symptomatic diabetes appeared and IGT was diagnosed in one case only. ICA and ICSA persisted in more than 50% of subjects in whom ICA or ICSA were present 14 months after mumps infection. Since the used immunological techniques do not clearly distinguish organ-specific from non-organ-specific antibodies the results must be interpreted with caution. To summarize, the preliminary results do not support a close temporal relationship between mumps infection and the onset of IDDM. The pathogenetic role of mumps virus and ICA/ICSA and their possible relation to a slow progressive beta cell destruction has still to be determined.

Is there a relationship between genetically determined haptoglobin phenotype and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM)?

The possible relationship between genetically determined haptoglobin phenotype and insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM), circulating insulin antibodies and the occurrence of microangiopathy was studied in 144 IDDM. There were no differences regarding the distribution of Hp-phenotypes in 144 patients in comparison with a control population (n = 1726). Irrespective of the Hp-phenotype, the degree and severity of diabetic complications (retinopathy and/or nephropathy) significantly increased with the duration of diabetes. There was no relationship between Hp-phenotype and diabetic microangiopathy (retinopathy, nephropathy). No association existed between Hp-phenotype and the percentage of insulin antibody binding. Regardless of the Hp-phenotype, the insulin antibody concentration decreased with increasing duration of diabetes. Insulin binding parameters (maximum binding capacity and equilibrium dissociation constant) were found to vary considerably with the Hp-phenotypes among IDDM. For a given duration of diabetes the equilibrium dissociation constant increased significantly in the range from Hp 1-1, Hp 2-1 to Hp 2-2 phenotype. There was a direct relationship between the logarithm of the equilibrium dissociation constant and the degree of metabolic control, i.e. the lower the dissociation constant the better the metabolic balance. In conclusion, the results do not provide support for a putative relationship between Hp-phenotype and IDDM. However, differences between insulin binding parameters, in dependence on the Hp-phenotype may be of clinical importance.

[Heme binding by the serum proteins of fish]. / Zur Hämbindung von Serumproteinen bei Fischen.

Starch gel and disc electrophoretical results about heme binding of serum proteins of fishes (Pike, perch, bream) are reported on. Metheme albumin binding and a hemopexin polymorphism could be detected in all species of the fishes. The problems of differentiation between heme and hemoglobin binding are discussed.

[Determination of chlorocholine chloride, diquat and paraquat]. / Nachweis von Chlorcholinchlorid, Diquat und Paraquat.

Chlorocholine chloride, diquate, and paraquate may be precipitated in aqueous solution with sodium tetraphenylborate. The precipitates are soluble in nitromethane and diethylketone. Acid fluxing agents have to be used for thin-layer chromatography with silica gel G.

[Hemoglobin and hem protein complexes in mammal sera. 1. Starch gel electrophoretic studies]. / Häemoglobin- und Häm-Proteinkomplexe in Säugetierseren. 1. Stärkegelelektrophoretische Untersuchungen

In the sera pig, cattle, rabbit and guinea pig, only uniform Hemoglobin-Haptoglobin fraction but several heme-hemopexin fractions, could be demonstrated for each species in starch gel electrophoretic studies. Heme binding by albumin was also observed, though to a varying degree, being most pronounced for the guinea pig. The protection mechanism against hemoglobin and iron losses from the organism of the animals investigated allows far-reaching parallels with that of man.

[Not Available]. / Nachweis von Haptoglobinen und Isoagglutininen im Harn bei diabetischer Angiopathie : Ein Beitrag zur Frage der glomerulären Filtration höhermolekularer Proteine.

The object of this study was that of getting additional insight into the mechanism of proteinuria through analysis of the permeability of the glomerular filter for higher molecular weight proteins in patients with proteinuria resulting from diabetic nephropathy. Fifty hospitalized patients with insulin-requiring diabetes mellitus were selected according to the presence of proteinuria and divided into two groups: group I, with or without only minor symptoms of diabetic angiopathy; group II, with moderate to severe diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy grades 1 to 3. In all patients the urinary excretion of haptoglobins (Hp) and of isoagglutins (IA) was measured, as well as the Hp level in the serum and the overall profile of serum and urine proteins. The results indicate that the urinary excretion of Hp and IA could be correlated to some extent with the severity of diabetic nephropathy, whereas the serum level of Hp failed to exhibit any clear-cut anomalies in the presence of diabetic angiopathy. In patients with severe nephropathy, the albumin/globulin ratio in the urine was increased approximately twofold over that in serum, despite a grossly unaltered profile of serum proteins. These results suggest that the "functional pore size" of the renal filter is increased in diabetic nephropathy, but that the mechanism of proteinuria also involves degradation of serum proteins during passage through the kidney.