[Dyspnea and skin rash in a 49-year-old male patient]. / Dyspnoe und Hautausschlag bei einem 49-jährigen Patienten.

We report on the case of a 49-year-old man who presented with increasing dyspnea and a skin rash. The community-acquired pneumonia was initially treated with broad spectrum antibiotics. The patient's respiratory condition rapidly worsened and the clinical picture of Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome developed with disseminated intravasal coagulopathy and necrosis of the toes. An infection with Capnocytophaga canimorsus, which had been caused by an initially unmentioned dog bite was confirmed. In view of the fulminant course and the high risk of operative treatment of the ubiquitous necroses in all limbs, a joint decision for deescalation of therapy was made together with relatives. The patient died 14 days after admission to hospital.

[Retrospective analysis of neurological patients on a medical intensive care unit]. / Retrospektive Analyse der Versorgung neurologischer Patienten einer internistischen Intensivstation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate number and kind of neurological patients in comparison with other patients on a medical ICU. METHODS: Over a period of one year, all neurological intensive care patients on a medical ICU were evaluated according to age, sex, diagnosis, mortality, diagnostic methods, ventilation and referral to other hospitals and general wards. RESULTS: Comparable to a specialist neurological ICU a wide spectrum of neurological diseases could be observed on an interdisciplinary ICU. In comparison to other patient groups, patients with neurological disease had a higher rate of ventilation, a longer hospital stay and a higher mortality. CONCLUSION: Our data also demonstrate the relevant amount of neurological patients (19 % measured by bed assignment) in comparison to all patients, and the specific neurological procedures were applicable on a medical/interdisciplinary ICU. A higher interest for neurological patient on a medical ICU would therefore be essential.

Fibrinogen Mannheim II: a novel gamma307 His-->Tyr substitution in the gammaD domain causes hypofibrinogenemia.

BACKGROUND: In recent years it has become clear that the molecular investigation of hypofibrinogenemia provides unique insight into regions of the fibrinogen molecule that are important in molecular assembly, secretion and stability. OBJECTIVES: To investigate a case of hypofibrinogenemia at the molecular level. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on a 37-year-old woman from Mannheim, Germany, who had an antigenic plasma fibrinogen concentration of 0.86 g L(-1). Mutation screening was performed by DNA sequencing and the effect of the identified mutation was investigated at the protein level. RESULTS: Analysis of exon 8 of the fibrinogen gamma gene identified a heterozygous CAT-->TAT transition at codon 307. This novel His-->Tyr substitution was not detected when plasma fibrinogen was analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The mutation predicts a mass increase of 26 Da in the gamma chain, but purified gamma chains had a normal mass, indicating non-expression of the gamma(Tyr307) chain in plasma fibrinogen. CONCLUSIONS: This work reports a novel gamma307 His-->Tyr mutation (fibrinogen Mannheim II) that causes hypofibrinogenemia. Crystal structures show that His307 is located immediately adjacent to three residues that have been implicated in fibrin polymerization at the D:D interface. However, the histidine residue appears critical in maintaining structure of the fibrinogen gammaD domain, rather than in determining function.

Coagulopathy after snake bite by Bothrops neuwiedi: case report and results of in vitro experiments.

Coagulation studies were performed in a patient who had been bitten by a snake of the species Bothrops neuwiedi. The patient presented with hemorrhagic necrosis at the envenomization site and considerable bleeding from venous puncture sites. He developed a severe defibrination syndrome with a clottable fibrinogen level of approximately 0.1 g/l. Fibrinogen was not measurable by clotting time assay. Fibrin degradation products were greatly elevated. Treatment with antivenom caused an anaphylactic reaction within ten minutes and serum sickness after three days. In vitro experiments revealed that B. neuwiedi venom directly activates Factors II and X, but does not activate Factor XIII. In vivo consumption of Factor XIII after B. neuwiedi envenomization is ascribed to the action of Factor IIa. At low venom concentrations clotting is initiated by activation of prothrombin by the venom either directly or via Factor X activation. Treatment with heparin might be beneficial in coagulopathy secondary to snake bite by reducing circulating active thrombin. The venom contains thrombin-like proteases which cause slow clotting of fibrinogen, and plasmin-like components causing further proteolysis of fibrinogen and fibrin. Antivenom has no effect on the proteolytic action of the snake venom. The in vivo effects of antivenom are presumably caused by acceleration of the elimination of venom components from the circulation. Intravenous administration of antivenom caused normalization of blood coagulation parameters within 48 h.

Impaired fibrinolytic capacity and tissue plasminogen activator release in patients with restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).

To assess the role of the fibrinolytic system in the pathogenesis of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), we determined the components of this system in a retrospective study, including 16 patients with restenosis (gr. A) and 19 patients with long-term success (gr. B). In both groups at baseline fibrinolytic activity (FA) is unchanged, whereas tissue plasminogen activator antigen (tPA-Ag) is significantly increased (gr. A: 147.0%; gr. B: 139.8%; p less than 0.01). Fibrinolytic capacity (FC) and tPA-Ag release are significantly reduced in the restenosis group (FC: 46.5%, p less than 0.05; tPA-Ag release: 48.3%, p less than 0.01) compared to normal controls as well as to gr. B (FC: 84.3%, p less than 0.05; tPA-Ag release: 79.0%, p less than 0.05). Relating to the contact activation system, F XII (79.5%, p less than 0.05) is significantly, and F XI (82.3%) is clearly reduced in gr. A. Protein C (PC) is significantly elevated in gr. B (117.5%, p less than 0.05). There is a negative correlation between plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI 1) and HDL-cholesterol (r = 0.37, p less than 0.05). It appears, that there is a typical pattern of defective fibrinolysis in patients with restenosis after PTCA and that this might be a pathogenetic factor in the development of restenosis.

[Malignant tumor-like abdominal lymphoma in Whipple's disease]. / Malignomähnliche abdominelle Lymphome bei Morbus Whipple.

A 43-year-old man had severe upper abdominal pain and weight loss of 8 kg for over three months. He underwent a laparotomy because, computed tomography having revealed numerous mesenteric and para-aortic lymph nodes, a malignant lymphoma was suspected. Histological examination of a mesenteric lymph node demonstrated exclusively extraintestinal Whipple's disease. The symptoms completely disappeared after the administration of 1.2 mega U penicillin G and 1 g streptomycin daily for 14 days, followed by twice daily 160 mg trimethoprim and 800 mg sulphamethoxazole.

Shock-induced alterations in hemostasis.

The major constituents of the hemostatic potential, i.e., platelets and the plasma factors of coagulation and fibrinolysis, guarantee the integrity of the vessel wall and provide effective hemostasis in case of vascular damage. The equilibrium between anticoagulant and procoagulant forces which is essential for the maintenance of the fluidity of blood is controlled by inhibitors, the fibrinolytic system, and the clearance of activated components by the reticuloendothelial system. The proper function of this humoral balance is essentially dependent on hemodynamic factors such as adequate circulation and capillary perfusion.

Fibrinolysis inhibition in acute respiratory distress syndrome.

To evaluate the availability of the fibrinolytic system in patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS, induced by septicemia or trauma, the following parameters were analysed: fibrinogen, FG, antithrombin III, AT III, plasma prekallikrein, PPK, plasminogen, PG, alpha 2-antiplasmin, alpha 2-AP, alpha 2-macroglobulin, alpha 2-MG, urokinase-inhibitor, UK-I, streptokinase-inhibitor, SK-I, C1-inhibitor, C1-I, alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 1-AT, and fibrinogen-fibrin degradation products, FDP. Survivors and non-survivors of septicemia induced ARDS showed a characteristic feature: marked increase of FG and pronounced decrease of AT III and PPK in the coagulation system; concerning the fibrinolytic system a decrease of PG, alpha 2-AP and alpha 2-MG as well as an increase of inhibitors of PG-activators (PG-antiactivators) UK-I, SK-I, C1-I and alpha 1-AT; the FDP-titer was elevated. This constellation of parameters is interpreted as indicative of a marked procoagulant stimulation rendering the organism a state of hypercoagulability coinciding with a diminished availability of the fibrinolytic system, due to exhaustion of the fibrinolytic potential and increase of PG-antiactivators. In the trauma group initially the rise of FG, SK-I, C1-I and alpha 1-AT is absent independent of the outcome, but develops with progression of the disease. As ARDS is more frequently associated with septicemia, diminished availability of the fibrinolytic system simultaneously with increased procoagulant stimulation may be a particular pathophysiologic mechanism in the pathogenesis of ARDS.