A Case of Neonatal Neutropenia Due to Anti-Fc Gamma Receptor IIIb Isoantibodies Treated with Recombinant Human Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor

Alloimmunization to granulocyte-specific antigens can occur during pregnancy. Maternal antibodies of IgG class can cross the placenta to result in alloimmune neonatal neutropenia. Antibodies to human neutrophil antigens anti-HNA-1a, HNA-1b, and HNA-2a have been most commonly reported to cause alloimmune neonatal neutropenia. Isoantibodies to Fc gamma RIIIb (CD16) if mother is a HNA-null phenotype are rarely involved in neonatal neutropenia. We report on a case of severe neutropenia (440 neutrophils/μL) due to anti-Fc gamma RIIIb (CD16) isoimmunization. On day 14 severe omphalitis developed, which was treated for 7 days by an antibiotic (ceftriaxone in a dose of 80 mg/kg/d) according to umbilical swab finding. Omphalitis persisted for 10 days in spite of antibiotic therapy and only resolved upon the introduction of rhG-CSF therapy. Therapy with rh-GCSF proved efficient and led to neutrophil count increase to 1970/μL and cure of omphalitis. However, therapeutic effect on granulocyte count was of transient nature, as granulocyte count fell to 760 n/μL on day 4 of therapy discontinuation. Neutropenia persisted for 2 months. The newborn was discharged from the hospital on day 26 with normal clinical status with clinical and laboratory control examinations at 2-week intervals. No additional infections were observed during the course of neutropenia

Elevated levels of numerous cytokines in drainage fluid after primary total hip arthroplasty

As cytokines are involved in wound healing and other inflammatory processes, it could be valuable to measure their levels at the operative site. This study was conducted to investigate whether different cytokines are measurable in drainage fluid and, when measurable, whether we can find a difference in cytokine levels between one and six hours postoperatively. Samples from the drainage system in 30 consecutive patients undergoing primary total hip replacement were collected at one and six hours after closure of the wound. Levels of several cytokines were measured in the drainage fluids. A significant elevation of almost all cytokines was observed between the sample after one hour and six hours postoperatively. We found a strong correlation between the different pro-inflammatory cytokines. The IL-6 to IL-10 ratio were also raised, showing a pro-inflammatory predominance. Levels were much higher than those previously shown in serum

Archäometrische Untersuchungen von Grobkeramik aus römerzeitlichen Siedlungsgebieten der Steiermark und des Burgenlandes

Die Grobkeramik der römischen Epoche wird allgemein als vor Ort produziertes Produkt angesehen; jedoch kommt in letzter Zeit, durch starke optische Ähnlichkeiten der Keramikfunde unterschiedlicher Fundstellen die Idee auf, dass auch Grobkeramik in Herstellungszentren produziert und dann vertrieben worden sein könnte. Diese Vermutung wird auch für die Grobkeramik des ersten und zweiten Jahrhunderts der fünf römerzeitlichen Fundorte Gleisdorf, Hörbing, Retznei, Saazkogel und Sankt Martin an der Raab angestellt, die im Zuge der Arbeit mittels mineralogischer und chemischer Analysen (CL, FTIR, MS, OM, RFA, XRD) näher untersucht wurden.Es konnte dabei in Verbindung mit den vorhandenen archäologischen Informationen erste konkretere Annahmen bezüglich der Herkunft der Grobkeramik dieser Region gemacht werden.Die Ergebnisse lassen auf zumindest drei Herstellungsorte der untersuchten Grobkeramik schließen: einen in Hörbing, einen für Retznei, möglichweise in Flavia Solva, und einen für die restlichen Fundstellen, wobei es sich dabei um Gleisdorf handeln könnte.Des Weiteren konnte festgestellt werden, dass es für jede Gefäßform (Becher, Dolium und Dreifußschüssel) anscheinend eine einheitlich gültige Rezeptur gegeben haben dürfte, und die Keramik fast ausschließlich reduzierend bei einer Temperatur zwischen 700 und 800 C gebrannt wurde.Konkretere Aussagen über die postulierten Herstellungsorte benötigen noch weitere Untersuchungen, vor allem in Hinblick auf die verwendeten Tonlagerstätten.In general, coarse pottery of the roman period is meant to be produced at the place where it was used, but lately the idea, mostly based on the optical similarity of the potteries, grows that even those ceramics got produced in own centers specialized on coarse ware and were traded similar to fine ware.This assumption is postulated for coarse ceramics of the first and second century of the roman sites Gleisdorf, Hörbing, Retznei, Saazkogel and Sankt Martin an der Raab, which were analyzed more closely with mineralogical and chemical methods (CL, EMPA, FTIR, OM, XRD, XRF).In combination with the available archaeological information first assumptions regarding to the provenience of the analyzed shards could be finalized. So the evaluation shows, that there were at least three different production places in the time of the first and second century for roman coarse ware in the region: one in Hörbing, one for Retznei, maybe in Flavia Solva, and one for the others, possibly in Gleisdorf.Moreover, it can be noted that there had to be one standardized receipt for each ceramic type (cup, dolium and tripod bowl) and that all the ceramics was fired under reduced conditions at a temperature between 700 and 800 degrees Celsius.For more specific statements about the possibility of the postulated production centers there is the need of some more analysis, especially of the probably used clay deposits.Arbeit an der Bibliothek noch nicht eingelangt - Daten nicht geprüftAbweichender Titel laut Übersetzung des Verfassers/der VerfasserinKarl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Masterarbeit, 2019(VLID)381974

Die römische Siedlung Deutschlandsberg (KG Hörbing und Leibenfeld). Gesamtvorlage der Befunde der Grabungen der Jahre 1988 2017 sowie der Funde des Jahres 2005

Die bearbeiteten Befunde und Funde der römischen Siedlung im Bereich der heutigen Stadt Deutschlandsberg (KG Hörbing und Leibenfeld) zeigen eine einfach gehaltene wahrscheinlich von der (späten) Latènezeit und bis in das 4./5. Jh. bewohnte Holzbausiedlung, die sich von der Laßnitz zum Hörbingbach und vermutlich nach Westen bis zu den Ausläufen der Koralm und nach Süden tief ins Leibenfeld erstreckt haben dürfte.Es hat sich dabei höchstwahrscheinlich um eine relativ autonome Handwerkersiedlung gehandelt, die möglicherweise einen Bergbauschwerpunkt besaß, was durch die Nähe zur Koralm sowie den Befund eines Eisenverhüttungsplatzes angenommen werden kann. Die Autonomie der Siedlung kann auch durch 3 Töpferöfen belegt werden, was bis dato in der Forschung beinahe einen Einzelfall darstellt, wenn auch immer von lokaler Keramikproduktion ausgegangen wird.Trotz der recht einfach und vermutlich wenig romanisierten, sehr einheimisch und traditionell anzunehmenden Lebensweise der Bewohner, dürfte die Ansiedlung in Deutschlandsberg, im Vergleich zu anderen Siedlungen dieser Art, durch das Rohstoffvorkommen in der Koralm eine leicht gehobene Stellung besessen haben interpretiert man die gefundenen Überreste einer gut befestigten Straße im Laßnitztal im Angesicht der Tatsache, dass das Tal bei Deutschlandsberg endet, als Transportweg von der Siedlung zur nächsten römischen Handelsroute. Wobei eine weiterführende Verbindung von Deutschlandsberg in das benachbarte Sulmtal ebenso im Bereich der Möglichkeiten läge, was die Lage des Hügelgräberfeldes erklären würde.Um die aufgestellten Hypothesen zu stärken und zu verifizieren ist aber noch mehr Forschungsarbeit nötig; auch um weitere Aussagen über die Strukturierung und die räumliche Ausdehnung der Siedlung machen zu können.Es gelang jedoch immerhin, sämtliche bisher vorliegenden nur sehr verstreut publizierten archäologischen Daten zu der Siedlung zu erfassen und diese in das römerzeitliche Siedlungsgefüge einzugliedern.The treated features and findings of the Roman settlement in todays town Deutschlandsberg (KG Hörbing and Leibenfeld) show a simple wooden construction settlement, probably inhabited from the late LaTène period up until the 4th/5th cent. that stretched from the Laßnitz to the stream Hörbingbach and presumably to the West, up to the outfall of the Koralm, and to the South, deep into Leibenfeld. The village was, in all likelihood, a relatively autonomous craftsmen settlement that possibly focussed on mining. This assumption is made based on its proximity to the Koralm, as well as the discovery of an iron smelting site.The autonomy of the settlement can also be proved by 3 pottery kilns, what is to date almost an isolated case in research, although there is always the assumption of local pottery production.Despite the simple and presumptively only marginally Romanised, very indigenous and presumably traditional lifestyle of the inhabitants, the settlement in Deutschlandsberg, compared to similar settlements, most likely enjoyed a somewhat elevated status, given by the mineral resources of the Koralm. This theory is based on the idea that, even though the valley ends at Deutschlandsberg, the discovered remains of a well-built road in Laßnitz valley were originally a transport route from the settlement to the closest Roman trade route. It is also possible that the route was connecting Deutschlandsberg to the neighbouring Sulm valley, which would explain the location of the tumuli field. However, in order to strengthen and to verify the presented hypotheses, a lot more research has to be done in this field. Also to be able to have more information about the structure and the spatial extent of the settlement.Nevertheless, it was possible to gather all present only very scattered published archaeological data about the settlement and to integrate the village in the Roman settlement structure.Arbeit an der Bibliothek noch nicht eingelangt - Daten nicht geprüftAbweichender Titel laut Übersetzung des Verfassers/der VerfasserinKarl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Masterarbeit, 2019(VLID)456589

The synovium of human osteoarthritic joints retains its chondrogenic potential irrespective of age.

The autologous synovium is a potential tissue source for local induction of chondrogenesis by tissue engineering approaches to repair articular cartilage defects such as they occur in osteoarthritis. It was the aim of the present study to ascertain whether the aging of human osteoarthritic patients compromises the chondrogenic potential of their knee-joint synovium and the structural and metabolic stability of the transformed tissue. The patients were allocated to one of the following two age categories: 54 - 65 years and 66 - 86 years (n = 7-11 donors per time point and experimental group; total number of donors: 64). Synovial biopsies were induced in vitro to undergo chondrogenesis by exposure to either bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) alone, transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) alone, or a combination of the two growth factors, for up to 6 weeks. The differentiated explants were evaluated morphologically and morphometrically for the volume fraction of metachromasia (sulfated proteoglycans), immunohistochemically for type-II collagen, and for the gene-expression levels of anabolic chondrogenic markers as well as catabolic factors by a real-time polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Quantitative metachromasia revealed that chondrogenic differentiation of human synovial explants was induced to the greatest degree by either BMP-2 alone or the BMP-2/TGF-1 combination, i.e. to a comparable level with each of the two stimulation protocols and within both age categories. The BMP-2/TGF-1combination protocol resulted in chondrocytes of a physiological size for normal human articular cartilage, unlike the BMP-2 alone stimulation that resulted in cell sizes of terminal hypertrophy. The stable gene-expression levels of the anabolic chondrogenic markers confirmed the superiority of these two stimulation protocols and demonstrated the hyaline-like qualities of the generated cartilage matrix. The gene-expression levels of the catabolic markers remained extremely low. The data also confirmed the usefulness of experimental in vitro studies with bovine synovial tissue as a paradigm for human synovial investigations. Our data reveal the chondrogenic potential of the human knee-joint synovium of osteoarthritic patients to be uncompromised by ageing and catabolic processes. The potential of synovium-based clinical engineering (repair) of cartilage tissue using autologous synovium may thus not be reduced by the age of the human patient