[Neuropathological research on organs of patients of the "Heil- und pflegeanstalt" (state hospital) Günzburg]

BACKGROUND

The two Kaiser Wilhelm-Institutes (KWI) in Berlin (1914, new building 1931) and in Munich (1917, new building 1926-28), specialized on pathologic anatomical as well as psychiatric genetic research, were set up before times of National Socialism.

METHODS

Data evaluation is based on patient documents and annual reports of the archive of today's district hospital Günzburg and on patient documents (copies) of the historical archive of today's Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry.

RESULTS

The KWI in Munich was indirectly provided with brain material by Bavarian "Heil- und Pflegeanstalten" (state hospitals) including the state hospital Günzburg.

CONCLUSIONS

During National Socialism patients' organs were sent from the "Heil- und Pflegeanstalt" (state hospital) Günzburg to the KWI in Munich for the purpose of conducting research. Commemorating patients' fates and clarifying what happened defines a place of remembrance.

"Transferred to another institution": clinical histories of psychiatric patients murdered in the Nazi "euthanasia" killing program

This study aims to examine the practice of medical reporting in a totalitarian environment including systematic killing of people with mental illness in Nazi Germany. The historical analysis is based on patient documents and administrative files at today's District Hospital, Günzburg, as well as on patient documents of inventory R 179 of the branch office of the Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv) in Berlin/Lichterfelde. The paper describes four patient histories and attempts to reconstruct some aspects of patients' (mostly institutional) histories against the background of the Günzburg State Hospital serving as an assembly institution in the context of "Aktion T4." There is no certainty regarding the places of death of the four patients whose medical documentation is reported. In the patient records examined, the practice of medical description and reporting was characterized by a mixture of medical terminology, ideological diction and common language. The type of medical description and documentation used is an expression of stigmatization and discrimination of patients and of traumatizing institutional practice, and it reflects institutional violence. It is an ethical responsibility to reconstruct and commemorate the individual histories of mentally ill patients who were victims of the program of organized mass killings of people with mental illness. Places of death were camouflaged by the "Aktion T4," and there is uncertainty for many patients regarding where they were killed.

[The role of the "Heil- und Pflegeanstalt" (state hospital) Günzburg in the context of the "Aktion-T4"]

BACKGROUND

In the context of the national socialist "Aktion-T4" approximately 70,000 people with mental illness and mental handicap in Germany were killed. The "Heil- und Pflegeanstalt" (mental hospital) Günzburg was a so-called Bavarian "Sammelanstalt" during this period.

METHODS

The data evaluation is based on patient documents and annual reports of the archives of today's district hospital Günzburg and patient documents of content R 179 of the branch office of the federal archives in Berlin / Lichterfelde. Patient records were analysed with respect to the presence of ten variables considered relevant for selection.

RESULTS

Between January 1940 and August 1941 394 patients from Günzburg were displaced to killing facilities of "Aktion-T4" and killed. Age, diagnosis, hospitalisation-time, ability to work, social behavior of the patients and Jewish origin were found to be criteria relevant for selection.

CONCLUSIONS

This study was able to show the participation of the Günzburg mental hospital in the implementation of "Aktion-T4". However, only few sources regarding the attitudes and actions of hospital medical staff were identified. This question remains the subject of further historical research.

[The "Aktion T4". In remembrance of victims of the healing and nursing institution in Günzburg]

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this article was to achieve a commemoration of patients of the Healing and Nursing Institute in Günzburg who were victims of "Aktion T4".

METHODS

On the basis of pre-defined criteria several individual patient documents were selected for this study and analyzed historically. Most items of information concerning patient histories and diagnoses were obtained from the stock R 179 of the branch office of the federal archives in Berlin Lichterfelde. Further supplementary information was extracted from administrative documents and patient charts of the archives of the psychiatric department at the regional hospital Günzburg.

RESULTS

The historical reconstruction of three individual life histories contributes to a literary memorial for the victims.

CONCLUSIONS

It is a historical responsibility to remember the victims of the "Aktion T4" by contributing to a reconstruction of their life histories.

Poxvirus-induced immunostimulating effects on porcine leukocytes

The prophylactic application of inactivated parapox ovis viruses (Baypamun; Bayer AG, Leverkusen, Germany) has been shown to reduce efficiently the outbreak of stress-mediated diseases in different species. However, little is known about the basic mechanism behind this observed stimulatory property. We therefore tested eight inactivated poxvirus strains belonging to three different genera (Orthopoxvirus, Avipoxvirus, and Parapoxvirus) for their capacity to activate cells of the porcine innate and specific immune systems in vitro. The results indicated that poxviruses failed to induce increased phagocytosis, oxidative burst, or natural killer cell activity in swine. In contrast, enhanced release of interleukin-2, alpha interferon, and gamma interferon, as well as strong proliferation, could be measured. Flow cytometric analyses and cell sorting experiments identified T-helper cells as the main target responding to inactivated poxviruses: the activated cells had a CD4(high) CD25(+) major histocompatibility complex type II-positive phenotype and were the major source of secreted cytokines. Together, the results demonstrated that all tested poxviruses possessed immunostimulating capacity. These in vitro poxvirus-induced effects may be responsible at least in part for the in vivo immunostimulating capacity of inactivated poxviruses.

Genomic (5'UTR) and serological differences among German BVDV field isolates

Isolates of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) collected in Germany were examined for their genomic heterogeneity in sequences from the 5'untranslated region (UTR) of the viral genome. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests based on the 5'UTR and the region coding for the NS2-3/4A polypeptide were used to differentiate between BVDV I and BVDV II genotypes. Eleven out of 96 BVDV-isolates were identified as BVDV II. Virus neutralization tests with BVDV I- or II-specific antisera raised in cattle were done. The mean titers were reduced by 7.2-fold (BVDV I-antiserum versus type II-isolates) or 35-fold (BVDV II-antiserum versus type I-isolates) when using the respective heterologous virus.

A gE deleted infectious bovine rhinotracheitis marker vaccine for use in improved bovine herpesvirus 1 control programs

Based on a glycoprotein E (gE) deleted bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV1) strain (Kaashoek et al., 1994) a killed virus as well as a modified live virus marker vaccine have been developed that allow differentiation between immunized and BHV1 infected cattle. Safety and efficacy of both vaccines were tested extensively following the current European Union (EU) requirements for the development of bovine vaccines. The minimum vaccine dose, vaccination regimen, route of administration and duration of immunity were evaluated for both vaccines in comprehensive vaccination/challenge trials in cattle. The most potent adjuvant formulation for the killed virus vaccine was also selected by experimental challenge infections. For the modified live virus marker vaccine it could be demonstrated that maternally derived BHV1 specific antibodies did not interfere with vaccination. Safety could be demonstrated for both the killed virus and the modified live virus vaccine in all target animal categories including veal calves, beef cattle, bulls, heifers and dairy cattle, including pregnant animals.

Safety aspects in the development of an infectious bovine rhinotracheitis marker vaccine

Clinical trials in cattle demonstrated that the IBR marker modified live vaccine based on the gE-deleted IBR strain Difivac is immunogenic and safe for bovines of all ages. Potential effects of the vaccine virus have also been tested in swine and sheep and proved safe for these species as well. For evaluation of other environmental aspects, the spread of the vaccine virus after immunisation was investigated. The data indicated that the vaccine virus may be shed by immunised animals but that it has a limited ability to pass from animal to animal. It was also demonstrated that the attenuated Difivac strain does not revert to virulence during calf passage. Preliminary results indicated that the gE-deleted vaccine virus of the IBR marker vaccine cannot be reactivated after dexamethasone treatment, an important advantage for a vaccine strain. Furthermore, immunisation with the Difivac strain reduced the ability of a superinfecting challenge virus to become latent or to be reactivated.

[Recent information about the etiopathogenesis of paretic-paralytic forms of herpesvirus infection in horses]

From spring 1990 to summer 1991 we investigated 21 horses with clinical symptoms of EHV-infection by means of serological and virological methods including DNA-hybridization to identify the causative agents. The results indicated that, as already reported by us, EHV4 may also cause the paralytic form of the infection. The possibility of double infection with EHV4 and EHV1 cannot be excluded. In 3 out of 21 affected horses we could investigate brain tissue and/or spinal fluid by Dotblot hybridization with EHV1 and EHV4-DNA. The investigated samples of all three horses showed hybridization with EHV4-DNA, without or with less pronounced reaction with EHV1-DNA. The results were confirmed by serological investigation. Brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid from two horses with paretic or paralytic disorders (1979 and 1980) was also investigated by DNA hybridization. In the liquor of one horse--a 5-month-old foal with neonatal ataxia--we detected EHV1-DNA. The other horse showed a strong reaction with EHV1 and a weaker reaction with EHV4 in its brain material and no hybridisation in the cerebrospinal fluid. The results are discussed.

[Effect of a paramunity inducer on the incidence of diseases and the plasma cortisol content in Thoroughbred foals before and after weaning]

The effect of the prophylactic application of the paramunity inducer Baypamun on the incidence of diseases among foals (n = 63) in four Thoroughbred studs was evaluated. In a blind study, 38 of the foals received 2 ml of Baypamun intramuscularly while 25 of the foals received a placebo at six and four days before weaning and on the fifth day post-weaning. During the observation period of three weeks, beginning with the first and ending ten days after the last application, 7.9% of the foals treated with Baypamun (3 out of 38) suffered from respiratory infections compared to 24% of the foals treated with placebo (6 out of 25). The blood plasma cortisol concentrations were also measured in 53 of the foals of three studs before and 24 hours after weaning. The cortisol concentration increased in all the foals. However, the increase was significant only for the Baypamun treated foals of one stud while it was significant for the placebo treated foals of all studs (p < 0.01).

Vinculin and 36 kDa protein are not tyrosine-phosphorylated in Rous sarcoma virus infected cells which have been treated with interferon

The expression of membrane-associated transformation-specific parameters was analyzed in de novo Rous sarcoma virus (strain SR-RSV-D) infected chicken embryo fibroblasts pretreated with homologous interferon. Cellular morphology, hexose transport, microfilament organization, and tyrosine-phosphate content of two primary substrates of the transformation-generating viral kinase, pp60src, were found indistinguishable from non-infected controls. These observations support the hypothesis that vinculin and possibly 36 kDa protein are involved in microfilament organization and that tyrosine-phosphorylation of these structural proteins is a prerequisite for the rearrangement of microfilaments during transformation. In de novo infection, interferon pretreatment reduces viral protein synthesis and pp60src activity as compared to non-treated, SR-RSV-D infected cells. However, the phosphotyrosine content of total cellular proteins as measured under steady state conditions is as high in interferon-pretreated as in nontreated transformed cells.

Interferon inhibits establishment of fibroblast infection with avian retroviruses

Pretreatment of chick embryo fibroblasts (CEF) with low doses of homologous interferon (16 u/ml) drastically inhibits cell transformation by, and replication of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). Treatment of chick cells with 16 u/ml of interferon before de novo infection with a transformation defective (td) mutant-RSV, also resulted in a reduction of extracellular virus particles. This was determined by infectivity titrations, virus associated reverse transcriptase (RT) activity and measurement of metabolically radioactively labelled virus particles. The viral proteins pr 180, pr 76, p 27, p 19 and p 12 were still synthesized in interferon-treated cells in an unaltered form, although at slightly reduced levels. No difference in the pattern of structural proteins could be detected between virus particles harvested from cells treated with interferon and from control cells. In contrast to de novo infected cells, concentrations of interferon as high as 200 u/ml had no influence on the reversible transformation of cloned fibroblasts infected with a temperature sensitive mutant of RSV. In addition, fibroblasts infected with td-SR-RSV-D before addition of interferon showed only a marginal effect on formation of infectious virus even after treatment with 200-500 u/ml of interferon. This was not caused by interferon-resistance of the td-SR-RSV-D infected cells since viral protein synthesis by superinfecting Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) was as sensitive to interferon as in cells not preinfected with retrovirus. Our results support the notion that exogenous infection of fibroblasts with avian retrovirus is inhibited by interferon during an early phase of the replication cycle.