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Biomedical subjects

A C Jones

Publications and source records attributed to A C Jones.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

The simultaneous occurrence of oral herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, and histoplasmosis in an HIV-infected patient.

Numerous publications have reviewed the oral manifestations of HIV infection and AIDS. Although uncommon, herpetic infections and histoplasmosis are among the diseases reported. The case that follows presents the first description of the simultaneous occurrence of oral herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, and histoplasmosis in an HIV-infected person. These infections appeared as extensive oral ulcerations and were the only clinical manifestation of HIV infection. Eleven months after the initial presentation, the patient died of complications of AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Diseases associated with calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease.

Although many metabolic and endocrine diseases have been reported to predispose to calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition, the validity of many of these associations remains unclear. A critical review of the literature relating to these associations, with illustrative cases and data derived from the authors' own experience, is presented. It is concluded that there is good evidence to associate hypophosphatasia, hypomagnesemia, and hyperparathyroidism with chondrocalcinosis and acute attacks of "pseudogout." Meta-analysis also suggests a small but significant association between hypothyroidism and chondrocalcinosis. Hemochromatosis stands alone in clearly associating not only with chondrocalcinosis but also with structural change and chronic arthropathy. The biochemical mechanisms that may produce these various associations are discussed. Recommendations are made concerning appropriate screening for metabolic and endocrine disease in patients with chondrocalcinosis.

Acromegaly↗

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug usage and requirement in elderly acute hospital admissions.

There is a strong feeling that despite the increasing awareness of their adverse effects, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are not always used appropriately. To examine this problem amongst elderly patients who may be at particular risk, 500 acute admissions to Health Care of the Elderly wards were studied prospectively. Sixty-five patients were currently receiving NSAIDs; 56 had medical conditions possibly caused by, or aggravated by NSAIDs. Indications for NSAIDs were often no longer apparent, and these drugs were successfully discontinued in 56; in 22 no alternative therapy was required. Importantly, following discharge the majority of patients remained off NSAIDs. These data support the need for continual review of NSAID requirements and regular monitoring for adverse effects, particularly in this high risk group.

Aged↗

The treatment of osteoarthritis.

1. The treatment of osteoarthritis is currently purely symptomatic. To enable rational therapy, careful clinical assessment is necessary to identify the origin of symptoms. Often, effective therapy can result from a biomechanical approach such as surgery, orthotics, physiotherapy and dieting. If drugs are required, there is little evidence that the current over-reliance on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is justified. Full dose regular paracetamol should be the first line of analgesic therapy. In the majority of patients, simple analgesics are probably as effective as NSAIDs. If NSAIDs are used it is necessary to review regularly their use and to be aware of potential toxicity. 2. Many alternative strategies of pain management such as topical preparations, intra-articular steroid injections, acupuncture, radiosynovectomy, transcutaneous nerve stimulation and anti-depressants, may be effective but their precise place in the armamentarium is not yet fully established. 3. The realisation that osteoarthritis is not a passive 'wear and tear' phenomenon but an active process that may be potentially modified, has led to interest in 'chondroprotective' agents, which may beneficially affect the osteoarthritic process. To date there are no convincing data available that such agents are, in fact, chondroprotective in humans.

Analgesia↗

Effectiveness of scalp cooling in reducing alopecia caused by epirubicin treatment of advanced breast cancer.

The value of scalp cooling in the prevention of alopecia was investigated in 32 patients with advanced breast cancer who were given a mean of four courses of 40-80 mg/m2 of epirubicin. None of the 15 patients free from liver metastases who received scalp cooling required a wig, whereas four of eight similar patients who did not receive scalp cooling did require a wig. Abnormalities of aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase pretreatment were predictive for reduced efficacy of scalp cooling, but not a contraindication to its use.

Alopecia↗

Psychological effects of speech therapy.

The study investigates the effect of speech therapy on the mood of aphasic stroke patients and their spouses. Patients were randomly allocated to receive speech therapy for 24 weeks starting at 10 weeks post stroke. Patient's mood was measured by means of simple rating scales and an adjective checklist. The mood of relatives was measured by The Goldberg General Health Questionnaire and The Wakefield Depression Inventory. Whereas depression and anxiety were surprisingly uncommon in aphasic patients, many spouses suffered depression and minor psychiatric disturbances. There were no significant differences between treated and untreated patients and their spouses on any measure. Speech therapy was not shown to have any psychological benefits.

Adult↗

Effectiveness of speech therapy for aphasic stroke patients. A randomised controlled trial.

Aphasic stroke patients were randomly allocated to either a speech therapy group receiving treatment twice a week for 24 weeks or a no-treatment control group. Patients in both groups improved and there were no significant differences in language recovery between the 104 patients allocated to the treatment group and the 87 allocated to the no-treatment group. This treatment regimen, which is representative of clinical practice, is ineffective for most aphasic stroke patients.

Acute Disease↗

Cell survival in four ovarian carcinoma xenografts following in vitro exposure to melphalan, cisplatin and cis-diammine-1,1-cyclobutane dicarboxylate platinum II (CBDCA,JM8).

Four human ovarian carcinoma xenografts were established and maintained in immune-suppressed mice. Cells obtained from these xenografts were exposed in vitro to melphalan, JM8, and cisplatin; cell survival following a 1-h exposure was measured using a soft-agar colony assay. A similar dose-response curve was obtained with melphalan for each of the four xenografts, despite previous treatment with an alkylating agent in two of the patients from whom the xenografts originated. Cell survival was also compared after JM8 and cisplatin exposure in each individual xenograft. It was found to be similar for each tumour when the concentrations of JM8 used were 10-fold greater than those of cisplatin. Early clinical studies in which JM8 has been shown to be effective in the treatment of ovarian carcinoma support the view that xenograft tumours may have a role in phase-II screening of new cytotoxic agents.

Animals↗

Early clinical studies with cis-diammine-1,1-cyclobutane dicarboxylate platinum II.

cis-Diammine-1,1-cyclobutane dicarboxylate platinum II (CBDCA, JM8), an analogue of cisplatin showing reduced toxicity in preclinical studies, was evaluated in 60 patients. Doses were given initially every 3 weeks and escalated from 20 to 520 mg/m2. Following this, doses were given every 4 weeks and escalated from 300 to 500 mg/m2. The dose-limiting toxicity, thrombocytopoenia, occurred in four-fifths of patients treated at 520 mg/m2, with the nadir occurring 3 weeks after treatment. Leucopoenia and anaemia also occurred but were less severe. Vomiting occurred in all patients receiving over 120 mg/m2 but seldom persisted beyond 24 h. Serial measurements of 51Cr-EDTA clearances, urinary N-acetylglucosaminidase, urinary leucine aminopeptidase, and beta 2-microglobulin did not reveal significant evidence of nephrotoxicity. Detriment to the audiogram has not been seen in the first 13 patients studied. Pharmacological studies showed that most of the dose of platinum was excreted in the urine, and that impairment of renal function may be associated with drug retention and an increased risk of myelosuppression. The previous therapy and age of the patient also affected the tolerance of the drug. Clinical responses were seen in patients with ovarian carcinoma receiving greater than 120 mg/m2. A further dose escalation was performed on a 4-week schedule in patients under 65 with good renal function. The maximum dose it was possible to administer repeatedly without incurring myelosuppression was in the range 400-500 mg/m2. JM8 is not significantly nephrotoxic and is less emetic than cisplatin. It has antitumour activity in man and deserves wider evaluation, along with the other analogues under study in various centres, as an alternative to cisplatin.

Adult↗

In vitro cytotoxic drug sensitivity testing of human tumour xenografts grown as multicellular tumour spheroids.

Tumour cells from 7 patients with ovarian carcinoma and from 22 different human tumour xenografts representing a wide range of histological sub-types have been examined for multicellular spheroid forming ability. Spheroid formation was limited to cells derived from xenografts. Of the 22 lines tested, 5 formed spheroids capable of growth in isolation. There was no clear relationship between histological type and spheroid-forming ability. The plating efficiency of tumour cells obtained from spheroids was always greater than for the cells obtained from the dissociated tumour of origin and was in some cases as much as 6-fold greater. Spheroid growth was nearly exponential for 4 cell lines. Volume growth delay was used to investigate the activity of melphalan, adriamycin, the Vinca alkaloids, CCNU and cisplatin. Differences between lines in drug response broadly reflected patient and in vivo xenograft response.

Animals↗

Comparison of behaviour between 2 subspecies of owl monkey (Aotus trivirgatus) in a laboratory environment.

To evaluate potential factors affecting reproductive performance, 6 monkeys of Colombian and 6 of Bolivian origin, housed as mated pairs, were observed via closed circuit television and a remote-controlled camera. Behavioural differences in feeding and drinking, locomotor activity, environmental interaction, positive social interaction, autogrooming, nestbox occupancy, and playing were observed. The differences noted indicate that the subspecies may have different social structures.

Animals↗

Hybrid production in owl monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus).

A colony of owl monkeys was established with 63 breeding pairs, paired according to matching karyotypes. 3 pairs were formed as a result of limited space, even though karyotypes were considered incompatible. 2 of these pairs produced offspring.

Animals↗

Acute pancreatitis following renal allotransplantation. A lethal complication.

Since first described by Starzl in 1964 (1), acute pancreatitis following renal homotransplantation has been the subject of sporadic reports and reviews (2-5). The generally reported incidence has been around 2%, with a mortality rate of 50-60%. A recent experience with such a patient caused us to retrospectively analyze our own series of renal transplant recipients. In an eight-year period, there were six patients who had documented pancreatitis out of a total 120 renal homograft recipients, an incidence of 5%. The mortality was distressingly high; five out of the six succumbed directly to this complication, a rate of 83%. The purpose of this paper is to review these six patients in detail, with special attention to the protean etiologies and manifestations of this lethal complication.

Acute Disease↗

Life change and psychological distress as predictors of pregnancy outcome.

An exploratory investigation was conducted to assess the potential utility of objective measures of life change, anxiety, and personality as predictors of labor complications in a sample of full-term, lower-socioeconomic pregnant women without present evidence or histories of serious medical problems. The results of a linear multiple discriminant function analysis indicated that none of the personality or anxiety measures emerged as reliable predictors, but that scores on a measure of life change were able to discriminate between subjects with and without labor complications at a moderate level of predictive accuracy. This moderate level of discriminability was maintained in a double cross-validation analysis. The relationship between life change and the likelihood of complications was in a negative direction, with lower life change scores indicating a greater probability of complications. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed, along with directions for future research.

Adolescent↗