Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Finn

Publications and source records attributed to A Finn.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Mapping of the X linked form of hyper IgM syndrome (HIGM1)

X linked immunodeficiency with hyperimmunoglobulinaemia M (HIGM1), which is characterised by agammaglobulinaemia together with excess IgM production reflecting an impairment of the immunoglobulin heavy chain class switch of B lymphocytes, has been mapped to Xq26. We report multipoint linkage data in six families with HIGM1 which show that the most likely position for the gene is close to HPRT with a maximum lod score of 4.89. The finding of recombinations between HIGM1 and both HPRT and DXS42 implies that HIGM1 is not allelic to X linked lymphoproliferative disease. These data will be useful in genetic counselling in families and will also be useful in testing candidate genes.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Interleukin-8 release and neutrophil degranulation after pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass.

Capillary leak after cardiopulmonary bypass operations for correction of congenital heart defects is universally seen in children and often causes significant morbidity and mortality. Since neutrophil-mediated endothelial injury has been implicated as a pathogenetic mechanism, a prospective controlled descriptive study was performed to investigate possible activation pathways during and after the bypass procedure. Eighteen children undergoing operations, nine with cardiopulmonary bypass and nine neurosurgical craniotomy (i.e., operations without bypass), had samples of arterial blood collected at intervals before, during, and after operations. In six of nine cardiac patients circulating interleukin-8 concentrations rose from less than 30 pg/ml to very high concentrations (> 500 pg/ml); in the remaining three patients small rises (peak 57 to 81 pg/ml) were also seen. In all nine, the rise commenced at the time of rewarming, toward the end of bypass, and peaked 1 to 3 hours thereafter. Interleukin-8 release correlated significantly with length of bypass. Interleukin-1 alpha and interleukin-1 beta were not found, and traces of tumor necrosis factor-alpha were detected in one patient only. Circulating elastase alpha 1-antitrypsin concentrations rose simultaneously and correlated significantly with interleukin-8 (p < 0.001) in patients with cardiac disease, as did absolute neutrophil counts (p < 0.001). In contrast, only one of nine patients with neurosurgical disease (undergoing an unusually long operation and exchange transfusion) had a rise in circulating interleukin-8 to levels greater than 500 pg/ml (p < 0.01). The two samples from this patient with elevated interleukin-8 were the only neurosurgical samples with elevated elastase. This study demonstrates the release of interleukin-8 into the circulation after pediatric hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and supports the suggestion that this cytokine plays a role in the pathophysiology of capillary leak through neutrophil degranulation.

Cardiopulmonary Bypass↗
PubMed1990

Ondansetron for the prevention of emesis induced by high-dose cisplatin. A multi-center dose-response study.

To determine a dose-response relationship of ondansetron for the prevention of emesis induced by high-dose cisplatin and to study the efficacy of the extended dosing schedule of ondansetron during 20 hours after cisplatin administration, 36 patients with malignant neoplasms who had not previously received chemotherapy but who were currently receiving cisplatin were treated. These patients received a six-dose regimen of 0.01 mg/kg (low dose) or 0.18 mg/kg (high dose) of ondansetron. Seven (41%) patients in the high-dose group had no emesis and four (24%) patients had one or two episodes. One (5%) patient in the low-dose group had no emesis and four (21%) patients had one or two episodes. The difference in the number of emetic episodes was significant (P less than 0.02). Fifty percent of the high-dose patients reported no nausea or mild nausea, compared with 11% of the low-dose patients. Clinical adverse events included mild, transient headache and dizziness in the high-dose group and headache and diarrhea in the low-dose group, with no significant laboratory abnormalities. There is a parallel relationship between the ondansetron doses and the antiemetic efficacy. The response rate for the six-dose regimen of 0.18 mg/kg was not superior to that for the previously reported 0.18 mg/kg regimen given in a three-dose schedule in a similar clinical setting.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Prognosis of chronic granulomatous disease.

The records of 28 patients with chronic granulomatous disease born over a 32 year period were reviewed. The characteristics of the group, and the frequency with which various clinical and laboratory features had been recorded, was assessed. Nine patients were known to have died, in most cases of progressive suppurative infection. Actuarial analysis showed 50% survival through the third decade of life. The long term survival of patients developing symptoms after the end of the first year of life was significantly better than that of patients whose illness started in infancy. Our data confirm that the severity of chronic granulomatous disease is not uniform, and that the prognosis for long term survival is better than that suggested in earlier reports. Early onset may be a poor prognostic sign and invasive aspergillosis is a life threatening complication. In the absence of curative treatment, trials to assess the effectiveness of interferon gamma are necessary and early antenatal diagnosis should be offered to as many affected families as possible.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1990

Esophageal acid contact time and heartburn in acute treatment with ranitidine and metoclopramide.

Ranitidine and metoclopramide were compared for their ability to reduce esophageal acid contact time and heartburn. Twelve patients with histories of heartburn received ranitidine 150 mg bid, metoclopramide 10 mg qid, and placebo (ranitidine-matched) bid in a randomized, open-label, crossover fashion. Esophageal pH was monitored with an antimony electrode and portable recording unit for 24 h under strictly controlled laboratory conditions. Ranitidine significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05) reduced 24-h acid contact time from 11.6% to 6.4%. Reflux episode frequency was also significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05) reduced from 82 to 45 episodes per day and from 12 to 2 episodes at night. In contrast, metoclopramide did not reduce 24-h acid contact time or daytime reflux episode frequency, although nighttime episode frequency was significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05) decreased. Only ranitidine significantly reduced heartburn frequency and severity. We conclude that acute treatment with ranitidine, but not metoclopramide, significantly reduces esophageal acid contact time, reflux episode frequency, and heartburn frequency and severity in patients with gastroesophageal reflux.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The use of locus-specific minisatellite probes to check engraftment following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for severe combined immunodeficiency disease.

The graft status of 14 patients, 13 of whom had received an allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) for severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) and one patient with SCID in whom intrauterine maternal engraftment was suspected, was examined using bone marrow or peripheral blood DNA and a combination of locus-specific minisatellite probes for the sex-matched and locus-specific and a Y specific probe for the sex-mismatched patients. The sensitivity of the assay systems was such that less than 0.1% recipient DNA was detectable in a background of donor DNA. Graft status could be satisfactorily documented by 2.5 weeks post-transplant and in one case was of particular value as immunological parameters were misleading. In the six long-term survivors of allogeneic BMT for SCID, the use of the locus-specific probes showed total donor lymphoid and myeloid haemopoietic engraftment in five cases and mixed host/donor populations in one case. The diagnosis in approximately 10% of cases of SCID may prove difficult due to engraftment of the fetus by maternal cells. Diagnosis may be facilitated by the use of the locus specific minisatellite probes and indeed we found specific evidence for such maternal engraftment in one patient at presentation. The combination of these probes together with a Y specific probe thus provides a rapid and accurate method of assessing graft take following allogeneic BMT for SCID. The simple pattern of inheritance obtained and the high level of sensitivity of detection of low numbers of allogeneic cells make the techniques amenable for use in any routine DNA diagnostic laboratory.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗
PubMed1988

Shift system for senior house officer on call duties on a neonatal intensive care unit.

To reduce the number of hours that senior house officers in the neonatal department at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, have to work continuously a new on call rota was devised. The rota changed the traditional one in three system of 24 and 32 hour periods on call to one with two shifts each day, and it spread the workload more evenly among the personnel. The continuity of care of the patients was improved, no extra staff were recruited, and the new system was favoured by senior and junior medical and nursing staff.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1988

An epidemic of adenovirus 7a infection in a neonatal nursery: course, morbidity, and management.

An epidemic of adenovirus 7a in our neonatal intensive care nursery and intermediate care nursery in July and August 1987 caused the death of two patients. Significant symptomatic infection possibly due to the virus occurred in nine patients, ten staff, and three parents, of whom three patients, three staff, and one parent were positive by culture. As a direct consequence of the outbreak, 58 staff days of work were lost; the intensive care nursery had to be closed to admissions for 19 days and the intermediate care nursery for 14 days. Seventeen newborns were transferred to other hospitals and four mothers were sent elsewhere for delivery. Control measures, which included cohorting of patients, use of gloves, gowns and goggles, and exclusion of symptomatic staff from the unit, appeared effective. Rapid immunofluorescence testing of virological specimens was of little use in monitoring the outbreak, largely because of poor specimen quality. This outbreak further underlines the ease of transmission and high morbidity of neonatal adenovirus infection.

Adenoviridae Infections↗
PubMed1988

Human recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin 3 cause basophil histamine release.

Histamine-releasing factors (HRFs) have been shown to be released from a variety of human cells, including T lymphocytes and alveolar macrophages. We considered the possibility that known cytokines might possess such activity on human basophils and/or mast cells and therefore tested preparations of human recombinant IL 3, IL 4, IL 5, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) upon a panel of basophil donors. IL 3 and GM-CSF possessed significant histamine-releasing activity in 8 of 10 and 12 of 14 subjects, respectively. In each instance, a dose response could be demonstrated. IL 4 and G-CSF had no such activity, whereas IL 5 had activity in only 2 of 14 donors tested. We conclude that IL 3 and GM-CSF represent two effective HRFs, and suggest that HRF, as isolated based upon histamine-releasing activity, is likely to be heterogeneous in terms of molecular identity. Whether previously described HRFs relate specifically to IL 3 or GM-CSF must await primary sequence analysis of HRF and/or studies with monospecific antisera.

Basophils↗
PubMed1987

The activation of Aspergillus niger catalase by sodium n-dodecyl-sulphate.

In marked contrast to most enzymes it is found that at pH 6.4 the activity of the fungal catalase from Aspergillus niger is increased on binding of sodium n-dodecyl sulphate (SDS). Activation of the enzyme by up to 180% is found under optimum conditions when approx. 150 SDS molecules are bound. Activation does not occur under acid (pH 3.2) or alkaline (pH 10.0) conditions. Sedimentation analysis confirms that the enzyme does not dissociate into subunits at pH 6.4 (or pH 10.0). These observations are considered in the light of other catalase-SDS studies and it is suggested that the binding of SDS to Aspergillus niger catalase at pH 6.4 results in a small conformational change facilitating the enzymic reaction.

Aspergillus niger↗
PubMed1985

Blood cultures.

A large number of variables determine the success rate of isolation and identification of organisms from blood cultures, these include patient-population characteristics, clinical methods, and laboratory techniques. Many aspects may influence results and their interpretation, such as timing of specimens, culture media, and significance of isolates.

Adult↗