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Biomedical subjects

A Gallagher

Publications and source records attributed to A Gallagher.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Criteria for the definition of Epstein-Barr virus association in Hodgkin's disease.

There is a clear association between the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Hodgkin's disease (HD). EBV is not, however, detectable within the affected tissues of all cases. The proportion of positive cases varies from 15-79% depending on the assay used to detect EBV. The techniques utilised vary not only in sensitivity but in their ability to detect viral DNA, RNA, or protein and in their ability to demonstrate the cellular localisation of the virus. Thus, the biological significance of a positive result will vary depending on the method of analysis. In the present study, four different methods of detecting EBV were compared. RNA in situ hybridization was found to be the most practical method of detecting EBV in tumour cells. Using this assay EBV was detected in the Reed-Sternberg cells of 33% and 45% of the two series of HD cases examined in this study. We believe that these cases should be considered EBV-associated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Viral involvement in Hodgkin's disease: detection of clonal type A Epstein-Barr virus genomes in tumour samples.

Thirty-five cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) were analysed for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) DNA. EBV genomes were detected in 11/35 cases while none of the cases was positive for HHV-6. Ten of the EBV-positive cases were subsequently analysed using a probe for the terminal region of the virus; the results suggested that the EBV-infected cells were clonally expanded. EBV subtypes specific DNA amplification was used to demonstrate that EBV subtype A, and not subtype B was present in the EBV-positive cases. The age distribution of the EBV-positive cases indicated a statistically significant trend for an increase in positivity with increasing age. This is the first indication that EBV is significantly associated with any subset of HD patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

5-Aminosalicylic acid is a potent inhibitor of interleukin 1 beta production in organ culture of colonic biopsy specimens from patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Interleukin 1 beta in biopsy specimens from inflamed colonic mucosa of patients with active inflammatory bowel disease was studied. Compared with normal colonic mucosal biopsy specimens, a significantly greater amount of interleukin 1 beta was present in rectal mucosa before (median (range) 4.3 (2.0-11.8) v 119.2 (30.1-286.8) pg/mg; p less than 0.01) and produced during organ culture (39.1 (9.4-106.8) v 97.6 (28.2-991.6) pg/mg; p less than 0.01). Values of interleukin 1 beta after culture correlated with concentrations of thromboxane B2. Organ culture of inflamed biopsy specimens in the presence of 5 aminosalicylic acid and dexamethasone reduced the amount of interleukin 1 beta detected. At the doses studied, 5 aminosalicylic acid also reduced the amount of leukotriene B4 detected after culture.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

High circulating concentrations of interleukin-6 in active Crohn's disease but not ulcerative colitis.

Peripheral venous plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 were studied in 21 patients with active Crohn's disease, 20 patients with ulcerative colitis, and 16 control subjects. Interleukin-6 was detected in the plasma of 18 of 21 patients with Crohn's disease (median 47 (range less than 20-250) pg/ml) but in only two with ulcerative colitis and two control subjects. In the patients with Crohn's disease there was a significant negative correlation between the plasma interleukin-6 and the serum albumin concentrations. In eight patients with Crohn's disease and five patients with ulcerative colitis undergoing resection plasma from peripheral circulation and mesenteric vein draining diseased intestine was studied. Interleukin-6 was detected in seven of eight peripheral and mesenteric samples from the patients with Crohn's disease but was not detected in any of the samples from the patients with ulcerative colitis. There was no significant difference between mesenteric and peripheral samples in the concentrations of interleukin-6.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Detection of Epstein-Barr virus genomes in Hodgkin's disease: relation to age.

An investigation as to whether any particular subgroup of patients with Hodgkin's disease was particularly likely to be Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome positive was made on samples from 95 patients. These were grouped according to age and Hodgkin's disease subtype, and analysed using Southern blot analysis. Most samples from children or adults aged 50 years or over contained detectable EBV genomes; samples from young adults were only rarely positive. The differences in EBV positivity by age were highly significant, but there was no significant association between EBV and histological subtype after allowing for the effect of age. The results support the hypothesis that Hodgkin's disease in different age groups may have different aetiologies, and suggest that EBV does have a pathogenetic role in Hodgkin's disease in children and older age groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Plasma and tissue interleukin-2 receptor levels in inflammatory bowel disease.

Plasma and tissue interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) levels were determined in patients with active ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Compared with healthy controls (median 440 U/ml; range 240-900), significantly higher levels of plasma IL-2R were present in patients with active ulcerative colitis (median 1180 U/ml; range 580-7150; P less than 0.002) and Crohn's disease (median 1340 U/ml; range 480-9000; P less than 0.002). Compared with other laboratory parameters, plasma IL-2R levels were related most closely to clinical score of disease activity in Crohn's disease. Plasma IL-2R levels also reflected the clinical course and may provide a more accurate assessment of disease activity in Crohn's disease. In plasma of patients undergoing intestinal resection of active inflammatory bowel disease, raised levels of IL-2R were present in samples from mesenteric vein (draining inflamed intestine) compared with those from peripheral vein. In tissue homogenates of colonic biopsies, significantly higher levels of IL-2R were present in specimens from colons with active ulcerative colitis compared with healthy controls (median 230.2, range 20.7-581.5 versus 77.9, range 34.2-291.3; P less than 0.02).

Biopsy↗