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Biomedical subjects

A Jeffrey

Publications and source records attributed to A Jeffrey.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

DNA adducts and related biomarkers in populations exposed to environmental carcinogens.

Prevention of environmentally related cancer will be enhanced by the availability of sensitive early warning systems and by improvements in quantitative assessment of human risks. Accordingly, we have carried out a series of molecular epidemiologic studies aimed at validating a panel of biologic markers, including carcinogen-DNA and -protein adducts, sister chromatid exchange, micronucleus formation, DNA strand breaks, and DNA repair capacity. Results from three such studies illustrate the usefulness of these biomarkers in elucidating low-dose-response relationships, correlations between biomarkers, and the range of variation in biomarkers between individuals exposed to similar concentrations of carcinogens. Low-level workplace or ambient exposures to styrene, ethylene oxide, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were associated with significant increases in both molecular dose of carcinogens (adducts) and various markers of preclinical effects. Correlations between biomarkers varied by exposure. For example, in the styrene study, sister chromatid exchange frequency was not correlated with any of the markers, in contrast to the studies of ethylene oxide and PAH. Significant molecular effects were observed not only in occupationally exposed people but also in residents of an area in Poland characterized by high levels of air pollution. For example, the mean PAH-DNA level in exposed residents (winter sample) was 30.4 adducts per 10(8) nucleotides. This level was significantly higher than that of adducts seen in summer samples from the same area (4.2/10(8), or in winter samples from residents of a rural area (11.01/10(8). Significant seasonal variation in PAH-DNA adduct formation in this group was consistent with recorded fluctuations in air pollution levels. Striking interindividual variation was observed in all three exposed populations.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1991

Tumor necrosis factor production in HIV-seropositive subjects. Relationship with lung opportunistic infections and HIV expression in alveolar macrophages.

We have evaluated the TNF production by alveolar macrophages (AM) in 43 HIV-infected subjects in relation with 1) their clinical and biologic status; 2) the presence of lung opportunistic infections (OI); and 3) the expression of HIV by AM. This production was assessed in a standard chromium release test, using monocytic U937 cells as targets. The spontaneous TNF production by AM from patients without lung OI was higher than that from seronegative controls (p less than 0.02). This production by AM was similar to that of blood monocytes, suggesting that it was not related, in these subjects, to any particular lung status. The extent of TNF release by AM was correlated to the presence of a lymphocytic alveolitis (p less than 0.05), and not to the patients' clinical presentation nor to their CD4 cell count. Finally, AM from these subjects could be normally stimulated in vitro by IFN-gamma. On the other hand, it appeared that the spontaneous TNF release by AM shown in vitro to express HIV (p24+ AM) was significantly higher than that by their p24- counterparts (p less than 0.05) and by controls (p less than 0.01). In addition, contrasting with the marked increase of TNF release by p24- AM after their stimulation with IFN-gamma (p less than 0.001), p24+ AM appeared to be refractory to any stimulation by IFN, arguing for their activation in vivo. Finally, the spontaneous TNF release by AM was significantly increased during lung OI, compared with controls (p less than 0.01) as well as with AIDS patients without OI (p less than 0.01). In addition, the production of TNF by AM in these subjects was higher than that by the corresponding blood monocytes (p less than 0.02), suggesting a compartmentalization of this response within the lungs. In conclusion, it appears that the TNF production by AM of seropositive patients is highly related to the presence of lung OI as well as to the expression of HIV by these cells. In the context of the up-regulation of HIV expression induced by TNF in vitro, our data could suggest that the in vivo release of TNF by AM could participate in viral dissemination. Moreover, we hypothesize that the generation of activated AM refractory to any further stimulation could in turn lead to the development of additional pulmonary infections.

Gene Products, gag↗
PubMed1991

Measuring environmental health status in Oukasie, 1987.

This article reports on some aspects of the physical environment and on environmental health services at Oukasie. The data were collected over a weekend in August 1987 by an interview and by direct inspection of the environment using a standard schedule. We had a 100% response rate on the interviews. There was a mean of 2.2 +/- 1.6 persons per room in the households, with brick houses being less crowded than non-brick houses. Private yards were generally kept very clean. Bucket latrines were unhygienic and used by an average of 4 families. No latrine was built to accepted standards. Garbage collection and emptying of the bucket latrines by the municipality seemed to be unsatisfactory. Our overall impression was that where responsibility for maintenance of hygiene is either undefined, such as the collection chambers of bucket latrines, or a responsibility of the public authorities, such as garbage collection and water drainage, there is an unsatisfactory state of hygiene. Where maintenance of cleanliness is clearly a private responsibility, such as the maintenance of the cleanliness of private yards, the general status of hygiene is good.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1991

Community health survey of Oukasie, 1987.

A series of surveys were conducted at the request of the community of Oukasie to determine certain public health information in the township, a peri-urban black community. This article describes two of these surveys. The first, a census and partial demographic survey, showed that the total black population was around 6,300 with a mean household occupancy of 4.1. Some of the estimated vital statistics calculated were an infant mortality rate of 36.6/1,000, a crude birth rate of 28.0/1,000, a crude death rate of 6.5/1,000, and a general fertility rate of 99.3/1,000. The second survey into the nutritional and immunisation status of children aged under 5 years showed that 20% of children were underweight and nearly half were incompletely immunised at 1 year of age. These studies, involving local community and student volunteers, were rapidly and inexpensively done and provide basic public health information.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Biologic markers in risk assessment for environmental carcinogens.

The potential of biologic markers to provide more timely and precise risk assessments for environmental carcinogens is viewed against the current state-of-the-art in biological monitoring/molecular epidemiology. Biologic markers such as carcinogen-DNA adducts and oncogene activation are currently considered valid qualitative indicators of potential risk, but for most chemical exposures research is needed to establish their validity as quantitative predictors of cancer risk. Biologic markers have, however, already provided valuable insights into the magnitude of interindividual variation in response to carcinogenic exposures, with major implications for risk assessment.

Bias↗
PubMed1990

Macromolecular adducts and related biomarkers in biomonitoring and epidemiology of complex exposures.

In order to evaluate the potential of biological markers in epidemiology and risk assessment of complex exposures, we review recent studies of macromolecular adducts and oncogene activation in human populations. Results are discussed in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of various study designs in order to identify the most promising approaches for future research.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1984

Cellular targets and host genes in multistage carcinogenesis.

Recent studies indicate that although cellular DNA is the critical target in the action of initiating carcinogens, specific membrane-associated receptors mediate the actions of certain tumor promoters. A stereochemical model is presented to explain how three different types of tumor promoters (phorbol esters, indole alkaloids, and polyacetates) can interact with the same class of cellular receptors. Multistage chemical carcinogenesis might involve progressive alterations in the expression of cellular DNA sequences homologous to oncogenes and regulatory sequences in certain retroviruses. We found that the oncogene c-mos is not rearranged or expressed in a series of carcinogen-transformed murine C3H 10T112 cells. These cells do express, however, a unique set of poly(A)+ RNAs that contain sequences homologous to the Moloney leukemia virus long terminal repeat sequence. Studies are in progress to determine the significance of this finding with respect to the carcinogenic process.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Molecular mechanisms of tumor promotion and multistage carcinogenesis.

Carcinogenesis is a multistep process resulting from a complex interaction between multiple factors, both environmental and exogenous. In contract to initiating agents that act by damaging cellular DNA, the primary targets of the phorbol ester tumor promoters are membrane-associated receptors. We have proposed a stereochemical model to explain the interaction of these amphiphilic molecules, and of teleocidin and aplysiatoxin, with this receptor system. The model is consistent with evidence that a complex between protein kinase C and phospholipid is the actual receptor for these compounds. Recent data we have obtained with a compound present in tung oil, 12-O-hexadecanoyl-16-hydroxyphorbol-13-acetate (HHPA), and twelve of its congener's (provided by Y. Ito et al.) are also consistent with our stereochemical model. We have studied phorbol ester receptors in a wide variety of tissue culture cell types. Our data, together with other findings, provide evidence for considerable receptor heterogeneity and this may relate to the pleiotropic effects of these compounds. We have found a case of "masked" receptors in a rat liver cell line and shown that it is due to a cell-associated esterase. Normal human melanocyte cultures contain phorbol ester receptors and this is of particular interest since these cells actually require these or related compounds for optimal growth (in collaboration with M. Eisinger). The receptor studies provide clues to how tumor promoters can, via inductive mechanisms, produce alterations in the structure and function of cell membranes. It is not known, however, how in the multistep carcinogenic process promoters enhance the eventual outgrowth of permanently altered tumor cells. We have found that TPA and teleocidin produce a marked enhancement of transformation of C3H 10T1/2 cells induced by transfection with h-ras human bladder cancer oncogene. These and other results are discussed in terms of the role of alterations in cellular oncogenes and transcriptional enhancer sequences during multistage carcinogenesis.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1983

Comparative effects of aplysiatoxin, debromoaplysiatoxin, and teleocidin on receptor binding and phospholipid metabolism.

We have compared the activities of aplysiatoxin and debromoaplysiatoxin, two polyacetate marine algae toxins, with teleocidin, a tumor-promoting indole alkaloid from Streptomyces, with respect to inhibition of specific binding of epidermal growth factor, and phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate to their respective receptors and ability to stimulate the release of radioactivity from cells prelabeled with choline or arachidonic acid. Although these compounds have chemical structures that are quite different from the phorbol esters, both aplysiatoxin and teleocidin are essentially equipotent with the potent tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in all four assays. The fact that aplysiatoxin and teleocidin inhibit phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate-receptor binding suggests that their biological activities are mediated by binding to the same receptors utilized by the phorbol esters. Debromoaplysiatoxin, a debrominated form of aplysiatoxin, is about 10-fold weaker than aplysiatoxin in inhibiting epidermal growth factor and phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate-receptor binding, but is equipotent with aplysiatoxin in stimulating the release of lipid metabolites from the prelabeled cells. The results are discussed in terms of possible heterogeneity of cellular receptors for this group of compounds.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1982

The N-terminal arms of lambda repressor wrap around the operator DNA.

From differences in the ability of fragments of the lambda repressor to protect operator bases from chemical modification we suggest that the first few N-terminal residues of the lambda repressor form an extended arm that reaches around the back of the DNA helix when repressor binds to the operator.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1976

Novel properties of a restriction endonuclease isolated from Haemophilus parahaemolyticus.

The sequences in lambda DNA in and around six sites cut by Hph, a restriction enzyme isolated from Haemophilus parahaemolyticus, are compared. The enzyme produces a staggered cut around an AT or TA base pair, but the sequences immediately surroinding the cleavage sites bear no obvious relation to one another. Eight (in some cases nine) base pairs to one side of each cleavage site is the common sequence TCACC AGTGG. Two lines of evidence indicate that these bases constitute part or all of the Hph recognition site. First, mutations in this sequence prevent Hph cutting. Second, dimethylsulfate-mediated methylation of Gs and As in this site prevent cutting, whereas methylation of purines in the region between this sequence and the cleavage sites has no such effect. There is discernible 2-fold rotational symmetry neither in the common sequence nor around the cleavage sites.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1975

Chain length determination of small double- and single-stranded DNA molecules by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

We describe the use of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to estimate chain lengths of double- and single-stranded DNA molecules in the size range 20-1000 base pairs (or nucleotides). Double-stranded DNA molecules of known length produced either by organic synthesis or by restriction endonuclease digestion of viral DNAs were used as standards. The relative electrophoretic mobilities of these standards were examined on both nondenaturing (aqueous) polyacrylamide gels and on denaturing gels containing 7 M urea or 98% formamide. Electrophoretic mobility of DNA is a linear function of the log of molecular weight if appropriate conditions are used, although exceptions are noted. Chain lengths can be conveniently estimated by using as standards bacteriophage gamma DNA restriction fragments or commercially available tracking dyes.

Base Sequence↗