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Biomedical subjects

A King

Publications and source records attributed to A King.

478 records · Page 27Linked to original sources

Use of mass spectrometric methods for protein identification in receptor research.

In recent years, mass spectrometry has become the method of choice for identifying small amounts of gel separated proteins. Using high mass accuracy peptide mass mapping followed if necessary by nanoelectrospray sequencing, most mammalian proteins can now be identified quickly and sensitively either in amino acid or in EST sequence databases. These methods are illustrated here using an ongoing project in the author's laboratory, a mass spectrometric screen for new mouse brain receptors and their interaction partners.

Animals↗

Evaluation of ready-to-use and multi-dose influenza vaccine formats in large clinic settings.

Large immunization clinics are commonly held to deliver influenza vaccine to seniors and others. Vaccine is typically dispensed from multi-dose vials but pre-filled syringes are now available, offering time savings for vaccinators. To determine if the higher purchase price of such syringes is offset by savings in time and injection supplies, we did a controlled comparison of syringe and vial formats in two large, concurrent, community-based influenza vaccination clinics. Vaccine preparation and immunization times were carefully documented along with costs for vaccine purchase, storage and injection supplies. Servicing 1,000 clients required 27 nurse hours using syringes and 36 hours using vials but the savings for personnel ($234) and supplies ($1,190) using syringes were exceeded by higher vaccine cost ($2,090 premium) and extra storage costs ($260) for bulkier packaging. Depending upon product and packaging style, programs using vials are cheaper by $709-$926 per 100 doses delivered compared to using pre-filled syringes.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗

North Carolina's TBI project ACCESS. Assuring coordinated care, education, and support for survivors of pediatric brain injury.

Over the past three years, families, school staff, and healthcare personnel in our state have benefited from an innovative service delivery system designed to demonstrate that we can improve the lives of children with TBI. Project ACCESS has used hospital-based pediatric brain injury Community Transition Coordinators to identify, coordinate care, educate, support, and generally improve the lives of thousands of children with TBI. The project also uncovered a host of barriers that adversely affect the future of many of North Carolina's most vulnerable children. We hope that this article helps delineate the challenges faced by our state's healthcare and educational systems, and contributes to the adoption of a statewide model system of care for children with brain injury.

Adolescent↗

Immunocytochemical localization of interferons in human trophoblast populations.

It is known that Interferon (IFN) is present in normal body fluids and tissues during pregnancy. Using an immunohistochemical technique and a panel of monoclonal antibodies we have localized IFN-alpha, -beta and -gamma directly on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded normal human placentae at different stages of pregnancy and in the hydatidiform mole. The results show that IFNs is mostly localized in villous syncytiotrophoblast and in extravillous interstitial-trophoblast. No reactivity was observed in villous cytotrophoblast or in cytotrophoblast cell columns. The most intense staining was observed for IFN-alpha and -beta, while IFN-gamma was rather weak. There is then a gradual diminution in IFN reactivity with increasing gestation age being almost imperceptible at term. These results suggest that IFN may deploy antiviral, immunomodulator and differentiation activities during normal human pregnancy.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Management of heart disease in the elderly in the Plymouth Health District.

In the light of a report from the Royal College of Physicians, the management of heart disease in the elderly (> 70 years) was studied in the Plymouth Health District in 1992. A survey of general practitioners was undertaken to assess how they would handle particular aspects of heart disease in their elderly patients. The admissions of older patients to the coronary care unit following an acute myocardial infarction and their outcome were detailed. The numbers of non-invasive cardiological investigations undertaken in the elderly were monitored, as were the referral rates to a cardiology outpatient clinic. The overall conclusion is that physicians and general practitioners alike view coronary artery disease as a medical condition with little consideration of the surgical option, despite good evidence that elderly patients often do very well following coronary artery bypass grafting. Future resource planning should address the problem of an overburdened cardiac surgery service.

Aged↗

Ribozyme-mediated suppression of v-myc expression abrogates apoptosis in transformed monocytes.

The product of the c-myc oncogene is an important regulator of both cell proliferation and programmed cell death (apoptosis). We have previously shown that a myelomonocytic cell line termed tEMmyc4, with enforced v-myc expression, underwent apoptosis under growth inhibitory conditions. To further investigate the linkage of v-myc expression to apoptosis in these cells, two hammerhead ribozymes were designed and shown to specifically cleave the v-myc though not c-myc transcript in vitro. These ribozymes were then engineered into the pMAMneo vector under the control of MMTV promoter, transfected into tEMmyc4 cells and clonally selected in G418. Molecular analysis revealed reduction of v-myc expression in ribozyme-expressing cells. This reduction was shown to be associated with abrogation of hormone-induced apoptosis (monitored by gel electrophoresis, flow cytometry and TUNEL assay). These results confirm a direct involvement of v-myc in the induction of apoptosis and indicate a potential means to molecularly control apoptosis using a ribozyme-targeting approach.

Animals↗

Human uterine natural killer cells.

The human uterine mucosa is infiltrated by large numbers of CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells which are particularly abundant around the time of implantation and during early pregnancy. These NK cells have the phenotype CD56bright CD16-mCD3- and the characteristic morphology of large granular lymphocytes. The NK cells are in close association with the trophoblast cells which invade into the uterus. The expression of HLA class I antigens, HLA-G and HLA-C, by these trophoblast cells raises the possibility that maternal NK cells can recognise and respond to the fetal trophoblast cells. Thus, the maternal-fetal interaction, and hence reproductive success, may depend on an NK allorecognition system.

Female↗

An unusual case of primary leptomeningeal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma.

Primary leptomeningeal lymphomas are rare, and usually follow a rapid clinical course with early systemic involvement. A 60-year-old woman presented with a 3-year history of worsening seizures and memory loss. Neuroimaging showed widespread meningeal calcification. After extensive investigations a meningeal biopsy revealed a low-grade B-cell lymphoma categorized as an extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma, attributed to the same histological group as the MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue) lymphomas described in the stomach, thyroid, salivary glands and orbit. There was no evidence of systemic involvement. The extensive meningeal calcification would appear to be a novel finding in primary leptomeningeal lymphoma whereas the unusually long clinical history in this case is possibly related to the particular histological type of low-grade B-cell lymphoma.

Female↗