Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Neri

Publications and source records attributed to A Neri.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

Neonatal outcome in infants of epileptic mothers.

The effect of epilepsy and anti-epileptic treatment on neonatal outcome was investigated in 86 pregnancies terminating in delivery. Various maternal and neonatal parameters were considered. Each infant born to an epileptic mother was double-matched with two infants born to healthy mothers and the results were submitted for statistical analysis. Infants of epileptic mothers had smaller head circumference. Primidone was the only anti-epileptic drug, taken during pregnancy, to have a significant effect on infant head circumference. The results suggest that a drug effect, rather than an association with maternal epilepsy, is responsible for this difference. Hypertelorism is the only congenital anomaly to be significantly more frequent in newborns of epileptics. All drugs, except for primidone, were associated significantly with this anomaly. Further similar studies and prolonged follow-up of the infants of epileptic mothers are necessary before drawing any final conclusions regarding the outcome of these infants.

Analysis of Variance↗

Pregnancy-induced leukocytosis in Yemenite Jews.

Benign neutropenia is often found among healthy Yemenite Jews. An assessment was made of the magnitude of labor-induced leukocytosis in 44 Yemenite Jewish women, by comparing their hematological values during labor with those of 27 non-Yemenite women. A statistically significant difference was found in the absolute counts of the white blood cells (WBC) during delivery between the two groups, the values being lower among Yemenite Jews [10,291 +/- 422] vs. [11,759 +/- 630] X 10(9)/1) and similar findings were detected among their infants. The low WBC counts in the Yemenite group at parturition were also associated with significantly lower plasma cortisol levels (Yemenite group: 33.7 +/- 3.5 micrograms/dl; controls: 49.3 X 2.9 micrograms/dl). A correlation was found between serum cortisol levels and the magnitude of leukocytosis in both groups of women and their infants. These results suggest that a low basal corticosteroid output may contribute to the low white blood cell counts detected in some ethnic groups like the Yemenite Jews.

Adult↗

Comparison of 'spontaneous' and 'experimental' metastasis using rat 13762 mammary adenocarcinoma metastatic cell clones.

Rat 13762NF mammary adenocarcinoma cloned cell lines were assayed at different in vitro passage numbers and compared for their abilities to form 'spontaneous' metastases by subcutaneous injection of cells and 'experimental' metastases by intravenous injection of cells. Tumor cell clones were established from locally growing tumor and spontaneous lung metastases, and these clones were found to possess heterogeneous metastatic potentials in both metastasis assays. The rank order of clonal metastatic potentials based on either the average number of lung tumor colonies or the average total lung tumor volume was generally equivalent for 'spontaneous' and 'experimental' metastases, but some differences were noted. Ranking of 'spontaneous' metastasis by average total lung tumor volumes more closely resembled the rank order of 'experimental' metastasis than by the average number of spontaneous metastases. The results demonstrated that in the 13762NF mammary adenocarcinoma system (i) there is heterogeneity in tumor cell clonal metastatic potential using either 'spontaneous' or 'experimental' assays; (ii) these two assay methods yield generally the same rank order of metastatic potential; (iii) the metastatic potential of each of the tumor cell clones drifts with time (passage number) in cell culture, and (iv) ranking by average tumor burden calculated from total lung tumor volumes may yield a better estimate of metastatic potential than ranking by the average number of lung tumor colonies.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Chemical and biochemical studies in fetuses affected with Nieman-Pick disease type A.

Chemical and biochemical studies were performed on two unrelated fetuses affected with Niemann-Pick disease type A, following abortion at about the 19th week of gestation. Abortion was performed as a consequence of previous findings, in amniotic fluid cell cultures, that sphingomyelinase activity was completely absent. Phospholipid analyses of various organs of the fetuses, spleen and liver were the organs mostly affected. Interestingly enough considerable accumulation of sphingomyelin was found in the placenta. The brain was the only organ in which sphingomyelin storage could not be proved. In addition to sphingomyelin a slight accumulation of cholesterol was noticed. Deficiency of sphingomyelinase activity measured at pH 5.0 was the general characteristic of the affected tissues. It is concluded that the accumulation of sphingomyelin in various organs throughout the body of fetuses affected with Niemann-Pick disease is suggestive of the essential role of the enzyme sphingomyelinase and its biochemical maturation, even during the early stages of gestation.

Amniotic Fluid↗

The importance of cuff width in measurement of blood pressure in pregnancy.

Blood pressure was measured indirectly in 218 normotensive primigravidas with arm circumferences ranging from 21.7 to 36.1 cm using three standard blood pressure cuffs. It was found that the medical profession's lack of awareness as to the proper use of cuffs in prenatal care may involve 40% of the patients--20% of these have a small arm circumference, will not show a true blood pressure reading, and may fail to get the proper treatment. On the other hand, 20% of these patients who have a rather large arm circumference, may be grouped among those who need special care and attention, and may be given unnecessary treatment--a fact which may bring about clinical complications, unnecessary expense, incorrect statistical data and a misleading demographic impact.

Adolescent↗

Detachment of posterior uterine cervical lip associated with spontaneous delivery.

Various forms of detachment and amputation of the uterine cervix during labor have been described as an unusual and uncommon obstetrical complication (Jeffcoate and Lister, 1952). These cases most probably are not so rare as the few papers dealing with them would suggest. Since most of these papers deal with total amputation (annular detachment) of the uterine cervix and detachment of anterior uterine cervical lip, a case of spontaneous detachment of posterior uterine cervical lip is described.

Adult↗

Menorrhagia associated with the wearing of IUD--the results of treatment with clomiphene citrate.

The influence of clomiphene citrate was tested in 206 women suffering from menorrhagia following the insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD). Eighty-three percent felt relief during the therapy, 10% did not benefit and 7% complained of a worsening of their symptoms. Among the women who felt an improvement, 85% responded to the 250 mg/cycle dosage, and 15% required the 350 mg/cycle dosage. Women with shortened menstrual cycles required the higher dose treatment, i.e. 350 mg, compared with women with normal cycles (36% vs. 28%, respectively). The influence of placebo was 6%. The hypothesis is raised that the mechanism of action of clomiphene citrate is the correction of the hormonal disturbances in the luteal phase of the cycle following insertion of the IUD.

Clomiphene↗

Menopausal age in various ethnic groups in Israel.

The effects of various parameters on age at menopause have been investigated in five ethnic groups in Israel comprising East European, West European, North African, Israeli and other Middle Eastern (Mediterranean) women, respectively. The data were acquired by means of anonymous questionnaires and were programmed for 1770 women. Correlation coefficients between various variables and age at menopause revealed three variables which have a straight correlation, vis. obesity index, number of children, and years of amenorrhoea (during the reproductive years). The years-of-smoking variable has an inverse correlation with age at menopause. East Europeans have the highest age at menarche. Two-way analysis of variance has shown that the obesity index, years of amenorrhoea, number of children and years-of-smoking parameters are individually more important than ethnic origin. The finding that the age at menopause is highest in the North African group is explained by the higher incidence in this group of high parity, a greater number of amenorrhoea, obesity, and low cigarette consumption. Since many habits (such as smoking, diet, use of contraceptive pills, multiple partners and marital obligations) are subject to frequent change in the modern world, it is of the utmost importance to repeat such a study every few years.

Age Factors↗

Presence of circulating immune complexes in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Correlations between clinical and immunological features.

The presence of circulating immune complexes (CIC) was evaluated in 60 untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia with the polyethylene-glycol precipitation assay. The mean values of optical density (OD) in patients' sera was 0.161 +/- 0.121 compared with control values of 0.082 +/- 0.045 (P less than 0.001). Sera of 16 patients gave OD values higher than 0.172 (mean of controls plus 2 SD) and were considered positive for the presence of CIC. Using the new staging proposed by Binet for CLL we did not find any correlation between presence of CIC and stage of the disease. On the contrary, it was possible to correlate the presence of CIC with the stability of the disease: CIC were found in only 2 of the 22 patients (9.1%) with progressive disease but in 10 of the 30 patients (33.3%) with stable disease (P less than 0.05). CIC were present in 12 of the 38 patients in whom the only surface immunoglobulins present were IgM, but in only 1 of the 14 patients in whom both IgM and IgD were contemporaneously present on the lymphocyte surface. No correlations were found between levels of serum immunoglobulins and presence of CIC.

Adult↗

Development and biologic properties of malignant cell sublines and clones of a spontaneously metastasizing rat mammary adenocarcinoma.

With the use of the rat 13762 mammary adenocarcinoma tumor, an animal model for spontaneous mammary tumor metastasis was developed. The parental tumor implanted sc into the mammary fat pads of female Fischer 344 rats metastasized at low frequency to lymph nodes and lung and did not metastasize to other organs. Oophorectomy did not modify the metastatic properties of the parental 13762 tumor. Cell lines were adapted to tissue culture from lymph node or lung metastases, and these were compared to parental tumor transplants in spontaneous metastasis assays. Only the cell lines established from metastases were spontaneously metastatic within 23 days after sc implantation, indicating that tumor cell populations from metastases are more metastatic than are cells from the parental tumor. Several individual parental tumor-derived and lung metastasis-derived clones were compared for spontaneous metastatic potentials, cell culture morphologies, histologic structures at primary implant and secondary metastatic sites, and growth characteristics in vivo and in vitro. There was no correlation between any of these tumor and cellular properties and metastatic potential. The parental mammary tumor-derived, lymph node metastasis-derived, and lung metastasis-derived cell lines and clones with differing spontaneous metastatic properties should prove useful in studies on the roles of tumor cell and host properties in lymphatic and blood-borne metastasis.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Placenta previa with focal accretion.

A series of eight women in whom a diagnosis of placenta previa with focal accretion was established, is presented. They were selected from a group of 153 women with placenta previa who delivered during the period 1968-77. The women with placenta previa accreta did not differ from those with placenta previa per se with respect to age, parity, obstetrical history, and antenatal, intrapartum or perinatal outcome. Three women delivered vaginally and five by cesarean section. Postpartum hemorrhage occurred in four of the women, three of whom were delivered vaginally. Of seven women who were managed conservatively, one required a hysterectomy to control bleeding. It is suggested that cases of placenta previa with focal accretion be managed conservatively.

Adult↗

"In vitro" colony growth of blood T-lymphocytes from B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

T-lymphocyte colony formation in agar culture was investigated in 20 untreated B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) patients in stage O. As compared to the controls, colony growth was very poor when unseparated peripheral-blood lymphocytes from CLL-patients were seeded. The number of colonies was greatly higher when T-cell enriched fractions from CLL were plated; however, they failed to reach the normal range even in this experimental condition. The role of adherent cells in the colony growth was also investigated. Depletion of these cells resulted in impaired colony generation either in normals or in CLL-patients, which was subsequently restored by the addition of the same adherent cells. In the patients investigated in this study, an imbalance of T-subsets was found with increase of OKT8-positive cells (T-suppressors). When the number of colonies and the percentage of OKT8-positive cells were plotted, an inverse correlation was found. Conversely, a linear relationship was detected between the percentage of OKT4-positive cells (T-helpers) and the values of colonies. On the basis of the present experiments, it is suggested that the defective colony growth of T-cell fractions in B-cell CLL may be related to the low number of OKT4-positive cells plated, which are known to be mainly responsible for the colony generation in agar culture.

Adult↗