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Biomedical subjects

B Anderson

Publications and source records attributed to B Anderson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism is associated with severe hypertension in early childhood.

OBJECTIVES: To review the childhood course of glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism (GRA) in order to provide management guidelines for hypertension in children. METHODS: Records for 20 children with GRA (aged 1 month to 18 years; 16 with hypertension) were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 16 children with GRA who developed hypertension, 50% had moderate-severe hypertension (blood pressure [BP] >99th centile for age and sex); 32% had mild hypertension (BP >95th and <99th centile), and 18% had borderline normal BP (BP >90th and <95th centile). Eight of 16 children with hypertension who received directed monotherapy (glucocorticoid suppression or aldosterone receptor/sodium epithelial channel antagonists) maintained BP below the 90th centile. Three additional subjects receiving a combination of directed therapies or a combination of directed therapies and nifedipine were unable to achieve BP control. At GRA diagnosis, 5 of 8 children were normokalemic, and plasma renin activity was suppressed in 5 of 5 subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for GRA, especially in children with severe hypertension and a positive family history of early-onset hypertension and/or premature hemorrhagic stroke. Directed monotherapy is often successful in controlling BP in GRA.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive children: examination of the role of caregiver health beliefs.

This study examined the association between two components of the Health Belief Model (perceived vulnerability and barriers) and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among children who are HIV-infected. The parents/caregivers of 30 children (mean age = 5.21, SD = 3.18) who were HIV-infected and who were on active ART were surveyed to assess current methods of adherence assessment and educational efforts within the institution. All participants (except one) were African American and reported low monthly family incomes (M = $869.45, SD = $832.63). Assessment instruments included measures of perceived vulnerability, caregiver-reported adherence and perceived barriers, and objective measures of adherence (clinical pill count; electronic measurement). The results failed to demonstrate a significant relationship between parental perceived vulnerability, perceived barriers and adherence to antiretroviral medications. Methods of assessing adherence provided significantly discrepant estimates of adherence. Results are discussed in terms of implications for patient care and for future research in this area. The addition of behavioural and motivational components to traditional educational approaches may positively impact treatment results.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Intracellular induction of the Bartonella henselae virB operon by human endothelial cells.

One of the more recently identified bacterial exportation systems is the type IV secretion mechanism, which is characterized by a multiprotein complex that spans the inner and outer bacterial membranes and contains a pilin component. The most thoroughly studied type IV secretion system is encoded by the virB operon of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. In Bartonella henselae, 8 of the 10 virB operon genes share extensive homology and arrangement with the virB operon of A. tumefaciens. Sequencing of the region upstream of the B. henselae virB2 gene revealed a region with sequence homology to the vir box of A. tumefaciens. This possible promoter region was cloned upstream of the green fluorescent protein reporter gene in the promoterless vector pANT3 and used to transform B. henselae. Minimal reporter gene expression was seen in the transformed bacteria cultivated in the absence of host cells, but expression was strongly induced in intracellular bacteria cultivated with human microvascular endothelial cells. Deletion of an 87-bp fragment, which contained the putative vir box from the 5' end of the promoter region, diminished intracellular induction of the reporter gene. Host cell induction of the 17-kDa antigen gene, which replaces virB5 in B. henselae, was also demonstrated at the protein level using specific antiserum. Thus, expression of the virB genes of B. henselae is induced in bacteria, which have invaded host cells, through a mechanism that may be similar to the environment-sensing mechanism found in the virB operon of A. tumefaciens.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed2001

Dyspnea during panic attacks. An Internet survey of incidences of changes in breathing.

This article presents the results of a survey that investigated breathing-related symptoms of panic attacks together with the frequency of other symptoms reported by active panickers. All the participants of this study experienced naturally occurring panic attacks and sought treatment guidance by visiting a Web site devoted to the treatment of panic. The results of a symptom questionnaire showed that 195 respondents (95.1%) reported breathing changes during panic attacks, and remarkable dyspnea was reported by more than two thirds (68%) of respondents. These findings are consistent with earlier studies but are contrary to conclusions that only a small number of panickers report shortness of breath as a symptom. This study concludes that outside of the laboratory, a large majority of people who suffer from panic attacks experience symptoms of dyspnea.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Early life stress and disease among offspring and siblings of individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Major life events, recent life stressors, and childhood diseases were examined among children and adolescents who were offspring, siblings, or other relatives of persons with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). All youth were recruited as part of a multi-site nationwide trial on the prevention of type 1 DM; parents of 347 children (4 to 18 yr) completed measures that asked about children's life events, recent stressors, and childhood illnesses. Analyses compared age groups (young child, preadolescent, adolescent) and relative type (offspring, sibling, other relative). Findings revealed offspring and siblings did not differ from "other relatives" in terms of life events, recent life stress, and disease/illness variables. However, siblings were reported to have fewer major life events and fewer life stressors in the past 12 months than offspring; siblings also had fewer infectious diseases during the first two years of life compared to offspring. Few age-related differences were found. Overall, results suggest that offspring and siblings of persons with type 1 DM are not at a disadvantage in terms of early life stress or disease in comparison to youth who have other family members with diabetes. However, siblings may have some advantages relative to children who are offspring. The mechanisms underlying these relationships require further elucidation and study.

Aging↗
PubMed2001

Psychosocial therapies in diabetes: report of the Psychosocial Therapies Working Group.

OBJECTIVE: To review key advances in the behavioral science literature related to psychosocial issues and therapies for persons with diabetes, to discuss barriers to research progress, and to make recommendations for future research. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Key findings from the literature on psychosocial research in diabetes are reviewed separately for children and adults. Specific issues covered include psychosocial adjustment and psychiatric disorders, neurocognitive functioning, quality of life, and psychosocial therapies. Barriers that must be addressed to allow research in this area to progress are discussed. Recommendations are then made concerning high-priority areas for advancing research in the field. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial amount of behavioral science research has demonstrated that psychosocial factors play an integral role in the management of diabetes in both children and adults. Research has also shown the efficacy of a number of psychosocial therapies that can improve regimen adherence, glycemic control, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life. More research in this area is needed to develop psychosocial intervention programs for specific patient populations and to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of these approaches.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

The p53 mutational spectrum associated with BRCA1 mutant ovarian cancer.

PURPOSE: Cancer-specific p53 mutational spectra have been identified. Data from murine models and human BRCA1-related hereditary breast cancers suggest that both unique and specific BRCA1-associated p53 mutations may be found in BRCA1-related ovarian cancers. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The p53 mutational spectrum from ovarian cancers containing either somatic or germ-line BRCA1 mutations was compared with that of sporadic ovarian cancers defined as those diagnosed with a negative family history for breast/ovarian cancer in a three-generation pedigree. Tumor DNA was screened over exons 2-11 of the p53 gene by the PCR and single-strand confirmation polymorphism analysis of the amplimers. Cycle-based DNA sequencing from separate reactions was used to confirm p53 mutations. RESULTS: p53 gene mutations were detected in 42 of 86 sporadic ovarian cancers, compared with 13 of 15 cancers with somatic BRCA1 mutations (P = 0.007) and 16 of 20 cancers with germ-line BRCA1 mutations (P = 0.01). p53 null mutations were found in 31.4% of BRCA1 mutant cancers, compared with only 9.3% of the sporadic cancers (P = 0.002). The p53 mutational spectrum of germ-line BRCA1-related cancers was shifted toward transversions, frameshifts, and non-CpG transitions relative to the spectrum of sporadic ovarian cancers. Thirty-three unique ovarian cancer p53 mutations were sequenced. However, the specific p53 mutations in the BRCA1 mutant cancers were no more unique to this cohort than the p53 mutations of the sporadic cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian cancers containing somatic or germ-line BRCA1 mutations are uniformly accompanied by p53 dysfunction. This finding offers additional support to observations regarding the importance of p53/BRCA1 interactions in ovarian carcinogenesis.

BRCA1 Protein↗
PubMed2001

Alcohol use and sexual risk taking among hazardously drinking drug injectors who attend needle exchange.

BACKGROUND: To determine if sex-risk days are also alcohol use days for active injection drug users. METHODS: Cross-sectional interview of 187 active injection drug users who scored positively (> or =8) on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test who were recruited between February 1998 and October 1999 from a needle exchange program in Providence, Rhode Island. A sex-risk day was defined as "vaginal sex, anal sex or oral sex without a condom," measured by using a 30 day timeline follow-back procedure. RESULTS: The sample was 64% male and 87% white, and 85% met DSM-IV criteria for alcohol abuse/dependence. Of the total days analyzed (n = 5610), 19% were sex-risk days; on 52% of these days drinking also occurred. By using a generalized estimating equation model to cluster by subject, alcohol use was associated with sex-risk days (odds ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.35-2.29; p < 0.001), when we controlled for gender, age, race, education, cocaine use, injection frequency, exchanging sex for money or drugs, number of sexual partners, and perceived sexual risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus from partners. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol use is associated with sex risk-taking behavior among injection drug users. A substantial majority of participants reported using alcohol before or during sexual relations, which temporally links alcohol use with human immunodeficiency virus injection risk.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The intersection of relational and cultural narratives: women's abortion experiences.

Although a great deal has been written on women's personal deliberations in deciding to have and seeking an abortion, little has been written on the experience of living with this decision or on the meanings an abortion generates in the context of a particular life. In this hermeneutic phenomenological study, 14 women aged 19-44 expressed a need for professionals and others to accept the reality of unplanned pregnancy and to acknowledge that the choice of abortion cannot be fully understood in isolation from women's other reproductive choices. Using a feminist analysis of the tensions and contradictions in the women's accounts, the authors explore the intersections between their experiences and the cultural narratives in which they are situated, in a search for new possibilities for women and new understandings of women's experience of abortion.

Abortion, Legal↗
PubMed2001

Counselling for alcohol problems in primary care in Forth Valley--an innovative approach?

OBJECTIVE: To explore the implications of establishing a voluntary sector provided alcohol counselling service within a Primary Care setting in Forth Valley Health Board area, and to evaluate the potential of such a project. DESIGN: Analysis of routinely held information and postal questionnaire survey. SETTING: North and South Local Health Care Co-operatives, Forth Valley Primary Care NHS Trust in conjunction with Central Scotland Council on Alcohol (CSCA). SUBJECTS: Users of counselling service and local general practitioners. RESULTS: General practitioners referred a total of 349 people with 284 attending for counselling. Survey of a sample of 80 service users achieved a 45% response rate. Of those who responded a majority (89%) said that the health centre location was an important factor in their ability to use and therefore benefit from the service. Accessibility, quality and confidentiality of the counselling service were important factors determining ability to attend and benefit from counselling. The survey of local general practitioners achieved a 69% response. The majority (96%) of general practitioners reported the service to be either extremely valuable or very helpful. General Practitioners listed 3 major benefits as confidentiality, accessibility and cost effectiveness. A significant minority of general practitioners (24%) reported that they were unaware that the service existed. Compared with other routine CSCA counselling services people's reported alcohol consumption was some 18% higher in those referred to the primary care based counselling service. At review, four weeks later, the average reported alcohol consumption had decreased considerably. People using the counselling service reported that the service helped them reduce their alcohol consumption, improve their general health and their personal relationships. CONCLUSION: This project has demonstrated that a voluntary sector agency can work closely and successfully with primary care services in establishing counselling services for those with alcohol problems. Early evaluation would point towards success in terms of reducing reported levels of drinking and improved health. Local general practitioners indicated their support for continued development of this type of service provision.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Characterization of CAF4 and CAF16 reveals a functional connection between the CCR4-NOT complex and a subset of SRB proteins of the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme.

The CCR4-NOT transcriptional regulatory complex affects transcription both positively and negatively and consists of the following two complexes: a core 1 x 10(6) dalton (1 MDa) complex consisting of CCR4, CAF1, and the five NOT proteins and a larger, less defined 1.9-MDa complex. We report here the identification of two new factors that associate with the CCR4-NOT proteins as follows: CAF4, a WD40-containing protein, and CAF16, a putative ABC ATPase. Whereas neither CAF4 nor CAF16 was part of the core CCR4-NOT complex, both CAF16 and CAF4 appeared to be present in the 1.9-MDa complex. CAF4 also displayed physical interactions with multiple CCR4-NOT components and with DBF2, a likely component of the 1.9-MDa complex. In addition, both CAF4 and CAF16 were found to interact in a CCR4-dependent manner with SRB9, a component of the SRB complex that is part of the yeast RNA polymerase II holoenzyme. The three related SRB proteins, SRB9, SRB10, and SRB11, were found to interact with and to coimmunoprecipitate DBF2, CAF4, CCR4, NOT2, and NOT1. Defects in SRB9 and SRB10 also affected processes at the ADH2 locus known to be controlled by components of the CCR4-NOT complex; an srb9 mutation was shown to reduce ADH2 derepression and either an srb9 or srb10 allele suppressed spt10-enhanced expression of ADH2. In addition, srb9 and srb10 alleles increased ADR1(c)-dependent ADH2 expression; not4 and not5 deletions are the only other known defects that elicit this phenotype. These results suggest a close physical and functional association between components of the CCR4-NOT complexes and the SRB9, -10, and -11 components of the holoenzyme.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗