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Biomedical subjects

B B Tan

Publications and source records attributed to B B Tan.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Transient re-emergence of oil of turpentine allergy in the pottery industry.

Allergy to oil of turpentine has diminished largely due to the use of cheaper substitutes in many occupations. However, 2 particular areas still reliant on real oil of turpentine are those of the perfume industry and ceramic decoration. We report 24 cases of hand dermatitis in pottery workers involved in ceramic decoration, paintresses, liners, gilders, enamellers and a fine china painter, seen in a 6-month period following a change from Portuguese to Indonesian turpentine, of whom 14 were sensitive to Indonesian turpentine, 8 to alpha-pinene, 4 to delta-3-carene and 2 positive to turpentine peroxides. Previous reports suggest that delta-3-carene is the main allergen and reports of sensitivity to alpha-pinene in the absence of sensitivity to turpentine peroxide, in particular to the hydroperoxide of delta-3-carene, are few. Turpentine allergy continues to be a problem in the pottery industry and is more common than allergy to the heavy metals of the colours used in ceramic decoration. alpha-Pinene, an unusual allergen, appears to be the most common in our area. Reversion to Portuguese turpentine seems to have alleviated the problem.

Allergens↗

Perfluorocarbon liquids (perfluorodecalin) in vitreoretinal surgery--a local experience.

A low viscosity perfluorocarbon liquid (perfluorodecalin) known commercially as DKLine was used intraoperatively as a temporary vitreous substitute in 20 patients undergoing vitrectomy surgery for a variety of complicated vitreoretinal conditions. The indications for its use included giant retinal tears (9), proliferative vitreoretinopathies (2), dislocated lenses (2), dislocated posterior chamber implant (1), endophthalmitis with retinal detachment (2), traction retinal detachment (1), pseudophakic retinal detachment (2) and exudative retinal detachment (1). In all cases with retinal detachment, perfluorodecalin was successful in flattening the retina intraoperatively. It was also successful in permitting the safe removal of dislocated lenses that were lying on the retina. In all except four cases, removal of perfluorodecalin was complete. We observed no toxic effects from remnant bubbles of perfluorocarbon in the eye.

Adolescent↗

A research for the relationship between human papillomavirus and human uterine cervical carcinoma. I. The identification of viral genome and subgenomic sequences in biopsies of Chinese patients.

Biopsies from 318 cases with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, 48 with cervical and vulvar condylomata, 14 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), 34 with chronic cervicitis and 24 with normal cervical epithelium were collected from different geographic regions with different cervical cancer mortalities. The DNA.DNA dot-blot and Southern blot hybridization results show that there is a close relationship between HPV-16 and the uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma in China. One very interesting observation is that the finding of HPV-16-homologous DNA differs significantly among five geographic regions, and corresponds with the mortalities from cervical cancer of these five regions. HPV-11 was found mainly in benign lesions. The rate of detection of HPV-16 in Chinese women increased from 8.3% in normal cervical epithelium to 20% in chronic cervicitis, 28% in cervical condyloma, 50% in CIN and 60.4% in cervical cancer. It is suggested that HPV-16 infection may be an etiological factor in the development of human cervical carcinoma. From the results of Southern blot hybridization, it appeared that HPV-16 DNA had been integrated into the genome of the host cell in cervical cancer. Whereas the HPV-16 DNA sequence was only present as an episome in normal cervical epithelium and cervical benign lesions. The rate of occurrence of E6-E7 genes is the highest (88.9%) compared with that of other subgenomic fragments of HPV-16 in specimens of human cervical cancer in China. This implies that E6 and E7 may be the oncogenic genes of HPV-16 and play an important role in the carcinogenesis of human cervical epithelial cells. The amplification and rearrangement of the c-myc protooncogene are closely associated with the occurrence of cervical cancer. The results presented here revealed that the activated c-myc oncogene may cooperate with HPV-16 in the carcinogenic processes.

Biopsy↗

Migraine versus glaucoma--a diagnostic dilemma.

Episodic headaches associated with ocular symptoms is a frequent complaint in clinical practice. In the medical and medical related field of neurology, one of the most often considered diagnosis is that of classical migraine, whilst in ophthalmology, the condition of intermittent primary angle closure glaucoma must be entertained. This paper reports three cases in which the two conditions were confused, and follows with a discussion on the essential differentiating features that can help in the diagnosis.

Adult↗

Comparative evaluation of particle agglutination test for antibody to human immunodeficiency virus.

A comparative evaluation of a new serological test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was carried out. The test used the agglutination of gelatin particles coated with HIV antigen. It was found to be more sensitive than current enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and more specific than the western blot test. Because of its simplicity, it promises to be of value, especially in developing countries.

Agglutination Tests↗

A comparison of risk factors for malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma in the UK.

Cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) exhibit markedly different natural histories, but few studies have compared risk factors in individuals from a single population. Using logistic regression analysis in case and control groups, we assessed, the association of individual characteristics with MM (n = 240) and SCC (n = 184). We also compared differences in risk factors (eye/hair colour, skin type, smoking history, occupation, social class, tumour site) between MM/BCC and SCC/BCC. MM patients were more likely to have red/blonde hair and blue/green eyes than controls, and those with SCC more likely to have red/blonde hair, blue/green eyes, outdoor occupation, skin type 1 and to have smoked more. There were few differences in individual characteristics between the skin cancer groups, illustrating their non-specific nature. Tumour site, however, showed marked differences: MM patients were more likely to have a tumour on the trunk or limbs than BCC patients, while patients with SCC were more likely to have a tumour on the limbs. Reasons for this variation are unclear. The relatively weak effect of individual factors supports the view of a multifactorial disease and suggests that interactions between UV exposure and genetic predisposition may be more significant determinants of risk.

Adult↗