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Biomedical subjects

C Bloom

Publications and source records attributed to C Bloom.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

The effect of anticholinesterases on personality changes in Alzheimer's disease.

Anticholinesterases are known to be effective against cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) but their effect on the personality changes in the disease is not known. This study examines the effect of anticholinesterase treatment on personality changes in AD. It involved the carers of patients with mild to moderate AD who were currently receiving anticholinesterases in south Manchester. The personality change was measured using the Brooks and McKinlay Personality Inventory. The carers were asked to complete the inventory for each of three periods in the patients' lives: before the onset of AD, after the diagnosis of AD but before starting anticholinesterases, and currently on anticholinesterases. Fifty-eight carers participated in the study. Personality became more negative (total score on the personality inventory became less) following the onset of AD (p < 0.001). Following anticholinesterase treatment, the total score on the personality inventory remained the same or increased in 23 (39%) patients. Scores on individual personality traits remained the same or increased in the majority of patients. In approximately one fifth of the patients, the traits 'does things himself', 'happy', 'calm' and 'cautious' showed improvement on anticholinesterases. The study confirms that personality changes are almost universal and negative in AD and suggests that anticholinesterases may have a positive effect. Further double blind prospective studies are needed to understand natural progression of personality changes in AD and to validate the findings of this study.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Locomotor analysis of the taiep rat.

Locomotor activity (tremor, ataxia, immobility, epilepsy, and paralysis) in the taiep rat, which suffers from a myelin deficient disorder, has not been previously documented. This study used walking track analysis of footprints to analyze locomotor activity in the taiep rat in comparison to normal, age-matched controls. The results confirmed differences between normal and taiep rats in terms of stride length, step length, and stride width. In addition, we found significant interactions between age and condition for stride and step length. The results suggest that locomotor analysis is a sensitive indicator of myelin deficiency. The results are discussed in terms of the underlying myelin deficiency and possible treatment regimens.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

The splay angle: A new measure for assessing neuromuscular dysfunction in rats.

This report describes a new method, the splay angle measures, to determine neuromuscular dysfunction. Splay angles are measured from a standard splay test and define hind limb orientation quantified, in degrees, by the paw strike of the hind limbs. We used mutant rats, presenting with a chronic central nervous system demyelinating disease, characterized by tremor, ataxia, immobility, epilepsy, and paralysis (taiep). Significant differences between taiep (n = 12) and normal control rats (n = 10) were found for Linear Splay, AngleLeft, AngleRight, and AngleBoth. These results suggest that the splay angles are a sensitive measure of hind limb orientation and may reflect an underlying pathology.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Laryngeal cancer: is computed tomography a valuable imaging technique? A retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Our objectives were threefold: to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of laryngeal computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of laryngeal cancer, to determine the positive and negative predictive values of CT in assessing laryngeal cancer with respect to patient outcome, and to compare the CT staging of laryngeal cancer with endoscopy. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 77 consecutive patients with endoscopically proven laryngeal cancer. All patients underwent nonhelical CT evaluation of the larynx, with 23 subsequently undergoing surgery and 54 undergoing radiotherapy. The CT findings in the surgical cohort were compared with the pathologic analysis of resected specimens and with endoscopic data using a predetermined checklist of 14 regions of surgical interest. All the CT data in the radiotherapy cohort were compared with patient outcome in an attempt to define regions of tumour involvement that may predict disease recurrence after radiotherapy. RESULTS: CT evaluation of laryngeal cancer had an overall sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 93%. In the radiotherapy cohort, CT had an overall positive predictive value of 51% and a negative predictive value of 62% for disease recurrence after radiotherapy. Compared with endoscopic examination, CT resulted in upgrading of clinical staging in 43% of patients in the surgical cohort and 33% of patients in the radiotherapy cohort. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that, despite the superiority of CT over endoscopy in the assessment of laryngeal cancer, this imaging technique is weak in staging advanced laryngeal cancer and is poor in predicting clinical outcome following radiotherapy.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1997

Carboxylate ions are strong allosteric ligands for the HisB10 sites of the R-state insulin hexamer.

The insulin hexamer is an allosteric protein which displays positive and negative cooperativity and half-site reactivity that is modulated by strong homotropic and heterotropic ligand binding interactions at two different loci. These loci consist of phenolic pockets situated on the dimer-dimer interfaces of T-R and R-R subunit pairs and of anion sites comprising the HisB10 metal ion sites of the R3 units of the T3R3 and R6 states. In this study, we show that suitably tailored organic carboxylates are strong allosteric effectors with relatively high affinities for the R-state HisB10 metal sites. Methods of quantifying the relative affinities of ligands for these sites in both Co(II)- and Zn(II)-substituted insulin hexamers are presented. These analyses show that, in addition to the electron density on the ion, the carboxylate affinity is influenced by polar, nonpolar, and hydrophobic interactions between substituents on the carboxylate and the amphipathic protein surface of the narrow tunnel which controls ligand access to the metal ion. Since the binding of anions to the HisB10 site makes a critically important contribution to the stability of the T3R3 and R6 forms of the insulin hexamer, the design of high-affinity ligands with a carboxylate donor for coordination to the metal ion provides an opportunity for constructing insulin formulations with improved pharmaceutical properties.

Allosteric Site↗
PubMed1996

Left atrial myxoma presenting as Gerstmann syndrome.

The authors describe a 29-year-old woman who presented with Gerstmann syndrome secondary to underlying left atrial myxoma. The clinicoradiologic features of atrial myxoma, as well as its neurologic manifestations, are reviewed.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Colonic obstruction secondary to sarcoidosis: nonsurgical diagnosis and management.

A 57-year-old black man presented with a 2-week history of abdominal pain, weight loss, anorexia, and constipation. His history was significant for remote Hodgkin's disease and systemic sarcoidosis. Physical examination showed abdominal distention and hyperactive bowel sounds, periorbital swelling, and mandibular lymphadenopathy. A barium enema examination showed two high-grade obstructive lesions in the rectum and splenic flexure. Colonoscopy confirmed the presence of the two areas of colonic obstruction. The mucosa showed diffuse fine ulcerations in the areas of obstruction as well as in the intervening region. Endoscopic biopsy specimens showed numerous mucosal noncaseating granulomas but no acid-fast bacilli or foreign bodies. The patient was treated with oral prednisone and improved symptomatically within 3 days. The ocular lesions and lymphadenopathy also responded promptly. Findings of follow-up barium enema and colonoscopy performed after 1 month of steroid treatment were essentially normal. Mucosal biopsy specimens showed only mild nonspecific chronic inflammation of the lamina propria and no granulomas. Colonic involvement is rarely reported with systemic sarcoidosis. We believe that this is the first report of colonic obstruction due to sarcoid diagnosed endoscopically and managed nonsurgically.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1995

Antibody responses to suspected periodontal pathogens in elderly subjects with periodontal disease.

Little is known about the relationship of aging to periodontal disease. The immune response undergoes aging-related changes resulting in loss of functional capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between levels of serum IgG antibodies against suspected periodontal pathogenic microorganisms to the presence or absence of periodontal disease in an elderly (65-75 yrs) population. From this study, we obtained information concerning: (1) the ability to differentiate elderly individuals without disease from those with disease by their levels of antibodies against periodontal pathogens and (2) which periodontal pathogen(s) triggered those responses. IgG anti- Porphyromonas gingivalis (strains W83 and 381) levels in the serum of elderly patients with severe periodontal disease were the only antibody responses measured which were elevated compared to the elderly control group of subjects with no periodontal disease. Anti- Prevotella intermedia IgG levels in both elderly patient groups were depressed compared to anti- P. intermedia levels in the young normal control subjects. Serum IgG antibody levels to six other plaque microorganisms did not differentiate between diseased and normal, elderly or young subjects. This data suggested that P. gingivalis was associated with periodontal disease in this elderly group of individuals and that those elderly individuals were able to respond with a normal IgG immune response.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma.

Extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma is an undifferentiated round-cell sarcoma that is indistinguishable histologically from Ewing's sarcoma of bone. Despite this similarity, it has been accepted as a distinct clinicopathologic entity. The authors describe a 53-year-old man who presented with extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma of the left subcostal chest wall. The lesion was demonstrated by radiography and computed tomography and confirmed by pathological examination.

Humans↗
PubMed1985

Metastatic tumors of the mandibular condyle. Review of the literature and report of a case.

A metastatic tumor involving the mandibular condyle presented symptoms of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. Positive identification of the primary malignant lesion as prostatic adenocarcinoma was accomplished through the use of immunohistochemical stains for prostate-specific antigen and subsequent prostate biopsy. A review of the literature revealed fifteen additional cases of metastatic lesions of the mandibular condyle, seven of which also demonstrated TMJ-related symptoms as the initial manifestation of malignant disease. Such cases represent a diagnostic challenge, both clinically and microscopically. Symptoms of TMJ dysfunction coupled with radiographic evidence of a destructive lesion or pathologic fracture should suggest a possible malignant process indicating the need for biopsy. Subsequent examination of routine sections in combination with the use of selected stains, including immunohistochemistry may be helpful in identification of the primary tumor site.

Adenocarcinoma↗