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Biomedical subjects

C R Garcia

Publications and source records attributed to C R Garcia.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

B-cell lymphoproliferation and lymphomagenesis are associated with clonotypic intracellular terminal regions of the Epstein-Barr virus.

We analyzed 17 B-cell lineages cloned from two patients with infectious mononucleosis and found that different B-cell lineages exhibited notable variation in the length of the fused Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) terminal region on intracellular EBV episomes. EBV termini in different B-cell clones from the same person differed by as many as 15 to 20 reiterations of the ca. 500-base-pair terminal repeat sequence. In contrast, analysis of seven B-cell lineages cloned from a patient with a fatal, oligoclonal lymphoma revealed that three of the cell clones had the same-sized EBV terminal region. These three clones had previously been shown, by immunoglobulin gene analysis, to be metastatic daughter cells descended from a common progenitor. Similarity of the EBV terminal regions in the three daughter clones suggested that EBV infected the progenitor cell before proliferation and metastasis. Individual, EBV-infected cells from a single individual showed sufficient heterogeneity in their EBV termini to allow use of terminal fragment size as a clonal marker in studies addressing the contribution of EBV to the clonal pathogenesis of tumors with which this virus has been associated.

B-Lymphocytes↗

B-cell lymphoma in severe combined immunodeficiency not associated with the Epstein-Barr virus.

Patients with congenital and acquired immunodeficiencies are at increased risk for the development of B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. When the appropriate tests have been performed, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen (EBNA) or EBV DNA has been found in tissues from these tumors. These data have provided support for the idea that these tumors are associated with EBV. In this article we report about a child with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) who developed a malignant B-cell lymphoma that was not associated with EBV. The B-cell lymphoma in the patient proved to be, by hybridization analysis of immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain gene rearrangements of tumor-cell DNA, of clonal origin. However, neither EBNA nor EBV DNA could be detected in tumor tissue by anticomplement immunofluorescence or in situ cytohybridization with an EBV DNA probe. Furthermore, EBV DNA could not be detected by Southern blot hybridization using two EBV DNA hybridization probes on the same DNA blots that clearly contained the clonal Ig gene rearrangement. This case represents a clonal B-cell lymphoma occurring in a severely immunodeficient patient that was not associated with EBV. Antiviral chemoprophylaxis has been recommended for the prevention of EBV-related B-cell lymphoproliferations in transplant patients. Such prophylaxis may be ineffective in patients with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders not associated with EBV.

B-Lymphocytes↗

Perimenopausal sexuality.

This report covers the results of an interview survey concerning sexual responses of 124 women during the perimenopause (menopause transition), and the results of 52 women's prospective coital behavior records over 3 months with concomitant steroid analysis. Results indicated that in general, the age group centering around 49 years appears not to be suffering from a particular sexual deficit in the dimensions of desire, response, or satisfaction in their sexual life, and a subset of women with especially low estradiol levels (less than 35 mg/pl) tends to have reduced coital activity.

Adult↗

Intravenous catheter-associated Malassezia furfur fungemia.

Malassezia furfur, a lipophilic yeast that is the etiologic agent of tinea versicolor, has not been considered as a cause of serious illness in adults in the past. Two adults are described in whom Malassezia furfur fungemia developed while receiving total parenteral nutrition supplemented with lipids. The organism was identified in blood cultures from both patients only after isolation media were supplemented with a source of fatty acids. Because M. furfur will grow only in media supplemented with fatty acids, clinicians should alert the laboratory whenever a lipophilic organism is suspected to be present in blood cultures.

Catheters, Indwelling↗

Human axillary secretions influence women's menstrual cycles: the role of donor extract from men.

Menstrual cycle lengths of 29.5 +/- 3 days ("normal cycles") are more frequent in women who have weekly coital activity than in women who do not. In order to investigate potential mechanisms controlling the association between heterosexual activity and menstrual cycle length, and in light of the nonhuman literature suggesting that a chemical signal from males could be involved, menstrual cycle lengths of nulliparous women were evaluated following regular application of axillary extract from donor males. Compared to controls receiving only blank/ethanol applications, women receiving axillary extracts for 12.5 to 14.5 weeks showed the following changes: a reduced incidence in variability of cycle lengths; and a reduced proportion of aberrant length cycles.

Adult↗

Human axillary secretions influence women's menstrual cycles: the role of donor extract of females.

Menstrual synchrony in human females has previously been demonstrated among women attending a predominantly female university as well as among women attending coeducational universities. In each of these studies, women who spent the most time together were most likely to show the menstrual synchrony. In this experiment, the possibility that substances in axillary secretions might mediate this effect was tested using a prospective, double-blind research design and a combined axillary extract from a group of female donors. Female subjects who reported themselves to have normal (29.5 +/- 3 day) cycles were exposed to the axillary extracts or blank/ethanol for 10 to 13 weeks. Recipients of the axillary extracts showed a significant reduction in "days' difference in menses onset" relative to the donor cycle, no change was evident for recipients of blank/ethanol. These results demonstrate that constituents from the axillary region of donor females can shift the time of menstrual onset of another group to conform with the donors' cycle and that this effect can occur even in the absence of social contact.

Adult↗

Clonal origins of lymphoproliferative disease induced by Epstein-Barr virus.

Analysis of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in 16 B-cell lineages clonally propagated from two mononucleosis patients supported the notion that mononucleosis is a polyclonal B-lymphoproliferative disorder. Three of seven cell clones from a patient with a fatal B lymphoma revealed the same pattern of immunoglobulin gene rearrangement, indicating that this patient's disease was oligoclonal. The three similar clones were propagated from two sites (blood and spleen), indicating that they represent a metastatic cell lineage which arose during the patient's fatal B lymphoproliferation.

Burkitt Lymphoma↗

Sexual behavior and steroid levels among gynecologically mature premenopausal women.

Twenty-seven gynecologically mature young women who participated in a 14-week study prospectively recorded daily sexual behavior and basal body temperature data. In addition, they supplied plasma three times during the last cycle of participation. Plasma was analyzed for estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), and progesterone (P) by radioimmunoassay. The levels of circulating sex steroid hormones during the luteal phase were examined in relation to measures of menstrual cycle length, sexual frequency, and coital total. The results indicated the following: (1) women who had weekly sex with men had higher levels of estrogen than women who did not; (2) total amount of coital behavior was not related to any of the hormones assayed; (3) neither T nor P were distinguished by the consistency of sexual behavior or by coital total; and (4) women with aberrant-length cycles tended to have lower levels of E2. Thus, E2 consistently showed relationships to sexual behavior and cycle length, whereas P and T did not.

Adolescent↗

Sexual behavior frequency and biphasic ovulatory type menstrual cycles.

College students whose menarche had occurred 7 years previously, prospectively recorded menstrual and sexual behavior history for 14 weeks as well as basal body temperatures. Regular weekly coital activity associates with the highest incidence of fertile type cycles in this sample of young women as follows: (1) Regular weekly heterosexual behavior was associated with 29.5 +/- 3 day menstrual cycle length. Less frequent sexual activity (sporadic) and celibacy were associated with an increased frequency of aberrantly short and long cycle lengths. (2) Either of two heterosexual behaviors (coitus and/or genital stimulation by a man) were behaviors which were adequate as associates of 29.5 +/- 3 day cycles. (3) Self-stimulation (masturbation to orgasm) was inadequate as an associate of the above-described pattern of menstrual cyclicity. (4) Women with regular weekly coital activity had the highest incidence (90%) of fertile type basal body temperature (BBT) rhythms. Sporadically active women had the next highest incidence (55%) of fertile type BBT rhythms. Celibate women had the lowest incidence (44%) of fertile type BBT's.

Adolescent↗

Behavioral and emotional factors and treatment responses in a study of anovulatory infertile women.

In a controlled treatment study of 49 anovulatory infertile women, responses to clomiphene citrate (CC) and placebo treatments were compared and associations of behavioral and emotional factors with treatment responses were investigated. In the first treatment series, ovulation occurred in 20 of 24 women in the CC group and 8 of 22 women in the placebo group. Pregnancy was achieved by 11 women during CC treatment and 3 women during placebo treatment. Overall, 28 women completed the protocol and 21 withdrew. Those who achieved pregnancy (n = 14) did not differ significantly from the ovulation-only group (n = 22) on pretreatment measures of emotional, behavioral, and personality factors including the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-90), Eysenck Personality Inventory, Langner Screening Scale, Mood Analog Scale, Social Adjustment Scale, Mooney Problem Checklist, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Conclusions were that a placebo response was observed in both ovulation and pregnancy, but psychologic factors as measured in this sample were not associated with these treatment outcomes.

Adult↗

Immunoglobulin JH, C mu, and C gamma gene rearrangements in human B lymphocytes clonally transformed by Epstein-Barr virus.

Somatic rearrangements and deletions of immunoglobulin gene segments have been demonstrated in several types of murine B cells. In addition, rearrangements of the JH, C mu, and light chain immunoglobulin gene segments have been reported in human pre-B-cell leukemias and B-cell lymphomas. We have used recombinant DNA probes for the human JH, C mu, and C gamma immunoglobulin gene loci to analyze the genetic events associated with heavy chain gene expression in human B cells clonally transformed by Epstein-Barr virus. Southern hybridization analysis of BamHI-digested cell clone DNAs shows that these human B-cell clones often have bi-allelic JH rearrangements and that heavy chain isotype switching is associated with bichromosomal C mu and C gamma gene rearrangements. Deletions of germ line C mu and C gamma segments were observed that were sometimes bi-allelic. Overall, the observed rearrangements and deletions of heavy chain constant region genes suggest that human heavy chain class switching proceeds in a general order consistent with the proposed order of the heavy chain gene classes along chromosome 14.

B-Lymphocytes↗

Submucosal leiomyomas and infertility.

Seventeen patients with primary (59%) or secondary (41%) infertility and evidence of at least 1 large (greater than or equal to 5 cm) submucosal leiomyoma underwent abdominal myomectomy . In all patients, no other cause of infertility could be found. Following surgery, 2 of the 17 patients elected to use contraception. Thirteen of the 15 patients wishing to establish a pregnancy had 10 or more months of sexual exposure. The overall pregnancy rate was 47%, and 53% of those patients attempting to establish a pregnancy conceived. The corrected pregnancy rate for those with adequate sexual exposure for at least 10 months was 61.5%. Of those women who attained a pregnancy, 63% did so within 11 months after surgery. Only one patient conceived after more than 3 years (38 months). These results suggest that submucosal leiomyomas are a possible cause of infertility and are highly amenable to surgical treatment and subsequent restoration of fertility.

Adult↗

Urban black adolescents who obtain contraceptive services before or after their first pregnancy. Psychosocial factors and contraceptive use.

This paper compares three groups of urban black teenagers at their enrollment in a contraceptive program and at a one-year follow-up. The groups comprise 263 never-pregnant, postabortion, and postpartum teens ages less than or equal to 17 years at their initial family planning visit. Self-report questionnaires examined attitudes and information about pregnancy and contraceptive use, sources of contraceptive information, sexual and contraceptive experience, family and partner support for contraceptive use, and demographic background factors. Emotional, personality, and psychosocial factors were assessed with standard measures. Age, partner relationships, and items relating to the mother's communication about contraception and pregnancy were significant variables in the outcome of never-pregnant and delivery of pregnancy. Self-esteem was highest in the never-pregnant group. Personality factors, emotional distress, and social adjustment scores were in the normal ranges and did not differ between the groups. Contraceptive use at follow-up was most consistent in the never-pregnant group. These data suggest the need for earlier family involvement in educating and guiding teens together with access to contraceptive services in preventing unwanted adolescent pregnancies.

Abortion, Induced↗

Behavioral and emotional factors: comparisons of anovulatory infertile women with fertile and other infertile women.

This controlled study compared behavioral and emotional factors in a group of anovulatory infertile women requesting treatment to achieve pregnancy. The sample comprised 49 women with secondary amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea in the treatment group, 141 women in the fertile comparison group, and 104 women with diagnoses other than anovulation in an infertile comparison group. Scores on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-90), the Eysenck Personality Inventory, the Langner Screening Scale, a Mood Analog Scale, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were in the normal range and did not differ significantly between the groups. On other measures, the treatment group rated itself significantly less potent than to partner, mother, or father and reported more inhibited sexual attitudes than the comparison groups. Conclusions were that neurotic personality structure or psychopathology were not significantly greater in the treatment group than in the comparison groups. Whether the lower self-esteem and inhibited sexual attitudes of the treatment group resulted from or preceded infertility could not be determined.

Anovulation↗

Failure of hamster macrophages to discriminate between infective and noninfective promastigotes of Leishmania donovani during attachment in vitro.

The attachment of infective and noninfective promastigotes of Leishmania donovani to hamster macrophages derived from spleen, lymph nodes, and peritoneal exudate was studied in vitro. Regardless of macrophage origin, no significant differences were observed between attachment of promastigotes that were infective and those that were noninfective for hamsters.

Animals↗