Follow-up after endometrial cancer.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C Tan.
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BACKGROUND: Replacement donors are more likely than volunteer donors to have positive or abnormal tests for transfusion-transmissible disease. In an effort to increase the donor pool, workers sought to identify a safer replacement-donor subgroup that may be acceptable for routine donations. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In a retrospective review and cohort study, the replacement-donor effect was separated from the new-donor effect. The relative effect the replacement donor has on the risk of transfusion-transmissible diseases, donor retention, and frequency of returning donations was then quantified by comparison against the effect of repeat volunteer donors. RESULTS: The replacement donor had 3.1 times the risk and 0.72 times the donor retention rate and made 0.81 times as many returning donations as the repeat volunteer donor. The figures for the new-donor effect were similar. The two risks were additive, making a new replacement donor particularly hazardous. If replacement donations only from repeat replacement donors were considered, the donor risk and the number of donations per returning donor were made comparable to those for the general (combined) volunteer donor. CONCLUSION: The negative effect of the replacement donor is similar in magnitude to that of the new volunteer donor. A replacement-donation program targeting repeat replacement donors has an acceptable risk profile and may be a valuable adjunct to the collection of blood from general volunteer donors.
PURPOSE: To define and compare the trabeculectomy survival with regard to intra-ocular pressure (IOP) control without further surgery or anti-glaucoma medication n an Asian population. METHODS: A retrospective review of two consecutive groups of patients who had trabeculectomy surgery in a university eye department setting. The first group of patients (group A) did not receive any adjunctive 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), while the second group (group B) had intra-operative sponge application of 5-FU. Only the first trabeculectomy of patients who had bilateral trabeculectomy and the first trabeculectomy performed in patients who had repeated surgery was analysed. Combined procedures were excluded. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier product limit method. RESULTS: Eighty-nine patients (51 in group A and 38 in group B) were studied, with a mean follow up of 37.5 and 27.0 months, respectively (P = 0.014). There were no statistical differences in age, gender, mean pretreatment IOP, pre-operative medication, proportion of patients with previous ocular surgery, or proportion of primary compared with secondary glaucoma between the two groups. The probability of trabeculectomy survival (IOP < 22 mmHg without additional medication/surgery) at 12 and 36 months was 54.3 and 36.4%, respectively, in group A and 75.8 and 65.8%, respectively, in group B. The differences in survival were significant (P = 0.006, log rank test). CONCLUSIONS: Our experience with trabeculectomy survival in the Asian population showed poorer success when compared with Caucasian populations reported by other investigators. The survival of trabeculectomy surgery was improved significantly with intra-operative 5-FU. There may be justification for advocating a more liberal use of intra-operative 5-FU in such a population.
Wnts are secreted signaling molecules implicated in a large number of developmental processes. Frizzled proteins have been identified as likely receptors for Wnt ligands in vertebrates and invertebrates, but a functional role for vertebrate frizzleds has not yet been defined. To assess the endogenous role of frizzled proteins during vertebrate development, we have identified and characterized a Xenopus frizzled gene (xfz8). It is highly expressed in the deep cells of the Spemann organizer prior to dorsal lip formation and in the early involuting marginal zone. Ectopic expression of xfz8 in ventral cells leads to complete secondary axis formation and can synergize with Xwnt-8 while an inhibitory form of xfz8 (Nxfz8) blocks axis duplication by Xwnt-8, consistent with a role for xfz8 in Wnt signal transduction. Expression of Nxfz8 in dorsal cells has profound effects on morphogenesis during gastrulation and neurulation that result in dramatic shortening of the anterior-posterior axis. Our results suggest a role for xfz8 in morphogenesis during the gastrula stage of embryogenesis.
It was investigated that the clinical unspecialized immunological factors and special immune reaction against to inner ear antigens relate with the cause of Meniere's disease. Every of the relative immune tests and special humoral and cellular immune reaction tests were proceeded in the breaking out and intermittent period of Meniere's disease patients, and the normal controls. The levels of IgG and C3 in serum and unspecialized lymphocyte blastogenesis increased, and positive of circular immune compound and antibody against cellular nucleus, and special humoral and cellular immune reaction against inner ear antigens during the breaking out period of the patients. The element of inner ear autoimmune could play an important role in the pathogenical mechanism of some patients with Meniere's disease.
Inquire into the mechanism of inner ear pathological physiology in autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss (ASHL). With the auditory electric-physiological techniques and enzyme-histochemical method, the change of inner ear hearing function and enzyme activity were observed. These animals, which threshold of auditory nerve compound active potential (CAP) and cochlear microphonic potential(CM) heightening evidently, showed that the amplitude of endolymphatic potential(EP) (include-EP) bring down in various degrees, which was related to the change of the active of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and SDH in vascularis stria and endolymphatic sac. The abnormality of enzymes metabolism in inner ear tissues, which following autoimmune inflammation damage, is the pathological foundation of hearing dysfunction.
OBJECTIVES: To inquire into whether the different inner ear tissue antigens could cause different kind of hearing loss, and to find out the disorder positions of auditory system. METHODS: The basilar membrane (BM), spiral ligament (SL), and spiral ganglion (SG) of guinea pigs were removed for making antigens, respectively. Then, we used these antigens to immune guinea pigs. The special humour and cellular immune reaction, hearing function, and inner ear histopathological changes were observed. RESULTS: In BM-antigen and SL-antigen immune group, the various degrees of cochlear microphonic potential disturbance, recruitment, and immune pathological inflammation in cochlear duct and stria vascularis were found. In SG-antigen immune group, auditory nerve compound action potential changes were prominent, and the inner ear pathological damage mainly existed in cochlear axis vessels or surround areas, and SG. CONCLUSIONS: It was confirmed that the inner ear antigens come from different part of auditory system, which could cause cochlear or retrocochlear autoimmune disease.
The study was carried out to observe the effect of nickel chloride (NiCl2) on T-lymphocyte subsets, CD4, CD8 and CD4/CD8 ratios in vivo. BALB/C mice were injected i.p. with NiCl2 every other day for 2 w. The NiCl2 doses were 1, 3, 6, 9 or 12 mg/kg. Lymphocytes were obtained from mouse spleen and cultured in the presence of monoclonal antibody FITC conjugated, anti-CD4 or anti-CD8. Samples were determined with a flow cytometer. A suppressive effect on CD4-positive cells was found in the 6 mg/kg group, but this subset was restored to the control level in the 9 and 12 mg/kg groups, suggesting that there was an "immune tolerance" effect. No significant changes were found in CD8-positive cells and CD4/CD8 ratios. The results suggested the NiCl2 had a deleterious effect on mouse T-lymphocytes in short-term in vivo exposure, but the effects may depend on the dose and cell subset.
The population of Singapore is ageing rapidly. Acute hospitals in Singapore are also experiencing an acute bed shortage. However, many elderly admitted to acute hospitals require a longer period of convalescence before they are able to go home. Community hospitals are most suitable to provide such care for the elderly patient. Patients could be discharged to the community hospitals to continue rehabilitation and convalescence. In addition this would also free the beds in the acute hospitals. However, there is a risk that without adequate discharge planning, the community hospitals would in turn also reach full capacity and no longer be able to accept patients. A discharge planning programme has been set up in a community hospital to address the following needs: 1) caring for a rapidly ageing population with increasing degrees of disability; 2) the shortage of beds in the acute hospitals; (3) the provision of holistic care and care-giver education, and 4) to prevent long term institutionalisation of the elderly as much as possible.
It is essential for the study of T-cell function and the improvement of adoptive cell therapies to efficiently generate large populations of human primary T cells that reliably express foreign genes. This goal is achieved by using recombinant retroviruses pseudotyped with either the gibbon ape leukemia virus (GaLV) envelope or the vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSV-G) glycoprotein. We show here that both retroviral particles mediate stable gene transfer in CD4+ and in CD8+ peripheral blood lymphocytes cultured under optimized conditions. However, VSV-G-pseudotyped virions may cause transduction artifacts that must be carefully excluded. The VSV-G virions require 10- to 100-fold higher concentrations of infectious particles to achieve levels of gene transfer comparable to GaLV-virions. Nonetheless, the physical stability of VSV-G-coated particles enables the concentration of viral stocks to 10(9) infectious particles per milliliter or more.
Galanin (GAL) is a widely distributed neuropeptide with diverse biological effects including modulation of hormone release, antinociception and modification of feeding behavior. Its effects are mediated through G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) for which only a single type has been cloned, GAL receptor 1 (GALR1). We describe the cloning of a second galanin receptor type, GALR2, from rat hypothalamus. The GALR2 amino acid sequence is 38% identical to GALR1 and is pharmacologically similar to GALR1 when expressed in COS-7 cells. GALR2 is encoded by a single gene containing at least one intron and expressed in a diverse range of tissues.
It is essential for the improvement of adoptive cell therapies to generate efficiently large populations of human primary T cells that reliably express a suicide gene conferring drug sensitivity, such as herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk). We show here that an optimized dicistronic vector containing the encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) is functional in human primary. T lymphocytes that bear on average one integrated vector copy per cell. We demonstrate reliable coexpression of the marker NTP, an inactive mutant of the human low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor and HSVtk. In the dicistronic vector NIT, NTP is expressed as a cap-dependent marker and HSVtk as a nonselectable IRES-dependent gene. Cell-surface expression of NTP is sufficient to allow for the efficient and rapid enrichment of the transduced cells to high purity. Of these purified lymphocytes, 97 +/- 4% and 92 +/- 6% are selectively eliminated when cultured in the presence of 1.0 or 0.1 microM ganciclovic respectively, establishing that the EMCV IRES ensures efficient and sufficient expression of two genes in human primary T cells.
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We analyzed Ct findings of 10 cases with parathyroid adenoma which had been verified by surgery and pathologic section. The correct localization of 9 adenomas was made by CT preoperatively. The method of CT scanning of parathyroid adenoma were elucidated. The results showed that most adenomas were located in the groove between trachea and esophagus. The contour of tumors was oval, the edge was smooth and regular. Enhancement CT images were helpful for differentiating the tumor from blood vessel. It is indicated that CT scanning is a good method for localizing the parathyroid adenoma.
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Twenty one cases of kaposi's sarcoma (KS) with manifestation in the field of otolaryngology are reported. The incidence of KS is increasing following epidemic of AIDS all over the world. Epistaxis, nasal obstruction, sore-throat, dry of foreign body filling in throat and nodal mass are most frequent manifestation. The relationship of KS with HIV, it's pathology and diagnosis are discussed.
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The Drosophila retrotransposon, 412, is expressed in a cell-specific manner during embryogenesis. At stage 11, 412 transcripts are present in bilateral clusters of cells within the mesoderm. The posterior clusters of 412-positive cells become associated with the gonads at stage 13; however, the fate of the cells in the remaining clusters is unknown. We have tested by in situ hybridization to whole-mount embryos the possible identity of these cells with known precursor cell types present in bilateral clusters. We simultaneously located the 412-positive cells and the precursor cells to visceral muscle or the fat body. We have determined that the 412-positive cells do not correspond to these precursor cells and that the development of the visceral muscle or fat body does not affect the expression of 412 during embryogenesis.