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Biomedical subjects

C West

Publications and source records attributed to C West.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

The incidence of gout in renal transplant recipients.

To determine the frequency of gout in our renal transplant population and to identify any predisposing factors, we retrospectively examined the outpatient records of all patients transplanted between January 1980 and July 1984 in whom the allograft functioned for at least 1 year. Two hundred forty-three charts were sufficiently complete to be evaluated. Of the 211 patients receiving corticosteroids and cyclosporine (CyA) as immunosuppression, 25 had at least one documented episode of gout (9.7% of total, 11.8% of CyA patients); no episodes occurred in the 32 patients receiving azathioprine and corticosteroid therapy (P = .05). The time from transplantation to the first episode of gout ranged from 4 months to 4 years. Of the patients without gout, 103 of the 186 receiving CyA (55.5%) and eight of 32 receiving azathioprine (25%) had asymptomatic hyperuricemia (serum uric acid greater than 8.5 mg/dL for men, greater than 7.0 mg/dL for women, P less than .01). The number of patients receiving diuretics in the CyA treated group was 142 of 211 (67%) v 12 of 32 (37.5%) in the azathioprine group. However, the increased incidence of gout or hyperuricemia in patients receiving CyA was not due to the effect of the diuretic alone. There was no correlation between the serum creatinine and uric acid in either the CyA or azathioprine group (r value for CyA group = -.06 and for the azathioprine group = -.26). Compared with patients receiving azathioprine, we conclude that there is an increased incidence of gout and/or hyperuricemia in renal transplant patients treated with CyA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Azathioprine↗
PubMed1987

Complete correction of the enzymatic defect of type I Gaucher disease fibroblasts by retroviral-mediated gene transfer.

Glucocerebrosidase cDNA and the neomycin-resistance gene (neo) were cloned into a retrovirus vector. Mouse fibroblasts infected with this vector expressed human glucocerebrosidase, which was readily distinguished from the mouse enzyme using mouse monoclonal anti-glucocerebrosidase antibodies. Cultured fibroblasts and transformed lymphoblasts from patients with type I Gaucher disease were infected with the retrovirus rescued from the mouse fibroblasts by a helper virus. Transformed cells were selected with the antibiotic G418. The enzyme activity of cells infected with virus containing glucocerebrosidase cDNA was restored to normal, while uninfected cells or cells infected with virus containing only the neo gene did not produce glucocerebrosidase.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Effect of oxalate and malonate on red cell metabolism.

The addition of oxalate to blood stored in Citrate-phosphate-dextrose (CPD) produces a marked improvement in 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) preservation; an increase in 2,3-DPG levels can also be documented in short-term incubation studies. Oxalate is a potent in vitro inhibitor of red cell lactate dehydrogenase, monophosphoglycerate mutase, and pyruvate kinase (PK). In the presence of fructose 1,6-diphosphate the latter inhibitory effect is competitive with phospho(enol)pyruvate (PEP). Determination of the levels of intermediate compounds in red cells incubated with oxalate suggest the presence of inhibition at the PK step, indicating that this is the site of oxalate action. Apparent inhibition at the glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase step is apparently due to an increase in the NADH/NAD ratio. Oxalate had no effect on the in vivo viability of rabbit red cells stored in CPD preservatives for 21 days. Greater understanding of the toxicity of oxalate is required before it can be considered suitable as a component of preservative media, but appreciation of the mechanism by which it affects 2,3-DPG levels may be important in design of other blood additives. Malonate, the 3-carbon dicarboxylic acid analogue of oxalate late did not inhibit pyruvate kinase nor affect 2,3-DPG levels.

2,3-Diphosphoglycerate↗
PubMed1987

The human glucocerebrosidase gene has two functional ATG initiator codons.

Gaucher disease is due to a deficiency in the activity of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase. Glucocerebrosidase is a lysosomal enzyme that presumably requires a signal peptide for transport across the membrane of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and glycosylation for transport into lysosomes. Human glucocerebrosidase cDNA contains two potential ATG start codons in its long open reading frame. The signal peptides that are initiated from each ATG are quite different in their hydrophobicity. We demonstrate that either ATG can function independently to produce active glucocerebrosidase enzyme in cultured fibroblasts. The glucocerebrosidase activity produced from translation products initiated at either ATG is found predominantly in the lysosomes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Differences between neurological and neurosurgical approaches in the management of malignant brain tumours.

The management and outcome in 205 patients diagnosed as having cerebral gliomas over five years were reviewed. Patients referred to neurologists and neurosurgeons had similar clinical features and similar results on computed tomography. Patients referred to neurologists underwent burr hole biopsy less often and had better short term morbidity than patients referred to neurosurgeons, although final outcome was the same in both groups. Few patients underwent other surgical procedures. Referral for radiotherapy was usually by neurosurgeons, although this did not significantly affect long term survival. The implications for the management of patients with primary malignant brain tumours and the need for prospective studies are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Adaptation of adult brain tissue to anoxia and hypoxia in vitro.

The rat hippocampal slice preparation was used in the present study to demonstrate the ability of adult brain tissue to adapt to anoxic and hypoxic conditions. Adaptation was induced by pre-exposure of hippocampal slices to a short (5 min) anoxic episode. The evoked electrical activity of pre-exposed slices recovered from a subsequent, longer anoxic insult, while that of controls (without pre-exposure), receiving the same insult, did not. The adaptation process is time-dependent; an interval of 0.5 h between the pre-exposure and the subsequent anoxic insult allowed slices to resist anoxic periods of 13 +/- 2 min while after an interval of 2 h an anoxic period of 16 +/- 2 min could be tolerated. Evoked electrical activity persisted in adapted slices during exposure to hypoxia while their non-adapted controls exhibited synaptic silence under hypoxic conditions.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1986

Hormones, mood and sexuality in lactating women.

Of 25 primiparous women, investigated prospectively for six months post-partum, 19 persisted with breast feeding and six changed to artificial during the first six weeks. Sexual activity, mood, and feeding patterns were recorded in weekly diaries. Hormones were measured from weekly urine samples (oestrogen and pregnanediol) and fortnightly blood samples (prolactin, testosterone, androstenedione, and sex hormone binding globulin). In breast-feeding women, testosterone and androstenedione levels were significantly lower in those who reported severe reduction in sexual interest. Changes in sexuality or mood were not related to levels of prolactin or oestrogen, or to the return of follicular activity, which was delayed in persistent breast feeders. The relationships of mood, sexuality, and hormones are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Prenatal screening.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Congenital Abnormalities↗
PubMed1985

A randomized controlled trial of adjuvant portal vein cytotoxic perfusion in colorectal cancer.

In this randomized trial adjuvant cytotoxic portal vein perfusion in patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer without liver metastases was assessed to determine whether the incidence of metachronous liver metastases could be reduced and survival thereby improved. There were 127 control patients and 117 patients who received adjuvant perfusion. A further 13 patients were excluded following randomization because of cirrhosis in 1, liver metastases at laparotomy in 3 and technical problems with cannulation in 9. Dukes' staging and degree of differentiation were similar in the two groups. There were fewer liver metastases in the perfusion patients and overall survival was improved. However, the benefit appears to be greatest in patients with Dukes' B colon cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Heterogeneity in type I Gaucher disease demonstrated by restriction mapping of the gene.

A cloned fragment of human glucocerebrosidase cDNA has been used as a probe to study restriction polymorphisms in the region of the gene for Gaucher disease. Variability in the size of fragments produced by digestion with the restriction endonucleases Pvu II and Kpn I was discovered. The Pvu II polymorphism was found to be a very prevalent one with a gene frequency of 0.65 for the Pv1.1- allele and 0.35 for the Pv1.1+ allele. Similar frequencies were encountered among diverse ethnic groups. Five of eight Jewish patients with Gaucher disease were found to be heterozygous for the Pvu II restriction polymorphism. One non-Jewish patient with type I Gaucher disease was heterozygous for the Kpn I variant. The existence of Gaucher disease genes in association with either allele of the ancient Pvu II polymorphism clearly indicates that, even within the Jewish population, the Gaucher disease mutation has occurred independently more than once. Presumably, different mutations have also occurred in the non-Jewish population.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of human glucocerebrosidase cDNA.

Mutations in the human glucocerebrosidase gene cause Gaucher disease. A cDNA clone containing the entire human glucocerebrosidase coding region from normal cells has been isolated using lambda gt11 expression libraries. The complete nucleotide sequence, a restriction map, and a hydropathy profile are presented. Hybridization to chromosome-specific DNA localizes the human glucocerebrosidase gene to chromosome 1. The likely precursor protein is 515 amino acids long. The NH2-terminal 19 amino acids constitute a leader sequence that is cleaved from the mature protein. The predicted molecular weight of the mature protein is 55,384, without glycosylation or carboxyl-terminal processing.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Palliative home care nursing: nurses' perceptions of roles and stress.

This exploratory study investigated perceptions of palliative home care nurses regarding their roles. Results are based on structured interviews with all ten nurses providing care in a home care program for dying patients. Most nurses agree that nursing the terminally ill is a distinctive kind of nursing, requiring particular capabilities, and providing its own unique frustrations and satisfactions. While nurses experienced stress, especially the nurses who had spent a shorter period of time working for the program, they had a variety of ways to cope with stress. Suggestions for hospice program planning and future research are presented.

Alberta↗
PubMed1985

Hyperinflation, hyperventilation, and hyperoxygenation before tracheal suctioning in children requiring long-term respiratory care.

The findings reported failed to support a best method of pretreating subjects before tracheal suctioning to minimize oxygen desaturation. Conversely, all methods prevented significant desaturation. No subject's desaturation readings dropped during the study to such a point that they did not subsequently recover after 30 seconds and return to baseline by the end of the 20 minutes. Several subjects had oxygen saturation readings in the high 70s to low 80s as reported during CTP. After recovery from CTP ( in mot cases a 30-second time period), no clinically significant desaturation was noted from the 30-second time period to the end of the study. The results could not be reproduced when the trials were repeated on four subjects. If oxygenation is questionable, these children should be monitored noninvasively to prevent serious desaturation in an already compromised patient.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia↗
PubMed1984

Morphometric analysis of the vagus nerve in non-diabetic and ketonuric diabetic Chinese hamsters.

Morphometric analysis of axons from the ventral division of the vagus nerve of ketonuric diabetic Chinese hamsters and age-sex matched non-diabetic controls was performed to determine the frequency distribution and numerical and volume density. Myelinated fibres of diabetics displayed a significant reduction in diameter (P less than 0.001) compared with controls, which was correlated inversely with progressive ketonuria (P less than 0.05). The reduced calibre of myelinated fibres was the result of thin myelin sheaths rather than a reduction in axon diameter. A marked decrease in numerical density (P less than 0.05) and volume density (P less than 0.005) was found in the myelinated fibres of diabetics compared with controls. Non-myelinated axons showed a significant shift to smaller diameter (P less than 0.001) in diabetics, which was correlated inversely with duration of ketonuria (P less than 0.05). Numerical density of non-myelinated axons was increased (P less than 0.01) in diabetic hamsters whereas volume density was comparable in diabetic and control animals. These data provide morphological evidence of impairment in the parasympathetic nervous system which may be a major factor underlying previously reported gastrointestinal and pancreatic islet dysfunction in the diabetic Chinese hamster.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Effect of dietary restriction and stress on body temperature in rats.

Body temperature was measured in 6- and 24-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats that were either kept on a restricted diet or fed ad libitum. The circadian variation of body temperature was similar in 24-month-old restrained, restricted, and control rats. Feeding of rats increased their body temperature. The process of temperature measurement also increased body temperature of rats. This stress-induced increase of temperature was larger in younger than in older rats and was diminished in ad-libitum-fed rats by 24-hr fasting. The stress-induced increase in rats on restricted diet that were fasted 24 hrs before the experiment was similar to that observed in 24-hr-fasted ad-libitum-fed rats. These results show that appropriate controls should be used when the effect of chronic food restriction is being investigated to distinguish between the effect of short-term fasting and long-term food restriction. These results also indicate that the increase of life span induced by dietary restriction in rats is not associated with decreased body temperature as was observed in some strains of mice.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

Day-to-day mood changes after childbirth: further data.

The depression and lability of mood which have been previously reported on the fifth day after childbirth are largely restricted to women with high neuroticism scores. The pattern of day-to-day mood changes is the same after Caesarian section as after vaginal delivery, but there is no 'day five' phenomenon after hysterectomy. Post-partum mood disturbance is less prominent in women who return home 48 hours after delivery.

Cesarean Section↗