Biomedical subjects
C Wood
Publications and source records attributed to C Wood.
Asymptomatic nodules on the back and abdomen. Connective tissue nevi, eruptive collagenoma type.
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High-dose cyclophosphamide followed by cisplatinum in the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Twenty patients with previously untreated ovarian cancer received intensive chemotherapy after initial surgery. Treatment comprised two courses of cyclophosphamide at 7 g/m2 with mesna, re-evaluation with second-look laparotomy where appropriate, followed by five courses of cisplatin at 100 mg/m2. Three patients achieved pathologically documented complete remission (PDCR) with high-dose cyclophosphamide, and eight patients achieved partial remission. Fifteen patients went on to receive cisplatin. Nine of these patients had no assessable disease; of six patients who were assessed for response two achieved PDCR and three achieved partial remission. The overall response rate to the sequential regimen was 14/20 (70%). High-dose cyclophosphamide was associated with marked haematological toxicity, which was cumulative and fatal in two patients. The median duration of first remission was 14 months, and the median duration of survival was 20 months. It is concluded that sequential treatment with high-dose cyclophosphamide and cisplatin appears to be no more effective than conventional treatment in advanced ovarian cancer, judging by the PDCR rate and median survival achieved.
Effect of oocyte quality and sperm characteristics on the number of spermatozoa bound to the zona pellucida of human oocytes inseminated in vitro.
Sperm characteristics and oocyte quality may play a role in in vitro fertilization. The objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of the quality of oocytes, the husband's semen characteristics, and category of the couple's infertility on the number of spermatozoa bound to the zona pellucida. One hundred eighty-one oocytes which failed to fertilize or failed to cleave were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde 40 to 60 hr after insemination in vitro and examined under interference microscopy and the number of sperm bound to the zone pellucida was determined. The means +/- SD of sperm bound to mature, immature, and atretic oocytes were 51.0 +/- 50.7, 7.3 +/- 12.1 10.4 +/- 17.8, respectively. Fertilized mature oocytes (81.0 +/- 53.3) had a significantly higher number of sperm bound to zonae compared to unfertilized oocytes (41.8 +/- 47.3). It is concluded that the number of sperm bound to zonae is functionally important. The sperm motility and the number of motile sperm used to inseminate oocytes were significantly correlated with the number of sperm bound to zonae, whereas sperm morphology and sperm concentration did not correlate. This study supports the notion that sperm motility is the single most important factor influencing fertilization of human oocytes in vitro.
Ectopic tubal pregnancy following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer under ultrasonic control.
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Are happy people healthier? Discussion paper.
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Chest-wall invasion by carcinoma of the lung: detection by MR imaging.
Nineteen patients with bronchogenic carcinoma were studied by MR imaging to determine the presence of chest-wall invasion. All studies were carried out at 1.5 T, and the results were correlated with chest radiographs or CT scans. All MR studies were interpreted before surgery (13 cases) and without knowledge of the results of other radiologic studies. MR findings indicative of chest-wall invasion included a high-signal focus within the chest wall and/or chest-wall thickening with increased signal on spin-echo (SE) images having a repetition time of 2500 msec and an echo time of 50-100 msec (SE 2500/50-100). In one case, noncontour-deforming high-signal intensity within chest-wall musculature (but no other abnormality) was demonstrated on SE 2500/50-100 images. Coronal or sagittal imaging facilitated identification of tumor contiguity with extrathoracic structures in apical lesions. Contrast differences between normal and invaded chest wall on T2-weighted images were the most helpful in assessing chest-wall involvement. These preliminary observations indicate that MR imaging is useful in the evaluation of chest-wall invasion by carcinoma of the lung.
A prospective comparative study of cefotetan with piperacillin for prophylaxis against infection in elective colorectal surgery.
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In-vitro fertilisation: the Australian experience.
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[Prognostic factors in cerebral hypoxic-ischemias in infants less than a year old].
In order to establish criteria for early cerebral prognosis after acute cerebral hypoxic ischemic insult, we studied 31 cases of patients presenting, during their first year of life, cardio-respiratory arrests due to SIDS (21 cases), anesthesia (4 cases), other causes (6 cases). A favourable evolution was observed in 5 cases where coma lasted less than 8 hours. Conversely unfavorable evolution was seen in the 26 patients (21 deaths, 5 sequellae) where coma lasted more than 8 hours. Among 12 patients of this group surviving after the 4th day, 9 expressed seizures or status epilepticus. The poor evolution was correlated with hyperproteinorachia during the first 24 hours and with cortico-subcortical hypodensity on CT scan. Early EEG and transfontanellar echography seemed less useful to establish a prognosis, specifically to discriminate children surviving with and without sequelae.
[Inadvertent intrathecal injection of a high dose of methotrexate. Proposal of a therapeutic plan apropos of a case].
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Abnormalities in the immune system of children with beta-thalassaemia major.
We have studied both the humoral and cell mediated immune systems of 23 children with beta-thalassaemia major. In children who had not been splenectomized, a 3-fold expansion in the number of circulating B cells and a modest polyclonal gammopathy was present. Of these patients 70% had decreased numbers of circulating T4 cells; 83% were unresponsive to skin testing with Candida albicans, and the majority had decreased lymphocyte proliferative responses in vitro. In children who had been splenectomized, there was a 10-fold increase in the number of circulating B lymphocytes and a 2-fold increase in the number of T4 and T8 cells present in peripheral blood. Additionally, these patients as a group were more responsive to both skin testing and lymphocyte stimulation in vitro with Candida albicans. Seven patients had an inverted T4/T8 ratio. One child has positive serology to HIV by ELISA and Western Blot techniques with a normal T4/T8 ratio. Thus, while children with thalassaemia are at risk for exposure to HIV, the immunological abnormalities associated with the disease and/or its treatment necessitates cautious interpretation of any AIDS-related immunological changes.
Unsuitability of monoclonal antibodies to oncogene proteins for anti-tumour drug-targeting.
Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to ras, sis, erb-B, src, myb and myc oncoproteins were evaluated for their potential to target anti-cancer drugs to malignant cells. Each antibody was tested for reactivity against both fixed and viable cultured human tumour cells by immunofluorescence, and all reacted against a variety of fixed tumour cell preparations. Reactions were also observed against fixed non-malignant cells. None, however, reacted significantly with viable cells. Two antibodies (against ras and myc proteins) were tested for their ability to localize to tumour xenografts in nude mice, and conjugates were constructed by linking these antibodies to methotrexate using human serum albumin as an intermediate carrier. Neither antibody localized to tumour in vivo, and the methotrexate conjugates were not significantly cytotoxic for tumour cells in vitro, in contrast to similar conjugates simultaneously prepared with a proven anti-tumour MAb (791T/36). It was concluded that currently available MAbs to oncogene proteins are not suitable vectors for targeting cytotoxic agents to tumour cells.
In-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. Prospects of pregnancy by life-table analysis.
Data have been analysed for 1775 laparoscopies that were undertaken for the collection of oocytes, and for 1401 embryo transfers that were undertaken for the treatment of infertility by in-vitro fertilization, by the Monash University in-vitro fertilization unit team. The cumulative success rates with multiple attempts were analysed by life-table analysis and life-table graphs were constructed. Almost half the patients were pregnant after five laparoscopies. These findings suggest that treatment should consist of multiple laparoscopies and that improvements should be aimed at decreasing the morbidity, stress and cost of multiple attempts.
Visual pigment homologies revealed by DNA hybridization.
A bovine rhodopsin complementary DNA probe was used to detect homologous visual pigment genes in a variety of species. Under stringent DNA hybridization conditions, genomic DNA from most vertebrate species carried a single homologous fragment. Additional homologies were detected in some vertebrates by reducing the hybridization stringency. Homologous fragments were also detected in DNA isolated from invertebrate species, a unicellular alga, and an archaebacterium; many of these fragments were homologous to a Drosophila opsin probe. These results suggest that photosensory pigments in a wide variety of species arose from a common precursor.
Cross-over trial of superovulation protocols from two major in vitro fertilization centers.
A study was undertaken as a controlled comparison of two different superovulation induction protocols currently in use in major Australian in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics. Thirty patients each from the Monash University and the Royal Women's Hospital (RWH) IVF programs were stimulated for ovulation induction by the other program. Once timing for oocyte retrieval was scheduled, all care reverted to the program from which the patient first came. Results given as pregnancies per patient commencing stimulation were: RWH patients on Monash protocol, 27%; RWH control patients, 15%; Monash patients on RWH protocol, 7%; Monash control patients, 13%. In the year preceding the trial pregnancy rates were 16.9% at Monash and 10.6% at RWH. Stimulation protocols were also compared with respect to each of administration, cost, and patient stress. The results of this cross-over trial demonstrated major differences between the two ovulation induction protocols studied, although it was not possible to conclude that differences in pregnancy rate were due to stimulation alone.
HTLV-III serology in hemophilia: relationship with immunologic abnormalities.
We investigated the relationship of the presence of antibodies to HTLV-III and immunologic abnormalities in patients with hemophilia. Serum antibodies to HTLV-III were analyzed by ELISA assay, immunoprecipitation of labeled cell extracts, and immunoprecipitation of purified HTLV-III p24. Thirty-four (61%) of the total group (n = 56) had antibody to HTLV-III; 34 (76%) of 45 patients given commercial factor VIII preparations were seropositive, compared with none of 11 patients treated exclusively with cryoprecipitate obtained from volunteer blood donors. Of patients who were seropositive for HTLV-III antibody, 94% had abnormal T4/T8 ratios, and 33% of those whose serum was antibody negative had abnormal T4/T8 ratios; five patients, each antibody positive, have lymphadenopathy syndrome. Sequential studies in a subset of patients indicate that there is a changing pattern of antibody production to HTLV-III antigens after seroconversion.
Low risk of hepatitis B from blood transfusions in thalassemic patients in Connecticut.
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