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Biomedical subjects

C Y Pak

Publications and source records attributed to C Y Pak.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Lack of effect of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 administration on parameters of calcium metabolism.

Seven patients with disordered calcium metabolism and high normal or elevated serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)2D] were studied before and after the administration of 24,25-(OH)2D3 to determine its effects on calcium metabolism. Despite a significant increase in the mean serum 24,25-(OH)2D level [2.1 +/- 0.6 (+/- SE) to 16.7 +/- 6.2 nmol/L; P less than 0.05] after a daily dose of 20 micrograms for 1 month, there were no consistent changes in serum calcium, immunoreactive PTH, or 1,25-(OH)2D concentrations. Intestinal calcium absorption and urinary calcium excretion rose slightly during 24,25-(OH)2D administration in the majority of the patients. In the three patients in whom it was measured, serum 1,24,25-trihydroxyvitamin D levels did not change (19 +/- 5 vs. 20 +/- 5 pmol/L). We conclude that exogenous 24,25-(OH)2D3 at this dose has no significant antagonistic action on 1,25-(OH)2D and may have weak agonistic action.

24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3↗

Genetic conditions among Canadian Mennonites: evidence for a founder effect among the old colony (Chortitza) Mennonites.

Distinctive disease patterns exist among Canadian Old Colony (Chortitza) Mennonites. This religious and genetic isolate is of 16th century Dutch/German ancestry. The group originated in the Netherlands, then settled in the Vistula delta area of western Prussia for 200 years. A small number of founding families later migrated to Chortitza, the "Old Colony", in the Ukraine in the late 18th/early 19th century, where they remained a distinct genetic isolate. This group has come to Canada over the past 100 years. The more conservative Canadian Mennonites of Chortitza descent practice strict endogamy, have a large family size and live predominantly in rural public health subdistricts in the four western provinces, and in southern Ontario. The world's largest reported familial aggregations of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, of autoimmune diseases and of Tourette syndrome were initially ascertained in a small northern Alberta public health subdistrict. Clusterings of malformations, inborn errors of metabolism, and other conditions were also found in the subdistrict, and in group descendents living in other provinces. A founder effect, or genetic drift, accounts for the familial aggregations of autosomal recessive and dominant conditions, some diseases of multifactorial determination, and other inherited conditions in Canadian kinships descending from this ancestral group. The medical literature on genetic conditions among Canadian Mennonites is reviewed and re-evaluated in the light of this information. There is biochemical, serologic, and molecular biologic evidence in favour of genetic homogeneity amongst patients with certain inherited conditions in this special population group. This genetic isolate offers potential for the study of the genetic epidemiology and molecular biology of inherited diseases. A computerized genealogic data base on about 1400 group members, as well as a cryopreserved lymphocyte/DNA bank on over 100 individuals with genetic conditions has been established in this special population group.

Alberta↗

The effect of ultraviolet B radiation treatments on calcium excretion and vitamin D metabolites in kidney stone formers.

Several factors could explain the effect of warm, sunny weather on kidney stone formation. To determine the role of sun exposure, we used a light box to administer artificial ultraviolet B radiation during the winter months in New York City. Eleven male stone formers and 7 age- and sex-matched controls received 10 UVB light exposures over a two-week period while maintaining a 400 mg calcium diet. 25-OH vitamin D levels increased significantly (p less than 0.001) in both patients (25.9 +/- 9.8 to 51.6 +/- 14.1 ng/ml) and controls (21.3 +/- 7.1 to 49.6 +/- 3.1 ng/ml). However, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D levels rose in the patients (50.8 +/- 14.8 to 55.9 +/- 13.1 pg/ml) but fell (60.1 +/- 6.5 to 49.4 +/- 3.1 pg/ml) in the controls. Only 2 of the 11 patients but all of the controls demonstrated this down regulation of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D levels (p less than 0.002). 24,25 dihydroxyvitamin D levels tended to rise in both groups but parathyroid hormone levels were unchanged. There was a trend, which did not reach statistical significance, for parameters of calcium excretion to increase after UVB radiation. 24-hour urinary calcium excretion rose 24% from 140 to 173 mg in the patients and 31% from 113 to 148 mg in the controls. The ratio of calcium/creatinine following a one gram calcium load showed a small increase after UVB radiation from 0.17 to 0.20 in patients and 0.118 to 0.124 in the controls. However, no correlation could be discerned between changes in vitamin D metabolite concentrations and changes in urinary calcium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Assessing applicants to the NASA flight program for their renal stone-forming potential.

Spaceflight could provoke formation of kidney stones, in part by causing hypercalciuria and hyperphosphaturia. Applicants for spaceflight who have metabolic or environmental derangements to begin with might be particularly susceptible to stone formation in space. We, therefore, analyzed 24-h urine samples for stone-forming risk factors in 104 male applicants before their selection into the astronaut-mission specialist corps. The urinary environment was abnormally supersaturated with calcium oxalate in 25.0% of applicants, brushite in 36.5%, and monosodium urate in 66.3%, predisposing these applicants to crystallization of stone-forming calcium salts. This high level of supersaturation was caused by both "metabolic" and environmental disturbances. Thus, hypercalciuria was found in 11.5% of applicants, hyperoxaluria in 2.9%, hyperuricosuria in 18.3% and hypocitraturia in 5.8%. Environmental derangements were generally more prominent, as indicated by low urine volume of less than 2 L.d-1 in 84.6%, high urinary phosphate in 24.4%, and high urinary sodium in 10.6% of applicants. The results suggest that most of the abnormal stone risk factors disclosed among applicants for spaceflight programs were environmental in origin.

Adult↗

Association of cytomegalovirus infection with autoimmune type 1 diabetes.

The lymphocytes from 59 newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients and 38 normal control subjects were examined for the presence of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) genome by molecular hybridizations with human CMV specific probe. The CMV specific viral genome was found in 13 (22%) of 59 diabetic patients, but in 1 (2.6%) of 38 control subjects. Of the patients, 39% had islet cell antibody (ICA) and 41% had cytotoxic beta cell surface antibody (CBSA) in their serum; of the controls the corresponding rates were 2.6% and 2.6%. 62% and 69% of CMV genome-positive patients had ICA and CBSA, respectively, compared with 33% and 33% of CMV genome-negative patients. The single CMV genome-positive control subject did not have either ICA or CBSA whereas only 1 of the 37 CMV genome-negative control subjects had ICA. The strong correlation between CMV genome and islet cell autoantibodies detected in diabetic patients suggests that persistent CMV infections may be relevant to pathogenesis in some cases of type 1 diabetes.

Adolescent↗

Unusual clustering of diseases in a Canadian Old Colony (Chortitza) Mennonite kindred and community.

We investigated a large Old Colony (Chortitza) Mennonite kindred with branches across Canada. Six generations of the kindred were traced. There was intermarriage among numerous family members. Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was identified in 10 members; all 7 living patients were found to carry the immunogenetic marker HLA-DR4. Nine other close relatives had disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, including gestational diabetes mellitus and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus progressing to insulin use. Ten other relatives had autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and multiple sclerosis. Cases of Alport's syndrome, congenital malformations, inborn errors of metabolism and unusual malignant diseases were also found in the kindred. In the small Alberta community in which the kindred was ascertained there were people of Old Colony Mennonite descent with genetic conditions such as Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome and congenital malformations, including congenital heart disease. This kindred represents the largest reported familial aggregation of IDDM. This disease and other disorders of carbohydrate metabolism occur in the context of a strong familial predisposition to autoimmune disease. Study of this family may permit empiric testing of proposed models of inheritance of diseases of complex origin such as IDDM. We report this Old Colony (Chortitza) Mennonite community because it is one of the settlements populated by this religious and genetic isolate, which extends across Canada and Central and South America and affords opportunities for the study of both common and rare inherited diseases.

Adolescent↗

Relationship of islet cell and islet cell surface antibodies to the presentation and early course of IDDM in childhood.

Islet cell (ICA) and islet cell surface (ICSA) antibodies were measured in 30 children (aged 6-17.7 years) with newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) to determine the relationship of antibody positivity/negativity to a variety of factors both at presentation (e.g., age, severity of onset, residual insulin secretion, insulin autoantibodies) and during the first year thereafter (HbA1c, insulin antibody binding, residual insulin secretion). At diagnosis, 10 of 30 were ICA (+) and 13 ICSA (+): no differences were found between ICA (+) and (-) subjects at onset; however ICSA (+) children had a lower bicarbonate concentration than those (-) for ICSA (P less than 0.01). During the first year after diagnosis the only significant finding was that in ICA (+) patients insulin dose (units/kg) was lower at both 6 and 12 months (mean +/- SD 0.55 +/- 0.14 and 0.67 +/- 0.12 U/kg, respectively) than ICA (-)'s (0.70 +/- 0.22 and 0.96 +/- 0.38, respectively, both P less than 0.05). Those children positive for both ICA and ICSA did not differ in any way at onset or during the subsequent 12 months from those negative for both antibodies. These results suggest that, except for minor differences, the presentation and course during the first year after diagnosis of IDDM do not differ in those children positive or negative for either or both ICA and ICSA.

Adolescent↗

Dose dependency of calcium absorption: a comparison of calcium carbonate and calcium citrate.

Calcium supplementation is recommended as a prophylaxis against bone loss. This study was performed to determine the dose dependency of calcium absorption in an attempt to derive an optimum dose schedule. Using the well-described oral calcium load technique, we measured the calcium absorption from three different calcium doses (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g) of both calcium carbonate and calcium citrate administered to 21 normal subjects (4 men and 17 women, 22-60 years). Nine subjects underwent two additional loads with 0.2 g of elemental calcium as calcium carbonate and as calcium citrate. The intestinal calcium absorption from calcium carbonate and calcium citrate was estimated from the rise in urinary calcium following oral ingestion of the respective calcium salt. The increment in urinary calcium post-load, reflective of intestinal calcium absorption, rose rapidly from 0 to 0.5 g calcium loads with only slight subsequent increases from the 0.5 g to 2.0 g calcium doses. Thus, results indicate that 0.5 g of calcium is the optimum dose of either calcium salt. Moreover, the increment in urinary calcium post-load was higher from calcium citrate than from calcium carbonate at all four dosage levels. The increment in urinary calcium (during the second 2 hr) following calcium citrate load (0.5 g calcium) was 0.104 +/- 0.096 mg/dl glomerular filtrate (GF), which was higher than that of 0.091 +/- 0.068 mg/dl GF obtained from 2.0 g calcium as calcium carbonate. These results confirm the superior calcium bioavailability from calcium citrate as compared with calcium carbonate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Prevention of lymphocytic thyroiditis and insulitis in diabetes-prone BB rats by the depletion of macrophages.

Diabetes-prone biobreeding (BB) rats often develop lymphocytic thyroiditis. Intraperitoneal administration of silica to young BB rats (40-days-old) nearly completely prevented the development of lymphocytic thyroiditis as well as insulitis. Since silica is known to be toxic to macrophages, these data suggest that the presentation of autoantigen(s) on the specific target cells such as thyroid and pancreatic B cells by antigen-presenting cells (e.g., macrophages) would be the initial step in the development of organ-specific autoimmune diseases in diabetes-prone BB rats.

Animals↗

Medical management of nephrolithiasis in Dallas: update 1987.

With available medical treatment programs a remission of stone disease could be achieved in more than 80 per cent of the patients and a decrease in individual stone formation rate obtained in greater than 90 per cent. The need for stone removal may be reduced dramatically by an effective prophylactic program. There is some evidence that certain stones (even calcareous types) may undergo dissolution in vivo with appropriate therapy. Moreover, properly applied medical treatments may be capable of overcoming nonrenal manifestations as well as preventing new stone formation. Thus, the potential development of bone disease in patients with renal tubular acidosis may be averted by potassium citrate therapy. Despite these advantages it is clear that the medical treatment approach cannot provide total control of the disease. Stone disease generally presents with a surgical problem related to an already formed stone before medical diagnosis and selective treatment may be applied. Some patients, albeit a minority, are recalcitrant to medical treatment no matter how heroic. A satisfactory response to medical treatment requires continued compliance by the patient to the recommended treatment program and a commitment by the physician to provide long-term followup care. There is no cure, only prophylaxis. The increasing ease and decreasing cost of new approaches to stone removal, particularly with the advent of second generation extracorporeal lithotripsy, will undoubtedly cast a continuing uncertainty on the need for medical diagnosis and treatment. Several factors might influence the choice between surgical and medical approaches. One factor is the severity of stone disease. Patients with repeated episodes of stone formation might be more likely to adopt preventive therapy, whereas those with infrequent stone episodes may elect simply to have them removed upon their occurrence without medical treatment between episodes. Also, the possibility that lithotripsy may cause long-term hazards (for example development of hypertension) must be clarified. Another factor is the occurrence of extrarenal manifestations. In patients suffering from systemic disorders in which nephrolithiasis is only 1 manifestation (for example distal renal tubular acidosis) a medical approach may be justified exclusive of effects on stone formation. Finally, one must consider the relative practicality and cost between stone removal and a medical approach. It is likely that improvements and reductions in costs will occur with both approaches. It is hoped that urologists and internists work jointly to find an appropriate balance between the 2 approaches.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Chlorothiazide↗

Alkali action on the urinary crystallization of calcium salts: contrasting responses to sodium citrate and potassium citrate.

Alkali therapy is used commonly to prevent recurrent stone formation in patients with distal renal tubular acidosis. We compared the effects of potassium citrate to those of sodium citrate in 6 well defined cases of incomplete distal renal tubular acidosis. The patients were studied during a control phase, during potassium citrate treatment (80 mEq. per day) and during sodium citrate treatment (80 mEq. per day) chosen in random order. Potassium citrate caused a decrease in urinary calcium and a significant increase in urinary citrate that resulted in a significant decrease in the urinary saturation of calcium oxalate. It did not alter the saturation of brushite and sodium urate. However, while sodium citrate also was able to increase the urinary citrate level, there was no decrease in the urinary calcium (owing to the increased sodium load). Thus, the urinary saturation of calcium oxalate did not decrease as much as with potassium citrate and the saturation of brushite increased significantly. Moreover, the urinary saturation of sodium urate increased significantly owing to the enhanced sodium excretion. The results suggest that potassium citrate therapy may retard the crystallization of calcium oxalate and may not cause calcium phosphate crystallization. In contrast, sodium citrate may have no effect or it sometimes may accentuate the crystallization of calcium salts. Thus, our study supports the potential clinical advantage of potassium citrate therapy over sodium alkali treatment in patients with incomplete distal renal tubular acidosis and recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis.

Acidosis, Renal Tubular↗

Urinary glycosaminoglycans in normal subjects and patients with stones.

Urinary glycosaminoglycans are thought to be macromolecular inhibitors of calcium stone formation. The 24-hour excretion of urinary glycosaminoglycans was measured quantitatively in 24 normal subjects and 206 patients with different etiologies of stone disease. In both groups a positive correlation was found between urinary glycosaminoglycans and total urinary volume and urinary sulfate. In normal subjects total urinary volume was r equals 0.716, p less than 0.001 and urinary sulfate was r equals 0.813, p less than 0.001, while in patients with stones these values were r equals 0.338, p less than 0.001 and r equals 0.326, p less than 0.001, respectively. The only significant difference in excretion of urinary glycosaminoglycans between the groups was found in the subgroup of patients with type I absorptive hypercalciuria. The type I absorptive hypercalciuria value of 33.4 +/- 14.9 mg. per day in patients with stones was significantly higher than the 25.8 +/- 8.3 mg. per day detected in normal subjects (p less than 0.05). Urinary glycosaminoglycan excretion in all other subgroups of nephrolithiasis as well as in a combined group of all patients with stones showed no significant difference when compared to that of normal subjects. Thus, no major quantitative relationship could be demonstrated between urinary glycosaminoglycan excretion and calcium stone formation in this study.

Adult↗

Gouty diathesis and sarcoidosis in patient with recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis.

We describe a patient who initially formed calcium-containing renal stones owing to gouty diathesis and hypocitraturia. On therapy with 300 mg. allopurinol and 60 mEq. potassium citrate daily serum uric acid decreased from 9.2 to 5.8 mg. per dl., urinary pH increased from less than 5.5 to 6.6 and urinary citrate increased from 223 to 1,005 mg. per day. Four months later while still on this medical regimen, the patient presented with hypercalcemia (13.4 mg. per dl.), high serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (65 pg. per ml.) and hypercalciuria (598 mg. per day), which subsequently were found to result from sarcoidosis. Prednisone therapy normalized the disturbances in calcium metabolism. During 33 months of combined treatment with 7.5 to 10 mg. prednisone a day, allopurinol and potassium citrate, the patient was free of stones and he had normal urinary calcium, pH and citrate. However, a calcium stone formed 1 month after discontinuation of prednisone therapy, although treatment with allopurinol and potassium citrate was continued. The patient had marked hypercalciuria of 447 to 465 mg. per day, despite normal urinary pH, citrate and uric acid. This case represents calcium stone formation in a patient with 2 separate etiologies for stone disease, that is gouty diathesis and sarcoidosis. Therapeutic regimens directed at the correction of both metabolic disturbances were required to control renal stone formation.

Allopurinol↗

Modulation by calcium of the inhibitor activity of naturally occurring urinary inhibitors.

The possibility that hypercalciuria could cause calcium stone formation through a mechanism other than by increasing urinary saturation of stone-forming calcium salts was explored. The effect of increasing calcium concentration on the inhibitor activity against the spontaneous precipitation of calcium oxalate was examined in whole urine (in the presence of naturally occurring inhibitors) and in synthetic media (with added inhibitors). In 11 patients with calcium nephrolithiasis, the induced hypercalciuria from calcium supplementation (600 mg/day) caused a significant fall in the urinary inhibitory activity against calcium oxalate precipitation, as shown by a decline in the formation product ratio from 12.6 +/- 1.1 SEM to 9.6 +/- 1.4 (P less than 0.005). In order to more fully explore this observation, the effect of increasing calcium concentration on the inhibitory activities of citrate (2 mM), chondroitin sulfate (0.05 mg/liter) and a heterogeneous group of naturally-occurring urinary inhibitors (1.0 mg/liter) against calcium oxalate precipitation was examined in vitro in synthetic solutions. The inhibitory actions of both citrate and chondroitin sulfate were significantly attenuated by increasing calcium concentration from 0.25 mM to 6.0 mM (P less than 0.01). However, raising the calcium concentration in synthetic media containing a mixture of partially purified urinary inhibitors produced a significant rise in the urinary inhibitory activity of this macromolecular mixture (P less than 0.01). We conclude that hypercalciuria can attenuate the inhibitory activities of citrate and chondroitin sulfate against calcium oxalate precipitation while at the same time accentuating the inhibitory activity of naturally-occurring urinary inhibitors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Calcium↗

Identification of antigenic differences between the diabetogenic and non-diabetogenic variants of encephalomyocarditis virus using monoclonal antibodies.

The M variant of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus consists of two biologically distinct variants: one, diabetogenic D variant (EMC-D) and the other, non-diabetogenic B variant (EMC-B). These two variants cannot be distinguished by hyperimmune sera. Monoclonal antibodies were generated against EMC-D or EMC-B to identify antigenic differences between these two variants. Fourteen independent hybrid cell lines, selected from seven separate fusions of mouse myeloma cells to spleen cells isolated from mice immunized with EMC-D, consisted of 12 hybrids which produced monoclonal antibodies that neutralized both EMC-D and EMC-B, and two hybrids (ED-HJ-23 and ED-HJ-31) which produced monoclonal antibodies that neutralized EMC-D but not EMC-B. Similarly, 16 independent hybrid cell lines, selected from eight separate fusions using spleen cells prepared from mice immunized with EMC-B, consisted of 15 hybrids which produced monoclonal antibodies neutralizing both EMC-D and EMC-B, and one hybrid (EB-48A-F1) which produced antibody that neutralized EMC-B, but not EMC-D. The specificities of these monoclonal antibodies (ED-HJ-23, ED-HJ-31, EB-48A-F1) were further confirmed using an immunofluorescent technique. The D variant-specific monoclonal antibodies reacted with cells infected with EMC-D but not EMC-B. In contrast, the B variant-specific monoclonal antibody reacted with the cells infected with EMC-B but not EMC-D. It is concluded that the EMC-D- and EMC-B-specific monoclonal antibodies are able to identify antigenic differences between diabetogenic and non-diabetogenic variants of EMC virus which cannot be distinguished by hyperimmune sera.

Animals↗