Biomedical subjects

Carleton C Stewart

Publications and source records attributed to Carleton C Stewart.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Lineage specific treatment of adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first remission with anti-B4-blocked ricin or high-dose cytarabine: Cancer and Leukemia Group B Study 9311.

BACKGROUND: Anti-B4-blocked ricin is an immunotoxin comprised of an anti-CD19 murine monoclonal antibody (B4) conjugated to blocked ricin, which has cytotoxic activity in patients with lymphoid malignancies. METHODS: Adults with untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were treated with a previously developed and tested chemotherapeutic regimen. Patients with CD19 positive ALL were given anti-B4-blocked ricin as 2 7-day continuous infusions 1 week apart. Patients with CD19 negative ALL received high-dose cytarabine. Serial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays of BCR-ABL, immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH), and T-cell receptor (TCR) genes were used to measure the impact of lineage specific intensification treatment on minimal residual disease. RESULTS: Eighty-two adults were enrolled, and 78 were eligible. The median age was 34 years (range, 17-81 years). Sixty-six patients (85%) achieved complete remission. Forty-six patients received the anti-B4-blocked ricin, which generally was well tolerated; 80% were able to receive both courses. The most common toxicity was asymptomatic transient elevation of liver function tests in 72% of patients. Lymphopenia occurred in 46% of patients. Two patients developed antibodies to the anti-B4-blocked ricin. Molecular monitoring before and after the experimental course of intensification did not show a consistent change in the number of leukemia cells remaining, and the immediate posttreatment PCR studies did not correlate with remission duration. CONCLUSIONS: Intensification therapy with anti-B4-blocked ricin is feasible for patients with CD19 positive ALL, although there is little evidence of an additional clinical benefit from the anti-B4-blocked ricin. Cancer 2003;97:1471-80.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Predictive immunophenotypes: disease-related profile in chronic fatigue syndrome.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing body of evidence supporting the theory that problems with immune function play an important role in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). METHODS: We studied 90 CFS cases and 50 healthy controls from two different areas of upstate New York to determine whether there were differences in the absolute number and pattern of natural killer (NK) and cytotoxic T-cell phenotypes between CFS cases and healthy controls in the two regions. One group was from a small town where a cluster of cases existed; the other was from a large metropolitan area where there was not a known cluster. RESULTS: The number of CD56+CD3+CD8+ and CD56+CD3+CD8- cells in cases from the two areas were both significantly elevated over that of controls from the metropolitan area (P < 0.03). The number of CD56+CD3-CD8+ and CD56+CD3-CD8- cells was significantly reduced in the two case groups compared to that of controls from the metropolitan area (P = 0.04). However, controls who were from the same town as the cluster cases had numbers of CD56+CD3+CD8+, CD56+CD3+CD8-, and CD56+CD3-CD8- cells that were more like that of cases than controls. Only the number of CD56+CD3-CD8+ cells (an NK cell subset) was significantly different in cases versus controls from the cluster area (P = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that differences in controls from cluster and noncluster areas may be responsible for some of the inconsistencies in results from other studies. Furthermore, they suggest the possibility that NK cell function may play an important role in preventing the development of CFS in individuals who live in a community where a cluster of cases have been identified.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Report from a workshop on multianalyte microsphere assays.

Multiplexed assays using fluorescent microspheres is an exciting technique that has been gaining popularity among researchers, particularly those in the public health field. Part of its popularity is due to its flexibility, as both immunoassays and oligonucleotide hybridization assays can be developed on this platform. This report summarizes a workshop held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that discussed issues surrounding these assays and the Luminex 100 xMAP instrument. Topics included instrumentation, assay design, sample matrix and volume, quality control, and development of commercial applications.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Emerging technology and future developments in flow cytometry.

The authors' view of the future of flow cytometry is based on a belief that the single most important aspect flow cytometry offers to the investigator is high-speed interrogation of correlated measurements on a cell-by-cell basis. Over the next several years, an enormous increase in the capabilities of cytometry in general, and flow cytometry in particular, is likely to occur. A brief description of some of those capabilities is the subject of this article.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed2002

Breast epithelium procurement from stereotactic core biopsy washings: flow cytometry-sorted cell count analysis.

PURPOSE: Molecular studies of breast lesions have been constrained by difficulties in procuring adequate tissues for analyses. Standard procedures are restricted to larger, palpable masses or the use of paraffin-embedded materials, precluding facile procurement of fresh specimens of early lesions. We describe a study to determine the yield and characteristics of sorted cell populations retrieved in core needle biopsy specimen rinses from a spectrum of breast lesions. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Cells from 114 consecutive stereotactic core biopsies of mammographic lesions released into saline washes were submitted for flow cytometric analysis. For each specimen, epithelial cells were separated from stromal and blood tissue based on the presence of cytokeratin 8 and 18 markers. Epithelial cell yields based on pathological diagnoses of the biopsy specimen, patient age, and mammographic appearance of the lesion were determined. RESULTS: Biopsies containing malignant lesions yielded significantly higher numbers of cells than were obtained from benign lesion biopsies. Significantly greater cell counts were observed from lesions from women age 50 or above compared with those of younger women. Mammographic density surrounding the biopsy site, the mammographic appearance of the lesion, and the number of cores taken at the time of biopsy appeared to have little effect on the yield of epithelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate the use of flow cytometric sorting of stereotactic core needle biopsy washes from lesions spanning the spectrum of breast pathology to obtain epithelial cells in sufficient numbers to meet the requirements of a variety of molecular and genetic analyses.

Adult↗