Biomedical subjects

D Cohen

Publications and source records attributed to D Cohen.

853 records · Page 48Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

A trial of the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine.

Purified, formaldehyde-inactivated and alum-adjuvanted hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccines have recently become available for clinical trials. The vaccine is administered intramuscularly in a schedule of 0, 1, and 6 months. The aim of the study was to evaluate the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of an inactivated hepatitis A (HA) vaccine. Three groups of volunteers comprised the study population: 28 volunteers without antibody to HAV were given HA vaccine and, for comparison, 43 subjects received hepatitis B vaccine for possible adverse reactions to the HA vaccine; 12 other subjects received immunoglobulin alone. Each 1 ml dose of HA vaccine contained 720 enzyme units or about 100 ng of antigen. Anti-HAV was determined by means of a commercial assay (Abbott Laboratories: HAV-EIA), and by a more sensitive ELISA. No significant adverse reactions were reported. In the group that received HA vaccine, 4 weeks following the first dose all had detectable antibodies (> or = 20 mIU/ml) by the sensitive ELISA. By commercial HAV-EIA, at 20 weeks following the second dose 75.0% had detectable antibodies, and after the third vaccine all had detectable antibodies. This new inactivated HA vaccine is highly immunogenic and had no significant side effects.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An update on Shigella vaccines.

Recent advances in the understanding of the molecular virulence mechanisms of Shigella have helped to develop a new generation of candidate Shigella vaccines. Approaches that are currently under active study include construction of hybrid Shigella-E. coli strains, performance of attenuating mutations in vitro on natural Shigella strains and acellular, lipopolysaccharide-based vaccines.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of parallel pelvic/breast and male genital/rectal teaching programs.

Pelvic/breast (PB) and male genital/rectal (GR) programs were evaluated to learn if male and female students differed in their reactions to the programs and if observations of the programs confirmed students' reactions. In-depth interviews were conducted with male and female teaching associates to uncover the need for program improvements beyond those suggested by observation and student reactions. Participating in the PB program were 74 men and 85 women; 79 men and 90 women took part in the GR program. Sex differences were found in the GR program: Female students admitted to greater anxiety about examining male genitalia prior to the program (p = .009) and expressed more dissatisfaction with the timing (too late in the curriculum p = .006). Male students were less likely than females to improve their ability to communicate as a result of the GR program (p = .009). Observations and interviews indicated that the programs were successful in teaching technical skills but that they needed further work in integrating technical and communication training, especially during GR examination training.

Breast↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Genetic determinants of type 2 diabetes mellitus: lessons learned from family studies.

Non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (Type 2) is a multifactorial disease, with a polygenic inheritance and environmental factors contributing to its clinical expression. The search for the genetic determinants of Type 2 diabetes began when several genes involved in the mechanisms of insulin secretion or action were cloned, localized in the human genome, and when informative polymorphisms were described within or in the vicinity of these genes. It then became possible to compare, in groups of patients and normoglycaemic controls from various populations, the frequency of the different alleles of polymorphic markers of various candidate genes (e.g. insulin, insulin receptor, glucose transporters). The conflicting results observed in these studies can be ascribed to the small size of the population samples, to the genetic heterogeneity of Type 2 diabetes mellitus, but also to the methodology used therein. Indeed, these studies searched for a correlation between the frequency of certain alleles or genotypes and the phenotype of diabetes (studies of associations in affected populations compared to healthy controls). However in order to attribute to a gene the responsibility for a disease it is necessary to demonstrate the cotransmission in affected kindreds of a morbid allele of the gene along with the disease (familial or linkage analysis). The aim of this review is to summarize the results of family studies of Type 2 diabetes and Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY), particularly with concern to the mutations described in candidate genes, and the implication of glucokinase in these disorders.

Amyloid↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The reversal of multidrug resistance in multicellular tumor spheroids by SDZ PSC 833.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major impediment to the effective treatment of cancer. We have used multicellular tumor spheroids (MTS) as a model to investigate whether MDR can be reversed in a three dimensional structure. MTS are tightly associated aggregates of tumor cells that exhibit many of the properties of solid tumors. A human MDR breast carcinoma cell line was selected by exposure to taxol under monolayer conditions. The sensitive (parental) and drug-resistant phenotypes were retained when the cells were grown as MTS. Thus, the three dimensional conditions in this novel model system did not affect the MDR phenotype. SDZ PSC 833 is an efficient MDR reversing agent as determined under monolayer conditions and is currently being evaluated in clinical trials. Resistance to taxol and doxorubicin of the MDR cells grown as MTS was almost completely reversed by SDZ PSC 833. Our results suggest that SDZ PSC 833 has the potential to reverse the MDR phenotype in solid tumors.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Mapping of the X-breakpoint involved in a balanced X;12 translocation in a female with mild mental retardation.

Balanced chromosomal abnormalities such as translocations and inversions have been identified in many genetic diseases. Cloning of the breakpoints involved in these abnormalities has led to the identification of the disease-related genes. Recent reports suggest the presence of a mental retardation locus at Xq11-12. We have identified a female patient with a balanced translocation t (X;12) (q11;q15) associated with mild mental retardation. We identified a yeast artificial chromosome spanning the X-chromosome breakpoint by using fluorescent in situ hybridization techniques. A cosmid library of this YAC has been constructed and the search for candidate genes is in progress.

Child↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Use of electroconvulsive therapy in the adolescent].

Despite the progress of pharmocotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still used in a majority of countries to treat severe intractable mental disorders of the youth, yet few studies have been conducted to assess its use for individuals under 20-year-old. Efficacy, indications, side effects, technical characteristics and outcome are uncertain. A review of the 96 cases reported in the literature shows that: 1) its average frequency in adolescent psychiatric practice is similar throughout western nations and can be estimated around one ECT every year per million people; 2) intractable mood disorders, both manic and depressive episodes, are its main indications, since ECT treated more than 90% of the 66 cases reported; ECT can also offer an interesting alternative in some schizoaffective and schizophrenic episodes, in particular catatonic ones; 3) tolerance appears to be good, although secondary effects may occur. The most serious ones are infrequent spontaneous seizures and more common memory loss. Although no prospective studies are available on the evolution of cognitive side effects, they seem to disappear within a few weeks.

Adolescent↗