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Biomedical subjects

E Graham

Publications and source records attributed to E Graham.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Antibody affinity to retinal S-antigen in patients with retinal vasculitis.

Using a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent antibody method that included dissociation of antigen antibody complexes with sodium thiocyanate, we examined the functional affinity of antibody to retinal S-antigen in 48 patients with retinal vasculitis and 46 age-matched healthy control subjects. Antibody affinity was markedly lower in patients with retinal vasculitis than in healthy subjects. Low-affinity antibody was more prevalent in acute retinal vasculitis and in patients with normal levels of circulating immune complexes. We found distinct differences between the antiretinal antibodies found in patients with retinal vasculitis and those in control subjects. The association of low-affinity antibody with normal levels of circulating immune complexes may suggest defective regulation of antiretinal autoimmunity and have important pathogenic implications.

Antibody Affinity↗
PubMed1991

Cleaning and disinfection of endoscopes: have there been recent improvements?

OBJECTIVE: to determine if there have been improvements in the manner in which endoscopes are being cleaned and disinfected since our previous study in 1987. In that study of 123 hospitals, in only 45% of institutions did cleaning and disinfection appear to be satisfactory. DESIGN: One hundred and twenty-two questionnaires were sent to the endoscopy charge nurse of the hospitals identifiable from our previous study. To ensure the collection of complete information from these hospitals, in those from whom a written reply was not received, the information was obtained by persistent telephone contact. The criteria used to assess adequate cleaning and disinfection were the same as in our previous study. These were based on recommendations of learned bodies and the literature. SETTING: A complete cross section of hospitals from all States and Territories in Australia was surveyed. These were both public and private, primary care to tertiary referral, teaching and non-teaching, city and country. MAIN OUTCOME: One hundred and twenty-three replies were obtained from the 122 hospitals surveyed. In 75% cleaning and disinfection of endoscopes appeared to be satisfactory. Adequate cleaning procedures were noted in 77% compared with 60% in the 1987 survey. The use of appropriate disinfection increased to 94% from 62% previously. CONCLUSION: We found that since 1987 there had been a considerable improvement in the cleaning and disinfection of endoscopes in the hospitals surveyed.

Australia↗
PubMed1991

Molecular size of retinal vascular leakage determined by FITC-dextran angiography in patients with posterior uveitis.

In order to investigate the selective breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier in posterior uveitis angiograms were performed using fluorescein-conjugated dextrans (FITC-dextrans) of different molecular weights (150-kDa, 20-kDa, and 4-kDa) in two healthy controls and six patients with posterior uveitis, and the results compared with those of conventional fluorescein angiography. The smallest FITC-dextran could not penetrate the healthy blood-retinal barrier. Leakage of FITC-dextrans of all sizes was seen from swollen optic discs; dextrans of 4-kDa and 20-kDa leaked from areas of macula oedema; and retinal new vessels allowed the passage of 4-kDa molecules only. These results indicate that there is a differential breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier according to molecular size in various clinical situations associated with posterior uveitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Bilateral cilio-retinal artery occlusion in classic migraine.

A case of bilateral cilio-retinal artery occlusion in a patient with classic migraine is described. It is unlikely that this hitherto unreported occurrence represents altered tone in the dense adrenergic innervation to the posterior ciliary circulation. We advise the continued use of beta-adrenergic blockers as prophylaxis in ocular migraine.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

The Msh-like homeobox genes define domains in the developing vertebrate eye.

The mouse Hox-7.1 gene has previously been shown to be related to the Drosophila Msh homeobox-containing gene. Here we report the isolation of a new member of this family which resides at an unlinked chromosomal location and has been designated Hox-8.1. Both Hox-7.1 and Hox-8.1 are expressed in the mouse embryo during the early stages of eye development in a distinct spatial and temporal relationship. Hox-8.1 is expressed in the surface ectoderm and in the optic vesicle before invagination occurs in regions corresponding to the prospective corneal epithelium and neural retina, respectively. Hox-7.1 is expressed after formation of the optic cup, marking the domain that will give rise to the ciliary body. The activity of these genes indicates that the inner layer of the optic cup is differentiated into three distinct compartments before overt cellular differentiation occurs. Our results suggest that these genes are involved in defining the region that gives rise to the inner layer of the optic cup and in patterning this tissue to define the iris, ciliary body and retina.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Health professionals' use of documents obtained through the Regional Medical Library Network.

The Pacific Southwest Regional Medical Library Service (PSRMLS) studied how health professionals use documents obtained through the regional medical library (RML) network and how various factors, such as delivery time, affected that use. A random sample of libraries in Region 7 of the RML network was selected to survey health professionals who had received documents through the interlibrary loan (ILL) network. The survey provided data about the purposes for which health professionals requested documents, how the immediacy of need for the items affected their usefulness, what effect the obtained information had on the health professionals' work, and whether the illustrations represented an important part of the information content of the items. Survey results provided a positive assessment of the ILL network. Results also verified the basic value of the materials provided to health professionals through ILL and identified some areas for consideration in future network development. Users of the documents indicated that the network works efficiently and effectively to provide timely and useful information needed by health professionals. Technological developments in electronic information transmission and imaging will further enhance network operation in the future.

Health Occupations↗
PubMed1990

An Australia-wide epidemic of Pseudomonas pickettii bacteraemia due to contaminated "sterile" water for injection.

Nineteen cases of Pseudomonas pickettii bacteraemia and one case of Pseudomonas cepacia bacteraemia were identified in an Australia-wide outbreak of nosocomial sepsis associated with contaminated water for injection. The contamination was limited to one batch of commercially produced water for injection. Four different organisms were identified (three biotypes of P. pickettii and one of P. cepacia). However, P. pickettii biotype 1 appeared to be relatively more virulent than the other biotypes as it was the only identified organism in blood cultures in nearly all cases of sepsis. The ampoules of "sterile" water were each contaminated with approximately 10(3) organisms per millilitre. The lack of an Australian central reporting system for bacteraemia delayed the recognition of this outbreak.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Systemic inflammatory disease and the eye.

Systemic inflammatory diseases are a spectrum of immunologically mediated disorders that present with multisystem symptoms and signs. Ophthalmological examination often provides important clinical clues to the nature of the underlying disorder and characteristic ocular patterns may be identified that aid diagnosis. This article summarizes the ocular manifestations of systemic inflammatory disease and suggests a rational approach to diagnosis based on the type of ocular vessel predominantly involved in the inflammatory process.

Eye Diseases↗
PubMed1989

How well are endoscopes cleaned and disinfected between patients?

A questionnaire was sent to 276 hospitals throughout Australia to obtain details on the methods that are used in these institutions for the cleaning and disinfection of endoscopes. A broad range of hospitals was surveyed and 145 responses were received. Endoscopies were performed in 123 of the responding hospitals. Only 45% (55/123) of these hospitals both cleaned and disinfected their endoscopes satisfactorily. Generally, such hospitals were larger (300-600 beds) than were those which did not do so (100-300 beds) and also they were busier as more endoscopies were performed on a weekly basis (30.2 endoscopies compared with 19.3 endoscopies, respectively). Frequently (38% [47/123] of hospitals), the endoscopes were not disinfected between patients, or were disinfected for an insufficient time or were disinfected with an agent that did not have both antiviral and antibacterial activity. In a substantial proportion (40% [49/123]) of hospitals, endoscopes and their accessories appeared to be cleaned inadequately between patients. We conclude that in the majority of hospitals where endoscopies are performed that responded to our survey, there was considerable room for improvement in the cleaning and disinfection of endoscopes.

Disinfection↗
PubMed1989

Electroretinography and electro-oculography to localize abnormalities in early-stage inflammatory eye disease.

Electrophysiological investigations were performed in patients with inflammatory eye disease characterized by the presence of vitreous cells. The eyes were classified into four categories on the basis of fluorescein angiography: 1) no fluorescein leakage from retinal vessels, 2) fluorescein leakage from peripheral retinal vessels, 3) fluorescein leakage from the disc or macular vessels, and 4) fluorescein leakage from retinal vessels associated with pigment epithelial and choroidal changes. The electro-oculogram light rise was abnormally increased in the eyes in category 1, but it progressively declined for those in the other categories. The ratio of the b-wave (postreceptoral component) and a-wave (receptoral component) of the flash electroretinogram was unchanged in all categories, but the electroretinographic amplitudes progressively declined from a somewhat supernormal level in category 1 to subnormal in the other categories. Thus, in inflammatory eye disease, changes in the electrical potentials arising in the pigment epithelium and photoreceptors are the earliest detectable signs. Some biochemical changes in the choroid, pigment epithelium, and the photoreceptors appear to take place before any pathological changes in these structures or in the retinal vessels are detectable by ophthalmoscopy or fluorescein angiography.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A new family of mouse homeo box-containing genes: molecular structure, chromosomal location, and developmental expression of Hox-7.1.

Two families of homeo box-containing genes have been identified in mammals to date, the Antennapedia- and engrailed-like homeo boxes, based on the sequence similarity to those from Drosophila. Here, we report the isolation of a homeo box-containing gene that belongs to a new family of which there are at least three related genes in the mouse genome. The homeo box of this new gene shows remarkable similarity to the Drosophila Msh homeo box that we designate as the prototype for this family. The gene maps to the proximal end of mouse chromosome 5 and does not cosegregate with any known homeo box-containing gene. We designate this locus Hox-7.1. In situ hybridizations to mouse embryos at different stages show a unique pattern of expression, as compared to other homeo box-containing genes described thus far. Hox-7.1 transcripts are detected in 9.5-day-old embryos in the neural crest, developing limb bud, and visceral arches. Later, this gene is expressed in regions of the face that are derived from neural crest and in the interdigital mesenchymal tissues in both the fore- and hindlimbs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

AIDS.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

A longitudinal study of clinical and immunological findings in 52 patients with relapsing retinal vasculitis.

Fifty-two patients with retinal vasculitis--26 with idiopathic disease and 26 with associated systemic inflammatory disease--were followed up for periods ranging from six months to 12 years. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between relapse of uveitis, visual outcome, and the occurrence of circulating immune complexes (CIC) and antiretinal antibodies. In a total of 69 relapses, CIC were increased in one-third of patients and antiretinal antibodies in one-half. In those 34 patients who expressed antiretinal antibodies 27 (79%) of the relapses were characterised by antiretinal antibodies in the absence of raised CIC levels (p less than 0.01). These findings support our previous hypothesis that CIC may have a protective role in autoimmune retinal vasculitis and that antiretinal autoimmunity is of pathogenetic importance in relapse. In individual patients the visual outcome was not related to the number of relapses or to the CIC-autoantibody pattern, suggesting the operation of additional features which merit identification.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

A gene with sequence similarity to Drosophila engrailed is expressed during the development of the neural tube and vertebrae in the mouse.

The mouse genes En-1 and En-2 display sequence similarity, in and around the homeobox region, to the engrailed family in Drosophila. This paper describes their pattern of expression in the 12.5-day mouse embryo as determined by in situ hybridization. En-2 is expressed in a subset of cells expressing En-1. Both genes are expressed in the developing midbrain and its junction with the hindbrain. In addition, En-1 is expressed in the floor of the hindbrain, a restricted ventrolateral segment of the neural tube throughout the trunk and anterior part of the tail, the dermatome of tail somites, the centrum and costal processes in developing vertebrae, a restricted region of facial mesenchyme and the limb-bud ectoderm. Supplementary studies of 9.5-day and 10.5-day embryos showed that the same pattern of expression pertained in the neural tube, but that expression in the somites is at first confined to the dermatome and later found at a low level in restricted sclerotomal regions. Both genes are expressed in restricted domains which do not cross tissue-type boundaries. In several instances, however, boundaries of expression lie within morphologically undifferentiated tissue. These results suggest that En-1 and En-2 may be involved in the establishment or maintenance of the spatial integrity of specific domains within developing tissues.

Animals↗