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Biomedical subjects

E J Shaw

Publications and source records attributed to E J Shaw.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Expression of ADAMTS-8, a secreted protease with antiangiogenic properties, is downregulated in brain tumours.

Angiogenesis and extracellular matrix degradation are key events in tumour progression, and factors regulating stromal-epithelial interactions and matrix composition are potential targets for the development of novel anti-invasive/antiangiogenic therapies. Here, we examine the expression of ADAMTS-8, a secreted protease with antiangiogenic properties, in brain tissues. Using quantitative RT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), high, equivalent expression of ADAMTS-8 was found in normal whole brain, cerebral cortex, frontal lobe, cerebellum and meninges. ADAMTS-8 expression in 34 brain tumours (including 22 high-grade gliomas) and four glioma cell lines indicated at least two-fold reduction in mRNA compared to normal whole brain in all neoplastic tissues, and no detectable expression in 14 out of 34 (41%) tumours or four out of four (100%) cell lines. In contrast, differential expression of TSP1 and VEGF was seen in nine out of 15 (60%) and seven out of 13 (54%) tumours, with no relationship in the expression of these genes. Immunohistochemistry and Western analysis indicated downregulation of ADAMTS-8 protein in >77% tumours. Methylation-specific PCR analysis of ADAMTS-8 indicated promoter hypermethylation in one out of 24 brain tumours (a metastasis) and three out of four glioma cell lines suggesting an alternative mechanism of downregulation. These data suggest a role for ADAMTS-8 in brain tumorigenesis, warranting further investigation into its role in regulation of tumour angiogenesis and local invasion.

ADAM Proteins↗
PubMed1988

A randomized double blind controlled trial comparing two amoxycillin regimens in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis.

A randomized double blind trial comparing two amoxycillin regimens in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis was performed. Forty-one patients were entered into the study. Twenty patients received amoxycillin sachets 3g twice daily for three days and 21 patients received amoxycillin capsules 500 mg three times daily for seven days. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of duration of hospital admission, reduction in sputum volume, clearance of pus from the sputum or the number of treatment failures. No patient developed unwanted effects from the treatment with high dose amoxycillin. Twenty-eight patients were followed for one year and there was no difference in the number of exacerbations experienced by patients treated with short course high dose therapy compared with low dose therapy. It is concluded that short course high dose amoxycillin may be as effective as conventional course amoxycillin in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

Assessment of a latex-agglutination-inhibition card test for serum gentamicin, with a study of the effects of potential interfering factors.

A latex-agglutination-inhibition test for serum gentamicin, based on inhibition by gentamicin of antibody-induced agglutination of gentamicin-coated latex particles, was found to be sufficiently reliable for use in therapeutic monitoring and to correlate well with a variety of established immunoassays. The test (a nonseparation, nonisotopic immunoassay) is performed on cards and has a simple visual end point by inspection for the presence or absence of agglutination. Severely elevated bilirubin or lipid levels, or gross hemolysis (which may cause interference with other nonseparation immunoassays) had no effect on the card test. With raised rheumatoid factor or complement, the cards gave accurate recovery of added gentamicin at 5 and 10 mg/L but low recovery at 2 mg/L. Of 67 patients' sera, three from one individual caused nonspecific agglutination of the latex and could not be assayed. The card test can be recommended for laboratories handling infrequent or small numbers of samples and for those without access to instrumentation.

Fluorescent Antibody Technique↗
PubMed1983

Demonstration of an immune-mediated mechanism of penicillin-induced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia.

Severe neutropenia may be a more common complication of high-dose penicillin therapy than previously recognized. This report describes five such patients, one of whom also had thrombocytopenia. The neutrophil and platelet counts rapidly increased on stopping penicillin, and the bone-marrow, which was hypocellular in some cases, became normal. Further studies on one of these patients, using a fluorescent antiglobulin technique with paraformaldehyde-fixed cells, demonstrated a complement-fixing IgG penicillin antibody reacting with the patient's granulocytes and platelets in the presence of the drug. This suggested an immune mechanism similar to the well-recognized penicillin-induced immune haemolytic anaemia. The associated bone-marrow hypoplasia may also be due to antibody-mediated suppression of penicillin-coated precursor cells.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Sausage digit due to radish bacillus.

We wish to draw attention to a very characteristic but little known syndrome. An elderly woman presented with a 'sausage finger', rheumatological jargon used to describe diffuse swelling of the digit. This proved to be a proliferative tenosynovitis caused by an atypical mycobacterium, Mycobacterium terrae, or the radish bacillus.

Aged↗
PubMed1980

Antibiotic bioassay by flow microcalorimetry.

A rapid, sensitive microcalorimetric bioassay of good reproducibility has been developed for the antibiotics penicillin-G, carbenicillin, ampicillin and cefoxitin. The use of growing organisms as responding agents allows discussion of the results for systems which may involve biological fluids.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1980

10 Years of infective endocarditis at St. Bartholomew's Hospital: analysis of clinical features and treatment in relation to prognosis and mortality.

A retrospective survey of patients with infective endocarditis at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in the decade 1966--75 showed a male/female ratio of 1.5/1. The commonest presenting features were malaise, fever, new cardiac symptoms, heart-failure, splenomegaly, and finger clubbing. The commonest problem during treatment was heart-failure. As in the two previous decades, viridans streptococci were the commonest causative organisms. Acute endocarditis was caused by Staphylococcus aureus. 6 patients' lives were saved by heart-valve replacement during medical treatment. Of 3 patients who relapsed, 1 died. The overall mortality at six months was 20%, compared with 40% in the two previous decades. Of the patients with proven subacute infective endocarditis thought to have received adequate antibiotic treatment, only 5 of 49 (10%) died; in a similar group of patients in the previous decade 19% died. Early surgical intervention probably accounts for the improved prognosis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Antibiotic sensitivity testing by flow microcalorimetry.

The proposed flow microcalorimetric method for the diagnosis of bacteriuria has been extended to include antibiotic sensitivity testing. Sensitive organisms rapidly (4-8 min) show thermal responses to the added antibiotics over the normal range of concentrations (1 x, 2x, MIC value).

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1979

Evaluation of products for treating babies' napkins.

A test is described for assessing the sanitizing effect of napkin treatment products on naturally urine-wetted and faecally-contaminated napkins. This test defines in-use conditions which closely resemble typical domestic situations. One napkin treatment product ('Napisan'), tested at two different concentrations and with challenges of different numbers of babies' napkins, performed satisfactorily under the conditions used.

Clothing↗