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Biomedical subjects

E M Smith

Publications and source records attributed to E M Smith.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Symptomatology, delay, and stage of disease in endometrial cancer.

This study evaluated the characteristics of symptoms associated with stage and other extent of disease factors at diagnosis among incident cases of the endometrium (N = 98) identified in the Iowa NCI-SEER population-based cancer registry. The purpose was to determine if there were symptoms or other related factors associated with late-stage cancer that distinguished them from earlier stages and for which earlier detection might be beneficial. Most endometrial cancers presented in early-state disease with irregular vaginal bleeding, menorrhea, and abdominal swelling. Most late stage cases also reported irregular vaginal bleeding or irregular menstrual cycle not associated with menopause, but were significantly more likely to notice pain (P less than .05) then earlier-stage cases. Less delay was associated with late, not early, stage of cancer (P less than .05). There was no association between histology, grade, medical history including menopausal status, and symptoms. There were similar symptoms in both early- and late-staged tumors, with no distinguishing factors explaining their appearance at different stages of disease. This result appears to limit earlier detection by patients diagnosed with progressive disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Parenting desires among bisexual women and lesbians.

Parenting desires were ascertained among a large group of lesbians (n = 1,921) and bisexual women (n = 424) recruited in a nonclinical setting. More than 50% of each sexual-orientation group had considered having a child since recognizing their current sexual identity. Lesbians were more likely than bisexuals to favor adoption and donor insemination as options, whereas bisexuals were more likely to consider intercourse with either a cooperative or unsuspecting man. Overall, however, 47 women (2%) reported success in obtaining a child through one of these options.

Adoption↗
PubMed1987

Anabolic and catabolic responses of human articular cells to growth factors.

The responsiveness of human synovial cells and chondrocytes to L-ascorbate, CTAP Ib, III, IV and V was assessed by assays which measured DNA and glycosaminoglycan synthesis and plasminogen activator formation. Differences in behavior were noted between synovial and cartilage derived cells and between normal and OA chondrocytes.

Ascorbic Acid↗
PubMed1986

Progress against cancer?

We assessed the overall progress against cancer during the years 1950 to 1982. In the United States, these years were associated with increases in the number of deaths from cancer, in the crude cancer-related mortality rate, in the age-adjusted mortality rate, and in both the crude and the age-adjusted incidence rates, whereas reported survival rates (crude and relative) for cancer patients also increased. In our view, the best single measure of progress against cancer is change in the age-adjusted mortality rate associated with all cancers combined in the total population. According to this measure, we are losing the war against cancer, notwithstanding progress against several uncommon forms of the disease, improvements in palliation, and extension of the productive years of life. A shift in research emphasis, from research on treatment to research on prevention, seems necessary if substantial progress against cancer is to be forthcoming.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

Production of immunoreactive chorionic gonadotropin during mixed lymphocyte reactions: a possible selective mechanism for genetic diversity.

Maternal immunologic recognition of the blastocyst as well as the hormone chorionic gonadotropin (CG) has been shown to be a requirement for successful implantation of the blastocyst and maintenance of the fetal graft. On the basis of these observations, we tested whether lymphocytes could produce chorionic gonadotropic-like hormones during a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Here we described the production of immunoreactive chorionic gonadotropin (ir-CG) as a result of an allogeneic stimulus but not other mitogenic stimuli. The kinetics of production, as monitored by immunofluorescence with antibody specific to the beta chain of the human CG (hCG) molecule, paralleled the blastogenic response. Gel filtration of the de novo-synthesized ir-CG showed the molecular weight of the intact molecule to be approximately 58,000. This molecule bound to a concanavalin A affinity column and also dissociated into two subunits of approximate molecular weights 32,000 and 18,000. These molecular weights are consistent with reported molecular weights for glycosylated intact hCG, as well as the beta and alpha chains of hCG, respectively. The material from the MLR but not the control cultures elicited significant testosterone production from Leydig cells, and this activity could be blocked by antiserum to hCG. The results described here, together with the fact that the blastocyst is implanted in a lymphocyte infiltrate, lend support to our postulate that lymphocyte-derived CG enhances successful implantation of the allogeneic fetus, thus providing a mechanism for selection of genetic diversity.

Blastocyst↗
PubMed1986

Interferon inducing transformed cell surface glycoproteins: purification by Ia antigen affinity chromatography.

Ia antigens were previously shown to be B-cell receptors for transformed cell surface glycoproteins (TCSG). Ia antigen recognition of TCSG subsequently initiated interferon production. These findings have been exploited to highly purify TCSG from mouse L (H-2k) cells in one step by Iak antigen Sepharose affinity chromatography. These results point to the highly specific recognition of TCSG by Ia antigens and the B-cells on which they reside. The implications and applications of these studies are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

The effects of symptoms and delay in seeking diagnosis on stage of disease at diagnosis among women with cancers of the ovary.

This study evaluated characteristics of symptoms, their perceived cause, and delay in seeking a diagnosis associated with stage, grade, and histologic features of disease at diagnosis among incident cancer cases of the ovary (N = 83) identified in the Iowa National Cancer Institute-Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results population-based cancer registry. Contrary to clinical impressions, most early-stage cancers produced symptoms and were more likely than late-stage cancers to cause fatigue and urination problems; however, only irregular menstrual cycles were more likely to convince these patients with early-stage cancers to seek a diagnosis. Late-stage cases were most often accompanied by abdominal pain and swelling, but only pain was likely to convince women to seek a diagnosis. There was no association between delay, perceived cause, or seriousness of symptoms with stage of disease at diagnosis. Women, particularly those with a medical history of high risk factors, should be made aware that apparently benign disease symptoms are characteristic of early ovarian cancer and that this tumor can be found early if they seek medical attention immediately.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1985

Corticotropin-releasing activity of monokines.

Hepatocyte-stimulating factor and interleukin-1 are proteins produced by monocytes in response to inflammatory challenge. Neither of these monokines had direct effects on steroid production by cultured adrenocortical cells. Both monokines stimulated pituitary cells (AtT-20) to release adrenocorticotropic hormone; interleukin-1 was equipotent with a combination of corticotropin-releasing factor and arginine vasopressin, and hepatocyte-stimulating factor was at least three times as effective. The synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, inhibited production of hepatocyte-stimulating factor by cultured monocytes. These results indicate an axis between monocytes and pituitary and adrenocortical cells which may play a role in regulating host defense.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed1985

Regions of complementarity between the messenger RNAs for epidermal growth factor, transferrin, interleukin-2 and their respective receptors.

Messenger (m)RNA sequences complementary to the mRNA sequences for the receptors to epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and transferrin (TF) were written out and compared for homologies with their ligands (EGF, IL-2 and TF, respectively). Highly significant amino acid and nucleotide homologies between the ligands and their appropriate receptor complements were detected in each case. For example, EGF and its receptor complement contained two homologous segments, each being six amino acids in length. When these segments were screened for matches against a protein sequence bank (3060 proteins and 616,748 test segments), only EGF contained either sequence. Similar results were obtained with IL-2 and TF. In each case, the homologous segments corresponded to complementary regions in the ligand binding portion of the receptor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

The effects of breast self-examination in a population-based cancer registry. A report of differences in extent of disease.

This study evaluates the effects of breast self-examination (BSE) on extent of disease in newly diagnosed Iowa Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) breast cancer cases (population-based) between November 1980 and December 1981. Similar to previous findings, BSE patients are more likely to find their tumors than are non-BSE patients when performed two or more times each year. However, no significant improvement in tumor size, number of lymph nodes, or staging is found. In addition, comparison with age-frequency matched controls, although supporting various breast cancer risk factors, also seems to identify a BSE response bias since cases were significantly more likely to report performing BSE than controls (P less than 0.0001), and BSE cases versus non-BSE cases show no differences in risks of disease to suggest an association between potential awareness of disease risks with altered health behavior (performing BSE).

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Neuroendocrine peptide hormones and their receptors in the immune system. Production, processing and action.

Recent findings indicate that the immune and neuroendocrine systems interact and modulate one another functionally. The mechanism for this seems to be that the 2 systems share a set of receptors and ligands (hormones). Cells of the immune system are able to synthesize neuroendocrine peptide hormones which are biologically active and produced in physiologically significant quantities. Furthermore, leukocytes possess functional receptors for these same neuroendocrine hormones which will specifically modulate immune responses. The structural and functional evidence for these interactions is reviewed and discussed in the context of a bidirectional regulatory circuit between the immune and neuroendocrine systems.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1985

The pituitary-adrenocortical axis and the immune system.

Recent findings indicate that interactions between the pituitary-adrenocortical axis and the immune system involve more than simply the effects of glucocorticoid hormones. This altered view has resulted from the observations that: 1) cells of the immune system have receptors for and are directly acted upon by ACTH and endorphins, and 2) the immune system is an important non-pituitary source of these peptide hormones. In this chapter, while we review in a cursory way the older findings with glucocorticoid hormones, we concentrate on the newer developments which suggest that leukocyte- and pituitary-derived ACTH and endorphins perform regulatory functions within and between the immune system and the pituitary-adrenocortical axis.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1985

Similarity between the corticotropin (ACTH) receptor and a peptide encoded by an RNA that is complementary to ACTH mRNA.

An interesting pattern in the genetic code was recently observed: Codons for hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids on one strand of nucleic acid are complemented by codons for hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids on the other strand, respectively. The average tendency of codons for "uncharged" (slightly hydrophilic) amino acids is to be complemented by codons for "uncharged" (slightly hydrophilic) amino acids. We have postulated that this pattern can result in the binding of peptides that are encoded by complementary RNA strands and we have presented supporting evidence. In this report we demonstrate the specific and high-affinity binding of naturally occurring peptides [corticotropin (ACTH) and gamma-endorphin] to synthetically derived counterparts that were specified by RNA sequences complementary to the mRNA for ACTH and gamma-endorphin, respectively. That this binding might result from one peptide being an "internal image" of the other was strongly suggested by the observation that antibody to the peptide that was encoded by the complementary RNA for ACTH recognized the adrenal cell ACTH receptor. Based on these findings, a theory on the evolution of peptides and their receptors is suggested.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1985

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide induction of leukocyte-derived corticotropin and endorphins.

Previous reports have shown that there is an endogenous opioid component associated with pathophysiological responses to endotoxin. It has been shown that these responses are alleviated by naloxone, a specific opiate antagonist. Results of another study have indicated that leukocytes may mediate some of those responses since leukocyte depletion alleviated the effects of lipopolysaccharide. In view of the above reports as well as the finding that leukocytes produce immunoreactive (ir-) endorphins and corticotropin (ACTH) when stimulated with Newcastle disease virus or ACTH-releasing factor, we postulated that leukocytes may serve as an extrapituitary source of endorphins produced in response to bacterial endotoxin. To test this hypothesis, human peripheral blood leukocytes as well as mouse spleen cells were cultured in vitro with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide for 48 h. The lipopolysaccharide (i.e., endotoxin) was shown to induce de novo synthesis of ir-ACTH and ir-endorphins. The leukocyte-derived ir-ACTH had a molecular weight of approximately 2,900 and demonstrated a bioactivity similar to that of pituitary-derived ACTH. The lymphocyte-derived ir-endorphin comigrated with alpha- and gamma-endorphin at approximately 1,800 daltons and was shown to bind to brain opiate receptors. These findings imply that leukocyte-derived endorphins may be involved in the pathophysiological response to endotoxin.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1985

Cognitive deficits in the Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome (progressive supranuclear palsy).

Clinical examination of 33 consecutive newly diagnosed cases of Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome revealed evidence of cognitive impairment in 20. Eighteen of the 27 right handed patients who underwent neuropsychological assessment had intellectual impairment (mild in nine and marked in nine patients). The pattern of abnormalities was similar to but more severe than those previously reported in Parkinson's disease, with particular difficulties in carrying out tests which are believed to be sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Bladder cancer risk among auto and truck mechanics and chemically related occupations.

Male participants in the NCI National Bladder Cancer study were evaluated for risks in auto and truck mechanic and in chemically related exposure occupations compared with those who had never worked in these areas. In nonsmokers the adjusted rate ratios (RR) for mechanics equalled 1.33, (95% CI 0.77, 2.31). The adjusted RR in the nonsmoker chemically related group was 1.53 (95% CI 1.13, 2.07). Duration of exposure as a mechanic was not clearly associated with bladder cancer risk regardless of smoking status.

Adult↗