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Biomedical subjects

F Wilson

Publications and source records attributed to F Wilson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

House dust mite and cat allergen levels in domestic dwellings in Christchurch.

AIMS: To quantify the levels of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergen (Der p I) and Felis domesticus allergen (Fel d I) in domestic dwellings in Christchurch and to assess possible relationships with housing characteristics. METHODS: Domestic dwellings (n = 93) were randomly selected and housing characteristics documented during the summer of 1994/95. Dust samples were obtained from the floor of the living room (LR) and bedroom (BR) and from the bed by standard vacuuming methods. The predominant mite species were determined and D pteronyssinus and F domesticus levels quantified. RESULTS: D pteronyssinus was the predominant (95%) species. D pteronyssinus allergen levels [geomean (95% confidence intervals) were 3.5(2.5-4.8) micrograms/g in LR, 10.1(7.5-13.7) micrograms/g in BR and 5.7(4.3-7.6) micrograms/g in the bed. F domesticus allergen levels were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in houses with cats than without cats [median (range) 93.2 (3.3-1227.2) micrograms/g and 2.9 (0.4-214.8) micrograms/g respectively]. Higher LR D pteronyssinus allergen levels were found in houses classified as having high indoor humidity and in houses situated in geographically damp locations. CONCLUSIONS: Domestic D pteronyssinus and F domesticus allergen levels in Christchurch are comparable with those found in other climatically similar locations. D pteronyssinus allergen levels are associated with both indoor and outdoor humidity factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Sensory dysfunction associated with repetitive strain injuries of tendinitis and focal hand dystonia: a comparative study.

Repetitive strain injuries are reaching epidemic levels among workers who perform heavy schedules of rapid alternating movements (eg., computer programmers, data entry workers) or repetitive, sustained, coordinated movements (eg., editors, writers, salespeople). The purpose of this study was to determine if patients with repetitive strain injury demonstrated degraded sensory motor performance with their hands. Sixty age-matched adults were recruited, with 15 each assigned to a healthy adult control group, a healthy musician control group, a tendinitis group, or a focal dystonia group. Four sensory motor subtests from the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test were given to the subjects according to a standardized protocol. Using multiple one-factor analyses of variance in the parametric or nonparametric mode followed by post hoc pairwise testing, no significant differences were found between the healthy controls and the musician controls. On the test of kinesthesia, using the left hand, subjects with tendinitis performed significantly worse than controls and subjects with focal dystonia. Compared with controls, subjects with focal dystonia did significantly worse on graphesthesia and manual form perception (part 1 and part 2). Subjects with focal dystonia also did significantly worse than subjects with tendinitis when using the left hand on graphesthesia and manual form perception (part 2). When treating patients with repetitive strain injury, discriminative sensory motor skills must be carefully assessed and may need to be addressed as part of an effective treatment program.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Immunological parameters associated with susceptibility or resistance to alveolar hydatid disease in Yupiks/Inupiats.

Alveolar hydatid disease (AHD) is a serious and often fatal disease with a relatively high prevalence among the Alaska native Yupik/Inupiat population. In a few patients, however, a spontaneous cure of the disease has been shown by demonstrating the presence of dead metacestode lesions. The present study shows a comparative analysis of the humoral (antibody activity to two different antigens: Em2-antigen and recombinant II/3-10-antigen) immune response and a respective immunogenetic background (HLA-DR typing) in (i) "susceptible" patients who had a still active intrahepatic metacestode and (ii) "resistant" patients who were shown to be spontaneously cured by presenting dead and calcified lesions. Control groups included relatives who were genetically closely related and less related cohabitants of the same villages. Antibody levels in the Em2- and the II/3-10-ELISA were high for patients who had still active lesions and low (Em2-ELISA) or negative (II/3-10-ELISA) for cured patients with dead lesions. Comparative HLA-DR analyses between infected and non-infected Yupiks/Inupiats revealed a slight tendency for susceptibility markers respective to the HLA-DRB1*0901 and HLA-DRB1*1601,02 genes.

Alaska↗
PubMed1995

Safety implications of extending some Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to light trucks and vans.

The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the implications of extending specific Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) to light trucks and vans (LTVs). This was accomplished through the examination of the potential safety-related benefits of these standards comparing the injury frequencies and severities of the light trucks and vans and the passenger cars (PCs). The standards considered, which currently apply to passenger cars but not to LTVs, are the head restraint (CMVSS 202), side door strength (CMVSS 214), and roof crush strength (CMVSS 216) standards. The comparison was effected by means of logit models developed from multidimensional tables with injury frequency and severity as dependent variables. There are indications that installing head restraints in light trucks and vans could reduce or prevent minor neck injuries and that modest benefits could be achieved by extending the roof crush standard to the LTVs. It was also determined that the side door strength standard may not necessarily be as beneficial to LTVs in conditions in which the vehicle is struck on the side by another LTV. It is suggested that the general public be made aware of the differences in safety standards between LTVs and PCs.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1995

Asperger's syndrome and autism: differences in behavior, cognition, and adaptive functioning.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether subtypes of children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) differed on variables that were relatively independent of distinguishing criteria. METHOD: Higher-functioning children with PDD, 4 through 6 years of age, were differentiated into those with autism (n = 47) and those with Asperger's syndrome (n = 21) on the basis of delayed and deviant language development. The groups were then compared on a wide range of measures including PDD symptoms, adaptive behaviors in communication, socialization, and activities of daily living, and an assessment of verbal and nonverbal cognitive skills. RESULTS: Significant differences between the groups existed on many PDD symptoms, adaptive behaviors, and cognitive measures of language competence, but not on aspects of nonverbal communication, nonverbal cognition, or motor development. CONCLUSION: Subtypes of children with PDD can be identified that differ on variables relatively independent of defining characteristics. These findings should provide a firm foundation into research to determine whether children with autism and Asperger's syndrome also differ on outcome, etiology, and response to treatment.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

Treatment of port-wine stains with the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser: extended clinical experience in children and adults.

Seventy-six patients (51 females, 25 males) with port-wine stains (PWS) were treated with the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser (585 nm, 450 microseconds). The patients ranged in age from 1 month to 71 years (average, 14 yr). Forty-nine percent of all patients under study had a 90% or better (average, 94.6%) lightening response after an average of 9.0 (range, 4-15) laser treatment. Overall, there was a 79% clinical improvement seen after an average of 9.1 (range, 2-19) laser treatments. In contrast to previous studies, the number of treatments necessary to obtain PWS clearing in older children (9-15 yr) and adults (> 16 yr) was not significantly greater than the number required to treat PWS in infants (0-2 yr) and younger children (3-8 yr). In fact, PWS in children aged 3 to 8 years required the greatest number of laser treatments, which may be due to continued abnormal growth of the ectatic blood vessels comprising the lesion during the growth of the child. In addition, there did not appear to be a significant difference in the number of laser treatments necessary to obtain clearing of PWS in different body locations. While the 585 nm pulsed dye laser continues to be the treatment of choice for removal of PWS in children and adults, the number of treatments necessary to obtain lesional clearing in all age groups in greater than previously reported.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Changing results of HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplantation in patients with haematological malignancy during the period 1981-1990.

During the years 1981-90 inclusive 227 patients with haematological malignancy received an HLA-identical sibling first transplant at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. Recipients with acute leukaemia in first remission or chronic myeloid leukaemia in first chronic phase were analysed as good risk, and those beyond these stages, as poor risk patients. Good risk patients transplanted in the years 1986-90 (n = 52) showed improved actuarial survival (74%) compared to those (n = 58) transplanted during 1981-85 (37%, p = 0.01). There was a suggestion that leukaemia-free survival was also improved in those transplanted during the later time period (62% versus 36%, p = 0.07). In contrast, poor risk patients transplanted during 1986-90 (n = 55) appeared to have worse leukaemia-free survival (15%) compared to those transplanted during 1981-85 (n = 62) (22%, p = 0.09). The incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) grades I-IV in all patients was 94% in those transplanted during 1981-85 (n = 120) and 86% in those transplanted during 1986-90 (n = 107) (p = 0.002). The incidence of acute GVHD grades II-IV was 37% during 1981-83, 20% during 1984-86, and 28% during 1987-90 (p = 0.1). The decrease in incidence and severity of acute GVHD correlated with the introduction of the cyclosporin/short methotrexate regimen in our practice. The incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonitis was 18% in 1981-85, and 11% in 1986-90 (p = 0.09). In 1989 and 1990 no cases of CMV pneumonitis occurred.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1993

Unrelated volunteer bone marrow transplantation: initial experience at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.

BACKGROUND: Only 30% of patients with leukaemia have an HLA-compatible family member able to act as a marrow donor. The recent development of volunteer bone marrow donor registries has supplied HLA-matched donors for a number of such individuals. AIMS: To define the problem and outcome of the first cohort of patients given HLA-matched unrelated volunteer bone marrow transplants at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. METHODS: Post transplant outcome of patients with advanced leukaemia given HLA-identical unrelated donor marrow transplants was compared to that of patients transplanted concurrently from HLA-identical sibling donors, in terms of survival, leukaemia-free survival, incidence and severity of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), duration of neutropenia, incidence of infection and duration of transplant hospitalisation. RESULTS: Sixteen patients with advanced leukaemia and without a histocompatible family member donor received unrelated donor bone marrow transplants. Actuarial survival at two years post transplant was 30%. Actuarial survival of 23 recipients of HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplants with advanced leukaemia transplanted during the same time period was 17% (not significant). Actuarial disease free survival at two years was 30% and 13% respectively. Three of five long term survivors of the unrelated transplants had chronic myeloid leukaemia in blastic transformation at the time of transplant; thus blastic transformation should not preclude consideration of unrelated marrow transplantation. Recipients of unrelated allografts had a higher incidence of acute GVHD which occurred earlier and with greater severity than in recipients of sibling allografts, a longer duration of post transplant neutropenia (24 days to reach 0.5 x 10(9)/L versus 19.5, p = 0.07), a higher frequency of infection in the first 100 days post transplant (p = 0.0004) and a longer duration of transplant hospitalisation (p = 0.04). Transplant-related complications were the commonest cause of death in the unrelated donor recipients, while leukaemic recurrence was the commonest single cause of death in the HLA-identical sibling recipients. Improvements are needed in prophylaxis of infection and in prevention and treatment of acute GVHD in recipients of unrelated donor transplants. Nevertheless, this modality provides curative treatment for patients with otherwise incurable haematological malignancies and should no longer be considered experimental.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Chondrosarcoma of the maxilla.

A patient was referred to us with a mass in her upper jaw. This was diagnosed to be a chondrosarcoma of the maxilla. The mass was removed surgically. We present the case here and discuss the salient features.

Chondrosarcoma↗
PubMed1991

The expression of class I patatin gene fusions in transgenic potato varies with both gene and cultivar.

Patatin is a family of glycoproteins that contributes about 40% of the total soluble protein in tubers of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The protein is encoded by a multigene family of 50-70 genes which have been divided into classes I and II on the basis of sequence homology. The promoters of two class I genes, PS20 and PS3/27, were transcriptionally fused to beta-glucuronidase and transformed into the potato cultivars Désirée and Maris Bard. Examination of the expression levels in large populations of microtubers indicated that the PS20 promoter produced beta-glucuronidase activities 5-fold lower in Désirée than Maris Bard whereas the PS3/27 promoter showed similar levels in both cultivars. Furthermore, the relative expression levels from the two promoters were reversed in the two cultivars. The beta-glucuronidase enzyme activity was correlated with the mRNA level but not the copy number of the introduced gene. The implications for the use of patatin promoters in the genetic modification of tubers is discussed.

Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases↗
PubMed1991

A prospective randomised trial of cyclosporin and methotrexate versus cyclosporin, methotrexate and prednisolone for prevention of graft-versus-host disease after HLA-identical sibling marrow transplantation for haematological malignancy.

A prospective randomised trial was performed in patients given HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplants for haematological malignancy comparing the combination of cyclosporin and methotrexate (CM) (n = 20) with the combination of cyclosporin, methotrexate and prednisolone (CMP) (n = 21) as prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). There was no significant differences between the two arms for the incidence of acute GVHD grades I-IV, acute GVHD grades II-IV, chronic GVHD, interstitial pneumonitis, relapse, survival and disease-free survival. The actuarial incidence of acute GVHD grades II-IV in the CMP group was 10% and in the CM group 15% (ns). The incidence of leukaemic relapse in good risk patients was 42% in the CMP group and 40% in the CM group (ns), although the majority of these relapses were cytogenetic relapses only in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia. The incidence of acute GVHD grades II-IV in both arms of the current trial was significantly lower than in our previous trial comparing cyclosporin and methotrexate as single agents. Leukaemic relapse is now the principal cause of treatment failure in this patient population. We conclude that prednisolone should not be included as part of the prophylactic GVHD regime and that further improvement in therapeutic outcome is dependent upon better control of the underlying malignancy.

Actuarial Analysis↗