Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G King

Publications and source records attributed to G King.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Immunocytochemical study of the ontogeny of Peyer's patches in the Brazilian marsupial Didelphis albiventris.

A detailed ontogenetic immunocytochemical study is reported on gut-associated lymphoid development in the Brazilian marsupial Didelphis albiventris. This employed antibody probes raised to evolutionarily conserved peptides which have been shown to detect HLA-DR-like (class II MHC) antigens and T and B cell markers in a wide range of animal species. Cells with macrophage and dendritic morphology expressing class II MHC and a few cells expressing the T cell marker CD3 were found in the lamina propria of duodenal villi in early (approximately 24 mm crown-rump length) latent opossum. Cells with B cell markers were not detected until lactent animals reached > 60 mm. Development of Peyer's patches (PP) was seen first in the duodenum in 45-60 mm lactent animals, progressing to well developed PP in the duodenum and ileum in lactent animals > 80 mm. These PP, like those in weanling and juvenile animals, consisted of follicles with a network of class II MHC positive dendritic cells and round cells lacking T and B markers, but lacking well defined mantle zones. B cells were present mainly in the lymphatic sinuses, with CD3 T cells present between follicles in the PP and intraepithelially in the villi. The study reveals the sequential development of class II MHC positive dendritic cells, T cells and B cells in the intestinal ontogeny of the opossum PP. These features occurred initially exclusively in the duodenum and subsequently in the ileum, paralleling the physiological maturation of the gut in eutheria.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

T cell tumours of disparate phenotype in mice transgenic for Rbtn-2.

RBTN2 is a LIM domain protein which can be activated by the translocation t(11;14)(p13;q11) in childhood T cell acute leukaemia. Transgenic mice were examined in which rbtn2 protein is expressed in the T cell lineage. An average of 72% of these mice developed T cell tumours before 18 months of age, compared with 9% in transgenic mice expressing the related gene Rbtn-1. Rbtn2-induced tumours first appeared at 5 months of age and were clonal. They displayed a range of phenotypes, the most notable being CD3/CD45R double-positive cells. Tumours expressing either T cell receptor alpha/beta or gamma/delta heterodimers were found. Thus rbtn2 can promote tumours within a range of T cell types and maturities. The latency period before tumour development indicates that secondary events must occur before the onset of overt malignancy.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed1993

Technique for the continuous infusion of high doses of cocaine by osmotic minipump.

The present article describes a procedure for modifying osmotic minipumps to avoid the local, toxic, necrotic effects of high concentrations of drug at the exit portal during the chronic, continuous infusion of cocaine. The present procedure eliminates the occurrence of necrotic skin lesions otherwise produced by SC administration of cocaine and/or other vasoconstrictive agents. The method of administration will therefore be useful for administration of other chronic drug regimens.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Parent compliance with therapeutic interventions for children with cerebral palsy.

This paper reports the correspondence between different measures of parental compliance and the relationship of these compliance measures to change in hand function after therapy intervention. 72 children with cerebral palsy, aged 18 months to eight years, participated in a clinical trial of neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT) and upper-limb casting; home programmes were part of each intervention. Measures of parental compliance comprised: self-rating of understanding and skill using a questionnaire, therapist's rating of parental compliance, attendances, mean time of cast wear and number of days completed home-programme log-book. Parent ratings were the only significant predictor of change in hand function. Parent self-rating was the most useful measure, since it correlated moderately with two other compliance measures and was predictive of change in hand function.

Casts, Surgical↗
PubMed1993

Expression of human growth hormone fusion genes in cultured lung endothelial cells and in the lungs of mice.

We sought to develop genetic therapy for acute lung diseases by introducing genes into lung cells in vivo that were only transiently expressed. To that end, we introduced a gene encoding a physiologically relevant secreted human protein into bovine lung endothelial cells in culture and into the lungs of mice using the technique of lipofection. We exposed cultured endothelial cells to a plasmid containing the coding region for human growth hormone (hGH) driven by a metallothionein (MT) promoter. In cells lipofected with the plasmid containing the MT promoter, expression of the hGH gene in medium was low (peak = 30 ng hGH/24 h/60-mm dish), but expression was markedly increased by addition of either dexamethasone (peak = 91) or cadmium (peak = 120). Lipofection with the same construct except a thymidine kinase promoter showed no cadmium response. We gave mice 5,000 ppm ZnSO4 in their drinking water and 24 h later injected intravenously plasmid containing the MT promoter complexed to liposomes. Mice were killed 1, 3, and 5 days after injection, and hGH production by minced lung, liver, and kidneys was determined in vitro. Neither kidneys nor liver produced detectable hGH. However, hGH was produced by the lungs, beginning on day 1, peaking on day 3 (approximately 1.0 ng hGH/24 h/g tissue), and declining by day 5. Lungs from mice injected either with DNA alone or with liposome alone did not produce hGH. mRNA specific for hGH was demonstrated in the lungs by polymerase chain reaction amplification of cDNA followed by agarose gel electrophoreses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1993

No effect of mop-ending on ligament healing. Rabbit studies of severed collateral knee ligaments.

We have tested the hypothesis that increasing the surface area of cut ligament ends by the creation of "mop-ends" may alter the mechanical properties of healing medial collateral ligaments. In one group of New Zealand white rabbits, a 4-mm midsubstance segment was removed from the right ligament creating a gap (sharp cut-end healing group). In the other group, a similar gap was created but, in addition, cut ligament ends were split longitudinally across the width of the ligament creating "mop-ends", roughly tripling the total injury surface area. In all animals, the contralateral (left) leg was not operated on and served as an internal control. At least 8 animals from each injury model were killed at 3, 6, 14, and 40 weeks post-operatively. Both histological and mechanical tests showed that sharp-cut and mop-end injuries healed at similar rates with similar material.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Human corneal aldehyde dehydrogenase: purification, kinetic characterisation and phenotypic variation.

Human corneal aldehyde dehydrogenase (designated ALDH3) was purified to homogeneity and characterised with respect to substrate specificity and inhibition by thiol reagents. The enzyme was present as a major soluble protein (5% of the total soluble protein) and was found to efficiently catalyse the oxidation of medium chain peroxidic aldehydes which may be found in the cornea. These findings are consistent with the proposal that ALDH3 plays a dual role in the absorption of UVR and in the oxidation of peroxidic aldehydes in the mammalian cornea. Disulfiram did not inhibit this enzyme under the conditions used in this study, however p-hydroxymercuribenzoate rapidly inactivated the enzyme. Analysis of the proteins of the cornea and surrounding tissue indicated that in both the cow and the human, changes in the nature and quantity of soluble proteins occurred. Phenotype variants of the ALDH3 were apparent in a small Australian population.

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1993

Smoking prevalence among perinatal women: the role of socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity.

Baseline data were collected as part of an intervention project designed to reduce substance abuse among pregnant and postpartum women in Waterbury. Personal interviews, including questions on smoking behavior were conducted with a sample of 503 perinatal women. African American and Hispanic women represented respectively 11.8% and 10.2% of the population. Twenty-six percent of respondents reported they smoked cigarettes during pregnancy which exceeds the nationally comparable rate of 19.1%. Socioeconomic status was a stronger predictor of smoking status than other sociodemographic variables. Logistic regression analysis showed that lower socioeconomic status women were 3.7 times (P < .001) more likely to smoke during pregnancy than their higher status counterparts. Hispanics were 70% (P < .01) less likely to smoke than Whites and there were no significant differences between respondents based on race, marital status, age, or source of prenatal care. The authors conclude that smoking during pregnancy continues to be a major problem requiring multifaceted interventions and attention to underlying structural factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Integration of a barcode reader with a commercial flow cytometer.

This report describes the application and installation of a barcode reader on a standard EPICS Elite flow cytometer. The barcode reader system eliminates keyboard entry of sample information on the cytometer. The system automates the transfer of sample information already present in our laboratory database to the cytometer at run time. The system uses a standard "off-the-shelf" bar code wand with a personal computer keyboard interface and requires no additional software at run time. No typing of sample information is required by the operator at any stage of normal sample operation at the cytometer. All operations are automatically coded into the cytometry software using the macro functions of the software. Tubes are inserted into the tube reader and sample information is transferred automatically into the cytometer. We have found that the system allows rapid and continuous operation of routine clinical and research samples. This automated data entry also reduces the possibility of data input errors.

Electronic Data Processing↗
PubMed1992

Immunopathological changes in the skin following recombinant interleukin-2 treatment.

The systemic administration of the cytokine recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) is associated with a number of toxic effects, including dermatological complications. The clinical, histological, and immunopathological changes occurring in the skin of six patients receiving rIL-2 for metastatic colorectal carcinoma have been studied. All of the patients developed a diffuse erythema shortly after initiation of the treatment. In one patient, generalized erythroderma and photosensitivity developed. The initial biopsy revealed patchy spongiosis, focal exocytosis, and focal basal layer damage with a perivascular chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate. With further treatment there was progressive thickening of the epidermis. Immunohistochemistry revealed changes in the expression of CD1, CD3, CD4, and CD25, particularly on perivascular cells. Additionally, there was an increase in the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on keratinocytes in the basal and mid-layers of the epidermis, endothelial cells, and perivascular cells. It is hypothesized that the expression of ICAM-1 by the epidermal keratinocytes may be the important event in initiating the cutaneous manifestations associated with rIL-2 administration.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Echocardiographic abnormalities in ankylosing spondylitis.

Twenty four patients with ankylosing spondylitis of 10 or more years' duration were assessed for evidence of cardiac disease. Seven patients (29%) had evidence of cardiac disease, including one patient with a pericardial effusion, three with conduction abnormalities, and two with aortic incompetence. Aortic incompetence in one patient was clinically silent and was detected only with Doppler echocardiography. This patient had, in addition, thickening of the posterior aortic wall, an echocardiographic feature not previously described in ankylosing spondylitis. There was no evidence of aortic valve disease in a control group matched for age and sex. Patients with ankylosing spondylitis and cardiac abnormalities were older, had a longer disease duration, and more peripheral joint disease than those without cardiac abnormalities. Doppler echocardiography is a useful technique in the assessment of cardiac disease in ankylosing spondylitis and may detect aortic valve disease at an early preclinical stage.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Expression of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein in salivary gland tumours: an immunohistochemical study.

Sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary salivary gland tumours were stained with a monoclonal antibody to the c-erbB-2 oncoprotein to determine the incidence and significance of expression of this protein. The series of 131 tumours comprised 33 cases of pleomorphic adenoma, 2 of malignant mixed tumour, 1 oxyphil adenoma, 31 Warthin's tumours, 4 basal cell adenomas, 6 mucoepidermoid carcinomas, 14 acinic cell carcinomas, 19 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 3 squamous carcinomas, and 18 poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. Positive staining, as defined in previous studies, was present in five tumours (three cases of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, one mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and one adenoid cystic carcinoma). A review of the medical records of all patients did not disclose any clear difference between the clinical behaviour of positive and negative cases over a period of follow-up that ranged from 18 to 120 months. The findings of this study indicate that the protein product of the c-erbB-2 proto-oncogene is infrequently expressed in salivary gland tumours, and when it is localized on the tumour cell surface membrane, there is no clear evidence that this determines the biological behaviour of the tumour.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1991

Efficacy of acemannan in treatment of canine and feline spontaneous neoplasms.

Forty-three dogs and cats with spontaneous tumors were treated with the immunostimulating polysaccharide acemannan by intraperitoneal and intralesional routes of administration. Tumors from 26 of these animals showed histopathological evidence of immunological attack as shown by marked necrosis or lymphocytic infiltration. Thirteen showed moderate to marked tumor necrosis or liquefaction. Twenty-one demonstrated lymphoid infiltration, and seven demonstrated encapsulation. Twelve animals showed obvious clinical improvement as assessed by tumor shrinkage, tumor necrosis, or prolonged survival; these included five of seven animals with fibrosarcomas. It is believed that acemannan exerts its antitumor activity through macrophage activation and the release of tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, and interferon.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗