Biomedical subjects

H Holt

Publications and source records attributed to H Holt.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral aloe vera gel for active ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: The herbal preparation, aloe vera, has been claimed to have anti-inflammatory effects and, despite a lack of evidence of its therapeutic efficacy, is widely used by patients with inflammatory bowel disease. AIM: To perform a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the efficacy and safety of aloe vera gel for the treatment of mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis. METHODS: Forty-four evaluable hospital out-patients were randomly given oral aloe vera gel or placebo, 100 mL twice daily for 4 weeks, in a 2 : 1 ratio. The primary outcome measures were clinical remission (Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index </= 2), sigmoidoscopic remission (Baron score </= 1) and histological remission (Saverymuttu score </= 1). Secondary outcome measures included changes in the Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (improvement was defined as a decrease of >/= 3 points; response was defined as remission or improvement), Baron score, histology score, haemoglobin, platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and albumin. RESULTS: Clinical remission, improvement and response occurred in nine (30%), 11 (37%) and 14 (47%), respectively, of 30 patients given aloe vera, compared with one (7%) [P = 0.09; odds ratio, 5.6 (0.6-49)], one (7%) [P = 0.06; odds ratio, 7.5 (0.9-66)] and two (14%) [P < 0.05; odds ratio, 5.3 (1.0-27)], respectively, of 14 patients taking placebo. The Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index and histological scores decreased significantly during treatment with aloe vera (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively), but not with placebo. Sigmoidoscopic scores and laboratory variables showed no significant differences between aloe vera and placebo. Adverse events were minor and similar in both groups of patients. CONCLUSION: Oral aloe vera taken for 4 weeks produced a clinical response more often than placebo; it also reduced the histological disease activity and appeared to be safe. Further evaluation of the therapeutic potential of aloe vera gel in inflammatory bowel disease is needed.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1999

Immunodiagnosis of childhood malignancies.

Immunodiagnosis utilizing immunohistochemical techniques is currently the most commonly utilized and readily available method of ancillary diagnosis in pediatric oncopathology. The methodology comprises relatively simple steps, based on straightforward biologic concepts, and the reagents used are generally well characterized and widely used. The principle of cancer immunodiagnosis is based on the determination of neoplastic lineage using detection of proteins typical of cell differentiation pathways. Methodology sensitivity varies and has become greater with each new generation of tests, but technical draw-backs should be considered to avoid excessive background or nonspecific results. Automated instrumentation offers a degree of accuracy and reproducibility not easily attainable by manual methods.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Clinical patterns of familial inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Although many recent studies have shown the increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease in relatives of patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, clinical patterns of disease within families remain relatively poorly documented. AIMS: In this study, clinical characteristics (disease type, extent, age on onset, need for surgery, and presence of extraintestinal manifestations) have been compared in affected subjects in multiply-affected families, with inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: 54 families in whom one parent and at least one child were affected (a total of 77 parent-child pairs) and 155 families in whom at least two siblings were affected (a total of 190 affected sibling pairs) were involved. RESULTS: In affected parent-child pairs, parent and child were concordant for disease type in 58 of 77 pairs (75.3%), for extent in 63.6%, extraintestinal manifestations in 70.1%, and smoking history in 85%. The median age of onset in parents was significantly higher than offspring (p < 0.0001). In 40 pairs, 60.6%, the parent was at least 10 years older than child. Siblings were concordant for disease type in 81.6% of the affected sibling pairs, extent in 76.0%, extraintestinal manifestations in 83.8%, and smoking history in 81.3%. In contrast with the parent-child pairs, 68.1% (111 sibling pairs) siblings were diagnosed within 10 years of each other. The median age of onset was 24.0 years. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown consistent clinical patterns in many families with inflammatory bowel disease. The differences in age of onset between parents and children are not readily explained by a simple cohort effect or ascertainment bias, and may reflect effects of genetic factors, producing anticipation between generations.

Age of Onset↗

PubMed1991

Immunohistochemical study of childhood rhabdomyosarcomas and related neoplasms. Results of an Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma study project.

The authors assessed a panel of immunohistochemical stains against 109 pediatric solid tumors, primarily rhabdomyosarcomas, under the auspices of the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study. Fresh tumor tissue received from participating organizations was divided into portions that were either frozen or fixed in formalin, alcohol, or B5. Immunostaining was performed by the avidin-biotin complex method using monoclonal antibodies to desmin, neurofilaments, vimentin, cytokeratin, and leukocyte common antigen on cryostat sections. Tissue was also embedded in paraffin and stained with antimuscle-specific actin (MSA) and polyclonal antibodies to desmin, creatine kinase M subunit (CKM), myoglobin, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Antidesmin staining of cryostat sections was the most sensitive indicator of rhabdomyosarcoma (58 of 62 specimens positive). Results with this reagent in alcohol-fixed and formalin-fixed tissue were similar (46 of 56 positive versus 43 of 56 positive, respectively) and comparable with results with anti-MSA in formalin-fixed tissue (43 of 55 positive). However, the proportion of cells stained by antidesmin was higher in alcohol-fixed tissue than in formalin-fixed tissue. Staining with antimyoglobin and anti-CKM was much less satisfactory, with positivity rates of 17 of 37 and 11 of 57, respectively, in formalin-fixed rhabdomyosarcomas. Immunostaining of muscle markers revealed evidence of myogenesis in six undifferentiated sarcomas and in two sarcomas with inadequate histologic study on hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections. However, positivity was also noticed in samples of fibromatosis, Wilms' tumor, ectomesenchyoma, peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor, renal rhabdoid tumor, myositis ossificans, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and embryonal sarcoma of the liver. The authors conclude that combined use of antidesmin and anti-MSA enhances the diagnosis of childhood sarcomas, especially when employed with other techniques such as electron microscopic study.

Actins↗

PubMed1991

Clinical significance of histology and immunophenotype in childhood diffuse large cell lymphoma.

To correlate the histologic subtype of diffuse large cell (DLC) lymphoma with immunophenotype, clinical features, and treatment outcome, 88 consecutively diagnosed children with this disease were studied. Of these cases, 42 (48%) were immunoblastic (IB), polymorphous subtype; 17 (19%) IB, plasmacytoid; 8 (9%) IB, clear cell; 6 (7%) IB, not otherwise specified; and 15 (17%) DLC-follicular center cell (DLC-FCC) type. Of 34 cases successfully phenotyped from paraffin sections, 13 were T cell and 9 were B cell; of the remaining cases, 8 were suggestive of T-cell lineage, 3 of B-cell lineage, and 1 of histiocytic differentiation. Although histologic subtype did not correlate with clinical features or outcome, it did correlate with immunophenotype among those cases for which lineage could be unequivocally assigned (5 of 18 IB vs. 4 of 4 DLC cases were B cell; P = 0.02) Immunophenotype was also correlated with stage of disease (11 of 13 T-cell vs. 3 of 9 B-cell cases had stage III-IV disease; P = 0.03). (Stage III includes all primary thoracic tumors; stage IV includes all with central nervous system and/or bone marrow involvement.) Significant prognostic features were clinical stage and era (thus type) of therapy (P less than 0.001). The authors conclude that most cases of large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children are of IB morphologic type, most frequently of T-cell lineage, and those with T-cell phenotype appeared to have more advanced disease.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

Characterization of cell lines derived from xenografts of childhood rhabdomyosarcoma.

Three human rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines (Rh10, Rh18, and Rh28) have been established from three independently derived xenografts. These lines have been characterized as mesenchymal in origin (reactivity to desmin and vimentin antibodies) and as expressing a human fetal muscle surface antigen recognized by monoclonal antibody 5.1 H11. Measurable levels of creatine phosphokinase have been detected in the cell lines. Rh10 and Rh28 exhibit the same chromosomal translocation and express an atypical lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme which may be homologous to those previously reported in other tumor types. The karyotype analysis has confirmed that each cell line was derived from its respective tumor and thus provides a unique model for future investigations.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Subcapsular orchiectomy with intracapsular testicular prosthesis for metastatic prostate carcinoma.

Fifteen patients underwent subcapsular orchiectomy with placement of an intracapsular testicular prosthesis for hormonal treatment of symptomatic Stage D carcinoma of the prostate. Serum testosterone decreased to castration levels, and the intracapsular prosthesis was often indistinguishable from a normal testicle postoperatively. This new technique of castration may be considered an alternative in those patients reluctant to undergo other forms of orchiectomy.

Aged↗

PubMed1978

The role of ureteral stenting in the management of surgical injury of the ureter.

From 1965 through 1976, 35 patients with surgical injury of the ureter were treated by operations requiring ureteral anastomoses. Stenting devices were used in 31 patients with only 2 failures. Stents were omitted in 4 patients with 2 failures. We have been satisfied with and prefer stenting ureteral anastomoses in the management of surgical ureteral injury, particularly when there is delayed recognition of the injury or previous irradiation. Previous objections to stenting are unjustified.

Catheterization↗

PubMed1976