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Biomedical subjects

J Beard

Publications and source records attributed to J Beard.

78 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Treatment of chronic iliac artery occlusions by means of percutaneous endovascular stent placement.

PURPOSE: A retrospective evaluation of outcomes in patients with chronic iliac occlusions treated with insertion of metallic endovascular stents, without previous thrombolysis, on an intention-to-treat basis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-two patients with chronic iliac occlusion underwent attempted stent placement from either the ipsilateral or contralateral femoral artery. There were 49 men and 23 women. Mean age was 63.1 years (range, 39-88 years). A total of 89 stents were deployed in 67 patients. Follow-up was from 24 to 69 months (mean, 37.5 months). RESULTS: Stents were successfully deployed in 67 patients (93%), with two early failures, giving a primary success rate of 90%. There were five significant and four insignificant procedural complications. There were four late failures (all within the first year) and four non-stent-related deaths. CONCLUSION: Endovascular stent placement offers an alternative to surgery in the treatment of chronic iliac occlusions.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗

1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethane (DDT) and reduced bone mineral density.

The organochlorine pesticide 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethane (DDT), is a well-known and widely dispersed "environmental estrogen" (World Health Organization Criteria no. 9; Geneva, Switzerland [1979]). Kelce et al. (Nature, 1995; 375:581-85) recently identified the DDT metabolite, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE), has also recently been identified as a potent androgen receptor antagonist. The authors examined the relationship between serum levels of DDE and bone mineral density in 68 sedentary women who reported adequate dietary intake of calcium. Reduced bone mineral density was correlated significantly with age (r = -.36, p = .004), as well as with increases in the log of DDE levels in serum (r = -.27, p = .03). The authors also used multiple-regression analysis to examine the influence of other predictor variables on the relationship between log DDE and bone mineral density. The strongest model (p = .002) included log DDE (p = .018), age (p = .002), and years on hormone replacement therapy (p = .10) as predictor variables, and this model afforded prediction of 21% of bone mineral density variation. These results suggest that past community exposures to DDT may be associated with reduced bone mineral density in women.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

Methaemoglobin and erythrocyte reducing systems in high-altitude natives.

The stress of chronic hypobaric hypoxia present at high altitudes induces a series of adaptive changes in the intermediate metabolism in erythrocytes of high-altitude natives. Aymaras of the high Andean Plateau are shown to have within erythrocytes: (a) increased activity of NADH2 (GAPDH) generating stages, (b) decreased activity of NADH2 (LDH) consuming steps, (c) significantly increased methaemoglobin content, and (d) a large increase in the level of reduced glutathione. These alterations occur also in persons of the same ethnic group residing at low altitude. There is, however, only a moderate elevation of classic haematological parameters (erythrocyte count, haemoglobin and haematocrit) in highland natives. The functional implications of these metabolite changes are discussed with respect to regulation of erythrocyte metabolism.

Acclimatization↗

Overexpression of testisin, a serine protease expressed by testicular germ cells, in epithelial ovarian tumor cells.

OBJECTIVE: In a continued effort to identify and characterize secreted proteases that are overexpressed in ovarian carcinomas, we discovered the testisin protease as such a candidate. When this discovery was originally made, no data existed in the literature or in the GenBank database that identified such a gene. Our main objective was to determine whether this gene was overexpressed exclusively in ovarian tumor tissues compared with normal ovary and whether it was expressed in any other normal tissues. METHODS: mRNA was isolated and cDNA was prepared from 34 ovarian tumors (four adenomas, three low malignant potential tumors, and 27 carcinomas) and seven normal ovaries. The testisin mRNA expression level relative to internal control, beta-tubulin, was determined by Northern blot analysis and semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Northern blot hybridization showed that the testisin transcript was abundant in ovarian carcinoma but was not detected in normal ovary. On examination of Northern blots from normal fetal and adult tissues, only adult testis showed abundant transcripts of testisin. Semiquantitative PCR examination showed that the testisin mRNA levels in ovarian tumors of low malignant potential and in ovarian carcinomas were significantly higher than in normal ovaries (P <.01). Testisin mRNA level in ovarian carcinomas was also significantly higher than in ovarian adenomas (P <.05). Testisin overexpression rates in advanced stage (stage 2 or 3) diseases were significantly higher than that in early stage diseases (stage 1) in ovarian carcinoma samples (P <.05). CONCLUSIONS: The induction of the testisin transcript might contribute to the development, progression, and invasive or metastatic capacity of ovarian carcinomas.

Adenoma↗

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Education, Nursing↗