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Biomedical subjects

J Carter

Publications and source records attributed to J Carter.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Trypanosoma cruzi infection of free-ranging lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) and ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) on St. Catherine's Island, Georgia, USA.

Free-ranging Old World primates released on St. Catherine's Island, Georgia (USA), were tested for infection with Trypanosoma cruzi as part of a study of the epizootiology of sylvatic T. cruzi in the southeastern USA. The parasite was observed in liver infusion tryptose medium cultures of blood from seven of 11 lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) and one of 19 ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). Cultures of blood from 10 black and white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) were all negative. Analysis of small subunit ribosomal RNA gene polymorphisms detected using polymerase chain reaction techniques indicates that the parasites isolated from both the lion-tailed macaques and the ring-tailed lemur are probably the same as T. cruzi parasites isolated from raccoons (Procyon lotor) trapped on St. Catherine's Island and other locations in the southeastern USA. Foraging lion-tailed macaques were observed to handle and partially consume specimens of Triatoma sanguisuga, the triatomine bug thought to be a vector of T. cruzi in the southeastern USA. Oral transmission of the parasite may have occurred as a result of this behavior.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

High-dose-rate brachytherapy in the management of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia of the vagina.

The majority of women with high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (VAIN 3) are over 60 years of age and have a history of premalignant or malignant disease of the cervix. Although the natural history of VAIN is not well defined, high-grade lesions are premalignant. Ablative treatment with laser or 5-fluorouracil cream is commonly unsatisfactory. Several series have reported a low rate of recurrence and complications if VAIN 3 is treated with low-dose-rate brachytherapy. This retrospective review reports the outcome of 14 patients treated with high-dose-rate brachytherapy, with a dose of 34 to 45 Gy in 4.5- to 8.5-Gy fractions. Treatment was well tolerated with no severe early or late toxicity observed. At a median follow-up of 46 months 1 patient progressed to invasive carcinoma of the vagina; in another patient VAIN 3 persisted.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Ablation rates of human meniscal tissue with the Ho:YAG laser: the effects of varying fluences.

To further define the operating parameters for Holmium laser meniscectomy, an in vitro experimental was set up to specifically measure ablation rates and the concomitant thermal injury. Using an experiment set-up with a laser fiber penetrating through meniscal tissue slices, energy levels were varied between 167 and 927 Joules (J)/cm2 per pulse to measure meniscal ablation rates. Following each experiment the adjacent thermal effects were evaluated with hematoxylin and eosin and trichrome staining. The fastest ablation rate was found at 927 J/cm2 per pulse. The increase in ablation rates was directly proportional to the increases in energy levels. Histological examination showed the average lateral thermal change to be 400 to 500 microns, with no demonstrated relation to the pulse level of energy. At these laser parameters the higher levels of energy per pulse showed better ablation of human meniscal tissue without increasing thermal effects in adjacent tissue. Higher energy levels and fluences appeared desirable for more efficient arthroscopic meniscectomy with the Holmium laser.

Humans↗
PubMed1997

Coexistence of granular cell tumor and ipsilateral infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast.

Granular cell tumor is a benign neoplasm that is rarely seen in the breast and can mimic carcinoma, both clinically and by gross pathologic examination. The coexistence of a granular cell tumor with a primary mammary carcinoma can potentially pose diagnostic and therapeutic problems. In this report, we document a granular cell tumor of the breast coexisting with an ipsilateral infiltrating ductal carcinoma in a 74-year-old woman and discuss its clinical significance.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

High-dose-rate brachytherapy in the management of carcinoma of the cervix: an 8-year Australian experience.

High-dose-rate brachytherapy was introduced at this hospital for the treatment of gynaecological malignancy in 1985. A retrospective analysis was performed of 103 patients with cervix cancer treated with this technique from 1985 to June, 1993. The patients were analyzed for treatment parameters, response, survival, relapse and toxicity. Five-year survival was 78% for Stage 1B, 72% for Stage 2A, 42% for Stage 2B and 29% for Stage 3B. The severe late toxicity rate was 4.9%. These results are similar to reported international series that have used either low-dose-rate or high-dose-rate brachytherapy.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1997

Culture of the causative organism of donovanosis (Calymmatobacterium granulomatis) in HEp-2 cells.

We report successful culture of Calymmatobacterium granulomatis by standard cell culture methods. Swabs were obtained from lesions in three patients with a clinical diagnosis of donovanosis. For two patients, there was histological confirmation of the disease (i.e., the presence of Donovan bodies in Giemsa-stained smears). Specimens were inoculated onto cycloheximide-treated HEp-2 cell monolayers in RPMI 1640 medium (supplemented with fetal calf serum, NaHCO3, vancomycin hydrochloride, and benzylpenicillin). At 48 h, organisms resembling Donovan bodies were identified in monolayer cultures from all three specimens. The organisms appeared as pleomorphic bacilli with characteristic bipolar staining and "safety pin" appearance. Using a PCR designed to differentiate C. granulomatis from the Klebsiella species (which have a high degree of molecular homology), we were able to demonstrate that the cultured organisms produced a PCR product identical to that obtained from the original swab specimens. It is now possible to test in vitro susceptibility of C. granulomatis to antibiotics and to provide a ready source of DNA and antigenic material to enable the development of serological tests and, possibly in the future, a vaccine.

Cycloheximide↗
PubMed1997

Comparison of postal version of the Frenchay Activities Index with interviewer-administered version for use in people with stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the agreement between postal and interviewer-administered versions of the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) and to assess the criterion validity of the postal version, using interviewer administration as a gold standard. DESIGN: Comparison of responses to FAI administered by post and then by interview (median delay 10 days). SUBJECTS: Forty-eight Oxfordshire residents admitted to hospital with acute stroke between 1 August 1994 and 31 January 1995 and discharged alive within six months of their stroke. RESULTS: The limits of agreement of the total FAI score are from -5.4 to 7.2. The kappa statistic for each of the 15 individual items that make up the FAI ranged from 0.35 to 1. For nine items, agreement was moderate or fair, and for six items, agreement was good or very good. The mean difference between the overall scores was 0.9 (95% confidence interval: -0.1 to 1.9). The correlation between the overall scores was 0.94 (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient). CONCLUSION: The postal version of the FAI is a satisfactory alternative to direct administration, but poor agreement in scores for individual patients emphasizes that the two approaches should not be used sequentially to monitor individual patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1997

C5b-7 and C5b-8 precursors of the membrane attack complex (C5b-9) are effective killers of E. coli J5 during serum incubation.

The finding that C9-deficient sera (C9D) can kill serum sensitive strains of Gram-negative bacteria by us and other investigators, questions the role of C9 in the membrane attack complex as necessary for cell death. In these studies we have demonstrated that C5b-8 complexes generated on E. coli J5 during incubation in C9-depleted and C9-neutralized sera are effective in killing Gram-negative bacteria. In the same study, we extended our investigations to show that the deposition of C5b-7 complexes (from C8-deficient [C8D], C8 depleted and C8-neutralized sera) is also effective in killing Gram-negative bacteria. In all cases, these studies demonstrated that when E. coli J5 was incubated with C8D, C9D and pooled normal human serum [PNHS], deposited C5b-9 complexes from PNHS produced more killing than C5b-7 or C5b-8 complexes alone. These experiments clearly demonstrated that C5b-7 and C5b-8 complexes are bactericidal and that multimeric C9 within C5b-9 is not an absolute requirement for inner membrane damage and cell death of Gram-negative bacteria.

Blood Bactericidal Activity↗
PubMed1997

Internal sclerostomy with a mechanical trephine versus the neodymium:YAG laser in dogs.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To experimentally compare and contrast the internal sclerostomy produced using a mechanical trephine with that made by an Nd:YAG laser, and to evaluate the healing patterns, efficacy, and technical advantages of each method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four healthy dogs with normal eyes were used in this study. The left eye of each dog had an internal sclerostomy performed with an automated mechanical trephine. The right eye of each dog had an internal sclerostomy performed with an Nd:YAG laser. Postoperatively, the intraocular pressure of each eye was measured at regular intervals. The dogs were euthanized successively at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks postoperatively, and the morphology of the surgical sites was studied. RESULTS: The Nd:YAG laser was easier to manipulate and technically less demanding than the mechanical trephine. However, the Nd:YAG laser induced more prominent corneal edema and conjunctival hyperemia compared with the automated trephine. Morphology of the tissue response showed tissue necrosis and greater inflammation with the Nd:YAG laser than with the automated trephine. CONCLUSIONS: These two techniques demonstrate differences in technical demands and tissue response. Both are characterized by minimal reactive fibrosis of the episcleral and Tenon's capsule fibroblast.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Lymphoedema: a study of Otago women treated for breast cancer.

Lymphoedema, the swollen arm that can follow treatment for breast cancer, is the build up of lymph fluid which is unable to flow normally due to the surgical removal of axillary lymph nodes or the scarring of these nodes from radiotherapy. Previous studies indicate a lack of recognition of preventative measures and treatment of lymphoedema amongst health professionals and women treated for breast cancer. There also appears to be a lack of acknowledgement of the effects that lymphoedema can have on those who develop it. Of 181 women surveyed 68 (38%) reported having developed arm swelling at some stage since their treatment, 56 (31%) of whom met the study criteria for lymphoedema. Of those with lymphoedema 21 (37%) women had not consulted anyone regarding their swollen arm; a further 10 (18%) sought advice, but were offered no treatment. Therefore, in total, 31 (55%) of the women with lymphoedema received no treatment. The remaining 25 (45%) were offered a variety of treatments. In the group of women with lymphoedema, most arm swelling occurred within the first year. For a smaller number, swelling occurred up to 25 years later. Twenty-one percent of those affected, recalled advice about its prevention, compared with 36% in the group who had not experienced lymphoedema. Lifestyles were affected in many ways, with 21 (37.5%) of the women reporting pain of varying intensity and frequency. Other effects were on dress/choice of clothing, household duties, sleep, employment and sports.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1996

Identification and neuron specific expression of the S182/presenilin I protein in human and rodent brains.

Many individuals with familial Alzheimer disease (FAD) have mutations in a gene termed S182 or presenilin I (PS-I). Currently, the PS-I gene product has not been identified and its function remains unknown. Here we report that affinity purified antibodies against the predicted amino acid sequence of the PS-I gene product detected in homogenates of human, mouse, and rat brains a single antigen of approximately 48 kDa. This antigen was also present in immortalized human and mouse neuronal cell cultures. Brain tissue fractionation showed that all PS-I antigen was found in the membrane fraction. In stained tissue sections of mouse central nervous system (CNS), PS-I antigen was found only in neurons throughout brain and spinal cord and was located within cell bodies, axons, and dendrites. Remarkably the relative partition among these three compartments varied dramatically. A striking feature of PS-I expression was its intense concentration in some (but not all) dendrites, at levels substantially above those in the parent perikarya. In most of the cerebrum, PS-I staining in axons was very weak or undetectable. By contrast, many axons in portions of the brainstem and in the spinal cord showed marked PS-I immunoreactivity. Similarly, staining of sections from human temporal cortex showed that PS-I was present mainly in neuronal cell bodies and dendrites. These data show that in the CNS, PS-I is expressed mainly in neurons and suggests that this protein may perform a neuron specific function. The pattern of PS-I expression in the CNS would suggest that the premature neurodegeneration associated with PS-I mutations involves a primary neuronal process rather than a secondary effect of PS-I produced in non-neuronal cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Light therapy in bulimia nervosa: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

The effects of light therapy on food intake and affective symptoms of bulimia nervosa (BN) were examined in a double-blind study. Eighteen women who met DSM-III-R criteria for BN were randomly assigned to receive either 2500 lux of bright light (experimental condition) or < 500 lux of dim light (placebo condition) daily in the early evening for a 1-week period. The Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-Seasonal Affective Disorder Version (SIGH-SAD), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Bulimic Symptoms Checklist were administered to subjects before light exposure, after 1 week of light exposure, and after 7 days of withdrawal of light exposure. Throughout the study, the Profile of Mood States and the Daily Binge Record were completed daily. Compared with subjects in the dim light condition, subjects in the bright light condition showed a significant improvement in depressed mood during light exposure, as measured by both the BDI and the SIGH-SAD. There was a return to pretreatment levels of depression after withdrawal of light exposure. No changes in depression were noted in the placebo group. No effect of light therapy was found on the frequency, size, or content of binge-eating episodes. The results are discussed in terms of the physiological processes associated with light therapy and seasonal affective disorder that may underlie the affective and food intake symptoms of BN.

Adult↗