Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Hansen

Publications and source records attributed to J Hansen.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

The National Marrow Donor Program: how it works, accomplishments to date.

As the use of bone marrow transplantation increases, the lack of a suitable matched sibling donor for approximately 60% of patients is a growing problem. Recently, marrow transplantation has been done successfully using HLA-matched unrelated donors. In an effort to provide more donors, the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) was established. It involves 50 blood banks and 20 marrow transplant centers throughout the United States. More than 20,000 HLA-typed apheresis donors from these blood banks have agreed to be listed in the NMDP registry. A preliminary search for donors has been carried out for 1,116 patients. Donors suitably matched for HLA-A and B antigens were located for 99% of the patients.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗
PubMed1988

Synthetic peptides as substrates and inhibitors of human immune deficiency virus-1 protease.

Retroviruses code for a virus-specific protease which is essential for polyprotein processing and viral infectivity. The human immune deficiency virus-1 protease is an aspartic protease of 9 kDa which was synthesized by recombinant DNA technology and arises by autocatalytic processing from a polyprotein precursor which has recently been demonstrated by use of a protease-specific monoclonal antibody. The protease was shown to form dimers. Here we demonstrate that synthetic peptides can be used as both model substrates as well as inhibitors for investigation of the protease. 14 synthetic peptides, 7-18 amino acids in length, containing putative protease cleavage sites of the viral polyprotein gag and pol precursors, have been analyzed with the partially purified protease by the use of high performance liquid chromatography. In seven cases, where cleavage was observed, the length of the peptides did not significantly influence the cleavage efficiencies, heptapeptides being large enough as model substrates. No cleavage was observed with a protein preparation purified in parallel from control bacteria not expressing the human immune deficiency virus-1 protease. The protease was not only able to cut next to a proline but also between other peptides indicating that the proline is not a prerequisite. Three peptides with either reduced bonds at the cleavage site or a substitution by statin were inhibitory while another uncleaved substrate was not. The usefulness of small model substrates for characterization of the protease is further demonstrated by determination of a kinetic optimum pH (3.5-5.5) and incubation temperature (37 degrees C).

Escherichia coli↗
PubMed1988

Congenital adrenal hypoplasia and selective absence of pituitary luteinizing hormone: a new autosomal recessive syndrome.

Congenital hypoplasia of the adrenal glands (CHA) is a rare condition, particularly in the absence of a central nervous system (CNS) anomaly. Two major types of CHA have been described in the setting of an apparently normal CNS and pituitary: a cytomegalic type usually with X-linked recessive inheritance and a miniature adult type that, when hereditary, is an autosomal recessive trait. Glycerol kinase deficiency (GKD) is an X-linked recessive trait, and it may be associated with CHA and adrenal insufficiency, presumably because of deletion of adjacent X-linked loci. We report on three sibling infants, one male and two females, with normal CNS and lethal CHA of the miniature adult type, selective absence of pituitary LH; two of the infants also had glycerol kinase (GK) activity that was decreased but not in the GKD range. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of X chromosome markers located at Xp21-p22 was carried out on the maternal grandfather, both parents, two of three affected infants, and a living normal brother. The results excluded the X-linked type of this disorder associated with GKD in this family. Autosomal recessive inheritance is most likely.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed1988

Identification and characterization of HIV-specific RNase H by monoclonal antibody.

Human immune deficiency virus (HIV) replicates by conversion of the RNA genome into the double-stranded DNA provirus. The reverse transcriptase is not the only enzymatic function crucial in DNA-provirus synthesis. A viral-coded RNase H activity which specifically degrades RNA in RNA-DNA hybrids has been shown to be essential as well. Here we demonstrate that the HIV-reverse transcriptase which consists of a two-polypeptide complex, p66 and p51, copurifies with an RNase H activity which exhibits properties of a processive exonuclease. Only the p66 molecule, not p51, is active as polymerase as evidenced by activated gel analysis. p66 exhibits RNase H activity when precipitated as immune complex by a monoclonal antibody raised against a bacterially expressed carboxy-terminal portion of p66. The monoclonal antibody which does not interfere with enzyme activity also precipitates a second population of molecules with RNase H activity which is of low mol. wt, p15. This RNase H appears therefore to be derived from the carboxy terminus of p66 during processing to the p51 polypeptide. It exhibits low template-binding ability and is of a non-processing mode of action which may be due to the absence of the reverse transcriptase domain. These results lend experimental support to the hypothesis that the RNase H gene maps at the carboxy terminus of the reverse transcriptase. Since both RNase H populations are virus-coded they may be essential for retrovirus replication in general and useful targets for chemotherapeutic agents.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1988

Partial purification and substrate analysis of bacterially expressed HIV protease by means of monoclonal antibody.

Retroviruses code for a specific protease which is essential for polyprotein precursor processing and viral infectivity. The HIV-specific protease has been predicted to be an aspartic protease which is located at the amino terminus of the pol gene. We have prepared several constructs for bacterial expression of the protease. Two of them span the whole protease region and result in its autocatalytic activation. Analysis of the dynamics of this activation indicates a two-step process which starts at the carboxy terminus and ends at the amino terminus of the protease. The activated protease is a molecule of 9 kd as evidenced by monoclonal antibody in immunoblot analysis. A construct in which the carboxy terminus of the protease is deleted results in a stable, enzymatically inactive 27-kd protein which proved useful as substrate since it contains one of the predicted cleavage sites. The stability of this protein indicates that the carboxy-terminal sequences of the protease are essential for its activity and its autocatalytic activation. The protease which is very hydrophobic was solubilized by acetone treatment and passaged over ultrogel and propylagarose columns for partial purification. It elutes as a dimer and tends to aggregate. It is inhibited by pepstatin A in agreement with its expected active site and its theoretical classification as aspartic protease. Cleavage of the gag precursor results in the mature capsid protein, p17. The protease does not, however, cleave the denatured 27-kd substrate or the denatured gag precursor. Therefore its specificity appears to be not solely sequence- but also conformation-dependent. This property needs to be taken into account for the development of protease inhibitors for therapy of AIDS.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1988

Prevalence of the 281 (Gly----Glu) mutation in hepatoerythropoietic porphyria and porphyria cutanea tarda.

The prevalence of the 281 (Gly----Glu) mutation in hepatoerythropoietic porphyria (HEP) was investigated by the use of hybridization with a synthetic oligonucleotide probe. The mutation was found in HEP-affected members of two unrelated families from Spain, but was absent in two other patients from Italy and Portugal who also had HEP. Moreover, this mutation was not detected in 13 unrelated cases of familial (type II) porphyria cutanea tarda.

Carboxy-Lyases↗
PubMed1988

Vitamin D metabolism, mineral homeostasis, and bone mineralization in term infants fed human milk, cow milk-based formula, or soy-based formula.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate mechanisms of mineral homeostasis and mineralization in term infants with recommended vitamin D intakes. Infants fed human milk (nine), cow milk-based formula (11), or soy-based formula (11) were studied at 2 weeks and at 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months of age. While receiving 400 IU of vitamin D, all infants maintained serum vitamin D concentrations higher or equal to normal adult concentrations, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were maintained at or above normal adult levels. Serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations were higher than those of adults in the formula-fed but not in the human milk-fed infants. Serum calcium and phosphorus values were similar in all groups; however, urine phosphorus excretion and urine calcium excretion were adjusted to intakes. Serum parathyroid hormone values were normal in all groups. Bone mineral content significantly increased with age similarly in all groups; however, an apparent plateau occurred at 6 months of age in all groups. Bone width steadily increased with age. Taken as a whole, these data suggest that the vitamin D-sufficient term infant fed human milk, cow milk-based formula, or the soy-based formula studied can regulate mineral metabolism within acceptable physiologic limits to attain similar levels of serum minerals and bone mineral content.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1987

Prostaglandin E2 vaginal gel--a new formulation for the induction of labour.

In order to evaluate the efficacy of prostaglandin E2 gel in the induction of labour it was compared with a routine method of induction by oxytocin titration. A total of 50 patients were randomly allocated to two groups; 25 patients received intravaginal prostaglandin E2 gel and 25 oxytocin infusion. In both groups amniotomy was performed once the patient was in the active phase of labour. Successful outcome was regarded as established labour within 12 hours of commencement of the trial. In the oxytocin group this was achieved in 88% of multiparas and 75% of primigravidas. In the prostaglandin group the outcome was successful in 82% of multiparas and 75% of primigravidas.

Administration, Intravaginal↗
PubMed1987

RNase H activity associated with bacterially expressed reverse transcriptase of human T-cell lymphotropic virus III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus.

The reverse transcriptase polymerase of the human T-cell lymphotropic virus/lymphadenopathy-associated virus has been cloned into an expression vector and expressed in Escherichia coli. Two polypeptides of 66 and 51 kDa molecular mass are detectable in polymerase-expressing bacterial lysates with human patient sera. They are processed from a short-lived 120-kDa polyprotein precursor equivalent to a region consisting of polymerase, protease, and endonuclease. The 51 kDa protein appears to originate from the 66-kDa molecule; additional processing products are 32- and 15-kDa proteins. The bacterially expressed polymerase is enzymatically active and exhibits the template specificities, ion requirements, and response to inhibitors of the authentic enzyme. It was purified by DEAE-cellulose-, phosphocellulose-, and poly(rC)-agarose column chromatography followed by glycerol density gradient centrifugation. It copurifies with an RNase H activity, suggesting the existence of a virus-coded DNA polymerase-RNase H complex. The purified bacterial enzyme allows a safe large-scale screening for inhibitors of both activities.

Endoribonucleases↗
PubMed1987

Selective DNA binding of the human cellular myb protein isolated by immunoaffinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody.

The bacterially expressed v-myb protein served as antigen for the isolation of several monoclonal antibodies, one of which recognized the human cellular myb protein (p75hu-c-myb) indicating a conserved epitope. The epitope was mapped to amino acid positions 208-232 by the use of several bacterially expressed v-myb proteins with various deletions. Furthermore, a synthetic oligopeptide which had been selected on the basis of its hydrophilicity by computer analysis of the v-myb oncogene (amino acids 213-231) blocked the action of this monoclonal antibody, indicating the immunological significance of this region. The monoclonal antibody allowed efficient purification of the p75hu-c-myb protein by immunoaffinity chromatography. The purified protein binds to double-stranded DNA in vitro in a filter-binding assay. Since the monoclonal antibody does not interfere with DNA binding it allowed analysis of DNA-protein interaction in a modified McKay assay using the purified p75hu-c-myb protein. Specific binding was observed predominantly to one of 12 lambda DNA fragments in vitro in the presence of high molar excess of competing co-polymer poly [d(I:C)]. Enhancer/promoter-like sequences of SV40 were not preferentially recognized.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1987

[ABS 800: expanding the possibilities of respiratory therapy].

A new module of the Dräger modular device system provides a means for demand CPAP (to increase FRC) and assisted spontaneous breathing. Both features together may largely increase the potency of ventilatory therapy for spontaneously breathing patients. The machine may reduce the need for full ventilatory support in acute respiratory failure, but also provides a valid and rational tool for respiratory therapy.

Critical Care↗
PubMed1987

Second marrow transplants in patients with aplastic anemia rejecting the first graft: use of a conditioning regimen including cyclophosphamide and antithymocyte globulin.

Sixteen (11%) of 146 consecutive patients with severe aplastic anemia prepared for engraftment with cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg) rejected marrow grafts from their HLA-identical siblings. They were given a second marrow transplant from either the same (n = 13) or a second (n = 3) HLA-identical sibling between 23 and 743 (median 86) days after the first transplant. The preparation for the second transplant included cyclophosphamide, 50 mg/kg, on each of four successive days. Twelve hours after each of the first three doses of cyclophosphamide, antithymocyte globulin, 30 mg/kg/dose, was infused. One of the 16 patients died from infection too early after the second transplant to be evaluated, two had failure of engraftment and died with infection, one rejected the second graft and is surviving almost 5 years later with full autologous marrow recovery, and 12 had successful and sustained second grafts. Of these 12, six are surviving between 11 months and 7 3/4 years. Four of the six have no graft-v-host disease (GVHD), while two have chronic GVHD requiring treatment. Five have Karnofsky scores of 100% and one of 90%. Six of the 12 patients with sustained grafts died between 63 days and 38 months after transplantation, four with infections (related in two patients to chronic GVHD), one with acute GVHD, and one with hemorrhage. The average interval from first to second transplant was 308 days during the past five years, compared to 61 days in earlier patients. Five of seven recent patients are surviving, compared to two of nine earlier patients. In conclusion, successful second transplants after cyclophosphamide and antithymocyte globulin are possible in most patients with aplastic anemia who have rejected their first marrow grafts; however, mortality remains high, with only 40% of the patients becoming long-term survivors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Pneumothorax: evaluation by ultrasound--preliminary results.

The ultrasonographic appearance of the pleura was investigated in 20 healthy subjects and eight patients with radiologically established pneumothorax. The respiratory excursions of the visceral pleura could be demonstrated ultrasonographically in all 20 healthy patients. In addition, comet tail artifacts were regularly evoked at the boundary between the pleura and the ventilated pulmonary parenchyma. In all eight patients with pneumothorax, the pleural collection of air could be demonstrated ultrasonographically by the absence of pleural movements and comet tail artifacts. In emergency situations in which radiographs are not available or are not available quickly enough, ultrasonography can make a decisive contribution to diagnosis of pneumothorax.

Humans↗