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Biomedical subjects

J Levy

Publications and source records attributed to J Levy.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Lycopene and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 cooperate in the inhibition of cell cycle progression and induction of differentiation in HL-60 leukemic cells.

Lycopene, the major tomato carotenoid, has been found to inhibit proliferation of several types of cancer cells, including those of breast, lung, and endometrium. By extending the work to the HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cell line, we aimed to evaluate some mechanistic aspects of this effect. Particularly, the possibility was examined that the antiproliferative action of the carotenoid is associated with induction of cell differentiation. Lycopene treatment resulted in a concentration-dependent reduction in HL-60 cell growth as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation and cell counting. This effect was accompanied by inhibition of cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase as measured by flow cytometry. Lycopene alone induced cell differentiation as measured by phorbol ester-dependent reduction of nitro blue tetrazolium and expression of the cell surface antigen CD14. Results of several recent intervention studies with beta-carotene, which have revealed no beneficial effects of this carotenoid, suggest that a single dietary component cannot explain the anticancer effect of diets rich in vegetables and fruits. Thus another goal of our study was to examine whether lycopene has the ability to synergize with other natural anticancer compounds, such as 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, which when used alone are therapeutically active only at high and toxic concentrations. The combination of low concentrations of lycopene with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 exhibited a synergistic effect on cell proliferation and differentiation and an additive effect on cell cycle progression. Such synergistic antiproliferative and differentiating effects of lycopene and other compounds found in the diet and in plasma may suggest the inclusion of the carotenoid in the diet as a cancer-preventive measure.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗
PubMed1999

Anticoagulation monitoring during cardiac surgery: a review of current and emerging techniques.

The literature does not consistently support the importance of anticoagulation monitoring techniques during CPB. This is best reflected by studies that have evaluated the impact of the ACT method on blood loss and transfusion outcomes. Inconsistent findings from studies that evaluated the impact of ACT monitoring may be related to either suboptimal study design (i.e., retrospective, unblinded, nonrandomized) or possibly the diagnostic inprecision of the ACT method used in these studies. There are a small number of well-controlled studies, some of which suggest that bleeding and transfusion outcomes can be improved by refining heparin monitoring techniques, either by sustaining better anticoagulation during CPB or by optimizing protamine doses (i.e., when empiric protocols result in excessive protamine doses). More well-controlled studies are needed to better define the importance of anticoagulation management during CPB.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Identification of a subset of common variable immunodeficiency patients with impaired B-cell protein tyrosine phosphorylation.

The mechanisms responsible for common variable immunodeficiency syndrome (CVID) are as yet unknown. In the present study, we show that the B-cell dysfunction in a subset of CVID patients is caused by defective protein tyrosine phosphorylation (PTP). We demonstrated that the PTP level and immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion malfunctions can be successfully repaired when normal plasma membrane components are implanted into these patients' B cells. Stimulation of CVID patients' peripheral blood mononucleated cells with anti-Ig antibody revealed that 7 of 11 patients had lower PTP levels than those found in the normal donor cells. Plasma membrane implantation to the cells of these patients resulted in elevated PTP levels which reached normal levels upon stimulation with anti-human Ig antibody. The results revealed two distinct groups of CVID patients. The first group included patients whose B cells expressed low PTP levels after Ig stimulation. In these patients the plasma membrane implantation restored the normal PTP level as well as the ability to secrete IgM and/or IgG after B-cell stimulation. In the second group, patients whose B cells expressed a normal PTP level after Ig stimulation, with no restoration of their ability to secrete Ig upon plasma membrane implantation and lipopolysaccharide stimulation. We conclude that the first group has an early signal transduction defect located in the B-cell plasma membrane, while in the second group the defect is located elsewhere.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Discrimination, adjusted correlation, and equivalence of imprecise tests: application to glucose tolerance.

Comparison studies between physiological tests are often unsatisfactory for assessing their ability to distinguish between subjects. We recommend a simple but comprehensive protocol, using duplicate testing, that compares tests using 1) the discriminant ratio (DR) between the underlying between- and within-subject SDs, 2) correlation coefficients adjusted for attenuation due to test imprecision, and 3) unbiased estimation of the underlying linear relationship between test results. The following five alternative methods for assessing glucose tolerance were compared: fasting plasma glucose (FPG) as a single sample or as the mean of three 5-min samples (FPG3); the 1- and 2-h glucose during a low-dose intravenous glucose infusion (CIG); and the 2-h plasma glucose from a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). All tests had similar DRs ranging from 2.6 to 4.2. The adjusted correlation between FPG and CIG tests approached unity, and those between OGTT and other tests were approximately 0.9, showing that FPG3 provides similar information to the OGTT. FPG concentrations of 6.0 and 7.1 were found equivalent to the 1985 World Health Organization OGTT thresholds for impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes (7.8 and 11.1 mmol/l).

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1999

Zinc supplementation increases the level of serum insulin-like growth factor-I but does not promote growth in infants with nonorganic failure to thrive.

We investigated in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study the effects of zinc supplementation (2 mg/kg/day) for 12 weeks on growth, serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and insulin-like factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) on 3- to 9-month-old infants with nonorganic failure to thrive (NOFTT). 25 infants completed the study, 14 received zinc supplementation (group A), and 11 received placebo (group B). The control group for baseline measurements was composed of 10 age-matched normal growing infants. There were no significant changes in weight for age, length for age, or weight for length during the entire study period in either group A or B. Serum IGF-I levels at baseline were similar in all the groups. After 12 weeks of therapy, serum IFG-I levels increased significantly only in the zinc-supplemented group, from 40.3 +/- 7 ng/ml at baseline to 65 +/- 8 ng/ml (p < 0.05). There was a marked difference in serum IGF-I levels between the zinc-supplemented group and the placebo group after 12 weeks: 65 +/- 8 vs. 49.4 +/- 5 ng/ml (p = 0.058, 95% CI of difference 9.88-21.31). No change was demonstrated in serum IGFBP-3 levels in either study group. We conclude that although zinc supplementation increased serum IGF-I levels, it did not improve the growth parameters of infants with NOFTT.

Dietary Supplements↗
PubMed1999

Abnormal cell calcium homeostasis in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a new look on old disease.

Cumulative evidence reveals that diabetes is a condition in which cell Ca2+ homeostasis is impaired. Defects in cell Ca2+ regulation were found in erythrocytes, cardiac muscle, platelets, skeletal muscle, kidney, aorta, adipocytes, liver, osteoblasts, arteries, lens, peripheral nerves, brain synaptosomes, retinal tissue, and pancreatic beta cells, confirming that this defect in cell Ca2+ metabolism is a basic pathology associated with the diabetic state. Though different defects in a variety of functions that regulate cell Ca2+ homeostasis were described in diabetes, the most common finding is an increase in [Ca2+]i levels. However, it is not clear whether the defect in cell Ca2+ metabolism in diabetes precedes or succeeds the overt diabetic condition. It is also not clear which of the multiple functions involved in cell Ca2+ regulation has the primary defect. Defects in cell Ca2+ metabolism may be significant for the observed pathologies in insulin secretion and insulin action in diabetes. They may also play an important role in the vascular complications seen in this condition, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and microangiopathy. Therefore, better understanding of the impairment in cell Ca2+ metabolism in diabetes may markedly enhance our understanding of this condition.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1999

Enhanced platelet aggregation, high homocysteine level, and microvascular disease in diabetic muscle infarctions: implications for therapy.

Muscle infarction is a rare complication in patients with diabetes mellitus, probably because of the rich vascular supply of this tissue. We describe a patient with type 1 diabetes who had infarction of the muscles in her right thigh. We report, for the first time, that the patient, in addition to an advanced microvascular disease in the muscle, had increased plasma total homocysteine levels and increased platelet aggregation. These pathologies might have a synergistic effect on the development of this rare complication and should be treated aggressively to prevent further episodes.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Driver distance from the steering wheel: perception and objective measurement.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the accuracy of driver perceptions of the distance between the driver's nose and the steering wheel of the vehicle as a factor in considering driver disconnection of an airbag contained in the steering wheel for preventing injury to the driver in an accident. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 1000 drivers was done to obtain perceived and objective measurements of the distance between the driver's nose and the steering wheel of the vehicle. RESULTS: Of 234 drivers who believed that they sat within 12 inches of the steering wheel, only 8 (3%) actually did so, whereas of 658 drivers who did not believe that they sat within 12 inches of the wheel, 14 (2%) did so. Shorter drivers were more likely than taller ones to both underestimate and overestimate their seating distance. CONCLUSIONS: Considerable misperception of drivers' distance from the wheel indicates that drivers should objectively measure this distance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Marine taphonomy: adipocere formation in a series of bodies recovered from a single shipwreck.

Taphonomy of marine environments has been studied mostly from individual cases. The formation of adipocere, or "grave-wax," is an important indicator of the postmortem interval. In the present paper, the conditions and the timing of adipoceric formation are observed in a series of 15 cadavers recovered at different times, over a period of 433 days, from the same contained environment. Initial foci of adipocere on the subcutaneous tissue of the cadavers were detected as early as 38 days from the time of immersion in cold (10-12 degrees C) sea water. The discrepancies between our findings and previous reports on the correlation between time since death and decomposition stages in marine environments are discussed.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1999

[Vaccination of children in 1999].

Childhood immunization programs are regularly reevaluated to take into account epidemiologic changes in the diseases covered by the vaccines as well as the development of new vaccines. Among the significant additions brought in Belgium to the childhood immunization program in recent years are immunization against hepatitis B during infancy, as well as the administration of a second dose of measle-mumps-rubella vaccine around the age of 12 years. The switch to inactivated polio vaccine will be proposed until the eradication of this disease which is expected in a few years. Combination vaccines including all injectable vaccines recommended for administration during the first year of life including acellular pertussis are in their final stage of development.

Belgium↗
PubMed1998

Decreased soluble interleukin-6 receptor in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

The function of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is augmented by soluble IL-6 receptors (sIL-6R). We investigated cerebrospinal fluid sIL-6R concentrations in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to age-matched healthy subjects and individuals with at least one first degree relative with AD. We found a statistically significant decrease in sIL-6R levels in the AD group compared to controls. Complete analysis of the IL-6R complex seems crucial to better understand the impact of IL-6 in AD pathophysiology.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1998

Beta-cell deterioration determines the onset and rate of progression of secondary dietary failure in type 2 diabetes mellitus: the 10-year follow-up of the Belfast Diet Study.

Secondary failure of plasma glucose control following initial successful response to diet therapy may be due to dietary indiscretion, or to progression of the intrinsic diabetic condition. We report a 10-year prospective natural history study of 432 newly diagnosed diabetic patients aged 40-69 years undertaken to assess the effect of intensive dietary management, where patients were transferred to insulin, or oral hypoglycaemic therapy (tolbutamide, metformin) by predetermined criteria of weight and plasma glucose. Secondary failure to diet therapy occurred in 41 patients in years 2-4, 67 patients in years 5-7, and 51 patients in years 8-10; 173 patients remained on diet alone until death or the end of the study. Continuation on diet alone was associated with a lower ongoing fasting plasma glucose, greater beta-cell function assessed by an oral glucose tolerance test at 6 months, and increasing age. The rate of rise of fasting plasma glucose was inversely related to the duration of successful dietary therapy, but mean weight remained constant in all groups while on diet alone. The ongoing fall in beta-cell function assessed by HOMA modelling closely mirrored the progressive rise in fasting plasma glucose: there was no change in mean insulin sensitivity in any of the groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele in association with global cognitive performance and CSF markers in Alzheimer's disease.

To better define the influence of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon 4 genotype on the cognitive and biochemical features of Alzheimer's disease (AD), cross-sectional analysis of global cognitive measures and cerebrospinal fluid studies gathered on AD subjects at a tertiary care facility between 1986 and 1997 was carried out. The 112 AD patients examined included 62 women and 50 men with a mean (SD) age of 64.2 (9.2) years. Patient demographics; illness onset age and duration, education level and global cognitive measures were recorded systematically. Genetic analysis for ApoE allele type and biochemical characterization of CSF, including total tau concentration, was performed. Descriptive statistics of demographics, cognitive and CSF measures were performed by chi-square, ANOVA and Tukey's tests. Overrepresentation of the epsilon 4 allele was found, with 45.5% of AD patients heterozygous and 20.5% homozygous for ApoE epsilon 4. Overall, ApoE epsilon 4 status had no effect on mean onset age of AD (F = 1.56; p = 0.214), but an earlier mean onset age of AD (F = 4.10; p = 0.02) was seen in the late-onset subjects. No differences were found with regard to ApoE epsilon 4 status and measures of disease, duration of illness or global cognitive performance. Although CSF tau was elevated in our sample (575.4 +/- 290.3 pg/ml), ApoE epsilon 4 status did not influence total CSF tau or neurotransmitter metabolite levels. ApoE epsilon 4 genotype had no impact on a variety of illness severity, cognitive and CSF examinations in the largest cross-sectional analysis of AD subjects yet reported.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Hemispheric involvement in the perception of syntactic prosody is dynamically dependent on task demands.

The first aim of this study was to determine if there was a significant perceptual asymmetry for syntactic prosody and if it differed from the perceptual asymmetry for emotional prosody. The second aim of this study was to determine if the observed asymmetries were the product of task demands or stimulus features. Experiment 1 consisted of a Syntactic task and an Emotional task. In the Syntactic task, subjects identified Statement and Question prosody in dichotically presented sentences. In the Emotional task, subjects identified Angry and Sad prosody in dichotically presented sentences. There was a significant left ear advantage for the Emotional task and no significant ear advantage for the Syntactic task. In Experiment 2, subjects had to perform an Emotional prosody task with the syntactic Statement and Question prosody stimuli from Experiment 1. There was a significant left ear advantage, indicating that the perceptual asymmetry was determined by task demands and not stimulus features.

Brain↗
PubMed1998

The effect of glucose and calcium on Ca2+-adenosine triphosphatase in pancreatic islets isolated from a normal and a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus rat model.

Regulation of calcium balance is important in the secretory function of pancreatic islets. Ca2+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) is altered in tissues of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) rats, and they have an impaired response to glucose, "glucose blindness." We propose that the glucose blindness of the diabetic islet is the result of defective cellular calcium metabolism. Since Ca2+-ATPase activity is important in the regulation of calcium balance, we investigated the effect of glucose and/or calcium on Ca2+-ATPase activity in pancreatic islets in vitro and compared it with the effect in freshly isolated islets from controls and from rats with NIDDM induced by streptozotocin neonatally. Islets were isolated using collagenase and were stored fresh or cultured up to 2 days in RPMI 1640 in the presence of different concentrations of glucose and calcium. Membrane Ca2+-ATPase activity, insulin secretion, and insulin content were determined. Ca2+-ATPase activity was 1.30 +/- 0.20 micromol/L Pi/microg membrane protein in normal noncultured islets and 1.02 +/- 0.15 in islets cultured in 5.6 mmol/L glucose. Ca2+-ATPase activity progressively decreased to 0.56 +/- 0.10 and 0.34 +/- 0.14 micromol/L Pi/microg membrane protein when glucose was increased in the culture media to 16.6 and 27.7 mmol/L, respectively. Decreasing glucose to 2.8 mmol/L did not alter Ca2+-ATPase activity. Increasing or decreasing the Ca2+ content of the media did not significantly change Ca2+-ATPase activity. Islets isolated from NIDDM rats had lower basal Ca2+-ATPase activity and insulin content compared with normal controls. Incubation of islets from diabetic rats in high glucose further decreased the Ca2+-ATPase content, but incubation in low glucose did not reverse it. Insulin secretion was responsive to glucose and calcium in normal islets, but was suppressed in islets from diabetic animals. From these studies, we conclude that high glucose, but not calcium, decreases Ca2+-ATPase activity in islets from normal rats. Islets from NIDDM rats with glucose blindness have decreased Ca2+-ATPase activity, likely due to the glucose status. We suggest that this decreased Ca2+-ATPase activity may contribute to the pancreatic islets' glucose blindness.

Animals↗