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Biomedical subjects

J Simpson

Publications and source records attributed to J Simpson.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

An antiserum to the C-terminus of the Alzheimer amyloid precursor recognizes a soluble 70 kDa protein.

A rabbit antiserum to the C-terminus of the putative brain amyloid precursor was used to probe Western blots of tissue proteins separated by SDS-PAGE. The antiserum specifically labelled a protein of approx. 70 kDa in the Tris buffer-soluble fraction of brain samples from rat, Alzheimer subjects, cases of young and old Down's syndrome, and age-matched controls. The 70 kDa protein was present in low concentrations in human liver and kidney, and was undetectable in human skeletal muscle. The 70 kDa protein may be a metabolite of the amyloid precursor.

Adult

Cytologic diagnosis of papillary carcinoma of the breast in needle aspirates.

Eleven cases of rare papillary carcinoma of the breast diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) are reported. Five of these were pure papillary carcinomas and six were mixed papillary and ductal, lobular, or mucinous carcinomas. In each case, cytological material was collected by washing the needle and syringe contents into 30% alcohol in saline, and the Gelman cytosieve method was used for the cytological preparations. In this article, the cytological features of these tumors are described, including the presence of single papillae and papillary clusters, tall columnar cells, diathesis of blood with hemosiderin-laden macrophages, naked nuclei, and high cell recovery.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of breast: its impact on surgical practice with an emphasis on the diagnosis of breast abnormalities in young women.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the breast is a minimally invasive yet maximally diagnostic method, often precluding the need of an open biopsy. In young women, in whom breast cancer is a rare disorder, it is also important that carcinoma is recognized without delay so that an appropriate plan of management can be adopted. In this study, we reviewed our experience in a total of 3,226 needle aspirates of breast with particular emphasis on the diagnosis of carcinoma in women under the age of 30.

Adult

Comparison of monoclonal antibodies for the detection of occult breast carcinoma metastases in bone marrow.

Twenty percent (n = 6) of Stage III or IV breast cancer patients (n = 30) had bone marrow metastases detected in bilateral bone marrow biopsy/aspiration preparations using standard histologic preparations. Each metastasis was also detected by four separate monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) which recognize breast carcinoma associated antigens (DF3, anti-EMA, HMFG-2, and CAM5.2). These MAbs were then utilized to stain other bone marrow preparations (n = 81) to determine their utility for the detection of micrometastatic breast carcinoma. MAbs HMFG-2, anti-EMA, and DF3 were each strongly reactive with bone marrows containing histologically-evident metastatic breast carcinoma (18/18). These anti-epithelial membrane antigen MAbs, however, were also reactive with rare plasma cells and immature cells (as well as cell clusters) in some of the control bone marrow samples tested, including those from normal patients and patients with hematologic disorders. They also reacted with some of the preparations from patients with leukemia and lymphoma, and with uninvolved marrows from patients with non-epithelial malignancies. The anti-keratin MAb CAM5.2, in contrast, reacted with 83% (15/18) breast cancer metastases and failed to stain any cells in the various categories of control marrow preparations. These data suggested that MAb CAM5.2 might be utilized to immunohistochemically differentiate micrometastatic breast carcinoma from immature myeloid or erythroid elements. Each MAb was then reacted with histologically uninvolved marrow preparations from the remaining 24 of 30 breast cancer patients in an attempt to identify occult breast carcinoma metastases. While MAbs HMFG-2, DF3, and anti-EMA demonstrated reactive cells in some of these marrows, this reactivity was similar to that seen with control preparations. MAb CAM5.2, in contrast, was negative with all specimens. These data suggest that MAb CAM5.2 may be a useful immunologic probe for the detection and confirmation of metastatic breast carcinoma in bone marrow, while more caution must be employed in the interpretation of results obtained using MAbs anti-EMA, DF3, and HMFG-2.

Adolescent

Place navigation in rats is impaired by lesions of medial septum and diagonal band but not nucleus basalis magnocellularis.

The role of forebrain cholinergic projections in place navigation learning was assessed in two experiments. Following surgery, rats were required to learn the spatial location of an underwater platform on the basis of distal room cues. Bilateral injections of ibotenic acid into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis depleted choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) from the anterior and temporoparietal cortex but not the hippocampus. Separate histological studies confirmed the accuracy of the lesions and demonstrated a marked loss of cortical acetylcholinesterase. These rats subsequently showed no deficits in spatial learning or memory. In a second experiment, bilateral lesions of the vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca and medial septum depleted ChAT from the hippocampus and posterior cortex but not the anterior cortex. Histological studies confirmed the accuracy of the lesion and showed a pronounced loss of acetylcholinesterase from the hippocampus. These rats were deficient in spatial learning and showed reduced spatial bias during transfer tests. The data are discussed in the light of the hypothesis that the cholinergic innervation of the hippocampus plays a key role in spatial reference memory processes involved in place navigation.

Animals

Evaluation of a computerised test for the assessment of peripheral vascular disease.

This paper reports a study carried out in 200 patients to assess the effectiveness of a clinical vascular laboratory in the routine assessment of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) of the lower limb. Laboratory assessments involved a computer based hierarchical testing system incorporating pedal pressure indices, maximum walking distances and principal component analysis of the common femoral artery blood velocity waveform. The study fell into two parts. In the first, the laboratory assessments of 100 patients referred six years ago were compared retrospectively with their eventual clinical outcome. In this comparison, the laboratory provided a "diagnosis" which was 79% correct. In the second, a double blind prospective study was carried out in 100 patients to compare the vascular laboratory "diagnosis" with the diagnosis and prognosis of a skilled clinician, the outcome being compared one year after the initial assessment. In this study the laboratory proved to be correct in 78% of cases, the clinician in 70%. With a slightly modified computer protocol for the non vascular diagnosis, the computer would have been correct in 85% of cases. This test provides a quantitative and objective assessment of PVD which can assist in the patient's clinical diagnosis and management.

Diabetic Angiopathies

Research note: recurrent headaches and stomachaches in preschool children.

Data are presented on headaches and stomachaches in a sample of 189 3-year-old children obtained as part of community based study. These data provide a partial replication of an earlier study on a separate sample of children [Zuckerman, B., Stevenson, J. and Bailey, V. (1987). Stomachaches and headaches in a community sample of preschool children. Pediatrics, 79, 677-682]. The results supported the previous findings of a link between family factors and recurrent stomachache, and a less strong association with headaches. The conclusions reinforce the notion that these two somatic symptoms should be considered separately in preschool children.

Child Development

Routine and rapid enzyme linked immunosorbent assays for circulating anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies.

Microtitre plate modifications of the original tube enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of Wheeler and Sussman were used for the routine and rapid assays of anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies in human sera. In a prospective study of 238 sera from 200 patients, the routine assay (about 24 hours) detected circulating antibodies in seven sera from three patients with active anti-glomerular basement membrane disease. The remaining sera, from patients with a variety of other glomerulonephropathies, were negative by the assay. The rapid assays took less than four hours, and in a retrospective study, detected anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies in a range of 15 positive sera, with a level of discrimination similar to that observed in the routine assay and with no false positive/negative results.

Antibodies

The role of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of breast masses in males.

The role of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the management of male breast masses has been reviewed. Forty-four male patients have been investigated in this way with one carcinoma being diagnosed. The cytological characteristics of the patients in this series with gynaecomastia and carcinoma of the male breast have been described. Although clinically the distinction between male breast carcinoma and gynaecomastia is often difficult, FNAC is an important aid in making this distinction. FNAC is recommended for the evaluation of all breast masses in adult men.

Aged

Trichothecene mycotoxins in aerosolized conidia of Stachybotrys atra.

Stachybotrys atra is the etiologic agent of stachybotryotoxicosis, and this fungus and its trichothecene mycotoxins were recently implicated in an outbreak of unexplained illness in homes. S. atra was grown on sterile rice, autoclaved, dried, and then aerosolized by acoustic vibration. The distribution of particles (mass and number) was monitored on an aerodynamic particle sizer interfaced with a computer. Dust was collected on preweighed glass-fiber filters and extracted with 90% aqueous methanol. Extracts were tested for the ability to inhibit protein synthesis in rat alveolar macrophages, the ability to inhibit the proliferation of mouse thymocytes, and the presence of specific trichothecene mycotoxins. Virtually all of the particles were less than 15 micron in aerodynamic diameter, and the mass median diameter was 5 micron. Thus, most of the particles were respirable. Microscopic analysis of the generated dust revealed that ca. 85% of the dust particles were conidia of S. atra, another 6% were hyphal fragments, and the remainder of the particles were unidentifiable. Thus, greater than 90% of the particles were of fungal origin. The extracts strongly inhibited protein synthesis and thymocyte proliferation. Purified satratoxin H was also highly toxic in the same systems. Each of the individual filters contained satratoxin H (average, 9.5 ng/mg of dust). Satratoxin G and trichoverrols A and B were found in lesser amounts in some, but not all, of the filters. The limit of analysis is ca. 50 ng. These results establish that the conidia of S. atra contain trichothecene mycotoxins. In view of the potent toxicity of the trichothecenes, the inhalation of aerosols containing high concentrations of these conidia could be a potential hazard to health.

Aerosols

Two apparent Philadelphia chromosomes arising from translocations with different chromosomes in a patient with CML: 46,XY,t(7;22)(p22;q11),t(9;22)(q34;q11).

Chromosome studies on bone marrow cells and unstimulated peripheral lymphocytes from a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia revealed the presence in all cells of two apparent Philadelphia chromosomes: one resulting from the classical translocation with a chromosome #9, and the other arising from a translocation between chromosomes #22 and #7. There was no normal chromosome #22. Some of the cells also had an i(17q), indicative of blast crisis. Repeated chromosome studies at different times during the course of the disease revealed the evolution of additional karyotypic changes. All cells from later samples had an extra #8; some of these cells had a third Philadelphia chromosome, whereas, others had a second Y chromosome. Although a few normal cells were seen in PHA-stimulated lymphocyte cultures, indicating that the patient has a normal constitutional karyotype, most of the cells had a karyotype identical to that found in unstimulated cultures. This unusual karyotype, 46,XY,t(7;22)(p22;q11),t(9;22)(q34;q11), represents the first case in which two apparent Philadelphia chromosomes are present in the leukemic cells from a patient in the absence of a normal #22 chromosome.

Chromosome Banding