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Biomedical subjects

J Sullivan

Publications and source records attributed to J Sullivan.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Acute median nerve compression by haemorrhage from acute myelomonocytic leukaemia.

A 61-year-old male receiving treatment for acute myelomonocytic leukaemia (AMML) developed weakness and sensory loss in the thumb, index and middle finger and half of the ring finger of the left hand as a result of a spontaneous haemorrhage into the carpal tunnel and forearm, an unusual cause of median nerve compression. These findings were confirmed by CT scanning and post-mortem examination. This is the first report of spontaneous haemorrhage occurring in a patient with AMML.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1985

Status epilepticus and Epstein-Barr virus encephalopathy. Diagnosis by modern serologic techniques.

Three patients had status epilepticus appearing de novo as the presenting manifestation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encephalopathy. Clinical findings of infectious mononucleosis were absent and EBV-specific serologic tests made or confirmed the diagnosis in each case. Epstein-Barr virus should be considered as a potential cause when status epilepticus occurs in the absence of previous seizures or an identified cause of seizures. The diagnosis may be made in some cases only with the use of EBV-specific serologic testing.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

A new device for the efficient pulverisation and extraction of myocardial biopsies for high energy phosphate analysis.

We developed a new device for processing frozen myocardial biopsies. Frozen samples of 20 to 50 mg were dropped into a 25 ml stainless steel centrifuge tube held in a custom-made aluminium container precooled in liquid nitrogen. A stainless steel pestle attached to a stainless steel disk was driven by a modified heavy-duty staple gun to pulverise the tissue rapidly at low temperatures. The tissue powder was extracted with 0.3N PCA at 0 degree C in the centrifuge tube which was then transferred to a Sorvall super-speed centrifuge. Values for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were 5.6 +/- 0.7 mumol . g-1 wet weight (mean +/- SD). Creatine phosphate (CP) yield was 12.2 +/- 3 mumol . g-1 wet weight. The % recovery of an added internal standard for ATP was 86 +/- 18% and for CP 90 +/- 16% with the new method.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1985

Restoration of immunity in burned mice by cimetidine.

We have previously described a mouse model of postburn suppression of cell-mediated immunity (CMI). Ear swelling (ES) in response to contact antigen challenge is depressed maximally 14 days following a 25% steam burn and recovers to control levels 3 weeks postburn. Splenic lymphocyte proliferation in response to Concanavalin A (Con A) is also depressed 14 days postburn. Splenic T-lymphocyte subset analysis with monoclonal antibodies for helper cells (Lyt 1.2) and suppressor cells (Lyt 2.2) reveals that T-helper cells reach a minimal level and T suppressor cells reach a maximum level 14 days postburn. The helper: suppressor ratio (HSR) reaches its nadir at day 14. Treatment of burned mice with low-dose cimetidine (2 or 10 mg/kg/day), but not high-dose (50 mg/kg/day), for 14 days restores CMI. Low-dose cimetidine also normalizes the HSR but does not effect postburn depression of mitogen responsiveness. Low-dose cimetidine probably restores CMI by inhibiting suppressor cells, whereas high doses provide more global inhibition. Recovery of mitogen responsiveness may require continued cimetidine presence in culture.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Hydrocarbon contact injuries.

Cutaneous injury caused by exposure to gasoline and other hydrocarbons is a clinical entity with potentially life-threatening effects. We report four cases of such injury. One patient developed full-thickness skin loss following gasoline immersion, and another developed severe systemic complications following contact with a carburetor cleaning solvent. Initial therapy should consist of removal of solvent-containing clothing and extensive lavage or soaking with water, followed by wound care that is generally similar to that used in the treatment of partial-thickness burns. In most cases this includes debridement, topical antimicrobial agents, and dressing changes. Severe pulmonary, cardiovascular, neurologic, renal, and hepatic complications may accompany hydrocarbon absorption, particularly in cases involving gasolines containing lead additives. Therefore immediate surgical debridement should be considered if there is suspicion of continued absorption of toxic compounds from the wound.

Absorption↗
PubMed1985

Renal trauma: radiological studies. Comparison of urography, computed tomography, angiography, and radionuclide studies.

Excretory urography, computed radionuclide urography, angiography, and both conventional and dynamic computed tomography (CT) were compared with regard to accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in 388 patients with renal trauma. Used as the triage examination, urography established the absence of significant renal injury with an accuracy of 87%, obviating further evaluation. Dynamic CT proved to be the best method of assessing parenchymal injuries, establishing the correct diagnosis in 129 out of 130 cases compared to 116/130 for conventional CT. Angiography was the procedure of choice for diagnosis and categorization of renal artery injuries, which were diagnosed correctly in all 43 cases. The choice between dynamic CT and angiography as the second examination rests upon careful evaluation of clinical and urographic findings for signs of renal artery injury which would mandate angiographic assessment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Some effects of congenital spasticity on fundamental frequency.

5 normal speakers and 5 speakers with congenital upper motor-neuron damage repeatedly spoke a three-work sentence stressing the first, second, or third words. Fundamental frequency was measured for each word and over each sentence. Analysis showed that the spastics' mean fundamental frequency was significantly higher than the normals', regardless of utterance. Also, spastics were more restricted in their prosodic maneuvering above this average fundamental frequency. Despite this finding, the spastics were capable of producing consistent stress patterns with normal variability.

Cerebral Palsy↗
PubMed1985

A nutrition-physical fitness intervention program for low-income black parents.

An 8-week program taught nutrition and aerobic exercise to obese, low-income black mothers of children under 3 years. A reduction in risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the mothers was anticipated. Culturally adapted aerobic dancing was well-suited for exercise. It was assumed that children would ultimately adopt their parents' changed life style. The program demonstrated a significant reduction in heart rates at rest, but no significant change in heart rates with stress. A significant reduction in body-fat percentage was measured, whereas overall weight reduction was not significant. The consumption of vitamin C, protein, fat, and sodium was reduced. Intake of calcium, iron, carbohydrates, and vitamin A rose significantly. The results indicate the potential effectiveness of such dual intervention programs. Further study would be necessary for more conclusive results and recommendations.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Low-dose cytarabine in acute myeloid leukaemia.

A series of 20 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia received treatment with cytarabine administered as a single agent at a low dose of 10 mg/m2 every 12 hours for 14-21 days. Complete remission was achieved in six patients (30%), and partial remission in nine patients (45%). These 15 patients survived for periods from two to 15 months, and six patients were still alive at the time of writing the report. A significant reduction in the blood counts, which began seven to 14 days after initiation of the treatment, occurred in all patients who responded to therapy. The time interval from the lowest blood counts to recovery ranged from six to 21 days, and there were no treatment-related deaths. The current status of, and the future prospects for, low-dose cytarabine therapy in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Low dose cytosine arabinoside: partial remission of acute myeloid leukaemia without evidence of differentiation induction.

Thirteen patients with acute myeloid leukaemia aged from 19 to 81 were treated with low dose cytosine arabinoside (ARA-C) in a dose of 10-15 mg/m2 twice daily subcutaneously. Three complete remissions were obtained. Partial responses were observed in a further two patients. To analyse the action of low dose ARA-C freshly isolated leukaemic cells and cells from the cloned promyelocytic leukaemia cell line (HL60) were cultured in vitro in the presence of cytosine arabinoside. Minimal evidence of differentiation induction was observed when compared with the cytotoxic effects of the drug. These results suggest that ARA-C does not exert its anti-leukaemic effects by halting proliferation through differentiation induction. Rather, it appeared that the capacity of this agent to kill cells in S-phase produced a progressive depletion of the cycling leukaemic cells. This resulted in a corresponding steady decline in the total leukaemic cell population.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Mitoxantrone treatment in advanced breast cancer.

Half of our patients presenting with breast cancer will eventually require cytotoxic chemotherapy. In searching for an effective drug with low toxicity, many new drugs have been investigated. Seventeen patients with advanced breast cancer were treated with mitoxantrone, an analogue of adriamycin. The response rate was 44% (CR 6% + PR 38%). Side effects were fewer than those normally anticipated for most cytotoxic chemotherapy in that only two patients suffered hair loss and three nausea and vomiting. There was, however, significant bone marrow depression with granulocytopenia and two patients died of septicaemia following treatment. Cardiac toxicity occurred in two patients: of these, both had prior treatment with adriamycin, and one had prior radiotherapy to the chest wall. Both of these patients died.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Interaction of leptospires with human polymorphonuclear neutrophils.

The role of the polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) in defense against leptospires has not been adequately studied, in part, because of difficulty in quantitating pathogenic leptospires. By using pour plates to quantitate nonpathogenic leptospires and the most-probable-number procedure to quantitate the pathogenic leptospires, we examined the interactions of nonpathogenic Leptospira biflexa and pathogenic Leptospira interrogans serovar icterohemorrhagiae with human neutrophils. Phase-contrast, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopic observations were made. Leptospires were incubated with PMN at 37 degrees C and tumbled together. There was no ingestion or killing of nonpathogenic leptospires (with no serum) or of pathogenic organisms (with 10% normal serum). However, when leptospires were incubated with PMN (without serum) in a pellet and then resuspended, 91 +/- 6% of nonpathogenic leptospires were removed from the supernatant, and 93 +/- 4% of these organisms were killed. The pathogenic leptospires became cell associated in a pellet, but were not killed by PMN even in the presence of 10% normal serum. Observations of morphological interactions indicated that PMN phagocytized the nonpathogenic leptospires in the absence of serum and that the pathogenic leptospires attached to but were not ingested by neutrophils in the presence of 10% normal serum. PMN do not seem to be an efficient defense factor for pathogenic leptospires in nonimmune hosts. The virulence of leptospires appears to be related to their ability to resist killing by serum and to resist ingestion and killing by neutrophils.

Humans↗