Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J Williams.
A case of an ovarian serous epithelial neoplasm of borderline type admixed with sarcomatous elements is reported. This combination seems to be extremely rare with only four cases previously reported. It may represent a type of collision tumour or the development of a sarcoma in a growth with borderline differentiation.
AIMS: To study the pattern of expression and prognostic importance of c-erbB-2 protein in cervical carcinoma. METHODS: Sixty two cases of stage IB/IIA cervical carcinoma, representing the three main tumour types, were investigated immunohistochemically for the presence of c-erbB-2 protein expression, using a monoclonal antibody (CB11) to its internal domain. Follow up of at least five years' duration was available in all cases. RESULTS: Definite membrane staining was seen in 38.7% of cases. There was a strong correlation with poor survival (p less than 0.0001) particularly. For those with adenocarcinomas, this was the case when nodal metastases were present. In contrast, for squamous carcinomas and adenosquamous carcinomas, the association with a poor prognosis was most apparent in those patients without lymph node metastases. CONCLUSIONS: These findings raise the possibility that immunostaining for c-erbB-2 protein could be used as a prognostic marker and may help identify those patients for whom early adjuvant treatment might be beneficial.
Disturbances in dopamine neurotransmission have been postulated to underlie schizophrenia. We report data from two independent studies of a BalI polymorphism in the dopamine D3 receptor gene in patients with schizophrenia. In both studies, more patients than controls were homozygous (p = 0.005, p = 0.008). When pooled data were analysed, this difference was highly significant (p = 0.0001) with a relative risk of schizophrenia in homozygotes of 2.61 (95% confidence intervals 1.60-4.26).
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We report a case of a diabetic renal transplant patient with candiduria who developed repeated elevations in serum creatinine concentration due to an intermittently obstructing candida ball in the urinary tract. After unsuccessful attempts to place a nephrostomy tube for local irrigation and debulking, the renal graft artery ruptured secondary to extensive perirenal candida infection. Percutaneous nephrostomy may increase the risks of renal and extrarenal tissue infection with the potential for fatal complications such as infection of the vascular anastomosis.
Neuropsychological functioning and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of an endogenous neurotoxin, quinolinic acid (QUIN) were evaluated in 52 HIV-positive individuals (71% without constitutional symptoms) and 33 HIV-seronegative controls (including 15 psychiatric patients with adjustment disorders). Although the HIV-positive subjects did not differ from controls on standard neuropsychological tests, simple and choice reactions times (RT) were slow at initial evaluation (P less than 0.01) and became progressively slower at 6-month re-evaluation (P less than 0.05). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) QUIN was elevated at initial evaluation and increased during the 6-month interval (P less than 0.05). Moreover, during this 6-month interval, progressive slowing of RT was highly correlated with increasing levels of CSF QUIN (r = 0.85, df = 15, P less than 0.0001) but not with changes in mood, constitutional symptoms, or CD4 cell count. These findings suggest that RT may provide a sensitive behavioral measure of relatively early central nervous system involvement in HIV-infected individuals and that QUIN may play an important role in the pathogenesis of HIV-related neurological dysfunction.
1. The comparative metabolism of fenfluramine was investigated in mouse, rat, dog and man following a single oral dose of 14C-(+/-)-fenfluramine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg), and also in rat after eight consecutive 12-h subcutaneous doses (24 mg/kg). 2. Main route of excretion of radioactivity in all species and at all doses was into urine (> 80%), with only minor amounts of radioactivity found in faeces. 3. From all species examined a total of 11 metabolites were observed in urine and plasma by t.l.c. and h.p.l.c. analysis and no metabolite was present in the plasma which was not present in urine. 4. All species dealkylate fenfluramine to the active metabolite norfenfluramine, to a relative greater or lesser extent, with plasma metabolic ratios (norfenfluramine/fenfluramine) showing inter-animal variation (rat >> dog >> mouse = man). 5. These differences are due to the efficient deamination of both compounds to polar inactive metabolites in man, with less dealkylation and lower plasma levels of norfenfluramine compared with the other species studied. 6. In conclusion, major species differences in the metabolism of (+/-)-fenfluramine, both qualitative and quantitative were observed, and no one species had a similar metabolic profile to that found in man.
The automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICD) is a commonly accepted treatment for an increasing number of elderly clients at high risk for ventricular dysrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. With increasingly successful use of AICDs, a unique group of gerontological patients has emerged with special physical, educational, psychosocial, and emotional needs. Gerontological nurses will encounter these clients in acute care settings as well as in home health care, nursing homes, senior citizen centers, and adult day health-care centers. Nurses need basic information about AICDs to plan for the continued care, teaching, guidance, and reassurance of these clients and their families.
The effects of the chlorinated pesticide chlordecone on food intake, body weight, and water intake were examined in adult male rats. Chlordecone treatment produced a dose dependent suppression of food intake. Loss of body weight accompanied the reduced food intake. However, chlordecone did not suppress water intake. Chlordecone treated animals maintained on a liquid diet also demonstrated reduced food intake, suggesting that chlordecone has a specific effect on feeding behavior and not a general effect on ingestive behaviors. The potential contribution of chlordecone-induced tremor to the suppressed food intake and the loss of body weight was considered. When treatment occurred immediately before a 24 hr fast, controls and animals given 75 mg/kg showed no differences in the body weight decline, even though tremor occurred in the pesticide-treated rats. Thus, it is unlikely that tremor alone produced the body weight loss observed in the present experiment. Similarly, animals were capable of initiating eating behavior even though tremor was present. In addition, chlordecone treatment inhibited food intake within 2 hr. Consequently, these results suggest that chlordecone suppresses food intake which in turn produces the decline in body weight.
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The effects of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), on aortic smooth muscle contractility during hypertension were studied in female SHR and WKY rats. The rats were administered two intraperitoneal injections of 10 mg/kg of ASA per week for three weeks. Twenty four hours after the last injection the aortic smooth muscles were evaluated for generation of active tension in response to KCl, phenylephrine, clonidine and norepinephrine. We report that aortic rings from ASA-treated SHR animals were more responsive than rings from non-treated SHR female rats. ASA treatment of SHR animals restored the contractile response to the level shown by non-treated WKY control female rats. The response from aortic rings of ASA-treated SHR to KCl, phenylephrine and clonidine was essentially similar to the response of rings from non-ASA-treated WKY control female rats. We did not observe any decrease in the systolic blood pressure during the ASA treatment in SHR female rats. These results suggest that acetylsalicylic acid modulates aortic smooth muscle contractility either through the metabolites of arachidonic acid or through alpha-adrenoceptors.
To investigate public awareness and acceptance of dental implants, 120 adult US citizens were asked to answer a questionnaire. Of the 109 persons who completed the questionnaire, 77% had heard about dental implants, mostly through media and lay persons. Only 17% named a dentist or physician as the source of information. Persons with many missing teeth were not more aware of implants than those with fewer missing teeth. Of 19 removable denture prosthesis wearers, 15 knew about implants but only one third learned of them from their dentist or physician. Of 84 persons with information about implants, 51 would consider implant treatment, 17 would not, and 16 were undecided. Esthetics was the most frequent motivating factor favoring implants, while high cost was the most frequent argument against them. Younger interviewees were significantly more often in favor of implants than older persons. It was concluded that public awareness and acceptance of dental implants are high. Dentists and physicians, however, play only a minor role as sources of information.
Polymeric forms of hen ovotransferrin have been obtained by storage at 4 degrees C for 5 years or at 57 degrees C for 14 days and fractionated as dimers and tetramers by gel filtration on Sephadex. The ability of tyrosine to undergo nitration was reduced in the tetrameric protein, so that one could hypothesize that dityrosine formation is somewhat responsible of such polymerization process. Experimental data on the biological functionality showed that: i) dimeric ovotransferrin was able neither to bind nor to deliver iron; ii) tetrameric ovotransferrin was able to bind but not to deliver iron.
OBJECTIVE: To describe our experience with 3016 first-trimester chorionic villus sampling (CVS) procedures, all performed by a single operator, to assess the influence of operator experience on the safety and efficacy of CVS. METHODS: Transcervical or transabdominal CVS procedures were performed on 3016 patients between the gestational ages of 9-12 weeks. The sampling success rate, procedure complications, cytogenetic results, and pregnancy outcomes were tabulated and analyzed. RESULTS: Samples adequate for diagnosis were obtained in 99.7% of the cases. The mean (+/- standard deviation) number of insertions per procedure was 1.1 +/- 0.4. The percentage of procedures in which the sample was obtained with a single insertion increased from 51% in the first 100 cases to 96% in the last 2516 cases. There were 56 (1.94%) first- and second-trimester pregnancy losses among 2892 pregnancies intended to continue. This loss rate compares with published baseline risk figures for miscarriage of approximately 2-3%. No difference in pregnancy loss rate followed one or two catheter or needle insertions, but the need for three insertions was associated with a significantly increased loss rate (6.7 versus 1.9%; chi 2 = 4.35, P < .05). CONCLUSION: Operator experience plays a significant role in the safety and efficacy of CVS.
Outcome findings based on a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological and psychosocial measurements were compared for a set of monozygotic twins. One twin had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and given prophylactic treatment involving intrathecal methotrexate. Her twin sibling, who developed no signs of the disease, served as a unique control. Remarkably similar profiles were noted for the twins on tests of nonverbal intelligence, visual memory, visual attention, psychomotor speed, and mental flexibility. All performances were in the average to high average range. Significant differences were found on tasks measuring verbal abstract reasoning skills. These differences were postulated to result from prophylactic treatment, leukemia itself, or disruption in normal psychosocial development. As in previous studies, problems with auditory attention were found. However, both children displayed attentional difficulties regardless of treatment status. Emotional assessment indicated that both twins were experiencing a clinically significant level of anxiety that was postulated to play a role in reduced attention skills. Findings argue for the continued need for monitoring the neuropsychological functioning of children given prophylactic treatment and demonstrate the importance of measuring emotional factors in assessment with these children.
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