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Biomedical subjects

K Howe

Publications and source records attributed to K Howe.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Yeast artificial chromosomes for the molecular analysis of the familial polyposis APC gene region.

Two yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) spanning a total distance of 1.1 megabase pairs of DNA around the MCC (for mutated in colorectal carcinoma) and APC (for adenomatous polyposis coli) genes at 5q21 have been isolated and characterized. Starting from the MCC gene, a strategy was undertaken to identify constitutional submicroscopic deletions in familial adenomatous polyposis patients that might considerably narrow down the position of the APC gene. To this end, YACs identified by the MCC gene were screened across a chromosome 5-specific cosmid library to provide a source of DNA probes for genomic scanning. The cosmids isolated from these experiments were used to screen a panel of somatic cell hybrids containing chromosome 5 segregated from patients suspected to carry putative interstitial deletions. This screening approach led to the confirmation of a small heterozygous deletion in a polyposis patient that overlaps one of the two isolated YACs. This YAC has been shown to contain the entire APC gene, in addition to a significant portion of DNA flanking the 5' end of the gene, and should therefore prove a valuable resource for functional studies by transfer to colorectal tumor-derived cell lines.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗
PubMed1991

Mycotic aortic aneurysm infected by Clostridium septicum--a case history.

The authors describe a sixty-seven-year-old hypertensive, diabetic man with a mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm infected with Clostridium septicum. The patient had colonic polyps but no malignant disease. They could find only one other report of a mycotic aneurysm infected with C. septicum. In that case, as in most other cases of C. septicum bacteremia, the patient had gastrointestinal cancer. Their case suggests that treatment for a clostridial infection should be considered in patients with known gastrointestinal disease, signs and symptoms of sepsis, and abdominal pain. Conversely, patients known to have a C. septicum infection should be evaluated for gastrointestinal lesions.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Using a Full-depth Wound Drainage System to Decrease Wound Infection Rates in the Morbidly Obese.

The morbidly obese surgical patient is at increased risk for wound complications due to mechanical stresses from a deep and heavy subcutaneous tissue layer that create dead spaces in which hematomas and seromas can form. To drain the full depth of this layer, we revised an existing wound drainage system using cut segments of a Davol drain and added a Velcro binder to minimize lateral stress on the wound. We used the full-depth drain for all 384 morbidly obese patients who underwent vertical banded gastroplasty during a 10-year period. No patient developed a wound infection in the hospital; however, three patients had wound abscesses one month postoperatively, an infection rate of 0.78%. We believe that the drain system was an important factor in producing the low infection rate.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

Electrode site preparation techniques: a follow-up study.

A posttest-only control group design was used to study the effect of electrode site preparation techniques on reducing electrical potential across a pair of disposable skin electrodes. One hundred twenty healthy volunteers were randomly assigned into one control and three treatment groups of 30 subjects each. The three treatments were One Step Skin Prep used once, ECG Prep Pad used five times, and ECG Prep Pad used once. To control for handedness, the skin preparation site was randomly assigned to either the left or right forearm. One-tailed paired t-test analyses were used to compare differences between treatment arms and control arms within each group (p less than 0.05). Skin preparation done by using One Step Skin Prep or the ECG Prep Pads used once significantly decreased skin potentials by 2.3 mV and 3.3 mV respectively. There was no significant difference in the control group and the group in which ECG Prep Pads were used five times. These findings extend the knowledge of techniques available to reduce the amount of noise (electrical potential) in physiologic measurement using skin electrodes.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

An empirical study of proxy consent for elderly persons.

To investigate empirical assumptions about substituted judgment, three treatment decision scenarios were presented to 43 competent elderly persons and 115 persons related to them. Related subjects who were explicitly asked to make a substituted judgment came significantly closer to the elderly person's preferences than those who were asked to make their best recommendation (p = .005-.067, depending on index used). These results support the use of a substituted judgment approach to proxy decision makers; other results suggest some limitations of durable powers of attorney.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Placental alkaline phosphatase in benign and malignant endometrium.

The presence of placental alkaline phosphatase has been demonstrated immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody, in frozen sections of human endometrium. The enzyme is present in glandular epithelium, but is found most commonly in the surface epithelial layer throughout the menstrual cycle. It has also been demonstrated in malignant endometrial epithelium in eight out of twelve patients.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1985

Radionuclide imaging of ovarian tumours with 123I-labelled monoclonal antibody (NDOG2) directed against placental alkaline phosphatase.

A radiolabelled monoclonal antibody (NDOG2) directed against placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) was used in the radio-immunodetection of ovarian carcinoma. Tumour deposits were successfully visualized in 11 of 15 patients and the abnormalities demonstrated were classified as focal or diffuse. Of the 11 patients, eight showed focal abnormalities alone and three had a diffuse abnormality, of which two also showed a focal abnormality. False-positive results may occur not only due to uptake of 123I by gut mucosa and an inadequately blocked thyroid gland but also from activity in an incompletely emptied bladder. A false-negative result occurred due to high background activity in the liver masking a known, discrete tumour deposit.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1985

Practical applications of a monoclonal antibody (NDOG2) against placental alkaline phosphatase in ovarian cancer.

A monoclonal antibody (NDOG2) against placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) in ovarian cancer has been used in three ways by the Bristol University Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. First, in an indirect immunoperoxidase technique, NDOG2 demonstrated positive standing in 64% of 56 ovarian carcinomas as well as in 25% of 44 benign tumours. The majority of these positive tumours were serous cystadenocarcinomas or serous cystadenomas and there was considerable variation in the expression of this antigen from tumour to tumour. NDOG2 was also used as the basis of two serum assays and, when labelled with 123-iodine (123I), in radioimmunoscintigraphy (RIS) to monitor patients' response to therapy. The first serum assay measures the enzymic activity of PLAP and the second recognizes the antigenicity of the molecules. Assay 2 proved more useful in that it predicted the course of the disease in 45% of patients followed up, whereas Assay 1 was only of use in 25% of cases. RIS proved to be a useful imaging technique and was at least as sensitive as conventional imaging techniques. The common causes of false-positive and false-negative results are described.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗