Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Stevens

Publications and source records attributed to K Stevens.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

A monoclonal antibody recognising an epitope associated with pig interleukin-2 receptors.

A monoclonal antibody is described which recognises an epitope associated with a receptor for interleukin-2 (IL-2) on pig lymphocytes. The monoclonal antibody inhibits high affinity binding of radiolabelled recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2) by pig lymphoblasts and also non-competitively inhibits both pig-TCGF and rhIL-2 maintained proliferation. By flow cytometry the antigen is apparently not present on freshly isolated blood lymphocytes but is detectable on small cells between 6 and 12 h after activation and on large cells by 24-h. These findings are comparable with those obtained using monoclonal antibodies recognising the 55 kDa alpha chain of the human and mouse IL-2 receptor (p55, TAC) expressed on activated cells in vivo and in vitro. However, the molecular weight of the porcine antigen is between 65 and 70 kDa.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Coincidental finding of May-Hegglin anomaly in a patient with end-stage renal failure.

We present two cases of May-Hegglin anomaly incidentally discovered in a patient and his brother during investigation of the patient for end-stage renal failure and workup for renal transplantation. Routine laboratory tests were performed and included a basically normal clotting profile. Ultrastructural studies of the May-Hegglin inclusions proved diagnostic, findings were compared with those of two similar granulocyte inclusion bodies, and nomenclature discrepancies that still exist in most references are again emphasized. The finding of the May-Hegglin anomaly in our patient appears to be incidental to the underlying renal disease. A successful renal transplant has been carried out in this patient. We now report on a patient and his brother in which the MHA was discovered during workup of the patient for end-stage renal failure and renal transplantation. No association between the underlying renal disease and the MHA could be demonstrated.

Bleeding Time↗
PubMed1992

[Doppler echocardiography imaging of construction-induced regurgitation of technical heart valve prostheses].

The normal leakage flow in modern technical heart valve prostheses can be visualized by color-coded Doppler-echocardiography, provided that an adequate ultrasonic image quality can be achieved. Sometimes it may be difficult, however, to distinguish such a normal leakage flow from pathological regurgitation. We therefore mounted new specimens of five different types of prostheses (Bjørk-Shiley monostrut, Medtronic-Hall, Omnicarbon, Saint Jude Medical, Duromedics) into an invitro model, where the leakage flows could directly be visualized as emerging water jets. When the system was completely filled, the jets could also be registered by two-dimensional Doppler-echocardiography. For each valve, characteristic patterns for the localization of the principal jets were found. Besides the relative broad central jet in the Medtronic-Hall valve, all other jets arose mainly at the ring. They were detected at the hinges or the basis of the larger struts, respectively, and with asymmetrical mono-disc valves at the side of the smaller opening. The length and the orientation of the jets were found to change significantly with minimal variations of the position of the closing discs. This variability could be confirmed, when in a separate model the overall leakage flows were repeatedly measured. For patient examinations it seems useful to refer mainly to the localization of the jet origins. The comparison with reference values of jet-dimensions in Doppler images will rarely enable the examiner to distinguish between normal and pathological jets.

Echocardiography, Doppler↗
PubMed1991

Unusual structure of the exopolysaccharide of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae strain 248.

The exopolysaccharide from R. leguminosarum bv. viciae strain 248 differs from those of other Rhizobium strains with similar symbiotic behavior. 13C-N.m.r. spectroscopy of fragments generated by partial hydrolysis, together with methylation analysis and 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy of the enzymically depolymerised exopolysaccharide, indicated the following nonasaccharide repeating-unit: [formula: see text] The locations of the acetyl and 3-hydroxybutanoyl substituents in the exopolysaccharide are assigned provisionally. R. leguminosarum bv. viciae strain 248, cured of its Sym plasmid pRL1JI, synthesised an exopolysaccharide in which the sites and degree of substitution were unchanged. A Tn5 mutant, derived from strain 248 and unable to induce nodules, synthesised small amounts of EPS that lacked galactose.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Trisomy 5 in Ph+ chronic myeloid leukemia in association with megakaryocytosis.

A patient with a megakaryocytosis associated with a Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was found to have a trisomy of chromosome five. To our knowledge, this is the first case of trisomy 5 associated with a Ph + CML, particularly one with a megakaryocytosis. The trisomy 5 may be associated with the resistance to cytostatic drugs found in this patient.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5↗
PubMed1991

Sister chromatid exchanges in lymphocyte cultures of patients previously treated with dibromodulcitol.

Acute non-lymphatic leukaemia and myelodysplasia occur in a larger percentage of patients treated with dibromodulcitol (DBD) than in patients treated with other cytostatics. Sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in the lymphocytes in peripheral blood as well as other haematological parameters were measured in women with breast cancer to investigate whether women who had previously been treated with DBD as a part of their treatment regime had an increased frequency of SCE or another haematological abnormality attributable to DBD. SCE levels were elevated in women treated with DBD as well as in those treated with other cytostatics compared to the untreated control group. All other haematological parameters were normal. There was no significant difference in the number of SCEs between the patients who received DBD and those treated with other cytostatics. The increased frequencies of SCE in the treated patients are attributable to various cytostatic agents, and there is no significant permanent increase in the frequency of SCE after exposure to DBD.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1990

Patients' perceptions of music during surgery.

Music, as an aesthetic and symbolic medium, has the ability to dispel much of the fear and anxiety associated with facing the unknown alone. As such it is an ideal support for patients undergoing surgery where a non-general anaesthetic is administered. However, it is important to consider whether, from the patient's perspective, the inclusion of music in such a situation is considered to be helpful. A pilot study conducted at an acute hospital involved interviewing 25 patients who, through an attitudinal scale and their interview responses, revealed positive support for the music that they listened to during their operation. Their remarks focused on the ability of the music, as a familiar personal and cultural medium, to ease their anxiety, to act as a distractor and to increase their threshold of pain. From a nursing perspective, such an application of music as therapy to reduce fear and anxiety may be viewed as being highly relevant to the work of the anaesthetic nurse, with regard to a more individualized and holistic approach to patient care.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1979

Acute leukemia as a complication of long-term treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Acute nonlymphocytic leukemia occurred in four women after long-term therapy for advanced breast cancer. The patients had inoperable/metastatic breast cancer that had been well-controlled with chemotherapy for many years (7 years and 4 months, 7 years and 1 month, 6 years and 3 months, and 4 years and 7 months, respectively). Two of the patients had also received extensive radiotherapy. The chemotherapeutic agent that all four patients had received in common was cyclophosphamide.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Histiocytosis and a leukaemoid response. A case report.

A patient with all the clinical signs of Letterer-Siwe disease is reported. The patient was unusual in that he had a severe leukaemoid reaction. To our knowledge, only 2 similar patients with reticulo-endotheliosis, histiocytic skin infiltration and leukaemoid reaction have been reported. It is possible that the disorder may represent a variant of the histiocytic proliferative disorders, characterized by both histiocytic and myeloid hyperplasia, and is thus similar to myelomonocytic leukaemia. However, it differs from the latter condition in that there is proliferation of monocytes and granulocytes in soft tissues rather than in the blood.

Blood Cell Count↗
PubMed1976

Chronic myeloid leukaemia in South African blacks.

A study on 25 South African Black patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML), who were followed for 3 1/2 years, is reported. The Ph chromosome was found in 19 of 20 patients studied. Males predominated in a ratio of 2,5:1. Several unusual clinical features were encountered: significant lymphadenopathy, congestive cardiac failure and skin lesions. Patients with lymphadenopathy responded to busulphan therapy no differently from patients without lymphadenopathy. Nine patients had congestive cardiac failure, and in 7 of these a cause could not be found. Three untreated patients became pregnant, indicating that CML per se does not cause infertility. The haematological measurements were similar to those of previous reports; however, the marked splenomegaly suggests that South African Black patients present themselves for treatment rather late in the disease. The median survival time of 34 months is similar to that of previous reports of larger series from other parts of the world.

Adult↗