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Biomedical subjects

L Cameron

Publications and source records attributed to L Cameron.

59 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Anti-inflammatory activity of clarithromycin in adults with chronically inflamed sinus mucosa.

In a phase IV, open-label study, 25 patients with clinically stable chronic sinusitis and persistent maxillary sinus inflammation were treated for 14 days with clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily. Biopsy specimens of the maxillary sinus mucosa were obtained pretreatment and evaluated for macrophages (CD68), eosinophils (MBP), elastase, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and activity of eosinophils (EG2), as well as edema score. Clinical signs and symptoms were assessed pretreatment, at the end of treatment, and 1 and 2 weeks later. Statistically significant reductions (P < or = .05) from pretreatment were observed for all markers of sinus mucosal inflammation, including CD68, EG2, elastase, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, and edema score, with a trend to decreased total eosinophil count. Improvement was observed for all clinical signs and symptoms of chronic sinusitis--sinus pain, sinus headache, nasal congestion, nasal discharge, and mucopurulent discharge--up to 14 days after the end of treatment. Cultures to evaluate persistent infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae showed negative results. Significant reductions in various markers of sinus mucosal inflammation support the role of clarithromycin in modulating immunologic responses. Improvement of clinical signs and symptoms in patients with chronic inflammatory sinusitis not meeting criteria for known or presumed bacterial infection was also noted up to 2 weeks after completion of a 14-day course of clarithromycin.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Seeking medical care in response to symptoms and life stress.

Analyses tested the following contrasting hypotheses: a) The occurrence of a new symptom in the presence of ongoing life stress increases the attribution of symptoms to illness and increases the use of health care; b) new symptoms occurring in the presence of ongoing life stress are attributed to stressors if they are ambiguous indicators of illness, and they are unlikely to motivate care-seeking if the stressor, i.e., the perceived cause, is of recent onset. The 43-to-92-year old subjects in this longitudinal study were less likely to seek care for the ambiguous symptoms they experienced during the previous week if there was a concurrent life stressor that began during the previous 3 weeks; these symptoms were attributed to stress rather than to illness, and subjects tolerated the emotional distress caused by the combination of a stressor and an ambiguous symptom. Subjects were less willing to tolerate the combined distress of an ambiguous symptom and a concurrent life stressor if the stressor onset was not recent; under such conditions, subjects were more likely to seek health care. Current life stressors did not affect care-seeking for symptoms that were clear signs of disease; these symptoms were readily identified as health threats in need of medical attention. The findings contribute to a better theoretical understanding of how individuals perceive their physical states and how they cope with stress. Practical implications of these findings for increasing efficient use of health care services are also discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗