Dietary alteration of somatic symptoms and regional brain electrical activity.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
L Christensen
Publications and source records attributed to L Christensen.
A tetranectin-related protein is produced and deposited in extracellular matrix by human embryonal fibroblasts.
Tetranectin is a tetrameric human plasma protein that binds to plasminogen kringle 4. Its amino acid sequence is homologous with the C-terminal parts of asialoglycoprotein receptors and proteoglycan core proteins. In the present study, we have demonstrated that the human embryonal fibroblast cell line WI-38 produce a tetranectin-related molecule, which might, by several criteria, be similar to tetranectin from plasma. These criteria include immunoblotting analysis of conditioned cell medium revealing a protein band with Mr 17,000, indistinguishable from the Mr of plasma tetranectin. A preparation obtained by purification of conditioned medium by affinity chromatography on an anti-(plasma tetranectin) IgG column also contained the Mr 17,000 protein. This protein (partly purified from the conditioned medium) was shown by crossed immunoelectrophoresis to bind to heparin, CaCl2 and plasminogen kringle 4, as previously described for tetranectin in plasma. Importantly, this tetranectin-related protein is not only present in conditioned culture medium, but the Mr 17,000 protein reacting with anti-(plasma tetranectin) IgG was also present in the extracellular material, remaining after removal of WI-38 cells from the culture dishes, as demonstrated by immunoblotting analysis and immunocytochemical staining. We conclude that WI-38 cells produce a tetranectin-related protein and secrete it into the extracellular matrix.
Blood Proteins↗
Differences in tetranectin immunoreactivity between benign and malignant breast tissue.
Tetranectin (TN) is a human, plasminogen kringle 4 binding plasma protein with ubiquitous cellular distribution and lectin-like characteristics. By means of the peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining technique a polyclonal and a monoclonal antibody were used to demonstrate TN within the intracellular as well as the extracellular compartment of invasive breast carcinoma. Whereas cell associated TN was universal showing only quantitative differences depending of the growth pattern of the tumor, 78 of 133 tumors displayed TN extracellularly as well. The occurrence of this stromal TN immunoreactivity was closely associated with desmoplasia, recognized morphologically by an increase in fibroblastic cells and immunohistochemically by an intense staining for the connective tissue glycoprotein fibronectin (FN). Benign breast tissue displayed a universal, intense cytoplasmic but no extracellular reaction for TN, with the exception of rare foci of granulation tissue and around dilated cysts. Functional studies have shown that human embryonal lung fibroblasts increase their release of TN to the growth medium upon stimulation. The presence of TN extracellularly within fibroblast-rich foci of desmoplasia (and granulation tissue) suggests that a similar increased release of the protein takes place in vivo during active states. Desmoplasia has been found to have a protective effect on tumor cell propagation and metastasis in a murine model. The molecular interactions, which are responsible for this effect, are undoubtedly complex. However, TN may, by its specific binding to kringle 4 of plasminogen and its high affinity for sulphated polysaccharides, add to the understanding of how plasminogen activation is modulated at the local extracellular level.
Blood Proteins↗
Issues in the design of studies investigating the behavioral concomitants of foods.
This article discusses a number of issues that must be considered when investigating the behavioral effect of foods. These issues include the idiosyncratic response to a specific food, the necessity of identifying the individual sensitive to the food being studied, the necessity of including a washout phase, consideration of withdrawal effects, assessment of change, dietary challenges, and the time parameter necessary for the effect to be demonstrated. These issues must be considered during the design phase to maximize the probability of detecting the true behavioral effect of a specific food or combination of foods.
Depressive Disorder↗
Efficacy of caffeine versus expectancy in altering caffeine-related symptoms.
The study investigated the independent and interactive effects of caffeine and expectancy on caffeine-related symptoms. High- and low-caffeine consumers were randomly assigned to either an expectancy or nonexpectancy instructional set and one of four caffeine doses. Subjects were administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, (Spielberger & Gorsuch, 1970) and a Symptom Questionnaire (Christensen, White, Krietsch, & Steele, 1990) prior to and 45 min following consumption of one of the four caffeine doses. An analysis of covariance identified a significant main effect for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores and significant main and interaction effects for four Symptom Questionnaire items. However, when the alpha levels were corrected for the increased probability of Type I error, using the Bonferroni procedure, these effects failed to achieve significance. These results suggest that previous reports of subjective caffeine effects are also suspect because of their failure to control for the increased probability of Type I error.
Adult↗
Otitis media in adult trauma patients: incidence and clinical significance.
To determine the incidence and clinical significance of otitis media in traumatized adults requiring intubation, 67 adult trauma patients admitted to a level-I trauma center over a 6-month period who required three or more days of intubation were examined otoscopically for the presence of otitis media. Eleven of these intubated brain-injured patients had otitis and upon examination all were found to have purulent paranasal sinusitis as well. In conclusion, all intubated patients with severe head injuries should be evaluated otoscopically for the presence of otitis and those patients with otitis should be examined for the presence of sinusitis.
Acute Disease↗
Sleep in acromegaly before and after treatment with adenomectomy.
Daytime somnolence and fatigue are frequently ignored symptoms in acromegaly. To examine whether sleep apnea or other abnormalities in the sleep structure is the underlying cause, 9 young patients with active untreated acromegaly for 2-7 years were studied with all night polysomnography. It revealed a decrease in REM sleep time in all the acromegalics compared to age- and sex-matched normal subjects (p less than 0.001) and also a reduction in delta sleep (p less than 0.05). None had obstructive sleep apnea. At reexamination 12-15 months posttreatment the daytime sleepiness had disappeared in all patients. REM sleep time increased in all patients (p less than 0.001) to normal level; delta sleep time increased moderately (p less than 0.05). Thus sleepiness in patients with high fasting level of growth hormone (GH) is not related to sleep apnea but more likely to a reduced amount of REM sleep time. By normalizing the GH concentration, REM sleep time became normal and the daytime sleepiness disappeared in all patients.
Acromegaly↗
Change of hearts.
Some very caring companies are now directly contracting with centers of excellence, which specialize in organ transplants and other cutting-edge procedures.
Contract Services↗
The highs and lows of PPOs.
Anywhere from 38 to 65 million people obtained health care from PPOs in 1990. These numbers are on the upswing, and so seems to be employers' satisfaction with this managed care option.
Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
Diagnosis, treatment and outcome of parathyroid cancer. A report of eight patients.
Eight patients presented parathyroid cancer between 1963 and 1990. There were seven women and one man with a median age of 55.5 years (range 34-81). At admission the median serum calcium concentration was 3.75 mmol/l (range 3.0-5.0), and four patients presented with a hypercalcaemic crisis. Six patients had a pathological bone resorption and five had reduced kidney function or urinary stones. All cases were treated by en bloc resection of the tumour and affected adjacent structures. One patient with a local lymph node metastasis died after seven months, and one in whom it was impossible to remove the tumour died after 14 months. Two patients had recurrences three and nine years after the operation, respectively. The first was treated with mithramycin, but died 33 months later, the other was reoperated on and was still normocalcaemic 2-9 years after diagnosis.
Adult↗
Microvascular density, microvascular surface area and endocrine cell volume in pituitary transplants to the fourth ventricle of adult rats.
Pituitary gland endocrine tissue was transplanted to the fourth ventricle of the brain of adult rats. The grafts were left in place for eight to ten weeks. One micron thick Epon sections were cut for microscopical and morphometrical analysis. The microvascular length density, the microvascular surface area density and the volume weighted mean pituitary cell volume were measured. The transplants were connected to the recipient brains through a few rather large vessels vessels either from the arachnoidea or the choroid plexus. Neuronal connections were never established. The microvascular length and surface area densities were significantly increased in the grafts, whereas the weighted mean cell volume was reduced. The results indicate that pituitary tissue can be transplanted to the fourth ventricle of the brain and the blood supply reestablished. The increased vascular densities are due to lower cell volume and probably also to cell loss and not to proliferation or angiogenesis. The reduced pituitary cell volume may be the result of missing trophic factors which normally are secreted to the pituitary in the sella turcica.
Animals↗
How to become involved in EDS.
This article presents ways in which dental students may become involved in EDS. It is important that EDS has the support of dental students as it is a Committee which works in their interest.
European Union↗
Dental School of Copenhagen.
The Royal Dental College of Copenhagen, now a 101-year-old institution, has a yearly intake of around seventy students. The school is at the forefront of dental education in Europe with regard to facilities, research and curriculum development.
Denmark↗
Two years after.
EDS was founded in Paris two years ago. In this article the achievements are summarized. A great amount of the dreams of the committee have come true. All countries in the E.C. are represented by delegates.
European Union↗
A review of the relationship between coffee consumption and coronary heart disease.
A review of the literature dealing with the relationship between coffee consumption and coronary heart disease revealed that most of the studies did not find coffee consumption to be a risk factor. However, many studies are plagued with methodological difficulties which operate to minimize the probability of identifying coffee consumption as a risk factor. A significant percentage of the studies do not rule out coffee consumption as a significant risk factor in coronary heart disease.
Causality↗
ACTH independent Cushing's disease.
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Adrenal Glands↗
Estrogen receptors appear undetectable in the C-cells of the human thyroid gland.
An attempt was made to explain the bone-preserving effect of estrogen by analysis of estrogen receptors (OER) in the calcitonin-producing C-cells of the human thyroid gland. Thyroid tissue from twenty patients with benign hyperthyroidism and three patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma was used. The C-cells were identified immunohistochemically using a polyclonal antibody to calcitonin, and by a similar staining technique the adjacent sections were stained for the OER protein using a monoclonal antibody (H 222-ABBOTT, USA). In spite of an intense nuclear staining of the positive control tissue (an OER positive breast carcinoma) no specific OER-staining was identified in C-cells or any other cells of the thyroid gland. Neither a dextran-coated charcoal assay nor a solid-phase immunoenzyme assay revealed any quantitative OER activity in tissue homogenates. Various observations point to a regulating mechanism between calcitonin and estrogen. The nature of this mechanism is not known, but according to our study it is unlikely to be a direct one.
Adult↗
Similarity assessment and attribute scaling of sucrose and aspartame in grape drink.
The present study investigated the perception of sweetness of aspartame in comparison to various concentrations of sucrose. Twenty-seven subjects were randomly assigned to taste a chilled or room temperature Kool-Aid beverage sweetened with either aspartame or five different concentrations of sucrose. Subjects assessed the perceived similarity in sweetness of an aspartame-aspartame pair and five different aspartame-sucrose pairings and rated each beverage on five bipolar adjectives. Analysis of the similarity ratings revealed that subjects did not perceive the pairs of beverages to differ in perceived sweetness. Analysis of the adjective ratings revealed that aspartame and the lower sucrose concentrations were perceived as being less sweet and more sour than the higher sucrose concentrations.
Aspartame↗