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Biomedical subjects

L S Miller

Publications and source records attributed to L S Miller.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

The morbid anatomy of congenital deficiency of the tibia and its relevance to treatment.

Two specimens obtained from a 5-month-old boy with bilateral type 1a congenital tibial deficiency were dissected to describe their morbid anatomy. Examination revealed a rigid equinovarus deformity, absence of a tibial remnant, an abnormal saddle-shaped talus, and several tarsal coalitions. Observation of the arterial pattern during surgery supported the previously reported finding that persistence of an immature arterial structure is inherent in this condition. Knowledge of potential structural anomalies is essential during the planning of an amputation or of a knee or an ankle reconstruction. Anatomic abnormalities may affect the design of soft-tissue flaps in an amputation and plantigrade positioning and foot biomechanics in reconstructive procedures.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

The relationship between reduction in periodontal inflammation and diabetes control: a report of 9 cases.

The established correlation between diabetes and periodontal diseases and the increasing prevalence of Type II diabetes in the general population indicate that dental practitioners will probably treat an increasing number of diabetic patients. Despite the fact that there is little scientific evidence to support the concept, it has been generally accepted that treatment for periodontal disease in diabetic patients may reduce insulin requirements and improve metabolic balance. However, to date no one has evaluated the effects of periodontal therapy on the metabolic state of the poorly-controlled diabetic patient. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of controlling gingival inflammation on blood glucose levels as determined by glycosylation of hemoglobin and albumin.

Blood Glucose↗

Monoclonal antibody-based therapy of a human tumor xenograft with a 177lutetium-labeled immunoconjugate.

177Lutetium (177Lu) is a member of the family of elements known as lanthanides or rare earths. Monoclonal antibody (MAb) CC49, a murine IgG1, which is reactive with the tumor-associated antigen, TAG-72, has been shown previously to react with a wide range of human carcinomas; CC49 reacts to a different epitope on the TAG-72 molecule than MAb B72.3 and has a higher binding affinity. We report here the first use of a 177Lu-labeled immunoconjugate, 177Lu-CC49, in an experimental therapy model for human carcinoma. 177Lu-CC49 was shown to delay the growth of established LS-174T human colon carcinomas in athymic mice at a single dose of 50 microCi. Overt toxicity was observed with the administration of approximately 500 microCi of 177Lu-CC49 in which 5 of 9 mice died of apparent marrow toxicity. A single administration of 200 or 350 microCi of 177Lu-CC49, however, was shown to eliminate established tumors through the 77-day observation period after MAb administration. Dose fractionation experiments revealed that at least 750 microCi of 177Lu-CC49 (250 microCi/week for 3 consecutive weeks) was well tolerated in that 9 of 10 mice survived. Moreover, this dose schedule was able to eliminate the growth of relatively large (300 mm3) human colon tumor xenografts in 90% of the animals treated. Single-dose and dose fractionation studies were also carried out with an isotype-matched control MAb, 177Lu-MOPC-21. In all dose schedules, a large differential was seen between the therapeutic effects of the 177Lu-CC49 versus that of the 177Lu-control MAb. The merits and limitations of the use of 177Lu-labeled immunoconjugates (in particular, 177Lu-CC49) are discussed in terms of potential novel therapeutics for human carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗

Evaluating cognitive impairment in depression with the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery: severity correlates and comparisons with nonpsychiatric controls.

Depressed patients often complain of memory and attentional difficulties, and some research suggests an increased incidence of neuropsychological impairment in depression. Yet, many prior studies contain methodological problems, including the following: (1) inclusion of medicated patients, (2) small sample sizes, and (3) tests with unknown psychometric properties. We administered the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) to 28 unmedicated inpatients who met Research Diagnostic Criteria for major depression. Twenty of the 28 patients were given additional cognitive measures (e.g., Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, Benton Tests). The depressed patients performed similarly to an age- and education-matched nonpsychiatric reference sample. When data for a subset of the most severely depressed patients were analyzed separately, these patients too were found to perform similarly to matched controls. There were no relationships between Hamilton rating scale measures of depression severity and any cognitive measures among the depressed patients. The results suggest that cognitive functioning in depressed patients does not differ significantly from that in carefully matched controls and is independent of symptom severity.

Adult↗

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: prospective assessment of abdominal US in the localization of gastrinomas.

The ability of abdominal ultrasound (US) to help localize gastrinomas was prospectively studied in 79 patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. The results were assessed by means of laparotomy, autopsy, or percutaneous liver biopsy. For hepatic gastrinoma, US had a sensitivity of 63% and a specificity of 100%, with a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 89%. US was slightly less sensitive for detecting gastrinoma in the liver than were computed tomography (CT) (66%) and selective angiography (78%). For detection of extrahepatic gastrinoma, US had a sensitivity of 30%, a specificity of 94%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 25%. US enabled detection of tumor in eight cases not detected with CT and in four not detected with angiography. Specificity for extrahepatic gastrinoma was similar for all three modalities (89%-95%). CT and US were equally effective for the detection of extrahepatic gastrinoma, and angiography was significantly more effective than both US and CT (P less than .01). The authors conclude that US, although of low sensitivity, remains useful as the initial imaging modality in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Abdomen↗

A longitudinal study of the causal relationship between social networks and health of the poor frail elderly.

Research over the past two decades has documented a positive relationship between social support and health. The causal interpretation of these associations has, however, been unclear. This study aims at filling the gap in our understanding of this causal link with respect to the frail poor elderly. The main questions addressed are, Does lack of social ties affect the elderly's health? or are unhealthy people less likely to establish and maintain social ties? We employed a time-series panel design to overcome problems of causal explanations and examine social networks and health in a sample of 3,559 poor frail elderly, participants of the California Multipurpose Senior Services Project. The results indicate that social networks have a positive effect on health (though only in the short run). However, neither the subjective nor the objective health measures have a significant effect on social networks. Implications for intervention are discussed.

Aged↗

Clinical factors that may confound the assessment of drug efficacy.

The development of new chemical classes of psychotherapeutic drugs offers the potential for new patterns of drug efficacy as well as decreases in side effects. However, the determination of drug efficacy can be confounded by sample selection and outcome determination factors. The ability of selected clinical factors of both types to affect the outcome of antipsychotic drug trials is reviewed. Suggestions for future clinical drug trials are made.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Polymorphic and monomorphic expression of arylamine carcinogen N-acetyltransferase isozymes in tumor target organ cytosols of Syrian hamsters congenic at the polymorphic acetyltransferase locus.

A number of human epidemiological investigations suggest a relationship between acetylator phenotype and the incidence and/or severity of tumors caused by exposure to arylamine carcinogens. Conclusions drawn from these investigations can be compromised by a variety of environmental and other genetic factors. To eliminate variability in these other factors, our laboratory recently completed construction of homozygous rapid (Bio. 82.73/H-Patr), heterozygous intermediate (Bio. 82.73/H-Patr/Pat(s)) and homozygous slow (Bio. 82.73/H-Pat(s)) acetylator congenic hamsters. The purpose of the present study was to assess the utility of this congenic hamster model for investigations into the relationship between acetylator genotype and arylamine carcinogenesis. We report the expression of acetylator genotype-dependent (polymorphic) and acetylator genotype-independent (monomorphic) N-acetyltransferase isozymes in hepatic cytosols. The hepatic polymorphic N-acetyltransferase isozyme isolated from the congenic hamsters expressed clearly acetylator-genotype dependent (Patr greater than Patr/Pat(s) greater than Pat(s)) N-acetylation towards p-aminobenzoic acid, 4-aminobiphenyl, 2-aminofluorene, p-aminophenol, 1-aminopyrene, 5-aminosalicylic acid, beta-naphthylamine, 3,4-dichloroaniline, 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl and p-phenetidine. Acetylator genotype-dependent N-acetylation for a number of arylamines also was observed in liver, colon, kidney and urinary bladder cytosols derived from the congenic hamster lines, including arylamines highly carcinogenic to hamster colon and urinary bladders. It is concluded that the congenic hamster model will be useful in studies to delineate the role of acetylator genotype in the incidence or severity of arylamine tumors.

Animals↗

Purification of hepatic polymorphic arylamine N-acetyltransferase from homozygous rapid acetylator inbred hamster: identity with polymorphic N-hydroxyarylamine-O-acetyltransferase.

The polymorphic acetyltransferase isozyme expressed in homozygous rapid acetylator inbred hamster liver cytosol was purified over 2000-fold by sequential Q-Sepharose fast-flow anion-exchange chromatography, Sephacryl S-200 high-resolution size-exclusion chromatography, Mono Q anion-exchange fast-protein liquid chromatography, and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The isozyme migrated as a single homogeneous monomer following both preparative and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis. The molecular weight was estimated at 34,170 following elution via size-exclusion chromatography and 35,467 following migration via sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The homogeneous polymorphic acetyltransferase exhibited a broad substrate specificity; it catalyzed the acetyl coenzyme A-dependent N-acetylation of p-aminobenzoic acid, carbocyclic arylamine carcinogens such as 2-aminofluorene, 4-aminobiphenyl and beta-naphthylamine, and heterocyclic arylamine carcinogens such as 2-aminodipyrido[1,2-a:3'2'd]imidazole and 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole. It also readily catalyzed the acetyl coenzyme A-dependent metabolic activation (via O-acetylation) of N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene to DNA adducts but not the metabolic activation (via intramolecular, N,O-acetyltransfer) of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene or N-hydroxy-4-acetylaminobiphenyl to DNA adducts. Conversely, the partially purified monomorphic acetyltransferase isozyme from the same hamsters readily catalyzed the metabolic activation of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene and N-hydroxy-4-acetylaminobiphenyl, and rates of metabolic activation of these substrates did not differ between homozygous rapid and slow acetylator liver, intestine, kidney, and lung cytosols. Heat inactivation rates for the purified polymorphic acetyltransferase isozyme were first order and indistinguishable for the acetyl coenzyme A-dependent N-acetylation and O-acetylation activities. The results strongly suggest the expression of a single polymorphic acetyltransferase product of the hamster polymorphic acetyltransferase gene that catalyzes both acetyl coenzyme A-dependent N-acetylation and O-acetylation of arylamine and N-hydroxyarylamine carcinogens but not the metabolic activation of N-hydroxy-N-acetylarylamines (arylhydroxamic acids) via intramolecular N,O-acetyltransfer. Consequently, acetylator genotype-dependent metabolic activation of N-hydroxyarylamines to a DNA adduct in hamster is catalyzed by direct O-acetylation of the hydroxyl group and not via sequential N-acetylation followed by N,O-acetyltransfer.

Acetyltransferases↗

Reflux esophagitis in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

The incidence of ulcers of the stomach and duodenum and their response to medical therapy, in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is well described. However, reflux esophagitis is less well recognized. In this study we determined the frequency of reflux esophagitis in 122 patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and examined their response to medical therapy. Esophageal symptoms, endoscopic abnormalities, or both were present in 61% of patients. Forty-five percent of patients had esophageal symptoms consisting of heartburn, dysphagia, or both. Forty-three percent of patients had endoscopic abnormalities of the esophagus, and 23% demonstrated moderate or severe disease. When sufficient antisecretory medication was administered to lower gastric acid secretion to less than 10 mEq/h in the last hour before the next dose of drug, 67% of the patients with reflux esophagitis responded with complete disappearance of symptoms and normalization of the endoscopic abnormalities. The other 33% of patients required an increase in medication to lower acid output to less than 5 mEq/h in 7% and less than 1 mEq/h in the other 26% to resolve symptoms and signs completely. We conclude that reflux esophagitis occurs in the majority of patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and responds well to medical therapy, although one third of patients require intensive antisecretory medication.

Adult↗

Intravenous omeprazole in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome undergoing surgery.

Twenty patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome who were undergoing surgery were studied prospectively to assess the efficacy and safety of IV omeprazole. During the preoperative period, in 19 of 20 patients, omeprazole 60 mg administered as an IV bolus every 12 hours inhibited acid output to less than 5 mEq/h measured in the last hour before the next dose of drug. In one patient, acid output was 25 mEq/h 12 hours after omeprazole, 60 mg, and increasing the dose to 100 mg every 12 hours reduced acid output to less than 5 mEq/h. During the operative and postoperative periods, IV omeprazole controlled gastric acid hypersecretion in all patients for up to 15 days. During this time, all patients received the dose determined preoperatively. No patient developed any clinical, hematological, or biochemical toxicity that could be attributed to omeprazole therapy during the preoperative or postoperative period. The present study demonstrates that omeprazole administered by IV bolus is safe and effective for controlling gastric acid hypersecretion. In contrast to IV histamine H2-receptor antagonists, IV omeprazole has the advantages of not requiring continuous infusion or postoperative dose adjustments. Intravenous omeprazole will become the drug of choice in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome undergoing surgery.

Adult↗

Long-term efficacy and safety of omeprazole in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: a prospective study.

To determine the long-term efficacy, safety, and toxicity of omeprazole, we studied 40 patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome given omeprazole for 6-51 mo (median 29). The mean daily dose of omeprazole required to control gastric acid secretion was 82 +/- 31 mg. Thirty-one patients required omeprazole once per day. In 9 patients acid output was not controlled by 120 mg once per day, but was controlled by 60 mg every 12 h. The daily dose of omeprazole correlated with the previous dose of histamine H2-receptor antagonist (r = 0.89, p less than 0.001), basal acid output (r = 0.43, p less than 0.01), and maximal acid output (r = 0.39, p less than 0.02) but not with serum concentration of gastrin (r = -0.32). Increases in the dose of omeprazole were required in 9 patients. Twenty-nine patients had mild peptic symptoms with acid outputs less than 10 mEq/h while taking histamine H2-receptor antagonists. Symptoms resolved completely in 23 patients and partially in 3 when taking omeprazole. Omeprazole prevented mucosal disease in all patients including 17 in whom histamine H2-receptor antagonists had produced only partial resolution despite acid output being less than 10 mEq/h and in those with symptoms during omeprazole therapy. Omeprazole therapy was not associated with any significant side effects, nor with any evidence of hematologic or biochemical toxicity. Serum concentrations of gastrin did not change significantly during therapy. In 6 patients treated with omeprazole for 1 yr there was no change in basal or maximal acid output. In all patients, gastric morphology and histopathology demonstrated no evidence of gastric carcinoid formation. These results demonstrate that with long-term treatment of up to 4 yr, omeprazole is safe, with no evidence of hematologic, biochemical, or gastric toxicity. Furthermore, omeprazole remained effective, with only 23% of patients requiring an increase in dose, and continued to control symptoms in patients who had not been entirely symptom-free despite high doses of histamine H2-receptor antagonists. Omeprazole is now the drug of choice in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Adult↗

Entrainment of a free-running human with bright light?

The case of a 40-year-old sighted woman with free-running sleep-wake and melatonin rhythms is presented. The subject was studied for 102 days. During the pre-treatment period, both the sleep-wake and melatonin rhythms had a period of 25.1 hr, similar to the average period of humans living in temporal isolation. Treatment consisted of bright artificial light exposure (2500 lx Vita-Lite) for 2 hr each day upon awakening. Clock time of light exposure was held constant for 6 days and then slowly advanced until the subject was arising at her desired time of day. The subject continued the light treatment at home and was able to live on a 24-hr day for the 30-day follow-up study. While other factors may be operating in this situation, it is possible that the light treatment caused the stabilization of the free-running rhythms, advancement to a normal phase and entrainment to the 24-hr day. We suspect that the tendency to free-run was related to sleep onsets that were abnormally delayed relative to the circadian phase response curve for light. By scheduling a 2-hr pulse of bright light each morning, this tendency to delay would be counteracted by light-induced advances, resulting in normal entrainment.

Adult↗

Dose-response relationship between light irradiance and the suppression of plasma melatonin in human volunteers.

This study tested the capacity of different irradiances of monochromatic light to reduce plasma melatonin in normal humans. Six healthy male volunteers, 24-34 years old, were exposed to 0.01, 0.3, 1.6, 5, or 13 microW/cm2 of 509 nm monochromatic light for 1 h during the night on separate occasions. Light irradiance depressed plasma melatonin in a dose-response pattern. The data indicate that the mean threshold irradiance for suppressing melatonin is between 1.6 and 5 microW/cm2. Individual variations in threshold responses to monochromatic light were observed among the volunteers.

Adult↗