Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

L Tucker

Publications and source records attributed to L Tucker.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Factors associated with increased levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 DNA in semen.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected cells have been isolated from semen and may be a major source of transmissible virus. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to determine HIV proviral DNA load in cellular fractions of semen from 74 antiviral therapy-naive HIV-1-seropositive men and 53 paired blood samples. HIV-1 DNA was detected in 65% of semen (range: <10-5000 copies/mL) and 100% of blood samples (range: 20-2500 copies/mL). HIV-1 DNA copy numbers in semen correlated significantly with those in blood, but for most cases, the concentration of blood HIV-1 DNA was higher (mean blood-to-semen ratio = 2.9). Factors associated with elevated HIV-1 provirus levels in semen included reduced peripheral CD4 cell count and asymptomatic genital tract inflammation (>10(6) white blood cells/mL of semen). These data provide evidence that genital tract inflammation and reduced peripheral CD4 cell count may be associated with enhanced sexual transmission of HIV-1 because of increased numbers of HIV-1-infected cells in semen.

CD4 Lymphocyte Count↗
PubMed1996

Hypertrophic bursopathy of the subacromial-subdeltoid bursa in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: sonographic appearance.

Hypertrophic bursopathy is a term used to describe the massive synovial proliferation occasionally seen in the bursae of patients with arthritis. Involvement of the subacromial-subdeltoid (SA-SD) bursa in adults in uncommon, and it is still rarer in children. It may simulate synovial proliferation or fluid within the adjacent shoulder joint. Sonography clearly shows the location and nature of the soft-tissue swelling. Two cases of this entity in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are described, one with a uniquely severe sonographic picture.

Arthritis, Juvenile↗
PubMed1995

The effects of antenatal steroid use in premature rupture of membranes.

We sought to determine if antepartum steroid treatment offers any clinical benefits to patients with premature rupture of membranes. One hundred and forty-five maternal-neonatal pairs were studied. Forty-five maternal-neonatal pairs with premature, preterm rupture of membranes received steroids during 24-35 weeks' gestation. One hundred maternal-neonatal pairs received no antenatal steroids. The 2 groups were identical with regard to gestational age at rupture of membranes, gravity, parity, race, fetal gender, socioeconomic status, smoking, and preterm labour risk factors. Study of the data revealed that maternal chorioamnionitis was less frequent in the steroid group (p < 0.001). Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (oxygen dependent at discharge at term gestational age) was less frequent in the steroid group (p < 0.05). The remainder of the data revealed no statistically significant differences in preterm delivery rate, necrotizing enterocolitis, respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular haemorrhage rate or severity of haemorrhage, hospital days, latency to delivery, or ventilator days. Antepartum steroid use in preterm rupture of membranes appears to offer clinical benefit in premature infants by lessening the rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in those infants receiving antepartum steroids.

Betamethasone↗
PubMed1994

Low prevalence of human T lymphotropic virus type I in !Kung San in Bushmanland, Namibia.

Antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-I) have been identified in various population groups living in southern and central Africa. Sera from 291 !Kung Bushmen in Bushmanland, Namibia were examined for the presence of antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2 and to HTLV-I. Initial screening for HIV-1/2 by two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) revealed evidence of past exposure in four individuals. However, no HIV-1/2 infection could be confirmed by a particle agglutination assay, a recombinant ELISA, or by Western blot for HIV-1 and HIV-2. Indeterminate Western blot profiles (with a p55 for each and either a p25 or p18 band) existed for all four HIV-1-reactive sera. Eight sera were reactive in the HTLV-I ELISA, although only five were positive on a second ELISA. Only three of the five HTLV-I-reactive sera could be confirmed by Western blot.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Identification of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug-induced gastroduodenal injury in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

In a cohort of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis treated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and referred for gastrointestinal complaints, more than 75% had gastritis, antral erosions, or ulcers. Epigastric pain strongly correlated with documented gastroduodenal injury. Therapy with ranitidine or misoprostol led to clinical improvement. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs are associated with significant gastrointestinal abnormalities in children.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1993

Effects of a 12-week resistive training program in the home using the body bar on dynamic and absolute strength of middle-age women.

Guidelines published by the American College of Sports Medicine indicate that resistive training should be an integral part of an adult fitness program. Most adults will find it difficult to train resistively regularly unless they train in their own homes using simple, inexpensive equipment. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which participation in a 12-week resistive training program using the Body Bar, a simple, inexpensive resistive training device, in the home improves dynamic and absolute strength of middle-age women compared to similar women engaged in a walking program. A pretest-midtest-posttest design was employed with subjects randomly assigned to either a resistive (n = 30) or a walking (control) group (n = 30). All subjects were tested on measures of dynamic and absolute strength. Resistive trainers performed significantly better than the controls across the 12-week training period on all strength variables even with statistical control for potential confounders. Number of workouts performed and average intensity of each workout were both significant predictors of strength improvements among the resistive trainers.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Specialized extended hospital treatment for borderline patients.

The intensive psychoanalytically oriented hospital treatment described by the authors was developed specifically for borderline patients. This unique treatment, an integrated multimodal approach, is based on the theory that the disturbed behaviors and relationships of borderline patients are manifestations of intrapsychic impairment. The authors use a detailed case report to illustrate how the theory is transformed into technical precepts and applied to all aspects of the treatment.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Independent analysis of the 16/6 idiotype lupus model. A role for an environmental factor?

The recent description of a lupus-like disease in normal mice after injections of human mAb that bind DNA and carry the common Id 16/6 Id has excited much attention. In an effort to reproduce this model we have performed two experiments using eight human mAb three of which bear the 16/6 Id. Despite using an injection protocol very similar to that of the original authors and waiting for up to 1 yr we were unable to detect any autoantibodies or any evidence of renal disease. We suspect that our failure to reproduce the model may be due to differences in either or both the batches of CFA used, or in the animal house environments. It supports the view that a mosaic of effects is required to induce clinical expression of an autoimmune disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Interaction of intact type VI collagen with hyaluronan.

The capacity of non-pepsinyzed type VI collagen to bind to hyaluronan was investigated. Type VI collagen was extracted from bovine meniscal cartilage with 6 M GuHCl and purified by extraction of PEG precipitates and dissociative Sephacryl S-500 HR chromatography. Type VI collagen, detected with a monoclonal antibody, bound in 0.5 M NaCl to hyaluronan-coated micro-wells, the degree of binding being higher at 37 degrees C than 23 degrees C and 4 degrees C. Incubation of type VI collagen in competitive inhibition assays with testicular hyaluronidase digests of hyaluronan in liquid phase, reduced binding of the protein to hyaluronan-coated microwells to background levels. Thus, non-pepsinyzed type VI collagen binds to hyaluronan in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Molecular analysis of a germ line-encoded idiotypic marker of pathogenic human lupus autoantibodies.

Id-16/6 is an idiotypic marker found in both IgM and IgG antibodies, as well as in the tissue lesions of patients with SLE. The prototypic Id-16/6+ mAb is 18/2, whose VH3-derived H chain is encoded by an unmutated germ-line gene. We found that the H chains of VH3-derived Id-16/6+ antibodies contain the major determinants of Id-16/6. Moreover, B cell clones from which those antibodies were harvested produce RNA that hybridized under conditions of high stringency to oligonucleotide probes corresponding to the CDR of the VH segment of 18/2. Western blots of Id-16/6+ mAbs with anti-Id confirmed the association of the Id with H chains. Id-16/6 can identify a subgroup of VH3-derived antibodies we have termed the 18/2 CDR family. However, Id-16/6 can also be expressed in some antibodies unrelated to the 18/2 CDR family. No characteristic Ag-binding specificity was found among the members of the 18/2 CDR family. The principal phenotypic feature shared by all known members of the family is Id-16/6.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Individual VH genes detected with oligonucleotide probes from the complementarity-determining regions.

The germ-line and expressed Ig repertoire was examined with three oligonucleotide probes from the CDR regions of VH18/2, a VH gene from the largest human VH gene family, VHIII. Each oligonucleotide probe detected small numbers of germ-line bands (1-5) under conditions in which single base differences can be detected; more than half of these bands were polymorphic. The combined results from pairs of oligonucleotides from CDR1 and CDR2 identified a single band on Southern blots, as did a probe from the 5' end of CDR2. This band contains the 18/2 germ-line gene. The nucleotide sequence of expressed VH genes that hybridized to both CDR probes or to the 5' CDR2 probe were greater than or equal to 97% homologous to 18/2 in both the framework and CDR regions. This group of closely related VH genes, the 18/2 CDR family, appears to be overexpressed. The role of polymorphisms and differential expression of individual V genes in multigenic autoimmune diseases, as well as the organization and expression of individual V genes, can be examined with pairs of oligonucleotides from CDR1 and the 3' end of CDR2, or with probes from the 5' end of CDR2.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Relationships among measures of alcohol drinking behavior, life-events and perceived stress.

Two measures of stress (life-events and perceived stress) and a measure of alcohol-drinking behavior were administered to 6,747 adult males. Analysis was carried out to examine the extent to which subjects classified into drinking-behavior groups differed on stress measures while controlling for age, income, and race. Significant differences held up under age, race, and income controls for life-events and perceived stress between the abstinence, common-use, and problem-drinking groups. Stress scores increased sequentially across the drinking-behavior groups. Apparently, men who are life-long abstainers (teetotallers) experience fewer life-events and perceive less stress than moderate drinkers, while moderate drinkers experience less stress than heavy drinkers.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

Effects of some metabolites of pyritinol (Encephabol) on ACH release from brain slices.

The K+ stimulated release of radioactively labelled ACH from cortical slices obtained from rats was increased by some pyridine derivatives that are metabolites of pyritinol. It appears that this effect is not mediated by an interaction with cholinergic receptors but may be related to the lipid solubility of the compounds. It is suggested that an effect of these metabolites on the membrane of nerve endings may be part of the mechanism by which pyritinol treatment increases ACH levels and release in old rats.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1987

Long-term hospital treatment of borderline patients: a descriptive outcome study.

The authors report a prospective 2-year outcome study of 40 inpatients with severe personality disorders who were treated on a specialized long-term unit for patients with "borderline conditions." Treatment goals included improving interpersonal relationships and facilitating a lasting discharge from the hospital. Data were collected at admission, discharge, and 1 and 2 years after discharge. The data reflect change from admission to follow-up in impulsivity, psychotherapy, and social adjustment. Mediating effects of length of stay on outcome are discussed.

Adolescent↗