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Biomedical subjects

L Wood

Publications and source records attributed to L Wood.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Detection of Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus in patients with chronic fatigue.

Patients with chronic fatigue as a major complaint frequently present with recurrent sore throat, and on physical examination they have hyperemia and lymphoid hyperplasia of the pharyngeal area. Pharyngeal scrapings were obtained from 41 such patients and analyzed for Epstein-Barr virus or cytomegalovirus DNA by colorimetric in situ hybridization. Results were compared with healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. Epstein-Barr virus-DNA was detected more frequently in male patients, 5/9 (55.6%), than controls, 0/6 (0%), but there was no difference in frequency in female patients, 4/32 (12.5%), than control subjects, 1/29 (3.4%). Cytomegalovirus-DNA was detected infrequently in patients and controls, 13% versus 22% respectively. The presence of EBV-DNA did not correlate with antibody titers nor with the complaint of sore throat. Four of the five males who had positive EBV-DNA in the pharyngeal smears have now recovered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Splenectomy in the chronic myeloproliferative syndromes. A retrospective risk-versus-benefit analysis.

The effect of splenectomy on the course of the chronic myeloproliferative syndromes was retrospectively analysed and compared in 96 patients who underwent this procedure and 195 who did not. The operation had a 4% mortality and a 47% morbidity rate, mainly attributable to haemorrhage, infection and respiratory complications. While splenectomy conferred benefit in certain selected cases with hypersplenism, there was no significant overall improvement in the postoperative haematological values and no influence on the rate of blastic transformation. Splenectomy did not improve survival in the group as a whole, or in any subset (P greater than 0.5). In the non-splenectomy group, only a minority of patients experienced massive progressive splenomegaly and in most individuals the spleen size varied little from the time of presentation to death. Splenectomy in patients with the chronic myeloproliferative syndrome carries a significant mortality and has a high morbidity, does not reduce the rate of blastic transformation and has no influence on survival. The majority of patients on conventional therapy do not experience the discomfort of massive splenomegaly during the course of their disease and the routine use of this operation is inappropriate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

Forty-six consecutive patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), having a median age of 23 years (range 14 to 64), underwent induction and consolidation chemotherapy with weekly parenteral vincristine, adriamycin, l-asparaginase and daily oral prednisone (VAAP), followed by standard central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis. Maintenance therapy was given for 3 years and consisted of daily 6-mercaptopurine, weekly methotrexate, and monthly intrathecal chemotherapy, with drug intensification comprising either vincristine, adriamycin and l-asparaginase (VAA) or cyclophosphamide, vincristine, cytosine arabinoside and prednisone (COAP). Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 36 patients (78%) and only the FAB L1 morphology was a significant predictive factor (Chi-squared = 3.91: p < 0.05). Eight of the 10 non-responders had significant drug resistance and 3 deaths were associated with marrow hypoplasia. Median follow-up is 52 months. Median duration of CR is 28 months, median survival of all patients is 16 months, and for those who achieved CR is 44 months. There was no difference between the two maintenance arms. Significant prognostic factors for survival are French-American-British (FAB) subtype, in which the L1 is better than L2 (p = 0.05), and age (p = 0.035). Nineteen patients have experienced medullary relapse and 7 (37%) achieved subsequent CR; this is durable in a single patient who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Eight patients (17%) had CNS disease at diagnosis; 5 achieved CR and 1 is alive and disease-free at 65+ months. There has been 1 CNS relapse. These results demonstrate that prolonged remissions and survival can be achieved with this protocol and many patients possibly cured. The level of toxicity is acceptable and the pattern of induction failure indicates that a margin exists for intensifying chemotherapy and thereby possibly further improving results.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

High-sulfur protein gene expression in a transgenic mouse.

We analyzed the effect of minoxidil on hair follicles isolated from transgenic mice. These transgenic animals synthesize the reporter enzyme CAT in their hair follicles only during the active phases of hair growth. The recombinant gene used to generate these mice contained the bacterial enzyme CAT under the control of the promoter from the gene of UHS protein. Studies using in situ hybridization showed that UHS proteins are expressed specifically in the matrix cells of the hair follicle during the terminal stages of hair differentiation. Hence the expression of the UHS proteins is a clear sign of active hair growth. With other in situ hybridization studies we demonstrated that CAT mRNA is expressed in differentiating matrix cells of the hair shaft in a location similar to that in which mRNA encodes UHS proteins. Thus we can use the levels of CAT activity as a measure of hair growth. We have confirmed that expression of the transgene is found in hair that is high in anagen and low in catagen follicles. The usefulness of our model was further demonstrated by showing that minoxidil, a drug that stimulates hair growth, increased the expression of CAT in cultured hair follicles. Thus we have demonstrated that expression of this reporter gene is sensitive, hair specific, and also useful for monitoring effects in cultured hair follicles. Hence these transgenic mice provide a model system for studying the biology of hair growth.

Aging↗
PubMed1991

Failure to establish congenital bluetongue virus infection by infecting cows in early pregnancy.

Two groups of 10 pregnant cows were inoculated with bluetongue virus type 11 at either 40 or 60 days of gestation. All the cows became infected as judged by the detection of viraemia and seroconversion but they showed no clinical signs. Seventeen of the cows produced live calves none of which showed any evidence of prenatal infection. After challenge with the same virus all the calves became viraemic and seroconverted. The response to challenge of the two groups did not differ from that of a control group challenged at the same time. It was concluded that the infection of pregnant cows in early gestation with this virus did not result in the transplacental infection of the fetuses and did not produce immunotolerant, latently infected calves.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Isolation of a mouse genomic clone containing four tRNACys-encoding genes.

A cluster of four tRNACys-encoding genes with the anticodon GCA was found on a murine genomic clone containing an 18-kb DNA insert. Three of the four genes encode the identical tRNA, whereas the fourth gene has an altered nucleotide (nt) sequence. Two of the genes within a 2-kb PvuII fragment have the same polarity and are separated by only 921 bp. These two tRNAs have a different primary sequence. The changes in the nt sequences occur within three stems of the tRNA cloverleaf structure and weaken the strength of the H-bonds within the stems. All four genes (designated i-iv) have the 3' structural element that has been proposed as the transcription termination signal [Bogenhagen and Brown, Cell 24 (1981) 261-270]. The remainder of the flanking regions of the three identical tRNAs are very similar to each other, whereas the flanking regions of the fourth tRNA are distinctly different.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Treatment of aplastic anaemia with antilymphocyte globulin and high-dose methylprednisolone.

Twenty-three consecutive adults with bone marrow aplasia who, apart from one individual, lacked a sibling suitable for allogeneic transplantation, received five daily infusions of 50 mg/kg of antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) concurrently with high-dose (500 mg) methylprednisolone (HDMP), followed by oral prednisone at a dose of 30 mg until day 30. One patient died early so that response could not be determined, but data are available and included in the toxicity as well as survival analysis. Haematological response occurred in 13 of the remaining 22 (59%). This followed a single course of treatment in 12, with complete response achieved in five of this group and a second course required in one. At a median follow-up of 20 months (range 5-60), there have been five relapses and 13 patients are alive, including 12 responders who have Karnofsky ratings between 90% and 100%. Of the other nine individuals, only two are alive, with 1 at 12 months still requiring active support and the second, after failing further courses of treatment, at 41 months having a partial response to lymphocytapheresis and plasma exchange. Failure to respond was a significant adverse predictor for survival (P = 0.022). This study involved two distinct batches of ALG, with response occurring in 1/7 (14%) patients treated with the first lot, but in 12/15 (80%) of those individuals who were treated with the second (P = 0.007). Only a pretreatment mean cell volume (MCV) greater than 100 fL predicted for response (P = 0.0088). Confirmation is hereby provided for the efficacy of ALG used in combination with HDMP for treatment of aplastic anaemia, with further support for the observation that not all batches of this product are comparable in bringing about haematologic response in these individuals.

Administration, Oral↗