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Biomedical subjects

M B Stevens

Publications and source records attributed to M B Stevens.

98 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Limited anti-DNA antibody specificity in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Twenty-one sera from 11 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were titrated with 125I-ss-calf thymus DNA to determine their maximum capacity to bind DNA. Only five sera were capable of binding greater than 90% of the input DNA. The remaining sixteen sera showed maximum DNA binding levels between 35% and 85%. The inability of these sera to bind all of the input DNA is shown to be dependent on variations in the molecular weight of the DNA antigen. The possibility that these differences in DNA binding reflect differences in antigenic specificity is discussed.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Standardizing the evaluation of treatment outcomes after skin rejuvenation: the qualitative scoring system.

Current treatments to correct and reverse diseased or aged skin yield widely divergent results. Judging the outcome of such treatments is done in an arbitrary and subjective fashion that is often limited to a patient's feedback or the physician's opinion. This makes it difficult for inter-physician or physician-patient agreement as to the degree of improvement achieved. In an age where skin rejuvenation is being widely practiced, a tremendous void needs to be filled by a system that appropriately evaluates and scores treatment outcomes. Such a system will help physicians communicate better in lectures, help them to better assess the results of various treatment modalities, and facilitate patient-doctor communication. The objective of this paper is to present a standardized scoring system against which skin rejuvenation results can be judged. This system is based on a model of healthy skin that can be defined by practical criteria against which patients can be judged pre- and post-skin rejuvenation procedures. A gold standard for healthy skin (baby skin) is established from a clinical, functional, and histologic perspective. Each patient's skin is compared with the healthy skin model and graded before and after treatment by implementing our scoring system which encompasses objective and subjective criteria. Objective criteria include the following skin characteristics: smoothness, firmness, even coloration, normal texture, and absence of any clinically evident disease. Subjective criteria include proper hydration and normal tolerance, and are not considered in the final scoring. Grading of each element in the scoring system [minimal (1), average (2), maximal (3)], and subsequently the final score [excellent (12 to 15), average (7 to 11), poor (<7)] are done with reference to the healthy skin model defined. The scoring system is novel and easy to use, and can be implemented to help improve communication between physicians and patients as well as during the dissemination of knowledge during medical conferences. In conclusion, treatment end-results can be consistently and more accurately assessed when the scoring system (based on objective criteria and a model of healthy skin) is used. Adopting this protocol will also help in directing our treatment to achieve the best possible results.

Dermatologic Surgical Procedures↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Validity and yield of a two-stage screening procedure for systemic lupus erythematosus.

Sixty-six systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, 375 healthy female controls and 537 young Caucasian females were examined according to a recently suggested two-stage model for population screening for SLE. This model consisted in: a) administration of a 10-item questionnaire based on the ARA preliminary criteria for SLE; b) search of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in the persons positive during the first stage. Among the SLE patients, the overall sensitivity of the two-stage screening was 90%, while its specificity in the healthy 375 normals reached 96%. 13% of 537 young Caucasian females answered affirmatively to 3 or more questions of the questionnaire. Out of these, 59 were tested for ANA. Two out of these 59 had a positive ANA test, but no one had SLE at a subsequent clinical survey. These data confirm the validity of this two-stage screening procedure for SLE. While the low prevalence of this disorder in the general population hardly justifies its massive application, the screening might be recommended for survey groups at high risk for SLE.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Heterogeneity of HLA-DR4 in the rheumatoid arthritis of a Chippewa band.

A high frequency of both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and HLA-DR4 was found in a Chippewa Indian population. Multiple immunogenetic "variants" of HLA-DR4 were demonstrated, each showing a different response in mixed lymphocyte culture which corresponded to a serologic pattern of reactivity to a panel of non-DR4 B cell alloantisera. No DR4-bearing HLA haplotype or DR4 "variant" was common to subjects with RA, all of whom were DR4-positive. The implications are discussed.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ro(SSA) and La(SSB) antibodies in the clinical spectrum of Sjögren's syndrome.

Seventy-five patients with the symptomatic sicca complex were evaluated clinically and classified as having Sjögren's syndrome (SS) alone or the sicca complex associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) or another connective tissue disorder. Their status with respect to anti-Ro(SSA)/La(SSB) antibodies was determined independent of clinical evaluation and categorization. Overall, 33 (44%) were found to have antibodies to Ro(SSA); and 12 (16%) had antibodies to La(SSB). Anti-Ro antibodies occurred in 50% of those with SS alone as well as in SS associated with RA (39%), SLE (58%), and PSS (20%). Furthermore, patients with SLE without the sicca complex demonstrated antibodies to Ro(SSA) (24%) and La(SSB) (5%). A striking association of anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies in SS with vasculitis is described.

Antibodies↗