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Biomedical subjects

M Beyers

Publications and source records attributed to M Beyers.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

New-wave nursing: back to the basics?

The experience of nurse leaders in a multi-institutional system from the initial stages of deliberation to the concluding consensus to commit to an extensive restructuring project is described in this article. Significant factors in evaluating the potential for success or failure of such a project are described, and the impact of restructuring on nursing practice is considered. Change is inevitable; restructuring is an appropriate way to accomplish change, and leadership may direct the change to create something new while also preserving nursing's strengths.

Humans

The use of a monoclonal antibody against alpha-fetoprotein for the radioimmunodetection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of a radiolabeled mouse monoclonal antibody (and its F(ab')2 fragment) against alpha-fetoprotein in the scintigraphic diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Twenty-six southern African Blacks and one Caucasian with hepatocellular carcinoma and four patients with other malignant tumors of the liver were studied. Although six hepatocellular carcinomas appeared to selectively concentrate alpha-fetoprotein antibody, one of these tumors was not producing alpha-fetoprotein. Moreover, in another 18 patients with alpha-fetoprotein-producing hepatocellular carcinomas, uptake of alpha-fetoprotein antibody was at best only equal to that in nontumorous hepatic tissue, and three hepatocellular carcinomas that were not producing alpha-fetoprotein concentrated the antibody to the same extent as did the alpha-fetoprotein-producing tumors and hepatic tissue. All four tumors other than hepatocellular carcinoma concentrated alpha-fetoprotein antibody as well as did hepatic tissue. These findings suggest that the penetration of hepatocellular carcinomas by alpha-fetoprotein antibody is a passive and nonselective process. This conclusion is supported by an in vitro study in which a non-alpha-fetoprotein-producing hepatic metastasis took up as much radiolabeled alpha-fetoprotein antibody as did three of four alpha-fetoprotein-producing hepatocellular carcinomas. A likely explanation for the failure of alpha-fetoprotein monoclonal antibody to be selectively concentrated by hepatocellular carcinomas is that alpha-fetoprotein is an export protein and is not expressed on the cell membranes of malignant hepatocytes.

Adult

Radioiodination of murine anti-alpha-foetoprotein E.9 monoclonal antibody and its F(ab')2 fragment for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma amongst certain population groups of Southern Africa made feasible the investigation of a radiolabelled monoclonal anti-alpha-foetoprotein as a radioimmunodiagnostic agent for this disease. This paper reports the preclinical trials with monoclonal anti-alpha-foetoprotein E.9 (anti-AFP) and its F(ab')2 fragment after radiolabelling with 131I. Various radioiodinations were tried. The best results were obtained with the lodogen and Bolton-Hunter methods. 131I from only one of the sources tested gave an 131I-labelled anti-AFP with meaningful immunoreactivity. It was shown by means of gamma-camera scans and monitoring of radioactivity in individual organs that 131I-anti-AFP and the 131I-anti-AFP F(ab')2 fragments did not accumulate abnormally in any organ(s) in healthy animals. The correlation in healthy mice of the biodistribution of 125I human IgG to 131I-anti-AFP, and 125I human IgG to 131I-F(ab')2 was good. Human hepatoma xenografts in athymic mice showed uptake of 131I-anti-AFP and the 131I-F(ab')2 fragment. The uptake of 131I-F(ab')2 was improved by liver background subtraction. There was correlation between circulatory alpha-foetoprotein concentrations and tumour uptake of 131I-F(ab')2 in tumour-bearing athymic mice and a definite relationship was found between tumour size and radiolabelled antibody and the F(ab')2 fragment. After the biological action of the 131I-anti-AFP and the 131I-F(ab')2 fragment was known, sterile pyrogen-free consignments were supplied for clinical trials in humans on a regular basis.

Animals

Quality: the banner of the 1980s.

Quality management is the vehicle for integrating the critical aspects of patient care into nursing service delivery approaches. Predetermined standards for quality, productivity, risk, and cost are correlated in this quality management approach. Information systems facilitate this integration. Nurses must now structure their quality management data elements to accurately reflect nursing practice and relationships of nursing care to the whole.

Health Services Research