Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Bray

Publications and source records attributed to M Bray.

72 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Fatal food-induced anaphylaxis.

Fatal food-induced anaphylaxis is rarely reported. In 16 months, we identified seven such cases involving five males and two females, aged 11 to 43 years. All victims were atopic with multiple prior anaphylactic episodes after ingestion of the incriminated food (peanut, four; pecan, one; crab, one; fish, one). In six cases the allergenic food was ingested away from home. Factors contributing to the severity of individual reactions included denial of symptoms, concomitant intake of alcohol, reliance on oral antihistamines alone to treat symptoms, and adrenal suppression by chronic glucocorticoid therapy for coexisting asthma. In no case was epinephrine administered immediately after onset of symptoms. Premortem or postmortem serum samples were available from six victims; in each case elevated levels of IgE antibodies to the incriminated food were demonstrated. Food-sensitive individuals must self-administer epinephrine promptly at the first sign of systemic reaction. Emergency care providers should be aware of cricothyrotomy as a life-saving procedure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Role of ionizing irradiation for 393 keloids.

Between 1928 and 1986, 393 keloid sites on 250 patients were presented. Three hundred seventy-five sites received superficial quality therapeutic irradiation. Etiologies were determined. The majority were excised prior to irradiation, and in these, histologic confirmation was obtained. Recurrence rate after irradiation was low, 9/375 (2.4%). When 7 of 9 recurrences are eliminated for post-irradiation ear lobe repiercing, true recurrence is only 2/375 (0.53%). Cosmetic result was considered excellent without recurrence in 92%; favorably improved with hypertrophic scar, nodule or altered pigment in 5.6%; and marginally improved with smaller, less symptomatic keloid in 2.4%. Significant complications were limited to persistent pigment disturbance in only 1 patient, and pre-irradiation hemorrhage in 1 patient (unrelated to radiotherapy). There was no wound dehiscence nor failure to heal irradiated incision site. Transient hyperpigmentation occurred in 91/375 (24%). Recurrence after irradiation was too rare to associate with etiology, specific technical factors, keloid configuration or velocity of initiating the post-operative radiotherapy. An unexpected finding was that 22/250 (9%) were Caucasian subjects. Our null (0%) carcinogenicity rate to date and the one-half of one percent true recurrence rate supports continued use of post-operative irradiation to prevent keloid formation in this group of documented troublesome keloid formers. Configuration subtypes are proposed, post-operative irradiation protocol is listed, and mechanism of action is explained in accordance with the dynamic pathophysiology of keloid.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed1986

Effects of bright incandescent light on seasonal and nonseasonal major depressive disorder.

Previous research has indicated that exposure to bright fluorescent light can benefit clinically depressed individuals. The present study, a 1- to 2-week open trial of bright (greater than or equal to 2,000 lux) incandescent light with seasonal (fall/winter) and nonseasonal depressives, produced a therapeutic effect on seasonal depression, as measured by three criteria for recovery: final score on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) less than 10; final HRSD score less than or equal to 50% of pretreatment HRSD score; no longer meets DSM-III criteria for major depressive disorder. Phototherapy was not effective in the nonseasonal patients, whose functioning was more impaired than that of the seasonal subjects even before the trial. No adverse effects were observed in any patient.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

B-Ly1 cells: immortal Ly-1+ B lymphocyte cell lines spontaneously arising in murine splenic cultures.

We have surveyed the molecular and functional properties of B-Ly1 cells, spontaneously occurring Ly-1+ cell tissue cultures lines established from murine spleen. Several features are surprising when compared to the conventional understanding of B cell physiology: In contrast to the major B cell subpopulation, these cells establish stable in vitro lines in the absence of nominal growth factors. This outgrowth is consistently accompanied by c-myc amplification and deregulation, and resistance to the effects of an autoregulatory IgM species which normally curtails the growth of B cells. These properties may be relevant to the disproportionate occurrence of Ly-1+ B cell malignancies in vivo. B-Ly1 cell lines consistently delete immunoglobulin constant region genes, and uniformly express lambda light chains, a rare murine isotype. These features may be causally related, and may reflect a novel recombinational activity (see this volume). Immunoglobulin expression can be modulated by conventional stimuli. However, the response is transient, and includes production of mature heavy chain isotypes ("class switching") without apparent switch deletion. Moreover, unstimulated B-Ly1 cells show transcriptional activity throughout the heavy chain locus, and a novel hypermutation activity affecting the immunoglobulin variable region. The mechanisms underlying this surprising pattern of immunoglobulin expression are unknown. However, one wonders whether this expression pattern, if common to Ly-1+ B cell in vivo, might provide modes to escape idiotypic or isotypic immunoregulation. If so, this may be relevant to the prevalence of autoantibody production by this subpopulation. Thus, we are hopeful that some of these unique properties, if confirmed in the Ly-1+ B cells in vivo, will provide more definitive markers for this subpopulation, and disclose mechanisms accounting for their distinctive physiology and pathophysiology.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Chemical estimation of fresh water immersion intervals.

Postmortem vitreous humor chemistry studies were reviewed in 25 cases in which death was followed by submersion in fresh water for known lengths of time. The potassium concentrations in cold temperature cases initially increased in a linear manner, but appeared to level off or decline after about 1 week. In hot weather cases, potassium levels rose rapidly during the first few days postmortem. The sodium and chloride levels decreased in a fairly regular fashion, with less temperature variation. Increasing variation in values began to occur at about 7 days. The data show that dilution of the contents of the eye by fresh water begins at about that time in cases of cold water submersion. A formula employing the weighted average of the potassium and chloride concentrations can be used to determine the duration of submersion in cold water over the range of 2-10 days.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed1984

Fluorescent histochemical demonstration of estrogen and progesterone binding in giant cell tumors of bone: preliminary observations.

Hormonal receptors of giant cell tumors (GCTs) have not been previously reported. Five cases of GCT of bone were analyzed for estrogen and progesterone binding. Frozen sections were studied by a histochemical method, using 17-beta-6-CMOBSA-FITC and 11-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone-HS-BSA-TMRITC. Cytoplasmic fluorescence with estradiol-BSA-FITC was seen in stromal cells of all five tumors; three also showed cytoplasmic staining with progesterone-BSA-TMRITC. No fluorescence was seen in the giant cells. Two cases were also analyzed by a dextran-coated charcoal cytosol assay. No estrogen or progesterone receptor was detected by cytosol assay. This study suggests that the estrogen and progesterone binding is present in GCT of bone, possible to low-affinity sites rather than high-affinity receptors. Further investigation of hormonal receptors of GCTs of bone is warranted.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Evolution of a primary lymphoma of the orbit.

A patient with a histologically benign lymphoid pseudotumour of the orbit developed a recurrent mass which proved to be a well differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma. Immunohistological studies showed that a majority of cells in the pseudotumour bore the same immunological markers as the subsequent lymphoma. There were no clinical or radiographic features of the initial lesion which indicated its eventual malignant course.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

The eye as a chemical indicator of environmental temperature at the time of death.

Vitreous humor chemistry profiles were reviewed on 133 autopsied cases in which death occurred outdoors during a six-year period, to determine whether environmental temperature at the time of death influenced chemistry values obtained at autopsy. The glucose concentration and total carbon dioxide content varied inversely with temperature. Values were significantly higher in the winter than the summer months. The mean glucose level was higher in deaths caused by cold exposure than in other deaths occurring in the cold, but individual cases could not be distinguished on the basis of chemistry values. Potassium levels tended to be slightly lower in winter. It was noted that chemistry studies could be used to help determine whether a body found outdoors in winter actually died in a different, warmer environment.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed1984

The effect of chilling, freezing, and rewarming on the postmortem chemistry of vitreous humor.

The effect of chilling at the time of death on the postmortem chemistry of the vitreous humor was studied by using sheep heads obtained immediately following decapitation. One group of heads was kept at room temperature, while the remainder were chilled on ice or in ice water, then refrigerated or frozen. Vitreous humor specimens were taken at intervals over a 48-h period. Chilling inhibited the fall in the glucose concentration and the total carbon dioxide content and lessened the increase in lactic acid, compared to the room temperature group. Rapid glycolysis resumed when the heads rewarmed to room temperature starting at 6-h postmortem, but did not resume at later points. The rate of rise of the potassium and magnesium concentrations was also diminished in the chilled eyes. Freezing and thawing caused an abrupt increase in the potassium and magnesium levels, but other solutes were unaffected.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Lambda light chain predominance as a sign of emerging lymphoma.

Immunohistologic methods can be used to help differentiate inflammatory from neoplastic lymphoid proliferations in extranodal sites. The majority of B-lymphocytes in an inflammatory process should show surface or cytoplasmic staining for kappa light chains, reflecting the normal human kappa:lambda ratio of approximately 2:1. If a benign-appearing lesion is found to contain predominantly lambda-positive cells, this may be a sign of an emerging lymphoma. The principle is illustrated by a case report of a lymphoid "pseudotumor" of the orbit that showed a polyclonal staining pattern with a predominance of lambda-positive cells and subsequently developed into a lymphoma-producing IgM lambda.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Vitreous humor chemistry in deaths associated with rapid chilling and prolonged freshwater immersion.

Vitreous humor chemistry studies were performed on 13 air crash victims who had remained immersed in near-freezing fresh water for seven to eight days. Glucose concentrations were observed to be higher than those in a comparison group of autopsied cases with prolonged postmortem intervals, suggesting that rapid chilling inhibited glycolysis. Evidence of dilution of vitreous humor electrolytes was also noted. After correction for the apparent degree of dilution, the potassium concentrations were found to fall within a narrow range.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1968

The optimistic view.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗