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Biomedical subjects

M David

Publications and source records attributed to M David.

At least 559 records · Page 31Linked to original sources

Persistence of host Langerhans cells following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: possible relationship with acute graft-versus-host disease.

Langerhans cells (LC) are bone marrow-derived dendritic antigen-presenting cells found in the epidermis. In an effort to determine the origin (host versus donor) of LC at different intervals following bone marrow transplantation, we performed skin biopsies in 16 recipients of sex-mismatched marrow. LC were identified using monoclonal antibody OKT6 in an indirect immunoperoxidase assay and their donor or host origin determined according to the presence or absence of Y body. The presence of Y-positive (donor) LC could be demonstrated in all (6/6) skin biopsies of female recipients of male marrow tested between days 39 and 730 post-transplant. Persistence of host LC in male recipients of female marrow was documented in all (6/6) recipients studied on day 39 and in two out of seven patients tested on day 120 post-transplant. From day 365 onward, no residual host LC could be detected, suggesting that by this time all epidermal LC are donor-derived. Our study demonstrates that host LC usually persist for 39 and up to 120 d following bone marrow transplantation. The relevance of this observation to the possible role of LC and other host dendritic antigen-presenting cells in the graft-versus-host reaction is discussed.

Acute Disease↗

Acquired factor X and antithrombin III deficiency in a patient with primary amyloidosis and nephrotic syndrome.

A 45-year-old man with primary amyloidosis was initially seen with nephrotic syndrome. Factor X was found to be 5% and antithrombin III (AT III) 45% of normal plasma values. During an 11-month period, despite severe factor X deficiency, the patient did not have any bleeding complications. He developed progressive renal failure and AT III levels increased to normal, at which time he developed severe bleeding complications. These findings suggest a protective role of AT III deficiency against bleeding in a patient with severe factor X deficiency.

Amyloidosis↗

Effect of acute intravenous growth hormone-releasing factor on plasma prolactin in short children and patients with growth hormone deficiency.

Four normal subjects and 54 growth hormone (GH)-deficient patients including 43 children with growth failure were given an intravenous bolus of growth hormone-releasing factor (GHRF). Plasma prolactin (Prl) and GH after GHRF were studied. Basal plasma Prl was either normal or elevated and could not predict the GH response to GHRF. A correlation was found, within the group with basal hyperprolactinemia, between basal Prl and the net Prl increase after GHRF. No correlation was found between the net GH and the net Prl increase after GHRF. Plasma Prl was significantly, although weakly, increased after GHRF in the normal subjects.

Adolescent↗

In vitro induction of T-suppressor lymphocytes by THF, a thymic hormone, in psoriatic children.

T-lymphocyte number and function as well as the effect of a thymic hormone on the T-suppressor cell subset were studied in 22 children suffering from psoriasis vulgaris, subdivided into two groups, those with less than 20% of total skin area involved and those with more than 20% of involvement. The T-cell number was lower in the latter group than it was in the first group or in normal controls. There was no significant difference in the functional activity of T cells in the two groups of patients. The number of T-suppressor cells was significantly lower in the psoriatic children than in normal controls, being lowest in the children showing greater skin involvement. THF, a thymic hormone isolated from calves, was found in vitro to induce T-suppressor cells in the peripheral blood of the psoriatic children, suggesting that this hormone may be able to play a role in the treatment of this disease.

Adolescent↗

Diagnostic value of ventilation-perfusion lung scanning in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

Differing opinions about the value of ventilation-perfusion lung scanning have created controversy concerning the correct approach to the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. In a prospective study of 305 consecutive patients with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism and abnormal perfusion lung scans, we evaluated the role of ventilation-perfusion lung scanning, pulmonary angiography, and objective testing for venous thrombosis in the diagnostic process. Segmental or greater perfusion defects with ventilation mismatch have a high probability (86 percent) of pulmonary embolism. Contrary to current clinical practice, however, the approach of ruling against pulmonary embolism by a "low probability" scan pattern is incorrect, even with an improved technique for ventilation imaging; the frequency of pulmonary embolism in these patients ranged from 25 to 40 percent. Objective testing for venous thrombosis provides a practical alternative to performing pulmonary angiography in the diagnostic work-up; by providing an endpoint for commencing anticoagulant therapy, a positive result obviates the need for further testing in 20 to 30 percent of patients.

Adolescent↗

[Prolactin adenoma in a 14-year-old boy].

Prolactin dosage in delayed growth and puberty leads to the diagnosis of pituitary prolactinoma in a 14 years old boy. Adenoma's size, visual disturbance leads us to elect surgical treatment but persistent hyperprolactinemia after surgery requires medical treatment with bromocriptine.

Adenoma↗

[Somatocrinin and children in 1984. Application to the etiological diagnosis of somatotropin deficiencies].

A single acute IV injection (1 microgram/kg) of the synthetic replicate of Somatocrinin (GRF) in 40 children with growth hormone (GH) deficiency induces a marked plasma GH increase, although heterogeneous. Clinical tolerance is excellent. Compared to Propranolol + Glucagon (P + G), GRF induces a better GH response. It also discriminates better idiopathic GH deficiency (n = 13), where mean GH peak = 6.5 ng/ml (3.3 after P + G) from GH deficiency secondary to a brain tumor (n = 24) where mean GH peak = 15.5 ng/ml (5.0 after P + G) GRF induces a slight Prolactin (Prl) increase, more obvious when basal Prl is elevated. However there is no correlation between GH and Prl responses to GRF even with basal hyperprolactinemia. GH response to GRF seems to slowly decrease after radiation therapy. GRF is a new potent, well tolerated secretagogue of GH and improves the diagnostic quality of the etiology of GH deficiency.

Adolescent↗

[Fluorimetric assay of serum 5-fluorocytosine].

A manual and fast procedure for the fluorimetric determination of 5-fluorocytosine in the serum, after extraction by chloroform is described. The intra-assay variation was between 3,1 and 4,1%; the inter-assay variation was 4,8%. The results obtained are in good agreement with those obtained by the microbiological method. The determination of 5-fluorocytosine by this method is not possible if the sample contains ketoconazole or 5-fluorouracil.

Biological Assay↗

[Acute endocarditis caused by Kingella kingae in an infant].

A case of bacterial endocarditis in a one year-old boy is reported. There was no underlying heart disease. The organism was a Kingella kingae, an aerobic Gram negative bacillus, a normal inhabitant of the upper respiratory tract. It has rarely been implicated as a pediatric pathogen. Occasionally it can cause bone and joint infections and exceptionally endocarditis.

Acute Disease↗

[Regressive bilocular acute pseudotumoral demyelinization. Second lesion development after 10 years of remission].

The authors report what seems to be the 4th case of acute pseudotumoral demyelinating disease with regressive evolution. Onset was marked by hemiplegia with tumoral pattern on CAT-scan and pneumoencephalography and an important cystic cavity at surgery. Controlateral hemiplegia occurred 2 months later. After a period of partial recovery a long period of remission was observed, followed by a relapse 10 years after the first symptoms. This case suggests that remissions reaching 10 years are possible in such pseudotumoral demyelinating disease, but also shows that there are late secondary evolutions, as in multiple sclerosis.

Acute Disease↗

Unusual aspects of granulomatous dermatophytosis.

Described are three male patients showing bizarre manifestations of granulomatous dermatophytosis, all in the hand region. One had a small infiltrated nodular lesion near the thumb which was mistaken for a common insect bite. The second had a violaceous-yellowish plaque, also on the thumb, composed of 2-3 small subcutaneous nodules. The third case had five reddish intracutaneous nodules on the dorsum of the hand. Puncture of these nodules revealed the presence of fungal elements and culture yielded T. rubrum in all cases. Each patient was also found to have a fingernail affected by the same agent. Histologic sections in each case showed granulation tissue in the dermis and hypodermis, mainly in the vicinity of hair fragments with spores. These lesions appeared to be variants of Majocchi's granuloma trichophyticum.

Aged↗

[Cancer of the thyroid in children. 14 cases].

Fourteen cases of thyroid gland carcinoma in children (mean age: 10 years) were reviewed. Scintigraphy showed a cold nodule in 10 and diffuse heterogeneous uptake indicating undifferentiated carcinoma in 3. The clinical risk of these tumours resides in alterations of the thyroid gland and in lymph node involvement. The favourable long-term prognosis in children justifies a conservative surgical treatment. Pulmonary metastases respond well to radioactive iodine. TSH secretion must be completely suppressed by continuous hormonal treatment. Anticancerous irradiation is fraught with potential dangers.

Adolescent↗

Soft-tissue sarcomas of adults; study of pathological prognostic variables and definition of a histopathological grading system.

The pathological features of 155 adult patients with soft-tissue sarcomas were studied retrospectively, in an attempt to set up a grading system for these tumors. As the first step, seven histological criteria (tumor differentiation, cellularity, importance of nuclear atypia, presence of malignant giant cells, mitosis count, pattern of tumor necrosis and presence of vascular emboli) were evaluated in a monofactorial analysis. Five of these (tumor differentiation, cellularity, mitosis count, tumor necrosis, and vascular emboli) were correlated with the advent of metastases and with survival. A multivariate analysis, using a Cox model, selected a minimal set of three factors (tumor differentiation, mitosis count, and tumor necrosis) the combination of which was necessary and sufficient to retain all the prognostic information. A grading system was elaborated, which turned out to be correlated with the advent of metastasis and with patients' survival. A second multivariate analysis introducing clinical prognostic features showed that the histological grade was the most important prognostic factor for soft-tissue sarcomas. Thus, this grading system appears to be highly interesting because of its prognostic value and the facility of its elaboration. However, its reproducibility should be tested.

Adolescent↗

Prenatal treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia resulting from 21-hydroxylase deficiency.

In an attempt to prevent in utero virilization of female fetuses with 21-hydroxylase deficiency, six mothers at risk were treated with either hydrocortisone (n = 1) or dexamethasone (n = 5) in early pregnancy. Treatment was continued to term in the two pregnancies in which the diagnosis of an affected female fetus was confirmed. In patient 1 (hydrocortisone treatment) fetal adrenal suppression was only partial but the external genitalia were only slightly abnormal. In patient 2 (dexamethasone treatment) fetal adrenal suppression was achieved and the external genitalia were normal at birth. These encouraging results open a new prospect for treating congenital adrenal hyperplasia in utero.

17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone↗