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Biomedical subjects

M Finlay

Publications and source records attributed to M Finlay.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Radiotherapy and Marfan syndrome: a report of two cases.

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a heritable disorder of the connective tissue which has been linked to mutations in the FBN (fibrillin-1) gene. Murine knockouts of the FBN gene show increased interstitial fibrosis and TGF-beta (tumor growth factor-beta) gene activation. Abnormal TGF-beta expression has previously been linked to radiation-induced fibrosis, suggesting a possible link between MFS and increased late effects following radiotherapy. Herein we report two cases in which MFS patients treated with radical radiotherapy without undue acute or late radiotherapy toxicity suggesting that radiotherapy should not be withheld from MFS patients. MFS patients may provide a unique clinico-translational setting to test associations between FBN mutations, TGF-beta activation and the risk of tissue fibrosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Acute renal failure following ingestion of wild mushrooms.

We describe three cases of acute renal failure in young men who ingested wild mushrooms with the intent of producing hallucinations. Two cases remained dialysis dependent and, in these cases, renal biopsy revealed tubulointerstitial nephritis and fibrosis. Similar cases have been reported in other countries, but not in Australia. The most recognized mushroom nephrotoxin is orellanine, however the causative mushroom species and the actual toxin involved in these cases are unknown.

2,2'-Dipyridyl↗
PubMed2001

The storage defects in grey platelet syndrome and alphadelta-storage pool deficiency affect alpha-granule factor V and multimerin storage without altering their proteolytic processing.

Among proteins stored in alpha-granules, multimerin and factor V share unusual features: they bind to each other, are proteolysed to unique forms and are stored eccentrically in alpha-granules. These unique features of their processing led us to study these proteins in alpha delta storage pool deficiency (alphadelta-SPD) and grey platelet syndrome (GPS, alpha-SPD), two conditions known to impair alpha-granule protein storage. Platelet factor V and multimerin were severely reduced in GPS, whereas they ranged from reduced to normal in alphadelta-SPD. The platelet levels of factor V and multimerin in these disorders indicated multimerin deficiency was not predictive of platelet factor V deficiency, although it reduced the amount of multimerin associated with platelet factor V. In GPS only, the defect in storing proteins was associated with increased multimerin and multimerin-factor V complexes in plasma. Like normal platelets, GPS and alphadelta-SPD platelets contained factor V mainly in granules. Platelet factor V and multimerin were proteolysed to normal platelet forms in GPS and alphadelta-SPD platelets, indicating that these conditions preserve some aspects of normal alpha-granule protein processing. Although we found factor V can be stored in platelets deficient in multimerin, our data indicate that multimerin storage influences the point at which multimerin binds factor V.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed2001

The incidence of biopsy-proven glomerulonephritis in Australia.

BACKGROUND: There is limited population-based epidemiological data on renal disease. An insight into the spectrum of clinically significant glomerulonephritis can be obtained from renal biopsy diagnoses. This is a descriptive report of biopsy-proven glomerulonephritis within a defined population. METHODS: A retrospective review of the pathology reports of all native renal biopsies performed in the Australian state of Victoria in 1995 and 1997 was undertaken. Trends in the average annual age- and sex-specific incidence rates for biopsy-proven glomerulonephritis were calculated. Comparisons were made with the incidence of end-stage renal disease due to glomerulonephritis confirmed on renal biopsy. RESULTS: The most common glomerulonephritides in adults are IgA disease, focal glomerulosclerosis, lupus nephritis and vasculitis, and in children are lupus nephritis, focal glomerulosclerosis, IgA disease and minimal change disease. A male predominance is seen for all glomerulonephritides, except lupus nephritis, in both adults and children. An increase in incidence of disease with age, particularly in males, is seen for vasculitis and focal glomerulosclerosis. The most common glomerulonephritides on renal biopsy are reflected in the most common causes of end-stage renal disease due to glomerulonephritis. CONCLUSIONS: This review has provided population-based descriptive epidemiological data on clinically significant glomerulonephritis. This data provides important clues for further studies relating to the identification of risk factors for the various types of glomerulonephritis.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Cholesterol emboli to the kidney: an immunoperoxidase study.

Cholesterol emboli (CE) are an increasingly recognised cause of renal impairment in the elderly population, especially following diagnostic vascular procedures and aortic surgery. They can present as part of a multisystem disease which can mimic many conditions, depending on the site of the emboli. As a pathological entity, it was described by Florey in 1945. Relatively few cases have been reported in the literature. At this stage there is no accepted treatment protocol for CE induced renal failure. Little is known about the precise nature of the cells involved in the proliferating tissue surrounding CE in the kidney. To date, all studies on CE have involved routine Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stains. By studying the cellular interactions, hopefully this will contribute further to our understanding of CE in the kidney. Nine (n = 9) out of 1150 consecutive renal biopsies over a six year period were analysed. Standard three- and four-layered peroxidase-antiperoxidase techniques were employed. A panel of antibodies to specific cells were used. The particular cells analysed were the myofibroblast, smooth muscle, endothelium, macrophage, neutrophil, T cell and B cell. All vessels in the biopsy specimen containing CE were analysed. T cell, B cell, macrophage and neutrophil infiltrates were counted and expressed as cells/mm2 using a 0.022 mm2 graticule under 400 (10x40) magnification. The vessel and perivascular space were analysed. The myofibroblast, smooth muscle and endothelial cell proliferation were graded semiquantitatively. Vessels without evidence of CE were used as controls. The data were subjected to statistical analysis using the unpaired non-parametric Mann-Whitney Two Sample test. P values <0.05 were accepted as significant. Histological sections demonstrated the host response in the vessel to CE involve a significant response including the myofibroblast, endothelium, T cell and macrophage. The B cell response was absent and the smooth muscle cell response was not significantly different. The perivascular responses were not different for the cells studied. This study has characterised the host response to CE in the human kidney by demonstrating the presence of the myofibroblast, macrophage T cell and endothelial cell response. The myofibroblast is a cell which is increasingly being recognised in the host response of both granulation tissue and pathological tissue. The population at risk for CE is growing and the disease is increasingly iatrogenic in origin. Currently our only treatment is prevention.

Actins↗
PubMed2000

Photo-induced synthesis of tomatidenol-based glycoalkaloids in Solanum phureja tubers.

The effect of light exposure on the steroidal glycoalkaloid content of Solanum phureja tubers has been investigated and compared with that in domesticated potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers. The results indicated that the increase in the concentration of solanidine-based glycoalkaloids, alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine was broadly similar in both species. However, in the S. phureja tubers, light exposure also induced the synthesis of tomatidenol-based glycoalkaloids. These have been identified as alpha- and beta-solamarine. These glycoalkaloids were not detected in tubers continually stored in darkness.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1998

JPred: a consensus secondary structure prediction server.

UNLABELLED: An interactive protein secondary structure prediction Internet server is presented. The server allows a single sequence or multiple alignment to be submitted, and returns predictions from six secondary structure prediction algorithms that exploit evolutionary information from multiple sequences. A consensus prediction is also returned which improves the average Q3 accuracy of prediction by 1% to 72.9%. The server simplifies the use of current prediction algorithms and allows conservation patterns important to structure and function to be identified. AVAILABILITY: http://barton.ebi.ac.uk/servers/jpred.h tml CONTACT: geoff@ebi.ac.uk

Algorithms↗
PubMed1998

Helicobacter pylori as a pathogenic factor in Ménétrier's disease.

The cause of Ménétrier's disease is unknown, although various autoimmune, allergic, and infective causes have been postulated. This case report describes a 37-yr-old man with Ménétrier's disease associated with protein-losing enteropathy and Helicobacter pylori infection. Clinical, endoscopic, histological, and biochemical resolution occurred after treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. The improvement observed in this case supports an etiological role for H. pylori infection in Ménétrier's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The arthropathy of fibroblastic rheumatism.

Fibroblastic rheumatism (FR) is a relatively rare syndrome characterized by the association of multiple cutaneous nodules with polyarthritis. The unique histologic finding in the skin and synovium of patients with FR is a proliferation of myofibroblast-like cells within a background matrix of collagen. The occurrence of erosive arthritis has not been emphasized in previous descriptions of FR. We describe a patient with FR who presented with symmetric polyarthritis, skin thickening, and dermal nodules. Despite treatment with prednisone and D-penicillamine, he developed a progressive, destructive polyarthropathy that mimicked multicentric reticulohistiocytosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Psychometric properties of the French version of the Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) in elderly patients evaluated in geriatric psychiatry].

OBJECTIVE: This research evaluates the psychometric properties of the French version of the Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS), an instrument for the screening of dementia, in a sample of patients seen in geriatric psychiatry. METHODS: Subjects (N = 94, 63 to 93 years of age) were outpatients of a service in geriatric psychiatry. In addition to the 3MS, a battery of tests evaluating the cognitive functioning and depressive symptomatology was administered. RESULTS: Test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.87 for a subsample of 35 subjects. An exploratory factor analysis revealed 4 factors accounting for 63.2% of the variance. Cut-off scores of 79 to 80 (with years of education > or = 8) and 71 to 72 (with years of education < or = 7) presented the best combination sensitivity/specificity, respectively 0.80 and 0.96. CONCLUSIONS: This study documents the psychometric properties of the French version of the 3MS for use in patients seen in geriatric psychiatry, in suggesting cut-off scores which take into account the level of education. This study underlines the influence of sociodemographic variables on test performance.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Clinical spectrum of cryptogenic organising pneumonitis.

Cryptogenic organising pneumonitis (bronchiolitis obliterans organising pneumonia) is an uncommon condition that often responds to steroids. It is characterised clinically by constitutional symptoms, pathologically by intra-alveolar organising fibrosis, and radiologically by patchy pulmonary infiltrates. Its full clinical spectrum and course are only partially described and understood. Six patients are described, seen over three years, with considerably diverse clinical and radiological presentations (two had diffuse lung infiltrates, two had peripheral lung infiltrates, and two had localised lobar involvement) and with very varying severity of disease (two with a life threatening illness, three with appreciable subacute constitutional symptoms, and one with mild symptoms). It is concluded that cryptogenic organising pneumonitis can present in various ways. A set of diagnostic criteria are proposed which will help in the recognition of this syndrome, which is probably underdiagnosed.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

CT diagnosis of gall stone ileus.

We report a case of gall stone ileus in which only small bowel obstruction was seen on the conventional abdominal film and the diagnosis was made by computed tomography (CT). With the availability of CT and its increasing use in the investigation of the acute abdomen, CT examination will occasionally be performed on gall stone ileus patients. Awareness of the CT findings in gall stone ileus will result in early diagnosis leading to a reduction in the mortality rate.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Chemical synthesis, cloning and expression in mammalian cells of a gene coding for human tissue-type plasminogen activator.

A 1610-bp DNA duplex coding for human tissue-type plasminogen activator has been chemically synthesized using the phosphoramidite procedure, adapted for a custom-built gene synthesizer. The synthesizer, which was designed for both simplicity and speed, permits the rapid construction of relatively large genes and compares favorably in speed with alternative cDNA isolation procedures. The plasminogen activator gene has been expressed in mammalian cells and shown to produce authentic protein by an immuno-activity assay.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1988

The effects of long term methyldopa in patients with hypoxic cor pulmonale.

Methyldopa (alpha-methyldopa) was given to patients with cor pulmonale secondary to chronic obstructive airways disease (COAD) to determine its effect on pulmonary haemodynamics. Twenty-five patients were randomly allocated to methyldopa (750 mg daily) or placebo. Pulmonary haemodynamics were measured twice, 12 months apart. Conventional therapies were continued unchanged. The effects of the drug on pulmonary haemodynamics were inconclusive when considered overall, but total pulmonary vascular resistance (TPVR) fell in all patients on active therapy in whom measurements were obtained both at rest and upon exercise. Only one patient in the placebo group achieved this. Over the trial period there was one death in the active but five in the placebo group. Survival was unrelated to abnormalities in pulmonary haemodynamics at the commencement of the trial in this study although the numbers of patients was small. Postural hypotension developed in patients receiving methyldopa and limited the dose that could be administered. The problems involved in long term trials of vasodilators in hypoxic cor pulmonale are discussed.

Aged↗