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M J Wolin

Publications and source records attributed to M J Wolin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Therapy of acute myelogenous leukemia: understanding the question, understanding the answer.

The best therapy for people with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in first remission is controversial. Options include postremission chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant (HLA-identical sibling or autotransplant) or chemotherapy followed by a transplant at relapse. Four large cooperative group trials address this issue. In this review design and implementation of these trials is considered. Whether data from these trials will answer the questions of the best therapy for AML in first remission, is focused upon.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1996

Oculopalatal myoclonus after the one-and-a-half syndrome with facial nerve palsy.

PURPOSE: The one-and-a-half syndrome is an eye movement disorder characterized by a unilateral gaze palsy and an ipsilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia. The authors describe a previously unrecognized association between the one-and-a-half syndrome and oculopalatal myoclonus (OPM). METHODS: Five clinical cases are presented, with pertinent physical findings and radiologic studies. RESULTS: A previously unrecognized association of the one-and-a-half syndrome with subsequent development of OPM appears to exist. Involvement of the facial nerve in patients with the one-and-a-half syndrome may be a predictor of the subsequent development of OPM. CONCLUSION: Patients with the one-and-a-half syndrome and facial nerve palsy should be followed closely for possible future development of OPM.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Pathways of acetate, propionate, and butyrate formation by the human fecal microbial flora.

The pathways of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA; acetate, propionate, and butyrate) formation from glucose were determined for the human fecal microbial communities of two subjects. The pathways were identified by radioisotope analysis of the SCFA and CO2 obtained after incubation of fecal suspensions with glucose under 20% CO2 with [1-14C]glucose, [3,4-14C]glucose, or 14CO2. Acetate was chemically degraded to learn the labeling of the methyl and carboxyl carbons. The labeling of CO2 and acetate showed that the major route of glucose catabolism was the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway, with production of CO2 from pyruvate carboxyl carbon. Labeling of the methyl and carboxyl carbons of acetate by 14CO2 or [3,4-14C]glucose proved that acetate was formed from CO2 by the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. CO2 reduction accounted for about one-third of the acetate formed by suspensions from subject 1 and about one-fourth of the acetate formed by suspensions from subject 2. Propionate was formed by a CO2 fixation pathway, and butyrate was formed by classical routes of acetyl-S coenzyme A condensation. The amount of CO2 formed from [1-14C] glucose and acetate labeling patterns obtained with the other 14C precursors indicated that the Entner-Doudoroff, transketolase-transaldolase, and heterolactic pathways were not significant. Fermentation of cabbage cellulose by subject 1 followed the same pathways as were used for glucose. The results with suspensions from subject 2 suggested that some radioactive acetate was formed from the C-3 of glucose by the Bifidobacterium pathway.

Acetates↗
PubMed1996

Acute graft-versus-host disease in a recipient of a twin blood cell transplant.

There are reports of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after autologous and twin bone marrow transplants but they are controversial because of the difficulty of accurate diagnosis. We report a subject with Philadelphia chromosome-positive CML who received two syngeneic transplants of blood cells. In the first transplant of 2.6 x 10(8) mononuclear cells/kg, no pretransplant conditioning was given; in the second transplant of 4.9 x 10(8) mononuclear cells/kg, pretransplant conditioning therapy consisted of chemotherapy and TBI. Although no symptoms were seen after the first transplant, the second was followed by fever, diarrhea, rash and liver function test abnormalities coincident with engraftment. Symptoms resolved spontaneously. The patient was not on any medication and had not received any transfusions. Our observations suggest either that acute GVHD in a twin transplant is a direct consequence of conditioning or that pretransplant conditioning is a prerequisite for developing features resembling acute GVHD.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Digitalis-induced visual disturbances with therapeutic serum digitalis concentrations.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of digitalis in the development of visual symptoms severe enough to warrant ophthalmologic consultation in patients who received digitalis and who had no other clinical or laboratory evidence of digitalis toxicity. DESIGN: Clinical case study. SETTING: Neuro-ophthalmology referral practice. PATIENTS: Six elderly patients (aged 66 to 85 years) who received digitalis were referred to ophthalmologists for evaluation of photopsia (five patients) or decreased visual acuity (one patient). No patient had chromatopsia or nonvisual clinical manifestations of digitalis intoxication at the time of examination. MEASUREMENTS: All patients had serum digitalis concentrations within or below the therapeutic range. In most patients, the electroretinographic cone b-wave implicit time was longer than normal. RESULTS: Discontinuation of digitalis therapy, which was possible in five patients, was followed by resolution of visual symptoms and by shortening of the b-wave implicit time. Characteristic features of digitalis-induced photopsia were its dependence on illumination and its tendency to be localized in peripheral visual fields. CONCLUSIONS: In an elderly patient receiving digitalis, the development of photopsia characterized by innumerable points of light in the peripheral visual fields or a decrease in visual acuity raises the possibility that the patient's visual disturbance may have been digitalis induced. Digitalis-induced visual disturbances other than chromatopsia or disturbances of color vision may occur in elderly patients who have no other clinical manifestations of digitalis intoxication and who have a serum digitalis concentration within or below the therapeutic range.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Serum stem cell factor levels in patients with aplastic anemia.

Immune suppression of hematopoiesis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of acquired aplastic anemia. Similarly, abnormalities of T cells and bone marrow stromal cells have been reported in aplastic anemia, as has abnormal cytokine production. Stem cell factor (SCF) (also known as kit ligand, mast cell growth factor and Steel factor) is an early acting hematopoietic growth factor that is produced by a variety of mesenchymal cells including bone marrow stromal cells. To determine whether abnormalities in the production of stem cell factor occur in aplastic anemia, we evaluated serum levels of SCF in 25 patients with aplastic anemia. The mean serum levels of SCF in aplastic anemia patients were significantly lower (2.7 +/- 1.1 ng/ml) than those found in a comparable population of 257 normal controls (3.3 +/- 1.1 ng/ml) (P = 0.011). The SCF level did not correlate with patient age, the duration of aplastic anemia or with white blood cell count, platelet count or hematocrit. Although there is no direct evidence that lower SCF serum levels contribute to the pancytopenia seen in this disorder, identification of underlying abnormalities that can result in the deficient production of stromally derived hematopoietic growth factors will be important.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Alzheimer's disease and the eye.

AD patients may have substantial defects in the visual system despite a normal routine eye exam. Specific methods should be utilized to assess the ability of these patients to understand what they see and read. Subtle defects of eye movements may be present. Problems with contrast sensitivity, color vision, and stereo vision may be also be present, as well as early signs of optic atrophy. An awareness of the specific problems that AD patients present will lead the clinician to accurate diagnosis.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1993

Bacterial strains from human feces that reduce CO2 to acetic acid.

We used dilutions of fecal suspensions from a human volunteer to enrich cultures for bacteria that reduce CO2 to acetate in the colon. The soluble enrichment substrates used were glucose, methanol, formate, and vanillate, which were used with a gas phase that contained 80% N2 and 20% CO2. The gaseous enrichment substrates used were 80% H2-20% CO2 and 50% CO-50% CO2. We isolated three different strains that produced acetate from CO2. One strain produced acetate from methanol, vanillate, H2-CO2, glucose, and other sugars. The other two strains did not form acetate from methanol or vanillate. Both of the latter strains formed acetate from glucose and other sugars, but only one of these strains formed acetate from H2-CO2. Both of these strains cometabolized formate. However, none of the enrichment cultures or pure cultures used CO or formate as a substrate for growth. The two strains that produced acetate from H2 and CO2 grew slowly when the gases alone were used as substrates, but they rapidly cometabolized H2 and CO2 when they were grown with organic substrates. The ability of all of the strains to produce acetate from CO2 and/or other one-carbon precursors was verified by determining the radioactivity of the methyl and carboxyl groups of the acetate formed after growth with 14CO2 or other radioactively labeled one-carbon precursors.

Acetates↗
PubMed1993

Amounts of viable anaerobes, methanogens, and bacterial fermentation products in feces of rats fed high-fiber or fiber-free diets.

We investigated the impact of dietary fiber on the fecal output of microorganisms and microbial fermentation products of rats. Two groups of five male Wistar rats were fed high-fiber (HF) and fiber-free (FF) diets in the following order: (group 1) lab chow-->HF-->FF-->HF and (group 2) lab chow-->FF-->HF-->FF. Daily fecal output of total viable anaerobes was 71 times higher with the HF diet. Daily output of methanogens was 1.4 times higher for the HF diet than for the FF diet. Daily excretion of total fermentation acid products (acetate, propionate, butyrate, lactate, succinate, and formate) was 2.4 and 0.1 mmol for HF and FF diets, respectively. The ratios of acetate/propionate/butyrate were 69:21:10 for the HF diet and 92:7:1 for the FF diet. The results show that an HF diet significantly increases microbial growth in the colon and influences the proportions of organic acid products. The HF diet did not increase the ratio of methanogens to total anaerobes. We suggest that the contribution of host-derived substrates to colonic microbial growth and fermentation is insignificant.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Calcified brain metastasis.

Two patients with rare cases of calcified brain metastases are reported. The relatively benign clinical course and prolonged survival are stressed. The first patient had an adenocarcinoma of unknown origin with three calcified brain metastases. The patient underwent an incisional brain biopsy without radiotherapy and survived for 2 years and 9 months. The second patient had a squamous cell carcinoma of the lung with a large, solitary brain metastasis. The brain tumor was calcified and remained stable without progression for at least 4 months before surgical resection.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1992

Cornstarch fermentation by the colonic microbial community yields more butyrate than does cabbage fiber fermentation; cornstarch fermentation rates correlate negatively with methanogenesis.

Fermentations of cornstarch and a cabbage-fiber preparation by human fecal suspensions were studied. The molar percent of butyrate of total short-chain fatty acid products was significantly higher when cornstarch was the substrate. Higher molar percents of butyrate were also produced from cornstarch as compared with endogenous substrate when rat fecal suspensions were used. A range of cornstarch fermentation rates was found with suspensions from 20 human subjects. Rapid fermentaion was associated with the absence of methane production. Methane-negative rat fecal suspensions also fermented cornstarch more rapidly than did methane-positive suspensions. High butyrate production may be important because butyrate provides energy to colonocytes and it regulates differentiation of cultured cells.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1992

Aneurysmal oculomotor nerve palsy in an 11-year-old boy.

Cerebral aneurysms are rare in children. When they occur, they usually present with a history of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Gabianelli et al. (1) recently reported a 14-year-old girl with an isolated oculomotor nerve palsy due to aneurysm. In their discussion, they state that arteriography is, "Unnecessary in patients under 10 (years of age) if the symptoms and signs of subarachnoid hemorrhage are absent or high resolution computerized tomography scan or adequate magnetic resonance imaging scan is normal." To date, their patient is the youngest reported in the literature with an isolated oculomotor nerve palsy proved to be caused by cerebral aneurysm. We report herein an 11-year-old boy who presented with an oculomotor nerve palsy due to aneurysm with minimal preceding symptoms and no other signs of intracranial disease.

Carotid Artery Diseases↗
PubMed1990

Spontaneous visual recovery from traumatic optic neuropathy after blunt head injury.

Four patients who developed immediate blindness (no light perception) after indirect traumatic optic neuropathy caused by blunt head injury recovered vision without surgical intervention. In one patient, whose affected eye recovered to a visual acuity of 20/50 + 2, corticosteroids were not used. In two of the other patients, visual recovery began before corticosteroids were instituted. One patient recovered a visual acuity of R.E.: 20/15, one recovered a visual acuity of L.E.: 20/25-2, and one recovered a visual acuity of R.E.: 20/200 but with useful temporal field vision. Many investigators advocate aggressive surgical therapy for indirect neuropathy, particularly when corticosteroids fail. Significant recovery may occur despite no light perception, however, with medical therapy or even without therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Characterization of carbohydrate fermentation in feces of formula-fed and breast-fed infants.

We wished to characterize the carbohydrate fermentation by intestinal flora in formula-fed infants and in breast-fed infants. We also wished to compare the carbohydrate fermentation process in the two groups to determine whether differences that existed between groups could help explain the observation that breast-fed infants usually have milder forms of acute gastroenteritis. We performed in vitro incubations of fecal samples from nine formula-fed and 14 breast-fed infants and examined the samples for fermentation characteristics, the effect of acid pH on bacterial fermentation, and changes in carbohydrate fermentation in relation to the age of the infant. Fecal samples were incubated, with and without the addition of lactose, at a pH of 6.8 and at a pH of 5.5. Volatile fatty acids and carbohydrates were determined in the incubates. The addition of lactose to the incubate at pH 6.8 resulted in significantly increased volatile fatty acid production and larger amounts of lactose, glucose, and galactose compared with the values observed in 1-h incubates to which no lactose was added. At pH 5.5, volatile fatty acid production was significantly lower in both groups compared with that at pH 6.8, and the accumulation of monosaccharides in the incubate of feces of formula-fed infants increased significantly (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed1990

Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the orbit arising from a stable, benign-appearing eyelid nodule.

Mucinous adenocarcinoma is a rare eyelid tumor which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a nodular or cystic lesion of the eyelid. This lesion may be locally aggressive and requires complete excision to prevent local recurrence or regional metastases. We present what we believe is the first report of a mucinous adenocarcinoma manifesting as a stable, benign-appearing nodule that has already given rise to a much larger secondary lesion. This case underscores the importance of performing a biopsy on even benign-appearing eyelid nodules.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗