Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Katz.
Fetal scrotal inguinal hernia was diagnosed at 33 weeks of pregnancy by ultrasonographic examination. Moving, echo-free, cystlike structures representing peristalsis within trapped loops of bowel in an abnormally enlarged scrotum were the main ultrasonographic finding. The diagnosis was confirmed post partum, and surgery was successfully carried out 4 days after delivery.
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To investigate the capacity of lupus autoAb to produce glomerular immune deposits (ID) and nephritis, 24 murine monoclonal (m) anti-DNA antibodies (Ab), derived from either MRL-lpr/lpr, SNF1 or NZB lupus-prone mice and selected based on properties shared with nephritogenic Ig, were administered i.p. (as hybridomas) and i.v. (as purified Ig) to normal mice; at least four mice/mAb were evaluated. Three general patterns of immune deposit formation (IDF) were observed: extracellular ID within glomeruli (+/- blood vessels, N = 8); intranuclear ID (N = 5); or minimal or no ID (N = 11). The four MRL m anti-DNA Ab that produced significant extracellular ID demonstrated different disease profiles including: (a) mesangial and subendothelial ID with anti-basement membrane staining, associated with proliferative glomerulonephritis, PMN infiltration, and proteinuria; (b) diffuse fine granular mesangial and extraglomerular vascular ID, associated with proliferative glomerulonephritis and proteinuria; (c) dense intramembranous ID and intraluminal ID, associated with capillary wall thickening, mesangial interposition and expansion, aneurysmal dilatation and intraluminal occlusion of glomerular capillary loops, and heavy proteinuria; and (d) mesangial and extraglomerular vascular ID, associated with mild segmental mesangial expansion, without proteinuria. These MRL mAb were derived from four different mice, and they had variable pIs and isotypes. They all cross reacted with multiple autoantigens (autoAg), however, their autoAg binding profiles were distinguishable. Among the SNF1 derived mAb, four produced histologically and clinically indistinguishable disease characterized by diffuse mesangial and capillary wall ID, associated with cellular proliferation/infiltration and proteinuria. Three of the four mAb were derived from the same mouse and were clonally related; they were: IgG2b with SWR allotype, relatively cationic, highly cross reactive with similar Ag binding patterns, idiotypically related and encoded by identical VH and nearly identical VL sequences. We conclude that both the capacity of lupus autoAb to form ID and the location of IDF are dependent on properties unique to individual Ig. The results also indicate that the Ag binding region of the autoAb is influential in this process, and they suggest that multiple Ab-Ag interactions contribute to IDF in individuals with lupus nephritis. Furthermore, these observations raise the possibility that the pathologic and clinical abnormalities resulting from these interactions are influenced by the location of IDF, and that the dominant interaction, in a given individual, may be highly influential in the phenotypic expression of nephritis.
In August 1991 the Institute of Medicine released a report entitled "Adverse Effects of Pertussis and Rubella Vaccines" that examined, among other relations, the relation between immunization with the RA 27/3 rubella vaccine strain and chronic arthritis. The committee spent 20 months reviewing a wide range of information sources including case series and individual case reports published in peer-reviewed journals and reported by vaccine manufacturers; unpublished case reports from physicians, parents, and other concerned persons; epidemiological studies; and laboratory studies. There were no animal studies available. The committee found that the evidence is consistent with a causal relation between the RA 27/3 rubella vaccine strain and chronic arthritis in adult women, although the evidence is limited in scope. Proving that rubella vaccination can cause chronic arthritis will require a better understanding of pathogenetic mechanisms and additional well-designed studies. We briefly describe the committee's evaluative methods and present the evidence underlying its conclusion.
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This study investigated the possible oxidative effect of vitamin K3 (menadione) and Vitamin K1 (Konakion) on neonatal erythrocytes by controlled in vitro exposure. Menadione caused only mild morphological changes and did not decrease ATP levels. However, it oxidized intracellular hemoglobin to methemoglobin in neonatal cells more than in adult cells. Reduced glutathione contents were higher in neonatal cells, but less available for antioxidant protection. Konakion did not increase methemoglobin levels in newborn infants after a prophylactic injection. In vitro exposure to Konakion did not affect reduced glutathione and ATP levels, nor did it oxidize hemoglobin. However, extensive morphological changes were observed, attributed to the effect of its solvent. Therefore, it seems that menadione, which is no longer administered to newborns, causes oxidative stress in neonatal cells whereas Konakion, the current vitamin K1, does not, either in in vitro studies or by therapeutic administration.
Data covering a 15-year period on the health, behavior, and functioning of a representative population of families of children with mental retardation and comparison children were used in cluster analysis to obtain relatively homogeneous groupings of families. Only a small minority of families of children with mental retardation did not cluster together with comparison families. More than a third functioned well and had a middle-class orientation; less than a third functioned poorly. A few clusters had ambiguous configurations, but most were easily understood and conformed generally to expectations in validation analyses.
Prenatal ultrasound diagnosed iniencephaly apertus at 21 weeks' gestation. In this rare central nervous system (CNS) malformation the brain and neck show the main pathologies. Retroflexion of the head with exaggerated cervicothoracic lordosis is always present, and CNS malformations in the form of anencephaly, spina bifida and encephalocele are often present. The ultrasonic diagnosis should be based on the finding of extreme dorsiflexion of the head accompanied by an abnormally short and deformed spine.
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The overall prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection in 168 patients with urinary incontinence was 7.7%. However, in patients with urethral instability CT was found significantly more often than in those with stable urethra (P less than 0.001). Clinical and urodynamic improvement followed the treatment with doxycycline in 8 out of 9 patients with urethral instability. According to our results urethral infection with CT may play an important role in the etiology of urge incontinence and urethral instability.
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Ovarian cysts were diagnosed by antenatal ultrasonographic examination in 15 fetuses between 19 and 37 weeks' gestation. In six cases there was ultrasonographic evidence of torsion. Intracystic flocculation, which typically was deposited on the sloping part of the cyst, gave a characteristic liquid interface that was regarded as ultrasonographic evidence of torsion. All cases with evidence of torsion were managed surgically post partum, and in all patients this complication was confirmed. The remaining nine cases were followed up by repeated ultrasonograms, and in all patients disappearance of the cyst was documented within the first 6 months of life. The mean size of cysts with evidence of torsion was 5.41 +/- 0.25 cm, and the mean size of those without torsion was 4.33 +/- 0.3 cm (p less than 0.01). Histologic examination of the surgical specimen in the cases with evidence of torsion revealed follicular cysts in three cases and necrotic ovarian cysts with no specific epithelial findings in the remaining three. We recommend continuous ultrasonographic assessment of antenatally diagnosed cysts and believe that the choice of treatment depends on the appearance of the cyst and its evolution throughout pregnancy.
A rabbit cervix preparation designed to evaluate the effects of locally administered substances and those of prelabor contractility on cervical ripening is described. In one experiment, one of the two cervices was exposed to prostaglandin E2 gel and the contralateral cervix was exposed to plain gel. In another experiment, one cervix was completely isolated from prelabor contractility, whereas the contralateral cervix remained intact. Cervical ripening was assessed by measurement of the stretch modulus and rate of creep 2 days later. Treatment with prostaglandin E2 gel and exposure to prelabor contractility resulted in significant unilateral cervical changes, suggesting that at least part of the prostaglandin E2 effect is locally mediated and that spontaneous prelabor contractility may play a role in cervical preparation for labor. Furthermore, because of its simplicity, this animal preparation can be useful in the investigation of the effects of other locally administered substances on cervical ripening.
We determined the circulating level of bioactivity for skeletal muscle proteolysis-inducing factors (PIF) in the blood samples from cancer patients whose body weight loss was greater than 10%. The level of bioactivity was estimated by measurement of tyrosine release from isolated 1at diaphragm muscles incubated with an ultrafiltered fraction of plasma or serum proteins containing molecules from 0 to 25 kDa in molecular weight. Significant levels of bioactivity were detected in 25 of the 50 cancer samples. No activity was found in 18 of the samples from healthy human blood donors. The ability of 13 of the cancer samples to induce muscle proteolysis was significantly inhibited by incubation of muscles in presence of indomethacin (10 microM). The neutralisation of 12 of the cancer samples with the antibodies to recombinant human interleukin-1 (IL-1), alpha and beta forms, partially abrogated the activity in five samples. These results suggest that the accelerated breakdown of proteins induced by the cancer plasma factors is at least in part mediated by IL-1 in cooperation with other active factors not yet defined. Additionally, we have shown that the increased breakdown of proteins induced by PIF in the crude supernatant derived from activated mouse peritoneal macrophages is prevented by the treatment of muscles with either indomethacin or quin-2 (1 microM). These observations provide indirect evidence for a possible causal relationship between the production of PIF and the body-weight loss of cancer patients.
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