Sino-orbital-cerebral aspergillosis in immunocompromised pediatric patients.
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Adolescent↗
Biomedical subjects
M L Ross
Publications and source records attributed to M L Ross.
Ocular manifestations of HIV infection.
Ophthalmic abnormalities are common in HIV-infected patients. Serious ophthalmic diseases often result from opportunistic infections and can cause blindness in the absence of prompt diagnosis and therapy. We review recent advances in the diagnosis and management of HIV-associated ocular disease, including cytomegalovirus retinitis, the leading cause of vision loss in HIV-infected patients. The widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) over the past 3 years has reduced the morbidity and mortality associated with HIV infection. HAART has dramatically altered the incidence and natural history of many opportunistic infections, and we discuss the impact of HAART on ophthalmic disease.
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
Factor VII deficiency in a mixed breed dog.
Abnormal bleeding following routine orchectomy of a 5-month-old mixed breed was determined to be due to factor VII deficiency. Although pedigree information was unavailable, failure to respond to vitamin K therapy and the absence of a plasma coagulation inhibitor suggested that the factor VII deficiency was likely inherited rather than acquired.
Animals↗
Preliminary findings of altered follicular activity in Holstein cows with coagulation factor XI deficiency.
Factor XI (F XI) deficiency is an autosomal recessive coagulopathy found in Holstein cattle. Affected animals have a 50% greater prevalence of repeat breeding. Therefore, several parameters describing ovarian function were studied. Daily blood sampling revealed that progesterone concentrations were slower to decline from a peak at day 16 (p < 0.01) to values less than 3 nmol/L in F XI-deficient cows (5.14 +/- 0.69 days (mean +/- SD) versus 4.05 +/- 0.63 days in control animals), resulting in an oestrous cycle length of 24.7 +/- 2.1 days compared to 22.9 +/- 3.0 days, respectively. This was not due to an alteration in the availability of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) or oxytocin (OT) involved in luteolysis. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were seen between normal (n = 7) and F XI-deficient (n = 7) cows in the peak values or the area under the curve for the pulse in 13,14-dihydro-15-keto PGF2 alpha in response to OT challenge or in the parameters describing the pulse of ovarian OT secretion after PGF2 alpha injection (n = 7 for each) between days 12 and 14. Ovulatory follicular development was assessed by ultrasound monitoring and plasma 17 beta-oestradiol values at 8-h intervals after a luteolytic injection of cloprostenol (n = 6 for each). Follicular diameter was smaller (p < 0.05) and accompanied by lower peak oestradiol values near the time of ovulation in F XI-deficient cows. The results suggest that the oestrous cycle in F XI-deficient cows is characterized by a slower process of luteolysis that may be associated with smaller follicular development.
Animals↗
Analytical evaluation of a newly developed ELISA mass assay for pancreatic amylase.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a newly developed ELISA mass assay for Pancreatic Amylase. METHODS: The serum levels of pancreatic amylase were measured by an in-house developed ELISA assay on microtitre plate and compared with two activity assays: immunoinhibition and electrophoresis. RESULTS: The proposed method was accurate and precise, as indicated by a recovery of 102% and coefficient of variation of less than 5% for within-run and less than 10% for between-run assay. The proposed assay showed good correlation with the activity assays (r = 0.98). The mass concentrations were three times higher than the activities. The relative values (mass or activity units/upper reference limits), however, were concordant in controls and in pancreatic and non-pancreatic conditions. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the activity measurements and mass concentrations of pancreatic amylase in serum are comparable and interchangeable after adjusting for the reference range.
Amylases↗
Competency of blood coagulation in the newborn calf.
This study evaluated the haemostatic profiles of a group of 11 female and seven male calves from the day of birth until they were 60 days of age. Similar results were found for both sexes. At birth the plasma activity of the procoagulant proteins, Factors VII, VIII:C, IX, X and XI and fibrinogen were all close to the adult values. Factors VII, VIII:C and fibriogen increased transiently during the first seven days of life but the increases were not sufficient to influence routine coagulation screening assays such as the activated partial thromboplastin time and the prothrombin time. At birth, the plasma concentration of the protease inhibitor, alpha 2-macroglobulin, was approximately 50 per cent of adult values and increased slowly during the first seven days of life; the plasma concentration of antithrombin III was higher than that of alpha 2-macroglobulin. The changes in the plasma concentration of fibronectin paralleled the changes in fibrinogen and Factor VIII:C from birth to 60 days of age; the concentrations of total plasma protein and plasma albumin remained stable and within the adult ranges throughout the 60 days. The plasma concentration of glucose increased transiently during the first 48 hours after birth.
Aging↗
Coagulation factor XI deficiency in Holstein cattle: expression and distribution of factor XI activity.
Factor XI (F XI) is a plasma protein that participates in the blood coagulation process. A study of the expression of F XI activity in Holstein cattle has confirmed that the inheritance of F XI deficiency is autosomal with severe deficiency in homozygotes (mean F XI level 2%, SD 1%), and partial deficiency in heterozygotes (mean F XI level 38%, SD 10%; normal mean F XI level 94%, SD 21%). In a total of 1469 males evaluated for F XI levels, 47 or 3.1% were identified as heterozygous and only one as homozygous for the disorder. In part because of the lack of a discrete distinction in the expression of F XI between heterozygous and normal animals, not all of the animals tested could be uniquely classified on the basis of the plasma F XI values. A mean F XI value of 53% (SD 7%) was found in a group of animals that were categorized as low normal/high heterozygous. If this group of cattle had been classified on the basis of the criterion used to classify human beings then these animals would have been categorized as heterozygous since the mean F XI value for proven bovine heterozygotes is approximately 20% lower than the values found in the human counterpart. Like the human form of the disease, however, there appears to be a low frequency of hemorrhagic episodes associated with F XI deficiency in cattle.
Animals↗
Prospective evaluation of the course of disc herniations in patients with proven radiculopathy.
Although surgery is often recommended as the definitive treatment for radiculopathy when definite disc herniation is demonstrated with imaging techniques, complete improvement can occur with nonoperative treatment. However, what happens to the disc in the latter circumstance is not well defined. We report the first prospective study in subjects with proven radiculopathy and definite disc herniation who improve with nonoperative management to determine what occurs to the herniated disc material. Eighteen subjects with lower extremity pain or paresthesia, positive straight leg raising, weakness in a myotomal distribution, reflex asymmetry, or electromyogram evidence of radiculopathy were studied. Subjects were admitted to the study if computed tomography (CT) scanning demonstrated definite disc herniation corresponding to the side and level of the radiculopathy. After complete clinical improvement, repeat CT scan was performed at six to 18 months after the initial study. The CT scans were interpreted separately by two neuroradiologists. Disc herniations were characterized by size (large, moderate, or minimal); the presence of absence of free fragments; and location. Follow-up scans were compared with the original study and characterized as resolved, improved, or unchanged. Fourteen subjects completed the study, an additional three had operative treatment, and one refused repeat scanning. Subjects were followed an average of 30.4 months with no recurrence of radicular symptoms during this follow-up period in 13 patients. One had recurrence of symptoms at 21 months and surgery at 26 months. Six follow-up scans (43%) were interpreted as completely resolved, five (36%) as improved, and three (21%) as unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adult↗
Adrenocorticotrophic hormone fails to alter plasma fibrinogen and fibronectin values in calves but does so in rabbits.
The intramuscular administration of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) to calves, in either a short-acting form (cosyntrophin) or a longer-acting form (ACTHAR Gel), failed to induce any alteration in circulating fibrinogen or fibronectin values, despite marked elevations in plasma cortisol concentrations. With the longer-acting ACTH, plasma cortisol was elevated for at least 12 h following treatment and induced the expected physiological response of an elevation in blood glucose. In contrast, both forms of ACTH induced marked increases (p < 0.01) in plasma fibrinogen and fibronectin when administered to rabbits. The elevation in the circulating levels of these proteins was first observed 24 h after ACTH administration, by which time plasma corticosteroid values had returned to pre-treatment values. With both ACTH preparations the increases in the circulating levels of these proteins were sustained for at least 96 h. The results suggest that, in cattle, the well-recognized increases in plasma fibrinogen values following stress are not associated with the concomitant increase in plasma cortisol. Further, the results clearly illustrate the marked species differences in the response of acute-phase reactant proteins to elevated glucocorticoids.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
Platelet aggregation in the Asian elephant is not dependent on thromboxane B2 production.
1. The platelet aggregation response to several known platelet agonists was evaluated in four Asian elephants. The platelets were highly responsive to stimulation with platelet-activating factor (PAF) and collagen, less responsive to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and non-responsive to arachidonic acid, serotonin and epinephrine. 2. Arachidonic acid (1 x 10(-4) M), while inducing no aggregation, caused the release of 1248 +/- 1147 pg/ul (mean +/- SD) of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), the stable metabolite of thromboxane A2 from stimulated platelet. The addition of 1 x 10(-4) M ADP to platelets caused suboptimal aggregation and the release of only 25 +/- 10 pg TXB2/microliters. 3. The calcium channel blocker, verapamil, produced a dose-dependent inhibition of PAF-induced but not collagen-induced aggregation. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor, acetylsalicylic acid, produced no inhibition of either collagen- or PAF-induced aggregation.
Adenosine Diphosphate↗
Failure of aspirin to impair bovine platelet function.
The effect of aspirin on bovine platelet function and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) production in stimulated platelets was evaluated. A single dose of aspirin (100 mg/kg of body weight) was administered orally to Holstein cows, and blood samples were obtained before and at regular intervals for 7 days after treatment. The production of TXA2 was assessed by measuring the stable metabolite thromboxane B2, using a specific radioimmunoassay. Within 4 hours of aspirin administration, the production of TXA2 was significantly (P less than 0.05) decreased, irrespective of whether collagen, adenosine diphosphate, or platelet activating factor was used to initiate platelet aggregation. Despite the inhibition of TXA2 release from the stimulated platelets, platelet function, assessed by initial rate of aggregate formation and extent of aggregation, was unaffected by aspirin administration. The extent of aggregate formation in response to collagen, adenosine diphosphate, or platelet activating factor was independent of the amount of TXA2 released from platelets before and after aspirin treatment. The results suggested that TXA2 formation is not the primary biochemical pathway involved in the aggregation of stimulated bovine platelets.
Animals↗
Ten electrophoretic methods compared with a selected method for quantifying lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in serum.
Using the Selected Method of McKenzie and Henderson (Selected Methods Clin Chem 1983;10:59-67) as a reference method, we compared the performance of 10 commercially available methods for determination of lactate dehydrogenase (LD, EC 1.1.1.27) isoenzymes. Results were expressed as percentage of total LD activity, as determined with two different types of densitometers shown to have an average difference less than 1.4% for each isoenzyme. All methods gave generally comparable results, as judged by Bland-Altman plots and correlation analyses. However, in general, estimates by the commercial methods for LD-1, LD-2, and LD-3 were lower, and for LD-4 and LD-5 were higher than with the Selected Method. The overall CV was less than 20% for all methods and isoenzymes, except for LD-4 and LD-5 by the Beckman Paragon, Helena LD-VIS, Gel LDH, Gel PC, and Iso Dot, Gelman LDH Isozyme, and Sebia Hydragel assays, for which it was greater than 20%. Overall, accuracy was best with the Helena Iso Dot and LD-VIS assays, followed by the Corning LD Flur assay; accuracy was poorest with the Gelman LDH Isozyme, Sebia Hydragel, and Beckman Paragon assays.
Electrophoresis↗
Ovine platelet function and its inhibition by T-2 toxin.
Ovine platelets suspended in homologous plasma aggregated effectively in response to adenosine-diphosphate, acid-soluble collagen and aggregated moderately to serotonin and arachidonic acid. Ovine platelet aggregation, in response to each agent, was inhibited in a concentration dependent fashion by T-2 toxin. The platelet aggregates which formed in the presence of T-2 toxin appeared to be less stable than aggregates in comparable control platelet suspensions.
Adenosine Diphosphate↗
Inhibitory effect of trichothecene mycotoxins on bovine platelets stimulated by platelet activating factor.
Several species of fungi, which infect cereals and grains, can produce a class of compounds, known as trichothecene mycotoxins, which is characterized by a substituted epoxy-trichothecene ring structure. Cattle are susceptible to intoxication from feeds contaminated with T-2 toxin, one of the more potent trichothecene mycotoxins, while swine refuse to ingest feed contaminated with T-2 toxin. The bovine platelet has been used as a model cell system to evaluate the effects of T-2 toxin and its natural metabolites, HT-2 toxin and T-2 tetraol, on cell function in vitro. Due to the lipophilic nature of these mycotoxins, a biologically active phospholipid was used to stimulate the platelets in the presence and absence of the toxins. The mycotoxin T-2 toxin and its major metabolite HT-2 toxin inhibited platelet activating factor-stimulated bovine platelets, suspended in homologous plasma, in a concentration but not time dependent manner. Significant inhibition of platelet function (p less than 0.01) occurred with 135 ng T-2 toxin per 10(6) platelets and with 77 ng HT-2 toxin per 10(6) platelets. These mycotoxins exerted an additive inhibitory effect on the platelet aggregation response. In contrast, the minor metabolite T-2 tetraol had no inhibitory effect on platelet function and had no influence on the responses of T-2 toxin or HT-2 toxin when the mycotoxins were present together in the platelet suspensions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Animals↗
Failure of Routine Coagulation Screening Tests to Detect Heterozygous State of Bovine Factor XI Deficiency.
In a survey of coagulation, biochemical and hematological parameters in cattle homozygous (deficient), heterozygous (carrier) and non-affected (normal) for Factor XI deficiency, only the Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT) results correlated with plasma Factor XI activity levels. The APTT results and the thrombokinetics for the deficient animals were markedly different from the results of either the carrier or normal animals. However, the APTT assay was shown not to be sufficiently sensitive to differentiate between the normal and carrier state for the coagulation disorder. Not only was there no statistical difference between the mean APTT results for the normal and carrier animals, but the thrombokinetics for fibrin clot formation for the two groups were also similar.
Journal Article↗
Effect of T-2 toxin on bovine hematological and serum enzyme parameters.
The single intravenous administration of T-2 toxin to calves (0.25 mg/kg body weight) caused a marked decrease in the total peripheral white cell count which correlated with a decline in the neutrophil count. The circulating lymphocyte and platelet counts were unaffected by the toxin. A decline of approximately 10% occurred in hematocrit following toxin administration. A small transient increase was observed in serum aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase activity together with a transient increase in the BSP retention test. There was no consistent pattern in the alteration of serum alanine aminotransferase activity and serum alkaline phosphate activity was unaffected by the toxin. The results suggest that in cattle the liver may not be the primary target organ for the cytotoxin effects of T-2 toxin.
Alanine Transaminase↗
What's happening to food labeling?
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Consumer Behavior↗
Longitudinal study of the caloric and nutrient intake of individual twins. I. Calorie, protein, fat, and carbohydrate intakes.
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Adolescent↗