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Biomedical subjects

M Levin

Publications and source records attributed to M Levin.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

High dose of L-carnitine increases platelet aggregation and plasma triglyceride levels in uremic patients on hemodialysis.

Uremic patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis demonstrate a secondary systemic carnitine deficiency. We studied the effect of carnitine replacement with high doses (L-carnitine, 3 g/day) similar to those used in the treatment of primary systemic carnitine deficiency. 10 uremic patients on hemodialysis were randomly selected into a control group (4 patients) treated by placebo and a treatment group (6 patients) treated by L-carnitine. Plasma lipoprotein concentration and composition as well as platelet aggregation were studied before and after treatment. Following carnitine administration, a paradoxical rise in plasma triglyceride concentration from 180 +/- 66 to 219 +/- 88 mg% (p less than 0.05) was noted. No other significant changes in lipoprotein concentration and composition or in plasma apoprotein A-I and B concentration were observed. Carnitine treatment caused a significant rise in platelet aggregation induced by epinephrine, ADP, and thrombin. These findings suggest a harmful effect of L-carnitine replacement therapy when given in high doses, causing aggravation of uremic hypertriglyceridemia and increased platelet aggregation in patients predisposed to thromboembolic phenomena.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

The structural gene for transferrin (TF) maps to 3q21----3qter.

A cloned human cDNA for transferrin (TF) was used as hybridization probe in analysing a series of rodent x human somatic cell hybrids for the presence of human TF sequences. The assignment to chromosome 3 was further refined to region 3q21----3qter using hybrids that carried a translocated chromosome 3 and fibroblasts from a patient trisomic for this region. The gene for TF therefore maps to the same region as the gene for transferrin receptor (TFR) thereby defining an iron transport region on 3q2 to which the transferrin-related tumor associated antigen p97 may also belong. It follows that the genes for pseudocholinesterase (CHE1), ceruleoplasmin (CP) and alpha-2HS-glycoprotein (A2HS) which belong to the, as yet unassigned, linkage group of TF, now also map to chromosome 3 in man.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Haemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy: a new syndrome with a high mortality in young children.

In the past year, ten infants have been admitted to hospital with a new or previously unrecognised disorder, characterised by an acute onset of encephalopathy, fever, shock, watery diarrhoea, severe disseminated intravascular coagulation, and renal and hepatic dysfunction. Seven of the infants died. No specific causative agent has been identified, but preliminary studies suggest that the pathophysiology of the disease may involve release of proteolytic enzymes (such as trypsin) into the circulation, with destruction of the microcirculation.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

Isolation and characterization of cDNA clones for human skeletal muscle alpha actin.

Two cDNA libraries corresponding to polyA+ RNA from human adult skeletal muscle have been constructed by cloning in the PstI site of pBR322. Skeletal alpha actin cDNA clones have been isolated and characterized. Three of these plasmids have overlapping inserts which together contain the complete 5' non-coding and protein-coding region and part of the 3' untranslated region. Determination of the sequence of the cloned cDNA confirms the complete conservation in human of the amino-acid sequence of skeletal alpha actin compared to the rabbit or rat proteins. The 5' untranslated region, but not the 3' untranslated region, shows good homology with the corresponding one in the rat gene. Analysis of changes at silent sites within the protein-coding region suggests that the divergence of skeletal and cardiac alpha actin took place much earlier than the mammalian radiation. The plasmids described here have been used as probes to detect the homologous gene among the about thirty actin sequences present in the human genome.

Actins↗
PubMed1983

Goodpasture's syndrome: treatment with plasmapheresis, immunosuppression, and anticoagulation.

We report 3 children with Goodpasture's syndrome. In 2 children the diagnosis was delayed, treatment began late, and they did not recover renal function. In the third child early diagnosis and intensive treatment with plasmapheresis, immunosuppression, and anticoagulation resulted in an initial return of renal function after a prolonged period of anuria. In this child, however, although there was no evidence of disease activity, further deterioration of renal function subsequently occurred.

Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease↗
PubMed1983

Inhibitor of prostacyclin production in sporadic haemolytic uraemic syndrome.

Prostacyclin (PGI2) production was diminished when rat aortic rings were incubated with plasma from 5 of 6 patients with the sporadic form of haemolytic uraemic syndrome but was normal in the presence of plasma from 7 patients with the epidemic form of haemolytic uraemic syndrome or from patients with other renal diseases. The reduced PGI2 production was caused by an unstable inhibitor, extractable into polar lipid solvents, in sporadic haemolytic uraemic plasma. These results suggest that there may be at least 2 different pathogenetic mechanisms in epidemic and sporadic haemolytic uraemic syndrome and that the reduced PGI2 production observed in the sporadic type is due to an inhibitor of PGI2 production rather than a deficiency of stimulating factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Pneumocystis pneumonia: importance of gallium scan for early diagnosis and description of a new immunoperoxidase technique to demonstrate Pneumocystis carinii.

Pneumocystis pneumonia presented in a homosexual with fever, a normal chest radiograph, and pulmonary gallium uptake. Bronchial washings yielded Mycobaterium tuberculosis, but despite antituberculosis therapy he remained febrile, and gallium uptake in the lung increased. Subsequently, silver stain of transbronchial lung biopsy obtained 2 months earlier at the time that tuberculosis was diagnosed showed many Pneumocystis cysts in alveolar spaces. In contrast to Pneumocystis cysts in infected lung tissue from other humans, our patient's Pneumocystis cysts reacted more avidly with antiserum to rat Pneumocystis than with antiserum to human pneumocystis, raising the possibility that organisms that infect humans may have varied surface antigenic properties.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Repeated femoral vein cannulation for administration of chemotherapeutic agents.

A cannulation set has been designed for repeated short-term infusion of vesicant chemotherapeutic agents via the femoral vein. The major complication was thrombophlebitis in 2.1% of infusions. The procedure provides reliable venous access when therapeutic plans are changed or when the inability to provide catheter care makes an indwelling catheter unwarranted.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1983

Relationship of adriamycin concentrations to the DNA lesions induced in hypoxic and euoxic L1210 cells.

Exponentially growing L1210 mouse leukemia cells were incubated with Adriamycin (ADR) under hypoxic (95% N2:5% CO2) or euoxic conditions (95% air:5% CO2) for 1 hr at 37 degrees at a drug concentration ranging from 2.8 X 10(-8) to 2.8 X 10(-4) M, i.e., from levels attained clinically by bolus delivery to the high levels used as an i.p. drug dwell or experimentally, in in vitro conditions. High-pressure liquid chromatography analyses showed diminishing efficiency in drug uptake by the cells as the dose was increased. There were no significant differences between hypoxic and euoxic cells in drug uptake and metabolism. The frequency of DNA protein-associated single-strand breaks and DNA-protein cross-links per 10(6) nucleotides, detected by the alkaline elution technique, increased with the dose in the range of 2.8 X 10(-8) to 2.8 X 10(-6) M in both euoxic and hypoxic cells and declined thereafter. However, the number of DNA lesions relative to a normalized drug level declined steadily, starting with the 2.8 X 10(-7) M concentration. Concentrations greater than 2.8 X 10(-6) M of ADR induced still another type of lesion, direct DNA strand breaks, only in euoxic cells. The results indicate that a common mechanism of interaction between drug and DNA is present in hypoxic and in euoxic cells at low ADR, while an O2-dependent mechanism becomes operational in euoxic cells at high ADR levels.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Phase I clinical trial of 9,10-anthracene dicarboxaldehyde (Bisantrene) administered in a five-day schedule.

Bisantrene is a substituted anthracene derivative which preclinically demonstrated a spectrum of activity similar to that of doxorubicin but without associated cardiotoxicity. A Phase I evaluation of the drug has been performed using daily i.v. administrations for 5 days. Sixty courses of treatment were administered to 23 patients at doses from 2.5 to 90 mg/sq m/day. Courses were repeated at 4-week intervals. Dose-limiting toxicities were leukopenia and local cutaneous reactions. The leukopenia was dose related, noncumulative, and of brief duration. Local reactions occurred in 14 of 37 courses administered at doses greater than 60 mg/sq m and in 13 patients resulted in clinical cellulitis of the infused extremity. Gastrointestinal side effects were mild. No alopecia or cardiotoxicity was observed. Two mixed responses were obtained in patients with hypernephromas. Using a daily schedule for 5 days, approximately 40% more drug can be delivered per course than by single-day i.v. administration. However, with this schedule, local cutaneous reactions may prove additionally dose limiting. Phase II studies of Bisantrene in a daily i.v. schedule for 5 days are planned at a dose of 80 mg/sq m/day to be repeated every 4 weeks.

Anthracenes↗
PubMed1981

Alcohol use and psychiatric illness in emergency patients.

Screening for alcoholism and associated psychiatric disorders using preselected research criteria demonstrated an overall prevalence of alcoholism of 20% in 200 emergency department patients. The nighttime prevalence of alcoholism was 29%, while the daytime prevalence was 11%. The psychiatric disorders most frequently associated with alcoholism were primary affective disorder (depression) and antisocial personality. The alcoholics had chief complaints relating to trauma in 63% of the cases, vague neuropsychiatric complaints in 23% of the cases, and complaints directly related to alcohol in 8% of the cases. Screening for alcoholism and associated psychiatric illnesses is important in determining an overall treatment strategy for emergency patients.

Alcohol Drinking↗