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Biomedical subjects

M V Viola

Publications and source records attributed to M V Viola.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Solar radiation and cutaneous melanoma.

Exposure to solar radiation has been widely implicated in the dramatic rise in the incidence of cutaneous melanoma throughout the world. The association may be more complex than originally suspected, involving such factors as sunspot-activity cycles and changes in the ozone layer affecting ultraviolet flux at the earth's surface. The evidence for these relationships is examined.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Malignant melanoma of the skin occurring during pregnancy.

The clinical course of melanoma of the skin diagnosed during pregnancy was compared with a control population of women with melanoma that occurred during the childbearing years, as recorded by the Connecticut Tumor Registry. The survival at three and five years for the 12 patients whose melanoma developed during pregnancy was significantly worse than for 175 nonpregnant controls (five-year survival 55% for pregnant women compared with 83% for nonpregnant women, P less than 0.05). Melanoma during pregnancy tended to occur more often on the trunk, a prognostically poor site, and at more advanced stage of disease than in nonpregnant women. However, when pregnant patients were matched to random, nonpregnant case-controls by age, anatomic site of primary lesion, and stage at diagnosis, three- and five-year survivals were not different. The number of pregnant women observed among this group of women was not substantially higher than expected, when estimated from Connecticut live birth rates: 13.3 pregnancies were expected and 12 pregnant women were actually observed. However, an unknown number of pregnancies end in abortion, making more exact estimates impossible. Melanoma occurring during pregnancy usually carries a poor prognosis, but once the disease is diagnosed, the course is not worse than expected considering stage of disease and primary site.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Solar radiation and malignant melanoma of the skin.

Several observations suggest that a majority of cases of malignant melanoma of the skin are linked to sun exposure. Evidence includes higher occurrence of melanoma on anatomic areas heavily exposed during recreation, development of melanoma more frequently in lightly pigmented persons, and correlation of melanoma incidence and mortality with proximity to the equator. The role of the sun exposure in the pathogenesis of melanoma remains unclear, however. Many cases of melanoma may be related to heavy doses of solar radiation received during recreation. Chronic sun exposure is not so clearly linked to the development of melanoma (except in the uncommon lentigo maligna variety). Sunspot cycles have been associated with changes in melanoma incidence; an excess of melanoma cases has been observed every 9 to 12 years after peak sunspot activity. These excess cases may be caused by more intense exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation during sunspot maxima, perhaps related to changes in the stratospheric ozone layer. These epidemiologic and clinical clues suggest that many cases of melanoma are related to sun exposure triggering the appearance of clinically evident melanoma. In this regard, solar radiation behaves as a cocarcinogen or promoter, rather than a dose-dependent carcinogen. These observations also suggest that other factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of melanoma, e.g., nevi, heredity, or exposure to chemical carcinogens.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Malignant melanoma in Connecticut and Denmark.

The rising incidence of malignant melanoma of the skin was reviewed using data from the Connecticut Tumor Registry (1935-1974) (Eisenberg et al., 1967) and the Danish Cancer Registry (1942-1972) (Clemmesen, 1965, 1974, 1977). A total of 7,530 cases were analyzed according to age, sex and anatomic site. The total age-adjusted incidence rates were similar for these two countries, despite geographic and demographic differences. HOwever, the most rapid changes in melanoma incidence were observed in females from Denmark and males from Connecticut. In addition, the largest increases occurred for lower-extremity lesions in Danish middle-aged women and trunk-neck melanomas in Connecticut middle-aged men. Melanoma of the face was resistant to changing incidence and occurred in an older age group than melanoma of other skin sites. In general, birth cohort analysis confirmed that changing incidence began for persons born around 1900, but the rising incidence for lower-extremity melanomas in women and trunk-neck melanomas in males began earlier. In comparing incidence for anatomic sites by correcting for surface area and melanocyte density, higher than expected rates were seen for melanoma of the face in both sexes and trunk-neck melanoma in the males. The data presented support the concept that a cumulative exposure to solar radiation may be important in the etiology of melanoma of the face, but short-, intense sun exposure is probably related to melanoma in other sun-exposed areas, and that melanoma in areas other than the face is responsible for the rising incidence of this disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with antecedent poliomyelitis.

Histopathological and virological studies were performed on autopsy tissue from a 47-year-old man who had a history of acute poliomyelitis at age 15 years and died after a three-year course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The poliovirus serologic tests suggested prior infection with poliovirus type 3 but no ongoing poliovirus infection. The CNS showed typical features of ALS with no inclusion bodies or inflammatory cells. Attempts to isolate poliovirus in the CNS were unsuccessful and results of immunofluorescence studies for poliovirus antigen were negative. Molecular hybridization experiments using a DNA copy of the complete poliovirus genome failed to demonstrate poliovirus-related RNA or DNA sequences in the CNS. These studies, using sensitive techniques, indicate that there was no evidence of the continuing presence of poliovirus in this patient with ALS and antecedent poliomyelitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Identifying the primary site in metastatic cancer of unknown origin. Inadequacy of roentgenographic procedures.

Two hundred sixty-six patients with metastatic nonsquamous carcinoma of unknown origin underwent upper and lower gastrointestinal series, intravenous pyelograms, and chest roentgenograms (CR) for location of a primary cancer site. Of 129 identified cancer sites, only 22 were verified antemortem, whereas necropsy disclosed 25 cases with false-positive examination results. The CR patterns thought typical for lung cancer (eg, single mass lesion and hilar or mediastinal adenopathy) were often shown (43%) to represent metastatic lesions. Because contrast roentgenographic studies are costly, uncomfortable, of low yield, and often misleading, they should be limited to cases with specific organ dysfunction.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1979

Solar cycles and malignant melanoma.

There has been a sixfold increase in the incidence of malignant melanoma in the State of Connecticut during the past forty years. Superimposed on a steady incidence rise are cycles of markedly increased incidence rates which follow periods of maximum sunspot activity. We propose that the effect of sunspot cycles on human melanoma occurrence is mediated by modulation of stratospheric ozone and thus indirectly affects UV flux at the earth's surface. This hypothesis would predict a time lag in melanoma incidence cycles, relative to sunspot activity, with increasing distance from polar caps. This appears to be the case. The increase in melanoma incidence related to a given reduction in ozone depletion in this hypothesis, is in great excess of existing models relating anthropogenic ozone depletion and skin cancer.

Connecticut↗
PubMed1979

Lymphocyte adherence in multiple sclerosis.

It has been reported that peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) adhere to measles-infected human epithelial cells in significantly greater numbers than do lymphocytes from healthy volunteers or patients with other neurologic diseases. We have confirmed this observation in three separate studies, and have investigated the relationship of lymphocyte adherence to the clinical state. Lymphocyte adherence determination values correlated with the degree of certainty of the clinical diagnosis of MS, and lymphocyte adherence values in individual patients increased during clinical exacerbations. Judicious use of this test may facilitate the diagnosis of MS.

Epithelium↗
PubMed1978

Increased incidence of malignant melanoma after peaks of sunspot activity.

The age-adjusted incidence-rate for malignant melanoma in the State of Connecticut has risen from 1.1 per 100 000 individuals in 1935 to 6.2 per 100 000 individuals in 1975. Superimposed on a steady rise in incidence are 3-5 year periods in which the rate of increase in incidence rises. These periods have a cycle of 8-11 years and follow times of maximum sunspot activity.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1978

Persistent measles virus infection in vitro and in man.

The characteristics of cell lines persistently infected with measles virus are described. Molecular mechanisms for measles virus-persistence in vitro as well as in human disease include defective interfering particles, mutant virus strains, proviral DNA, and nonpermissive cell types. The role of measles virus in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis and evidence for measles virus infection in multiple sclerosis, Paget's disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus are discussed.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1977

Adherence of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to measles-infected cells. Enhancement by prostaglandin E1.

We studied the effect of prostaglandins in vitro on an immune reaction mediated by T cells; adherence of lymphocytes to measles-virus-infected human epithelial cells. Normal human lymphocytes adhered to a mean +/- S.D. 20.1 +/- 5.2 per cent of these HEp-2 cells. The percentage positive cells increased to 50.3 +/- 5.7 when lymphocytes were incubated with 10(-6) M prostaglandin E1 (P less than 0.01 vs. untreated lymphocytes); 10(-8) M and 10(-10) M were as effective. Prostaglandin F2alpha had no effect on lymphocyte adherence. Prostaglandin E1 increased lymphocyte cyclic AMP five to 10 times whereas prostagladin F2alpha did not affect cellular levels of this nucleotide. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (10(-8) M) increased lymphocyte adherence: positive human epithelial cells increased from 16.0 +/- 2.4 to 38.7 +/- 1.1 per cent (P less than 0.01). Prostagladin E1 also increased adherence of lymphocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus from 21.8 +/- 5.8 to 52.5 +/- 9.2 per cent (P less than 0.01). These results indicate that prostagladin E1 and cyclic AMP may serve to stimulate T-cell function and cell-mediated immunity.

Antigens, Viral↗