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Biomedical subjects

P Cunningham

Publications and source records attributed to P Cunningham.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Labour pains.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Employee Grievances↗
PubMed1990

Managing a multicultural nurse staff in a multicultural environment.

In many health care facilities, multicultural/ethnically diverse professional and ancillary staff members care for an equally diverse patient population. Often this diversity is compounded by the recruitment of foreign nurse graduates. The authors describe how nurse managers at a southern California community medical center worked together to better understand and deal with the problems generated by such cultural diversity in their organization.

Cultural Characteristics↗
PubMed1989

Promotion of incompatible allograft acceptance in rhesus monkeys given posttransplant antithymocyte globulin and donor bone marrow. II. Effects of adjuvant immunosuppressive drugs.

Previous studies from this laboratory demonstrated prolonged acceptance of MHC-mismatched kidney allografts in rhesus monkeys treated with posttransplant rabbit antithymocyte globulin (RATG)* and donor-specific bone marrow (DBM). Here we have investigated the effect of adjunctive immunosuppressive drugs on induction of allogeneic unresponsiveness in this primate model. Parameters examined included median kidney allograft survival time (MST), development of specific antidonor T lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity (LMC) and antidonor antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Posttransplant infusion of DBM in RATG-treated kidney allograft recipients resulted in 70 days MST and a dramatic reduction in the incidence of antidonor LMC. However, development of antidonor ADCC was similar to that of RATG controls, suggesting an immune deviation or split tolerance in these animals. Adjunctive azathioprine did not have a beneficial effect in recipients given RATG & DBM, resulting in decreased MST and increased antidonor LMC responses. In contrast, adjunctive cyclosporine (CsA) and low-dose prednisone (P) exerted an additive immunosuppressive effect resulting in a 50% increase in MST and no detectable antidonor LMC. However, CsA & P appeared to enhance the humoral alloimmune response, increasing the incidence of recipients with antidonor ADCC. Long-term graft survival in this group was limited by chronic rejection and especially by CsA-associated toxicity. These studies point out deterrents and also directions for optimizing adjunctive immunosuppression in primates treated with posttransplant RATG & DBM. The results with CsA are relatively encouraging. However, the prevalence of alloantibody and of chronic rejection in these animals suggests that more homogeneous success with tolerance induction in this model may require adjunctive immunosuppressive strategies that reduce humoral immunity.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1988

The value of serum human placental lactogen and Schwangerschaftsprotein 1 to determine gestation in an ante-natal population.

Single assays of Schwangerschaftsprotein 1 (SP1) and serum human placental lactogen (HPL) were performed in 500 consecutive patients attending a routine ante-natal clinic for their first visit. All samples were taken before 112 days gestation. Of these 500 patients, 233 had a regular menstrual cycle, were certain of last menstrual period (LMP) and delivered a normal infant after spontaneous labour. Regression equations were calculated from these results to assess their value for correcting gestation. Regression equations from previous publications were also applied to our data. The gestation and estimated date of delivery were calculated using SP1 and HPL and were compared with the actual gestation and date of delivery. The correlation was poor and did not indicate that SP1 or HPL could be used to calculate these values in the normal ante-natal population.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Morphometric quantification of atherosclerotic plaques by computer-assisted image-analysis of histographs.

A method is described for quantifying the amount of atherosclerotic plaque in collapsible blood vessels by a computer-assisted image analysis of cross-sectional contours traced under microscopic visualization. The digitized contours are processed using a computer program that transforms the irregular image of the collapsed vessel into an ideal geometry and then calculates in vivo linear and areal parameters, variables, and ratios. The analysis is based on conventional stereologic principles and utilizes relatively inexpensive and widely available equipment: microscope with drawing tube attachment, digitizing board, microcomputer, monitor, and printer or plotter. Some of the output data include the fraction of vessel lumen occluded by plaque, average thickness of plaque, the fraction of wall surface area covered by plaque, and the ratio of the vessel bore to vessel wall volumes. The error and precision of measuring lumen occlusion and plaque surface area are assessed.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Promotion of incompatible allograft acceptance in rhesus monkeys given posttransplant antithymocyte globulin and donor bone marrow. I. In vivo parameters and immunohistologic evidence suggesting microchimerism.

This report extends previous studies demonstrating that prolonged acceptance of incompatible kidney allografts in rhesus monkeys can be achieved by a short recipient rabbit antithymocyte globulin (RATG) treatment course followed by donor bone marrow infusion on day 12 without a requirement for chronic immunosuppression. Serial studies of antilymphocyte cyctotoxic antibody in recipients' sera following RATG injections showed pan-lymphocyte-reactive antibody present until day 10 posttransplant. On days 11 and 12, pan-lymphocyte-reactive antibody was no longer detectable, but cytotoxic antibody specific for mature T cells remained in recipients' sera. These findings might explain the critical time relationship between antithymocyte globulin treatment and donor bone marrow infusion, and further suggest that the tolerance-promoting cell in donor bone marrow is not a mature T cell, but rather a pre-T or a non-T cell. Finally, it was found that this treatment protocol resulted in development of lymphoid nodules in the transplanted kidney that express a CD8-positive, FcIgG-receptor-positive phenotype and appear to be of donor origin. The possibility of a veto cell type of mechanism is discussed as an explanation for the promotion of allograft acceptance in this model.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Trisomy 1 in an eight cell human pre-embryo.

The high incidence of chromosome abnormalities in clinically recognised pregnancies is well documented, but experience of these problems at the time of conception is extremely limited. Using donated oocytes from women seeking surgical sterilisation, we have established reliable cytogenetic techniques for chromosome analysis of human pre-embryos. These have resulted in the first report of trisomy 1. The pre-embryo showed no other obvious abnormality in relation to follicular characteristics, embryo morphology, and cleavage kinetics. The usefulness of such data in explaining the high incidence of occult human pregnancy loss and the current poor success following embryo replacement is emphasised.

Chromosome Banding↗