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Biomedical subjects

P Wilson

Publications and source records attributed to P Wilson.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Rapid diagnosis of cutaneous herpes simplex infections using specific monoclonal antibodies.

One hundred children with suspected herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection and 20 controls were studied to compare a rapid immunofluorescence (RIF) test for detection and typing of HSV from smears of lesions with standard viral culture. The RIF test was evaluated for ease of use and speed of diagnosis. RIF and/or culture were positive in 64% of patients. All infections diagnosed by RIF and culture were HSV type 1. In 92% of patients RIF and culture results were in concordance. In 57 cases, RIF and cultures were positive for HSV infection and in 35 cases RIF and cultures were negative for HSV infection. Three patients had inadequate samples for RIF and five children had positive RIF but were culture negative. All controls had negative results both by RIF test and culture. The RIF test demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 95% specificity. The RIF test was type specific, easy to perform and gave diagnosis of HSV infections within an hour of taking the clinical specimen. This study suggests the RIF test is as good, if not more sensitive, in the diagnosis of HSV infections as standard viral culture and has the advantage of speed of diagnosis.

Adolescent↗

Human red cell Aquaporin CHIP. II. Expression during normal fetal development and in a novel form of congenital dyserythropoietic anemia.

Channel-forming integral protein (CHIP) is the archetypal member of the Aquaporin family of water channels. Delayed CHIP expression was shown recently in perinatal rat (Smith, B. L., R. Baumgarten, S. Nielsen, D. Raben, M. L. Zeidel, and P. Agre. 1993. J. Clin. Invest. 92:2035-2041); here we delineate the human patterns. Compared with adult, second and third trimester human fetal red cells had lower CHIP/spectrin ratios (0.72 +/- 0.12, 0.94 +/- 0.22 vs 1.18 +/- 0.11) and reduced osmotic water permeability (0.029, 0.026 vs 0.037 cm/s); CHIP was already present in human renal tubules by the second trimester. A patient with a novel form of congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA) with persistent embryonic and fetal globins and absent red cell CD44 protein was studied because of reduced CHIP-associated Colton antigens. Novel CDA red cells contained < 10% of the normal level of CHIP and had remarkably low osmotic water permeability (< 0.01 cm/s), but no mutation was identified in Aquaporin-1, the gene encoding CHIP. These studies demonstrate: (a) unlike rat, human CHIP expression occurs early in fetal development; (b) red cell water channels are greatly reduced in a rare phenotype; and (c) disrupted expression of red cell CHIP and CD44 suggests an approach to the molecular defect in a novel form of CDA.

Adult↗

Closing the door.

States no longer can afford to provide illegal immigrants with the health care and education federal law says they deserve.

California↗

The practice of testicular self examination: a comparative study of British and Zimbabwean undergraduates.

The practice of testicular self examination was investigated amongst a sample of 170 British and 153 Zimbabwean male undergraduates using a questionnaire based on the health belief model. Knowledge of testicular cancer and of self examination was found to be low in both groups. Both groups, though, showed high general health awareness and a perception that the benefits of self examination would be great. It is recommended that knowledge of testicular cancer and the value of self examination should become part of general community based health programmes in both countries.

Adult↗

Prolonged ambulatory antroduodenal manometry in humans.

OBJECTIVES: To perform prolonged ambulatory recordings of antroduodenal motor activity in humans. METHODS: Antroduodenal manometric recordings were performed in 20 normal subjects (12 male, eight female, ages 19-41 years), using a 5-channel solid state catheter assembly (three antral, two duodenal transducers) positioned under fluoroscopy. A glass electrode simultaneously recorded pH in the antrum. RESULTS: Continuous, simultaneous recordings of antral and duodenal motor activity were obtained for 22.5 +/- 0.3 h. During fasting, 131 complete migrating motor complexes (MMCs) were recorded (6.6 +/- 0.9/subject). The average interval from onset of recording to completion of the first MMC cycle was 498 +/- 19.24 minutes. Significant diurnal variations were observed in MMC frequency (awake vs asleep: 0.25/subject/h vs 0.64/subject/h; p < 0.05), period (shorter during sleep), phase I duration (longer during sleep), and phase II duration (shorter during sleep). Among females, MMCs were more frequent and shorter. After meal administration, duodenal recording sites demonstrated a typical "fed" response; antral distension and/or retrograde catheter movement, on meal ingestion, however, precluded reliable antral "fed" recordings. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged ambulatory antroduodenal manometry provides detailed and reliable information on fasting antral and duodenal motor activity, antral distension, and/or retrograde catheter migration on meal ingestion; there are limits, however, to the usefulness of this methodology for the evaluation of the fed motor response in the antrum.

Adult↗

Assessment of Ki-67-derived tumor proliferative activity in colorectal adenocarcinomas.

Analysis of tumor growth fraction (TGF) has become essential as cell cycle-directed modalities have been increasingly used for the treatment of solid neoplasms. We studied TGF in fresh tissue samples from 74 surgically resected colorectal carcinomas (50 colon and 24 rectum; 44 men and 30 women) by flow cytometry (FCM) and by immunostaining using Ki-67 monoclonal antibody. In 12 cases, samples of uninvolved colonic mucosa adjacent to tumor (transitional mucosa) and samples of normal mucosa (at least 5 cm away from tumor) were available for growth fraction analysis. The mean Ki-67 and S-phase values were 17.1% (range, 0-60%) and 17.5% (range, 3-39%), respectively. The mean percentage of Ki-67 positivity in tumor samples from women was significantly lower than that in samples from men (P = 0.001). Ki-67-derived TGF values, however, did not correlate with patient age, lymph node status, or tumor size, site, stage, degree of differentiation, or DNA ploidy. The correlation between Ki-67-derived and FCM-derived TGF values was statistically significant (P = 0.001) but marginal (R = 0.35). In both transitional and normal colonic mucosa samples, Ki-67 positivity was mainly confined to the lower half of the crypts, and their growth fraction values were significantly lower than those of tumor tissue; however, there was no difference in values between transitional and normal mucosae. Our results indicate that Ki-67-derived TGF does not correlate with known prognostic factors for colorectal carcinoma; however, long-term follow-up information will be necessary to define the clinical value of Ki-67 staining.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of taxotere (RP 56976) administered as a 24-hour infusion.

N-Debenzoyl-N-tert-butoxycarbonyl-10-deacytyl taxol (Taxotere, RP 56976) is a semisynthetic analogue of taxol, prepared from a noncytotoxic precursor extracted from the needles of the European yew tree (Taxus baccata L.). It has a broad spectrum of antitumor activity against a variety of transplantable tumors in mice. In vitro cytotoxicity assays suggest that it is 2-5-fold more potent than taxol. In this phase I study Taxotere was administered by 24 h i.v. infusion at 3-week intervals. Thirty patients with solid tumors refractory to conventional therapy were treated; 70 courses of Taxotere were administered at doses ranging from 10 to 90 mg/m2. Grade 4 neutropenia and grade 3 mucositis were dose limiting but reversible at 90 mg/m2. The pattern and grade of toxicity at this dose were similar in 3 heavily pretreated patients compared with 7 patients who had received a maximum of one previous chemotherapy regimen. Alopecia occurred at 55 mg/m2 and above. Other mild toxicities included phlebitis, diarrhea, emesis, and sensory peripheral neuropathy, but these were neither dose-limiting nor clearly dose-related. One patient treated at 70 mg/m2 had an anaphylactoid reaction following the second dose of Taxotere. No cardiovascular toxicity was observed. No partial or complete responses were documented. Plasma concentrations of Taxotere were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and end-of-fusion levels at the maximum tolerated dose exceeded drug concentrations which are cytotoxic in vitro. The maximum tolerated dose for Taxotere administered as a 24-h infusion is 90 mg/m2.

Adult↗

Production of herpes simplex virus fluorescein labelled typing reagents.

29 herpes simplex virus monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were produced and shown by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA) to be HSV type specific or HSV cross reactive. Two HSV-1 and two HSV-2 specific MAbs were selected as HSV typing reagents on the basis of their specificity and the fluorescence pattern produced. When directly conjugated to fluorescein both reagents detected and correctly identified HSV isolates previously typed by restriction endonuclease analysis (REA). No cross reactions were observed with a panel of human viral pathogens. Assessment of these reagents in parallel with the Syva Microtrak Culture Identification/Typing Test indicated 100% concordance for the detection and typing of 80 clinical isolates.

Animals↗