Cytidine deaminase--a new differential tool distinguishing elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis from polymyalgia rheumatica?
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Age of Onset↗
Biomedical subjects
R C Williams
Publications and source records attributed to R C Williams.
Privacy and computerized medical records.
There are strong incentives to computerize medical records in the present health care environment, yet medical information is frequently personal and is protected by privacy law and by centuries of a tradition of confidentiality. It is not possible to eliminate all risk of inappropriate disclosure and use of medical information, either in a paper or an electronic system. Computerization of records increases the potential for abuse, but with appropriate attention to security measures, medical data can be made reasonably secure while preserving accessibility for those who truly need the information. Both for technical and legal reasons, paper records are still necessary in 1995, to back up electronic medical databases.
Computer Security↗
Use of computational models to reconstruct and predict trichloroethylene exposure.
In this study, a type frequently encountered by ATSDR, groundwater and surface-water contamination have occurred near the Gratuity Road site in the town of Groton, Massachusetts. A petitioned public health assessment for the Gratuity Road site identified the primary contaminants as trichloro-ethylene (TCE), 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), hexavalent chromium (Cr+6), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) (ATSDR 1992). The health assessment also indicated that off-site residential groundwater wells had been contaminated with TCE and TCA. Because direct measures of historical exposure to TCE are unavailable for the Gratuity Road site, computational models were used to reconstruct and predict exposure to TCE. These computational models included environmental transport and exposure models. For the environmental transport models, numerical methods were used to approximate the equations of groundwater flow and contaminant transport. Results of using environmental transport models provided us with the spatial and temporal database necessary to conduct an exposure analysis. This database indicated that groundwater concentrations of TCE typically exceeded EPA's MCL of 5 ppb for TCE. The study demonstrated that although a hazardous waste site can be remediated, nearby populations may experience significant exposure because of historical contamination, which will not be captured by remediation activities. The exposure analysis used simulated concentrations of TCE predicted by environmental transport models. These concentrations were used to compare exposure to TCE from inhalation in a one-compartment model shower with exposure from ingestion of domestic water contaminated by TCE. The exposure model indicated that exposure to TCE by the inhalation route during showering is nearly identical to exposure by ingestion of domestic water supplies contaminated with TCE. As a result, entry by inhalation route is as important as entry by ingestion route when conducting exposure analyses of contamination from volatile organic compounds such as TCE.
Chromium↗
Benign monoclonal gammopathy with IgG anti-DNA, anti-Sm and anti-F(ab')2 activity.
OBJECTIVE: To study anti-DNA idiotypic markers and anti-DNA activity in human monoclonal immunoglobulin proteins. METHODS: Seventy human IgG M-components intentionally selected for cationic electrophoretic characteristics were studied for F4 and 31 anti-DNA idiotypic markers and anti-DNA as well as anti-F(ab')2 antibody activity. RESULTS: Eight of 70 M-components showed significant anti-DNA activity. In two both anti-DNA and anti-F(ab')2 activity occurred together. One IgG-2 kappa M-component showed extremely high anti-ds DNA, anti-Sm, anti-F(ab')2 and anti-Sm/ RNP ELISA activity. Cross inhibition studies showed that each reactive antigen inhibited the other. N-terminal V-region sequencing showed the VH3, VK3 subgroup. Anti-idiotypic rabbit antibody produced against this M-component showed strong reactivity with affinity purified IgG anti-DNA and anti-F(ab')2 from most SLE patients and normal subjects. CONCLUSION: Monoclonal human immunoglobulins may contain multiple autoantibody specificities including anti-DNA; anti-Sm, anti-Sm/RNP, and anti-F(ab')2. Many antibodies with these specificities share common V-region antigens. Such relationships could contribute to idiotypic immune regulation and control.
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