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Biomedical subjects

R Harris

Publications and source records attributed to R Harris.

At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Attitudes of patients after "genetic" termination of pregnancy.

Twelve of 15 women who had had abnormal fetuses agreed to be interviewed after termination of the pregnancy. The survey showed that persistent adverse psychological and social reactions may be much commoner in patients undergoing termination of pregnancy for genetic rather than "social" indications. Adequate information and counselling before, and support after, termination of an abnormal pregnancy are essential if these women are to cope with the experience.

Abortion, Eugenic↗
PubMed1981

Attitudes and perceptions of perinatal concepts during pregnancy in women from three cultures.

Interviewed Black-American, White-Anglo, and Cuban-Hispanic women (N = 126) during pregnancy and the puerperium in a longitudinal study of perinatal attitudes. Cultural differences emerged for the attitude toward Pregnancy, and differences across time emerged for the perception of activity of Unborn (Newborn) Baby. Such cultural and psychological factors need to be considered in the development of comprehensive prenatal care programs.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1981

Psychotropic drugs in the ambulatory care of elderly males.

Concern has been expressed regarding the extensive use of psychotropic drugs in ambulatory care. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between age and use of these drugs in terms of differences in personal characteristics, medical histories, use of medical services and symptoms. Male veterans (N = 992), randomly selected from ambulatory care, were divided into five age groups (44 years and younger, 45 through 54, 55 through 64, 65 through 74, 75 years and older) as well as according to whether or not they were currently taking psychoactive medication. Psychotropic medications were used most frequently by the two middle-aged groups (45-54 and 55-64) and least frequently by the older age group, with significantly less use by blacks in all age groups. Regardless of age, drug users had more diagnoses, more outpatient visits, and considered their health to be better than did nonusers. Other medications, such as antispasmodics and sleeping, pain and heart medications, were also associated with use of psychotropic drugs. Furthermore, users in all groups had more symptoms of anxiety, depression, interpersonal problems, obsessiveness-compulsiveness and concern with their bodies. These findings allow the physician to recognize the clinical profile of patients who are more likely to rely on psychotropic medications and to treat them accordingly.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Matching for properdin factor B (Bf) in renal transplantation.

Forty-five donor and recipient primary cadaveric kidney transplant pairs were phenotyped for the properdin factor B (Bf) polymorphism. Graft survival was analyzed on the basis of Bf matching between donor and recipient. Patients receiving a Bf-identical kidney had significantly better graft survival than those receiving a Bf-incompatible kidney (P = 0.045). It is postulated that Bf, which maps in the major histocompatibility system, is a marker for genes of importance in kidney transplant survival.

Complement Factor B↗
PubMed1981

Immunosuppression with cyclosporin A in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for severe aplastic anaemia: preliminary studies.

We present the preliminary results of bone marrow transplantation for severe aplastic anaemia using the new immunosuppressive drug Cyclosporin A. We have compared the first seven patients treated with Cyclosporin A as post-graft immunosuppression with 14 similar patients with severe aplastic anaemia transplanted using methotrexate as the immunosuppressive drug in the post-graft period. All seven of our patients treated with Cyclosporin A have engrafted and so far there have been no rejection episodes, although the follow up period is short (greater than 94 to greater than 209 d). These results compare favourably with the methotrexate group of patients in whom five of the 15 patients either failed to engraft or subsequently rejected the graft. We have not encountered irreversible renal or hepatic failure due to Cyclosporin A and so far other effects such as hirsutism and mental changes have not been clinically significant. Two out of the seven patients treated with Cyclosporin A developed severe graft-versus-host disease (Grade III--IV). Four of the nine patients at risk in the methotrexate group developed severe (Grade III--IV) graft-versus-host disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

HLA antigens associated with properdin factor B allotype BfF1.

Linkage disequilibrium has been described between HLA-B antigens and allotypes of properdin factor B (Bf). The association between HLA-B and DR antigens and the rate allotype BfF1 was investigated. In 27 HLA-A, B and DR typed individuals only one person was found who was DR3 negative but five who were B18 negative. Family studies showed that in nine cases B18, BfF1 and DR3 segregated as a haplotype; in another family which was B18 negative, BfF1 and DR3 segregated together. It is inferred that the Bf locus is more strongly associated with HLA-DR than with HLA-B.

Complement Factor B↗
PubMed1981

Apparent prevention of neural tube defects by periconceptional vitamin supplementation.

An earlier preliminary paper is expanded. Women who had given birth to one or more infants with a neural tube defect were recruited into a trial of per conceptional vitamin supplementation. Two hundred mothers attending five centres were fully supplemented (FS), 50 were partially supplemented (PS), and 300 were unsupplemented (US). Neural tube defect recurrences in the study pregnancies were 1 (0.5%), in FS, none in PS, and 13 (4%) in US mothers. The difference in outcome between FS and US mothers is significant. The most likely explanation is that supplementation has prevented some neural tube defects, but further studies are needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Antenatal diagnosis of Niemann-Pick disease in a twin pregnancy.

An Ashkenazi Jewish woman had a child with Niemann-Pick disease in her first marriage. She subsequently remarried a man who was also heterozygous for the condition and conceived twins. Prenatal diagnostic tests were performed and one twin was shown to be homozygous and the other heterozygous for Niemann-Pick disease. The problems of prenatal diagnosis and counselling in twin pregnancies are discussed.

Diseases in Twins↗
PubMed1981

Assessment of lipopolysaccharide and outer membrane of Bacteroides fragilis by an antibody-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in physiologic fluids and infected animals.

LPS antigen of Bacteroides fragilis (CDC strain 5462) was measured in vitro in physiologic buffer and undilute human sera by using an antibody-inhibition ELISA system. Other studies were performed to assess detection of the outer membrane antigen from this organism. LPS was repetitively detected at 20 to 50 ng/ml dry weight, and outer membranes were detected at 200 ng/ml total protein in physiologic buffers and human membranes were detected at 200 ng/ml total protein in physiologic buffers and human sera. LPS of other type strains was also detected. Prior incubation of the reagent antibody with multiple whole Enterobacteriaceae organisms and Pseudomonas aeruginosa did not alter test results. Bacteremic rats were easily separated into those with B. fragilis (N = 15) and Escherichia coli (N = 14) bacteremias. Sera from rats in which subcutaneous abscesses were produced with 18 strains of Enterobacteriaceae inhibited detection antibody significantly less than did sera from 30 rats in which abscesses were produced with 11 strains of b. fragilis (p less than 0.01). Although values from the group of animals challenged with B. fragilis were significantly different from the group challenged with Enterobacteriaceae, the present results lack significant sensitivity and specificity for clinical application.

Abscess↗
PubMed1980

Molecular cloning of cDNA sequences coding for the major alpha- and beta-globin polypeptides of adult Xenopus laevis.

This report describes the synthesis and cloning of almost complete DNA copies of the mRNAs encoding the major alpha-globin and major beta-globin of X. laevis. Double-stranded globin cDNA was inserted into the PstI site of the plasmid pBR322 and two cloned recombinants (designated pXG6C1 and pXG8D2) were selected. These were shown to contain almost complete copies of X. laevis globin mRNA. Restriction enzyme maps were determined for each cDNA sequence using the established method of partial digestion of end labelled DNA. However, this procedure was modified such that isolation of individual DNA fragments was no longer required. Each plasmid was shown, by both hybrid arrested translation and filter selection of complementary RNA, to contain a sequence coding for one or other of the two major globin polypeptides. Sufficient DNA sequence information has been determined from each cDNA clone to demonstrate that pXG8D2 contains a beta-globin sequence and pXG6C1 contains an alpha-globin sequence.

Animals↗