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Biomedical subjects

S B Miller

Publications and source records attributed to S B Miller.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Trace element concentrations in hair from autistic children.

The concentrations of 14 elements were determined in scalp hair samples from control, autistic and autistic-like children. Significant differences were noted between normal males and females for calcium, magnesium and mercury. The autistic population had significantly lower levels of calcium, magnesium, copper, manganese and chromium and higher levels of lithium as compared to sex- and age-matched controls. Children with autistic features (autistic-like), classified as having childhood-onset pervasive disorder, had lower levels of magnesium, cadmium, cobalt and manganese as compared to controls. Discriminant function analysis using the 14 trace elements correctly classified 90.5% of the normal and 100% of the autistic population. Using a stepwise procedure, the five elements with the greatest discriminatory power were calcium, copper, zinc, chromium and lithium. Analysis based on these five trace elements led to the correct classification of 85.7% of the normal and 91.7% of the autistic group. Results indicate that the concentrations of trace elements in hair from normal children differ from patterns observed in both autistic and autistic-like children. Furthermore, evidence suggests that hair analysis may have potential use as a diagnostic tool for autism.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1983

Purification of cells from livers of carcinogen-treated rats by free-flow electrophoresis.

The tumorigenic roles of specific types of cells that emerge during chemical hepatocarcinogenesis in rats could potentially be determined if the specific types of cells could be purified adequately. Type II cells, defined (J. M. Jacobs, T. P. Pretlow, N. Fausto, A. M. Pitts, and T. G. Pretlow, J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 66: 967-973, 1981) as small, slowly sedimenting cells with histochemically demonstrable gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, have oval nuclei similar in size to those of lymphocytes. Adult male F344 rats were fed a choline-deficient diet containing 0.05% ethionine for 4 weeks. Liver cells were obtained in suspension by in situ perfusion of collagenase. A two-step process, i.e., sedimentation in an isokinetic gradient followed by free-flow electrophoresis, was used to purify type II cells. We obtained preparations of cells with 32.3 +/- 5.0% (S.D.) type II cells, 13.4 +/- 2.0% erythrocytes, 52.9 +/- 3.3% small nucleated cells, and only 1.4 +/- 0.3% hepatocytes. The small nucleated cells were Kupffer cells and cells smaller than Kupffer cells that included many lymphocytes and unidentified cells similar in size to lymphocytes. Because both the electrophoretic mobilities and the rates of sedimentation of type II cells and hepatocytes are different, there is some advantage to be obtained from the sequential use of these techniques that exploit independent differences in the physical properties of these cells.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed1982

Purification and transplantation of hepatocytes from livers of carcinogen-treated rats.

Young adult male F344 rats were given 90 ppm diethylnitrosamine in drinking water for 5 weeks. Cells were obtained in suspension from the livers of these animals by in situ perfusion of collagenase. Cells were separated in a 2.7-16% (wt/wt) continuous gradient of Ficoll in tissue culture medium in the Sorvall TZ-28 reorienting zonal rotor for 10 minutes at 4 degrees C with a centrifugal force of 12 X g at the sample-gradient interface (26 X g at the gradient-cushion interface). Up to half a billion liver cells were separated without exceeding the band capacity. In all experiments the purest fractions contained more than 90% hepatocytes. After centrifugation, 72.4 +/- 6.6% of the purified hepatocytes had histochemically demonstrable gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT). When purified hepatocytes were injected into the mesenteric veins of rats given a diet containing 0.02% (wt/wt) N-2-fluorenylacetamide for 7 days and subjected to partial hepatectomy, all rats that received these cells developed foci that exhibited histochemically demonstrable GGT. Hepatocytes with histochemically demonstrable GGT make up all or part of what previously has been referred to as "liver colony-forming units." With the TZ-28 reorienting zonal rotor, these cells can be purified in biochemically preparative quantities.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Plasma exchange in autoimmune disorders.

Plasma exchange has been explored as an adjunctive form of therapy in the management of a variety of autoimmune diseases including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Goodpasture's syndrome, Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis, Polyarteritis Nodosa, Wegener's Granulomatosis, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. The rationale for its use is based on the removal of potentially tissue-damaging circulating antibodies or immune complexes. Results have been encouraging but numbers of patients and controlled studies have been few. It is anticipated that future controlled studies will shed critical light on the role of therapeutic plasma exchange in these illnesses.

Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease↗
PubMed1980

Laser therapy of rheumatoid arthritis.

Thirty people with classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis received laser exposure to a Q-switch neodymium laser that operated at 1.06 micrometer with an output of 15 joules/cm2 for 30 nsec. One hand was lased at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and metacarpal phalangeal (MCP) joints, whereas the other hand was sham lased. The patient, physician, and occupational therapy evaluators did not know which hand was being lased. Twenty-one patients noted improvement of both their MCP and PIP joints of both hands during laser therapy. Twenty-seven noted improvement of their PIP joints and 26 noted improvement of the MCP joints during therapy. Heat, erythema, pain, swelling, and tenderness all improved with time in both hands, but the lased hand had more significant improvement in erythema and pain. There was also significant improvement in grasp and tip pressure on the lased side. The level of circulating immune complexes as measured by platelet aggregation decreased during lasing. The improvement may be related to laser exposure. The exact role that laser radiation has upon rheumatoid arthritis and its mechanism of action remain to be elucidated.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Choline magnesium trisalicylate versus ibuprofen in rheumatoid arthritis.

A double-blind study compared choline magnesium trisalicylate (Trilisate tablets, Purdue Frederick) (CMT) and ibuprofen (IPF) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The seven-week trial in 134 ambulatory patients, of whom 68 received CMT and 66 received IPF, was conducted as a multicentre study. Both CMT and IPF were highly effective in reducing significantly all symptoms that had worsened following the discontinuance of previous therapy. The anti-inflammatory effect of CMT produced a significantly (P less than 0.05) greater reduction in the number of swollen joints, compared to IPF, in patients completing all required visits. Further clinical study will be required before the full clinical significance of this observation emerges. Incidence of adverse effects for each drug did not differ significantly.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Adapted melodic intonation therapy: a case study of an experimental language program for an autistic child.

In order to develop a useful communication system, a 3-year-old, non-verbal autistic boy was treated for 1 year with a Simultaneous Communication method involving signed and verbal language. As this procedure proved not useful in this case, an adaptation of Melodic Intonation Therapy (signing plus an intoned rather than spoken verbal stimulus) was tried. With this experimental language treatment, the patient produced trained, imitative and, finally, spontaneous intoned verbalizations which generalized to a variety of situations.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1970

Pulmonary absorption and retention of kanamycin after repeated inhalation administration of kanamycin aerosol.

The absorption and retention of kanamycin by the pulmonary system was evaluated after aerosol administration to rats. Tissue level concentrations of the drug were assayed by the agar-plate bioassay method. Mean concentrations of 6.58 mug/g and 3.52 mug/g were found in the lung and kidney homogenates, respectively, 26 hr after the final exposure period. No detectable level was found in the plasma.

Absorption↗