Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S E Jones

Publications and source records attributed to S E Jones.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Analysis of differentially expressed genes in retinitis pigmentosa retinas. Altered expression of clusterin mRNA.

The molecular and cellular processes underlying photoreceptor degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are unknown. We have investigated gene expression in diseased retinas using differential hybridization screening of a retinal cDNA library with probes derived from normal and RP retinal RNA. Most differential clones detected corresponded to transcripts absent from the dystrophic state, including e.g. opsin. However, one clone was noticeably increased in RP in comparison with the control: partial sequencing showed it encoded clusterin. Increased expression of clusterin has been identified in several cases of tissues undergoing apoptosis (programmed cell death), and our finding suggests that the degenerative changes in advanced RP may represent another example of apoptosis, possibly with common causative mechanisms.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

A phase II study of piritrexim in patients with advanced squamous head and neck cancer.

Piritrexim (PTX) is a newly developed lipid-soluble folate antagonist that crosses the cell membrane by a simple, rapid, carrier-independent diffusion process. A Phase II study was conducted to evaluate the activity of PTX in 34 patients with previously chemotherapy-naive squamous cell cancer of the head and neck area (SCCHN). Among them, 30 patients had received previous radiation therapy and/or surgery. Of 33 patients who could be examined, 3 had a complete response (CR), 6 had a partial response (PR), 11 had no change, and 13 had disease progression. The overall response rate (CR + PR) was 27% (9 of 33; 95% confidence interval, 13% to 46%). The response duration ranged from 36 to 360 + days (median, 162) and was similar to the best studies reported with methotrexate. The three most severe side effects (Grades 3 and 4 by World Health Organization criteria) were leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and mucositis. These occurred in 41%, 26%, and 15% of the 34 patients, respectively. This study established PTX as an agent with some activity in SCCHN. The use of PTX in combination chemotherapeutic regimens needs to be explored.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Using decision analysis to calculate the optimum treatment for microinvasive cervical cancer.

Decision theory was used to calculate the optimum treatment of microscopic squamous cervical cancer using probabilities obtained from an exhaustive literature review and a range of plausible value estimates. This showed that if there is no vascular involvement, survival is maximised by conservative treatment if tumour invasion is less than 3 mm while treatment by radical surgery results in maximal survival rates if the tumour invasion is over 3 mm. Radical surgery also maximises survival for smaller lesions where lymph channel involvement is present, especially if a surgical mortality at the lower end of the reported range is assumed. Refinement of our analysis to include an assessment of patient values showed that these conclusions are still valid regardless of the patient's relative preference for death from surgery or death from cancer. However, the wish to preserve fertility sharply reduces the overall net benefit of surgery. Conservative treatment becomes the preferred option for all microinvasive lesions even for patients who are prepared to trade-off a small (e.g. 2%) risk of death in order to retain their fertility.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Day-case surgery.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Ambulatory Surgical Procedures↗
PubMed1991

Developmental profile of a fetuin-like glycoprotein in neocortex, cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of post-natal tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii).

A fetuin-like glycoprotein (FLG) has been shown to be present in early cortical plate cells in the developing brain of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). The developmental sequence of the occurrence of glycoprotein-positive fibres and cells in the dorsolateral telencephalic wall from newborn to day 40 is described. The level of FLG in CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) and plasma of the tammar wallaby has also been measured during pouch life. The presence of FLG in early postnatal fibre systems and in some cells in the primordial plexiform layer, as well as in early cortical plate cells of the tammar is similar to that of fetuin in fetal brain in sheep, pig and cow, and alpha 2HS glycoprotein in human fetal brain. The sequence of appearance of FLG-positive cells during neocortical development in the tammar is strikingly similar to that of a transient population of early cortical plate cells previously described in fetal cat and sheep cortex. During postnatal development, levels of FLG in tammar plasma and CSF follow a pattern different from that of other species. The developmental expression of all three related glycoproteins in their respective species is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Papaveretum infusions in infants under 6 months of age.

The effectiveness of a continuous low dose papaveretum infusion for the relief of postoperative pain was assessed in 29 infants aged 1-6 months nursed on the infant surgical ward following major abdominal surgery. Trained nursing staff were able to adjust the dosage within prescribed guidelines and satisfactory analgesia was obtained with a regimen which delivered up to 0.0375 mg/kg/hour, approximately half the dose recommended in children older than 12 months. There was one case of clinically significant respiratory depression.

Female↗
PubMed1979

Superiority of nabilone over prochlorperazine as an antiemetic in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.

Two double-blind, crossover trials comparing the antiemetic effectiveness of nabilone, a new synthetic cannabinoid, with that of prochlorperazine were conducted in patients with severe nausea and vomiting associated with anticancer chemotherapy. Of 113 patients evaluated, 90 (80 per cent) responded to nabilone therapy, whereas only 36 (32 per cent) responded to prochlorperazine (P less than 0.001). Complete relief of symptoms was infrequent, occurring only in nine patients (8 per cent) given nabilone. When both drugs were compared, both nausea (P less than 0.01) and vomiting episodes (P less than 0.001) were significantly lower in patients given nabilone. Moreover, patients clearly favored nabilone for continued use (P less than 0.001). Predominant side effects noted by patients were similar for both agents and included somnolence, dry mouth and dizziness but were about twice as frequent and more often severe in patients receiving nabilone. In addition, four patients (3 per cent) taking nabilone had side effects (hallucinations in three, hypotension in one) that required medical attention. Euphoria associated with nabilone was infrequent (16 per cent) and mild.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Chemotherapy of localised histiocytic lymphoma.

22 patients with localised (stage I or II) diffuse lymphoma were treated with chemotherapy at the time of diagnosis. 14 patients received chemotherapy as the only treatment, and 8 received chemotherapy plus local irradiation. Doxorubicin-containing drug regimens were used in 20 patients. All 22 patients achieved a complete remission and remain alive with a median survival from the time of diagnosis of 27+ months. 21 patients (95%) have remained continuously free of disease with a median disease-free survival from the completion of chemotherapy of 23+ months. These findings provide a strong rationale for further clinical trials of chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy followed by regional radiotherapy for localised stages of diffuse lymphoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Comparative trial of low-dose adriamycin plus cyclophosphamide with or without additive hormonal therapy in advanced breast cancer.

We treated 56 women with advanced metastatic breast cancer who had not received prior chemotherapy in a comparative trial of cytotoxic chemotherapy with low-dose adriamycin plus cyclophosphamide alone or in combination with the androgenic steroid calusterone. The response rate to chemohormonal therapy (65%) could not be shown to be statistically better than that for chemotherapy alone (53%) for this size patient population. However, the median remission duration (21.5 months) was significantly prolonged over the 11.5-month remission duration for chemotherapy alone (p = 0.03). The median survival of the chemohormonal therapy group was 23.5 months, whereas that for chemotherapy alone was 13.5 months (p = 0.05). These results indicate that the addition of a potent hormonal agent to effective cytotoxic chemotherapy improves the results of treatment of women with metastatic breast cancer.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1979

Combination chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer utilizing vincristine, adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide (VAC).

Thirty-two patients with advanced breast cancer were treated with a combination of vincristine (1 mg/m2, not exceeding 2 mg, administered intravenously on day 1), adriamycin (40 mg/m2 administered intravenously on day 1), and cyclophosphamide (200 mg/m2 administered orally for 4 days on days 3-6). Courses were repeated at 21-28-day intervals. The mean age of the patients was 57 years (range, 30-79 years) and 18 patients were postmenopausal. None of the patients had received prior chemotherapy although 15 had prior endocrine treatment. Objective response was observed in 23 (72%) of the 32 patients and 9 responses (28%) were complete. The median remission duration was estimated to be 22 months. Median survival has not been reached but exceeds 24 months with a median time of follow-up of 17 months. Toxicity was acceptable and included mild nausea, vomiting, alopecia, and paresthesias. Only one instance of serious infection and no instances of bleeding were observed. The addition of vincristine to combination chemotherapy with adriamycin and cyclophosphamide appears to prolong the remission duration and survival in patients with advanced breast cancer to a greater extent than is achieved with adriamycin and cyclophosphamide alone.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Superiority of adriamycin-containing combination chemotherapy in the treatment of diffuse lymphoma: a Southwest Oncology Group study.

As a part of an ongoing prospective controlled trial, the Southwest Oncology Group compared the results of treatment of advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with two CHOP regimens (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine and prednisone with either low-dose bleomycin or BCG by scarification) to a COP regimen (cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone) with low-dose bleomycin (COP-Bleo). The study design emphasized histopathology review and systematic restaging to define complete remission (CR). Confirmed rates of CR for 443 evaluable patients were 59% for 286 patients receiving the CHOP regimens and 59% for 157 patients receiving COP-Bleo. Rates of CR were higher for patients with nodular lymphoma (69%) compared to those with diffuse lymphoma (54%) (p = 0.005). For patients with nodular lymphoma there was no difference in CR rates according to treatment. For patients with diffuse lymphomas the CR rate was higher with the CHOP programs (58%) than with COP-Bleo (44%) (p = 0.10). Overall duration of CR and survival was significantly longer for patients with nodular lymphoma compared to diffuse lymphoma (p less than 0.01). At this time, remission duration and survival were similar regardless of induction regimen used in patients with nodular lymphoma. However, in patients with diffuse lymphoma, the duration of CR and overall survival were improved by treatment with the CHOP regimens compared to COP-Bleo (p = 0.02). Thus, in this controlled study we have demonstrated that initial combination chemotherapy employing the CHOP regimen was a superior remission induction therapy for patients with diffuse lymphoma.

Antineoplastic Agents↗