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Biomedical subjects

S George

Publications and source records attributed to S George.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Differences in perception of quality of life issues between health professionals and patients with pancreatic cancer.

During the initial stages of development of a pancreatic cancer quality of life (QoL) module to supplement the EORTC core QoL module, the QLQ-C30, a qualitative study was undertaken to explore observed differences in the health professionals' and patients' perception of the illness, treatment and care of pancreatic cancer. Semi-structured one-to-one interviews were conducted with a range of six health professionals and 21 pancreatic cancer patients from two acute general hospitals and one teaching hospital within the Wessex Region. Grounded theory guided data collection and analysis. There was good agreement between the content of issues generated by professionals and patients with 42 relevant and specific issues identified. However, subtle differences in perception were observed when the context of why such issues were important was examined between the two groups. Health professionals took a mechanistic view and saw the impact of each symptom or problem as directly affecting quality of life perception. Patients' perception of quality of life was mediated by the process of coping. This was grounded by two linked factors. First, the perceived threat of each symptom or problem to the patient and second, the success or otherwise of coping strategies employed to maintain control. Five main coping strategies were identified. This study highlighted that there are important and specific quality of life issues which warrant a need for a pancreatic cancer QoL module. This study emphasises the fact that patients are the best source to describe their quality of life. Health professionals should acknowledge the effect of coping strategies when assessing the impact of symptoms and their treatment on patients with pancreatic cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reye's syndrome in Bangalore.

One hundred and twenty four cases of Reye's syndrome admitted to Vanivilas Children's Hospital, Bangalore were investigated. Clinical, biochemical and epidemiological details were obtained. The median age was five years, with no difference in sex ratio. This disease was frequent in winter months. Cases clustered in certain congested localities of the city among lower socio economic strata. Aspirin and varicella could not be associated as preceding factors. The clinical and biochemical features of the patients were suggestive of Reye's syndrome. Histopathological evaluation was done in 104 liver biopsy specimens. Virological studies for influenza and arbovirus were negative. Mortality was high (78%).

Biopsy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An outbreak of anthrax meningoencephalitis.

We report a common-source outbreak of anthrax meningoencephalitis in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh, southern India, in October 1990. The source of infection was the carcass of a sheep. Of 5 persons who skinned and cut up its meat for human consumption, 4 developed anthrax meningoencephalitis and one a malignant pustule. Another person who wrapped the meat in a cloth and carried it home on his head developed a malignant pustule on his forehead and also meningoencephalitis. All subjects with anthrax meningoencephalitis died, but the one with only a malignant pustule recovered. A large number of people who cooked or ate the cooked meat of the dead sheep remained well. The medical, public health and veterinary authorities were alerted and sheep, goats and cattle in the locality were immunized with anthrax vaccine. Although rules against consumption of meat of dead animals exist, their violation shows a lack of public awareness. Health education should be undertaken to correct this situation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Identification of cytochrome P450 1B-like sequences in two teleost fish species (scup, Stenotomus chrysops and plaice, Pleuronectes platessa) and in a cetacean (striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba).

The cytochromes P450 (CYP) constitute a multigene family of enzymes playing a critical role in the oxidation of many endogenous and xenobiotic substrates. The CYP1 family is of particular interest in environmental toxicology because its members are dominant in the metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and aryl amines. Three members of the CYP1 family, CYP1A1, CYP1A2, and CYP1B1, have been identified in mammals. We report here on the identification and cloning of cytochrome P4501B-like sequences from two teleost fish species and a marine mammal. Sequences clustering with CYP1B1 in phylogenetic analysis were obtained from liver cDNA of scup (Stenotomus chrysops), genomic DNA of plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), and liver cDNA of striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba).

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Levels of cellular glutathione and metallothionein affect the toxicity of oxidative stressors in an established carp cell line.

The comparative toxicity of a variety of oxidative stressors was studied in the epithelioma papulosum cyprini line from carp using the neutral red cytotoxicity assay. LC50's decreased in the order t-butylhydroperoxide > hydrogen peroxide > diquat > paraquat. The cytotoxicity of hydrogen peroxide was significantly reduced when the cells were grown in L-15 medium rather than MEM and this could be attributed to elevated cellular glutathione and metallothionein levels and higher activities of GSH-dependent detoxification systems. The protective effect of metallothionein in radical scavenging was demonstrated by decreased toxicity of the redox-cycling toxicants, diquat and menadione after metallothionein levels had been pre-induced by Cd-exposure. This study demonstrates the relationship between toxic effects of oxidative stressors and expression of detoxification systems in fish.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Development of a fish in vitro cell culture model to investigate oxidative stress and its modulation by dietary vitamin E.

When cultured in Dulbecco's minimal essential medium the established epithelioma papulosum cyprini cell line from carp was found to be vitamin E-deficient due to the very low level of vitamin E in the medium and the foetal calf serum used as supplement. The toxicity of oxidative stressors to this cell line was evaluated by means of the neutral red cytotoxicity assay and it was found that an organic hydroperoxide, t-butylhydroperoxide was extremely cytotoxic and that the redox-cycling agents diquat and menadione were less toxic. When grown under vitamin E supplementation (25 microM), the toxicity of these chemicals was reduced by at least an order of magnitude in concentration demonstrating the protective effect of vitamin E. These data show the importance of vitamin E status for interpretation of in vitro and in vivo data and that this in vitro system is useful for mechanistic studies.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of glutaraldehyde adulteration of urine specimens on syva EMIT II drugs-of-abuse assays.

The effect of glutaraldehyde (the active component of "UrinAid") on Syva EMIT II drugs-of-abuse screening assays was studied. It was found that, dependent on the assay involved, concentrations of between 0.75 and 2.00% (v/v) of glutaraldehyde in urine could give rise to false-negative screening results. A simple method for identifying urine specimens that have been adulterated with glutaraldehyde, based on final absorbance rate readings (dA/min), is proposed.

Absorption↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A pilot study to determine the usefulness of the urinary excretion of methadone and its primary metabolite (EDDP) as potential markers of compliance in methadone detoxification programs.

Fourteen subjects (selected on the basis of compliance with the methadone-maintenance program prescribed by the consultant psychiatrist in charge of their treatment) undergoing opiate detoxification by methadone-replacement therapy were studied to determine if a relationship exists between the dose of methadone prescribed and the urinary excretion of methadone and/or its primary metabolite, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP). After the derivation of this relationship, it was hoped that the urinary concentrations of methadone and/or EDDP could be used as a noninvasive technique to monitor the methadone compliance of 56 drug abusers. Despite statistically significant correlations (p<0.001) between methadone dose and urine concentrations of methadone and EDDP, the large variation in concentrations measured in the urine of drug abusers negated the possibility of any clear-cut relationship being confirmed. However, it may be possible to use excretion data to monitor individual compliance but only through long-term monitoring of individual subjects to establish their own intraindividual variation in excretion patterns.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The development and application of a gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) assay to determine the presence of 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD in urine.

An accurate and reproducible gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analytical method was developed to enable the Laboratory to determine the presence and concentration of the 2-oxo-3-hydroxy metabolite of lysergic acid diethylamide (OH-LSD) in urine. The limit of detection was 0.5 ng/mL, with a limit of quantitation established as 1.0 ng/mL. The assay was reproducible and linear over the concentration range 0.5-50.0 ng/mL, with a typical correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.997. This method was subsequently applied to the analysis of specimens submitted for routine drugs of abuse screening as part of an audit into the prevalence of LSD abuse in the West Midlands, U.K. This initial pilot study was performed using urine specimens obtained from 600 suspected LSD abusers. Following immunoassay screening, only 25 (6 female and 19 male subjects) were found to be LSD positive, but only 11 were confirmed as containing OH-LSD by GC-MS. The concentrations determined in these specimens ranged from 1.7 to 55.8 ng/mL (mean 11.0, median 5.4). This rapid and sensitive technique should enable the Laboratory to perform future audits of LSD abuse throughout the West Midlands and facilitate differential diagnoses to be made between drug misuse and underlying organic disorders.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A comparative study of two devices used for cervical cell sampling raises some doubts about liquid-based cytology.

The objective of this study was to compare the quality of smears obtained by a newly designed cervical cell sampler (the implement) to those obtained with the cervex brush, using liquid-based cytology (LBC). A prospective randomized controlled trial with the approval of the local ethics committees after informing the Medical Devices Agency in the UK was used in this study. The study was carried out in colposcopy clinics in two district general NHS Trust Hospitals in London. A total of 200 women were recruited (100 from each hospital). The women were randomized into two groups, each of them having two smears at the same time. One hundred (50%) of the women had their first smear with the new implement, and the other 100 (50%) had their first smear with the cervex brush. The main outcome of this study is good-quality smears, assessed by evidence of effective sampling of the transformation zone, including immature metaplastic cells and also endocervical cells. Eighty-five percent of the smears taken by the new implement showed good-quality smears compared to 91% of those taken by the cervex brush, a statistically marginally nonsignificant result, with P value = 0.052 (McNemar exact test). A larger number of good-quality smears, judged by evidence of sampling of transformation zone, were obtained with the cervex brush, though the difference was statistically marginally nonsignificant, using the British society for clinical cytology criteria. Surprisingly, despite the use of LBC, there was a higher rate of inadequate smears obtained with both the devices (8% with each) compared to our previous study using the conventional slide test (1.3% with the new implement and 1.8% with the Jordan's spatula).

Cytodiagnosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

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Attitude of Health Personnel↗