Biomedical subjects

S Heywood

Publications and source records attributed to S Heywood.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Prolonged in vivo residence times of antibody fragments associated with albumin.

Antibody fragments can be expressed at a high level in microbial systems, but they may have limited therapeutic value because they are rapidly eliminated from the body. We demonstrate here that site-specific conjugation or binding of bacterially derived Fab' to the long-lived protein serum albumin allows full retention of the antibody's binding characteristics while imparting the albumin's longevity in vivo. In rats the area under the curve for Fab' conjugated to rat serum albumin was 17-fold greater than for the control of Fab' conjugated to cysteine. Again, a bispecific F(ab')(2) with specificity for rat serum albumin showed an area under the curve about 8-fold greater than did a F(ab')(2) without specificity to albumin. Genetic fusions of scFv to albumin were similarly long-lived and could be expressed in yeast to provide the basis of a cost-effective production system.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Familial ovarian cancer: report of ovarian carcinoma in three sisters.

This is a report of ovarian carcinoma occurring in two sisters diagnosed almost at the same time, prompting prophylactic oophorectomy in a third sister. Histology of the overtly normal ovary in the third sister showed a focus of ovarian cancer. Discussion and a review of the literature suggest that any program designed to reduce the incidence of late-stage ovarian carcinoma should include the surveillance of family members of the index case, including the performance of prophylactic oophorectomy in the unaffected members of the family after they have completed their families.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Antenatal haemoglobin profile at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

From 1 November 1995 to 10 April 1996, 1001 consecutive mothers who had attended the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) antenatal clinic and were delivered in the Maternity Unit of the PMGH were surveyed for their antenatal haemoglobin (Hb) levels. One or more Hb results had been noted in the antenatal records of 997 subjects. The mean of the first Hb level for this sample was 10.6 +/- 1.72 g/dl. The first Hb level was below 10.0 g/dl in 33% of the 997 subjects. The dates were reliable in 777 subjects. The mean first Hb for this group was the same as for the total sample. A subgroup of 449 subjects with reliable dates and first Hb measurement at < or = 26 weeks gestation had a first Hb mean of 10.9 +/- 1.78 g/dl. Among those with reliable dates, 569 had two or more Hb measurements, the last being at > or = 34 weeks. In this subgroup, the mean of the last Hb was 11.1 +/- 1.60 g/dl. The first Hb was measured at < or = 26 weeks in 352 subjects in this subgroup. The means for the first and last Hb levels for this subset were 10.9 +/- 1.78 and 11.1 +/- 1.57 g/dl, respectively; the paired t test did not show any difference between the first and last Hb levels. For subjects in the total sample who had two or more Hb measurements, the mean for the lowest Hb level was 10.0 +/- 1.54; 45% had levels below 10.0 g/dl at some time during the pregnancy.

Anemia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A survey of pregnant women with tuberculosis at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

From March 1995 to February 1998, 110 patients diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in pregnancy or the puerperium at the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) were surveyed. 96% were diagnosed as a result of the symptoms of tuberculosis, 4% through contact tracing. 11 of 40 patients who first attended antenatal clinic in the second trimester were not diagnosed until after delivery. The mean birthweight of term infants of TB patients was significantly less than term infants in a previous survey at PMGH. 45% of babies were growth restricted. With increasing duration of treatment, both increasing maternal weight gain in pregnancy and higher mean birthweight were found. Maternal and perinatal mortality were high in the study patients. There were 6 maternal deaths and a perinatal mortality rate of 137/1000. The majority of maternal and fetal losses occurred in patients who had pulmonary, miliary and meningeal TB. Improvement in the detection of tuberculosis in antenatal patients and the introduction of adequate treatment before delivery should prevent maternal deaths and perinatal morbidity and mortality.

Adolescent↗