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Biomedical subjects

S Kennedy

Publications and source records attributed to S Kennedy.

At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Leukocyte and lymphocyte cyclic AMP responses in atopic eczema.

Lymphocytes from subjects with mild and severe atopic eczema were compared with normal control subjects in regard to their cAMP (3';5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate) responses to a variety of stimulatory agents. Individuals in the severe eczema group were shown to have a significant diminution in their unstimulated lymphocyte cAMP levels and absolute cAMP responses to 0.5 mM theophylline, 0.5 mM theophyline + 1 micronM epinephrine, 10 mM isoproternol, 1 mM isoproterenol, 10 mM salbutamol, and 3 micron M PGE1. Individuals with mild eczema had a reduced response to 0.5 mM theophylline. The severe eczema groups also differed in a number of these responses from a group of 5 subjects with severe psoriasis. Mixed leukocyte cAMP responses to 10 mM isoproterenol also were examined and found to be diminished in individuals with eczema.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Psychological response of patients cured of advanced cancer.

Psychologic testing was performed in 22 patients with advanced cancer (breast, endometrium, testis, lymphoma) who had undergone a complete remission that had been maintained for 5 to 20 years since the last therapy. The reaction to the probability of being cured was measured. The patients' overall attitude was very positive towards life and the future. They had a greater appreciation of time, life, people, and interpersonal reactions. They were less concerned about the nonessentials of life. It appeared that recovery from advanced cancer was a good experience for character development.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1973

Effects of long-term elemental nasogastric feeding on elderly debilitated patients.

The effects of a liquid elemental diet on nine patients requiring nasogastric tube feeding because of severe dysphagia were studied. A casein based feeding served as a control. The elemental diet was given over a 12-week period except in the case of one man who expired after nine weeks from causes unrelated to the diet.The feeding was well tolerated by the digestive tract. Satisfactory nutrition appeared to be maintained as indicated by weight gain, stable hemoglobin, serum total protein and albumin values, and normal healing of pressure sores. BUN levels decreased significantly. Uric acid levels increased but remained within normal limits. Pancreatic function was unaffected clinically and from the postmortem findings of the man who died, pancreatic morphology was normal. Fasting blood sugars, serum electrolytes, hematocrit, bleeding, clotting and prothrombin times, and platelet counts were normal.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tamoxifen as the primary treatment in elderly patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing incidence of breast cancer in patients over 70 years, there is interest in the best therapeutic approach. AIMS: To review the management of breast cancer in elderly women and to identify the factors involved in the decision to treat patients with tamoxifen as first line therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1986 and 1999, 302 female patients aged > or = 70 years presented with primary breast cancer, of whom 219 underwent surgery, 79 received tamoxifen as first line treatment and four received primary radiotherapy. A retrospective review was performed on these 79 patients and the outcome recorded. RESULTS: Of these 79 patients, data was available on 68. Follow-up ranged from one to 63 months (median 17 months). Co-morbidity was the principal reason for choosing first line tamoxifen therapy in 61% and patient preference in 11%. Tumour size was less than 5cm in 51%. In 25% tumour size decreased, in 24% it remained stable and in 27% it increased in size following tamoxifen therapy. Additional treatment was prescribed for 33% of patients. CONCLUSION: In the authors' experience, for those elderly patients suffering considerable co-morbidity or who refuse surgical intervention, tamoxifen is an acceptable alternative.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Economic consequences of comorbid depression, anxiety, and allergic rhinitis.

The present study extends prior work on the association between allergic rhinitis (AR) and common mental disorders by testing three related hypotheses: 1) that AR is associated with increased rates of depression and anxiety disorders in a large insured population, 2) comorbid AR, depression, and anxiety are associated with increased health and mental health expenditures, and 3) allergy treatment moderates the association between increased expenditures and comorbid AR, depression, and anxiety. Data are from MARKETSCAN, a large health care claims database of over 600,000 privately insured persons. Results indicate that AR is associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety disorder. Outpatient health care expenditures were increased by an average annual amount of $207 when AR and anxiety disorder were comorbid and $363 when AR and depression were comorbid. Finally, prescription treatment of AR moderated the increased expenditures associated with comorbidity.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An immunohistochemical study of the distribution of biotin in tissues of pigs and chickens.

An optimised indirect peroxidase-anti-peroxidase immunohistochemical technique was used to detect endogenous biotin in frozen tissue sections from biotin-supplemented and biotin-depleted pigs and chickens. A monoclonal anti-biotin antibody was used as primary antibody in this technique. Immunoreactive biotin was detected in many tissues of both species including liver, kidney, pancreas, adipose tissue, adrenal gland, testis, brain, choroid plexus, cardiac and skeletal muscle, epithelium of the respiratory and digestive systems, skin and lymphoid tissues. The specificity of immunostaining for biotin was confirmed by the finding of reduced staining intensities in tissues of biotin-depleted animals compared to those of biotin-supplemented animals. The results of this study suggest that biotin has metabolic functions in a wider range of tissues than previously known. They also indicate that endogenous tissue biotin should be considered as a source of false-positive staining when immunohistochemical or histochemical techniques which use avidin or streptavidin reagents or anti-biotin antibodies as components of the detection system, are applied to tissue sections.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The association between body mass and health care expenditures.

With several studies estimating the health care costs attributable to obesity-related medical conditions, the economic consequences of being overweight are beginning to come into focus. The present study complements this growing body of literature by directly estimating health care costs across a broad range of body mass index values. Data were obtained from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey (NMES) public use data tapes and retrospective analyses conducted on NMES Household Survey data only. The analyses included a total of 16,217 individuals between the ages of 18 and 65. Four classes of health care utilization and expenditures were derived using the NMES data: (1) use of any health care service and total health care expenditures, (2) use of inpatient services and inpatient expenditures, (3) use of outpatient services and outpatient expenditures, and (4) use of prescription medication and medication expenditures. Estimates based on our findings suggested strong relationships between body mass and the likelihood of using health care services and between body mass and average annual health care expenditures for both men and women. Increased body mass was associated with increased expenditures. However, this association was greater among males than among females and did not hold for individuals in the lowest body mass category. Ideal body mass was associated with 6.3% to 36.1% lower annual health care expenditures among females and 3.6% to 18.2% lower health care expenditures among males. The results of this set of analyses suggest that health care expenditures increase as weight deviates from the ideal-that is, health care expenditures among both underweight and overweight individuals in the United States were increased in relation to ideal weight. Separate analyses including weight-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension indicated that body mass increased health care expenditures largely by increasing the risk for these costly chronic medical conditions.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A neuroendocrine study of serotonin function in depressed stroke patients compared to non depressed stroke patients and healthy controls.

OBJECTIVES: We employed a neuroendocrine challenge paradigm to study serotonergic abnormalities associated with poststroke depression. METHOD: Twelve depressed stroke patients (major depression N= 5, minor depression N = 7), 8 nondepressed stroke patients and 12 healthy volunteers completed a single-blind, placebo-controlled, challenge tests. Baseline cortisol (CORT) and prolactin (PRL) values, and these hormonal responses to 30 mg of oral d-FEN and placebo over a 4 hour period were measured in the three groups. RESULTS: There were intergroup differences for baseline adjusted PRL responses (change scores from baseline) to d-FEN (group effect F = 4.38, df = 2,29, p = 0.02) while these responses to placebo were comparable between groups (group effect F = 1.82, df = 2,29, p = 0.18). Peak PRL responses (post d-FEN maximal PRL change from baseline scores) in depressed stroke patients were significantly greater than in nondepressed patients (p = 0.005) but comparable to healthy normals (p = 0.47). However, these responses between major and minor depression were not significant (p = 0.34). There was a trend suggesting a negative correlation between peak PRL response and severity of depression (p = 0.056). Depressed patients were younger than the controls (p = 0.054). Also, the depressed group was more functionally impaired (p = 0.04) and more likely to have right-sided lesions (p = 0.009) compared with the nondepressed group. Differences in baseline adjusted PRL changes between depressed and nondepressed groups became non significant when the influence of laterality of lesions was covaried, whereas covariation of functional scores and age did not alter the significance. CORT responses did not show intergroup differences. LIMITATIONS: The study group was small and was heterogenous in lesion characteristics, time since stroke and type of depression. A fixed-order design was used in the challenge test paradigm. CONCLUSIONS: When laterality of stroke lesion was taken into account, depressed and nondepressed stroke patients did not differ in PRL responses to d-FEN.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Uptake of porcine rubulavirus (LPMV) by PK-15 cells.

BACKGROUND: The porcine virus denominated La Piedad Michoacan Virus (LPMV) is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae and is the cause of a disease in pigs present only in Mexico. The disease is characterized by meningoencephalitis and respiratory distress in young pigs, epididymitis and orchitis in boars, and reproductive failure and abortion in sows. METHODS: The cytopathology, morphology, and distribution of the hemagglutination neuraminidase (HN) and nucleoprotein (NP) proteins of LPMV were investigated following inoculation into PK-15 cells. The cytopathic effect was characterized by cytoplasmic vacuolation and the formation of syncytia and cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. RESULTS: In immunofluorescence assays using a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against the HN protein at 5-60 min post-infection (early infection), a diffuse immunofluorescence was observed near the cell membrane and adjacent to the nuclear membrane. At 24 h post-infection (late infection), a dust-like immunofluorescence was observed throughout the cytoplasm. LPMV-infected cells incubated with the MAb against the NP protein showed punctate cytoplasmic fluorescence during the early stages of infection. At the late infection stage, these fluorescent particles became larger and were seen predominantly in the cytoplasm of syncytia. This pattern was also apparent by immunohistochemical labeling and immunogold electron microscopy. The latter technique revealed that HN protein was diffusely distributed throughout the cytoplasm. When using the MAb against the NP protein, nucleocapsid organization was the most prominent feature and resulted in the formation of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies visible by light and electron microscopy. Immunogold labeling of purified nucleocapsids was shown by electron microscopy. Virus particles and nucleocapsids were morphologically similar to members of the Paramyxoviridae family. CONCLUSIONS: The morphologic characteristics of the virions and the distribution patterns of the HN and NP proteins in PK-15 infected cells indicate that the mechanisms of LPMV replication are generally similar to those of the members of the Paramyxoviridae family.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spinal anesthesia with 0.5% S(-)-bupivacaine for elective lower limb surgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study examines the clinical effects of the subarachnoid administration of levobupivacaine, the S(-)-enantiomer of racemic bupivacaine. METHODS: An open, noncomparative study was performed on 20 patients undergoing elective lower limb surgery. Three milliliters of a plain solution of 0.5% S(-)-bupivacaine ( 15 mg) was administered via the L2 or L3 interspace with the patient in the sitting position. Following injection, the patients were immediately placed supine. Spread of sensory analgesia, degree of motor block, and hemodynamic parameters were recorded. RESULTS: Satisfactory surgical anesthesia was achieved in 18 patients. The median time to onset of analgesia was 2 minutes (ranging 2-10 minutes) and the median duration of analgesia was 388 minutes (range, 295-478 minutes). This group of patients achieved complete motor block, with a median onset time of 5 minutes (2-10 minutes) and duration of 266 minutes (range, 170-415 minutes). Sensory block height was inadequate for surgery in 2 patients, who received supplemental anesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that S(-)-bupivacaine can provide satisfactory surgical anesthesia, but the spread of the plain solution is unpredictable.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic meningoencephalitis associated with Brucella sp. infection in live-stranded striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba).

A chronic, non-suppurative meningoencephalitis was found in three young striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) during routine neuropathological examination of marine mammals live-stranded on the Scottish coast. In all three dolphins the lesions were associated with the isolation of a Brucella sp. from the brain and with the immunohistochemical detection of brucella antigen. Moreover, antibodies to Brucella spp. were detected in the two dolphins that were subjected to serological examination. Immunohistochemical and serological examinations for morbillivirus antigen and antibodies, respectively, were negative in all cases. Although brucella infection of marine mammals has been extensively documented in recent years, its association with lesions and disease is less well recognized. The present report provides the first description of an association between Brucella sp. infection and neuropathological changes in a cetacean species.

Animals↗