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Biomedical subjects

S S Lin

Publications and source records attributed to S S Lin.

124 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization analysis for the detection of urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis infections in women.

The presence of Chlamydia trachomatis-related deoxyribonucleic acid sequences in endocervical specimens of 317 women was analyzed by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization techniques with deoxyribonucleic acid from C. trachomatis used as probes. Samples from 56 of 172 high-risk patients (32.6%) and 16 of 145 low-risk patients (11.0%) contained C. trachomatis-related deoxyribonucleic acid sequences. Direct detection of chlamydial antigen with enzyme-linked immunoassay on the same patients yielded positive rates of 26.3% and 7.3% for the high- and low-risk patients, respectively. C. trachomatis culture confirmed 86.3% of deoxyribonucleic acid-positive results and 84.0% of antigen-positive results. The overall sensitivities of chlamydial deoxyribonucleic acid and antigen assays were 91.7% and 68.8%, respectively, whereas the specificities were 95.3% and 94.7%. Results also suggested that the test of the C. trachomatis deoxyribonucleic acid correlated better with the female urogenital chlamydial infections than did the antigen test of C. trachomatis. The combined results of higher sensitivity in detecting the microorganism and better correlation with disease activity may make the deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization test a useful tool for the early and accurate diagnosis of C. trachomatis infections in female patients.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1987

Hepatitis type B virus DNA in patients receiving hemodialysis: correlation with other HBV serological markers.

Possible presence of hepatitis type B virus (HBV) was assessed in 239 end-stage renal failure patients who were receiving long-term maintenance hemodialysis (average 30.8 months; duration: 1-94 months), and who had not shown any other symptom of HBV infection. Their HBV serological markers, including HBV DNA, were evaluated together with those of normal control individuals. HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) was detected in 42 of the 239 dialysis patients, 15 of whom also positive for HBV DNA (mean +/- SD = 56.2 +/- 23.7 pg/100 microliters of serum). HBV DNA was also found in 22 of the 197 (11.2%) dialysis patients who were negative for HBsAg, with an average of 36.2 +/- 19.0 pg/100 microliters of serum. This rate of detecting HBV DNA in HBV seronegative dialysis individuals was significantly higher than the rate of 1.83% found among healthy HBsAg(-) individuals. Among these 22 dialysis patients who were HBsAg(-) but HBV DNA(+), 15 were found to possess antibodies against HBsAg (anti-HBs) and/or antibody against HBV e antigen (anti-HBe). These data suggested that the absence of serum HBV antigen or the presence of antibodies against HBV markers might not be sufficient to identify possible HBV infection in immunocompromised hosts such as hemodialysis patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Expression of epidermal growth factor receptors in human lung tumors.

Using the adjacent histologically normal tissues obtained from the same patients as controls, six human lung tumors were studied for the activities of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor binding, and receptor autophosphorylation. There was a 1.2- to 2.8-fold increase in EGF receptor activities in lung tumors due to an increase in the number of receptors without changes in their affinity. The increase had no direct correlation with the degree of differentiation or the type of lung tumors. The elevated expression of EGF receptor may be one of the characteristics in lung tumors. Epidermal growth factor and its receptor also may play a role in the regulatory mechanisms during tumorigenesis.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1981

Kinetics and optical spectroscopic studies on the purple acid phosphatase from beef spleen.

A new purification scheme has been developed for the purple acid phosphatase from beef spleen; typical yields are 8 mg of homogeneous enzyme per kg of spleen in only five steps. Kinetics studies have shown that the enzyme is strongly inhibited by fluoride, phosphate, and [p-(acetylamino)-benzyl]phosphonate, a nonhydrolyzable substrate analogue; the last two of these show simple competitive inhibition. In contrast, cyanide, azide, tartrate, and p-nitrophenol show no inhibition at concentrations up to 10 mM. Molecular weight estimations by gel electrophoresis and gel permeation chromatography give a value of 40 000 for the native enzyme, which is shown to consist of two subunits of apparent molecular weight 24 000 and 15 000. Careful metal analyses indicate the presence of 2.1 +/- 0.1 iron atoms per enzyme molecule, and less than 0.1 copper, zinc, nickel, or manganese atom per enzyme. The purple enzyme (lambda max 550 nm) is reversibly converted to a pink, active form (lambda max 505 nm) upon treatment with mild reducing agents (dithioerythritol or ascorbate). Addition of competitive inhibitors to the pink form causes rapid reversion to the purple form. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy at several temperatures showed only weak g = 4.3 signals (less than 0.1 spin/molecule) for the native, reduced, and inhibited forms of the enzyme.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1981

Studies on the quality of specimens obtained by skin puncture of children 1. Tendency to hemolysis, and hemoglobin and tissue fluid as contaminants.

When preferred skin-puncture and blood-collecting techniques were used, the mean artifactually produced hemoglobin in 417 samples of plasma from pediatric patients was 260 mg/L. Highest values occurred exclusively in newborns, 0 to 13 days old (n = 176; mean, 390 mg/L), one-third of whom were premature. The highest value was 1470 mg/L. Only 3% of the samples exceeded 1000 mg/L. After 13 days, technically produced hemolysis is about the same as that for adult plasma (less than 200 mg/L). When skin-puncture and blood-collecting techniques are faulty--e.g., from excessive squeezing at the puncture site--plasma K and hemoglobin may be increased in the newborn to 13-day-old infant, and occasionally in older subjects. By determining plasma hemoglobin, K, blood hemoglobin, and hematocrit the contribution of "tissue fluid" is readily calculated. With excessive squeezing at the sampling site, tissue fluid sometimes contaminates plasma with hemoglobin and K, particularly in the youngest group. Values for alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, lactate dehydrogenase, inorganic P, and Na were little altered, even with squeezing, a fact particularly surprising for the enzymes, which are known to be present in markedly higher concentrations in erythrocytes and other tissues. Our data validate the Elson--Ivor--Gochman method (Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 69: 354-355, 1978) for quantitation of hemoglobin in plasma.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Surgical treatment of esophageal carcinoma.

Recent progress in the surgical treatment of carcinoma of the esophagus has changed the pessimistic outlook for this malignancy. With reasonably early diagnosis, it is feasible to achieve a resectability rate of 75 to 85 percent, an operative mortality of about 5 percent and a 5 year survival rate of about 30 percent. With careful selection of patients for operation and proper use of radiation and other adjunctive therapy, even more encouraging results are possible. Efforts for further improvement may be directed toward early diagnosis, refinement in operative technique and better pre- and postoperative care. The use of microsurgery and the development of mechanical suture apparatus in esophageal reconstruction after resection may further improve surgical treatment of cancer of the esophagus. Thoracic surgeons still have the responsibility to improve the management of the nonresectable cases of carcinoma of the esophagus.

China↗
PubMed1975

Pharmacology of scorpion toxin II in the skeletal muscle.

1. Scorpion toxin II is potent in inducing contracture and spontaneous contractions of the chick biventer cervicis muscle. In addition, this toxin induces membrane depolarization and blockade of neuromuscular transmission in this muscle preparation. The purpose of the present study is to explore the possible mechanism of actions of toxin II. 2. The muscle contracture induced by toxin II is moderately accelerated by Ca2+-free Krebs solution, delayed by high Ca2+ (10 mM), high Mg2+ (10 mM) and low Na+ (60mM) Krebs solution. Moreover, this action is inhibited slightly by d-tubocurarine and completely by either procaine or tetrodotoxin, but unaffected by beta-bungarotoxin. All these findings suggest that toxin II induces contracture mainly by increasing the Na+ permeability of the muscle membrane. 3. Spontaneous contractions induced by toxin II are abolished by Ca2+-free Krebs solution, inhibited partially by either d-tubocurarine or beta-bungarotoxin and completely by tetrodotoxin or procaine. These results suggest that toxin II induces spontaneous contractions partially by releasing acetylcholine from nerve endings and partially by increasing the Na+ permeability of the muscle membrane.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1974

Expression of the viral thymidine kinase gene in herpes simplex virus-transformed L cells.

In these studies, the expression of thymidine kinase (TK) in normal and herpes simplex virus (HSV)-transformed L cells has been compared. In asynchronously dividing cultures of L cells, the TK activity rose and declined rapidly and coordinately with DNA synthesis. When net cell increase stopped, TK activity was at a minimum. In contrast, TK activity of HSV-transformed cells remained at a minimum during rapid DNA synthesis and gradually increased as the rate of DNA synthesis decreased. When net cell increase stopped, TK activity was at a maximum. In synchronous cultures of L cells, TK activity rose and fell coordinately with the rate of DNA synthesis. In synchronous cultures of HSV-transformed cells, no increase in TK activity was observed during the period of rapid DNA synthesis, i.e., the S phase. These findings indicated that the viral TK gene in HSV-transformed cells was not placed under the control of the cellular mechanisms which normally modulate the host cell TK gene. Lytic infection of HSV-transformed cells with a TK(-) mutant of HSV-1 induced a four-to fivefold increase in viral TK. The TK of HSV-1 was induced in the HSV-1-transformed cells and HSV-2 in the HSV-2-transformed cells by this TK(-) mutant. The same infection of normal L cells decreased the cellular TK activity by 80%. This stimulation, rather than inhibition, suggest that the viral gene in HSV-transformed cells retain some of its original viral characteristics.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Therapeutic strategies for xenograft rejection.

The increasing demand for transplantable organs over the past several decades has stimulated the idea of using animal organs in lieu of cadaveric organs in clinical transplantation. Pigs are now considered to be the most suitable source of organs for transplantation because of their abundant availability, their appropriate size, their relatively short gestation period, and the recent development in the technology to genetically manipulate them. In the past few years, some of the seemingly complex immunologic responses in pig-to-primate transplantation have been elucidated. This progress has allowed us to focus our efforts on devising specific therapeutic strategies to overcome or prevent some of the responses that contribute to rejection of the xenograft. In this article, we review the various approaches that might allow clinical xenotransplantation to come to fruition.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of the butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene on the DNA adduct formation and arylamines N-acetyltransferase activity in human colon tumor cells.

The effects of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) on N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity were examined using a human colon tumor cell line (colo 205). BHA or BHT were added to the cytosols or to the medium of human colon tumor cells: The NAT activity was measured by high performance liquid chromatography, assaying the amounts of acetylated 2-aminoflluorene (AAF), p aminobenzoic acid (N-Ac-PABA), nonacetylated 2 aminofluorene (AF) and p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). The NAT activity in the human colon tumor cells and cytosols was suppressed by BHA or BHT in a dose-dependent manner. The apparent values of Km and Vmax of NAT of human colon tumor cells were also decreased by BHA or BHT in cytosols and in intact cells. BHA or BHT may act as a noncompetitive inhibitor. After the incubation of human colon tumor cells with AF in the presence of BHA or BHT, the cells were recovered and DNA was prepared and hydrolysed to nucleotides. Adducted nucleotides were extracted into butanol and AF-DNA adducts were analysed by HPLC. The results also demonstrated that when BHA or BHT was added to the media, a decrease in AF-DNA adduct formation was seen in the human colon tumor cells. The finding of AF-DNA adduct formation in cultured human colon tumor cells suggest the possibility of using cultured cells for assessing arylamine-induced DNA damage.

2-Acetylaminofluorene↗