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Biomedical subjects

S Wood

Publications and source records attributed to S Wood.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 production by mononuclear cells of chronic alcoholics during treatment.

Chronic alcohol consumption has been associated with suppression of a number of immune parameters. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between chronic alcohol ingestion and cessation with respect to release of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) using highly specific and sensitive ELISA assays, as well as a functional assay, natural killer cell cytotoxic activity. ELISAs were developed to determine the amount of IL-6 and IL-8 release by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Two groups of subjects were recruited: young (18-22 years old), nonalcoholic users (controls) and long-term alcoholics (35-55 years old). Blood samples were collected at time 0 from all subjects and from alcoholics 28 days after treatment had begun and alcohol use had ceased. Then mitogen-stimulated release of cytokines by peripheral blood cells was determined. The abstaining controls, and the alcoholics, after 30 days of abstinence, tended to produce lower amounts of IL-6 and IL-8, although these differences were not statistically significant. Natural killer cell activity was not statistically different between the young groups, yet appeared to increase once alcohol use discontinued. Some of the cells from the controls (abstainers) were incubated with ethanol (EtOH). Its content in sealed wells was measured after the time of incubation of PBMCs. When EtOH was serially diluted in plates, some well-well diffusion was noted, but the maximum concentration of EtOH never fell below 0.3% from an initial concentration of 0.5%, and at no time was the EtOH concentration gradient completely lost, even after 66 hr of incubation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Multiplication of Listeria monocytogenes in a murine hepatocyte cell line.

Listeria monocytogenes was shown to invade and multiply in a murine hepatocyte cell line (ATCC TIB73). Hemolytic and nonhemolytic L. monocytogenes strains exhibited similar abilities to invade hepatocytes, but only hemolytic L. monocytogenes multiplied within this cell line. Microscopic evaluation of monolayers stained with Wright stain demonstrated focal necrosis (plaques) in the hepatocyte monolayers, with large numbers of intracellular listeriae visible within the hepatocytes that lined the margins of these plaques. Murine recombinant interleukin-1 alpha, human recombinant tumor necrosis factor alpha, and murine recombinant gamma interferon did not affect the multiplication of L. monocytogenes in the hepatocytes. These data confirm in vivo observations of the intracellular multiplication of L. monocytogenes in hepatic lesions in infected mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Evidence for a functional subclass of the RTVL-H family of human endogenous retrovirus-like sequences.

We report the discovery of a subgroup of RTVL-H human endogenous retroviral elements, designated RTVL-Hp, that is intact in the pol region which is deleted in the vast majority of RTVL-H elements. As a consequence, RTVL-Hp elements contain critical functional domains in their pol region that other RTVL-H elements lack. We estimate that the haploid genomes of humans, apes, and Old World monkeys contain 50 to 100 copies of RTVL-Hp elements and 800 to 1,000 deleted sequences. The major amplification of deleted elements appears to have occurred after the divergence of Old World and New World monkeys, since we have obtained evidence that a few intact RTVL-Hp elements, but no deleted forms, are present in marmoset DNA. Using the polymerase chain reaction coupled with a direct screen for open reading frames, we have isolated fragments from four RTVL-Hp elements amplified from human DNA that contain an open reading frame throughout a region of pol that is disrupted by diagnostic mutations in all other RTVL-H sequences that we had previously analyzed. Northern (RNA) hybridization analysis shows that unit-length RTVL-Hp transcripts are expressed in the human teratocarcinoma cell line Tera-1. Together, the results presented here suggest that a small functional subfamily of RTVL-H elements is present in the human genome.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Human chromosome 5 sequence primer amplifies Alu polymorphisms on chromosomes 2 and 17.

Members of the Alu family of repetitive elements occur frequently in the human genome and are often polymorphic. Techniques involving Alu element mediated polymerase chain reactions (Alu PCR) allow the isolation of region-specific human DNA fragments from mixed DNA sources. Such fragments are a source of region-specific Alu elements useful for the detection of Alu-related polymorphisms. A clone from human chromosome 5, corresponding to locus D5F40S1, was isolated using Alu PCR differential hybridization. Alu elements within this clone were investigated for the presence of potentially polymorphic 3' polyA tails. Primers were devised to amplify the 3' polyA tail of an Alu element present within the clone. One primer, D5F40S1-T, was specific to the DNA flanking the 3' end of the Alu element, and the other primer was homologous to sequences within the element. When these primers were used in PCR reactions, products from chromosomes 2 and 17 (loci D2F40S2 and D17F40S3) were amplified in addition to the expected product from chromosome 5. The most likely explanation for this nonspecific amplification is that the D5F40S1-T primer is located within a low-copy repetitive element that is 3' of the Alu element. This phenomenon presents a potential problem for the identification of region-specific Alu polymorphisms.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Analysis of familial and individual risk factors among patients with ischemic vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this study was to determine relative contributions of first-degree familial and individual risk factors to clinical manifestations of two major age-related dementias. The authors interviewed 183 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) and 137 patients with ischemic vascular dementia (IVD) together with family members and caregivers. Information was also obtained from medical records and collateral sources as required. Risk factor data within a predictive model for differentiating the two dementias were evaluated. There was a greater incidence of family history of degenerative and dementing neurologic disorders in DAT than in IVD. Both groups were equivalent for family histories of cerebrovascular disease. Despite familial equivalence, patients with IVD had a greater individual incidence of risk factors for cerebrovascular disease. Analysis by gender revealed three observations. Among DAT patients, family history for degenerative and dementing neurologic disorders proved to be significantly greater among women than among men. This risk factor did not, however, predict individual diagnoses for DAT. Women with IVD were more likely to have a family history of cancer than men. Multiple regression analyses revealed that reduced educational levels in women predicted greater liability for IVD than for DAT. Hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes mellitus were all risk factors for IVD, but not for DAT. CONCLUSIONS: Individual and familial historical data provide useful information concerning identification, pathogenesis, prevention, and treatments for vascular dementia but little predictive information for identifying patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

New horizons in post-marketing surveillance.

Post-marketing surveillance is the process of monitoring and evaluating the safety of marketed medicines using a variety of methods. However, many doctors believe that post-marketing surveillance has a more limited meaning, ie an observational study of a new medicine sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. Although such studies were performed extensively in the United Kingdom during the 1980s, few have been published. Their purpose was to study large populations of users in ordinary practice with the aim of identifying hazards that had been missed, because clinical trials were too small, too short or did not always reflect real life. To some extent these studies have now fallen into disrepute, both on scientific grounds and because they have often been thought to be a thinly-disguised promotional exercise. The purpose of this article is to examine some of the previous problems with post-marketing surveillance and to propose new directions for the future.

Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems↗
PubMed1993

Smoking may be dangerous to your (sex) life.

One of the effects of smoking on penile arteries and veins is impotence. The nurse has a responsibility to educate patients about this effect and to help them quit smoking if this is their goal. The authors apply a teaching model used with other patient populations to facilitate this teaching-learning process.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Case study: carbuncle of the neck with extensive tunnelling.

A 40 year old female developed a carbuncle at the base of the neck on the right side near the hairline. Despite her attempts to treat the carbuncle at home "it continued to enlarge and fester" (became inflamed and suppurated). She was admitted to the hospital and, following surgical incision and drainage, ET nurse consultation was requested to establish a wound treatment regimen.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Characterization of an inversion duplication of the short arm of chromosome 8 by fluorescent in situ hybridization.

A de novo chromosome aberration in a woman with severe mental retardation and minor anomalies has been characterized cytogenetically. The patient's karyotype was described as 46, XX, inv dup (8)(p12-->p23.1). Previous Southern blot dosage studies with the marker locus D8S7 demonstrated that the patient was monosomic for this locus, suggesting that the rearrangement generated a duplication-deficiency chromosome. We have reinvestigated this patient using fluorescent in situ hybridization with chromosome 8 cosmids and an Alu-PCR product specific for 8p. These studies have confirmed directly that the duplicated chromosome also has undergone deletion.

Chromosome Inversion↗
PubMed1992

Clinical enteral nutrition [continuing education credit].

There are many reasons why an individual may become malnourished. It is important for nurses to be able to recognise people at risk, and to understand the processes that will safeguard their nutritional status in hospital and in the community.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Potential candidates for small bowel transplantation.

The number of potential candidates for small bowel transplantation in the UK is unknown. Potential recipients are those with irreversible small intestinal failure, including those treated with permanent parenteral nutrition. This study of one of the largest groups of patients receiving such nutrition identified ten of 25 adult patients as possible recipients. The remaining 15 were considered unsuitable, mainly because of multiple previous abdominal operations or abscesses. Extrapolation of these data to national figures on the incidence of irreversible small intestinal failure suggests that each year up to 20 new adult patients in the UK might benefit from small bowel transplantation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Biological monitoring of cancer chemoprevention.

A major limiting factor in the successful implementation of cancer chemoprevention trials has been the determination of endpoints to measure efficacy and success. The use of the ultimate goal of such trials, namely, cancer incidence, as an endpoint has serious feasibility problems, including the need for large numbers of participants, long follow-up periods, and high costs. The application of biological markers as intermediate endpoints to reveal responses to chemopreventive agents within a short time and to act as surrogates for cancer is an attractive concept worthy of intense investigation. This study reviews some potential biological markers, including genetic, cellular, biochemical, and immunological, as well as their possible application to cancer chemoprevention.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1992

Human chromosome 8 linkage map based on short tandem repeat polymorphisms: effect of genotyping errors.

A linkage map consisting of 21 dinucleotide repeat polymorphisms, 1 tetranucleotide repeat polymorphism, and 3 RFLPs was constructed for human chromosome 8. The map spanned most of the chromosome length from near pter to q23-q24 on the distal portion of the long arm. The total 186 cM length of the female map was over two times the 84 cM length of the male map. Cytogenetic mapping of the polymorphisms using a panel of hybrids containing rearranged chromosomes was completely consistent with the linkage map. Special effort was made to remove as many genotyping errors, including parental phase errors, as possible. Removal of errors, in agreement with recent theoretical predictions, led to reduction of the total length of the sex-equal map by 10% from 145 to 130 cM.

Alleles↗
PubMed1992

Isolation and characterization of the major vegetative RNA polymerase of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2); renaturation of a sigma subunit using GroEL.

The promoter region of the agarase gene (dagA) of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) is complex; it consists of four distinct promoters with different -10 and -35 regions. We report the isolation of a form of RNA polymerase that mediates transcription in vitro from the dagAp4 promoter. The core components of this RNA polymerase are associated with a polypeptide of c. 66 kDa; holoenzyme reconstitution experiments show that the 66 kDa polypeptide functions as a sigma factor that directs transcription from the dagAp4 and Bacillus subtilis veg promoters in vitro. Alignment of the DNA sequences of these two promoters shows that they have bases in common in the -10 and -35 regions and that these sequences are similar to those observed for the major RNA polymerases of other bacteria. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the 66 kDa polypeptide revealed it to be the product of the hrdB gene. Previous experiments showed that the predicted amino acid sequence of the hrdB gene product is very similar to the major sigma factors of other bacteria and suggested that disruption of the hrdB gene is lethal. These observations together lead to the conclusion that we have isolated the major RNA polymerase of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). We have developed an improved protocol for the renaturation of sigma factors that have been isolated by preparative sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). This method involves renaturing the polypeptide in the presence of the bacterial chaperonin GroEL. We expect this protocol to find general application for renaturation of other polypeptides that have been subjected to SDS-PAGE.

Amino Acid Sequence↗