Melricflash/CW_MedAbstractsAlt huggingface dataset:
Effect of Towne live virus vaccine on cytomegalovirus disease after renal transplant. A controlled trial OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of vaccination with the Towne live attenuated cytomegalovirus vaccine. DESIGN: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in candidates for renal transplantation. The cytomegalovirus serologic status of both recipients and donors were determined, and the recipients were followed for periods of 6 months to 7 years after transplant. SETTING: A university transplant center. PATIENTS: The analyses were made on 237 patients who were given either vaccine or placebo, received renal transplants, and were followed for at least 6 months. INTERVENTION: Subcutaneous inoculation with Towne live attenuated virus or with placebo. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The presence of cytomegalovirus infection was defined by virus isolation and antibody tests. If infection occurred, a prearranged scoring system for cytomegalovirus disease was used to objectify disease severity. RESULTS: The vaccine was well tolerated, and there were no discernible long-term adverse effects. Recipients who were originally seropositive did not clearly benefit from vaccination. Protective efficacy was analyzed in the group at highest risk for cytomegalovirus disease; recipients who were seronegative at the time of vaccination and who received a kidney from a seropositive donor. Compared with placebo recipients, vaccinated patients in this group had significantly less severe cytomegalovirus disease, with a significant reduction in disease scores (P = 0.03) and 85% decrease in the most severe disease (95% CI, 35% to 96%), although infection rates were similar. Graft survival at 36 months was improved in vaccinated recipients of cadaver kidneys (8 of 16) compared with unvaccinated recipients (4 of 16) (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Previous vaccination of seronegative renal transplant recipients with live cytomegalovirus results in reduction of disease severity mimicking the action of naturally derived immunity. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Elderly men with histories of heavy drinking: correlates and consequences. Recognition that the physical, psychological and social consequences of substance abuse may persist throughout the life span has led to increased study of the impact of lifetime drinking habits on the elderly. We examined the characteristics of elderly men with self-reported histories of having ever been heavy drinker (H+) in a population-based (N = 1,155, mean age = 73.7 years) longitudinal survey of community-dwelling elders; 10.4% of the men reported that they had been heavy drinkers at some time during their lives. H+ men were younger and less educated than non-heavy drinkers (H-) or never drinkers (N). Mortality was higher among H+ men who were current drinkers than among H- or N men. H+ men reported more major illnesses, poorer self-perceived health status, more physician visits, more depressive symptoms, lower levels of life satisfaction and smaller social networks than did H- or N men. Self-reported ability to perform activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living was poorest among H+ men, who also scored the lowest on a mental status examination. Thus, a history of having ever been a heavy drinker is predictive of widespread impairments in physical, psychological and social health and functioning among elderly men. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Prognostic factors in alcoholic liver disease. VA Cooperative Study Group. Two hundred eighty-one alcoholic patients were prospectively evaluated by clinical, biochemical, and histologic parameters during a 4-yr period to assess their prognosis. They were stratified into four categories of injury: 1) fatty liver (26 patients), 2) acute alcoholic hepatitis (106), 3) cirrhosis (39), and 4) cirrhosis with superimposed alcoholic hepatitis (111). The rate of survival and variables correlating with survival varied according to the group. At 48 months, 70% of the patients with fatty liver were alive, 58% in the alcoholic hepatitis group, 49% in cirrhosis, and 35% in alcoholic hepatitis superimposed upon cirrhosis. Within group one, deaths were due to causes unrelated to liver disease. In the alcoholic hepatitis group, factors significantly correlating with survival were ascites, alanine amino-transferase levels, grams of alcohol consumed, continuation of alcohol intake, and clinical severity of disease. Survival in patients of group three correlated significantly with prothrombin time and histologic severity score. Patients with combined cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis exhibited the worst prognosis, with the most significant predictors of survival being age, grams of alcohol consumed, the ratio of serum aminotransferases (AST:ALT) and the histologic and clinical severity of the disease. Although a different pattern of correlates was observed for each pathologic level of injury, knowledge of the various correlates aids in prognostic assessment. 

Category: digestive system diseases
Intraoperative assessment of regional myocardial perfusion using quantitative myocardial contrast echocardiography: an experimental evaluation. To test the hypothesis that myocardial contrast echocardiography can be used to quantitate regional myocardial flow in the arrested heart at the time of delivery of cardioplegic solution, data were acquired in 13 dogs on cardiopulmonary bypass. Different degrees of stenosis were placed in random order on the left anterior descending coronary artery. For each stenosis, myocardial contrast echocardiography was performed by injecting sonicated albumin microbubbles into the cross-clamped aortic root at the time of delivery of cardioplegic solution. The resultant echocardiographic images were analyzed on an off-line computer. Background-subtracted time-intensity plots were generated, and an exponential function, f(t) = Ce-alpha t + De- beta t, was applied to each plot. Variables that reflected the total number of microbubbles entering the coronary artery bed, such as the area under the curve and the peak height of the curve, correlated best with radiolabeled microsphere-measured myocardial flow (r = 0.92 and r = 0.91, respectively). Variables that reflected the appearance of contrast microbubbles in the myocardium, such as the initial slope and the slope at 1 s, also had a good correlation with myocardial flow (r = 0.84 and r = 0.89, respectively). Variables that reflected the washout of contrast medium from the myocardium, such as the slope of the descending portion of the curve, had only a fair correlation with myocardial flow (r = 0.65). In six dogs, the technique of injecting contrast medium into the cross-clamped aortic root was also examined. Although continuous infusion of contrast medium produced smaller perturbations in mean aortic and distal left anterior descending artery pressures compared with a bolus injection (p less than 0.01), the correlation between the variables of the time-intensity curves and flow was equally close with both techniques. It is concluded that it is possible to quantitate myocardial flow by using myocardial contrast echocardiography at the time of delivery of cardioplegic solution in dogs on cardiopulmonary bypass. The implementation of this technique in humans might be useful in guiding the sequence of graft placement and thereby improving myocardial preservation during coronary artery bypass operations. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Air in the fissure for the ligamentum teres: new sign of intraperitoneal air on plain radiographs. In each of four patients in whom an acute spontaneous pneumoperitoneum developed, a vertically directed area of hyperlucency in the right upper quadrant was seen on radiographs of the abdomen obtained with the patient supine. This finding, which appeared in the absence of other characteristic signs of free air on plain radiographs and which, to the authors' knowledge, has not been previously recognized, represented intraperitoneal gas confined to the fissure for the ligamentum teres (FLT). The location of the hyperlucent area was confirmed with computed tomography or laparotomy in each patient. The distinctive configuration of air in the FLT is a subtle but reliable indicator of pneumoperitoneum. 

Category: digestive system diseases
Rett syndrome: cerebellar pathology. The cerebellar pathology at autopsy of 5 patients with Rett syndrome is described. The patients ranged in age from 7-30 years. All had markedly reduced brain weights with proportionately small cerebella. Microscopic examination revealed loss of Purkinje cells, atrophy, astrocytic gliosis of the molecular and granular cell layers, and gliosis and loss of myelin in the white matter. Cortical atrophy occurred focally along the folia and was often more marked in the tips of the folia. The 2 oldest patients had been treated with phenytoin which may have contributed to the morphologic changes. Atrophy and gliosis increased with age or in patients without phenytoin treatment; the youngest patient demonstrated only minor microscopic changes. In addition to the generalized alterations, 1 patient had several adjacent folia with severe atrophy. The results indicate that cerebellar changes in Rett syndrome consist of general hypoplasia with the addition of atrophy beginning in childhood and progressing over many years. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Would you recognize celiac axis syndrome? Since its original description, celiac axis syndrome has been a topic of debate. Clinical findings include postprandial abdominal pain, weight loss, and an epigastric bruit. Diagnosis is often made by exclusion and is confirmed by lateral aortography. The role of surgery in treating celiac axis syndrome is controversial. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Metoprolol for aggressive behavior in persons with mental retardation. Persons with mental retardation sometimes exhibit behaviors that are difficult to control. Use of neuroleptic medications may be limited by side effects or ineffectiveness. Beta blockers such as propranolol and metoprolol have been shown to decrease aggressive and impulsive behaviors in some patients with mental retardation. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease in sickle cell anemia by magnetic resonance angiography The study of blood flow by means of magnetic resonance techniques has led to a noninvasive magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) technique for imaging large cerebral vessels. Ten children with sickle cell hemoglobinopathy and a history of acute neurologic syndromes were studied with combined parenchymal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MRA. Six had abnormal MRI findings and MRA-defined luminal lesions in the vascular distribution of these parenchymal infarctions. The three children with previous intraarterial angiography had MRA abnormalities that corresponded with vascular lesions on conventional angiograms. Four had normal MRI and MRA findings. We conclude that a combination of MRI and MRA provides a noninvasive screening test for large-vessel disease in this population. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Experience with the use of coronary autoperfusion catheter during complicated angioplasty. Between February and July of 1989, 22 patients underwent the use of the Stack autoperfusion catheter following acute occlusion or obstructive dissection during coronary angioplasty; in 20 cases conventional balloon was used in an attempt to correct the angiographic appearance followed by the use of Stack catheter when results were sub-optimal. Only 1 patient (4.5%) required surgical revascularization. Although our study is not prospective or randomized, our observations suggest a significant impact in decreasing the need for emergency surgical revascularization after complicated coronary angioplasty with the use of this approach. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Neurophysiological observations on corticospinal projections to the upper limb in subjects with Rett syndrome. The aim of the present study was to investigate the excitability of corticospinal neurons and the integrity of their projections to the alpha motor neurons through the corticospinal tract in subjects of different ages with Rett syndrome. Electromagnetic stimulation of the motor cortex and cervical motor roots was used to evoke motor action potentials in the biceps brachii and hypothenar muscles. The phasic stretch reflex in the biceps brachii was also recorded to study the excitability of spinal alpha motor neurons. Motor cortex stimulation evoked motor action potentials at low threshold and with abnormally short latencies and prolonged durations. In contrast cervical motor root stimulation resulted in responses of normal latency and duration. The phasic stretch reflex had a low threshold, short latency and prolonged duration. It is concluded that in Rett syndrome the corticospinal pathway is intact. The results suggest disordered synaptic control of the Betz cell of the motor cortex and/or the spinal alpha motor neuron, although the involvement of the latter might be a consequence of dysfunction in supraspinal descending motor pathways. 

Category: nervous system diseases
A case-control study of the effectiveness of bicycle safety helmets in preventing facial injury. In a case-control study we sought to assess the potential effectiveness of helmets in preventing facial injuries. Our study included 212 bicyclists with facial injuries and 319 controls with injuries to other body areas, who were treated in emergency rooms of five Seattle area hospitals over a one-year period. Using regression analyses to control for age, sex, education and income, accident severity, and cycling experience we found no definite effect of helmets on the risk of serious facial injury (odds ratio 0.81; 95 percent confidence interval = 0.45, 1.5), but protection against serious injuries to the upper face (odds ratio 0.27; 95% CI = 0.1, 0.8). No protection was found against serious injuries to the lower face. The independent effect of helmet use on facial injury was difficult to isolate due to the association of head and facial injuries. Our results suggest that bicycle helmets as presently designed may have some protective effect against serious upper facial injuries. 

Category: general pathological conditions
cAMP mediates IL-1-induced lymphocyte penetration through endothelial monolayers. Endothelial cell incubated with IL-1 have been shown adhere more lymphocytes than nontreated endothelial cells. Here we demonstrate that IL-1 can also increase lymphocyte penetration through endothelial monolayers in vitro. IL-1 induced a transient increase in the number of lymphocytes penetrated through the endothelial monolayer into a filter in a time- and dose-dependent manner. This effect could be mimicked by increasing the cytosolic cAMP levels in the endothelial cells either by forskolin or dibutyryl-cAMP. Concomitantly we were able to show that IL-1 increased the cytosolic cAMP levels in endothelial cells. An inhibitor of adenylate cyclase, ddAdo, decreased both the IL-1-induced cAMP elevation and lymphocyte penetration. A protein kinase A inhibitor HA 1004 could inhibit the IL-1-induced lymphocyte penetration, where as protein kinase C (N-(2-guamidino-ethyl)-5-isoquinolinesyl foamide hydrocloride) and calcium-calmodulin (N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalensulfanamide) inhibitors had no effect. Adding dibutyryl-cGMP or calcium ionophore to the endothelial cells could not mimic IL-1-induced penetration and finally IL-1 did not induce PKC translocation in endothelial cells. These data support the view that IL-1 acts via cAMP as a second messenger in regard to lymphocyte penetration through endothelial cells. The above data demonstrate that IL-1-induced lymphocyte penetration through endothelial cells and that this IL-1-induced signal is transduced via cAMP in endothelial cells. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Inter- and intraindividual variation in pressure-volume relations of the rectum in normal subjects and patients with the irritable bowel syndrome. The relation between intrarectal volume and pressure during increasing rectal distension by a latex balloon were studied on repeated occasions in 10 healthy adult volunteers to define variations within and between individuals. A wide intersubject variation in the maximum tolerable volume (58-908 ml) and pressure (12.2-108.8 cm H2O) at this end point was seen, and these two values were correlated (r = 0.78). Intrasubject variation in maximum tolerable volume also occurred which was related to study order and progressively reduced with repeated study. In 26 unselected patients with pain predominant irritable bowel syndrome similar intersubject variation was noted and virtually all patients data fell within the calculated 95% confidence limits of the normal individuals. Differentiation between patients and normal subjects was not possible from knowledge of rectal responses. These noticeable inter- and intrasubject variations in rectal responses to distension need to be considered whenever similar techniques are proposed for use in the study of rectal disease or of rectal response to treatment. 

Category: digestive system diseases
Hepatic lesions in the rabbit induced by acoustic cavitation. Tissue damage during shock-wave lithotripsy is presumably secondary to cavitation phenomena involving the collapsus of gas bubbles in a fluid. To enhance shock-wave-related hepatic lesions, intravascular gas microbubbles were administered. Three groups of eight rabbits each received either 500 shock waves focused on the right hepatic lobe (group 1), gas microbubbles as a mixture of 50 cm3 of air with 50 cm3 of gelatin infused through an arterial catheter (group 2), or 500 shock waves and gas microbubbles simultaneously (group 3). In group 1, two animals had two to three subcapsular hepatic hematomas (diameter, less than 5 mm) and five had one to five intraparenchymal hematomas (less than 1 mm). In group 2, a moderate liver congestion was observed in three animals. In group 3, all animals had numerous subcapsular and intraperenchymal hematomas (2-30 mm). The hematomas were centered around the portal spaces, associated with lacunae (0.5-5 mm in diameter). Hematomas were also present on the anterior wall of intraabdominal organs. It was concluded that intravascular infusion of gas microbubbles into the path of a shock-wave generator dramatically enhances tissue damage. This technique, potentially useful in the treatment of hepatic tumors, needs refinement to confine lesions in a more uniform pattern to the targeted parenchyma. 

Category: digestive system diseases
Increased DNA synthesis and repair-enzyme expression in lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia resistant to nitrogen mustards. Resistance to the nitrogen mustards in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) correlates with an enhanced removal of melphalan-induced DNA interstrand cross-links. This finding suggests that DNA repair enzymes may be involved in this process. The activity of 3-methyladenine-DNA glycosylase, which can release altered bases, including adducts at the N-7 position of guanine, was increased significantly in lymphocytes from patients with resistant CLL compared with those from untreated CLL patients. Since glycosylase activity varies with cell proliferation, the amount of [3H]thymidine incorporated into DNA was determined and found to be elevated almost threefold in lymphocytes from patients with resistant CLL. The ratio of glycosylase activity to level of thymidine incorporation did not differ between these two groups of patients. Northern blot analysis of ERCC1 gene (a putative DNA repair enzyme involved in nucleotide excision repair) expression in lymphocytes from patients with CLL revealed multiple gene transcripts (1.1, 3.4, and 3.8 kilobases). In addition, analysis of two samples revealed the presence of a 2.6-kilobase transcript. The 2.6-kilobase transcript was recognized by specific RNA probes that hybridize to antisense ERCC1 transcripts. Levels of expression of the 1.1-kilobase protein encoding transcript in lymphocytes from patients with resistant CLL were increased twofold to threefold above those of untreated patients with CLL. These results indicate that increased expression of ERCC1 and increased activity of 3-methyladenine-DNA glycosylase occur with the development of resistance to the nitrogen mustards in patients with CLL, suggesting a role for enhanced DNA repair in this process. 

Category: neoplasms
Shock wave lithotripsy-induced renal injury. Both clinical and experimental reports clearly show that shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) causes acute renal effects in a majority, if not all, treated kidneys. SWL-induced acute renal damage may result in severe injury to the nephron, microvasculature, and the surrounding interstitium. In addition, at least three chronic adverse effects have been identified when shock waves are administered at a therapeutic dose. These include (1) an accelerated rise in arterial blood pressure, (2) a decrease in renal function, and (3) an increased rate of stone recurrence. The clinical and experimental data that document tissue injury as a result of shock wave treatment are compelling, but have not allowed us to determine the factors responsible for the adverse acute side effects or to identify conditions that may predispose a patient to serious long-term health problems. Thus, there is an urgent need for incisive, fundamental experimental studies to establish the safe limits for shock wave delivery. To accomplish this goal, animal experimentation is required so that the time course and severity of acute and chronic alterations can be followed in a model that closely mimics human renal structure and functions. The minipig provides this model. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Relation of cardiac output at rest and during exercise to age in essential hypertension. It has been suggested that the decline of cardiac output with age is due to increased prevalence of disease, particularly occult coronary artery disease. Therefore, the relation of cardiac output (direct oxygen Fick method) to age was analyzed in 110 sixteen- to 64-year-old men with World Health Organization stage I or II essential hypertension at the time of the hemodynamic study, who were alive and free of cardiovascular complications 7 years later. At supine and seated rest, during upright bicycle exercise at 50 W and and at peak work load, cardiac output was inversely (p less than 0.01) related to age. These relations were independent of weight and mean intraarterial pressure. Stroke volume decreased with advancing age at supine rest, but not at rest and during exercise in the seated position. Heart rate was not affected by age in the supine position, but was slower in older patients during upright rest and at peak exercise. In conclusion, in patients with essential hypertension who remained free of cardiovascular complications for 7 years, cardiac output was independently and inversely related to age at various levels of activity. These findings suggest that occult cardiovascular disease does not explain the decline in cardiac output with age in patients with essential hypertension. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases