Melricflash/CW_MedAbstractsAlt huggingface dataset:
Cellular immune response toward human articular chondrocytes. T cell reactivities against chondrocyte and fibroblast membranes in destructive joint diseases. Articular cartilage is one of the major targets in destructive joint diseases in humans. We studied cellular immune reactions against cartilage cell-surface membranes, because it has recently been suggested that these represent possible antigenic structures, based upon the observation of autoantibodies with this specificity in certain joint diseases. A striking T cell reactivity toward chondrocyte membranes was found both in blood and synovial tissue from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This reactivity was strongly dependent on the presence of monocytes and had all the characteristics of an antigen-driven process. Clonal analysis demonstrated high precursor frequencies in peripheral blood T cells that were reactive against chondrocyte membranes. This response to chondrocyte membranes greatly exceeded the T cell stimulation induced by membranes from other sources such as fibroblasts or epithelial cells. In contrast to patients with rheumatoid arthritis, individuals with osteoarthritis showed a strong peripheral blood and synovial fluid T cell response not only to chondrocyte membranes, but also to fibroblast membrane material. However, there was no reactivity to epithelial cell membranes. Normal donors generally did not show significant responses to any membrane preparation. These data indicate that there is a strong T cell reactivity toward chondrocyte membranes in destructive joint disorders, and this may significantly contribute to the pathogenetic processes that occur in these diseases. 

Category: neoplasms
Differential regulation of liver P-450III cytochromes in choline-deficient rats: implications for the erythromycin breath test as a parameter of liver function. Progressive liver fibrosis in rats develops when they are fed a diet deficient in choline. This diet also results in a pronounced and selective decrease in the liver microsomal content of a phase I drug-metabolizing enzyme belonging to the cytochrome P-450III gene family. Because P-450III cytochromes characteristically catalyze the N-demethylation of erythromycin, we believed that the production of breath CO2 from erythromycin would be dramatically reduced in choline-deficient rats. However, when 12 choline-deficient rats were compared with 9 control rats, the reduction in CO2 production from erythromycin (mean decrease 71%) was essentially identical to that from aminopyrine (mean decrease 69%), a substrate believed to be metabolized normally by the hepatocyte in fibrotic liver disease. Furthermore, we found that the relative erythromycin and aminopyrine demethylase activities were comparable when measured in vitro in liver microsomes prepared from the choline-deficient rats. To determine the molecular basis for the erythromycin demethylase activity in the choline-deficient rats, the liver microsomes were subjected to immunoblot analysis using a variety of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies capable of distinguishing individual P-450III-related proteins. Our studies confirm that a major erythromycin demethylase belonging to the P-450III family, termed P-450p, was greatly reduced in the choline-deficient rat liver. However, the specific concentration of a second P-450p-related protein was essentially normal and that of a third P-450p-related protein was actually increased in the choline-deficient rat liver. 

Category: digestive system diseases
t(3;21)(q26;q22): a recurring chromosomal abnormality in therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia. We have identified an identical reciprocal translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 3 and 21 with breakpoints at bands 3q26 and 21q22, [t(3;21)(q26;q22)], in the malignant cells from five adult patients with therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome (t-MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML). Primary diagnoses were Hodgkin's disease in two patients and ovarian carcinoma, breast cancer, and polycythemia vera in one patient each. Patients had been treated with chemotherapy including an alkylating agent for their primary disease 1 to 18 years before the development of t-MDS or t-AML. We have not observed the t(3;21) in over 1,500 patients with a myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeloid leukemia arising de novo or in over 1,000 patients with lymphoid malignancies. We have previously reported that the t(3;21) occurs in Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Thus, the t(3;21) appears to be limited to t-MDS/t-AML and CML, both of which represent malignant disorders of an early hematopoietic precursor cell. These results provide a new focus for the study of therapy-related leukemia at the molecular level. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Human papillomavirus associated with poor healing of episiotomy repairs. A retrospective case-control investigation was conducted for risk factors in 47 parturients whose episiotomies dehisced in the immediate postpartum period. Data were extracted from the inpatient, outpatient, and pathology records of each of these 47 patients, as well as from the same records for each of the next two patients who delivered with the same type and degree of episiotomy. No difference between subjects and controls was found for age, parity, or medical history. Except for human papillomavirus (HPV), past or present history of sexually transmitted diseases was not a risk factor. However, active lesions, history thereof, or subsequent development of infection with HPV was found in 14 of 47 patients (29.8%) who had episiotomy breakdown, compared with 13 of 94 women (13.8%) who did not experience this complication, a statistically significant difference (P less than .023). Eleven subjects (23.4%) and nine controls (9.6%) gave a history of smoking during pregnancy, also a statistically significant difference (P less than .026). 

Category: general pathological conditions
Cor triatriatum: clinical presentation and surgical results in 12 patients. Twelve patients with cor triatriatum have been seen at our institution since 1979. The clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and surgical results are outlined in this retrospective review. Operation is the treatment of choice for this rare congenital cardiac defect. One patient died 1 day before scheduled operation, and 2 patients died postoperatively, yielding a surgical mortality rate of 17% and an overall mortality rate of 25%. Resection of the obstructing atrial membrane was performed using hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass in all cases. Left atriotomy was performed in 6 patients, and right atriotomy was performed in 7. The two postoperative deaths occurred in patients who had serious associated cardiac defects. Associated anomalies include atrial septal defect, persistent left superior vena cava, and partial anomalous pulmonary venous return. The postoperative course has been excellent in all 9 surviving patients; all remain asymptomatic. Cor triatriatum is amenable to surgical repair with excellent results when diagnosed early and when not complicated by other severe cardiac anomalies. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Clinical management of gastric cancer and concomitant esophagogastric varices. We report the late results of treatment of 13 consecutive patients with gastric cancer and concomitant esophagogastric varices. Of seven good-risk patients classified as Child's class A or B, gastrectomy together with selective shunt operation was performed in two, total gastrectomy with splenectomy in three, and distal partial gastrectomy with paraesophageal devascularization without splenectomy in one. The remaining patient with early gastric cancer underwent distal partial gastrectomy following repeated endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) for treatment of the esophageal varices. Although the majority of patients who underwent surgical repair of varices (i.e., shunt, splenectomy, or devascularization) died, total gastrectomy with splenectomy was the only procedure that led to control of the esophageal varices. Since partial gastrectomy combined with EIS limits the morbidity and mortality of an extensive resection and at the same time controls esophageal variceal bleeding, it is probably the procedure of choice for patients with a carcinoma in the lower two-thirds of the stomach. Concerning non-surgical cases, two patients were effectively treated using laser endoscopy and EIS, without the occurrence of variceal bleeding. The remaining four patients, given chemotherapy or irradiation for treatment of gastric carcinoma, died within 4 months with variceal bleeding or liver failure. For the poor-risk patients with evidence of severe liver dysfunction, laser treatment and EIS would be the treatment of choice. 

Category: digestive system diseases
Infiltration of the lower respiratory tract by helper/inducer T lymphocytes in HTLV-1-associated adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. The human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), a disorder in which peripheral blood and multiple organs are infiltrated by malignantly transformed T lymphocytes. We investigated the nature of pulmonary disease in a patient with serologic evidence of HTLV-1 infection. In this case, endobronchial biopsy specimens showed infiltration of the bronchial mucosa by pleomorphic cells exhibiting a high degree of nuclear irregularity. These cells were morphologically identical in appearance to malignant cells found in peripheral blood and infiltrating the dermis, expressed the OKT4/Leu3 phenotype and the receptor for interleukin 2, and, by analogy to gene rearrangement studies on leukemic blood cells, were monoclonal in origin. However, in situ hybridization of endobronchial biopsy specimens with full-length HTLV-1 probes failed to detect retroviral RNA or proviral DNA. These studies indicate that T lymphocytic involvement of the lower respiratory tract in HTLV-1-associated ATLL is characterized by expression of a malignant phenotype despite the inability to document actual cellular infection with this retrovirus by a molecular hybridization technique. 

Category: neoplasms
Evaluation of the magnitude of gastro-oesophageal reflux in Barrett's oesophagus. A manometric study to determine the role of gastro-oesophageal reflux in Barrett's oesophagus was performed on 20 patients with Barrett's oesophagus and 53 patients with reflux oesophagitis without Barrett's oesophagus (25 with mild oesophagitis and 28 with severe oesophagitis). For the same reason, the 20 patients with Barrett's oesophagus also underwent 24 hour continuous oesophageal pH monitoring, and the results obtained were compared with those of 20 oesophagitis patients without Barrett's oesophagus (10 with mild oesophagitis and 10 with severe oesophagitis). The manometric results show that the motor changes found in the Barrett's group are specific but similar to the motor dysfunction associated with reflux oesophagitis. Motor anomalies are probably related more to the inflammatory process in the oesophageal wall than to the metaplastic changes themselves. The pH monitoring results show that while reflux in the Barrett's oesophagus patients was greater overall than in the oesophagitis group without Barrett's oesophagus, the changes are similar when the results are compared with the severe oesophagitis group. In conclusion there are other factors besides gastro-oesophageal reflux involved in the pathogenesis of Barrett's oesophagus. 

Category: digestive system diseases
Stair climbing as an exercise test to predict the postoperative complications of lung resection. Two years' experience. The results of a clinically performed preoperative stair climb was compared to the presence of postthoracotomy complications in the retrospective hospital record review of 54 adult men. The stair climb was a maximum of five flights (125 steps) performed at the patient's rate and terminated at his request. Pulmonary function measurements and facets of the stair climb physiology were also examined in reference to the presence, type, and severity of complications experienced. Most minor complications such as transient arrhythmias, atelectasis, and pneumonia were clearly not predicted by the stair climb performance. The ability to climb three flights preoperatively most clearly separated those patients having the longer postoperative intubation and hospital stay, greater frequency of complications, and cumulative complication score (p less than 0.005). This retrospective study did not have sufficient numbers of fatal cardiopulmonary complications to exclude the possibility that these may be predicted by the results of this simple test. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Clinical experience with the Nimbus pump. The Nimbus pump is an indwelling, electromagnetic powered left ventricular (LV) assist device inserted transfemorally. The inflow cannula (7 mm) is positioned across the aortic valve and the pump in the descending aorta. Indications for insertion include cardiogenic shock despite maximal medical support and PCWP greater than 18 mmHg, MAP less than 90 mmHg, and Cl less than 2 L/min/m2. Twelve patients underwent the attempt at surgical insertion of the Nimbus pump. Diagnoses included eight acute myocardial infarctions (AMI), two ischemic cardiomyopathy, one postpartum cardiomyopathy, and one transplanted heart rejection. Eight (67%) of twelve patients had successful insertion. One patient had peripheral vascular disease preventing passage, and three had femoral vessels too small for insertion (less than 7.5 Hagar dilator). Five patients with the diagnosis of AMI had successful insertion and three (60%) underwent sufficient LV recovery for removal of the device; the other two patients died of stroke and ventricular arrhythmias, respectively. Three patients with the diagnosis of cardiomyopathy had progression of the disease process, and their needs exceeded the capabilities of the pump and they died of multiorgan failure. The Nimbus pump is an attractive LV assist device because of its pumping capacity (3.5 L/min) and minor surgical procedure for insertion. However, its application is limited because of access route and size. The device appears to work well for patients in cardiogenic shock after AMI (60% recovery) but does not appear indicated for patients with cadiomyopathy. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Persistent carcinoma in situ of the testis after chemotherapy for advanced testicular germ cell tumours. The chemosensitivity of testicular carcinoma in situ (CIS) was analysed in 25 testes excised 10 weeks to 4.5 years following platinum-based chemotherapy. CIS was present in 8 of the 23 evaluable cases (35%), in 5 of which the lesion coexisted with invasive germ cell tumour. It is concluded that CIS may persist or recur after chemotherapy. This has implications for occult presentation of metastatic germ cell tumours and also for the management of the contralateral testis in patients with testicular germ cell tumours. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Meningiomas mimicking cerebral schwannoma. A brain tumor with histological features reminiscent of schwannoma with underlying meningioangiomatosis was subjected to electron microscopic and immunohistochemical analysis, which confirmed the neoplasm as a meningioma. This prompted reexamination of a similar tumor, described in a previous publication as a cerebral schwannoma, with identical immunohistochemical techniques. The results obtained favored alteration of this diagnosis to that of meningioma. This experience has led the authors to recommend the use of immunohistochemistry techniques when evaluating unusual intracranial neoplasms. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Clinical experience with the Medtronic-Hall valve prosthesis. Medtronic-Hall valves were implanted during 204 procedures performed between 1982 and 1988. Mean population age was 54.4 years; 96% of patients were in New York Heart Association functional class III or greater. Emergency operations constituted 16% of the procedures. Rheumatic heart disease was the single most common indication for valve replacement. In 18% of patients, operation was performed to replace a previous prosthetic valve. The mean follow-up was 3.2 years. Overall operative mortality was 10.3%, the highest mortality being for double-valve replacements (24%). Valve-related mortality, by position, was 5.3% for aortic valves, 6.0% for mitral valves, and 4.0% for multiple-valve replacements. Actuarial 5-year freedom from events were: survival, 68%; thromboembolism, 90%; prosthetic valve endocarditis, 98%; paravalvular leak, 95%; and reoperation, 92%. Complications with the highest mortality were thromboembolism (36%) and endocarditis (33%). The complication rates in this series are high but the patients were more severely ill than in other reports, and operative survivors experienced a considerable improvement in New York Heart Association functional class. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Barium meals in the elderly--a quality reassurance. The consecutive double contrast barium meal examinations of 100 elderly patients (aged over 65 years) and a group of 33 younger adult patients were analysed by two observers for technical quality and pathological abnormalities. Technical quality declined with patient age, especially in those over 75 years, but was sufficient to enable diagnosis of abnormalities in 60% of the elderly group. It is concluded that, in the majority of elderly patients, the technical quality of double contrast barium meal examinations is sufficiently high to offer considerable diagnostic utility. 

Category: digestive system diseases
The electrocardiogram in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The electrocardiogram is often abnormal in patients who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The most frequent abnormalities are a rightward P-wave axis (greater than or equal to 70 degrees) and a rightward QRS axis (greater than or equal to 90 degrees). In addition, low voltage in the limb leads, an S1S2S3 pattern, poor R-wave progression, a posterior-superior terminal QRS vector or other changes may be present. Transient atrial and ventricular dysrhythmias are common. Knowledge of the usual electrocardiographic manifestations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease enables the clinician to recognize uncharacteristic abnormalities, which often represent the effects of superimposed illnesses or drug toxicity. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Immunotherapy. Neuroblastoma as a model. Combinations of aggressive therapy and radiotherapy directed at the primary tumor site as well as dose intensive chemotherapy against metastases can effectively induce complete remissions in patients with stage IV neuroblastomas. By virtue of its tumor specificity, the use of immunotherapy at the time when microscopic residual disease is present holds great promise in eradicating the tumors permanently. Monoclonal antibodies can accumulate selectively and at high concentrations in neuroblastomas. They have the potential of initiating complement activation and inflammation at the tumor site. Hematopoietic factors and cytokines can reinforce the body with tumoricidal leukocytes. Ex vivo activation of autologous white cells as well as arming by genetic manipulation can also produce tumor-seeking vehicles that may be therapeutically useful. As the knowledge of tumor and host immunobiology accumulates, the optimal combination of these approaches will become apparent. 

Category: neoplasms
Skin manifestations in congenital deficiency of leucocyte-adherence glycoproteins (CDLG). In congenital deficiency of leucocyte-adherence glycoproteins (CDLG) there is an immunodeficiency with impaired leucocyte function and cutaneous and extracutaneous infections occur. In more than 30% of cases the condition has a fatal course. We report the skin manifestations of three siblings with CDLG in which areas of skin necrosis occurred that resembled pyoderma gangrenosum. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Immunohistochemical demonstration of keratin in ameloblastoma as an indication of tumor differentiation. Keratin expression was studied immunohistochemically in 27 ameloblastomas using polyclonal antibody against wide-spectrum keratins (TTL) and monoclonal antibodies against lower- and higher-molecular-weight keratins (PKK1 and KL1), respectively, to clarify the tumor differentiation. Reactions with TTL and KL1 antibodies were generally positive in the stellate cells of the follicular or acanthomatous ameloblastomas. Cell nests of the basal cell type were positive for PKK1. On the other hand, the reactions with TTL or KL1 in the plexiform type were generally weak or absent. From these facts, it was concluded that the follicular, as well as acanthomatous, ameloblastoma is liable to undergo squamous differentiation, whereas the plexiform ameloblastoma remains in primitive stage of tumor differentiation. 

Category: neoplasms
Immune functions during treatment of growth hormone-deficient children with biosynthetic human growth hormone. Immune functions, including cell surface markers, interleukin-2 receptor levels and responses of lymphocytes to mitogenic stimulation were evaluated in seven growth hormone deficient children ages 4-15 years, during treatment with biosynthetically derived human growth hormone. Treatment resulted in a decrease in % B cells and in % T total cells and also decreases in most individual patients' mitogen responses and interleukin-2 receptor levels. Most of the changes noted were transient and similar to those previously demonstrated during pituitary-derived human growth hormone treatment. Although not resulting in overt clinical manifestations in our patients, we think that potential interactions between growth hormone and immune functions need to be considered by physicians treating children with growth hormone. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Quantitative echocardiographic analysis of global and regional left ventricular function: a problem revisited. We recorded two-dimensional echocardiograms simultaneously with the respiration measurements of 20 normal subjects and 20 patients with anterior myocardial infarction. The apical long-axis and four-chamber views were quantitatively analyzed. Measurement variability of global ejection fraction and regional ejection fraction of 100 regions was calculated during inspiration and at end-expiration for two observers. To minimize variability, the endocardial contour was redefined and traced with an improved computer-assisted tracing system. Variability (absolute mean difference) between two beats at end-expiration was significantly less than during inspiration (p less than 0.05): for ejection fraction the variability at end-expiration was 3.4% and the variability during inspiration was 6.4% (mean, 54%; SD, 7%); for regional ejection fraction the variability at end-expiration was 11.8% and the variability during inspiration was 21.5% (mean, 56%; SD, 15%). Intraobserver and interobserver variability values of one beat at end-expiration for ejection fraction were 3.1% and 3.8%, respectively, and 9.5% and 12.8%, respectively, for regional ejection fraction. Variability in patients with myocardial infarction was comparable. This method of recording respiration and analyzing left ventricular function at end-expiration, with a new contour definition and tracing system, provides a measurement variability that is considerably less than that reported in previous echocardiographic studies and that is comparable to angiographic methods. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases