bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CARD15 gene mutations in sarcoidosis
Authors: Schürmann M. , Valentonyte R. , Hampe J. , Müller-Quernheim J. , Schwinger E. , Schreiber S. 
Published: October 2003

Sarcoidosis, Blau syndrome and Crohn's disease are complex disorders, characterised by granulomatous inflammation affecting a variety of organs. Mutations of the CARD15 gene, on chromosome 16, have been shown to contribute significantly to Crohn's disease and to cause Blau syndrome. These factors prompted the current authors to study CARD15 mutations in sarcoidosis.A total of 138 families were genotyped, including 302 patients with sarcoidosis and 127 patients without a family history of sarcoidosis (together with their parents), for four main coding CARD15 polymorphisms associated with increased risk of Crohn's disease. Furthermore, the gene segment that harbours Blau syndrome mutations was sequenced in 39 selected patients from 39 families with affected siblings identical for one or two parental chromosomes 16s and in eight patients from multi-case families.None of the reported Blau syndrome mutations and no new sequence alterations were found. There was an increased frequency of transmission of the rare allele of the polymorphic sites 802C>T (SNP5) and 2722G>C (SNP12) in at least one of the two study groups.In conclusion, CARD15 mutations, which are important in Crohn's disease and Blau syndrome, play no major role in sarcoidosis in this study population. However, these mutations could be of limited importance, especially in patients without a family history of sarcoidosis.
Benchtop mass spectrometry in clinical biochemistry
Authors: Honour John W 
Published: October 2003

Mass spectrometry has for many years enabled us to rapidly identify and quantify many different compounds in biological samples. The equipment is currently available in specialist centres investigating metabolic disorders and in toxicology laboratories. Improvements in sample introduction and refinements in the mass spectrometry hardware now allow higher sample throughput without extensive sample purification. Many mass spectrometers are compact and operated by computers that also assist data handling. Mass spectrometry has the potential to change hospital laboratory operations generally. Consideration of the practical and financial aspects of its application may reveal cost-effective means of improving the specificity of analyte assay. Considerable advantages are expected in the analysis of metabolites and drugs and in proteomics.
Low but detectable serum thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations in ambulant subjects not receiving thyroxine
Authors: Chatterjee S , O'Malley BP , Price DE , Fielding AM , Aitken R 
Published: October 2003

Background: In laboratories employing 'front-line' sensitive thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) measurement, it is generally accepted that a fully suppressed serum TSH concentration (third-generation assay) alongside normal serum concentrations of free thyroid hormones indicates subclinical hyperthyroidism. However, other explanations are often provided for low but detectable serum TSH concentrations, such as drug effects or non-thyroidal illness. Methods: We investigated 25 consecutive ambulant individuals, identified over an 18-month period as having low but not fully suppressed TSH concentrations (third-generation assay; sensitivity 0.003 mIU/L) with additional free thyroxine (T4), free tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroid microsomal antibody estimations and thyroid isotope scanning (technetium). Results: Concentrations of serum hormones (median, inter-quartile range) were: TSH, 0.23, 0.17-0.26 mIU/L (reference range 0.34-5.6 mIU/L); free T4, 14.6, 10.6- 17.6 pmol/L (reference range 10-25 pmol/L); free T3, 6.1, 5.7-6.6 pmol/L (reference range 4.5-7.5 pmol/L). Thyroid antibodies were negative in all but one individual. On isotope scanning, nine individuals had hot nodules and ten individuals had multinodular goitres (MNG). Of the six with normal scans, ultrasound scanning showed a definite MNG ( n = 1) and early MNG ( n = 2). Conclusions: A low but detectable serum TSH concentration, obtained using a third-generation assay, found in an ambulant individual, is frequently a pointer to underlying thyroid disease.
The place of capillary electrophoresis techniques in screening for haemoglobinopathies
Authors: Gulbis Béatrice , Fontaine Bernard , Vertongen Françoise , Cotton Frédéric 
Published: October 2003

Background: Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) methods are new laboratory diagnostic tools. The screening of haemoglobin (Hb) variants by a battery of two automated CZE methods at alkaline and acid pH, followed by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC), has been evaluated. Methods: Three hundred and ninety-two patients' samples with an abnormal haemoglobin fraction, detected either by isoeletric focusing (IEF) or by automated cation-exchange exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (automated HPLC), were tested by both CZE methods. Their performances were compared with IEF and automated HPLC techniques. The place of MECC has been evaluated. Results: Using both CZE methods, the clinically relevant variants (HbS, HbC, etc.) as well as 15 of 20 clinically silent variants tested were separated from HbA. Using the alkaline CZE method, a presumptive identification of Hb Bart's, HbH and Hb Constant Spring was obtained. Complementary testing by MECC has demonstrated it to be an aid in distinguishing the globin chain mutations before confirmation by DNA or protein structure analysis. Conclusion: Using only one device, alkaline CZE, acid CZE and MECC methods offer high resolution, automated sampling and rapid analysis. They are good tools for screening of haemoglobinopathies and can replace conventional techniques.
A study of haptoglobin phenotypes in patients with chronic renal failure
Authors: Awadallah Samir , Hamad Mawieh 
Published: October 2003

Background: This study has investigated the association between haptoglobin (Hp) polymorphism and the occurrence of chronic renal failure (CRF) in Jordanians. Methods: Blood specimens were collected from 159 patients with CRF resulting from various predisposing conditions and from 200 healthy unrelated controls. Hp phenotyping was conducted using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results: The Hp 2-2 phenotype was over-represented in CRF patients in general (0.547), patients with hypertension (0.622) and patients with diabetes mellitus (0.633). The Hp 2-1 phenotype was over-represented in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (0.549) and patients with reflux nephropathy (0.445). In patients with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), only Hp 2-1 and Hp 2-2 were detected, occurring at a frequency of 0.214 and 0.786, respectively. The frequency of Hp 2 allele in PKD patients was 0.893 compared with 0.706 in the control group. Hp-type distribution was in agreement with the expectations of a population in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in all groups except for the hypertensive patients. Conclusions: Haptoglobin homozygosity seems to represent a possible risk factor for CRF in hypertensive, diabetic and PKD patients; Hp heterozygosity may lead to chronic glomerulonephritis.
Subclinical hypothyroidism: an audit of management
Authors: Prakash PK , Bolusani H , Hameed A , Premawardhana LDKE 
Published: October 2003

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) is a marker for overt hypothyroidism and vascular disease. Treatment guidelines are not universally followed. Thyroxine is recommended if serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration is 10 mU/L or more, or if serum TSH is 5-9.9 mU/L (mild SH) with other risk factors, such as thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb). Methods: We examined the management of mild SH in a retrospective case note audit of 150 consecutive subjects. Twenty-seven subjects with a serum TSH concentration above 10 mU/L were excluded from analysis. Of the group with mild SH, 27 were also excluded because of previous thyroid disease or amiodarone therapy. Results: The prevalence of previous thyroid disease was similar in subjects with TSH 10 mU/L or more, compared to those with mild SH. Overall, both TPOAb and goitre status were determined in only 39% of subjects with mild SH, but in more by endocrinologists compared with general physicians (63% versus 22% for TPOAb; 47% versus 17% for goitre) ( P = 0.001). Endocrinologists treated a greater number of subjects with mild SH who were eligible for thyroxine therapy compared to nonendocrine colleagues (96% versus 67%) ( P = 0.024). Both groups treated subjects in whom TPOAb status was not determined (endocrinologists 21% versus general physicians 40%) ( P = 0.21). Conclusion: In subjects with mild SH, evaluation is incomplete, a large percentage who were TPOAb positive were on appropriate therapy, thyroxine was prescribed when TPOAb status was unknown and, on the whole, endocrinologists performed better than general physicians.
Complementary Medicine Use by Psychiatry Patients of an Australian Hospital
Authors: Alderman Christopher P , Kiepfer Barbara 
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND: Complementary medicine (CM) usage continues to grow in popularity and is now widespread in many cultures throughout the world. Even so, detailed research addressing the use of many of these products in specific populations has yet to be undertaken. OBJECTIVE: To investigate CM usage among patients treated in an Australian psychiatry unit and to assess fundamental attitudes and beliefs regarding CM in this cohort. METHODS: Fifty-two patients were recruited from the department of psychiatry of an Australian teaching hospital. Forty-eight subjects were men, 4 were women, and the mean ± SD age of subjects was 56.7 ± 9.1 years. Structured interviews were conducted to obtain details of the extent of CM use, usage patterns, reasons for use, and general perceptions about CM. The questionnaire also elicited information about the subjects' past medical and psychiatric history, prescribed medication, and substance use. Satisfaction with conventional drugs and CMs was measured using visual analog scales. Responses to a series of structured statements were used to assess attitudes and beliefs about complementary therapies. RESULTS: Eighty-five CM treatments had been used by 27 (51.9%) subjects during the preceding 6 months, and 18 subjects were current CM users (44 items). The most common products taken were vitamins and minerals (n = 18) and herbal medicines (n = 14). Use of CM products was not related to demographic or medical factors, but was significantly less frequent among patients seeing their local physician >1 time per month. Only 17 of the respondents using CMs (63.0%) informed their physician about these therapies. Daily users of CMs ranked their satisfaction level with these products significantly higher (mean satisfaction score 79.0 ± 21.9) than with conventional therapies (62.9 ± 26.8). The attitude toward CMs was positive overall, and was slightly more favorable among users than nonusers. CONCLUSIONS: This survey provides insight into the nature of CM usage in an Australian population of psychiatry patients. As this and other studies have revealed extensive use of CM products in various populations, healthcare providers should take this into account and include this issue in discussions with patients.
Memory Loss in a Patient Treated with Fluoxetine
Authors: Joss Jacqueline D , Burton Robert M , Keller Cecilia A 
Published: October 2003

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of severe memory loss in an elderly patient after initiation of fluoxetine. CASE SUMMARY: An 87-year-old white woman was started on fluoxetine for depression, and the dose was titrated to 20 mg/d. She developed progressive memory loss over the next 6 weeks for which she ultimately was hospitalized. Other potential causes for her memory loss were ruled out. After fluoxetine was discontinued, the patient's memory improved significantly over the next 2 months. An objective causality assessment indicated a possible relationship between the memory loss and fluoxetine in this patient. DISCUSSION: Our report documents a case of severe reversible memory deterioration after initiating fluoxetine. Fluoxetine has a favorable adverse effect profile when compared with older classes of antidepressants. Postmarketing studies and isolated case reports, however, suggest that fluoxetine may harm memory in some patients. Some selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appear to cause memory loss more frequently than others. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should be aware of the possible effects of fluoxetine (and possibly other SSRIs) on memory.
Bortezomib Treatment for Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Stanford Brad L , Zondor Stacey D 
Published: October 2003

OBJECTIVE: To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and place of bortezomib in the therapy of multiple myeloma (MM). DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search was conducted (1985–May 2003). Meeting abstracts, bibliographies from identified articles, and the package insert were also used. Search terms were bortezomib, multiple myeloma, Velcade, PS-341, LDP-341, MLNM341, and proteasome inhibitor. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All published information relevant to the clinical activity of bortezomib in MM was considered. All human clinical studies, with an emphasis on Phase II trials, were selected. DATA SYNTHESIS: Current therapy for MM yields significant, although temporary, responses. Bortezomib is a novel anticancer agent with significant activity in relapsed and refractory MM. CONCLUSIONS: Although the clinical trial data are incomplete, bortezomib offers a novel therapeutic modality for patients with MM who would otherwise have few options.
La Dispute und die Komödie der Eitelkeit: Spiegelungen zwischen Marivaux und Canetti im Lichte von Hobbes und Rousseau
Authors: Schier Rudolf 
Published: November 2003

On the surface, Marivaux's comedy La Dispute purports to explore whether unfaithfulness in love originated with men or with women by positing conditions that imitate the state of nature. However, supported by imagery related to reflections in water, in mirrors, and in paintings, the main theme of the play, which very well may have been inspired by Rousseau's Narcisse, turns out to deal with the growth of self‐love and vanity. In a note to the second Discours, Rousseau establishes a link between these two attitudes on the one hand and the state of nature on the other. The latter concept refers back to Hobbes's Leviathan, and La Dispute can profitably be interpreted in terms of Rousseau's and Hobbes's texts. Hobbes's experiment of imagining man in the state of nature was, however, intended not only to elucidate the past, but also to be a warning of what would happen if society were to break down in the future. The latter is precisely the theme of Canetti's Komödie der Eitelkeit, and it so happens that the main imagery in this play also consists of mirrors and pictures. Whereas in La Dispute the protagonists in the state of nature narcissistically experience images of themselves for the first time after which their vanity steadily increases, in the Komödie der Eitelkeit we are presented with a developed society that is being forced to live altogether without such images and that gradually reverts back to infantile narcissisism. Though starting at opposite ends of the spectrum, both plays thus deal with the intricate dialectic between self‐love, vanity, and love of others. And, since you know you cannot see yourself So well as by reflection, I, your glass, Will modestly discover to yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. Julius Ceasar I. ii. 67–70
Elsewhere and Otherwise: Lévinasian Eros and Ethics in Le Clézio’s La quarantaine
Authors: Levy Karen D. 
Published: November 2003

Beginning in the 1930s, Emmanuel Lévinas called into question the totalizing priorities of the Western metaphysical tradition and developed a dramatically original description of how subjectivity is constructed in the context of what he terms a face to face encounter with an absolute Other. This destabilizing experience is presented in terms of a summons that demands an ethical response in the form of unqualified moral responsibility for the well being of the Other, without any expectation of reciprocity. In a series of profoundly challenging works, Lévinas analyzes the different stages in the development of this relationship, expressed in masculine oriented terms, and he contrasts the nobility and generosity of ethics with the intimacy of eros and the welcome of the feminine in a protected domestic site. Lévinas insists on the impossibility of fusion and possession in both the ethical and the erotic relationships and seeks to disengage his discourse from essentialist, gender based interpretations. Nevertheless, he privileges terms associated with masculine subjects and likewise seems to endorse stereotypical interpretations of the feminine as fragile and frail, inviting either pity or tenderness. The fact that eros is based on an equivocation between need and the desire for something absolutely Other, which does not depend on any lack, prevents it from attaining the same stature as ethics. And by leaving the feminine out of his discussion of ethics, Lévinas at least downplays the possibility for feminine subjects to respond to the summons of the face to face encounter and accept the risk of living other than in the metaphysical dwelling of Being.The questions raised in Lévinas’ works concerning eros, ethics, and the feminine assume different configurations and lead elsewhere when explored in proximity to J.M.G. Le Clézio’s emblematic saga La quarantaine. Similar in many ways to Lévinas’ philosophical trajectory, Le Clézio’s literary undertaking details the disjointed stages of a journey from the self‐contained solitude of Being to an exposed elsewhere in what Lévinas calls the “au‐delà de l’être.” The multi‐layered text of La quarantaine fictionalizes the crisis that caused Le Clézio’s great‐uncle to be erased from family history and depicts the transgenerational effects of that disappearance. The originality of Le Clézio’s work stems from the double inscription of the alterity of both eros and ethics in an Other who is gendered female. His text explores the process of rupture and exposure that Lévinas valorizes, but it does so in a way that reveals how a female subject, who both welcomes discreetly and imposes herself indiscreetly, challenges what Lévinas calls the “égoïté tragique” of the other protagonists. Le Clézio’s arrestingly beautiful prose serves as a kind of textual face that expresses concretely the complexity of Lévinas’ preoccupations and summons us as readers to exceed our capacities and live otherwise.
Matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in gingival mast cells in persons with and without human immunodeficiency virus infection
Authors: Næsse E. P. , Schreurs O. , Helgeland K. , Schenck K. , Steinsvoll S. 
Published: November 2003

Background:  Mast cells are a prominent cell type in the gingival infiltrate in periodontitis. In this study we examined the expression by gingival mast cells of matrix metalloproteinases, MMP‐1, MMP‐2, MMP‐8 and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases, TIMP‐1 and TIMP‐2.Methods:  Gingival specimens from 12 human immunodeficiency virus‐negative (HIV–) and 15 HIV‐positive (HIV+) patients with chronic marginal periodontitis (CMP), and from 10 HIV– and four HIV+ controls with clinically healthy gingiva (HG) were examined after double immunofluorescence staining for mast cell tryptase, combined with antibodies for MMP‐1, MMP‐2, MMP‐8 or their inhibitors TIMP‐1 and TIMP‐2.Results:  In the HIV+CMP, HIV+HG and HIV–CMP groups, all mast cells expressed MMP‐1 and MMP‐8, whereas a smaller proportion (40–60%) in the HIV–HG controls displayed such staining. The former groups also displayed a significantly higher proportion (39–64%) of mast cells expressing MMP‐2 as compared with the HIV–HG group (21–31%). All groups displayed similar proportions of TIMP‐1 expressing mast cells (86–100%), whereas significantly increased proportions of TIMP‐2+ mast cells were seen in the HIV+CMP, HIV+HG and HIV–CMP groups (18–25%) as compared with the HIV–HG group (8–13%). Mast cells were the cell type that most prominently expressed MMP‐1 and MMP‐8. MMP‐2 expression was also strong in mast cells, but was also similarly expressed in other cell types.Conclusion:  The chronically inflamed periodontal lesions in the present study appeared with little evidence of mast cell degranulation. The results show, however, that mast cells in inflamed gingiva have the potential to degrade extracellular matrix if appropriately triggered.
Experimental Infection of Cows with Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus in Early Pregnancy – Findings in Serum and Foetal Fluids
Authors: Stokstad M. , Niskanen R. , Lindberg A. , Thorén P. , Belák S. , Alenius S. , Løken T. 
Published: November 2003

SummaryNineteen pregnant cows were experimentally infected with bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) between day 74 and 81 of pregnancy. All cows became infected and developed serum antibodies. Sixteen of the cows delivered persistently infected (PI) offspring, whereas the remaining three gave birth to calves with detectable serum antibodies and free from BVDV. The 16 cows with PI foetuses developed higher levels of antibodies in serum during pregnancy than did their three peers carrying non‐PI calves. Multivariate analysis showed that the antibody levels in these two groups of cows were significantly different from day 135 of pregnancy. Foetal fluid was successfully collected from 18 of the 19 infected cows and from five uninfected control cows between 10 and 24 days before delivery by use of a percutaneous, blind puncture technique. No negative effects were observed in the cows or their offspring. BVDV was isolated and detected with an immunoperoxidase test in foetal fluid from 13 of the 16 cows carrying PI foetuses, and from 15 of the cows when a quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used. The negative sample in the PCR assay was positive for BVDV antibodies. The number of viral copies per microlitre in foetal fluids varied between 103 and 1080 in the positive samples. All samples taken from the cows carrying non‐PI foetuses were negative for BVDV in both assays. In this experiment, examination of either serum or foetal fluids could identify the cows carrying a PI foetus. Examination of serum for BVDV antibodies was a reliable indicator of a PI foetus if the serum was collected during the last 2 months of pregnancy. For examination of foetal fluids, both viral and serological analyses should be performed. For viral analysis, PCR should be the test of choice. High levels of BVDV antibodies in conjunction with a negative result in the PCR may be indicative of a false‐negative virus result. Further experience with the method of collection of foetal fluids is necessary for evaluation of its safety. Investigation of pregnant cows in order to discover a PI offspring before it is born could be a useful tool in control and eradication of BVDV.