tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Comment on Hempe et al. The Hemoglobin Glycation Index Identifies Subpopulations With Harms or Benefits From Intensive Treatment in the ACCORD Trial. Diabetes Care 2015;38:1067–1074
Authors: Matthew C. Riddle, Hertzel C. Gerstein
Journal: Diabetes Care (2015)

Hempe et al. (1) analyzed the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) population to assess whether a measure based on the relationship between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) at baseline (termed a “hemoglobin glycation index”) was associated with cardiovascular outcomes, death, and/or hypoglycemia. They found that intensive treatment reduced the risk of the primary composite cardiovascular end point in people whose index fell in the middle and lower third (representing a lower HbA1c relative to FPG) and had a neutral effect in people with the highest index. They also found that the reported excess risk of death with intensive treatment might have been confined to people with the highest index and concluded that “HbA1c is not a one-size-fits-all indicator” of …
Influence of total and specific IgE, serum tryptase, and age on severity of allergic reactions to Hymenoptera stings
Authors: S. Blum, A. Gunzinger, U. R. Müller, A. Helbling
Journal: Allergy (2010)

To cite this article: Blum S, Gunzinger A, Müller UR, Helbling A. Influence of total and specific IgE, serum tryptase, and age on severity of allergic reactions to Hymenoptera stings. Allergy 2011; 66: 221–228. Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of total serum IgE and other potential risk factors on severity of systemic allergic Hymenoptera sting reactions. Methods: In a retrospective analysis of one thousand and two patients referred for insect allergy over 5 years, 865 reported systemic allergic sting reactions, most often by honey bees and wasps. In 758, total IgE, venom-specific IgE, and baseline tryptase levels were available and analyzed together with atopy state, age, and sex in relation to severity of sting reactions according to H. L. Mueller. Results: In a binary logistic regression model considering, besides IgE, also other risk factors for severity, an influence of total and specific IgE on severity of systemic allergic sting reactions could not be shown, while high severity of systemic allergic sting reactions was significantly more often reported in patients with a baseline tryptase of ≥11.4 μg/l (P < 0.0001) and higher age (P = 0.026). In a bivariate analysis, however, in patients with grade IV reactions total IgE (P = 0.003) and honey bee venom-specific IgE (P = 0.001) were significantly lower than in lower severity grades. Bee venom-specific mean IgE rank was significantly higher in bee than in Vespula venom allergic patients (P = 0.0001). Conclusions: Connection of high severity sting reactions with lower IgE is mainly because of older age, which is associated with lower total IgE, and moreover with cardiovascular disease and elevated baseline serum tryptase, which are both risk factors for severe reactions.
Pulmonary immune cells in health and disease: polymorphonuclear neutrophils
Authors: Y Sibille, FX Marchandise
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (1993)

The pulmonary vasculature represents the largest reservoir of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in the human body. This is in striking contrast with the paucity of PMNs present in the normal airways and alveoli. However, the respiratory tract constitutes an easy access for microorganisms and particles present in inhaled air and, therefore, efficacious defence mechanisms are required. When the mucociliary clearance and the alveolar macrophages are over-whelmed, the rapid recruitment of PMNs from the lung vasculature appears to be a crucial response of the host against the pathogens. The regulation of adherence of PMNs to endothelial cells (EC), followed by the transendothelial migration are now better understood, and are under the control of a series of adhesion molecules modulated by bacterial and inflammatory mediators. In addition to their defensive role, PMNs have also been implicated in acute and chronic injurious diseases of the lung. Clearly, PMNs contain enough cytotoxic and proteolytic material to induce lesional changes. However, the release of this material is likely to be dependent on environmental factors, including mediators derived from other inflammatory and immune cells. The presence or absence of these factors could explain the fact that high numbers of PMNs can be observed in the airways and alveoli without major lesions whilst in other conditions, a marginal increase of PMNs in the respiratory tract can be associated with major damage and irreversible architectural changes in the lung.
Glucose Disposal and Gluconeogenesis From Alanine in Tumor-Bearing Fischer Gluconeogenesis 344 Rats&lt;xref ref-type="fn" rid="fn2"&gt;2&lt;/xref&gt;
Authors: Stephen F. Lowry, David M. Foster, Jeffrey A. Norton, Mones Berman, Murray F. Brennan
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1981)

For the study of glucose carbon recycling and incorporation of carbon atoms from plasma alanine into plasma glucose, [3-3H)glucose and [U- 14C)alanine were injected info inbred non-tumor-bearing (NTB) and tumor-bearing (TB) male F344 rats. The glucose and alanine kinetics were determined in relation to antecedent food intake and carcass weight loss. Whereas fed NTB and TB rats appropriately experienced reduced glucose disposal with decreased food intake (0.99 vs. 0.29 mg/min -100-1 compared with observations in starved NTB rats), starved TB rats exhibited increased glucose utilization. Both fully fed and cachectic TB groups exhibited increased isotopic carbon recycling compared to the carbon recycling of NTB control groups, whereas starved TB rats did not demonstrate increased recycling (27% of C-atoms recycled). These findings suggest that alterations of glucose turnover, carbon recycling, and gluconeogenesis in the fed host parallel hypophagia and weight loss, regardless of TB status.
HTR7 Mediates Serotonergic Acute and Chronic Itch
Authors: Takeshi Morita, Shannan P. McClain, Lyn M. Batia, Maurizio Pellegrino, Sarah R. Wilson, Michael A. Kienzler, Kyle Lyman, Anne Sofie Braun Olsen, Justin F. Wong, Cheryl L. Stucky, Rachel B. Brem, Diana M. Bautista
Journal: Neuron (2015)
A novel measure of genetic distance for highly polymorphic tandem repeat loci.
Authors: M D Shriver, L Jin, E Boerwinkle, R Deka, R E Ferrell, R Chakraborty
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (1995)

Genetic distance measures are indicators of relatedness among populations or species and are useful for reconstructing the historic and phylogenetic relationships among such groups. Classical measures of genetic distance were developed to analyze biochemical and serological polymorphisms, systems which generally show limited variability. However, these traditional measures of genetic distance are inadequate for the analysis of certain classes of variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) loci, which have a larger number of alleles and higher levels of heterozygosity than traditional genetic markers. At the higher levels of heterozygosity observed at these loci, the standard measures of genetic distance are nonlinear and do not account for the mutational mechanisms of hypervariable loci. We have developed a measure of genetic distance, DSW, which is appropriate for the analysis of highly polymorphic DNA loci. Using computer simulations of diverging populations, we show that DSW conforms to linearity and that the variance is similar in magnitude to traditional measures of genetic distance. Comparisons of phylogenetic trees derived from the simulated divergence of human racial groups demonstrate that the branch lengths of trees prepared using DSW are more similar to the model tree than those generated using other measures. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of DSW to evolutionary analysis by reconstructing the relationships among eight human populations using 14 microsatellite and STR loci. The phylogenetic trees generated using DSW are different from trees constructed with traditional measures and better reflect the well-documented ancient divergence of African and non-African populations.
Quantitative CT scanning using a lung emphysema software package in familial Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome
Authors: Sameh Samuel, Deborah Yates, Jonathan Lee, Kathy Tucker, Elizabeth Silverstone
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2014)

Background:   Birt-Hogg- Dube syndrome (BHD) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder associated with skin lesions, cystic lung disease and renal tumours. Quantification of lung cysts volume can be performed using a lung emphysema software package, but correlation with lung function has not been previously examined.   Aim:   We aimed to correlate total lung emphysema volume with total lung capacity (TLC) in 6 patients with BHD.   Method:   Retrospective review of clinically gathered data, CT emphysema volume (using Philips Brilliance Emphysema Software), and lung function (using body plethysmography Sensormedics Vmax Encore Vision).   Results:   The use of Quantitative CT (QCT) emphysema package correlated with plethysmographic total lung capacity (TLC) [correlation coefficient 0.42] but FEV1/FVC did not seem to correlate with emphysema ratio [correlation coefficient -0.19].   Conclusion:   There is evidence of correlation between TLC and QCT lung volumes in Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome. Quantitative CT scanning requires further evaluation in this condition.   Key Words   Birt-Hogg-Dube Syndrome, Quantitative CT, Lung Function, Pneumothroax.
The type of the patient should be considered on discontinuation of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy
Authors: Lee Sy
Journal: Gut (2009)

I read with interest the recent guideline by Veitch et al . ( Gut 2008; 57 :1322–9). These authors present an interesting review on risk stratification of endoscopic procedures based on American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guideline on the management of anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy for endoscopic procedure.1 They make the important point that warfarin and clopidogrel may be continued for low-risk procedures.

Recently, we published a paper on managing anticoagulation and antiplatelet medications in gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy through an international survey.2 In our survey, it appeared that Eastern endoscopists do not typically perform endoscopic biopsy while their patients are on warfarin therapy and do not perform a polypectomy while their patients are taking aspirin. This occurred despite several published (Western) guidelines that suggest it is safe to perform endoscopic biopsy during warfarin therapy or a polypectomy while on aspirin medication. We speculate that Eastern endoscopists believe it to be dangerous to follow Western guidelines because of an increased risk of bleeding in Asian patients. To explain this discrepancy, differences in effectiveness and side effects of antiplatelets and anticoagulants between the …
Particle-Enhanced Membrane Uptake of a Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbon: A Possible Role in Cocarcinogenesis&lt;xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN1"&gt;2&lt;/xref&gt;
Authors: J R Lakowicz, F Englund, A Hidmark
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1978)

One possible mechanism by which cocarcinogenesis occurs was investigated. The effect of a particulate, silica, upon the rate of membrane uptake of a polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon, benz[a]anthracene (BA), was studied. The fluorescence emission spectrum and quantum yield of BA, when adsorbed to silica, underwent spectral shifts upon addition of phospholipid vesicles. These spectral changes appeared to result from the transfer of BA from the silica surface into the lipid bilayer. We used these spectral changes to measure the rates of membrane uptake of BA from the silica-adsorbed state and from the crystalline and microcrystalline states of BA. Our studies demonstrated that adsorption of BA to silica resulted in an increased rate of uptake of BA into dipalmitoyl-L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine vesicles compared to the uptake rate into these vesicles from crystalling states. Such particle-enhanced membrane uptake of chemical carcinogens may be of importance in explaining the enhanced carcinogenicity of the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of particulate matter.
Structural interplay between germline interactions and adaptive recognition determines the bandwidth of TCR-peptide-MHC cross-reactivity
Authors: Jarrett J Adams, Samanthi Narayanan, Michael E Birnbaum, Sachdev S Sidhu, Sydney J Blevins, Marvin H Gee, Leah V Sibener, Brian M Baker, David M Kranz, K Christopher Garcia
Journal: Nature Immunology (2015)
Antitumor effect of a humanized antibody against aminopeptidase N in mouse tumor models
Authors: Shin Akita, Noboru Hattori, Kazunori Fujitaka, Yoshinori Haruta, Hiroshi Murai, Nobuoki Kohno
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2014)

Background : Aminopeptidase N (APN) has been reported to play important roles in tumor cell invasion and tumor angiogenesis. Its expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with colon, pancreatic and lung cancers.   Objectives : The aim of this study is to evaluate antitumor effect of a humanized anti-APN antibody in mouse tumor models.   Methods : Subcutaneous tumor and/or tail vein metastasis models were established in immune deficient mice using cell lines abundantly expressing APN (B16 melanoma cells stably transfected with APN (APN-B16), PC-14 and H1299) and scarcely expressing APN (A549). These tumor-bearing mice were intraperitoneally administered a humanized antibody against APN. Sizes of subcutaneous tumor were measured and numbers of tumor nodules on the lung surface were counted. Tumor sections were immunostained with CD31 antibody to assess microvessel density.   Results : The administration of anti-APN antibody significantly reduced the tumor growth in the mice bearing APN-B16, PC-14 and H1299 but not A549. Microvessel density in the tumors was also reduced.   Conclusion : This humanized anti-APN antibody can suppress growth of tumor abundantly expressing APN probably through inhibiting angiogenesis.
Diagnostic value of quantitative measurement of pleural fluid interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) versus QuantiFERON-TB Gold in tube assays (QFT-IT) in blood, pleural fluid and isolated pleural fluid cells in tuberculous pleural effusion
Authors: Maha Ghanem, Eman Nasr Eldin, Asmaa Omar, Mahmoud Khairy, Adel Mekawy
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Background: Noninvasive diagnosis of plerural tuberculosis (TB) remains a challenge. Indirect detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific T cells can be useful.  Objectives: Evaluation of pleural fluid IFN-gamma levels versus QFT-IT in blood and its adapted variants, using pleural fluid or isolated pleural fluid cells in the diagnosis of pleural TB.  Methods: Blood and pleural fluid were collected from 38 patients at presentation for IFN-gamma assays. Ex vivo pleural fluid IFN-gamma levels, QFT-IT in blood and its adapted variants were compared with final diagnosis as confirmed by blind and/or thoracoscopic pleural biopsy.  Results: The final clinical diagnosis was TB in 20 (53%), malignancy in 10 (26%), and effusion due to other causes in 8 patients (21%). Ex vivo pleural fluid IFN-gamma levels accurately identified TB in all patients and were superior to the QFT-IT assays using blood or pleural fluid (70 and 78% sensitivity, with 60 and 83% specificity, respectively). QFT-IT assay applied to isolated pleural fluid cells had 100% sensitivity and 72% specificity. The optimal cut-off obtained with ROC analysis was 0.73 for TB Gold in blood assay, 0.82 IU/ml for pleural fluid assay, and 0.94 for isolated pleural cells assay.  Conclusion: The ex vivo pleural fluid IFN-gamma level is an accurate marker for the diagnosis of pleural TB. QFT-IT assay in peripheral blood or its adapted versions using pleural fluid and/ or washed pleural fluid cells had no diagnostic advantage over pleural fluid IFN-gamma in the diagnosis of pleural TB.
Criteria for diagnosis of exercise pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Philippe Herve, Edmund M. Lau, Olivier Sitbon, Laurent Savale, David Montani, Laurent Godinas, Frederic Lador, Xavier Jaïs, Florence Parent, Sven Günther, Marc Humbert, Gerald Simonneau, Denis Chemla
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2015)

The previous definition of exercise pulmonary hypertension (PH) with a mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) &gt;30 mmHg was abandoned because healthy individuals can exceed this threshold at high cardiac output (CO). We hypothesised that incorporating assessment of the pressure–flow relationship using the mPAP/CO ratio, i.e. total pulmonary resistance (TPR), might enhance the accuracy of diagnosing an abnormal exercise haemodynamic response. Exercise haemodynamics were evaluated in 169 consecutive subjects with normal resting mPAP ≤20 mmHg. Subjects were classified into controls without heart or lung disease (n=68) versus patients with pulmonary vascular disease (PVD) (n=49) and left heart disease (LHD) (n=52). TPR and mPAP at maximal exercise produced diagnostic accuracy with area under the receiver operating curve of 0.99 and 0.95, respectively, for discriminating controls versus patients with PVD and LHD. The old criterion of mPAP &gt;30 mmHg had sensitivity of 0.98 but specificity of 0.77. Combining maximal mPAP &gt;30 mmHg and TPR &gt;3 mmHg·min·L −1 retained sensitivity at 0.93 but improved specificity to 1.0. The accuracy of the combined criteria was high across different age groups, sex, body mass index and diagnosis (PVD or LHD). Combining mPAP &gt;30 mmHg and TPR &gt;3 mmHg·min·L −1 is superior to mPAP &gt;30 mmHg alone for defining a pathological haemodynamic response of the pulmonary circulation during exercise.
Identification of early relapsing patients with adult acute nonlymphocytic leukemia by bone marrow biopsy after initial induction chemotherapy.
Authors: P A Cassileth, S L Gerson, H Bonner, R S Neiman, E J Lusk, S Hurwitz
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1984)

Bone marrow biopsies obtained from 69 adult patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) six to 10 days after initial induction chemotherapy were reviewed blindly to detect the presence of residual leukemia. Discrimination between the presence or absence of leukemic cells was provided by assessment of the numbers, clustering, and nuclear morphology of blasts and promyelocytes. Twenty-six patients had frank leukemia, 25 had no apparent leukemic cells, and 18 had focal residual leukemia. Of 25 patients whose bone marrow contained no detectable residual leukemic cells, 21 gained complete remission without further chemotherapy. These patients had a median duration of remission of 278 days, with five patients still remaining in remission for 578-882 days. Similarly, all of the 18 patients who had focal residual leukemia achieved complete remission without additional chemotherapy; however, all have relapsed with a median duration of remission of 163 days. This study indicates that patients with foci of residual leukemia in their one-week posttreatment bone marrow samples readily achieve remission, but carry a substantial leukemic burden that increases the likelihood of early relapse.
Are there differences in the functional polymorphism of FCGR3A gene between sarcoidosis and tuberculosis?: Preliminary study
Authors: Piotr Klimont, Marlena Typiak, Krzysztof Rebala, Maria Dudziak, Anna Dubaniewicz, Bartlomiej Rekawiecki
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Because of similarities in clinical and histopathological pattern of sarcoidosis (SA) and tuberculosis (TB), mycobacterial antigens are considered in an etiopathogenesis of SA, especially in a chronic course of the disease in Stage II. We have recently found an increased level of circulating immune complexes (ICs) with mycobacterial heat shock proteins in SA compared to TB and healthy individuals, however a slight increase of these ICs concentration was found in TB vs controls. This immunocomplexemia may result from a dysfunction of receptors for Fc fragment of immunoglobulin G (FcγR), especially FcγRIIIa, encoded by  FCGR3A  gene due to its V158F polymorphism, which causes lower affinity of FcγRIIIa to ICs with their following decreased clearance. Therefore, we genotyped 77 SA, 105 TB patients and 143 healthy controls using PCR-SSP. We found a significant increase in the frequency of 158FF genotype in Stage I of SA vs TB and controls. In Stage I of SA vs TB and controls we revealed a significantly higher occurrence of 158F allele. In Stage II of SA and TB there was a significantly increased presence of 158V allele than in Stage I. No differences were showed between allele or genotype frequency between TB and Stage II of SA. Thus, V158F polymorphism of  FCGR3A  may cause the immunocomplexemia in our SA patients. Furthermore, the obtained results suggest different pathomechanisms of both stages of sarcoidosis and may imply a common mycobacterial background of TB and chronic Stage II of SA. Analysis of this polymorphism may serve as a biomarker in the discrimination of sarcoidosis from tuberculosis. Funding: grant 5160/B/P01/2010/39 and MN-31.
Intestinal calcium absorption and parathyroid hormone secretion in asthmatic patients on prolonged oral or inhaled steroid treatment
Authors: M Luengo, C Picado, C Piera, N Guañabens, J M Montserrat, J Rivera, J Setoain
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (1991)

A secondary hyperparathyroidism resulting from decreased intestinal calcium (Ca) absorption has been proposed as a contributory factor to glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. Inhaled steroids do not usually suppress adrenal gland function unless daily doses above 1,500 microgram are used. A recent study, however, has shown a reduced total body calcium in patients on regular beclomethasone treatment. In theory, osteopenia in these patients could be due to a direct effect of inhaled steroids on bone or due to an impaired intestinal calcium absorption. In this study, Ca absorption and parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion were evaluated in three groups: 1) asthmatics on continuous oral and inhaled steroid treatment (11.3 +/- 4.4, range 5-33.5 mg.day-1 prednisone and 660 +/- 265, range 400-1,600 microgram.day-1 beclomethasone, respectively); 2) asthmatics on regular beclomethasone therapy (585 +/- 210, range 400-1,200 microgram.day-1); and 3) healthy subjects. The prevalence of vertebral fractures was evaluated by a spinal X-ray. No differences were found in either Ca absorption or PTH serum levels between asthmatics and healthy subjects (analysis of variance-ANOVA). Vertebral fractures were significantly more frequent in patients from group 1 (14 of 25) than in those from group 2 (2 or 25). We conclude that both prolonged oral steroid treatment and inhaled steroids, at doses lower than 1,600 microgram.day-1 do not cause Ca malabsorption, and that hyperparathyroidism does not contribute to osteoporosis in these patients.