tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Higher Than Normal Plasma Interleukin-6 Concentrations in Cancer Patients With Depression: Preliminary Findings
Authors: Dominique L. Musselman, Andrew H. Miller, Maryfrances R. Porter, Amita Manatunga, Feng Gao, Suzanne Penna, Brad D. Pearce, Jacque Landry, Susan Glover, J. Stephen McDaniel, Charles B. Nemeroff
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (2001)

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether cancer patients with and without major depression exhibit immune system abnormalities similar to those reported in medically healthy, depressed subjects without cancer. METHOD: The study subjects consisted of patients diagnosed with pancreatic, esophageal, or breast cancer. Other groups consisted of subjects with major depression (without cancer) and healthy comparison subjects. Subjects' diagnoses were made with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R. Severity of depression was measured with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and postdexamethasone cortisol were measured. RESULTS: Cancer patients with depression had markedly higher plasma concentrations of IL-6 than healthy comparison subjects and cancer patients without depression. Although significant correlations were found between Hamilton depression scale scores and plasma concentrations of postdexamethasone cortisol, no significant correlations were found between plasma IL-6 and postdexamethasone cortisol concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Higher than normal plasma IL-6 concentrations were associated with a diagnosis of major depression in cancer patients. IL-6 may contribute to sickness behavior that has overlapping symptoms with major depression.
Nasal Mucous Membrane Biopsy in Sjögren's Syndrome
Authors: R. D. POWELL
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1974)

A procedure for biopsy and light microscopic evaluation of the nasal mucous membrane was developed. It was used in 15 patients with Sjögren's syndrome, and the results compared with those of a similar procedure applied to the lip. Results indicated that the pathological changes found in the nose were similar to those found in the lip. The most characteristic pathological feature in the nose and in the lip was periglandular infiltration by chronic inflammatory cells with glandular atrophy. These changes in the nose have been observed only in patients with Sjögren's syndrome. Biopsy of the nasal mucous membrane is a simple method that can be used repeatedly and has little morbidity. As such, it is a useful method to aid in the diagnosis and evaluation of therapy of Sjögren's syndrome.
Reaction of chromium(VI) with glutathione or with hydrogen peroxide: identification of reactive intermediates and their role in chromium(VI)-induced DNA damage.
Authors: J Aiyar, H J Berkovits, R A Floyd, K E Wetterhahn
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (1991)

The types of reactive intermediates generated upon reduction of chromium(VI) by glutathione or hydrogen peroxide and the resulting DNA damage have been determined. In vitro, reaction of chromium(VI) with glutathione led to formation of two chromium(V) complexes and the glutathione thiyl radical. When chromium(VI) was reacted with DNA in the presence of glutathione, chromium-DNA adducts were obtained, with no DNA strand breakage. The level of chromium-DNA adduct formation correlated with chromium(V) formation. Reaction of chromium(VI) with hydrogen peroxide led to formation of hydroxyl radical. No chromium(V) was detectable at 24 degrees C (297 K); however, low levels of the tetraperoxochromium(V) complex were detected at 77 K. Reaction of chromium(VI) with DNA in the presence of hydrogen peroxide produced significant DNA strand breakage and the 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine adduct, whose formation correlated with hydroxyl radical production. No significant chromium-DNA adduct formation was detected. Thus, the nature of chromium(VI)-induced DNA damage appears to be dependent on the reactive intermediates, i.e. chromium(V) or hydroxyl radical, produced during the reduction of chromium(VI).
Manifesto opposes introduction of market forces into Dutch health care
Authors: Tony Sheldon
Journal: BMJ (2004)

Nearly 40 medical professors, doctors, and hospital managers have signed a manifesto opposing the introduction of market forces into Dutch health care. Care For Everyone , the initiative of epidemiologist and opposition MP Agnes Kant, appeared as parliament debated reforms to establish a market of competing health insurers.

The manifesto has garnered support beyond her Socialist Party and sparked a debate over market reforms set to start on the 1 January.

It raises concerns that competition will prevent hospitals from cooperating to reduce waiting lists, increase the cost of scarce treatment, and reduce quality, if care is …
Antidiabetic Drugs and Heart Failure Risk in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in the U.K. Primary Care Setting
Authors: Shoko Maru, Gary G. Koch, Monika Stender, Douglas Clark, Laura Gibowski, Hans Petri, Alice D. White, Ross J. Simpson
Journal: Diabetes Care (2005)

OBJECTIVE—To assess the effects of antidiabetic drugs on the risk of heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We conducted a retrospective cohort study with a newly diagnosed diabetes cohort of 25,690 patients registered in the U.K. General Practice Research Database, 1988–1999. We categorized person-time drug exposures to monotherapies in insulin, sulfonylureas (SUs), metformins, and other oral hypoglycemic agents (i.e., acarbose, guar gum) and combination therapy including insulin, combination therapy without insulin, and triple combination therapy with or without insulin. A drug-free time interval served as a reference category. Cox interval-wise (piece-wise) regression analyses were used. The main outcome was incident heart failure. RESULTS—Among 43,390 drug exposure intervals for 25,690 patients who had a mean follow-up period of 2.5 years, 1,409 patients developed heart failure. Heart failure occurred most frequently in SU monotherapy exposure. After adjusting for duration of diabetes, the timing and order of treatments received, and known risk factors for heart failure, we found no differential effects among type-specific therapies. Patients with any drug use within the first year after diabetes diagnosis had a 4.75-fold higher risk (hazard ratio) for heart failure than those with drug-free status but had no increased risk during subsequent years. CONCLUSIONS—In conclusion, the use of any pharmacological therapy for type 2 diabetes appears to be associated with an increased risk of heart failure. This risk does not persist beyond the first year after diagnosis of diabetes and does not appear to differ among the types of drug therapy examined. This observation suggests that the severity of diabetes or the preclinical duration of diabetes and the need for drug therapy, and not the therapy itself, is an explanation for heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Alterations of the ocular surface epithelial MUC16 and goblet cell MUC5AC in patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis
Authors: M. Dogru, Y. Matsumoto, N. Okada, A. Igarashi, K. Fukagawa, J. Shimazaki, K. Tsubota, H. Fujishima
Journal: Allergy (2008)

Background: An increased understanding of the ocular surface at cellular level in the conjunctiva and the cornea may help explain the pathogenesis and the subsequent clinical appearance of atopic ocular allergies, which may be potentially blinding. Purpose: To investigate the MUC16 and MUC5AC alterations, tear function and the ocular surface disorder in patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC). Methods: Thirty‐six eyes of 18 AKC patients as well as 28 eyes of 14 age‐ and sex‐matched normal subjects were studied. The subjects underwent corneal sensitivity measurements, Schirmer test, tear film break‐up time (BUT), fluorescein and Rose‐Bengal staining of the ocular surface, conjunctival impression cytology and brush cytology. Impression cytology samples underwent periodic acid schiff and immunohistochemical staining with MUC16 and MUC5AC antibodies. Brush cytology specimens underwent evaluation for inflammatory cell numbers and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for MUC16 and MUC5AC mRNA expression. Results: The mean corneal sensitivity and BUT values were significantly lower in patients with AKC, compared with controls ( P &lt; 0.001). Brush cytology specimens from AKC patients revealed significantly higher numbers of inflammatory cells ( P &lt; 0.001). Specimens from patient eyes showed positive staining for MUC5AC and MUC16. MUC16 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated with significant downregulation of MUC5AC mRNA expression in eyes with AKC compared with the eyes of control subjects. Conclusion: Ocular surface inflammation, decline in corneal sensitivity, tear film instability, changes in conjunctival epithelial MUC5AC and MUC16 mRNA expressions were thought to be important in the pathogenesis of atopic ocular surface disease.
A microperfusion study of sucrose movement across the rat proximal tubule during renal vein constriction
Authors: Norman Bank, William E. Yarger, Hagop S. Aynedjian
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1971)

Constriction of the renal vein has been shown to inhibit net sodium and water reabsorption by the rat proximal tubule. The mechanism is unknown but might be the result of inhibition of the active sodium pump induced by changes in the interstitial fluid compartment of the kidney, or to enhanced passive backflux of sodium and water into the cell or directly into the tubular lumen. Since passive movement of solutes across epithelial membranes is determined in part by the permeability characteristics of the epithelium, an increase in the permeability of the proximal tubule during venous constriction would suggest that enhanced passive flux is involved in the inhibition of reabsorption. In the present experiments, isolated segments of rat proximal convoluted tubules were microperfused in vivo with saline while the animals were receiving (14)C-labeled sucrose intravenously. In normal control animals, no sucrose was detected in the majority of the collected tubular perfusates. In rats with renal vein constriction (RVC), however, sucrose consistently appeared in the tubular perfusates. The rate of inflow of sucrose correlated with the length of the perfused segment, estimated by fractional water reabsorption. In another group of animals with renal vein constriction, inulin-(14)C was given intravenously and the proximal tubules similarly microperfused. Inulin did not appear in the majority of collected perfusates in these animals. These observations indicate that a physiological alteration in the permeability of the proximal tubule occurs during RVC. Such an increase in permeability is consistent with the view that enhanced passive extracellular back-flux plays a role in the reduction of net sodium and water reabsorption in this experimental condition.
Acute pulmonary oedema: clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and in‐hospital management
Authors: John T. Parissis, Maria Nikolaou, Alexandre Mebazaa, Ignatios Ikonomidis, Juan Delgado, Fabio Vilas‐Boas, Ioannis Paraskevaidis, Antony Mc Lean, Dimitrios Kremastinos, Ferenc Follath
Journal: European Journal of Heart Failure (2010)
Progesterone and Preterm Labor — Still No Definite Answers
Authors: Jim G. Thornton
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (2007)

In 1930, Willard Allen and George Corner named the steroid hormone that they had extracted from rabbit ovaries "progestin" because they believed, rightly, that it helped maintain pregnancy.1 Removal of progesterone, or blockage of its receptors, reliably ends pregnancy at all gestational ages, and in many nonhuman species, falling levels precipitate natural labor.2 Progestins thus have been an obvious candidate treatment for the major health problem of preterm labor. Therapeutic studies in pregnancy have been limited because natural progesterone given orally is rapidly metabolized in the liver, and synthetic progestins that are not rapidly metabolized have androgenic effects, giving rise . . .
Arsenate reductases in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Authors: Rita Mukhopadhyay, Barry P Rosen
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (2002)

The ubiquity of arsenic in the environment has led to the evolution of enzymes for arsenic detoxification. An initial step in arsenic metabolism is the enzymatic reduction of arsenate [As(V)] to arsenite [As(III)]. At least three families of arsenate reductase enzymes have arisen, apparently by convergent evolution. The properties of two of these are described here. The first is the prokaryotic ArsC arsenate reductase of Escherichia coli. The second, Acr2p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is the only identified eukaryotic arsenate reductase. Although unrelated to each other, both enzymes receive their reducing equivalents from glutaredoxin and reduced glutathione. The structure of the bacterial ArsC has been solved at 1.65 A. As predicted from its biochemical properties, ArsC structures with covalent enzyme-arsenic intermediates that include either As(V) or As(III) were observed. The yeast Acr2p has an active site motif HC(X)(5)R that is conserved in protein phosphotyrosine phosphatases and rhodanases, suggesting that these three groups of enzymes may have evolved from an ancestral oxyanion-binding protein.
Managed Care as a Target of Distrust
Authors: David Mechanic
Journal: JAMA (1997)

MANAGED CARE includes a wide range of strategies and approaches difficult to monitor and evaluate and is poorly understood by the public. The variety of organizational options and their changing character also pose difficult problems for evaluators and regulators. The goal is to have sufficient understanding to encourage good practices and eliminate perverse ones, but the rush of legislators to micromanage developments may overshadow any such efforts. There is increasing community mobilization in opposition to managed care practices reflected in a range of proposed legislation and referenda and new regulatory initiatives. In 1996 more than 1000 bills were introduced in state legislatures to control managed care practices and 56 laws were passed.<sup>1</sup>Managed care also has been a significant area for congressional interest and presidential politics. Legislative initiatives range from establishing norms for length of inpatient stays to efforts to define acceptable transfer of risk to physicians, protect confidentiality,
INTRAVENOUS UROGRAPHY (SWICK METHOD)
Authors: LEOPOLD JACHES
Journal: JAMA (1930)

The history of the development of this method as well as the chemical and pharmacologic properties of the substance employed are dealt with in greater detail in the paper by Dr. Swick presented before the Section on Urology.  Swick states that the present substance, prepared by Professors Binz and Rath, is nontoxic, very soluble in water, neutral in reaction and under normal conditions excreted as such through the urinary tract within eight to twelve hours to the extent of from 85 to 95 per cent. Iodism has never been observed. Its tolerance is exceedingly great. From about 45 to 65 per cent of the substance is normally excreted during the first two hours. For this reason, the urograms show their greatest intensity during this period.  The technic of administration is as follows: A 40 per cent solution is made up in doubly distilled water to a volume of 100 cc.,
Eosinophil-specific and other granulocyte-specific antinuclear antibodies in juvenile chronic polyarthritis and adult rheumatoid arthritis.
Authors: J N Rosenberg, G D Johnson, E J Holborow, E G Bywaters
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1975)

Sera from 151 children of whom 112 had juvenile chronic polyarthritis (JCP), and from adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and from healthy pregnant females were tested for the presence of granulocyte-specific antinuclear antibodies (GS-ANA). These were detected in 20% of sera from cases of JCP, in 68% of adult RA, but in none of the controls. Eosinophil-specific ANA were the only ANA present in 18% of positive children and 54% of the positive adults. GS-ANA in children were predominantly IgG and of low titre. Heat-stable GS-ANA were detected in sera from eight children but none bound complement. The presence of GS-ANA was not significantly associated with sex, age of onset, duration of disease, mean active joint count, mean ESR, nor with the presence of fever, rash, splenomegaly, amyloidosis, pericarditis, or rheumatoid factor.
Genetic tests and staff are cut to save money
Authors: Andrew Cole
Journal: BMJ (2006)

The UK government's plans to make genetic testing more widely available in the NHS are being thrown into reverse by financial cutbacks, a survey by its own advisory body shows. 

The Human Genetics Commission's survey of 14 of the United Kingdom's 18 regional genetics centres shows that most are being forced to make cuts, which vary from 3% to 9% of their total budget. Five have had to cut staff or leave vacancies unfilled and most anticipate the situation being worse next year. 

This has led to restrictions in the number of genetic tests as well as longer waits …
Digital subtraction fluoroscopy: a new method of detecting coronary calcifications with improved sensitivity for the prediction of coronary disease.
Authors: R Detrano, D Markovic, C Simpfendorfer, I Franco, J Hollman, F Grigera, W Stewart, N Ratcliff, E E Salcedo, J Leatherman
Journal: Circulation (1985)

The association between calcification of the coronary arteries and coronary artery narrowing is well established. However, fluoroscopic visualization of coronary calcifications has been insufficiently sensitive to be useful as a screening test. Since digitization of radiographic images permits the subtraction of noncardiac structures from moving cardiac structures, such subtraction might increase the sensitivity of coronary fluoroscopy. To determine whether coronary calcifications were better visualized with digital subtraction fluoroscopy than with conventional fluoroscopy, we taped diseased human coronary arteries to a pulsating water balloon inside the thorax of a dog cadaver and studied this model with both fluoroscopic techniques. Calcific atherosclerotic plaques were more easily identified with digital subtraction fluoroscopy than with conventional fluoroscopy. We tested the method clinically by submitting 191 subjects without history or electrocardiographic evidence of previous myocardial infarction who were referred for coronary arteriography to both fluoroscopic studies. For at least one, at least two, and three calcified coronary arteries, digital fluoroscopy was more sensitive (92%, 66%, and 40%) than conventional fluoroscopy (63%, 21%, and 2%) (all p less than .001) for the prediction of significant coronary obstructions (greater than 50%). Although digital fluoroscopy was less specific than conventional fluoroscopy (digital: 65%, 89%, and 97%; conventional: 81%, 98%, and 100%) (all but last, p less than .01), receiver operating curve analysis revealed a significantly larger area under the curve, indicating higher accuracy for the digital technique (p = .03). Digital subtraction fluoroscopy was more accurate in younger than in older patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Transcription factor B cell lineage-specific activator protein regulates the gene for human X-box binding protein 1.
Authors: A M Reimold, P D Ponath, Y S Li, R R Hardy, C S David, J L Strominger, L H Glimcher
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1996)

The transcription factor human X-box binding protein 1 (hXBP-1) is a basic region-leucine zipper protein implicated in the regulation of major histocompatibility complex class II gene expression as well as in exocrine gland and skeletal development. Multiple regulatory elements in the hXBP-1 promoter lie 3' to the transcription start site, including the hX2 site, whose core sequence is an AP-1-like element identical to the hXBP-1 target sequence in the HLA-DRA promoter. One complex identified by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), complex 3, was previously shown to protect the hX2 site and more 3' bases. Sequence analysis now shows that this region contains a consensus binding site for transcription factor BSAP (B cell lineage-specific activator protein). Complex 3 and BSAP have identical cell-type specificities, as they are found only in pre-B and mature B cell lines. In EMSAs, BSAP antibody specifically recognized complex 3, and in vitro translated BSAP could bind to an hXBP promoter fragment. Cotransfections using an hXBP-1 reporter construct indicated that BSAP downregulates the hXBP-1 promoter. The highest levels of hXBP-1 mRNA were found when BSAP was not expressed, in pre-Pro-B cells and in plasma cell lines. In addition, hXBP-1 and BSAP levels were inversely correlated along the early stages of B cell development. In the regulation of the hXBP-1 promoter, a strong positive transcriptional influence at the hX2 site is opposed by the downregulatory actions of BSAP.
Intra-Osseous Venography
Authors: W. H. Bickel
Journal: JAMA (1960)

The title of this book, while technically correct, is deceptive since this is not primarily a study of the venous system within the bone but a study of veins after a radiopaque medium is introduced into the bones. Most of the book deals with extraosseous venous patterns. The form of the volume is somewhat awkward since it is an atlas, and there is some doubt as to how sturdy it is. The author tries to establish by venography some normal anatomic patterns and also to interpret the manifold anatomic variations. In an effort to do this, he has recorded some 1,200 injections into various bones, which he had personally given. He does not state how many of these revealed normal and how many revealed pathological findings. Fifteen types of injections were used, and, as some of these types were used in various sites, the actual number of injections in any
Effect of drug therapy on circulating and synovial fluid Ig-secreting cells in rheumatoid arthritis.
Authors: S Al-Balaghi, H Ström, E Möller
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1985)

A common immunological abnormality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an increased spontaneous polyclonal B cell activation. In order to study the influence of drug therapy in RA on the functional activity of B cells we enumerated spontaneous plaque-forming cells (PFC) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and synovial fluid lymphocytes (SFL) by a reverse haemolytic plaque assay. Spontaneous IgG-, IgM-, and IgA-PFC in PBL of 26 patients with classical erosive RA receiving either gold salts or D-penicillamine were similar to those observed in 20 healthy controls. In contrast, significantly higher numbers of IgG- and IgA-PFC, but not IgM-PFC, were found in PBL of nine patients with classical erosive RA receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) alone. Furthermore, spontaneous PFC in SFL from 16 consecutive patients with RA receiving second-line drugs, as well as 17 patients with other forms of arthritis (non-RA) were generally low and significantly less than those observed in 20 RA patients on NSAID alone. Moreover, a wide individual variation in PFC, especially in relation to the IgG class, was recorded in the synovial lymphocytes. These studies imply that treatment with second-line drugs is associated with normalisation of B cell activity in RA patients, and that the effect can be detected at the cellular level both in blood and synovial fluid.
Warfarin-related nephropathy occurs in patients with and without chronic kidney disease and is associated with an increased mortality rate
Authors: Sergey V. Brodsky, Tibor Nadasdy, Brad H. Rovin, Anjali A. Satoskar, Gyongyi M. Nadasdy, Haifeng M. Wu, Udayan Y. Bhatt, Lee A. Hebert
Journal: Kidney International (2011)