tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome-Reply
Authors: Joseph G. Guiffrida
Journal: JAMA (1983)

<h3>In Reply.—</h3> I agree with Dr Wartenberg that chlordiazepoxide and diazepam should preferably be administered orally in the treatment of the acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome and that when given parenterally the drugs should be given IV rather than IM. However, the IM route often is the only one available in alcoholics because their total behavioral unmanageability precludes the use of other routes. Even though Hosein et al<sup>1</sup>have indicated that IM lorazepam is effective in the treatment of acute alcohol withdrawal and incipient delirium tremens, the manufacturers' literature states that "there is no evidence to support the use of lorazepam injection in coma, shock, or acute alcohol intoxication at this time." Incidentally, the manufacturers' literature lists IM injection as an acceptable route of administration of this drug.
Catheter-based prostacyclin synthase gene transfer prevents in-stent restenosis in rabbit atheromatous arteries
Authors: Y Numaguchi
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (2003)

Prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) gene transfer have been shown to accelerate re-endothelialization and prevent neointimal formation in balloon-injured arteries. The aim of this study is to evaluate how overexpression of endogenous prostacyclin exerts those beneficial effects in atheromatous arteries.New Zealand White Rabbits fed a 0.5% cholesterol diet underwent balloon injury and Palmaz-Schatz stent implantation in the iliac arteries followed PGIS gene (pCMV-PGIS, 200 microg) delivery by the lipotransfection method via Dispatch catheter (n=6 each).One week after transfection, arterial segments of pCMV-PGIS produced higher levels of 6-keto-PGF1alpha than those of control, pCMV-LacZ (p<0.05). The levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was greater in the vessels of pCMV-PGIS than in those of pCMV-LacZ demonstrated by immunohistochemical analysis and quantitation of Western blotting (1.8-fold, p<0.05). At 2 weeks, in-stent endothelialization was significantly greater in the vessels of pCMV-PGIS than in those of pCMV-LacZ (p<0.01). The percentage of BrdU-positive nuclei in the injured arterial segments was lower in vessels of pCMV-PGIS than pCMV-LacZ (p<0.01). At 4 weeks, PGIS gene transfer reduced the neointimal area by 38% (p<0.05) and widened the lumen area by 71% (p<0.01).PGIS gene transfer accelerated re-endothelialization, and attenuated neointimal formation after stent implantation in atheromatous rabbit arteries, at least in part, via increased production of VEGF protein.
Evolution of hepatitis C virus quasispecies in patients with severe cholestatic hepatitis after liver transplantation
Authors: Mario G. Pessoa, Natalie Bzowej, Marina Berenguer, Yume Phung, Michael Kim, Linda Ferrell, Howayda Hassoba, Teresa L. Wright
Journal: Hepatology (1999)

Evolution of hepatitis C quasispecies may be one mechanism by which fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis develops after liver transplantation. In this study, we compared changes in quasispecies complexity and/or divergence in (1) hepatitis C-infected immunosuppressed transplant recipients and in immunocompetent controls; (2) transplant recipients with mild recurrence, and in those with the most severe form of posttransplantation recurrence. Quasispecies were measured in 12 hepatitis C-infected patients pretransplantation and posttransplantation (6 with mild and 6 with severe recurrence), and in 5 immunocompetent patients with similar follow-up, and characterized by heteroduplex mobility and sequence analysis of the hypervariable region. Although the number of variants (complexity) did not change with time in either group, there was a qualitative change in the variants with time (divergence) in immunocompromised, but not in immunocompetent patients. These changes were most marked with severe recurrence, and preceded the development of severe disease. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that most posttransplantation variants were unrelated to those detected pretransplantation. These observations suggest that in the absence of immune suppression, there is minor evolution of quasispecies. With immune suppression, divergence of quasispecies is enhanced, resulting in selection/emergence of many new variants, particularly in those with fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis. Thus, quasispecies may influence disease progression in immune suppressed populations.
Abstract A58: Characterized herbal extract of <i>Wedelia chinensis</i> suppresses prostate cancer growth and metastasis by targeting multiple intrinsic pathways and modulating immune cells
Authors: Chin-Hsien Tsai, Sheue-Fen Tzeng, Pei-Wen Hsiao
Journal: Cancer Research (2015)

Abstract We previously demonstrated that the principal active compounds (wedelolectone, luteolin, and apigenin) in the ethanol extract of Wedelia chinensis synergistically inhibit human prostate carcinoma 22Rv1 cell growth and that this extract therefore has potential for use as a prostate cancer (PCa) therapy. Here, we developed a standardized preparation for a W. chinensis ethanol extract that is enriched in the principal active compounds. A comparison of the effect of herbal treatment, androgen ablation therapy, and a combination of the two on the development of androgen-dependent LNCaP tumors in a mouse model showed that the herbal extract alone decreased androgen-induced tumor growth and when in combination with androgen ablation therapy, resulted in more potent inhibition of both tumor growth and cancer metastasis. Our study demonstrated this herbal remedy simultaneously inhibited androgen receptor, NFκB and HER2/3-AKT signaling pathways to induce cell apoptosis. Importantly, our herbal remedy diminished androgen receptor overexpression and AKT activation induced by androgen ablation thus preventing castration-resistant PCa development. Moreover, the herbal remedy standing-alone curbed chemokine expression from hormone-refractory PC-3 tumor and consequently restrained the mobilization of CD11b+Gr1+ myeloid cells in tumor-bearing mice, which effectively inhibited PCa growth and metastasis. In conclusion, this standardized preparation of W. chinensis ethanol extract improved the outcome of PCa therapy either as an add-on to hormonal therapy for androgen-dependent disease or as a monotherapy for hormone-refractory disease. Citation Format: Chin-Hsien Tsai, Sheue-Fen Tzeng, Pei-Wen Hsiao. Characterized herbal extract of Wedelia chinensis suppresses prostate cancer growth and metastasis by targeting multiple intrinsic pathways and modulating immune cells. [abstract]. In: Abstracts: AACR Special Conference on Cellular Heterogeneity in the Tumor Microenvironment; 2014 Feb 26-Mar 1; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A58. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.CHTME14-A58
PTH-103 Controlling the Balance of Immunity in Colitis: Investigating the Roles of Intestinal Microbiota and Dendritic Cell Migration
Authors: S Borg-Bartolo, J McLaughlin, S Cruickshank
Journal: Gut (2013)

<h3>Introduction</h3> The pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is unclear which hinders effective targeted drug development. IBD and murine models of colitis are associated with the abnormal accumulation of activated dendritic cells (DCs) in the colonic epithelium. DCs play a critical role in promoting inflammatory responses and blockade of their activation prevents colitis development in mouse models. We now propose to address the mechanisms underlying the aberrant accumulation of DCs in the gut by focusing on microbial danger stimuli that drive activation and migration of DCs. <h3>Methods</h3> We analysed the expression of migration-associated markers on DCs from normal and colitic mice. Bone marrow derived DCs (BMDCs) from WT or Beta-2 Integrin-/- (ITGB2-/-) mice were cultured <i>in vitro</i> and their migration and activation analysed in response to control (Phosphate buffered saline - PBS), bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), live Escherichia coli (EC), and live Bacteroides fragilis (BF) in the presence and absence of the lamina propria extracellular matrix component fibronectin. <h3>Results</h3> During colitis there was a marked increase in a population of CD103- (aE integrin) DCs. We were able to mirror these populations <i>in vitro</i>. DCs moved via random motion and their velocity after stimulation with LPS and EC, in the absence of fibronectin, was significantly decreased. In comparison, stimulation with BF significantly increased DC velocity (p &lt; 0.001 for all). In the presence of fibronectin, there was no change in DC velocity. The track displacement length (the distance between the start and finishing point of a given cell migration track) was significantly decreased after EC stimulation and significantly increased after BF stimulation (p &lt; 0.01 for both). Unstimulated ITGB2-/- BMDC velocity and track displacement length were significantly increased in comparison to that of unstimulated WT BMDC (p &lt; 0.001 for both). This was more marked in the absence of fibronectin. <h3>Conclusion</h3> We have shown that <i>in vitro</i> WT DC cultures contain DCs with similar integrin-defined phenotypes to those found in colonic DCs in colitis. Differential bacterial stimulation causes opposing fibronectin-dependent effects on BMDC migratory behaviour whilst absence of ITGB2 significantly alters the migratory behaviour of BMDC. Our data implicates a complex relationship between specific components of gut microbiota, extracellular matrix, and migration and activation of DCs that could potentiate the aberrant accumulation of DCs in the colitic gut. If this complex relationship is further elucidated, it may be possible in the future to develop therapies that reduce colitis by controlling DC migration. <h3>Disclosure of Interest</h3> None Declared.
Synovial tissue response to rituximab: mechanism of action and identification of biomarkers of response
Authors: R M Thurlings, K Vos, C A Wijbrandts, A H Zwinderman, D M Gerlag, P P Tak
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2007)

<h3>Objective:</h3> To investigate the synovial tissue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with rituximab and to identify possible predictors of clinical response. <h3>Methods:</h3> A total of 24 patients with RA underwent synovial biopsy before, 4 and 16 weeks after initiation of rituximab treatment (without peri-infusional corticosteroids to prevent bias). Immunohistochemical analysis was performed and stained sections were analysed by digital image analysis. Linear regression analysis was used to identify predictors of clinical response. <h3>Results:</h3> The 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) was unaltered at 4 weeks, but significantly reduced at 16 and 24 weeks. Serum levels of IgM-rheumatoid factor (RF) decreased significantly at 24 weeks and anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) levels at 36 weeks. Peripheral blood B cells were depleted at 4 weeks and started to return at 24 weeks. Synovial B cells were significantly decreased at 4 weeks, but were not completely depleted in all patients; there was a further reduction at 16 weeks in some patients. We found a significant decrease in macrophages at 4 weeks, which was more pronounced at 16 weeks. At that timepoint, T cells were also significantly decreased. The reduction of plasma cells predicted clinical improvement at 24 weeks. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> The results support the view that B cells orchestrate local cellular infiltration. The kinetics of the serological as well as the tissue response in clinical responders are consistent with the notion that rituximab exerts its effects in part by an indirect effect on plasma cells associated with autoantibody production, which could help explain the delayed response after rituximab treatment. <b>Trial registration number:</b> ISRCTN05568900.
Immunosuppressive Treatment of Proliferative Glomerulonephritis
Authors: Maurice B. Strauss
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1971)

Glomerulonephritis of acute onset, most often post-streptococcal in etiology, tends to be a self-limited disease from which complete recovery is the rule. Nephritis of insidious onset, subacute or chronic in its course, for the most part has an uncertain prognosis except in the cases in which renal biopsy shows minimal or no glomerular changes. In the latter, often encountered in children, a favorable outcome can generally be anticipated regardless of therapy.In patients whose renal biopsy reveals membranous or proliferative changes, or both, the uncertainty of outcome has led to the experimental use of various modes of treatment. As long . . .
Plasma levels of 8-methoxypsoralen after bath-PUVA for psoriasis: relationship to disease severity
Authors: M. I. GÓMEZ, J. M. AZAÑA, I. ARRANZ, A. HARTO, A. LEDO
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2006)

Plasma levels of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography in 19 patients with psoriasis who were receiving bath-PUVA treatment, at different time points after the psoralen bath. The levels of 8-MOP varied between < 5 ng/ml (lower limit of detection) and 34 ng/ml, and we found a relationship between the plasma psoralen levels and the severity of the disease.
Father Damien: An Open Letter to the Reverend Dr Hyde of Honolulu
Authors: B. Newport
Journal: BMJ (2011)

In 1889, Robert Louis Stevenson made a seven day visit to a leper colony on the small Hawaiian island of Molokai. It was a harrowing and deeply moving experience. Stevenson interviewed many people about a Belgian Catholic priest known as Father Damien, who spent the last 16 years of his life among the lepers, improving their conditions by helping to build cottages and a chapel, as well as ministering to their spiritual and medical needs. Eventually Father Damien contracted leprosy himself, dying at the age of 49, one month before Stevenson’s …
Bagassosis
Authors: Howard A. Buechner
Journal: JAMA (1960)

Bagassosis is an occupational disease resulting from the inhalation of dust from dried sugar cane fiber, or bagasse, which has become an important industrial material. The fresh fiber is apparently innocuous, and illness follows contact only with old bagasse which has been baled and allowed to dry. This fact evidently accounts for peculiarities of the distribution of the disorder. The disease has been absent from most of the great cane-growing areas of the world, but has recently appeared at a newly established paper mill in Puerto Rico where approximately 80 cases have been observed. The first of these cases is described. The patient, a caucasoid male, 47 years of age, had suffered a prior episode of bagassosis while employed in a similar paper mill in Peru.
QT Interval Is Linked to 2 Long-QT Syndrome Loci in Normal Subjects
Authors: Andreas Busjahn, Hans Knoblauch, Hans-Dieter Faulhaber, Thomas Boeckel, Magda Rosenthal, Regina Uhlmann, Margret Hoehe, Herbert Schuster, Friedrich C. Luft
Journal: Circulation (1999)

Background —The rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) is heritable, and the discovery of quantitative trait loci that influence the QTc would be an important step in identifying the genes responsible for life-threatening arrhythmias in the general population. We studied 66 pairs of unselected normal dizygotic (DZ) twin subjects and their parents in a sib-pair analysis. We tested for linkage of gene loci harboring genes known to cause the long-QT syndrome (LQT) to the quantitative trait QTc. Methods and Results —We found genetic variance on QRS duration, QRS axis, T-wave axis, and QTc. Women had a longer QTc than men. Microsatellite markers were tested in the vicinity of the gene loci for the 5 known LQT genes. We found significant linkage of QTc with the loci for LQT1 on chromosome 11 and LQT4 on chromosome 4 but not to LQT2, LQT3, or LQT5. We also found linkage of the QRS axis with LQT2 and LQT3. Conclusions —We suggest that these quantitative trait loci may represent the presence of variations in LQT genes that could be important to the risk for rhythm disturbances in the general population.
INACTIVATION OF HTLV-III/LAV-INFECTED CULTURES OF NORMAL HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES BY NONOXYNOL-9 IN VITRO
Authors: DonaldR. Hicks, LindaS. Martin, JaneP. Getchell, JanetL. Heath, DonaldP. Francis, J.Steve Mcdougal, JamesW. Curran, Bruce Voeller
Journal: The Lancet (1985)
The Value of Physician Assessment
Authors: Marvin E. Gozum
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2006)

Letters20 June 2006The Value of Physician AssessmentMarvin E. Gozum, MDMarvin E. Gozum, MDFrom Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-144-12-200606200-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:In response to Lipner and colleagues' research (1), I would like to point out that approximately 6000 first-time candidates annually participate in the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) certification process at about $1000 per candidate; curiously, about half as many candidates enroll in the Board's Maintenance of Certification process. Revenues are nearly $9 million annually (2), and review and exam preparation materials provide additional income for the ABIM and other organizations. Studies about ABIM processes, which are often funded by the ABIM, have been conducted for decades. Consequently, evidence for the ABIM's processes should be clear and ...References1. Lipner RS, Bylsma WH, Arnold GK, Fortna GS, Tooker J, Cassel CK. Who is maintaining certification in internal medicine—and why? A national survey 10 years after initial certification. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:29-36. [PMID: 16389252] LinkGoogle Scholar2. American Board of Internal Medicine. Certification exam statistics. Accessed at www.abim.org/resources/statcert.shtm on 2 February 2006. Google Scholar3. Brennan TA, Horwitz RI, Duffy FD, Cassel CK, Goode LD, Lipner RS. The role of physician specialty board certification status in the quality movement. JAMA. 2004;292:1038-43. [PMID: 15339894] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Marvin E. Gozum, MDAffiliations: From Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoWho Is Maintaining Certification in Internal Medicine—and Why? A National Survey 10 Years after Initial Certification Rebecca S. Lipner , Wayne H. Bylsma , Gerald K. Arnold , Gregory S. Fortna , John Tooker , and Christine K. Cassel The Value of Physician Assessment Rebecca S. Lipner Metrics 20 June 2006Volume 144, Issue 12Page: 940KeywordsBiomarkersConflicts of interestEvidence based medicine ePublished: 20 June 2006 Issue Published: 20 June 2006 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2006 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...
Cognitive impairment in elderly people: population based estimate of the future in England, Scotland, and Wales
Authors: D. Melzer, M. Ely, C. Brayne
Journal: BMJ (1997)

Financing long term institutional care for elderly people is a contentious political issue.Cognitive impairment is the main reason for such care, 1 and to inform the policy debate we constructed a population based set of estimates of the future number of elderly people and the characteristics of cognitive impairment among them on the basis of a national survey of disability in adults by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. 2 We report future trends based on stable age specific rates of cognitive impairment and disability.
Dermatology, 50 Years Ago
Authors: Harry L. Arnold
Journal: JAMA (1989)

In 1935, just before the age of 23,I became a junior intern at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. My 3-year appointment (and that of Dr David G. Welton, my opposite number) was with Professor Udo J. Wile, head of the Department of Dermatology, with whom I was to spend the last 2 months of the rotating internship. In our undergraduate course in pharmacology, we had learned virtually nothing that was of practical use in patient care. I recall seeking (and getting!) advice from head nurses on the wards regarding drug selections and dosages for sedatives, analgesics, and narcotics! On the dermatology service we spent the first year in the outpatient clinic, where, like preceptees, we would examine each patient, guess at the diagnosis, take a history to improve or confirm it, then call Dr Wile, who would come in and make his own instant diagnosis, which was
Physician assisted suicide, euthanasia, or withdrawal of treatment
Authors: L. R Churchill, N. M P King
Journal: BMJ (1997)

The Supreme Court of the United States has returned the vexing question of physician assisted suicide to state governments. In unanimous rulings last month, Chief Justice Rehnquist, writing for the court, held that there is no fundamental right to assistance in committing suicide1 and that, legally, distinguishing between refusing life saving medical treatment and requesting assistance in suicide “comports with fundamental legal principles of causation and intent.”2

By its rulings, the Supreme Court invalidated the decisions of two of the American Courts of Appeal. In March 1996 the appeals court for the Ninth Circuit had lifted a ban by Washington state on physician assisted suicide in Compassion in Dying v Washington.3 That court, which has jurisdiction in 13 western states, including Hawaii, had concluded that “a competent adult … has a strong liberty interest in choosing a dignified and humane death”—including not just refusal of treatment but also “hastening one's own death.” However, the Supreme Court held that the interest in question, which Chief Justice Rehnquist characterised as the “right to commit suicide with another's assistance,” is not one of the “fundamental rights and liberties … “deeply rooted in this Nation's history and tradition'.”

Also, in April 1996 the appeals court for the Second Circuit, which includes Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York, had ruled in Quill v Vacco that the New York statutes criminalising assisted suicide for the terminally ill were unconstitutional in their effect on terminally ill people.4 The appeals court had reasoned that, because existing laws allow terminally ill people to request removal of life sustaining medical interventions and to receive palliative drugs that may hasten death, those who wish to hasten their death but are not dependent on life sustaining technology are treated unequally.

Hence, the court held that equal protection under …