tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Role of the thymus in streptococcal cell wall-induced arthritis and hepatic granuloma formation. Comparative studies of pathology and cell wall distribution in athymic and euthymic rats.
Authors: J B Allen, D G Malone, S M Wahl, G B Calandra, R L Wilder
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1985)

Systemic administration of an aqueous suspension of group A streptococcal cell wall fragments to susceptible rats induces acute and chronic polyarthritis, as well as noncaseating hepatic granulomas. To gain insight into the role of the thymus in the pathogenesis of this experimental model, pathologic responses and cell wall tissue distribution were compared in congenitally athymic rats (rnu/rnu) and their euthymic littermates (NIH/rnu). Within 24 h, both rat strains developed acute arthritis, characterized by polymorphonuclear leukocytic exudate in the synovium and joint spaces. This acute process was maximal at day 3 and gradually subsided. Beginning 2-3 wk after injection, the euthymic, but not the athymic, rats developed the typical exacerbation of arthritis, characterized by synovial cell hyperplasia with villus formation and T helper/inducer lymphocyte-rich mononuclear cell infiltration. This process eventually resulted in marginal erosions and destruction of periarticular bone and cartilage. Parallel development of acute and chronic hepatic lesions was observed. Bacterial cell wall antigen distribution and persistence were similar in the athymic and euthymic rats. Cell wall antigens were demonstrated in the cytoplasm of cells within subchondral bone marrow, synovium, liver, and spleen, coincident with the development of the acute lesions, and persisted in these sites, although in decreasing amounts, for the duration of the experiment. Our findings provide evidence that the acute and chronic phases of the experimental model are mechanistically distinct. The thymus and functional thymus derived-lymphocytes appear not to be required for the development of the acute exudative disease but are essential for the development of chronic proliferative and erosive disease. Induction of disease is dependent upon cell wall dissemination to and persistence in the affected tissues.
Single-session ERCP in patients with previous Roux-en-Y gastric bypass using percutaneous-assisted transprosthetic endoscopic therapy: a case series
Authors: R. Law, L. Wong Kee Song, B. Petersen, T. Baron
Journal: Endoscopy (2013)

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) remains technically challenging following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Various techniques have been described to access the excluded stomach. We describe our experience using percutaneous-assisted transprosthetic endoscopic therapy (PATENT) to perform antegrade ERCP. Balloon enteroscopy was used to access the excluded stomach. Direct retrograde percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (RPEG) was performed and an esophageal self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) was deployed within the gastrostomy tract. A duodenoscope was advanced through the SEMS and antegrade ERCP was performed. Following ERCP, a gastrostomy tube was placed through the SEMS to maintain patency. Five patients underwent successful antegrade ERCP using PATENT. All patients had a diagnosis of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. Biliary sphincterotomy was performed in all patients and liver enzymes normalized in four patients with preprocedural elevations. In conclusion, antegrade ERCP employing PATENT is feasible and can be performed during a single endoscopic session in patients with previous RYGB.
Clinical and Genetic Characteristics of Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Pheochromocytoma
Authors: Birke Bausch, Wiktor Borozdin, Hartmut P.H. Neumann
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (2006)

To the Editor: Pheochromocytoma occurs in approximately 1 percent of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1.1 Accordingly, germ-line mutations in the NF1 gene — the susceptibility gene for neurofib...
A novel nonpeptidyl human c-Mpl activator stimulates human megakaryopoiesis and thrombopoiesis
Authors: Takanori Nakamura, Yoshitaka Miyakawa, Atsushi Miyamura, Akiko Yamane, Hidenori Suzuki, Mamoru Ito, Yasuyuki Ohnishi, Norihisa Ishiwata, Yasuo Ikeda, Nobutomo Tsuruzoe
Journal: Blood (2006)
Rules on top-up payments risk creating two tier system in NHS, MPs warn
Authors: R. Coombes
Journal: BMJ (2009)

Seriously ill patients who choose to top up their NHS care by buying additional drugs for treatment at the end of life are likely to be treated on the same ward as patients who can’t afford the extra drugs, MPs warned this week.

Since November 2008 a change of rules has allowed patients to buy additional drugs without losing their right to NHS care—as long as these drugs are administered separately from NHS treatment. The change came after an increasing number of challenges to the NHS by patients to provide new unapproved drugs to treat cancer and other life threatening conditions.

But in its report on top-up payments this week, MPs from the health select committee said that the government had fudged the issue. “We are very concerned that separation will be hard to achieve in practice,” they said.

“We believe …
Dynamical models and van Gelder's dynamicism: Two different things
Authors: Chris Eliasmith
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (1998)

Van Gelder has presented a position that he ties closely to a broad class of models known as dynamical models. One can support many of his broader claims about the importance of this class (as has been argued by connectionists for quite some time), but there are a number of unique characteristics of his brand of dynamicism. These characteristics engender difficulties for his view.
Chronic kidney disease is associated with neovascularization and intraplaque hemorrhage in coronary atherosclerosis in elders: results from the Hisayama Study
Authors: Toshiaki Nakano, Toshiharu Ninomiya, Shinji Sumiyoshi, Mitsuho Onimaru, Hiroshi Fujii, Hiroyuki Itabe, Yutaka Nakashima, Katsuo Sueishi, Kazuhiko Tsuruya, Yoshinao Oda, Takanari Kitazono, Yutaka Kiyohara
Journal: Kidney International (2013)
DOES THE OXYPHIL CELL CONTENT OF PARATHYROID ADENOMA/HYPERPLASIA INFLUENCE TC-99M SESTAMIBI UPTAKE?
Authors: R. J. Campeau, P. C. Daroca, J. Wayne, R. Amedee, R. H. Miller
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (1999)

Scientific Abstracts And Posters From The 44Th Annual Meeting Of The Southwestern Chapter Of The Society Of Nuclear Medicine, And From The 12Th Northeastern Regional Scientific Meeting Of The New England And New York Chapters Of The Society Of Nuclear Medicine
Staging and Follow-up of Lacrimal Gland Carcinomas by 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging
Authors: Bashir Akhavan Tafti, Wisam Shaba, Yuxin Li, Ella Yevdayev, Gholam Reza Berenji
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (2012)

A 74-year-old man with right eye proptosis, diplopia, and orbital discomfort for 3 to 4 months underwent biopsy, the specimen of which showed transitional cell carcinoma of the lacrimal gland. 18F-FDG PET/CT was also performed for staging purposes. Six months after orbital exenteration, a follow-up CT scan demonstrated soft tissue thickening along the nasal bridge but could not differentiate between postsurgical changes and cancer recurrence. A concurrent PET/CT scan did not show any evidence of abnormal metabolic activity, further emphasizing the higher accuracy of PET/CT in staging and restaging of head and neck cancers. An annual follow-up scan was still negative for active disease.
The role of genetic factors in autoimmune disease: implications for environmental research.
Authors: G S Cooper, F W Miller, J P Pandey
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (1999)

Studies in both humans and in animal models of specific disorders suggest that polymorphisms of multiple genes are involved in conferring either a predisposition to or protection from autoimmune diseases. Genes encoding polymorphic proteins that regulate immune responses or the rates and extent of metabolism of certain chemical structures have been the focus of much of the research regarding genetic susceptibility. We examine the type and strength of evidence concerning genetic factors and disease etiology, drawing examples from a number of autoimmune diseases. Twin studies of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), type I diabetes, and multiple sclerosis (MS) indicate that disease concordance in monozygotic twins is 4 or more times higher than in dizygotic twins. Strong familial associations (odds ratio ranging from 5-10) are seen in studies of MS, type I diabetes, Graves disease, discoid lupus, and SLE. Familial association studies have also reported an increased risk of several systemic autoimmune diseases among relatives of patients with a systemic autoimmune disease. This association may reflect a common etiologic pathway with shared genetic or environmental influences among these diseases. Recent genomewide searches in RA, SLE, and MS provide evidence for multiple susceptibility genes involving major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and non-MHC loci; there is also evidence that many autoimmune diseases share a common set of susceptibility genes. The multifactorial nature of the genetic risk factors and the low penetrance of disease underscore the potential influence of environmental factors and gene-environment interactions on the etiology of autoimmune diseases.
Magnitude of efficacy measurements in grass allergy immunotherapy trials is highly dependent on pollen exposure
Authors: S. R. Durham, H. S. Nelson, H. Nolte, D. I. Bernstein, P. S. Creticos, Z. Li, J. S. Andersen
Journal: Allergy (2014)

The objective was to evaluate the association between grass pollen exposure, allergy symptoms and impact on measured treatment effect after grass sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT)-tablet treatment.The association between grass pollen counts and total combined rhinoconjunctivitis symptom and medication score (TCS) was based on a post hoc analysis of data collected over six trials and seven grass pollen seasons across North America and Europe, including 2363 subjects treated with grass SLIT-tablet or placebo. Daily pollen counts were obtained from centralized pollen databases. The effect of treatment on the relationship between the TCS and pollen counts was investigated, and the relative difference between grass SLIT-tablet and placebo as a function of average grass pollen counts was modelled by linear regression.The magnitude of treatment effect based on TCS was greater with higher pollen exposure (P < 0.001). The relative treatment effect in terms of TCS for each trial was correlated with the average grass pollen exposure during the first period of the season, with predicted reduction in TCS = 12% + 0.35% × pollen count (slope significantly different from 0, P = 0.003; R(2) = 0.66). Corresponding correlations to the entire grass pollen season and to the peak season were equally good, whereas there was a poor correlation between difference in measured efficacy and pollen exposure during the last part of the season.In seasonal allergy trials with grass SLIT-tablet, the observed treatment effect is highly dependent on pollen exposure with the magnitude being greater with higher pollen exposure. This is an important relationship to consider when interpreting individual clinical trial results.
Epitope optimization of a DNA vaccine targeting SSX-2 leads to PD-1 upregulation on antigen-specific CD8 T cells and PD-L1 upregulation on tumor cells
Authors: Brian Rekoske, Heath A Smith, Douglas G McNeel
Journal: Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2013)

Meeting abstracts Recent groups have shown that the immunological efficacy of vaccines could be increased by encoding targeted mutations that enhance the binding affinity between the encoded epitopes and the MHC-TCR complex. In this study, we sought to examine the anti-tumor efficacy of a DNA
Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia After Cessation of Androgen Therapy
Authors: DOV GORSHEIN
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1973)

Letters1 November 1973Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia After Cessation of Androgen TherapyDOV GORSHEIN, M.D., EMMANUEL C. BESA, M.D., FRANK H. GARDNER, M.D.DOV GORSHEIN, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, EMMANUEL C. BESA, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, FRANK H. GARDNER, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-79-5-749 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptTo the editor: The current concept of remission in acute leukemia is associated with the degree of "cell kill"—longer remissions with greater cell kill. A cure means total cell kill. Weintraub (1) recently proposed that agents effective in therapy for acute leukemia induce differentiation of primitive stem cells.Treatment with androgens for refractory anemia in a man who had preleukemia resulted in a stable course with a normal hemogram. Cessation of therapy was associated with the development of acute leukemia. It is speculated that androgens trigger cells into a cycle that responds to differentiating factors (erythropoietin), thus keeping the patient...References1. WEINTRAUB L: Do remissions in acute leukemia depend upon "cell kill"? Arch Intern Med 129:498-499, 1972 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. BURNET M: Leukemia as a problem in preventive medicine. N Engl J Med 259:423-431, 1968 CrossrefGoogle Scholar3. NOWELLHUNGERFORD PD: Chromosome studies in human leukemia. II. Chronic granulocytic leukemia. J Natl Cancer Inst 27:1013-1035, 1961 MedlineGoogle Scholar4. FIALKOWGARTLERYOSHIDA PSA: Clonal origin of chronic myelocytic leukemia in man. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 58:1468-1471, 1967 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. HAITGORSHEINJEPSON WDJ: 19-Nortestosterone decanoate-induced erythropoiesis in the actinomycin-D-treated hyperoxic mouse. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 47:426-431, 1972 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: DOV GORSHEIN, M.D.; EMMANUEL C. BESA, M.D.; FRANK H. GARDNER, M.D.Affiliations: Hematology Research Laboratory Presbyterian-University of Pennsylvania Medical Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byAndrogen Therapy of Aplastic Anaemia 1 November 1973Volume 79, Issue 5Page: 749-750KeywordsAcute myeloid leukemiaAndrogensAnemiaErythropoietinMyelomonocytic leukemiaStem cells ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 November 1973 PDF downloadLoading ...
Commitment contracts as a way to health
Authors: S. D. Halpern, D. A. Asch, K. G. Volpp
Journal: BMJ (2012)

Commitment contracts, whereby people deposit money that they receive back only if they succeed, have substantial conceptual appeal as a method of changing health behaviour. <b>Scott Halpern, David Asch, and Kevin Volpp</b> examine the evidence behind them and find many unanswered questions
Should medical journals publish sponsored content?
Authors: J. A. Wedzicha, R. Steinbrook, J. P. Kassirer
Journal: BMJ (2014)

Some journals take funding from drug companies or other organisations to publish articles. <b>Jadwiga A Wedzicha</b> says this enables niche work to be disseminated, advancing medicine, but <b>Robert Steinbrook</b> and <b>Jerome P Kassirer</b> believe that sponsorship introduces more conflicts of interest and erodes trust
Endosonography-guided drainage of malignant fluid collections using lumen-apposing, fully covered self-expanding metal stents
Authors: Crispin Musumba, Nicholas Tutticci, Kavinderjit Nanda, Vu Kwan
Journal: Endoscopy (2014)

Endosonography (EUS)-guided drainage of paragastric fluid collections using fully covered self-expanding metal stents (FCSEMS) is now a well-established procedure. Recently, new and specially designed lumen-apposing, fully-covered metal cystgastrostomy stents have been employed for this indication. In this case series, the use of these new stents for the drainage of malignant fluid collections in three symptomatic patients is described. Cases included a large pancreatic pseudocyst, secondary to underlying acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and two large collections of loculated ascites due to metastatic ovarian and cervical cancer, respectively. Technical success in inserting the new stents was achieved in all three patients, and resulted in symptomatic relief. There were no clinically significant complications directly attributed to the stents. These new lumen-apposing cystgastrostomy stents may provide a viable, minimally invasive, and effective alternative for drainage of malignant fluid collections, either for definitive treatment or for palliation of symptoms.
Enzyme induction and acute endocrine effects in prepubertal female rats receiving environmental PCB/PCDF/PCDD mixtures.
Authors: M H Li, L G Hansen
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (1996)

Air, subsurface soil, and superficial dust from a National Priorities List landfill located in southern Illinois were sampled to determine their potential toxicities. The major components of these landfill extracts were polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), with significant amounts of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and small amounts of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs). The 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) toxic equivalency factor approach has been proposed to estimate the toxic potency of complex mixtures of chlorinated aromatics for environmental risk assessment. However, most components of environmental residues are nonplanar and do not act as aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor agonists, so there is a great risk of not identifying adverse responses that are not dioxinlike. We used a 2-day prepubertal female rat bioassay to examine multiple biological responses, including both dioxinlike and nondioxinlike effects from these landfill extracts. As expected, both types of effects were detected. The soil and dust extracts produced similar dose-response relationships for 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, 7-pentoxyresorufin O-depentylase, 7-benzyloxyresorufin O-debenzylase, and 4-nitrophenol UDP-glucuronyltransferase induction; the dose response for the air extract deviated from the other two extracts. Soil, dust, and air extracts effectively reduced serum total thyroxine (T4) with similar dose-response relationships, despite the significantly different TCDD toxic equivalent (TEQ) values of these three extracts. Both soil (346 mg PCB/kg) and air (175 mg PCB/kg) extracts caused a greater than 30% increase in uterine wet weight. This study suggests that a more comprehensive approach is required to improve current risk assessment of environmental mixtures. TCDD TEQs reflect only a portion of effects and may especially underpredict effects on T4.
Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: Prevention and therapy
Authors: John Carl Hoefs
Journal: Hepatology (1990)

Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis: Prevention and TherapySpontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a serious problem in patients with cirrhotic ascites, with an incidence of 10% to 25% on hospital admission (1) and accounting for 5% to 30% of all infections in cirrhotic patients (2, 3), 19% of documented bacteremic episodes (4) and 60% to 75% of all "serious" infections (5, 6).Recent studies (1,7,8) have focused attention on culture techniques, diagnosis, differentiation from secondary peritonitis, pathogenesis and predisposing factors.However, data on prevention and therapy have been scarce. Gin& et al. in this issue of HEPATOLOGY report the firstprospective trial of prevention of SBP by use of longterm antibiotic prophylaxis (9).Is this rational with our present knowledge of the pathogenesis and therapy of SBP?Most organisms cultured from ascites in patients with SBP (1) are part of the normal aerobic flora of the gut (10-12).Low concentrations (one organism per milliliter) of a single organism are typical (13).SBP with multiple organisms or anaerobes is distinctly uncommon and probably represents secondary bacterial peritonitis.Sixty percent to 80% of the organisms in patients with SBP are aerobic gram-negative bacteria (1, 2, 5, 6, 11, 14-17).Escherichia coli is associated with 40% to 50% of cases of SBP (1, 2, 5, 6, 14), perhaps reflecting the abundance in stool (9-11).However, more frequent extraascitic dissemination with E. coli is compatible with greater virulence (9, 18, 19).The remaining organisms causing SBP are gram-positive cocci; half of which are found in the gut (1).Thus the gut appears to be the repository of most organisms causing SBP.Multiple mechanisms potentially predispose to SBP.Studies of the microbial flora in cirrhotic patients show no significant qualitative or quantitative difference from normal individuals (20-30).Thus an unusual spectrum or quantity of aerobic organisms or decreased colonization resistance by anaerobic bacteria does not appear to play a role.The decreased serum bactericidal and opsonic activity and abnormal polymorphonuclear cell function demonstrated in cirrhotic patients (31-34) have not been associated with SBP, and the degree of defect appears insufficient for such a role.Intrahepatic and extrahepatic shunting may predispose to SBP by increasing systemic bacteremia from the gut owing to
Revascularization in the rabbit hindlimb: dissociation between capillary sprouting and arteriogenesis
Authors: J Hershey
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (2001)

Animal models of hindlimb ischemia are critical to our understanding of peripheral vascular disease and allow us to evaluate therapeutic strategies aimed to improve peripheral collateral circulation. To further elucidate the processes involved in revascularization following ischemia, we evaluated the temporal association between tissue ischemia, vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) release, angiogenesis (capillary sprouting), arteriogenesis (growth of the larger muscular arteries), and reserve blood flow (functional collateral flow).New Zealand White rabbits (male 3-4 kg) were evaluated at specific days (0, 5, 10, 20 or 40) following femoral artery removal for measurement of hindlimb blood flow, skeletal muscle lactate production and VEGF content, capillary density (a marker of angiogenesis), and angiographic score (a marker of arteriogenesis).Maximal capillary sprouting occurred within 5 days of femoral artery removal and was temporally associated with reduced resting hindlimb blood flow, increased lactate release and detectable levels of skeletal muscle VEGF. The growth of larger angiographically visible collateral vessels occurred after 10 days and was not temporally associated with ischemia or skeletal muscle VEGF content, but did coincide with a large functional improvement in the reserve blood flow capacity of the limb.Following femoral artery removal in the rabbit, the time course of angiogenesis and arteriogenesis were clearly distinct. Tissue ischemia and/or VEGF may stimulate capillary sprouting, but this response does not translate to a significant improvement in collateral flow. The growth and development of the larger collateral vessels was correlated with a large functional improvement in collateral flow, and occurred at a time when VEGF levels were undetectable.