tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis C Virus Testing of Persons Born During 1945–1965
Authors: Ephraim Back
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2013)

Letters7 May 2013Hepatitis C Virus Testing of Persons Born During 1945–1965Ephraim Back, MD, MPHEphraim Back, MD, MPHFrom Ellis Hospital, Schenectady, New York.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-158-9-201305070-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:The HCV screening guideline released by the CDC promotes universal screening of all persons born during 1945–1965 (1, 2). Although this strategy will identify many previously undiagnosed persons who are chronically infected with HCV, it will also lead to many persons being falsely diagnosed with past HCV infection.Per a 2003 CDC guideline on HCV testing, the proportion of false-positive HCV antibody test results among immunocompetent populations with anti-HCV prevalence less than 10% averages approximately 35% (range, 15% to 60%). This testing guideline warns that “not relying exclusively on anti-HCV screening-test–positive results to determine whether a person ...References1. Smith BD, Morgan RL, Beckett GA, Falck-Ytter Y, Holtzman D, Ward JW, et al. Hepatitis C virus testing of persons born during 1945-1965: recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ann Intern Med. 2012;157:817-22. [PMID: 22910836] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Smith BD, Morgan RL, Beckett GA, Falck-Ytter Y, Holtzman D, Teo CG, et al. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations for the identification of chronic hepatitis C virus infection among persons born during 1945-1965. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2012;61 (RR-4) 1-32. [PMID: 22895429] MedlineGoogle Scholar3. Alter MJ, Kuhnert WL, Finelli L; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for laboratory testing and result reporting of antibody to hepatitis C virus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2013;52 (RR-3) 1-13. [PMID: 12585742] MedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Ephraim Back, MD, MPHAffiliations: From Ellis Hospital, Schenectady, New York.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoHepatitis C Virus Testing of Persons Born During 1945–1965: Recommendations From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Bryce D. Smith , Rebecca L. Morgan , Geoff A. Beckett , Yngve Falck-Ytter , Deborah Holtzman , and John W. Ward Hepatitis C Virus Testing of Persons Born During 1945–1965 Bryce D. Smith , Deborah Holtzman , and John W. Ward Hepatitis C Virus Testing of Persons Born During 1945–1965 Richard B. Lynn Metrics 7 May 2013Volume 158, Issue 9Page: 704-705KeywordsBehaviorConflicts of interestHepatitis C virusMorbidityMortalityNucleic acidsPatientsPopulation statisticsScreening guidelinesSpecificity ePublished: 7 May 2013 Issue Published: 7 May 2013 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2013 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...
Conjunctival Petechiae after Open-Heart Surgery
Authors: James T. Willerson, Robert C. Moellering, Mortimer J. Buckley, W. Gerald Austen
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1971)

THE sudden appearance of conjunctival petechiae suggests the diagnosis of bacterial endocarditis.1 However, in following patients immediately after prosthetic heart-valve replacement, we have been impressed with the frequency with which conjunctival petechiae appear. Since it seemed unlikely that such a high percentage of patients had endocarditis, we conducted a brief prospective study to determine the importance of this observation.Clinical Material and MethodsThe study involved 32 patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass at the Massachusetts General Hospital during a four-week period in early 1970. All patients were examined before operation and checked for at least three days after . . .
Inhibition of HBV replication by siRNA in a stable HBV-producing cell line
Authors: M Konishi
Journal: Hepatology (2003)

Potent inhibition of endogenous gene expression by RNA interference has been achieved by using sequence-specific posttranscriptional gene silencing through the action of small interfering RNA molecules (siRNA). In these reports, the natural function of genes could be deduced through the ensuing loss of function. Based on the extraordinary effectiveness in silencing endogenous genes, we wondered whether siRNA could be applied against viral replication in a hepatitis B virus (HBV) model using HBV-specific siRNA. To test this idea, HepG2 2.2.15, a human hepatoblastoma cell line that constitutively produces infectious HBV particles, was transfected with HBV-specific siRNAs and controls. HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) secretion into culture media was inhibited by 78%, 67%, and 42% with siRNA against the polyadenylation (PA), precore (PreC), and surface (S) regions, respectively, compared with controls as detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. After exposure to HBVPA siRNA, Northern blot analysis showed that HBV pregenomic RNA levels were decreased by 72%, and levels of HBV RNA containing the polyadenylation signal sequence were suppressed by 86%, as detected by RNase protection assay. Levels of HBV core-associated DNA, a replication intermediate, also decreased by 71%. Immunocytochemistry revealed that 30% to 40% of the cells transfected with HBVPA siRNA were completely negative for detectable HBsAg levels. Controls consisting of treatment with HBV-specific siRNA alone, lipofection reagent alone, or random double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) lipofection complex failed to decrease HBV surface antigen, HBV messenger RNA (mRNA), or core-associated HBV-DNA levels. In conclusion, siRNA inhibits hepatitis B viral replication in a cell culture system. Future studies are needed to explore the specific delivery of siRNA to liver cells in vivo and the applicability of this approach.
Health and human services director Sebelius resigns
Authors: M. McCarthy
Journal: BMJ (2014)

President Barack Obama announced on Friday 11 April that he has accepted the resignation of the health and human services secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, and will nominate Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the current director of the Office of Management and Budget, to replace her.

Sebelius, 65, a former Democratic governor of Kansas and an early supporter of Obama when he first campaigned for president, led the agency during the tumultuous rollout of the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 health care reform law, and became a frequent target …
Hypoxia-induced therapeutic neovascularization in a mouse model of an ischemic limb using cell aggregates composed of HUVECs and cbMSCs
Authors: Chieh-Cheng Huang, Ding-Yuan Chen, Hao-Ji Wei, Kun-Ju Lin, Cheng-Tse Wu, Ting-Yin Lee, Hsin-Yi Hu, Shiaw-Min Hwang, Yen Chang, Hsing-Wen Sung
Journal: Biomaterials (2013)
Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy of the Thyroid
Authors: HOSSEIN GHARIB
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1984)

Cases in which thyroid nodules yielded suspicious cytologic findings on fine-needle aspiration biopsy were prospectively studied during a 3-year period. Of 1970 patients, 333 (17%) had suspicious cytologic findings; from this group, the cases of 253 patients were studied. The cytologic diagnoses were 96 (38%) H urthle cell neoplasms, 84 (33%) follicular cell neoplasms, and 73 (29%) nonspecific diagnoses. A thyroid scan was obtained in 123 of 203 (61%) patients with a solitary nodule, and the nodules were hypofunctional in 102 (83%). Malignant lesions were found in 60 (24%) of the 253 patients. Our findings are consistent with reports that 20% of patients who have a fine-needle aspiration biopsy will have suspicious cytologic findings and that of these, 20% may have a malignant lesion. Thyroid scanning will not distinguish between benign and malignant thyroid lesions that are suspicious on cytologic examination. Surgical excision of all suspicious lesions seems reasonable.
Early human cytomegalovirus replication after transplantation is associated with a decreased relapse risk: evidence for a putative virus-versus-leukemia effect in acute myeloid leukemia patients
Authors: Ahmet H. Elmaagacli, Nina K. Steckel, Michael Koldehoff, Yael Hegerfeldt, Rudolf Trenschel, Markus Ditschkowski, Sandra Christoph, Tanja Gromke, Lambros Kordelas, Hellmut D. Ottinger, Rudolf S. Ross, Peter A. Horn, Susanne Schnittger, Dietrich W. Beelen
Journal: Blood (2011)
An apoptosis panel for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis diagnosis
Authors: Tarek I. Abu-Rajab Tamimi, Hesham M. Elgouhari, Naim Alkhouri, Lisa M. Yerian, Michael P. Berk, Rocio Lopez, Phillip R. Schauer, Nizar N. Zein, Ariel E. Feldstein
Journal: Journal of Hepatology (2010)
CARDIAC MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) FOR NONINVASIVE QUANTIFICATION OF LEFT VENTRICULAR MYOCARDIAL MASS
Authors: J Maddahi, J Crues, D Berman, J Mericle, E Garcia, R Henderson, W Bradley
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (1984)

Determination of left ventricular myocardial (LV) mass may aid evaluation of hypertrophic cardiomyopathies and may provide a means for future determination of the percent viable myocardium with prognostic application in ischemic heart disease. The validity of cardiac MRI for determination of LV mass was experimentally evaluated in 5 dogs that were studied using a Diasonics superconducting magnet operating at 0.35 Tesla. Gated sign echo pulsing sequences were used obtaining 0.7 cm thick slices of the heart, spaced by 1 cm, in three orthogonal planes (transaxial, sagittal and coronal). The dogs were then sacrificed and the nonbeating hearts were imaged in-situ without gating. Subsequently the excised LV weight was measured. On each short-axis (coronal) MR slice, the LV surface area was planimetered and multiplied by slice spacing to obtain slice volume. In order to avoid the partial volume effect, the MR volume of the apex was determined from the transaxial cuts. The MR LV volume thus obtained was multiplied by the specific gravity of the myocardium (1.05) to determine the MR LV mass. The intra- and inter-observer agreement for planimetry of the MR images was high (r=.99 and r=.97, respectively), reflecting the high resolution of MRI for endocardial and epicardial edges. Nonbeating heart MRI and measured LV mass correlated highly (r=.99). In two dogs preliminary analysis by MRI of the in-vivo beating heart also showed close correlation with measured LV weight. Thus, cardiac MRI is a reproducible and accurate method for noninvasive determination of LV myocardial mass in-situ and offers potential for accurate in-vivo assessment.
Late treatment of paracetamol poisoning with mercaptamine.
Authors: J M Smith, W O Roberts, S M Hall, T A White, A A Gilbertson
Journal: BMJ (1978)

Forty patients who had taken overdoses of paracetamol were treated with mercaptamine. Twenty-three patients given mercaptamine within 10 hours of poisoning had normal liver function tests at follow-up, and one could not be traced. In 16 patients mecraptamine was begun more than 10 hours after ingestion of paracetamol ("late" mercaptamine). Eight of these patients developed severe liver damage, which in six was moderate or severe before mercaptamine administration. Acute renal failure occurred in two patients; in one other renal function was temporarily severely impaired. At follow-up two patients were not available, and one admitted moribund had died soon after admission. The remaining 13 all had normal liver function tests. It is concluded that late mercaptamine is not dangerous and may prevent further liver damage.
Identification and Validation of the Methylated TWIST1 and NID2 Genes through Real-Time Methylation-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays for the Noninvasive Detection of Primary Bladder Cancer in Urine Samples
Authors: Isabelle Renard, Steven Joniau, Ben van Cleynenbreugel, Catherine Collette, Christophe Naômé, Ilse Vlassenbroeck, Hubert Nicolas, Jean de Leval, Josef Straub, Wim Van Criekinge, Wissem Hamida, Majed Hellel, Alexandre Thomas, Laurence de Leval, Katja Bierau, David Waltregny
Journal: European Urology (2009)
Surgery for Infective Endocarditis
Authors: John H. McAnulty
Journal: JAMA (1979)

MORTALITY from infective endocarditis is 30% to 40%.<sup>1</sup>Although this is a great improvement over the 95% to 100% mortality in the preantibiotic period, it remains remarkably high. Major reasons for the high mortality include failure to prevent the disease, late recognition of the disease once present, and ineffective antibiotic treatment.<sup>2,3</sup>These latter two factors in the presence of virulent organisms may result in cardiac abscess formation, which decreases antibiotic effectiveness, in development of large vegetations that may be associated with emboli, and in structural cardiac damage with resultant congestive heart failure. All are associated with a high morbidity and mortality. The major cause of death is congestive heart failure that is usually due to severe aortic or mitral regurgitation or both. Valve replacement alleviates the hemodynamic load of valvular regurgitation; thus, cardiac surgery plays an important role in the care of patients with infective endocarditis. <h3>Indications for</h3>
Tracheal size following tracheostomy with cuffed tracheostomy tubes: an experimental study.
Authors: J N Leverment, F G Pearson, S Rae
Journal: Thorax (1975)

Tracheal size following tracheostomy with cuffed tracheostomy tubes: an experimental study.In view of the severe damage caused by unyielding, low residual volume cuffs, various modifica- tions to the cuff of an intratracheal tube have been introduced.The merits of two low- pressure cuffs were assessed in an experimental study in dogs; both cuffs produced little visible damage to the tracheal wall in dogs intubated continuously over a two-week period.A modified technique of producing tantalum tracheobronchograms without disturbing the mucous blanket or traumatizing the tracheal wall is described.These tantalum radiological studies demonstrated a progressive temporary increase in size of the trachea at cuff level over the period of intubation with these cuffs.The implications of such a progressive weakness occurring in the tracheal muscle are discussed.
Accuracy of the diagnosis of hypertensive nephrosclerosis in African Americans: A report from the African American Study of Kidney Disease (AASK) Trial
Authors: Agnes Fogo, Julia A. Breyer, Michael C. Smith, William H. Cleveland, Lawrence Agodoa, Katharine A. Kirk, Richard Glassock, None The AASK Pilot Study Investigators
Journal: Kidney International (1997)

African Americans have excess hypertension and end-stage renal disease presumed due to hypertension compared to Caucasians. The AASK was designed to examine the impact of antihypertensive therapies and two levels of blood pressure control on the rate of decline of GFR in African Americans with presumed hypertensive renal disease. During the pilot phase of the trial, eligible participants were requested to undergo renal biopsy to assess the underlying lesions in this population. Eighty-eight hypertensive (diastolic BP > 95 mm Hg) non-diabetic African American patients between the ages of 18 to 70 years, with GFR between 25 to 70 ml/min/1.73 m2 and without marked proteinuria were assessed for possible renal biopsy. Forty-three patients did not undergo renal biopsy due to refusal or contraindications. Adequate renal biopsies were obtained in 39 of the remaining 46 patients. Biopsy findings were analyzed and then compared to clinical parameters. The 39 patients studied, 29 men and 10 women, were on average 53.0 +/- 11.0 years old, and had a MAP of 109 +/- 15 mm Hg and GFR 51.7 +/- 13.6 ml/min/1.73 m2 (not significantly different from nonbiopsied patients). Thirty-eight of these 39 biopsies showed arteriosclerosis and/or arteriolosclerosis, severity on average 1.5 +/- 0.9 and 1.5 +/- 0.8, respectively on a 0 to 3+ scale. Interstitial fibrosis was moderate, 1.3 +/- 0.9 (0 to 3+ scale). Segmental glomerulosclerosis was present in five biopsies, and in one patient, biopsy and clinical findings were consistent with idiopathic focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Additional lesions included mesangiopathic glomerulonephritis in one patient, basement membrane thickening suggestive of diabetic nephropathy in one, and cholesterol emboli in two cases. Arteriolar and arterial sclerosis were tightly linked, and correlated with interstitial fibrosis and the reciprocal of serum creatinine. Global glomerulosclerosis was extensive, involving on average 43 +/- 26% of glomeruli. The extent of this lesion did not correlate with degree of arteriolar or arterial thickening, but did correlate with systolic blood pressure (P = 0.0174), the reciprocal of serum creatinine (P = 0.0009), serum cholesterol (P = 0.0129) and interstitial fibrosis (P < 0.0001). These data underscore that renal biopsies in non-diabetic hypertensive African-Americans with mild to moderate renal insufficiency in the absence of marked proteinuria are overwhelmingly likely to show renal vascular lesions consistent with the clinical diagnosis of hypertensive nephrosclerosis.
The p53 Pathway Promotes Efficient Mitochondrial DNA Base Excision Repair in Colorectal Cancer Cells
Authors: Dexi Chen, Zhiyong Yu, Zhiyi Zhu, Charles D. Lopez
Journal: Cancer Research (2006)

Abstract The tumor suppressor p53 plays a central role in the DNA damage response. p53 enhances base excision repair (BER), in part, through direct interaction with the repair complex. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is repaired by a mtBER pathway. Many colorectal cancers harbor mtDNA mutations that are associated with poor prognosis. In addition to modulating the apoptotic response, mitochondria-localized p53 also stimulates mtBER. However, the mechanisms by which p53 enhances colorectal cancer mtBER after stress remain unclear. To explore this, we used colorectal cancer cells isogenic for p53 (HCT116p53+/+ and HCT116p53−/−). p53+/+ cells more efficiently repaired H2O2 damaged DNA in vivo as measured by semiquantitative mtDNA displacement loop PCR. Mitochondrial extracts from p53+/+ cells more efficiently stimulated 32P-dCTP incorporation into a uracil-oligonucleotide. Recombinant p53 complemented p53−/− mitochondrial extract repair of uracil or 8-oxo-G–containing oligonucleotides. As a measure of DNA glycosylase activity, p53+/+ mitochondrial extracts more efficiently incised uracil or 8-oxo-G oligonucleotides, although recombinant p53 could not stimulate oligonucleotide incision. p53 did not influence mitochondrial apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease activity measured by incision of a tetrahydrofuran-oligonucleotide. p53+/+ mitochondrial extracts had higher DNA polymerase-γ activity measured by 32P-dCTP incorporation into a single-nucleotide gap oligonucleotide, and recombinant p53 complemented p53−/− mitochondrial extract DNA polymerase-γ activity. mtDNA ligase activity was not affected by p53 status. p53 protein was detected in an inner mitochondrial membrane subfraction containing components of the mtBER complex. Our data suggest that an intact p53 pathway stimulates specific mtBER steps and provides mechanistic insight into the development of mtDNA mutations in colorectal cancer. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(7): 3485-94)
Genomic typing for patient-specific human leukocyte antigen-alleles is an efficient tool for relapse detection of high-risk hematopoietic malignancies after stem cell transplantation from alternative donors
Authors: B Mazzi, T D Clerici, M Zanussi, M T Lupo Stanghellini, L Vago, E Sironi, J Peccatori, M Bernardi, P Carrera, A Palini, S Rossini, C Bordignon, C Bonini, M Ferrari, F Ciceri, K Fleischhauer
Journal: Leukemia (2008)
The Role of Apoptosis in Immune Hyporesponsiveness Following AAV8 Liver Gene Transfer
Authors: Susan M Faust, Peter Bell, Yanqing Zhu, Julio Sanmiguel, James M Wilson
Journal: Molecular Therapy (2013)

Gene therapy provides a significant opportunity to treat a variety of inherited and acquired diseases. However, adverse immune responses toward the adeno-associated virus (AAV) antigens may limit its success. The mechanisms responsible for immunity or tolerance toward AAV-encoded transgene products remain poorly defined. Studies in mice demonstrate that AAV2/8 gene transfer to liver is associated with immunological hyporesponsiveness toward both AAV vector and antigenic transgene product. To evaluate the role of activation-induced cell death (AICD) and cytokine withdrawal (intrinsic cell death) in the deletion of mature T lymphocytes, we compared immunological responses in hepatic AAV2/8 transfer in murine recipients lacking the Fas receptor, and recipients overexpressing Bcl-xL, to WT murine counterparts. Prolonged transgene expression was dependent on both Fas signaling and Bcl-xL-regulated apoptosis in T cells. Abrogation of intrinsic cell death enhanced Th1 responses, whereas AICD functioned to limit neutralizing antibody production toward AAV2/8. In addition, immune hyporesponsiveness and stable transgene expression was dependent on upregulation of FasL expression on transduced hepatocytes and a corresponding apoptosis of infiltrating Fas (+) cells. These data provide evidence that both AICD and apoptosis due to cytokine withdrawal of lymphocytes are essential for immune hyporesponsiveness toward hepatic AAV2/8-encoded transgene product in the setting of liver gene transfer.
679 CD127/PD-1 PHENOTYPE DEFINES THE HCV-SPECIFIC CYTOTOXIC T CELL REACTIVITY AFTER ANTIGEN ENCOUNTER DURING CHRONIC HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTION
Authors: J. Larrubia, S. Benito-Martínez, J. Miquel, M. Calvino, E. Sanz-de-Villalobos, A. González-Praetorius, S. Albertos, T. Parra-Cid
Journal: Journal of Hepatology (2010)
HAb18G/CD147 promotes activation of hepatic stellate cells and is a target for antibody therapy of liver fibrosis
Authors: Da-Wei Zhang, You-Xu Zhao, Ding Wei, Ya-Lin Li, Yang Zhang, Jiao Wu, Jing Xu, Changsheng Chen, Hao Tang, Wei Zhang, Li Gong, Ying Han, Zhi-Nan Chen, Huijie Bian
Journal: Journal of Hepatology (2012)
Imitators of Athlete's Foot
Authors: Frederick A. J. Kingery
Journal: JAMA (1965)

If every patient with interdigital maceration and fissuring were treated with a topical fungicide, only one third of them would improve. Accumulation of moist, hydrated keratin between the toes is usually interpreted simply as athlete's foot, but it develops from various unrelated causes. The gross appearances is similar regardless of cause, and yet, effective management depends entirely on accurate etiologic diagnosis.  The following conditions produce white maceration, erosion, and fissuring between the toes: (1) dermatophytosis, (2) candidiasis, (3) erythrasma, and (4) psoriasis.  Demonstration of hyphae on a direct potassium hydroxide mount and culture of one of the dermatophytic fungi (most commonlyTrichophyton mentagrophytes) on Sabouraud's medium provides an accurate diagnosis of dermatophytosis ( Fig 1 ). The infection responds promptly to local application of an appropriate topical fungicide or systemic griseofulvin administration.  The pseudohyphae ofCandida albicanscan also be seen on direct microscopic examination, and the yeast grows rapidly on culture.