tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
OBSTRUCTION OF THE LIVER
Authors: W. S. Oke
Journal: BMJ (1853)

OBSTRUCTION in the parenchymatous or intemal texture of the liver may be temporary or permanent; temporary, when caused by recent interstitial deposit of fibrinous lymph, or simple congestion of the capillary circulation in the organ; permanent, when it is the result of any organic *ehange of its structure.ExCITING CAUsEs.These will be found in inflammation, intermittent or remittent fever, long residence in hot climates, excessive drinking, etc.SYMPTOMS.When obstruction has taken place in the ,internal organization of the liver, the following symptoms will usually mark the progress of the disease: a sense of fulness and tightness across the epigastric region, pain and tenderness of the right hypochondrium, jaundice, embar- rassed respiration, intestinal or galstric hiemorrhage, ana- sarcous swelling of the inferior extremities, dropsy of the -belly, and lesion of the heart.PATHIOLOGY.The above results may be explained in the following manner.The whole of the portal circulation being formed by veins derived from the stomiach, intestines, spleen, pancreas, and omenta, the blood which fills them must necessarily flow from the arteries supplying those x'iscera, namely, the coeliac (excepting the hepatic branch)
Serum hepatitis hazard in biochemical control sera.
Authors: J M McGilchrist
Journal: BMJ (1972)

given a preoperative medication such as diazepam?This would not interfere with their being discharged in the early after- noon.The availability of contact with the gynaecological house surgeon if needed be- fore subsequent appointments is a most reassuring facility.With the change in attitude by the lay public towards abortion it is a great pleasure to feel that genuine efforts are being made by members of the profession such as Dr. Lewis and her co-workers to minimize the mental and physical trauma inherent in this procedure.-I am, etc.,
1000. In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Optimized Short-Hairpin RNAs for the Treatment of the Hepatitis C Virus Using Expression Cassettes Producing One, Two or Three Anti HCV shRNAs
Authors: David A. Suhy, Linda B. Couto, Alexander A. Kolykhalov, Amy E. Parker, A. Rosanna Schroeder, Luz Maria Garcia, Gabriel Haniff, Sara M. Cunningham, Mark A. Kay, Peter W. Roelvink
Journal: Molecular Therapy (2005)

Infection with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) represents a major world-wide health problem. Current therapies consisting of small molecule pharmaceuticals with or without interferon are most often inadequate due to the generation of viral escape mutants. RNA interference (RNAi) based treatments using both short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and short-hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) have been proposed as new therapeutic modalities. As HCV is a chronic disease, we are interested in sustained expression of anti-HCV RNAs, and thus have focused on the expression of short-hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) that can elicit an RNAi response against the HCV genome. We aligned multiple HCV sequences and, and identified 30 potential RNAi targets. As a first step, the siRNAs corresponding to these targets were synthesized and tested in vitro against HCV-luciferase fusion reporter constructs, as well as subgenomic and full length HCV replicons. We identified 8 siRNAs that were capable of efficiently silencing the expression of luciferase-HCV fusions and of the HCV replicon. The corresponding shRNAs were cloned in expression cassettes downstream of ubiquitous promoters. We generated expression cassettes capable of expressing either 1, 2 or 3 shRNAs simultaneously. The shRNAs were evaluated in vitro for silencing of an HCV-luciferase fusion reporter, as well as subgenomic and/or full length HCV replicons in the primary hepatocyte cell line Huh7. The shRNAs that inhibited the luciferase reporter by greater than 80% in vitro, were selected for in vivo analysis. Tail vein injection of mice with single shRNA expression cassettes and the HCV-luciferase reporter resulted in up to 70% inhibition of luciferase. Analysis of shRNA expression cassettes that generate two or three shRNAs targeted to different conserved regions of the HCV genome is ongoing and will be reported on.
An Atypical Case of IgG4-Related Sclerosing Pancreatitis on PET/CT Imaging
Authors: Lei Han, Lei Jiang, Hui Tan, Lingli Chen, Pengcheng Hu, Hongcheng Shi
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (2013)

A 62-year-old man presented with pain in the upper abdomen persisting for 2 months. He had the clinical history of diabetes for approximately 10 years. CT and MRI showed a mass located in processus uncinatus of caput pancreatis. The laboratory tests, including pancreas-originated amylase, tumor marker, IgG, IgG4, and so on, were normal. For suspicion of pancreatic cancer, the patient underwent F-FDG PET/CT, which demonstrated focal and high radioactivity accumulation in processus uncinatus of pancreas, without extrapancreatic radioactivity uptake observed. Finally, the surgical pathology confirmed IgG4-related sclerosing pancreatitis.
Mycoplasmas and bacteria in synovial fluid from patients with arthritis.
Authors: P A Mardh, F J Nilsson, A Bjelle
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1973)

Recent years have witnessed a revival of interest in a possibly infectious aetiology of various forms of chronic arthritis in man.The results of investigations of the occurrence of micro-organisms injoints ofsuch patients have been difficult to interpret.Lately, interest has been focused particularly on myco- plasmas (c.f.Table I ; Williams, Brostoff, and Roitt, 1970; Smith and Ward, 1971) and 'diphtheroid' rods (Duthie, Stewart, Alexander, and Dayhoff, 1967; Bartholomew and Nelson, 1972a).In the present study synovial fluid collected from knee joints of consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or non-rheumatoid acute gonitis were cultured for mycoplasmas, bacteria, and L-phase variants of bacteria.Cultures for mycoplasmas were also made from the urogenital tract of the patients with RA.Mycoplasmafermentans was found in a few of the synovial fluids.Such strains were examined for their susceptibility to antibiotics and anti- rheumatic agents.Further, sera of the patients with RA and from healthy controls were studied for in- Accepted for publication December 14, 1972.direct haemagglutinating and metabolism-inhibiting antibodies to M. fermentans.In view of the contra- dictory results between earlier investigations of mycoplasmas in joints, the isolation techniques used will receive special attention. Materials and methods PATIENTSThe conditions diagnosed in the 129 patients studied are given in Table II.57 had classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis according to the American Rheumatism Associa- tion criteria (Ropes, Bennett, Cobb, Jacox, and Jessar, 1958), 31 of whom were factor-positive.The patients with rheumatoid arthritis had had the disease for some months to several decades.At the time of sampling, 46 of the patients with RA were on treatment with chloroquine and sixteen also received prednisolone.Gold salts had been given to seven, but at the latest more than 6 months before sampling.In most ofthe patients steroids had been injected into that joint from which synovial fluid was collected and, in four, osmium tetraoxide, but never within the last 4 months before sampling.None of the nonrheumatoid patients had been treated with antibiotics or anti- rheumatic agents before sampling.
Epalrestat, an Aldose Reductase Inhibitor, Improves an Impaired Generation of Oxygen-Derived Free Radicals by Neutrophils From Poorly Controlled NIDDM Patients
Authors: Noriyuki Sato, Koji Kashima, Yutaka Uehara, Kenichi Ohtani, Hiroyuki Shimizu, Masatomo Mori
Journal: Diabetes Care (1997)

OBJECTIVE To study the in vivo effect of epalrestat (Epa), an aldose reductase inhibitor, on the generation of oxygen-derived free radicals by neutrophils from poorly controlled NIDDM patients (HbA1c &amp;gt; 10%). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 31 diabetic patients were randomly divided into two groups: an Epa(+) group of 16 patients treated with 150 mg/day epalrestat and an Epa(−) group of 15 patients treated without epalrestat. A control group of 20 age- and sex-matched normal healthy subjects also participated. HbA1c, postprandial plasma glucose (PPG), and neutrophil bactericidal function were measured before and at the end of the drug treatment period (4 weeks). Neutrophil bactericidal function was measured as chemilu-minescence amplified by a Cypridina luciferin analog (CLA), which is dependent on O2− generation, and by luminol (L), which is highly dependent on OCl− generation, in response to formyl-methonyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP). RESULTS At the start of the experiment, both CLA-dependent chemiluminescence (CLA-DCL) and L-dependent chemiluminescence (L-DCL) were clearly decreased in diabetic subjects (64 and 54%, respectively; P &amp;lt; 0.05) compared with control subjects (2,182 ± 144 and 3,221 ± 173 kc · min−1 · 10−6 cells, respectively). At the end of the experiment, CLA-DCL and L-DCL in the Epa(+) group were significantly improved by 44 and 46%, respectively; however, these values were still lower than the corresponding results in the control group. HbA1c and PPG in both the Epa(+) and Epa (−) groups were significantly higher than in the control group, and treatment had no effect on either HbA1c or PPG. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that epalrestat may be a useful drug to prevent infection by improving the impaired O2− and OCl− generation by neutrophils from poorly controlled NIDDM patients.
Acute hepatic allograft rejection: Incidence, risk factors, and impact on outcome †
Authors: Russell H. Wiesner, Jake A. Demetris, Steven H. Belle, Eric C. Seaberg, John R. Lake, Rowen K. Zetterman, James Everhart, Katherine M. Detre
Journal: Hepatology (1998)

Hepatic allograft rejection remains an important problem following liver transplantation, and, indeed, complications related to the administration of immunosuppressive therapy remain a predominant cause of posttransplantation morbidity and mortality. The Liver Transplantation Database (LTD) was used to study a cohort of 762 consecutive adult liver transplantation recipients and determined the incidence, timing, and risk factors for acute rejection. We also evaluated the impact of histological severity of rejection on the need for additional immunosuppressive therapy and on patient and graft survival. Four hundred ninety (64%) of the 762 adult liver transplantation recipients developed at least one episode of rejection during a median follow-up period of 1,042 days (range, 336-1,896 days), most of which occurred during the first 6 weeks after transplantation. Multivariate analysis revealed that recipient age, serum creatinine, aspartate transaminase (AST) level, presence of edema, donor/recipient HLA-DR mismatch, cold ischemic time, and donor age were independently associated with the time to acute rejection. An interesting observation was that the histological severity of rejection was an important prognosticator: the use of antilymphocyte preparations was higher, and the time to death or retransplantation was shorter, for patients with severe rejection. Findings from this study will assist in decision-making for the use of immunosuppressive regimens and call into question whether complete elimination of all rejection or alloreactivity is a desirable goal in liver transplantation.
BMA meeting: BMA representatives vote to end prescription charges in England
Authors: D. Cohen
Journal: BMJ (2009)

The BMA has voted overwhelmingly to abolish prescription charges in England. A motion passed at the BMA’s annual conference in Liverpool urged the government to abolish prescription charges in England, as has happened in Wales and is happening in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Speaking for the motion, Shaukat Ali, a consultant from Darlington, said that prescription charges “defeat the fundamental principle of health care under the NHS: free at the point of delivery.”

He pointed out that when Clement Attlee introduced prescription charges in 1951, when the charge was …
Diagnosis of Acute, Diffuse Pulmonary Infiltrates
Authors: Kenneth M. Moser
Journal: JAMA (1984)

PATIENTS with an acute, diffuse pulmonary infiltrate pose substantial diagnostic and treatment challenges. Some such patients' conditions may qualify, when first examined, for a diagnosis of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). That syndrome consists of the presence of diffuse pulmonary infiltrates of unknown cause, arterial hypoxemia (due to a "right-to-left shunt" mechanism), and a normal pulmonary capillary ("wedge") pressure.<sup>1</sup>Other patients with somewhat less severe involvement may seem to be approaching fulfillment of the criteria for a diagnosis of ARDS. Part of the challenge posed by such patients is that some 30% have pulmonary infection as the basis for ARDS<sup>2</sup>; in the remainder, the pathogenetic basis is noninfectious and related to a biochemical-cellular sequence that has yet to be defined. Treatment of the latter is presently supportive; good support includes the avoidance of procedures that may further compromise respiratory function. It is also clear, however, that when infection
Symptomatic Mid-Esophageal Webs
Authors: Maurice L. Kelley
Journal: JAMA (1966)

WEBS of the mid esophagus are unusual, their cause is obscure, and information regarding the results of treatment is scarce. The purpose of this report is to document the clinical, radiological, endoscopic, and intraluminal manometric findings in a man with dysphagia secondary to such constrictions and to discuss appropriate management of this entity. <h3>Report of a Case</h3> A 46-year-old white, married, business executive (SMH 60-60-41) was examined on April 30, 1965, because of intermittent sticking of food in the esophagus since 1945. The episodes of dysphagia, at first, were infrequent but in the past several years had occurred at almost every meal. Food seemed to lodge at a point just inferior to the suprasternal notch and remained there for several minutes to two hours. The bolus would "go through" spontaneously on some occasions but frequently had to be regurgitated by forced gagging. Steak, chicken, grapes, and bread were the major
Cytosolic bile acid binding protein in rat liver: Radioimmunoassay, molecular forms, developmental characteristics and organ distribution
Authors: Andrew Stolz, Yuichi Sugiyama, John Kuhlenkamp, Bruce Osadchey, Tadataka Yamada, William Belknap, William Balistreri, Neil Kaplowitz
Journal: Hepatology (1986)

Rat liver efficiently extracts bile acids from the portal blood and rapidly excretes them into bile. Little is known about the process by which bile acids traverse the liver cell from the sinusoidal to the canalicular membrane. In order to begin to define this process, we recently identified a pair of similar monomeric (33 kilodalton) cytosolic bile acid binding proteins (bile acid binders I and II, J. Biol. Chem. 1983; 258:3602-3607, Abstract). These bile acid binders have comparable binding affinities for bile acid as the YaYa and YaYc members of the family of glutathione S -transferases, the previously recognized cytoplasmic bile acid binding protein. We now report the establishment of a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay which equally detects both bile acid binders I and II. Specificity of the antiserum was verified by the co-purification of bile acid binder immunoreactivity with the bile acid binders. Liver contained the greatest concentration of bile acid binder, where it constituted 0.33% of the total cytosolic proteins. Phenobarbital administration and lithocholate feeding had no significant effect on hepatic bile acid binder content. Examination of the ontogeny of bile acid binder revealed a rapid increase after birth to near adult levels by Day 14. In summary, we have established a sensitive radioimmunoassay for the bile acid binders. Its localization mainly in liver and its increase after birth parallel bile acid transport in the liver.
The renin-angiotensin system, dietary salt, and increased sensitivity to noradrenaline in mesenteric vasculature preparations from renal/salt hypertensive rats
Authors: M. G. COLLIS, B. J. ALPS
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (1976)

Exogenous angiotensin II causes noradrenaline supersensitivity in rat mesenteric vasculature preparations. The noradrenaline supersensitivity of tissues from renal/salt hypertensive rats, with low plasma renin activity, is not caused by endogenous angiotensin II since it was unaffected by Sar1 Ileu8 angiotensin II. Dietary salt-loading caused a small increase in noradrenaline sensitivity.
Transferring the costs of expensive treatments from secondary to primary care
Authors: B J Crump, R Panton, M F Drummond, M Marchment, R A Hawkes
Journal: BMJ (1995)

General practitioners, especially fundholders, are becoming increasingly concerned about being asked to prescribe treatments for their patients that are outside their therapeutic experience.They are con- cerned about the clinical responsibility for such prescribing and the effects on their budgets.In some specialties transferring the costs of expensive treatments from secondary to primary care (cost shifting) has become partly institutionalised because of the separate sources of funding for drugs prescribed in the two sectors.With increased efforts to control the rising costs ofthe drugs budget and the emergence of new expensive treatments, cost shifting will be a challenge to clinicians and purchasers as they strive for rational, cost effective prescribing.A review of the funding mechanisms for drugs prescribing and of the relation between the licensing process and the decision to support the use of a treatment in primary or secondary care is needed.
Abrogation of hepatic ATP-citrate lyase protects against fatty liver and ameliorates hyperglycemia in leptin receptor-deficient mice
Authors: Qiong Wang, Lei Jiang, Jue Wang, Shoufeng Li, Yue Yu, Jia You, Rong Zeng, Xiang Gao, Liangyou Rui, Wenjun Li, Yong Liu
Journal: Hepatology (2008)

Hepatic steatosis is a hallmark of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and a key component of obesity-associated metabolic dysfunctions featuring dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and loss of glycemic control. It has yet to be completely understood how much dysregulated de novo lipogenesis contributes to the pathogenic development of hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance. ATP-citrate lyase (ACL) is a lipogenic enzyme that catalyzes the critical reaction linking cellular glucose catabolism and lipogenesis, converting cytosolic citrate to acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA). Acetyl-CoA is further converted to malonyl-CoA, the essential precursor for fatty acid biosynthesis. We investigated whether dysregulation of hepatic ACL is metabolically connected to hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, and hyperglycemia. We found that in leptin receptor-deficient db/db mice, the expression of ACL was selectively elevated in the liver but not in the white adipose tissue. Liver-specific ACL abrogation via adenovirus-mediated RNA interference prominently reduced the hepatic contents of both acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA, markedly inhibited hepatic de novo lipogenesis, and protected against hepatic steatosis in db/db mice. Surprisingly, liver-specific ACL abrogation markedly inhibited the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma and the entire lipogenic program in the liver. Moreover, hepatic ACL deficiency resulted in significantly down-regulated expression of gluconeogenic genes in the liver as well as enhanced insulin sensitivity in the muscle, leading to substantially improved systemic glucose metabolism.These findings establish a crucial role of hepatic ACL in lipid and glucose metabolism; therefore, hepatic ACL may serve as a potential target to treat NAFLD and type 2 diabetes.
Pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis occurs with increased frequency in patients with associated primary sclerosing cholangitis.
Authors: C Penna, R Dozois, W Tremaine, W Sandborn, N LaRusso, C Schleck, D Ilstrup
Journal: Gut (1996)

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), present in 5% of patients with ulcerative colitis, may be associated with pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. The cumulative frequency of pouchitis in patients with and without PSC who underwent ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis was determined. A total of 1097 patients who had an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis, 54 with associated PSC, were studied. Pouchitis was defined by clinical criteria in all patients and by clinical, endoscopic, and histological criteria in 83% of PSC patients and 85% of their matched controls. PSC was defined by clinical, radiological, and pathological findings. One or more episodes of pouchitis occurred in 32% of patients without PSC and 63% of patients with PSC. The cumulative risk of pouchitis at one, two, five, and 10 years after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis was 15.5%, 22.5%, 36%, and 45.5% for the patients without PSC and 22%, 43%, 61%, and 79% for the patients with PSC. In the PSC group, the risk of pouchitis was not related to the severity of liver disease. In conclusion, the strong correlation between PSC and pouchitis suggest a common link in their pathogenesis.
IS TOTAL EXTIRPATION OF THE RECTUM EVER JUSTIFIABLE?
Authors: JOSEPH M. MATHEWS
Journal: JAMA (1895)

In giving the above title to my paper the fact is indicated, at least, that such a procedure is advised, and I may add, is strongly recommended by many. With true deference to all such, I shall raise the question as to its justification, and will try to adduce sufficient reasons for putting the question in the attitude of being mooted. It can not be gainsaid that some, if not many surgical operations, are done with but little to recommend them. In this age of progress in surgery, I opine that some of us are led astray into doing operations as much to test the efficacy, methods, etc., of others, and to put ourselves in line, as to accomplish that which should be the surgeon's chief aim, viz., to relieve the patient. It can not be denied either that there is what might be properly called a<i>rage</i>in surgical
Gallium Scan in Intracerebral Sarcoidosis
Authors: MOHANLAL C. MAKHIJA, CHRIS P. ANAYIOTOS
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (1981)

Sarcoidosis involving the nervous system probably occurs in about 4% of patients. The usefulness of brain scintigraphy in these cases has been suggested. In this case of cerebral sarcoid granuloma, gallium imaging demonstrated the lesion before treatment and showed disappearance of the lesion after corticosteroid treatment, which correlated with the patient's clinical improvement.
BMA council to meet next week to discuss next step in pensions dispute
Authors: I. Torjesen
Journal: BMJ (2012)

The BMA council will meet on Thursday 28 June to discuss the effect of yesterday’s industrial action by doctors and whether to take any further steps over government plans to alter their pension scheme.

A council meeting will be held immediately after the BMA’s annual representatives meeting ends in Bournemouth on Thursday. The meeting’s first task is to elect a new chairman of the BMA council to replace Hamish Meldrum and then hold a special session on the pension dispute.

Further action that could be considered includes a repeat of this week’s industrial action, when doctors came to work but only saw patients if they needed urgent care and in which many routine and elective procedures were cancelled. The BMA could also decide to disengage …