tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Effects of Bradykinin on Forearm Venous Tone and Vascular Resistance in Man
Authors: DEAN T. MASON, KENNETH L. MELMON
Journal: Circulation Research (1965)

The effects of intravenous injections of synthetic bradykinin on the vascular dynamics of the forearm were studied in nine normal subjects. A plethysmographic technique was used to measure forearm blood flow and to estimate forearm venous tone. Bradykinin decreased mean systemic arterial pressure, elevated forearm blood flow, and reduced calculated forearm vascular resistance and also venous tone. The venodilatation was preceded by brief venoconstriction which was prevented in five subjects pretreated with the antiadrenergic agent, guanethidine. It is postulated (a) that this venoconstriction is one of the compensatory reflex actions that accompany reduction of systemic arterial pressure, and (b) that the prime effect of bradykinin on both the arterial and the venous beds of the forearm is a direct vasodilatation.
Illustrated Manual of Laboratory Diagnosis.
Authors: R. D. Collins
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1975)

The fourth edition of this superb single-authored text is a tribute to the scholarship and erudition of the author. It is the most comprehensive discussion of liver and biliary tract disease currently available. It embraces all aspects: etiology, pathology, clinical manifestations, and laboratory. Profuse black and white illustrations and strategically scattered color plates dramatize important items of pathological conditions, but the sparsity of electron photomicrographs (except for two plates delineating the normal human liver) is a minor disappointment. Radio scintograms (including a colored fold-out) illustrate areas where this technique is helpful. The strength of this book lies in the orderly organization of data, presented in comprehensible, literate prose. It is current (updated since 1966), and the well-selected refer-
Identification of the cysteine protease Amb a 11 as a novel major allergen from short ragweed
Authors: Julien Bouley, Rachel Groeme, Maxime Le Mignon, Karine Jain, Henri Chabre, Véronique Bordas-Le Floch, Marie-Noëlle Couret, Laetitia Bussières, Aurélie Lautrette, Marie Naveau, Véronique Baron-Bodo, Vincent Lombardi, Laurent Mascarell, Thierry Batard, Emmanuel Nony, Philippe Moingeon
Journal: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2015)
Multiple sclerosis: looking beyond autoimmunity
Authors: Abhijit Chaudhuri, Peter O Behan
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (2005)

The chronic incurable disorder multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by neurodegeneration, multifocal demyelination and astroglial proliferation (gliosis).2 The prevalence of MS is influenced by geography and genetics. In the Western world it is a leading cause of neurological disability in the young. The cause and exact pathogenesis are still unknown. Some see MS as a T-cell-driven autoimmune inflammatory disease, targeting the myelin sheaths in the central nervous system,3 but there is no proof. Unlike autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus or myasthenia gravis, MS has no specific immunological marker.2,4 An animal model that has been used in MS research is experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), in which demyelination is induced by sensitization against myelin basic protein. Clinically and pathologically, however, EAE resembles acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) rather than MS.2 Nonetheless, the EAE model has been used to drive the autoimmune theory and to develop treatments. An inflammatory hypothesis of demyelination also fails to explain various salient features of the disease (Box 1).5–7 Here, we explain our view that research and treatment strategy in MS need to change direction.
Time trends in allergic disorders in the UK
Authors: R Gupta, A Sheikh, D P Strachan, H R Anderson
Journal: Thorax (2006)

<b>Background:</b> Allergic disorders are common in the UK. This study reviews recent UK time trends in the prevalence, morbidity and mortality for allergic disorders, excluding asthma. <b>Methods:</b> A trend analysis was performed over recent decades of national, representative or repeat surveys, primary care consultations, prescriptions, hospital admissions, and mortality. <b>Results:</b> Serial surveys showed that the prevalence of diagnosed allergic rhinitis and eczema in children have both trebled over the last three decades. While these long term trends were paralleled by the prevalence of disease symptoms, more recent symptom prevalence data suggest a decline. Similarly, GP consultation rates rose by 260% for hay fever and by 150% for eczema overall during the period 1971–91, but rates have stabilised over the past decade. Hospital admissions for eczema have been stable since 1995, and hospital admissions for allergic rhinitis have fallen to about 40% of their 1990 levels. Since 1990, admissions for anaphylaxis have increased by 700%, for food allergy by 500%, for urticaria by 100%, and for angio-oedema by 40%. Prescriptions issued for all types of allergy have increased since 1991. <b>Conclusions:</b> The prevalence and healthcare usage for eczema and hay fever have increased substantially over recent decades, but may now be stabilising or even falling. In contrast, admissions for some systemic allergic diseases have risen sharply in the last decade which may indicate a rising incidence of these conditions. Although changes in treatment and other healthcare factors may have contributed to these trends, there may also be a change in the aetiology of allergic disease in the UK.
The United States Registry for Fibromuscular Dysplasia
Authors: Jeffrey W. Olin, James Froehlich, Xiaokui Gu, J. Michael Bacharach, Kim Eagle, Bruce H. Gray, Michael R. Jaff, Esther S.H. Kim, Pam Mace, Alan H. Matsumoto, Robert D. McBane, Eva Kline-Rogers, Christopher J. White, Heather L. Gornik
Journal: Circulation (2012)

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), a noninflammatory disease of medium-size arteries, may lead to stenosis, occlusion, dissection, and/or aneurysm. There has been little progress in understanding the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and outcomes since its first description in 1938.Clinical features, presenting symptoms, and vascular events are reviewed for the first 447 patients enrolled in a national FMD registry from 9 US sites. Vascular beds were imaged selectively based on clinical presentation and local practice. The majority of patients were female (91%) with a mean age at diagnosis of 51.9 (SD 13.4 years; range, 5-83 years). Hypertension, headache, and pulsatile tinnitus were the most common presenting symptoms of the disease. Self-reported family history of stroke (53.5%), aneurysm (23.5%), and sudden death (19.8%) were common, but FMD in first- or second-degree relatives was reported only in 7.3%. FMD was identified in the renal artery in 294 patients, extracranial carotid arteries in 251 patients, and vertebral arteries in 82 patients. A past or presenting history of vascular events were common: 19.2% of patients had a transient ischemic attack or stroke, 19.7% had experienced arterial dissection(s), and 17% of patients had an aneurysm(s). The most frequent indications for therapy were hypertension, aneurysm, and dissection.In this registry, FMD occurred primarily in middle-aged women, although it presents across the lifespan. Cerebrovascular FMD occurred as frequently as renal FMD. Although a significant proportion of FMD patients may present with a serious vascular event, many present with nonspecific symptoms and a subsequent delay in diagnosis.
Use of tunnelled catheters for malignant pleural effusions in patients fit for pleurodesis
Authors: A. Tremblay, C. Mason, G. Michaud
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2007)

The aim of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of tunnelled pleural catheters (TPC) in patients with malignant pleural effusions who would otherwise be candidates for pleurodesis. Patients were selected from a previously reported database of 250 TPC insertions. The study group was selected based on lung re-expansion and survival as a surrogate maker of eligibility for pleurodesis procedure, as defined by survival of > or =90 days and lung re-expansion > or =80% post-drainage on a standard chest radiograph 2 weeks post TPC placement. There were 109 procedures in 97 patients that met the entry criteria. Spontaneous pleurodesis (SP) was achieved following 70% of procedures and correlated with symptom control. The mean time to SP was 90 days. There was no need for a repeat procedure in 87% of cases overall and in 92% of patients experiencing SP. There were few complications and no procedure-related deaths. Tunnelled pleural catheters are an effective way of controlling malignant pleural effusions when used as first-line treatment in patients who appear to be candidates for pleurodesis procedures.
Primary biliary cirrhosis and the crest syndrome: New terminology?
Authors: Owen Epstein
Journal: Hepatology (1988)

The syndrome of primary biliary cirrhosis and limited scleroderma (the CREST syndrome) is described in 22 patients. The syndrome is expanded to include a serologic marker—the anticentromere antibody—and keratoconjunctivitis sicca. The acronym “PACK” ( p rimary biliary cirrhosis, a nticentromere antibody, C REST syndrome, and k eratoconjunctivitis sicca) with “syndrome” is suggested to facilitate recall of the various components of this entity.
Insulin resistance in patients with cardiac hypertrophy
Authors: G Paternostro
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (1999)

Objective: Animal studies suggest that left ventricular hypertrophy might be associated with insulin resistance and alterations in glucose transporters. We have previously demonstrated myocardial insulin resistance in patients with post-ischemic heart failure. The aim was to investigate whether myocardial insulin resistance could be demonstrated in human cardiac hypertrophy in the absence of hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease. Methods: Eleven normotensive nondiabetic patients with cardiac hypertrophy due to aortic stenosis and angiographically normal coronary arteries were compared to 11 normal volunteers. Myocardial glucose uptake (MGU) was measured with positron emission tomography and [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose during fasting (low insulinemia) or during euglycemic–hyperinsulinemic clamp (physiologic hyperinsulinemia). Myocardial biopsies were obtained in order to investigate changes in insulin-independent (GLUT-1) and insulin-dependent (GLUT-4) glucose transporters. Results: During fasting, plasma insulin (7±1 vs. 6±1 mU/l) and MGU (0.12±0.05 vs. 0.11±0.04 μmol/min/g) were comparable in patients and controls. By contrast, during clamp, MGU was markedly reduced in patients (0.48±0.02 vs. 0.70±0.03 μmol/min/g, p<0.01) despite similar plasma insulin levels (95±6 vs. 79±6 mU/l). A decreased GLUT-4/GLUT-1 ratio was shown by Western blot analysis in patients. Conclusions: Insulin resistance seems to be a feature of the hypertrophied heart even in the absence of hypertension, coronary artery disease and diabetes and may be explained, at least in part, by abnormalities in glucose transporters.
Driving Drug Discovery: The Fundamental Role of Academic Labs
Authors: B. Michael Silber
Journal: Science Translational Medicine (2010)

Academic labs have been responsible for virtually all of the basic science discoveries that translate into the discovery and development of innovative new medicines. There is a growing concern that large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are not able to sustain research pipelines that bring new compounds into drug development that translate into innovative new medicines, especially in areas with high unmet medical need. To address the needs of patients, caregivers, and society, academic labs have played and can continue to play an important role at one or more stages in the development of innovative medicines, both directly and through collaborations with researchers in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Collaboration is in the best interests of patients and society if it accelerates the translation of basic science discoveries to new medicines that address unmet medical needs.
PERSONALITY CORRELATES OF PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIVITY TO STRESS: A STUDY OF FORTY-SIX COLLEGE MALES
Authors: JOSEPH SCHACHTER, THOMAS A. WILLIAMS, RICHARD ROWE, JUDITH S. SCHACHTER, JEAN JAMESON
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (1965)

In this study of the relationship between personality and autonomic reactivity to stress, a small group, 6 of 46 college students, were outstanding psychologically. They received the highest ratings for Intimacy and Involvement which referred to an overall judgment regarding the degree and quality of healthy intimacy in personal relationships and the extent and nature of involvement and commitment to ideas and activities. They showed the most marked psychophysiological reactivity to laboratory stress, including the fact that while in the threatening situation being free to fantasy led to a rise in their autonomic indicators of anxiety. Other students utilized the fantasy defensively to bind anxiety, and their physiological indicators fell. The small, most reactive group also tended to show superior visual-motor performance. The data were interpreted to mean that the greater physiological reactivity was a function of the more intense involvement in the novel and realistically nonthreatening laboratory situation. The small group of 6 who remained psychologically more open showed better adaptation to the stress situation as well as more marked physiological reactivity. The lesser physiological reactivity in the other students was thought to represent defensive, emotional withdrawal which resulted in less successful adaptation to the laboratory stress.
Evaluation of questionnaire on cancer family history in identifying patients at increased genetic risk in general practice
Authors: V. Leggatt, J. Mackay, J. R W Yates
Journal: BMJ (1999)

Patients at increased genetic risk of breast or colorectal cancer who may benefit from screening can be identified from their family histories 12 For those at risk of colorectal cancer, colonoscopic surveillance reduces the incidence of disease.3 For those at risk of breast cancer, the results of mammographic screening are encouraging but more data are needed to confirm benefit.4

Currently, patients with indicative family histories who consult their general practitioners are often referred to clinics for cancer genetics. Others with similar family histories who are less aware of the familial nature of these cancers or of the availability of screening do not seek advice.

If improving knowledge about the genetics of familial cancers and other common diseases is to benefit all patients and not just those who are better informed, strategies need to be developed to identify those at risk. We investigated the feasibility of using a postal questionnaire to identify patients in a general practice at increased genetic risk of breast or …
Open access radiology services: availability to general practitioners in the UK.
Authors: G F Morgan
Journal: BMJ (1985)

A postal survey was carried out among secretaries of local medical committees to ascertain the availability of open access to radiology services in the United Kingdom. The results from different areas showed a wide variation of access, ranging from virtually none to complete access. General practitioner representatives on management teams might encourage open access to radiology services, and health authorities might be encouraged to introduce complete open access.
Clinical Predictors of a Diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Charlene D. Fell, Fernando J. Martinez, Lyrica X. Liu, Susan Murray, MeiLan K. Han, Ella A. Kazerooni, Barry H. Gross, Jeffrey Myers, William D. Travis, Thomas V. Colby, Galen B. Toews, Kevin R. Flaherty
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2010)

Rationale: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) have similar clinical and radiographic features, but their histopathology, response to therapy, and natural history differ. A surgical lung biopsy is often required to distinguish between these entities.Objectives: We sought to determine if clinical variables could predict a histopathologic diagnosis of IPF in patients without honeycomb change on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT).Methods: Data from 97 patients with biopsy-proven IPF and 38 patients with other IIPs were examined. Logistic regression models were built to identify the clinical variables that predict histopathologic diagnosis of IPF.Measurements and Main Results: Increasing age and average total HRCT interstitial score on HRCT scan of the chest may predict a biopsy confirmation of IPF. Sex, pulmonary function, presence of desaturation, or distance walked during a 6-minute walk test did not help discriminate pulmonary fibrosis from other IIPs.Conclusions: Clinical data may be used to predict a diagnosis of IPF over other IIPs. Validation of these data with a prospective study is needed.
Dual Action of iNOS-derived Nitric Oxide in Allergen-induced Airway Hyperreactivity in Conscious, Unrestrained Guinea Pigs
Authors: MARTIN SCHUILING, HERMAN MEURS, ANNET B. ZUIDHOF, NICOLETTE VENEMA, JOHAN ZAAGSMA
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (1998)

Using a guinea pig model of acute allergic asthma, we recently established that a deficiency of nitric oxide (NO) contributes to airway hyperreactivity (AHR) after the early asthmatic reaction (EAR) and that restoration of NO activity may contribute to the (partial) reversal of AHR after the late asthmatic reaction (LAR). In the present study, we investigated the role of iNOS-derived NO in the regulation of AHR to histamine after the LAR. Inhalation of a selective dose of the specific iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine (0.1 mM, 3 min) had no effect on basal airway reactivity to histamine in unchallenged, ovalbumin-sensitized animals and did not affect the allergen-induced AHR after the EAR. By contrast, this dose of aminoguanidine significantly potentiated the partially reduced AHR after the LAR to the level of AHR observed after the EAR, indicating that induction of iNOS during the LAR contributes to the reversal of AHR. Inhalation of a higher aminoguanidine concentration (2.5 mM) shortly before the onset of the LAR diminished the AHR after the LAR and reduced the number of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and ciliated epithelial cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage at this time point. The results indicate that iNOS-derived NO may have both beneficial and detrimental effects on allergen-induced AHR to histamine after the LAR by functional antagonism of histamine-induced bronchoconstriction, and by promoting airway inflammation and epithelial damage on the other hand, respectively.
Statins Inhibit β-Adrenergic Receptor–Stimulated Apoptosis in Adult Rat Ventricular Myocytes via a Rac1-Dependent Mechanism
Authors: Masahiro Ito, Takeshi Adachi, David R. Pimentel, Yasuo Ido, Wilson S. Colucci
Journal: Circulation (2004)

3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A inhibitors (statins) inhibit myocyte hypertrophy in vitro and ameliorate the progression of cardiac remodeling in vivo, possibly because of inhibition of the small GTPase Rac1. The role of Rac1 in mediating myocyte apoptosis is not known. beta-Adrenergic receptor (betaAR)-stimulated myocyte apoptosis is mediated via activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), leading to activation of the mitochondrial death pathway. We hypothesized that betaAR-stimulated apoptosis in adult rat ventricular myocyte (ARVMs) is mediated by Rac1 and inhibited by statins.betaAR stimulation increased apoptosis, as assessed by transferase-mediated nick-end labeling, from 5+/-1% to 24+/-2%. betaAR stimulation also increased Rac1 activity. Adenoviral overexpression of a dominant-negative mutant of Rac1 inhibited betaAR-stimulated apoptosis, JNK activation, cytochrome C release, and caspase-3 activation. Cerivastatin likewise inhibited the betaAR-stimulated activation of Rac1, decreased betaAR-stimulated apoptosis to 11+/-2%, and inhibited JNK activation, cytochrome C release, and caspase-3 activation.betaAR stimulation causes Rac1 activation, which is required for myocyte apoptosis and leads to activation of JNK and the mitochondrial death pathway. Cerivastatin inhibits betaAR-stimulated activation of Rac1 and thereby inhibits JNK-dependent activation of the mitochondrial death pathway and apoptosis. The beneficial effects of statins on the myocardium may be mediated in part via inhibition of Rac1-dependent myocyte apoptosis.
Galectin-3-expression analysis in the surgical selection of follicular thyroid nodules with indeterminate fine-needle aspiration cytology: a prospective multicentre study
Authors: Armando Bartolazzi, Fabio Orlandi, Enrico Saggiorato, Marco Volante, Federico Arecco, Ruth Rossetto, Nicola Palestini, Ezio Ghigo, Mauro Papotti, Gianni Bussolati, Marco Paolo Martegani, Federico Pantellini, Angelo Carpi, Maria Rosaria Giovagnoli, Salvatore Monti, Vincenzo Toscano, Salvatore Sciacchitano, Gian Maria Pennelli, Caterina Mian, Maria Rosa Pelizzo, Massimo Rugge, Giancarlo Troncone, Lucio Palombini, Gennaro Chiappetta, Gerardo Botti, Aldo Vecchione, Rino Bellocco
Journal: The Lancet Oncology (2008)
Prognostic Factors for Survival After Salvage Reirradiation of Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Tawee Tanvetyanon, Tapan Padhya, Judith McCaffrey, Weiwei Zhu, David Boulware, Ronald DeConti, Andrea Trotti
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2009)

Patients who develop recurrent or new primary head and neck cancer in a previously irradiated site have poor prognosis. Reirradiation is a treatment option, although it is associated with substantial toxicities. We investigated potential prognostic factors, including comorbidity and pre-existing organ dysfunction, for survival after reirradiation.Institutional electronic records of patients treated with reirradiation between January 1998 and 2008 were reviewed. Comorbidity was assessed by Charlson index and Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 (ACE-27) grading. Organ dysfunction was defined as feeding tube dependency, functioning tracheostomy, or soft tissue defect.There were 103 patients, including 46 patients who underwent salvage surgery before reirradiation. Median progression-free and overall survivals were 12.1 months (95% CI, 9.7 to 16.6) and 19.3 months (95% CI, 13.9 to 29.9), respectively. Significant comorbidity was present in 36% of patients by Charlson index and 24% by ACE-27. Baseline organ dysfunction was present in 37% of patients. Median overall survivals were 5.5 months among those with both organ dysfunction and comorbidity per Charlson index, and 4.9 months per ACE-27, compared with 59.6 and 44.2 months, respectively, among the patients with neither organ dysfunction nor comorbidity (P < .001 and < .001). Other independent prognostic factors were interval from previous radiation, recurrent tumor stage, tumor bulk at reirradiation, and reirradiation dose. A nomogram to predict the probability of death within 24 months after reirradiation was developed (concordance index = 0.75).Comorbidity and pre-existing organ dysfunction are among several important prognostic factors for patients undergoing reirradiation. For those with both comorbidity and organ dysfunction, reirradiation largely serves as a palliative therapy.
Scapula winging in a sports injury clinic.
Authors: G J Packer, G R McLatchie, W Bowden
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (1993)

Scapula winging is an uncommon condition but one which may be underdiagnosed. Four patients with scapula winging referred to a sports injury clinic are presented. None of the patients was aware of any trauma and a traction injury to the long thoracic nerve is proposed as the aetiology of this condition. These case reports emphasize the importance of excluding winging of the scapula in patients who present to sports injury clinics with shoulder pain.