tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Antibodies to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Dominicans and Haitians in the Dominican Republic
Authors: R. Ellen Koenig
Journal: JAMA (1987)

Few patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have been reported in the Dominican Republic, although they share the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, which has numerous cases. Prevalence of antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus in serum samples from Dominicans tested from 1983 through 1985 was low in comparison with that of clinically healthy Haitians working in the country. The Haitians, who gave no history of any known risk factor, had a seroprevalence to the virus of more than 10%. Only Dominican homosexuals had a high rate of seropositivity (19%); intravenous drug abusers, healthy heterosexuals, female prostitutes, and other subgroups had virtually no evidence of antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus. These results suggest that passage of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome retrovirus between populations in two countries on the same island did not occur except by known risk practices. They emphasize that the extent of viral transmission in Haiti is greater than that observed in the Dominican Republic. (<i>JAMA</i>1987;257:631-634)
Sputum-to-serum hydrogen sulfide ratio in COPD
Authors: Junpei Saito, Alex J Mackay, Christos Rossios, David Gibeon, Patricia Macedo, Rudy Sinharay, Pankaj K Bhavsar, Jadwiga A Wedzicha, Kian Fan Chung
Journal: Thorax (2014)

<h3>Objectives</h3> Hydrogen sulfide (H<sub>2</sub>S) is a gas produced by respiratory cells including smooth muscle cells and may play a role as a cellular gasotransmitter. We evaluated whether H<sub>2</sub>S levels in serum or sputum could represent a new biomarker of COPD in a cross-sectional study. <h3>Methods</h3> H<sub>2</sub>S levels in sputum and serum samples were measured using a sulfide-sensitive electrode in 64 patients with stable COPD (S-COPD), 29 COPD subjects during acute exacerbation (AE-COPD), 14 healthy smokers and 21 healthy non-smokers. <h3>Results</h3> Sputum H<sub>2</sub>S levels in AE-COPD subjects were higher than those in S-COPD, healthy smoking and non-smoking subjects (p&lt;0.001), but serum H<sub>2</sub>S levels in AE-COPD were lower than those in S-COPD (p&lt;0.001). Thus, the sputum-to-serum ratio of H<sub>2</sub>S (H<sub>2</sub>S ratio) in AE-COPD subjects were higher than those in stable COPD, healthy smoking and non-smoking subjects (p&lt;0.001). In 14 COPD subjects whose H<sub>2</sub>S ratios were measured during and after an exacerbation, the mean ratio was increased during exacerbation (p&lt;0.05). H<sub>2</sub>S ratio was positively correlated with St. George9s Respiratory Questionnaire score, sputum neutrophils and IL-6 and IL-8 levels in sputum and serum (p&lt;0.01) but inversely correlated with sputum macrophages (%), FEV<sub>1</sub>%predicted and FEV<sub>1</sub>/FVC (p&lt;0.01). The cut-off level of H<sub>2</sub>S ratio to indicate an exacerbation was ≥0.44 (sensitivity of 93.1% and specificity of 84.5%). <h3>Conclusions</h3> The ratio of sputum-to-serum levels of H<sub>2</sub>S may provide a useful marker of COPD indicative of obstructive neutrophilic inflammation and of potential ongoing exacerbation.
Hepatitis B and hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Adrian M. Di Bisceglie
Journal: Hepatology (2009)

Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus has been linked epidemiologically to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma for more than 30 years. Although the mechanisms by which chronic hepatitis B viral infection results in hepatocellular carcinoma are unclear, there is good evidence that the virus itself exerts a direct hepatocarcinogenic effect, and this has implications for prevention. First, programs of universal infant vaccination have been shown to be effective in reducing the rate of hepatocellular carcinoma among children. This benefit should be translated into adulthood among vaccine recipients. Second, it has been suggested that antiviral therapy against hepatitis B may reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Antiviral therapy against hepatitis B is effective in causing prolonged lowering of serum levels of hepatitis B virus DNA. There are emerging data showing that prolonged antiviral therapy may reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma among certain patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Childhood-to-adolescence evolution of IgE antibodies to pollens and plant foods in the BAMSE cohort
Authors: Magnus Wickman, Anna Asarnoj, Henrike Tillander, Niklas Andersson, Anna Bergström, Inger Kull, Erik Melén, Göran Pershagen, Staffan Ahlstedt, Gunnar Lilja, Marianne van Hage
Journal: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2013)
Deposition of C3b and iC3b onto particulate activators of the human complement system. Quantitation with monoclonal antibodies to human C3.
Authors: S L Newman, L K Mikus
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1985)

Monoclonal antibodies were used to determine the number and molecular form of C3 bound to particulate activators of the complement (C) system by human serum. Sheep erythrocytes (E) coated with IgM (EIgM) and IgG (EIgG) were used to study activation of the classical pathway (CP). Yeast (Y), rabbit erythrocytes (ER), and five species of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Hemophilus influenzae type b) were used to study activation of the alternative pathway (AP). The deposition of C3b onto EIgM and EIgG incubated in C7-deficient human serum was dependent on the serum concentration. At all serum concentrations tested, there was complete conversion of C3b to iC3b. Kinetic analysis of C3b deposition and conversion to iC3b indicated that these events occurred almost simultaneously; the reaction was completed by 15 min. The deposition of C3 onto the AP activators ER and Y was also dependent on serum concentration, and ER, but not Y, required the presence of Mg-EGTA and thus the activation of only the AP. C3b deposition and conversion to iC3b on Y was complete in 15 min, with 82% of bound C3 converted to iC3b. For ER, maximum C3 deposition required 30 min in both the presence and absence of Mg-EGTA. However, after 1 h of incubation, 74% of bound C2 was iC3b in the absence of Mg-EGTA, compared with only 52% in the presence of Mg-EGTA. Thus, even on AP activators, a large portion of C3b may be converted to iC3b, and this conversion is probably controlled by elements on the particle's surface. Studies with the five species of bacteria yielded similar results. Approximately 3-5 X 10(4) molecules of C3 were bound per microorganism, with opsonization being completed in 30 min. Remarkably, only 16-28% of bound C3 was in the form of iC3b, even after 2 h of incubation. The presence or absence of Mg-EGTA, or the addition of purified CR1 to the reaction mixture, did not significantly effect the ratio of C3b to iC3b. Finally, SDS-PAGE and autoradiography of particle-bound 125I-C3 fragments confirmed that there was no conversion of iC3b to C3d,g or C3d. The data obtained about the opsonization of bacteria suggest that the predominant form of C3 that is encountered by inflammatory phagocytes may be C3b.
A large outbreak of acute encephalitis with high fatality rate in children in Andhra Pradesh, India, in 2003, associated with Chandipura virus
Authors: BL Rao, Atanu Basu, Niteen S Wairagkar, Milind M Gore, Vidya A Arankalle, Jyotsna P Thakare, Ramesh S Jadi, KA Rao, AC Mishra
Journal: The Lancet (2004)
A double-chamber rotating bioreactor for the development of tissue-engineered hollow organs: From concept to clinical trial
Authors: M. Adelaide Asnaghi, Philipp Jungebluth, Manuela T. Raimondi, Sally C. Dickinson, Louisa E.N. Rees, Tetsuhiko Go, Tristan A. Cogan, Amanda Dodson, Pier Paolo Parnigotto, Anthony P. Hollander, Martin A. Birchall, Maria Teresa Conconi, Paolo Macchiarini, Sara Mantero
Journal: Biomaterials (2009)
Phenotypic Variability and Unusual Clinical Severity of Congenital Long-QT Syndrome in a Founder Population
Authors: Paul A. Brink, Lia Crotti, Valerie Corfield, Althea Goosen, Glenda Durrheim, Paula Hedley, Marshall Heradien, Gerhard Geldenhuys, Emilio Vanoli, Sara Bacchini, Carla Spazzolini, Andrew L. Lundquist, Dan M. Roden, Alfred L. George, Peter J. Schwartz
Journal: Circulation (2005)

Background— In the congenital long-QT syndrome (LQTS), there can be a marked phenotypic heterogeneity. Founder effects, by which many individuals share a mutation identical by descent, represent a powerful tool to further understand the underlying mechanisms and to predict the natural history of mutation-associated effects. We are investigating one such founder effect, originating in South Africa in approximately ad 1700 and segregating the same KCNQ1 mutation (A341V). Methods and Results— The study population involved 320 subjects, 166 mutation carriers (MCs) and 154 noncarriers. When not taking β-blocker therapy, MCs had a wide range of QTc values (406 to 676 ms), and 12% of individuals had a normal QTc (≤440 ms). A QTc &gt;500 ms was associated with increased risk for cardiac events (OR=4.22; 95% CI, 1.12 to 15.80; P =0.033). We also found that MCs with a heart rate &lt;73 bpm were at significantly lower risk (OR=0.23; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.86; P =0.035). This study also unexpectedly determined that KCNQ1-A341V is associated with greater risk than that reported for large databases of LQT1 patients: A341V MCs are more symptomatic by age 40 years (79% versus 30%) and become symptomatic earlier (7±4 versus 13±9 years, both P &lt;0.001). Accordingly, functional studies of KCNQ1-A341V in CHO cells stably expressing IK s were conducted and identified a dominant negative effect of the mutation on wild-type channels. Conclusions— KCNQ1-A341V is a mutation associated with an unusually severe phenotype, most likely caused by the dominant negative effect of the mutation. The availability of an extended kindred with a common mutation allowed us to identify heart rate, an autonomic marker, as a novel risk factor.
The T cell-B cell interaction via OX40-OX40L is necessary for the T cell-dependent humoral immune response.
Authors: E Stüber, W Strober
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1996)

Recent in vitro studies have established that activated B cells express OX40 ligand (L), a member of the tumor necrosis factor/nerve growth factor family of cytokines, and become stimulated to proliferate and secrete immunoglobulin (Ig) after cross-linking of OX40L by its counterreceptor OX40, which is expressed on activated T cells. In the present study we investigated the in vivo role of this receptor-ligand pair for the interaction of T and B cells in the course of the T-dependent B cell response against 2,4,6 trinitro-phenyl-keyhole limpet hemocyanin. First, we showed that OX40 is maximally expressed by T cells in the periarteriolar lymphoid sheath (PALS) 3 d after primary immunization. These OX40+ cells are located in close proximity to antigen-specific, activated B cells. Second, we demonstrated that blocking of OX40-OX40L interaction with polyclonal anti-OX40 antibody or with antibodies against certain peptide sequences within its extracellular domain resulted in a profound decrease of the anti-hapten IgG response, whereas the antihapten IgM response was grossly unchanged. Third, we showed that this antibody treatment leads to an inhibition of the development of PALS-associated B cell foci, whereas the formation of germinal centers remained intact. Finally, our data suggest that, whereas B cell memory development was not impaired by anti-OX40 administration, OX40-OX40L interaction seems to be crucial in the secondary immune response. We conclude from these data that the OX40-OX40L interaction in vivo is necessary for the differentiation of activated B cells into highly Ig-producing cells, but is not involved in other pathways of antigen-driven B cell differentiation such as memory cell development in the germinal centers.
Oral sapacitabine for the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia in elderly patients: a randomised phase 2 study
Authors: Hagop Kantarjian, Stefan Faderl, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Selina Luger, Parameswaran Venugopal, Lori Maness, Meir Wetzler, Steven Coutre, Wendy Stock, David Claxton, Stuart L Goldberg, Martha Arellano, Stephen A Strickland, Karen Seiter, Gary Schiller, Elias Jabbour, Judy Chiao, William Plunkett
Journal: The Lancet Oncology (2012)
Severe cholestatic hepatitis induced by pyritinol
Authors: Vasco Maria, Adriana Albuquerque, Ana Loureiro, Ana Sousa, Rui Victorino
Journal: BMJ (2004)

Pyritinol is a pyrithioxine derivative marketed in more than 50 countries worldwide. It is approved for “symptomatic treatment of chronically impaired brain function in dementia syndromes” and for “supportive treatment of sequelae of craniocerebral trauma” in various European countries, including Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, and Greece. In France it is also approved for rheumatoid arthritis as a disease modifying drug, on the basis of the results of clinical trials.1 It is not licensed for use in the United Kingdom, but in many countries it is available over the counter and is widely advertised on the internet as being for “memory disturbances.” From the known sales data, we estimate that more than 100 000 individuals in European Union countries have taken pyritinol in the past five years (assuming a daily dose is 600 mg a day and an average treatment lasts 120 days).

Ascribing severe adverse reactions to drugs such as pyritinol—generally considered innocuous by patients and doctors—is particularly difficult as a link with such drugs is not usually considered. We report on six previously healthy subjects who developed a severe and prolonged form of cholestatic hepatitis during pyritinol treatment and in whom unexpectedly high in vitro CD4+ T cell responses to the drug were documented.

Case 1 —A 23 year old female student complained of nausea, malaise, and jaundice one month after starting pyritinol 600 mg a day for “memory improvement.” She had also been taking paracetamol with codeine sporadically for some years because of headache. Discontinuation of pyritinol led to rapid clinical improvement and to normalisation of liver function five months later.

Case 2 —An 18 year old female student was prescribed nitrofurantoin 400 mg a day for cystitis and pyritinol 600 mg a day for “memory improvement.” Five days later she was admitted to hospital with …
The relationship between intrahepatic portal systemic shunts and microsphere induced portal hypertension in the rat liver
Authors: X Li, I S Benjamin, B Alexander
Journal: Gut (1998)

Portal hypertension is associated with gross haemodynamic disturbances characterised by high cardiac output, low peripheral vascular resistance, increased splanchnic blood flow, and portal systemic shunting.To study the relationship between intrahepatic portal systemic shunts and microsphere induced portal hypertension in the rat liver.Different sized microspheres were sequentially injected into the portal vein of male Wistar rats.Steady state portal venous pressure was increased by 102.2 (35.6)% (14.9 (3.6) mm Hg) and 272.3 (78.0)% (24.0 (2.2) mm Hg) above the basal pressure following sequential injections of 15 and 80 microns diameter microspheres, respectively. Sequential injection of 15, 40, and 80 microns diameter microspheres in either ascending or descending order of size did not generate further increases in portal venous pressure. A single injection of 1.8 x 10(5) 80 microns microspheres consistently produced a steady state portal venous pressure of 19.0 (1.3) mm Hg but did not approach the much higher value of 36.6 (43.2) mm Hg measured during clamping of the portal vein. These data indicate that the opening of patent intrahepatic shunts was responsible for the reduced pressures observed during microsphere injections and further evidence for this was provided by the location of microspheres in the pulmonary vascular bed. The elevation in portal venous pressure achieved by microsphere injections was not significantly different to that produced in rats subjected to partial portal vein ligation (20.7 (0.5) mm Hg, p > 0.05). Wedged hepatic venous pressure decreased from 6.7 (0.7) to 3.0 (0.6) mm Hg following injection of 80 microns microspheres, suggesting a decrease in total hepatic blood flow. Conversely, injection of 15 microns microspheres induced an increase in wedged hepatic venous pressure from 7.0 (1.0) mm Hg to 12.4 (1.8) mm Hg, indicating a localised redistribution of blood flow at the presinusoidal level of the portal venous vascular network and increased intrahepatic shunt flow.It is suggested that there may be a protective pathophysiological role for these shunts when the liver is subjected to changes which induce acute portal hypertension.
Modulation of phospholipase A2 activity in extracts of lesion-free psoriatic epidermis by alkaline phosphatase and a protein phosphatase inhibitor
Authors: P.H. CARTWRIGHT, A. ILCHYSHYN, ELIZABETH ILDERTON, H.J. YARDLEY
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1988)

Phospholipase A2 activity is raised in non-lesional psoriatic epidermis compared with normal epidermis. It has been shown that the activity of this enzyme is controlled by an inhibitory protein the inhibitory effect of which is increased by dephosphorylation. Treatment of epidermal extracts with alkaline phosphatase reduced the phospholipase A2 activity, both in normal and in lesion-free psoriatic epidermis. Inclusion of pyrophosphate, a protein phosphatase inhibitor, in the homogenizing medium caused the activity of phospholipase A2 in epidermal extracts from normal and lesion-free epidermis to be raised to the same high level. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the raised phospholipase A2 activity in psoriatic epidermis is due to hyperphosphorylation of an endogenous inhibitor as a result of defective control of a phosphorylation/dephosphorylation mechanism. The relevance of these findings to other work is discussed.
Prospective multicentre study of pregnancy outcome after lithium exposure during first trimester
Authors: S.J. Jacobson, L. Ceolin, P. Kaur, A. Pastuszak, T. Einarson, G. Koren, K. Jones, K. Johnson, D. Sahn, A.E. Donnenfeld, M. Rieder, R. Santelli
Journal: The Lancet (1992)
Moving pictures of the human microbiome
Authors: J Gregory Caporaso, Christian L Lauber, Elizabeth K Costello, Donna Berg-Lyons, Antonio Gonzalez, Jesse Stombaugh, Dan Knights, Pawel Gajer, Jacques Ravel, Noah Fierer, Jeffrey I Gordon, Rob Knight
Journal: Genome biology (2011)

Abstract Background Understanding the normal temporal variation in the human microbiome is critical to developing treatments for putative microbiome-related afflictions such as obesity, Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease and malnutrition. Sequencing and computational technologies, however, have been a limiting factor in performing dense time series analysis of the human microbiome. Here, we present the largest human microbiota time series analysis to date, covering two individuals at four body sites over 396 timepoints. Results We find that despite stable differences between body sites and individuals, there is pronounced variability in an individual's microbiota across months, weeks and even days. Additionally, only a small fraction of the total taxa found within a single body site appear to be present across all time points, suggesting that no core temporal microbiome exists at high abundance (although some microbes may be present but drop below the detection threshold). Many more taxa appear to be persistent but non-permanent community members. Conclusions DNA sequencing and computational advances described here provide the ability to go beyond infrequent snapshots of our human-associated microbial ecology to high-resolution assessments of temporal variations over protracted periods, within and between body habitats and individuals. This capacity will allow us to define normal variation and pathologic states, and assess responses to therapeutic interventions.
Some Refinements in the Measurement and Prediction of Dangerous Behavior
Authors: JOSEPH J. COCOZZA, HENRY J. STEADMAN
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (1974)

Recent analyses of data on the Baxstrom patients1 resuited in some refinements in the authors' measurement of dangerous behavior and the finding that two factors, particularly in combination, were highly related to subsequent arrest and dangerous behavior. The authors discuss the implications of this finding for the prediction of dangerous behavior and the need for additional research.
Phase III Trial Evaluating Weekly Paclitaxel Versus Docetaxel in Combination With Capecitabine in Operable Breast Cancer
Authors: Catherine M. Kelly, Marjorie C. Green, Kristine Broglio, Eva S. Thomas, Abenaa M. Brewster, Vicente Valero, Nuhad K. Ibrahim, Ana M. Gonzalez-Angulo, Daniel J. Booser, Ronald S. Walters, Kelly K. Hunt, Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, Aman U. Buzdar
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2012)

We investigated whether capecitabine and docetaxel followed by fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC) or weekly paclitaxel (WP) followed by FEC would improve relapse-free survival (RFS) in operable breast cancer.In this single-institution study, patients with clinical stages I to IIIC breast cancer were randomly assigned on a 1:1 basis to WP 80 mg/m(2) for 12 weeks followed by fluorouracil 500 mg/m(2), epirubicin 100 mg/m(2), and cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m(2) (FEC-100) every 3 weeks for four cycles or docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) on day 1 and capecitabine (XT) 1,500 mg/m(2) on days 1 through 14 every 3 weeks for four cycles followed by FEC for four cycles and stratified by timing of chemotherapy (preoperative v adjuvant). Accrual was stopped short of 930 patients on the basis of a Bayesian predictive calculation that additional accrual would be unlikely to change the qualitative comparison of the two regimens.After enrollment of 601 patients and a median follow-up of 50 months, we observed no improvement in RFS between XT (87.5%; 95% CI, 82.7% to 91.1%) and WP (90.7%; 95% CI, 86.4% to 93.7%; P = .51). In the preoperative group, the pathologic complete response rate was 19.8% and 16.4% in the XT and WP arms, respectively (P = .45). Rates of breast-conserving surgery were similar between the two groups (P = .48). The XT arm had a significantly higher incidence of stomatitis (P < .001), hand-foot syndrome (P < .001), and neutropenic infection (P < .001).There was no difference in efficacy between WP and XT as used in this randomized phase III trial. XT was associated with higher GI, skin, and neutropenic-related toxicities.