tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Inhaled or Intravenous Pentamidine Therapy for<i>Pneumocystis carinii</i>Pneumonia in AIDS
Authors: Guy W. Soo Hoo
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1990)

Objective: To compare inhaled pentamidine with intravenous pentamidine for the treatment of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Design: A randomized trial. Setting: Community teaching hospital and hospital-based outpatient treatment center. Patients: Twenty-one homosexual men with Pneumocystis pneumonia; 11 received inhaled pentamidine and 10 received intravenous pentamidine. Intervention: Inhaled (8 mg/kg body weight) or intravenous (4 mg/kg body weight) pentamidine administered daily for 21 days. Measurements and Main Results: All patients responded to intravenous pentamidine, whereas 6 of 11 (55%; 95% CI, 23% to 83%; P = 0.02, Fisher exact test) responded to inhaled pentamidine therapy. Two patients who failed inhaled pentamidine therapy eventually died despite appropriate intravenous therapy (mortality rate, 18%; CI, -6% to 42%). Nonresponders to inhaled pentamidine had a greater severity of illness compared with responders to this therapy, as shown by a lower mean (± SE) PaO2 (8.0 ± 0.4 kPa compared with 10.8 ± 0.6 kPa; P = 0.005) and higher alveolararterial PO2 difference (6.8 ± 0.6 kPa compared with 2.8 ± 0.8 kPa; P = 0.003). Conclusions: Inhaled pentamidine is probably as effective as intravenous pentamidine in patients with mild Pneumocystis pneumonia. However, its use as sole therapy in patients with moderate to severe Pneumocystis pneumonia is not supported by the results of our study and is not warranted.
The SSB-positive/SSA-negative antibody profile is not associated with key phenotypic features of Sjögren's syndrome
Authors: Alan N Baer, Mara McAdams DeMarco, Stephen C Shiboski, Mi Y Lam, Stephen Challacombe, Troy E Daniels, Yi Dong, John S Greenspan, Bruce W Kirkham, Hector E Lanfranchi, Morten Schiødt, Muthiah Srinivasan, Hisanori Umehara, Frederick B Vivino, Cristina F Vollenweider, Yan Zhao, Lindsey A Criswell, Caroline H Shiboski
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2015)

<h3>Objective</h3> To determine whether the Sjögren9s syndrome B (SSB)-positive/Sjögren9s syndrome A (SSA)-negative antibody profile is associated with key phenotypic features of SS. <h3>Methods</h3> Among registrants in the Sjögren9s International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA) with possible or established SS, we compared anti-SSA/anti-SSB reactivity profiles against concurrent phenotypic features. We fitted logistic regression models to explore the association between anti-SSA/anti-SSB reactivity profile and each key SS phenotypic feature, controlling for potential confounders. <h3>Results</h3> Among 3297 participants, 2061 (63%) had negative anti-SSA/anti-SSB, 1162 (35%) had anti-SSA with or without anti-SSB, and 74 (2%) anti-SSB alone. Key SS phenotypic features were more prevalent and had measures indicative of greater disease activity in those participants with anti-SSA, either alone or with anti-SSB, than in those with anti-SSB alone or negative SSA/SSB serology. These between-group differences were highly significant and not explained by confounding by age, race/ethnicity or gender. Participants with anti-SSB alone were comparable to those with negative SSA/SSB serology in their association with these key phenotypic features. Among SICCA participants classified with SS on the basis of the American-European Consensus Group or American College of Rheumatology criteria, only 2% required the anti-SSB-alone test result to meet these criteria. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The presence of anti-SSB, without anti-SSA antibodies, had no significant association with SS phenotypic features, relative to seronegative participants. The solitary presence of anti-SSB antibodies does not provide any more support than negative serology for the diagnosis of SS. This serological profile should thus be interpreted cautiously in clinical practice and potentially eliminated from future classification criteria.
Diet During Adolescence and Risk of Breast Cancer Among Young Women
Authors: Nancy Potischman, Christine A. Swanson, Robert N. Hoover, Louise A. Brinton, Helen A. Weiss, Ralph J. Coates, Marilie D. Gammon, Donna Brogan, Kathleen E. Malone, Janet L. Stanford
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1998)

A variety of breast cancer risk factors pertain to a woman's adolescence and may be related to nutritional influences. We assessed risk of early-onset breast cancer related to diet during adolescence in a case-control study.Study participants were accrued from the following three geographical regions covered by cancer registries: Atlanta, GA; Seattle/Puget Sound, WA; and central New Jersey. Case patients (n = 1647) were newly diagnosed with breast cancer, and control subjects (n = 1501) were identified by random-digit-dialing techniques. In an interview, each subject was asked to recall the frequency of consumption and portion size of 29 key food items at ages 12-13 years. Mothers of a subset of respondents completed questionnaires, and food groups were recalculated after removal of foods with poor agreement between mother and daughter. Logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.When high versus low quartiles of consumption were compared, there was a suggestion of a reduced risk associated with high consumption of fruits and vegetables, although this finding was not statistically significant. Slight increases (of borderline statistical significance) in risk of breast cancer were found for intake of chicken or high-fat meat. Intake of animal fat, high-fat foods, high-fat snacks and desserts, or dairy products during adolescence had no apparent influence on breast cancer risk. Removal of foods suspected to be poorly recalled by the daughters did not change any of the risk estimates.These data do not provide evidence for a strong influence of dietary intakes during adolescence on risk of early-onset breast cancer.
Iron deficiency in adolescent female dancers.
Authors: E Mahlamäki, S Mahlamäki
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (1988)

The iron balance of 25 adolescent dancers and 23 control females of the same age were studied. The concentrations of fasting blood haemoglobin, serum iron, serum transferrin and serum ferritin were determined. Iron supplementation (ferrous sulphate corresponding to 100 mg of elemental iron per day) was instigated if body iron stores were low (serum ferritin less than 30 micrograms.l-1). Blood samples were drawn again after ten weeks. Low haemoglobin concentration (blood haemoglobin less than 125 g.l-1) was more prevalent among dancers than among control subjects. Reduced iron stores as well as completely absent iron stores (serum ferritin concentration less than 12 micrograms.l-1) were equally common in both groups (25% of the subjects). Iron supplementation reduced the number of anaemic girls from 16 to 4 and the highly significant difference in haemoglobin level between the treated and untreated groups disappeared. Ten weeks of iron therapy was not, however, long enough to increase iron stores.
Prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis in males and females in a young middle-aged population of Tromso, northern Norway.
Authors: J.T Gran, G Husby, M Hordvik
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1985)

In an epidemiological survey in Tromsø, northern Norway a prevalence of definite ankylosing spondylitis (AS) of between 1.1% and 1.4% was found (males: 1.9-2.2% and females: 0.3-0.6%). The ratio of male to female was between 3.9 and 6.1 in favour of the male sex. It was calculated that 6.7% of the B27 positive individuals had AS, and that 22.5% of the B27 positive subjects with back pain or stiffness suffered from AS.
Low density lipoprotein receptor and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase gene expression in human mononuclear leukocytes is regulated coordinately and parallels gene expression in human liver.
Authors: E E Powell, P A Kroon
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1994)

The liver plays a key regulatory role in cholesterol metabolism. Two proteins are central in this role; the LDL receptor and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMG CoA reductase), the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis. In the current investigation, we have used a sensitive nonradioactive method to study the regulation of LDL receptor and HMG CoA reductase mRNA levels in liver biopsy samples and freshly isolated mononuclear leukocytes from 13 patients who underwent cholecystectomy for gallstones. mRNA copy numbers were determined by PCR amplification of reverse-transcribed RNA using synthetic RNA as an internal standard. Incorporation of digoxigenin-11-dUTP during amplification allowed direct detection and quantitation of mRNA levels by chemiluminescence. These experiments showed that the average number of LDL receptor mRNA molecules in liver (21 +/- 3 x 10(4)/micrograms of RNA) and mononuclear leukocytes (24 +/- 3 x 10(4)/micrograms of RNA) are indistinguishable, whereas the number of HMG CoA reductase molecules in liver (107 +/- 15 x 10(4)/micrograms of RNA) is smaller than that in mononuclear leukocytes (158 +/- 21 x 10(4)/micrograms of RNA, P < 0.05). These numbers correspond to an average of 1-6 copies of LDL receptor mRNA and 5-42 copies of HMG CoA reductase mRNA per cell. There was a significant correlation between the numbers of LDL receptor (P = 0.0005) and HMG CoA reductase (P = 0.003) mRNA molecules in liver and mononuclear leukocytes. Furthermore, the numbers of copies of HMG CoA reductase and LDL receptor mRNA were correlated with each other in both liver (P = 0.02) and mononuclear leukocytes (P = 0.01), consistent with coordinate regulation. These data demonstrate that the mechanisms which regulate mRNA levels in liver and mononuclear cells are similar and suggest that freshly isolated mononuclear cells can be used to predict HMG CoA reductase and LDL receptor mRNA levels in liver.
Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Spirometry in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Philip H. Quanjer, Gerard J. J. M. Borsboom, Jana Kivastik, Peter J. F. M. Merkus, John L. Hankinson, Danny Houthuijs, Bert Brunekreef, Gabriele Ihorst, Joachim Kühr
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2008)

Single and serial spirometric data are commonly compared with predicted values to assess pulmonary function and normal lung growth.Do reference equations adequately describe pulmonary function in a population and in growing individuals?We applied five sets of reference equations with appropriate age ranges to cross-sectional data of FEV(1), FVC, and FEV(1)/FVC from the United States, Estonia, and The Netherlands (1,487 boys and 1,340 girls, 6 to 18 years of age), and to serial measurements in Dutch (430 girls and 769 boys, 6 to 19 years of age) and in German and Austrian children (1,305 girls and 1,303 boys, 6 to 13 years of age).Compared with reference equations from Polgar and Zapletal, cross-sectional FEV(1) and FVC declined between the ages of 6 and 12 and then increased, leading to a spurious change of up to 25% predicted; this pattern was most pronounced in boys. In cross-sectional data this trend was much weaker when using reference equations from Hankinson, Quanjer, and Stanojevic, and these equations provided a good fit from the age of 12 upward. In longitudinal data (i.e., within individuals), the trend was more pronounced for FEV(1) in boys than in girls. No set of equations provided a satisfactory fit in the lower limits of normal, but Hankinson and Stanojevic equations performed best.Spirometric reference equations that use only height for predicting pulmonary function are unsuitable for describing the progression of pulmonary function. Those that incorporate height and age demonstrate some discrepancy with longitudinal data. Failure to take these spurious trends into account leads to significant errors in estimating the natural course of respiratory disease, in allocating patients to treatment groups, or in assessing long-term effects of drug intervention in school children and adolescents.
A HEMOLYSIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE MUMPS VIRUS
Authors: Herbert R. Morgan, John F. Enders, Philip F. Wagley
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1948)

1. A factor capable of causing the hemolysis of the erythrocytes of man, chicken, and sheep occurs in the amniotic and allantoic fluids of chick embryos infected with the virus of mumps. 2. The hemolysin has not been found in normal fluids or in those infected with PR8 or Lee B strains of influenza virus. 3. The hemolysin is definitely inhibited by the serum of man and monkey convalescent from mumps, but only slightly by the serum of the acute phase. 4. The hemolysin is almost completely inactivated at 50 degrees C. after 10 minutes. It exhibits maximal activity at 37 degrees C. and is completely inactive at 4 degrees C. A pH range from about 7.0 to 8.0 allows for maximum activity. 5. Adsorption and elution of the hemolysin with red blood cells has been demonstrated. After elution of the hemolysin, the red blood cells exhibit an increased osmotic fragility. Similar treatment of red cells with influenza virus did not alter this property. 6. The relationship of the hemolysin to the hemagglutinin and the enzyme-like behavior of the former have been discussed.
The 5′ Leader of Plant PgiC has an Intron: The Leader Shows Both the Loss and Maintenance of Constraints Compared with Introns and Exons in the Coding Region
Authors: L. D. Gottlieb, V. S. Ford
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (2002)

PgiC, a complex gene with 23 coding exons and 22 intervening introns, encodes the cytosolic isozyme of phosphoglucose isomerase (EC 5.3.1.9) in higher plants. Here, we report RNA ligase–mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends experiments that showed that PgiC in Clarkia (Onagraceae) and Arabidopsis thaliana has an intron in the 5′ leader. Comparison of the EMBL accessions of the cDNA and genomic sequences showed that this is also the case in rice (Oryza sativa), suggesting that a leader intron is generally present in higher plant PgiC. The intron is bounded by consensus 5′-GT and AG-3′ splice sites but showed alternative splicing in Clarkia, resulting in mature transcripts that differ by 8–19 nt in length. The intron is located 18 or 10 nt upstream of the start codon in Clarkia, 2 nt upstream in Arabidopsis, and 9 nt in rice. PgiC in Clarkia was duplicated before the divergence of the extant species, many of which have two expressed genes PgiC1 and PgiC2. Full-length transcripts of both genes identified the transcription start and made it possible to identify the leader intron and leader exon (between the transcription start and leader intron) from previously obtained genomic sequences of both genes in other Clarkia species. These data permit the comparison of evolution in the leader exon and intron with the exons and introns of the coding region, a topic that has not been studied previously. Both the leader exon and the leader intron resemble introns of the coding region in base substitution rate and accumulation of gaps. But the leader intron splice junctions are not strictly conserved in position as are those of the coding region introns. Also, in base composition, the leader intron resembles the other introns, whereas the leader exon more nearly resembles the coding exons. A difference in base composition between coding exons and flanking introns is known to be important for the recognition of splice sites. Thus, the marked difference in base composition between the leader exon and leader intron is probably maintained by selection despite a high rate of sequence divergence.
Regulatory functions of self-restricted MHC class II allopeptide-specific Th2 clones in vivo
Authors: Ana Maria Waaga, Martin Gasser, Joana E. Kist-van Holthe, Nader Najafian, Angelika Müller, John P. Vella, Karl L. Womer, Anil Chandraker, Samia J. Khoury, Mohamed H. Sayegh
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (2001)

We studied T-cell clones generated from grafts of rejecting and tolerant animals and investigated the regulatory function of Th2 clones in vitro and in vivo. To prevent allograft rejection, we treated LEW strain recipient rats of WF strain kidney grafts with CTLA4Ig to block CD28-B7 costimulation. We then isolated epitope-specific T-cell clones from the engrafted tissue, using a donor-derived immunodominant class II MHC allopeptide presented by recipient antigen-presenting cells. Acutely rejected tissue from untreated animals yielded self-restricted, allopeptide-specific T-cell clones that produced IFN-gamma, whereas clones from tolerant animals produced IL-4 and IL-10. Adoptive transfer into naive recipients of Th1 clones, but not Th2 clones, induced alloantigen-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses. In addition, Th2 clones suppressed DTH responses mediated by Th1 clones in vivo and blocked Th1 cell proliferation and IFN-gamma production in vitro. A pilot human study showed that HLA-DR allopeptide-specific T-cell clones generated from patients with chronic rejection secrete Th1 cytokines, whereas those from patients with stable graft function produce Th2 cytokines in response to donor-specific HLA-DR allopeptides. We suggest that self-restricted alloantigen-specific Th2 clones may regulate the alloimmune responses and promote long-term allograft survival and tolerance.
Vitamin C Prevents the Effects of Prenatal Nicotine on Pulmonary Function in Newborn Monkeys
Authors: Becky J. Proskocil, Harmanjatinder S. Sekhon, Jennifer A. Clark, Stacie L. Lupo, Yibing Jia, William M. Hull, Jeffrey A. Whitsett, Barry C. Starcher, Eliot R. Spindel
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2005)

Smoking during pregnancy leads to decreased pulmonary function and increased respiratory illness in offspring. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that many effects of smoking during pregnancy are mediated by nicotine. We now report that vitamin C supplementation can prevent some of the effects of maternal nicotine exposure on pulmonary function of offspring. Timed-pregnant rhesus monkeys were treated with 2 mg/kg/day nicotine bitartrate from Gestation Days 26 to 160. On Gestation Day 160 (term, 165 days) fetuses were delivered by C-section and subjected to pulmonary function testing the following day. Nicotine exposure significantly reduced forced expiratory flows, but supplementation of mothers with 250 mg vitamin C per day prevented the effects of nicotine on expiratory flows. Vitamin C supplementation also prevented the nicotine-induced increases in surfactant apoprotein-B protein. Neither nicotine nor nicotine plus vitamin C significantly affected levels of cortisol or cytokines, which have been shown to affect lung development and surfactant expression. Prenatal nicotine exposure significantly decreased levels of elastin content in the lungs of offspring, and these effects were slightly attenuated by vitamin C. These findings suggest that vitamin C supplementation may potentially be clinically useful to limit the deleterious effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on offspring's lung function.
Issues and Challenges in the Design of Culturally Adapted Evidence-Based Interventions
Authors: Felipe González Castro, Manuel Barrera, Lori K. Holleran Steiker
Journal: Annual Review of Clinical Psychology (2010)

This article examines issues and challenges in the design of cultural adaptations that are developed from an original evidence-based intervention (EBI). Recently emerging multistep frameworks or stage models are examined, as these can systematically guide the development of culturally adapted EBIs. Critical issues are also presented regarding whether and how such adaptations may be conducted, and empirical evidence is presented regarding the effectiveness of such cultural adaptations. Recent evidence suggests that these cultural adaptations are effective when applied with certain subcultural groups, although they are less effective when applied with other subcultural groups. Generally, current evidence regarding the effectiveness of cultural adaptations is promising but mixed. Further research is needed to obtain more definitive conclusions regarding the efficacy and effectiveness of culturally adapted EBIs. Directions for future research and recommendations are presented to guide the development of a new generation of culturally adapted EBIs.
Adult Genetic Risk Screening
Authors: C. Thomas Caskey, Manuel L. Gonzalez-Garay, Stacey Pereira, Amy L. McGuire
Journal: Annual Review of Medicine (2013)

Recent advances in genetic analysis especially DNA sequencing technology open a new strategy for adult disease prevention by genetic screening. Physicians presently treat disease pathology with less emphasis on disease risk prevention/reduction. Genetic screening has reduced the incidence of untreatable childhood genetic diseases and improved the care of newborns. The opportunity exists to expand screening programs and reduce the incidence of adult onset diseases via genetic risk identification and disease intervention. This article outlines the approach, challenges, and benefits of such screening for adult genetic disease risks.
Novel Blood Biomarkers of Human Urinary Bladder Cancer
Authors: Iman Osman, Dean F. Bajorin, Tung-Tien Sun, Hong Zhong, Diah Douglas, Joseph Scattergood, Run Zheng, Mark Han, K. Wayne Marshall, Choong-Chin Liew
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2006)

Abstract Purpose: Recent data indicate that cDNA microarray gene expression profile of blood cells can reflect disease states and thus have diagnostic value. We tested the hypothesis that blood cell gene expression can differentiate between bladder cancer and other genitourinary cancers as well as between bladder cancer and healthy controls. Experimental Design: We used Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 GeneChip (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA) to profile circulating blood total RNA from 35 patients diagnosed with one of three types of genitourinary cancer [bladder cancer (n = 16), testicular cancer (n = 10), and renal cell carcinoma (n = 9)] and compared their cDNA profiles with those of 10 healthy subjects. We then verified the expression levels of selected genes from the Affymetrix results in a larger number of bladder cancer patients (n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 27). Results: Blood gene expression profiles distinguished bladder cancer patients from healthy controls and from testicular and renal cancer patients. Differential expression of a combined set of seven gene transcripts (insulin-like growth factor–binding protein 7, sorting nexin 16, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 6, and cathepsin D, chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 2, nell-like 2, and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 7) was able to discriminate bladder cancer from control samples with a sensitivity of 83% (95% confidence interval, 67-93%) and a specificity of 93% (95% confidence interval, 76-99%). Conclusion: We have shown that the gene expression profile of circulating blood cells can distinguish bladder cancer from other types of genitourinary cancer and healthy controls and can be used to identify novel blood markers for bladder cancer.