tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Does stress affect the joints? Daily stressors, stress vulnerability, immune and HPA axis activity, and short-term disease and symptom fluctuations in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Andrea W M Evers, Elisabeth W M Verhoeven, Henriët van Middendorp, Fred C G J Sweep, Floris W Kraaimaat, A Rogier T Donders, Agnes E Eijsbouts, Antoinette I M van Laarhoven, Sabine J M de Brouwer, Lieke Wirken, Timothy R D J Radstake, Piet L C M van Riel
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2013)

Both stressors and stress vulnerability factors together with immune and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity components have been considered to contribute to disease fluctuations of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether daily stressors and worrying as stress vulnerability factor as well as immune and HPA axis activity markers predict short-term disease activity and symptom fluctuations in patients with RA.In a prospective design, daily stressors, worrying, HPA axis (cortisol) and immune system (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, interferon (IFN)-γ, tumour necrosis factor α) markers, clinical and self-reported disease activity (disease activity score in 28 joints, RA disease activity index), and physical symptoms of pain and fatigue were monitored monthly during 6 months in 80 RA patients.Multilevel modelling indicated that daily stressors predicted increased fatigue in the next month and that worrying predicted increased self-reported disease activity, swollen joint count and pain in the next month. In addition, specific cytokines of IL-1β and IFN-γ predicted increased fatigue 1 month later. Overall, relationships remained relatively unchanged after controlling for medication use, disease duration and demographic variables. No evidence was found for immune and HPA axis activity markers as mediators of the stress-disease relationship.Daily stressors and the stress-vulnerability factor worrying predict indicators of the short-term course of RA disease activity and fatigue and pain, while specific cytokines predict short-term fluctuations of fatigue. These stress-related variables and immune markers seem to affect different aspects of disease activity or symptom fluctuations independently in RA.
Linking performance and chronic disease risk: indices of physical performance are surrogates for health
Authors: F W Booth, C K Roberts
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2008)

Recent studies have identified a remarkable association between indices of athletic performance and optimal health of the general public. Both high aerobic capacity and high skeletal muscle strength are associated with lower mortality. Furthermore, higher aerobic capacity and often higher skeletal muscle strength are associated with a lower prevalence of most chronic diseases. Also, maintenance of aerobic capacity and skeletal muscle strength by lifelong physical activity delays the biological ageing in most organ systems, therefore delaying premature death. These facts raise the question whether associations between high aerobic capacity and muscle strength are causally or associatively related to either metabolic health or elite performance. If a causal relationship was noted at the molecular level, it would have major public health implications. In this review, evidence is presented for the assertion that research on elite athletes and chronic disease prevention by exercise is actually addressing the same biochemical, physiological and genomic phenomena.
Radioimmunoassay for Luteinizing Hormone in Human plasma Or Serum: Physiological Studies*
Authors: W. D. Odell, G. T. Ross, P. L. Rayford
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1967)

It is not practical to quantitate gonadotropin in the blood of normal men and women by utilizing bioassays. We have developed a method for sensitive, precise, and specific radioimmunoassay of luteinizing hormone (LH) in human serum or plasma. Antisera were developed against human chorionic gonadotropin, and one of these was selected for extensive cross-reaction with human LH. Highly purified LH was radioiodinated by the method of Greenwood, Hunter, and Glover. Separation of antibody-bound from free LH-(131)I was accomplished by a double antibody technique. Dose-response curves for the purifed LH, an impure urinary LH preparation, pituitary powder, and LH in plasma were all identical. Immunoassay and bioassay of impure urinary and pituitary gonadotropin preparations in terms of a common standard resulted in an index of discrimination of close to unity. LH levels in plasma from 32 adult men and 30 women outside the midcycle ranged from 0.6 to 3.2 mmug per ml (1 mmug of our laboratory LH standard is equivalent to 8 mU of the Second International Reference Preparation of Human Menopausal Gonadotropin). Levels were remarkably constant in men from day to day and in women except at midcycle, when a sharp peak occurred lasting less than 24 hours. In all women studied who had a midcycle LH peak, mean plasma LH levels during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle were higher than mean values obtained during the luteal phase. Prepubertal children had detectable plasma LH, and mean values were only slightly less than in adults. Plasma from castrate men or women or postmenopausal women contained 4.5 to 10.5 mmug per ml. Clomiphene treatment of four men resulted in a doubling of plasma LH in 5 days.
Non-pylori helicobacter species in humans
Authors: J L O'ROURKE
Journal: Gut (2001)

Non-pylori helicobacter species in humans Figure 1 Light micrographs of gastric tissue from humans infected with (A) H pylori and (C) H heilmannii (× 1000). Insets show higher magnifications in which the characteristic S-shape morphology of H pylori (B) can be seen in comparison to the tight helical shape of H heilmannii (D) (× 10 000).
Impact of allopurinol on risk of myocardial infarction
Authors: L Grimaldi-Bensouda, A Alpérovitch, E Aubrun, N Danchin, M Rossignol, L Abenhaim, P Richette
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2014)

<h3>Background</h3> Gout therapy includes xanthine oxidase inhibitors (XOI) and colchicine, which have both been associated with decreased cardiovascular risk. However, their effects on major cardiac events, such as myocardial infarction (MI), need to be investigated further. <h3>Objectives</h3> To investigate whether XOIs and colchicine are associated with decreased risk of MI. <h3>Methods</h3> This case-control study compared patients with first-ever MI and matched controls. Cases were recruited from the Pharmacoepidemiological General Research on MI registry. Controls were selected from a referent population (n=8444) from general practice settings. <h3>Results</h3> The study sample consisted of 2277 MI patients and 4849 matched controls. Use of allopurinol was reported by 3.1% of cases and 3.8 of controls, and 1.1% of cases and controls used colchicine. The adjusted OR (95% CI) for MI with allopurinol use was 0.80 (0.59 to 1.09). When using less stringent matching criteria that allowed for inclusion of 2593 cases and 5185 controls, the adjusted OR was 0.73 (0.54 to 0.99). Similar results were found on analysis by sex and hypertension status. Colchicine used was not associated with a decreased risk of MI (aOR=1.17 (0.70 to 1.93)). <h3>Conclusions</h3> Allopurinol may be associated with a reduced risk of MI. No decreased risk of MI was found in colchicine users. Besides its urate-lowering property, allopurinol might have a cardioprotective effect.
Prospective Case-Control Study of Serum Mullerian Inhibiting Substance and Breast Cancer Risk
Authors: J. F. Dorgan, F. Z. Stanczyk, B. L. Egleston, L. L. Kahle, C. M. Shaw, C. S. Spittle, A. K. Godwin, L. A. Brinton
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2009)

Müllerian inhibiting substance (MIS) is a member of the transforming growth factor β family of growth and differentiation factors that inhibits elongation and branching of mammary ducts and has been shown to inhibit mammary tumor growth in vitro and in animal models. The objective of this study was to determine whether serum MIS levels are associated with breast cancer risk. We conducted a prospective case–control study of 309 participants who were registered in the Columbia, Missouri Serum Bank. Each of 105 in situ or invasive breast cancer case patients with prediagnostic serum collected before menopause was matched to two control subjects by age, date, menstrual cycle day, and time of day of blood collection. MIS was measured in serum by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and estradiol and testosterone concentrations were quantified by using specific radioimmunoassays. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression. All tests of statistical significance were two-sided. The relative odds ratio of breast cancer for women in increasing MIS quartiles were 1, 2.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0 to 7.4), 5.9 (95% CI = 2.4 to 14.6), and 9.8 (95% CI = 3.3 to 28.9, Ptrend < .001). The association of MIS with breast cancer was weaker in women who were not taking oral contraceptives at the time of blood collection, but adjustment for estradiol and testosterone levels did not materially alter results for these women. The association of MIS with breast cancer did not vary by age at blood collection but was stronger among women who were diagnosed with breast cancer at an older age than among those who were diagnosed at a younger age. MIS may be a novel biomarker of increased breast cancer risk. Additional research including confirmatory epidemiological studies and mechanistic studies is needed.
Extrapancreatic Glucagon and Glucagonlike Immunoreactivity in Depancreatized Dogs
Authors: Walter A. Muller, Lucien Girardier, Josianne Seydoux, Michael Berger, Albert E. Renold, Mladen Vranic
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1978)

The anatomical sites and the rates of extrapancreatic secretion of glucagon and of glucagon-like immunoreactivity (GLI) were assessed in dogs 2 h after pancreatectomy by catheterization of the gastrosplenic and mesenteric veins. Glucagon release from the gastrosplenic area approximated one-fourth that of a normal pancreas and rose from 0.25 to 1.0 ng/kg per min during arginine stimulation. Intestinal glucagon secretion was small and did not respond to arginine, suggesting that the stomach is the only important extrapancreatic source of glucagon. Glucagon concentrations attained by gastrosplenic secretion were in close proportion to those obtained during the administration of exogenous glucagon, indicating similar clearance rates of extrapancreatic and pancreatic glucagon, approximating 10 ml/kg per min.GLI secretion (0.3 ng eq/kg per min) was limited to the intestinal area and was transiently stimulated by arginine and exogenous glucagon. Base-line GLI clearance approximated 1 ml/kg per min. No insulin secretion could be detected. Gastrointestinal glucose uptake rose from 0.56 to 2.2 mg/kg per min after glucagon administration suggesting that as much as 10% of total glucose production can be taken up by the gastrointestinal tract. In two dogs both the stomach and pancreas were removed. Intestinal glucagon release remained small and did not increase during arginine administration. By contrast, GLI release was stimulated by both arginine and exogenous glucagon.
Inhibition of Carcinogenic and Toxic Effects of Polycyclic Hydrocarbons by Several Sulfur-Containing Compounds2
Authors: Lee W. Wattenberg
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1974)

Journal Article Inhibition of Carcinogenic and Toxic Effects of Polycyclic Hydrocarbons by Several Sulfur-Containing Compounds Get access Lee W. Wattenberg Lee W. Wattenberg Department of Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minn. 55455 Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Volume 52, Issue 5, May 1974, Pages 1583–1587, https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/52.5.1583 Published: 01 May 1974 Article history Received: 19 November 1973 Accepted: 14 January 1974 Published: 01 May 1974
Relationships Between Metabolic Syndrome and Other Baseline Factors and the Efficacy of Ezetimibe/Simvastatin and Atorvastatin in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Ronald B. Goldberg, John R. Guyton, Theodore Mazzone, Ruth S. Weinstock, Adam B. Polis, Diane Tipping, Joanne E. Tomassini, Andrew M. Tershakovec
Journal: Diabetes Care (2010)

OBJECTIVE To investigate relationships between baseline factors and treatment-associated efficacy changes in type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Multivariable analyses of treatment response in 1,229 type 2 diabetic patients with hypercholesterolemia who received ezetimibe/simvastatin or atorvastatin in a randomized double-blind 6-week study. RESULTS Increasing age was related to improvements in all lipid assessments. Men had greater triglyceride and non-HDL cholesterol reductions than women, and black/Hispanic patients had less favorable lipid effects than other races/ethnicities. Increasing baseline LDL cholesterol was associated with improvements in most lipids; higher baseline non-HDL cholesterol with improved HDL cholesterol and triglycerides; higher baseline HDL cholesterol with greater non-HDL cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) reductions; and higher baseline hs-CRP with smaller LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B reductions. Patients with high baseline non-HDL cholesterol or triglycerides less frequently attained LDL cholesterol targets. Obesity was inversely related to HDL cholesterol and hs-CRP changes, and higher baseline A1C to smaller apolipoprotein B reductions. Metabolic syndrome was not a significant predictor. CONCLUSIONS Treatment responses in type 2 diabetic patients were related to baseline factors, although treatment effects (ezetimibe/simvastatin being more effective than atorvastatin) remained consistent. The presence of predictive factors should be considered in planning lipid-altering therapy.
Attenuation of Bleomycin-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis by Follistatin
Authors: Fumiaki Aoki, Masahiko Kurabayashi, Yoshihisa Hasegawa, Itaru Kojima
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2005)

Rationale: Activins are members of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily thought to be involved in repair processes after tissue injury. Objectives: The aim of this study was to clarify whether activin and its antagonist, follistatin, played a significant role in lung injury and fibrosis. Methods and Results: In bleomycin (BLM)-treated rat lung, mRNA for the βA subunit of activin was upregulated on Days 3 and 7 and decreased gradually thereafter. Immunoreactive activin A was abundantly expressed in macrophages infiltrated in the lung, and was detected in fibroblasts accumulated in the fibrotic area on Day 28. We then administered follistatin, an activin antagonist, to BLM-treated rats. Follistatin significantly reduced the number of macrophages and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage and reduced the protein content. Histologically, follistatin markedly reduced the number of infiltrating cells, ameliorated the destruction of lung architecture on Day 7, and attenuated lung fibrosis on Day 28. The hydroxyproline content was significantly lower in follistatin-treated rats. In cultured lung fibroblasts, production of activin A was augmented by transforming growth factor-β, and activin antagonist follistatin significantly inhibited transforming growth factor-β–induced fibroblast activation. These results suggest that activin A was produced in the lung after BLM treatment and promoted acute inflammation and subsequent fibrosis. Conclusions: Follistatin is effective in treating acute lung injury and BLM-induced fibrosis by blocking the actions of activin and transforming growth factor-β.
Performance of PREMM1,2,6, MMRpredict, and MMRpro in detecting Lynch syndrome among endometrial cancer cases.
Authors: R. C. Mercado, H. Hampel, R. Mopala, F. Kastrinos, E. W. Steyerberg, J. Balmaña, D. E. Cohn, F. J. Backes, A. De La Chapelle, S. Syngal
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2010)

5024 Background: Lynch syndrome (LS), a heritable condition due to a mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutation, accounts for nearly 2% of all endometrial cancer (EC) cases. Prediction models for LS have been developed but have not been evaluated among EC cases. Methods: PREMM1,2,6, MMRpredict and MMRpro risk scores were calculated for 563 population-based, unselected EC cases and 129 clinic-based, high-risk EC cases who underwent genetic evaluation for LS. Discriminative ability of each model was assessed using the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC). Sensitivity and specificity were calculated at 5% cut-off for PREMM1,2,6 and MMRpro, and at 0.5% cut- off for MMRpredict (EC replaced a proximal colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis). Results: Pathogenic MMR gene mutations were detected in 14 population-based and 80 clinic-based subjects. PREMM1,2,6, MMRpredict and MMRpro were able to distinguish mutation carriers from non-carriers with AUC of 0.77, 0.79 and 0.75, respectively, for the unselected cohort and AUC of 0.67, 0.61 and 0.66, respectively, for the high-risk cohort. PREMM1,2,6 demonstrated high sensitivity but low specificity (sens and spec = 93% & 5% for unselected cohort and 99% and 2% for high-risk cohort). MMRpredict had 100% sensitivity for both cohorts, and a specificity of 39% and 6.2% for unselected and high-risk EC cases, respectively. MMRpro had 71% sensitivity and 65% specificity among unselected EC cases, and 98% sensitivity and 6% specificity among high-risk cases. More than 95% of high-risk EC cases would have been referred for genetic testing if the aforementioned models’ cut-off points were used as a threshold for referral. Among unselected EC cases, using PREMM1,2,6 would require that 95% of cases be referred for testing. MMRpro missed 29% of mutation carriers in the unselected cohort, precluding its use as a screening tool. MMRpredict, although 100% sensitive, does not provide a useful quantitative estimate of mutation risk given its very low cut-off of 0.5%. Conclusions: In contrast to CRC, prediction models for LS have limited clinical utility in determining which patients with EC should undergo clinical genetic testing for LS, irrespective of clinic or population-based ascertainment. Author Disclosure Employment or Leadership Position Consultant or Advisory Role Stock Ownership Honoraria Research Funding Expert Testimony Other Remuneration Archimedes, Interquest Inc., Myriad Genetics Laboratories Inc. Falco Biosystems
Persistence and pathogenicity of defective Friend spleen focus-forming virus. Decreased transplantability of hemopoietic cells as a marker for preleukemic change.
Authors: R J Eckner, K L Hettrick
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1979)

A latent form of persistent infection can be established in susceptible adult mice inoculated with a preparation of defective Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) purified free from standard leukemia-inducing helper virus (LLV-F). SFFV persistence was initially observed using an in vivo rescue technique in which SFFV could be directly rescued to form splenic foci of malignant erythropoiesis in mice. At approximately 30 d after virus inoculation however, SFFV could not be rescued after inoculation of LLV-F indicating that persistently infected (i.e., SFFV+) mice were either immume to exogenous helper virus or able to express SFFV-associated defective-interfering (DI) function(s). Persistent infection by SFFV was further documented using an in vitro rescue technique and ultimately resulted in the induction by SFFV of erythroleukemia in the absence of polycythemia or overt virus production. However, SFFV rescued by LLV-F from persistently infected normal and transformed hemopoietic cells was able to induce polycythemia in adult mice suggesting that this is a helper controlled property of the Friend virus complex. Transplantable SFFV-induced erythroleukemic cells could be retrieved from persistently infected yet histologically normal mice. The duration of SFFV persistence in normal spleen tissue suggests that the SFFV provirus resides in either a long-lived or pluripotent hemopoietic cell. Further, certain changes occurred, presumably in the membranes of persistently infected cells, which preceded the overt development of Friend leukemia and facilitated the definition of an SFFV preleukemic phase. Cell surface alterations were revealed using cell transfer techniques. Hemopoietic cells harboring a rescuable SFFV failed to proliferate when inoculated into lethally irradiated, syngeneic adult mice. In contrast, the transformed progeny of preleukemic cell populations and spleen cells transformed by FV complex (i.e., cells replicating both SFFV and LLV-F) were not rejected. This result suggests that histologically normal SFFV+ preleukemic cells express an antigen recognition site which is not present on overtly transformed cells and which may be a pertinent surveillance target for host anti-leukemogenic reactions.
Prescribing of Benzodiazepines by Casualty Officers
Authors: I D Nazareth, M B King
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (1989)

The prescribing of benzodiazepines by casualty officers in a busy district hospital over a three month period was examined by a retrospective review of case notes. Benzodiazepines, mainly diazepam, were given to 1.1% of attenders, the majority of whom had disorders involving minor muscle spasm. The efficacy of diazepam in these conditions, as well as its potential for dependence, is discussed.
HIV-1 Concentrations in Human Breast Milk Before and After Weaning
Authors: Louise Kuhn, Hae-Young Kim, Jan Walter, Donald M. Thea, Moses Sinkala, Mwiya Mwiya, Chipepo Kankasa, Don Decker, Grace M. Aldrovandi
Journal: Science Translational Medicine (2013)

Reducing the frequency of breast-feeding during weaning and nonexclusive breast-feeding boosts HIV-1 RNA and DNA concentrations in the breast milk of HIV-infected women.
The Utility of Mandatory Depression Screening of Dementia Patients in Nursing Homes
Authors: Carl I Cohen, Kathryn Hyland, David Kimhy
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (2003)

Current methods for enhancing the recognition and treatment of depression in nursing home patients have been unsuccessful. This study examines the process, outcome, and impact of instituting a mandatory depression screening program for depressed dementia patients in nursing homes.The experimental and comparison groups each consisted of two nursing homes of 519 and 363 patients, respectively. Two of the experimental group and one of the comparison group homes were more traditionally staffed facilities; one of the comparison group homes had an enriched staff of psychologists. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia was administered to the residents with dementia. In the experimental group, the patients who scored > or =5 were referred for psychiatric assessment.In the experimental group, 100% of the referred dementia patients who met screening criteria for depression were seen by a psychiatrist. This resulted in a significant increase in the percentage of individuals given antidepressants. This was greater than the percentage of patients receiving antidepressants in the "typical" comparison group home but not the "staff-enriched" comparison group home. White patients were significantly more likely to receive antidepressants; however, screening significantly increased the proportion of depressed nonwhites receiving antidepressants. At the 12-week follow-up, there was a significant difference in scores between patients receiving antidepressants in each group.Mandatory depression screening can significantly increase the proportion of depressed dementia patients receiving antidepressants, lead to dose adjustments, diminish potential ethnic biases in treatment, and affect the depressive symptoms of treated individuals.