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Biomedical subjects

A Barke

Publications and source records attributed to A Barke.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

[Mental health care in developing countries: the example of Nigeria].

The availability of mental health resources in most developing countries is poor due to scarcity of resources, competing health problems, and the low priority given to mental health issues. In Nigeria, modern psychiatric care is developing, but as yet most people have no access to it because they cannot afford the treatment. Moreover, treatment facilities are mainly concentrated in large urban centers. The cooperation between the authors of this article is aimed at improving the provision of psychiatric care for people living in Ibadan, Nigeria and rural areas close to the city. We report about the foundation of an association to provide help for mentally ill patients in Africa.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed2002

Adenoviral gene transfer in a rat fracture model.

For the enhancement of fracture healing, either purified proteins or vectors for expression of growth factors in situ may be used. Adenoviral vectors directly convert cells to express a transgene. However, the cell types which are preferentially infected and the time of expression during fracture healing are currently not known. The adenoviral type 5 vectors used in this study are replication incompetent viruses, one encoding beta-galactosidase (beta-GAL) and one green fluorescent protein. Femora of 35 Sprague-Dawley rats were fractured. Three days after stabilization with Kirschner wire, 10(12) pfu viral suspension were injected into the fracture zone. As a control, five animals received injections of adenovirus type 2. Animals were sacrificed after 3 days, 1, 2 and 4 weeks. Fractures healed radiographically within 2-3 weeks. All specimens were examined for beta-GAL and green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression. Fibroblast and osteoblasts within callus tissue displayed a high transgene expression (week 1). A decrease of expression was observed during the observation period. In this experimental study, we have demonstrated that all cells of the primary callus can be transfected using adenoviral vectors, which provide a tool to further investigate adenoviral transfer of growth factors such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2).

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1999

Erythropoietin for patients undergoing radiotherapy: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of using recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) to correct decreased hemoglobin levels in patients undergoing radiotherapy and to get an estimate of its influence on the efficacy of radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty patients with cancer of the head and neck and the pelvis were randomized before radiotherapy to different rhEPO treatments (none, 3 x 150 U/kg per week i.v., 3 x 300 U/kg per week i.v. and 3 x 150 U/kg per week s.c.). Hematological parameters were evaluated weekly and the locoregional tumor control rates were determined in 38 patients with head and neck cancer. RESULTS: rhEPO-treated patients showed a significant increase in their hemoglobin values (0.7 g/100 ml per week). The rhEPO response was comparable for patients with cancer of the head and neck and the pelvis. A delayed recovery was seen when iron deficiency or impaired iron mobilization was present. No serious toxicity was observed. Locoregional tumor control was improved, although not statistically significantly, in those head and neck cancer patients who experienced a rapid rise of hemoglobin. CONCLUSIONS: Low hemoglobin levels can be safely and quickly corrected with rhEPO. This may improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is there any correlation between MDR1, GST-pi-expression and CEA?

BACKGROUND: The levels of mRNA-expression of multidrug resistance (MDR1) and glutathione-S-transferase pi (GST-pi) were measured and correlated with the immunohistochemical expressions of tumour markers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analysis of total mRNA was performed by Northern and slot blots. The expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and other tumour markers was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The tumour panel comprised tumours of different histologies. RESULTS: CEA-positive tumours showed a significantly higher ex-pression of MDR1 and GST-pi than CEA-negative tumours. Wilcoxon-Test: mean rank of the MDR1 expression (14.3 vs. 7.8; p < 0.05) and GST-pi expression (15.3 vs. 5.9; p < 0.001). No other correlation could be found. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship of MDR1 and GST-pi with the tumour marker CEA implies that evaluation of CEA can help in discriminating between tumours with high or low expression of drug resistance. Furthermore, correlation between MDR1, GST-pi and CEA indicates that there might be a common mechanism, regulating drug resistance and expression of CEA.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗