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Biomedical subjects

A Reshef

Publications and source records attributed to A Reshef.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

The pattern and kinetics in human skin of erythema and mediators during the acute and late-phase response (LPR).

To investigate the kinetics and pattern of allergenically induced mediator release in the human skin, we have studied 24 ragweed- and grass-allergic patients with a blister-chamber technique. Chambers sealed to the skin around a denuded area, formed by unroofing a blister, were challenged with 0.5 ml of either diluent or 10 or 100 times the concentration of allergen required for 4+ early intradermal reaction. Chamber fluids were removed hourly 1 to 8 hours after antigen challenge and examined for the presence of histamine, leukotriene C4 (LTC4), and prostaglandin D2 to compare inflammatory mediator levels with the clinical early response and late-phase response (LPR), as assessed by erythema around the chamber. An initial erythema developed rapidly and began to subside after 1 hour in all patients, but a late-phase local erythema and subcutaneous swelling around the chamber (i.e., greater than 2.5 cm, the outside diameter of the chamber) developed in 13/15 challenges only when the higher concentration of antigen was used. At both allergen concentrations, histamine levels peaked sharply at the first hour (20.6 +/- 2.3 ng/ml) and progressively declined during the next 4 hours by 75%, but remained above control levels for at least 7 hours. Despite high control values, LTC4 levels were significantly elevated (p less than 0.01) 4 to 6 hours after challenge. In visible reactions, maximal LPR around the chamber correlated with LTC4 levels obtained 6 and 7 hours after challenge (p less than 0.05). Prostaglandin D2 rose gradually in antigen-challenged chambers to a peak at 5 to 6 hours. Thus, early rises in histamine were temporally related to the immediate erythema, whereas the arachidonic acid metabolites from both cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways that appeared in the skin after allergen challenge followed kinetics that corresponded to the time course of cutaneous LPR.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Nutritional monitoring and counselling for cancer patients during chemotherapy.

The objective of the study was to try to monitor the nutritional status of cancer patients during chemotherapeutic treatment. Concomitantly with chemotherapeutic treatment administered to patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal tract and metastatic carcinoma of unknown origin, levels of carotene, retinol, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, iron, total protein and hemoglobin were measured in the blood periodically. In addition, anthropometric studies were performed and the nutritional status was established. A total of 19 patients were subject for final evaluation. These patients formed 3 groups according to their nutritional status (good, medium, poor). The effect of chemotherapy was correlated to the nutritional status at 3 different periods of chemotherapy. Most patients with good clinical status maintained the initial nutritional status. Half of the patients with medium nutritional status improved clinically during therapy, and patients initially with poor nutritional status further deteriorated. The levels of most vitamins decreased to a certain degree during therapy and returned to initial values thereafter. Our impression is that cancer patients might benefit from intensive ongoing personal nutritional monitoring and counselling. The results presented have a preliminary meaning because of the small number of patients included in this study.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Eye-sighting preference of normal and hemiplegic children and adults.

Monocular eye-sighting preference was examined in 32 children with hemiplegia, 51 adult-onset hemiplegic patients and 57 normal children and adults. Eye preference was compared with ear preference on dichotic listening for 25 of the hemiplegic children. No independent association could be detected between eye preference and ear preference. In both the children and adults with hemiplegia the preferred eye tended to be on the same side as the damaged hemisphere. Among the adults, this tendency was more pronounced with more extensive lesions, as manifested by aphasia and/or hemianopia. These findings are interpreted as indicating that eye-sighting preference is unrelated to unitary hemispheric dominance, and that, unlike dominance for hearing and speech, it is not irreversible after a critical period of development. A simpler explanation than incomplete hemispheric dominance is offered for the weakly positive association between mixed laterality and cerebral dysfunction.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Isotonic nebulized disodium cromoglycate provides better protection against methacholine- and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

In 21 asthmatic subjects we determined whether inhalation of an isotonic solution of disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) would result in better protection against bronchial provocation with methacholine or exercise than the standard hypotonic solution of DSCG. Pretreatment with isotonic DSCG resulted in significantly greater reduction in exercise-induced bronchospasm (10 patients) than with hypotonic DSCG. In addition, the dose of methacholine required to induce a decrease greater than 20% in FEV1 was significantly higher following pretreatment with isotonic DSCG compared with placebo or hypotonic solution of the drug (11 patients). We conclude that nebulized isotonic DSCG provides better protection against exercise- and methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction than does the standard solution. Our findings suggest that the use of an isotonic solution of DSCG would be beneficial in the management of asthmatic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

A rapid Percoll technique for the purification of human basophils.

We have refined a rapid single-step Percoll technique to obtain a basophil-enriched mononuclear cell fraction suitable for further purification. Greater than 75% of the total blood basophils were recovered from a blood-Percoll interface at a purity of between 5 and 23%. The contaminating cells were principally lymphocytes with a smaller (20-25%) percentage of monocytes. Further purification using the penicillin affinity column led to the recovery of between 28 and 64% of the total blood basophils at purities ranging from 52 to 92%, a substantial improvement over our earlier protocol. There was also a marked increase in the recovery of basophils from the affinity column over our previous technique, which lead to a moderate (5-10%) increase in overall recovery.

Basophils↗
PubMed1987

Immunogold probe for the light-microscopic phenotyping of human mast cells and basophils.

A method is presented whereby light microscopic phenotyping of human basophils and lung mast cells was obtained by simultaneous labeling of surface antigens with specific mouse monoclonal antibodies and an anti-mouse IgG immunogold probe and histochemical staining with alcian blue, a highly specific stain for these cells' granules. The double labeling technique offers a useful immunohistochemical method for the phenotyping of basophils and mast cells in impure cell preparations. The procedure is relatively simple and requires small cell samples while providing accurate information on functional and differentiation markers. Preliminary results of human lung mast cell and peripheral blood basophil phenotyping discloses class I histocompatibility antigens on both cell types and class II antigen HLA DR on 10-20% of mast cells alone. Lung mast cells also unexpectedly exhibit the leukocyte marker HLE-1.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1987

Serum cholesterol (total, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), triglyceride levels, and fat consumption among Jerusalem Arab and Jewish schoolchildren.

As part of initial health screening for the "Know Your Body" Program-based comprehensive health education program, 841 Jerusalem first- and second-grade schoolchildren were tested for total serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. The same population, which included 643 Jewish (76.5%) and 198 Arab children (23.5%), had their nutritional habits evaluated by means of a parent-completed food-frequency questionnaire. Arab schoolchildren had significantly lower total, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and higher triglyceride levels than the Jewish children studied (total cholesterol: Arab mean, 153.1 mg/dl, Jewish mean, 170.3 mg/dl; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol: Arab mean, 46.4 mg/dl, Jewish mean, 48.5 mg/dl; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: Arab mean, 90.7 mg/dl, Jewish mean, 108.5 mg/dl; triglycerides: Arab mean, 77.9 mg/dl, Jewish mean, 66.3 mg/dl). No significant differences in consumption level of foods high in saturated fats and/or cholesterol were found between populations, although the Arab children showed a tendency to eat more of these foods. Significant differences in total cholesterol values were also found among Jewish children of different origins, but no significant differences were found in consumption levels of saturated fats and cholesterol. Further studies are needed to determine the reasons for the differences in total cholesterol and lipoprotein levels found between Jewish and Arab schoolchildren.

Child↗
PubMed1985

Urinary prostaglandin E2 output increases in cesarean section.

The urinary output of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) during and following Cesarean section (CS) was investigated in 21 patients. Urinary PGE2, probably reflecting renal production of PGE2, increased about two-fold during anesthesia and surgery and persisted for at least one additional hour. PGE2 output also correlated with the dose of oxytocin administered. The possibility that renal perfusion may be compromised during CS and that increased synthesis of prostaglandins (PGs) may serve to protect the kidney against ischemia is suggested.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Use of growth charts as a simple epidemiological monitoring system of nutritional status of children.

Community monitoring of the nutritional status of children has hitherto involved field surveys and lengthy computer analysis. These procedures are complex and cannot always be carried out on a routine basis. In addition, they do not provide immediate feedback or longitudinal information on the population under surveillance. This study describes a simple, universally applicable community survey system for monitoring the growth of infants and children that affords both cross-sectional and longitudinal data.

Aging↗
PubMed1985

Nutritional status of the institutionalized elderly.

The nutritional status of 84 elderly ambulant, self-feeding residents in public institutions was evaluated in terms of their food supply and the biochemical constituents in their blood. Calculations were made of the energy, protein, vitamin and iron composition of the food supply in the institution. The amount of nutrients supplied were adequate when compared with the recommended dietary allowances. Deficiency levels in the blood (expressed as a percentage of the population) were found in the following constituents; riboflavin 46%, hemoglobin 44%, plasma carotene 34%, thiamine 19%, leukocyte ascorbic acid 20%, retinol 5%, and plasma iron 2%. No deficiency was found in pyridoxine. Problems of monitoring the nutritional status of the institutionalized elderly are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Nutritional status of a population assessed on the basis of a group of blood donors.

Several blood constituents were used to evaluate the nutritional status of a random, consecutive group of 655 blood donors. The population included 503 men and 152 women, with a mean age of 35.1 years; 26.8% of the women and 26.5% of the men had deficient levels of ascorbic acid; 18.0% of the women an 11.9% of the men had hemoglobin levels below normal. Plasma iron was inadequate in 29.3% of the women and 18.6% of the men. A very small number of donors were found to be deficient in carotene, retinol, thiamine, riboflavin and pyridoxine. These findings call attention to an unexpected aspect of nutrition in an apparently healthy, not undernourished population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Nutritional status in elderly population in kibbutzim.

This study was conducted in order to assess the nutritional status of thiamin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, carotene, retinol, ascorbic acid, plasma iron, hemoglobin and plasma albumin of the elderly living in two cooperative farms (Kibbutzim), in Israel. Blood samples from elderly subjects aged 60 to 85 (33 women, 26 men), were collected for analysis. Thiamin, riboflavin and pyridoxine status were assessed by using enzymatic activation coefficient. Transketolase was used for determining thiamin status, glutathione reductase for determining riboflavin status and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase for pyridoxine status. Transketolase activation coefficient ranged from 1.05-1.59 with a mean 1.18 and SEM 0.02, glutathione reductase coefficient ranged from 1.08-1.50 with a mean 1.25 and SEM 0.07 and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase activation coefficient ranged from 1.71-2.15 with a mean 1.83 and SEM 0.06. Deficient levels were found in the following: Leucocyte ascorbic acid 5% of the population, hemoglobin 18%, plasma iron 20%, carotene 32% and plasma retinol 20%, thiamin 14% and riboflavin 32%. No deficient state was found in pyridoxine.

Aged↗