PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Root

Publications and source records attributed to A Root.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Leptin binding activity (LBA) in plasma of nondiabetic and diabetic adolescents and obese children: relation to auxologic and hormonal data.

Leptin circulates in serum bound to high molecular weight proteins. Hypothesizing that leptin binding proteins may regulate the functional efficiency of leptin, we characterized auxologic and hormonal factors that influence leptin binding in three disparate groups: normal adolescents, obese children, and teenagers with type I diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Specific leptin binding activity (sLBA) was assessed by column chromatography after incubation of serum with 125I-leptin in the presence and absence of excess unlabeled leptin. Mean sLBA was 17.0 +/- 7% (SD) in the healthy adolescents (n=41), 6.6 +/-4.3% in the obese children (n=26), and 14.9 +/-7.3% in the diabetic teenagers (n=17). At any value of sLBA, obese children had higher serum leptin levels than non-obese adolescents or diabetic teenagers, consistent with "leptin resistance" in the obese group. sLBA was higher in males than in females only in those with diabetes (18.6 +/- 7.3 vs 10.9 +/- 5.1%, p<0.05). sLBA correlated inversely with serum insulin-like growth factor-I values in the normal group (r= -0.45, p<0.01) and with insulin in the obese children (r= -0.53, p<0.01). There was no correlation between sLBA or serum leptin values and HbA1c, in the diabetic group. The serum leptin concentration was the principal determinant explaining the total variability of sLBA in all three cohorts. However, body mass index (BMI = weight/ height2) accounted for more of the total variability of percent specific binding in the healthy adolescents than in the other groups. We conclude that sLBA reflects circulating leptin levels, body composition, and hormonal milieu. Thus, in addition to leptin, qualitative and quantitative characteristics of leptin binding may play a physiological role in the regulation of appetite and in the "leptin resistance" of obesity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Phallic construction in a 65-year-old male pseudohermaphrodite.

The authors constructed a functional, sensate phallus for a 65-year-old male pseudohermaphrodite. Although their technique is employed frequently for gender reassignment and posttraumatic reconstruction, the opportunity to perform this procedure to aid an adult patient with ambiguous genitalia is unusual. Of course, having such a patient present for treatment in his seventh decade of life is also unique. After careful consideration of his history, previous failure of medical therapy, and overall excellent medical condition the authors determined that age alone should not be an impediment to phallic construction for this patient. Their decision not to construct a penile urethra, and therefore avoid potential urethral complications, helped to ensure an uneventful postoperative course. Their success in this case has clearly broadened the range of patients that can benefit from phallic construction.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

An integrated informatics curriculum in a baccalaureate nursing program.

As health care requirements change, nurses will not only have to process and communicate more information, but the nature and types of this information will dramatically change as well. It is imperative that nurses understand the potential information technologies offer to assist the nurse in this expanded role. This paper describes an innovative endeavor to incorporate information technology with its undergraduate nursing program. The challenge was to design a program that would help develop the students' skills to critically appraise their information needs and conceptually evaluate the utility of gathering information in providing patient care. After completing the first nursing informatics course, there was an increase in the students' perception and understanding of the uses of information technology to support the nursing process in providing patient care.

Attitude to Computers↗
PubMed1990

Height screening in the community. The commercialization of growth. The role of the pediatrician.

The availability of unlimited but costly supplies of biosynthetic growth hormone has led to pressure for pharmacologic use (as opposed to replacement therapy in proven deficiency states). Commercial and altruistic motives have converged to promote community height screening among individuals who have been perceived by themselves or parents as short. This does not meet accepted criteria for health screening. Height screening of large populations of children yields few unrecognized medical conditions. If the goal of community screening is to identify abnormally short individuals (less than 3%) who might benefit from growth hormone treatment and if the unproven assumption is correct that stature correlates with success and happiness, then those less likely to appear for screening need to be recruited to avoid elitist domination. The annual cost of such growth promotion would be greater than $10 billion, with no evidence for substantial health benefits. Growth monitoring of all children through improved height measurement in schools and in physicians offices, as part of health supervision, is a more sound community approach than height screening.

Body Height↗
PubMed1988

Serum concentrations of growth hormone, insulin, free thyroxine, thyrotropin, and cortisol in very-low-birth-weight infants receiving total parenteral nutrition.

Serum concentrations of growth hormone, insulin, free thyroxine, thyrotropin, cortisol, and glucose were measured during four time periods (0 to 4, 5 to 11, 12 to 18, and greater than or equal to 19 days of life) in 16 mechanically ventilated very-low-birth-weight infants (mean [+/- SD] birth weight, 1017 +/- 196 g) receiving total parenteral nutrition and in 21 very-low-birth-weight infants not requiring mechanical ventilator support (mean [+/- SD] gestational age, 30 +/- 1.7 weeks; mean [+/- SD] birth weight, 1149 +/- 210 g) fed enterally. There were no significant differences in the serum concentrations of the hormones or in the glucose levels between the two groups at any time interval. Present data demonstrate no significant difference in the serum concentration of glucose, insulin, growth hormone, cortisol, free thyroxine, and thyrotropin between very-low-birth-weight infants fed enterally and those maintained on a regimen of total parenteral nutrition.

Enteral Nutrition↗
PubMed1986

Effects of drug and alcohol abuse upon pituitary-testicular function in adolescent males.

To assess the effects of drug and alcohol abuse (DAA) on the physical changes and hormones of puberty in adolescents, 26 males (13 5/12-22 years) enrolled in a drug rehabilitation program were examined. In 22 subjects four timed blood samples were obtained sequentially at 15 minute intervals for measurement of serum concentrations of testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS). The mean duration of DAA was 3.7 years, with marijuana and alcohol being the most frequently abused substances. The study subjects were compared to a matched control group of non-substance-abusing teenagers. All heights and weights of the DAA subjects fell within two standard deviations of the mean on the Tanner Growth Charts and no statically significant differences in the Tanner stages of sexual maturation were found between the DAA and control groups. The mean (+/- SD) testosterone level of the DAA group (221 +/- 109 ng/dl) was less than half that of the control group (477 +/- 193 ng/dl, p less than 0.001). Mean LH concentration in the DAA group (3.9 +/- 3.0 mIU/ml) was significantly less than that of the control group (10 +/- 4.9 mIU/ml, p less than 0.01). In both the DAA and control populations there was a significant (p less than 0.01) correlation between serum concentrations of LH and testosterone. The mean FSH level of the DAA group (3.3 +/- 1.1 mIU/ml) was significantly less (p less than 0.02) than that of the control group (4.7 +/- 1.9 mIU/ml). To assess the effects of treatment, six boys underwent repeat blood sampling 7-12 months after drug and alcohol withdrawal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Rapid diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia by high performance liquid chromatography.

This manuscript describes methods for the quantitation of serum concentrations of 17-hydroxyprogesterone and 11-deoxycortisol (Compound S) employing reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet (UV) absorbance which are applicable to the diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to deficiencies of 21- and 11-hydroxylase activities, respectively. These methods are simple, specific, precise and rapid. Data obtained by the HPLC-UV methods are highly correlated (p less than 0.001) with radioimmunoassay measurements.

17-Hydroxycorticosteroids↗
PubMed1979

Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in Florida children: effect of anticonvulsant drugs.

The mean serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), determined by nonchromatographic radioassay, was significantly lower (P less than .02) in Florida children with epilepsy treated with anticonvulsant drugs (34.4 +/- 11.3 [SD] ng/ml) than in normal subjects (40.9 +/- 14.3), despite exposure of both groups to sunlight throughout the year. In 12% of children treated with anticonvulsant drugs, the 25OHD level was below the lowest value recorded in the control group. The mean serum concentration of 25OHD in normal Philadelphia children (27.5 +/- 9.1 ng/ml) was significantly less than in either group of Florida subjects. Annual monitoring of calcium homeostasis and vitamin D status is indicated in Southern children receiving anticonvulsant drugs, but routine vitamin D supplementation of such patients is unnecessary.

Anticonvulsants↗
PubMed1978

Concentrations of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in paired maternal-cord sera.

Mean serum concentrations of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (24,25(OH)2D) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), measured by competitive radioassays, were significantly higher in maternal serum than in cord serum of term infants in both black and white subjects. There were positive correlations between maternal and cord levels of both metabolites of vitamin D. Serum concentrations of 24,25(OH)2D and 25OHD were significantly lower in white pregnant subjects than in nonpregnant women. In utero levels of 24,25(OH)2D and 25OHD probably reflect maternal stores of these metabolites.

Dihydroxycholecalciferols↗