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Biomedical subjects

B Crowley

Publications and source records attributed to B Crowley.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Micrometastases in bone marrow of patients undergoing "curative" surgery for gastrointestinal cancer.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Immunohistochemical detection of bone marrow micrometastases has been reported as a prognostic marker in colorectal cancer. The aims of this study were to evaluate the potential advantage of flow cytometry as an objective method of identifying and quantifying micrometastatic deposits within bone marrow and to determine the prevalence and quantity of micrometastases in patients undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal cancers. METHODS: Flow cytometry was first validated by a controlled "spike" experiment in which varying numbers of neoplastic epithelial cells were added to bone marrow, and cytometry was performed in a blinded fashion. Three neoplastic cell lines (colonic and esophageal) with varying degrees of expression of cytokeratin-18 were used. Epithelial cells were detected by dual staining with fluorescence-labeled, monoclonal anti-cytokeratin, and propidium iodide. RESULTS: Cytometry reproducibly detected the presence of > or = 10 neoplastic cells per 10(5) marrow cells. Micrometastases were found in 20%-30% of patients undergoing potentially curative resection of colorectal and gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas. There was a trend toward increasing positivity for marrow deposits with advanced Dukes' staging of colorectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Flow cytometric assessment of bone marrow is a reliable, objective, and quantitative method of detecting micrometastatic deposits found in a substantial subset of patients undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1995

Reduced plasma aldosterone concentrations in randomly selected patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Abnormalities of the renin-angiotensin system have been reported in patients with diabetes mellitus and with diabetic complications. In this study, plasma concentrations of prorenin, renin, and aldosterone were measured in a stratified random sample of 110 insulin-dependent (Type 1) diabetic patients attending our outpatient clinic. Fifty-four age- and sex-matched control subjects were also examined. Plasma prorenin concentration was higher in patients without complications than in control subjects when upright (geometric mean (95% confidence intervals (CI): 75.9 (55.0-105.6) vs 45.1 (31.6-64.3) mU I-1, p < 0.05). There was no difference in plasma prorenin concentration between patients without and with microalbuminuria and between patients without and with background retinopathy. Plasma renin concentration, both when supine and upright, was similar in control subjects, in patients without complications, and in patients with varying degrees of diabetic microangiopathy. Plasma aldosterone was suppressed in patients without complications in comparison to control subjects (74 (58-95) vs 167 (140-199) ng I-1, p < 0.001) and was also suppressed in patients with microvascular disease. Plasma potassium was significantly higher in patients than in control subjects (mean +/- standard deviation: 4.10 +/- 0.36 vs 3.89 +/- 0.26 mmol I-1; p < 0.001) and plasma sodium was significantly lower (138 +/- 4 vs 140 +/- 2 mmol I-1; p < 0.001). We conclude that plasma prorenin is not a useful early marker for diabetic microvascular disease. Despite apparently normal plasma renin concentrations, plasma aldosterone is suppressed in insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Complications and cardiovascular risk factors in insulin-dependent diabetes--findings in an Irish clinic and in other European centres.

The Eurodiab Insulin Dependent Diabetes (IDDM) Complications Study was a cross-sectional investigation of a stratified random sample of IDDM patients attending 31 clinics in 16 European countries. We compared the findings in the only participating Irish centre (Cork Regional Hospital) with those of the study group as a whole. There were fewer episodes of ketosis but severe hypoglycaemia occurred more frequently in Cork patients, when compared to the full study group. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of background retinopathy, proliferative retinopathy, microalbuminuria, macroalbuminuria or peripheral neuropathy, when the two groups were compared. However, autonomic neuropathy was significantly less common in Cork. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease was slightly lower than the Eurodiab average in Cork patients, and cardiovascular risk factors were more favourable. Waist-hip ratio and total plasma cholesterol were significantly lower than in the full study group. The prevalence of hypertension was similar, but there were fewer smokers in Cork than in most other centres.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Reduction of the local toxicity of intraperitoneal chemotherapy; an experimental model.

Intraperitoneal (I.P.) administration of chemotherapeutic agents, in particular, cisplatin and bleomycin is successfully used in the treatment of ovarian and gastrointestinal malignancies. Their use however, is limited by the rapid development of adhesions. The vinca alkaloid group of chemotherapeutic agents has been shown to impair the acute inflammatory reaction, which plays an important role in adhesion formation, thereby providing the rationale for addition of vindesine to an I.P. regimen containing cisplatin and bleomycin. A rat model was used to study the effects of various I.P. chemotherapeutic regimens on adhesion formation. Four groups were studied (30 rats/Group). Regimens used included Group A (Saline), Group B (Vindesine 0.1 mg/kg), Group C (Cisplatin 5 mg/kg and Bleomycin 0.2 mg/kg), and Group D (Cisplatin 5 mg/kg, Bleomycin 0.2 mg/kg and Vindesine 0.1 mg/kg). In order to grade adhesion formation, animals were sacrificed on days 2, 14 and 28, with the severity of adhesions graded on a scale of I-IV in order of increasing severity. Adhesion formation in Group A (Saline) and Group B (Vindesine) was similar. The addition of Vindesine to Group C (Cisplatin and Bleomycin) resulted in a significant reduction in adhesion formation (p less than 0.01). The results of this experimental study suggest that the local toxicity of I.P. chemotherapy may be reduced by the inclusion of a vinca alkaloid.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Controlled-release indomethacin and sustained-release diclofenac sodium in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a comparative controlled clinical trial.

The efficacy and tolerability of a new, controlled-release indomethacin (75 mg) tablet was compared to that of a sustained-release diclofenac sodium (100 mg) tablet in 84 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The study was designed as a double-blind, double-dummy crossover trial, patients being allocated at random to receive 1 active tablet and 1 placebo tablet of the alternative medication at night for 4 weeks before being crossed over to the alternative treatment for a further 4 weeks. Patient and clinical assessments on entry and at the end of each treatment period showed that pain scores for day and night, duration of morning stiffness, requirement for escape analgesia (paracetamol) and treatment preference were similar for both treatments. Both preparations also significantly improved the degree of joint tenderness compared to baseline (p less than 0.001), as measured by a modified Ritchie Articular Index. Incidence and severity of side-effects were comparable, with a significant improvement in degree of constipation reported for both treatments compared to baseline (p less than 0.05). The incidence and severity of headache was statistically significantly worse (p less than 0.05) for controlled-release indomethacin; however, there was no difference in any other parameter of tolerability. It was concluded that controlled-release indomethacin tablets (75 mg) given as a single night-time dose were as efficacious and well tolerated as sustained-release diclofenac sodium (100 mg).

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Autosomal recessive inheritance of human mitochondrial carbamyl phosphate synthetase deficiency.

The mode of inheritance of hepatic mitochondrial carbamyl phosphate synthetase (CPS I) deficiency has not been established conclusively in the past. In this study, hepatic tissue obtained by percutaneous biopsy from all members of the immediate family of two girls affected with partial CPS I deficiency was assayed for CPS I, ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC), and arginase activities. Only values for CPS I activity differed significantly from those in controls. The two affected girls each had markedly reduced CPS I activities of about 6% of the control mean. Their brother had activity well within the normal range. Of greatest significance was the finding that both parents had activities below the 95% confidence limits in controls, and intermediate between the deficient values of the two girls and the control range. The father and mother had, respectively, 32% and 54% of mean control activity. These data indicate that CPS I deficiency is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait and that the two affected girls are homozygous for the mutant gene, their brother is homozygous for the normal allele, and the parents are heterozygous.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Day hospitalization as a cost-effective alternative to inpatient care: a pilot study.

Two private day hospitals and an insurance company offering group health coverage to federal employees undertook a pilot study to determine if providing insurance coverage for day hospitalization on the same basis as for inpatient treatment was a feasible means of controlling the cost of psychiatric care. The study included 31 patients who otherwise would have been hospitalized; most had histories of severe psychiatric disorders and extensive treatment. Using the measure that the day hospital patients would have been in inpatient treatment for the same number of days, the authors estimate that the use of day treatment saved the insurer more than $255,000. They recommend that day hospitalization be reimbursed on the same basis as inpatient care if a day hospital can meet stringent criteria ensuring that it provides active, appropriate treatment, and they present a list of such criteria.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis and mycoplasmal infections during pregnancy in an American Indian population.

The epidemiology of cervical infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma hominis, and Ureaplasma urealyticum among a group of pregnant American Indian women was investigated. The prevalences of these microorganisms were 24-30% for C. trachomatis, 50% for M. hominis, and 80% for U. urealyticum. These rates are unusually high for an unselected sample. Infection with C. trachomatis was correlated with younger age but not with primigravidity or educational level. Neither M. hominis nor U. urealyticum infection was correlated with younger age, primigravidity, or level of education. The possible consequences of the increased prevalences of C. trachomatis, M. hominis, and U. urealyticum in this group of American Indians are of concern and are being investigated.

Chlamydia Infections↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cyclospora species--a cause of diarrhoea among Irish travellers to Asia.

We report three cases of travellers' diarrhoea caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis. These demonstrate the importance of cyclosporiasis as a cause of diarrhoea in Irish travellers to Nepal and Pakistan and its effective treatment with co-trimoxazole. Laboratory staff must measure the size of oocysts in stool samples to properly identify this protozoan.

Adult↗