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Biomedical subjects

B Modan

Publications and source records attributed to B Modan.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The Arjenyattah epidemic. A mass phenomenon: spread and triggering factors.

A massive epidemic of psychogenic aetiology occurred in three districts of the West Bank over two weeks in March-April, 1983. It affected 949 individuals, 727 (77%) of them adolescent females. The symptoms were not accompanied by positive physical signs or by laboratory findings. The epidemiological pattern was pathognomonic of that of a psychogenic disorder. The initial trigger was probably the odour of H2S escaping from a faulty latrine in the schoolyard of the first affected school. Subsequent spread of the disease was due to psychological and extra-medical factors, including publicity by the mass media. Spread was stopped immediately after closure of schools.

Abdomen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of the appropriateness of blood and blood product transfusion using preset criteria.

The use of 1930 units of blood or blood products during 765 transfusion episodes in 560 patients was reviewed. This represented one-half of all transfusions in a large medical center over a 2-month period. By clearly defined, present criteria, 42.3 percent of the episodes were found not to be appropriate. Whole blood and platelet transfusions were used more appropriately than those of red cells, cryoprecipitate, and fresh-frozen plasma. Blood transfusions were used more appropriately in the management of acute bleeding or anemia associated with cardiovascular problems. Three groups of patients were especially prone to inappropriate transfusions: those with end-stage renal disease or terminal cancer and cancer patients on chemotherapy. Age, sex, and specific hospital wards were not associated with inappropriate use. Most unjustified episodes occurred as a result of the overestimation of the immediate risk incurred by withholding transfusion.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Increased risk for small cell lung cancer following residential exposure to low-dose radon: a pilot study.

Alpha track radon detectors were placed in the homes of 35 lung cancer patients and 35 matched controls for a period of 8 to 10 mo. Twenty lung cancer patients had small cell lung carcinoma; 11 had adenocarcinoma, 2 had squamous cell carcinoma, and 2 had unclassified carcinoma among 15 nonsmokers. Mean overall living on ground level was significantly higher in the group with small cell lung carcinoma (50 y +/- 15) than among controls (33 y +/- 19); the adjusted odds ratio for lung cancer was 5.2 (90% confidence interval [90% CI] = 1.1-24.9) per decade of living on the ground floor for the group with small cell lung carcinoma. Radon exposure of more than 1.0 pci/l in the group with small cell lung carcinoma was associated with increased risk of lung cancer, although it did not reach statistical significance [odds ratio = 1.5 (90% CI = 0.4-5.4)], adjusting for differences in smoking habits. Our study supports the presence of a differentially increased risk for small cell lung carcinoma following long-term radon exposure.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Aplastic anemia in Isreal: evaluation of the etiological role of chloramphenicol on a community-wide basis.

A nationwide study of aplastic anemia in Israel revealed a mean yearly incidence of 7.1/1,000,000 in males and 8.7/1,000,000 in females. Twenty-five per cent of the cases reported had an apparent chloramphenicol etiology. Ten patients, five treated with chloramphenicol and five without it, developed acute leukemia. The median survival was 11 months in males and 28 in females. Survival was particularly inferior in chloramphenicol-related cases, suggesting that this group constitutes a specific entity.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Analyses of p53 expression pattern and BRCA mutations in patients with double primary breast and ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the somatic pattern of p53 expression and BRCA germline mutation status in Israeli patients with both ovarian (OvCa) and breast cancer (BrCa). METHODS: The study group comprised 43 Israeli patients with OvCa, all of whom had previous primary BrCa. p53 immunohistochemistry (IHC) on all available archival tissues and genotyping for the three predominant Jewish germline BRCA1-2 mutations were carried out. Samples from 64 patients with solitary OvCa and 61 with solitary BrCa were similarly analyzed as controls. RESULTS: p53 expression pattern and the immunopositivity rate were similar in the ovarian and breast tumors within the study group and in the two control groups: positive p53 staining was detected in 68% of ovarian tumors in the study group compared with 71.9% in the controls, and in 19.4% of the BrCa tissues versus 21.3% in the controls. Within the study group, advanced stage OvCa had a higher rate of p53 expression (84%) compared to early stage disease (38.5%) (P = 0.006). This difference was not apparent in the solitary OvCa control group. OvCa in BRCA1-2 mutation carriers from the study group were more likely to display positive p53 staining (79%), especially in tumors diagnosed before the age of 60 (90%) compared with the OvCa of noncarriers (60%), but this difference was statistically insignificant. The p53 expression rate in BrCa samples from the study group was not associated with BRCA1-2 mutation status. CONCLUSIONS: Positive p53 expression, detected by IHC, in OvCa patients with previous primary BrCa is significantly higher in advanced stage disease in BRCA1-2 mutation carriers. There is a higher positive p53 expression somatically in OvCa in BRCA1-2 carriers in whom OvCa was diagnosed before the age of 60 years, although this trend is not statistically significant. These observations suggest that somatic p53 inactivation may be an important event in ovarian tumorigenesis in this subset of patients.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The possible association between in vitro fertilization treatments and cancer development.

The objective of this paper is to assess whether ovarian hyperstimulation and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are associated with increased risk of cancer development, using an historical cohort analysis of infertile women who attended the IVF unit, Lis Maternity Hospital Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. One thousand and 82 women participated in the IVF treatment program between 1984 and 1992. Cancer incidence rates were determined through the National Cancer Registry and were compared to the expected rates with respect to appropriate age and continent of birth. Twenty-one cases of cancer were observed as compared to 11 that were expected (SIR 1.91; 95% CI 1.18-2.91). When cancer cases that were diagnosed within one year of the IVF treatment were excluded from the analysis (SIR = 1.46; 95% CI 0.83-2.36), no significant excess risk of cancer was noted. We conclude that in this cohort of infertile women, the higher than expected cancer rate could not be attributed to IVF treatments. Special attention should be made to women who may be diagnosed with cancer during or shortly after IVF treatment.

Adult↗