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Biomedical subjects

B Reid

Publications and source records attributed to B Reid.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Implementing managed care and case management: the neuroscience experience.

The case management model for patient care in the neuroscience area was recently implemented in the neurosciences area at a tertiary care hospital. Understanding of the concepts of case management and managed care were essential to the implementation process. Clustering of case types and appointment of group leaders made the development of individual care maps a manageable task. Case management of 2 case types, Parkinson's disease and Guillain Barré syndrome are described, including the rationale for selection, care map development and education. The process of continuing education focused on operational issues regarding utilization of the map and professional issues such as health teaching responsibilities.

Cost Control

HLA-D region genes and rheumatoid arthritis (RA): importance of DR and DQ genes in conferring susceptibility to RA.

The distribution of HLA-D region antigens was studied in three groups (I, IIa, and IIb) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA): group I comprised 43 patients with mild, non-progressive RA, controlled by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs without progression or erosions; group II comprised 94 patients with severe disease, who had earlier been treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and all had incomplete response requiring treatment with gold (sodium aurothiomalate). Of these, 46 patients (group IIa) responded to gold and the disease was well controlled, and the remaining 48 patients (group IIb) did not respond to gold and developed gold induced toxic reactions, including thrombocytopenia or proteinuria, or both. HLA-D region antigens were defined by serological and molecular (Southern blot analysis and oligonucleotide typing) techniques. The results show that DR4 was significantly increased in all three groups of patients. The prevalence of DR1, or DR1 in DR4 negative patients, and DR3 and DR4 associated DQw7 specificities, however, showed differences in these three groups of patients. The prevalence of DR1 and of DR1 in DR4 negative patients was increased only in patients with mild (group I) RA, but not in patients with severe (groups IIa and IIb) disease. On the other hand, the prevalence of DR4 associated DQw7 was significantly increased in patients with severe disease, but not in patients with mild RA. In addition, DR3 was significantly increased only in patients with severe disease who developed gold induced toxic reactions (group IIb). These data suggest that the HLA-D region genes which cause susceptibility to mild RA may be different from those causing susceptibility to severe RA. The results suggest that both DR and DQ (A, B) genes may be important in conferring susceptibility to RA: DR in mild disease and DQ in severe RA.

Antibodies, Antinuclear

Diabetic gastroparesis due to postprandial antral hypomotility in childhood.

Nausea, vomiting, chronic abdominal pain, and constipation developed in three children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus beginning 1 to 7 years after the onset of diabetes. All three had considerable difficulty in achieving satisfactory glycemic control. All had delayed gastric emptying of solids and postprandial antral hypomotility. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy must be considered in the differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal symptoms even in the young diabetic patient.

Adolescent

High-resolution NMR studies of chimeric DNA-RNA-DNA duplexes, heteronomous base pairing, and continuous base stacking at junctions.

Two symmetrical DNA-RNA-DNA duplex chimeras, d(CGCG)r(AAUU)d(CGCG) (designated rAAUU) and d(CGCG)r(UAUA)d(CGCG) (designated rUAUA), and a nonsymmetrical chimeric duplex, d(CGTT)r(AUAA)d(TGCG)/d(CGCA)r(UUAU)d(A ACG) (designated rAUAA), as well as their pure DNA analogues, containing dU instead of T, have been synthesized by solid-phase phosphoramidite methods and studied by high-resolution NMR techniques. The 1D imino proton NOE spectra of these d-r-d chimeras indicate normal Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding and base stacking at the junction region. Preliminary qualitative NOESY, COSY, and chemical shift data suggest that the internal RNA segment contains C3'-endo (A-type) sugar conformations except for the first RNA residues (position 5 and 17) following the 3' end of the DNA block, which, unlike the other six ribonucleotides, exhibit detectable H1'-H2' J coupling. The nucleosides of the two flanking DNA segments appear to adopt a fairly normal C2'-endo B-DNA conformation except at the junction with the RNA blocks (residues 4 and 16), where the last DNA residue appears to adopt an intermediate sugar conformation. The DNA-RNA junction residues exhibit quite different COSY, chemical shift, and NOE behavior, but these effects do not appear to propagate into the DNA or RNA segments. The circular dichroism spectra of these d-r-d chimeras also display a mixture of characteristic A-type and B-type absorption bands. The data indicate that A-type and B-type conformations can coexist in a single short continuous nucleic acid duplex, but our results differ somewhat from previous theoretical model studies.

Base Sequence

HLA-D region antigens in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

We studied the distribution of HLA-D region antigens in 2 groups of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients: those with mild, nonprogressive disease, and those with severe disease. The results demonstrate that DR4 was significantly increased in both RA patient populations. The frequencies of DR1 and DR4-associated DQw7 alleles, however, were different in these 2 groups of patients. DR1 was significantly increased only in patients with mild RA, and DR4-associated DQw7 was significantly increased only in patients with severe disease. The results of the present study, together with previous data from our laboratory and from other investigators on the incidence of HLA-D region antigens in RA, suggest that both DR and DQ (A and B) genes may be important in conferring susceptibility to RA; DR in the mild forms of the disease, and DQ in severe RA.

Alleles

Spinal cord testing: auditing for quality assurance.

A quality assurance audit of spinal cord testing as documented by staff nurses was carried out. Twenty-five patient records were examined for accuracy of documented testing and compared to assessments performed by three investigators. A pilot study established interrater reliability of a tool that was designed especially for this study. Results indicated staff nurses failed to meet pre-established 100% standard in all categories of testing when compared with investigator's findings. Possible reasons for this disparity are discussed as well as indications for modifications in the spinal testing record, teaching program and preset standards.

Autonomic Nervous System

Developing and documenting a qualitative methodology.

Using an ethnographic approach, the phenomenon of the routine of 'doing the obs' (nursing observations of vital signs) was examined with particular reference made to its rationale. This involved a period of fieldwork in a ward which consisted of non-participant observation of the nurses at work and short interviews with them. The experience of the study raised awareness of the research process for the researcher and is explored in detail in this article. The dissemination of such an account offers valuable insight for future researchers and occupies a vital role in determining the validity and reliability of qualitative work.

Clinical Nursing Research

DNA primase. Processivity and the primase to polymerase alpha activity switch.

Calf thymus DNA primase was examined to determine the kinetic parameters that define its unusual processivity. At 37 degrees C, the major products were 8-9 and 2-3 nucleotides long. The 2-mer was the predominant product when considered on a molar basis. At each polymerization cycle en route to synthesis of a unit length primer (7-10 nucleotides), processivity was defined by competition of enzyme dissociation with ATP binding as well as an ATP independent step(s). Reducing the temperature to 25 degrees C had relatively little effect on the production of primers less than or equal to 6 nucleotides long, but greatly enhanced production of primers twice (16-18 nucleotides) the normal unit length. Kinetic analysis revealed that synthesis of these longer primers largely involves dissociation of the primase after completion of the unit length primer. After synthesis of a primer, the primase-polymerase complex normally switches to polymerase activity. Only primers greater than or equal to 7 nucleotides long were utilized by the polymerase regardless of the dNTP concentration, indicating that the signal for the primase to polymerase activity switch is primer completion. During the switch, either the primer-template does not dissociate from the complex or the complex has extraordinarily high affinity for the primers. At 25 degrees C and physiological dNTP concentrations the activity switch is very efficient, greater than 90% of the primers are elongated. However, at 37 degrees C the switch is much less efficient, likely due to primer-template denaturation.

Adenosine Triphosphate

DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism of HLA-DR2 haplotypes in normal individuals and in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

A strong association between HLA-DR4 and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been found in a number of populations. In contrast, the incidence of DR2 is decreased in patients with RA, suggesting that this specificity may confer some protection against the disease. A number of subtypes of DR2 have been defined by serology, by responses in mixed lymphocyte culture reaction, and, more recently, by restriction fragment length polymorphism. These subtypes of DR2 are in linkage disequilibrium with different subspecificities of DQw1. It is thus likely that the distribution of these subtypic DR,DQ haplotypes in DR2 positive patients with RA may be important in understanding the genetic basis of susceptibility/resistance to RA. In this paper a study of the subtypes of DR2,DQw1 haplotypes in 18 patients with RA, who required sodium aurothiomalate as a disease remitting drug, and unrelated healthy individuals is reported. Three subtypes of DR2 haplotypes, DRw15 (Dw2),DQw1.2(DQw6), DRw15(Dw12),DQw1.12(DQw6), and DRw16(Dw21),DQw1, AZH (DQw5), were analysed with a cDNA probe for the DQ beta gene. The data show that DR2 positive patients with RA carried either the DRw15(Dw2),DQw6 or DRw15(Dw12),DQw6 haplotype. No patient with RA was positive for the DRw16(Dw21),DQw5 subspecificity. In contrast, six of 29 (21%) normal healthy DR2,DQw1 positive individuals carried the DRw16(Dw21),DQw5 haplotype. These data together with earlier results on the distribution of the DR4,DQw7 haplotype in patients with RA support the hypothesis that DQB1 chain polymorphism may be important in determining susceptibility to severe RA.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid

Polymorphism of major histocompatibility complex extended haplotypes bearing HLA-DR3 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with gold induced thrombocytopenia or proteinuria.

The distribution of DR3 and of extended haplotypes bearing DR3 was studied in three groups of subjects: 35 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with gold induced thrombocytopenia or proteinuria, 185 patients with RA without these side effects, and 300 normal healthy controls. The extended haplotypes bearing DR3 were analysed with cDNA probes for DR alpha, DR beta, DQ alpha, and DQ beta genes. The data showed that the prevalence of DR3 was significantly higher in patients who developed gold induced thrombocytopenia or proteinuria than in normal controls or patients with RA without these side effects. Distribution of three extended haplotypes bearing DR3 (B8, DR3; B18,DR3; non-B8,non-B18,DR3) in patients with RA with thrombocytopenia or proteinuria was significantly different from that in normal controls, but not from that in patients with RA without these toxic reactions. Southern blot analysis of DR, DQ genes with cDNA probes showed that the extended haplotype bearing B8,DR3, which carries DQA2.1 and DQB2.1 genes, was present in a significantly higher proportion of patients with RA with gold induced thrombocytopenia or proteinuria (22/24, 92%) than in patients with RA without these side effects (32/45, 71%) or normal subjects (40/61, 66%). The data suggest that the genomic region on chromosome 6 involved in susceptibility to gold induced thrombocytopenia or proteinuria should be extended to the DQA2, DQB2 gene loci.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid

Comparative efficacy of dietary treatments on renal function in rats with sub-total nephrectomy: renal polyunsaturated fatty acid incorporation and prostaglandin excretion.

The efficacy of dietary intervention with either 6% protein restriction, fish oil or safflower oil was assessed in the remnant nephron model. Female Munich Wistar rats were prefed for one week prior to 5/6 nephrectomy and followed for the ensuing 28 days. Fish oil, safflower oil and protein restriction prevented the gammaglobulinuria but only fish oil lessened the albuminuria in this model. The remnant nephrons of the fish oil treated rats contained less arachidonic acid and greater quantities of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid than the safflower oil or lab chow fed control rats. The fish oil, and to a lesser extent the safflower oil, treated animals had a higher ratio of 6 keto PGF1 alpha to TX B2 metabolites in their urine. We suggest these changes may be responsible for the lessening in urine protein excretion. Fish oil feeding was more effective than severe protein restriction or safflower oil dietary supplementation in lessening both the gammaglobulinuria and albuminuria of the remnant nephron model.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha

Solid-phase synthesis and high-resolution NMR studies of two synthetic double-helical RNA dodecamers: r(CGCGAAUUCGCG) and r(CGCGUAUACGCG).

Ten-micromole solid-phase RNA synthesis has been successfully performed on an automated nucleic acid synthesizer with coupling efficiencies up to 99%, using the tert-butyldimethylsilyl group to protect the 2'-hydroxyl. The tert-butyldimethylsilyl group was easily removed by tetrabutylammonium fluoride under conditions in which virtually no 2'- to 3'-isomerization was found to occur. By use of this approach, the self-complementary RNA dodecamers r(CGCGAAUUCGCG) and r(CGCGUAUACGCG) were synthesized on an automated nucleic acid synthesizer, purified by TLC, and studied by high-resolution NMR. Imino protons were assigned from one-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effects. The nonexchangeable base, H1', and H2' protons were assigned by the sequential NOESY connectivity method. The NOE data from these two oligomers were analyzed qualitatively and compared to the ideal A- and B-type helix models of Arnott et al. (1972a,b). The internucleotide H6/H8 NOEs to the preceding H1' in r(CGCGUAUACGCG) were found to be sequence-dependent and probably reflect the roll angles between adjacent bases. The internucleotide H6/H8 to H2' NOEs of these oligomers correspond very well to an A-type conformation, but the interstrand adenine H2 NOEs to the following H1' were much stronger than those predicted from the fiber model. These srong interstrand NOEs can be rationalized by base pair slide to favor more interstrand base overlap, as predicted by Callidine and Drew (1984).

Base Composition

High-resolution NMR study of a synthetic DNA-RNA hybrid dodecamer containing the consensus pribnow promoter sequence: d(CGTTATAATGCG).r(CGCAUUAUAACG).

The nonsymmetrical double-helical hybrid dodecamer d(CGTTATAATGCG).r(CGCAUUAUAACG) was synthesized with solid-phase phosphoramidite methods and studied by high-resolution 2D NMR. The imino protons were assigned by one-dimensional nuclear Overhauser methods. All the base protons and H1', H2', H2", H3', and H4' sugar protons of the DNA strand and the base protons, H1', H2', and most of the H3'-H4' protons of the RNA strand were assigned by 2D NMR techniques. The well-resolved spectra allowed a qualitative analysis of relative proton-proton distances in both strands of the dodecamer. The chemical shifts of the hybrid duplex were compared to those of the pure DNA double helix with the same sequence (Wemmer et al., 1984). The intrastrand and cross-strand NOEs from adenine H2 to H1' resonances of neighboring base pairs exhibited characteristic patterns that were very useful for checking the spectral assignments, and their highly nonsymmetric nature reveals that the conformations of the two strands are quite different. Detailed analysis of the NOESY and COSY spectra, as well as the chemical shift data, indicate that the RNA strand assumes a normal A-type conformation (C3'-endo) whereas the DNA strand is in the general S domain but not exactly in the normal C2'-endo conformation. The overall structure of this RNA-DNA duplex is different from that reported for hybrid duplexes in solution by other groups (Reid et al., 1983a; Gupta et al., 1985) and is closer to the C3'-endo-C2'-endo hybrid found in poly(dA).poly(dT) and poly(rU).poly(dA) in the fiber state (Arnott et al., 1983, 1986).

Computer Graphics