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Biomedical subjects

C Browne

Publications and source records attributed to C Browne.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Smoking, alcohol & illicit drug use among young people in a health board region in 1997 and 2002: a comparative study.

The objectives of this study were to document and compare patterns of licit and illicit drug use among adolescents in a health board region in 1997 and 2002. 1516 students in 1997 and 1426 in 2002, randomly selected from post-primary schools in the region, completed a questionnaire, incorporating items related to smoking, alcohol and illicit drug use. Lifetime smoking prevalence in 2002 (50.8%) showed a statistically significant decrease from 1997 (57.1%). There was also a statistically significant decrease in regular smoking (1997 - 30.7%; 2002 - 18.2%). There was no significant change in regular alcohol consumption (57.3% - 1997; 53.7% - 2002). However, there was an increase in binge drinking at weekends and reports of feeling drunk more than ten times (24% - 1997; 27.2% - 2002). In 2002, 41.2% had ever taken an illicit drug, a statistically significant increase from 1997 (34.9%); 15.1% were regular users, also a statistically significant increase from 1997 (11.9%). These findings highlight that while the misuse of illicit drugs has increased, smoking has significantly declined since 1997. However, alcohol continues to be a major problem within this age-group. This study has implications for the implementation of services and strategies aimed at reducing smoking, alcohol and drug use within this population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Heme-regulated eIF2alpha kinase (HRI) is required for translational regulation and survival of erythroid precursors in iron deficiency.

Although the physiological role of tissue-specific translational control of gene expression in mammals has long been suspected on the basis of biochemical studies, direct evidence has been lacking. Here, we report on the targeted disruption of the gene encoding the heme-regulated eIF2alpha kinase (HRI) in mice. We establish that HRI, which is expressed predominantly in erythroid cells, regulates the synthesis of both alpha- and beta-globins in red blood cell (RBC) precursors by inhibiting the general translation initiation factor eIF2. This inhibition occurs when the intracellular concentration of heme declines, thereby preventing the synthesis of globin peptides in excess of heme. In iron-deficient HRI(-/-) mice, globins devoid of heme aggregated within the RBC and its precursors, resulting in a hyperchromic, normocytic anemia with decreased RBC counts, compensatory erythroid hyperplasia and accelerated apoptosis in bone marrow and spleen. Thus, HRI is a physiological regulator of gene expression and cell survival in the erythroid lineage.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Atrophoderma of moulin with preceding inflammation.

A 16-year-old Vietnamese man presented to the Dermatology Clinic with a 10-year history of bizarre brown patches, which initially started as red asymptomatic "bumps" on the trunk, upper and lower extremities, and face. His past medical history was significant for hypothyroidism and idiopathic urticaria. He was on Eltroxin for hypothyroidism. The family history was noncontributory. Physical examination revealed two types of lesion: erythematous, well-circumscribed papules in a linear configuration along with linear hyperpigmented atrophic patches following Blaschko's lines were noted on the lower extremities (Fig. 1), right upper extremity, right flank (Fig. 2), and right jawline. Initial biopsies taken from the papular lesions on the right thigh and right elbow revealed the following changes. The first biopsy showed a slightly thinned epidermis with prominent dilated blood vessels in the superficial dermis. There also appeared to be a slight increase in the amount of collagen in the deep dermis. The findings were reported as in keeping with "epithelial atrophy." The second biopsy from the lesion on the right elbow revealed an acanthotic epidermis. The granular layer was absent in several areas and there was marked overlying parakeratosis. In the dermis, there was a heavy perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate. The appearances were consistent with a psoriasiform dermatitis (Fig. 3). A biopsy taken from the left thigh approximately 18 months later showed slight irregular acanthosis with dermal edema, dilated blood vessels, and a patchy lymphocytic infiltrate. The appearances were compatible with mild inflammation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Quality of life following total hip replacement.

Orthopaedic surgeons have traditionally used disease-specific scoring systems that focus on relief of pain and improvement in function. However, these allow little scope for patient assessed outcomes such as quality of life. This study assessed quality of life before and after Total Hip Replacement (THR) using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. 100 patients were interviewed pre-operatively and 9 months to one year post-operatively. Data on waiting times/length of stay/complication rates were collected by reviewing clinical notes. The mean length of stay was 22.0 +/- 10.6 days, with a pre-operative length of stay of 5.0 days. 12 patients in all had a post-operative complication, including one post-operative death. There was a statistically significant improvement in overall SF-36 score (+19%) and in 7 out of the 8 parameters that make up the SF-36 score (p < 0.001). Patients undergoing THR in Navan showed a statistically significant improvement in their quality of life post-operatively. Complication rates were in keeping with international norms. It is apparent that patients receive a high quality of care.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Comparison of three commercial assays for the quantification of HIV-1 RNA in plasma from individuals infected with different HIV-1 subtypes.

BACKGROUND: Commercial human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) ribonucleic acid (RNA) quantification assays vary in their ability to quantify different subtypes of HIV-1, a problem in regions where multipte HIV-1 subtypes may be circulating. OBJECTIVES: To assess commercial HIV-1 RNA quantification assays on two plasma panels. Panel 1 consisted of HIV-1 seronegative plasma 'spiked' with a known amount of cultured virus of different subtypes, and Panel 2 comprised plasma collected from individuals infected with different HIV-1 subtypes. STUDY DESIGN: The comparison involved the Amplicor HIV-1 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Quantiplex branched DNA, and NucliSens HIV-1 QT assays. Panel 1 consisted of 11 plasma 'spiked' with cultured viruses of HIV-1 subtypes A-F, and Panel 2 included 33 plasma samples from 16 patients infected with subtypes A, B, C, E and G. RESULTS: In Panel 1, the Quantiplex branched deoxyribonucleic acid (bDNA) assay quantified subtypes A-F efficiently, comparable to published results from two other laboratories. The Amplicor RT-PCR assay quantified subtypes B, C, and D but was relatively less efficient with subtypes E, F, and did not or poorly quantified subtype A. Testing of Panel 2 showed some inter-assay differences. In contrast to Panel 1, the Amplicor RT-PCR assay performed variably with subtype A when compared with the Quantiplex bDNA and NucliSens QT assays, and higher viral load levels were generated with subtype E using the Amplicor RT-PCR assay. Subtypes B and C showed some inter-patient differences but the Quantiplex bDNA generally gave a lower quantification than the Amplicor RT-PCR and NucliSens QT assays. CONCLUSIONS: These studies confirm that commercial HIV-1 load assays vary in their ability to quantify different HIV-1 subtypes. This may be more apparent with individual patient samples than with 'spiked' panels. This variability emphasizes that it is preferable for patient samples to be tested with the same assay, and care should be taken where infection with unusual subtypes is suspected.

DNA, Viral↗
PubMed1999

Anterior chamber eye anomalies, redundant skin and syndactyly--a new syndrome associated with breakpoints at 2q37.2 and 7q36.3.

We report a 34-year-old female with a de novo balanced reciprocal translocation involving 2q37.2 and 7q36.3. She has a unique combination of multiple congenital malformations that include redundant skin, complete tissue syndactyly of the hands and feet, hirsutism, polycystic ovaries and bilateral anterior chamber eye anomalies. Her son has inherited the unbalanced product (46,XY,der(2) t(2;7)(q37.2;q36.3). He has a similar clinical picture with additional features including complex congenital heart disease, post axial polydactyly, hypotonia and global developmental delay. The breakpoints may indicate the location of the gene(s) responsible for this unique combination of features.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1998

Sudden death in psychiatric patients.

BACKGROUND: The present study investigated histories of prior psychiatric treatment in cases of sudden death reported to the coroner. METHODS: A matching survey linked the register of deaths reported to the coroner with a comprehensive statewide psychiatric case register covering both in-patient and community-based services. RESULTS: Sudden death was five times higher in people with histories of psychiatric contact. Suicide accounted for part of this excess mortality but deaths from natural causes and accidents were also elevated. Schizophrenic and affective disorders had similar suicide rates. Comorbid substance misuse doubled the risk of sudden death in affective and schizophrenic disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of sudden death are sufficiently elevated to raise questions about current priorities in mental health care. There is a need both for greater attention to suicide risk, most notably among young people with schizophrenia, to the early detection of cardiovascular disorders and to the vigorous management of comorbid substance misuse.

Accidents↗
PubMed1998

Serious criminal offending and mental disorder. Case linkage study.

BACKGROUND: A relationship exists between mental disorder and offending behaviours but the nature and extent of the association remains in doubt. METHOD: Those convicted in the higher courts of Victoria between 1993 and 1995 had their psychiatric history explored by case linkage to a register listing virtually all contacts with the public psychiatric services. RESULTS: Prior psychiatric contact was found in 25% of offenders, but the personality disorder and substance misuse accounted for much of this relationship. Schizophrenia and affective disorders were also over-represented, particularly those with coexisting substance misuse. CONCLUSIONS: The increased offending in schizophrenia and affective illness is modest and may often be mediated by coexisting substance misuse. The risk of a serious crime being committed by someone with a major mental illness is small and does not justify subjecting them, as a group, to either increased institutional containment or greater coercion.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1997

CD3 delta deficiency arrests development of the alpha beta but not the gamma delta T cell lineage.

The CD3 complex found associated with the T cell receptor (TCR) is essential for signal transduction following TCR engagement. During T cell development, TCR-mediated signalling promotes the transition from one developmental stage to the next and controls whether a thymocyte undergoes positive or negative selection. The roles of particular CD3 components in these events remain unclear. Indeed, it is unknown whether they have specialized or overlapping roles. However, the multiplicity of CD3 components and their evolutionary conservation suggest that they serve distinct functions. Here the developmental requirement for the CD3 delta chain is analyzed by generating a mouse line specifically lacking this component (delta-/- mice). Strikingly, CD3 delta is shown to be differentially required during development. In particular, CD3 delta is not needed for steps in development mediated by pre-TCR or gamma delta TCR, but is required for further development of thymocytes expressing alpha beta TCR. Absence of CD3 delta specifically blocks the thymic selection processes that mediate the transition from the double-positive to single-positive stages of development.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Fetal plasma insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 concentrations are elevated following bilateral nephrectomy in fetal sheep.

Insulin-like growth factors mediate many of the effects of growth hormone and are important in the regulation of growth, especially in the fetus where growth is less dependent on circulating growth hormone. In the ovine fetus, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is bound mainly to the low molecular weight insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBP), IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-2, with little binding to IGFBP-3 until near term at 147 days gestation. To determine if there was any difference in plasma IGF-I and IGFBP-3 concentrations in growth-retarded fetal sheep with altered renal status, concentrations were measured by specific radioimmunoassay from bilaterally nephrectomized fetal sheep between Days 113 and 135 gestation. Plasma IGFBP-3 concentrations were significantly (P < 0.001) increased in bilaterally nephrectomized fetuses (4.19 +/- 0.19 micrograms mL-1, n = 7) compared with control fetuses (2.33 +/- 0.10 micrograms mL-1, n = 7). There was no change in plasma IGFBP-3 concentration with gestational age in either experimental group. Maternal plasma IGFBP-3 concentrations did not differ between the bilateral nephrectomy group (3.11 +/- 0.09 micrograms mL-1, n = 7) and the control group (3.25 +/- 0.11 micrograms mL-1, n = 7) and showed no change within groups over the experimental period. Total plasma IGF-I concentrations in bilaterally nephrectomized fetuses and ewes were similar to those in control fetuses and ewes. The results indicate that the profile of IGF binding in fetal plasma is altered in the anephric fetal sheep. In nephrectomized fetal sheep, increased IGFBP-3 concentrations, and therefore increased IGF-binding capacity in fetal plasma, may have contributed to a decrease in free IGF in plasma and decreased IGF-I bioactivity. This would provide a possible mechanism for the growth retardation reported in bilaterally nephrectomized fetal sheep.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

The mental health of Asian and Pacific Island elders: implications for research and mental health administration.

According to the 1990 census, the highly diverse Asian and Pacific Islander (API) American population has doubled in size from 1980 to 1990, and is now the nation's fastest growing minority group. Several studies have documented this population's comparative underuse of mental health services. A review of recent studies on the mental health of Asian and Pacific Island elders identifies a number of risk factors and protectors. Elder APIs appear to have poorer mental health compared to white counterparts, but not the poorest mental health within their own ethnic group. Within-group differences emerge, with recent immigrant groups and colonized populations appearing as most at-risk for mental health problems. A critical variable on this population's mental health status appears to be socioeconomic status,and yet an analysis of other demographic variables, notably nativity and gender, remain contradictory. A research agenda is proposed and implications for mental health administrators are suggested.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

Asian and Pacific Island elders: issues for social work practice and education.

The highly diverse Asian and Pacific Island population in the United States doubled in size from 1980 to 1990 and is now the nation's fastest-growing minority group. This article describes the Asian and Pacific Island elderly population and its ethnic diversity, geographic location, gender ratios, income and poverty, health status, service utilization, and cultural values and beliefs. Also presented are the specific challenges for social workers in practice settings in designing and providing culturally relevant services and programs. A number of suggestions for social work education to meet the needs of this growing aging population are offered, including the development of an ethnogerontological and multicultural social work curriculum and the critical need for data on this population.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Life themes of native Hawaiian female elders: resources for cultural preservation.

Women of color represent a growing segment of the rapidly increasing aging population in the United States, and yet descriptive and epidemiological data on this population remain sparse. This article examines the life experiences of aging native Hawaiian women. Oral history methodology is used to collect information on the life experiences of six female elders (kupuna) to identify life themes and cultural values and, more important, to contribute to cultural preservation. Implications for social work policy and research are identified.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Prenatal diagnosis of the skeletal dysplasias.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the accuracy of prenatal diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias and ways to refine this ability. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 226 fetuses and stillbirths referred for suspected skeletal dysplasia were evaluated. The fetal age, mode of ascertainment, and referring diagnosis were analyzed with regard to the final diagnosis. RESULTS: The leading mode of diagnosis was routine ultrasonography performed between 16 and 24 weeks' gestation. Twenty-two cases (9.7%) had previous sibs, parents, or cousins affected. The most common final diagnosis was osteogenesis imperfecta. In 15 cases (7%) the fetus did not appear to have a skeletal dysplasia or an obvious dysmorphic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia can be made as early as 14 weeks. Most cases are sporadic. Fetal radiographs help in reaching an accurate diagnosis or at least in identifying the probable lethal disorders.

Bone Diseases, Developmental↗
PubMed1993

Pasteurella multocida meningitis in a two-day old neonate.

A normal full-term baby boy, born by vaginal delivery, became ill on day 2 with fever and failure to feed. CSF examination revealed 260 x 10(6)/l leucocytes, mainly mononuclears, protein 2 g/l and glucose zero. Pasteurella multocida was isolated in pure culture from the baby's CSF, blood and umbilicus and from the mother's vagina. The baby was treated with i.v. penicillin for 7 weeks. Progress was complicated by mild hydrocephalus, which resolved, and prolonged low grade fever. Recovery was complete, without neurological sequelae. This case illustrates that P. multocida can infect the vagina where it presents a hazard to a newborn infant delivered vaginally. Early diagnosis is critical, intravenous high dose penicillin being the treatment of choice.

Female↗