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Biomedical subjects

C Farrell

Publications and source records attributed to C Farrell.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Soluble immune complexes in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases.

The occurrence of soluble immune complexes (IC) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 14 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, four acute polyradiculoneuritis patients, 30 patients with other neurological diseases (OND) and 30 patients with disc prolapse (DP) was examined by a solid phase C1q-protein A binding assay (C1q-PABA) and a complement consumption test. IC-positive reactions were observed only in the C1q-PABA. The binding indices determined by the C1q-PABA differed significantly (P < 0.01) when the MS or the OND patient groups were compared to the DP group. No significant (P < 0.1) difference was observed between the indices in the MS and OND groups. Binding indices in C1q-PABA showed no correlation either to IgG concentration, total protein concentration or cell counts in CSF of MS patients. Three of the four polyradiculoneuritis patients were strongly IC-positive while the fourth patient was negative. Filtration and PEG-precipitation data indicated that a major part of the IgG-containing IC in CSF detected by C1q-PABA was of macromolecular nature.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Determining growth rates of focal lesions of bone from radiographs.

Rate of growth divides focal lesions of bone into two classes which are largely mutually exclusive. Not all focal lesions require biopsy, and grading is especially helpful in deciding which should be biopsied and which may be safely followed. The statistical proof and logic of grading as an expression of growth rate are presented with a set of rules establishing each of the five grades in the presence of bone destruction. The radiologic signs necessary to establish rates are described and illustrated.

Bone Neoplasms↗
PubMed1980

Estimating rate of growth in bone lesions: observer performance and error.

In an experimental study of reader experience in identifying the variables essential to grading bone neoplasms, reader error is measured against book grade, a human consensus of the presence or absence of key variables. The average accuracy for classifying focal lesions into slow or fast categories is 83.4% for 890 readings as compared with average diagnostic accuracy of 53.7%. Analyses of human error have provided insight into how to improve the grading algorithm without significant loss of its ability to separate lesions into meaningful categories.

Bone Neoplasms↗
PubMed1979

Cancer of the breast. Mammography and thermography.

Quality mammography with knowledgeable interpretation is now a widely utilized and reliable procedure. It permits clinically occult lesions to be detected and clinically obvious or indeterminate lesions to be managed more intelligently. Abnormal mammographic signs are well defined, as are their differential diagnoses. Thermography of the breast is a younger science than mammography and must mature before its full potential can be realized. It is clear that thermography today cannot be considered an adequate prescreening technique to obviate further examination, as was once anticipated. Used in conjunction with physical examination and mammography it can serve to reinforce suspicions, and the high acceptability of the examination is an impetus to further clarify its role in detection.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Cancer of the breast. Screening.

Screening is a more complicated issue than has been indicated in this chapter. Long-term followup is essential to exclude misleading initial impressions, and survival predictions must stand this test. The problem of interval cancers must be acknowledged, and methods of developing more cost-effective systems that might provide even broader coverage of the population at risk have to be considered. Suffice it to say that mass screening for breast cancer can be accomplished. Large numbers of American women are sufficiently concerned about this disease to participate, as evidenced by the success of the National Cancer Institute/American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Projects. It has been demonstrated that breast cancers so small that they would previously be considered a pathological curiosity are detected with surprising frequency. The ultimate effect on survival time by this screening can of course only be determined after passage of time, but there is every reason to believe that it represents one of the really great advances in detection-diagnosis in recent history. The chief detection modality is mammography, and it is to be expected that technological advances in this area will permit images of even greater reliability and resolution at a level of radiation exposure that will be acceptable to everyone. The definitive role of thermography in detection of breast disease has yet to be fully determined. The maximal scientific benefit and the true impact of the screening demonstration projects will be realized only after long-term followup of the 280,000 participants.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

A survey for circulating immune complexes in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Use of a C1q-binding assay with soluble protein A as indicator.

A new assay for the detection of circulating C1q-binding immune complexes (IC) is described. The assay makes use of solid-phase C1q and iodinated soluble protein A, extracted from the cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus. In a model system the assay could detect heat-aggregated IgG down to a concentration of about 50 ng/ml. This method and three other assays, previously described, were used to survey the appearance of IC activity in sera from hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction. Depending on the assay system used, from 56% to 66% of the patients investigated were found to develop circulating IC. The earliest appearance of circulating IC was noted 5 days after infarction. The highest incidence of positive reactions and the strongest reactions occurred 2 to 3 weeks after hospitalization; thereafter the IC positiveness tapered off, and all patients were negative 6 weeks after infarction.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1976

Criteria for obtaining and interpreting breast thermagrams.

The thermal and graphic criteria which should be used to evaluate breast thermograms are outlined. Thermograms are then categorized as normal, suspicious, or abnormal on the basis of the criteria outlined. It is hoped that these criteria can be used widely to standardize breast thermographic evaluation.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1976

Direct measurement of the effect of film miniaturization on diagnostic accuracy.

A method for directly measuring the reduction in diagnostic accuracy incurred by altering original radiographs was applied to evaluate a 35 mm film system. A total of 4,290 readings of 2,145 proved cases were collected. Analysis of the results indicate that the 35 mm system reduced diagnostic accuracy by about 2.3% +/- 2.4% at a 95% confidence level. The same method can be used to evaluate other photographic reduction systems, television displays, enhancement schemes, or even the importance of clinical data in roentgenographic interpretation.

Diagnostic Errors↗
PubMed1975

The detection of intracellular antigens in human leucocytes by immunoperoxidase staining.

An immunoperoxidase procedure is described for staining intracellular leucocyte antigens in peripheral blood and bone marrow smears. Brief exposure of cell smears to a buffered formol acetone mixture was found to give optimal fixation, combining good cellular morphology with preservation of antigenic reactivity. The immunoperoxidase method is superior to immunofluorescence in that it provides a permanent preparation which can be counterstained with orthodox reagents and viewed by conventional light microscopy. In addition the technique is considerably more sensitive than immunofluorescence procedures. Immunoglobulin was demonstrated in plasma cells, Türk cells and a minority of peripheral blood lymphocytes. Lysozyme was found in cells of the neutrophil series from promyelocytes to mature granulocytes. Monocytes stained for lysozyme but the reaction was less intense than in neutrophils and some monocytes were devoid of activity. Lactoferrin stained strongly in mature neutrophil polymorphs and metamyelocytes, but was weak or absent in earlier myeloid cells. These reaction patterns are in keeping with previous reports on the distribution of these antigens in human leucocytes. In the case of immunoglobulin and lysozyme it was possible to abolish leucocyte staining by incubation of the specific antisera with the appropriate purified antigen, providing additional proof of the specificity of the reactions. Anti-ferritin antisera stained granulocytes and myeloid precursors strongly, and reached weakly with a minority of monocytes. These latter observations are not entirely in accordance with published data on the leucocyte distribution of ferritin and may be attributed to antibody activity of unknown specificity in the anti-ferritin antiserum.

Antigens↗
PubMed1975

Detection of IgG aggregates or immune complexes using solid-phase C1q and protein A-rich Staphylococcus aureus as an indicator system.

A radioimmunoassay for detection of C1q-binding IgG aggregates and antigen-IgG antibody complexes is described. The assay makes use of solid-phase C1q and 32p-labelled protein A-rich Staphylococcus aureus as an indicator system. Both 19S and heavier IgG aggregates that fixed C1q were detected. The sensitivity of the assay permitted detection of heavy (19-25S) IgG aggregates at a concentration of 8 mug/ml or less. The results indicated that detection of IgG in this assay is dependent on the degree of IgG polymerization and the molar ratio between the solid-phase C1q and the IgG polymers. Albumin-anti-albumin complexes, preformed at equilibrium with antibody to antigen molar ratios of 2:1 to 3:1 and at antigen concentrations of 25 to 40 mug/ml, were also detectable using the described radioimmunoassay.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗