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Biomedical subjects

C Heilman

Publications and source records attributed to C Heilman.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) response to enteral intake in children during anti-cancer treatment.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal dysfunction is frequent in cancer and during anti-cancer treatment. Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is secreted in a nutrition-dependent manner from the intestinal enteroendocrine L-cells. It accelerates crypt cell proliferation and nutrient absorption, inhibits enterocyte apoptosis and decreases mucosal permeability. Lack of GLP-2 may increase the risk of malabsorption and intestinal bacterial translocation. The aim of this study is to evaluate meal stimulated secretion of GLP-2 in children with cancer undergoing anti-cancer treatment. METHODS: Plasma-GLP-2 analysis after an overnight fast and 1 hour after intake of a mixed test meal. Data on gastrointestinal toxicity, blood neutrophile counts and food records were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Forty-four meal stimulation tests were performed in 25 children (median age, 6.0 years; range, 2.5-19) during anti-cancer treatment. Median GI toxicity score was 5 (range, 0-15), and mean energy intake was 62.4% of recommended values. P-GLP-2 values increased from mean (SD) 38 (18) to 63 (51) pmol/l (P < 0.0001). Twelve of the meal stimulation tests (28%) resulted in a p-GLP-2 increase >2 fold, which is assumed to be the lower limit of normal values. The increase was strongly dependent on the energy intake (r = 0.62, P < 0.0001), while toxicity score and neutrophile count had no significant influence (multiple regression). CONCLUSION: In children treated with anti-cancer therapy, GLP-2 secretion seems to be normal if the enteral energy intake is sufficient. Insufficient GLP-2 secretion could influence the gastrointestinal problems seen in the children with a low enteral energy intake.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Cryopreservation of semen from pubertal boys with cancer.

BACKGROUND: The possibility of cryopreservation of semen from adolescents has until now received only little attention. Therefore, we have investigated the possibility of cryopreservation of semen in adolescent boys with cancer. PROCEDURE: Forty-five boys, aged 13-18 years, admitted because of cancer during the period January 1, 1995 to July 31, 1998 were eligible. Semen was obtained after masturbation in the majority of the cases. In three boys, semen was preserved after penile vibration or electroejaculation in general anaesthesia. The semen samples were analysed for concentration, motility, and morphology according to the WHO guidelines. The sample was transferred into straws prior to cryopreservation at 196 degrees C in liquid nitrogen. RESULTS: Twenty-one boys delivered a semen sample for cryopreservation. Four boys were offered and accepted sperm banking but were not able to produce a sample. In 20 cases time did not allow an attempt of sperm banking, the boy was not assessed to be mature enough to deliver a semen sample, or the procedure was not accepted. The boys delivered 1-3 samples, and the total number of spermatozoa ranged from 0-210 millions. Median percentage of motile sperm was 50% (range 9-86%). Semen quality improved with age; however, a 13- year- old boy produced 75 million spermatozoa with 38% motile cells. CONCLUSIONS: Pubertal maturation should be assessed in all boys admitted for cancer, and the possibility of sperm banking should be discussed with the patient and his parents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Dopamine D(5) receptor immunolocalization in rat and monkey brain.

Dopamine D(5) receptor localization has been difficult because even the most specific ligands cannot distinguish between molecular subtypes of the D(1)-like receptor subfamily. Antifusion protein rabbit polyclonal antibodies directed against the C-terminus of human D(5) receptor were therefore developed for immunolocalization of the D(5) receptor protein in brain. The antibodies were characterized by immunoblot analysis and immunoprecipitation and used for light microscopic immunocytochemistry in rat and monkey brain. Affinity purified D(5) antibodies were specific for D(5) fusion protein as well as cloned and native D(5) receptor on Western blots, and D(5) antisera specifically immunoprecipitated solubilized, cloned D(5) receptor. Regional distribution of D(5) receptor immunoreactivity was consistent across species and correlated well with D(5) mRNA distribution previously reported in monkey brain. Immunoreactivity was widespread and tended to label perikarya and proximal dendrites of neurons in cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, basal forebrain, hippocampus, diencephalon, brainstem, and cerebellum. Neuropil was immunoreactive in olfactory bulb, islands of Calleja, cerebral cortex, superior colliculus, and molecular layer of cerebellum. The distribution of D(5) in brain was clearly different from that of other dopamine receptor subtypes, including D(1), the other member of the D(1)-like receptor subfamily. This unique distribution corroborates the idea that the D(5) receptor subtype has a distinct role in dopamine neurotransmission.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Prenatal diagnosis and the pediatric surgeon: the impact of prenatal consultation on perinatal management.

PURPOSE: Pediatric surgeons are increasingly called on by obstetrical colleagues to counsel parents about the implications of a prenatal ultrasound finding. Our understanding of the natural history of many prenatally diagnosed surgical conditions has grown significantly in recent years. Whether prenatal surgical consultation can influence perinatal course had not been investigated. METHODS: During an 21-month period, 12,865 prenatal ultrasound studies were performed on a total of 4,551 patients, and 221 prenatal surgical consultations were obtained through a newly established fetal treatment program at a tertiary care prenatal diagnostic center. To evaluate the impact of prenatal pediatric surgical consultation on perinatal course, the authors reviewed changes in management including termination of pregnancy, in utero intervention, and altered site, mode, or timing of delivery. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-one fetuses were referred for consultation; their 234 congenital anomalies included genitourinary (36%), thoracic (16%), intraabdominal (14.5%), abdominal wall (10.6%), neurological (9%), skeletal (6%), and head and neck (2.5%) defects; 2.5% had tumors and 2.5% were twin pregnancies. Pregnancy was terminated in 9.5% of cases, because of patient request, chromosomal abnormality, or dismal prognosis. In 3.6%, the decision to terminate was changed as a result of consultation. Site of delivery was changed as a result of consultation in 37% to facilitate postnatal evaluation and initiate immediate treatment. Mode of delivery was changed in 6.8% to prevent dystocia, hemorrhage into a tumor, as in sacrococcygeal teratoma, or to provide an emergency airway, as in cervical teratoma. The timing of delivery was changed in 4.5% to avoid further damage to fetal organs in cases of obstructive uropathy, gastroschisis, sacrococcygeal teratoma with high-output failure, and hydrocephalus. Five percent (11) underwent treatment in utero for fetal hydrothorax, obstructive uropathy, twin-twin transfusion syndrome, or lymphangioma. The overall perinatal mortality rate was 2.5%. CONCLUSION: Prenatal pediatric surgical consultation may have a significant impact on the perinatal management of the fetus with a surgically correctable congenital anomaly. Providing obstetric colleagues and families with valuable insight into the surgical management of anomalies allows fetal intervention when appropriate, and delivery in an appropriate setting, by the safest mode of delivery, and at the gestational age appropriate to minimize effects of the anomaly.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗
PubMed1995

Surgical management of lesions affecting the anterior optic pathways.

Although benign neoplasms are the most common lesions of the anterior visual pathways that lend themselves to a combined neurosurgical and ophthalmic surgical treatment, malignant neoplasms, infections (especially fungal), and vascular lesions are also sometimes treated via a combined approach. Recent advances in the field of skull base surgery have made it possible to treat complicated lesions in precarious locations with increasing margins of safety and decreasing morbidity. The role of the neurosurgeon in managing selected patients with lesions of the anterior a visual pathway should not be underestimated.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The dopamine transporter: immunochemical characterization and localization in brain.

Antibodies specific for the dopamine transporter (DAT) was developed and characterized by immunoblot analysis, immunoprecipitation, and immunocytochemistry, and used for immunolocalization of transporter protein in rat brain at the light microscopic level. Antibodies targeting the N-terminus, the second extracellular loop, and the C-terminus were generated from fusion proteins containing amino acid sequences from these respective regions. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that N-terminus and loop antibodies were specific for expressed cloned DAT, recognized transporter protein in rat and human striatal membranes, and were sensitive to preabsorption with excess homologous fusion protein. Immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that anti-DAT antisera recognized solubilized, radiolabeled DAT protein in a concentration-dependent manner. DAT immunocytochemistry with these antibodies were also sensitive to preabsorption with fusion protein and to lesions of dopaminergic mesostriatal and mesocorticolimbic pathways. Regional distribution of DAT coincided with established dopaminergic innervation of several regions, including ventral mesencephalon, medial forebrain bundle, and dorsal and ventral striatum. However, certain mismatches between immunocytochemical distributions of DAT and tyrosine hydroxylase were apparent, indicating that dopaminergic systems are heterogeneous and may use independent mechanisms for the regulation of dopamine levels in brain. The generation of specific DAT antibodies will permit further characterization of the cellular and subcellular localization of DAT protein, and of dopaminergic circuits in neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Experiment "Seeds" on Biokosmos 9. Dosimetric part.

The aim of the experiment "Seeds" on the Sowjetic satellite Biokosmos 9 was the observation of mutagenic effects caused at special loci of seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana and assigned to particles of the Cosmic radiation. Two types of exposure units were flown: A low-shielding unit Type I, mounted at the surface of the satellite (1.4 g/cm2 shielding) and, for comparison, an identical item inside (16 g/cm2 shielding), using nuclear emulsion as track detectors. A Type II unit, flown inside (18g/cm2 shielding) was mounted with AgCl track detectors. The layout will be briefly described. A first set of dosimetric data from the physical evaluation of the experiment will be presented. The subdivision into charge- and LET-groups shows a rather high contribution of the intermediate LET-group (350-1000 MeV/cm) due to medium heavy particles (Z = 6-10) and to enders of light (p, alpha) particles.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1991

Syndrome of severe skin disease, eosinophilia, and dermatopathic lymphadenopathy in patients with HTLV-II complicating human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Two intravenous drug users dually infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and human T-cell leukemia virus type II (HTLV-II) developed an unusual severe dermatitis characterized by progressive brawny induration, fissuring, and ulceration of the skin, with an associated CD8 cell infiltration in one patient. Both patients had persistent eosinophilia. Lymph node biopsy revealed dermatopathic lymphadenopathy, an unusual pathologic finding in HIV-1 infection but one seen in association with mycosis fungoides and other skin disorders. Two new isolates of HTLV-II virus were established from these patients and were identified as HTLV-II by Southern blotting. This type of skin disease and lymph node pathology has not been found in other intravenous drug users who have been infected with HIV-1 alone or in patients in other risk groups for HIV-1 infection. HTLV-II may play a role in this unique new disease pattern in patients infected with HIV-1.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Influenza: status and prospects for its prevention, therapy, and control.

This article describes current knowledge of the molecular properties of orthomyxoviruses, their epidemiology, and approaches to the control of influenza. The host's response to infection, approaches to prevent infection through vaccination, and the use of antiviral agents to treat or prevent this important infection are covered.

Antigenic Variation↗
PubMed1989

IL-6 gene polymorphism in rheumatoid arthritis, pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and in healthy Danes.

The restriction enzymes MspI and BglII identify two different two-allele restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) in the human IL-6 genes of healthy Danes. Co-dominant segregation was demonstrated for both marker-systems and the test for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium showed no significant deviation from expectations. There is a strong correlation between the two marker systems. The two IL-6 RFLP's were studied in Danish patients with rheumatoid arthritis, pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. The frequencies of the MspI and BglII marker phenotypes did not differ between healthy controls and the three disease groups. No extra or missing DNA fragments were observed in the disease groups when compared with controls.

Arthritis, Juvenile↗
PubMed1981

Correlation between ultrastructural and functional changes in sarcoplasmic reticulum during chronic stimulation of fast muscle.

Chronic indirect stimulation of fast twitch rabbit muscle (tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus) with a frequency of 10 Hz induced a progressive transformation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Ultrastructural changes as studied by electron microscopy of freeze-fractured vesicles consisted in a decrease of intramembranous particles of the concave (A) face and an increase of particles in the convex (B) face. The asymmetry of the membrane proved to be lowered. Changes in the particle density of the A face were mainly confined to the 7-9 nm particles. Electrophoretic analyses revealed a decrease in the 115,000-Mr Ca2+ transport ATPase. The reduced density of the 7-9 nm particles correlated well with decreased activities in Ca2+-dependent ATPase as well as with decreases in initial and maximum Ca2+ uptake.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tegmental defects and cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea.

Congenital tegmental defects that present as unsuspected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorrhea are diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We reviewed 5 such patients to determine an optimal strategy for evaluation. Five patients presented with watery otorrhea, 4 of them after ventilation tube placement, and only 1 with rhinorrhea. The preoperative analysis of middle ear effusion for beta(2)-transferrin was positive in 2/4, equivocal in 1/4 and false negative in 1/4. Computerized tomography (CT) revealed nonspecific tegmental defects in all 5 patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated meningoencephalocele in 3/5 and dural irregularity in 1/5. Tegmental defects were confirmed at surgery in all cases, demonstrating meningocele or arachnoid granulations in 2/5 and encephalocele in 2/5 patients. We recommend a combination of beta(2)-transferrin analysis to verify CSF, high resolution CT (axial and coronal planes) to diagnose tegmental defects, and MRI (multiplanar) to evaluate the type of herniation. A combination mastoid and middle fossa approach for definitive repair is suggested.

Aged↗