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Biomedical subjects

Carol Jenkins

Publications and source records attributed to Carol Jenkins.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The effect of oestrogen on cytokine and antioxidant levels in male to female transsexual patients.

OBJECTIVE: Whilst hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be beneficial, it can be associated with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and stroke. As male to female transsexuals take much higher doses of oestrogen than women on HRT, they provide a unique opportunity to study the long-term effects of oestrogen in a group of relatively young individuals who are largely free of established vascular disease. METHODS: Thirty-eight male to female gender patients were enrolled into the study. Of these, 25 were receiving oestrogen treatment and 13 who were not on treatment served as a control group. Serum levels of cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides, Interleukin 6 (IL-6), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured in all patients. RESULTS: The results showed that compared to the control group, patients on oestrogen had significantly raised levels of NO (32.1+/-14.3 versus 20.3+/-10.0, P<0.05) and reduced levels of IL-6 (0.75+/-0.6 versus 1.37+/-0.7, P<0.05) and SOD (13.2+/-3.0 versus 24.0+/-10.0, P<0.05). These changes were not accompanied by any significant change in plasma lipid levels. CONCLUSION: It would appear that the very high levels of oestrogen taken by the gender patients produce similar beneficial effects to those seen in women on HRT. However, in this patient group it appears that these changes are independent of changes in cholesterol, triglyceride, and HLD.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed2005

Multidisciplinary management of prostate malignancy.

Most urologic malignancies are diagnosed initially and managed by urologists. However, better outcomes may be attained by integrating the surgical, medical, and radiologic disciplines. The primary care physician remains an important cornerstone whose talents should not be underestimated in the overall patient management scheme. Additional services such as endocrinology, physical therapy, pain control, hospice, nutrition, biofeedback, and hyperbarics, among others, should be considered in the overall health care team. The organization of the team, including definition of the duties of key personnel and even the physical framework of the clinic, contribute to its success in treating patients with prostate cancer. Pitfalls of the process also are discussed in this article.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗
PubMed2004

Abnormal cytokine levels in non-pregnant women with a history of recurrent miscarriage.

OBJECTIVE: To compare cytokine levels in serum from non-pregnant women with a history of recurrent miscarriage with those found in non-pregnant women with no such history. STUDY DESIGN: Two patient groups were enrolled into the study. Group 1 comprised 25 non-pregnant women with no history of recurrent miscarriage. Group 2 comprised 50 non-pregnant women who had a history of at least three previous miscarriages. Fifteen of these women have since become pregnant again--10 had a successful pregnancy and five miscarried. Serum levels of IL-4, IFN gamma, IL-12 and IL-18 were measured. RESULTS: Results showed IFN gamma ( 0.68 +/- 0.72 versus 0.45 +/- 0.29 P < 0.05) and IL-12 levels (66 +/- 25 versus 51 +/- 24 P < 0.05) were significantly higher in Group 2 compared to Group 1. Levels of IL-18 were significantly lower in Group 2 patients (318 +/- 140 versus 246 +/- 219 P < 0.05). Of the 15 women who became pregnant, those who miscarried again had significantly higher IL-18 levels when not pregnant than those women whose next pregnancies went successfully to term (547 +/- 20 versus 274 +/- 129 P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that women with a history of recurrent miscarriage can have abnormal cytokine expression even when not pregnant. This may influence the potential for future successful immune modulatory therapy.

Abortion, Habitual↗
PubMed2004

Abnormal first trimester serum interleukin 18 levels are associated with a poor outcome in women with a history of recurrent miscarriage.

PROBLEM: How the maternal immune system adapts to tolerate the fetus is not fully understood, but a successful pregnancy is associated with the production of Th2-type cytokines and miscarriage is associated with the production of Th1-type cytokines. METHOD OF STUDY: Levels of interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-12 and IL-18 were measured in serum from 205 pregnant women of whom 115 pregnant women had a history of recurrent miscarriage. RESULTS: Compared with healthy pregnant women those who miscarried had increased serum levels of the Th1-associated cytokines IFN-gamma, IL-12 and IL-18. CONCLUSIONS: Increased levels of IL-18 appeared to be critical in early pregnancy and were able to discriminate between pregnancies that continued and those that end in miscarriage.

Abortion, Habitual↗
PubMed2002

Rapidly changing conditions in the brothels of Bangladesh: impact on HIV/STD.

Bangladesh is a low HIV prevalence country with several well-documented at-risk groups, the most prominent of which is brothel-based sex workers. Using two waves of HIV behavioral surveillance data for a national sample of all operating registered brothels supplemented by historical and observational accounts, this article presents a case study of the changing conditions in the brothels. Between the two waves of surveillance, several brothels were forcibly closed; the number of sex workers dropped; the average number of clients per woman rose; and overall safety, both in terms of violence and protected sex, did not improve. Only treatment-seeking behavior for sexually transmitted diseases was positively changed. Continued surveillance of the possible negative impact of HIV prevention programs is under way. Protective policies are needed to facilitate improved HIV prevention and safety of sex workers, a key to controlling the HIV epidemic.

Adolescent↗