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Biomedical subjects

D Fishbein

Publications and source records attributed to D Fishbein.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The importance of neurobiological research to the prevention of psychopathology.

There is both a biological and environmental component to the neural substrates for various forms of psychopathology. Brain dysfunction itself not only constitutes a formidable liability to psychopathology, but also has an impact on environmental and social responses to the individual, compounding the risk for an adverse outcome. Environmental conditions, such as social and physical stimulus deprivation, poverty, traumatic stress, and prenatal drug exposure, can further compromise brain function in the context of existing liabilities. The relationship between genetic and environmental processes is interactive, fluid, and cumulative in their ability to influence an individual's developmental trajectory and alter subsequent behavioral outcomes. Given the codependent relationship between these processes, brain function is now believed to be malleable via manipulations of the environment in ways that may decrease liability for psychopathology. Research that explores these relationships and ways in which interventions can redirect this developmental track may substantially advance both the science and practice of prevention. Studies attempting to isolate the neurobiological effects of socioenvironmental factors are reviewed, implications for intervention strategies are discussed, and a future research agenda is proposed to provide greater insight into specific brain-environment relationships. Armed with this knowledge, prevention scientists may eventually design programs that directly target these effects to reverse or attenuate negative outcomes.

Adolescent↗

The clinical significance of flow cytometry crossmatching in heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Flow cytometry crossmatching is more sensitive than cytotoxic methods in identifying preformed antibodies to donor alloantigens. However, the significance of a positive flow crossmatch remains unknown for a recipient of a heart transplant who has a negative anti-human globulin crossmatch. METHODS: Flow crossmatching was performed retrospectively for 92 recipients of a primary cardiac allograft who underwent transplantation with a negative AHG crossmatch. RESULTS: Forty-six patients were flow crossmatch-positive for alloantibody: 20 were positive on both T and B lymphocytes, 12 were positive only on B lymphocytes, and 13 were positive only on T lymphocytes. Eleven had autoantibody invalidating the flow crossmatch with donor cells. Thirty-six patients had negative flow crossmatch. A significantly higher incidence of graft dysfunction with vascular rejection by 6 months was found for patients who had a positive flow crossmatch on B lymphocytes. This group also had an increased incidence of mortality within this same period. Patients who were flow crossmatch-positive on T and B lymphocytes were more likely to experience greater than two episodes of treated cellular rejection within the first 6 months. Flow crossmatch-positive patients stayed longer in the hospital in comparison to the other two groups, although the increases were not statistically significant. There were no differences between groups with regard to time to first rejection, absence of rejection episodes, episodes of decreased cardiac index (<2.3 L/m2), depressed left and right ventricular ejection fraction, or development of transplant atherosclerosis. CONCLUSION: A positive flow crossmatch identified a subset of patients who are predisposed to development of vascular rejection or are more likely to have frequent cellular rejection.

Female↗

Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 is expressed in human coronary atherosclerotic plaques. Implications for the mode of progression of advanced coronary atherosclerosis.

Endothelial attachment is the initial step in leukocyte recruitment into developing atherosclerotic lesions. To determine whether vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expression may play a role in inflammatory cell recruitment into human atherosclerotic lesions, immunohistochemistry was performed with a polyclonal rabbit antisera, raised against recombinant human VCAM-1, on 24 atherosclerotic coronary plaques and 11 control coronary segments with nonatherosclerotic diffuse intimal thickening from 10 patients. Immunophenotyping was performed on adjacent sections to identify smooth muscle cells, macrophages, and endothelial cells. To confirm VCAM-1-expressing cell types, double immunostaining with VCAM-1 antisera and each of the cell-specific markers and in situ hybridization were performed. All atherosclerotic plaques contained some VCAM-1, compared to 45% of control segments. VCAM-1 was found infrequently on endothelial cells at the arterial lumen din both plaques (21%) and in control segments (27%), but was prevalent in areas of neovascularization and inflammatory infiltrate in the base of plaques. Double immunostaining and in situ hybridization confirmed that most VCAM-1 was expressed by subsets of plaque smooth muscle cells and macrophages. The results document the presence of VCAM-1 in human atherosclerosis, demonstrate VCAM-1 expression by human smooth muscle cells in vivo, and suggest that intimal neovasculature may be an important site of inflammatory cell recruitment into advanced coronary lesions.

Animals↗

Cutaneous eruptions in Indian tick typhus.

Although frequently unrecognized, rickettsial infections may be an important cause for fever and exanthem in persons presenting to physicians in South India. Most often these patients are referred to dermatology departments with a diagnosis of "drug eruption." In the current study the authors analyzed 12 cases of rickettsial fever that were seen in the dermatology department of St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bangalore, between 1985 and 1989. The distinctive cutaneous eruption was found to be an important clue to an early clinical diagnosis. Specific serodiagnosis enabled us to confirm that Indian tick typhus, a member of the spotted fever group, was the most frequent cause for rickettsial fever presenting at our hospital.

Adolescent↗

Self-report vs. laboratory measures of aggression as predictors of substance abuse.

Measures of aggressive behavior, antisocial personality, criminality, and impulsivity were obtained on a sample of 85 drug abusing volunteers for studies at the Addiction Research Center in Baltimore. Measures included the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, Diagnostic Interview Schedule Antisocial Personality Disorder diagnosis, Elliott-Huizinga Lifetime Events Scale, Eysenck's Impulsiveness-Venturesomeness-Empathy scales, and a laboratory measure of aggression patterned after the Buss 'aggression machine'. All of the self-report measures of aggression and antisocial personality were moderately correlated with each other, but did not correlate with the laboratory aggression measure. This laboratory measure, nevertheless, made a significant contribution to the prediction of certain substance abuse diagnoses over and above the contributions of the other measures.

Adult↗

An approach to dyspnea in cancer patients.

There are many potential causes of dyspnea in the patient with cancer. Ultimately, a sense of increased respiratory effort is common to all of these diverse situations. An organized approach to dyspnea in the cancer patient is presented based on psychophysical principles, and treatment modalities are suggested.

Airway Resistance↗

Correlates of self-reported early childhood aggression in subjects volunteering for drug studies.

The construct validity of a retrospective self-report measure of early childhood aggression, the Early Experience Questionnaire (EEQ), was assessed in a sample of substance abusing volunteers for drug studies at a research center in Baltimore. In contrast to the diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), EEQ scores were not only associated with adult aggression, criminality, and substance abuse, but were also highly correlated with a cluster of measures reflecting emotionally reactive impulsivity. Correlations of the EEQ with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory confirmed earlier findings obtained on a sample of alcoholics. Over and above the predictive influence of APD, early childhood aggression had some predictive influence on the incidence and severity of substance abuse but a substantial influence on the prediction of criminality.

Adult↗

Patterns of cerebral glucose metabolism in patients with partial seizures.

We analyzed local cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (LCMRglu) in 20 regions from 22 patients with complex partial seizures, who were taking neither phenytoin nor phenobarbital and who had normal CTs. Results were compared with data from 19 normal controls. Ten patients had left temporal, eight right temporal, and four bitemporal or generalized EEG discharges. There were no significant differences between patient and control values in any of 20 regions of interest. LCMRglu was depressed at the site of the epileptic focus: L/R ratio was 0.85 +/- 0.12 (p less than 0.003 compared with control), 0.92 +/- 0.08 (p less than 0.05), and 0.84 +/- 0.1 (p less than 0.001), respectively, in mesial, superior, and inferior temporal regions for patients with left temporal foci; 1.7 +/- 0.96 (p less than 0.04), 1.1 +/- 0.1 (NS), and 1.15 +/- 0.04 (p less than 0.001) for patients with right temporal foci. Patients with left temporal EEG foci had significantly lower values than patients with right temporal foci in left superior frontal and thalamic as well as left temporal regions, while patients with right-sided EEG foci had depressed LCMRglu (compared with patients with left temporal EEG foci) restricted to right mesial temporal lobe. The patients with left temporal foci tended to have longer seizure histories (22.7 +/- 5.4 versus 11 +/- 5.6 years; p less than 0.001). There was an inverse correlation between length of seizure history and mean LCMRglu (r = 0.38; 0.1 greater than p greater than 0.05). Our study suggests that LCMRglu is not depressed in regions beyond the epileptic focus when patients are not taking drugs known to decrease cerebral glucose metabolism.

Brain↗

Cerebral glucose metabolism in the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

We used positron emission tomography with fluorine 18-labeled 2-deoxyglucose to study cerebral glucose metabolism in 10 patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome who had normal neuroradiological studies. The scans showed decreased metabolic rates relative both to those in the caudate nucleus and to normal control values in 3 patients whose seizures began before the age of 1, as well as in a patient with hyperprolinemia. No patient had a region of persistent focal hypometabolism. Metabolic rates increased in parallel with increased electroencephalographic discharges in 1 patient; 3 patients had lower metabolic rates when the electroencephalogram showed epileptiform discharges and while the patients were taking barbiturates.

Adolescent↗

Pulmonary manifestations of familial dysautonomia in an adult.

A patient with familial dysautonomia (Riley-Day syndrome) who illustrates the multiple and varied pulmonary manifestations of this disorder is described. Since many of these patients are now surviving well into adulthood, knowledge of this condition among physicians should be propagated.

Adult↗

Effect of phenytoin on human cerebral glucose metabolism.

We used serial positron emission tomography scans with [18F]2-deoxyglucose to study the effect of phenytoin on human cerebral glucose metabolism in 10 patients with seizure disorders. Local CMRglu for each patient was measured in 10 regions of interest. EEGs were performed during each procedure to match scans for state of consciousness and exclude data from scans with ictal activity. Serial scans without a drug change were performed in six control patients. Metabolic rates were significantly lower in two cortical regions while patients were taking phenytoin. No significant changes on repeat scan were seen in the control population. Measured across all regions of interest, metabolic rates were 13% higher when patients were off phenytoin (p less than 0.02).

Adult↗

Barbiturates reduce human cerebral glucose metabolism.

We studied the effect of barbiturates on local cerebral glucose metabolism by performing positron emission scans before and after withdrawal of phenobarbital or primidone. The postwithdrawal scan showed a significant increase (mean, 37%) in seven of eight cortical regions tested. Patients who had serial scans without a drug change showed a nonsignificant tendency for metabolic rates to go down on the second scan (mean decrease, 7%). Addition or deletion of a single drug other than barbiturate did not change metabolic rates on repeat scans. The depression in cerebral glucose metabolic rate due to phenobarbital, if confirmed, may have bearing on the adverse neuropsychological effects of the drug.

Adult↗