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Biomedical subjects

E Nickoloff

Publications and source records attributed to E Nickoloff.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Correlating magnetic resonance imaging with the biochemical content of the normal human intervertebral disc.

Magnetic resonance imaging was used to determine the T2 relaxation times of prepared proteoglycan solutions and of normal human intervertebral disc tissue from the annulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP). The collagen, proteoglycan, and water contents of the disc tissue samples were determined by biochemical assays after they were scanned. Correlations among 1/T2, collagen, proteoglycan, and water contents of the tissue samples and among 1/T2, water, and proteoglycan contents of the proteoglycan solutions were calculated. A moderate negative correlation between 1/T2 and water content was noted for the tissue samples, and a very high negative correlation was found between 1/T2 and water content for the proteoglycan solutions. The very high positive correlation between 1/T2 and proteoglycan content of the proteoglycan solutions is probably due to this negative correlation between 1/T2 and water content. There was no significant correlation between 1/T2 and proteoglycan content of the tissues. The moderate positive correlation between 1/T2 and collagen content is probably due to the high negative correlation between collagen content and water content. No significant correlation was found between the collagen and proteoglycan contents of the tissues. Thus it appears that the data confirm previous reports in the literature that the collagen of the disc tissue functions to control its water content.

Adult↗

Schilling test: physiologic basis for and use as a diagnostic test.

With the advent of binding assays for vitamin B12 in blood, the Schilling test, which involves administration of radioactive B12 to a patient and subsequent urine collection for 24 to 48 h, fell into disuse in many laboratories. However, the test is still the only way to actually measure whether vitamin B12 is being absorbed through the terminal ilium. By administering radioactive vitamin B12, along with a preparation of intrinsic factor (IF), lack of functional IF may also be demonstrated. The Schilling test requires that attention be paid to a number of parameters, including the amount of radioactive vitamin B12 administered and the completeness of the urine collection. These factors, and others required for correct performance of the test, are discussed in this article.

Anemia, Pernicious↗

Abnormal fatty acid breath tests in cancer patients, with nutritional correlation.

In a group of cancer patients selected to exclude common causes of abnormal lipid absorption, we have examined this function using a breath test. Abnormal breath tests of fatty acid absorption (FABT) are found in most cancer patients, as has been previously claimed. These tests are abnormal in both quality (delayed peak in nine of ten patients, and quantity (reduced maximum peak in five of ten patients) of fatty acid absorption. In many patients abnormal FABT is not due to chemotherapy. Our preliminary results indicate no definite malabsorption mechanism but more stringent tests of absorption need to be applied. Malnutrition is common in cancer patients, even in those with little or no weight loss, and some of the malnutrition may be related to abnormal lipid absorption or to other disturbed aspects of lipid metabolism.

Adult↗

Analysis of left ventricular function from multiple gated acquisition cardiac blood pool imaging. Comparison to contrast angiography.

Global ventricular function was evaluated by both multiple gated cardiac blood pool scans (MUGA) and contrast ventriculograms in a group of 17 patients with suspected coronary artery disease. The contrast ventriculograms were analyzed frame by frame to generate a volume versus time curve for each patient, while the tracer data were analyzed by two methods: 1) the standard method, in which the left ventricle is identified on the end-diastolic frame and the background corrected activity under the region of interest obtained from the entire cardiac cycle, and displayed as a time versus activity curve; and 2) by a semi-automatic method in which the computer applies a threshold detection program to define the ventricular borders, and activity in the chamber at each point in the cardiac cycle is defined after background correction. The tracer data in each patient were analyzed independently by four observers. The tracer data correlated with the contrast data on a point by point basis r = 0.87 for the standard method, and 0.93 for the semi-automatic technique. An F test of variance revealed the semi-automatic method superior to the standard approach (P less than 0.05).

Computers↗

The nuclear stethoscope: a simple device for generation of left ventricular volume curves.

Initial evaluation has begun of a system for displaying left ventricular time-activity curves, relating the intraventricular content of radioactivity with the cardiac cycle as determined by the patient's electrocardiogram. Major problems include proper positioning of the detector, correction for background radioactivity outside the ventricle and calibration of the device to permit conversion of measurement of radioactivity to measurement of ventricular volumes.

Cardiac Volume↗