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Biomedical subjects

E R Reece

Publications and source records attributed to E R Reece.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

NIH conference. Asthma.

Asthma is characterized by inflammation, reversible airway obstruction, and increased airway responsiveness to various stimuli. It has received wide public attention in recent years because of increasing morbidity and deaths, particularly among black persons. The important role of inflammation in the immunopathogenesis of asthma has led to a newer therapeutic approach directed at interrupting this inflammatory process. Among immune regulatory pathways involved in asthma pathogenesis, two lymphokines appear to be particularly important in controlling IgE production. Interleukin-4 is required for IgE production; without it, IgE production is inhibited. Interferon-gamma can diminish cell priming for interleukin-4 production. Thus, the interplay of these two cytokines will determine whether cells that can make interleukin-4 will be produced and, therefore, whether IgE will be produced in response to allergic stimuli. Further, in response to appropriate stimuli, mast cells and eosinophils are attracted to airways and release cytokines, lipid mediators, and preformed substances that cause inflammation. Modern asthma treatment is directed at interrupting this inflammatory process and places a much greater emphasis on use of anti-inflammatory agents, such as aerosolized or parenteral corticosteroids, and on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, such as cromolyn sodium and nedocromil sodium. Research advances without therapeutic application, however, limit success. Projects such as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' National Cooperative Inner-City Asthma Study, which is directed toward underserved populations, are intended to identify more clearly the factors responsible for increasing morbidity and to develop appropriate therapeutic interventions.

Asthma↗
PubMed1987

Leiner's disease associated with diminished third component of complement.

A 6-week-old female infant experienced recurrent diarrhea, wasting, and generalized seborrheic dermatitis. She manifested defective yeast opsonization and concomitant very low level of the third component of complement (C3). This is the first report of Leiner's disease associated with diminished C3. It corroborates evidence to suggest that yeast opsonic activity of normal human serum is dependent on C3 levels.

Complement C3↗
PubMed1986

Bone marrow transplantation in lymphomatoid granulomatosis. Report of a case.

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis is an unusual disorder histologically characterized by an angiocentric, angiodestructive mixed cellular infiltrate. The most frequent clinical manifestations are seen in the lungs, the skin, and the central nervous system. Progression to lymphoma may occur, particularly in patients who are anergic. The authors report the case of a boy who had had a splenectomy at 2 years of age for presumed Evan's syndrome, and two episodes of pneumococcal meningitis at 5 and 10 years of age. At 14 years, he had severe respiratory compromise, and a lung biopsy specimen showed lymphomatoid granulomatosis. The liver and bone marrow also were affected. Improvement occurred with multiagent chemotherapy, but he had multiple relapses. A bone marrow transplant was performed using a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) identical mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) nonreactive brother as the donor. He remains in remission more than 3 years post-transplant. In addition, his abnormal immune function has improved.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone in enteroviral meningitis.

In nine of 102 children admitted to the Montreal Children's Hospital with a diagnosis of aseptic meningitis, the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) developed. Patients with and without SIADH were similar with respect to clinical symptoms, duration of illness, and CSF inflammatory response. The SIADH group differed in that the largest age group was 1 to 5 years.

Child↗
PubMed1981

Epstein-Barr virus in a malignant lymphoproliferative disorder of B-cells occurring after thymic epithelial transplantation for combined immunodeficiency.

A fatal disseminated polyclonal malignant lymphoproliferative disorder of B-cells (immunoblastic sarcoma) developed shortly after a second thymic epithelial peritoneal implant in a 5-yr-old girl with combined immunodeficiency. The immunodeficiency was characterized by low T-cell numbers and function, very low levels of thymic hormone, dysgammaglobulinemia, and an inability to mount a primary antibody or cell-mediated response to new antigens. At necropsy, the thymus fulfilled morphological criteria for thymic dysplasia. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antigen and DNA were identified in neoplastic infiltrates in the lymph nodes and thymus by immunofluorescence for the EBV nuclear antigen and by EBV-specific complementary RNA/DNA hybridization. No antibodies to nuclear antigen, early antigen, or viral capsid antigen of EBV were identified in the serum. The concurrence of these events suggests that the thymic epithelial implant itself may have been instrumental in the pathogenesis of this neoplasm. It is proposed that the thymus may have provided factors which indirectly potentiated the proliferation of EBV-infected B-cells, possibly by induction of nonspecific T-helper cells and perhaps through other thymic humoral factors. It is suggested that some forms of immunoblastic sarcoma, even when polyclonal, and especially those which arise in immunocompromised hosts, may, in some instances, represent an opportunistic form of EBV-induced B-cell neoplasia.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1981

Depressed T cells following neonatal steroid treatment.

Fourty-four patients received two doses of 12.5 mg/kg of hydrocortisone or placebo on the first day of life in attempted therapy for respiratory distress syndrome. Follow-up studies were performed on survivors at 5 years of age in ten steroid-treated and seven placebo-treated respiratory distress syndrome subjects. There were no significant differences in growth, intelligence tests, or neurologic examinations in the patients assessed. Abnormal EEGs are present in both groups. Immunologic tests showed no differences in lymphocyte counts, immunoglobulin levels, diphtheria and tetanus antibody titers, or complement components. Diminished percentages of T lymphocytes were found in steroid patients (53%) compared to control subjects (69%). There were also increased percentages of lymphocytes with C3 receptors in steroid patients (20.1%) compared to control patients (13.8%). Episodes of otitis and/or pneumonia were documented in eight of 11 steroid-treated patients between the ages of 1 and 5 years, compared to two of seven patients in the placebo group in the same time period. It is concluded that large doses of steroids on the first day of life may induce lasting immunologic abnormalities and may predispose to an increased incidence of infections.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1980

Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis: occurrence in three siblings over a two-year period.

Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis occurred in all three siblings in one family over a 24-month period. Investigations of the organisms involved and immunologic studies of the family revealed low percentages of E-rosette-forming cells (T-cells) in both surviving children and in the father. This report suggests that host susceptibility to H influenzae is genetically controlled and that T-cell functions, as yet undetermined, may be involved.

Female↗