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Biomedical subjects

F Rahbar

Publications and source records attributed to F Rahbar.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Intravenous immunoglobulin in symptomatic and asymptomatic children with perinatal HIV infection.

One hundred thirty-five children born to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected mothers were selected randomly to receive immunoglobulin (Gamimune-N, Miles Pharmaceutical Co) 200 mg/kg monthly for 1 year. All patients were seropositive by ELISA and Western blot at birth. At the time of the study, 15 symptomatic (P2) and 57 asymptomatic (P1) patients with evidence of viral infection (positive HIV culture or P24 antigen) received the immunoglobulin. Sixty-three indeterminate (PO) patients with no evidence of infection served as the control. Mean age for infants in group P2 was 32 months, 26 months for group P1, and 11 months for group PO. Significant reduction in the frequency of bacterial infections (ie, otitis media, upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and acute gastroenteritis) was seen in the symptomatic group compared with both the asymptomatic and the control groups. Growth as measured by weight and height > 50th percentile was also markedly better in the symptomatic group than either asymptomatic or control patients. There was no significant difference in head circumference in all three groups. These results indicate that monthly intravenous immunoglobulin infusion (IVIG) appears to be beneficial to both symptomatic and asymptomatic HIV patients in reducing the frequency of bacterial infection and also enhancement of the immune response. However, symptomatic patients responded much better than the asymptomatic patients.

CD4 Lymphocyte Count↗
PubMed1993

Impact of intrauterine exposure to phencyclidine (PCP) and cocaine on neonates.

A total of 505 newborns who were exposed to illicit drugs during intrauterine life were studied to investigate the prevalence, growth parameters, newborn manifestations, and other effects of intrauterine exposure to cocaine and phencyclidine (PCP). The results support the hypotheses that both drugs have serious effects on growth parameters, but this effect was much more pronounced in the cocaine group than in the PCP group. Furthermore, the incidence of borderline microcephalic infants (head circumferences less than the 10th percentile) was much higher in the cocaine group. It also appears that the signs and symptoms observed in both groups are not withdrawal manifestations typically seen in narcotic-exposed infants; rather, these symptoms are true drug effects and should not be considered manifestations of drug withdrawal symptoms.

Cocaine↗
PubMed1991

Scrapie prion rod formation in vitro requires both detergent extraction and limited proteolysis.

Scrapie prion infectivity can be enriched from hamster brain homogenates by using limited proteolysis and detergent extraction. Purified fractions contain both scrapie infectivity and the protein PrP 27-30, which is aggregated in the form of prion rods. During purification, PrP 27-30 is produced from a larger membrane protein, PrPSc, by limited proteolysis with proteinase K. Brain homogenates from scrapie-infected hamsters do not contain prion rods prior to exposure to detergents and proteases. To determine whether both detergent extraction and limited proteolysis are required for the formation of prion rods, microsomal membranes were prepared from infected brains in the presence of protease inhibitors. The isolated membranes were then detergent extracted as well as protease digested to evaluate the effects of these treatments on the formation of prion rods. Neither detergent (2% Sarkosyl) extraction nor limited proteinase K digestion of scrapie microsomes produced recognizable prion amyloid rods. Only after combining detergent extraction with limited proteolysis were numerous prion rods observed. Rod formation was influenced by the protease concentration, the specificity of the protease, and the duration of digestion. Rod formation also depended upon the detergent; some combinations of protease and detergent did not produce prion amyloid rods. Similar results were obtained with purified PrPSc fractions prepared by repeated detergent extractions in the presence of protease inhibitors. These fractions contained amorphous structures but not rods; however, prion rods were produced upon conversion of PrPSc to PrP 27-30 by limited proteolysis. We conclude that the formation of prion amyloid rods in vitro requires both detergent extraction and limited proteolysis. In vivo, amyloid filaments found in the brains of animals with scrapie resemble prion rods in their width and their labeling with prion protein (PrP) antisera; however, filaments are typically longer than rods. Whether limited proteolysis and some process equivalent to detergent extraction are required for amyloid filament formation in vivo remains to be established.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Hemophilus para-influenzae meningitis in a two-day-old term infant.

A two-day-old black male term infant developed meningitis due to Hemophilus para-influenzae, a rare cause of neonatal meningitis. The organism was sensitive to ampicillin and chloramphenicol. Of interest was that the mother had the same organism in her cervix. The need for prompt investigation and institution of appropriate antibiotic therapy is emphasized.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Prenatal care and perinatal mortality in a black population.

Using three-year cumulative data relative to perinatal mortality, the present study examines the relationship of prenatal care and birth weight to pregnancy outcome. The results support the hypothesis that links prenatal care to pregnancy outcome and the relationship between birth weight and pregnancy outcome is found to be strong. The study indicates that the knowledge of birth weight would reduce the number of errors in predicting the chances of survival of the newborn by 37.0%.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1982

Clinical significance of supernumerary nipples in black neonates.

The frequency of accessory nipples in black Americans is almost eight times greater than in white European patients. Association of a wide range of abnormalities with supernumerary nipples in whites has, thus far, not been our experience in black Americans.

Black People↗
PubMed1982

Prenatal factors affecting perinatal mortality in blacks.

A study of 222 black mothers who gave birth to low-birth-weight infants in a tertiary care center showed that prenatal care plays a significant role in perinatal outcome; the effect of prenatal care was especially dramatic in the infants weighting less than 1,500 grams. In addition, maternal age is an important factor when less than 17 years. When a teenage pregnancy is associated with a lack of, or irregular, prenatal care, fetal outcome is compromised.

Black People↗
PubMed1979

Perinatal asphyxia I: Pathogenesis of multisystemic sequelae.

This paper describes the clinical and pathologic sequelae of perinatal asphyxia manifested by 17 neonates treated at Howard University Hospital over an 18-month period. Multiple systemic complications, occurring in 76.5 percent of the patients, were the rule rather than the exception. All vital organs were involved, singly or in combination. Understanding the pathogenesis and extent of these complications is of utmost importance not only to those rendering health care to acutely ill newborns, but also to those responsible for prenatal and maternal intrapartum care.

Asphyxia Neonatorum↗
PubMed1975

Observations on methadone withdrawal in 16 neonates.

The recent extensive use of methadone for treatment of heroin addiction has taught that, in adults, withdrawal of methadone can produce a withdrawal syndrome similar to heroin. After considerable experience with heroin withdrawal in neonates and in view of controversy and limited studies regarding methadone withdrawal, the study herein reported was undertaken to compare the experiences with both heroin and methadone withdrawal symptoms in newborns. A number of methadone-treated pregnant women deliver their infants at Freedmen's Hospital, affording the opportunity to observe neonates born to methadone-addicted mothers.

Adolescent↗