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Biomedical subjects

F Wilson

Publications and source records attributed to F Wilson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Treatment of port-wine stains with the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser: extended clinical experience in children and adults.

Seventy-six patients (51 females, 25 males) with port-wine stains (PWS) were treated with the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser (585 nm, 450 microseconds). The patients ranged in age from 1 month to 71 years (average, 14 yr). Forty-nine percent of all patients under study had a 90% or better (average, 94.6%) lightening response after an average of 9.0 (range, 4-15) laser treatment. Overall, there was a 79% clinical improvement seen after an average of 9.1 (range, 2-19) laser treatments. In contrast to previous studies, the number of treatments necessary to obtain PWS clearing in older children (9-15 yr) and adults (> 16 yr) was not significantly greater than the number required to treat PWS in infants (0-2 yr) and younger children (3-8 yr). In fact, PWS in children aged 3 to 8 years required the greatest number of laser treatments, which may be due to continued abnormal growth of the ectatic blood vessels comprising the lesion during the growth of the child. In addition, there did not appear to be a significant difference in the number of laser treatments necessary to obtain clearing of PWS in different body locations. While the 585 nm pulsed dye laser continues to be the treatment of choice for removal of PWS in children and adults, the number of treatments necessary to obtain lesional clearing in all age groups in greater than previously reported.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Changing results of HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplantation in patients with haematological malignancy during the period 1981-1990.

During the years 1981-90 inclusive 227 patients with haematological malignancy received an HLA-identical sibling first transplant at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. Recipients with acute leukaemia in first remission or chronic myeloid leukaemia in first chronic phase were analysed as good risk, and those beyond these stages, as poor risk patients. Good risk patients transplanted in the years 1986-90 (n = 52) showed improved actuarial survival (74%) compared to those (n = 58) transplanted during 1981-85 (37%, p = 0.01). There was a suggestion that leukaemia-free survival was also improved in those transplanted during the later time period (62% versus 36%, p = 0.07). In contrast, poor risk patients transplanted during 1986-90 (n = 55) appeared to have worse leukaemia-free survival (15%) compared to those transplanted during 1981-85 (n = 62) (22%, p = 0.09). The incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) grades I-IV in all patients was 94% in those transplanted during 1981-85 (n = 120) and 86% in those transplanted during 1986-90 (n = 107) (p = 0.002). The incidence of acute GVHD grades II-IV was 37% during 1981-83, 20% during 1984-86, and 28% during 1987-90 (p = 0.1). The decrease in incidence and severity of acute GVHD correlated with the introduction of the cyclosporin/short methotrexate regimen in our practice. The incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonitis was 18% in 1981-85, and 11% in 1986-90 (p = 0.09). In 1989 and 1990 no cases of CMV pneumonitis occurred.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1993

Unrelated volunteer bone marrow transplantation: initial experience at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.

BACKGROUND: Only 30% of patients with leukaemia have an HLA-compatible family member able to act as a marrow donor. The recent development of volunteer bone marrow donor registries has supplied HLA-matched donors for a number of such individuals. AIMS: To define the problem and outcome of the first cohort of patients given HLA-matched unrelated volunteer bone marrow transplants at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. METHODS: Post transplant outcome of patients with advanced leukaemia given HLA-identical unrelated donor marrow transplants was compared to that of patients transplanted concurrently from HLA-identical sibling donors, in terms of survival, leukaemia-free survival, incidence and severity of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), duration of neutropenia, incidence of infection and duration of transplant hospitalisation. RESULTS: Sixteen patients with advanced leukaemia and without a histocompatible family member donor received unrelated donor bone marrow transplants. Actuarial survival at two years post transplant was 30%. Actuarial survival of 23 recipients of HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplants with advanced leukaemia transplanted during the same time period was 17% (not significant). Actuarial disease free survival at two years was 30% and 13% respectively. Three of five long term survivors of the unrelated transplants had chronic myeloid leukaemia in blastic transformation at the time of transplant; thus blastic transformation should not preclude consideration of unrelated marrow transplantation. Recipients of unrelated allografts had a higher incidence of acute GVHD which occurred earlier and with greater severity than in recipients of sibling allografts, a longer duration of post transplant neutropenia (24 days to reach 0.5 x 10(9)/L versus 19.5, p = 0.07), a higher frequency of infection in the first 100 days post transplant (p = 0.0004) and a longer duration of transplant hospitalisation (p = 0.04). Transplant-related complications were the commonest cause of death in the unrelated donor recipients, while leukaemic recurrence was the commonest single cause of death in the HLA-identical sibling recipients. Improvements are needed in prophylaxis of infection and in prevention and treatment of acute GVHD in recipients of unrelated donor transplants. Nevertheless, this modality provides curative treatment for patients with otherwise incurable haematological malignancies and should no longer be considered experimental.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Chondrosarcoma of the maxilla.

A patient was referred to us with a mass in her upper jaw. This was diagnosed to be a chondrosarcoma of the maxilla. The mass was removed surgically. We present the case here and discuss the salient features.

Chondrosarcoma↗
PubMed1991

The expression of class I patatin gene fusions in transgenic potato varies with both gene and cultivar.

Patatin is a family of glycoproteins that contributes about 40% of the total soluble protein in tubers of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The protein is encoded by a multigene family of 50-70 genes which have been divided into classes I and II on the basis of sequence homology. The promoters of two class I genes, PS20 and PS3/27, were transcriptionally fused to beta-glucuronidase and transformed into the potato cultivars Désirée and Maris Bard. Examination of the expression levels in large populations of microtubers indicated that the PS20 promoter produced beta-glucuronidase activities 5-fold lower in Désirée than Maris Bard whereas the PS3/27 promoter showed similar levels in both cultivars. Furthermore, the relative expression levels from the two promoters were reversed in the two cultivars. The beta-glucuronidase enzyme activity was correlated with the mRNA level but not the copy number of the introduced gene. The implications for the use of patatin promoters in the genetic modification of tubers is discussed.

Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases↗
PubMed1991

A prospective randomised trial of cyclosporin and methotrexate versus cyclosporin, methotrexate and prednisolone for prevention of graft-versus-host disease after HLA-identical sibling marrow transplantation for haematological malignancy.

A prospective randomised trial was performed in patients given HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplants for haematological malignancy comparing the combination of cyclosporin and methotrexate (CM) (n = 20) with the combination of cyclosporin, methotrexate and prednisolone (CMP) (n = 21) as prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). There was no significant differences between the two arms for the incidence of acute GVHD grades I-IV, acute GVHD grades II-IV, chronic GVHD, interstitial pneumonitis, relapse, survival and disease-free survival. The actuarial incidence of acute GVHD grades II-IV in the CMP group was 10% and in the CM group 15% (ns). The incidence of leukaemic relapse in good risk patients was 42% in the CMP group and 40% in the CM group (ns), although the majority of these relapses were cytogenetic relapses only in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia. The incidence of acute GVHD grades II-IV in both arms of the current trial was significantly lower than in our previous trial comparing cyclosporin and methotrexate as single agents. Leukaemic relapse is now the principal cause of treatment failure in this patient population. We conclude that prednisolone should not be included as part of the prophylactic GVHD regime and that further improvement in therapeutic outcome is dependent upon better control of the underlying malignancy.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1990

Finishing composite restorative materials.

A clinically realistic in vitro study was performed to determine the best method for smoothing trimmed surfaces of seven composite restorative materials. Soflex discs produced the smoothest surface, and little advantage appeared to be gained by prior smoothing of the surface with stones or points. A polishing paste, even when used with intermediate finishing agents, produced a rougher surface than that left by the discs.

Composite Resins↗
PubMed1987

Expression and rescuing of a cloned human tumour necrosis factor gene using an EBV-based shuttle cosmid vector.

A cosmid vector carrying the Epstein-Barr virus origin of replication, the EBNA-1 gene, the hygromycin phosphotransferase (hph) gene and pBR322 sequences has been constructed. This cosmid can replicate autonomously in the nucleus of human tissue culture cells, even when it carries a 35-kb long insert. The cosmid can be rescued from the transfected cells by cloning it directly into ampicillin-sensitive Escherichia coli. A gene for human tumour necrosis factor (TNF) cloned into this cosmid vector was introduced in tissue culture cells, where it was transcribed into mature mRNA.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1986

Phasic respiratory activity in the fetal lamb during late gestation and labour.

We quantified the respiratory activity of 9 fetal lambs using computer-analysis of the diaphragmatic electromyogram (EMG) obtained during 2 h recording sessions interspersed over the last 13 days of gestation. The fetuses delivered unassisted at an average gestational age of 145 days (term = 147 days). During the last 2 h of labour the number of phasic EMG bursts (breaths) averaged 3% of the peak recorded earlier in the study. This decline in breathing began at least 2 days before labour and resulted predominantly from the fetus spending an increasing proportion of time in apnoea. Respiratory rate within epochs of breathing also fell significantly 1 day before labour, and the proportion of time spent in the low voltage electrocortical state declined once labour commenced. No significant change occurred in arterial PO2, PCO2 or pH over the study period. We conclude that fetal respiratory activity falls well before the onset of labour, largely as a result of increased apnoea, and that the decline does not result from the development of a progressive hypoxaemia associated with labour.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Reduction in periventricular haemorrhage in preterm infants.

Our previous cerebral ultrasound study of antecedents of periventricular haemorrhage in infants weighing 1250 g or less at birth suggested that neonatal events that caused increased or fluctuating cerebral blood flow lead to periventricular haemorrhage. As the risk period for this type of haemorrhage was the first four days of life strict guidelines were introduced to avoid the previously identified neonatal risk factors. No attempt was made to modify obstetric practice. Over the next two years, although the obstetric risk profile, the frequency and severity of hyaline membrane disease, and the gestation, birth weight, and sex distributions of a similar cohort of infants did not change, the incidence of periventricular haemorrhage decreased significantly from 60% to 36%. Significant antecedents of haemorrhage similar to those found in the previous study included severe bruising, low arterial:fractional inspiratory oxygen ratio and low packed cell volume on admission, hyaline membrane disease, hypercarbia, and hypoxaemia. Assisted ventilation, pneumothorax, treatment with tubocurarine, and hypotension were no longer significant risk factors for periventricular haemorrhage. A multivariate discriminant analysis correctly predicted haemorrhage in 86% of the study group when bruising, hypercarbia, hypoxaemia, hyaline membrane disease, and low gestation were considered. These results suggest that changes in neonatal practices can reduce the incidence of periventricular haemorrhage and that drug studies indicating similar reduction in haemorrhage need to be evaluated carefully to ensure that placebo and treated groups are in fact comparable.

Birth Injuries↗
PubMed1985

Differential expression of human globin genes introduced in K562 cells.

We have constructed a series of hybrid globin genes between the 5' half of the human epsilon-, gamma- and beta-globin genes, and the 3' half of the rabbit beta-globin gene. These hybrid genes were introduced into the cell line K562. Analysis of the hybrid mRNA populations show that only the hybrid epsilon- and gamma-globin genes are expressed in these cells in concordance with the endogenous K562 globin gene expression. It is therefore likely that these cells contain transcriptional factors which allow the specific expression of introduced epsilon- and gamma-, but not beta-globin genes, irrespective of their chromosomal localization.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Characteristics of long-term survivors after treatment for inoperable carcinoma of the lung.

Between January, 1971 and August, 1978, 410 patients with histologically or cytologically confirmed inoperable or unresectable carcinoma of the lung of all cell types were treated with curative intent. Forty-five patients lived a minimum of 3 years and 32 patients lived 5 or more years. The 3-year survival rate increased from 7.6% (15/197) between January, 1971 and June, 1975 to 14.1% (30/213) for the interval from July, 1975 to August, 1978 (p less than 0.01). Factors associated with long-term survival were performance status (p less than 0.01), early stage (p less than 0.001), high total dose of radiation (p less than 0.02), large cell carcinoma (p less than 0.01), inoperable for medical reasons (p less than 0.001), and thoracotomy to determine unresectability (p less than 0.04). The difference in survival rates between the two time periods was not related to different patient factors. Survival rates were most improved in the second time period for patients with Stage II or Stage III carcinoma of the lung. Eight patients died from cancer between 36 and 54 months of initial treatment. Five patients died of intercurrent disease without evidence of cancer of the lung after 3 years. An increasing proportion of long-term survivors of inoperable carcinoma of the lung can be expected to result from a better understanding of these diseases, more technically sophisticated external irradiation, and the use of combination chemotherapy for small cell carcinoma.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1983

Anxiety states: a preliminary report on the value of connective tissue massage.

Five patients who presented with symptoms of tension and anxiety were subsequently referred to a physiotherapist and treated with Connective Tissue Massage. Psychophysiological recordings of heart rate, frontalis EMG, skin resistance and forearm extensor EMG were taken before and after treatment. All patients showed a significant response to treatment in one or more of the psychophysiological parameters. Results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that each individual has a unique stress response pattern. Preliminary findings proved interesting and supported clinical findings with regard to the effectiveness of this treatment for some patients suffering from Anxiety States.

Adult↗