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Biomedical subjects

J F Doran

Publications and source records attributed to J F Doran.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Physicians' attitudes to the treatment of elevated serum cholesterol.

A questionnaire was sent to 457 physicians (328 general practitioners, 129 hospital doctors) to assess their attitudes to and their knowledge and practice of the management of raised serum cholesterol. Replies were returned by 206 (63%) general practitioners and 95 (74%) hospital doctors. While smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and elevated total serum cholesterol were recognised as major risk factors for coronary heart disease, a significant number of respondents considered serum triglycerides to be less important. Both groups of physicians start dietary management at similar total serum cholesterol levels, but hospital doctors were more likely to use dietetic services. The two groups had a similar threshold for the addition of drug therapy. A bile acid sequestrant was the favoured first choice as a cholesterol lowering agent, although a wide variety of other drugs were also chosen. The screening of high risk patients was preferred to whole population and opportunistic screening for identifying hypercholesterolaemic individuals. The findings have important implications in the delivery of services to hypercholesterolaemic patients.

Anticholesteremic Agents↗

PGP 9.5, a new marker for human neuroendocrine tumours.

PGP 9.5 is a soluble protein isolated from brain and is a general marker for neuronal and neuroendocrine tissue. Its function is not known. Until now neurone specific enolase (NSE) has been the only general marker for the paracrine system and tumours derived from it. Seventy-four neuroendocrine tumours, 17 melanocytic naevi, 51 melanomas and four granular tumours were stained immunohistochemically for PGP 9.5 and NSE. A variety of pulmonary and non-neuroendocrine tumours were also stained. Two so-called goblet cell carcinoids of the appendix were included in the series. Using NSE 59/74 neuroendocrine tumours were positive and 58/74 stained for PGP 9.5. In combination 63/74 of these tumours were positive for either NSE or PGP 9.5 or both. Staining for PGP 9.5 was better for demonstration of nerves in routinely processed material than was staining for NSE. Twenty-one out of 43 primary melanomas stained for PGP 9.5 and 36 showed staining for NSE. Only two of eight metastatic melanomas melanocytic stained for PGP 9.5 while seven of these eight stained for NSE. Six of 17 melanocytic naevi stained for PGP 9.5 and five stained for NSE. All four granular cell tumours stained for PGP 9.5 and NSE. Both "goblet cell carcinoids' of the appendix were negative for NSE and PGP 9.5. Fifteen out of 32 pulmonary cancers showed staining for either marker and no non endocrine tumour showed any specific staining. Staining for PGP 9.5 is a valuable additional probe in the exploration of the paracrine system and the diagnosis of tumours arising from it.

Humans↗

PGP 9.5--a new marker for vertebrate neurons and neuroendocrine cells.

PGP 9.5 is a new cytoplasmic neuron-specific protein structurally and immunologically distinct from neuron-specific enolase. A specific antiserum has now shown that this protein is widely distributed in vertebrate brains and is also present in cells of the human diffuse neuroendocrine system. PGP 9.5 appears to be older than neuron-specific enolase in evolutionary terms, as an immunologically-related protein can be found in species as remote as the trout.

Animals↗

Isolation of PGP 9.5, a new human neurone-specific protein detected by high-resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis.

Protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 is a new brain-specific protein originally detected by high-resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis of the soluble proteins of human brain and other organs. We have purified this protein from human brain and raised a rabbit antihuman PGP 9.5 antiserum. The protein has a monomer molecular weight of approximately 27,000 and is present in brain at concentrations at least 50 times greater than in other organs. Immunoperoxidase labelling has localised PGP 9.5 to neurones in the human cerebral cortex with no evidence of staining of glial elements. PGP 9.5 is estimated to be present in brain at concentrations of 200-500 micrograms/g wet weight and represents a major protein component of neuronal cytoplasm. This new neurone-specific cytoplasmic marker may prove useful in studies of neuronal development and in the detection of neuronal damage in disease of the nervous system.

Brain Chemistry↗