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Biomedical subjects

J Kearney

Publications and source records attributed to J Kearney.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Diet, alcohol, and smoking and the occurrence of hyperplastic polyps of the colon and rectum (United States).

Hyperplastic polyps of the colon reveal a geographic distribution similar to that of colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps. However, unlike adenomas--known precursors of colorectal cancer--little is known about the etiology or clinical significance of the hyperplastic polyp. In this prospective study, we set out to determine the main dietary and other lifestyle factors in the United States that might be associated with this lesion. Hyperplastic polyps of the distal colon and rectum were diagnosed in 219 of 12,922 men of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study having had an endoscopic procedure between 1986 and 1992, and 175 of 15,339 women of the Nurses' Health Study who had undergone an endoscopy for a variety of reasons between 1980 and 1990. After adjusting for age, family history of colon cancer, history of previous endoscopy, and total energy intake using multiple logistic regression, those consuming 30 g or more of alcohol per day were at increased risk relative to nondrinkers among men (relative risk [RR] = 1.69; 95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-2.80) and women (RR = 1.79, CI = 1.02-3.15). Current smoking also was found to be associated strongly positively with hyperplastic polyps in men (RR = 2.45, CI = 1.59-3.75) and women (RR = 1.96, CI = 1.16-2.86). High intake of folate was associated inversely with risk in both men (RR = 0.74, CI = 0.49-1.11, between high and low intakes of folate) and women (RR = 0.45, CI = 0.28-0.74, between high and low intakes of folate). Among macronutrients, a suggestive increase in risk existed with intake of animal fat, although this was attenuated in the full multivariate model (RR[men] = 1.48, CI = 0.94-2.41, and RR[women] = 1.22, CI = 0.77-1.94) between high and low quantities of animal fat intake. These prospective data provide evidence of associations between low folate intake, alcohol consumption, and current cigarette smoking, and risk of hyperplastic polyps of the distal colon and rectum. These same factors also have been found to be related to adenoma and cancer of the colon. The hyperplastic polyp is an indicator of populations at high risk for colorectal carcinoma, and it also may serve as a marker for factors that influence neoplastic evolution.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

A prospective study of cigarette smoking and risk of colorectal adenoma and colorectal cancer in U.S. men.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies of men consistently demonstrate a positive association between tobacco smoking and risk of colorectal adenomas, precursors of cancer, but have not consistently shown an association between smoking and colorectal cancer. We hypothesized that smoking acts as an initiator of colorectal neoplasia and that the association with cancer has been obscured because the time is long between onset of smoking and diagnosis of cancer. PURPOSE: Our purpose was to examine the association between cigarette smoking and risk of colorectal adenoma and colorectal cancer in men and to estimate the minimum induction period between the start of smoking and the diagnosis of cancer. METHODS: Using data from the ongoing Health Professionals Follow-up Study, we assessed the relative risk (RR) of small adenoma, large adenoma (> or = 1 cm), and cancer according to pack-years of smoking. Current and lifetime histories of smoking and other confounding factors were assessed by questionnaire at baseline and at 2-year intervals. Between 1986 and 1992, we documented 238 new cases of colorectal cancer among 47,935 U.S. males and 626 new cases of colorectal adenomas among 12,854 of the men who had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. RESULTS: Smoking during the prior two decades was associated with the prevalence of small adenomas (RR = 2.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.47-5.98; for > or = 35 pack-years versus 0 pack-years within the 20 years preceding the endoscopy, P trend = .04) but not with large adenomas (RR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.11-1.94; P trend = .56). However, smoking more than 20 years in the past was associated with large adenomas (RR = 2.38; 95% CI = 1.56-3.63; P trend = .004 for smoking > or = 16 pack-years versus 0 pack-years). Smoking was related to risk of colorectal cancer only after allowing for an induction period of at least 35 years (RR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.13-3.35; P trend = .008 for smoking > or = 16 versus 0 pack-years more than 35 years in the past). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking in the prior 20 years has a strong relation to small colorectal adenomas, smoking at least 20 years in the past is related to larger adenomas, and the induction period for colorectal cancers is at least 35 years. IMPLICATIONS: Our results highlight the need to intensify efforts to prevent smoking, especially among the young, and suggest a reduced threshold for screening for colorectal cancer among long-term smokers.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1994

Air pollution and childhood respiratory health: exposure to sulfate and ozone in 10 Canadian rural communities.

This study was designed to examine differences in the respiratory health status of preadolescent school children, aged 7-11 years, who resided in 10 rural Canadian communities areas of moderate and low exposure to regional sulfate and ozone pollution. Five of the communities were located in central Saskatchewan, a low-exposure region, and five were located in southwestern Ontario, an area with moderately elevated exposures resulting from long-range atmospheric transport of polluted air masses. In this cross-sectional study, the child's respiratory symptoms and illness history were evaluated using a parent-completed questionnaire, administered in September 1985. Respiratory function was assessed once for each child in the schools between October 1985 and March 1986, by the measurement of pulmonary function for forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1.0), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), mean forced expiratory flow rate during the middle half of the FVC curve (FEF25-75), and maximal expiratory flow at 50% of the expired vital capacity (V50max). The 1986 annual mean of the 1-hr daily maxima of ozone was higher in Ontario (46.3 ppb) than in Saskatchewan (34.1 ppb), with 90th percentile concentrations of 80 ppb in Ontario and 47 ppb in Saskatchewan. Summertime 1-hr daily maxima means were 69.0 ppb in Ontario and 36.1 ppb in Saskatchewan. Annual mean and 90th percentile concentrations of inhalable sulfates were three times higher in Ontario than in Saskatchewan; there were no significant differences in levels of inhalable particles (PM10) or particulate nitrates. Levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were low in both regions. After controlling for the effects of age, sex, parental smoking, parental education, and gas cooking, no significant regional differences were observed in rates of chronic cough or phlegm, persistent wheeze, current asthma, bronchitis in the past year, or any chest illness that kept the child at home for 3 or more consecutive days during the previous year. Children living in southwestern Ontario had statistically significant (P < 0.01) mean decrements of 1.7% in FVC and 1.3% in FEV1.0 compared with Saskatchewan children, after adjusting for age, sex, weight, standing height, parental smoking, and gas cooking. There were no statistically significant regional differences in the pulmonary flow parameters (P > 0.05).

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1993

Clonal characterization of the human IgG antibody repertoire to Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide. V. In vivo expression of individual antibody clones is dependent on Ig CH haplotypes and the categories of antigen.

Antibodies (Ab) to the polysaccharide capsule of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib-PS) provide protection against Haemophilus influenzae type b disease in children, and Hib-PS vaccines with different immunologic properties are widely used clinically. The repertoire of human anti-Hib-PS Ab induced by these vaccines is relatively restricted and can be divided into two types by the structure of the light chain V region. Ab using A2-V kappa II gene product, which account for the majority of anti-Hib-PS Ab response in most patients, show little somatic mutations. In contrast, non-Ab using A2-V kappa II gene product use VL genes from the V kappa I, V kappa II, V kappa III, V kappa IV, and V lambda subgroups, are variably expressed among patients, and contain somatic mutations. To further study the expression of these two types of anti-Hib-PS Ab, we have produced KB13, a mAb specific for V kappa II subgroup, and used mAb specific for various other VL subgroups to develop immunoassays specific for anti-Hib-PS Ab of each VL subgroup. When Ig allotypes were studied for the effect on the Ab repertoire, A2-V kappa II (A2) Ab were found to be expressed less in patients expressing fb or zag CH haplotypes (p < 0.05). When the T cell-independent Hib-PS carbohydrate vaccine was compared to two T cell-dependent Hib-PS protein conjugate vaccines for their effect on Ab repertoire, Ab using V kappa III VL were found to be more often elicited with the conjugate vaccines than with the Hib-PS carbohydrate vaccine (p < 0.01). Thus, individual members of the anti-Hib-PS Ab repertoire differ not only in their V region structure but also in the control of their expression.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Inter- and intra-fat pad variation in vascularization and the release of 14C-labelled fatty acids in mice.

Adult laca mice were dosed orally with 150 microliters whole milk containing 2.5 microCi of either labelled stearic acid ([1-14C]18:0; n 20) or labelled linoleic acid ([1-14C]18:2; n 20). The mice were killed in groups of four at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h following dosing and samples of perirenal and epididymal fat pads were taken from both inner and outer sites at each location. Significant differences in the rate of loss of label between sites were found. No differences (P = 0.018) between fat pad locations (epididymal v. perirenal) were found. A significant interaction between rate of loss of labelled fatty acid and site (P = 0.019) reflected the fact that between-site variations in this context were confined to labelled linoleic acid. In a second study weanling adult (n 10) and adult (n 10) mice were killed and their epididymal and perirenal fat pads prepared for histological examination. Both transverse and longitudinal sections were taken at the inner and outer sites of each fat pad location. Following staining, both the size and number of blood vessels were measured using computer-linked microscopy. In all instances there were significant differences between sites with the inner site consistently showing greater numbers and areas of blood vessels. In general the number of blood vessels in the inner site tended to be greater in older mice, while the reverse was seen for younger mice. The results lend support to the concept of multiple pools of triacylglycerol-fatty acids in adipose tissue such that the main determinant of short-term supply of essential fatty acids is the quantity recently ingested.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1992

Continuous anti-interleukin 10 antibody administration depletes mice of Ly-1 B cells but not conventional B cells.

Ly-1 B cells have the distinctive property of continuous self-replenishment and, as we have shown previously, can be further distinguished from conventional B cells on the basis of greatly elevated constitutive and inducible production of the recently described cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10). To test the possibility that IL-10 acts as either an autocrine or paracrine growth factor for Ly-1 B cells, we treated mice continuously from birth to 8 wk of age with a monoclonal rat IgM antibody that specifically neutralizes mouse IL-10. Mice treated in this way lacked peritoneal-resident Ly-1 B cells, contained greatly reduced serum immunoglobulin M levels, and were unable to generate significant in vivo antibody responses to intraperitoneal injections of alpha 1,3-dextran or phosphorylcholine, antigens for which specific B cells reside in the Ly-1 B cell subset. In contrast, conventional splenic B cells of anti-IL-10-treated mice were normal with respect to total numbers, phenotype, and in vitro responsiveness to B cell mitogens and the thymus-dependent antigen trinitrophenyl-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (TNP-KLH). The mechanism of Ly-1 B cell depletion appeared to be related to elevation of endogenous interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) levels in anti-IL-10-treated mice, since coadministration of neutralizing anti-IFN-gamma antibodies substantially restored the number of peritoneal-resident Ly-1 B cells in these mice. These results implicate IL-10 as a regulator of Ly-1 B cell development, and identify a procedure to specifically deplete Ly-1 B cells, thereby allowing further evaluation of the role of these cells in the immune system.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Infusion of vincristine and doxorubicin with oral dexamethasone as first-line therapy for multiple myeloma.

32 previously untreated patients with multiple myeloma received vincristine, doxorubicin ('Adriamycin'), and dexamethasone (VAD) as first-line therapy. The overall response rate was 84%, with 28% of all patients entering complete remission. Response was rapid, with near-maximum response occurring after two courses of treatment and rapid improvement in bone-marrow function. Median response duration was 18 months and this seemed to be unaffected by initial prognostic criteria or by degree of remission achieved. The projected median survival was 44 months, with 75% of all patients and 83% of responders being alive at 2 years. Side-effects due to steroids were common, but there was only 1 treatment-related death. The high response rate and lack of toxicity offer an advantage over other forms of initial treatment, although other strategies will be necessary to prolong the duration of response.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1989

Dietary intakes and adipose tissue levels of linoleic acid in peptic ulcer disease.

Adipose tissue levels of linoleic acid were determined from biopsies of subcutaneous abdominal fat of normal healthy controls (n 40) and from two patient groups with endoscopically evaluated non-ulcer dyspepsia (n 40) or peptic ulcer disease (n 38). The level (g/100 g) of adipose tissue linoleic acid in the normal healthy controls (15.0 (SD 4.1] was significantly (P less than 0.05) greater than that in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia (12.8 (SD 3.5] and in patients with peptic ulcer disease (11.7 (SD 2.7]. A dietary history revealed a lower intake of linoleic acid and a significantly (P less than 0.05) lower intake of dietary fibre (g/d) for both the non-ulcer dyspepsia (15.9 (SD 6.2] and peptic ulcer disease (15.2 (SD 7.8] patients compared with normal healthy controls (20.2 (SD 11.2]. Adipose tissue linoleic acid tended to increase with indices of increasing socioeconomic status, although the differences between patient and controls were not confounded by socioeconomic status. Patients with dyspepsia reported more foods causing symptoms (onion, fried foods, alcohol, citrus fruits and spices) and more foods giving relief (milk, bread) compared with control orthopaedic patients.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1986

A time for differentiation. The use of a systems approach with adolescents in community-based agencies.

Many social workers have found great difficulty in applying family therapy to the context of Social Services Departments. This article suggests some reasons why this is so and also looks at some of the ways that workers within Social Services can use a more broad based systems approach to exert a positive and effective influence both on the families they work with and the agency systems they work for. The involvement of social workers with adolescents provides an important focus for illustrating how this approach can be used successfully. These ideas were developed from the experience of the author as an unsuccessful family therapist within one local authority and a successful systemic social worker within another.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Bone remodeling phenomena in flexible implant arthroplasty in the metacarpophalangeal joints. Long-term study.

The durability of any implant procedure is related to the host bone tolerance. This can be evaluated in part by measuring the cortical bone thickness around the device. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term bone response to silicone implants at the metacarpophalangeal joint level in a series of 133 digits with a minimum of five years of follow-up evaluation. A method of bone morphometry that can measure cortical bone thickness on radiograms was used. Bone remodeling resulted in the formation of a newly formed cortical bony shell around the implant stems and maintenance of the shape of the cut end of the bone with thickening of the cortical bone at the metacarpal and phalangeal metaphysis. Thickening of the phalangeal midshaft was also present. A postoperative decrease of the metacarpal midshaft cortical bone thickness was related to the surgical reaming and remained permanently. Compared with the initial postoperative length, there was no shortening of the proximal phalanx and an average shortening of 9.1% in the metacarpal. The shape of the cortical bone in implant resection arthroplasty can be maintained and the bone thickness increased.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Individual variability of radionuclide ventriculography in stable coronary artery disease patients over one year.

To determine the individual reproducibility of radionuclide ventriculography over an extended period of time, 33 patients with stable coronary artery disease were studied at rest and during three stages of exercise on two occasions separated by 1 year. The individual interstudy variability of ejection fraction (EF), end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume, and cardiac output was determined by calculating the mean and standard deviation of the difference between the individual studies (initial - 1 year). Despite high correlations between an EF measured at study 1 and study 2 of 0.96 at rest and 0.87 during maximal exercise, the individual interstudy difference was 0.01 +/- 0.04 and -0.02 +/- 0.09, respectively. The correlation of percent change in EF from rest to maximal exercise was 0.49 and the individual interstudy differences was -1.2 +/- 19%. Correlations of the EDV were 0.81 at rest and 0.72 during maximal exercise while the individual difference was 0.7 +/- 38 and -0.8 +/- 49 ml, respectively. Considering two standard deviations as the confidence limits for a true change, an EF change of 8 EF units (0.08) at rest and 18 (0.18) during exercise, and EDV changes of approximately 100 ml are needed in an individual to state with confidence that the observed difference between the two studies are true changes and not the result of technologic variability. Because of the large individual interstudy variability in EF and volume measurement, caution must be taken in assuming that any change over a year is due to more than technique variability.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Ontogeny of B cell precursors responding to alpha 1- greater than 3 dextran in BALB/c mice.

The ontogeny of BALB/c B cell repertoire with specificity for alpha 1- greater than 3 dextran (DEX) was examined by using monoclonal anti-idiotype antibodies (MAID). Anti-DEX B cell precursors were absent from donor mice that were less than 5 days old. Precursors were first detected in mice from 5 to 11 days of age, but at a very low frequency of less than 1 in 10(8). In older mice, the frequency of anti-DEX precursors increased to approximately adult levels. Seventy-five percent of splenic foci from 5 to 11-day-old donors expressed IgA, and 70% expressed both IgM and IgA. The frequency of DEX-positive foci containing secreted IgA and IgM-IgA decreased as the age of the donors increased. The frequency of IgM-secreting foci remained constant at about 90% of DEX-positive foci regardless of donor age. The frequency of the MAID-defined cross-reactive idiotype CD3-2 and the EB3-16 idiotype changed very little in frequency with age, whereas the EB3-7 and LA4-8 idiotypes increased in frequency as donor age increased. Conversely, the SJL18-1 idiotope that was predominant at days 5 to 11 decreased in frequency relative to total DEX-positive foci as the age of the donors increased. The ratio of M104E-like and J558-like molecules from neonatal B cell precursors is reversed from that expressed by adult B cell precursors, and may reflect the preferential expansion of precursors bearing certain idiotypes by environmental antigens.

Aging↗
PubMed1981

Antiphosphocholine antibodies found in normal mouse serum are protective against intravenous infection with type 3 streptococcus pneumoniae.

The antiphosphocholine (PC) antibody in normal mouse sera (NMS) provides protection against intravenous infection with encapsulated strain WU2 of type 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae. Mice unable to make anti-PC antibody, as a result of suppression with anti-T-15 idiotype or inheritance of the xid gene of CAB/N mice, are highly susceptible to infection with strain WU2. Mice inheriting the xid gene can be protected with NMS from immunologically normal mice or with IgM hybridoma anti-PC antibody. The protective effect of NMS can be removed with PC-containing immunoabsorbents.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

DNA synthesis and secretory activity in parathyroid adenomas.

DNA synthesis was measured in vitro by incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA in 42 parathyroid chief cell adenomas immediately after surgical removal. The results ranged from 18 to 185 DPM/microgram DNA and showed a positive correlation with pre-operative values for serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (r = + 0.47; P < 0.001) and plasma calcium (r = + 0.35; P < 0.05). There was no correlation between DNA synthesis and tumour weight or mean diameter of tumour cell nuclei. The results suggest that DNA synthesis and cell division in parathyroid adenomas are determined in part by the secretory activity of the tumour. DNA synthesis measured on one occasion is not necessarily an overall index of tumour growth.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1981

Anti-immunoglobulin antibodies. II. Expression of individual and cross-reactive idiotypes on syngeneic and homologous anti-idiotype antibodies.

Syngeneic anti-(anti-Id) antibodies were prepared against BALB/c anti-A48Id antibodies, BALB/c anti-460Id monoclonal antibodies, and A/J anti-J558 IdI monoclonal antibodies. With these anti-(anti-Id) antibodies we identified cross-reactive idiotypes on syngeneic and homologous anti-A48Id and anti-460Id antibodies. By contrast, tbe idiotypic determinants of A/J anti-J558 IdI monoclonal antibodies were not shared by other syngeneic, homologous, or xenogenic anti-J558 IdI or IdX antibodies. These results suggest that idiotype-antiidiotype reactions that serve as regulatory controls within the immune system are characteristic for each particular antigen system, strain, or species and that such interactions make the system self-limited with respect to the whole antild repertoire.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in immature B cells.

Two types of immature B cells, namely fetal liver hybridomas and the leukemic cell line 70Z/3, both of which have cytoplasmic mu chains but no light chains, were examined for DNA rearrangements of their light chain and heavy chain immunoglobulin genes. In the fetal liver hybridomas, which were constructed from fetal liver cells and a tumor cell, no light chain gene rearrangement was observed, whereas in the 70Z/3 cell line a kappa light chain rearrangement probably occurred. The results suggest that, although the lack of light chain synthesis can be due to a lack of gene rearrangement, there may also be transcriptional regulation, which may also be important for the expression of light chain immunoglobulins in immature B cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Spontaneous cytotoxicity of cultured human cell lines mediated by normal peripheral blood lymphocytes. III. Kinetic parameters.

The mechanism of spontaneous cell-mediated cytotoxicity (SCMC) of cultured cell lines has been investigated and compared with antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCMC) by detailed kinetic analysis. The mechanism of SCMC resembles that of an enzyme, as does ADCMC where effector cells are analogous to an enzyme and the 51Cr-labeled target cells are analogous to the substrate. Temporal kinetic studies revealed an induction period of about 1 hr before significant 51Cr release for SCMC, but not for ADCMC. This induction period is not due to differences in effector-target affinity between SCMC and ADCMC. On the basis of kinetic analysis it was shown that SCMC approaches simple Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics, allowing determination of a Michaelis constant, Km, and maximal velocity, Vmax, for the interaction between a given effector and target cell. The Km values thus determined were found to be identical for the lysis of several target cell lines of varying SCMC susceptibility to effector cells from a given donor, whereas Vmax values for lysis of different target cells varied considerably. However, effector cells isolated from the peripheral blood of different donors exhibited different Km values for the target cells tested. Moreover, the Km value obtained for ADCMC effected by a given donor's lymphocytes was found equal to the Km value obtained for SCMC by that donor.

Adult↗