Biomedical subjects

J Lin

Publications and source records attributed to J Lin.

At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Development of genetic vaccines for pathogenic genes: construction of attenuated vif DNA immunization cassettes.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a putative immunization cassette using HIV-1 vif accessory gene derived from HIV-1 clinical specimens as a component of a DNA vaccine for HIV-1. METHODS: vif genes were cloned from HIV-1-infected patients and the sequence variation present within the patients was analyzed. Prototypic genetic variants were selected and the ability of these clones to induce humoral and cellular immune responses was studied in animals. The selected protective genetic variants were biologically characterized through transcomplementation assays using primary cells infected with a vif-defective HIV-1 proviral clone. RESULTS: Analysis of vif variants from different patients revealed that vif is highly conserved with the open reading frame remaining intact in vivo. It was shown that attenuated vif clones from HIV-1-infected subjects can effectively induce both humoral and cellular responses against Vif protein in mice. Evaluation of the cellular responses in vitro using human cellular targets infected with a clinical HIV-1 isolate showed that vif clones could induce cellular responses capable of destroying the virus. CONCLUSIONS: The vif variants developed in this study exhibited non-productive phenotypes, yet were capable of inducing specific immune responses against HIV-1. These constructs could be used as part of a DNA vaccine strategy for HIV-1. This vaccine adaptation strategy could be used for the development of immunogens for any pathogen resulting in cross-reactive immunity and attenuated gene pathogenesis.

AIDS Vaccines↗

PubMed1997

False aneurysm with median nerve palsy after iatrogenic brachial artery puncture.

We report on a case in which a patient on oral anticoagulation for her aortic valve replacement, with an International Normalised Ratio of 2.13, developed a false aneurysm of the brachial artery after a routine arterial puncture, despite direct pressure to the aspiration site. The false aneurysm was complicated by the development of median nerve palsy.

Aneurysm, False↗

PubMed1997

Three new members of the mouse prolactin/growth hormone family are homologous to proteins expressed in the rat.

A search of a mouse expressed sequence tag database for novel messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in the PRL/GH family has identified three clones that are homologous to the rat PRL-like protein A (PLP-A), PRL-like protein B (PLP-B), and decidual/trophoblast PRL-related protein (d/tPRP). Full-length complementary DNA clones for each of these three mouse mRNAs have been sequenced. Mouse PLP-A is predicted to be synthesized as a precursor of 227 residues and secreted as a glycoprotein of 196 amino acids; the secreted protein shares 78% identity with rat PLP-A. The open reading frame for mouse PLP-B encodes a protein of 230 residues; the putative mature glycoprotein of 201 amino acids is 66% identical to rat PLP-B. The third mouse complementary DNA clone encodes a precursor protein of 240 residues and a secreted glycoprotein of 211 amino acids with 64% identity to rat d/tPRP. All three mouse mRNAs are expressed specifically in the placenta or decidua. The highest levels of the PLP-A mRNA are detected on day 12, at which time expression is localized to a subset of trophoblast giant cells, especially those cells that line maternal blood sinuses. PLP-B mRNA levels are high on day 10 in decidual cells and on day 12 in spongiotrophoblasts. The mRNA similar to rat d/tPRP is present at high levels even earlier in gestation (day 8) and is localized to the decidual layer. The identification of PRL-related mRNAs in common between the mouse and rat indicates that the encoded hormones are evolutionarily conserved and, therefore, likely to play important roles in reproductive physiology.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Two novel members of the prolactin/growth hormone family are expressed in the mouse placenta.

Two novel members of the mouse PRL/GH family have been identified through a search of an expressed sequence tag database. The encoded proteins do not appear to be homologs of other known members of this hormone family. One of these proteins, designated PRL-like protein E (PLP-E), is predicted to be synthesized as a precursor of 265 amino acids, modified by N-linked glycosylation, and secreted as a mature glycoprotein of 236 residues. The second clone encodes a protein of 253 residues with consensus sites for N-linked glycosylation; the secreted form of the protein, designated PRL-like protein F (PLP-F), is predicted to be 223 amino acids in length. Both of these messenger RNAs are expressed specifically in the placenta, with peak levels of PLP-E on days 10-12 and of PLP-F on days 14-16. Expression of PLP-E is restricted to the trophoblast giant cells, whereas PLP-F is synthesized only in the spongiotrophoblasts. The genes for both of these proteins map to a 700-kilobase region of mouse chromosome 13 that includes other members of the PRL/GH family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

A home electrocardiography and blood pressure telemonitoring system.

A home electrocardiography (ECG) and blood pressure telemonitoring system for cardiac patients was installed in the Macau region. The monitoring centre was established in the emergency unit at the Government Hospital of Macau. The first users were 10 cardiovascular patients selected by a physician. The average age of these users was 61 years (range 30-78). The results of a three-month trial showed that the system was easy to operate and technically reliable. It was found to be helpful for cardiac patients. The most significant problem during the trial was electrical noise from the ECG electrodes.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Effects of diet and exercise in preventing NIDDM in people with impaired glucose tolerance. The Da Qing IGT and Diabetes Study.

OBJECTIVE: Individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) have a high risk of developing NIDDM. The purpose of this study was to determine whether diet and exercise interventions in those with IGT may delay the development of NIDDM, i.e., reduce the incidence of NIDDM, and thereby reduce the overall incidence of diabetic complications, such as cardiovascular, renal, and retinal disease, and the excess mortality attributable to these complications. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In 1986, 110,660 men and women from 33 health care clinics in the city of Da Qing, China, were screened for IGT and NIDDM. Of these individuals, 577 were classified (using World Health Organization criteria) as having IGT. Subjects were randomized by clinic into a clinical trial, either to a control group or to one of three active treatment groups: diet only, exercise only, or diet plus exercise. Follow-up evaluation examinations were conducted at 2-year intervals over a 6-year period to identify subjects who developed NIDDM. Cox's proportional hazard analysis was used to determine if the incidence of NIDDM varied by treatment assignment. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of diabetes at 6 years was 67.7% (95% CI, 59.8-75.2) in the control group compared with 43.8% (95% CI, 35.5-52.3) in the diet group, 41.1% (95% CI, 33.4-49.4) in the exercise group, and 46.0% (95% CI, 37.3-54.7) in the diet-plus-exercise group (P < 0.05). When analyzed by clinic, each of the active intervention groups differed significantly from the control clinics (P < 0.05). The relative decrease in rate of development of diabetes in the active treatment groups was similar when subjects were stratified as lean or overweight (BMI < or > or = 25 kg/m2). In a proportional hazards analysis adjusted for differences in baseline BMI and fasting glucose, the diet, exercise, and diet-plus-exercise interventions were associated with 31% (P < 0.03), 46% (P < 0.0005), and 42% (P < 0.005) reductions in risk of developing diabetes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Diet and/or exercise interventions led to a significant decrease in the incidence of diabetes over a 6-year period among those with IGT.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Dexamethasone inhibits mucous glycoprotein secretion via a phospholipase A2-dependent mechanism in cultured chinchilla middle ear epithelial cells.

Inhibition or attenuation of mucous hypersecretion in middle ear epithelium is a key step toward resolution of mucoid otitis media. Mucous hypersecretion induced by platelet-activating factor (PAF) in cultured Chinchilla middle ear epithelial cells is dependent on arachidonic acid metabolites via PAF receptors, suggestive of the role of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in mucous glycoprotein (MGP) secretion. In this study, dexamethasone added to cultured Chinchilla middle ear epithelial cells inhibited baseline and PAF-induced MGP secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. A definite time lag (16 h) was observed between administration of dexamethasone and MGP inhibition. This inhibition was reversed by the addition of exogenous PLA2 (the rate-limiting enzyme of arachidonic acid metabolism) and actinomycin D (an inhibitor of mRNA synthesis). This suggests that dexamethasone inhibits baseline and PAF-induced MGP secretion via a PLA2-dependent mechanism.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

An evaluation of the functional status of the residents of a geriatric residential facility in South Africa.

An increase in dependent elderly people together with a change in social structure from extended to nuclear families is resulting in institutionalization of the elderly. Since training of health care personnel is not keeping pace with the demands for health care, many institutions for the elderly are forced to function without the necessary health personnel. The purpose of the present study was to examine the functional status of the residents of one geriatric facility without health care personnel in Durban, South Africa. Functional status of each of the 101 residents was assessed using the Barthel Index. The results show that although overall Barthel Index scores showed that ageing or pathology did not influence numbers of functional elderly, individual analysis of items indicated that the majority of the residents could not perform basic functional tasks like feeding, bathing and climbing stairs.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1997

[Comparison between radiotherapy and radiotherapy after laser operation and neck block dissection in the treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer].

Two groups of patients who suffered from nasopharyngeal carcinoma were treated by different methods. Group one of 67 patients accepted radiotherapy after laser operation and neck block dissection. Group two of 42 patients were treated by radiotherapy only. The survival rate after five years was 76.1% in group one, and 46.9% in group two. The curative results showed that group one was superior to group two. Nd: YAG laser treatment of the original lesion followed by neck block dissection of the metastatic lymph nodes and radiotherapy can yet be regasded as a new method.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

[The results of questionnaire of basic concepts about asthma management and prevention for respiratory professionals in Beijing's hospitals at different levels].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the information of basic concepts about asthma management and prevention collected from respiralogy professionals in Beijing's hospitals at different levels and provide the basis of drawing up a work plan for Asthma Management and Prevention Committee. METHODS: Fifty-five hospitals including municipal hospitals, urban district hospitals and county hospitals of suburban district were involved and four hundred and thirty-six respiralogy professionals consisting of resident physician and physician-in-charge were asked using questionnaire method. RESULTS: The respiralogy professionals at different level hospitals have some confused ideas in the definition of asthma, the importance of inhalation and anti-inflammatory therapy and the value of peak flow meter. The results of quetionnaire of respiralogy professionals in municipal hospitals were superior to that in urban district hospitals and county hospitals of suburban district. CONCLUSION: The physician education of asthma management and prevention is an important task. Special attention should be paid on the hospitals at basic level.

Asthma↗

PubMed1997

[Limitations of the common pre-processing method in the signal-averaged electrocardiogram].

The isolation of the micro potentials from electrocardiogram using coherence averaging technique requires perfect signal alignment. The purpose of this paper was to assess the reliability of the maximum correlation coefficient (MCC) method by computer simulation. The ability of signal recognition, the impacts of correlation-window-width and threshold on accuracy of temporal alignment and on averaged results were analyzed. The results showed that the MCC method was totally insensitive to amplitude variation and relatively insensitive to the duration variation. In the process of signal alignment, the narrower correlation-window-width, the less sensitivity of the maximum correlation coefficient to the misalignment would be. With the threshold of 0.99, the window-width of both 40 and 100 ms induced the deformation on averaged result in time and frequency domain. The simulation results suggested that the deficiencies of MCC method could impose serious limitations on reliability of isolating the atrial and ventricular late potentials.

Computer Simulation↗

PubMed1997

[Painful mild scoliosis in the elderly].

We followed up and analysised 25 patients with slight painful scoliosis including symptoms, signs, images, as well as treatment and effects. The results showed that the mild scoliosis with rotation in lumbar and thoracic-lumbar region will develop and aggraviate with age. In the elderly, it may cause severe low-back pain intermittent claudication and neurological defect of lower extremities due to stenosis and spondylolethesis. We think this kind of patients should be treated with the anterior Zielke operation in early stage in order to correct rotation and prevent the later stage problems. If the symptoms and signs as described above have occured, surgical decompression and internal fixation should be recommended, the operative treatment is more effective than the non-operative treatment.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

[beta-Endorphin enhances IL-2 and IFN-gamma gene expression in human blood mononuclear cells].

The effect of beta-endorphin (beta-END) stimulation of cytokines production by PHA-induced human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was studied by reverse transcription in combination with polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR), slot blotting and hybridization to detect and measure messenger RNA (mRNA). beta-END significantly and dose dependently enhanced IFN-gamma and IL-2 mRNA expression of T cells and naloxone (Nal) reversed the effect of beta-END on IL-2 mRNA expression. The results further demonstrate the important link between the neural system and the immune system.

Dose-Response Relationship, Drug↗

PubMed1997

[Spinal segment distribution of neural innervation related houhai acupoint--studied by CB-HRP tracing method focused on observation of the dendrites of spinal motor neurons].

The spinal segment distribution of neural innervation related Houhai acupoint in rats has been investigted by using horseradish peroxidase conjugated cholera toxin B subunit (CB-HRP) tracing technique. Spinal motoneurons (Mn) in L6-S1 were labeled retrogradely by CB-HRP, and their features have been characterized: 1) their marginal plexus of the dendrites radially projected to the lateral and/or anterior funiculus and their distal portions forming subpial dendritic plexus; 2) the medial dendrites ran along the ventral margin of the gray commissure and their distal portions surrounded the central canal' forming a subependymal dendritic plexus. Both of them are Golgi-phobic. Some distal branches of dendrites penetrated to the contralateral gray matter. The dendritic arbors of the labeled motoneurons in the group of electro-acupuncture or group of acupoint-inoculation with sheep red blood cells contracted in comparison with that in the normal control group. The primary sensory transganglionic labeled fibers and preterminal fibers revealed by CB-HRP in the dorsal horn and dorsal commissural nucleus of the spinal cord (L5-S2) converged and overlaped with the dendrites of retrogradely labeled motoneurons. The results indicated there is a reflect circuit of afferent-integration-efferent neuro-network in the spinal cord related Houhai acupoint. The Mns retrogradely labeled by CB-HRP in the L6-S1 segments might be involved in Houhai acupuncture.

Acupuncture Points↗

PubMed1997

[IL-2, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with multiple sclerosis].

We determined the cytokine messenger RNA (mRNA) expression patterns of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 17 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 11 normal controls, by using a quantitative reverse transcription in combination with polymerase reaction (RT/PCR) and Southern blot hybridization method. A significantly higher levels of IL-2, IFN-gamma mRNA in patient with MS compared to normal controls and significantly higher level of expressions of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha mRNA were detected in active MS patients compared to those with stable desease (P < 0.05). These data further support the central role of some cytokines in the pathophysiology of this autoimmune disease.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

[The use of "self-locking" artificial vertebral prosthesis in surgical treatment for spinal tumor].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of "self-locking" artificial vertebral prosthesis in surgical treatment for spinal tumor. METHODS: From 1992 to 1996, 14 cases with spinal tumor and paraplegia were treated with "self locking" artificial vertebral prosthesis designed by one of the authors (Ye Qibin) in our department. There were malignant giant cell tumor 2 cases; myeloma 4 cases; metastatic tumor 4 cases and one each with chondrosarcoma, malignant fibrous histocytoma, fibrosarcoma, hemangioma. After radical resection of the tumor and thorough decompression, the vertebral prosthesis was applied to reconstruct the spinal stability. Adjunctive chemotherapy or/and radiotherapy was given postoperatively. RESULTS: At the average follow-up period of 20.6 months 10 cases are still alive, 5 of them had survived for more than 2 years. 4 cases died with the average survival period of 19.8 months after operation. Almost all the patients obtained the improvement of the quality of the life with relative pain-free and intact neurologic function after operation. CONCLUSION: With "self-locking" artificial vertebral prosthesis after thorough anterior resection of spinal tumor, it is possible to provide solid internal fixation to reconstruct the spinal stability.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

[Total knee replacement of severe flexion contracture deformities greater than 60 degree].

The technique of total knee arthroplasty for the patients with severe flexion contractures of more than 60 degrees is not clear. Recently, We have performed 37 total knee arthroplasties in 23 patients with flexion contracture of more than 60 degrees (average 77.97 degrees). Among them, 14 knees (37.9%) with flexion contracture of more than 90 degrees, and 7 knees (18.0%) with 90 degrees flexion fusion deformities. Significant improvements occurred after averaged 4.3-year follow-up. Complications occurred in four patients: three had transient peroneal-nerve palsy, and one had temporary circulatory disturbance of the lower extremity. They recovered after conservative therapy. We consider that severe flexion contracture of more than 60 degrees is not a contraindication of TKR. Staged bone resection and thoroughly soft-tissue release of the posterior capsule and collateral ligament balance were the critical procedure. If necessary, additional distal femoral condyle resection with posterior cruciate ligment sacrifice can be considered.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

[One-stage reimplantation for the salvage of total knee arthroplasty complicated by infection].

One-stage reimplantation for the salvage of infected total knee arthroplasty in 8 patients was reviewed at an average follow-up of 20.1 months late infections occurred in 7 (87.5%) patients. The timing of the diagnosis of the infection after knee arthroplasty was of the prosthesis averaged 11.5 months. No one had recurrent infection and pain was relieved significantly in all patients. Our results suggest that one-stage reimplantation is a reasonably reliable procedure for the management of an infected prosthesis. The use of Gentamicin-impregnated bone cement and the Streptomicin bead mixed with Gentamicin improve the success of treating or preventing recurrence of the infection. Early one-stage reimplantation was needed as soon as the deep infection was defined in order to decrease more destruction of the bone.

Adult↗