Hepatitis E virus and posttransfusion hepatitis.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
J T Lin
Publications and source records attributed to J T Lin.
Surgical treatment of axillary osmidrosis: an analysis of 343 cases.
From July of 1986 to July of 1992, 343 patients have received surgery for axillary osmidrosis by partially removing skin and cellular tissue en bloc and removing the subcutaneous cellular tissue of the adjacent area. A total of 102 patients were followed for 4 months to 6 years, with an average of 32 months. The total satisfaction rate was 91 percent (93 of 102). The wound complication rate was 6.715 percent (46 of 685). There were no scar contractures or limitations of arm abduction. In this paper we emphasize three merits of our procedure. One is that partially removing the skin promises definite excision of more than half the eccrine glands which were located in the dermis of the operative field. The second merit is good exploration for undermining and defatting of the under-surface of the adjacent area. The third merit is a low wound complication rate because the width of the skin excision is less than 3 cm. Therefore, partial removal of skin and cellular tissue en bloc and the subcutaneous cellular tissue of the adjacent area is the choice for surgical treatment for axillary osmidrosis.
Adolescent↗
Fatty acid biosynthesis in novel ufa mutants of Neurospora crassa.
New mutants of Neurospora crassa having the ufa phenotype have been isolated. Two of these mutants, like previously identified ufa mutants, require an unsaturated fatty acid for growth and are almost completely blocked in the de novo synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. The new mutations map to a different chromosomal location than previously characterized ufa mutations. This implies that at least one additional genetic locus controls the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in Neurospora.
Chromatography↗
Identification and structure of the nasR gene encoding a nitrate- and nitrite-responsive positive regulator of nasFEDCBA (nitrate assimilation) operon expression in Klebsiella pneumoniae M5al.
Klebsiella pneumoniae can use nitrate and nitrite as sole nitrogen sources through the nitrate assimilatory pathway. The structural genes for assimilatory nitrate and nitrite reductases together with genes necessary for nitrate transport form an operon, nasFEDCBA. Expression of the nasF operon is regulated both by general nitrogen control and also by nitrate or nitrite induction. We have identified a gene, nasR, that is necessary for nitrate and nitrite induction. The nasR gene, located immediately upstream of the nasFEDCBA operon, encodes a 44-kDa protein. The NasR protein shares carboxyl-terminal sequence similarity with the AmiR protein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the positive regulator of amiE (aliphatic amidase) gene expression. In addition, we present evidence that the nasF operon is not autogenously regulated.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
The nasFEDCBA operon for nitrate and nitrite assimilation in Klebsiella pneumoniae M5al.
Klebsiella pneumoniae can use nitrate and nitrite as sole nitrogen sources through the nitrate assimilation pathway. We previously identified structural genes for assimilatory nitrate and nitrite reductases, nasA and nasB, respectively. We report here our further identification of four genes, nasFEDC, upstream of the nasBA genes. The nasFEDCBA genes probably form an operon. Mutational and complementation analyses indicated that both the nasC and nasA genes are required for nitrate assimilation. The predicted NASC protein is homologous to a variety of NADH-dependent oxidoreductases. Thus, the NASC protein probably mediates electron transfer from NADH to the NASA protein, which contains the active site for nitrate reduction. The deduced NASF, NASE, and NASD proteins are homologous to the NRTA, NRTB, and NRTD proteins, respectively, that are involved in nitrate uptake in Synechococcus sp. (T. Omata, X. Andriesse, and A. Hirano, Mol. Gen. Genet. 236:193-202, 1993). Mutational and complementation studies indicated that the nasD gene is required for nitrate but not nitrite assimilation. By analogy with the Synechococcus nrt genes, we propose that the nasFED genes are involved in nitrate transport in K. pneumoniae.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
A human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-based retroviral vector system utilizing stable HIV-1 packaging cell lines.
We have constructed stable human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) packaging cell lines that when transfected with an HIV-based retroviral vector produce packaged vectors capable of transducing susceptible CD4+ cells. This HIV-1-based retroviral vector system has the potential for providing targeted delivery and regulated expression of immunogens or antiviral agents in CD4+ cells.
Animals↗
Effect of pilocarpine on propranolol-induced bronchoconstriction in asthma.
To investigate whether increased release of acetylcholine may be involved in propranolol-induced bronchoconstriction (PIB), the inhibitory effect of pilocarpine (Pilo), an agonist of M2-muscarinic receptors that in 11 stable asthmatic subjects. The bronchial responsiveness to Pilo was also measured in terms of Dmin, defined as the cumulative dose at the point where respiratory resistance (Rrs) began to increase. In PIB, the maximum increase in Rrs (Rrs max) after stopping inhalation for 1 min was measured. Atropine reversed PIB. After pilocarpine pretreatment at a dose equal to Dmin, Rrs max divided by baseline Rrs decreased significantly from 206.6 +/- 61.1 to 163.0 +/- 42.6% (mean +/- SD) (p = 0.001). The ratio of PIB (Rrs max/baseline Rrs) with Pilo to PIB without Pilo correlated inversely according to the pretreatment dose (Dmin) of Pilo (p < 0.05). These results suggest increased release of acetylcholine in PIB and that M2-muscarinic receptors are at least in part functioning in stable asthmatic airways.
Acetylcholine↗
[Gastric cancer in Taiwan].
The study of gastric cancer is important in clinical medicine as well as in public health. Environmental factors play an important role in gastric carcinogenesis and thus primary prevention is feasible after improvement of these factors. The 5-year survival rate of resected early gastric cancer is over 90% and this provides an excellent paradigm for secondary prevention. Though its mortality rate has declined since 1970, gastric cancer remains common and carries a high mortality in Taiwan where about 2,000 patients die of gastric cancer annually. The age-adjusted mortality is 16.54 and 8.16/100,000 for male and female, ranking the third and fourth cancer death respectively. Epidemiologic data disclose a positive association between gastric cancer and some dietary factors in Taiwan. However, the role of Helicobacter pylori infection and hereditary susceptibility should be elucidated in the future. Endoscopy with biopsy is an excellent method of the diagnosis of gastric cancer. However, its invasiveness makes it impractical as a screening tool and thus the proportion of early gastric cancer to gastric cancer remains as low as 30% in most reports. The value of lymph node dissection remains controversial although surgery is one of the most effective methods of eradicating gastric cancer. Overall, the 5 year survival rate is 24.5% to 54%. Laser therapy is usually reserved for patients with high operative risk and specific types of gastric cancer. To improve the survival results, development of a simple and economic screening program based on the epidemiologic results and utilization of noninvasive examinations such as serologic markers to diagnose and treat gastric cancer at its earliest stage deserves further study.
Female↗
[Eosinophilic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness].
In order to investigate the effects of accumulation and activation of eosinophils on the airway responsiveness we developed an animal model of eosinophilic airway inflammation by administration of polymyxin B. Bronchoalveolar lavage confirmed the presence of significantly increased numbers of eosinophils in polymyxin B-treated guinea pigs compared with that in saline-treated guinea pigs. Contrary to our expectation, no significant increase in airway responsiveness was obtained in polymyxin B-treated group. The results also showed that both intratracheal instillation and inhalation of FMLP to polymyxin B-treated guinea pigs enhance the airway responsiveness to intravenous 5-HT. The indice of eosinophil activation, EPO activity after the FMLP administration in polymyxin B-treated guinea pigs was significant increased. It suggested that accumulated eosinophils be highly activated. The results indicate that eosinophil accumulation does not necessarily cause AHR and accumulated eosinophil activation plays an important role in the development of AHR. Accumulated eosinophil activation would be one of the trigger for asthma attack.
Animals↗
Seroprevalence study of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with gastroduodenal diseases.
To investigate Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in subjects with and without gastroduodenal diseases in Taiwan, IgG antibodies to H. pylori were examined in 136 healthy volunteers, 101 patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia, 122 gastric ulcers, 119 duodenal ulcers, and 161 gastric adenocarcinomas. The seropositivity was highest in duodenal ulcers (87.4%) (p < 0.001, as compared to healthy volunteers), followed by gastric ulcers (76.2%) (p < 0.01, as compared to healthy volunteers), but similar among gastric adenocarcinomas (60.3%), healthy volunteers (58.8%), and patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia (55.5%). Higher acquisition of H. pylori in younger patients with duodenal and gastric ulcers suggests a strong association with H. pylori. No ulcer characteristics, including number, location, and activity, were significantly statistically associated with the seropositivity of H. pylori in gastric and duodenal ulcers. Similarly, the location, extent of invasion, and histology of gastric adenocarcinoma was not significantly statistically associated with the seropositivity of H. pylori.
Adenocarcinoma↗
Serological, histological and polymerase chain reaction studies of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.
The association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and gastric adenocarcinoma remains controversial. However, the prevalence of H. pylori infection in gastric adenocarcinoma varies with the method of detection used, eg, serology, histology, culture, and polymerase chain reaction. However, studies on gastric adenocarcinoma by these methods remain inconclusive. We compared the results of serology, histology, and polymerase chain reaction for detection of H. pylori infection in 12 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma to investigate the actual status of H. pylori infection in gastric adenocarcinoma. IgG antibodies to H. pylori were examined in the sera, and histology and polymerase chain reaction were used for identification of H. pylori on the resected gastric tissues of 12 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Among them. H. pylori infection was verified by serology in eight, polymerase chain reaction in seven, and histology in five. In all positive cases, H. pylori was identified only in the non-tumorous part of the gastric tissue. In all four seronegative patients, H. pylori was not present in any of the tissues examined by histology and polymerase chain reaction. We conclude that: 1) polymerase chain reaction is more sensitive than histology; 2) a good correlation between serology and polymerase chain reaction is found; and 3) H. pylori infection is absent in a proportion of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma identified by these methods.
Adenocarcinoma↗
Five-drug combination chemotherapy (FAPEL) for advanced gastric cancer: a pilot study.
To test if the incorporation of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin in a modified etoposide, doxorubicin, cisplatin (EAP) regimen could diminish its toxicity and improve its efficacy, 18 patients with far-advanced, unresectable gastric cancer, diagnosed at National Taiwan University Hospital between January 1991 and December 1992, were treated with a FAPEL combination chemotherapy. The regimen consisted of doxorubicin 25 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1, cisplatin 60 mg/m2 i.v. infusion on day 1, etoposide 60 mg/m2/day i.v. infusion on days 1-3, 5-fluorouracil 500 mg/m2/day i.v. on days 1-3, and leucovorin 50 mg/day i.v. on days 1-3; repeated every three to four weeks. The patients included nine metastatic, six locally advanced and inoperable, and three post-gastrectomy recurrent cancer patients with median Karnofsky performance status of 60%. There were 11 men and seven women with a median age of 52.5 years. The patients tolerated the treatment toxicity relatively well and received an average of 4.3 courses of chemotherapy. Most patients completed the protocol therapy except one who refused and another who died of leucopenic sepsis. Myelosuppression was the limiting toxicity, with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) grade 3-4 leucopenia developing in 35.9% and grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia developing in 11.5% of a total of 78 courses given. The overall objective response rate was 44.4% with 5.5% complete responses and 38.9% partial responses. The overall median survival was seven months (0.5-21 months). The median survival of responders and non-responders was 13 months (5-21 months) and three months (0.5-7 months), respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adenocarcinoma↗
Prospective, randomized study of H2-blocker and triple therapy for duodenal ulcer treatment and the eradication of Helicobacter pylori.
The efficacy of H2-blocker and triple therapy in curing duodenal ulcer was compared and the contribution of the eradication of Helicobacter pylori on ulcer remission was assessed. Forty-two duodenal ulcer patients infected with H. pylori were randomized to receive either H2-blocker therapy with famotidine (n = 21) or triple therapy with bismuth, amoxicillin, and metronidazole (n = 21). All patients received treatment for four weeks. Endoscopic evaluation of ulcer status and bacteriologic identification of H. pylori were performed at two, six and 12 months after therapy. Triple therapy had a similarly high healing rate to H2-blocker therapy (100% vs 90.5%) at two months of follow-up. However, at 12 months of follow-up, the ulcer remission rate in the triple therapy group (94.4%) was significantly higher than that of the H2-blocker therapy group (38.9%) (p < 0.05), resulting in the former therapy having a significantly lower rate of H. pylori infection compared to the latter (5.6% vs 100%, p < 0.005). Patients with persistent H. pylori infection at two months of follow-up had a significantly higher ulcer recurrence rate (64.7%) at 12 months than those without infection (5.3%) (p < 0.05). The success of triple therapy in ulcer remission may be attributed to the high eradication rate of H. pylori.
Adult↗
Biliary ascariasis: report of a case.
A 64-year-old female aborigine presented with acute cholangitis and obstructive jaundice for three days. Abdominal ultrasonography showed dilatation of the common bile duct, intrahepatic ducts and a linear tubular structure in the common bile duct. Duodenoscopy showed a live Ascaris protruding through the papilla of Vater, which was retracted endoscopically. Cholangitis improved dramatically after worm extraction and nasobiliary drainage. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography revealed another worm retained in the common bile duct. It disappeared spontaneously from the common bile duct one week later. The barium study of the intestine showed multiple filling defects in the terminal ileum. A total of five worms passed into the stool after treatment with pyrantel pamoate.
Ascariasis↗
Ligand binding, internalization, degradation and regulation by guanine nucleotides of bombesin receptor subtypes: a comparative study.
Recent cloning studies confirm two subtypes of Bn receptors exist, a neuromedin B-preferring receptor (NMB-R) and a gastrin-releasing peptide-preferring receptor (GRP-R). Both subtypes occur widely in GI tract and the CNS; however, in contrast to the GRP-R subtype little is known about the ligand-receptor interactions for the NMB-R. Therefore, in the present study we explored the ligand-receptor interactions including kinetics, stoichiometry, internalization, degradation and regulation by guanine nucleotide binding proteins with the NMB-R and compared it to the GRP-R. The rat glioblastoma C-6 cell line which possess functional NMB-R and 3T3 cells which possess functional GRP-R were used. 125I-[D-Tyr0]NMB and 125I-[Tyr4]Bn were prepared using Iodogen and purified on HPLC. At 37 degrees C binding of 125I-[D-Tyr0]NMB to NMB-R or 125I-[Tyr4]Bn to GRP-R was maximal by 5-15 min and decreased to 60-70% after 60 min. HPLC analysis of the 60 min supernatant showed that > 80% of each tracer was degraded. Addition of proteinase inhibitors had a varied inhibitory effect on degradation with the relative order of potency in C-6 cells being leupeptin > bacitracin < chymostatin > phosphoramidon >> bestatin and amastatin and 3T3 cells being bacitracin = phosphoramidon > leupeptin = bestatin > chymostatin > amastatin in 3T3 cells. By HPLC analysis addition of bacitracin prevented the degradation in both cell types. With both receptor subtypes dissociation of bound radioligands was slow, with 70-80% of either 125I-[D-Tyr0]NMB or 125I-[Tyr4]Bn remained cell-associated after 60 min suggesting possible peptide internalization. With an acid wash procedure to remove surface bound radioligands, 60% of the C-6 cell-associated 125I-[D-Tyr0]NMB and 52% of the 3T3 cell-associated 125I-[Tyr4]Bn were internalized after 30 min at 37 degrees C. With membranes from cells possessing either receptor subtype, the stable guanine nucleotide GPP(NH)P inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion binding of ligands. Computer analysis demonstrated that GPP(NH)P decreased receptor affinity for ligands to both receptor subtypes. These results demonstrated that NMB receptors, similar to GRP receptors and rapidly internalize bound agonists and rapidly degrade agonists. The ligand-receptor interaction is regulated by a guanine nucleotide binding protein for both Bn receptor subtypes.
Animals↗
Detection of Helicobacter pylori in gastric biopsy tissue by polymerase chain reaction.
To evaluate the sensitivity of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay using nested primers in detecting Helicobacter pylori, gastric tissue biopsy specimens were collected on endoscopy from 17 patients with a duodenal ulcer. DNA was extracted by phenol/chloroform treatment or boiling in water, and then subjected to a nested PCR using two primer pairs from the urease gene of Helicobacter pylori. Fourteen of the 17 patients were positive for Helicobacter pylori using DNA samples extracted by either method. The PCR results correlated well with the results of an enzyme immunoassay to detect IgG antibody. However, there were two culture negative patients. The three PCR negative patients were both culture negative and serologically negative. DNA from 9 of the 14 patients was randomly selected and subjected to semiquantification by serial dilutions, and then PCR. The results showed that phenol/chloroform extraction yielded 10-1000 times more DNA than the boiling method. It is concluded that the PCR assay is a rapid and sensitive method for detecting Helicobacter pylori, and that phenol/chloroform extraction is superior to simple boiling in obtaining DNA samples for PCR.
Antibodies, Bacterial↗
Direct DNA amplification and restriction pattern analysis of Helicobacter pylori in patients with duodenal ulcer and their families.
Sera from 14 patients with duodenal ulcer and their families were tested for IgG antibodies to Helicobacter pylori. Fourteen serologically negative patients and their families served as controls. Index patients and their family members who were serologically positive were advised to undergo endoscopic biopsy. Gastric biopsy tissues were subjected to HaeIII restriction analysis of nested polymerase chain reaction products of the urease gene. By serology, 28 (49.0%) of 57 in index families and 11 (27.5%) of 40 in control families tested positive. A higher prevalence rate was found in children of index patients (11/31, 35.5%) than in those of control patients (1/18, 5.6%; P < .05). On DNA analysis, 11 patterns were found in 13 patients, and 6 families underwent endoscopy. Children in 5 families exhibited identical patterns to those of their siblings and, in 3 of the 5 families, identical to the pattern of 1 of the parents. These results suggest that parent-to-child transmission and common infection source are probable causes of intrafamilial clustering of H. pylori.
Adult↗
Structures of genes nasA and nasB, encoding assimilatory nitrate and nitrite reductases in Klebsiella pneumoniae M5al.
Klebsiella pneumoniae can use nitrate and nitrite as sole nitrogen sources during aerobic growth. Assimilatory nitrate and nitrite reductases convert nitrate through nitrite to ammonium. We report here the molecular cloning of the nasA and nasB genes, which encode assimilatory nitrate and nitrite reductase, respectively. These genes are tightly linked and probably form a nasBA operon. In vivo protein expression and DNA sequence analysis revealed that the nasA and nasB genes encode 92- and 104-kDa proteins, respectively. The NASA polypeptide is homologous to other prokaryotic molybdoenzymes, and the NASB polypeptide is homologous to eukaryotic and prokaryotic NADH-nitrite reductases. The narL gene product positively regulates expression of the structural genes for respiratory nitrate reductase, narGHJI. Surprisingly, we found that the nasBA operon is tightly linked to the narL-narGHJI region in K. pneumoniae, even though the nitrate assimilatory and respiratory enzymes serve different physiological functions.
Amino Acid Sequence↗