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Biomedical subjects

James H Godbold

Publications and source records attributed to James H Godbold.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Polyoma virus infection is a prominent risk factor for bladder carcinoma in immunocompetent individuals.

Despite various reports of BK viral (BKV) DNA sequences or proteins in tumors of the urogenital tract, there has been no study statistically linking infection by this polyoma virus (PV) to tumor development. All PV are potential transforming viruses, the large T-antigen of which interacts with tumor suppressor proteins. Here, we have performed a cross-sectional study of 3,782 patients having had urine cytologic analyses, comparing those diagnosed with PV infection with those not so diagnosed. In order to focus on immunocompetent individuals, renal transplant patients, for whom a diagnosis of PV infection followed immunosuppressive therapy, were excluded. Among the 133 immunocompetent patients diagnosed with PV infection, the most frequently occurring neoplasms were bladder carcinoma (15.8%) and prostate carcinoma (3.8%). The incidence of bladder carcinoma was sufficient to statistically establish temporality in a two-sided test, linking a prior diagnosis of PV infection to a subsequent diagnosis of bladder carcinoma (odds ratio = 3.419, P < 0.001).

BK Virus↗
PubMed2005

Body burdens of mercury in lower Hudson River area anglers.

The Hudson River has been a federally designated Superfund site for over 20 years. Discharges of industrial waste and of treated and untreated sewage and atmospheric deposition have introduced mercury and other persistent pollutants to the Hudson River ecosystem. Despite New York and New Jersey health advisories, many local anglers and their family members continue to consume fish caught from the river. To evaluate associations between body burden of mercury and local fish consumption, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 191 anglers recruited from piers and fishing clubs. Participants were administered a questionnaire to obtain information on local fish consumption, and 65% (124 individuals) provided a blood sample used to determine mercury levels. Mercury levels ranged from below the limit of detection (0.75 ng/mL) to 24.0 ng/mL. Participants who reported eating locally caught fish had significantly higher levels of mercury (mean (M)=2.4 ng/mL, standard error (SE)=1.2) than anglers who never ate locally caught fish (M=1.3 ng/mL, SE=1.1). A positive dose-response pattern was also observed, where participants who reported eating locally caught fish more than once a week had higher mercury levels (M=2.6 ng/mL, SE=1.1) than anglers eating fish less frequently (M=2.0 ng/mL, SE=1.2) or never at all (M=1.3 ng/mL, SE=1.1). These findings indicate that consumption of fish caught from the lower Hudson River area is a route of human exposure to mercury for the angling community.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

The consequence of multiple re-excisions to obtain clear lumpectomy margins in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Microscopically clear lumpectomy margins are critical for optimizing local control with breast conservation for cancer. Re-excisions are often necessary to achieve clear surgical margins. Factors that contribute to nonnegative margins and necessitate re-excision may increase the risk of local recurrence. METHODS: Patients who were treated with breast conservation for breast cancers were identified from a prospective database maintained by one of the authors. Factors associated with local recurrence were evaluated in 459 consecutive patients with attention to the number of re-excisions required to obtain clear margins. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (5%) developed local recurrences at a mean follow-up of 78 months. In multivariate analysis, local recurrence was most significantly associated with the omission of radiotherapy (19% vs. 5%; relative risk [RR], 3.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-8.2), followed by young age (52 vs. 58; 95% confidence interval, -.83 to -10.6 years) and the number of re-excisions required to obtain clear margins (none, 4%; one, 7% [RR, 2.05; 95% confidence interval, .86-4.89]; two or more, 17% [RR, 5.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.44-18.8]). Tumor size, the number of involved nodes, pathology, and adjuvant chemotherapy were not significantly related to local recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of local recurrence after breast conservation for breast cancer increases progressively with the number of re-excisions needed to achieve clear margins. Patients in whom the cancer is fully excised with clear margins in the first excision will have less of a chance of local recurrence compared with patients who need further re-excision to achieve clear margins.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Identification of mammaglobin as a novel serum marker for breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Early detection of breast cancer has implications for the management and treatment of patients with this disease. Currently, there exist no highly sensitive and specific serologic biomarkers for detection of breast cancer. Mammaglobin is predicted to be a secreted protein, and expression of this gene seems to be highly specific in breast cancer. The present studies were undertaken to develop the mammaglobin protein as a serum biomarker for detection of breast cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We characterized the mammaglobin protein as a secreted, 14- to 21-kDa species, which is likely post-translationally processed based on its predicted 7-kDa size. Immunostaining for mammaglobin was conducted. An ELISA was developed for the detection of the mammaglobin protein in serum, and levels were compared between women with and without breast cancer. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to show sensitivity and specificity for cut points on the continuous mammaglobin scale. RESULTS: The protein was detectable by immunostaining in 72% of breast tumors and not in other tumor types. The ELISA was highly sensitive and specific for detection of mammaglobin protein in tissue culture fluids of breast cancer cells and sera of breast cancer patients. The ELISA differentiated healthy women from those with breast cancer with accurate, repeatable results across time and under varying storage conditions. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that mammaglobin, as measured by the ELISA, holds significant promise for breast cancer screening with the realistic potential to impact management of this disease.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

In utero pesticide exposure, maternal paraoxonase activity, and head circumference.

Although the use of pesticides in inner-city homes of the United States is of considerable magnitude, little is known about the potentially adverse health effects of such exposure. Recent animal data suggest that exposure to pesticides during pregnancy and early life may impair growth and neurodevelopment in the offspring. To investigate the relationship among prenatal pesticide exposure, paraoxonase (PON1) polymorphisms and enzyme activity, and infant growth and neurodevelopment, we are conducting a prospective, multiethnic cohort study of mothers and infants delivered at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. In this report we evaluate the effects of pesticide exposure on birth weight, length, head circumference, and gestational age among 404 births between May 1998 and May 2002. Pesticide exposure was assessed by a prenatal questionnaire administered to the mothers during the early third trimester as well as by analysis of maternal urinary pentachlorophenol levels and maternal metabolites of chlorpyrifos and pyrethroids. Neither the questionnaire data nor the pesticide metabolite levels were associated with any of the fetal growth indices or gestational age. However, when the level of maternal PON1 activity was taken into account, maternal levels of chlorpyrifos above the limit of detection coupled with low maternal PON1 activity were associated with a significant but small reduction in head circumference. In addition, maternal PON1 levels alone, but not PON1 genetic polymorphisms, were associated with reduced head size. Because small head size has been found to be predictive of subsequent cognitive ability, these data suggest that chlorpyrifos may have a detrimental effect on fetal neurodevelopment among mothers who exhibit low PON1 activity.

Adult↗