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Biomedical subjects

K B Baker

Publications and source records attributed to K B Baker.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Calcium carbonate apatite deposition in the cervical spine with associated vertebral destruction. Case report.

This 52-year-old woman developed crystal deposition disease involving the cervical vertebrae. She presented with symptomatic spinal cord compression secondary to extensive calcified lesions in the posterior elements of the cervical spine. Surgical decompression with posterior fusion was performed. Histological examination showed hardened deposits of calcium carbonate involving the soft tissue, and dissolution of the vertebral bone trabeculae. There was no inflammatory response to these deposits. One year postoperatively the patient developed severe pulmonary disease associated with the collagen-vascular disorder, scleroderma (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal hypomotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia [CREST] syndrome). Calcium carbonate deposition disease represents an unusual clinical entity that is possibly associated with scleroderma or other collagen-vascular diseases, and it is distinct from ligamentum flavum calcification, calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease, and hydroxyapatite deposition disease.

Apatites↗
PubMed1993

"Neutral allografts"--lack of allogeneic stimulation by cultured human cells expressing MHC class I and class II antigens.

Cultured human dermal fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, epidermal cells and endothelial cells were tested for immunogenicity in an in vitro allostimulation assay. Gamma interferon was used to induce MHC class II expression, since these cells constitutively express class I but not class II antigens. In contrast to human dermal fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells and epidermal cells, endothelial cells, were able to stimulate a significant proliferative response in normal allogeneic lymphocytes. Since ICAM-1 was also expressed on these cells, this inability to initiate allostimulation was probably not due to the absence of adhesion molecules. Addition of exogenous cytokines such as IL-1, IL-2, and TNF did not restore T cell proliferation in the test system. Therefore the inability of dermal fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and epidermal cells to initiate significant allostimulation was also not due to lack of cytokine production. It appears that certain cells lack as-yet-undefined costimulatory factors required for their effective recognition as foreign. These results support the notion that cultured human fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and epidermal cells could serve as building blocks of engineered "neutral allografts" for use across MHC barriers.

Antigenic Modulation↗
PubMed1982

Counter immunoelectrophoresis in the diagnosis and serological surveillance of swine vesicular disease.

A comparison of the counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) test for swine vesicular disease with serum neutralisation and double immunodiffusion is reported here. Two groups of sera were used in the comparison: one group (908 sera) was tested blind by CIEP and the other group (778 sera) comprised field samples from infected and suspect premises submitted routinely for swine vesicular disease confirmation. The CIEP test proved simple to perform and gave results within two hours. It was very economic in the use of reagents and its sensitivity, though less than that of the serum neutralisation test, compared favourably with the sensitivity of the double immunodiffusion test. No false positive results were detected out of the 1686 sera tested.

Animals↗