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Biomedical subjects

K Caldwell

Publications and source records attributed to K Caldwell.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Relationship between maternal and neonatal levels of antibodies to 48 kDa SSB(La), 52 kDa SSA(Ro), and 60 kDa SSA(Ro) in pregnancies complicated by congenital heart block.

OBJECTIVE: Since there is suggestive but, to date, indirect evidence that maternal anti-SSA(Ro) and SSB(La) antibodies are pathogenic in congenital heart block (CHB), we explored the hypothesis that binding to fetal tissues would result in selective depletion of autoantibodies from the neonatal circulation. METHODS: Maternal and umbilical cord levels of anti-48 kDa SSB(La), anti-52 kDa SSA(Ro) and anti-60 kDa SSA(Ro) antibodies were measured by ELISA and immunoprecipitation at parturition in 15 pregnancies complicated by CHB. A control group consisted of 13 pregnancies in which the mother was known to have antibodies to either SSA(Ro) and/or SSB(La) and the children did not have CHB. RESULTS: The ratios of maternal to cord serum levels of anti-48 SSB(La), anti-52 SSA(Ro) and anti-60 kDa SSA(Ro) antibodies ranged from 0.71 to 2.38 in both affected and unaffected pregnancies. The mean ratio obtained for each of the 3 autoantibodies was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Moreover these ratios did not significantly differ from the mean ratios obtained for total IgG levels in either group. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that maternal antibodies to all components of the SSA(Ro) SSB(La) system are efficiently transported across the placenta and are not selectively depleted in the circulation of neonates with CHB.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1988

Disruption of the posterior pelvic ring caused by vertical shear.

Disruption of the posterior pelvic ring caused by vertical shearing forces is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We reviewed the intermediate results in 18 patients who had 20 disruptions of the posterior pelvic ring. Depending on the location of the injury, patients were treated by either skeletal traction or open reduction and internal fixation. Patients who had open reduction and internal fixation had a significantly shorter hospitalization, a shorter confinement to bed, a shorter time to full weight-bearing, and fewer early complications. In addition, on intermediate follow-up, these patients had less back and leg pain and fewer gait disturbances, and were more likely to be able to do heavy work. Further study is needed to determine whether these results will be preserved on long-term follow-up.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1986

Methanol levels in methylated spirit drinking alcoholics.

On three different occasions, blood samples sent to this laboratory from the accident and emergency department were found to contain potentially toxic amounts of methanol (30, 34 and 41 mmol/l) during analysis for ethanol by a gas chromatographic method. It is suggested that the simultaneous determination of both alcohols may be clinically important in methylated spirit drinking alcoholics.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Purified membrane fractions from mammary tumor cells elicit biological reactivity in in vitro cell-mediated immune reactions.

Lithium chloride (LiCl) aggregation followed by centrifugation through a sucrose step gradient was used to obtain purified plasma membranes from two sublines of mouse mammary adenocarcinoma. These two tumor lines were chemically induced by treatment of a hyperplastic nodule with 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA). One line, D1-DMBA-3, has been found to be immunogenic to the host of origin, while the other, D1-DMBA-2, does not elicit specific tumor immunity as previously tested in in vivo and in vitro immune reactions. The purified membrane fractions were assayed for protein, DNA and sialic acid content as well as enzymatic markers of membrane purity. When tested in blastogenesis and cytotoxicity reactions, membrane-containing fractions from the D1-DMBA-3 immunogenic tumor were found to be stimulatory to spleen cells of D1-DMBA-3 tumor bearers over a ten-fold protein concentration. Spleen cells from normal mice do not respond in these reactions to the various tumor fractions. No reactivity was observed when non-membrane-containing preparations were used as stimuli in the cell-mediated immune reactions. The specificity of these reactivities was further demonstrated by the lack of responses when fractions from the non-immunogenic D1-DMBA-2 tumor were tested in parallel in our in vitro assays. The data presented indicate that the procedure employed is useful for the isolation of membrane-associated, tumor-specific antigens which can be easily quantitated and still retain biological activity in in vitro tests of cell-mediated immunity.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Regulation of the synthesis of S-100 protein in rat glial cells.

The influence of serum on the synthesis of the nervous system specific S-100 protein has been investigated in the rat glial cell clone C61a. In sparse cells, where S-100 synthesis is low, removal of serum leads to a 2- to 3-fold increase of the rate of S-100 synthesis relative to total soluble cell protein. Measurements of S-100 content by radioimmunoassay showed that sparse cells are accumulating S-100 much more rapidly in the absence of serum. Our findings suggest that serum components inhibit the expression of S-100 synthesis in sparse cells by a concentration-dependent mechanism. This effect does not correlate directly with the reduced cellular growth rate in low serum or serum-free medium. Lipid-free medium, which has little growth-promoting activity, maintains the capacity to lower the rate of S-100 synthesis. A partially purified extract of platelets can substitute for serum in repressing the synthesis of the S-100 protein.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Mitogenic response to Toxocara antigen and chemotactic defect in visceral larva migrans.

A 3-year-old girl had the typical features of visceral larva migrans syndrome, including hypereosinophilia, recurrent pulmonary infiltrates, and elevated serum IgG, IgE, and isohemagglutinin titers. A marked mitogenic response of her cultured lymphocytes to Toxocara antigen but not to Ascaris antigen was found. A neutrophil chemotactic abnormality ot Escherichia coli culture filtrates and zymosan-activated sera was also demonstrated, which partially corrected after she was treated with diethylcarbamazine citrate.

Antigens↗
PubMed1976

Sperm diaphorase: genetic polymorphism of a sperm-specific enzyme in man.

Human sperm contains en enzyme with diaphorase activity that appears to be unique to sperm. Electrophoretic analysis of the diaphorase activity in sperm of different individuals reveals three phenotypic patterns. This polymorphism can be explained in terms of two alleles segregating at an autosomal locus; the allele frequencies have been determined to be 0.71 and 0.29. This appears to be the first reported example of a sperm-specific genetic polymorphism in man; its existence raises a number of genetic and biochemical questions.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Computerized color-vision test based upon postreceptoral channel sensitivities.

An automated, computerized color-vision test was designed to diagnose congenital red-green color-vision defects. The observer viewed a yellow appearing CRT screen. The principle was to measure increment thresholds for three different chromaticities, the background yellow, a red, and a green chromaticity. Spatial and temporal parameters were chosen to favor parvocellular pathway mediation of thresholds. Thresholds for the three test stimuli were estimated by four-alternative forced-choice (4AFC), randomly interleaved staircases. Four 1.5-deg, 4.2 cd/m2 square pedestals were arranged as a 2 x 2 matrix around the center of the display with 15-minute separations. A trial incremented all four squares by 1.0 cd/m2 for 133 ms. One randomly chosen square included an extra increment of a test chromaticity. The observer identified the different appearing square using the cursor. Administration time was approximately 5 minutes. Normal trichromats showed clear Sloan notch as defined by log (deltaY/deltaR), whereas red-green color defectives generally showed little or no Sloan notch, indicating that their thresholds were mediated by their luminance system, not by the chromatic system. Data from 107 normal trichromats showed a mean Sloan notch of 0.654 (SD = 0.123). Among 16 color-vision defectives tested (2 protanopes, 1 protanomal, 6 deuteranopes, & 7 deuteranomals), the Sloan notch was between -0.062 and 0.353 for deutans and was < -0.10 for protans. A sufficient number of color-defective observers have not yet been tested to determine whether the test can reliably discriminate between protans and deutans. Nevertheless, the current data show that the test can work as a quick diagnostic procedure (functional trichromatism or dichromatism) of red-green color-vision defect.

Automation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Homosexuality: a neglected issue in stoma care.

Problems of living with an altered body image following stoma surgery have long been recognised, but the specific needs of homosexual patients undergoing such surgery have been largely disregarded. This article examines the ways in which nurses can support their homosexual stoma clients.

Body Image↗