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Biomedical subjects

K King

Publications and source records attributed to K King.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Molecular cloning of a novel adenosine receptor gene from rat brain.

We have isolated an adenosine receptor gene (RA2) from a rat brain cDNA library. This novel rat adenosine receptor has 410 amino acids, as deduced from its base sequence, and shows 82% amino acid identity with the dog A2 receptor. Amino acid sequence analysis indicates that RA2 protein contains seven transmembrane domains and belongs to the G protein-coupled receptor family. The variations in amino acid sequences between RA2 protein and the dog A2 receptor are largely confined to the extracellular second loop and the carboxyl terminus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Notification of tuberculosis: how many cases are never reported?

BACKGROUND: Notification of tuberculosis is essential for local contact tracing and for assessing the national incidence of tuberculosis. The accuracy of notification figures is uncertain. This study examined the notification rates of all patients diagnosed as having tuberculosis at two hospitals in the East End of London over five years. METHODS: In a retrospective survey of all patients aged 16 years or more presenting with tuberculosis to the London Chest Hospital or the Royal London Hospital from 1 January 1985 to 31 December 1989, cases of tuberculosis were identified from microbiology and histology records, statutory notifications, necropsy reports, coroners' records, hospital activity data, and death certificates. Clinical data were obtained from case notes and notification was determined from the local authority notification lists. RESULTS: Six hundred and nine adult patients with tuberculosis were identified. Notes were available for 580 cases (95%), of which 426 (73%) had been notified. The proportion of cases notified varied according to the specialty of the clinician in charge of the patient at diagnosis. Patients with a past history of tuberculosis and those who died within one year were less likely to have had their tuberculosis notified. Age, race, and lack of microbial or histological confirmation of diagnosis did not influence the proportion of cases notified. One hundred and eighty five patients had smear positive sputum, but 25 of these cases (14%) were not notified. Eighty five patients who had presented with pulmonary tuberculosis did not have their disease notified; 20 (24%) had smear positive sputum. CONCLUSIONS: Many cases of tuberculosis are not notified (27%). Fourteen per cent of all sputum smear positive cases of tuberculosis were not notified, and these patients are a considerable public health risk. The true incidence of tuberculosis in the area studied is at least one third higher than current notification figures suggest.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Auditory and psychological factors in 'auditory disability with normal hearing'.

Patients who have 'Auditory Disability with Normal Hearing' (ADN) complain of hearing difficulties even although their hearing is audiometrically 'normal'. The auditory and psychological factors involved in ADN have been investigated by comparing 20 patients of employment age with 20 controls (matched for age, sex and socioeconomic group) on appropriate auditory tests and questionnaires. From the results it was concluded that both auditory and psychological factors are involved in ADN. The principal finding was that as a result of their problems with discriminating speech in noise, individuals with ADN have a tendency to anxiety, depression and loneliness. In addition the otological history of an individual was found to be important in the development of ADN. Finally, it was suggested that bad coping strategies may lead to increased anxiety in those with ADN.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of fetal cerebellar measurements by two different techniques.

We examined 53 fetuses between 15 and 40 weeks of gestation with transverse and coronal sections of the head in order to evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of the coronal cerebellar diameter. Intraobserver coefficient of variation was less than or equal to 2.2% and the mean interobserver difference was 2.2% (range, 0 to 6%). A positive linear correlation exists between transverse and coronal measurements (coronal diameter = 1.02 x transverse diameter - 0.48; R2 = 0.99; P less than 0.0001). We conclude that the coronal cerebellar diameter is reproducible and accurate and when indicated clinically can be used instead of the transverse cerebellar diameter when the latter is not obtainable because of fetal position.

Biometry↗
PubMed1992

Fetal weight-cerebellar diameter discordance as an indicator of asymmetrical fetal growth impairment.

In this study on the effect of fetal growth impairment < or = 25th percentile on the transverse cerebellar diameter and its relationship with other fetal biometric parameters, the sample comprised 50 women with singleton pregnancies referred for ultrasound evaluation because of clinically suspected intrauterine growth retardation. The cerebellar diameter of asymmetrically growth-impaired fetuses remained within the normal range although it was found to be reduced when compared with that of normal fetuses (4.4 +/- 0.9 versus 4.8 +/- 0.7, P < .05). Although other biometric parameters (biparietal diameter, femur length and abdominal and head circumferences) were also reduced in growth-impaired fetuses, the ratios of these biometric parameters to cerebellar diameter were similar to those of unaffected fetuses. Fetal weight was affected to a greater extent than the cerebellar diameter, leading to discordance between the two parameters. This discordance identified almost all asymmetrically growth-impaired fetuses with a sensitivity of 95.6% and specificity of 96.3%. In contrast, the ratio of head circumference to abdominal circumference remained normal in more than half of the fetuses. Fetal weight-to-cerebellar diameter discordance is a very sensitive and specific indicator of asymmetrical fetal growth impairment.

Biometry↗
PubMed1992

Concordance between clinician and patient assessment of physical and mental health status.

The degree of concordance between clinicians' and patients' assessment of the patient's physical and mental functioning was examined in 166 consecutive eligible outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using 4-category ordinal scales. The weighted kappa statistic was 0.39 for physical functioning and 0.30 for mental functioning, both indicating a fair degree of concordance. This disagreement differed in magnitude and direction depending on the level of disability present. We conclude that clinicians and their patients with RA often disagree in their assessment of the degree of physical and mental impairment that the patient experiences. These disagreements demonstrate the need for formal assessments of outcome and should be recognized and resolved when managing individual patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Incidence of systemic reactions during rush immunotherapy.

Rush immunotherapy (RIT) was administered on an outpatient basis to 11 patients. Of these, nine had asthma and four were steroid-dependent. All patients received extracts containing a mixture of antigens to which they were prick-sensitive. FEV1s were greater than 80% predicted before starting RIT. Four patients each required a 1 week steroid "burst" to accomplish this. A series of 8 subcutaneous injections were given starting with 0.3 mL of 1:100,000 (wt/vol) and ending with 0.10 mL of 1:100 (wt/vol) 1.5 days later. A dose of 0.15 mL of 1:100 was given weekly after that. All patients but one completed the RIT. Four had sore arms, four had pruritus and/or sneezing, four developed wheezing, and one experienced anaphylaxis with hypotension. Systemic reactions tended to occur at the higher doses and usually more than 30 minutes after a previous injection. Subsequent weekly injections were tolerated without reactions by seven of the patients. Rush immunotherapy is an effective method for administering a high dose of allergen in a very short time period. Due to the risk of systemic reactions it needs to be given under carefully controlled conditions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Treatment of fetal supraventricular tachycardia with flecainide acetate after digoxin failure.

Transplacentally administered digoxin is the drug of choice for the treatment of fetal supraventricular tachycardia. We describe a case of fetal supraventricular tachycardia associated with fetal hydrops that did not respond to digoxin treatment because of a lack of transplacental passage. In contrast, flecainide acetate crossed the placenta and cured the fetus. The clinical implications of this new treatment are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Control of yeast mating signal transduction by a mammalian beta 2-adrenergic receptor and Gs alpha subunit.

To facilitate functional and mechanistic studies of receptor-G protein interactions, [corrected] the human beta 2-adrenergic receptor (h beta-AR) has been expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This was achieved by placing a modified h beta-AR gene under control of the galactose-inducible GAL1 promoter. After induction by galactose, functional h beta-AR was expressed at a concentration several hundred times as great as that found in any human tissue. As determined from competitive ligand binding experiments, h beta-AR expressed in yeast displayed characteristic affinities, specificity, and stereoselectivity. Partial activation of the yeast pheromone response pathway by beta-adrenergic receptor agonists was achieved in cells coexpressing h beta-AR and a mammalian G protein (Gs) alpha subunit-demonstrating that these components can couple to each other and to downstream effectors when expressed in yeast. This in vivo reconstitution system provides a new approach for examining ligand binding and G protein coupling to cell surface receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

The ontogeny of feline temporal lobe epilepsy: kindling a spontaneous seizure disorder in kittens.

We describe the ontogeny of feline temporal lobe epilepsy after amygdala kindling in 24 cats, aged 2.5 months to over 1 year. In so doing, we report the first experimental model of spontaneous epilepsy in immature animals. Preadolescent kittens (n = 12 less than or equal to 6.5 months) are far more likely to develop epilepsy, indexed by spontaneous seizures, than are adult cats (n = 12 greater than 1 year). Moreover, youth accelerated the development of epilepsy. The younger the kitten at the beginning of kindling, the more probable and rapid the onset of spontaneous seizures. Failed postictal depression was the most reliable precursor of spontaneous seizures in immature cats. However, spontaneous epilepsy continued after postictal refractory periods stabilized and was still present when kittens matured to adulthood. Collectively, the results suggest that failed inhibition contributes to the onset of spontaneous epilepsy in immature animals but that other morphologic, physiological and/or chemical changes might sustain epilepsy afterwards.

Aging↗
PubMed1990

Strategies for enhancing compliance in the dialysis elderly.

Noncompliance must be viewed as a symptom of another problem or problems. Treatment plans should be developed based on an individualized assessment of the patient's physiologic functioning and psychosocial situation. It must be determined whether the patient is intentionally or unintentionally not complying. Staff must also be aware of how they impact compliance. While staff have a responsibility to maximize the individual's efforts to comply, it must be realized that the ultimate decision and responsibility rests with the patient.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Expansion of the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor family: cloning and characterization of a human alpha 2-adrenergic receptor subtype, the gene for which is located on chromosome 2.

Pharmacologic, biochemical, and genetic analyses have demonstrated the existence of multiple alpha 2-adrenergic receptor (alpha 2AR) subtypes. We have cloned a human alpha 2AR by using the polymerase chain reaction with oligonucleotide primers homologous to conserved regions of the previously cloned alpha 2ARs, the genes for which are located on human chromosomes 4 (C4) and 10 (C10). The deduced amino acid sequence encodes a protein of 450 amino acids whose putative topology is similar to that of the family of guanine nucleotide-binding protein-coupled receptors, but whose structure most closely resembles that of the alpha 2ARs. Competition curve analysis of the binding properties of the receptor expressed in COS-7 cells with a variety of adrenergic ligands demonstrates a unique alpha 2AR pharmacology. Hybridization with somatic cell hybrids shows that the gene for this receptor is located on chromosome 2. Northern blot analysis of various rat tissues shows expression in liver and kidney. The unique pharmacology and tissue localization of this receptor suggest that this is an alpha 2AR subtype not previously identified by classical pharmacological or ligand binding approaches.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Linguistic performance in schizophrenia: a comparison of acute and chronic patients.

A computer-assisted analysis of samples of free speech from acute schizophrenics (n = 50), chronic schizophrenics (n = 27) and normal subjects (n = 50) enabled a comparison of the linguistic profiles of the three groups. The chronic group consistently emerged as the most impaired, on measures of complexity, integrity (error) and fluency of speech, with the acute patients performing less well than normal speakers but better than chronic patients. Demographic differences could account for only a small number of the linguistic differences. A comparison of chronic schizophrenics from the community and those from long-stay wards suggested that their poor linguistic performance was in some way related to the illness process and not to institutionalisation. Three possible explanations for these results were considered, particularly the possibility that low complexity of speech, negative symptoms and poor outcome are in some way related.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

Re-examination of the language of psychotic subjects.

To investigate whether language in schizophrenia deteriorated progressively, 11 schizophrenic subjects, 9 manic subjects and 9 controls were re-tested after an interval of three years using the computer-assisted syntactical analysis technique of Morice. In 13 of the 16 linguistic variables described as hallmarks of schizophrenic speech decline, deterioration was noted in schizophrenics in the direction predicted and relative to the manic and control groups. The deterioration was most pronounced in complexity and integrity of speech. One variable remained unchanged and two (semantic variables) showed marginal improvement. It was concluded that language, and in particular syntax, does deteriorate in the schizophrenic process.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed1990

Comparison of nitrogen-15 and diaminopimelic acid for estimating bacterial protein synthesis of lactating cows fed diets of varying protein degradability.

Three lactating Holstein cows fitted with duodenal cannulae were fed diets containing cottonseed meal, corn gluten meal, or blood meal as protein supplements in a 3 c 3 Latin square experiment. Diets averaged 15% CP and were 60% concentrate, 31% corn silage, and 9% alfalfa hay. The flow marker was Cr2O3; the bacterial protein fraction of digesta CP was estimated by 15N (as ammonium sulfate) and diaminopimelic acid. The undegraded fraction of total feed protein entering the duodenum for respective diets was .52, .57, and .69. The 15N method was less variable than diaminopimelic acid. Based on 15N, percentage of bacterial of total protein differed among treatments (61.5, 59.4, and 55.0, respectively). Ten percent more protein entered the duodenum on blood meal than other diets, but differences were not significant. Protein sources were similar in microbial passage, but degraded protein was used most efficiently for microbial synthesis on blood meal. Incorporation of 15N consumed into bacterial protein ranged from 50 to 83% with numerically highest values on blood meal, suggesting greater efficiency of ammonia, capture. Recoveries of 15N for the 72 h as milk, feces and urine ranged from 54 to 78%.

Animal Feed↗