PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Lamb

Publications and source records attributed to K Lamb.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Thoracic disk herniation: a case report.

OBJECTIVE: Thoracic disk herniations are relatively rare events that often mimic other, more serious disorders. This article discusses the case of a patient with thoracic disk herniation who required unusual treatment to aid resolution of her condition. CLINICAL FEATURES: The patient, who had a complicated history of prior lumbar disk surgery, sustained a fall onto her buttocks and developed low back and bilateral leg pain. Initial suspicion was of reinjury of the L5 disk. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: Light force spinal manipulation, physical therapies, and eventual cosmetic surgery were able to resolve the condition successfully. CONCLUSIONS: A clinical situation often may require thinking "outside the box" in order for the patient's condition to be resolved. The failure of symptoms to correspond to the suspected condition should increase the suspicion that another problem may be present.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Viability and functional activity of cryopreserved mononuclear cells.

Factors that influence viability and function of cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were identified on 54 samples from 27 AIDS Clinical Trial Units. PBMC viability ranged from 1 to 96% with a median of 70%, was higher in laboratories with experienced staff, and was not significantly associated with CD4 cell number. Function of cryopreserved PBMC, measured by lymphocyte proliferation, was associated with viability. Preparations with viability greater than or equal to 70% had consistent proliferative responses and were suitable for functional analyses.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence and patterns of physical restraint use in the acute care setting.

Nurse executives usually have the principal responsibility to respond to the national movement to reduce physical restraint use in hospitals. The results of this three-site, interdisciplinary, prospective incidence study (based on more than 49,000 observations collected on 18 randomly selected days) reveal new patterns in the rationale and types of restraints used. The authors discuss how the results can be used in measuring success and allocating resources for restraint reduction programs.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Appearance of nuclear protease activity after embryonal carcinoma cells undergo differentiation.

Proteolytic systems are involved via multiple mechanisms in the regulation of gene expression, including tightly controlled metabolism of transcription factors. In this study, we demonstrate that differentiation of mouse embryonal carcinoma cells to parietal endoderm-like cells is accompanied by the appearance of nuclear protease activity. Interestingly, this nuclear-associated protease activity is not observed in the visceral endoderm-like cell line, PSA-5E, or in the differentiated cells derived from both mouse embryonic stem cells and the human embryonal carcinoma cell line NT2/D1. We also determined that this differentiation-associated nuclear protease activity causes proteolysis of a wide range of different transcription factors, including ATF-1, Sp1, NF-YA and B, and octamer-binding proteins Oct-1 and Oct-3. Based on the effects of specific inhibitors, the nuclear protease(s) can be classified as a cysteine protease; however, lack of inhibition by calpastatin and EGTA distinguishes this protease activity from the calpain family of proteases. Given the properties of the differentiation-associated nuclear protease(s), we discuss the possibility that this protease(s) plays a role in the metabolism of transcription factors during the differentiation of specific embryonic cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Effects of oxidation and reduction on the binding of transcription factors to cis-regulatory elements located in the FGF-4 gene.

Previous studies have shown that the addition of reducing agents to the culture medium of embryonic cell lines stimulates their growth. Moreover, recent studies have shown that the redox state of several transcription factors affects their binding to DNA. In light of these findings, we employed gel mobility shift analysis to examine the effects of oxidation and reduction on the ability of transcription factors to bind cis-regulatory elements located in the FGF-4 gene, which is expressed during early mammalian development. In this study, we demonstrate that both the oxidizing agent diamide and the alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide inhibit the ability of Oct-1, Oct-3, Sp1, and several Sp1-related nuclear proteins to bind important cis-regulatory elements located in the FGF-4 gene. We also demonstrate that not all transcription factors are affected by oxidation. Specifically, we show that the binding of the transcription factor NF-YA, which binds to a critical CCAAT box, and the binding of a high mobility group (HMG) protein(s), which binds to a critical HMG motif, are not affected by diamide or N-ethylmaleimide. Taken together, our findings and those of others support the hypothesis that the redox state of the cell can regulate gene transcription and, thus, can influence important physiological processes.

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMed1996

Binding of transcription factors to widely-separated cis-regulatory elements of the murine FGF-4 gene.

Embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells and their embryo-derived counterparts, embryonic stem (ES) cells, have been used extensively to study the transcriptional regulation of the fibroblast growth factor-4 (FGF-4) gene. The FGF-4 gene is expressed in EC cells and ES cells, but it is repressed in their retinoic acid (RA)-induced differentiated counterparts. Previous studies have shown that the transcription of the FGF-4 gene is controlled by cis-regulatory elements located in the 5' flanking region of the gene, and by a powerful enhancer located approximately 3 kb downstream from the transcription start site. In the current study, gel mobility shift analysis was used to examine the binding of nuclear proteins to cis-regulatory elements involved in the transcription of the FGF-4 gene. We demonstrate that the transcription factors Sp1 and Sp3 in nuclear extracts prepared from EC cells bind to three Sp1 motifs, one located in the downstream enhancer, and two located in the 5' flanking region of the gene. We also show that Sp1 and Sp3 bind to each of the Sp1 motifs when nuclear extracts prepared from EC-derived differentiated cells are used. In contrast, differentiation of EC cells and ES cells drastically reduces the ability of nuclear factors to bind to an octamer motif and an adjacent High Mobility Group (HMG) motif, which have been shown previously to play essential roles in the functioning of the FGF-4 enhancer. Together, these findings provide a mechanistic explanation of how the distant FGF-4 enhancer promotes transcription of this gene in EC cells and ES cells, and how differentiation of these cells represses transcription of the FGF-4 gene.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Blanket use of intranasal mupirocin for outbreak control and long-term prophylaxis of endemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an open ward.

In December 1992, a thoracic ward in a Melbourne teaching hospital experienced an increase in patients infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It was decided to attempt to control the outbreak by cohorting positive patients (infected and colonized), as well as nurse cohorting, emphasis on handwashing, and use of intranasal mupirocin initially three times a day for three days, then thrice weekly, for all patients in the ward (with or without MRSA). The campaign comprised for phases of 53, 45, 92 and 365 days, respectively. Patient and nurse cohorting stopped at the end of phase I. In phases I and II, surveillance nose swabs were taken on admission, then twice weekly; in phase III, on admission and weekly and in phase IV, on admission until the end of 1993. In phases I and II (98 days), only one patient acquired MRSA. When the frequency of mupirocin prophylaxis was decreased to once weekly (phase III), two patients acquired MRSA in 92 days (no significant difference): thrice weekly administration resumed (phase IV), during which there were three acquisitions in 365 days. The rates of nose colonization of admissions were 6.4%, 6.3%, 9.7% and 3.1% in phase I-IV, respectively. Only three patients were treated with vancomycin between July 1993 and June 1994 (significantly lower than historical rates, P = 0.0086). No mupirocin resistance was seen in MRSA isolates from this ward during phases I, II and III. In areas of low-level endemic MRSA, the blanket use of thrice-weekly intranasal mupirocin may be effective in decreasing serious infections with MRSA, and does not necessarily elicit mupirocin resistance.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1994

Cryptic promoter activity within the backbone of a plasmid commonly used to prepare promoter/reporter gene constructs.

This report demonstrates that the plasmids, pBLCAT2 and pBLCAT3, which are used widely for the preparation of promoter reporter gene constructs, exhibit cryptic promoter activity when expressed in embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells and their differentiated cells. The promoterless plasmid pBLCAT3 is used widely because it has two multiple cloning sites. We demonstrate that the activity of the cryptic promoter present in pBLCAT3 is increased dramatically by an enhancerlike region of the murine k-FGF gene. However, the basal cryptic promoter activity and the enhanced cryptic promoter activity can be silenced effectively by the insertion of three tandemly arranged polyadenylation sequences. To characterize the influence of the cryptic promoter in pBLCAT3, we tested its effects on two promoters. Our findings suggest that the cryptic promoter increases by several fold the expression of the reporter gene in pBLCAT2, which contains the thymidine kinase promoter. In contrast, the cryptic promoter present in pBLCAT3 does not seem to influence the expression of the k-FGF promoter. Last, we observed cryptic promoter activity when pBLCAT3 was expressed transiently in EC-differentiated cells. Together, our findings argue that transcription silencing sequences should be used when examining weak promoters in these plasmids, especially in combination with enhancers.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The laryngeal mask airway for intraocular surgery: effects on intraocular pressure and stress responses.

Tracheal intubation, performed routinely during general anaesthesia in patients undergoing intraocular surgery, may have adverse effects on cardiovascular function and intraocular pressure. This study assessed the suitability of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) as a substitute for tracheal intubation. Intraocular and systemic pressor effects, heart rate changes and catecholamine concentrations were measured in two groups of 10 patients receiving standardized anaesthesia with either a tracheal tube (TT) or a LMA. There were significantly smaller changes in the pressor responses to insertion and in concentrations of catecholamines at critical times in the anaesthetic sequence in the LMA group. Mean (SEM) rate-pressure product was significantly smaller in the LMA group compared with the TT group after both insertion (8276 (730) vs 13307 (1348), P < 0.01) and removal (10152 (595) vs 14137 (1044), P < 0.01) of the airway device. The change in intraocular pressure was significantly less in the LMA group at all time points after airway instrumentation than that in the TT group, with the greatest difference after extubation (-2.3 (2.4) mm Hg vs 14.5 (3.4) mm Hg, P < 0.01).

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The association of atopic diseases with endometriosis.

Comparisons of the incidence of health-related problems were conducted between women with demonstrable endometriosis (N = 88) and a control group (N = 88). Increased incidence of respondents' reports of allergic manifestations (p less than .005) were found. Directions for further research are suggested.

Candidiasis↗
PubMed1986

Family trait analysis: a case-control study of 43 women with endometriosis and their best friends.

Analyses of lineage patterns show that for 43 women with endometriosis who reported that other family members have the disease, the vast majority of these familial cases involve the maternal lineage (79% to 93%). Of these women 34.9% of their mothers and 21.2% of their sisters were affected. With use of these rates, expected rates for first-degree relatives in a general population of women with endometriosis were determined. These rates were 6.2% and 3.8%, respectively; in combination, these rates yield an overall risk of 4.9% for first-degree relatives. Prior studies estimated this overall risk to be 6.9%; however, z scores determined that these rates do not differ statistically. Rates for second-degree maternal relatives are reported for grandmothers and aunts (0.4% compared to 3.1%, respectively), thus expanding results of former studies. In combination, an overall risk of 1.9% is estimated for second-degree relatives, as measured.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Tampon use in women with endometriosis.

This study examines the potential role of vaginal tampons in women with endometriosis. In light of the fact that some medical practitioners view an appliance worn internally as a form of medical device, and in light of the recent knowledge about tampons gained during the crisis surrounding Toxic Shock Syndrome, little published information about women's menstrual patterns and practices was found. The data used here were provided by 470 members of the Endometriosis Association. These respondents' medical, surgical, and fertility case histories are stored in the Association's Data Registry housed at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Cases in this study are white; the average age is 31 +/- 5.2 years and 82 percent report use of tampons routinely. In contrast, general rates of tampon use, derived historically from several published studies using control groups matched to cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome were used for comparison. Results showed that rates of tampon use for women with endometriosis were similar to rates reported for the general population, 75 to 83 percent. We did find that within this group of mature white women, initiation of tampon use varied by age. Supporting Irwin and Millstein's study of tampon use in adolescent girls, an analysis of variance showed these women initiated tampon use at progressively earlier ages (p less than 0.001).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

The responsiveness of human eccrine sweat glands to choline and carbachol. Application to the study of peripheral cholinergic functioning in Alzheimer-type dementia.

The responsiveness of human eccrine sweat glands to intradermally injected choline and carbachol was studied in vivo using a plastic paint impression method. Both drugs exerted consistent dose-related effects, choline being significantly less potent than carbachol. The responses to both drugs attained a maximum level approximately 3 min after the injection, but the responses to choline had a less pronounced peak and declined more slowly than the response to carbachol. The response to choline, but not the response to carbachol, was antagonised by hemicholinium-3. Young males showed greater responsiveness to both drugs than young females, this being reflected in higher maxima of the dose-response curves obtained for the males. Smaller responses to both drugs were observed in old females than in young females, this being reflected in lower maxima of the dose-response curves obtained for the elderly group. A group of elderly female patients with clinical diagnoses of Alzheimer-type dementia showed smaller responses to both drugs than the group of non-demented elderly females. The results show that choline can stimulate eccrine sweat glands, possibly by an indirect mechanism involving active uptake and metabolic conversion to acetylcholine. The reduced responsiveness seen in the patients suffering from Alzheimer-type dementia could reflect either a loss of function of cholinergic sympathetic neurones or impaired functioning of the sweat glands themselves.

Adult↗