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Biomedical subjects

K Somers

Publications and source records attributed to K Somers.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1977

Endomyocardial fibrosis and eosinophilia.

Absolute eosinophil counts were assessed in 15 African patients with proven endomyocardial fibrosis. Though the mean eosinophil count in patients with endomyocardial fibrosis was higher compared with the normals reported from Kampala (1-13 vs 0.72X10(9)/1), the absolute range was comparable. A high percentage of patients with endomyocardial fibrosis had malarial parasites, high malarial antibody titres, hookworms, or strongyloides, but the correlation of eosinophilia to various parasitic infections was poor. Both eosinophilia and parasitic infections are common in the tropics and they effect patients with endomyocardial fibrosis no more than the population at large. Other aetiological factors, genetic, environmental, and immunological, are felt to be important in the causation of endomyocardial fibrosis in Uganda and evidence for this is reviewed. Though there is a similarity in pathological features, African endomyocardial fibrosis is a distinct entity from Löffler's endocarditis and cardiac lesions seen in eosinophilic leukaemia or reactive eosinophilia. There is no hard evidence to suggest that African endomyocardial fibrosis is a variant of Löffler's endocarditis caused by parasitic infections via eosinophilia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Altered microfilament structure in cells transformed with a temperature-sensitive transformation mutant of murine sarcoma virus.

The structure and distribution of microfilaments were examined by electron microscopy in uninfected normal rat kidney (NRK) cells, murine sarcoma virus (MSV)-transformed NRK cells, and NRK cells infected with a cold-sensitive transformation mutant of MSV, i.e., NRK (MSV-1b) cells, grown at both permissive (39 degrees) and nonpermissive (33 degrees) temperature. The uninfected cells contained numerous microfilaments which were especially prominent at sites of intercellular adherens junctions. In contrast, the MSV-transformed cells contained few microfilaments and did not form adherens junctions. At 33 degrees, the NRK (MSV-1b) cells appeared normal but formed an altered form of adherens junction with disorganized microfilaments. At 39 degrees, these cells resembled NRK cells transformed by wild-type MSV but still formed a few of the altered type of adherens junctions. Disorganized adherens junction microfilaments were also found in cells newly infected with wild-type MSV. These results suggest that the perturbed assembly of microfilaments at adherens junctions may be an intermediate stage in the loss of adherens junctions during viral transformation.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1975

The sick-sinus syndrome in Africans.

Fifteen cases of the sick-sinus syndrome in young Negroes are presented. The etiology was unknown in all cases; organic heart disease was absent. The very high default rate suggests that the prognosis may be grave. This disorder is by no means uncommon in young persons in tropical countries and the dangers of a mistaken diagnosis of epilepsy or a psychiatric illness have been emphasized. In the absence of an artificial pacemaker, it is suggested that sympathomimetic drugs, while not affecting the heart rate, may be useful in reducing the frequency of syncopal attacks.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1973

Temperature-dependent expression of transformation by cold-sensitive mutant of murine sarcoma virus.

Morphological transformation of normal rat kidney cells by a murine sarcoma virus was found to be cold-sensitive. Cells transformed by the virus expressed their transformed phenotype at the permissive temperature (39 degrees ) but not at the nonpermissive temperature (33 degrees ), as judged by the criteria of morphological changes and colony-forming ability on monolayers of normal rat kidney cells. Cold-sensitive expression of transformation was specific for focus-derived normal rat kidney cells transformed by the virus, readily reversible, and not lost during serial propagation of the cells. The genome of the murine sarcoma virus can be rescued by superinfection with Moloney leukemia virus at the permissive or nonpermissive temperature, and the rescued virus exhibited the same cold-sensitive properties as the original transforming virus. These results suggest that maintenance of the transformed state is continuously dependent on a cold-sensitive viral function.

Animals↗
PubMed1973

A survey for cardiovascular disease in middle-aged Ugandans.

A study of 412 persons aged at least 45 years showed that cardiovascular disease, especially hypertension, was common. Cardiac enlargement was the most frequent complication of hypertension; cerebrovascular accidents were rare. Cardiomegaly without hypertension or valvular disease was found in 29 persons. Valvular disease was present in 17 persons, but was symptomless in all but 3 cases.

Aged↗