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Biomedical subjects

L Amos

Publications and source records attributed to L Amos.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Bacterial ancestry of actin and tubulin.

The structural and functional resemblance between the bacterial cell-division protein FtsZ and eukaryotic tubulin was the first indication that the eukaryotic cytoskeleton may have a prokaryotic origin. The bacterial ancestry is made even more obvious by the findings that the bacterial cell-shape-determining proteins Mreb and Mbl form large spirals inside non-spherical cells, and that MreB polymerises in vitro into protofilaments very similar to actin. Recent advances in research on two proteins involved in prokaryotic cytokinesis and cell shape determination that have similar properties to the key components of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton are discussed.

Actins↗
PubMed1998

Hepatitis B and C markers among alcoholics in Israel: high incidence of HCV infection.

Patients with alcoholic liver disease have an increased prevalence of viral hepatitis. However, the role of demographic characteristics has not been adequately delineated. Therefore, we examined and compared the seroprevalences of hepatitis B and C in Israeli alcoholic patients to that of blood donors control group by their country of birth and origin. Hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B core antibody and hepatitis C virus antibody testing (second generation ELISA) and a confirmatory recombinant immunoblot assay was performed on 496 alcoholic attending an alcoholic abstinence program and compared to 193,806 randomly non-alcoholic blood donors on the basis of their country of birth. Three hundred twenty-eight alcoholic patients (66%) were immigrants and Israeli born Jews and 168 (34%) were Israeli Arabs. Of the 496 alcoholic patients, 24 (4.8%) were HBsAg positive, 38 (7.6%) were anti HCV positive, and 2 (North African Jews) were positive for both markers. HBsAg was detected in 13 (3.9%) immigrant and Israeli Jews and 11 (6.5%) Israeli Arabs, significantly higher than in the adjusted non alcoholic blood donors (p < 0.01). Anti-HCV was detected in 33 (10%) immigrants and Israeli Jews and 5 (2.9%) Israeli Arabs, significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.005). In the subgroup alcoholic Jews there was no significant difference in hepatitis B seropositivity among alcoholic that were native Israeli, Eastern Europe and former USSR, and Western Europe and American immigrants comparing to the control group. In contrast, anti-HCV recombinant immunoblot assay seropositivity in alcoholic Jews from all subgroups was significantly greater than in non alcoholic blood donors (p < 0.001). Odds analysis of all ethnic groups revealed that alcoholism requiring detoxification have a significant risk factor for hepatitis C more than hepatitis B (p < 0.001). The increased seroprevalence of hepatitis C among Israeli alcoholic patients, regardless their country of birth and origin, suggest that alcoholism is likely to have a predisposing factor for HCV infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Third degree anal sphincter tears: risk factors and outcome.

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence, risk factors and anal symptoms related to third degree tears after vaginal delivery. There were 9,631 vaginal deliveries during the 5-year period studied, with 116 (1.2%) having a third degree tear. Statistically significant risk factors for a third degree tear were primiparity, forceps delivery, episiotomy, fetal birth-weight greater than 4,000 g and increased duration of the second stage of labour. Eighty four of the 116 women were able to be interviewed, and 21 (25%) had anal symptoms related to the tear. Only 3 women had sought help for their symptoms. Twelve women experienced anal incontinence and 2 more required delayed repair of the anal sphincter for incontinence. Third degree tears are a major cause of perinatal and postnatal morbidity. Attention needs to be directed to the prevention of such tears by awareness of the women at risk and to better follow-up and counselling of the women sustaining a tear.

Anal Canal↗
PubMed1991

Atrial sounds and endocardial electrograms recorded during coarse atrial fibrillation.

Hearing atrial sounds is unusual during atrial flutter and rare during atrial fibrillation. We report a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and coarse atrial fibrillation in whom atrial sounds were recorded phonocardiographically during endocardial atrial electrography. The atrial sounds were recorded phonocardiographically at the same periodicity as the atrial electrograms, and both had beat-to-beat variability in morphology, amplitude, and cycle length. These observations suggest that atrial sounds originate from the atrium and that organized electrical and mechanical activity occur in some types of atrial fibrillation.

Journal Article↗