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Biomedical subjects

L Donnelly

Publications and source records attributed to L Donnelly.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Thirty-day mortality from colorectal cancer surgery within a deprived population.

OBJECTIVE: A recently published model for predicting 30-day mortality has been devised using data from 73 hospitals in the UK. Deprivation category was not one of the data sets used in predicting mortality and was not included in formulating this model. We wished to assess if the model was applicable to a population with high deprivation category scores. METHODS: Data on all colorectal cancer operations included in the model (age, ASA, cancer resected, Dukes stage and urgency) had been collected prospectively since January 1999. This data was applied to the model. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty patients were included in analysis. Overall predicted mortality was 8.2% and actual mortality 7.8%. Within different categories of deprivation, predicted and actual mortality are similar and not significantly different. 137 patients lived in areas of deprivation category 3-5. Predicted and actual mortality were 8.4% and 8.0%, respectively. In areas of deprivation category 6-7, 91 patients had a predicted and actual mortality of 8.0% and 7.7%. CONCLUSION: Although deprivation data was not included in the production of the mathematical model to predict postoperative death, the model appears to predict well in the deprived population. It is likely that poorer socio-economic status is accounted for by increased ASA and cancer stage.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Effect of cigarette smoking on haem-oxygenase expression in alveolar macrophages.

We investigated the effect of chronic cigarette smoking on the expression of haem-oxygenase (HO)-1 and HO-2. Normal subjects and asymptomatic young current smokers with normal lung function tests underwent bronchoalveolar lavage for recovery of macrophages. Reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis showed no significant difference in HO-1 and HO-2 mRNA expression between the two groups. On the other hand, Western blot analysis showed a significant (P<0.05) reduction of HO-2 protein, but not of HO-1, in alveolar macrophages from smokers compared to normal. There was no significant differences by immunocytochemistry for HO-1 and HO-2 expression between the groups. We concluded that HO-2 expression is reduced in alveolar macrophages of smokers, possibly due to the oxidative stress of cigarette smoke. This may in turn lead to reduced protection against further oxidative insults.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Brain structure, genetic liability, and psychotic symptoms in subjects at high risk of developing schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain in patients with schizophrenia has consistently demonstrated several abnormalities. These are thought to be neurodevelopmental in origin, as they have also been described in first episode cases, although there may be a progressive component. It is not known at which point in development these abnormalities are evident, nor to what extent they are genetically or environmentally mediated. METHODS: One hundred forty-seven high-risk subjects (with at least two affected first or second degree relatives), 34 patients in their first episode, and 36 healthy control subjects received an MRI scan covering the whole brain. After inhomogeneity correction, regions of interest were traced by three group-blind raters with good inter-rater reliability. Regional brain volumes were related to measures of genetic liability to schizophrenia and to psychotic symptoms elicited at structured psychiatric interviews. RESULTS: High-risk subjects had statistically significantly reduced mean volumes of the left and right amygdalo-hippocampus and thalamus, as compared to healthy control subjects. They also had bilaterally larger amygdalo-hippocampi and bilaterally smaller lenticular nuclei than the schizophrenics. High-risk subjects with symptoms had smaller brains than those without. The volumes of the prefrontal lobes and the thalamus were the only consistent associates of genetic liability. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects at high risk of developing schizophrenia have abnormalities of brain structure similar to but not identical to those found in schizophrenia. Our results suggest that some structural abnormalities are genetic trait or vulnerability markers, others are environmentally mediated, and that the development of symptoms is associated with a third overlapping group of structural changes. Particular risk factors for schizophrenia may interact at discrete time points of neurodevelopment with different effects on specific brain regions and may represent relatively distinct disease processes.

Amygdala↗
PubMed2001

Coming clean.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Hospitals, Public↗
PubMed2000

Watching brief.

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Aged↗
PubMed1999

Interleukin-11 reduces T-cell-dependent experimental liver injury in mice.

Recombinant human interleukin-11 (rhIL-11) is a multifunctional cytokine that can reduce inflammation through the downregulation of multiple pro-inflammatory mediators from activated macrophages. rhIL-11 also inhibits production of several immunostimulatory cytokines such as IL-12 and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and has shown biological activity in multiple animal models of inflammatory disease consistent with immunomodulatory effects on macrophages and T cells. To further elucidate the anti-inflammatory activity of rhIL-11 in vivo, the effect of rhIL-11 in a model of Concanavalin A (Con-A)-induced T-cell-mediated hepatotoxicity was examined. Administration of a single dose of rhIL-11 before Con-A administration reduced centrilobular liver necrosis and enhanced survival. A dose-dependent reduction in serum levels of liver enzymes, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and IFN-gamma corresponded with this amelioration of liver damage. No significant change in infiltrating lymphocyte populations in the liver was observed following rhIL-11 treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that rhIL-11 ameliorates T-cell-mediated hepatic injury and suggests its therapeutic potential to treat inflammatory liver disease.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1987

Extravascular plasminogen activator and inhibitor activities detected at the site of a chronic mycobacterial-induced inflammation.

Levels of extravascular tissue plasminogen activator activity (PA) and those of inhibitors of PA and of urokinase (UK) present within the anterior chamber of normal and inflamed feline eyes were assessed with the use of a direct PA assay of microsamples of aqueous humor. Purposes of the study were, first, to confirm prior indirect evidence that this extravascular space normally contains higher levels of uninhibited PA, but lower levels of inhibitor activity, than does plasma and, second, to determine patterns of change in these activities under in vivo conditions imposed by a chronic mycobacterial-induced uveitis (CMIU) disease model. The PA assay utilized a 125I-plasminogen substrate whose cleavage by PA contained in samples was both visualized during gel electrophoreis, and quantified by gamma counting. The results provided the first direct evidence that the higher fibrinolytic activity previously observed in normal aqueous in comparison with plasma is in fact associated with higher levels of available (uninhibited) PA (P less than 0.01) The data also indicated that normal aqueous contains a much higher level of PA inhibitor activity than previously suspected--roughly 40 times more than available PA levels. These normal values for PA and inhibitors occupied a relatively narrow, threefold range, in contrast to the wide scattering of individual values that appeared during 18-20 weeks of the chronic inflammation disease model. Despite this, however, the general pattern of observation for all individual eyes during CMIU was a significant increase in levels of both PA and inhibitors. The net effect of CMIU was thus to cause the 1:40 ratio noted above to be tilted more strongly in favor of inhibitor activity, ie, up to 1:80. Increases in local vasopermeability in this disease model were believed contributory to this change. However, local generations of PA and APA in vivo by inflammatory cells, especially monocyte-macrophages, must also be considered. Assays for UK inhibitor showed levels of activity and directions of change that closely followed those of PA inhibitor, which suggests the possibility that they may be identical. It is surmised that the above patterns, along with results of our prior studies, indicate an apparent need for a multistep, strict inhibitory control of plasmin generation and proteolysis in vivo within normal extravascular spaces such as the anterior chamber.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

NME's Care Giver System: 21st century patient care delivery.

National Medical Enterprises' Care Giver System (CGS) is based on involving nurses and other healthcare professionals in the redesign of the patient care system. Originally piloted in a northern California hospital, the system now operates in 13 of National Medical Enterprises' facilities across the country with plans to expand even further in the years ahead.

California↗