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Biomedical subjects

L Parker

Publications and source records attributed to L Parker.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Screening for neuroblastoma in the north of England.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of establishing a system of screening for neuroblastoma. DESIGN: Prospective study of mass screening in four clearly defined geographical areas. SETTING: Four health districts of the Northern region of England. SUBJECTS: 20,829 babies aged 6 months, 92% of target population. INTERVENTIONS: Collection of urine on filter paper for analysis of content of homovanillic and vanillylmandelic acid in relation to urinary creatinine concentrations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Derivation of reference range. Identification of babies with homovanillic or vanillylmandelic acid > 3 SD above the mean (positive cases). Investigation of positive cases for evidence of neuroblastoma. RESULTS: The upper limit of normal (3 SD above the mean) for vanillylmandelic acid was 15 mumol/mmol creatinine and for homovanillic acid 24 mumol/mmol creatinine. Of the 20,829 babies screened, 2537 (12.2%) required a second sample to be taken because the first sample was inadequate. Of these, 527 (2.5%) provided a liquid urine specimen and 10 (0.04%) had positive results for neuroblastoma. Two of them had neuroblastoma (true positives) and eight did not (false positives). A further three children from the cohort were subsequently found to have neuroblastoma; they had raised homovanillic acid or vanillylmandelic acid values, or both, but screened negative at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for neuroblastoma is possible in the health care system of the United Kingdom. Evaluation of the efficacy of screening in reducing the mortality from neuroblastoma requires a controlled trial.

Creatinine↗
PubMed1992

Purification and characterization of a thermostable proteinase isolated from Thermus sp. strain Rt41A.

Thermus sp. strain Rt41A produces an extracellular thermostable alkaline proteinase. The enzyme has a high isoelectric point (10.25-10.5) which can be exploited in purification by using cation-exchange chromatography. The proteinase was purified to homogeneity and has a molecular mass of 32.5 kDa by SDS/PAGE. It is a glycoprotein, containing 0.7% carbohydrate as glucose equivalents, and has four half-cystine residues present as two disulphide bonds. Maximum proteolytic activity was observed at pH 8.0 against azocasein and greater than 75% of this activity was retained in the pH range 7.0-10.0. Substrate inhibition was observed with casein and azocasein. The enzyme was stable in the pH range 5.0-10.0 and maximum activity, in a 10-min assay, was observed at 90 degrees C with 5 mM CaCl2 present. No loss of activity was observed after 24 h at 70 degrees C and the half-lives at 80 degrees C and 90 degrees C were 13.5 h and 20 min, respectively. Removal of Ca2+ reduced the temperature for maximum proteolytic activity against azocasein to 60 degrees C and the half-life at 70 degrees C was 2.85 min. The enzyme was stable at low and high ionic strength and in the presence of denaturing reagents and organic solvents. Rt41A proteinase cleaved a number of synthetic amino acid p-nitrophenol esters, the kinetic data indicating that small aliphatic or aromatic amino acids were the preferred residue at the P1 position. The kinetic data for the hydrolysis of a number of peptide p-nitroanilide substrates are also reported. Primary cleavage of the oxidized insulin B chain occurred at sites where the P1' amino acid was aromatic. Minor cleavage sites (24 h incubation) were for amino acids with aliphatic side chains at the P1' position. The esterase and insulin cleavage data indicate the specificity is similar for both the P1 and P1' sites.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Hemihypertrophy as possible sign of renal cell carcinoma.

In infants and children there is a well-recognized association of hemihypertrophy with visceral malignancies, including those of the kidney as well as benign renal disorders. As a result of our report on an adult with segmental hemihypertrophy and renal cell carcinoma, we suggest that if this combination represents an association similar to that found in children, a radiographic-urologic evaluation is needed to diagnose renal neoplasms at an early stage, and to disclose the presence of treatable benign renal disease.

Carcinoma, Renal Cell↗
PubMed1992

Food aversions: taste reactivity responses elicited by lithium-paired food.

The taste reactivity (TR) test was employed to measure the orofacial, somatic and consummatory CRs elicited by a lithium-paired food. Hungry rats were presented chocolate chips followed immediately by an injection of lithium chloride (CS+ group) or saline (CSc group). During the TR test, the rats' behavioral responses to the chocolate chips were videorecorded. The results demonstrated that rats in the CS+ group did not consume the lithium-paired food, but demonstrated the aversive TR response pattern of chain rubbing, paw treading, and gaping.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Unexpected adverse reactions during a clinical trial in rural west Africa.

Ribavirin has been used widely in various clinical trials, without significant adverse effects beyond reversible, mild anemia. Since 1978 intravenous ribavirin has been used to treat Lassa fever in a remote area of Eastern Sierra Leone, West Africa. In March 1991, brief episodes of rigors in patients receiving ribavirin were reported. An immediate investigation found that 27/93 patients (29%) had records in 1990/91 of at least one episode, the strongest association being with survival of Lassa fever (P = 0.0001). The occurrence or number of rigors in an individual patient was unassociated with sex, age, weight, volume of loading dose, cumulative dose, administration of other drugs, use of intravenous lines or heparin traps. In a review of 12 years of ribavirin administration, 74/2117 injections sampled (3.5%) were associated with a record of rigors. Most occurred before 08.00 h (P less than 0.0001), between 0 and 30 min after injection, lasted 2-45 min, and clustered towards the end of the treatment course (P less than 0.0001). There was no association with drug lot or individual vials. Drug was being given as a bolus (less than 1 min). Since slowing the infusion rate, no further episodes have been reported. Epidemiologic techniques are important tools in rapid assessment of unexpected events particularly when conducting trials in remote locations.

Humans↗
PubMed1992

Relapsing polychondritis: a case diagnosed by direct immunofluorescence and coexisting with pseudocyst of the auricle.

A case of relapsing polychondritis with perichondrial IgG and C3, dermoepidermal IgG, and a coexisting pseudocyst of the auricle is reported. The use of direct immunofluorescence testing in establishing a diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis and the expected findings are reviewed. In some cases direct immunofluorescence may allow a diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis before clinical criteria or a routine histologic evaluation suggests a definite diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Screening for neuroblastoma in the northern region of England. Laboratory aspects.

Our pilot study for neuroblastoma screening started in 1986. The study has progressed through several phases, with use of several analytical methods to a procedure based primarily on the use of automated gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The northern region of England has a relatively static population of approximately 3.5 million, with an annual birth rate of 41,000. The region consists of 16 administrative health districts. In 4 years, we have screened 20,829 infants from four health districts. In this program, we screen all children at 6 months of age. A urine sample is collected on filter paper by a health visitor, either at the time of the infant's routine clinic visit or during the health visitor's follow-up visit at home. In the laboratory, the sample is dried and processed for analysis of homovanillic acid (HVA) and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), using a benchtop Hewlett Packard gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The results are related to the creatinine content of the urine. Using cut-off limits of 39 micrograms/mg of creatinine for HVA and 25 micrograms/mg of creatinine for VMA, 2,537 infants (12.2%) required a second paper sample and 527 infants (2.5%) were observed with a liquid urine collection. Of these, the conditions of nine infants with elevated levels of HVA or VMA were investigated clinically for the possible presence of neuroblastoma. Two infants were found to have neuroblastoma; the other seven showed no evidence of tumor. In addition, there were three children who, when screened at 6 months of age, had normal levels of HVA and VMA but in whom neuroblastoma subsequently developed.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1992

A pilot study of screening for neuroblastoma in the north of England.

A pilot study has been carried out to assess the feasibility of screening for neuroblastoma in 6-month-old infants in the north of England. A total of 20,829 infants were screened. Two true-positive cases were found, along with eight false-positive and three false-negative cases. It was shown that the concentrations of catecholamine metabolites in the urine are dependent on the creatinine content; centiles have been established to allow this relationship to be taken into account. Five of the eight false-positive cases would have been correctly assessed as normal if the new centiles had been used. Preliminary results lend support to the need for a well-designed study of neuroblastoma screening to be carried out, with death from this disease as the only end point.

England↗
PubMed1992

Poor prognosis neuroblastoma: is screening the answer?

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common solid tumours of childhood and is unique amongst paediatric cancers in that it results in the urinary excretion of catecholamine metabolites which are easily measured in spot urine samples and so is a condition for which screening may be considered. The continuing poor prognosis associated with late stage disease has stimulated great interest in this proposition. The Japanese have been undertaking pioneering studies of such screening since 1974 and since 1985, all 6 months old babies have been offered screening. Preliminary data would appear to suggest that screening is effective in greatly improving the survival of children with neuroblastoma. However there are difficulties associated with the interpretation of survival data since screening undoubtedly results in the detection of cases which would otherwise have remained 'silent', and the well known problems of lead-time and length-time bias complicate matters still further. The time is not yet ready for universal implementation of screening and further investigation is required.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Parental occupations of children with leukaemia in west Cumbria, north Humberside, and Gateshead.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether parental occupations and chemical and other specific exposures are risk factors for childhood leukaemia. DESIGN: Case-control study. Information on parents was obtained by home interview. SETTING: Three areas in north England: Copeland and South Lakeland (west Cumbria); Kingston upon Hull, Beverley, East Yorkshire, and Holderness (north Humberside), and Gateshead. SUBJECTS: 109 children aged 0-14 born and diagnosed as having leukaemia or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in study areas during 1974-88. Two controls matched for sex and date and district of birth were obtained for each child. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Occupations of parents and specific exposure of parents before the children's conception, during gestation, and after birth. Other adults living with the children were included in the postnatal analysis. RESULTS: Few risk factors were identified for mothers, although preconceptional association with the food industry was significantly increased in case mothers (odds ratio 2.56; 95% confidence interval 1.32 to 5.00). Significant associations were found between childhood leukaemia and reported preconceptional exposure of fathers to wood dust (2.73, 1.44 to 5.16), radiation (3.23, 1.36 to 7.72), and benzene (5.81, 1.67 to 26.44); ionising radiation alone gave an odds ratio of 2.35 (0.92 to 6.22). Raised odds ratios were found for paternal exposure during gestation, but no independent postnatal effect was evident. CONCLUSION: These results should be interpreted cautiously because of the small numbers, overlap with another study, and multiple exposure of some parents. It is important to distinguish periods of parental exposures; identified risk factors were almost exclusively restricted to the time before the child's birth.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Prompt engraftment using autologous peripheral blood stem cells for double autologous bone marrow rescue.

A patient with Hodgkin's Disease, stage IIIA, was treated for recurrent disease with autologous peripheral blood stem cells after ablative chemotherapy. Bone marrow rescue occurred promptly and his disease was significantly reduced. Ablative chemotherapy was administered again and a second bone marrow rescue with peripheral blood stem cells was successful. Sequential peripheral blood stem cell bone marrow rescue, following high dose chemotherapy, may provide an alternative approach in selected patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Effects of pimozide on the hedonic properties of sucrose: analysis by the taste reactivity test.

The ability of the neuroleptic agent, pimozide, to modify sucrose palatability was assessed using three 10-min taste reactivity test sessions. Pimozide was found to suppress the ingestive response of tongue protrusions, but enhance the mildly ingestive/neutral response of mouth movements elicited by an intraoral infusion of sucrose solution. Since the pattern of taste reactivity responding shifted from highly ingestive to mildly ingestive/neutral, our results suggest that pimozide pretreatment reduces the palatability of sucrose solution. The temporal pattern of the modification of these taste reactivity responses was predicted by the Anhedonia Hypothesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Genotoxicity of 2-amino-6-N-hydroxyadenine (AHA) to mouse lymphoma and CHO cells.

2-Amino-6-N-hydroxyadenine (AHA) treated L5178Y/TK (+/-)-3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells were evaluated for mutations at the tk, hgprt, and Na+/K+ ATPase loci, as well as for gross chromosome aberrations and induction of micronuclei. In addition, AHA was evaluated for its ability to induce HGPRT mutants in CHO cells. AHA was found to induce mutations at all evaluated loci and in both cell types. The TK mutants were primarily large colonies although a few small colonies were also induced, particularly at the higher concentrations. Preliminary cytogenetic analysis of AHA-treated mouse lymphoma cells indicated that some gross aberrations but not micronuclei were induced. The 20 small-colony TK mutants evaluated by banded karyotype indicate that only a small fraction (2 of 20) showed chromosome 11 abnormalities. From these studies, it appears that AHA may be one of a very few chemicals that is capable of inducing multi-locus point mutations, with only slight clastogenic activity. Particularly at the higher concentrations, some of the mutants may contain multi-locus point mutations that result in slow growth.

Adenine↗
PubMed1991

Analysis of the genotoxicity of anthraquinone dyes in the mouse lymphoma assay.

Despite their widespread use and potential for significant human exposure, genotoxicity data on anthraquinones and other dyes are limited. In this study, 16 anthraquinones and one azo dye (Solvent Red 1) were selected for testing using the thymidine kinase (tk) locus and micronucleus (MN) analysis in L5178Y/TK(+/-)-3.7.2C mouse lymphoma cells. Six of the dyes were from the same lot used in the NTP rodent bioassay. The dyes used were all production lots and thus varied in their purity. Disperse Blue 7, 2-aminoanthraquinone, 1-amino-2-methylanthraquinone, Disperse Blue 3 and Disperse Red 11 were genotoxic (inducing 1814 mutants/10(6) survivors, 369 MN/1000 cells at 13% survival; 397 mutants/10(6) survivors, 196 MN/1000 cells at 21% survival; 178 mutants/10(6) survivors, 119 MN/1000 cells at 51% survival; 264 mutants/10(6) survivors, 109 MN/1000 cells at 15% survival, respectively). Reactive Blue 19 was weakly mutagenic (inducing 144 mutants/10(6) survivors, but only 8 MN/1000 cells at 13% survival). Vat Yellow 4 and Solvent Red 1, with exogenous activation, were also mutagenic (inducing 300 mutants/10(6) survivors, 18 MN/1000 cells at 57% survival, and 100 mutants/10(6) survivors and 16 MN/1000 cells at 22% survival, respectively). With activation 1-nitro-2-methylanthraquinone was judged to give an equivocal mutagenicity response. The maximum test concentration was limited for some compounds by their solubility. Those chemicals that did not induce mutation or cytotoxicity at the limits of solubility were classified separately. Compounds which were not evaluated without exogenous activation because of insolubility but were evaluated with activation include 1-nitro-2-methylanthraquinone, Solvent Red 1 and Vat Yellow 4. Compounds which were not evaluated either with or without S9 activation because of their insolubility in the culture medium include 1-amino-2,4-dibromoanthraquinone, D&C Green, Disperse Blue 1, Disperse Red 60, Vat Blue 4, Vat Blue 20, Vat Brown 1 and Vat Brown 3.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Comparison of mutagenicity results for nine compounds evaluated at the hgprt locus in the standard and suspension CHO assays.

The Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) assay, which measures newly induced mutations at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hgprt) locus, has been widely used for mutagenesis testing. The insensitivity of the standard assay to some genotoxic agents has been speculated to be due to the relatively small number of cells used in the assay. In the present study, we have compared the standard monolayer assay with a suspension adapted CHO assay that uses cell numbers comparable to that of the L5178Y mouse lymphoma assay. Nine compounds, ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), 2-methoxy-6-chloro-9-[3-(ethyl-2-chloroethyl)-aminopropylamino]-acridine 2HCl (ICR 170), methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, tetraethylene glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and dicyclopentenyloxyethyl methacrylate were evaluated in the monolayer and suspension assays. Both assays gave the same overall qualitative results for the test compounds. There were some quantitative differences in the mutant frequency for the three compounds found to be mutagenic (EMS, MMS and ICR 170). The acrylates (many of which appear to exert their genotoxic effect through a clastogenic mechanism) were negative in both test systems. The use of the suspension assay did not improve the ability of the hgprt locus to detect the genotoxicity of the acrylates. Thus, increasing the number of cells does not improve the ability of the CHO/HGPRT assay to detect compounds that act primarily by a clastogenic mechanism.

Acrylates↗
PubMed1991

Dementia in institutionalized elderly: relation to sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is characterized by transient hypoxemias which are thought to affect mental functioning. Accordingly, speculation and research have focussed on relationships between sleep apnea and dementia. We studied 235 nursing home (ie institutionalized) patients (152 women with a median age of 83.5; 83 men with a median age of 79.7) with portable sleep recording equipment. The Mattis Dementia Rating Scale and the Geriatric Depression Scale were given to each. Seventy percent of the patients had five or more respiratory disturbances per hour of sleep and 96 percent showed some dementia. Sleep apnea was significantly correlated with all subscales on the dementia rating scale. There were trivial differences in dementia ratings between those with mild-moderate apnea and those with no apnea. There were significant differences, however, between the latter two groups and those with severe apnea. In particular, items reflecting attention, initiation and perseveration, conceptualization, and memory tasks on the DRS distinguished between those with and without severe sleep apnea. Among those patients with no depression, all patients with severe sleep apnea were also severely demented. Our data suggest that there is a strong relationship between dementia and sleep apnea when the sleep apnea and dementia are severe. Although causality cannot be inferred from associations, our hypothesis for study is that sleep apnea causes deficits in brain function, possibly due to global effects rather than any particular cortical or subcortical structure.

Aged↗