Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Borja.
Lung transplantation from a donor with chronic renal failure has never been reported. This paper reports our successful experience with 2 transplants from donors with end-stage renal disease who were on chronic hemodialysis, and reviews the relevant literature on the effects of renal failure on pulmonary function and on the use of marginal donors.
We performed lung transplantation in nine patients with Scleroderma related lung disease. Patient characteristics included: 7 (78%) females, 6 (67%) with limited and 3 (33%) with diffuse Scleroderma. Pulmonary fibrosis was present in 7 (78%) and pulmonary hypertension in 4 (44%). All patients were carefully screened by the Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland Scleroderma Center and only referred for transplantation when concomitant renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance < or = 50 ml/min), aspiration, and skin brakdown were excluded. When compared to a similar group of transplant patients with nonscleroderma lung disease (primary pulmonary fibrosis), there was no significant difference in post-transplant survival at four years (76.2 +/- 0.15% vs. 69.2% +/- 0.12%), mean annual incidence rate for acute rejection (0.14 +/- 0.14 vs. 0.47 +/- 0.13) and infection (viral 0.17 +/- 0.17 vs. 0.29 +/- 0.11) (bacterial 0.17 +/- 0.17 vs. 1.4 +/- 0.4) (fungal 0.99 +/- 0.69 vs. 0.36 +/- 0.16) or serum creatinine (1.55 +/- 0.34 mg/dl vs. 1.15 +/- 0.09 mg/dl). We conclude that lung transplantation is viable option for carefully selected patients with scleroderma related lung disease.
Nicotiana benthamiana plants transformed with the coat protein gene of tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) failed to elicit effective virus resistance when inoculated with wildtype virus. Subsequently, R1 and R2 progeny from 13 transgenic lines were inoculated with a TBSV mutant containing a defective coat protein gene. Mild symptoms typical of those elicited in nontransformed plants infected with the TBSV mutant initially appeared. However, within 2 to 4 weeks, up to 20% of the transgenic plants sporadically began to develop the lethal syndrome characteristic of wild-type virus infections. RNA hybridization and immunoblot analyses of these plants and nontransformed N. benthamiana inoculated with virus from the transgenic lines indicated that wild-type virus had been regenerated by a double recombination event between the defective virus and the coat protein transgene. Similar results were obtained with a TBSV deletion mutant containing a nucleotide sequence marker, and with a chimeric cucumber necrosis virus (CNV) containing the defective TBSV coat protein gene. In both cases, purified virions contained wild-type TBSV RNA or CNV chimeric RNA derived by recombination with the transgenic coat protein mRNA. These results thus demonstrate that recombinant tombus-viruses can arise frequently from viral genes expressed in transgenic plants.
We have designed a DNA cassette to transcribe defective interfering (DI) RNAs of tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) and have investigated their potential to protect transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants from tombusvirus infections. To produce RNAs with authentic 5' and 3' termini identical to those of the native B10 DI RNA, the DI RNA sequences were flanked by ribozymes (RzDI). When RzDI RNAs transcribed in vitro were mixed with parental TBSV transcripts and inoculated into protoplasts or plants, they became amplified, reduced the accumulation of the parental RNA, and mediated attenuation of the lethal syndrome characteristic of TBSV infections. Analysis of F1 and F2 RzDI transformants indicated that uninfected plants expressed the DI RNAs in low abundance, but these RNAs were amplified to very high levels during TBSV infection. By two weeks postinoculation with TBSV, all untransformed N. benthamiana plants and transformed negative controls died. Although infection of transgenic RzDI plants initially induced moderate to severe symptoms, these plants subsequently recovered, flowered, and set seed. Plants from the same transgenic lines also exhibited broad-spectrum protection against related tombusviruses but remained susceptible to a distantly related tombus-like virus and to unrelated viruses.
The acceptance and sensory characteristics of standard and reduced-fat cookies were evaluated either with or without fat-content information by pre-adolescent children. Results indicate that acceptance ratings were not affected by the fat content or information about fat content when evaluated on nine-point scales. However, when asked to choose which cookie they liked better and to predict how many cookies they would eat (in forced-choice questions), fat content and information about fat content had a significant effect on cookie preference and prospective intake. When no information was available, subjects preferred the cookie with the higher fat content; when information was presented, subjects' preference shifted to the reduced-fat cookie. When asked which cookie they would choose to eat for dessert with hypothetical lunches, a similar shift in choice was observed following a low-fat lunch. The low-fat label was also associated with an increase in perceived healthiness relative to the high-fat label, as indicated on "good for me" scales. The effects of fat content information on cookie preference and prospective consumption were seen in pre-adolescents who indicated a "high concern" for the health consequences of dietary fat. Cookie preference and prospective intake of subjects who indicated a "low concern" were not affected by fat content labeling. Results suggest that fat content and information about fat content may affect food preference and intake in pre-adolescent children.
Fluorescent antinuclear antibody test (FANA) and anti-double stranded deoxytribonucleic acid (dsDNA) antibody testing is an integral part of the evaluation of the patients who are suspected of having connective tissue disease. We tested 2,140 serum samples for FANA and 1,460 serum samples for anti-dsDNA antibodies. Of 2,140 serum samples tested for FANA, 492 (23%) yielded a positive result (titre of 1:80 or greater) and of 1,460 serum samples tested for anti-dsDNA, 69 (4.7%) yielded positive results. Highest number (n = 27) of serum samples positive for anti-dsDNA antibodies were found in serum samples that were positive for FANA test at a titre of 1:1280 or greater. In conclusion, FANA test can be used as an initial screening test for connective tissue/autoimmune disorders.
The relatedness of nine isolates of Rhizoctonia solani, belonging to anastomosis group (AG) 4, and one isolate of AG1 was determined by comparative sequence analysis based on direct sequencing of PCR-amplified ribosomal DNA [the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the 5.8 s ribosomal DNA]. The 5.8 s rDNA is completely conserved, but both ITS regions show variation among strains. AG1 was an outgroup based on anastomosis ability and RFLP analyses. Phylogenetic analyses based on the ITS sequences suggest that the analyzed AG4 strains can be divided into three groups that correlate with habitat and virulence.
Passage of cucumber necrosis virus (CNV) containing defective interfering (DI) RNAs through cucumber plants decreased the accumulation of DI RNAs to undetectable levels. Subsequent passages in two Nicotiana species (Nicotiana benthamiana or N. clevelandii) resulted in the appearance of DI RNA species that were larger than the DI RNAs observed during exclusive serial passages of CNV through the Nicotiana species. Sequence analysis of cloned cDNAs corresponding to the two DI RNA populations indicated that the smaller CNV-DI RNAs contained the four conserved regions (I through IV) of the genome typical of tombusvirus DI RNAs, whereas the larger DI RNAs were of similar organization but had a direct repeat of the middle portion of the molecule. This result suggests that the host has an influence on the type of DI RNA that accumulates during consecutive high multiplicity of infection passages. A comparative analysis of deletions targeting the individual conserved regions in both CNV and tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) DI RNAs revealed that only region III was completely dispensable for accumulation of either DI RNA species. More refined deletion analyses in regions I and II indicated that smaller segments of 75 and 35 nucleotides (nt), respectively, could be deleted without abolishing infectivity. The dispensable sequences in region II of both TBSV and CNV DI RNAs mapped to the top portion of a putative stem-loop structure. These studies indicate that both essential and nonessential sequences are conserved in DI RNAs. The essential sequences in regions I, II, and IV likely contain important cis-acting elements, whereas nonessential regions such as region III may play secondary roles such as optimally spacing cis-acting elements or maintaining the DI RNA at an overall size that is stable.
Hybridization analyses of cDNA clones derived from the two genomic RNAs, RNA1 and RNA2, of the walnut strain of the nepovirus cherry leafroll nepovirus (wCLRV) demonstrated a long region of high homology between the two viral RNAs. Subsequent mapping and nucleotide sequencing revealed a long, noncoding, presumably untranslated, region (3' UTR) immediately 5' of the terminal polyadenylate, a region that is almost identical in the two RNAs. This 3' UTR is 1567 nucleotide residues long in RNA1. Homologies of about 80% were found with corresponding regions of genomic RNAs from other strains of CLRV, but not with the corresponding regions of other nepovirus genomic RNAs.
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This study describes mothers' reports of the effects of pediatric chronic illness on sibling and maternal activities. Mothers of children with cardiac (n = 57) and neurologic (n = 43) conditions were interviewed in hospital clinics of Manila, Philippines. Results showed that pediatric chronic illness in the family significantly increased siblings' household activities (which included both housekeeping and well-sibling caretaking) and decreased school and social activities. Maternal participation in four areas--caregiving to well children, housekeeping, job, and social activities also decreased significantly. Girls, more than boys, were delegated chores related to caregiving of well siblings and housekeeping. Spouses and grandparents also helped with caregiving of well children.