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Biomedical subjects

M Firth

Publications and source records attributed to M Firth.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Mum knows best? Psychological status in an oncology sample.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of age, gender and diagnosis upon agreement of children's psychological status between children with cancer and their parents. METHODS: Total 51 families (49 mothers, 45 fathers and 51 children) completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Children's ages ranged from 11 to 16 years, with a mean age of 13.4 years. Eleven of the children had central nervous system (CNS) disease. RESULTS: Age, gender and diagnosis did not impact upon level of agreement between parents and children. There were no significant differences between father/child and mother/child reports of children's psychological status. CONCLUSIONS: Both mothers and fathers are perceptive to their child's psychological status, and it is therefore satisfactory to consider their opinions about their children. Children in the age range 11-16 years are able to express their views with as much accuracy as parents irrespective of their gender and diagnosis and so should be included in assessment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Association between antenatal cytokine production and the development of atopy and asthma at age 6 years.

BACKGROUND: Various lines of evidence suggest that antenatal factors are important in determining susceptibility to atopy and asthma. One possible mechanism is cytokines, production of which in the placenta is high throughout gestation and which protect placental integrity via control of local immunological homoeostasis. We investigated antenatal cytokine concentrations in a prospective birth cohort, intensively monitored for atopy and asthma outcomes at age 6 years. METHODS: Cryopreserved cord-blood serum samples from 407 children were assayed for interleukins 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, and 13, interferon gamma, and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha). Associations between family, antenatal, and perinatal factors, cord-blood cytokine concentrations, and atopy or asthma outcomes were analysed by logistic regression. Causal effects of cytokines on outcomes were estimated by propensity scores based on family, antenatal, and perinatal factors. FINDINGS: Detectable cord-blood concentrations of interleukin 4 and interferon gamma were each associated with lower risk of physician-diagnosed asthma (adjusted odds ratios 0.60 [95% CI 0.37-0.99] and 0.60 [0.37-0.97] respectively), current asthma (0.59 [0.33-1.00] and 0.39 [0.22-0.71]), and current wheeze (0.55 [0.32-0.93] and 0.52 [0.31-0.90]) and atopy (sensitisation to some inhalant allergens) outcomes at 6 years. High concentrations of TNFalpha were associated with lower risk of atopy but not with asthma risk. These associations were broadly unaltered by propensity-score adjustment. Maternal smoking was associated with higher risk of both wheeze at 6 years and lower concentrations of interleukin 4 and interferon gamma in cord blood. INTERPRETATION: The mechanism underlying attenuated T-helper-1/T-helper-2 cytokine production in high-risk children also apparently operates in control of cytokine production in the fetoplacental unit. The finding that this mechanism is dysregulated by maternal smoking suggests it is a target for antenatal environmental factors relevant to asthma aetiology.

Asthma↗
PubMed2003

Jumpers and fallers: a comparison of the distribution of skeletal injury.

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the distribution of injuries between patients who have fallen and those who have jumped from a height, and to relate the mechanism of injury to the fractures sustained. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred and ninety-nine patients, admitted via Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), classified as either having fallen or jumped from a height were included in the study. The radiographs from the primary survey, together with radiographs of specific injury sites were analysed. The distribution of injury was compared in the two groups. RESULTS: Of the 399 patients, 342 were fallers and 57 were jumpers. Jumpers had a higher Injury Severity Score (ISS), death rate and number of fractures per person. Jumpers sustained more rib fractures (particularly on the right), pelvic and lower limb fractures but fewer skull fractures. CONCLUSION: Jumpers tend to sustain different injuries to fallers. It is proposed that jumpers have a tendency to land feet-first and then try to break their falls on their dominant side, sustaining more right-sided rib fractures in the process. The patterns of injury that have emerged from this study have important implications for evaluating skeletal injuries in those who jump or fall from a height.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed1998

The analysis of aqueous humor constituents using capillary zone electrophoresis.

One of the difficulties encountered in the study of aqueous humor is the relatively small volume generally available for analysis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential use of capillary zone electrophoresis (CE) for the analysis of nanolitre quantities of this fluid. Twelve samples of aqueous humor were obtained from patients undergoing cataract surgery and a further three samples were from non cataract post mortem subjects within 6 hr of death. CE was carried out in an uncoated fused silica glass capillary, 75 mu internal diameter and 100 cm long using a run buffer of 40 mM borate pH 9.4 containing 0.4 g l-1 methylcellulose. Detection of the separated zones was by ultra violet absorption at 200 nm. Preliminary identification of peaks was achieved by enzymatic hydrolysis and spiking with purified analytes. A number of very well resolved peaks were obtained from both cataract and post mortem samples using nanolitre quantities of unmodified fluid. Additional peaks were noted in the post mortem samples, most of which were likely to be due to a partial breakdown of the blood aqueous humor barrier. The profiles obtained were not significantly affected by various drugs routinely administered during cataract surgery. This preliminary study has demonstrated the potential value of CE in the analysis of aqueous humor in health and disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Human cyclins B1 and B2 are localized to strikingly different structures: B1 to microtubules, B2 primarily to the Golgi apparatus.

We have raised and characterized antibodies specific for human cyclin B2 and have compared the properties of cyclins B1 and B2 in human tissue culture cells. Cyclin B1 and B2 levels are very low in G1 phase, increase in S and G2 phases and peak at mitosis. Both B-type cyclins associate with p34cdc2; their associated kinase activities appear when cells enter mitosis and disappear as the cyclins are destroyed in anaphase. However, human cyclins B1 and B2 differ dramatically in their subcellular localization. Cyclin B1 co-localizes with microtubules, whereas cyclin B2 is primarily associated with the Golgi region. In contrast to cyclin B1, cyclin B2 does not relocate to the nucleus at prophase, but becomes uniformly distributed throughout the cell. The different subcellular locations of human cyclins B1 and B2 implicate them in the reorganization of different aspects of the cellular architecture at mitosis and indicate that different mitotic cyclin-cyclin-dependent kinase complexes may have distinct roles in the cell cycle.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Separation of cerebrospinal fluid proteins using capillary electrophoresis: a potential method for the diagnosis of neurological disorders.

A method for the analysis of proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using free solution capillary electrophoresis (FSCE) was developed, in which the adsorption of proteins to the fused silica capillary wall was virtually eliminated. FSCE was carried out on 30 randomly selected CSF samples. Good sensitivity and resolution was obtained with minimal baseline noise. These preliminary results clearly demonstrated the potential of FSCE to analyse proteins in CSF, both qualitatively and quantitatively more rapidly than has been possible hitherto. A total run time of approximately 30 min allowed between 20 to 25 peaks to be separated. Many peaks with long migration times were detected in CSF that appeared to be specific since they were not detectable in corresponding serum samples. The separation patterns for most of the CSF samples selected showed relatively similar patterns but there were often minor qualitative and quantitative differences. Four CSF samples showed patterns that were significantly different from the others, primarily in the peaks with long migration times. A larger clinical study is now being undertaken.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1990

Self-help materials for anxiety: a randomized controlled trial in general practice.

The efficacy of a self-help package in treating chronic anxiety was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial in which the intervention group received self-help materials in the form of an audiotape and booklet, in addition to their current treatment. The intervention was successful in terms of mean depression scores (P = 0.01), anxiety scores (P = 0.04) and general health questionnaire scores (P = 0.02) which were significantly lower for the intervention group than for the controls. In addition, the depression scores fell faster for the intervention group than for the controls. The overall mean reduction in three months in adjusted depression scores was approximately two points greater for the intervention group than for the controls (P = 0.02). Clinicians welcomed the package as a valuable addition to the therapies available for managing chronic anxiety problems. Further studies should include larger sample sizes, taking into account the non-response to postal questionnaires over time.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Application of radioimmunoassay to monitor treatment of human cerebral gliomas with bleomycin entrapped within liposomes.

A radioimmunoassay was assessed for its suitability for monitoring the blood and urinary concentrations of bleomycin entrapped within large unilamellar liposomes in patients receiving therapeutic doses of the drug. Bleomycin entrapped within liposomes was administered by direct intracerebral injection to three patients with grade III to IV cerebral gliomas, twice weekly for up to six weeks. No clinically important toxic effects were observed which could have been attributed to these preparations, although all three patients showed progressive deterioration in their clinical condition. This type of treatment may be more beneficial to patients at an earlier stage of their disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis.

Ventilatory failure developed insidiously in a patient due to bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis from bilateral phrenic neuropathy. The ventilatory failure progressed to respiratory arrest. We assessed the patient's diaphragmatic function by fluoroscopy, transdiaphragmatic pressure measurements during maximal inspiration, measurement of abdominal paradoxic motion, and electrical conduction measurements of the phrenic nerves. He improved and was discharged. A rocking bed was recommended for sleep after appropriate measurements of various respiratory support apparatuses. A history of supine breathlessness and a clinical observation of paradoxic abdominal wall motion during breathing in the supine position should suggest this possible cause.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Interviews with parents of boys suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Parents from 53 families of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy were interviewed to explore their reactions to the diagnosis and the effects of the disease on family life. The findings are discussed in terms of the problems reported by the parents, their experiences at the time of diagnosis, their views on neonatal screening, the effects on the marital relationship, on siblings and on the affected boys themselves, and the parents' need for better information about the disorder.

Adolescent↗