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Biomedical subjects

M Greene

Publications and source records attributed to M Greene.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

The prenatal diagnosis of imperforate anus with rectourinary fistula: dilated fetal colon with enterolithiasis.

The finding of extraluminal calcifications is commonly reported and usually indicates intrauterine intestinal perforation with intraperitoneal extravasation of meconium, most often associated with intestinal obstruction and/or atresias. Intraluminal calcification of meconium is more rare and appears to result from the mixing of stagnant urine and meconium in utero. The presence of the intraluminal calcifications in a dilated loop of intestine, particularly with an associated urinary tract abnormality, should suggest a rectourinary fistula. Two cases of prenatally diagnosed imperforate anus with rectourinary fistulae are reported.

Adult

Interleukin 2 induces tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of p72-74 Raf-1 kinase in a T-cell line.

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) is a lymphokine, produced by T cells upon antigenic or mitogenic stimulation, that is a critical regulator of T-cell proliferation. Although the binding of IL-2 to its receptor has been well characterized, the molecular mechanisms by which IL-2 transmits its signal from the membrane to the interior of the cell are poorly understood. Like most other growth factors, IL-2 causes rapid phosphorylation of proteins within its target cells. Unlike many other growth factors, however, the known subunits of the IL-2 receptor lack tyrosine-specific kinase activity, and little is known about the kinases whose activities are regulated by IL-2. Here we show that IL-2 (but not IL-4) induces rapid phosphorylation of the p72-74 serine/threonine-specific kinase encoded by the c-Raf-1 protooncogene in an IL-2-dependent murine T-cell line, CTLL-2, and that this phosphorylation is associated with increased kinase activity in p72-74 Raf-1-containing immune complexes. The concentration dependence of IL-2-mediated elevations in Raf-1 kinase activity correlated well with IL-2-stimulated proliferation of CTLL-2 cells. Furthermore, much of the IL-2-stimulated phosphorylation of p72-74 Raf-1 occurred on tyrosines. To our knowledge, the Raf-1 kinase represents the first endogenous substrate of an IL-2-regulated tyrosine kinase to be identified.

Amino Acid Sequence

All-terrain vehicle injuries in central Missouri.

Leisure time all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use and injuries are increasing. The authors characterize the riding habits and injury patterns of patients hospitalized for ATV-related trauma and offer suggestions for decreasing ATV injuries.

Accidents

Hypercalcemia with suppressed parathyroid hormone in Burkitt's lymphoma.

Two patients with Burkitt's lymphoma presented with severe hypercalcemia, a previously unreported complication of this tumor. Roentgenograms and radionuclide scans showed multiple osteolytic lesions in both patients. Plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH) was undetectable during the hypercalcemia phase. Chemotherapy was followed by rapid tumor lysis, hyperphosphatemia, phosphaturia and hypocalcemia. The hypocalcemic phase persisted for two weeks despite rapid normalization of serum phosphorus and renal function. Measurement of urinary cyclic AMP, an index of PTH action, indicated that parathyroid function had been suppressed by the hypercalcemia and remained suppressed for almost one week despite marked hypocalcemia.

Adult

Origin of familial malignant melanomas from heritable melanocytic lesions. 'The B-K mole syndrome'.

Distinctive melanocytic moles are described in 37 patients from six melanoma families. Among the family members examined by the authors, 15 of 17 patients with melanoma and 22 of 41 nonmelanoma relatives had the unique moles. The clinical and histological features of these moles have been designated the "B-K mole syndrome." The clinical features of the syndrome include the presence of less than 10 to greater than 100 moles prominent of the upper trunk and extremities, and variability of mole size (5 mm to 15 mm), outline, and color combination. Histologically, B-K moles show atypical melanocytic hyperplasia, lymphocytic infiltration, delicate fibroplasia, and new blood vessels that occur within a compound nevus or de novo. The transformation of two B-K moles into malignant melanomas was documented photographically.

Adolescent

The metabolism of supplementary vitamin C during the common cold.

Ascorbic acid concentrations have been measured in leukocytes and plasma following oral administration of 2000 mg vitamin C in the same subjects while they had cold symptoms and after recovery from their colds. Plasma and leukocyte concentrations rose significantly in females, but only plasma concentrations rose in males, after the loading dose during colds. In the postcold tests, only plasma concentrations rose in both sexes. There was a significant difference in plasma leukocyte regression coefficients between the cold and postcold tests in females. Ascorbic acid passes into the plasma for metabolic purposes, and its storage is less in the leukocytes, during colds. Males had worse colds than females because their catarrhal symptoms were more severe. Higher tissue concentrations of ascorbic acid tended to be associated with low total, toxic, and catarrhal symptom values. A rise in tissue ascorbic acid was associated with less severe catarrhal symptoms in females. Ascorbic acid concentrations in the plasma and tongue were significantly higher after the subjects had recovered from their cold symptoms. Increasing the loading dose of vitamin C from 500 to 2000 mg more than doubled the leukocyte concentration of ascorbic acid in females. The higher dose enabled uptake of the vitamin into the leukocytes to take place over a 4-hour period. It did not give rise to increased uptake into male leukocytes. Administration of supplementary vitamin C elevated plasma ascorbic acid. The ascorbic acid then passed into the tissues depleted of vitamin C during the cold syndrome. A single supplementary dose of 2000 mg vitamin C can replete leukocyte ascorbic acid during a 4-hour period in females, but a larger dose may be necessary in males.

Ascorbic Acid

Role of deoxyribonucleic acid ligase in a doxyribonucleic acid membrane fraction extracted from pneumococci.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ligase has been detected in a DNA membrane fraction extracted from Pneumococcus. The specific activity of the enzyme in this fraction is 10-fold greater than in the remaining cell extract. It remains firmly bound (with other enzymes) to the complex after a purification procedure in which a considerable percentage of the macromolecules are dissociated. The ligase acts in two ways in the DNA membrane fraction in vitro. One, it catalyzes the linkage of small-molecular-weight pieces of newly synthesized DNA into heavier-molecular-weight DNA strands as shown by others (M Gellert, 1976; R. Okazaki, A. Sugino, S. Hirose, T. Okazaki, Y. Imae, R. Kainuma-Kuroda, T. Ogawa, M. Arisawa, and Y. Kurosowa, 1973; B. Olivera and I. Lehman, 14; and A. Sugino, S. Hirose, and R. Okazaki, 1972) and, two, it protects DNA from degradation by deoxyribonucleases. This latter effect is due to a competition between the ability of the nucleases to degrade DNA and the ability of DNA ligase to seal the nicks produced by these degradative enzymes. The ligase acts cooperatively with other enzymes in the DNA membrane fraction to synthesize DNA.

Adenosine Triphosphate

Localized cryptococcal osteomyelitis.

Cryptococcal infection of the skeletal system alone is rare. The authors report a case of osteomyelitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans involving the distal humerus and skull, with roentgenographic and scintigraphic findings and pathological confirmation.

Cryptococcosis

An evaluation of emergency room services during the New York City house officer strike.

A chart audit of emergency services provided by attending staff during the New York City House Officers' strike is compared to an audit of work previously performed by house staff. The usual quality of services provided in this institution was maintained during the strike. However, deficiencies in quality noted in house staff charts, continued to be noted in the charts of attending staff. Failure to improve quality of medical records when trained staff substitute for trainees suggests that the central strike issue of poor working conditions contributes to low quality of care.

Collective Bargaining

Immunosuppressor T cells in tumor bearing host.

Thymus or spleen cells of tumor bearing animals (TBA) (methylcholanthrene induced sarcoma bearing A/Jax mice) were shown to possess immunosuppressor cells regulating the immune response to the tumor in syngeneic animals. The immunosuppressive activity of these cells of TBA was totally abolished by the in vitro treatment of anti-theta serum and complement. Soluble factor(s) with identical suppressive activity was isolated from the thymus cells of TBA and its molecular size was estimated to be lower than that of serum albumin in terms of its elution behaviour on gel filtration through a Sephadex G-200 column. These immunosuppressor T cells or their soluble factor(s) may be largely responsible for the growth of antigenic tumors.

Animals

Parasitic infections in young Jamaicans in different ecological zones of the island.

Data are presented for the first country wide prospective study on gastrointestinal tract parasitic infections done in Jamaica. Samples from 2,947 young Jamaicans drawn from all ecological zones and from all parochial divisions of the island were analyzed. Pica was practised by 8.6%. Generally, prevalence of organisms was as follows: Trichuris trichiura (12.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (9.5%), hookworm (2.2%), Strongyloides stercoralis (0.3%), Giardia lamblia (6.3%) and Entamoeba coli (7.7%). Several other spp. of protozoans were recorded. Prevalence of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura and Necator americanus was significantly greater in upland than in lowland (both urban and rural), while the situation was reversed for G. lamblia-infections. Greatest variations were age-related. A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura reached peak prevalence of 15.3 and 20.5% respectively in 5-9-year-olds, while hookworm peaked later at 15-19 years of age. Suggestions are made for a national and even regional antihelminthic program for the mass treatment of pre- and primary school age children.

Adolescent