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Biomedical subjects

M H White

Publications and source records attributed to M H White.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Mycobacterium haemophilum infections in bone marrow transplant recipients.

The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of Mycobacterium haemophilum infection in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation at a cancer center. Bone marrow transplant recipients with M haemophilum infection were identified upon culture of the organism by implementing the organism's unique requirements for growth. This report of the patients' clinical and immunologic course is based on a retrospective chart review. Two distinctly different presentations of M haemophilum infection were observed. Three patients presented with cutaneous lesions, typical of those seen in previous reports of the infection. Two others developed pulmonary disease only. All patients received directed therapy against M haemophilum, but respiratory failure developed in the patients with pneumonia and they died. The remaining 3 patients survived and are free of infection. These are the only reported cases of M haemophilum infection in bone marrow transplant recipients. Early diagnosis obtained through biopsy and special request for culture conditions conducive to the growth of the organism may decrease morbidity and mortality, particularly in patients with pulmonary disease.

Adult

Genital ulcer disease in women infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and microbiologic characteristics of genital ulcer disease in a population of human immunodeficiency virus-infected women. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study was performed in university-affiliated, hospital-based women's human immunodeficiency virus clinics. A total of 307 women with human immunodeficiency virus infection were followed up during 20 months. There were no interventions. Age, race, CD4+ cell counts, bacteriologic and virologic analyses in cases of ulcers, serologic testing for syphilis, and histopathologic examination in selected cases (n = 6). RESULTS: Among 307 women followed up over a 20-month period, 43 ulcers were detected with a prevalence of 14%. Among the ulcer cases the average absolute CD4+ lymphocyte number was 210/mm3. Diagnostic evaluation yielded no proven etiologic agent in 26 (60%) of the cases. Twelve of the 43 cases (28%) were positive for herpes simplex-2. Five cases (12%) yielded unusual or mixed bacteriologic types. No cases were attributable to primary syphilis infection. One case each of an ulcer infected with cytomegalovirus, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Gardnerella vaginalis, as well as three unusual presentations of herpetic ulcers, is analyzed in detail. CONCLUSION: These cases exemplify the often dramatic presentation of human immunodeficiency virus-related genital ulcers and the clinical complexity of both diagnosis and management. The frequent lack of an infectious or neoplastic cause in human immunodeficiency virus-infected women with genital ulcer disease suggests that human immunodeficiency virus may play a local role in causation or exacerbation. Biopsies of atypical genital ulcers should be considered to aid diagnosis. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of genital ulcer disease in human immunodeficiency virus-infected women.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections

Increasing awareness of sleep hygiene in rotating shift workers: arming law-enforcement officers against impaired performance.

Research into the effects of rotating shift work on health, social, and performance indices suggests significantly more health concerns and judgement errors and poorer sleep patterns in shift workers on rotating versus nonrotating schedules. 31 male and 7 female law-enforcement officers voluntarily participated in a training session on sleep hygiene practices. On the Sleep Hygiene Awareness and Practice Scale administered prior to and after training were significant increases in awareness of sleep hygiene and knowledge of nicotine, caffeine, and hypnotics. We predicted that use of this knowledge would increase sleep satisfaction. However, 1-mo. follow-up scores on the Post-sleep Inventory of Webb, et al. reflected no change. It appears that scheduling demands, coupled with feelings of low self-efficacy toward managing those demands, resulted in little or no practice of sleep hygiene. A more productive approach may be to incorporate a comprehensive behavioral program within departments to instill and reinforce better practice of sleep hygiene.

Adult

Cryptococcosis.

Cryptococcal disease is the most common life-threatening fungal infection in patients with AIDS. The most common manifestation, meningitis, has an indolent presentation that may lead to a delay in diagnosis. Although clinical trials have demonstrated efficacy with fluconazole in some patients, amphotericin B, with or without flucytosine, is the treatment of choice. Lifelong suppression of cryptococcal disease after initial therapy, however, is best achieved with fluconazole. Prognostic staging systems and primary prophylaxis of cryptococcal disease are also discussed.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections

Prevention of infections in patients with neoplastic disease: use of a historical model for developmental strategies.

Infections associated with neoplastic disease and its treatment are well described. Associations between specific infections and particular immune defects have also been defined. Despite the awareness that certain patient populations are at risk, potential prophylactic regimens for many of these infections have not been studied. The development of isoniazid for the prevention of tuberculosis is reviewed. The requirements for the study of prophylactic antibiotics in patients with neoplastic disease are discussed based on this example. Specific infections associated with neoplastic disease are suggested as candidates for multicenter controlled trials of prophylactic regimens.

Humans

The ora serrata and the spiral of Tillaux. Anatomic relationship and clinical correlation.

Conventional teaching states that the spiral of Tillaux marks the location of the ora serrata. On literature review, no source for this was found. This study explores this anatomic relationship. In 20 cadaver eyes, narrow-gauge needles were placed penetrating the center of each rectus muscle insertion, and distance to the ora was measured. Insertions ranged from 2.25 mm posterior to 2.25 mm anterior to the ora, with 90% within 1 mm of it. In ten eyes, distance from the edge of insertion also was measured. Results indicate that the centers of rectus insertions, especially the lateral rectus, approximately overlie the ora, with the edges of the insertions more posterior and variable.

Eye

Radioimmunoassay for the major structural protein of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus: Attempts to detect the presence of antigen or antibody in humans.

The 25,000 dalton protein of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV) was isolated by gel filtration chromatography. In agreement with results from other laboratories, antisera to type-C and the non-type-C bovine leukemia and equine infectious anemia viruses did not precipitate 125I-labelled MPMV p25. In addition, these viruses did not cross-react in a competition radioimmunoassay for MPMV p25. Twenty-one human tissues (15 breast carcinomas, 2 normal breasts, 3 acute myelogenous leukemias and 1 sarcoma) were fractionated by detergent solubilization, ammonium sulfate precipitation, and DE-52 anion exchange chromatography. These methods were shown to be highly effective for purification of MPMV p25. Under assay conditions which minimized incubation damage to the 125I-MPMV p25, all tissues failed to react in the competition radioimmunoassay (RIAT). Two hundred and two human sera or plasma specimens, including those from patients with breast cancer and 33 age-matched controls, from 50 patients with hematologic malignancies, from 12 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and from 14 patients with systemic lupus erythematosis, were examined for antibodies to MPMV p25. With the exception of two multiple myeloma plasma which produced artifactual false positive reactions based on hypergammaglobulinemia, a known complication of salt precipitation radioimmunoassays, the remainder of the specimens were negative for evidence of MPMV p25 antibodies.

Adolescent

Species and interspecies radioimmunoassays for rat type C virus p30: interviral comparisons and assay of human tumor extracts.

The major internal protein, p30, of rat type C virus (RaLV) was purified and utilized to establish intra- and interspecies radioimmunoassays. Three rat viruses were compared in homologous and heterologous intraspecies assays with no evidence of type specificity. The only heterologous viruses to give inhibition in these species assays were the feline (FeLV) and hamster (HaLV) type C viruses; these reactions were incomplete and required high virus concentrations. An interspecies assay using a goat antiserum prepared after sequentially immunizing with FeLV, RD 114, and woolly monkey virus p30's and labeled RaLV p30 was inhibited by all mammalian type C viruses, although preferentially by RaLV, FeLV, and HaLV. Thus, as in a previously reported assay developed with HaLV p30, rat, hamster, and cat p30's seem more closely related to each other than to mouse type C virus p30. High levels of specific antigen were found in all cell lines producing rat virus, whereas embryonic tissues from several rat strains and cell lines considered virus-free based on other tests were negative for p30. Rats bearing tumors containing Moloney murine sarcoma virus (RaLV) did not contain free circulating antibody to RaLV p30. Fifty-one human tumor extracts (including two tumor cell lines) were tested for activity in the RaLV species and 47 in the interspecies assays after Sephadex gel filtration and pooling of material in the 15,000- to 40,000-molecular-weight range. At a sensitivity level of 7 ng/ml (0.7 ng/assay) in the interspecies assay, all human tissues, with one exception, were negative. The one positive result is considered nonspecific based on proteolysis of the labeled antigen. Input tissue protein of the purified tumor extracts averaged 1.9 mg/ml with a range of less than 0.025 to 22 mg/ml. Tissues from NIH Swiss mice processed in the same manner were positive in the interspecies assay but negative in the intraspecies RaLV assay.

Animals

Pre- and postnatally administered ACTH, Organon 2766 and CRF facilitate or inhibit active avoidance task performance in young adult mice.

This study investigated the effect of learning/memory-related neuropeptides on behavioral task performance in later life. A 1 mg/kg dosage of adrenocorticotropic hormone 4-9, Organon 2766, ACTH/MSH 4-10, ACTH 1-24, CRF, or diluent was subcutaneously injected into either pregnant females or into newborn pups during specific neural developmental windows. Each of the progeny was trained in an active-avoidance task and tested for acquisition on postpartum days 35-37. The mice were then tested for memory task performance and reacquisition on days 42-44 postpartum using the identical experimental paradigm as that used in the training sessions. Prenatal treatment with these memory-related neuropeptides resulted in significant facilitation of learning/memory task performance in male and female mice treated with Organon 2766 (p less than 0.001), and a significant inhibition of learning/memory task performance in males and females treated with ACTH 1-24 (p less than 0.01). Additional sex-specific performance facilitations and inhibitions resulted from the pre- or postnatal administration of the various neuropeptides used in this study. These results suggest that neuropeptides, when available in increased amounts during specific neural developmental windows, can significantly improve or suppress related behavioral performance capability in later life.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone