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Biomedical subjects

M Rowe

Publications and source records attributed to M Rowe.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Handsearching the Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps for trials.

As part of the Cochrane Collaboration's international research endeavour, the authors carried out a handsearch of the RAMC Journal from 1948 to 1998, searching for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs). Ten trials were identified, of which 6 were RCTs and 4 were CCTs. The first trial was published in 1967. Four of the 10 identified trials were in the field of respiratory medicine, and 2 were in obstetrics and gynaecology. Of the 10 trials, only 3 had been found through a rigorous interrogation of Medline. The 7 newly identified trials were reported to the UK Cochrane Centre, and summary details of these trials were entered into Medline for use by clinicians and investigators in the future.

Adult↗

The effectiveness of slow-stroke massage in diffusing agitated behaviors in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

Agitated behaviors of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), often endured or unsuccessfully treated with chemical or physical restraints, markedly increase the stress levels of family caregivers. The Theoretical Model for Aggression in the Cognitively Impaired guided the examination of caregiver-provided slow-stroke massage on the diffusion of actual and potential agitation for community-dwelling individuals with AD. Characteristics and frequency of agitation were quantified by two highly correlated instruments, the Agitated Behavior Rating Scale Scoring Guide and the Brief Behavior Symptom Rating Scale. Expressions of agitation of patients with AD increased in a linear pattern from dawn to dusk. Verbal displays of agitation, the most frequently cited form of agitation in community-dwelling individuals with AD, were not diffused by slow-stroke massage. However, the more physical expressions of agitation such as pacing, wandering, and resisting were decreased when slow-stroke massage was applied. This study contributes to building a body of knowledge regarding the phenomenon of agitated behaviors in cognitively impaired elderly individuals--its nature, frequency of occurrence, measurement, associated factors, and management.

Aged↗

Handsearching the Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service for Trials.

As part of the Cochrane Collaboration's international research endeavour, the authors carried out a handsearch of the Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service from 1948 to 1998, searching for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs). Five trials were identified, of which three were RCTs and two were CCTs. The first trial was published in 1960. The identified trials were in the fields of dentistry (two trials), gastroenterology, occupational medicine and orthopaedic surgery. Of the five trials, only two had been located previously through a rigorous interrogation of Medline. The three newly identified trials were reported to the UK Cochrane Centre, and details of these three trials were entered into Medline for use by clinicians and investigators in the future.

Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) signalling is distinct from CD40 and involves physical cooperation of its two C-terminus functional regions.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encoded Latent Membrane Protein-1 (LMP1) mimics a constitutively active receptor molecule, and has been shown to activate NF-kappaB and the MAPK and JNK pathways. Two regions within the cytosolic domain of LMP1 have been found to effect cell signalling. One of these, the carboxy-terminal activation region-1 (CTAR1), binds members of the TRAF family of proteins, and the other (CTAR2) binds TRADD, suggesting that LMP1 transduces signals similarly to the Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor family of receptors. The ability to bind TRAFs, to activate NF-kappaB and the JNK pathway, to upregulate cellular genes such as CD54 (ICAM-1 adhesion molecule), and to affect cell growth and apoptosis has led to the suggestion that LMP1 signalling is similar to, or even identical to CD40. However, we now show that while ligand-induced CD40 signalling is impaired in the Jurkat T cell line, LMP1 was fully functional; therefore demonstrating that LMP1 and CD40 signalling differ. Mutated LMP1 genes, in which one or other of the CTAR1 and CTAR2 domains was non-functional, behaved more like CD40 in being unable to upregulate the CD54 cell surface marker in Jurkat cells. However, the CTAR1 domain of LMP1, which shared a TRAF-binding sequence motif with CD40, differed from CD40 in being unable to activate NF-kappaB in Jurkat. Cotransfection experiments with LMP1 mutants demonstrated that CTAR1 can cooperative with CTAR2 on separate LMP1 molecules, provided that they exist within the same oligomeric complex.

CD40 Antigens↗

Isolation and analysis of two strongly transforming isoforms of the Epstein-Barr-Virus(EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) from a single Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Two genes encoding the latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were isolated from a single case of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and were tested for their biological activities. The LMP1 gene from the Reed-Sternberg cells contained point mutations relative to the prototype LMP1 gene, leading to amino-acid exchanges. The LMP1 gene from passenger lymphocytes showed identical point mutations, but also had an in-frame insertion of 132 base pairs within the 33-bp repeat region. This insert encoding 44 amino acids contained the sequence PSQQS, corresponding to the potential TRAF-binding motif PXQXT/S. When compared to the B95.8 gene, both HD-derived LMP1 genes showed an increase in the transformation of Rat-1 rodent fibroblasts. The transforming ability of the LMP1 gene with the insertion was greater than that of the other HD-derived LMP1, and was comparable with the highly transforming LMP1-Cao gene derived from a nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The HD-derived genes stimulated expression of the cell-surface markers, CD40 and CD54, similarly to the LMP1-B95.8 gene, while the LMP1-Cao gene had a significantly reduced ability to induce these proteins. In contrast, the LMP1-Cao transactivated an NF-kappaB-response element more efficiently than did the HD-derived genes. Transfer of the 132-bp insert alone into the B95.8 gene did not increase its transforming activity to the LMP1-Cao level, indicating that additional mutations in the LMP1 gene are necessary for modulating this function.

Adult↗

Services for mentally ill homeless persons: street-level integration.

The key elements of a systems integration approach to delivery of human services are reviewed in terms of their application to services for mentally ill homeless persons. The example of a mental health outreach project illustrates the service- and systems-integrating influences of clinical case management with this population, and the ability of a "bottom-up" street-level approach to improve coordination and service accessibility for clients in general is discussed.

Community Health Workers↗

The 30-base-pair deletion in Chinese variants of the Epstein-Barr virus LMP1 gene is not the major effector of functional differences between variant LMP1 genes in human lymphocytes.

One group of sequence variants of Epstein-Barr virus is characterized by a 10-amino-acid deletion within the CTAR-2 functional domain of the latent membrane protein, LMP1. A role for this deletion in enhancing the tumorigenicity of the viral oncogene in rodent fibroblasts was recently demonstrated. We examined the effect of this deletion upon LMP1 function in four human lymphoid cell lines by using three natural variants of LMP1: the prototype B95.8 gene and the CAO and AG876 genes, both of which have codons 343 to 352 of the B95.8-LMP1 deleted. These experiments revealed that LMP1-mediated upregulation of CD40 and CD54 was markedly impaired (by 60 to 90%) with CAO-LMP1 compared with B95.8-LMP1. In contrast, the function of AG876-LMP1 was indistinguishable from that of B95.8-LMP1 in two lines and was only slightly impaired in the other two lines. Activation of NF-kappaB by CAO-LMP1 was not impaired in any of the lines; rather, activation of an NF-kappaB reporter by CAO-LMP1 was consistently about twofold greater than the activation with B95.8- or AG876-LMP1. Therefore, while the CAO-LMP1 is functionally distinct from the prototype B95.8-LMP1 in human lymphocytes, the 10-amino-acid deletion appears not to be directly responsible. This conclusion was confirmed by using a B95.8-LMP1 mutant with codons 343 to 352 deleted and chimerae of CAO- and B95.8-LMP1 in which the CTAR-2 domains of these genes were exchanged. Sequences outside the CTAR-2 domain were implicated in the distinct functional characteristics of CAO-LMP1 in human lymphoid cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

CVT-313, a specific and potent inhibitor of CDK2 that prevents neointimal proliferation.

The activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) is essential for progression of cells from G1 to the S phase of the mammalian cell cycle. CVT-313 is a potent CDK2 inhibitor, which was identified from a purine analog library with an IC50 of 0.5 microM in vitro. Inhibition was competitive with respect to ATP (Ki = 95 nM), and selective CVT-313 had no effect on other, nonrelated ATP-dependent serine/threonine kinases. When added to CDK1 or CDK4, a 8.5- and 430-fold higher concentration of CVT-313 was required for half-maximal inhibition of the enzyme activity. In cells exposed to CVT-313, hyperphosphorylation of the retinoblastoma gene product was inhibited, and progression through the cell cycle was arrested at the G1/S boundary. The growth of mouse, rat, and human cells in culture was also inhibited by CVT-313 with the IC50 for growth arrest ranging from 1.25 to 20 microM. To evaluate the effects of CVT-313 in vivo, we tested this agent in a rat carotid artery model of restenosis. A brief intraluminal exposure of CVT-313 to a denuded rat carotid artery resulted in more than 80% inhibition of neointima formation. These observations suggest that CVT-313 is a promising candidate for evaluation in other disease models related to aberrant cell proliferation.

Animals↗

Downregulated expression of SHP-1 in Burkitt lymphomas and germinal center B lymphocytes.

We wish to identify developmental changes in germinal center B cells that may contribute to their rapid growth. SHP-1 is an SH2 domain-containing phosphotyrosine phosphatase that negatively regulates activation of B cells and other cells of hematopoietic lineages. We have found that in all 13 EBV-negative and 11 EBV-positive Burkitt lymphomas with a nonlymphoblastoid phenotype, the mean concentration of SHP-1 was reduced to 5% of that of normal B and T cells. The possibility that this diminished expression of SHP-1 was related to the germinal center phenotype of Burkitt lymphomas was supported by the low to absent immunofluorescent staining for SHP-1 in germinal centers, and by the inverse relationship between the concentration of SHP-1 and the expression of the germinal center marker CD38 on purified tonsillar B cells. In CD38-high B cells, SHP-1 concentration was 20% of that of mantle zone B cells from the same donor. This reduction in SHP-1 is comparable to that of cells from motheaten viable mev/mev mice in which there is dysregulated, spontaneous signaling by cytokine and antigen receptors. Therefore, germinal center B cells may have a developmentally regulated, low threshold for cellular activation.

B-Lymphocytes↗

Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) C-terminus activation region 2 (CTAR2) maps to the far C-terminus and requires oligomerisation for NF-kappaB activation.

The Epstein-Barr virus Latent Membrane Protein-1 (LMP1) has structural features and functions consistent with it being a constitutively active cell surface receptor. The known association of LMP1 with members of the TRAF family of proteins suggests that LMP1 transduces signals similarly to the Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor (TNFR) family of cell surface receptors that signal by forming dimers or trimers in response to binding of extracellular ligands. However, interactions between LMP1 and the TRAFs have so far only been described for the C-terminal activation region 1 (CTAR1) of LMP1 and no direct interactions of the TRAFs with the second NF-kappaB activation domain (CTAR2) have been reported. We have now mapped the NF-kappaB activation domain of CTAR2 to a highly conserved stretch of 6 amino acids at the far C-terminus (codons 379 to 384 in B95.8 LMP1). In addition, we constructed chimeric receptor molecules which contain the ligand-binding extracellular domain and the transmembrane domain of rat CD2 fused to the C-terminus of LMP1 encoding the CTAR1 and/or the CTAR2 domain. Interestingly, the function of a chimera encoding CTAR2 alone, as well as the function of a chimera encoding both CTAR1 and CTAR2 was found to be inducible upon antibody-mediated crosslinking. These inducible chimeric proteins also allowed us to demonstrate that LMP1 mediated NF-kappaB activation is an immediate event following activation of LMP1.

Animals↗

Epstein-Barr virus-encoded LMP1 and CD40 mediate IL-6 production in epithelial cells via an NF-kappaB pathway involving TNF receptor-associated factors.

Expression of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transforming LMP1 in B cells activates the transcription factor NF-kappaB and induces phenotypic changes through two distinct domains in the cytoplasmic C-terminus of the protein. The aa 187-231 domain of LMP1, which is important for growth transformation, binds tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor (TRAF) 1 and TRAF3 and this interaction mediates subsequent signalling events. The TRAFs also associate with CD40, a member of the TNFR family, which upon ligation activates NF-kappaB and induces phenotypic changes similar to those mediated by LMP1. This study demonstrates that LMP1 expression in carcinoma cell lines and SV40-transformed keratinocytes results in induction of the pleiotropic cytokine interleukin 6 (IL6), an effect which is also observed upon CD40 ligation. The mechanism by which either LMP1 expression or CD40 ligation induces IL6 production was found to be NF-kappaB-dependent. Mutational analysis identified domains in the C-terminus of LMP1 which are important for NF-kappaB activation and IL6 secretion. LMP1 and CD40 share a common PxQxT core TRAF binding motif and mutations in or adjacent to this sequence impaired the ability of LMP1 or CD40 to induce NF-kappaB activation and IL6 secretion. The importance of TRAF interactions in mediating these effects was confirmed using dominant negative TRAF2 and TRAF3 mutants which also identified differences in the signalling events mediated by the two NF-kappaB activating domains of LMP1. A20, an anti-apoptotic protein which interacts with TRAF2 and blocks CD40-mediated NF-kappaB activity, also blocked NF-kappaB and IL6 secretion in LMP1-transfected epithelial cells. These results suggest that LMP1 regulates IL6 production in epithelial cells in a manner similar to CD40 ligation and implicate TRAFs as common mediators in the transduction of signals generated via the CD40 and LMP1 pathways. As a role for IL6 in regulating epithelial cell growth has previously been suggested, the control of IL6 secretion via the CD40 and LMP1 pathways may have implications for the growth of both normal and transformed epithelial cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The role of inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide in the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis.

PURPOSE: The role of inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is still undefined. Elevated levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha have been measured in infants with NEC, while elevated levels of nitric oxide (NO) have been reported in newborn infants with clinical sepsis. However, the cellular source of the NO or cytokines is unknown. The authors hypothesized that local intestinal production of NO induced by cytokines may contribute to the pathogenesis of bowel necrosis in NEC by inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) or necrosis of the enterocytes. We examined the levels of inflammatory cytokines and NO in the intestine of infants undergoing surgical resection for NEC, and the cellular localization of human inducible NO synthase (NOS-2) in the inflamed gut. METHODS: We compared 15 patients undergoing bowel resection for NEC, with six infants (of similar age) undergoing intestinal resection for ileal atresia or stricture, meconium peritonitis, intussusception, or cecal perforation (control). Diagnosis of NEC was confirmed histologically. Representative segments of the surgical specimen were examined for messenger RNA (mRNA) for NOS-2 by Northern blotting and in situ hybridization. Cytokine mRNA was measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) because mRNA could not be detected by Northern blotting. The site of NO production was determined by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Apoptosis was measured using in situ DNA strand break extension (TUNEL). Nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity was assessed to determine if NO mediates cellular injury via peroxynitrite formation. RESULTS: Messenger RNA for NOS-2 was detected in nearly all patients with NEC except for one infant who underwent proximal diverting jejunostomy alone, and who did not have histological evidence of NEC at that site. NOS-2 mRNA was detected less frequently in control patients. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry showed that the enterocytes were the predominant source of NOS-2 activity in the intestine of NEC patients. Extensive apoptosis was seen in enterocytes in the apical villi of infants with NEC, and correlated with nitrotyrosine staining. NOS-2 activity was markedly diminished at the time of stoma closure, but remained elevated in infants who died from progressive disease. PCR showed variable cytokine mRNA expression in the intestine. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta expression was nearly identical in NEC and control. However, interferon (IFN)-gamma was present in 9 of 10 NEC, but only in one of six control patients. CONCLUSION: The data show that NO is produced in large quantity by enterocytes in the intestinal wall of infants with NEC and leads to apoptosis of enterocytes in apical villi through peroxynitrite formation.

Cytokines↗

Outcomes of cataract extraction with multifocal intraocular lens implantation: functional status and quality of life.

OBJECTIVE: The authors measured functional status after bilateral implantation of a multifocal versus a monofocal intraocular lens (IOL). METHODS: A retrospective, case-control study was done on 100 subjects implanted bilaterally with a silicone-optic foldable zonal progressive IOL under United States Food and Drug Administration Investigational Device Exemption protocol and 103 control subjects implanted bilaterally with a monofocal IOL of similar design who were matched on age and postoperative corrected distance acuity. The Cataract TyPE specification, a 17-item functional status instrument, was modified, validated, and administered via telephone interview. The measures of vision, functional status, and quality of life were compared between patients and controls. RESULTS: The instrument was valid (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94) and correlated moderately (Pearson's r= 0.34) with Snellen acuity. Multifocal subjects were more likely than monofocal controls to never wear spectacles (41% vs. 11.7%; P < 0.001). Multifocal subjects rated their vision without spectacles significantly better than those with monofocal IOLs (9.0 vs. 7.9; P < 0.001). The difference was most significant in rating of near vision without spectacles (7.8 vs. 5.0; P < 0.001). Multifocal subjects reported less limitation in specific visual tasks without spectacles (0.3 vs. 0.8; P < 0.001, where 1.0 represents "slightly" limited). This difference was consistently observed in subscales related to distance vision activities (0.1 vs. 0.4; P < 0.001), near vision activities (0.6 vs. 1.4; P < 0.001), and social activities (0.1 vs. 0.6; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, subjects with bilateral multifocal IOLs reported better overall vision, less limitation in visual function, and less spectacle usage than monofocal controls.

Aged↗

Interoceptive exposure versus breathing retraining within cognitive-behavioural therapy for panic disorder with agoraphobia.

This study compared two components of a cognitive-behavioural treatment for panic disorder. Thirty-eight individuals with panic disorder and agoraphobia were randomly assigned to (a) cognitive restructuring, interoceptive exposure (i.e. repeated exposure to feared bodily sensations) and in vivo exposure to agoraphobic situations; or (b) cognitive restructuring, breathing retraining and in vivo exposure to agoraphobic situations. Assessments were conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment and six months later. The treatments were equally effective on many measures. However, treatment that included interoceptive exposure was more effective at post-treatment in terms of panic frequency, overall severity and functioning, and more effective at six-month follow-up in terms of panic frequency, phobic fears and general anxiety and functioning. Follow-up results were limited due to attrition.

Adolescent↗

Epstein-Barr virus EBNA3C represses Cp, the major promoter for EBNA expression, but has no effect on the promoter of the cell gene CD21.

EBNA3C is a potent repressor of transcription when bound to DNA as a fusion with the DNA binding domain (DBD) of GALA. A survey of promoters has revealed that the wild-type, unfused EBNA3C can specifically repress expression from reporter plasmids containing the Epstein-Barr virus Cp latency-associated promoter. Repression of Cp activity required amino acids 207 to 368, which encompasses a region resembling a basic DBD adjacent to a leucine zipper DNA binding motif and a site which binds to the cellular factor CBF1/RBP-Jkappa. However, amino acids 207 to 368 are dispensable when the protein is bound to DNA as a fusion with the GAL4 DBD, thus implicating this region in DNA binding. Mutation of the CBF1/RBP-Jkappa binding site in EBNA3C abrogated repression, strongly suggesting that CBF1/RBP-Jkappa is necessary for targeting the viral protein to Cp. Consistent with this result, mutation of the EBNA2 response element (a CBF1/RBP-Jkappa binding site) in Cp also prevented significant repression. In addition, amino acids 346 to 543, which were previously defined as important for the repressor activity of the GAL4-EBNA3C fusion proteins, also appear to be necessary for the repression of Cp. Since repression by these fusions was not observed in all cell types, it seems likely that EBNA3C either depends on a corepressor which may interact with amino acids 346 to 543 or is modified in a cell-specific manner in order to repress. These data are consistent with EBNA3C contributing to the regulation of EBNA expression in latently infected B cells through CBF1/RBP-Jkappa and another factor, but this need not directly involve EBNA2. Finally, although it has been reported that EBNA3C can upregulate CD21 in some B cells, we were unable to demonstrate any effect of EBNA3C on reporter plasmids which contain the CD21 promoter.

B-Lymphocytes↗

Lymphoblastoid cells transfected with c-myc: downregulation of EBV-lytic antigens and impaired response of autologous CD4+ T cells in vitro.

Normal EBV-positive lymphoblastoid B-cell lines (LCL) were transfected with vectors containing the c-myc oncogene (pHEBO-E(mu)-myc) or control vectors (pHEBO-E(mu)) and analyzed for the expression of EBV-lytic and latent antigens. While EBV-latent antigens were normal in the c-myc transfectants, there was an almost complete downregulation of EBV-lytic antigens, including BZLF1, EA(D), gp340 and VCA. These observations were consistently repeated on 6 different LCLs transfected with c-myc. Unlike control LCLs, the c-myc transfectants did not release infectious EBV. PCR analysis demonstrated that BZLF1 mRNA was virtually absent in c-myc transfectants, possibly suggesting that the deregulated c-myc imposed a block in the EBV-lytic cycle at this particular level. c-myc transfectants failed to sustain the proliferative response of autologous CD4+ T-cell clones with specificity for EBV-lytic antigens. However, they regained this capacity after incubation with ultraviolet-inactivated EBV or gp340 antigen in vitro, also indicating that their antigen-presenting capacities were not impaired. c-myc transfectants failed to elicit a secondary proliferative response by autologous CD4+ T cells purified from the peripheral blood of EBV-seropositive donors. Exposure of c-myc transfectants to UV-inactivated EBV again resulted in a proliferative CD4+ T-cell response comparable to that elicited by the control LCLs. Collectively, our data provide evidence for the remarkable ability of an oncogene to influence the life cycle of a virus and to modify the antigenicity of the infected cells.

B-Lymphocytes↗

CD40-induced growth inhibition in epithelial cells is mimicked by Epstein-Barr Virus-encoded LMP1: involvement of TRAF3 as a common mediator.

CD40, a member of the tumour necrosis factor receptor family, is expressed on the surface of B lymphocytes where its ligation provides a potent survival signal. CD40 is also expressed in basal epithelial cells and in a number of different carcinomas where its function remains unknown. We observed that contrary to the studies in normal B cells, CD40 ligation in carcinoma cell lines and in normal primary epithelial cells resulted in growth inhibition and enhanced susceptibility to apoptosis induced by anti-neoplastic drugs, TNF-alpha, Fas and ceramide. This effect was also observed in CD40-transfected Rat-1 fibroblasts. The expression of Bcl-2 did not affect growth inhibition induced by CD40 ligation in epithelial cells but the Epstein - Barr Virus-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) blocked the effect. Whilst transient expression of LMP-1 resulted in the inhibition of epithelial cell growth, this effect was not observed with a LMP1 mutant lacking the binding domain for TRAF3, a protein which may mediate signal transduction by interacting with the cytoplasmic domains of both CD40 and LMP1. Transient expression of TRAF3 also inhibited epithelial cell growth, whilst expression of a dominant-negative TRAF3 partially blocked the inhibitory effect of CD40 ligation and of transient LMP1 expression. These results suggest that CD40 regulates epithelial cell growth in a manner mimicked by LMP1 and implicate TRAF3 as a common mediator in the transduction of the growth inhibitory signals generated via the CD40 and LMP1 pathways.

Animals↗