PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

P Austin

Publications and source records attributed to P Austin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Development and evaluation of an inventory for rating client satisfaction with outcome in HIV counseling: the Albion Center scale.

We developed an inventory for rating client satisfaction with outcome in HIV counseling, based on interview responses with clients. The resulting 19-item scale was subject to factor analysis and four factors, accounting for 56% of the variance, emerged. The factors described dimensions of Perception of progress and improved mood; Recognition of a specific need for counseling; Behavior change from counseling; and Counseling climate. Factor-scored scales were significantly associated with time in counseling and for the Specific need for counseling scale, HIV-seropositive respondents had a significantly higher score. Scale reliabilities (Cronbach's alpha) were between 0.85 and 0.50. Concurrent administration with the Counseling Evaluation Inventory indicated that there were significant correlations between the two scales.

Adult

Temporary iridium-192 implant in the management of carcinoma of the prostate.

The controversy about the treatment of carcinoma of the prostate has increased in the last decade, with most urologists favoring radical prostatectomy rather than primary irradiation. Several reports of persistent tumors in 50% to 90% of patients after external irradiation and permanent iodine-125 implantation of the prostate have been disturbing. From July 1977 to December 1985, 200 patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate were treated by combining bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and temporary interstitial iridium-192 implantation of the prostate, followed by external irradiation. Seventy-four (36%) patients underwent biopsies of the prostate 4 months to 2 years after completion of the irradiation. Only 12 (16%) patients had persistent tumors. Complications were minimized subsequently by dose modifications.

Adenocarcinoma

Growth inhibitory and biocidal activity of some isothiazolone biocides.

Similar patterns of growth inhibition were observed for the three biocides, benzisothiazol-3-one (BIT), 5-chloro-N-methylisothiazol-3-one (CMIT) and N-methylisothiazol-3-one (MIT) against Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and Schizosaccharomyces pombe NCYC 1354. After periods of induced stasis, proportional to biocide concentration, growth proceeded at an inhibited rate. Extrapolation of the static periods and inhibited growth rates against biocide concentration gave minimum growth inhibitory concentration estimates of 0.1-0.5 micrograms/ml for CMIT, 15-20 micrograms/ml for BIT and 40-250 micrograms/ml for MIT. Patterns of growth inhibition by CMIT and induced morphological changes in inhibited cultures suggested this compound to also inhibit initiation of DNA replication. Growth inhibitory activity was rapidly quenched by the addition of thiol-containing materials such as glutathione and cysteine. The activity of CMIT was additionally quenched by the presence of the non-thiol amino acids valine and/or histidine. These results suggest that the chlorinated isothiazolones can react with amines as well as with essential thiol groups.

DNA Replication

Chemical reactivity of some isothiazolone biocides.

Chemical reactions between the isothiazolone biocides, N-methylisothiazol-3-one (MIT), benzisothiazol-3-one (BIT) and 5-chloro-N-methylisothiazol-3-one (CMIT) with cysteine have been investigated by u.v. and NMR spectroscopy. At physiological pH all three agents interacted oxidatively with thiols to form disulphides. Further interaction with thiols caused the release of cystine and formation of a reduced, ring-opened form of the biocide (mercaptoacrylamide). In an analogous fashion to the initial reaction the mercaptoacrylamide reacted with another molecule of biocide to give biocide dimers. NMR spectral studies indicated that for CMIT the mercaptoacrylamide form is capable of tautomerization to a highly reactive thio-acyl chloride. Formation of mercaptoacrylamide was in all cases highly pH-dependent. Alcohol dehydrogenase was insensitive to all three agents but was highly sensitive to CMIT when co-administered with dithiothreitol. Capacity to form a thioacyl chloride from the mercaptoacrylamide is suggested to account for much of this enhanced activity. Stopped-flow spectroscopic studies showed rates of reaction with glutathione (GSH) to directly parallel antimicrobial activity. Additionally, CMIT was able to react directly with both ionization states of GSH (pH 7-10) whilst BIT and MIT appeared only to interact when the glutamyl-nitrogen of GSH was charged (pH 8.5).

Alcohol Dehydrogenase

Monoclonal antibodies to HLA-DP-transfected mouse L cells.

Mouse L cells transfected with human HLA-DP (DPw4) alpha and beta genes were used to make monoclonal antibodies in C3H mice. A polymorphic antibody, DP11.1, was obtained, as well as several monomorphic antibodies. In ELISAs, DP11.1 bound to DPw4 cells and, more weakly, to DPw2, but not DPw1, -3, -5, or -6, using HLA homozygous cells. It also bound to L-cell transfectants expressing either DPw2 or DPw4 products. From B lymphoblastoid cell lysates labeled with [35S]methionine, the antibody immunoprecipitated alpha and beta chains of a similar size to those precipitated by a well-characterized DP monoclonal antibody, B7/21.2. Immunoblotting indicated that the DP11.1 antibody was directed against the alpha chain. This result confirms partial sequence data that showed that the DP alpha chain, as well as DP beta, is polymorphic, and that DPw2 and -4 alpha chains are very similar, if not identical.

Animals

Linkage map of two HLA-SB beta and two HLA-SB alpha-related genes: an intron in one of the SB beta genes contains a processed pseudogene.

Three overlapping cosmid clones contain coding sequences for four HLA Class II genes, provisionally identified as two HLA-SB alpha and two HLA-SB beta genes. The genes are in the order beta, alpha, beta, alpha, inverted with respect to each other. One of the SB beta genes contains a 513 bp sequence that appears to be a processed pseudogene, flanked by direct 17 bp repeat sequences, in the intron upstream of the beta 1 exon. The pseudogene is homologous to a family of sequences of approximately 25-40 members, most of which are not on chromosome 6. A cDNA clone, highly homologous to the pseudogene, except for its 5' end, contains a normal poly(A) addition site and a poly(A) tail. The cDNA clone is homologous to a single-copy gene in both man and mouse, encoded on human chromosome 15. A search of published DNA sequences identified a mouse sequence, with about 77% similarity to the pseudogene sequence, in the negative strand of an intron in a mouse dihydrofolate reductase gene. The second SB beta gene does not contain the pseudogene sequence.

Amino Acid Sequence

Elastofibroma oculi.

A 69-year-old woman had a placoid lesion extending from the temporal limbus with a ptyergioid head to involve extensively the temporal epibulbar conjunctiva, the superolateral and inferolateral fornices, and the lateral canthus. It was composed of thickened bundles of collagen, scattered islands of adipose tissue, and abundant refractile linear elastinophilic structures. Electron microscopy confirmed that the elastinophilic structures were mature elastic fibers embedded within markedly thickened bundles of collagen. This lesion resembles elastofibromas that occur in a subscapular location. Elastofibroma oculi is distinguishable from the more common pterygium and pinguecula by the sparing of the immediate subepithelial zone of the conjunctiva, which is preferentially involved by these other lesions, and by failure to exhibit ultrastructurally microfibrillar aggregates and dystrophic elastic fibers. Both the elastic fibers and thickened bundles of collagen in the elastofibroma are presumed to have arisen from activated fibroblasts.

Aged

Primary infiltrating signet ring carcinoma of the eyelids.

A 61-year old man presented with a five-year history of a swelling initially developing in his right lower lid that progressed to involve the lateral canthal skin and eventually the upper lid and anterior orbit. He was discovered to have an infiltrating, poorly differentiated, mucin-producing carcinoma. Systemic work-up failed to disclose a visceral malignancy, and it was concluded that his tumor was primary in the lids, arising from an adnexal sweat gland. Three other reports in the literature also share almost identical clinical and pathologic features, in that all of the earlier reports dealt with middle-aged or elderly men who had diffusely indurated lids. Histopathologically, the tumor cells grow diffusely in a sclerotic stroma, and resemble the "histiocytoid" variant of metastatic breast carcinoma to the lids in women. Ultrastructural studies in our case point toward an apocrine origin, although earlier authors have favored an eccrine origin. Despite its indolent clinical course, the tumor is capable of producing regional and distant metastases on long-term follow-up. Complete local excision, possibly necessitating radical surgery, is probably the preferred method of treatment, but local radiotherapy may have a beneficial effect in retarding spread of the disease.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous

Elastodysplasia and elastodystrophy as the pathologic bases of ocular pterygia and pinguecula.

Specimens of normal conjunctiva from three adult patients were examined by electron microscopy, which revealed normal elastogenesis in the substantia propria, but more prominently, in the episcleral tissues. Ultrastructural examination of eight pterygia and three pinguecula also disclosed evidence of elastogenesis, but in these lesions the morphogenetic sequence of fiber formation was distorted, and the elastic fibers were abnormal. The zone of hyalinization of the substantia propria immediately beneath the epithelium was the only site that manifested clear-cut evidence of collagen degeneration, which assumed the forms of effacement of the longitudinal periodicity of the collagen fibers, and of microfibrillar unfurling of the ends of the collagen fibers. Fibroblastic activity and elastic fiber formation were inconspicuous in this region. Beneath the hyalinized zone were collections of eosinophilic granular material. This material was shown ultrastructurally to be composed of excessive numbers of hollow-centered microfibrils (an elastic fiber precursor), with a tendency to clump centrally in the larger aggregated sheets and to acquire electron-dense inclusions. Numerous fibroblasts were found within this material. Finally, the elastotic fibers of light microscopy represented an abnormal maturational phase of elastic fiber production. These abnormal elastic fibers had microfibrils at their peripheries, but numerous electron-dense inclusions were associated with focal zones of amorphous elastin deposition. Occasionally histiocytes appeared to be engulfing these abnormal fibers. We have concluded that a large component of pinguecula and pterygia is the result of newly synthesized elastic fiber precursors and abnormal maturational forms of elastic fibers (elastodysplasia) that undergo secondary degeneration (elastodystrophy). These structures are presumed to be elaborated by actinically damaged fibroblasts of the substantia propria.

Adult

Inflammatory Terrien's marginal corneal disease.

We studied 13 patients with Terrien's marginal degeneration of the cornea. Six of these 13 patients had recurrent, disabling, episodic inflammation that was the most dominant feature of the disease. Severe pain and an associated episcleritis or superficial scleritis was present in all the patients during these attacks. These findings suggested that an inflammatory spectrum of Terrien's disease may exist.

Adolescent

Peripheral corneal degeneration and occlusive vasculitis in Wegener's granulomatosis.

A 61-year-old white woman, who had progressive arthritis over a two-year period, developed bilateral peripheral corneal degeneration. The superior cornea thinned to a thickness of approximately two thirds of normal. She died suddenly in the hospital and a primary occlusive vasculitis of the anterior ciliary arteries within the superior rectus muscles was found. There was necrotizing arteritis in the lungs, kidneys, adrenal caps, spleen, fallopian tubes, and skeletal muscle. The observation of an occlusive vasculitis of the anterior ciliary arteries in this patient supports the belief that ischemia may play a major role in peripheral marginal degeneration of the cornea.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases

Complementation of human adenovirus type 5 ts mutants by human adenovirus type 12.

Temperature-sensitive mutants of type 5 adenovirus belonging to eight complementation groups were complemented in mixed infection by type 12 adenovirus, whereas mutants of 7 other groups were not enhanced. In some crosses, phenotypic mixing took place. No evidence of recombination between type 5 ts mutants and type 12 was found.

Adenoviridae