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Biomedical subjects

P Marks

Publications and source records attributed to P Marks.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

An evaluation of the antihistamine activity of acrivastine and its onset in human skin.

In a double-blind, two-period crossover study, 24 healthy volunteers were evaluated to establish the time of onset of action of activity of acrivastine in suppressing the weal and flare response to intradermally injected histamine. Volunteers received single doses of 8 mg acrivastine and placebo according to a fully randomized, balanced treatment plan. Acrivastine significantly (P less than 0.002) reduced the flare response induced by 0.4 micrograms histamine challenge 15 min after oral acrivastine dosing when compared with placebo. A significant (P less than 0.001) reduction of the weal response was noted at 25 min, although trends in this direction were already present at earlier time points.

Administration, Oral

Cystic duct obliteration and gallbladder mucosal destruction: a feasible alternative to cholecystectomy.

'Chemical cholecystectomy' has been proposed as an alternative to removal of the gallbladder. This study assessed cystic duct obliteration using bipolar electrocoagulation (with sham cannulation controls) and gallbladder mucosal treatment with tetracycline (or saline controls) in 29 mongrel dogs. Cystic duct obstruction was assessed by tube cholecystography at day 14, and epithelial damage by histology at day 42. Electrocoagulation by duct diathermy effectively occluded the cystic duct in 14 of 19 animals; however, this was associated with mucocele formation unless mucosal treatment with tetracycline was also performed. Immediate instillation of tetracycline after duct electrocoagulation produced only partial epithelial damage. The combination of duct electrocoagulation and delayed tetracycline instillation at 14 days produced complete destruction of all gallbladder epithelium and an effective chemical cholecystectomy.

Animals

Imaging techniques of the shoulder: present perspectives.

Through its ability to evaluate the individual components of the rotator cuff, the labral-capsular complex, the subacromial and subdeltoid spaces, and the glenoid, humerus, clavicle, and acromion, MRI provides a means of comprehensively evaluating the shoulder. Further advances in the use of intra-articular MRI contrast agents will undoubtedly enhance the role of MRI in the evaluation of subtle labralcapsular pathology. Although they are experimental, kinematic studies of the shoulder may provide valuable insight into the pathogenesis of disorders such as impingement syndrome. The ability of MRI to provide detailed pathologic information about individual components of the shoulder, particularly the rotator cuff, presents a challenge to shoulder surgeons. Patient symptomatology should be correlated with MRI findings and the clinical significance attached to different pathologies reevaluated. Through rigorous confirmation of MRI findings, dedicated therapeutic algorithms can be established based on detailed clinicopathologic data. Present and future surgical and nonsurgical management of the shoulder will undoubtedly be shaped by MRI.

Athletic Injuries

Overexpression of HER-2/neu is associated with poor survival in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

Previous studies have suggested that overexpression of HER-2/neu oncogene occurs in 15-40% of breast cancers and that overexpression is associated with poor prognosis. In the present report, we have used an immunohistochemical technique involving a monoclonal antibody specifically reactive with the external domain of HER-2/neu to study expression of HER-2/neu in frozen sections of normal ovary and advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. The intensity of staining for HER-2neu was always moderate or less (0-2+) in normal ovarian epithelium. Among 73 ovarian cancers, 50 (68%) had staining similar to that for normal ovarian epithelium (0-2+) while 23 (32%) stained heavily (3+). Survival of the 23 patients with high HER-2/neu expression (median, 15.7 months) was significantly worse (P = 0.001) than that of the 50 patients (median, 32.8 months) with normal HER-2/neu expression. In addition, patients whose tumors had high HER-2/neu expression were significantly less likely to have a complete response to primary therapy (P less than 0.05) or have a negative second-look laparotomy when serum CA 125 levels were normal preoperatively (P less than 0.05). These findings suggest that HER-2/neu deserves further evaluation as a prognostic marker in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Female

A critical analysis of Swanson ulnar head replacement arthroplasty: rheumatoid versus nonrheumatoid.

Clinical and radiographic assessment of the results of 40 Swanson silicone ulnar head prosthesis implants in three different patient groups is presented. Twenty-eight were done for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, eight for ulnoradial impingement after the Darrach procedure, and four for ulnocarpal impingement resulting from malunited Colles' fractures. Patients were reviewed 12 to 48 months after operation (mean, 29 months). Seventy-eight percent of patients reported relief of pain and improved function. Radiologic examination showed that all patients exhibited resorption of the distal ulna (mean 4.4 mm) and that resorption was worst in the group with rheumatoid arthritis. Bone resorption about the implant predisposed the cap to both side-to-side tilt and pistoning of the prosthesis on supination and pronation. There was a 10% revision rate because of silicone synovitis. Although clinical results remain satisfactory for patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ulnocarpal impingement, the radiologic results suggest that Swanson ulnar head replacement should be restricted to elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Age Factors

Results of a locking-hook spinal rod for fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine.

The results of a consecutive series of 110 patients treated with the locking-hook spinal rod are presented. A prospective protocol was completed in 95 patients. Pain was absent or mild in 93%. In those patients with a partial neurologic deficit, there was recovery of at least one Frankel grade in 84%. The overall kyphotic deformity was reduced from 21 to 17 degrees. In those patients in whom no anterior surgery was performed, the deformity improved from 21 to 13 degrees. No rod fractures occurred, and the overall instrument complication rate was 13.7%, of which one was due to infection and four secondary to uncrimped nuts, for a true complication rate of 8.4%. The locking-hook spinal rod has proven to be a satisfactory internal fixation device in the treatment of unstable thoracolumbar fractures.

Adult

[Bilateral testicular neoplasms].

Three cases of bilateral testicular neoplasms were found in 112 patients treated in the last 7 years. In two patients bilateral seminoma developed at various time periods. In one case seminoma coexisted with germinal carcinoma.

Adult

Accuracy of nonorthogonal magnetic resonance imaging in acute disruption of the anterior cruciate ligament.

A controlled, prospective study of 30 patients with suspected acute internal derangement of the knee was undertaken to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and accuracy of nonorthogonal (oblique) sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Thirty patients with acute hemarthroses underwent MRI within 12 days of injury, followed by arthroscopy within 24 h of the MRI. A control population of 30 chondromalacia patients underwent similar evaluation. In the acute hemarthrosis patient population, the incidence at arthroscopy of acute complete ACL tears was 60% (18/30); of partial ACL tears, 13.3% (4/30); and of chronic tears, 10% (3/30). A normal ACL was found in 16.6% (5/30) of patients. In the MRI evaluation of patients with suspected ACL injury the following results were obtained for both acute and chronic complete disruption on orthogonal (sagittal) and nonorthogonal (oblique sagittal) imaging, respectively: sensitivity, 61 (16/26) versus 100%; specificity, 70 (21/34) versus 100%; positive predictive value, 61 (16/26) versus 100%; negative predictive value 70 (24/34) versus 100%; and accuracy, 66 (40/60) versus 100%. In the evaluation of partial ACL injury, four partial tears were correctly diagnosed on nonorthogonal MRI, with one false-positive diagnosis. Orthogonal imaging failed to correctly identify any of the partial ACL injuries. Two patients in the control population demonstrated evidence of chronic ACL tears. We believe that we have demonstrated the superiority of T2-weighted nonorthogonal sagittal over conventional orthogonal sagittal ACL MRI in the evaluation of ACL injury.

Arthroscopy

Acrivastine--an evaluation of initial and peak activity in human skin.

Twenty-four healthy volunteers were entered into a double-blind, crossover study conducted to establish the time of onset of action and the time to peak activity of acrivastine in suppressing the weal and flare responses to intradermally injected histamine. Volunteers received single doses of 8 mg acrivastine and placebo according to a fully randomized, balanced treatment plan. Acrivastine significantly (P less than 0.001) reduced both the weal and flare responses induced by histamine challenge 30 min after oral dosing, as compared with placebo. Peak inhibition of the flare response was seen at 90 min, and maximal suppression of the weal response occurred at 120 min after administration of acrivastine.

Clinical Trials as Topic

Acrivastine versus terfenadine in the treatment of symptomatic dermographism--a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Twelve patients with symptomatic dermographism were entered into a double-blind, crossover study. Patients received 8 mg acrivastine three times daily, 60 mg terfenadine three times daily or placebo, according to a fully randomized balanced treatment plan. Subjective clinical assessments were performed and the response to experimentally induced dermographism was assessed. Both active treatments were well tolerated and were shown to be significantly more effective than placebo in the treatment of symptomatic dermographism and in reducing the signs and symptoms of wealing induced by a dermographometer.

Adult

Acute gastric stress ulceration: prophylaxis with allopurinol.

Acute gastric stress ulceration was induced in rats by cold restraint and was not associated with alteration of gastric pH or serum gastrin level. Cimetidine and oral and intravenous allopurinol were prophylactic but allopurinol was more effective in reducing the depth of the lesion and acted without alteration in gastric pH. The efficacy of allopurinol in preventing stress ulceration offers further indirect evidence of the role of ischaemia and oxygen free radical generation in the aetiology of stress ulceration.

Allopurinol

The influence of mechanical loading on the knee-joint. Animal-experimental examinations.

A physiological maximal loading of the knee-joint of sheep is simulated by a 4-hour peak overloading of 24.5 N and a frequency of 42 impulses per minute. The reactions of articular cartilage, synovia and periarticular muscular tissue to the load were examined histologically, histochemically and biochemically. 20 hours after the loading we could observe a leucocytic influx into the joint and a metabolic hyperactivity in the examined tissue. The changes found during this acute phase are reversible as 180 days after peak overloading the parameters detected to be changed had returned to normal again.

Animals

Thymoma and aregenerative anemia.

Among 32 patients with thymoma treated at the Louisiana State University Medical Center, there was one patient with aregenerative anemia attributable to thymoma (an incidence of 3.3%). Despite successful surgical removal of the thymoma, there was only slight improvement of the hematologic status three years after thymectomy. The result in this patient approximates the general experience, with hematologic remission being likely in less than 20% of cases. Experience casts doubt on whether treatment with adrenocortical steroids, mediastinal irradiation, or splenectomy provides significant beneficial effects.

Anemia, Aplastic

Decompression and circumferential stabilization of unstable spinal fractures.

A technique of anterior decompression of the spinal canal with anterior strut grafts, followed by posterior instrumentation and local fusion, is described in a group of 18 patients with unstable thoracolumbar fractures. All patients were found to have greater than 50% encroachment of the spinal canal and a preoperative kyphosis of 21.8 degrees. At follow-up 81% of patients with incomplete neurological lesions improved at least one Frankel Grade. Residual encroachment on the spinal canal was 4.6% and at follow-up the kyphotic angle was 17.1 degrees. Complications included one anterior graft loosening (not requiring revision), three loosened rods, only one of which required revision, and one fractured Harrington rod which did not require revision. The authors conclude that this technique is an effective and safe method for treating unstable thoracolumbar injuries and is recommended if anterior instrumentation is unavailable.

Adult

Chronic anterior cruciate ligament deficiency. Long-term results of MacIntosh's lateral substitution reconstruction.

The lateral substitution reconstruction operation described by MacIntosh has been evaluated in 27 patients with chronic anterior cruciate ligament deficiency of the knee. The results, at an average of 11.3 years after operation, have been assessed by a scoring system which allocates a maximum of 25 points each for function and for clinical evaluation. Emphasis was placed on subjective giving way and objective evidence of a positive anterior drawer sign and a positive lateral pivot shift test. A score of 46 to 50 was classified as excellent, 41 to 46 as fair, and less than 41 was a poor result: 52% scored excellent, 26% fair and 22% were poor. Most of those with poor results had had evidence of osteoarthritis at the time of operation. Despite the recorded scores, no less than 75% of the patients at long-term follow-up were subjectively improved, and able to maintain an active life style.

Athletic Injuries

Post-traumatic intraventricular haemorrhage: a reappraisal.

Ten patients are described in whom intraventricular bleeding occurred after blunt head injury. A mechanism is proposed to explain this phenomenon by drawing analogies with neonatal intraventricular haemorrhage and the pathological findings in strangulation. The outcome in the patients described seems more favourable than in those hitherto reported.

Adolescent

Acrivastine versus hydroxyzine in the treatment of cholinergic urticaria. A placebo-controlled study.

Ten patients with cholinergic urticaria (CU) were entered into a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. They were scheduled to receive acrivastine 8 mg t.d.s., hydroxyzine hydrochloride 20 mg t.d.s. and placebo according to a fully randomized, balanced treatment plan. Subjective clinical assessments and objective measurements following exercise challenge were performed during the study period. Both acrivastine and hydroxyzine were shown to be effective and well tolerated in the treatment of cholinergic urticaria. In addition, a trend was demonstrated for both active agents to improve peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) following exercise, when compared with placebo, and this trend reached statistical significance in the case of acrivastine (p less than 0.05).

Adult