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Biomedical subjects

R C Yu

Publications and source records attributed to R C Yu.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Multisystem Langerhans' cell histiocytosis with pancreatic involvement.

Langerhans' cell histiocytosis, a rare disorder of unknown cause affecting both children and adults, can affect many different organs and present to a wide range of medical specialties. An infant with fatal multisystem Langerhans' cell histiocytosis in whom the pancreas and the intestine were extensively affected is reported. The direct pancreatic involvement by this disease has not previously been described.

Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell↗

Pyoderma gangrenosum--response to topical nitrogen mustard.

We report a 69-year-old caucasian male patient with long-standing pyoderma gangrenosum; the lesions preceded the appearance of an IgA monoclonal gammopathy by 2 years. A number of systemic treatments, including high dose steroids and immunosuppressive agents, were poorly tolerated and resulted in serious side-effects. The skin and haematological conditions, however, were kept under control for 2 years with regular plasmapheresis. Pyoderma gangrenosum recurred as vascular access became exhausted but new lesions healed completely with topical application of 20% nitrogen mustard.

Administration, Topical↗

Defective alloantigen-presenting capacity of 'Langerhans cell histiocytosis cells'.

The functional activity of skin cells derived from an infant who died of multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) was examined. Involved and non-involved skin was obtained at postmortem examination within three hours of death; normal epidermal Langerhans cells and 'LCH cells' were separated by means of dispase digestion. The functional activity of different populations of CD1a positive cells was assessed using the conventional six day allogeneic mixed cell reaction. Compared with Langerhans cells from a healthy control, LCH cells showed minimal functional activity. However, Langerhans cells from non-involved skin showed normal and Langerhans cells overlying involved skin showed augmented functional activity. These findings suggest that LCH is a disease in which abnormal Langerhans cells accumulate and/or proliferate in various tissues but it does not affect the entire Langerhans cell population.

Antigens, CD↗

A double-blind study of superficial radiotherapy in psoriatic nail dystrophy.

In a double-blind controlled study, superficial radiotherapy (SRT) was given to psoriatic fingernails as three fractionated doses of 150 cGy (90 kV, 5 mA, 1.00 mm aluminium filter). The treated nails demonstrated a significant fall in scoring on a clinical rating scale 10 and 15 weeks after therapy (mean scores = 4.4 and 4.6 respectively) when compared with a mean pretreatment score of 5.5 at week 0 (p less than 0.0001 and p less than 0.05 respectively); the treated nails also showed significant clinical improvement when compared with the sham-treated nails at weeks 10 and 15 (p less than 0.05). Mean nail thickness in treated nails 15 weeks after therapy was significantly thinner (mean thickness = 0.75 mm) than that of sham-treated nails (0.88 mm, p = 0.005), but the difference was not significant at week 20. The rate of linear nail growth was unaffected. SRT appears to confer a definite albeit temporary benefit on psoriasis of the nails at this dosage.

Adult↗

Mortality of iron foundry workers. II. Analysis by work area.

Plantwide analyses of the mortality experience of 8147 foundrymen revealed excesses for several diseases including lung cancer. Using indirect measures of smoking, it appeared that most, if not all, of the excess of lung cancer deaths could be explained by smoking habits. To explore further the possible association between these mortality excesses and foundry exposures, jobs were grouped into six work areas on the basis of similarities in production processes. The findings of analyses by work areas support the inferences from plantwide observations. No evidence was found of a relationship between lung cancer and foundry exposures. The pattern of mortality from emphysema and cerebrovascular disease in the different work areas paralleled that of lung cancer, suggesting that mortality from these diseases may have been influenced by a common etiologic agent, probably tobacco smoke. The data also reveal possible associations between metal pattern-making and colon cancer, silica or metal dust and stomach cancer, and carbon monoxide and ischemic heart disease.

Adult↗

A histopathological study of 643 cutaneous horns.

A retrospective study of 643 cutaneous horns examined in our department between 1970 and 1989 revealed that 38.9% were derived from malignant or premalignant epidermal lesions, and 61.1% from benign lesions. Four main features were associated with premalignant or malignant histopathological change at the base of a cutaneous horn (base pathology). These were: (i) age--the mean age of the patients whose cutaneous horns showed premalignant or malignant base pathology was 8.9 years greater than the mean age of the patients where base pathology was benign (P less than 0.0005); (ii) sex--males were more likely to develop a cutaneous horn with (pre)malignant base pathology (P less than 0.001); (iii) site--over 70% of all (pre)malignant lesions were found on the nose, pinnae, backs of hands, scalp, forearms and the face; a cutaneous horn found at these sites was 2.1 times more likely to have derived from a (pre)malignant base than from any other part of the body (P less than 0.0001); (iv) geometry of the lesion--lesions with a wide base or a low height-to-base ratio were significantly more likely to show (pre)malignant base pathology. Of those solar keratoses giving rise to cutaneous horns, 8.9% also showed histological evidence of change to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC); this figure was not significantly different from the 6.2% of solar keratoses without horns that showed SCC change during the same period (1970-89).

Age Factors↗

[Sheng xue tang on immunological functions of cancer patients with spleen-deficiency syndrome].

242 cases of cancer patients with spleen-deficiency syndrome have been studied. It has been found that some immune indexes such as phagocytic activities of macrophages, lymphocytic transformation rate, E-rosette forming rate, Th-cell in T cell subgroup, the NK cell cytotoxicity and combining ability, of cancer patients with spleen-deficiency syndrome were lower than those of normal donor (P less than 0.001 or 0.002). After the patients were treated with sheng xue tang (SXT), the immune indexes above mentioned have been increased significantly. These results suggest that SXT can improve the cell-mediated immune function, therefore, it can strengthen the anticancer ability of the patient, prolong the survival period of some patients.

Adolescent↗

A case of actinic prurigo and solar urticaria.

Actinic prurigo and solar urticaria are uncommon chronic idiopathic photodermatoses in the United Kingdom. To our knowledge, their occurrence in the same patient has not hitherto been described.

Child↗

[Immune function of cancer patients with spleen-deficiency syndrome].

According to this study, the immunological function was aberrant in cancer patients with Spleen-deficiency syndrome. The TII cell in normal persons (n = 26) was 30, 86 +/- 9.70% (means +/- S) and in these cases (n = 43) was 22.62 +/- 9.92%, P less than 0.002. The cytotoxicity of NK cell in patients (n = 59) was 17.65 +/- 10.58%, in normal controls (n = 43) was 25.51 +/- 14.10%. The combining ability of NK cell in patients (n = 48) was 39.11 +/- 19.43%, the normal persons (n = 41) was 55.88 +/- 17.94%. It showed that the immune function of the cancer patients with Spleen-deficiency syndrome were markedly lower than that of normal persons. The serum IgA in saliva of patients (n = 37) was 0.44 +/- 0.17 microgram/ml. It was much higher than that of normals' (n = 24, 0.30 +/- 0.06 microgram/ml), P less than 0.001. Some patients' NK cell function and the level of level of SIgA in saliva were recovered to normal after treatment of Shengxue Tang which could strengthen the Spleen and replenish the Kidney. These studies proved that the TCM played an important role for modulating immune function in treating cancer patients.

Adult↗

Sympathetic nervous system trophism for neuroblastoma and its age dependence in rats.

The sympathetic nervous system modulates the growth of C-1300 mouse neuroblastoma in vivo and in vitro. We now report that a mitogenic/trophic factor that augments growth of C-1300 neuroblastoma and of the S-20 neuroblastoma clonal line is present in freshly excised sympathetic cervical ganglia from newborn rats, but is not detectable in homogenates from sympathetic ganglia obtained from adult rats.

Age Factors↗

Sympathetic ganglia augment growth of neuroblastoma in vitro.

The sympathetic nervous system modulates the growth of C-1300 mouse neuroblastoma (C-1300 NB) in vivo. We now report that the presence of sympathetic cervical ganglia in cultures containing C-1300 NB or dispersed S-20 neuroblastoma (S-20 NB) cells augments growth of these tumors in vitro. Sympathetic ganglia-conditioned medium increases proliferation and survival of S-20 NB cells, indicating that nervous system-derived growth factors can exert an effect on neoplastic cells.

Animals↗

Influence of the sympathetic nervous system on the growth of neuroblastoma in vivo and in vitro.

The sympathetic nervous system exerts a trophic-mitogenic influence on C-1300 mouse neuroblastoma. We now report that sympathetic axotomy suppresses growth of the S-20 clonal line of neuroblastoma but does not influence the growth in vivo of two other clonal lines, NIE-115 and C-46. Sympathetic ganglia-conditioned medium significantly increases proliferation of S-20 cells in vitro. Growth of NIE-115 and C-46 clonal neuroblastoma lines is not influenced by sympathetic ganglia-conditioned medium. We postulate that the sympathetic nervous system secretes a mitogenic-trophic factor that favors growth of C-1300 neuroblastoma in vivo. Sensitivity to this factor varies between neuroblastoma clonal lines.

Animals↗