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Biomedical subjects

R Gallagher

Publications and source records attributed to R Gallagher.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Progress in primary immunodeficiency.

Clinically, primary immunodeficiencies can be grouped into several well-defined syndromes. This consistent clinical picture, however, belies the enormous complexity of lymphocyte maturation and activation, and it has long been suspected that numerous distinct underlying defects give rise to primary immunodeficiencies. At a recent workshop, the molecular and genetic characterization of a handful of such defects provided tacit support for such suspicions.

Adenosine Deaminase↗
PubMed1991

Radon exposure, cigarette smoking, and other mining experience in the beaverlodge uranium miners cohort.

A nested case-control study within the Beaverlodge Uranium Miners Cohort was undertaken to assess any possible contribution of confounding by smoking and other mining experience to the risk estimate derived from the original cohort study. Next of kin have been interviewed for 46 lung cancer cases and 95 controls enrolled in the Beaverlodge Uranium Miners Cohort Study who died between 1950 and 1980. Confounding by cigarette smoking and other mining experience appears unlikely to have contributed to the relative risk coefficient for exposure to Rn decay products derived in the parent study. Data for smoking and exposure to Rn decay products are consistent with a multiplicative model, although considerable caution must be applied to this interpretation.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1990

HLA-DP and coeliac disease: family and population studies.

We investigated polymorphism of HLA-DP genes in three DR3 related diseases, confirming an association of coeliac disease with a Bgl II DP alpha polymorphism (a restriction fragment sized 3.5 kb present in 75% of patients compared to 34% of control subjects, p less than 0.001), and finding a weaker association with dermatitis herpetiformis (57% v 34%, p = 0.01) and no association with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. The association with coeliac disease was further investigated. Msp I DP beta polymorphism was studied in 52 healthy subjects and 59 patients: a 4.9 kb fragment was present in 51% of patients with coeliac disease compared to 11.5% of control subjects (p less than 0.001). Furthermore, nearly all subjects with the DP alpha 3.5 kb fragment also had the DP beta 4.9 kb fragment. However, disease frequency was still increased in the DP alpha 3.5 positive/DP beta 4.9 negative group. In seven families, each with at least two affected members, while the DP alpha 3.5 fragment was frequently present in patients it did not preferentially segregate with any particular HLA haplotype--for example, those associated with DR3 or DR7--and therefore is not part of an extended haplotype associated with coeliac disease. We therefore conclude that a gene(s) in the HLA-DP region predisposes to coeliac disease independently of the HLA-DR/DQ regions.

Celiac Disease↗
PubMed1990

Low dose 5-azacytidine is ineffective for remission induction in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Low dose 5-azacytidine was administered to 11 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in hopes of achieving complete remissions by inducing differentiation of leukemic blasts. The patient population included both patients who had received no prior therapy (two patients), as well as patients refractory to primary therapy (five patients) and patients who had relapsed after achieving complete remission (four patients). Both previously untreated patients had a history of myelodysplastic syndrome, and two of the primarily refractory patients had leukemia following chemotherapy for other malignancies. The median age was 55 years (range 36-78 years). Twenty-one courses of 5-azacytidine were administered as 7-day continuous infusions at a dose of 75 mg/m2/day. Significant nonhematologic toxicity was not observed. No patient had a response as defined by bone marrow remission or improvement in transfusion requirement for red blood cells or platelets. Although some patients developed bone marrow hypocellularity (six courses in five patients), none became aplastic, and eight courses in six patients were associated with increased bone marrow cellularity percentage of blasts. Five courses in three patients were inevaluable (one central nervous system hemorrhage, one central nervous system leukemia, three courses in one patient who refused bone marrow aspiration). It is unlikely that low dose 5-azacytidine will be of benefit to patients with AML, and there was no evidence of clinically significant induction of differentiation noted.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Nuclear DNA, serum sialic acid and measured depth in malignant melanoma for predicting disease recurrence and survival.

In a previous multivariate analysis of 151 malignant melanoma patients we identified measured depth of primary lesion (Breslow) and serum N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (NANA) concentration as significant independent predictors of recurrence. Our present study examines the contribution of flow cytometric DNA analysis to prediction of recurrence and survival. Fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens of primary lesions were evaluated from 63 of the previously studied patients. These were prepared for DNA analysis. Of the 28 primaries identified as aneuploid 17 later recurred, while this was true for only 9 of the 35 diploid tumors. On multivariate analysis measured depth was again the most significant predictor of recurrence (p less than 0.001). Additional independent predictors were DNA ploidy (p = 0.02) and NANA (p = 0.05). For survival the independent predictors were measured depth (p = 0.003) and NANA (p = 0.05). Measured depth, DNA ploidy and NANA can be used to construct a model predicting the recurrence risk for stage-I melanoma.

Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed1989

Ventricular pseudoaneurysm associated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation 6 weeks after mitral valve replacement.

Trauma to the heart and mediastinum is associated with external cardiac massage. A patient had undergone a redo mitral valve replacement and experienced an uneventful postoperative course. During a visit to her physician 6 weeks after operation, she experienced ventricular fibrillation that required external cardiac massage and subsequent defibrillation. Postresuscitation evaluation revealed a posterior pseudoaneurysm of the ventricle. This was repaired via a transthoracic approach with the use of profound hypothermia.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

A membrane-bound lectin responsive to monocytic maturation in the promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60.

A novel mammalian lectin activity responsive to monocytic differentiation is described in the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60. Glycoprotein binding indicates that the lectin recognizes both N-acetylneuraminic acid and galactose-terminating biantennary oligosaccharide structures. Lectin activity is independent of calcium and appears to reside in a Mr 17,000 intracellular membrane protein. Induction of wild-type HL-60 cells into their macrophage-like counterparts by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 markedly enhances lectin activity. Induction of granulocytic differentiation by retinoic acid does not affect expression of the lectin. HL-60 sublines which are resistant to granulocytic differentiation by retinoic acid, dimethylsulfoxide, or 6-thioguanine are largely deficient in orosomucoid-binding activity. Induction of monocyte/macrophage differentiation of these sublines upregulates lectin activity to the level seen in induced wild-type cells.

Asialoglycoproteins↗
PubMed1987

A special outpatient clinic for following patients with implanted tachyarrhythmia devices.

Implantable anti-tachycardia devices have become an additional therapeutic option for those patients afflicted with life-threatening tachyarrhythmias. Follow-up of these complex devices are time-consuming and, if mismanaged, may be dangerous to the patient. For these reasons, a special anti-tachycardia device clinic was started at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in July 1984. From the inception of the clinic to September 1985, 24 patients were followed. Seventy-five percent had antitachycardia devices (ATDs) implanted for treatment of ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VT/VF) with the remaining 25% for supraventricular tachycardias. All patients were seen every 3 months or more often if clinically required. Of 112 clinic examinations, 102 (91%) were scheduled appointments (group I) while the remaining 10 visits (group II) were unscheduled and preceded by symptomatic episodes. The problems detected in clinic (groups I and II) ranged from sudden failure of an AICD to apprehension. Appropriate nonoperative treatment was given during clinic evaluation for 60% of the problems detected in group II, while the remaining 40% required eventual surgical intervention. Compliance throughout the 15-month follow-up period was 100%. Major benefits of the clinic cited by patients and their families were continuity of care, the time allotted to meet the individual needs, and management of most problems on an out-patient basis.

Electrocardiography↗
PubMed1979

Elevated titer of antibodies to Simian sarcoma virus envelope antigen (gp70) and normal response to influenza virus in untreated Danish Hodgkin's patients.

Untreated Danish Hodgkin's disease (HD) patients and paired age- and sex-matched controls were tested for serum antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), six strains of influenza virus and Simian sarcoma virus/Simian sarcoma-associated virus [SSV(SSAV)] antigens. HD sera showed significantly elevated titers against EBV and both increased incidence and mean titer of antibodies to the envelope glycoprotein of SSV(SSAV), whereas testing against the influenza viruses revealed no differences between HD and controls. A focus reduction assay demonstrated a low incidence in HD and controls of sera with neutralizing effects against SSV(SSAV) and the "baboon" C-type virus component of the human HL-23 virus complex, which seemed coupled to HL-A type W19.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1979

Characterization of the continuous, differentiating myeloid cell line (HL-60) from a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia.

In a prelminary communication, we described the establishment of a continuous human myeloid cell line (HL-60). Here we report the detailed properties of this cell line and document its derivation from the peripheral blood leukocytes of a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia. As characterized by light and electron microscopy, the predominant cell type in both the fresh and cultured sources is a neutrophilic promyelocyte with prominent nuclear/cytoplasmic asynchrony. Up to 10% of the cultured cells spontaneously differentiate beyond the promyelocyte stage, and the proportion of terminally differentiated cells is markedly enhanced by compounds known to stimulate differentiation of mouse (Friend) erythroleukemia cells. The HL-60 cells lack specific markers for lymphoid cells, but express surface receptors for Fc fragment and complement (C3), which have been associated with differentiated granulocytes. They exhibit phagocytic activity and responsiveness to a chemotactic stimulus commensurate with the proportion of mature cells. As characteristic of transformed cells, the HL-60 cells form colonies in semisolid medium and produce subcutaneous myeloid tumors (chloromas) in nude mice. A source of colony-stimulating activity stimulated the cloning efficiency in soft agar 5--30-fold. Despite adaptations to culture, the morphological phenotype and responsiveness to chemical induction of differentiation is essentially unchanged through at least 85 passages. Cytogenetic studies reveal aneuploidy. Metaphases with 44 chromosomes predominated in vivo and in early culture passages; however, clones with 45 or 46 chromosomes became predominant with continued passaging. The most consistent karyotypic abnormalities were the deletion of chromosomes 5, 8, and X and the addition of a marker resembling a D-group acrocentric and of a submetacentric marker, most likely an abnormal E-group chromosome. No DNA herpesvirus or RNA retrovirus was isolated in the fresh or cultured cells. The HL-60 cultured cell line provides a continuous source of human cells for studying the molecular events of myeloid differentiation and the effects of physiologic, pharmacologic, and virologic elements on this process.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Toward a comprehensive methodology for resident evaluation.

The development of a useful system of medical resident evaluation over a two year period demonstrated that traditional measures used successfully in undergraduate medical education were less appropriate and acceptable than more complex measures designed to assess actual clinical performance. The greater cost, time involvement and personnel required by the more complex measures were shown to be partially offset by the greater utility and acceptability of the evaluative data provides. The feasibility of using skilled, non-medically trained personnel to minimize faculty-physician time was demonstrated.

Clinical Competence↗