PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S A Russell

Publications and source records attributed to S A Russell.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Orthotopic reimplantation of cryopreserved ovarian cortical strips after high-dose chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Infertility is a common late effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and has a substantial effect on the quality of life for young survivors of cancer. For men, semen cryopreservation is a simple way of preserving reproductive potential but for women, storage of mature eggs rarely proves successful, and the alternative-immediate in vitro fertilisation with cryopreservation of embryos-is not always appropriate. Reimplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue has been shown to restore natural fertility in animals. We applied this technique in a woman who had received sterilising chemotherapy for lymphoma. METHODS: A 36-year-old woman underwent a right oophorectomy with cryopreservation of ovarian cortical strips before receiving high-dose CBV chemotherapy for a third recurrence of Hodgkin's lymphoma. 19 months later, when serum sex steroid analysis confimed a postmenopausal state, two ovarian cortical strips were thawed and reimplanted-one onto the left ovary and another at the site of the right ovary. FINDINGS: 7 months after reimplantation of ovarian cortical strips, the patient reported resolution of hot flashes and, for the first time, oestradiol was detected in the serum. This finding was associated with a decrease in the concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone, and ultrasonography revealed a 10 mm thick endometrium, a poorly visualised left ovary, and a 2 cm diameter follicular structure to the right of the midline. The patient had one menstrual period, but by 9 months after the implantation, her sex steroid concentrations had returned to those seen with ovarian failure. INTERPRETATION: Orthotopic reimplantation of frozen/thawed ovarian cortical strips is a well tolerated technique for restoring ovarian function in women treated with sterilising chemotherapy for cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Can prognostic indicators be identified in a fetus with an encephalocele?

Encephaloceles, like other congenital malformations of the brain diagnosable in utero, can be either complicated (there being an associated chromosomal abnormality, abnormalities in the remainder of the central nervous system (CNS) and/or other organs), or isolated (no abnormalities in the chromosomes, the remainder of the CNS or other organs). Complicated cases invariably have a poor prognosis but amongst those with isolated lesions the outcome is variable with some affected children having poor mental and physical development but others who are only mildly or moderately disabled. To be able to make an informed decision about how to manage their pregnancy parents need to know what the prognosis is likely to be for their fetus with an encephalocele. To see if the necessary information could be reliably gathered by prenatal assessment of affected fetuses, a review was carried out of the medical records and ultrasound scans of 31 fetuses with encephaloceles referred to the Fetal Management Unit at St. Mary's Hospital in Manchester between January 1991 and December 1997. Eighteen of the cohort were classified as having a complicated encephalocele. Thirteen of the pregnancies were terminated; there were three intrauterine deaths, and one neonatal death. There is only one surviving child who is severely disabled. Thirteen fetuses were classified as having isolated encephaloceles, six had a mass of neural tissue in the encephalocele sac and were terminated, one died in utero and six had a cystic lesion or only a nubbin and have survived with few or no abnormalities. This study has shown that it is possible to identify fetuses with an encephalocele with a favourable outcome.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed2000

Pre-natal ventriculomegaly and hydrocephalus.

Ultrasonic imaging of the human fetal brain has allowed ventriculomegaly and hydrocephalus to be categorized. In this study 40 fetuses with ventriculomegaly and 21 with an Arnold-Chiari malformation and a myelomeningocele had ventriculomegaly that resolved, stabilised or progressed in utero. Within the progressive group were those with hydrocephalus, hydrocephalus being defined as expansion of the cerebral ventricular atria together with disproportionate increase in the head circumference. The prognosis for fetuses with resolving and stable ventriculomegaly was good, reflecting the fact that the ventricular dilatation in these cases was probably caused by delayed parenchymal and cerebrospinal fluid pathway development. Whereas the prognosis for progressive ventriculomegaly was generally poor, suggesting that the causes were likely to have been chromosomal, genetic, an infective agent or a catastrophic event which had an adverse effect on parenchymal development. The causes of hydrocephalus also adversely affected brain development but additional damage was caused by raised intracranial pressure.

Arnold-Chiari Malformation↗
PubMed1999

Necrotizing enterocolitis in omphalopagus conjoined twins.

Female omphalopagus twins underwent laparotomy on the second day of life after an antenatally diagnosed high jejunal bowel obstruction. Bowel resection and choldocho-enterostomies were performed. Despite recovery from laparotomy, the development of severe necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in one twin led to rapid deterioration and the death of both infants on day 34. The elucidation of the combined biliary tree, the dilemma of NEC in conjoined twins, and the possibilities of emergency separation are discussed. Consideration should be given to emergency separation of conjoined twins in the event of potentially lethal complications.

Enterocolitis, Necrotizing↗
PubMed1999

Fetal arachnoid cysts: their site, progress, prognosis and differential diagnosis.

Arachnoid cysts are lined by arachnoid membranes and filled with cerebrospinal fluid. Etiologically, they are thought to be due to maldevelopment of the arachnoid or secondary to trauma or infection. Postnatally, many are asymptomatic and remain quiescent for years, although others expand and cause symptoms by compressing adjacent brain and/or expanding the overlying skull. Being congenital, it should be possible to identify them in the fetus, and this has proved to be so. But are they anatomically similar and do they behave the same as those detected postnatally? Fifteen fetuses with fluid-filled cysts were identified from the database of the Fetal Management Unit at St. Mary's Hospital in Manchester. Five were diagnosed at or before 20 weeks of gestation, 4 between 21 and 30 weeks, and 6 at 31 weeks or more. Thirteen cysts were in the supratentorial compartment, and 2 in the posterior fossa. Eleven fetuses were delivered, and 4 pregnancies were terminated. One of the born children had Pallister-Hall syndrome and died on day 19, and another had Aicardi's syndrome, is retarded and has fits, 1 with a posterior fossa cyst developed hydrocephalus in utero and was delivered early for the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, he is moderately mentally delayed. Of the remaining 8 children, 1 has been lost to follow-up, and 7 appear to be reaching their early milestones on time. The 4 terminated fetuses had a postmortem examination, 2 did not have arachnoid cysts; 1 had an expanding glioependymal cyst which had destroyed most of the cerebral hemispheres, and the other had a sagittal sinus thrombosis with extensive cavitation of one cerebral hemisphere. The diagnosis of an arachnoid cyst in the fetus can be difficult and may be confused with other fluid-filled cysts.

Arachnoid Cysts↗
PubMed1998

Kinetic characterization of the inactivation of ammonia monooxygenase in Nitrosomonas europaea by alkyne, aniline and cyclopropane derivatives.

The kinetic mechanisms of seven inactivators of ammonia oxidation activity in cells of the nitrifying bacterium, Nitrosomonas europaea were investigated. The effects of the inactivators were specific for ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) which oxidizes ammonia to hydroxylamine. The aniline derivatives, 1,3-phenylenediamine and p-anisidine, were potent inactivators of AMO while other derivatives were ineffective as inactivators. Two cyclopropane derivatives, 1, 2-dimethylcyclopropane and cyclopropyl bromide, were inactivators while cyclopropane was not an inactivator. The mechanisms of three alkynes, 1-hexyne, 3-hexyne, and acetylene, were also examined. For all seven compounds, the inactivation of AMO was irreversible, time-dependent, first-order, and dependent on catalytic turnover. Saturation of the rate of inactivation was indicated for p-anisidine (kinact=2.85 min-1; KI=1.0 mM) and cyclopropyl bromide (kinact=4.4 min-1; KI=97 microM), but not for any of the remaining five inactivators, including acetylene. Ammonia slowed the rate of inactivation for acetylene and cyclopropyl bromide, but enhanced the rate of inactivation for the remaining inactivators. All seven compounds appear to be mechanism-based inactivators of AMO.

Ammonia↗
PubMed1998

Pre-natal brain development of fetuses with a myelomeningocele.

Biometric measurements of 21 fetuses referred to the Fetal Management Unit at St. Mary's in Manchester with a diagnosis of myelomeningocele were analysed. Five fetuses had more than 3 sets of measurements carried out, the last of which were performed during the 3rd trimester. The majority of the head circumference measurements were on or below the 3rd percentile for normal head size whilst almost all of the cerebral ventricular atrial measurements were more than 10 mm, a figure generally accepted as being at the upper limit of normal, measurements above this indicate that ventriculomegaly is present. In normal fetuses the atrial measurement is constant at or below 10 mm throughout gestation, but in the fetuses with a myelomeningocele the atrial measurements got progressively larger as gestation proceeded. Because their head circumferences did not increase disproportionately quickly, there was no evidence that the fetuses were developing hydrocephalus in utero, rather the large atrial measurements were indicative of poor development of the cerebral hemispheres. These findings together with the Arnold-Chiari malformation and the abnormalities in the spinal cord indicate that the central nervous system in its entirety is abnormally developed in fetuses with a myelomeningocele.

Brain↗
PubMed1998

Pre-natal diagnosis of occult spinal dysraphism by ultrasonography and post-natal evaluation by MR scanning.

Eight children born with occult spinal dysraphism were diagnosed in utero by ultrasonography. Post-natally, they were evaluated by MR scans. The ultrasound scans in all 8 fetuses revealed a spina bifida: the spinal cord was long in 5 and in 3 a meningocele was thought to be present, however, in 1, a post-natal MR scan revealed a lipomeningocele instead of a simple meningocele. In 3 fetuses an echogenic area was seen on the ultrasound scan which raised the possibility that an intradural lipoma was present, and was confirmed by post-natal MR scans. In 3 fetuses vertebral body anomalies and an additional ossification centre in a midline bony spur together with widening of the spinal canal were seen in the lower lumbar region. The lesions in all 8 fetuses were skin-covered. None had ventriculomegaly or an Arnold-Chiari malformation. The prognosis for fetuses with spina bifida aperta is well documented in contrast to that for those with spina bifida occulta. The ability to identify a spinal dysraphic lesion pre-natally allows a more accurate assessment to be made of the likely outcome for an individual fetus.

Female↗
PubMed1998

Effects of Soil on Ammonia, Ethylene, Chloroethane, and 1,1,1-Trichloroethane Oxidation by Nitrosomonas europaea.

Ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) from Nitrosomonas europaea catalyzes the oxidation of ammonia to hydroxylamine and has been shown to oxidize a variety of halogenated and nonhalogenated hydrocarbons. As part of a program focused upon extending these observations to natural systems, a study was conducted to examine the influence of soil upon the cooxidative abilities of N. europaea. Small quantities of Willamette silt loam (organic carbon content, 1.8%; cation-exchange capacity, 15 cmol/kg of soil) were suspended with N. europaea cells in a soil-slurry-type reaction mixture. The oxidations of ammonia and three different hydrocarbons (ethylene, chloroethane, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane) were compared to results for controls in which no soil was added. The soil significantly inhibited nitrite production from 10 mM ammonium by N. europaea. Inhibition resulted from a combination of ammonium adsorption onto soil colloids and the exchangeable acidity of the soil lowering the pH of the reaction mixture. These phenomena resulted in a substantial drop in the concentration of NH(4) in solution (10 to 4.5 mM) and, depending upon the pH, in a reduction in the amount of available NH(3) to concentrations (8 to 80 muM) similar to the K(s) value of AMO for NH(3) ( approximately 29 muM). At a fixed initial pH (7.8), the presence of soil also modified the rates of oxidation of ethylene and chloroethane and changed the concentrations at which their maximal rates of oxidation occurred. The modifying effects of soil on nitrite production and on the cooxidation of ethylene and chloroethane could be circumvented by raising the ammonium concentration in the reaction mixture from 10 to 50 mM. Soil had virtually no effect on the oxidation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Upper airway compromise in acute chlorpromazine ingestion.

A 16-year-old boy developed symptoms of acute upper airway compromise after chlorpromazine ingestion. The patient took six 100-mg Thorazine tablets "to help him sleep". Laryngeal-pharyngeal dystonia is a life-threatening form of dystonic reaction that is dose-dependent. In children, acute upper airway compromise should raise the suspicion of exposure to phenothiazines.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Induction of ammonia monooxygenase and hydroxylamine oxidoreductase mRNAs by ammonium in Nitrosomonas europaea.

In Nitrosomonas europaea, ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) and hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO) catalyse the oxidation of ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (NO2-). A transcript of 3500 bases hybridizes to probes for amoA and amoB (genes that code for AMO proteins). A transcript of 2100 bases hybridizes to probes for hao (the gene that codes for HAO). Induction of the mRNAs detected by amo and hao probes required the presence of ammonium (NH4+). To correlate new levels of mRNA with de novo activity, existent mRNA pools and AMO activity were depleted prior to induction by NH4+. The mRNAs of AMO and HAO were depleted by depriving the cells of energy for at least 8 h; AMO activity was inactivated with acetylene (C2H2) after mRNA depletion. In cells treated this way, levels of new AMO mRNA and de novo AMO enzyme activity were correlated with increased NH4+ concentrations up to 1 mM after 3 h of incubation. HAO mRNA also increased in the NH4(+)-treated cells. Other proteins and RNAs induced by NH4+ were detected in 14CO2-labelling experiments. The AMO and HAO mRNAs were preferentially synthesized during energy-limiting conditions.

Ammonium Sulfate↗
PubMed1995

Inhibition, Inactivation, and Recovery of Ammonia-Oxidizing Activity in Cometabolism of Trichloroethylene by Nitrosomonas europaea.

The kinetics of the cometabolism of trichloroethylene (TCE) by the ammonia-oxidizing soil bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea in short-term (<10-min) incubations were investigated. Three individual effects of TCE cometabolism on this bacterium were characterized. First, we observed that TCE is a potent competitive inhibitor of ammonia oxidation by N. europaea. The K(infi) value for TCE (30 (mu)M) is similar to the K(infm) for ammonia (40 (mu)M). Second, we examined the toxicity associated with TCE cometabolism by N. europaea. Stationary-phase cells of N. europaea oxidized approximately 60 nmol of TCE per mg of protein before ammonia-oxidizing activity was completely inactivated by reactive intermediates generated during TCE oxidation. At the TCE concentrations used in these experiments, ammonia did not provide significant protection against inactivation. Third, we have determined the ability of cells to recover ammonia-oxidizing activity after exposure to TCE. Cells recovering from TCE inactivation were compared with cells recovering from the specific inactivation of ammonia-oxidizing activity by light. The recovery kinetics were indistinguishable when 40% or less of the activity was inactivated. However, at increased levels of inactivation, TCE-inactivated cells did not recover as rapidly as light-inactivated cells. The kinetics of recovery appear to be dependent on both the extent of inactivation of ammonia-oxidizing activity and the degree of specificity of the inactivating treatment.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Sonographic detection of inferior vermian agenesis in Dandy-Walker malformations: prognostic implications.

PURPOSE: To compare the prognoses for fetuses with sonographically detected inferior vermian agenesis (IVA) or complete vermian agenesis (CVA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sonograms of 65 fetuses with Dandy-Walker malformations were retrospectively reviewed. Fetuses were divided into two groups--those with IVA and those with CVA. RESULTS: Of the 65 fetuses, 37 had IVA; 28, CVA. Thirteen (20%) of the 65-nine (24%) of the 37 with IVA and four (14%) of the 28 with CVA--lived for longer than 1 year. Chromosomal abnormalities were found in 23 (45%) of the 51 fetuses tested for karyotypic abnormalities or clinically thought to have Down syndrome. Seventeen (53%) of the 32 with IVA and six (32%) of the 19 with CVA that were tested for karyotypic abnormalities or clinically thought to have Down syndrome had chromosomal abnormalities (P = .07). Associated morphologic abnormalities were prenatally detected in 49 (75%) of the 65-in 28 (76%) of the 37 with IVA and in 21 (75%) of the 28 with CVA. CONCLUSION: The overall guarded prognosis is similar for fetuses with Dandy-Walker malformations for whom IVA or CVA has been sonographically diagnosed. Fetuses with IVA have a higher prevalence of karyotypic abnormalities.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1993

Are mouse strains differentially susceptible to the reproductive toxicity of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether? A study of three strains.

Most rodent reproductive toxicology studies utilize strains of high fecundity. These studies were conducted to examine the possibility that mouse strains of differing fecundity would respond differently to a known reproductive toxicant. Thirty pairs each of Swiss CD-1, C57B1, and C3H mice were cohabited for 14 weeks while consuming 0, 0.03, 0.10, or 0.30% EGME in the drinking water. Litter data were collected during cohabitation. Body and organ weights, and various sperm data, were collected at necropsy, and second-generation fertility was evaluated. The data show that the most fecund strain (Swiss) was affected the least by exposure to EGME, while the least fecund strain (C3H) suffered the greatest declines in fertility. These differences might alter interspecies extrapolation factors, or the permissible exposure levels for humans.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Sonographic diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy with endovaginal probes: what really has changed?

To evaluate the impact of endovaginal (EV) sonography in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy, a 2 year retrospective study was performed identifying 123 at-risk patients. Of these 123 women, 19 (15.4%) had a surgically proved ectopic pregnancy, only three (15.8%) of which were visualized directly at sonography. A confident diagnosis of an intrauterine pregnancy (IUP) was made at the initial scan in 74%, which contrasts with 58% diagnosed at the first transabdominal (TA) scan in an earlier study from this laboratory, thus confirming an improvement in diagnostic ability with EV transducers. This study has failed to confirm some findings of other workers, particularly that adnexal ring-like structures are visualized frequently in the presence of an ectopic pregnancy. No adnexal rings were observed in our 19 cases. The combination of an adnexal mass and free pelvic fluid was found to correlate best with the presence of an ectopic pregnancy. This study further emphasizes that a significant proportion (26.3%) of ectopic pregnancies have a normal EV sonogram at presentation. The group failing to demonstrate an IUP and showing no evidence of an adnexal mass or pelvic fluid (i.e., a normal pelvic sonogram) carried a 1:3 risk for the presence of an ectopic pregnancy, a result that is very similar to our data published before the introduction of EV technology. We conclude that, although it provides a significant improvement and refinement in the recognition of intrauterine pregnancies, EV scanning does not permit a confident diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy in many cases.

Decidua↗
PubMed1991

MMAF for advanced gastric cancer.

65 patients with metastatic gastric carcinoma were treated with a combination of methotrexate 1.5 g/m2 with 5-fluorouracil 1.5 g/m2 on day 1 and doxorubicin 30 mg/m2 with mitomycin 4 mg/m2 on day 14. Cycles of chemotherapy were repeated every 4 weeks. The overall response rate was 29% with 6% complete responses and 23% partial responses. Prognostic factors that individually affected response were Karnofsky performance (P less than 0.002), and site of the primary tumour (P less than 0.007). Multivariate analysis showed that only increasing Karnofsky performance (P = 0.01) and disease status (P less than 0.02) (patients with recurrent tumours responding better than patients with postoperative residual disease and those with inoperable disease) were important in predicting response to therapy. The overall median survival was 7 months. All 4 patients with a complete response are alive in remission at 13, 28, 48 and 52 months from the date of starting chemotherapy. Univariate analysis identified increasing Karnofsky performance (P less than 0.0001), response to chemotherapy (P less than 0.02) and higher serum albumin (P less than 0.03) as prognostic indicators for survival. Multivariate analysis, of pretreatment factors and day 14 full blood count showed that only Karnofsky performance (P less than 0.0001) and day 14 platelet count (P less than 0.03) were shown to predict survival, higher platelet values being associated with decreased survival.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1991

Who requests reversal of female sterilisation? A retrospective study from a Scottish unit.

The characteristics and circumstances of 55 women who underwent reversal of sterilisation were compared with those of 55 women who had a sterilisation performed at the same time, but who did not subsequently undergo reversal. Patients who underwent reversal were sterilised at a significantly younger age, and were more likely to have been sterilised at the time of therapeutic abortion or miscarriage. The parity at the time of sterilisation was the same for both groups. The reason for requesting reversal was a change of partner in the vast majority of cases. From this and other studies we conclude that alternative contraception should be sought in patients who are young or whose relationships appear unsteady at the time of sterilisation request, and that sterilisation at the time of therapeutic abortion should be abandoned in favour of an interval procedure. By so doing we may stem the rising tide of patients who subsequently seek a reversal of their sterilisation.

Adult↗