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Biomedical subjects

S Aaron

Publications and source records attributed to S Aaron.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Clinical and laboratory features and response to treatment in patients presenting with vitamin B12 deficiency-related neurological syndromes.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical and laboratory features of patients admitted with vitamin B12 deficiency-related (B12def) neurological syndromes. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A hospital-based retrospective and prospective study conducted at a referral teaching hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients admitted with vitamin B12 deficiency-related neurological disorders during a three-year period from June 2000 to May 2003 were included. Data regarding clinical and laboratory features were obtained. Follow-up was done at least six months following treatment with parenteral vitamin B12. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 63 patients (52 males) with a mean age of 46.2 years were studied. The mean duration of symptoms at presentation was 10.3 months. Myeloneuropathy (54%) was the commonest neurological manifestation, followed by myeloneuropathy with cognitive dysfunction (34%), and peripheral neuropathy (9%). Neuropsychiatric manifestations and dementia were observed in 38% and 19% of patients respectively. All the patients had megaloblastic changes in the bone marrow smear. Eleven (17.5%) patients had both hemoglobin and the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) within the normal range. Follow-up after at least six months of therapy with parenteral B12 showed improvement in 54% patients. CONCLUSIONS: A high index of suspicion of B12def is required in patients presenting with myelopathy, cognitive decline, or neuropathy. A normal hemoglobin or MCV does not exclude B12def; therefore, other tests such as bone marrow smear and serum vitamin B12 assay are essential, as the condition is often reversible with treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Interferon treatment of multiple pulmonary malignancies associated with papilloma virus.

Over a period of four years, beginning in spring 1988, a previously healthy man developed a primary squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, treated with radiotherapy, followed by 10 distinct, primary bronchial squamous cell carcinomas. Four of the cancers were surgically resected, all of which were positive by hybridization for human papilloma virus (type 16). Following the institution of alpha interferon, three smaller lesions disappeared and a larger one shrank in size, facilitating surgical resection. Over the following seven years no new ones have appeared. The finding of papilloma virus in malignancies should prompt consideration of antiviral therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Clinical and radiological amelioration of refractory peripheral spondyloarthritis by pulse intravenous pamidronate therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the potential therapeutic properties of an aminobisphosphonate, pamidronate, using clinical and laboratory outcome variables together with dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and gadolinium augmentation in patients with spondyloarthropathy (SpA) refractory to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID). METHODS: We studied 9 patients (7 male, 2 female) of mean age 27.9 years (range 19-38) and mean disease duration of 5.5 years (range 0.5-20). Five had ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 3 had undifferentiated SpA, and one had reactive arthritis. Seven were HLA-B27 positive. Two had inflammatory bowel disease. Pamidronate (60 mg) was given intravenously on Days 1, 2, 14, 28, and 56, over 4 h in 500 ml of 5% dextrose. Clinical outcome assessments included the BASDAI (disease activity), BASFI (function), BASGI (global well being) composite visual analog instruments, and swollen and tender joint count. Laboratory variables included the erthrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Dynamic MRI with gadolinium augmentation of synovium and bone was performed at baseline and at Day 84 in the first 6 patients enrolled in the study. RESULTS: All patients completed the study and there was a significant improvement in all clinical and laboratory variables assessed. Mean swollen and tender joint count decreased by 93.8% (p = 0.017) and 98.2% (p = 0.012), respectively, and complete clinical resolution of synovitis was noted in 5 patients. BASDAI decreased by 44.2% (p = 0.028), BASFI by 47.3% (p = 0.015), and BASGI by 42.2% (p = 0.011). ESR and CRP declined by 49.4% (p = 0.012) and 66.9% (p = 0.008), respectively. Acute lymphopenia accompanied by elevated CRP levels was noted in 8 patients in the 48 h after first pamidronate infusion. Maximal rate and magnitude of enhanced MRI signal after gadolinium augmentation decreased after pamidronate therapy, especially in the bone marrow. CONCLUSION: Preliminary data from uncontrolled studies support the efficacy of pamidronate therapy for NSAID refractory SpA and warrant further evaluation in controlled trials.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Correlation of students' characteristics with their learning styles as they begin medical school.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between learning styles (surface, strategic, and deep learning) and admission data for an incoming class of medical students. METHOD: In 1997, the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory (ASSIST) was administered to the University of Alberta Medical School's incoming class as part of their orientation. Ninety percent of the class completed the questionnaire, the results of which were correlated with prerequisite grade-point average (GPA), MCAT scores, number of years of premedical experience, and scores on autobiography, interview, and letters of reference. RESULTS: Higher surface-learning scores correlated significantly with younger age at admission to medical school, as well as with higher GPA. There was a positive correlation between GPA and surface learning in the group of students with more than four years of premedical experience. CONCLUSIONS: The need to compete for grades in prerequisite courses may be a factor contributing to surface learning in new medical students.

Achievement↗
PubMed1988

T cell blast stimulation of MLR: role of interleukin 1 and interleukin 2.

T cells blasts were examined for the ability to stimulate primary mixed leucocyte reactions (MLR) in the presence or absence of supplemental interleukin 1 (IL-1) or interleukin 2 (IL-2). After purification, resting T cells were activated using monoclonal anti-CD3 antibody in an accessory-cell free systems. After irradiation, such cells were found to be non-stimulatory in autologous or allogeneic MLR except in the presence of supplemental IL-2. IL-1 was an ineffective cofactor, despite its ability to enhance anti-CD3 mediated stimulation of T cells. It is concluded that T cell blasts may lack an essential factor needed to stimulate IL-2 secretion (other than IL-1), or may elicit responses only from allogeneic T cells not bearing IL-1 receptors.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1987

Anti-CD3 activation of T cells with immunoglobulin coupled red cells.

We have studied the ability of anti-mouse IgG antibody coupled to Burro red blood cells (BRBC) to modulate the anti-CD3 stimulation of human T cells. These coupled BRBC restored anti-Leu-4 (anti-CD3) induced proliferative responses to purified T cells, in the presence of interleukin-1 (IL-1). Uncoupled BRBC were incapable of supporting anti-Leu-4-induced stimulation. T cells from individuals whose peripheral blood mononuclear cells were unresponsive to anti-Leu-4 did proliferative in the presence of anti-Leu-4, IL-1, and coupled BRBC. Ig-coupled red cells provide an efficient method for the study of murine antibody-induced modulation of T cell surface antigens.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

HLA-DR antigens in gold-induced neutropenia.

We studied the clinical courses of 9 patients who developed acute gold-induced neutropenia with marrow aplasia. Eight of these carried HLA-DR4, compared with only 2 of 9 who had mild, chronic, isolated neutropenia (P less than 0.05). Only 1 of 9 patients with myelotoxicity carried HLA-DR3. We conclude that these groups are immunogenetically distinct, and that HLA-DR3 is not a significant risk factor for severe gold-induced neutropenia.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1985

HLA gene frequencies in children and adults with systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

The HLA genetic region was studied in 51 patients with systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: 35 with childhood onset and 16 with adult onset (adult Still's disease). HLA genotypes were established by including family members, 261 of whom were also typed in the study. The most marked difference between patients and controls involved the HLA-DR4 gene, which occurred with a frequency of 0.348 in the childhood onset patients and 0.170 in the controls (chi 2 = 8.97, P = 0.0028, adjusted P = 0.017). In contrast, the adult onset patients showed a marginal increase in HLA-DR7, but were similar to controls with respect to HLA-DR4. HLA-Bw35 was increased in children with systemic onset disease, in accordance with earlier findings. The results suggest that patients with systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis have complex HLA associations which are different in childhood onset and adult onset disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Sex ratio and sibship size in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis kindreds.

In a study of sibship size and sex ratio in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, the anticipated sex ratios, including a marked female predominance in early onset pauciarticular disease and in polyarticular disease, were found. The size of the sibship showed a progressive increase with increasing age of the proband at onset of disease. In addition, the sex ratios of the sibs deviated from expected, among families where the proband's disease was characterized as either early onset pauciarticular or polyarticular in its presentation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Complementation with HLA-A and HLA-D locus alleles in ankylosing spondylitis with peripheral arthritis.

Fifty-nine patients with HLA-B27 positive ankylosing spondylitis were HLA genotyped to look for immunogenetic differences between patients with associated peripheral arthritis and those with disease limited to the axial skeleton. An association was found between the peripheral arthropathy and 2 antigens, HLA-A11 and HLA-DR7 at the p less than 0.05 level. Complementation between these 2 alleles and HLA-B27 occurred in both the cis and trans positions. Four patients with peripheral arthritis had a rare HLA-B27 haplotype (HLA-B27, HLA-DR7) which was not found in the group with axial disease alone.

Adolescent↗