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S Block

Publications and source records attributed to S Block.

58 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Cell-mediated immunity in rheumatic diseases. II. Mitogen responses in RA, SLE, and other illnesses: correlation with T- and B-lymphocyte populations.

Lymphocyte responses to phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen were tested in normal patients and in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), scleroderma (PSS), other connective tissue disease, and other illnesses. The relationship of lymphocyte response to diagnosis, therapy, and T- and B-lymphocyte populations was analyzed. Additional studies included the determination of proliferative responses of various combinations of purified T and B lymphocytes cultured with plant mitogens. Lymphocytes from patients with RA and SLE incorporated significantly less thymidine in the presence of plant mitogens as compared to normal and comparably ill subjects. Treatment had no effect on mitogen response. Responses to all three mitogens correlated closely in patients with RA, SLE, or PSS; no correlation was noted between the response to mitogen of lymphocytes in culture and the number of T cells cultured.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dosimetry of a 188rhenium-labeled self-expanding stent for endovascular brachytherapy in peripheral arteries.

PURPOSE: Radioactive stents have been proposed as endovascular irradiation device to prevent in-stent restenosis by inhibiting neointimal proliferation. 32P-stents have been used in several studies so far, but require large-scale labeling procedures and endovascular barotrauma for stent expansion supporting the development of edge restenosis. Purpose of this study was to establish dosimetry of a self-expanding nitinol stent for peripheral vascular disease, which was radiolabeled with 188rhenium (188Re) by a dip coating technique. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The surface of nitinol Memotherm FLEXX stents was polymer-coated providing functional NH(2) groups for diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) binding, providing the ligand for the complexation of 188Re onto the stent surface. Stability of radiolabeling was tested over 48 h using an in vitro blood circulation (Chandler Loop). Radial and longitudinal dose distributions of a radiolabeled stent were obtained with a plastic scintillator dosimetry system. RESULTS: Stents with a length of 30 mm and a diameter of 8 mm were labeled with up to 33 MBq 188Re. A total of 69+/-4% of the labeled 188Re remained stable on the stent surface after 48 h. Ninety-five percent of the infinitely accumulated dose was supplied to the target tissue within 72 h. Including correction for radioactivity washout from the stent, the infinitely accumulated dose at 1 mm radial distance from the stent surface was 1.85+/-0.19 Gy/MBq 188Re/cm stent length. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a technique for radiolabeling of self-expanding nitinol stents with 188Re by dip coating and formation of 188Re chelate complexes. We provide dosimetry data useful for application of this beta-emitting stent for endovascular brachytherapy in peripheral vascular occlusive disease.

Brachytherapy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Managing patient demographics.

The Harvard Community Health Plan commissioned a cross-functional project team to improve the accuracy of the members' data base because inaccurate patient phone numbers and addresses were a major obstacle for clinicians seeking to provide high-quality service to patients. Accurate demographic information is essential to enable clinicians to contact patients quickly regarding lab results or follow-up care. The team members applied a quality improvement problem-solving methodology that required them to focus on the few vital problems and to test problems using data analysis. As a result, the team saw firsthand that staff members were not to blame for the inaccurate demographic information; the problem was in the automated system that obtains, updates, and maintains the records.

Ambulatory Care Information Systems↗