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Biomedical subjects

S Carlin

Publications and source records attributed to S Carlin.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Hypothyroid induced hypometabolic state as a possible diagnostic and therapeutic maneuver.

Diseased cells possibly function autonomously without as much dependence upon metabolic cues such as thyroid hormone by comparison to normal cells. Therefore if reversible hypothyroidism can be induced briefly in euthyroid patients, conceivably normal cells can be induced into a hypometabolic state while the diseased cells continue at their baseline or near baseline metabolic level. This induced difference could be utilized to isolate and target abnormal cells better.

Basal Metabolism

Coronary aneurysms after stent placement: a suggestion of altered vessel wall healing in the presence of anti-inflammatory agents.

Coronary aneurysms are rare after conventional angioplasty and have not been reported after coronary stenting. Coronary artery stent sites were examined by follow-up angiography at a median of 4 months in 29 patients who received the Cook stent (Gianturco-Roubin) for acute coronary closure. Nineteen patients were treated with glucocorticoids administered intravenously or orally, or both, with or without colchicine and results were compared with those in 10 patients who were treated with neither agent. Standard therapy for all patients included routine administration of aspirin and heparin before and warfarin sodium (Coumadin) and aspirin after stent placement. Most patients also received dipyridamole and lovastatin during the follow-up period. Compliance with medications was confirmed by telephone conversation with each patient. Six (32%) of the 19 stented arteries showed evidence of coronary artery aneurysm, defined as expansion of the lumen outside the margins of the stent. None of the patients in the control group (who did not receive steroids or colchicine) developed aneurysm. This pattern of altered vascular healing in stented coronary segments appears to be due to the addition of multiple anti-inflammatory drugs rather than to stent presence alone. This observation demonstrates the possibility of medical impairment of normal vascular remodeling after acute injury and stent placement, which may be of benefit in designing future trials on restenosis.

Adult

Acute otitis media caused by Branhamella catarrhalis: biology and therapy.

Since 1980, we have observed an epidemic of otitis media caused by Branhamella catarrhalis. This event was characterized by studying the nasopharyngeal colonization of infants and children with B. catarrhalis and the clinical presentation and therapeutic outcome of acute otitis media caused by this organism. Pharyngeal colonization with B. catarrhalis was commoner in winter than summer. B. catarrhalis was present in middle-ear fluid (MEF) of 17% of children with otitis media, and was commoner in fall and winter (20%) than in spring and summer (11%, P less than .05). Seventy-five percent of isolates produced beta-lactamase (Ravasio type). In five of 20 patients, treatment with beta-lactamase-susceptible agents failed to sterilize B. catarrhalis-infected MEF. All of these five patients were infected with beta-lactamase-producing strains. The increasing prominence of antibiotic-resistant B. catarrhalis in acute otitis media may lead to a reevaluation of initial antibiotic therapy for acute otitis media, particularly in winter or in areas where colonization with such strains is prevalent.

Acute Disease