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Biomedical subjects

S Feldman

Publications and source records attributed to S Feldman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Cell-mediated immunity to varicella zoster virus in children being treated for cancer.

Stimulation of lymphocytes by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) antigen was measured in vitro for 37 healthy adults and children and for 35 children who developed herpes zoster or varicella while receiving anticancer therapy. For 35 of the control group the history of varicella infection correlated with the in vitro response of lymphocytes to VZV antigen. A specific lymphocyte response was observed following 32 of the 37 episodes of VZV infection in the 35 children with malignancy. Re-evaluation 7--12 months following the acute infection revealed that the in vitro response to VZV antigen was lost in six of 19 patients who remained in remission and in all patients who relapsed and received reinduction therapy. Although there was some suggestion that development of a cell mediated response early in the infection decreased the incidence of skin dissemination of the virus in herpes zoster, no consistent correlation could be made between lymphocyte responsiveness in vitro and dissemination of disease or the duration of the appearance of new lesions.

Adult

The pharmacokinetics of bleomycin in man.

A series of studies were carried out to investigate the pharmacokinetics of the antineoplastic antibiotic bleomycin in patients with neoplastic disorders. Drug was administered by long (four to five days) and short (10 minutes) zero-order infusions, and serial plasma and urine samples were collected. Serum and urine bleomycin concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. The disposition of bleomycin after the 10-minute infusion was described by a two-compartment open model. However, following multiple-day infusion estimates were obtained that were inconsistent with those from the short infusion. Parameters from the long infusions agreed with those from the short infusion when terminal plasma bleomycin levels less than 10 microunits/ml were excluded. The time to reach steady state following the long infusion (ca. 12 hours) was consistent with the half-life (3 hours) predicted by the short infusion and the long infusion excluding levels less than 10 microunits/ml. Possible explanations include assay interference by an unknown metabolite or strong binding of drug to tissues with release at a rate much less than the apparent rate of elimination of drug from the body.

Adult

Effect of enzyme-inducing and enzyme-inhibiting agents on drug absorption I: 3-O-methylglucose transport in rats.

The influence of preadministration of phenobarbital, benzo[alpha]pyrene, and proadifen hydrochloride on 3-O-methylglucose transfer across the everted rat small intestine was examined. The active and passive components of the sugar transport mechanism were evaluated using phlorizin, a potent inhibitor of active transport of sugars. Pretreatment of the animals with phenobarbital did not alter 3-O-methylglucose transfer characteristics. Pretreatment with intraperitoneally administered benzo[alpha]pyrene increased mucosal to serosal transfer of the sugar low (0.1 mM) sugar concentrations. Enhancement of the active transfer of 3-O-methylglucose by pretreatment with proadifen hydrochloride was noted at low sugar concentrations. The passive transfer of the sugar was reduced after pretreatment with proadifen hydrochloride.

Animals

Promises, promises or community mental health services and training: ships that pass in the night.

In common with other publicly funded human-service programs, community mental health centers are victimized by a political advocacy process that inflates expectations, distorts value judgments and, as a result, helps promote ultimate disillusionment. The problems resulting from this "overpromise" are compounded by the performance of staff who are inadequately trained for their jobs. By and large, the education of mental health professionals does not equip them for work in community mental health centers. What they learn in school is not sufficiently related to what they do. The development of "undisciplined" mental health professionals with degrees in mental health should be considered. Their training would rest on new curricula that reflect the needs of patients in community mental health settings and be free of the constraints inherent in traditional disciplinary models.

Community Mental Health Services

Rest vertical dimension determined by electromyography with biofeedback as compared to conventional methods.

This study was undertaken to determine if electromyography with biofeedback can be utilized to produce a more reliable determination of rest vertical dimension than conventional methods such as phonetics and swallowing. It was found that: 1. Electromyography with biofeedback appeared to produce a more consistently reliable determination of rest vertical dimension than conventional methods when used with edentulous subjects. 2. Determinations of rest vertical dimension by individual dentists using phonetics and swallowing had wide variations in two of the five patients in a range of up to 6 mm. An error of this magnitude could easily cause an intrusion upon the interocclusal distance and resultant failure of treatment. Since this study was limited to five patients, a more expanded study is necessary to determine the validity of electromyography vs. conventional methods for determining rest vertical dimension. Both methods have questionable aspects in relation to the time of day, patient's understanding of each technique, and past dental history. However, the most critical problem of the electromyographic technique is the feasibility of its use in a private practice in light of the excessive cost of the required equipment.

Biofeedback, Psychology

Clinical features of the Guillain-Barré syndrome.

In a country-wide search for patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in Israel, 89 patients were found between 1969 and 1972 who met standardized diagnostic criteria. These cases, derived from a well defined population, were analyzed to provide a more accurate picture of the full range of clinical signs than is available from selected case series in the literature. Preceding illnesses, presenting symptoms, maximal neurological deficit, reflex changes, sensory deficit, cranial nerve, sphincter, respiratory, autonomic disturbances and spinal fluid changes were determined. Mortality was 5.6% which is lower than in many series. Alternatives to account for the apparent benignity of GBS in Israel were offered.

Adult

Comparison of pentamidine isethionate and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in the treatment of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

Fifty patients with P. carinii pneumonitis were randomized to receive either pentamidine isethionate or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy. Those not responding favorably to the first drug after three or more days of therapy were changed to the alternate drug. Of the 26 patients initially treated with TMP-SMZ, 20 recovered (0.77)-17 after TMP-SMZ alone and three of nine who were crossed over to pentamidine. Of the 24 patients initially treated with pentamidine, 18 recovered (0.75)-14 of 15 who received only pentamidine and four of nine who were crossed over to TMP-SMZ. Abnormal values for blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, or glucose; inflammation at injection sites; or combination of these effects occurred in 14 of the 15 patients treated with pentamidine alone. Only one of the 17 patients treated with TMP-SMZ alone developed any of these abnormalities. This study shows that TMP-SMZ is as effective as pentamidine in the treatment of PCP, and that it offers the advantages of minimal adverse effects, oral administration, and ready availability.

Administration, Oral

Clinical pharmacology of tobramycin in children.

The pharmacokinetics of tobramycin were evaluated in 50 pediatric patients (two to 18 years of age) with malignancies and normal renal function. Patients receiving either 240 or 300 mg/m2 per 24 hr (8 or 10 mg/kg per 24 hr) divided into doses given every 4 hr had peak serum concentrations (mean +/- standard error) of 3.10 +/- 0.23 microgram/ml and 4.23 +/- 0.25 microgram/ml, respectively, at the end of a 1-hr infusion. Serum concentrations at 4 hr were 0.82 +/- 0.15 and 1.05 +/- 0.15 microgram/ml, respectively. The half-life of the drug was 96.6 min and was inversely correlated with age of the patients. The total clearance rate of tobramycin was 164 +/- 15 mg/min per 1.73 m2 and was directly correlated with age. The mean volume of distribution was 0.42 +/- 0.038 liter/kg and was inversely correlated with age. No accumulation of tobramycin was noted, and no side effects occurred. If therapeutic serum concentrations of tobramycin are to be achieved and maintained in children, the currently recommended dose and frequency of administration should be changed to 300 mg/m2 per 24 hr given in divided doses every 4 hr.

Adolescent

Inosiplex for localized herpes zoster in childhood cancer patients: preliminary controlled study.

By multiple criteria, inosiplex-a reputed stimulator of virus-sensitized lymphocytes-had no demonstrable therapeutic effects in a preliminary controlled study of patients with localized herpes zoster and cancer. Lymphocytes from the six drug-treated patients were no more responsive to varicella-zoster antigen and phytohemagglutinin than were lymphocytes from seven patients who received a placebo.

Child

Epidemiology of Guillain-Barré syndrome.

From 1969 through 1972, a nationwide search for cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is Israel revealed 89 patients. The average annual age-adjusted incidence was 0.75 per 10(5) persons. Overall incidence of the syndrome was similar in Jewish groups of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Arabs had a lower overall incidence than Jews (0.46 per 10(5) persons), perhaps attributable to fewer Arabs at risk in older age groups. Peaks of incidence occurred among individuals over 60 and under 4 years of age when all cases were combined. No clear seasonal or geographic clustering of GBS was evident in Israel during the 4 years of this study. The incidence of GBS in the present study agrees with previous population-based estimates.

Adolescent

The patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

SLE is an illness of unknown cause(s) affecting multiple organ systems, whose diagnosis depends upon a high index of suspicion and knowledge of its clinical manifestations. The American Rheumatism Association criteria may be used as a guide to help direct one's clinical and laboratory approaches. Survivorship appears to be improving and a wider spectrum of disease is appreciated today.

Bone Diseases

Pharmacokinetics of acetohydroxamic acid. Preliminary investigations.

The pharmacokinetics of acetohydroxamic acid (AHA), an agent being evaluated in the treatment of infection-induced urinary stones, have been examined in rats and man. After oral and intravenous administration of AHA to rats the biologic half-life and total body clearance seemed to be dose dependent. Comparison of the oral and intravenous data indicated that less than 100 per cent of an oral dose of AHA reaches the systemic circulation intact and that this percentage is dose related. Studies performed in human subjects indicated that AHA is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and has a biologic half-life of 5 to 10 hr in subjects with normal renal function. The half-life and percent of dose recovered in the urine seem to be dose related and dependent upon renal function.

Administration, Oral

Effect of heptabarbital on bioavailability of bishydroxycoumarin in the rat.

The influence of oral administration of heptabarbital on the gastrointestinal absorption of bishydroxycoumarin (BHC) was investigated in rats. Pretreatment of the animals with 20 mg/kg heptabarbital twice dialy for three days prior to the administration of 50 mg/kg BHC resulted in a 40% decrease from controls in the area under the BHC plasma concentration time curve (AUC). Preliminary studies indicated that a similar decrease in gastrointestinal absorption of BHC could be seen following a single oral dose of heptabarbital administered concomitantly with the anticoagulant.

Administration, Oral

Successful chemoprophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonitis.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled study to evaluate the efficacy of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for the prevention of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, we studied 160 patients with cancer who were at high risk for this pneumonia over a two-year period. Seventeen of the 80 patients receiving a placebo acquired P. carinii pneumonitis, whereas none of the 80 given 150 mg of trimethoprim and 750 mg of sulfamethoxazole per square meter per day had the infection P less than 0.01). Bacterial sepsis, pneumonia other than that caused by P. carinii, acute otitis media, upper-respiratory-tract infections, sinusitis and cellulitis occurred less frequently in recipients of the drug than in the placebo group (P less than 0.01 in each case). Oral candidiasis was the only adverse effect ecountered from trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole administration. The study shows the combination to be highly effective in the prevention of P. carinii pneumonitis.

Adolescent