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Biomedical subjects

S Graham

Publications and source records attributed to S Graham.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

The progestogen-only mini-pill.

A review is presented of the existing literature on the progestogen-only "mini-pill", a greatly under-used method of contraception. The under-use appears to stem from a lack of awareness on the part of medical advisers of the reasonable efficacy and minor side effects of the method. The benefits and disadvantages have been carefully evaluated and recommendations made for the more widespread use of progestogen-only mini-pills.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

Secretory/excretory antigens produced by tetrathyridia of Mesocestoides corti defined by SDS--PAGE and HPLC.

Antigens derived from culture medium in which metacestodes of Mesocestoides corti Hoeppli, 1925, had been maintained were studied by sodium-dodecyl-sulfate--polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS--PAGE) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). By SDS--PAGE a minimum of 18 Coomassie-staining bands were discerned, of which 4 major bands and 4 major peaks by HPLC of similar molecular weights were observed. The HPLC eluate peaks were analyzed for antigenic activity in vitro by double diffusion in two dimensions, and in vivo in a rabbit. The rabbit had been artificially sensitized with a dialyzable leukocyte extract, showing transfer-factor-like activity, from peritoneal exudate cells removed from mice infected with tetrathyridia. All of the HPLC fractions reacted with rabbit antibody prepared against secretory/excretory antigens, but the sensitized rabbit responded only to two fractions. It is now possible by HPLC to fractionate complex antigens without denaturing them and to elucidate further the role they play during infection.

Animals↗

Sex partners and herpes simplex virus type 2 in the epidemiology of cancer of the cervix.

The authors examined the interaction of exposure to various numbers of sex partners and evidence of antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in cervical neoplasia in 181 cases of cervical dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and cancer of the cervix and 130 control patients in Los Angeles County, California hospitals, in 1974-1979. Studies by the authors and other investigators have found that risk of cancer of the cervix was enhanced with numbers of sex partners, frequency and duration of using the vaginal douche, early age at first pregnancy, and antibodies to HSV-2 as measured by radioimmunoassay. In this study, it was found that for women with only one or no sex partner in their history, risk was elevated if evidence of antibodies to HSV-2 were present. The same was true for women with two or more sex partners. The risk associated with two or more sex partners was not higher than that for women with one sex partner among those positive for HSV-2, and among those negative for HSV-2. Thus, although this inquiry needs replication on larger numbers of women, whatever the other microorganisms or carcinogens patients were exposed to with multiple sex partners, there was no apparent effect beyond the fact that HSV-2 raises the risk of cancer of the cervix. This may strengthen credence in the hypothesis that HSV-2 is an etiologic factor in cervical cancer.

Adult↗

Diet in the epidemiology of breast cancer.

A variety of studies have shown that diets high in fat, particularly polyunsaturated, have enhanced the production of tumors in animals challenged with chemical carcinogens. Other studies have found an apparent contradiction of no difference in the incidence of breast cancer among women with varying levels of serum cholesterol as measured decades earlier. The present study concerns 2024 breast cancer cases and 1463 control patients without neoplasms or pathology of the reproductive and digestive organs, seen at Roswell Park Memorial Institute from 1958 to 1965. Based upon the assessments of their varying ingestion of fats from their own reports of diets, no difference in risk was found. Similarly, there was no difference in risk of breast cancer associated with ingesting diets containing various levels of either vitamin C or the cruciferous vegetables. Risk for breast cancer in women 55 years of age and older increased somewhat with decreases in ingestion of foods containing vitamin A.

Aging↗

Correlation of the Genetic Map and the Endonuclease Site Map of Bacillus subtilis Bacteriophage SP02.

By marker rescue of bacteriophage SP02 sus mutants with purified bacteriophage SP02 DNA fragments, 11 of the 17 known bacteriophage SP02 sus loci were assigned to discrete DNA fragments. The left-most genetic locus, susA, was found to reside near one bacteriophage SP02 terminus (EcoRI-C1 fragment), whereas the right-most genetic locus, susP, was found to reside near the other bacteriophage SP02 terminus (EcoRI-C2 fragment). The physical locations of the intervening genetic loci were found to be consistent with the previously determined genetic order. Evidence was also obtained which suggested that at least one end of a transforming DNA fragment is degraded during DNA uptake by the competent bacterium.

Journal Article↗

Caffeine consumption and benign breast disease: a case-control comparison.

In this case-control comparison of 323 women with benign breast disease and 1,458 controls, no differences were noted in the coffee and tea consumption patterns of the cases and controls. These findings do not support the recent suggestion of Minton, et al, that methylxanthine ingestion is causally related to benign breast disease or breast cancer.

Adult↗

Parity and colorectal cancer risk in women.

A case-control study is reported of reproductive history and colorectal cancer risk based on information obtained from interviews with white women 40--79 years old who were admitted to Roswell Park Memorial Institute between the years 1957 and 1965. Women with the primary diagnosis of carcinoma of the colon (n = 284) and carcinoma of the rectum (n = 270) did not differ significantly in their prior reproductive histories as compared to those of a control group of women (n = 1,763) with nonneoplastic diseases not affecting the breast or reproductive sites. The peritinent literature suggesting a parity--colorectal cancer association in women is reviewed. The conclusion reached is that the evidence for a parity-colorectal cancer association is equivocal; but that if such an association exists, it is probably weaker than that seen for cancers of the breast, ovary, and uterine corpus.

Adult↗

Diet and cancer of the esophagus.

The reported dietary, alcohol consumption and smoking habits of 147 Roswell Park Memorial Institute white male patients diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus were compared with the reports of 264 white males of comparable ages with diagnoses other than cancer. Overall frequency of vegetable an fruit consumption was associated with lower risk; persons reporting fruit and/or vegetable consumption 31-40 times a month had significantly greater risk than those who reported consumption 81 times a month or more. Calculated indexes of vitamin A and vitamin C intake were similarly related to reduction in risk. Dose-response gradients were observed for frequency of vegetable and/or fruit consumption, as well as for vitamin A and C intake. The putative protective effect of vegetable and fruit intake remained evident after controlling for its possible association with smoking and drinking. Previously reported associations of smoking, alcohol use and social class, as measured by type of occupation, were replicated in these data. The findings of this investigation in instances of colon, lung, bladder, oral, and laryngeal cancers, and with evidence of tumor inhibition by vegetable properties in animals. Interpretation of the findings is limited by the difficulties of retrospective assessment of dietary intake and by possible confounding by other factors known to be related to esophageal cancer.

Alcohol Drinking↗

On the distortion of risk estimates in multiple exposure level case-control studies.

The impact of error in assessing exposure to hypothesized pathogens on distortion of the appearance of relative risk is considered in the case-control study design. We assume there is a true dose-response relationship which links exposure to disease status. We also assume that multiple categories are used to classify levels of exposure, and that the errors which occur are those between adjacent exposure categories. The findings suggest that, if the pattern of errors is random, even though they are numerous, the resulting bias in risk will not be severe enough to mask a substantial risk increment. A large and consistent understatement of exposure by cases, and/or consistent overstatement of exposure by controls, can effectively mask even a strong pattern of risk enhancement. To produce the appearance of risk where there is none would require a substantial error in the opposite direction among the cases and controls.

Epidemiologic Methods↗

Dietary factors in the epidemiology of cancer of the larynx.

Interviews were carried out with 374 male patients at Roswell Park Memorial Institute with cancer of the larynx and 381 controls with diseases other than of the digestive or respiratory system and other than neoplasms. As have other investigators, the authors found a high risk associated with smoking as well as a risk associated with alcohol ingestion. In addition, the study found that males ingesting low amounts of vitamin A in their diet had approximately twice the risk of those ingesting large amounts. The same was true for vitamin C. All of these relationships were significant, and risk increased in dose-response fashion with decreases in ingestion of the above-mentioned dietary constituents. When the risks associated with vitamins A and C were examined controlling for smoking and drinking, the risk enhancement associated with low ingestion persisted. The findings on nutrients are consistent with results of studies on animals and tissue cultures. Nevertheless, the sparse epidemiologic replication, the difficulties with the methods, and the complexity of the field demand substantial further inquiry on these relationships.

Alcohol Drinking↗

A genetic analysis of melanoma--polygenic inheritance as a threshold trait.

A total of 214 melanoma patients and 193 age- and sex-matched controls, interviewed at the Roswell Park Memorial Institute during the years 1974--1978, provided information regarding 1134 and 1043 New York State first order relatives (parents, offspring and siblings). The vital information provided was checked against the records of the New York State Tumor Registry to find cases of melanoma among relatives. Five cases of melanoma were found among the 1027 New York State relatives of melanoma index cases alive during the period 1949--1978, inclusive. No cases of melanoma were found among New York State relatives of controls. The expected number of melanomas among a cohort of relatives of identical sex and age composition for the interval was 0.625 cases, giving a ratio of observed to expected of 8.0. A similar analysis, restricted to parent-offspring pairs, yielded a ratio of observed to expected of 12.7. A search for additional melanoma cases among second degree relatives of familial index cases yielded no further affected relatives. The incidence of melanoma among relatives of melanoma cases and in a comparable general population were used to estimate the heritability of liability to melanoma as a polygenic trait. A heritability estimate of 0.49 was obtained, using parent-offspring data, indicating that nearly half of the variability in liability to melanoma in this population may be attributed to the additive action of many genes, each with small effect. Pending the replication of these findings, the 12-fold increase in incidence of melanoma among parents and offspring of melanoma cases suggests the importance of counseling and surveillance of relatives of affected individuals by the clinician.

Adult↗