Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Greenaway.
We present a patient with deletion of IgH associated with the reciprocal translocation (8;14) in Burkitt lymphoma. The patient had treatment resistant disease and died 10 weeks after diagnosis. The deletion was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization at diagnosis and again after failure of chemotherapy. To our knowledge this is the first report of such a deletion.
This is a case of granulocytic sarcoma presenting as bilateral breast masses in a 40-yr-old woman with concurrent unsuspected chronic myeloid leukemia diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration. The granulocytic differentiation was recognized on Diff-Quik-stained cytology smears and confirmed rapidly on flow cytometry on the same day. The breast has been reported to be an uncommon site for granulocytic sarcoma. We found that 38.8% of granulocytic sarcomas diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration in the English-language literature occurred in the breast. In the absence of clinical history or hematological abnormality, granulocytic sarcoma may be misdiagnosed, depending on the degree of myeloid differentiation present within the tumor. The differential diagnosis includes large-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, lobular carcinoma of the breast, undifferentiated carcinoma, malignant melanoma, extramedullary hemopoiesis and inflammation. The key morphological features and useful ancillary tests are discussed.
A comprehensive gene-based map of a genome is a powerful tool for genetic studies and is especially useful for the positional cloning and positional candidate approaches. The availability of gene maps for multiple organisms provides the foundation for detailed conserved-orthology maps showing the correspondence between conserved genomic segments. These maps make it possible to use cross-species information in gene hunts and shed light on the evolutionary forces that shape the genome. Here we report a radiation hybrid map of mouse genes, a combined project of the Whitehead Institute/Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Genome Research, the Medical Research Council UK Mouse Genome Centre, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The map contains 11,109 genes, screened against the T31 RH panel and positioned relative to a reference map containing 2,280 mouse genetic markers. It includes 3,658 genes homologous to the human genome sequence and provides a framework for overlaying the human genome sequence to the mouse and for sequencing the mouse genome.
As the human genome project approaches completion, the challenge for mammalian geneticists is to develop approaches for the systematic determination of mammalian gene function. Mouse mutagenesis will be a key element of studies of gene function. Phenotype-driven approaches using the chemical mutagen ethylnitrosourea (ENU) represent a potentially efficient route for the generation of large numbers of mutant mice that can be screened for novel phenotypes. The advantage of this approach is that, in assessing gene function, no a priori assumptions are made about the genes involved in any pathway. Phenotype-driven mutagenesis is thus an effective method for the identification of novel genes and pathways. We have undertaken a genome-wide, phenotype-driven screen for dominant mutations in the mouse. We generated and screened over 26,000 mice, and recovered some 500 new mouse mutants. Our work, along with the programme reported in the accompanying paper, has led to a substantial increase in the mouse mutant resource and represents a first step towards systematic studies of gene function in mammalian genetics.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the coping styles that agoraphobia sufferers adopt when attempting to cope with symptoms of anxiety and panic. It aimed to extend Watts's (1989) Coping with Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ) by including items to assess self-vigilance. It was hypothesized that agoraphobia sufferers would adopt consistent coping styles that would be related to symptom severity. DESIGN: A factor analysis was performed on questionnaire data. METHOD: A postal questionnaire was completed by members (N = 112) of a self-help group for agoraphobia and panic sufferers. All participants completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory, an Agoraphobia Severity Scale and a slightly modified version of the CAQ. Coping styles were identified via factor analysis of the CAQ items. RESULTS: Three coping styles were identified, which were labelled Effective Coping, Avoidant Coping and Self-vigilance. The latter two coping styles were found to be correlated with increased levels of agoraphobic symptomatology and with higher levels of anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: The present results support the previous research on coping tactics in anxiety and are compatible with cognitive therapy accounts of the role of self-vigilance in anxiety disorders.
The use of monoclonal antibodies (MABs) for the therapy of malignant diseases offers the potential advantage of greater target cell specificity, and therefore less toxicity. A major limitation of this therapeutic approach has been the inability of most MABs to kill the cell once bound to the target antigen. We have previously reported the development of two murine IgM MABs, WM63 (CD48) and WM66 (unclustered), that react with panleucocyte antigens widely expressed on cells from lymphoproliferative disorders, and are lytic with human complement. These antibodies have subsequently been administered intravenously to patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) in a Phase One trial. Seven patients with progressive CLL received increasing daily doses of WM66 (Patients 1-3) or WM63 (Patients 4-7), with one patient also receiving a continuous infusion of WM63 over 20 hours. All patients demonstrated a significant but transient reduction in the number of circulating leucocytes, and no overall effect on disease progression was observed. Antibody coating of circulating lymphocytes was seen in patients receiving WM-63. Patients receiving large doses of WM63 (cases 5-7) demonstrated a decline in complement levels during treatment. There were no major adverse reactions to WM66, but two patients developed dose limiting side effects to WM63. No human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) responses were documented. These findings indicate that in vitro cytotoxicity mediated by Mabs fixing human complement correlates poorly with clinical responses, and support earlier observations which indicate that cell-mediated cytotoxicity is necessary for effective antibody therapy.
A study is reported of the care that was being received by the patients over the age of 60 years in general practitioner community hospital beds at Abingdon Hospital in Berkshire. The appropriateness of this care is discussed and measures are suggested for improving it. The practical working relationship between general practitioners attending the community hospital and the local consultant physicians in geriatric medicine is also discussed and again measures for improving their combined services to the community hospital are suggested.