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Biomedical subjects

S Hui

Publications and source records attributed to S Hui.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Effect of diazepam on delayed nausea and vomiting caused by anticancer agents].

We conducted an evaluation of the usefulness of antiemetics (5-Hydroxy-tryptamine 3 receptor antagonism, 5HT3RA) combined with diazepam for delayed nausea and vomiting due to anticancer agents in 17 patients with various malignancies (such as lung Ca, breast Ca, esophagus Ca, gastric Ca, colon Ca, and non Hodgkin's disease) for whom chemotherapy was performed with different regimens in the Dept. of Oncologic Chemotherapy, People's Hospital, Beijing Medical University. Antiemetics (5HT3RA) combined with diazepam were given only to cases that had symptoms of nausea and vomiting induced by anticancer agents in the 1st course and invalidity with antiemetics (5HT3RA) alone in this study. Antiemetic (5HT3RA) agents + Dexamethasone were dosed before chemotherapy and also diazepam 5 mg orally after 24 hours (namely, when nausea was observed). Nausea was reduced and vomiting decreased after the antiemetic treatment with 5HT3RA + Dexamethasone and diazepam. These results indicated that 5HT3RA and diazepam combination therapies were more effective than 5HT3 RA + Dexamethasone alone for delayed nausea and vomiting. Further, the antiemetics had characters that a short adminiter time, few times and a take not over dose. The only side effect related to this antiemetic therapy was light somnolence. Antiemetics combined with diazepam might be a useful therapy against delayed nausea and vomiting induced by anticancer agents.

Adult↗

Comparative calibration without a gold standard.

Comparative calibration is the broad statistical methodology used to assess the calibration of a set of p instruments, each designed to measure the same characteristic, on a common group of individuals. Different from the usual calibration problem, the true underlying quantity measured is unobservable. Many authors have shown that this problem, in general, does not have a unique solution. Most commonly used assumptions to obtain a unique solution are (i) one instrument is the gold standard (that is, unbiased) and (ii) the measurement errors of the p instruments are independent. Such constraints, however, may not be valid for many clinical applications, for example, the universal standardization project for dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanners. In this paper, we propose a new approach to resolve the comparative calibration problem when a gold standard is unavailable. Instead of the usual assumptions, we use external information in addition to data from the p instruments, to solve the problem. We address statistical estimation, hypothesis testing and missing data problems. We apply the new method specifically to the universal standardization project data where a group of individuals have been measured for bone mineral density (BMD) by three DXA scanners. We compare the results of the new method to currently used methods and show that they have better statistical properties.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

Effects of chronic nicotine ingestion on pressor response to Nomega-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and ex vivo concentration and relaxation response of aorta to L-arginine.

Effects of nitric oxide synthase inhibition on blood vessels were studied in nicotine-treated rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats drank a nicotine solution with a concentration of 25 or 50 microg/ml for 15 days. The blood pressure and heart rate of chloralose-anaesthetized rats and isolated aortic strip contractions were measured. NomegaNitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)-induced hypertension was significantly reduced after chronic nicotine treatment. The Emax of contractions of isolated aortic strips to noradrenaline were dose-dependently enhanced by nicotine and the potentiation was abolished by L-arginine. The relaxation of aortic strips to acetylcholine was significantly decreased in nicotine-treated rats, whereas L-arginine, but not D-arginine, reversed this action. Neither nicotine nor L-NAME affected the heart rate. The results show that chronic nicotine treatment reduced the pressor response of L-NAME.

Acetylcholine↗

Reduced rates of skeletal remodeling are associated with increased bone mineral density during the development of peak skeletal mass.

Two related studies were conducted to assess the associations between markers of skeletal modeling and remodeling in healthy children. Members of monozygotic twin pairs, aged 6-14, enrolled in a clinical trial of calcium supplementation, were studied at the end of the period of supplementation and for 3 years thereafter. Supplemented children had significantly higher rates of gain in bone mineral density (BMD) (+3% on average) during the period of supplementation accompanied by significantly lower concentrations of serum osteocalcin (OC, -15%). During postsupplement follow-up, both differences in BMD and OC disappeared. Black females, age matched to the baseline ages of the white children, had significantly lower serum concentrations of both OC and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) at all ages and higher BMDs. When stratified on serum TRAP concentrations, regardless of race, children with lower concentrations had significantly higher BMDs, and no racial differences were apparent. In regression models accounting for 70-80% of the variability in BMD in children, body size and TRAP, but not race, remained significantly associated with BMD. The skeletal advantages seen with calcium supplementation and black race appear to be associated with reduced rates of skeletal turnover. Given that markers of turnover during growth reflect both skeletal modeling and remodeling, and there is no apparent advantage to reduced skeletal modeling, it seems probable that reduced remodeling is the factor that accounts for the increases in bone mass.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome in children.

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome in children is characterised by recurrent complete and/or partial upper airway obstruction during sleep. Owing to the limited number of studies, the exact prevalence rate has yet to be determined, but an estimate as high as 1% to 3% has been suggested. Recent studies have shown that obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome in children is different from that in adults in its distinct clinical presentation, diagnostic criteria and treatment. Polysomnography is now recommended as the standard investigation for confirming the diagnosis. The majority of patients may benefit from removal of the enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Although nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy has been the mainstay of treatment for adults with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, experience of its therapeutic effect on children is limited; recent reports are encouraging. Further efforts are needed in advancing both the clinical management of and research into this disorder.

Journal Article↗

Apolipoprotein E genotype and gender influence response to tacrine therapy.

Our objective is to evaluate the effects of apolipoprotein E genotype (APOE) on clinical response to treatment with tacrine, in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Only 25 to 50% of patients with AD, depending on dose and design, have been responders in previous tacrine trials. AD autopsy studies have suggested that APOE epsilon 4 is associated with decreased numbers of cholinergic markers in temporal cortex and the hippocampus. Our hypothesis was that cholinergic therapy might be less effective in epsilon 4 carriers. APOE phenotypes were determined from plasma samples previously saved from a large 30-week, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter trial of tacrine at dosages of 80, 120, or 160 mg/day. Outcome measures included Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) and its cognitive component (ADAS-Cog), Clinician's Interview-Based Impression (CIBI), Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), and the caregiver-rated Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC). Analyses were performed on the change in scores from baseline to last observation on 460 patients having APOE results available. There were 291 patients heterozygous or homozygous for APOE epsilon 4 and 169 patients with only APOE epsilon 2 or epsilon 3 alleles. Analysis of variance showed non-APOE epsilon 4 carriers (E2,3) on tacrine improved more versus placebo than patients with APOE epsilon 4 (E4) on tacrine versus placebo as measured by the ADAS (p = 0.04) and the ADAS-Cog (p = 0.05). A trend toward greater treatment effect in the E2,3 patients was seen with CIBI, GDS, and CGIC, but these differences did not achieve significance. APOE genotype may be a predictor for clinical response to tacrine in AD patients, APOE epsilon 4 associated with a lower probability of cognitive improvement. When the groups were further divided by gender, most of the effect of APOE on treatment response was seen in women. E2-3 women improved more than any other group, and E4 women the least. The interaction of gender and APOE genotype on treatment response as measured by ADAS-Cog was significant (p = 0.03). Future trials of cholinergic therapy in AD should include APOE genotyping.

Aged↗

Sex steroids, bone mass, and bone loss. A prospective study of pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal women.

Although bone loss around the time of menopause is driven by estrogen deficiency, the roles of estrogens and androgens in the preservation of skeletal mass at other stages of life are less well understood. To address this issue we studied 231 women between the ages of 32 and 77 with multiple measurements of sex steroids and bone mass over a period of 2-8 yr. In all women bone mass was negatively associated with concentrations of sex-hormone binding globulin, and positively associated with weight. Bone loss occurred from all skeletal sites in peri- and postmenopausal women, but premenopausal women lost bone only from the hip (-0.3%/yr) and had positive rates of change in the radius and spine. Bone loss was significantly associated with lower androgen concentrations in premenopausal women, and with lower estrogens and androgens in peri- and postmenopausal women. Sex steroids are important for the maintenance of skeletal integrity before menopause, and for as long as 20-25 yr afterwards.

Adult↗

Apolipoprotein E4 allele as a predictor of cholinergic deficits and treatment outcome in Alzheimer disease.

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is critical in the modulation of cholesterol and phospholipid transport between cells of different types. Human apoE is a polymorphic protein with three common alleles, APO epsilon 2, APO epsilon 3, and APO epsilon 4. ApoE4 is associated with sporadic and late-onset familial Alzheimer disease (AD). Gene dose was shown to have an effect on risk of developing AD, age of onset, accumulation of senile plaques in the brain, and reduction of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in the hippocampus of AD subjects. To characterize the possible impact of the apoE4 allele on cholinergic markers in AD, we examined the effect of apoE4 allele copy number on pre- and postsynaptic markers of cholinergic activity. ApoE4 allele copy number showed an inverse relationship with residual brain ChAT activity and nicotinic receptor binding sites in both the hippocampal formation and the temporal cortex of AD subjects. AD cases lacking the apoE4 allele showed ChAT activities close or within age-matched normal control values. The effect of the apoE4 allele on cholinomimetic drug responsiveness was assessed next in a group (n = 40) of AD patients who completed a double-blind, 30-week clinical trial of the cholinesterase inhibitor tacrine. Results showed that > 80% of apoE4-negative AD patients showed marked improvement after 30 weeks as measured by the AD assessment scale (ADAS), whereas 60% of apoE4 carriers had ADAS scores that were worse compared to baseline. These results strongly support the concept that apoE4 plays a crucial role in the cholinergic dysfunction associated with AD and may be a prognostic indicator of poor response to therapy with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in AD patients.

Age of Onset↗

Apolipoprotein E genotypes and Alzheimer's disease in a community study of elderly African Americans.

As part of a community-based study of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the African-American population age 65 and over, we have determined apolipoprotein E (Apo E) genotypes in 85 subjects (31 AD patients and 54 controls). The epsilon 4 allele of Apo E was strongly associated with AD in this population sample. The epsilon 4 allele frequency in AD patients was 40.3% compared with 13.9% in the control group, and 22.6% of the AD patients were homozygous for this allele compared with 3.7% of the control subjects (p = 0.01). This study extends the association of Apo E-epsilon 4 and AD to nonwhite populations and provides further evidence that the observed allelic association is biologically relevant.

Black or African American↗

Mineral induced formation of sugar phosphates.

Glycolaldehyde phosphate, sorbed from highly dilute, weakly alkaline solution into the interlayer of common expanding sheet structure metal hydroxide minerals, condenses extensively to racemic aldotetrose-2,4-diphosphates and aldohexose-2,4,6-triphosphates. The reaction proceeds mainly through racemic erythrose-2,4-phosphate, and terminates with a large fraction of racemic altrose-2,4,6-phosphate. In the absence of an inductive mineral phase, no detectable homogeneous reaction takes place in the concentration- and pH range used. The reactant glycolaldehyde phosphate is practically completely sorbed within an hour from solutions with concentrations as low as 50 micrometers; the half-time for conversion to hexose phosphates is of the order of two days at room temperature and pH 9.5. Total production of sugar phosphates in the mineral interlayer is largely independent of the glycolaldehyde phosphate concentration in the external solution, but is determined by the total amount of GAP offered for sorption up to the capacity of the mineral. In the presence of equimolar amounts of rac-glyceraldehyde-2-phosphate, but under otherwise similar conditions, aldopentose-2,4,-diphosphates also form, but only as a small fraction of the hexose-2,4,6-phosphates.

Acetaldehyde↗

Preferential uptake of ammonium ions by zinc ferrocyanide.

The concentration of ammonia from dilute aqueous solution could have facilitated many prebiotic reactions. This may be especially true if this concentration involves incorporation into an organized medium. We have shown that (unlike iron(III) ferrocyanide) zinc ferrocyanide,Zn2Fe(CN)6 xH2O, preferentially takes up ammonium ions from 0.01 M NH4Cl to give the known material Zn3(NH4)2[Fe(CN)6]2 xH2O, even in the presence of 0.01 M KCl. KCl alone gave Zn3K2[Fe(CN)6]2 xH2O. Products were characterized by elemental (CHN) analysis and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). We attribute the remarkable specificity for the ammonium ion to the open framework of the product, which offers enough space for hydrogen-bonded ammonium ions, and infer that other inorganic materials with internal spaces rich in water may show a similar preference.

Ammonia↗

Bone mineral density in relation to polymorphism at the vitamin D receptor gene locus.

Polymorphism at the vitamin D receptor gene was examined in relation to bone mineral density (BMD) at spine, femur, and forearm in 86 monozygotic (MZ) and 39 dizygotic (DZ) adult female twins. All were white, 63 pairs (44 MZ, 19 DZ) were premenopausal, and 43 pairs (31 MZ, 12 DZ) were discordant for age at menopause or use of estrogen. Each individual of the DZ pairs and one individual of MZ pairs was genotyped for ApaI, BsmI, and TaqI polymorphism at the vitamin D receptor gene locus using Southern hybridization. Intraclass correlations for BMD in MZ and DZ twin pairs indicated that heritability accounted for over 70% of BMD. There was no relationship between genotype for any of the three polymorphisms and BMD at any skeletal site in the twin population, considered either as a total population, both with and without twins discordant for age at menopause or use of estrogen, or as a premenopausal population. In DZ twin pairs discordant for alleles for the three polymorphisms, no allele was associated with higher or lower BMD. It is concluded that in this population of healthy adult females there was no relationship between these polymorphisms at the vitamin D receptor gene locus and BMD.

Adult↗

Calcium supplementation and increases in bone mineral density in children.

BACKGROUND: Increased dietary intake of calcium during childhood, usually as calcium in milk, is associated with increased bone mass in adulthood; the increase in mass is important in modifying the later risk of fracture. Whether the increase is due to the calcium content of milk, however, is not certain. METHODS: We conducted a three-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the effect of calcium supplementation (1000 mg of calcium citrate malate per day) on bone mineral density in 70 pairs of identical twins (mean [+/- SD] age, 10 +/- 2 years; range, 6 to 14). In each pair, one twin served as a control for the other; 45 pairs completed the study. Bone mineral density was measured by photon absorptiometry at two sites in the radius (at base line, six months, and one, two, and three years) and at three sites in the hip and in the spine (at base line and three years). RESULTS: The mean daily calcium intake of the twins given placebo was 908 mg, and that of the twins given calcium supplements was 1612 mg (894 mg from the diet and 718 mg from the supplement). Among the 22 twin pairs who were prepubertal throughout the study, the twins given supplements had significantly greater increases in bone mineral density at both radial sites (mean difference in the increase in bone mineral density: midshaft radius, 5.1 percent [95 percent confidence interval, 1.5 to 8.7 percent]; distal radius, 3.8 percent [95 percent confidence interval, 1.4 to 6.2 percent]) and in the lumbar spine (increase, 2.8 percent [95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 4.5 percent]) after three years; the differences in the increases at two of three femoral sites approached significance (Ward's triangle in the femoral neck, 2.9 percent; greater trochanter, 3.5 percent). Among the 23 pairs who went through puberty or were postpubertal, the twins given supplements received no benefit. CONCLUSIONS: In prepubertal children whose average dietary intake of calcium approximated the recommended dietary allowance, calcium supplementation increased the rate of increase in bone mineral density. If the gain persists, peak bone density should be increased and the risk of fracture reduced.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

No evidence for an effect of lactase deficiency on bone mass in pre- or postmenopausal women.

The potential role for lactase deficiency in the development of low bone mass was examined in 342 adult female twins. Diminished lactase activity, defined as greater than 20 ppm increase in expired hydrogen at 2 or 2.5 h after an oral lactose load, was examined: (1) by comparing bone mass between members of twin pairs discordant for lactase activity; (2) by examining the linear association between bone mass and total expired hydrogen gas; and (3) by comparing all lactase-deficient individuals to those with persistent lactase activity. Among members of discordant (primarily DZ) pairs, the lactase-deficient member had greater bone mass 54% of the time. The correlations between the increase in expired hydrogen and bone mass at various sites were between -0.02 (femoral neck) and 0.11 (midshaft radius), suggesting no association between these variables. Finally, all lactase-deficient subjects were compared with those with normal lactase activity, regardless of twin status, and at each skeletal site the differences in bone mass were 1% or less. Thus, all primary hypotheses were not supported by these data; that is, in this large sample we could find no evidence of a detrimental effect of lactase deficiency on adult bone mass. However, baseline expired hydrogen was consistently and positively associated with bone mass at all sites, independently of age, suggesting the possibility that some aspect of intestinal function related to the activity of bacterial anaerobes may be positively associated with bone mass.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

The relationship of bone mineral density and anthropometric variables in healthy male and female children.

The relationships among bone mineral measurements at hip, wrist, and spine sites and anthropometric measurements which provided estimates of frame size, skinfold thickness, and muscularity were examined in a population of 140 children. The average age of the children at the time of measurement was 9.5 +/- 2.5 years and all subjects were white. In this study population, the anthropometric measurements were generally highly intercorrelated. Univariate correlations among bone mass and density variables at the different sites were also high, especially in the female children. Model fitting procedures were employed to separate the effects of age, frame size, and fatness on the bone mass measures. Resulting models confirmed previous results which suggest that height is the best predictor of bone mass in children. As expected, models for bone mineral content and bone mineral density were similar. Models for hips and wrist sites were also similar in including an estimate of frame size, while in those for the spine hip circumference explained a greater percentage of the variance. It appears that there are several identifiable characteristics among the anthropometric variables which appear to exert differential effects on skeletal development in children.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

Nutrient intake variability in a pediatric population: implications for study design.

Estimates of an individual's intake of specific nutrients is important in epidemiologic investigations of disease-diet relationships. The object of the present investigation was to determine the minimum number of daily food records required to estimate intake of specific nutrients in children. Both members of 70 pairs of twins (n = 140 children) completed a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 23 food records throughout a 2-y period. All subjects were white and range in age from 5 to 14 y. Assuming an attenuation of the correlation coefficient of 80%, the minimum number of daily food records required to estimate energy intake was seven for boys and eight for girls. As a group, the vitamin intakes were the most variable for both boys and girls, often requiring more than 20 records for either sex. Requirements for other nutrients generally fell between these two extremes. The results of the present investigation are particularly relevant to the interpretation and design of studies of associations with nutrient intake.

Adolescent↗

A prospective randomized trial of fluorouracil versus fluorouracil plus cisplatin in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: a Hoosier Oncology Group trial.

From May 1984 through December 1986, 141 patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum were entered on this Hoosier Oncology Group (HOG) trial evaluating the role of cisplatin in systemic therapy. Patients were stratified by the presence or absence of hepatic metastases and by performance status, and were subsequently randomized to receive fluorouracil (5-FU) (15 mg/kg/wk) alone or the same dose of 5-FU plus cisplatin (60 mg/m2 every 3 weeks). The total duration of treatment was six cycles (18 weeks). In 132 fully evaluable patients the objective response rates were 19% for 5-FU and 22% for 5-FU plus cisplatin. Statistically, the median survival times of 40 and 39 weeks were not significantly different (P = .62). However, the median duration of remission (MDR) was superior (P = .05) for 5-FU alone. This study fails to confirm clinically significant synergy of 5-FU plus cisplatin in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Adult↗