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S L Watts

Publications and source records attributed to S L Watts.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Human papillomavirus DNA types in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.

Previous studies have found variable evidence suggestive of a role for human papillomavirus (HPV) in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. In this study 49 cases of primary verrucous or squamous cell carcinoma from patients referred to a regional medical center were examined initially by Southern blot hybridization to detect HPV types 2, 6, 11, 13, 16, 18, and 32. Approximately 60% of carcinomas from certain head and neck sites, particularly the floor of the mouth, tongue, pharynx, piriform sinus, and larynx, were positive for episomal viral DNA of HPV-6, -11, -16, or -18. HPV DNA was found in some multiple tumors from separate sites of the same patient. Integration of viral DNA into the host cell chromosome was likely in a minority of the positive carcinomas, and no novel HPV DNA types were indicated by the hybridization analyses. Subsequently, DNA remaining from 30 of the carcinomas was examined by a more sensitive polymerase chain reaction amplification assay for DNA of HPV-6, -11, -16, and -18. Twenty-seven of the samples were positive for one or more HPV DNA types, with all positive carcinoma samples containing oncogenic HPV-16 or -18 DNAs. Almost all the patients examined were of the middle to older age group with a history of tobacco use. Although HPV infection of oral mucosa may be a frequent occurrence, a possible role for HPVs in the multifactorial etiology of head and neck carcinogenesis merits further epidemiologic investigation.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1988

Adaptive programming of arm movements.

Adaptations of goal-directed elbow movements of moderate speed, called "continuous" movements and recognized by their single-peaked velocity profiles, were studied for two monkeys that were learning to perform a motor task. The animals were rewarded for what they did, namely, to carry out a step-tracking and holding task by means of discrete elbow movements, but not for how they did it, that is, for any particular mode of movement execution. Yet, both animals increased the use of the programmed, continuous movements when they began to carry out the behavioral task requirements appropriately. Furthermore, continuous movements adapted with increases of peak and of average velocity such that the ratio of these parameters tended to be maintained or decreased. These velocity changes were incorporated into remembered movement programs late in motor learning when the animals approached their best performance proficiencies.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

Cellular transformation by human papillomavirus DNA in vitro.

Molecularly cloned DNA's of human papillomaviruses HPV-5 and HPV-l induced morphological transformation of mouse C127 cells in culture. Single-cell clones of cells transformed by papillomavirus contained multiple persistent episomal copies of the transfected DNA species and were analyzed for growth characteristics indicating malignant potential.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Free cottontail rabbit papillomavirus DNA persists in warts and carcinomas of infected rabbits and in cells in culture transformed with virus or viral DNA.

We have compared warts and carcinomas from cottontail and domestic rabbits for the presence of cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) and the status of the viral DNA genome. Our studies indicate that benign warts from cottontail rabbits, whether found naturally or induced in the laboratory, contain large amounts of virus and on the average 1000 copies of the virus genome per cell. Both benign warts and carcinomas from domestic rabbits contain significantly reduced levels of virus relative to cottontail rabbit warts and an average of 100 copies of the virus genome per cell. A single sample of a naturally occurring cottontail rabbit carcinoma contained approximately 80 copies of the viral genome per cell. None of the tumors that we have analyzed thus far appear to have integrated viral genomes by Southern blot analysis of undigested and restriction endonuclease-digested DNA samples. Furthermore, the CRPV genome present in domestic rabbit carcinomas and a cottontail rabbit carcinoma appears identical by restriction endonuclease mapping to that present in papillomas of cottontail and domestic rabbits indicating that no major deletions or rearrangements of the CRPV genome had occurred during the progression of benign to malignant tumors nor was a variant of wild-type CRPV responsible for this phenomenon. Finally, we have demonstrated morphological transformation in vitro of NIH 3T3 and C127 cells upon infection with purified CRPV and upon transfection with purified CRPV DNA. Furthermore, single cell clones derived from transformed foci contain free forms of CRPV DNA that persist through continued passage in culture. Cells transformed by CRPV grow in soft agar in vitro and produce tumors in athymic nude mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Avian nephroblastoma virus MAV-2(N) and avian osteopetrosis virus MAV-2(O) are genetically distinct.

Avian myeloblastosis virus consists of a mixture of a defective leukaemia virus and several non-defective associated avian leukosis viruses. The genomes of two of the associated avian leukosis viruses were examined in this study and were chosen because one of them, MAV-2(N), induces predominantly nephroblastoma, while the other, MAV-2(O), induces predominantly osteopetrosis. Competitive hybridization studies employing labelled virion RNA and DNA from normal and malignant tissue failed to demonstrate a difference the genomes. However, examination of ribonuclease T1-resistant oligonucleotide maps revealed that MAV-2(N) RNA had five oligonucleotide fragments which were not present in the MAV-2(O) genome. Poly(A) selection of the oligonucleotides at the 3' end of the genome showed that the fragments unique to MAV-2(N) were not present at this end of the genome. These results suggest that two viruses differing in oncogenic manifestation also differ in genome composition.

Avian Leukosis Virus↗
PubMed1980

Pathology of chickens infected with avian nephoblastoma virus MAV-2(N).

A neophroblastoma-inducing myeloblastosis-associated virus, MAV-2(N), derived from avian myeloblastosis virus was characterized with respect to biochemical composition and avian pathogenesis. Purified fibroblast-grown virus contained the same size 35S ribonucleic acid and the same relative amounts of viral polypeptides as another myeloblastosis-associated virus inducing predominantly osteopetrosis MAV-2(O). Plaque-purified MAV-2(N) induced a 76 to 93% incidence of nephroblastoma and a 3 to 50% incidence of osteopetrosis in SPAFAS and line 15 x 7 chickens: the oncogenic spectrum and the onset of nephroblastoma varied with the line of chicken and the route of injection. Renal neoplasms were manifest in chickens older than 2 months and grew to a massive size. Furthermore, 29% of control chickens housed with MAV-2(N)-infected chickens demonstrated nephroblastoma. MAV-2(N)-infected chickens had growth rates and blood packed cell volumes comparable to those of uninfected chickens. Infected chickens 2 months of age had increased kidney, liver, and spleen weights; tumor-bearing chickens 3 to 4 months of age had increased liver, lung, brain, pancreas, and bone weights. The concentration of albumin was decreased and the concentration of gamma globulin was increased in the serum of MAV-2(N)-INFECTED CHICKENS. Analysis of the sera of nephroblastoma-bearing chickens for virus and antibody showed that three states existed: (i) high levels of neutralizing antibody, (ii) high levels of virus, and (iii) simultaneous presence of both at low levels. The pathological and virological features of MAV-2(N) which distinguish it from MAV-2(O) are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Anogenital warts contain several distinct species of human papillomavirus.

Anogenital warts from 26 patients were examined for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV). Although no whole, intact virus could be identified, varying amounts of nonintegrated HPV DNA were detected in 18 tissue specimens (70%) by employing both an agarose gel-ethidium bromide staining method and the Southern blot hybridization procedure. When hybridization analysis was performed under stringent conditions, six anogenital warts were observed to contain HPV genomic sequences related to either of the cutaneous viruses HPV type 1 (HPV-1) or HPV-2. In 12 tissue samples lacking sequence homology to either HPV-1 or HPV-2 under stringent conditions, HPV-related sequences were detected when the hybridization was performed under less stringent conditions, indicating that an HPV distinct from both HPV-1 and HPV-2 is also associated with these lesions. This anogenital HPV also appeared to be distinct from the other characterized types of HPV. These data indicate that at least three HPVs are associated with anogenital wart disease.

Anal Canal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between condylomata and laryngeal papillomata. Clinical and molecular virological evidence.

In a survey of 49 papilloma patients accurate maternal condyloma history was obtained in 31 instances and of these, 21 were positive for the presence of condyloma during pregnancy or parturition. Molecular virological studies indicate that positive hybridization could be demonstrated to human papilloma virus 2 in both laryngeal papilloma and condyloma by the Southern blot technique. Immunoperoxidase staining illustrated the presence of virus-related particles only near the surface of the mucous membrane papilloma, which is in contrast to the definite staining of the stratum granulosum and stratum corneum of verrucae. Collectively this provides convincing evidence for an etiological relationship between condyloma acuminata and some laryngeal papillomata. The highly contagious nature of human papilloma virus infection is discussed and the possibility of cesarian section in the presence of active condyloma must be considered.

Adolescent↗