T-cell-depleted bone marrow transplantation from unrelated donor for [correction of allogeneic sibling for] X-linked hyperimmunoglobulin M syndrome.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T J Flood.
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The Arizona Department of Health Services performed an investigation to determine the health effects associated with the use of a mercury-containing beauty cream. A urine test for mercury was offered to cream users who contacted the Arizona Department of Health Services. Those with urine mercury levels > 20 micrograms/L were offered clinical evaluation. Eighty-nine urine specimens were submitted for testing. Of these, 66 showed an elevated urine mercury level (> 20 micrograms/L), and 55 people were evaluated in clinic. There were no major abnormalities found through physical examination or laboratory testing. Urine mercury levels declined from an initial mean of 170 micrograms/L to 32 micrograms/L at the final test (mean, 139 days later). The high urine mercury levels indicate that the use of this cosmetic cream constitutes a significant exposure. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were frequently reported, but few objective signs were noted.
BACKGROUND: Pneumocystis carinii is an important pathogen in immunodeficiency but may be an unrecognised cause of respiratory compromise. OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the incidence of P carinii pneumonia (PCP) at presentation of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), whether it had been diagnosed, and the effect of treatment on outcome. SETTING: The supraregional paediatric bone marrow transplant unit for primary immunodeficiencies at Newcastle General Hospital. METHODS: Retrospective case note review of infants referred with a diagnosis of SCID from 1992 to 1998. RESULTS: Ten of 50 infants had PCP at presentation; only one was diagnosed before transfer. Eight were diagnosed by bronchoalveolar lavage and two by lung biopsy. In only one was P carinii identified in nasopharyngeal secretions. Five required ventilation for respiratory failure but all were successfully treated with co-trimoxazole and methylprednisolone with or without nebulised budesonide. Nine survived to bone marrow transplantation and four are long term survivors after bone marrow transplantation; no deaths were related to PCP. CONCLUSIONS: PCP is a common presenting feature of SCID but is rarely recognised. Bronchoalveolar lavage or lung biopsy are needed for diagnosis. Treatment with co-trimoxazole is highly successful.
Neurological complications of malignant infantile osteopetrosis are well recognised; successful bone marrow transplantation, when performed early in life, can prevent or halt some of them. In a subgroup of infants osteopetrosis is associated with primary retinal degeneration and/or generalised neurodegeneration. Bone marrow transplantation, in spite of being successful in correcting the osseous and haematological abnormalities, does not influence the progressive course of the neurodegenerative disorder. Thus, the recognition of this subgroup of infants with a very poor prognosis is essential before deciding on bone marrow transplantation.
Respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza virus infection carry a poor prognosis in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), particularly if the viral load is high. Patients with high viral load develop severe pneumonitis at engraftment which may possibly be modulated by immunotherapy, including high dose nebulised corticosteroids. Further work is required to develop effective treatment for this severe condition.
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Several but not all studies indicate that chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is associated with an increased risk for transverse limb deficiencies, including digital deficiencies. It has been suggested that variations in results regarding the transverse digital deficiencies (TDDs) may be due to the use of different classification criteria. We present the combined analysis of two case-control studies, the U.S. Multistate CVS (US) study and the Italian Multicentric Birth Defects (IP-IMC) study, using two different definitions of TDDs. We compared the frequency of CVS exposure in control infants with that among those infants with any number of affected digits (any TDD), and those with all five digits of at least one limb affected (extensive TDDs). The estimated relative risk (RR) for any TDD following CVS was 10.6 (IPIMC) and 6.6 (US). For the extensive TDDs, the RR was 30.5 (IPIMC) and 10.7 (US). In both studies, extensive TDDs were less than 25% of all TDDs. Compared to all TDDs, extensive TDDs were more likely to occur after CVS performed earlier in the first trimester (before 10-11 weeks' gestation). These findings suggest a relationship between the timing of CVS and the severity of TDDs; indicate that using a restrictive definition of TDDs (all five digits affected) may limit the ability to evaluate the association between CVS and TDDs in populations in whom CVS is usually performed at or after 10 weeks' gestation; and highlight the necessity to consider gestational age in any evaluation of the relative risk for limb deficiencies associated with CVS.
Although numerous infants have been reported with transverse limb deficiencies after their mothers had undergone chorionic villus sampling (CVS), it has been unclear whether the procedure caused these defects. We report the results of the first multistate case-control study to assess and quantify the risk for specific limb deficiencies associated with CVS. Case subjects were 131 infants with nonsyndromic limb deficiency ascertained from 7 population-based birth defect surveillance programs, and born from 1988-1992 to mothers 34 years of age or older. Control subjects were 131 infants with other birth defects. We ascertained exposure to CVS from medical records and maternal and physician questionnaires. We assessed rates and timing of exposure to CVS, and estimated relative and absolute risks for anatomic subtypes of limb deficiency. The odds ratio for all types of limb deficiency after CVS from 8-12 weeks' gestation was 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 0.4-6.3). For specific anatomic subtypes, the strongest association was for transverse digital deficiency (odds ratio = 6.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-38.6). The risk for transverse digital deficiency increased with earlier gestational exposure (P < 0.01 for trend). We estimated that the absolute risk for transverse digital deficiency in infants after CVS was 1 per 2,900 births (0.03%). Exposure to CVS was associated with a sixfold increase in risk for transverse digital deficiency. The causality of this association is supported by its strength, specificity, biologic plausibility, and consistency with the results of previous studies. Although some centers already inform patients about risk for limb deficiency, this study quantifies the magnitude of risk associated with CVS from 8-12 weeks' gestation.
Reports of a suspected cluster of childhood leukaemia cases in West Central Phoenix have led to a number of epidemiological studies in the geographical area. We report here on a death certificate-based mortality study, which indicated an elevated rate ratio of 1.95 during 1966-1986, using the remainder of the Phoenix standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA) as a comparison region. In the process of analysing the data from this study, a methodology for dealing with denominator variability in a standardized mortality ratio was developed using a simple linear Poisson model. This new approach is seen as being of general use in the analysis of standardized rate ratios (SRR), as well as being particularly appropriate for cluster investigations.
In epidemiologic and public health studies of disease incidence in geographic subpopulations, attention is properly directed toward the ascertainment of accurate numerators. Population or person-years denominators are generally given less consideration, under the assumption that estimates produced by sources other than the state health department are sufficiently accurate. Here, we report our experience in estimating person-years denominators in the highly urbanized, rapidly expanding population of Maricopa County, Arizona. The usual sources of population estimates were found to be of little use for public health purposes, and so we report on a method for obtaining smoothed person-years figures that can accurately reflect population acceleration which varies from one time period to another. Our method is to regress the logarithm of census enumerations on quadratic or tertic polynomials in time. We describe how differential reliability of census figures can be incorporated into our procedure, and how the problem of missing census data can be handled by an iterated regression method. Our evidence suggests that the logarithmic regression model works well, even in the face of rapid and erratic population growth or decline.