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Biomedical subjects

V Turner

Publications and source records attributed to V Turner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Twenty-three novel HLA-B alleles identified during intermediate-resolution testing.

Twenty-three novel human leukocyte antigen-B alleles are described: B*070204, *0738, *0742, *0821, *130202, *1312, *1575, *1598, *1599, *270507, *2728, *350104, *3558, *3811, *3931, *3932, *4045, *4107, *420501, *4812, *510106, *5520, and *5616. Thirteen of the variants are single-nucleotide substitutions from their most homologous allele, eight resulting in amino acid changes (B*0742, *1312, *1598, *1599, *3558, *3931, *4107, and *5616) and five with silent substitutions (B*070204, *130202, *270507, *350104, and *510106). Three alleles (B*0738, *4812, and *5520) differ by five nucleotide changes, altering four amino acids. The remaining seven alleles differ from their most similar alleles by two to three nucleotides, altering from one to two amino acids.

Alleles↗
PubMed2001

Effect of HLA class I or class II incompatibility in pediatric marrow transplantation from unrelated and related donors.

The degree of histoincompatibility that can be tolerated, and the relative importance of matching at individual HLA class I and class II locus in bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has not been established. We hypothesized that matching for HLA-DR may not be more important than matching for HLA-A or HLA-B in selection of a donor for successful BMT. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 248 consecutive pediatric patients who received allogeneic BMT from related donors (RD, n = 119) or unrelated donors (URD, n = 129). HLA-A and HLA-B were serologically matched, and HLA-DRB1 were identical by DNA typing in 69% of donor-recipient pairs. Most patients (89%) had hematologic malignancies; the rest had aplastic anemia or a congenital disorder. One HLA-A antigen mismatch was associated with a decrease in survival (p = 0.003) and a delay in granulocyte engraftment (p = 0.02) in recipients of RD marrow; as well as a decrease in survival (p = 0.02) and the development of severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (p = 0.03) in recipients of URD marrow. One HLA-B antigen mismatch was associated with a decrease in the survival (p = 0.05) and the development of severe GVHD (p = 0.0007) in recipients of RD marrow. One HLA-DRB1 allele mismatch was associated only with a decrease in the survival (p = 0.0003) of recipients of RD marrow. Results of this study suggest that disparity in HLA-A and HLA-B antigens may not be better tolerated than disparity in HLA-DR allele in allogeneic BMT. Further studies are warranted to confirm our results.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

Growth arrest-specific gene 6 expression in proliferating rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro and in vivo.

Proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are involved in the processes of atherosclerosis and restenosis. The protein product of the growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas-6) has recently been identified as a ligand for the Axl/Rse/Mer tyrosine kinase receptor family, which may be involved in proliferation and migration of VSMCs. Here we show that Gas-6 gene expression is increased in proliferating VSMCs in tissue culture (2.5-fold increase by Northern blot) and following neointimal proliferation in a rabbit balloon-injury model (3-fold increase by Western blot). Neither platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) nor thrombin stimulate the expression of Gas-6 in cultured VSMCs despite the ability of the PDGF, but not thrombin, to stimulate proliferation in growth-arrested cells. These data suggest a role for the Gas-6 regulatory system in VSMC proliferation, which may be a target for therapeutic interventions in the atherosclerotic process and restenosis after angioplasty.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Tissue distribution of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase in normal and malaria-infected tissue.

An immunohistochemical method was developed, using a polyclonal antibody, to detect the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in normal and malaria-infected tissue. Plasmodium berghei ANKA, a cerebral malaria (CM) model, and P. berghei K173, a non-cerebral malaria (NCM) model, were used. It was found that vascular endothelial cells were the primary site of IDO expression in both models of malaria infection and that this response was systemic, with the vascular endothelium of brain, heart, lung, spleen and uterus all staining positive. These results suggest that IDO is part of a systemic host response to parasite infection. Although high levels of IDO production alone may not cause pathology, it is possible that when its production is combined with other features of CM, such as breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), metabolites of the kynurenine pathway may be able to influence the otherwise tightly regulated, immunologically privileged site of the CNS and cause some of the symptoms and pathology observed.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Incidence estimates of late stages of trachoma among women in a hyperendemic area of central Tanzania.

The purpose of this study is to estimate 5-year incidences of conjunctival scarring and trichiasis, and 10-year incidence of corneal opacities due to trachoma, using prevalence data from a population sample of 6038 women living in a trachoma-hyperendemic area of central Tanzania. Previous surveys have documented the age-specific prevalence of scarring, trichiasis, and corneal opacities in women in hyperendemic areas. Using the age-stratified prevalences of these different clinical signs, corresponding incidence rates were estimated. Transition rates from one sign to the next were also obtained by restricting the risk group to only women with a specific trachoma sign. Thus, the 5-year incidence of trichiasis among women with conjunctival scarring, and the 10-year incidence of corneal opacities among women with trichiasis were estimated. Incidences of all the signs markedly increased with age. For scarring, 5-year incidence rates increased from 3.1% in the 15-19 age category to 14.3% for women between 55 and 59 years. The 5-year incidence of trichiasis ranged from 0.3% in the 15-19 age category to 7.5% in the age group 55-59. Corneal opacities due to trachoma were highest in the age group 45-54; the 10-year incidence increased to 2.8%. The 5-year incidence of trichiasis among only women with scars increased from 3.2% in the 15-19 age group to 15.1% in women in the 55-59 age group. Once trichiasis is present, almost one-third of the women below 35 and more than 40% of the women older than 45 will develop corneal opacities in a 10-year interval. These estimates are important in understanding the dynamics of progression of trachoma from conjunctival scarring to the potentially blinding signs of trichiasis and corneal opacities. They provide important information for planning adequate services in areas where trachoma is endemic and surgery for trichiasis is a key factor to avoid blindness from trachoma. They also provide clues to the pathogenesis that may be useful in the development of new methods of control.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

The follow-up care of babies discharged from special care baby units in England and Wales between 1988 and 1989.

This survey of District Health Authorities in England and Wales forms part of a wider study into the needs of babies discharged from special care baby units in South Glamorgan Health Authority. The aim of the survey was to find out what types of care were offered to babies who had been in a Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and their families following the babies' discharge from hospital. This in turn raised interesting issues concerning the community care of these babies and their families which are discussed in this article.

Community Health Nursing↗
PubMed1991

Increase in mortality associated with blindness in rural Africa.

Forty-seven persons were identified with visual impairment (visual acuity of 6/60 or less in their better eye) during a population-based survey in 1986 of eye disease in three villages in central Tanzania. Four years later, 41 (87%) of them and 70 (82%) of 84 age-, sex-, and village-matched controls with normal functional vision (visual acuity 6/18 or better in the better eye) were traced, and those who were still alive were re-examined. The remainder were reported to be alive but had moved to other villages. Deaths among those aged 40-79 years amounted to 10 among the 37 visually impaired and 7 among the 70 sighted controls. This gave an excess mortality rate (odds ratio) of 3.33 times (1.03-11.04, 95% Cl) among the visually impaired compared to their age-matched controls. The excess mortality rate for visually impaired women was 4.11 (0.72-25.5) and 2.71 (0.50-15.2) for visually impaired men. Nine out of 25 with vision of less than 3/60 in their better eye had died. The higher mortality rate among the visually impaired suggests that, in this environment, blindness is not only associated with considerable disability but is also associated with a shortened life expectancy, especially for women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Hygiene factors and increased risk of trachoma in central Tanzania.

Trachoma remains the major infectious cause of blindness in many developing areas, especially where hygiene is poor. The practices and behaviors associated with an increased risk of trachoma were studied in central Tanzania, where a stratified random cluster sample of 8409 people was examined. Data were collected on family and individual characteristics and behaviors and on trachoma status. Overall, 60% of the children aged 1 to 7 years had active inflammatory trachoma, and 10% of those aged 60 years or older had trichiasis. Regression analysis showed that active inflammatory trachoma in children was associated with the characteristics of the more traditional families and several measures of poor personal hygiene. Two important risk factors for severe inflammatory trachoma were poor facial cleanliness in children (odds ratio of 1.7 [1.17, 2.50]) and household fly density (odds ratio of 1.63 [1.17, 2.29]). Both factors are potentially amenable to intervention. These data suggest that an intervention strategy aimed at these hygiene measures would provide an effective method of controlling trachoma in this region, and a similar approach may be useful in other areas.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Water availability and trachoma.

As part of an epidemiological survey of risk factors for trachoma in 20 villages in the United Republic of Tanzania, we investigated the relationship of village water pumps, distance to water source, and quantity of household water to the risk of inflammatory trachoma. We also evaluated whether there was an association between the cleanliness of children's faces and these water variables. No association was found between the presence of a village water supply and the prevalence of trachoma. However, the risk of trachoma in the household increased with the distance to a water source--although there was no association with the estimated daily amount of water brought into the house. Likewise, children were more likely to have unclean faces if they lived more than 30 minutes from a water source, but whether they had clean faces was not associated with the daily quantity of water brought into the household. The effect of the distance to water supply on trachoma may well reflect the value placed on water within the family, and this determines the priority for its use for hygiene purposes. The results of the study suggest that changing the access to water per se may be insufficient to alter the prevalence of trachoma without also a concomitant effort to change the perception of how water should be utilized in the home.

Child↗
PubMed1983

Role of pit membranes in macromolecule-induced wilt of plants.

Macromolecules present in low concentrations in xylem fluid of Medicago sativa L. var DuPuits will increase the resistance to xylem liquid flow. This increase in resistance was found to be reversible by backflushing the xylem. Autoradiography showed that very large molecules do not pass through pit membrane pores. A comparison of pit membrane pore sizes to molecule sizes suggests that increased resistance to xylem flow is a result of plugging pit membrane pores. It was also found that pit membranes located in two parts of the plant differ in the apparent diameter of their pores and, thus, in their susceptibility to plugging by macromolecules. Macromolecules in xylem fluid may result from hostparasite interactions and may play a significant role in the outcome of the interaction.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1978

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