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W Terrell

Publications and source records attributed to W Terrell.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

A comparison of commercially available probes for in situ hybridization to human papillomavirus DNA.

Several commercially prepared DNA probes to human papillomavirus are available for nonisotopic in situ hybridization. Our laboratory conducted a comparison of eight commercially available DNA probes for diagnostic purposes. Six type-specific and two wide-spectrum probes from two vendors (Enzo and Digene Diagnostics) were used on routinely processed, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. An additional wide-spectrum probe from Dako was also investigated, but testing was discontinued early because performance was unsatisfactory. An automated apparatus was used for this comparison study, and the protocols for the kits were adapted accordingly. Twenty-four cases were studied; these included four cases of normal cervical tissue, six cases of condyloma, six cases of mild (low-grade) dysplasia with condyloma, five cases of moderate to severe (high-grade) dysplasia, and three cases of carcinoma. All of the low-grade dysplasias and the condyloma hybridized with at least one wide-spectrum and one type-specific probe. By contrast, only half of the high-grade dysplasias and carcinomas hybridized to any probe. The results of hybridizing with the type-specific probes were equivocal. Four cases reacted with two different type-specific probes. We conclude that nonisotopic in situ hybridization is a reproducible technique for detection of human papillomavirus, and recommend this method as an adjunct for routine histology in equivocal cases of condyloma. The technique adapts to a mechanized system, increasing its utility in the clinical setting. In our laboratory, the Enzo wide-spectrum probe was easier to interpret, generating a stronger signal with less nonspecific binding of chromogen. The sensitivities of the probes tested were not significantly different.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Colorectal carcinoma in adolescents implications regarding etiology.

Between October, 1974 and December, 1976, 13 adolescent patients with far-advanced, poorly differentiated colorectal carcinoma had been referred to a pediatric cancer center. All patients received chemotherapy with vincristine, methyl-CCNU and 5-fluorouracil. Five of 13 patients are living, one of whom remains disease-free after 12 months of chemotherapy. Four of the patients were from urban areas and nine from rural areas. One of four from urban areas had intimate exposure to chemicals used in the production of cotton and soy beans. Eight of nine patients from rural areas also had exposure to farm or agricultural chemicals, and three of these patients were intimately involved with the spraying operations. Suggestions regarding etiology and causative factors for the development of carcinoma of the colon in adults have previously been advanced. Results of these studies suggest that alternate etiologies must be suggested for adolescent colorectal carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗

Rasmussen's syndrome: a study of potential viral etiology.

Rasmussen's syndrome (RS) is a devastating constellation of severe, unilateral focal motor epilepsy resistant to anticonvulsant therapy, followed by ipsilateral neurological deficits and neuropathological evidence of a chronic encephalitis occurring primarily in the pediatric population. Recent reports have identified viral genomic material for cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) using in situ hybridization (ISH) in brain tissue of RS patients. We studied 10 biopsy- and resection-specimens from seven patients using biotinylated double-stranded DNA probes to CMV, herpes simplex virus (HSV) and EBV to confirm these results. Two patient samples were also evaluated by electron microscopy and one using standard immunoperoxidase techniques. We were unable to identify any evidence of viral material utilizing one of these techniques. There was some nonspecific localization of crystalline material by in situ hybridization over nuclei, which may account for literature reports of positivity, although one cannot be sure since photomicrographs were not included in these reports. Although the neuropathological morphology of the identifiable lesions in resected specimens is consistent with that seen in other viral encephalitides, our findings fail to support the role of CMV, HSV, or EBV as the etiology and sole factor in the development of Rasmussen's syndrome.

Child↗