Thrombus causing fatal left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in a heart transplant patient.

A 60 year male, orthotopic heart transplant recipient developed a fatal left ventricular outflow obstruction secondary to thrombus at 38 months post transplant. Although he had episodes of mild to moderate rejection at 2 and 16 months post transplant, subsequent biopsies were negative and annual cardiac catheterizations showed mild left ventricular hypokinesis and normal coronary arteries. This case represents a catastrophic complication of transplant rejection and illustrates the problems with identifying rejection using current diagnostic methods.

Demographic and health characteristics of heavy marijuana smokers in Los Angeles County.

The demographic, life-style, and self-reported health characteristics of a convenience sample of 207 male and 70 female, non-Hispanic White, heavy marijuana users in Los Angeles County were compared with those of more representative county and national samples. Consistent with other researchers' findings, heavy marijuana users were found to differ significantly in living arrangements, job stability, and income. Heavy marijuana users did not differ in completed education, self-reported physical health, or use of alcohol and cigarettes.

Enhancement of the invasive ability of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by contact with HecIB, an adenocarcinoma endometrial cell line.

Since Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an obligate pathogen, there is no animal model for identification of virulence factors for this bacterium. An alternative model for assessment of gonococcal virulence is invasion of the adenocarcinoma endometrial cell line, HecIB. Preincubation of gonococci with glutaraldehyde-fixed HecIB cells eliminated the six- to eight-hour lag in entry of bacteria into a fresh HeIIB monolayer seen with unpreincubated gonococci or gonococci preincubated in tissue-culture medium alone.

Normal and dystrophic rat retinal pigment epithelia display different sensitivities to plant lectins.

Previous studies showed that cultured retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat incorporate 50% less fucose into a number of cell-surface glycoproteins compared with controls. The cause of reduced fucose incorporation may be a generalized defect in glycoprotein processing in the RCS rat RPE. This hypothesis has been further explored by comparing the relative sensitivities of normal and dystrophic rat RPE to the toxicity of plant lectins of various specificities.

Bulimia and body image dissatisfaction in adolescence.

This study examined body image dissatisfaction in bulimic adolescent girls. Subjects were screened with the Bulimia Test and the Eating Disorder Inventory, followed by clinical interviews using Russell's diagnostic criteria. Bulimic subjects were matched with controls by age, weight, height and year in high school.

Phenotypic relationships of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia to invasive prostatic carcinoma.

Thirty-one snap-frozen human prostate specimens containing examples of benign hyperplasia, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), and invasive carcinoma were analyzed using a panel of 24 antibodies and one lectin. Twenty-seven additional routinely processed radical prostatectomy specimens were studied using selected probes known to work on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded material. Three probes, anticytokeratin KA4, anti-vimentin V9, and the lectin from Ulex europaeus (UEA-1), demonstrated phenotypic similarities between PIN and invasive carcinoma.

The enzymatic hydrolysis-activation of the adriamycin cardioprotective agent (+)-1,2-bis(3,5-dioxopiperazinyl-1-yl)propane.

The cardioprotective agent ICRF-187 [(+)-1,2-bis(3,5-dioxopiperazinyl-1-yl)propane, ADR-529] has shown a great deal of promise against what may be an iron-based adriamycin-induced cardiotoxicity. ICRF-187 likely exerts its actions through its rings-opened hydrolysis product, which has a structure similar to EDTA and like-wise strongly binds metal ions. The 105,000g soluble supernatant fraction of homogenates of porcine liver and kidney, but not of heart, enzymatically caused a ring-opening hydrolysis of ICRF-187 at the rate of 1.

Distribution of a protein antigenically related to the major anaerobically induced gonococcal outer membrane protein among other Neisseria species.

The Pan 1 protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a novel 54-kDa outer membrane protein expressed only when gonococci are grown in the absence of oxygen. It is a major antigen recognized by sera from patients with gonococcal infection. We raised mouse monospecific polyclonal antiserum to gel-purified Pan 1 from gonococcal strain F62.

Partial characterization of fucosylated cell surface glycoproteins of cultured RPE.

The major high molecular weight, fucose containing, cell surface glycoproteins of cultured rat retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were partially characterized. One dimensional peptide mapping by the Cleveland method showed that the polypeptide chains of these proteins were not highly related in structure. Incorporation of 3H-mannose into these glycoproteins was equivalent for normal and dystrophic (RCS rdy-p+) RPE.

The RNA polymerases of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum are unrelated to the RNA polymerase of Escherichia coli.

Western blot analysis that used antisera to the E. coli core enzyme and sigma factors was used for examination of the RNA polymerase of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Streptococcus mutans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Both antisera reacted with proteins in A.

Distribution of gonococcal lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis genes among strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and other neisserial species.

A plasmid, pTME6, containing Neisseria gonorrhoeae lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis genes was used as a probe to analyze DNA from strains of N. gonorrhoeae, N. meningitidis and various commensal Neisseria by Southern blotting.

Negative expectations and self-evaluations in dysphoria.

In a sample of female college students, dysphoric and "intermittently' dysphoric subjects, in comparison to nondysphoric subjects, were expected to perform more poorly on a game requiring eye-hand coordination. Actual performance showed no differences between these three groups. Following performance, relative to nondysphoric subjects, dysphoric and intermittently dysphoric subjects evaluated their performance more negatively.

Changes in case mix and outcomes of readmissions to nursing homes between 1980 and 1984.

This study compares the personal characteristics, measures of functional status/case mix, and immediate discharge outcomes of two cohorts of nursing home patients (1980 and 1984). All of these patients had a prior history of nursing home care and all were readmitted to skilled nursing facilities from hospitals. In 1984, readmissions were more disabled, more debilitated, and significantly less likely to return home.

First nursing home admissions: time spent at home and in institutions after discharge.

We tracked 96 percent of a sample of 1,942 nursing home patients admitted to a nursing home for the first time in 1982-83. Patients discharged alive from the nursing home were followed for two years or until death. The relative time spent at home, in hospitals, and in skilled nursing facilities is reported.

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm presenting with complete heart block.

An elderly woman presented with sudden unresponsiveness and complete heart block and subsequently expired. Postmortem examination revealed an aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva impinging on the cardiac conducting tissue. Only a few cases associated with complete heart block have been previously reported.

Bone mineral content in postmenopausal women: comparison of omnivores and vegetarians.

This cross-sectional study of bone mineral content (BMC)/bone width (BW) (BMC/BW, cortical radius) was conducted in elderly, free-living Methodist omnivores (n = 146) and Seventh-day Adventist vegetarians (n = 144) in southern California. The purpose was to investigate relationships between BMC/BW and dietary factors (primarily vegetarianism and intakes of protein and calcium) and use of prescribed drugs. BMC was measured by single-photon absorptiometry.

3H-fucose incorporation into RPE cell surface proteins of normal and dystrophic rats.

Glycoproteins were metabolically labeled with 3H-fucose in cultured RPE cells from RCS rdy-p+ and Long Evans rats. 3H-labeled glycoproteins associated with a plasma membrane-enriched subcellular fraction were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Relative incorporation of 3H-fucose into high molecular weight cell surface glycoproteins (Mr of 128,000-183,000) was measured by quantitative autoradiography and densitometry.

The heat shock response of type 1 and type 4 gonococci.

A heat shock response, characterized by the elevated expression of certain proteins in response to a shift to a higher temperature, has been observed in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. We have characterized the heat shock response of the pathogenic organism N. gonorrhoeae, colony types 1 and 4.

Identification of subunits of gonococcal RNA polymerase by immunoblot analysis: evidence for multiple sigma factors.

Heparin-agarose and single-stranded DNA-cellulose chromatography were used to purify RNA polymerase 25-fold from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and the activity of the polymerase was characterized in altered assay systems. The core subunits (beta, beta', and alpha) were tentatively identified as major proteins copurifying with polymerase activity. The identification of the core subunits was confirmed by Western (immunoblot) analysis with polyclonal antisera to Escherichia coli core RNA polymerase.

Case mix and outcomes of nursing home patients. The importance of prior nursing home care and admission from home versus hospital.

The authors compared the personal characteristics, measures of functional status/case mix, and discharge outcomes of nursing home patients admitted to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in 1984 for the first time (first admissions) to those of patients with a prior history of nursing home care (readmissions). Compared to first admissions, readmitted patients were more disabled and debilitated, significantly less likely to return home, and more likely to be hospitalized. History of a prior nursing home admission is an important indicator of prognosis, service needs, length of stay (LOS) of patients in the nursing home, and their discharge outcomes.