Objectives: To update the WHO global and regional estimates of the prevalence and incidence of syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis.
Methods: Prevalence estimates for syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis were generated for each of the nine UN regions for males and females between the ages of 15 and 49 in 1995 based on an extensive review of the published and unpublished medical literature since 1985. Incidence estimates were based on the prevalence figures and adjusted to take into account the estimated average duration of infection for each disease in a particular region.
We studied seven patients with various malignant hematologic disorders using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and one of these patients with spectral karyotyping (SKY). With appropriate probes, the t(8;21) and inv(16) were confirmed in two patients and the karyotypic precision was increased in five others using FISH and SKY. Two of three patients with 12p rearrangements had a deletion of one TEL allele.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany chromosome abnormalities, especially translocations of inversions, are closely associated with a particular morphologic or phenotypic subtype of leukemia, lymphoma, or sarcoma. Cloning the genes at the breakpoints of these rearrangements has had a major impact on our understanding of the molecular biology of cancer. One such gene is MLL (myeloid-lymphoid or mixed lineage leukemia) located at chromosome band 11q23.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlginate hydrogels are used extensively in cell encapsulation, cell transplantation, and tissue engineering applications. Alginates possess many favorable properties required in biomaterials, but are unable to specifically interact with mammalian cells. We have therefore covalently modified alginate polysaccharides with RGD-containing cell adhesion ligands utilizing aqueous carbodiimide chemistry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenes Chromosomes Cancer
February 1999
We describe a patient with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML-M0) whose cells had a t(2;11)(p21;q23). Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis with a probe for MLL showed that it was split, hybridizing to both the derivative 2 and 11 chromosomes. Nineteen other patients with 2p;11q translocations have been described; breakpoints in 14 of these are the same as in the case we describe.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Biomater Sci Polym Ed
March 1999
A primary factor which limits engineering tissues of substantial size is the lack of nutrients readily available to transplanted cells. One potential solution to this nutrient limitation is to encourage the rapid development of a vascular network within three-dimensional tissue engineering matrices. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been identified as a potent stimulator of angiogenesis in vivo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe human myeloid-lymphoid leukemia gene, MLL (also called ALL-1, Htrx, or HRX ), maps to chromosomal band 11q23. MLL is involved in translocations that result in de novo acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), mixed lineage leukemia, and also in therapy AML (t-AML) and therapy ALL (t-ALL) resulting from treatment with DNA topoisomerase II (topo II) targeting drugs. MLL can recombine with more than 30 other chromosomal bands, of which 16 of the partner genes have been cloned.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Lab Clin Med
October 1998
Many chromosome abnormalities, especially translocations or inversions, are closely associated with a particular morphologic or phenotypic subtype of leukemia, lymphoma, or sarcoma. Cloning the genes at the breakpoints of these rearrangements has provided critical tools for more-precise diagnosis; in some cases the particular diagnosis has prognostic implications. In addition, many of the genes had not been previously identified; their discovery has had a major impact on our understanding of the molecular biology of cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCBFA2(AML1) has emerged as a gene critical in hematopoiesis; its protein product forms the DNA-binding subunit of the heterodimeric core-binding factor (CBF) that binds to the transcriptional regulatory regions of genes, some of which are active specifically in hematopoiesis. CBFA2 forms a fusion gene with ETO and MDS1/EVI1 in translocations in myeloid leukemia and with ETV6(TEL) in the t(12;21) common in childhood pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia. We have analyzed samples from 30 leukemia patients who had chromosome rearrangements involving 21q22 by using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
September 1998
We have developed a technique called the Integrated Procedure for Gene Identification that modifies and integrates parts from several existing techniques to increase the efficiency for genome-wide gene identification. The procedure has the following features: (i) Only the 3' portion of the expressed templates is used to ensure a match to 3' expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences; (ii) the 3' portion of the cDNA is poly dA/poly dT minus, which maintains complete representation of the expressed copies, particularly the rare copies, which otherwise would be lost heavily because of random poly dA/poly dT hybridization in the subtraction reaction; (iii) redundancy is decreased substantially by the subtraction reaction to reduce the effort for sequencing analysis; (iv) the nonsubtracted templates that largely contain the rare copies are amplified selectively with suppression PCR and are sequenced directly or through serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE); and (v) the identified sequences are matched to databases to determine whether they are cloned genes, ESTs, or novel sequences. Using this procedure in a model system, we showed that the redundant copies were largely removed, and the rates of EST matches and the novel sequence identification were significantly increased.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrans R Soc Trop Med Hyg
August 1998
Chloroquine can no longer be recommended as the first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria in several parts of Africa because of the increasing prevalence of chloroquine resistance. However, chloroquine was a highly effective treatment for malaria not only because of its ability to kill parasites quickly but also because it is an anti-inflammatory drug. Therefore, we have investigated whether Fansidar (pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine) plus chloroquine is a more effective treatment for uncomplicated malaria than Fansidar alone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA new cell line with megakaryoblastic features, designated UoC-M1, was established from the malignant cells of a 68-year-old patient with acute myeloid leukemia. The patient's leukemic cells reacted with alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase and acid phosphatase and expressed CD7, CD24, CD34, CD38, CD45, HLA-DR and CD61. Cytogenetic analysis of the patient's malignant cells (and of the UoC-M1 cells) showed a human, male hypodiploid karyotype with many chromosome rearrangements and marker chromosomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF1. It has been proposed that the upper airway is more compliant during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep than during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. The purpose of this study was to test this hypothesis in a group of subjects without sleep-disordered breathing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe nature and time course of sleep onset (hypnagogic) mentation was studied in the home environment using the Nightcap, a reliable, cost-effective, and relatively noninvasive sleep monitor. The Nightcap, linked to a personal computer, reliably identified sleep onset according to changes in perceived sleepiness and the appearance of hypnagogic dream features. Awakenings were performed by the computer after 15 s to 5 min of sleep as defined by eyelid quiescence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFScaffold-associated regions (SARs) function at the level of modeling or shaping the chromatin of DNA into loop domains. We have mapped 36 SARs in the human type I interferon (IFN) gene complex on chromosome 9, band p21-22, to examine the overall structure of this gene complex. A total of 29 strong SARs and 7 weak SARs were mapped to the flanking regions of the different interferon genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To assess the skills and opinions of different grades of doctors and cardiac-trained nurses in interpreting electrocardiographic changes when deciding upon administration of thrombolysis to patients with chest pain.
Design: A questionnaire was distributed to staff in several local hospitals.
Subjects And Methods: Participants were asked to assess 30 electrocardiograms (ECGs) and determine whether they would prescribe thrombolytic therapy on the basis of each one, assuming an associated typical history of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and no contra-indications to treatment.
Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and probes located on 12p12.1 to 13.3, we studied the breakpoints of 23 patients who had various hematologic malignant diseases and who had 12p13-balanced translocations (21 patients), inversion (1 patient), or insertion (1 patient).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenes Chromosomes Cancer
December 1997
The MOLT-16 cell line was established from the leukemic cells of a patient with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and contains a t(8;14)(q24;q11) resulting in juxtaposition of sequences downstream of the MYC gene on chromosome 8 and the J region of the T-cell receptor alpha chain gene (TCRA) on chromosome 14. The reciprocal translocation involved a complex rearrangement with two chromosome breakpoints within the TCRAJ region on chromosome 14, resulting in inversion of a 1.4 kb DNA fragment between the two breakpoints.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In 1982, the Fourth International Workshop on Chromosomes in Leukemia reviewed data prospectively collected on 716 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) diagnosed between 1980 and 1982. The present study examined the extended follow-up on these patients.
Methods: The analyses included cytogenetic and clinical data, with a median follow-up of 14.
Genes Chromosomes Cancer
October 1997
The MLL gene at chromosome 11, band q23, is involved in translocations with as many as 40 different chromosomal bands. Virtually all breakpoints occur within an 8.3 kb BamHI fragment and result in 5' MLL fused to partner genes in a 5'-3' orientation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe t(14;19)(q32.3;q13.1) is a recurring translocation found in the neoplastic cells of some patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or other B-lymphocytic neoplasms.
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