Jewish Hospital

About: Jewish Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Antigen & Population. The organization has 3881 authors who have published 3414 publications receiving 123044 citations.

Values and Beliefs About Obesity and Weight Reduction Among African American and Caucasian Women

Abstract: Designing culturally relevant weight-reduction programs requires understanding of ethnic variations and illness beliefs Preliminary data on the values and beliefs about obesity and weight reduction were obtained from women of different ethnic/racial backgrounds Purposive sampling was used to recruit African American (AA) and Caucasian (C) women with a body mass index (BMI)>or= 30 from the general internal medicine clinics of a large tertiary care facility Four focus groups (2 with AA women and 2 with C women) consisting of a total of 20 subjects were conducted in a 2-month period AA women cited culture specific barriers to weight loss more so than did C women AA women and C women also differed on how health care professionals could help them with weight loss These findings have implications for nursing's role in the design of culturally relevant weight-loss programs

Processing and presentation of self and foreign antigens by the renal proximal tubule.

Abstract: The renal proximal tubule (PT) in many ways resembles an APC. The PT is one of the few epithelial cells in the body reported to constitutively express the class II MHC molecules required to present Ag to CD4+ T cells. We questioned whether the PT could function as an APC in vitro and in vivo. Fluorescence cytometry demonstrated that the normal CBA/J PT constitutively expressed low levels of class II MHC and that this expression was markedly augmented by either IFN-gamma or systemic Listeria monocytogenes infection. Functionally, the PT from normal CBA/J mice also stimulated T cell hybridomas when cultured in vitro with Ag, and this ability was markedly up-regulated by both IFN-gamma as well as L. monocytogenes infection. To prove that the PT constitutively processed and presented self Ag in vivo, freshly isolated PT from mice transgenic for human alpha 1-antitrypsin were cultured with the appropriate T cell hybridoma in the absence of exogenous Ag. Strong stimulation of the T cell hybridoma occurred. Our data show that the renal proximal tubule processes and presents foreign Ag both in vitro and in vivo, and that it constitutively processes and presents the self Ag hAAT in vivo. These results have important implications for the understanding of renal interstitial autoimmune diseases as well as the interstitial nephritis that occurs in response to foreign Ag.

The effects of acute corticosteroid therapy for asthma on serum immunoglobulin levels.

Abstract: Immunoglobulin levels were followed in 21 nonsteroid-dependent asthmatics who required corticosteroids for an exacerbation of asthma. Twenty subjects who did not receive corticosteroids were used as controls. Baseline IgM and IgE levels were significantly higher in the corticosteroid-treated group. A fall in IgG level, maximal at 2 to 4 wk, was observed in the corticosteroid group, but not in control patients. Similarly, a significant fall in IgA was observed only in the corticosteroid group, maximal at 6 to 8 wk. There was no significant change in IgM levels in either group. Total IgE levels increased dramatically I wk after institution of corticosteroids. This was followed by a decrease to baseline or below at 6 to 8 wk. Changes in specific IgE antibody titers as measured by RAST technique revealed similar changes to those seen with total IgE. The results of the study indicate that asthma therapy with short-term corticosteroids can be associated with prolonged depressions of serum IgG, IgA levels and transient elevations of IgE levels, without apparent alterations of IgM levels.