R. Bruce Wilcox, PhDDepartment of Biochemistry
209 Mortensen Hall
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA 92350
Phone: (909) 558-1000, extension 48665
Fax: (909) 558-4887
Email: bwilcox@llu.edu
The research focus in my laboratory has been in three areas: 1) steroid hormone metabolism; 2) endocrinology of estrogen-induced cancer; 3) thyroid hormone measurement and physiology. Our significant contributions to science include: 1) demonstrated that the stereochemistry of hydrogen transfer by rat 20 a -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase is different than that predicted by the scientific dogma in vogue in the 1960s; 2) demonstrated that the carcinogenic effects of estrogens are mediated by the estrogen receptor mechanism in a mouse Leydig cell tumor model; 3) showed diminished functional affinity for thyroxine by the thyroid binding proteins in the blood of a subgroup of hospitalized patients; 4) demonstrated and quantified systematic bias in widely used direct free thyroxine immunoassays that leads to underestimates of hormone levels in some seriously ill patients.
We continue to explore serum transport of thyroid hormones in health and disease and its relationship to pituitary-thyroid regulation. There is a need for an accurate way to measure free thyroid hormone under conditions that affect its binding to plasma proteins and its transport in the circulation. Binding and transport are altered in some seriously ill patients and as the result of taking some medications. We are measuring the bias in a variety of thyroid hormone assays and carrying out the systematic characterization of the same assays. Our laboratory emphasizes physical chemical methods for separating bound from free hormone and also for measuring the hormone. We will use the knowledge we gain to improve on existing assay methodologies and to develop new ones. We can also extend our expertise to include assays for serum testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol. Our work will lead to improved methods of diagnosis and monitoring treatment of endocrine system disorders.
Jerald C. Nelson, Rene M. Weiss, R. Bruce Wilcox. Underestimates of Serum Free (T 4) Concentrations by Free T 4 Immunoassays. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 79: 76-79, 1994.
Jerald C. Nelson, Sudhaker S. Nayak, R. Bruce Wilcox. Variable Underestimates by Serum Free Thyroxine (T 4) Immunoassays of Serum Free T 4 Concentrations in Simple Solutions. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism79: 1373-1375, 1994.
Jerald C. Nelson and R. Bruce Wilcox. Analytical performance of free and total thyroxine assays. Clinical Chemistry 42: 146-154, 1996.
Rong Wang, Jerald C. Nelson and R. Bruce Wilcox. Salsalate Administration - A Potential Pharmacological Model of the Sick Euthyroid Syndrome. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 83: 3095-3099, 1998.
Rong Wang, Jerald C. Nelson and R. Bruce Wilcox. Salsalate and Salicylate Binding to and their Displacement of Thyroxine from Thyroxine-Binding Globulin, Transthyretin, and Albumin. Thyroid 9: 359-364, 1999.
Rong Wang, Jerald C. Nelson, Rene M. Weiss, R. Bruce Wilcox. Accuracy of Free Thyroxine Measurements across Natural Ranges of Thyroxine Binding to Serum Proteins. Thyroid 10: 31-39, 2000 .
Delbert. A. Fisher, Jerald C. Nelson, Ester. I. Carlton, R. Bruce Wilcox. Maturation of Human Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid Function and Control. Thyroid 10: 229-234, 2000.
Elaine M. Kaptein, R. Bruce Wilcox, Jerald C. Nelson. Assessing Thyroid Hormone status in a Patient with Thyroid Disease and Renal Failure: From Theory to Practice. Thyroid 14:397, 2004.
Jerald C. Nelson, Rong Wang, David T. Asher, R. Bruce Wilcox. The Nature of Analogue-Based Free Thyroxine Estimates. Thyroid 14:1030, 2004.
Jerald C. Nelson, Rong Wang, David T. Asher, R. Bruce Wilcox. Underestimates and Overestimates of Total Thyroxine Concentrations Caused by Unwanted Thyroxine-Binding Protein Effects. Thyroid 15:12, 2005.
 |
||
|
 |
|
 |
||
Last Revised: Tue, Jun 27, 2006