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Biomedical subjects

A E Bolton

Publications and source records attributed to A E Bolton.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The leukocytic reaction of the human uterine cervix.

PROBLEM: Sperm interaction with the immune system of the human cervix is poorly understood. METHOD: The leukocytic response of the human cervix to sperm was examined in a closely monitored patient population (N = 10), using monoclonal antibody cell identification techniques. Baseline data were collected from both cervical mucus and smears sampled before treatment by donor insemination. Donor insemination was timed to coincide with ovulation by monitoring plasma LH concentrations twice daily. Following insemination the numbers of leukocytes were recorded in cervical mucus and smear samples taken over a 24-h period relative to the time of treatment. Controls treated with "pure sperm," seminal plasma, cryopreservative, and cervical smearing alone were also included in the study. RESULTS: Only those women treated with sperm cells exhibited substantial elevations in leukocyte numbers following inseminations. Additionally, serial cervical smearing induced an inflammatory response of the cervix. In all the women, the neutrophil was the predominant leukocyte of the cervix both during the baseline and treatment periods (median values ranged from 77 to 86%). Macrophages, T-helper lymphocytes, and T-suppressor lymphocytes were also detected, but only in low numbers (2-10.6%). Two patients and one control ("pure sperm") became pregnant during their study cycle. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the leukocytic reaction is a physiological response of the cervix to sperm, the function of which remains to be established.

Cell Movement↗
PubMed1979

Formation of a vitamin B-12-serum complex on heating at alkaline pH.

The binding of vitamin B-12 to serum proteins during heating at alkaline pH was investigated by gel filtration of serum supplemented with cyano[57Co]-cobalamin. Heating for 5 min at 100 degrees C destroyed most of the vitamin B-12 binding activity of serum but, with further heating, the vitamin B-12 became incorporated into a complex that did not correspond in molecular size to the original vitamin B-12 binding proteins. Radioassay of vitamin B-12 in heated serum showed correspondingly first an increase then a progressive decrease in the apparent vitamin B-12 level suggesting that, on heating, vitamin B-12 was initially released then subsequently complexed by the serum. The formation of complexed vitamin B-12 was abolished by the presence of the reducing agent dithiothreitol during the heating step.

Chromatography, Gel↗
PubMed1979

Three different radioiodination methods for human spleen ferritin compared.

We compared three different methods for radioiodination of human spleen ferritin. Tracers prepared by direct oxidative iodination with use of Chloramine T or 1,3,4,6-tetrachloro-3 alpha, 6 alpha-diphenylglycoluril (Iodogen) were structurally altered by the labeling procedure, as was made apparent by gel filtration and electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel. Tracers prepared by conjugation to radioiodinated N-succinimidyl-6-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate retained their structural integrity, as assessed by physicochemical methods. Such tracers bound more than 90% in antibody excess, yielded self-displacement curves parallel to unlabeled ferritin standards, and retained their immunoreactivity for nine weeks. By contrast, immunological activity and stability of tracers prepared by the oxidative methods were less satisfactory. Tracers prepared by using lodogen were unsuitable for use in the ferritin radioimmunoassay because of shallow standard-inhibition curves and poor binding in the absence of added standard. Thus, we found the conjugation procedure to be the most suitable of the three methods for preparation of spleen-ferritin tracers.

Chloramines↗
PubMed1978

beta-thromboglobulin and deep vein thrombosis.

The measurement of plasma beta-thromboglobulin as a potential diagnostic test for venous thrombosis has been investigated in 16 normal volunteers, 24 patients presenting with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism and 46 patients screened by 125I fibrinogen test (IFT) for post-operative DVT. The normal mean was 33 ng/ml (range 15-117 ng/ml). Of the 24 patients with clinical thrombotic disease 22 presented with DVT confirmed by phlebogram or IFT and 2 presented with embolism confirmed by lung scan. At the time of first presentation 12 out of 24 had betaTG values greater than 70 ng/ml. All except 3 of this group of 24 patients had values of greater than 70 ng/ml at some stage during a subsequent week of daily sampling. DVT was detected in 13 out of 46 screened post-operative patients. There was a rise om betaTG observed within 24 hr of the IFT becoming positive but the mean rise did not reach significance at the 5% level. An association between DVT and high betaTG values has been confirmed. However, its clinical value cannot yet be fully elucidated until factors, probably related to blood sampling and clearance, are further investigated.

Beta-Globulins↗
PubMed1977

The suppression of puerperal lactation with bromocryptine.

The therapeutic value of 2-Br-alpha-ergocryptine for the suppression of puerperal lactation was studied in 30 normal women; 16 received the drug, 14 were controls. In six women plasma levels of FSH, oestradiol and alpha-lactalbulmin were measured in labour and in the early puerperium. Brom-ergocryptine was found effectively to suppress milk production and alleviate breast pain and congestion, with no side effects and minimum rebound lactation. The inverse relationship between prolactin and FSH levels reported elsewhere in non-pregnant women did not appear to occur in the early postpartum period. Although there was a significant rise in alpha-lactalbumin levels in labour and the puerperium over non-pregnant levels, there was no difference between lactating and non-lactating women.

Bromocriptine↗
PubMed1976

Three approaches to the radioimmunoassay of human beta-thromboglobulin.

Three radioimmunoassays for the measurement of beta-thromboglobulin are described. The standard method, using antiserum in solution, could be used to measure plasma concentrations of beta-thromboglobulin with the results available after 2-3 d. The use of a greater dilution of antiserum and tracer, with delayed addition of tracer, resulted in a more sensitive assay suitable for measuring b-thromboglobulin in urine. The use of a solid-couples antiserum under non-equilibrium conditions allowed the measurement of plasma levels of beta-thromboglobulin after an assay incubation time of 1 h. These three radioimmunoassay systems for beta-thromboglobulin cover the likely clinical requirements for the measurement of this platelet specific protein.

Beta-Globulins↗
PubMed1975

New rapid method for diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis.

The plasma concentration of the platelet-specific protein beta-thromboglobulin was measured in fourteen patients who had been investigated for deep venous thrombosis by venography or 125I-fibrinogen scanning. All six patients with a proven thrombus had a raised plasma concentration of beta-thromboglobulin. Eight patients in whom no thrombus could be demonstrated had plasma concentrations of beta-thromboglobulin similar to a control group of thirty-five normal individuals. These results indicate that the measurement of plasma beta-thromboglobulin concentrations may be of use in the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Effect of gestational age on screening for neural-tube defects by maternal plasma-A.F.P. measurement.

Maternal plasma or serum alpha-feto-protein (A.F.P.) concentrations were measured once between 8 and 22 weeks of gestation in each of sixty-two pregnancies which resulted in an infant with a neural-tube defect. Between 13 and 22 weeks of pregnancy twenty-two of the forty-one cases tested (54%) had A.F.P. values greater than three times the median value for unaffected pregnancies (which is equivalent to the 97th percentile of normal), and many of these values were very high indeed. However, before the 13th week of pregnancy only one of the twenty-one cases (5%) had an A.F.P. value more than three times the median for unaffected pregnancies, and this value was not very high. This indicates that in antenatal screening for anencephaly or spina bifida, A.F.P. should be measured in blood taken from the mother during the second trimester.

Anencephaly↗