Biomedical subjects

A F Stone

Publications and source records attributed to A F Stone.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Ischaemic heart disease and Cag A strains of Helicobacter pylori in the Caerphilly heart disease study.

OBJECTIVE: To look for the presence of the more virulent strains of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) in men who developed ischaemic heart disease over a 10 year period and in controls. DESIGN: The Caerphilly prospective heart disease study recruited 2512 men aged 45-59 years during 1979-83. Western blot analysis or enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed on serum taken from those who subsequently died of ischaemic heart disease, or developed non-fatal myocardial infarction, to determine H pylori and Cag A status. Similar information was available on age matched controls. RESULTS: During the first decade of the study, 312 men died of ischaemic heart disease or developed non-fatal myocardial infarction. Serum was available from 172 of these (55%). There was no evidence of an association between Cag A seropositivity and incident ischaemic heart disease or ischaemic heart disease mortality, either before or after adjustment for potential confounders (adjusted odds ratios 1.18 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76 to 1.85) and 1.13 (95% CI 0.61 to 2.07), respectively). Further, the odds ratios for ischaemic heart disease incidence and ischaemic heart disease mortality by H pylori seropositivity did not appear to depend on the presence or absence of Cag A strains (p = 0.76 and 0.77, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of middle aged men, followed over a 10 year period, there is little evidence of an association between Cag A seropositivity and either incident ischaemic heart disease or ischaemic heart disease mortality.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

PubMed1988

Metabolic activity in rat tectal grafts is influenced by host sensory innervation.

It has been shown previously that fetal tectal tissue grafted to the midbrain of newborn host rats grows, differentiates, and receives input from the host brain. In the present study, 4 neuroanatomical techniques have been combined to examine how metabolic activity in tectal transplants is influenced by an identified host sensory pathway. Tectal tissue from E15 pigmented rat embryos was transplanted to the midbrain region of anesthetized newborn rats of the same strain. Six to 22 weeks later, the functional relationship between tectal transplants and the visual system of the host animal was examined by mapping metabolic activity in the grafts and relating this activity to the presence or absence of host retinal innervation. Metabolic activity in tectal grafts was assessed using the radioactive 2-deoxy-glucose (2-DG) method and cytochrome oxidase (CO) histochemistry. Graft regions receiving input from host retinal axons were demonstrated by anterograde labeling after bilateral intraocular injections of HRP or WGA-HRP; all areas in grafts that were homologous to the superficial layers of normal superior colliculus (SC) were identified using AChE histochemistry. The levels of metabolic activity demonstrated with 2-DG and CO varied between animals and within individual grafts. Grafts that did not connect with the host showed only low metabolic activity. In grafts that received host input, localized areas of high metabolic activity were seen with both 2-DG and CO. Highest levels of activity were consistently found in area containing both intense AChE activity and a high density of host retinal innervation.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Heroin body packers.

Fourteen body packers carrying 2-112 heroin packages are reported. Nine people swallowed the packets, and five inserted them rectally. The ingested packages were large and radio-opaque; they consisted of hard lumps of concentrated heroin usually covered with glove latex, white adhesive tape, and a toy balloon. There were two complications in the 14 patients. One patient developed a bowel obstruction; at laparotomy 8 packages were found in the stomach and 27 at the ileo-cecal valve. Another patient, with heroin wrapped only with black electrician's tape and no latex inner or outer wrappings, developed heroin intoxication, noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, and a bowel obstruction. Eighteen packages were surgically removed from his stomach and 26 from his bowel. We recommend bisacodyl suppositories, activated charcoal mixed with a 3% sodium sulfate cathartic, and phosphosoda enemas for package removal; close observation for heroin toxicity or bowel obstruction; and surgical intervention for continuing toxicity, retention of packages in the stomach, or bowel obstruction.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Helicobacter pylori is an aetiological factor for ischaemic heart disease: the case in favour.

The evidence to date concerning the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and coronary heart disease is consistent with a modest increased risk. Research is currently being undertaken into factors which may modify this association. Probably, there is sufficient evidence given the ease of the proposed intervention to make it worthwhile to undertake a trial of eradication therapy.

Global Health↗