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Biomedical subjects

C M Robinson

Publications and source records attributed to C M Robinson.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Changing prevalence of osteomalacia in hip fractures in southeast Scotland over a 20-year period.

In a randomized study of 81 patients with fresh hip fractures who underwent bone biopsy at the time of surgery there was no histologically detectable osteomalacia. This represented a fall in prevalence since a similar study 20 years previously had shown a 12 per cent incidence in the same population. The implications for routine histological screening and measurement of serum bone biochemistry in patients with hip fractures is discussed. The majority of patients in the study group had histologically detectable osteoporosis suggesting that this was an important factor in the aetiology of femoral neck fractures.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Locked nailing of humeral shaft fractures. Experience in Edinburgh over a two-year period.

We report the results of locked Seidel nailing for 30 fractures of the humerus. There were frequent technical difficulties at operation especially with the locking mechanisms. Protrusion of the nail above the greater tuberosity occurred in 12 cases, usually due to inadequate locking, and resulted in shoulder pain and poor function. Poor shoulder function was also seen in five patients with no nail protrusion, presumably because of local rotator cuff damage during insertion. Our results suggest that considerable modifications are required to the nail, and possibly to its site of insertion, before its use can be advocated.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Assay of immune cytolysis of lymphocytes and tumour cells by automatic determination of cell volume distribution.

Immune cytolysis (lysis) of cells due to the action of antibody in the presence of complement is usually substantiated by the uptake of vital dye by the cells, or by the escape of radiolabel from the cells. Immune cytolysis has now been assayed by determination of cell volume distribution with a Coulter multi-channel particle size analyser used in conjunction with a Coulter counter. For Ehrlich ascites and sarcoma-180 cells, volume degradation corresponding to vital staining was obtained only if trypsin (final concentration 625 microgram/ml) was added immediately after the usual 1 h incubation period for cells, antibody and complement. For L1210 leukaemia cells, trypsin was added at 0 degrees just 1 min before Coulter evaluation, to avoid potentiation of antibody-mediated cell lysis by trypsin. Immune cytolysis of mouse thymic, splenic and lymph node lymphocytes required addition of pronase (final concentration 625 microgram/ml) at 0 degrees for further disruption of antibody-damaged cells, prior to determination of cell volume distribution in the Coulter equipment. Scanning electron micrographs of L1210 cells undergoing immune cytolysis illustrated the changes in cell volume recorded by the Coulter apparatus. This new method for determination of immune cytolysis provides detailed information about the volume distribution of target cells, which permits detection of subtle changes and gives insight into the process of cytolysis. It is not intended to displace other procedures in routine use, except that complete automation of the present method is possible in future.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Passive immunotherapy for mouse leukemias with antisera of "directed" specificity: synergism with the action of cyclophosphamide.

Antileukemia sera with "directed" specificity are produced by immunization of rabbits with mouse leukemia cells admixed with normal antigen blocking (NAB) serum. Addition of NAB serum to the leukemia cells inhibits production of antibodies to normal cell components and directs specificity toward leukemia cell antigens. The resulting antileukemia serum (ALK-NABS) was not sufficiently potent to produce more than moderate therapy in the standard L1210 leukemia therapy assay. When given together with noncurative doses of cyclophosphamide (CTX), ALK-NABS acts synergistically. It is most effective when given early after injection of the leukemia cells and prior to injection of CTX. Daily repeated injections of a given dose are more effective than a single injection of that dose. Most important, small doses of ALK-NABS produce a significant prolongation of lifespan in conjunction with CTX. Results of therapy for BW-A leukemia with ALK-NABS in conjunction with CTX were negative.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Preparation and therapeutic potential of rabbit antisera with "directed" specificities for mouse leukemias.

Several immunization regimens for preparation of ALK-NABS were compared. One series of eight intravenous injections spaced over 5 weeks gave an ALK-NABS with potency and specificity that could be bettered only slightly by a second series of four injections spaced over 2 weeks, whereas a third series of injections was deleterious. Use of late immune antisplenocyte NABS for such immunizations produced ALK-NABS reagents with the highest in vitro specificity to leukemia cells relative to splenocytes after absorption, whereas early immune antisplenocyte NABS gave ALK-NABS with the highest antileukemia specificity relative to thymocytes. Therapy experiments with leukemias L1210 and BW-A showed increased survival times for isogeneic mice injected intraperitoneally with 10(3) (L1210 only), 10(4), and 10(5) (higher significance for L1210) cells, when ALK-NABS was given intraperitoneally in high dose on 4 or 5 successive days starting 1 day after inoculation of leukemia cells. In additional experiments with 10(5) cells given intraperitoneally, lower doses of ALK-NABS were progressively more effective with L1210 leukemia, producing some survivors without any apparent toxicity from the antiserum. In contrast, a similar experiment with leukemia BW-A was entirely negative. Addition of guinea pig serum to already excessive amounts of antiserum was not helpful.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Enzymatic degradation of tumor cells damaged by antibody plus complement.

Rapid degradation of ascites tumor cells damaged by the action of antibody plus complement was found to be accomplished by all proteolytic enzymes active at physiologic pH that were tested. For three types of murine ascites tumor cells (Ehrlich ascites, sarcoma-180, and L1210 leukemia), this rate of degradation at low trypsin concentrations was proportional to a high power of enzyme concentration. This suggests that the simultaneous action of two or more enzyme molecules at adjacent cell surface sites is necessary. Cell degradation was assayed by determination of cell volume distribution with a Coulter multi-channel particle size analyzer. The present study may offer clues to in vivo mechanisms of cell degradation.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

'Sufficient' absorption--a quantitative method to replace 'exhaustive' absorption.

At present, the only guideline for removal of undesired reactivities from an antiserum is that no activity against the cross-reacting (undesired) antigens should remain after exhaustive absorption. Since this guideline sets no upper limit on the amount of undesired antigens required for an exhaustive absorption, waste of possibly precious material and of time in performing multiple sequential absorptions can result. To minimize the quantity of antigen and of experimental work required for an absorption, a quantitative approach is suggested: the antiserum is test-absorbed with various amounts of the undesired antigens, and antibody activity still present against these antigens is then tested. The results can be plotted as a curve by use of Reif's modification of the Von Krogh equation. Thus, the exact amount of undersired antigens sufficient to remove all detectable reactivity against these antigens can be determined. The procedure is termed 'sufficient' rather than 'exhaustive' absorption, to stress that only detectable amounts (rather than every last trace) of undesirable antibodies have been removed. The nomenclat re 'exhaustive absorption' gives no indication that any practical attempt to achieve it can hardly escape having the same limitations as 'sufficient absorption'; it is therefore suggested that the misleading non-quantitative nomenclature 'exhaustive absorption' be eliminated from immunological terminology. 'Sufficient absorption' has been applied to the absorption of undesired (blood group) antibodies from rabbit antisera to CEA.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1975

Proportional absorption. A method for determination of the relative specificity of antisera prepared against cells.

Antisera prepared against a complex of antigens such as a tissue cell may produce a mixture of antibodies of different specificities, affinities and types. Proportional absorption permits determination of the comparative specificity of such antisera. It is performed by absorbing the antisera with an amount of absorbent proportional to the initial content of (usually undesired) antibody to this absorbent; the potencies of desired and undesired antibodies are then separately determined. The method has been used to determine the specificity of a conventionally raised rabbit anti-mouse leukaemia serum, relative to one prepared with leukaemia cells admixed with rabbit antiserum against normal mouse lymphocytes (to block normal antigen sites on the leukaemia cell inoculum). The latter antiserum was cells as compared to normal splenic lymphocytes.

Absorption↗