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Biomedical subjects

C Warlow

Publications and source records attributed to C Warlow.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

A study of measles virus and canine distemper virus antibodies, and of childhood infections in multiple sclerosis patients and controls.

We investigated the levels of neutralizing antibodies to measles virus and canine distemper virus (CDV) in 72 multiple sclerosis patients (MS) and matched controls and also examined the frequency and age of onset of a number of childhood illnesses, including measles. The frequency of each childhood illness was not significantly different between cases and controls, but cases did report a later age at measles infection. Our data suggest that the risk of MS is increased by a factor of 1.9 if measles infection occurs between 5 and 9 years of age. A validity survey, based on a questionnaire to general practitioners, suggested substantial inaccuracy in the patients' reports of when they had measles, but the direction and degree of inaccuracy did not appear to be different between cases and controls. We also found higher titres of neutralizing antibodies in cases than controls to both measles virus and CDV, although the CDV difference was not statistically significant. In the light of a significant correlation between measles and CDV titres in both cases and controls, we used paired logistic regression to determine if the case-control difference in titres for each virus could be explained by a confounding effect on one by the other. The numbers were too small, however, to enable us to separate out any independent association of either virus with MS.

Age Factors↗

Multiple sclerosis and dog ownership. A case-control investigation.

In 1977 and 1978 Cook and his associates demonstrated a positive association between ownership of small dogs and both familial and sporadic cases of multiple sclerosis in New Jersey. Because of the far reaching implications of this work, a similar study was carried out and 72 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) who were resident in the area covered by the Oxford Regional Health Authority, were interviewed to ascertain their past exposure to housepets and other animals. Two hospital controls were chosen for each patient matched for age and sex and area of residence, and these were interviewed in the same manner as the MS cases by the same interviewer, usually in the patients' homes. Similar proportions of cases and controls had resided in a household with a dog at some time prior to the onset of their disease and there was no evidence that cases had lived with more dogs or had lived with them for longer periods than had controls. There was no indication that cases had greater exposure than controls to dogs or any other housepet in the early years of their life or in the period immediately prior to disease onset. Our data suggest that exposure to housepets and other domestic animals is unlikely to be an aetiological factor in MS.

Animals↗

Peripheral neuropathy and solitary plasmacytoma.

Three patients with peripheral neuropathy and a solitary plasmacytoma are presented, and the literature is reviewed. It is suggested that middle-aged men with an obscure progressive sensorimotor neuropathy, a raised CSF protein, and otherwise negative investigations should have a full skeletal survey since irradiation of a plasmacytoma may lead to a considerable improvement in the associated neurological disability.

Adult↗

Deep venous thrombosis of the legs after strokes. Part I--incidence and predisposing factors.

Forty out of 76 patients (53%) who had suffered a cerebrovascular accident developed deep venous thrombosis of the paralysed leg, as detected with the 125I-fibrinogen technique. A further five also had thrombosis in the non-paralysed leg. A study of many predisposing risk factors provided no help either in elucidating the cause of venous thromboembolism or in identifying patients at risk of DVT as a complication of cerebrovascular accidents.

Age Factors↗

Deep venous thrombosis of the legs after strokes: Part 2-Natural history.

Seven out of 76 patients who had sustained a cerebrovascular accident suffered a pulmonary embolism as diagnosed at necropsy or by unequivocal antemortem criteria. A further five patients had probable embolisation diagnosed only by clinical and chest x-ray criteria. Eleven of these 12 patients had DVT as diagnosed by the 125I-fibrinogen technique. Though 125I-fibrinogen technique has its limitations, thrombosis seemed to be able to develop at several independent sites in the venous system of the leg.

Aged↗

Platelet function after the administration of chlorpromazine to human subjects.

Chlorpromazine is known to inhibit platelet function in vitro. The intramuscular injection of 50 mg to human volunteers caused only minor changes in platelet function. There was a small, but significant, reduction in the platelet count, the second phase of the double-wave of adenosine diphosphate-induced aggregation and the rate of 5-hydroxytryptamine-induced aggregation. Patients on high doses of chlorpromazine had no demonstrable abnormality of platelet function. This suggests that chlorpromazine, despite its inhibitory effect on platelet function in vitro, is unlikely to interfere with either haemostasis or thrombogenesis after its administration to man.

Blood Cell Count↗

Fibrinolytic capacity of arm and leg veins after femoral shaft fracture and acute myocardial infarction.

The local fibrinolytic activity generated in the leg and arm veins during venous occlusion (fibrinolytic capacity) and the systemic fibrinolytic activity were measured at intervals in 11 patients after fracture of the femoral shaft and in 11 patients after acute myocardial infarction. In both groups the fibrinolytic capacity of the leg veins and the systemic fibrinolytic activity were significantly reduced two days after the onset of tissue injury. The fibrinolytic capacity of the arm veins was not altered. These results provide a possible explanation for the predilection of venous thrombosis for the leg veins after accidental trauma and acute myocardial infarction.

Adolescent↗