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Biomedical subjects

G Berlyne

Publications and source records attributed to G Berlyne.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Acute arsenic poisoning: absence of polyneuropathy after treatment with 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulphonate (DMPS).

Two men aged 19 and 21 years ingested 1 g and 4 g respectively from 3 kg of a white crystalline powder that they thought was a substance of abuse. It was later identified as almost pure arsenic trioxide. Both had nausea and vomiting and one developed acute renal failure. Each was treated with 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulphonate (DMPS), and made a full recovery with no evidence of prolonged renal or neurological impairment. The DMPS-arsenic complex is probably associated with lower penetration into the CNS and as a consequence treatment with DMPS may result in lower acute and chronic neurotoxicity than treatment with the currently standard recommended chelating agent dimercaprol (British Anti-Lewisite; BAL).

Acute Disease

Seroprevalence of antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus in dialysis workers: results of a multi-center study.

The Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Brooklyn, N.Y., conducted a multi-center, multi-institutional study of the seroprevalence of antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among dialysis workers. Seven dialysis units and 112 dialysis workers participated in the study over a period of 2 years. Participation was limited to dialysis workers who, by questionnaire, denied non-occupational risk factors for HIV infection. The vast majority of the study participants were drawn from areas where the prevalence of HIV infection and AIDS cases are substantially greater than the national average. Study participants received the ELISA test for HIV antibodies. All 112 of the participants tested negative for HIV antibodies. These results are encouraging, as they failed to reveal unrecognized occupational transmission of HIV infection among dialysis workers.

HIV

Acute phase protein, serum amyloid A, inhibits IL-1- and TNF-induced fever and hypothalamic PGE2 in mice.

The effect of serum amyloid A (SAA) on fever induced by recombinant interleukin-1 beta (rIL-1 beta) or recombinant tumour necrosis factor alpha (rTNF alpha) was studied in mice. Serum amyloid A is an acute phase protein whose rise in pathological events is induced by the cytokines IL-1, IL-6 and TNF. Administration of human serum amyloid A to mice inhibited fever induced by rIL-1 beta or rTNF alpha in vivo, while the addition of human serum amyloid A to mice hypothalamic slices inhibited IL-1 beta- or TNF alpha-induced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in vitro. Since serum amyloid A did not affect body temperature or hypothalamic PGE2 levels when administered alone, it may represent a specific servo-mechanism for fever regulation in acute events, and it suggests, for the first time, a possible feedback relationship between serum amyloid A and the immunoregulatory cytokines.

Acute-Phase Proteins

Silicon metabolism: the basic facts in renal failure.

Silicon levels in plasma and urine have been studied in normal subjects, in chronic renal failure patients, and in regular hemodialysis patients. Plasma levels were elevated in chronic renal failure, and in hemodialysis patients they were three times the control values. Urine silicon excretion is significantly related to creatinine clearance, and to urinary omolality, magnesium and calcium levels. A small amount of residual silicon is found in the hollow fiber artificial kidneys made by some manufacturers. High concentrations of silicon are found in commercial dialysate and pass down a chemical concentration gradient into the blood compartment. It is concluded that silicon is sequestered rapidly in the body during hemodialysis, and that this amounts to 58 g of silicic acid per annum from hemodialysis alone.

Humans

Prehepatic hyperalimentation.

A technique for prehepatic infusion of parenteral nutrients is described. Portal vein hyperalimentation allows hepatic modification and control of the infused nutrients before delivery of these substances into the general circulation and theoretically should reduce the incidence of metabolic complications of hyperalimentation. The clinical experience with prehepatic infusions is reported and the metabolic investigations are described. Transumbilical catheters provided prehepatic delivery of parenteral nutrients for 1 month after esophagogastrectomy for esophageal malignancy without serious infection or portal vein thrombosis. Close surveillance of blood glucose and serum osmolarity demonstrated metabolic stability during the infusion period. Nitrogen balance studies showed better nitrogen economy than is achieved by infusion of similar solutions into the central systemic circulation. Indirect calorimetry indicated that the nitrogen used for production of energy was less than the amount supplied by prehepatic infusions. The same basic liver function abnormalities encountered with systemic infusion of hyperalimentation solutions were noted. The patients gained weight after esophagogastrectomy and did not experience the attrition from malnutrition which usually occurs in the first several months after esophageal resection.

Amino Acids