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Biomedical subjects

G Bird

Publications and source records attributed to G Bird.

46 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

A photographic method of diet evaluation.

A photographic method of diet assessment is described. The subject is issued with a camera and a food record book and asked to photograph all meals and record the number of the photograph and details which will not show in photographs such as the method of cooking, the use of sugar in drinks, etc. The photographs are viewed alongside previously prepared 'standard' slides which show the weights of a variety of portions of each foodstuff. A weight is given to each item and nutrient analysis is done with food composition tables. The cost of the camera is comparable to the cost of a weighing scale and the cost of film is about pounds 6 (+9) per subject per week.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1982

The compatibility of diazepam with infusion fluids and their containers.

A significant interaction exists between diazepam and infusion fluid containers constructed of PVC plastics. This is attributed to absorption of the drug into the PVC matrix and should preclude the use of this type of container prior to or during infusion of diazepam admixtures. Infusions containing diazepam injection either as a solution (in dextrose 5% or sodium chloride 0.9%) or oil-in-water emulsion (in dextrose 5%) exhibit no significant interaction over 48 h when prepared in polyethylene (Polyfusor) containers. No data were obtained regarding the physical stability of diluted emulsion. The inert nature of polyethylene and an absence of plasticizers or other additives account for a good compatibility with the drug additive. Therefore, diazepam dilutions may be prepared in polyethylene containers as an alternative to glass. However, the interaction with administration sets should not be overlooked when considering these solutions for infusion.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1981

A sequential study of human B lymphocyte function from birth to two years of age.

The immunoglobulin synthesizing capacity of individual lymphocytes from newborns and infants aged 2, 6, 12 and 24 months respectively has been studied. The technique has been to expose purified lymphocytes to a T lymphocyte dependent (pokeweed mitogen) or a T lymphocyte independent (Epstein-Barr virus) activator of B lymphocytes. Activation has been measured as immunoglobulin secretion of individual B lymphocytes using a hemolytic plaque assay. B lymphocytes from newborns can be made to synthesize IgM at adult levels, but not IgG and IgA. Within 24 months from birth the secretion of IgG has reached adult capacity whereas IgA formation is still diminished. Lymphocytes synthesizing IgG subclasses appear at different times insofar as IgG1 and IgG3 are well demonstrable within 12 months from birth whereas IgG2 and IgG4 has not at all reached adult levels even 24 months after birth. The T lymphocyte dependent activator (pokeweed mitogen) fails to induce immunoglobulin synthesis in peripheral blood lymphocytes from newborns because of a defect helper T cell function. Such T cell capacity appears at the age of 6 months. The data unequivocally demonstrate restricted but definite B lymphocyte functional capacity already at birth and a gradual but partial acquisition of adult competence until the age of 2 years.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1980

Cellular mechanisms of restricted immunoglobulin formation in the human neonate.

The functional capacity of human neonatal B lymphocytes has been investigated by in vitro methods using T lymphocyte-dependent (pokeweek mitogen, PWM) and -independent (Epstein-Barr virus, EBV) polyclonal B cell activators. B cell activation of single cells was detected by class-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion using a reversed hemolytic plaque assay. It was found that neonatal B cells were triggered to secretion of IgM by EBV, with a magnitude comparable to adult levels, but that, in contrast to B cells from adults, they did not secret IgG. Cord lymphocytes did not secret Ig although they displayed a sizable DNA synthetic response to PWM. Using cell separation and culture experiments, it was shown that (allogeneic) adult T lymphocytes could restore cord B cell responsiveness to PWM and that cord T lymphocytes could not cooperate with adult B cells. In addition to this immaturity of cord T helper function for antibody synthesis, we found cells in the cord T cell-enriched fraction which inhibited the polyclonal response of adult lymphocytes to both PWM and EBV. These lymphocytes suppressed adult B lymphocytes directly but appeared ineffective against neonatal B lymphocytes themselves. The nature of these suppressing cells and their possible role in the fetal/maternal relationship are a matter of speculation.

Antibody-Producing Cells↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Positive antimitochondrial antibody but normal alkaline phosphatase: is this primary biliary cirrhosis?

Twenty-nine patients with a positive antimitochondrial antibody titer greater than or equal to 1/40, who were detected during screening for other autoimmune disease, are described who had a normal serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and transaminase and who had no symptoms of liver disease at presentation. Liver biopsies in 12 of the 29 fulfilled diagnostic criteria for primary biliary cirrhosis; a further 12 were consistent with primary biliary cirrhosis, but only 2 were normal. There was a high incidence of other autoantibodies and autoimmune diseases, especially thyroid antibodies and disorders. Sixteen of these patients have been followed for over 4 years since diagnosis (mean = 6 years, range = 4 to 9 years) and for a mean of 8.7 years since initial detection of the antimitochondrial antibody (range = 4 to 13). Five of 16 developed symptoms suggestive of primary biliary cirrhosis, and 11 of 16 developed elevation of alkaline phosphatase. The antimitochondrial antibody activity in these patients was in the same IgG subclasses (predominantly IgG1 and IgG3) as that seen in a group of 23 patients with clinically, biochemically and histologically advanced primary biliary cirrhosis. All showed the same abnormalities on quantitative estimation of the total IgG subclasses in serum; relative excess of IgG3 and, to a lesser extent, IgG2 was exhibited. It is concluded that, in this study, the finding of an antimitochondrial antibody titer greater than or equal to 1/40 is strongly suggestive of primary biliary cirrhosis even in the absence of symptoms and the presence of a normal alkaline phosphatase.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dopamine D2 receptor RFLPs, haplotypes and their association with substance use in black and Caucasian research volunteers.

Alleles of the dopamine D2 receptor gene are distinguished by polymorphic A and B TaqI sites approximately 10 kb 3' to the final exon and bordering the second exon, respectively. These alleles have been reported to be more prevalent in heavy substance users than in control populations in several, although not all studies. Meta-analyses of combined data from available work support significant association. Two competing hypotheses could explain this association: (1) the A1 and B1 RFLPs are in linkage disequilibrium with a functional allelic determinant that in some way influences behavior; (2) the affected subjects are drawn disproportionately from populations stratified on the basis of, for example, ethnicity that happen to have higher A1 and B1 RFLP frequencies. We report here data collected from 616 substance-abusing and control individuals that document substantial differences in A1 RFLP frequencies between white and black Americans, the almost exclusive presence of the A3 RFLP in blacks, and low frequencies of rare A4 and B3 RFLPs. In blacks, neither the A1 nor B1 RFLPs display association with substance use, while white individuals display significant association with polysubstance use. When expressed as a percent of the maximum possible disequilibrium, both white and black individuals display strong linkage disequilibrium between these loci, although blacks display many more A1/B2 chromosomes. These racial differences in TaqI RFLP haplotypes underscore the need for caution in interpreting allelic associations when careful matching for ethnicity has not been performed.

Alleles↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Phase II study of chlorozotocin in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.

In 39 patients with advanced colorectal cancer and no previous chemotherapy, treatment with chlorozotocin was associated with a 5% objective response rate and a median survival of 19 weeks. All of the responses occurred in patients with rectal tumors. Mild gastrointestinal symptoms affected 64% of the patients after treatment, but bone marrow suppression was not evident. Chlorozotocin is not effective against colorectal cancer when used as a single agent given as an iv bolus at doses of 120 mg/m2 (30 patients) and 150 mg/m2 (nine patients). However, further studies using a higher dose might be worthwhile.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Interleukin-8 in alcoholic liver disease.

Acute alcoholic hepatitis is accompanied by features of the acute phase response, peripheral blood neutrophilia and liver neutrophil infiltrate even in the absence of demonstrable bacterial or fungal infection. Plasma levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), the major cytokine inducers of the acute phase response, are markedly raised in acute alcoholic hepatitis and correlate closely with clinical and laboratory indicators of disease severity. The potent neutrophil activator and chemotaxin interleukin-8 (IL-8) is released in response to TNF and recent interest has focussed on its possible role in producing the characteristic peripheral blood neutrophilia and liver neutrophil infiltrate in alcoholic hepatitis. Circulating IL-8 and liver tissue levels of IL-8 are markedly raised in alcoholic hepatitis, with highest levels in patients who die within the first four weeks of admission to hospital. There is a close correlation between hepatic IL-8 and infiltration with neutrophils. Less dramatic increases in circulating IL-8 are present in abstinent alcoholic cirrhotics and patients admitted for detoxification. These observations suggest a central role for IL-8 in the neutrophilia and hepatic neutrophil infiltrate characteristic of acute alcoholic hepatitis.

Acute-Phase Reaction↗