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Biomedical subjects

G O Franklin

Publications and source records attributed to G O Franklin.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1982

Gastrointestinal bleeding and amyloidosis.

Although gastrointestinal bleeding is well known in patients with amyloidosis, when it occurs as the initial or sole overt manifestation of the disease it is much rarer and frequently causes diagnostic difficulty. This subject is reviewed in the context of a patient who underwent multiple invasive and noninvasive examinations to achieve this diagnosis. Both upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding of all degrees has been shown to occur with amyloidosis. It appears that diffuse involvement of the gastrointestinal tract is much more common than a specific lesion. Our patient was ultimately found to have multiple waxy amyloid plaques and extremely friable jejunal mucosa at endoscopy. Radiographically, amyloidosis may cause diffuse thickening of the mucosal folds, a finding that carries a broad differential diagnosis. Arteriography, although not used frequently as a diagnostic modality in amyloidosis, may reveal luminal irregularities, truncation, and diffuse attenuation of the vasculature. The treatment of amyloidosis thus far has been unrewarding and difficult. Several new therapeutic measures which appear promising are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Human intestinal mononuclear cells. II. Demonstration of a naturally occurring subclass of T cells which respond in the allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction but do not effect cell-mediated lympholysis.

We have examined the T-cell functional capabilities of human intestinal mononuclear cells isolated from surgically obtained normal and inflammatory bowel disease intestinal specimens. Intestinal mononuclear cells have T cells present which respond to the mitogenic lectins E-PHA, Con A, and PWM and to foreign cell-surface antigens in the allogeneic-mixed leukocyte reaction. Intestinal mononuclear cells from ulcerative colitis patients exhibit a significantly decreased responsiveness in comparison to normal intestinal mononuclear cells with regard to both mitogenesis and the allogeneic-mixed leukocyte reaction; however, these defects may be secondary to the severity of the disease process that led to intestinal resection or the therapy which patients had received. Although both normal and inflammatory bowel disease intestinal mononuclear cells exhibit responsiveness in the allogeneic-mixed leukocyte reaction, thus indicating recognition of and sensitization by foreign cell-surface determinants, intestinal mononuclear cells do not subsequently kill the sensitizing cells in cell-mediated lympholysis. Therefore, the subclass of T cells which mediates cell-mediated lympholysis may either be absent from intestinal mononuclear cells or nonfunctional, while the subclass of T cells which responds in the allogeneic-mixed leukocyte reaction is both present and functional. This observation adds to the evidence of major functional differences between intestinal and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Therefore, it will be necessary to better understand the factors regulating the effector capabilities of intestinal mononuclear cells before delineation of immunopathologic events in these tissues.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Colonic tuberculosis diagnosed by colonoscopic biopsy.

A patient with pulmonary tuberculosis and a constricting transverse colon lesion on barium enema was found at colonoscopy to have a 1.5 X 3.0 cm ulcer with irregular, edematous borders. Multiple colonoscopic biopsies of the ulcer revealed acid-fast bacilli with absence of granulomas. Previously, the diagnosis of colonic tuberculosis had been thought to require laparotomy for confirmation. The authors now suggest that colonoscopic biopsy may be a desirable alternative in selected cases.

Biopsy↗