PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G S King

Publications and source records attributed to G S King.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1989

Lactulose in trimethylaminuria, the fish-odour syndrome.

We have measured the urinary excretion of trimethylamine in two sisters with trimethylaminuria (the fish-odour syndrome). On a restricted diet the patients still excreted increased quantities of trimethylamine, and this did not alter following a fourteen-day course of lactulose. Dietary provocation produced a rise in urinary trimethylamine which was abolished by fourteen days' pretreatment with lactulose. The case histories illustrate the tendency for delay in reaching this diagnosis and the psychological damage caused by the condition.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Concentrations of succinylacetone after homogentisate and tyrosine loading in healthy individuals with low fumarylacetoacetase activity.

Two healthy adults with low fumarylacetoacetase activity in fibroblasts and lymphocytes, one a compound heterozygote for the tyrosinaemia and the pseudodeficiency genes and the other a homozygote for the pseudodeficiency gene, produced substantial amounts of succinylacetone when given an intravenous homogentisate load. The level of metabolites correlated with the residual enzyme activity and the genotype, being higher in the compound heterozygote. This subject also showed a small increase of metabolites in urine after an oral tyrosine load. In the pseudodeficiency homozygote a depression of erythrocyte delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase activity was observed after the tyrosine load. In fasting state both individuals have erythrocyte delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase activity below the reference range, indicating a persistently raised concentration of metabolites. Thus, the pseudodeficiency state is not just an in vitro phenomenon, but results in a definite reduction of enzyme activity in vivo. We speculate that the variant gene may predispose to the development of liver disease, possibly not recognized as tyrosinaemia.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Sudden death in adolescents resulting from the inhalation of typewriter correction fluid.

Inhalation abuse of various toxic agents continues to be a significant health problem among the younger segment of our society. We describe four cases of sudden death in adolescents associated with recreational sniffing of typewriter correction fluid occurring during the period 1979 through mid-1984. The solvents used in most of these fluids, 1,1,1-trichloroethane and trichloroethylene, are known to induce potentially fatal arrhythmias. Sniffing typewriter correction fluid poses a significant and underappreciated danger to the lives of these abusers. School health officials, public health departments, and law enforcement personnel should be alerted to the need for surveillance of this type of activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

The analysis of trimethylamine in body fluids by a direct medium resolution mass spectrometric method.

A simple, high throughput method of analysis of trimethylamine in body fluids has been developed to assist with the management of patients with the inherited metabolic disorder, trimethylaminuria. The headspace in sealed vials was analysed using perdeuterated (2H10)trimethylamine hydrochloride as an internal standard. The gas chromatograph inlet system of the mass spectrometer was adapted to suit this method of analysis. Medium resolving power was used to measure the ion ratio of the [M-H]+ ion of trimethylamine and the [M-2H]+ ion of the internal standard. The method is faster and more accurate than gas chromatographic methods. The concentrations of trimethylamine found in normal urine are similar to those reported previously.

Female↗
PubMed1984

The improvement of the antenatal detection of fetal neural tube defects using discriminant analysis.

Discriminant analysis was applied to the antenatal diagnosis of fetal neural tube defects. Alpha-fetoprotein, gestational age, and seven easily assayed biochemical variables were used to generate the discriminant function, which was derived from a retrospective study on data from 130 pregnancies, including 25 which were associated with fetal anencephaly and 13 with fetal spina bifida. This function was used to generate a diagnosis in a blind study of 40 previously unassayed samples: 20 problem samples from another centre interspersed with 20 normal samples. The same function was used over a period of 2 years to predict prospectively the outcome of 669 pregnancies with respect to neural tube defects. Of these 55 were found to be associated with fetal neural tube defects. Classification is shown to be more reliable than using alpha-fetoprotein and gestational age alone. The results demonstrate a successful application of discriminant analysis to medical diagnosis.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1983

The use of multivariate discriminant analysis in the antenatal detection of fetal neural tube defects.

Early second trimester amniotic fluid is classified by stepwise discriminant analysis involving the computer program BMDP77, based upon biochemical analyses for alpha-fetoprotein and eight other easily assayed variables. The outcome of about 800 pregnancies has been predicted on this basis, over 80 of which were associated with fetal neural tube defects. Classification is shown to be more reliable than using alpha-fetoprotein and gestational age alone. Although in practice this approach has now been superceded by the introduction of the analysis of acetylcholine-esterase isoenzyme activity in amniotic fluid, the results demonstrate a successful application of discriminant analysis to medical diagnosis.

Amniocentesis↗
PubMed1981

Evaluation of detection of positive blood cultures by pH changes.

We observed that the pH of positive blood culture broths was significantly lower than that of negative broths. However, significantly pH changes were generally not observed for subculture-positive, macroscopically negative blood culture broths. Therefore, although the pH of most positive blood culture broths was reduced significantly, this change was generally not useful for the early detection of positive cultures.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1980

The potential of multivariate discriminant analysis in the antenatal detection of neural tube defects.

A method is described which improves the ability to distinguish between normal and neural tube-defective fetuses in utero. Early second trimester amniotic fluid is classified by stepwise discriminant analysis based upon biochemical analysis for alpha-fetoprotein and eight other easily assayed variables; classification is more reliable than using alpha-fetoprotein and gestational age alone.

Amniotic Fluid↗