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Biomedical subjects

H Watson

Publications and source records attributed to H Watson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Elevation of albumin synthesis rates in nephrotic patients measured with [1-13C]leucine.

Eight patients with a nephrotic syndrome and a histologically-proven kidney disease were compared to age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Albumin synthesis rates were measured after injection of 13C-labelled leucine (57 mg/kg body wt, 19.4 atoms%). Plasma volume was determined with 125I-albumin. The fractional synthesis rate of albumin was 7.9 +/- 0.4%/day in control subjects in comparison with a marked elevation to 18.4 +/- 2.0%/day (P less than 0.001) in nephrotic patients. The absolute synthesis rate was 145 +/- 9 mg/kg/day in control subjects compared with 213 +/- 17 mg/kg/day (P = 0.005) in the nephrotic patients. There was a statistically significant correlation between ASR and urinary albumin loss (P = 0.035) and serum cholesterol concentration (P = 0.007). The calculated oncotic pressure was significantly lower in the nephrotic group than in the controls (P less than 0.001), but was without correlation with ASR.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Endometrial phospholipases A2, polycystic ovaries and pelvic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the activity of calcium independent phospholipase A2 in the endometrium of women with polycystic ovaries and in women with normal ovaries, and to investigate the influence of chronic pelvic pain on phospholipase A2 activity. DESIGN: A prospective descriptive study. SETTING: The Samaritan Hospital for Women and the Unit of Metabolic Medicine, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London. SUBJECTS: 73 women attending the Samaritan Hospital for Women for clip sterilization, infertility, early recurrent miscarriage or pelvic venous congestion. 45 of these women had no pelvic pain, 22 had normal ovaries and 23 had polycystic ovaries diagnosed by ultrasound. The other 28 women had chronic pelvic pain, 14 of them had normal ovaries and 14 polycystic ovaries. INTERVENTIONS: Endometrial tissue was obtained at curettage or from the excised uterus in the proliferative or secretory phase of the menstrual cycle. The activities of calcium dependent (type 1) and calcium independent (type 2) phospholipase A2 isoenzymes were measured in all endometrial samples. RESULTS: In all the women phospholipase A2 type 1 activity, was significantly higher in the secretory phase than in the proliferative phase (P less than 0.001). There was no difference between women with normal ovaries and those with polycystic ovaries at either stage of the cycle irrespective of whether or not chronic pelvic venous congestion was present. In women with normal ovaries, both with and without chronic pelvic pain, phospholipase A2 type 2 activity was significantly higher in the secretory phase than in the proliferative phase (P less than 0.02 and P less than 0.05 respectively) but in women with polycystic ovaries, with and without chronic pelvic pain, there was no significant difference in activity between the two phases of the cycle. Women with polycystic ovaries had markedly higher proliferative phase type 2 activity than women with normal ovaries (P less than 0.001). Secretory phase type 2 activity was similar in all the women investigated. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that phospholipase A2 type 2 activity is increased in proliferative phase endometrium of women with polycystic ovaries but that the increase is not associated with chronic pelvic venous congestion.

Arachidonic Acid↗
PubMed1992

Association of moderate obesity with a poor pregnancy outcome in women with polycystic ovary syndrome treated with low dose gonadotrophin.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of moderate obesity on the outcome of induction of ovulation with low dose gonadotrophin in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of women with PCOS treated consecutively. An analysis of the impact of obesity on outcome of pregnancy using data from the North West Thames Regional (NWTR) obstetric database was included for comparison. SETTING: Induction of ovulation clinic at the Samaritan Hospital for Women (St. Mary's Hospital Group). SUBJECTS: 100 women with clomiphene-resistant anovulation associated with PCOS. 75 were of normal weight (BMI 19-24.9 kg/m2, lean group) and 25 were moderately overweight (BMI 25-27.9 kg/m2, obese group). INTERVENTIONS: Induction of ovulation using low doses of gonadotrophins with small, stepwise increments in dosage as required. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of ovulation, pregnancy and miscarriage; daily and total doses of gonadotrophin required for induction of ovulation. RESULTS: The proportion of ovulatory cycles was significantly greater in the lean group (77%) compared with the obese group (57%) (chi 2 9.8, P less than 0.001). Obese women required larger doses of gonadotrophin to achieve ovulation (P less than 0.001). The proportion of women who achieved at least one pregnancy was similar in the two groups (39% vs 48%) but miscarriage was more frequent in the obese group (60% vs 27%; P less than 0.05). This difference was independent of the baseline and/or mid-follicular luteinizing hormone (LH) concentration either before or during treatment. Analysis of data from the North West Thames Health Region obstetric database confirmed an increased risk of miscarriage in moderately obese women which was independent of maternal age. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate obesity in women with PCOS, treated with low dose gonadotrophin, is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. This is reflected in the results of analysis of the effect of obesity on outcome of pregnancy in the general population. It is therefore important to encourage weight reduction in obese women with PCOS before considering therapy to induce ovulation.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1991

Determinants of HIV disease progression: six-year longitudinal study in the Edinburgh haemophilia/HIV cohort.

Markers of immune function present before infection may determine the subsequent course of disease in HIV-infected individuals. In 1983, we measured immune function in a group of haemophiliacs in Edinburgh. In 1984, 18 of these patients became infected with HIV-1 from contaminated factor VIII. We have followed-up these patients since their seroconversion. The rate of disease progression, as assessed by the appearance or not of AIDS symptoms or signs within five years of seroconversion, was related both to the concentration of total plasma IgM before exposure to infection and to the pattern of specific IgM and IgA anti-HIV response around the time of IgG seroconversion. Disease progression also correlated with concentrations of plasma interleukin-2 receptor (a marker of lymphocyte activation) and with the number and percentage of circulating DR + ve (activated) T cells. Our findings show that the extent of host immune reactivity, which may be genetically determined, is a powerful factor in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated disease.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Low-dose gonadotrophin therapy for induction of ovulation in 100 women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Women with anovulation due to polycystic ovary syndrome are likely to develop multiple follicles during gonadotrophin therapy and therefore have a high risk of multiple pregnancy. We have developed a low-dose regimen for use in these women; 100 women with clomiphene-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome were treated. Ninety-five of the women ovulated at least once, 72% of the 401 cycles induced were ovulatory and the majority (73%) of these were uni-ovulatory. The overall cumulative conception rate was 55% at 6 months with only two multiple pregnancies. The rate of early pregnancy loss was 32%, which is similar to that reported by other groups. The prevalence of complications was low with no cases of severe hyperstimulation and less than 5% of cycles were abandoned because of development of multiple follicles. Analysis of baseline and mid-follicular luteinizing hormone levels showed that a raised baseline and/or mid-follicular luteinizing hormone level was associated with a poor response to treatment, i.e. anovulation, ovulation but no conception, or early pregnancy loss. There were no successful pregnancies in the women whose luteinizing hormone levels were persistently raised during ovulatory cycles. Low-dose gonadotrophin therapy is a safe and effective method of inducing ovulation; it is associated with a high incidence of single follicular development and a very low multiple pregnancy rate.

Clomiphene↗
PubMed1991

Phospholipase activity in the endometrium of women with normal menstrual blood loss and women with proven ovulatory menorrhagia.

The activity of phospholipase A2 types 1 and 2 and phospholipase C was measured in the endometrium of women with ovulatory menorrhagia and in those with normal menstrual blood loss. In both groups of subjects phospholipase A2 type 1 activity was significantly higher in the secretory phase than in the proliferative phase (P less than 0.001). The median activity (pmol/mg protein/min) for the proliferative phase was 27.6 in normal subjects and 40.4 in women with ovulatory menorrhagia and for the secretory phase the median activity was 144.5 in normal women and 138.1 in women with ovulatory menorrhagia. There was no difference between the two groups of women at either stage of the cycle. Phospholipase A2 type 2 activity was also higher in the secretory phase than in the proliferative phase (P less than 0.05 for normal subjects and P less than 0.001 for women with menorrhagia). The median activity (pmol/mg protein/min) for the proliferative phase was 94.4 (normal subjects) and 56.6 (women with menorrhagia) and for the secretory phase 148.3 (normal subjects) and 142.5 (women with menorrhagia). The activity of phospholipase A2 type 2 was significantly lower in the proliferative phase of women with ovulatory menorrhagia compared with normal subjects (P less than 0.05). Phospholipase C activity (nmol/mg protein/min) was significantly higher in women with ovulatory menorrhagia (median 8.2) compared with women with normal blood loss (median 5.5) (P less than 0.01).

Endometrium↗
PubMed1989

HIV-related risk behaviour among a non-clinic sample of injecting drug users.

This paper focuses upon HIV-related risk behaviour among a sample of injecting drug users purchasing injecting equipment at a retail pharmacy in Glasgow. It is shown that the majority of the individuals interviewed were concerned about HIV/AIDS and that many were optimistic about their chances of avoiding contracting the virus. However, it is shown that the shared use of injecting equipment was continuing and that many individuals were prepared to provide their own injecting equipment to others, even if they were unprepared to re-use it again themselves. We also consider here the possibility of encouraging drug injectors to switch to non-injecting drug use and the potential basis for any sexual transmission between drug injectors and others. The paper concludes with a consideration of some of the policy implications of this work.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Psychotherapy and mandated reporting of child abuse.

Seventy-six percent of 65 psychotherapy cases seen in a child guidance clinic either did not change or improved following a mandated report of suspected child abuse. In a significant minority of cases, the therapy relationship deteriorated when the report was made about a client in treatment, and improved when the report was made about a third party not in treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Calibration of respiratory inductive plethysmograph during natural breathing.

We describe a single-posture method for deriving the proportionality constant (K) between rib cage (RC) and abdominal (AB) amplifiers of the respiratory inductive plethysmograph (RIP). Qualitative diagnostic calibration (QDC) is based on equations of the isovolume maneuver calibration (ISOCAL) and is carried out during a 5-min period of natural breathing without using mouthpiece or mask. In this situation, K approximates the ratio of standard deviations (SD) of the uncalibrated changes of AB-to-RC volume deflections. Validity of calibration was evaluated by 1) analyzing RIP waveforms during an isovolume maneuver and 2) comparing changes of tidal volume (VT) amplitude and functional residual capacity (FRC) level measured by spirometry (SP) with RIP values. Comparisons of VT(RIP) to VT(SP) were also obtained in a variety of postures during natural (uninstructed) preferential RC and AB breathing and with voluntary changes of VT amplitude and FRC level. VT(RIP)-to-VT(SP) comparisons were equal to or closer than published reports for single posture, ISOCAL, multiple- and linear-regression procedures. QDC of RIP in supine posture with comparisons to SP in that posture and others showed better accuracy in horizontal than upright postures.

Calibration↗
PubMed1988

Primary and secondary infection of the domestic chicken with Trichostrongylus tenuis (Nematoda), a parasite of red grouse, with observations on the effect on the caecal mucosa.

The course of primary and secondary infections with Trichostrongylus tenuis in the domestic chicken was investigated. Primary infections were established after the administration of single and trickle doses of infective-stage larvae. The worm burden in the caeca was highest after a single dose of 500 infective-stage larvae; this gave a mean of 87 nematodes per bird on days 89 of infection, 20 nematodes on day 14 and 0 on day 28 of infection. Following trickle doses of 60, 100, 200, 300, 400 or 500 infective-stage larvae, there was a rise and then a fall in nematode egg output in all groups. In chickens given a primary dose of 500 infective-stage larvae followed 30 days later by a single secondary dose of 500 infective-stage larvae, the mean worm burden during the secondary infection rose to 57 nematodes on day 9 of infection and then fell rapidly to 18 nematodes on day 15 and to 2 on day 30. Scanning electron microscopy showed changes in the caeca of infected birds, with the caecal surface being covered in a layer of mucus from 12 days after infection. Ball of blood-stained mucus containing nematodes were observed in the caecal droppings from day 9 of infection onwards. It is concluded that chickens rapidly expel an established infection of T. tenuis, unlike the normal host, the red grouse.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Infusion of iloprost, a prostacyclin analogue, for treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon in systemic sclerosis.

Iloprost, a stable prostacyclin analogue, was given by intravenous infusion to 29 patients with severe Raynaud's phenomenon, 26 of whom had systemic sclerosis (SS), and compared with placebo infusion in a double blind crossover trial. Iloprost significantly lessened the number and the severity of attacks compared with placebo. Nine patients expressed a preference for effectiveness of treatment, eight of these in favour of Iloprost. Thermography failed to show any long term effect of Iloprost. Side effects of headache, flushing, nausea, and vomiting were common, and the inconvenience of intravenous administration may limit its routine use.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1988

Computerized family practitioner committee records--a data base for general practitioners.

In the primary care environment the role of preventive medicine is assuming increasing importance and general practitioners need accurate and up-to-date information about their practice population. Computerization of family practitioner committee registers should provide a readily accessible data base from which data about groups of patients within the practice area can easily be extracted. This paper describes a study carried out in Northumberland, which set out to establish the type of information which would be of interest to general practitioners and how it could be produced.It was found that a data base holding only registration data was of limited value to general practitioners, although useful for identifying target groups for screening programmes and showing demographic trends within the practice. The doctors felt that the inclusion of medical data would make the register a far more effective resource.

Ambulatory Care Information Systems↗
PubMed1987

Occupational assessment: the Activity Matching Ability System (AMAS).

This paper describes a new scheme of assessment originally developed to help standardize return-to-work procedures for disabled steel workers. Two compatible techniques of assessment were designed which itemize 100 work demands and the functional abilities of disabled employees to perform these on a simple, ordinal scale. The techniques were evaluated in terms of face and content validity, the inter-rater agreement for coding job demands and the compatibility between levels of item for 55 disabled subjects and their existing jobs. Further reliability testing is in progress; then the efficacy of the system will be evaluated.

Persons with Disabilities↗
PubMed1987

Diagnosis of murine mycoplasmal infections by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

ELISA is the currently accepted method for screening rodent colonies for Mycoplasma pulmonis infection. While this assay has greatly improved mycoplasmal detection, it suffers from major defects. Cross-reactions with M. arthritidis are the major technical problem, and prevent definitive diagnosis. Current methods for obtaining a definitive diagnosis are accurate in about 80% of cases, and include ELISA testing for both organisms, immunoblot analysis, and blocking of the murine reaction with heterologous serum. Another technical difficulty is the inherent variability in the assay, which can be overcome by rigid quality control measures and careful attention to detail. The difficulties that arise from the natural history of mycoplasmal infection in barrier-maintained colonies, i.e., low incidence of infected animals and delayed antibody response in animals infected with low numbers of organisms, seriously limit the usefulness of the ELISA. While the assay can be extremely useful in screening breeding colonies and in eliminating mycoplasmas from such colonies, it cannot easily be used to screen potential sources of weanling animals for experimental use.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Distribution of ventilation in normal children.

Measurements of closing volume and the distribution fo ventilation by both single-breath (SBN2) and multiple-breath nitrogen washout methods were obtained in 376 healthy boys and girls, ages 6 to 18 years. A closing volume could be demonstrated in 39 percent of the subjects, and closing volume expressed as percentage of vital capacity did not change with height. Closing capacity expressed as percentage of total lung capacity showed a slight decrease with height. The slope of phase III of the SBN2 curve decreased with height. Single compartment N2 washout curves were observed in 72 percent of the subjects, and the incidence of single compartment curves increased with age. In those subjects with two compartment N2 washout curves, the relative compartmental ventilation became more even with increasing height. Our observations suggest that parallel units among peripheral airways grow at different rates.

Adolescent↗