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Biomedical subjects

J A Need

Publications and source records attributed to J A Need.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

University students' subjective experiences of oral contraceptive use.

A substantial proportion of women who commence oral contraceptive discontinue usage due to unwanted side-effects. In investigations of side-effects in current users, such women are excluded, and hence such studies will tend to underestimate the prevalence of side-effects. One hundred and forty-five female university students (both former and current users) completed a questionnaire focusing on their experiences of the impact of oral contraceptives upon their psychological and physical well-being. Although, on average, over half the women reported no effect, the vast majority of those who did report a change in well-being deemed this to be negative. The only exception was pelvic pain which was reported to be improved by oral contraceptive use.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Danazol in the treatment of menorrhagia: the effect of a 1 month induction dose (200 mg) and 2 month's maintenance therapy (200 mg, 100 mg, 50 mg or placebo).

This paper highlights the difficulties of recruiting subjects to objective menstrual blood loss (MBL) studies. Such difficulties may explain the relative paucity of such studies in the literature. Eleven women with objectively assessed evidence of menorrhagia were treated for 1 month with an induction dose of 200 mg of danazol (Danocrine). Subsequently the women were randomly assigned to receive 50, 100 or 200 mg of danazol or placebo for 2 months of maintenance dosing. Follow-up with objective assessment of MBL was continued for 3 months after cessation of maintenance dosing. Danazol 200 mg as an induction dose significantly reduced MBL. The maintenance dose of 200 mg during the following 2 months produced a further decrease in MBL and in some cases amenorrhoea. The lower maintenance dosages of 50 mg and 100 mg were associated with a variable response. The study was unable to determine whether any beneficial effect of the maintenance dosages of danazol could be maintained following cessation of therapy since the study numbers had become too small. It appears, however, that there is unlikely to be any persisting benefit once therapy has ceased.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Effects of adequacy of gender reassignment surgery on psychological adjustment: a follow-up of fourteen male-to-female patients.

The relationship between the adequacy of surgical result and postoperative psychopathology was examined in 14 male-to-female transsexuals selected for the absence of preoperative psychopathology. Data indicated that the best predictors of postoperative psychopathology as rated on Hunt and Hampson's (1980) Standardized Rating Format were breast scarring, erectile urethral meatus, current social supports, family reaction, urinary incontinence, and need for extra surgery. Together, these accounted for 98% of the variance in postoperative psychopathology. These data suggest that factors which make it difficult for postoperative transsexuals to "pass" or which continue to remind them of their gender-reassigned status are associated with adjustment difficulties. Surgical results may be a major determinant of postoperative psychopathology.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1983

Pre-eclampsia in pregnancies from donor inseminations.

The outcome of 584 AID pregnancies was analysed in order to examine the possible role of immune mechanisms in the development of pre-eclampsia (PE). The overall incidence of PE was high (9.3%) compared with the expected incidence of 0.5-5.0%. The incidence was similar in both multigravid and primigravid women. The expected protective effect of a previous pregnancy was not seen, with a 47-fold increase in PE (observed versus expected) in AID pregnancies after a previous full-term pregnancy and a 15-fold increase after a previous pregnancy of short duration. In the context of AID pregnancies these findings tend to support the proposed 'fresh mating' concept of PE although the incidence is lower in multigravidas after a full-term (4.7%) than after a partial pregnancy (15.7%). This suggests that it may only be full-term pregnancy which protects against the development of PE. THe category and duration of infertility and the duration of marriage did not affect the incidence of PE except where the male partner was oligozoospermic. In this case the incidence of PE was higher where infertility was 3 years or longer. Further analysis of the findings failed to provide clear evidence to discriminate the role of HLA and tissue-specific non-HLA antigens in the feto-maternal relationship as determinants of the development of PE. Neither did the results support the operation of immunological enhancement induced by prior coital antigen exposure in the genesis of PE, but raised instead the possibility of the operation of a mechanism of sensitisation of the female partner to seminal components over a long period of time when the husband was oligozoospermic compared with one whose husband was azoospermic.

Female↗
PubMed1983

Lymphocyte sub-populations in human cord blood: analysis with monoclonal antibodies.

Lymphocytes and monocytes in human cord blood have been analysed using a panel of fourteen monoclonal antibodies. Contrary to earlier data based on the sheep erythrocyte rosette assay for T cells, no marked deficit in T cells was found in cord as compared with adult blood. The T cells in cord blood had a relatively immature phenotype whereas B cells showed a mature phenotype. The phenotypic differences between adult and cord blood appear minor in relation to the marked functional differences reported by others.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1981

A longitudinal study of cell-mediated immunity in human pregnancy.

Studies of cell-mediated immunity, comprising delayed hypersensitivity skin testing with four antigens, PHA and antigen-induced lymphocyte transformation and detection of the lymphokine, monocyte chemotactic factor, were undertaken in 14 women during pregnancy and in the post-natal period. Skin test reaction sizes to SKSD, PPD, Candida albicans extract and tetanus toxoid were not significantly different during pregnancy. In vitro lymphocyte transformation induced by PHA, SKSD and Candida albicans was enhanced during pregnancy. Monocyte chemotactic factor production was not significantly different during pregnancy. These in vitro tests were performed in the absence of autologous sera. These studies indicate that cell-mediated immune responses are normal during human pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Relationship between spontaneous abortion and presence of antibody to Toxoplasma gondii.

Five hundred and twenty-three pregnant women were screened to determine whether a relationship existed between spontaneous abortion, and the presence of antibody to Toxoplasma gondii. The percentage of women with this antibody and a past history of spontaneous miscarriage was not statistically different from the percentage of women without antibody and a past history of spontaneous abortion.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1978

Human leucocyte antigens and mixed lymphocyte reaction in severe pre-eclampsia.

Human leucocyte antigens (HLA) and mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR) were studied in 38 women with severe pre-eclampsia and their husbands. Thirty-nine women with normal pregnancies and their husbands served as controls. Thirty-three of the control women were matched for age and parity with members of the study group. Infants were studied when possible. HLA compatibility was increased in the pre-eclamptic group compared with matched controls and with theoretical estimates for possible matings. The one-way MLR at delivery showed diminished response of maternal to paternal and cord cells in pre-eclamptic women. This reduced maternal reactivity in women with pre-eclampsia may have a role in the illness, and paternal/maternal histocompatibility may be a feature of the severe form.

Female↗
PubMed1976

The response of lymphocytes to phytohaemagglutinin in women with pre-eclampsia.

The response of maternal lymphocytes to phytohaemagglutinin was determined during and after pregnancy in patients with severe pre-eclampsia and in controls. The patients with pre-eclampsia showed a greater degree of immunosuppression during pregnancy than the normotensive controls. This was apparent in the presence and absence of maternal serum. In pre-eclampsia there may be an abnormality affecting the T cell subpopulation of lymphocytes and also a decreased immunosuppressive effect of maternal serum.

Female↗
PubMed1976

Some immunological aspects of preeclampsia.

Objective immunological methods of determining the mother's immunological response to her husband's and cord leukocyte antigens are being used in a three-year study of women who develop severe preeclampsia during pregnancy. The maternal leukocyte response to the nonspecific mitogen phytohemagglutinin and nonspecific mitogen phytohemagglutinin and to paternal and cord leukocyte antigens in the mixed leukocyte culture suggests a tendency for toxemic women to be relatively hyporesponsive. No effect of autologous maternal serum is demonstrated in the group as a whole. Women's cord leukocyte response to their own maternal antigens is less in toxemic pregnancies. A significant immunosuppressive effect of autologous cord serum is observed in preeclamptic pregnancies. Serum seromucoid levels are elevated in the toxemic women during and after the index pregnancy; also, toxemic women show a lack of anti-HL-A antibody formation. Such data suggest, but do not prove, that immune mechanisms may be operative in preeclampsia.

Antibodies↗