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Biomedical subjects

J E McLaughlin

Publications and source records attributed to J E McLaughlin.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Primary cerebral lymphoma: a study of 47 cases probed for Epstein-Barr virus genome.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus genome in primary cerebral lymphomas occurring in the absence of immune suppression. METHODS: Forty eight consecutive patients with lymphomas restricted to the central nervous system were identified, all of whom had had neurosurgical biopsies performed at the National Hospitals for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London. Only five patients had some form of underlying immune deficiency; 43 were apparently normal. The tumours were studied with immunohistochemical markers and by in situ hybridisation, using a biotinylated probe to the internal repeat region of Epstein-Barr virus. RESULTS: All the lymphomas were B cell in origin. Tumours from the five immunosuppressed patients all showed hybridisation, as did two of the "spontaneous" tumours. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest series of cerebral lymphomas so far probed for Epstein-Barr virus genome: as more are examined, it is suggested that a small proportion of the tumours from immunocompetent patients will also contain the virus.

B-Lymphocytes

Chronic immune colitis in rabbits.

A chronic colitis has been induced in rabbits having many of the histological features of human ulcerative colitis. Animals were first immunised with the common enterobacterial antigen of Kunin and haemagglutinating antibodies demonstrated in high titre. An immune complex colitis was then established by the injection of soluble immune complexes following mild irritation of the rectum with dilute formalin as previously described. The rabbits developed an acute colitis within the first week but, in contrast with unsensitised rabbits, the inflammation persisted and was still present at six months as assessed by proctoscopy and rectal biopsy. Kunin-sensitised rabbits receiving intravenous saline, antigen, or antibody alone did not develop a chronic colitis. It is suggested that hypersensitivity to colonic bacterial antigens may be one mechanism whereby an acute colitis becomes chronic.

Animals

Gastric function and histology in chronic renal failure.

Gastric function and histology were investigated in 24 patients with untreated chronic renal failure. At endoscopy nine patients had oesophagitis, 12 patients were considered to have gastritis, and the duodenum appeared inflamed in 20 patients. Endoscopic biopsies were taken at standard sites in the stomach and duodenum; gastritis was found in all patients, and 17 patients had duodenitis. Stimulated acid secretion was impaired in seven out of 20 patients and acid hypersecretion was found in a further two patients. Pepsin output correlated well with acid output in these patients. Fasting serum gastrin levels were elevated in 12 of the 19 patients tested. Patients with atrophic gastritis had low acid outputs and hypergastrinaemia, and when extensive gastritis was present, the patients tended to have more severe renal failure and hyposecretion of acid. Three patients were studied again after regular haemodialysis or renal transplantation and were found to show marked endoscopic and histological improvement.

Adult

Maturing neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroblastoma: a study of four cases with long survival.

A retrospective study of four tumours of the peripheral nervous system originally diagnosed as neuroblastomas or ganglioneuroblastomas has been made. The patients have all survived since the original diagnosis. Evidence of residual tumour was seen only in one patient, and was associated with evidence of increasing histological differentiation over a period of time. Maturation of primitive cell types is known to alter the prognosis of neuroblastic tumours. It is suggested first, that even minimal evidence of maturation indicates a better prognosis. Second, that evidence of maturation may be uneven, small areas occurring in otherwise totally undifferentiated tumours, or, immature areas remaining even in apparently benign fully mature tumours; if these areas show maturation the prognosis remains good and the tumour should not be confused with a composite ganglioneuroblastoma. Third, that maturing tumours may behave in a malignant fashion, invade and metastasise, but but with maturation of the primary tumour and its metastases the ultimate prognosis may be better than the initial behaviour suggests.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic

Juvenile astrocytomas with subarachnoid spread.

The surgical and necropsy findings in five cases of extracerebellar astrocytoma showing subarachnoid spread and invasion of surrounding structures are presented. The patients varied in age from 6 to 23 yr, and all died of the effects of the tumour within 20 mth of the onset of the symptoms. In each case histological examination reveals areas of piloid astrocytes, but these show varying degrees of nuclear abnormalities. Oligodendrocytomatous foci are also seen in some cases. It is suggested that nuclear pleomorphism or oligodendrocytomatous areas indicate a poor prognosis in an otherwise typical juvenile astrocytoma, and may be associated with a partly anaplastic tumour.

Adolescent