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Biomedical subjects

J Gillon

Publications and source records attributed to J Gillon.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis: significance of raised ALT and anti-HBc in blood donors.

The FDA has recommended that all blood collected in the USA should be screened for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and for raised alanine aminotransferase (ALT) as possible indicators of non-A, non-B hepatitis carriage. As part of an assessment of the medical and economic implications of such a screening programme, we have screened 1,742 regular blood donors for ALT and 2,086 (including the same 1,742) for anti-HBc. 42 (2.4%) of the 1,742 donors had ALT levels above 45 units/l. Clinical assessment of 33 of these revealed that 26 exceeded their ideal body weight by more than 10% and 15 by more than 20%. 11 admitted to an alcohol intake of over 40 g daily. In all, 82% of donors with raised ALT had a 'non-viral' clinical explanation for this abnormality. Anti-HBc was detected in 42 (2.0%) of the 2,086 donors screened. 27 (64%) also had anti-HBs, and 11 (26%) had anti-HBe. There was no overlap between donors with raised ALT and those with anti-HBc. Combined screening would lead to a loss of at least 4.4% of donations in the population studied. In view of the medical and economic implications of the introduction of these screening tests, and the poverty of data on the clinical significance of post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis, we conclude that such a screening programme cannot be justified at present. Further studies are required, including a prospective controlled trial of the effects of screening.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1987

Assessment of a new centrifugal plasmapheresis machine: the SPC-600.

An approach to the full assessment of new plasmapheresis machines is outlined. This involves testing for changes in donated blood, donors and blood components using fresh donor blood and during full procedures in an animal model prior to performing full procedures in human volunteers. Using this approach, a new centrifugal plasmapheresis machine, the SPC-600, was assessed. No adverse effects associated with the use of the machine were detected in the initial studies. When used for plasmapheresis of volunteers, 500 ml of plasma was obtained in 43 +/- 4 min without adverse effects on donors. The plasma product contained normal levels of plasma proteins, including factor VIII, and 20 +/- 6 X 10(9)/1 platelets. There was no evidence of activation of complement or coagulation systems, and the factor VIII yield in cryoprecipitate prepared from single donations of plasma was equivalent to that observed for standard whole blood donations.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Food antibodies, intestinal permeability and HLA status in IgA deficient blood donors identified by a new rapid screening test.

Circulating food antibodies, intestinal permeability and HLA status were studied in twelve blood donors previously identified as being selectively IgA deficient from screening 10,000 donations by means of a latex agglutination inhibition test, and confirmed by laser nephelometry. Assessment of intestinal function also included clinical history and standard laboratory tests. The donors proved to be healthy with no evidence of autoimmune disease or allergy. Nine donors (75%) had precipitins to food antigens. None had increased intestinal permeability as measured by the cellobiose/mannitol absorption test. HLA-A, B and DR antigen distribution was normal. IgG sub-class distribution was normal with the exception of an IgG2 level slightly below normal in one donor (0.9 g/l). An unexpected finding was a return of IgA levels to normal in four donors (33%) within 6 months.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1985

Clinical studies in adults presenting with giardiasis to a gastro-intestinal unit.

Eight adults presenting with giardiasis to a gastrointestinal unit during a two year period were studied in detail. Symptoms were varied, diarrhoea occurring in only five patients. Four of the eight gave a history of travel to endemic zones, and three of those who gave no such history had possible predisposing conditions (gastric surgery (2), and borderline IgA deficiency (1]. Most patients exhibited mild malabsorption of fat and vitamin B12, and some abnormality of jejunal disaccharidases was usual. Jejunal histology varied from normal to partial villous atrophy, and the intraepithelial lymphocyte count was raised in those patients with the most marked histological abnormality. Treatment with metronidazole was uniformly successful, and most of the above abnormalities reverted to normal within a month of treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Sarcoidosis and coeliac disease: an association?

An association between sarcoidosis and coeliac disease is suggested by the occurrence of both diseases in 5 patients. In 3 cases the gastrointestinal symptoms of coeliac disease preceded those of sarcoidosis and in the other 2 patients symptoms of both diseases appeared at the same time.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Pesticide-containing diets augment anti-sheep red blood cell nonreaginic antibody responses in mice but may prolong murine infection with Giardia muris.

The effects of oral ingestion of different pesticides (lindane, phosalone, carbaryl) and of a polychlorinated biphenyl (pyralene) on nonreaginic antibody production in BALB/c mice and also on the duration of Giardia muris infection have been studied using the animal model of this disease. Only lindane and carbaryl produced significant effects on systemic antibody production following oral immunization with sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Lindane ingestion led to a twofold increase in IgG2b antibody titer to SRBC (P less than 0.05) and carbaryl significantly increased both IgG1 and IgG2b titers. No reduction was seen in the synthesis of any antibody class. The effect of feeding with lindane was to increase the duration of giardiasis significantly (P less than 0.002), and these mice developed systemic anti-Giardia antibodies more frequently than Giardia-infected mice on normal diets. These results suggest that in the doses used these pesticides may increase systemic antibody responses to orally ingested antigens, and by inference that spontaneous elimination of giardiasis is independent of the systemic nonreaginic antibody response to the parasite.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Role of mast cell mediators in pathogenesis of anaphylactic gastric ulcer.

In an attempt to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms of gastric anaphylactic ulcer we measured tritiated thymidine incorporation in gastric cells, their mitotic rate and the degranulation of mast cells in the preulcerous phase. The results showed that there is a highly significant increase in cell turnover and mast cell degranulation in the mucosa of sensitized animals. Changes were found at the site of ovalbumin challenge, where point ulceration occurred within 48-72 h. The tissue culture studies demonstrated that the mucosa of sensitized animals produces significantly more histamine when challenged with ovalbumin than the mucosa of nonsensitized animals. Addition of histamine to the tissue culture medium in which normal gastric mucosa was cultured led to an increase in [3H]-thymidine uptake at low concentration, and a decrease at high concentration. Serotonin added to the culture medium had no significant effect on [3H]-thymidine uptake, but heparin at high concentration was found to have a stimulatory effect. These studies show that anaphylactic gastric ulceration is associated with an increase in mucosal cell turnover, and that the mast cell mediator responsible for this increase may be histamine.

Anaphylaxis↗
PubMed1983

Assessment of appropriate laboratory measurements to reflect the degree of activity of ulcerative colitis.

Eleven laboratory parameters were compared with the clinical grading of disease activity in 44 patients with ulcerative colitis, using multiple stepwise regression analysis to identify which measurements significantly reflect the severity of the disease. Only 2 parameters, serum orosomucoid and haematocrit showed significant correlation with clinical status. It is suggested that in the method of assessing disease activity proposed by Truelove and Witts the haemoglobin, which in this study was found to have no value, could be replaced by an equally simple test, the haematocrit. Comparisons are made between the relative usefulness of these parameters in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

C-reactive protein as a predictor of relapse in asymptomatic patients with Crohn's disease.

Comparison of the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) with serum levels of the acute phase proteins during a 4-year study period of 50 patients with Crohn's disease has shown the serum C-reactive protein (CRP) to be a sensitive indicator of clinical status. Five patients are described in whom raised CRP levels reliably predicted relapse at a time when the patients were asymptomatic and the CDAI was normal. Measurement of serum CRP by radial immunodiffusion is cheap and simple, and if performed frequently in the follow-up of patients with Crohn's disease it may permit earlier, and therefore possibly more effective, treatment of relapse.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Abrogation by subsequent feeding of antibody response including IgE, in parenterally immunized mice.

We have investigated the possibility of oral administration of ovalbumin (OVA) to prevent a secondary antibody response and interrupt reaginic antibody production. Repeated feeding seems necessary for both. Quality of results was dependent on the number of ingestions. Differences in abrogation of antibody response between mice strains were observed. Best results were obtained with AKR mice, good suppression was seen in C3H strain, and inconsistent results were obtained with DBA/2. 10 OVA oral doses were necessary to prevent a secondary antibody response in parenterally immunized mice, but 4 doses interrupted reaginic production in sensitized AKR mice. These results demonstrate that antigen feeding can prevent a secondary antibody response and interrupt reaginic antibody production.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1982

Randomised placebo-controlled double-blind trial of two dosages of sodium cromoglycate in treatment of varioliform gastritis: comparison with cimetidine.

Eighteen patients with diffuse varioliform gastritis were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of sodium cromoglycate, 200 mg a day, and sodium cromoglycate, 400 mg a day, for 28 days. An additional six patients were treated with cimetidine 1 g daily for 28 days. The improvement in terms of patient's subjective assessment, endoscopic assessment, and immunohistochemical measurements of IgE cells in the mucosa was significantly greater in patients given sodium cromoglycate than that in those given cimetidine or placebo. The results provide evidence that type 1 hypersensitivity plays some part in the pathogenesis of varioliform gastritis. It is, therefore, important to differentiate this condition from other types of gastritis, as treatment with sodium cromoglycate appears to be affective.

Cimetidine↗
PubMed1982

Features of small intestinal pathology (epithelial cell kinetics, intraepithelial lymphocytes, disaccharidases) in a primary Giardia muris infection.

In an attempt to correlate host and parasite-related events occurring during the course of a primary Giardia infection in the mouse we have measured epithelial cell kinetics, enzymes, and intraepithelial lymphocytes at different stages of the infection. New methods were developed for the accurate measurement of parasite numbers and distribution within the gut. In jejunum a modest decrease in villus length and intraepithelial lymphocytes at week 1 preceded a pronounced disaccharidase deficiency at week 2, the time of maximum trophozoite numbers, whereas crypt lengthening and increased cell production became maximal at week 3. As trophozoite numbers fell the intraepithelial lymphocyte count and disaccharidase values rose. With the exception of the intraepithelial lymphocyte count, which followed the same pattern as in jejunum but two weeks later, the changes seen in the ileum were the opposite of those in jejunum, suggesting rapid ileal adaptation. The results indicate that the disaccharidase deficiency associated with giardiasis is likely to represent a direct effect of the parasite on the brush border rather than enterocyte immaturity, whereas the intraepithelial lymphocyte response reflects host immunity to the parasite. Profound adaptive changes occur throughout the small intestine in response to a relatively localised insult.

Animals↗