PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

J T Adams

Publications and source records attributed to J T Adams.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Ureaplasma urealyticum and chronic lung disease in very low birth weight infants during the exogenous surfactant era.

BACKGROUND: An association between recovery of Ureaplasma urealyticum from the respiratory tract of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (< or =1500 g) and later chronic lung disease (CLD) was reported by several authors before the routine use of exogenous surfactant (SURF). We sought to assess whether this relation persists in the era of routine SURF. METHODS: We prospectively studied a cohort of 105 VLBW infants who required mechanical ventilation at < 12 h of age. Tracheal aspirates for U. urealyticum culture were obtained before administration of SURF or antibiotics. Clinicians were unaware of U. urealyticum status. Chest radiographs at 28 days were reviewed by a single pediatric radiologist, blinded to U. urealyticum status. Sample size was predetermined to detect a 30% increase in CLD among those with U. urealyticum recovery from tracheal culture (U. urealyticum-positive) with alpha <0.05 and beta <0.20. RESULTS: Of the study infants 22 were U. urealyticum-positive and 83 were U. urealyticum-negative. No differences were found between the groups for birth weight, gestational age, gender, inborn, antenatal or postnatal steroid use, SURF therapy, non-U. urealyticum infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage or cystic periventricular leukomalacia. At 28 days U. urealyticum-positive patients were significantly more likely to have CLD than U. urealyticum-negative [15 of 22 (68%) vs. 30 of 83 (36%); P < 0.02]. The U. urealyticum-positive patients also required significantly longer courses of supplemental oxygen and mechanical ventilation. No significant differences were found for CLD at 36 weeks postconception or duration of hospitalization, although type II error could not be excluded for these secondary endpoints. CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory U. urealyticum at or shortly after birth remains associated with CLD at 28 days despite routine use of SURF. Controlled trials of anti-Ureaplasma therapy in U. urealyticum-positive VLBWs as soon after birth as possible may determine whether CLD, duration of respiratory support and attendant costs can be decreased.

Chronic Disease

Gastric "pseudolymphoma" with restricted light chain expression in a patient with obscure gastrointestinal blood loss.

We present a case report of a gastric "pseudolymphoma" (GL) that exhibits restricted light chain expression and, therefore, illustrates the dilemma encountered when histologically benign lesions have phenotypic abnormalities suggesting malignancy. For many years this lesion has been considered usually benign; however, recent reports such as this one demonstrate immunologic signs of monoclonality in an otherwise histologically benign lesion. This finding challenges our assumptions as to the nature of this lesion and our definition of cancer. The lesion also displays "Castleman-like" features (angiofollicular hyperplasia) as well as "common inflammatory" germinal centers. In addition we briefly review the literature.

Aged

Synthesis and characterization of an affinity label for brain receptors to psychotomimetic benzomorphans: differentiation of sigma-type and phencyclidine receptors.

Brain sigma-type receptors and phencyclidine receptors are thought to mediate the psychotomimetic effects of benzomorphans and phencyclidine in humans. Recently, we reported the characterization of a selective sigma receptor ligand, 1,3-di-o-tolyl-guanidine (DTG), that shows negligible crossreactivity with phencyclidine receptors. Here we describe the synthesis and characterization of an isothiocyanate derivative of DTG, di-o-tolyl-guanidine-isothiocyanate (DIGIT). Guinea pig brain membranes treated with nanomolar doses of DIGIT followed by extensive washing exhibit a dose dependent reduction of [3H]DTG and (+)[3H]3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-(1-propyl)piperidine [+)[3H]3-PPP) binding to sigma receptors. Binding of radiolabelled ligands for phencyclidine, mu-opioid, benzodiazepine and dopamine-D2 receptors is not affected by membrane treatment with DIGIT, indicating specificity of the affinity label for sigma-type receptors. Treatment of DIGIT-derivatized membranes with 2 M NaCl does not result in recovery of sigma binding activity, suggesting that DIGIT's interaction with sigma receptors is not of an ionic nature. Equilibrium saturation binding experiments show that the inhibition of [3H]DTG binding to sigma receptors by DIGIT pretreatment of membranes is attributable to an irreversible reduction in the affinity (increase in Kd) of sigma receptors for DTG. The finding that sigma receptors are irreversibly modified by DIGIT whereas phencyclidine receptors are not affected suggests that sigma receptors are physically separate from phencyclidine receptors. The availability of a selective affinity label for the sigma receptor should facilitate the purification of the receptors and the characterization of sigma-type pharmacological effects in vivo and in vitro.

Affinity Labels

Adenocarcinoma of the small intestine.

Sixty-five patients with adenocarcinoma of the small intestine were encountered over a 31 year period. The duodenum was the most common location, with a decreasing frequency distally. Associated malignancies were present in a fourth of the patients. Presenting signs and symptoms were vague and related to either obstruction or bleeding. Barium contrast examination and endoscopy for duodenal tumors were the primary diagnostic modalities. Curative treatment was wide resection of bowel and mesentery for jejunal and ileal tumors and pancreaticoduodenectomy for duodenal tumors. Favorable prognosticators included jejunal location, absence of nodal metastases, and a well-differentiated grade. Stage for stage, the prognosis of patients with adenocarcinoma of the small intestine parallels that of patients with adenocarcinoma of the colon. With greater awareness of this tumor, it is possible that earlier detection will lead to improved overall survival.

Adenocarcinoma

Acute acalculous cholecystitis complicating abdominal aortic aneurysm resection.

Acute acalculous cholecystitis developed in six patients recovering from repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. All patients were men with significant concurrent medical illnesses, and three patients had undergone operation for a ruptured aneurysm. Symptoms appeared at a mean of 3 weeks postoperatively and consisted of right upper quadrant pain, fever, leukocytosis, and slight elevation of liver function test results. Treatment consisted of cholecystostomy (three patients) or cholecystectomy (three patients), with an overall mortality rate of 50%. When cholecystitis is suspected after aortic aneurysm repair, early confirmation of the diagnosis should be obtained with ultrasound or a technetium hepatobiliary scan and cholecystostomy or cholecystectomy undertaken if the patient does not rapidly improve with medical management.

Acute Disease

Management of cholelithiasis in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Gallstones were detected in 42 of 865 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (4.9%). Eighteen patients underwent concomitant aneurysm resection and cholecystectomy. Eleven patients had aneurysmectomy without cholecystectomy. Thirteen patients underwent cholecystectomy alone. There were no significant increases in operative mortality, duration of operation, or length of hospital stay when cholecystectomy was added to aneurysm resection. However, there was one instance of prosthetic infection which occurred in a patient who did not have his graft retroperitonealized prior to cholecystectomy, and who also underwent gastrostomy and drainage of the liver bed. There have been no graft complications in the remaining 17 consecutive patients who had their graft retroperitonealized prior to cholecystectomy. Nine of 11 patients who underwent aneurysmectomy without cholecystectomy experienced an episode of acute cholecystitis during a mean follow-up period of 2.9 years. Two of these episodes occurred in the immediate postoperative period and one patient died of biliary sepsis. On the basis of these findings, concomitant aneurysmectomy and cholecystectomy is advised in those patients with cholelithiasis undergoing aortic aneurysm resection providing no contraindications exist.

Aged

Vascularity of gastrointestinal staple lines demonstrated with silicone rubber injection.

Gastrointestinal stapling devices were applied across canine small intestine, and then the blood supply of the stapled segments was immediately filled with silicone rubber. After tissue clearing and microdissection, the outstanding vascularity of the staple lines was clearly demonstrated. The B configuration of the closed staple allows blood vessels of substantial size to pass through it. This might make staple technique especially advantageous whenever vascularity is critical.

Animals

Carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile ducts.

The records of patients with carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile ducts, including the ampulla of Vater, operated on at the University of Rochester Medical Center between 1960 and 1980 were reviewed. All 47 patients had similar manifestations and laboratory findings; percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography were the two studies that consistently localized the tumor. Seven of eight patients with carcinoma of the ampulla underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. At this writing five are alive and well without evidence of recurrence (a mean of 47 months). Twenty-three tumors were located at or proximal to the confluence of the right and left hepatic ducts; 16 were distal to this point. The six patients with distal lesions that were resected had a mean survival time of 14 months; the mean survival time was 7 months for the six patients in whom the operation was restricted to drainage of the proximal duct. Of the group of patients subjected to exploratory surgery and biopsy only, none survived longer than a month. Resection was carried out in only one patient for a proximal lesion; this patient died 28 months after the operation. Patients with proximal lesions who underwent drainage procedures lived an average of 7.6 months. In all groups several was longer in patients without metastases at the time of operation. The survival time after the resection was significantly longer than that associated with drainage, which suggests a more aggressive approach to these lesions.

Adult

Corrosive jejunitis due to ingestion of nitric acid.

Corrosive damage to the small bowel is not common; stasis of acid in the stomach usually prevents extensive jejunal damage. The case presented herein is unusual because the patient had a gastroenterostomy and sustained extensive injury of the jejunum after ingesting acid. The patient survived but developed a jejunal stricture that eventually required resection.

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Effect of sphincteroplasty on gallbladder function and bile composition.

The effect of sphincteroplasty on bile concentration and composition and on gallbladder function was investigated in the dog. Gallbladder and hepatic bile samples were analyzed for cholesterol, phospholipid (lecithin), bile salt concentration and individual bile salt content. Motor function was studied by cholecystokinin-cholecystography with changes in gallbladder volume computed from the radiographs. All bile samples were cultured and at the conclusion of the experiments, the gallbladders were histologically examined. Sphincteroplasty did not alter biliary cholesterol concentration but the concentration of lecithin and bile salts decreased in gallbladder bile and increased in hepatic bile (p less than .001). These changes depict a trend toward greater lithogenicity for gallbladder bile and lesser lithogenicity for hepatic bile. Postoperative analysis of individual bile salts in gallbladder bile showed an increase in monohydroxy and dihydroxy bile salts and a decrease in trihydroxy bile salts (p less than .001). This tendency has been shown to be conducive to gallstone formation. The concentrating ability of the gallbladder was partially eliminated by sphincteroplasty but gallbladder filling and motor response to stimulation by cholecystokinin was not affected. All gallbladders demonstrated histologic changes of chronic inflammation and all developed a significant bacterial flora following sphincteroplasty. It is concluded that cholecystectomy should always be performed following transduodenal sphincteroplasty not because of any resultant abnormality of motor function, as has previously been held, but because of the resultant abnormality of gallbladder pathophysiology.

Ampulla of Vater

Diagnostic laparotomy for fever or abdominal pain of unknown origin.

Diagnostic laparotomy performed on twenty-four patients with FUO and twenty-seven patients with obscure abdominal pain resulted in a positive yield of 87 and 82 per cent, respectively. No deaths occurred in either group and the complication rate was minimal. These findings indicate that it is appropriate to include laparotomy in the armamentarium for diagnosis of the cause of FUO and abdominal pain.

Abdomen

An evaluation of the Nissen fundoplication.

The characteristic radiological findings which follow a Nissen fundoplication are reviewed. The esophagus may be narrowed but is intrinsically normal. A pseudotumor at the medial aspect of the fundus is generally present. The history and radiographic findings can normally differentiate this defect from neoplasm or a nonoperated hiatal hernia. Postoperative clinical evaluation has shown this procedure to be very valuable in the amelioration of symptoms.

Esophageal Diseases

Pharmaco-cholangiography with anticholinergic drugs in the dog.

The effect of atropine and pipenzolate bromide (PB) in different dosage levels was investigated in intravenous cholangiography with 0.6 ml/kg iodipamide infused over 30 minutes in six cholecystectomized dogs (20-36 kg) equipped with Thomas cannulas through which the common bile duct could be cannulated. Doses of 1 mg atropine and 20 mg PB, half the dose given intravenously just prior to the contrast agent and the other half with the iodipamide infusion, had the greatest effect in decreasing the bile flow (atropine-24% at 60, PB-23% at 30 minutes) and increasing the bile iodine concentration (atropine + 16%, PB + 14%). The biliary iodipamide excretion rate was not affected.

Animals

Analysis of the radiographically visualized deep hepatic lymph drainage in the dog.

The deep hepatic lymph drainage of 9 cholecystectomized dogs was analyzed after radiographic visualization with retrograde biliary infusion of Ethiodol. No drainage from the deep to the superficial lymph system of the liver was found with the described method. Primary stations of the deep hepatic lymph drainage are the hepatic, left gastric and splenic lymph nodes although the latter two were not always opacified. On the average 9 (6-11) hepatic lymph nodes were opacified which is a significantly higher number than previously reported. Retrograde contrast material filling of splenic, mesenteric, aortic, iliac and some intrathoracic lymph nodes occurred with various frequencies but the opacification of these nodes was usually incomplete.

Animals