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Biomedical subjects

L Wide

Publications and source records attributed to L Wide.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

Thyroid disease and function in breast cancer patients and non-hospitalized controls evaluated by determination of TSH, T3, rT3 and T4 levels in serum.

Investigations concerning a possible influence of thyroid disease and function on the risk for breast cancer have given contradictory results--although a slight hypothyroidism was repeatedly suggested and supported by increased thyrotropin concentrations and exaggerated TRH-responses. The selection of proper controls was stressed and in this study 179 consecutively diagnosed breast cancer patients were compared with 179 age-matched controls chosen from a computerized population register. The prevalence of thyroid disease and thyroxine treatment showed no differences between the groups. Slight but significant differences were found in the patient group--with a higher mean value for thyrotropin, reverse triodothyronine and T3-resin uptake and a lower mean value for triiodothyronine. No difference was found concerning thyroxine. This pattern of changes was inconsistent with a hypothyroidism, but has recently been found in many non-thyroidal diseases. It is suggested that it may represent a secondary and probably extrathyroidal metabolic change, most likely due to an altered peripheral conversion of the thyroxine.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Serum gastrin determination with a radioimmunosorbent technique.

A low utilization of antiserum has been reported in gastrin radioimmunoassay with a solid-phase procedure. As solid-phase immunoassays possess several advantages over their soluble counterparts for the assay of many hormones, a solid-phase radioimmunoassay for gastrin was examined. The results showed that this technique was suitable for gastrin determination without being wasteful to antibodies. Sensitivity and precision of the method were comparable to other investigations on gastrin immunoassay, as well as serum gastrin levels obtained for persons with no known gastro-intestinal disease, in patients with pernicious anemia and in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Human pituitary thyrotropin. Characterization of five glycoproteins with thyrotropin activity.

Human pituitary thyrotropin prepared by chromatography on hydroxyapatite or on SP-Sephadex was fractionated into five active components by preparative poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The potency of the five components was 4-9 units human Research Standard A/mg. Examination of the components by analytical electrophoresis and by immunological methods revealed no heterogeneity. Ultracentrifugaiton of the three major components showed homogeneity with sedimentaiton coefficinets in the range of 2.4-3.0 S and a value for the molecular weight of about 33 000. Amino acid and carbohydrate analyses indicated close similarites between the five components.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1977

The invasive pituitary adenoma. A prolactin-producing tumor.

Invasive pituitary adenoma was diagnosed by means of a transnasal aspiration biopsy method in 11 patients with extensive destruction of bone in the sellar region. In most cases the initial symptoms were decrease of libido and potency or amenorrhea-galactorrhea. Later, chiasmatic compression developed in six patients, ocular motor signs in two, and epilepsy in two. Most of the patients had symptoms for many years; in two, the tumor was discovered by chance. They all had very high serum-prolactin values. The patients were treated with irradiation, and the prognosis seems to be relatively favorable.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1977

Serum ferritin and erythrocyte 2,3-DPG during quantitated phlebotomy and iron treatment.

Serum ferritin and erythrocyte 2,3-DPG levels were followed in 3 healthy males who were phlebotomized to iron depletion and a moderate anaemia. In 2 of the subjects, the expected rise in DPG levels was seen but not in the third, in spite of a Hb concentration of 95 g/1. Serum ferritin levels were found to reflect changes in iron stores, and subnormal serum ferritin indicated depleted iron stores. However, there was no correlation between pre-phlebotomy ferritin levels and calculated iron stores. The conclusion is that no fixed ratio can be established between serum ferritin and iron stores. A single ferritin value within the normal range does not tell how large iron stores a person has. Changes in an individual's iron stores can, however, be detected by repeated ferritin estimations.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Precipitation of 125I-labelled IgG aggregates by factors in sera of healthy individuals and of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Several factors in human serum are capable of precipitating soluble 125I-labelled heat aggregated IgG (agg IgG*). A study of the nature of these factors resulted in the development of two new methods for the detection and assay of anti-IgG-immunoglobulins (rheumatoid factors) in serum. One method detected rheumatoid factors of the IgG and the IgA classes which are capable of binding and coprecipitating with Clq and agg IgG* in an EDTA milieu. In a second method the serum was first heat inactivated and the assay was then made in a polymeric milieu where rheumatoid factors of the IgM as well as the IgG and IgA classes could be detected. 67 sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis were tested with this method and rheumatoid factors were detected in all seropositive (as assayed with conventional rheumatoid factor tests) sera and in 58% of the seronegative sera. In the presence of certain anti-IgG-immunoglobulins or polymers, the precipitation of Clq and soluble agg IgG* is greatly enhanced, and we suggest that this can be used as a basis of a sensitive method for the assay of agg-IgG-binding activity of Clq.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1977

Antibody reactivity in penicillin-sensitive patients determinated with different penicillin derivatives.

35 individuals showing reactions to penicillin of anaphylactic shock, angioedema or urticaria were investigated. Their skin sensitivity was analysed using 16 different penicillin derivatives. In addition, the content of circulating reagins against the penicilloyl structure in the patient's sera were analysed using RAST. 17 of the patients had negative skin reactions and RAST results to all substances tested. The other 18 were skin test-positive to at least one derivative but showed markedly heterogeneous patterns of skin reactivity. 14 had positive reactions against penicilloyl structures accompanied by anti-penicilloyl reagins. Four patients showed doubtful reactions only to penicillin or penicilloate and/or penilloate. These patients also had very low levels of reagins against penicilloyl in their sera. Positive skin test results using monovalent penicillin derivatives such as penicillin, penicilloate, penilloate, penicilloyl amide, penicilloyl-formyl-lysine, penicillamine, which cannot form a multivalent antigen with penicillyol specificity, indicated formation of other derivatives of importance in penicillin allergy, e.g., penicillamine protein conjugates. Three patients showed skin reactions to ampicillin polymer and two to benzyl-penicillin polymer. The skin tests performed with the penicillin derivatives used do not seem to give more information on the sensitivity of the patients than does the RAST using penicilloyl structures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Prolactin levels in the insulin tolerance test with and without pre-treatment with dexamethasone.

The serum prolactin response to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia was studied in 20 healthy volunteers. The results of insulin tolerance tests performed after pre-treatment with dexamethasone in a dose of 0.5 mg (0.5-DEX-ITT) and 1.0 mg (1.0-DEX-ITT) were compared with those of a similar control insulin tolerance test (ITT). The serum prolactin levels increased in all but 3 ITT's. In the ITT and 0.5-DEX-ITT the prolactin responses were significantly greater in women than in men. After pretreatment with dexamethasone the basal serum prolactin levels and the prolactin response to hypoglycaemia were significantly decreased compared with those in the ITT. The prolactin response both to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia and to dexamethasone showed such a large individual variation that this type of response seems unsuitable for evaluation of the hypothalamo-pituitary function.

Dexamethasone↗
PubMed1977

Influence of LH/FSH releasing hormone (LRH) on the basal secretion of gonadotrophins in relation to plasma levels of oestradiol, progesterone and prolactin during the post-partum period in lactating and in non-lactating women.

The pituitary responsiveness to LH/FSH releasing hormone (LRH) was studied in the puerperium in lactating and in non-lactating women. The response of both groups of patients to 25 mug LRH iv was tested 8-10 days, 15-17 days, and 29-32 days after a normal delivery at full term. The basal levels of FSH were low during the first 10 days after delivery. A rise was then observed, and about 4 weeks after delivery levels above or in the upper normal range of a normal follicular phase were recorded. The levels were significantly higher in the lactating group. When compared with the normal follicular phase, the relative increase in FSH basal levels was higher than the increase in LH basal levels in both groups of patients. The period of non-responsiveness of the pituitary to LRH was found to be of equal length in the two groups. In both groups the FSH response returned more rapidly than the LH response. About 2 weeks after delivery a reverse pattern of gonadotrophin response to LRH was seen with a FSH response that was greater than the LH response compared with what is generally observed in the various phases of the menstrual cycle in eumenorrhoeic women. This pattern was more pronounced in the lactating group about 4 weeks after delivery. Oestradiol levels were low and roughly equal on the three test occasions in each group, but in the non-lactating group there was a tendency to higher concentrations. Prolactin levels were highest about one week after delivery and then showed a tendency to decrease, and this was more pronounced in the non-lactating group. Progesterone levels were invariably low in both groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Hyperprolactinaemia in amenorrhoea - incidence and clinical significance.

Prolactin concentrations in serum were determined in 287 women with amenorrhoea. The incidence of hyperprolactinaemia was 14.6 per cent. All but 4 of the 31 women with persistent hyperprolactinaemia had galactorrhoea. Radiological signs suggestive of a pituitary tumour were seen in 48 per cent of the hyperprolactinaemic women, while only 4.5 per cent of the 245 normoprolactinaemic women had abnormal sellar X-rays. All the patients with prolactin concentrations above 100 microgram/1 had radiologically abnormal sellae, but lower prolactin levels did not rule out the existence of even large pituitary tumours. The hyperprolactinaemic women with normal and abnormal sellae and a control group of healthy women in the early follicular phase all had similar mean basal FSH and LH levels with one exception, the group with abnormal sellae had lower basal LH levels than the control group. There was no difference in the mean FSH and LH responses to LH-RH between the hyperprolactinaemic women with pathological sellae and the control group while the hyperprolactinaemic women with normal sellae had higher responses than the other two groups. Prolactin determinations were found to be superior to other pituitary hormone estimations for identifying patients who are at risk of having pituitary tumours.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Hypersensitive reactions and antibody formation during L-asparaginase treatment of children and adults with acute leukemia.

One hundred and fourteen patients with acute leukemia, 57 children (10 AML and 47 ALL) and 57 adults (37 AML and 20 ALL) were treated with L-asparaginase (Asnase) 200 or 1000 IU/kg daily for 30 days unless withdrawn on account of side effects. Combinations with other cytotoxic drugs were used in all but eight patients. Hypersensitive reactions, decrease in Asnase activity in plasma, and bivalent antibodies to Asnase appeared more frequently in adults (28%, 46%, and 79%, respectively) than in children (16%, 17%, and 25% respectively). There was a clear association between these three parameters. Thus hypersensitive reactions generally developed at the time of or after the decrease in plasma Asnase activity. Antibodies were detected only where Asnase activity had disappeared from the plasma. This time sequence, and in vitro experiments, suggest the formation of antigen-antibody complexes which might be responsible for inactivation of Asnase and for the development of hypersensitive reactions. However in many cases antibodies were found without concomitant enzyme inactivation or hypersensitive reactions. Antibodies to Asnase of IgE type (reagins) were found in only 10 children and 6 adults. There was no correlation between hypersensitive reactions, decrease in Asnase activity, and IgE antibodies. The frequency of remission among patients developing bivalent antibodies to Asnase was 68% (13/19) in contrast to 27% (3/11) among patients whose sera contained no detectable antibodies to Asnase, but the difference was not statistically significant.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Clinical patterns and results of radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and skin tests in penicillin allergy.

Seventy-nine patients with acute or former reactions to penicillin were investigated by a benzylpenicilloyl (BPO)-specific RAST and/or by skin tests with penicilloyl-polylysine (PPL), benzylpenicillin and penicilloic acid and the results were correlated with the different clinical pictures. Positive RAST and skin test results could be found in patients with anaphylactic shock, urticaria and serum sickness-like reaction and sometimes in a special group of exanthems, which are characterized by the existence of many different lesions at the same time, therefore called 'polymorphic exanthems', and often observed after high-dosage penicillin therapy. In cases of scarlatiniform or morbilliform exanthems no positive results were found. The BPO-specific RAST showed an overall correlation of 95-I% with skin tests using PPL. However, some patients with positive skin tests to benzylpenicillin and penicilloic acid did no have detectable circulating IgE antibodies to BPO. This emphasizes the need for including these antigens in in vitro methods. The RAST was informative even at the allergic reaction or in the first 15 days afterwards and seems to be very valuable for early diagnosis of penicillin allergy especially in cases when many drugs have been given.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Prick- and radioallergsorbent tests (RAST) to Alcalase in a population not exposed to enzyme detergents.

A total of 301 persons in a population unexposed to enzyme detergents (Rumania) were prick-tested with Alcalase, and RASTs were performed on their sera. The material consisted of three groups, one atopic, the second non atopic, and the third healthy. In the first two groups the percentage of positive prick-test reactions amounted to 6 and 5% respectively. Only one positive RAST was found (second group). In the third group no positive prick-tests were found and no positive RASTs. The majority of the positive prick-tests were considered non specific, and no correlation was found between results of prick-tests and RASTs in this material of non exposed individuals.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Detection of circulating IgG aggregates and immune complexes using 125I protein A from Staphylococcus aureus.

A method for detection of circulating immune complexes by the use of 125I labelled staphylococcal protein A is described. In a polyethylene glycol solution as little as 1-2 mg/l of soluble heat aggregated human IgG could be quantitated. Variables which might influence the assay were examined. Separation of immune complexes in serum from monomeric IgG was essential and achieved by gel chromatography on Sephadex G200. This assay may be suitable for clinical routine for detection and quantitation of immune complexes. A preliminary study on the clinical application of the method is presented. 58% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 42% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis had increased levels of immune aggregates in serum compared to a group of healthy individuals.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1976

A RAST neutralization test for detection of blocking antibodies in serum after hyposensitization.

The RAST, originally developed for the assay of reaginic IgE antibodies, was applied for the detection of blocking antibodies. Sera taken ante- or post-hyposensitization were incubated with solid phase coupled allergen which neutralized reaginic IgE antibodies in the serum. The remaining activity of the reaginic IgE antibodies was measured by the RAST. When blocking antibodies were present in the serum they competed with the reaginic IgE antibodies and the amount of reaginic antibodies that was neutralized by the solid phase coupled allergen was decreased. The blocking antibodies were found in the IgG fraction of the serum taken post-hyposensitization. Blocking antibodies to various allergens were detected in 25 out of 26 tests on sera taken post-hyposensitization. The results were compared with those of Prusnitz-Küstner neutralization tests and/or patient self-neutralization tests. There was no correlation between semi-quantitative results of these in vivo tests and those of the RAST neutralization tests. However, cases with subjectively a strong improvement had a significantly higher mean value for RAST neutralization index than those with subjectively a weak improvement. The method is suggested as a supplement to clinical tests for evaluation of hyposensitization treatments.

Antibodies↗