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Biomedical subjects

M Bewick

Publications and source records attributed to M Bewick.

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

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes and renal replacement therapy.

Reports of renal replacement therapy in diabetes usually refer to patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) only, and little is known about renal failure in non-insulin-dependent diabetics (NIDDM). A high proportion, 46/141 (32%), of the diabetics treated at our unit since 1974 had NIDDM. They were older at treatment (56 +/- 9 years, mean +/- SD) compared to the IDDM patients (39 +/- 10 years, p less than 0.001), and had a shorter duration of diabetes (13 +/- 8 years versus 23 +/- 8 years, p less than 0.001). Asians and Afro-Caribbeans accounted for 48% of the NIDDM patients (22/46) compared to only 7% of those having IDDM (6/95, p less than 0.0001). Non-diabetic renal disease accounted for the renal failure in 32% (15/46) of the NIDDM patients but only in 10.5% (10/95) of the IDDMs (p less than 0.001). Despite these differences the prevalence of other diabetic complications (retinopathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease) was similar. Patient survival after transplantation was poorer in NIDDM than IDDM (23% and 57%, respectively, at 2 years). Survival on dialysis was equally poor in NIDDM and IDDM. Thus, NIDDM patients treated for renal failure are more commonly non-European and more often have non-diabetic renal disease. Yet other diabetic complications occur to the same extent in both IDDM and NIDDM patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Needle biopsy evaluation of class II major histocompatibility complex antigen expression for the differential diagnosis of cyclosporine nephrotoxicity from kidney graft rejection.

Twenty needle biopsies from 14 patients were taken at times of renal dysfunction, and frozen sections were stained for class I and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen expression using the immunoperoxidase technique and monomorphic mouse monoclonal antibodies. Eight of the 9 biopsies taken during periods of dysfunction attributed to cyclosporine toxicity had normal levels of class II expression. In contrast, 9 of the 10 biopsies taken during episodes of rejection had easily recognized increases in class II expression. In the one case where no definite clinical diagnosis was possible, no class II induction was present. Class I levels were less definitive but tended to be markedly raised in the cases of rejection, and only mildly raised in the cases of nephrotoxicity. Biopsy results can be available within 1 1/2-2 hr. The test is therefore likely to be of value in the correct diagnosis of the cause of renal dysfunction and thereby improve the management of cyclosporine-treated renal transplant patients.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1987

Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase in the red cells of patients with malignant lymphoma.

Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities have been measured in patients with untreated malignant lymphomas. Marked deficiencies of superoxide dismutase (P less than 0.001) and glutathione peroxidase (P less than 0.001) were found, whereas catalase levels were normal. There was no apparent difference in enzyme activities between the different histological types of lymphoma.

Catalase↗
PubMed1986

Blood cyclosporin concentrations and renal allograft dysfunction.

Forty nine renal allograft recipients taking oral cyclosporin suffered 76 episodes of renal dysfunction within six months of transplantation. These episodes were diagnosed as graft rejection or cyclosporin induced nephrotoxicity on the basis of histological findings in allograft biopsy specimens and the response to treatment. Mean predose blood cyclosporin concentrations measured by radioimmunoassay during the week before the onset of renal dysfunction were significantly higher when the cause was cyclosporin toxicity rather than graft rejection (392 v 741 nmol/l (471 v 891 ng/ml). During this period there was a significant association between both the frequency of measurements above 666 nmol/l (800 ng/ml) and the diagnosis of toxicity and the frequency of measurements below 333 nmol/l (400 ng/ml) and the diagnosis of allograft rejection. Cyclosporin measurements made at the time of biopsy and reference to the highest or lowest concentrations measured during the week preceding biopsy were of less value in distinguishing between the two groups. Despite lacking specificity for the parent compound, the radioimmunoassay used produced results which were of clinical value in optimising cyclosporin treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Diabetic pregnancy following renal transplantation.

Renal transplantation for diabetic nephropathy prolongs survival and the return of fertility makes pregnancy possible. We describe a successful pregnancy in a 38-year-old diabetic renal transplant recipient despite blindness, gangrenous toes, cardiac impairment, and both sensory and autonomic neuropathy. Renal function remained stable throughout the pregnancy which was complicated by supine hypertension, postural hypotension and increasing proteinuria. Fetal distress and increasing proteinuria precipitated delivery by Caesarean section at 29 weeks of a female infant weighting 1.1 kg. Following delivery, hypertension improved, gangrene resolved, proteinuria decreased, and renal function remained stable. Pregnancy in long-standing diabetic patients with renal transplants, although hazardous, may be successful yet the maternal morbidity and mortality makes them inadvisable.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Mefenamic acid-induced bullous pemphigoid.

A 52 year old man developed bullous pemphigoid, Coombs' positive haemolytic anaemia and diarrhoea related to the use of mefenamic acid. Clinical manifestation of the bullous pemphigoid, haemolytic anaemia and diarrhoea resolved following discontinuation of the mefenamic acid. Mefenamic acid should be added to the list of agents that are known to induce bullous pemphigoid.

Anemia, Hemolytic↗
PubMed1985

Progressive, predominantly motor, uraemic neuropathy.

A severe rapidly progressive neuropathy is described in 4 young male adults with end-stage renal failure, 3 of whom had accelerated hypertension. The onset of symptoms developed after regular haemodialysis had been started and in all 4 patients was closely associated with a septicaemic illness. In 2 patients, renal transplantation led to considerable clinical improvement, and in a third patient charcoal haemoperfusion halted further clinical progression of the neuropathy. This improvement was not reflected by the nerve conduction studies which remained grossly impaired. A possible ischaemic aetiology related to accelerated hypertension and septicaemia is suggested for this unusual variant of uraemic neuropathy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

The use of pressimmune in renal transplantation: a four-year study.

Over a three year period, 22 diabetic and 87 non-diabetic patients received 120 cadaver kidney transplants at Dulwich Hospital. Horse antilymphocyte globulin (ALG), azathioprine and low-dose intra-muscular methyl prednisolone were used as immunosuppressive agents. A control group of 98 non-diabetic patients (113 transplants) at Guy's Hospital during the same period were treated with a standard azathioprine and oral steroid regime. Four main findings emerged: Firstly, survival rates for first grafts in the non-diabetic patients were similar in both centers. This suggests that neither the ALG or more conventional immunosuppressive regime holds any advantage in this patient group. Secondly, the first grafts in diabetic patients did significantly worse than similar grafts in the non-diabetics. Thirdly, in patients receiving the more conventional regime, second grafts did significantly worse than first grafts. Fourthly, and in contrast, the ALG regime gave similar survival figures for both first and second grafts. Thus, ALG had no apparent advantage over conventional steroid regimes on the survival of first grafts but it did produce a marked improvement in the outcome of subsequent grafts.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Renal transplantation after removal and prevention of resynthesis of HLA antibodies.

Plasma exchange and immunosuppression with prednisolone and cyclophosphamide were used to remove HLA antibodies and prevent their resynthesis in five patients awaiting renal transplantation. After treatment HLA antibody titres and reactivities against a panel of donor lymphocytes were considerably reduced and, as a result, these patients received transplants. Four of these patients have successfully functioning transplants; the other patient died as a result of septicaemia with a poorly functioning allograft.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Successful removal and prevention of resynthesis of anti-HLA antibody.

The successful removal and prevention of the resynthesis of an anti-HLA antibody by plasma exchange and immunosuppression in a patient awaiting renal transplantation is described. Before treatment, the patient's serum contained a high titer (greater than 1/50) anti-HLA antibody that reacted with 94% of our lymphocyte donor panel and produced positive cross matches with the lymphocytes from 40 cadaver kidneys. Following treatment, her anti-HLA titers fell to less than 1/10 and her sera reacted with 43% of our lymphocyte donor panel and produced negative crossmatches with lymphocytes from the first two cadaver kidney donors she was tested against. She was successfully transplanted with the second of these kidneys and is now well eight months later, with good graft function.

Adult↗