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Biomedical subjects

M Blackman

Publications and source records attributed to M Blackman.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

A preliminary outcome study of a community group treatment programme for emotionally disturbed adolescents.

The treatment of adolescents with psychiatric disturbance remains a highly unsuccessful area. Empirical research is limited and treatment decisions are often based on theoretical bias rather than proven results. This study reports on the results of a multivariate analysis of pre- and post-individual and family measures on patients in a community based day and evening programme. The programme utilized a broad range of treatment modalities including group and family therapy and chemotherapy. An accredited educational programme was also provided to the patients attending the day programme. The results of this study showed that adolescents were referred to either the day or evening programme components based on level of acting out behaviour rather than on DSM III diagnosis. Adolescents reported significant positive changes at post testing in all areas, but this improvement was not endorsed by parents. Although therapists perceived considerable improvement in their families after treatment, this improvement did not show up on the family assessment measure chosen. The findings of the study endorse the need for further empirical research in adolescent treatment and underscores the fallacy of relying on anecdotal evidence to report treatment results. Questions are raised as to the operational usefulness of the present DSM III criteria in making treatment decisions and the validity of associating individual dysfunction with family dysfunction. Some question as to the sensitivity of the family measure used was also raised. The study outlined strengths and weaknesses in the present treatment programme and underscored the importance of further evaluative research, if the treatment of adolescents with psychiatric disturbance is to become successful.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Ig RNA expression in normal B cells stimulated with anti-IgM antibody and T cell-derived growth and differentiation factors.

An increase in mRNA encoding the secretory form of the mu heavy (H) chain (mus) and in the ratio of mus mRNA to the mRNA encoding the membrane form of the microH chain (micron) occurs in normal B cells stimulated with anti-IgM and BSF-p1 together with the two B cell differentiation factors B15-TRF and EL-TRF. Stimulation of cells with anti-IgM and BSF-p1 with either B15- or EL-TRF causes no change in mus levels or mus/micron ratios. The requirements for induction of high rate IgM synthesis in normal B cells stimulated with anti-IgM were precisely the same as those required for elevation of mus, mRNA levels and for increase in mus/micron mRNA ratios. A very close correlation also exists between induction of mRNA for J chain and increase in mus mRNA levels. Similarly, the increase in J chain protein concentration and percent of cells with cytoplasmic IgM were correlated to each other and to levels of mus and J chain mRNA. These results indicate that elevation of mus mRNA and mus/micron mRNA ratios occur in normal B cells only upon commitment to IgM synthesis, and reaffirm the close relation between IgM synthesis and the presence of J chain.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Biological and psychological aspects of a case of Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome.

The case of a 12-year-old girl with Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome is presented, and the following factors are discussed: psychological aspects, urinary excretion of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethylene glycol (MHPG) and unconjugated amines, and CT scan findings. The most noticeable differences from normal controls seen in the urine studies were elevated levels of beta-phenylethylamine and the catecholamine metabolites normetanephrine, MHPG, and 3-methoxytyramine, and a decrease in 5-hydroxytryptamine. A CT scan revealed a slight increase in density in the caudate nuclei bilaterally; this was thought to be due to calcification.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1976

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in selected autoimmune diseases.

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity mediated by peripheral blood lymphocytes was studied in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, polyarteritis nodosa. Sjogren's syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis. The target cells were chicken erythrocytes coated with rabbit anti-chicken erythrocyte antibody. Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxic activity was normal in Sjogren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis but significantly decreased (P is less than 0.001) in active systemic lupus erythematosus and in two patients with polyarteritis nodosa. A partial regeneration of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxic activity was obtained by treatment with pronase and DNase followed by overnight incubation. Sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus inhibited antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxic activity of normal lymphocytes. The inhibitory activity was studied by specific immunoadsorption and sucrose density geadient ultracentrifugation. Removal of IgG but not IgM greatly reduced inhibition. Inhibitory factors were present in 7S and heavier fractions containing IgG. Five systemic lupus erythematosus patients were studied serially to determine if improvement in clinical status could be correlated with a decrease in serum inhibitory factors as studied by inhibition of normal antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Indeed, a greater serum inhibitory capacity was found in each patient during periods of greater disease activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Impaired synthesis of polyclonal (non-paraprotein) immunoglobulins by circulating lymphocytes from patients with multiple myeloma Role of suppressor cells.

Since patients with myeloma have serious abnormalities of humoral immunity, we applied an in vitro assay to determine the capacity of B lymphocytes to mature into immunoglobulin-secreting cells. In peripheral blood lymphocytes from 22 normal persons, geometric mean immunoglobulin synthesis was 4910 ng for IgM, 1270 ng for IgA and 1625 ng for IgG. The synthesis rates of peripheral blood lymphocytes of 22 patients with myeloma were 458 ng for IgM, 321 ng for IgA and 218 ng for IgG. Circulating mononuclear cells from three of six patients tested suppressed polyclonal immunoglobulin synthesis by cocultured normal lymphocytes. Suppressive activity was not mediated by purified T cells alone. Removal of phagocytic mononuclear cells from lymphocyte populations of one patient nullified suppressive activity. Removal of phagocytic mononuclear cells from lymphocyte populations of a second patient led to a nearly 10-fold increase in polyclonal immunoglobulin synthesis. Therefore, host suppressor cells may play a part in the decreased capacity of B lymphocytes to secret immunoglobulin in certain patients with myeloma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Suppressor T cells in the pathogenesis of hypogammaglobulinemia associated with a thymoma.

The nature of the immunological defect in patients with hypogammaglobulinemia associated with a thymoma was investigated using a technique established to study the differentiation of lymphocytes into immunoglobulin synthesizing and secreting cells. Exhaustively washed peripheral blood lymphocytes were cultured for 7 days in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with fetal calf serum in the presence of the lectin, pokeweed mitogen. The IgG, IgA, and IgM synthesized and secreted into the medium were measured by competitive double antibody radio-immunoassays. Twenty-two normal individuals synthesized 1625 ng of IgG, 1270 ng of IgA, and 4910 ng of IgM per 2 million lymphocytes in culture. In contrast, the three patients with hypogammaglobulinemia and a thymoma synthesized less than 100 ng of each class of immunoglobulin. When lymphocytes from 2 of the 3 patients studied were cocultured with normal lymphocytes and pokeweed mitogen, the synthesis of immunoglobulin by normal lymphocytes was depressed by a factor of 66 to 97%. Co-cultue of purified T cells from the hypogammaglobulinemic patients with normal lymphocytes resulted in an 87% suppression of immunoglobulin synthesis by the normal cells. However, no suppression of immunoglobulin synthesis was observed when preparations of B cells and macrophages depleted of T cells from the hypogammaglobulinemic patients were co-cultured with normal lymphocytes. In addition, in control studies no such suppression of immunoglobulin synthesis was seen when normal cells were co-cultured with lymphocytes from unrelated normals, patients with isolated IgA deficiency, patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or patients with the Sezary syndrome, a T cell leukemia nor were they inhibited when incubated with T cells from unrelated normals. These observations suggest that in some patients the hypogammaglobulinemia associated with a thymoma may be caused or perpetuated by an abnormality of regulatory T cells which suppress the maturation of lymphocytes into antibody producing cells.

Adolescent↗