Biomedical subjects

M Church

Publications and source records attributed to M Church.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1995

Role of elevated plasma soluble ICAM-1 and bronchial lavage fluid IL-8 levels as markers of chronic lung disease in premature infants.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary neutrophilia characterises both the relatively transient inflammation associated with infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS) and the persistent inflammation of chronic lung disease. The possibility that persistently raised markers of inflammation indicate the development of chronic lung disease in low birth weight (< 1730 g) preterm (< 31 weeks) infants was therefore investigated. METHODS: Soluble ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) levels in plasma, and interleukin (IL)-8 and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in bronchial lavage fluid (BLF) obtained from 17 infants on days 1, 5, and 14 following birth were measured and correlations with the number of neutrophils in BLF sought. Peripheral neutrophils were isolated on Polymorphoprep and chemotactic responsiveness to IL-8 was assessed using micro Boyden chambers. RESULTS: Sixteen infants developed IRDS and, of these, 10 infants subsequently developed chronic lung disease. Levels of IL-8 in BLF at 14 days of age correlated with the long term requirement for intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV). Interleukin 8 levels in BLF correlated with neutrophil numbers and MPO concentration, suggesting both recruitment and activation in response to this cytokine. Antibody depletion studies showed that approximately 50% of total neutrophil chemotactic activity in BLF was due to IL-8. No difference in peripheral neutrophil chemotactic responsiveness at any age was observed for infants with IRDS or chronic lung disease. Plasma soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM-1) was higher at 14 days of age in infants who developed chronic lung disease than in those with resolving IRDS, and correlated with severity of disease, as indicated by duration of IPPV. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that high levels of plasma sICAM-1 and IL-8 in BLF at day 14 correlate with the development of chronic lung disease and indicate the severity of disease.

Biomarkers↗

PubMed1990

A health promotion module for undergraduate medical students.

This paper describes a 4-day module on health promotion which is part of the undergraduate programme for medical students at the University of Edinburgh. Early experience of the module from both the learner and teacher perspectives are reported. The module is part of a new 4-week course on community medicine for fourth- and fifth-year students and is a collaborative venture between people working in the field of health promotion in the University, the local health service and the national health education organization, the Scottish Health Education Group. The aims of the module, together with details about the content, teaching methods and form of assessment are described. Some of the formal evaluation results are presented. The module has proved highly popular with both students and teachers. The paper concludes with a discussion of the key factors that have been important in the successful development of the module.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1988

Leukotriene C4 and histamine in early allergic reaction in the nose.

We have examined the measurements of LTC4 and histamine in nasal lavage fluids and blown secretions as a possible model of the early mediator events during nasal allergy. A nasal challenge with grass pollen extract was undertaken on two separate occasions in 20 patients with a history of seasonal rhinitis and a positive immediate skin test to grass pollen. A 2 ml nasal lavage was performed before allergen challenge, and blown secretion collected separately 15 min after the provocation, followed by a final 2 ml nasal lavage. The dilution of nasal secretion by the lavage fluid was determined using 99mTc-labelled albumin as an exogenous marker added to the fluid. The amounts of admixture in the nasal lavages did not correlate to the concentrations of LTC4 and histamine, indicating that the variable amounts of nasal secretion in nasal lavage do not constitute a confounding variable for measurements of LTC4 and histamine. In the pre-challenge lavages, the median concentrations, of LTC4 and histamine were 1.7 and 52 nmol/l respectively. Following allergen challenge neither LTC4 nor histamine measured in nasal lavage showed any significant change from pre-challenge baseline values. However, measurements of both mediators in the blown secretion showed a significantly higher concentration than in the pre- or post-challenge lavage samples, compatible with transitory release during the acute allergic reaction. However, it seems doubtful whether measurements of LTC4 or histamine can be compared between blown secretion and nasal lavage fluid, even if the dilution factor is disregarded.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1979