Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N Hammond.
A group of 29 children with acute nephritis have been studied in relation to complement changes during and after their illness. Eighty-two percent had evidence of a streptococcal aetiology. C3 levels were initially depressed in 96.5 percent, but by 12 months all children were normal clinically and had normal complement status. The role of complement is discussed in relation to acute nephritis.
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Technetium 99m phosphate-complex bone scans were performed in 43 women within two months of mastectomy for stage I (1 patient), stage II (28 patients), and stage III (14 patients) breast cancer. Twelve (28%) initial bone scans were interpreted as either equivocally abnormal (6 scans) or definitely abnormal (6 scans). Radiographs confirmed metastatic disease in 2 patients who were then considered ineligible for adjuvant therapy (adriamycin-cyclophosphamide with or without local radiotherapy). Of the remaining 41 eligible patients, all have received adjuvant therapy and 36 have had at least one additional bone scan at 6-month intervals. Among 20 patients whose serial bone scans were unchanged, there has been no clinical recurrence with a mean followup of 20 months. In contrast, among 16 patients whose serial bone scans have changed (e.g., appearance of new focal lesions, disappearance of old lesions), there have been 6 clinical recurrences (p = 0.01) with a mean followup of 43 months. We conclude that carefully performed technetium pyrophosphate bone scans are helpful in the accurate initial staging of patients being considered for adjuvant breat cancer treatment, and that serial changes in the bone scan identify a group of patients at high risk for early recurrence.
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The mortality figures and incidence of bacterial meningitis in children from Tauranga are reviewed. The high rate of meningitis in relationship to overseas countries is discussed.
Thirty-one patients who presented with acute glomerulonephritis have been reviewed with respect to the involvement of the streptococcus in their disease. The high incidence of the condition and the fact that 76 percent of the patients had evidence of streptococcal infection, as indicated by a raised anti-streptolysin O-titre is discussed.
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Withdrawal of drug from a group of chlorpromazine-treated chronic male schizophrenics led to a significant rise in the initially low serum tryptophan concentration, and a rise in the fraction freely diffusible. These changes, which would be expected to lead to an increase in tryptophan influx into the brain, and hence to an increase in cerebral serotonin synthesis, could be related to the clinical effects of drug withdrawal.