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Biomedical subjects

R D Pocock

Publications and source records attributed to R D Pocock.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Who needs a prostatectomy? Review of a waiting list.

A total of 118 patients on a waiting list for a transurethral prostatectomy, who had been selected primarily on the basis of their symptoms and the finding of an enlarged prostate, were reassessed by objective tests. Of the 107 finally studied, 44% were retained on the waiting list and a further 8% kept under review; 48% were discharged from any further follow-up. The study reinforces the importance of objectively assessing patients presenting with urinary symptoms.

Aged

Urethral strictures in childhood.

Thirty-six children have been treated for a non-hypospadiac urethral stricture. Of 12 patients with meatal or submeatal stenosis, 10 had undergone circumcision for balanitis xerotica obliterans. The strictures were successfully treated by meatoplasty or meatal dilatation. Twenty-four children had a more proximal urethral stricture: 16 were caused by urethral catheterisation, 4 were post-traumatic, 2 were congenital and 2 were idiopathic. Sixteen children were treated by visual urethrotomy; this was successful in 12 after a maximum of 2 urethrotomies. Two children required 4 or more urethrotomies and 2 required urethroplasty for restricturing. Seven children were treated by a formal urethroplasty. There were no complications. Two patients died of unrelated medical conditions. Follow-up was for a mean of 2 years.

Child

Preferential and novel activation of H-ras in human bladder carcinomas.

In a survey of primary human bladder carcinomas from 24 patients, using the NIH/3T3 transfection nude mouse tumor assay, we have detected an activated c-H-ras-1 gene in four cases. Two of these scored negative in primary transfections using a NIH/3T3 focus assay. Oligonucleotide analysis of genomic and enzymatically amplified DNA revealed substitution of valine at codon 12 in DNA from three transfectants and their parental carcinomas, which was absent from the DNA of normal tissue of each of these patients. The fourth activation was identified as a cysteine substitution at codon 13, a novel activation of c-H-ras-1 in a solid tumor sample. Thus, all seven activated ras genes reported in human urothelial tumors (Fujita et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82, 3849-3853, 1985) have been c-H-ras-1 genes, strongly suggesting that this member of the ras gene family is preferentially activated in cells of transitional origin.

Biological Assay

The management of obstructive renal candidiasis in the neonate.

Neonatal renal candidiasis is a rare complication of prematurity associated with a mortality rate of 50%. We describe a patient who was treated by nephrostomy drainage together with the removal of the fungal debris and both systemic and local antifungal therapy. The infection was eradicated and the baby survived with minimal renal morbidity. A rational plan of treatment is presented which may help to reduce the mortality rate in future.

Acute Kidney Injury

Double J stents. A review of 100 patients.

Double J stents have been advocated for drainage or splintage of the ureter. One hundred and thirty-eight attempts at stent insertion were made in 100 patients. In 78% of attempts the stent was satisfactorily placed. Their use in retroperitoneal fibrosis, ureteric trauma and acute hydronephrosis of pregnancy has been encouraging. Poor results have been obtained in patients with malignant obstruction or tuberculous stricture.

Adolescent

The outcome of antenatally diagnosed urological abnormalities.

Twenty-eight patients undergoing routine antenatal screening by ultrasound were found to have a fetus with a major urological abnormality. In addition, two babies suspected of having an enlarged bladder were found post-natally to be normal. Seven of the 28 pregnancies were terminated before 26 weeks' gestation as a result of the ultrasound findings and all these fetuses had lethal renal abnormalities. Of the remaining 21 babies, four died of renal failure following delivery. Fifteen of the 17 babies who are alive and well had an ultrasound scan before 24 weeks' gestation. Only one of these scans revealed the abnormality. In the remaining patients the abnormality was first detected after 28 weeks. No patient had surgery in utero. Our data suggest that renal abnormalities detected prior to 24 weeks' gestation are associated with severe renal impairment. It appears that the role of antenatal drainage procedures may be of limited value.

Female

Monoclonal antibodies raised against cell membrane components of human bladder tumor tissue recognizing subpopulations in normal urothelium.

Monoclonal antibodies to human bladder carcinoma membrane antigens were produced by fusion of MOPC-21 NS/1 mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunized against a crude membrane extract from a metastatic bladder carcinoma. Hybrids were screened for antibody production in a solid-phase radioimmunoassay and selected for their reactivity with subpopulations of urothelial cells on normal bladder tissue sections. Three antibody groups were defined: Group I (4-72-2) was urothelium specific and stained the basal and intermediate cells in normal urothelium; group II (3-48-2, 48-1, and 3-50-3) showed reactivity with intermediate and superficial cells; group III (8-30-3, 77-1, 2-94-2, 3-71-1, and 94-3) was restricted to antigens on the luminal membrane of superficial cells. All antibodies recognized antigenic determinants in fixed paraffin-embedded material and within groups showed a range of staining patterns in other tissues. Studies on sections representing different stages of neoplastic progression showed disruption in the antibody-staining pattern in urothelium and, in all cases, a strong distinct staining of invasive tumor areas and metastatic secondary tumors. Biochemical analysis of the antigens defined at least three antigenic systems, two of which consisted of molecules having Mr of 250,000 and 300,000 as judged by Western blot analysis. Antigenic determinants recognized by some antibodies (3-48-2, 48-1, 3-50-3, 8-30-3, 77-1, and 3-71-1) were shown to be carbohydrate by reactivity with glycolipid fraction and suggest that antibodies within groups recognize different epitopes on the same molecule.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Response to aminoglutethimide and cortisone acetate in advanced prostatic cancer.

Forty patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate were evaluated for response to treatment with aminoglutethimide plus cortisone acetate. All had relapsed from or failed to respond to primary endocrine treatment with orchidectomy or stilboestrol. Nineteen patients (48%) showed subjective response, in most cases relief of bone pain. Side effects limited treatment in only 3 patients. We conclude that aminoglutethimide plus cortisone acetate is a useful addition to the treatment available for this difficult group of patients. The mechanism by which this treatment has a beneficial effect remains unclear.

Adenocarcinoma

Potential value of antisera to epithelial membrane antigen in detecting early invasion in transitional cell carcinoma.

The distribution of epithelial membrane antigen in human transitional epithelium using immunocytochemical techniques was investigated. In normal urothelium the antigen is restricted to the luminal surface and superficial cell cytoplasm. During neoplastic progression cytoplasmic staining of intermediate and basal cells is seen. In certain circumstances staining is seen at the interface between the stroma and tumour. The latter appearance correlates with the presence of invasion as assessed by conventional histology and may help to identify early invasion in difficult cases.

Antigens

Prognostic factors in non-infiltrating carcinoma of the bladder: a preliminary report.

We have reviewed 111 patients with papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, category Ta and T1, admitted between 1975 and 1980. Histological grade and the presence of multiple tumours at presentation were the most useful prognostic features in terms of recurrence and mortality from either locally invasive or metastatic disease.

Adult