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R Dickson

Publications and source records attributed to R Dickson.

68 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Impact of computed tomography on subdural hematoma. A population study.

The Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn) medical record linkage and indexing system was used to examine the impact of computed tomography (CT) on the diagnostic investigation, management, and outcome of all cases of subdural hematoma (SDH) that occurred in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 1965 through 1980. Comparisons were made between an eight-year period prior to the introduction of CT (1965 through 1972) and a similar period after CT became available in this community (1973 through 1980). The advent of CT did not change the treatment, course of the disease, or prognosis of SDH. However, the introduction of CT had a marked effect on the pattern of neurological investigations carried out. This resulted in a 15% reduction in the cost of diagnosing SDH in this community, while the overall cost of health care in the United States rose by 87% during the same period.

Adolescent↗

Spontaneous lymphocyte activity in rheumatoid arthritis in a longitudinal study in relation to gold therapy.

Spontaneous lymphocyte activity has been measured over 24 weeks in rheumatoid arthritis patients who were receiving placebo, auranofin or gold sodium thiomalate (GST). The results suggest a relationship between a fall in lymphocyte activity and clinical improvement on GST. They also show that the patients with most active disease, as determined by the ESR, had normal levels of lymphocyte activity. We suggest that peripheral lymphocyte activity is secondary to immunological stimulation in the joint capsule, and is not directly related to disease activity. We conclude that spontaneous activity is probably an epiphenomenon and not related directly to disease activity or to disease prognosis.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

Characteristics of spontaneously proliferating mononuclear cells in rheumatoid arthritis.

The phenomenon of increased spontaneous incorporation of 3H-thymidine (3H-TdR) into peripheral blood mononuclear cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been investigated. The activity was found to be short lived and affected less than 1% of cells. Using a Percoll density gradient we identified two populations of active cells. RA patients with active synovitis and increased 3H-TdR incorporation in the low density population of cells have higher overall 3H-TdR incorporation than normal controls and patients with inactive RA. The low density cell population is enriched for Ia+ cells. The data are consistent with raised spontaneous 3H-TdR incorporation being due to an in-vivo cell mediated immune response.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

Microinjection of anticlathrin antibodies into fibroblasts does not interfere with the receptor-mediated endocytosis of alpha2-macroglobulin.

Affinity-purified antibodies prepared against the major coat protein of brain coated vesicles, clathrin, were microinjected into cultured fibroblasts, and their intracellular distribution was followed by immunofluorescence microscopy and ultrastructural immunocytochemistry. Microinjected anticlathrin antibodies were concentrated on coated regions of the plasma membrane and the GERL apparatus. When an excess of anticlathrin antibodies was injected into the cytosol, coated pits on the plasma membrane were covered by anticlathrin antibody but still functioned to cluster an internalize alpha2-macroglobulin. These results are discussed in terms of the role of clathrin in the pathway of receptor-mediated endocytosis. Our data indicate that in cultured fibroblasts coated pits are stable elements permanently attached to the plasma membrane.

Animals↗

Occult primary of the head and neck.

This paper reviews clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of 199 cases of metastatic carcinoma of the neck with an occult primary, seen at the Cancer Control Agency of British Columbia from 1950-1975. In 35 patients a primary tumor was ultimately found, with the commonest location the nasopharynx. In a further 46 patients a primary was suspected on a clinical basis only. The other 118 cases remained occult. Therapeutic results of the whole series and individual groups are analyzed. Best survival was found in those in whom a primary source was ultimately demonstrated. Single, small, mobile cervical nodes had the best prognosis. Supraclavicular nodes indicated a poor prognosis and an even greater need to search for an infraclavicular primary. A comparative review of the literature is included.

Adenocarcinoma↗

The predominance of IgG3 and IgM isotype antimitochondrial autoantibodies against recombinant fused mitochondrial polypeptide in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Autoantibodies against inner mitochondrial membrane proteins are a hallmark of primary biliary cirrhosis. Specifically, these antimitochondrial autoantibodies recognize two polypeptides of approximately 70 and 52 kD, respectively. Although the specificity of antimitochondrial autoantibodies has been studied for the past 2 decades, the complementary DNA encoding the major primary biliary cirrhosis-specific 70 kD antigen has only recently been cloned. The availability of the recombinant autoantigen has resulted in the development of a highly sensitive and specific ELISA to detect antimitochondrial autoantibodies and to determine their immunoglobulin isotypes. We report herein that IgG3 is the predominant isotype of antimitochondrial autoantibodies in a group of 74 primary biliary cirrhosis patients. This finding is significant in light of the genomic immunoglobulin in heavy chain gene arrangement. Ninety-three per cent of primary biliary cirrhosis patients possessed IgG3 antimitochondrial autoantibodies with titers of 1:10(3) or higher; 32% of these patients possessed titers of 10(4), 29% at 10(5) and 7% at 10(6). IgM antimitochondrial autoantibodies were next most prevalent; 63% of the patients were positive and 50% of these patients showed titers of 10(3), 43% at 10(4) and 6% at 10(5). Other isotypes were present but in much lower titer and occurrence. Isotypes of antimitochondrial autoantibodies reactive to the 52 kD antigen were also determined using immunoblotting techniques. The predominance of IgG3 and IgM were similarly observed. Finally, the serum immunoglobulin isotype levels of primary biliary cirrhosis patients were compared with healthy normal adults by radial immunodiffusion. Serum IgG3 and IgM were very elevated in primary biliary cirrhosis; with IgG3 at 5.5-fold and IgM at 4.3-fold above normals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Autoantibodies↗