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T Holland

Publications and source records attributed to T Holland.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

The importance of hypertension in the aetiology of infarctive and haemorrhagic stroke. The Lower Hunter Stroke Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the importance of hypertension in the aetiology of infarctive and haemorrhagic stroke in persons aged 35-69 years. DESIGN: A population-based case-control study. SETTING: Lower Hunter Region community. SUBJECTS: One hundred and ninety patients with a first stroke were identified from a register, including all hospital admissions and death certificates in the Region, and compared with 496 control subjects obtained from a random population sample of the same community. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: First event of stroke (fatal or non-fatal). RESULTS: Twenty-seven per cent of those with a haemorrhagic stroke, compared with 2% of those with infarctive stroke, died before hospital admission; the in-hospital mortality was 15% and 9%, respectively. Twenty-one per cent of control subjects, compared with 51% of those with stroke, were currently receiving treatment for hypertension. By logistic regression analysis the odds ratio for receiving current treatment for hypertension in those with haemorrhagic stroke was 5.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.36-12.8), compared with 2.53 (95% CI, 1.48-4.34) in those with infarctive stroke. Other differences between haemorrhagic and infarctive stroke included no excess risk in men for haemorrhagic stroke but an odds ratio of 3.51 (95% CI, 1.83-6.74) for infarctive stroke; and a steep risk gradient for obesity in haemorrhagic but not in infarctive stroke. Cigarette smoking carried a non-significant odds ratio of around 1.5, with no difference between stroke type. Among those who had ever been told that they had hypertension, 75% and 71% of patients with infarctive stroke and haemorrhagic stroke, respectively, and 61% of control subjects, were currently receiving treatment for hypertension. In those stroke patients who were currently being treated for hypertension, 63% had a pre-admission diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or more. The mean diastolic blood pressure levels on admission were 10 mmHg higher than the latest recorded pre-hospital measurements and fell to 10 mmHg lower than the levels recorded before hospital admission by the time of discharge. CONCLUSION: Hypertension is important in the aetiology of both infarctive and haemorrhagic strokes, although it may be more important in haemorrhagic stroke, and there appear to be other aetiological differences between stroke types. Most of the patients with a history of hypertension were currently receiving treatment for hypertension, although blood pressure control before admission was not optimal.

Adult

A recent decrease in the time to development of monomorphous and polymorphous posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder.

We have noted a decrease in the time to development of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) over the last two and one-half years in our multiorgan transplant program. From February 1965 until December 1990, 1622 transplants were performed including 1489 kidneys (KTxp), 87 livers (LTxp), and 46 pancreata. Between February 1965 and July 1988 (group 1), there were 1260 transplants performed and nine cases of either monomorphous PTLD (M-PTLD, n = 8) or polymorphous PTLD (P-PTLD, n = 1) were diagnosed. The mean time to development of PTLD was 163 +/- 128 weeks, all after KTxp. Five of these nine patients received haploidentical living-related grafts. All patients had presented with advanced disease, none had transplant nephrectomy, and all died of their disease. Between July 1988 and December 1990 (group 2), 362 transplants were performed, and four cases of M-PTLD and three cases of P-PTLD were recognized. Of the seven cases of PTLD in group 2, six developed within 90 days posttransplant (early PTLD). The mean time to development of PTLD was 11 +/- 16 weeks. This was significantly earlier than group 1 (P less than .01). Four of the five cases after KTxp had a 1 or 2 DR-matched donor. Five of these seven patients had serological evidence of recent Epstein-Barr Virus infection, and four of these five had received OKT3 and then developed early PTLD. In group 2, three patients are alive 7-15 months after KTxp nephrectomy, the remaining four have died. We hypothesize that risk factors for the development of PTLD may include heavy immunosuppression, including the use of OKT3, good DR matching, and active EBV infection. Treatment should include graft removal, if applicable, and reduction or cessation of immuno-suppression.

Herpesvirus 4, Human

Normocalcemia thirteen years after successful parathyroid allografting in a recipient of a renal transplant.

Two months after receiving a cadaveric renal allograft, a 36-year-old woman received a parathyroid allograft from a living unrelated donor, who was haploidentical to the renal donor. Her preoperative 24-hour urinary excretion of calcium was 0.18 gm/24 hrs, and after operation it decreased to 0.004 gm/24 hrs, (normal, less than 0.20 gm/24 hrs). The C-terminal parathyroid hormone level increased from 155 pg/ml (normal, 275 to 675 pg/ml) to 327 pg/ml after operation. The N-terminal parathyroid hormone level in her grafted arm has varied between 2.5 to 10 times the level in her nongrafted arm. Thirteen years later, both allografts are functioning normally. To our knowledge, this is the longest functioning parathyroid allograft.

Calcium

Adrenal suppression and steroid supplementation in renal transplant recipients.

The use of increased dosages of glucocorticoids during periods of physiologic stress in allograft recipients represents a clinical dilemma in that the short-term exogenous therapy required may significantly impair wound healing and immunocompetence. To investigate whether "stress steroids" are actually necessary, a prospective study was conducted in 40 renal allograft recipients admitted with significant physiologic stress. Stress categories included sepsis, metabolic abnormalities, and surgery. These patients received only their baseline prednisone immunosuppression (5-10 mg/day) and no supraphysiologic or stress doses of glucocorticoids. The clinical course of the patients revealed no evidence of adrenal insufficiency. There was no mortality, increase in hospital stay, or eosinophilia. Five episodes of hyponatremia and seven instances of hypotension were attributed to primary disease processes and responded promptly to specific treatment without steroid supplementation. Biochemical evaluation during stress revealed suppression of ACTH levels in 74.5% of episodes, elevation of urinary free cortisol levels in 79.1% of episodes, and elevation of isolated serum cortisol levels in 55.9% of episodes. This suggested that these patients had physiologically adequate adrenal function. The cosyntropin stimulation test overestimated the incidence and degree of clinically significant adrenal dysfunction (63% of patients) and was not a useful indication of a requirement for additional glucocorticoids. We conclude that functional adrenal suppression is uncommon in renal allograft recipients receiving baseline prednisone immunosuppression (5-10 mg/day) and that the demands of physiologic stress are met by a combination of endogenous adrenal function plus exogenous, baseline, immunosuppressive doses of glucocorticoids. Supra-physiologic or high doses of so-called "stress steroids" are not required. The cosyntropin stimulation test has significant clinical limitations and did not serve to alter clinical care.

Adrenal Glands

A balanced chromosomal translocation partially co-segregating with psychotic illness in a family.

Psychotic illness was associated with an apparently balanced 6;11 chromosomal translocation in a three-generation family. The mother and son carrying the translocation suffer from a chronic psychotic illness, a daughter who was a translocation carrier committed suicide, and her twin daughters who both carry the translocation have not yet reached the age of risk for developing this psychiatric illness, although one has attempted suicide. Two older members of the family have the translocation and have never suffered from a psychiatric disorder. The pattern of dominant inheritance of the psychotic illness only occurring in individuals carrying the translocation suggests that there may be a major genetic component in the etiology of the psychosis in this family. Genes at the chromosomal break points may be candidate genes implicated in this particular form of psychotic illness.

Adult