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Biomedical subjects

T Watts

Publications and source records attributed to T Watts.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Metronidazole: a double-blind trial in untreated human periodontal disease.

The effect of metronidazole was assessed in 20 subjects with untreated periodontitis, in a double-blind trial. Subjects received a 1-week course of drug or placebo immediately after baseline examination, and were reassessed 1 month and 3 months later. A 0.25 N constant force probe and darkfield microscopy were used. At 1 month, a difference was observed between the deepest individual pockets in experimental and control groups, with regard to change in probing depth and the proportions of non-motile organisms. At 3 months, differences were observed in 1-3 mm baseline pockets, where a greater proportion of control pockets increased in probing depth, and in 4-6 mm pockets, where a greater proportion of baseline bleeding pockets had ceased to bleed in the experimental group. The differences were of limited clinical significance when compared to studies where metronidazole was used as an adjunct to other therapy, and the results were equivocal with regard to the specific plaque hypothesis, since inhibition of connective tissue attachment loss was not unambiguously demonstrable.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Biochemical phenotype of 5-fluorouracil-resistant murine T-lymphoblasts with genetically altered CTP synthetase activity.

From wild type mouse lymphoma cells, a clone, (FURT-1A), was isolated by virtue of its resistance to 1 microM 5-fluorouracil and 10 microM thymidine. In comparative growth rate experiments, FURT-1A cells were also less sensitive than parental cells to the growth inhibitory effects of thymidine, deoxyguanosine, 5-fluorouridine, and arabinosylcytosine. The altered growth sensitivity of FURT-1A cells to cytotoxic nucleosides was directly related to their decreased ability to accumulate the corresponding triphosphate from exogenous nucleoside. FURT-1A cells contained elevated cytidylate nucleotide pools which prevented normal growth sensitivity and interfered with the salvage of nucleosides by inhibiting nucleoside kinase activities, by stimulating nucleotide dephosphorylating activities, and by overcoming certain allosteric inhibitions imposed on ribonucleotide reductase. Metabolic flux experiments with [3H]uridine in situ indicated that FURT-1A cells had a 2-fold enhanced rate of conversion of UTP to CTP. Kinetic analyses indicated that the CTP synthetase activity in extracts of FURT-1A cells was refractory to inhibition by CTP. The genetic loss of normal allosteric inhibition of the CTP synthetase activity in FURT-1A cells could account for the unusual phenotypic properties of these cells and conferred a high spontaneous mutator phenotype to cells possessing this mutation.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Genetic studies on the role of the nucleoside transport function in nucleoside efflux, the inosine cycle, and purine biosynthesis.

A mutant clone (AU-100) which is 90% deficient in adenylosuccinate synthetase activity was characterized from wild-type murine S49 T-lymphoma cells. This AU-100 cell line and its hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase-deficient derivative, AUTG-50B, overproduce purines severalfold and excrete massive amounts of inosine into the culture medium (Ullman et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79:5127-5131, 1982). We introduced a mutation into both of these cell lines which make them incapable of taking up nucleosides from the culture medium. The genetic deficiency in nucleoside transport prevents the adenylosuccinate synthetase-deficient AU-100 cells from excreting inosine. Because of an extremely efficient intracellular inosine salvage system, the nucleoside transport-deficient AU-100 cells also no longer overproduce purines. AUTG-50B cells which have been made genetically deficient in nucleoside transport still overproduce purines but excrete hypoxanthine rather than inosine. These studies demonstrate genetically that nucleoside transport and nucleoside efflux share a common component and that nucleoside transport has an important regulatory function which profoundly affects the rates of purine biosynthesis and purine salvage.

Adenylosuccinate Synthase↗
PubMed1982

A case-control study of stillbirths at a teaching hospital in Zambia, 1979-80: antenatal factors.

A total of 266 mothers of stillborn babies (cases) and 266 mothers of live-born babies (controls), matched for parity, were studied in an attempt to define the causes of the stillbirths. Altogether, 16% of mothers in the former group were over 35 years old, compared with 9% in the latter; in addition, 16% of cases had a history of past perinatal death, compared with only 2.4% among the controls.Mothers of stillborn babies had fewer attendances at the antenatal clinic and a longer interval between the last visit and delivery, compared with the control group; 8% of the former group had no antenatal care. Only 47% of mothers had a Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test reported before delivery. The VDRL test was positive in 34% of the cases tested and in 7% of controls.Of the 266 stillborn infants, 56% were of low birth weight; 12% of the 170 macerated stillbirths were associated with intrapartum problems that may have contributed to death, compared with 46% of the 96 fresh stillbirths. Prolonged labour and prolapsed cord were the commonest intrapartum factors associated with death. The most common antepartum factors were a positive VDRL test, abruptio placentae, and a history of illness. A total of 5% of the stillborn infants had some congenital abnormality. No cause of death could be identified in 13.5% of these infants, the majority of whom were of low birth weight.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Initial management of pulmonary tuberculosis in Lusaka, 1976.

The records of 395 patients diagnosed in the Lusaka UTH as having pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in 1976 were examined. A total of 4,308 patient days were spent by 319 TB patients on treatment at UTH: average 12 beds a day. Thirty (8%) absconded from the UTH: 80% were later transferred to Kabwe or Kafue Gorge. Initial diagnosis was made by smear only in 71% of cases; the known resistance rate in Zambia is about 25%. Treatment was variable: 86% were started on streptomycin and thiazine, about 50% of sputum-negative cases on triple regimes, and old cases were also sometimes restarted on streptomycin and thiazine. Ways of advancing TB control in Lusaka were suggested.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Do mosquitoes breed in maiza plant axils?

One thousand five hundred and seven tasselled maize plants in Lusaka and 96 in a rural village where mosquitoes were plentiful, have been surveyed. About 28% of plants contained water mainly around developing cobs. No mosquito larvae were found. It is concluded that maize slashing as part of the programme for malaria control is unjustified.

Breeding↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tuberculosis disease in three populations in Zambia.

Of 3010 people from three areas in Zambia who had tuberculin tests performed, 24% of adults and 9% of children complained of chronic coughs. The tuberculosis prevalence rate in people over 9 based on finding typical mycobacteria in the sputum was 5.32 per thousand, and in children (based on large tuberculin reactions) 5.60 per thousand. All but one of the adults complained of chronic cough. The significance of 5 a typical mycobacteria isolated is uncertain.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tuberculosis infection and disease in Zambia. A tuberculin survey in three areas in Zambia.

A total of 3010 people from 3 areas of Zambia, - Lusaka Prison, Nakambala Sugar Estate and Kaande and Mabumbu in the Western Province; were given a tuberculin test of 1Tu. Only 82% returned for reading of the tuberculin reaction. The contribution of BCG to the reaction size is discussed. The tuberculosis infection rate increased from 6% in the 0-4 age group to 65% in those over 30 years being greater in men than in women.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A pilot study of elderly people in an urban township in Lusaka.

A random sample of 20 sections in Justin Kabwe ward was made. It was possible only to visit the houses in twelve of these sections. There were 1,586 people in 203 houses surveyed in these sections, giving an average of 7.8 people per house. Thirty people (1.9%) aged 55 years or older were identified and were the subjects of a more detailed survey. Twenty-two of these subjects had been in Lusaka for over 10 years and had come looking for work or with their husbands. There were active links with the rural areas in only 10 cases. Only three elderly people paid a rent, the remainder either being householder or living with their children. Half of the respondents had no animal protein on the previous day and four people had only had a single meal. All but one woman had various occupations either with regular employment, selling in the market or household responsibilities. Alcohol and tobacco consumption did not appear to be a problem. The main health problem was a raised blood pressure in half those examined, although a diastolic blood pressure of over 100mms of mercury was only present in 4 (14%). A further survey needs to be done on the nutritional state of the elderly, their blood pressure, and their economic situation.

Age Factors↗