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Biomedical subjects

W I Smith

Publications and source records attributed to W I Smith.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal dysfunction in men using cimetidine.

We studied the effect of cimetidine therapy (1200 mg per day by mouth for nine weeks) on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis of seven men. There was a 43 per cent mean reduction in sperm count after therapy. The luteinizing hormone response to luteinizing hormone releasing factor was also reduced, and a statistically significnat rise in plasma testosterone occurred, although it was less than that before therapy. Gonadotropin responses to provocative clomiphene stimulation were inadequate when compared with those of controls. Cimetidine did not affect the responses of thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin, growth hormone and thyroxine to thyrotropin releasing factor. Caution is advisable in administration of cimetidine for prolonged periods to young men.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Immunopathology of juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus. I. IgA deficiency and juvenile diabetes.

There is an increased prevalence (P less than 0.001) of IgA deficiency in children with juvenile-onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (9/366) but not in adults with insulin-dependent diabetes (0/421). The juvenile diabetics with IgA deficiency have other immune-associated diseases, such as thyroiditis and chronic active hepatitis, and have a history of infections. Four of the nine IgA-deficient diabetics we studied have autoantibodies to endocrine organs. Seven of eight have the HLA-B8, a proportion significantly (P less than 0.05) greater than control populations. Based on the clinical findings of IgA deficiency and multiple autoantibodies in patients with ataxia-telangiectasia and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, diseases associated with thymus deficiency, we suspect that thymus deficiency and autoimmunity may play a role in the pathogenesis of some types of juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus. In addition, an excess morbidity of the IgA-deficient juvenile diabetic population may explain the lack of IgA deficiency in older insulin-dependent diabetic individuals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-induced growth hormone (hGH) responses in cirrhotic men.

The plasma growth hormone (hGH) responses to an intravenous challenge of 400 micrograms of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) were evaluated in 14 normal controls and in 29 chronic alcoholic men. The normal controls had either a minimal or no hGH response to TRH, having basal hGH levels of 0.9 +/- 0.2 ng per ml and peak hGH levels of 2.0 +/- 0.5 ng per ml. In contrast, the chronic alcoholic men had a basal hGH level of 2.8 +/- 0.4 ng per ml, 3 times the basal level of the normal controls (P less than 0.01). The peak hGH response of the alcoholic men was 7.4 +/- 1.5 ng per ml (P less than 0.01). The 29 alcoholic men could be divided into two groups based upon the presence or absence of cirrhosis as determined by liver biopsy. The 16 alcoholic men with cirrhosis had greater basal hGH levels (3.5 +/- 0.6 ng per ml) and peak hGH levels (9.5 +/- 2.3 ng per ml) than did the 13 alcoholic men without cirrhosis (basal hGH 2.1 +/- 0.6 ng per ml, peak hGH 4.9 +/- 1.5 ng/ml). Plasma estradiol levels were similar in the normal controls and in the alcoholic men. In contrast, plasma estrone was greater in the alcoholic men (32.2 +/- 3.5 pg per ml) than in the normal controls (18.9 +/- 1.8 pg per ml) (P less than 0.05). However, when the plasma estrone levels of alcoholic men with cirrhosis were compared to those of the alcoholic men without cirrhosis no difference existed. Thus it is difficult to ascribe the increased hGH responses of the cirrhotic alcoholic men when compared to those of the noncirrhotic alcoholic men as being a result of increased basal estrogen levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Hairy cell leukaemia: seven cases with probable B-lymphocytic origin.

Mononuclear cells from seven patients with hairy cells leukaemia were examined for features suggestive of either a lymphocytic or monocytic origin. Immunofluorescent staining of both methanol fixed and incubated cells, using monospecific antisera, revealed a predominant cell-associated immunoglobulin in each case. Three were positive for mu and kappa chains, two for gamma and kappa chains, one for delta and kappa chain determinants and one reacted only with antigamma chain serum. Formation of EAC rosettes, a feature of both B lymphocytes and monocytes, was variable. T cells, as judged by E rosettes, were not elevated in any patient. Phytohaemagglutinin reactivity was normal in six and depressed in one case. With the exception of minimal activity in assays for glass adherence and latex particle phagocytosis, none of the cells showed features typical of monocytes. Hairy cells were negative by peroxidase stain and lacked the electron microscopic characteristics of monocytes. They did not react in either rosette or phagocytic assays with anti-A or anti-D coated erythrocytes nor did they elaborate granulocyte colony stimulating factor, a monocyte-derived in vitro granulopoietin. Although unequivocal classification of these abnormal cells is not possible, the data storngly suggests that this represents a variant of a B lymphocytic neoplasm.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

A syndrome of immunoglobulin A deficiency, diabetes mellitus, malabsorption, a common HLA haplotype. Immunologic and genetic studies of forty-three family members.

Three persons in a kindred of 43 had variable expression of a syndrome consisting of immunoglobulin A deficiency, diabetes mellitus, malabsorption, and a common HLA haplotype. Findings from the proband included life-threatening malabsorption; idiopathic intestinal mucosal atrophy with infalmmation; IgA deficiency and antibodies to multiple endocrine organs; insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; and the major histocomptability antigens HLA-A2, B8, and DW3. In addition to the described syndrome other conditions present in the family include Graves' disease, vitiligo, hypocomplementemia, rheumatic fever, multiple sclerosis, and a high frequency of antibodies to endocrine tissue. Since Graves' disease, diabetes mellitus, and idiopathic Addison's disease have all been described in association with HLS-B8 and DW3, we believe that the occurrence of these diseases in this family suggests that a single immune response gene or gene complex is linked with HLA-B8 and DW3.

Addison Disease↗
PubMed1975

Lymphocyte plasma membranes. III. Composition of lymphocyte plasma membranes from normal and immunized rats.

Isolated plasma membranes of thymic and splenic lymphocytes from unimmunized and immunized rats of the inbred ACI and F344 strains were analyzed for chemical and enzymatic composition, for membrane protein patterns by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and for membrane-associated immunoglobulins. After immunization, the thymic and splenic lymphocyte membranes from F344 rat contained less carbohydrate and higher phospholipid contents than control animals. In both ACI and F344 inbred rat strains the membrane phospholipid to cholesterol weight ratio increased significantly after immunization. The electrophoretic patterns of solubilized membrane proteins and of iodinated external membrane proteins were similar in unimmunized and immunized animals. When thymic and splenic lymphocytes of normal or immunized animals were surface radioidinated, solubilized in Triton X-100, NP-40 or 10 M urea in 1.5 M acetic acid and analyzed by immunoprecipitation, labeled IgM immunoglobulin was recovered from thymic lymphocytes but both labeled IgG and IgM were recovered from splenic lymphocytes. However, when unlabeled isolated plasma membranes were solubilized in 1 percent Triton X-100 and analyzed by immunodiffusion in agarose gels both IgG and IgM were identified in thymic and splenic cells.

Animals↗