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Biomedical subjects

A C McCartney

Publications and source records attributed to A C McCartney.

106 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Fuchs' heterochromic cyclitis: an electron microscopy study.

Electron microscopy and computerised image analysis of iris biopsies in five cases of Fuchs' heterochromic cyclitis showed that depigmentation was due to significant reduction in deep stromal melanocyte numbers and a decrease in melanosomal size, in the presence of more mast cells and an infiltrate of plasma cells and lymphocytes. Anterior border cells appeared sparse and their melanosomes showed similar differences when compared to five normally pigmented controls. Pigment epithelium melanosomes did not alter in size.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Bacteriological study of renal calculi.

The pre-operative urine, pelvic urine, removed calculi and calculus washings were examined bacteriologically in 24 patients undergoing removal of intrarenal calculi. Four of seven patients with struvite calculi had an infected pre-operative midstream urine specimen and six of the seven removed calculi demonstrated significant bacterial growth. Proteus mirabilis was the commonest organism isolated. Of 17 patients with oxalate calculi only one had an infected pre-operative urine culture, but in four cases the removed stones were infected. Quantitative bacteriological culture of the stones and their washings demonstrated that infection is within the stone itself. Pre-operative urine culture failed to predict infection within the stone in 60% of patients with infected stones. The results suggest that the presence of infected urine together with the presence of renal calculus is indication for removal of the calculus.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

A sensitive chromogenic Limulus amoebocyte lysate micro-assay for detection of endotoxin in human plasma and in water.

This chromogenic endotoxin assay involves a 45 min incubation of plasma extract or water with a mixture of Limulus amoebocyte lysate and the chromogenic substrate S-2423. Absorbance is measured in micro-titre plates. The assay allows the detection of 0.2 pg endotoxin per ml in water (0.002 Endotoxin Units/ml) and 1 pg endotoxin per ml in plasma (0.012 Endotoxin Units/ml). The intra-assay coefficient of variation is less than 5%.

Aniline Compounds↗
PubMed1985

The effect of spironolactone on hirsutism and female androgen metabolism.

An objective evaluation of the anti-androgen effects of spironolactone was performed in a consecutive series of 12 hirsute patients receiving a daily dose of 150 mg; nine completed the study. Using a computer assisted image analyser, hair diameter on two weekly shavings decreased significantly over a 12 month period in three of the patients, although growth rate and mean diameter did not change in the group as a whole. Plasma testosterone fell significantly to a mean of 53% of basal levels. The mean free testosterone (derived) fell significantly to 64% of basal by the sixth month (P = less than 0.005) and remained significantly depressed the remainder of the study. There was subjective benefit in hair growth and greasiness and a significant reduction in the semi-objective Ferriman-Gallwey index in nine of 10 subjects assessed for at least 9 months. We conclude that although spironolactone was not consistently successful, it may represent effective therapy for a sub group of patients with hirsutism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Type IV melanosomes of the human albino iris.

Electron microscopy of an iris biopsy specimen from a clinically tyrosinase-negative human albino demonstrated type IV mature melanosomes. Possible mechanisms for the formation in this condition of these organelles, which have not previously been described at this site, are discussed.

Albinism↗
PubMed1984

Significance of the 'maturation' of metastases from germ cell tumours after intensive chemotherapy.

A comparison between primary and metastatic germ cell tumours from 38 male patients showed that 19 of 24 metastases with residual differentiated teratoma after adequate therapy came from tumours with teratoma as a component of the primary. The correlation between the presence of teratoma in the primary and the metastases is statistically significant (P less than 0.01) and supports the view that the so called 'maturation' of germ cell tumours is due to selective destruction of anaplastic components in tumours which have already shown an inherent capacity for differentiation. Elevation of the serum concentrations of HCG and AFP on presentation with disseminated disease was significantly related to the presence of morphologically identifiable trophoblast and yolk sac elements respectively in the primary tumours (P less than 0.001). Histological identification and specific mention of teratomatous, trophoblastic and yolk sac elements in reporting germ cell tumours is therefore useful since their presence in the primary correlates with the morphology in the metastases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Endotoxaemia in septic shock: clinical and post mortem correlations.

The Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay was used as one of a series of laboratory and clinical investigations on a group of 31 patients suffering from septic shock in order to assess the clinical significance of this assay for the detection of circulating endotoxin in clinical gram-negative sepsis. Four patients with cardiogenic shock served as controls. Endotoxin was detected in the bloodstream of all patients with septic shock during the 24 h following referral and was not detected in the control patients. Eventual clinical recovery was associated with the disappearance of endotoxin from the peripheral blood. Blood cultures were unhelpful as a prognostic indicator in these critically ill patients. A quantitative assay of endotoxin in blood may allow a more precise relationship with the clinical manifestations of major sepsis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Endotoxaemia and complement activation in acute pancreatitis in man.

Twenty-four patients who experienced 26 attacks of acute pancreatitis were studied. Endotoxaemia, as measured by the limulus lysate assay, was present in 13 of the attacks. Six out of seven patients with systemic complications of the disease had endotoxaemia. C3 catabolism was increased in all 26 attacks of pancreatitis, and a falling level of C3 during attacks of severe pancreatitis was associated with a fatal outcome. There was statistical evidence of more complement activation in serum samples taken when patients had positive limulus lysate tests than when endotoxin was not detected in their blood.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1980

The appearance of endotoxin following urethral instrumentation.

The Limulus amoebocyte lysate test was used to detect the presence of endotoxin in the venous blood of 10 patients following urethral instrumentation. The test was negative in all patients before instrumentation, became positive in 9 immediately after instrumentation and in 1 30 min after instrumentation. In 6 patients endotoxin reappeared between 1.5 h and 4.5 h after instrumentation. All blood samples, cultured aerobically and anaerobically, were sterile. Escherichia coli were cultured from one midstream specimen of urine and from one urethral swab in the same patient taken before instrumentation. There were no significant changes in either pulse rate or axillary temperature following instrumentation.

Aged↗
PubMed1977

Effect immunization with highly purified alpha- and beta-toxins on staphylococcal mastitis in rabbits.

Experiments were carried out to determine whether immunization of female rabbits with highly purified staphylococcal alpha- or beta-toxins would protect them against intramammary challenge with staphylococci. High circulating anti-alpha-toxin titers reduced the lethal hemorrhagic edematous form of the disease ("blue-breast") produced by strains BB and Compton 201 to a localized chronic abscess form. No such protection was afforded by high anti-beta-toxin titers. Immunization with alpha- or beta-toxins produced no change in the clinical picture of the disease produced by CN.6708, a strain of Staphylococcus responsible for a natural outbreak of abscess-type rabbit mastitis. From these experiments it would appear that alpha-toxin is a key antigen in the blue-breast form of rabbit mastitis. Since the abscess form of the disease was not prevented by immunization with either alpha- or beta-toxin, other virulence factors must be acting to produce this more localized disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Effects of staphylococcal products on locomotion and chemotaxis of human blood neutrophils and monocytes.

The effects of staphylococcal products as chemo-attractants for human blood neutrophils and monocytes and as inhibitors of locomotion of these cells were studied with bacterial cells, culture filtrates and isoelectrically focused fractions from culture filtrates of nine strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Little direct chemotactic activity of staphylococcal products for neutrophils was observed, although a chloroform-soluble extract of the whole organisms contained such activity. The major chemotactic effect of staphylococci for neutrophils was indirect, i.e., generated when the organisms or their products were incubated with plasma, perhaps due to activation of complement. In contrast, direct chemotactic activity for monocytes was found in a large number of staphylococcal fractions. Staphylococci also produced inhibitors of locomotion of both neutrophils and monocytes. Isoelectric focusing showed more fractions inhibitory for neutrophils than for monocytes. Some of the inhibitors could be identified. Staphylococcal alpha-toxin inhibited migration of both neutrophils and monocytes. Sphingomyelinase C (beta toxin) inhibited migration of monocytes but not of neutrophils. Leucocidin-rich strains were strongly active as inhibitors of neutrophil locomotion but less so as inhibitors of monocyte locomotion.

Cell Migration Inhibition↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Familial malignant melanoma of the uvea and p53: a Victorian detective story.

In 1905, Parsons first described a family with a history of four generations with uveal melanoma associated with breast cancer. The family history has now been brought up to date using genealogical sources to determine the origin of this family which was traced to the East End of London in the early 19th century. In addition, immunohistochemical investigations have showed mutant p53, a tumor suppressor gene, in museum specimens of uveal melanoma after 150 years. This family probably represents the earliest example of the Li-Fraumeni syndrome on record.

Adult↗