Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Farag

Publications and source records attributed to A Farag.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Sepsis and antithrombin III, prekallikrein, and fibronectin levels in surgical patients.

Antithrombin (AT), prekallikrein (PK), and fibronectin (FN) were measured in the plasma of 400 patients with a variety of disease states seen at Detroit Receiving Hospital from October 1983 through June 1987. The average lowest AT measured in these 400 patients was 69 +/- 19 per cent (SD) (Normal = 75-120%). The average lowest AT level in 152 septic patients (50 +/- 17%) was significantly lower than in the 248 patients without sepsis (79 +/- 22%) (P less than 0.001). The average lowest PK levels measured in 132 patients was 52 +/- 19 (Normal = 80-120%). The average PK level in 64 septic patients (34 +/- 17%) was significantly lower than in 68 who were not septic (69 +/- 21%) (P less than 0.001). The average lowest FN levels measured in 109 patients was 230 +/- 118 mcg/ml (Normal = 200-350 mcg/ml). The average FN level in 47 septic patients (162 +/- 88 mcg/ml) was significantly lower than in the 62 nonseptic patients (285 +/- 138) mcg/ml. AT or PK levels less than 50 per cent or FN levels less than 150 mcg/ml during the first 24 to 48 hours after severe trauma or burns were associated with a development of later sepsis in 90 per cent, 77 per cent, and 70 per cent, respectively. Thus, low or falling levels of AT, PK, and FN may be of great help in predicting sepsis or providing an early diagnosis in critically ill or injured patients.

Antithrombin III↗
PubMed1988

Hemostasis in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

We studied parameters of hemostasis reported to be altered with "pure" preeclampsia in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Plasma fibronectin, antithrombin, and alpha-2 antiplasmin were measured in normal pregnancies (N = 26) and in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia (N = 19), hypertension (N = 11), and chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia (N = 11). Preeclampsia, both pure and superimposed, was associated with high fibronectin (P less than .001), low antithrombin III (P less than .001), and low alpha-2 antiplasmin (P less than .05) levels, suggesting endothelial injury, clotting, and fibrinolysis, respectively. Alpha-2 antiplasmin was increased with chronic hypertension (P less than .001), regardless of whether there was superimposed preeclampsia. Fibronectin appeared to be more closely linked with preeclampsia than antithrombin III or alpha-2 antiplasmin and may prove valuable in detecting preeclampsia when evaluating hypertension in pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Haemostasis and oral contraceptives.

Selected hemostasis parameters were assayed in 131 women ingesting different kinds of oral contraceptives and 36 control women. No differences were noted in the plasma levels of fibrinogen, antithrombin III, prekallikrein, alpha 2 antiplasmin, fibrinopeptide A, platelet factor 4 and beta-thromboglobulin. Protein C and plasminogen levels were significantly higher in pill users (p less than 0.001, p less than 0.01) and fibronectin levels were lower (p less than 0.05). Canonical correlation, performed between clinical parameters and hemostasis data, revealed a negative correlation between antithrombin III levels and family history for thromboembolic diseases. A positive correlation was noted between fibrinogen and fibronectin levels in obese OC users. The data suggest that women taking OCs are not in a state of "hypercoagulability."

Adult↗
PubMed1982

A variant of adrenomyeloneuropathy with hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction and neurologic remission after glucocorticoid replacement therapy.

Adrenomyeloneuropathy is a syndrome comprising spastic paraparesis, polyneuropathy, primary adrenocortical insufficiency and variable hypogonadism. We describe a 32 year old man who presented with contractures, peripheral neuropathy, primary adrenocortical insufficiency adn secondary hypogonadism. Abnormal responses of growth hormone, gonadotropins, prolactin and thyrotropin to provocative stimuli were found, without radiographic evidence of a pituitary or hypothalamic lesion. Almost complete recovery from the neurologic abnormalities occurred with glucocorticoid replacement therapy. The clinical features of this patient support a diagnosis of adrenomyeloneuropathy. The hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction extends the clinical features of this patient support a diagnosis of adrenomyeloneuropathy. The hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction extends the clinical spectrum of this disease. Remission of the paraparesis coincident with glucocorticoid replacement has not been reported previously.

Adrenal Cortex Diseases↗
PubMed1982

Pituitary-adrenocortical function in chronic renal failure: blunted suppression and early escape of plasma cortisol levels after intravenous dexamethasone.

The response to iv dexamehasone was studied in patients with chronic renal failure in whom resistance to suppression of plasma cortisol levels after oral steroid had been reported previously. One milligram of dexamethasone was given iv at 2300 h, and plasma cortisol levels were measured every 20 min between 0500-1000h in patients with renal failure, normal controls, and patients with pituitary-dependent Cushing's syndrome. Normal subjects showed a decrease in mean plasma cortisol levels to less than 3 micrograms/dl; patients with Cushing's syndrome showed no suppression of cortisol secretory activity during the sampling period. In renal failure patients, morning cortisol levels fell to values lower than those achieved when the 1-mg dose was given orally or when the steroid was not given, but did not suppress to the levels seen in normals. Early resumption of cortisol secretion occurred in four of five renal failure patients during the 6-11 h after dexamethasone administration. These studies show that iv dexamethasone is more effective than the oral steroid in suppressing pituitary-adrenocortical activity in renal failure patients. However, the incomplete suppression and early resumption of cortisol secretion which are present in chronic renal failure patients even after iv dexamethasone support the suggestion that they have disordered feedback control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1982

Modulation of pituitary-adrenocortical function: decreased secretory episodes and blunted circadian rhythmicity in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

Twenty-four-hour episodic secretion of cortisol was studied in patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease in order to define how and if feedback inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis had occurred. The patients had prolonged disappearance rates of endogenous cortisol and corticosteroid-binding globulin-binding capacity was low. Multiple sampling (every 20 min) for levels of free and total plasma cortisol was carried out. Mean 24-h total and free plasma cortisol levels were not significantly different from normal, although the mean percentage of free cortisol was high. Cortisol secretion was decreased, as judged by urinary free cortisol values and the percentage of time that secretory activity occurred. Circadian rhythmicity of plasma cortisol levels appeared to be normal, but the amplitude of rhythmicity was decreased. Modulation of cortisol secretion in liver disease patients was shown by fewer secretory peaks and decreased secretory time during 24-hr studies. In the subjects studied, the numbers of secretory episodes and the duration of secretory time correlated positively with levels of corticosteroid-binding globulin and negatively with the half-time of cortisol in plasma. These studies suggest that feed-back inhibition modifies bot the frequency and the amplitude of cortisol secretion in patients with liver disease while the underlying circadian rhythm is preserved.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1981

Glycerine injection and crystal formation in the larynx: a negative study.

Glycerine as a vehicle may be injected alone or with Teflon to reposition a lateral lying paralyzed vocal cord. During the study of a particular patient, crystal formation was observed in laryngeal tissues injected with glycerine. It was hypothesized that glycerine metabolized to oxalic acid crystals via the glyoxylic acid pathway. To confirm this proposition, the gluteus muscle of guinea pigs was injected with glycerine, and at weekly intervals submitted for ordinary and polarized light microscopic examination. The formation of crystals after glycerine injection was not found in the guinea pig. Similarly, no foreign material or crystals were found after centrifuging the stored glycerine.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Comparative study of the effect of atropine, P2AM, and Buscopan. Total belladonna and hyoscyamus alkaloids on parathion poisoning.

Among the available antidotes used against parathion poisoning, atropine and Buscopan are tolerated in relatively high doses by rats. Hyoscine (in very small doses), T. Bel. Alk. and T. Hyosc. Alk. (better results in small doses, also for dogs), P2AM (of superior antimuscarine action) are redommended with each of the preceding drugs than either alone or in combination with Buscopan.

Animals↗