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Biomedical subjects

A Goldberg

Publications and source records attributed to A Goldberg.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

The contribution of drinking water lead to maternal blood lead concentrations.

The association between domestic water lead concentrations and blood lead concentrations has been examined in 232 mothers at delivery. The blood lead was found to vary significantly with the cube root of the water lead. This association was stronger for first flush water lead rather than for running water lead. This study emphasises the danger to mothers and to their children of environmental lead over-exposure in areas of soft acid plumbosolvent water.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Haematin therapy and leucocyte delta-aminolevulinic-acid-synthase activity in prolonged attack of acute porphyria.

The activity of leucocyte delta-aminolaevulinic-acid (A.L.A.) synthase was monitored throughout a prolonged attack of acute intermittent porphyria in a 29-year-old women. Clinical severity was associated with a pronounced increase in activity of this enzyme and high urinary excretion of A.L.A. Haematin therapy resulted in clinical improvement associated with a reduction in the activity of A.L.A. synthase and reduction in urinary excretion of A.L.A.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗
PubMed1979

Correlation of ethanol concentrations in blood and saliva.

1. The concentrations of ethanol in blood, mixed saliva obtained before and after rinsing and drying the mouth and parotid saliva have been monitored in 12 healthy subjects after the ingestion of alcohol. 2. A highly significant linear correlation was found between blood and the three types of saliva examined from 20 min after completion of drinking. 3. Blood and mixed saliva samples were obtained from 20 patients attending the Casualty Department with evidence of ethanol intoxication. A similar correlation was obtained. 4. These results show that salivary ethanol may be used as an index of blood ethanol concentrations, provided that the salivary sample is not obtained within 20 min of the ingestion of alcohol.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

The porphyrias.

The heterogeneous group of diseases called the porphyrias may all be characterised by derangement of specific stages in the haem biosynthetic pathway. In the acute porphyrias; acute intermittent porphyria, urophorphyrinogen 1 synthase, hereditary coproporphyria, coproporphyrinogen oxidase and variegate porphyria, ferrochelatase or protoporphyrinogen oxidase, are the enzymes affected, whilst in the non acute porphyrias, cutaneous hepatic porphyria, uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, congenital porphyria, uroporphyrinogen cosynthase; and erythropoietic protoporphyria; ferrochelatase are the enzymes affected. In each of the porphyrias, the activity of the initial and rate controlling enzyme of the pathway, delta-aminolaevulinic acid synthase is raised which constitutes the principal control point of the pathway. Secondary control in each of these diseases lies at the leve of uroporphyrinogen 1 synthase. As a consequence of this secondary control, there is excessive excretion of the porphyrin precursors delta-aminolaevulinic acid and porphobilinogen in the acute porphyrias and excessive excretion of porphyrins leading to solar photosensitivity in the non-acute porphyrias and in variegate and hereditary coproporphyria. There are a number of secondary metabolic aspects in the porphyrias, such as the role of steroid metabolism; the influence of drugs in the potentiation of attacks; and the potential for the pathway to branch at stages prior to porphyrin formation which result in the synthesis of various monopyrroles. The therapy of the two groups of porphyrias are quite different. Prophylaxis is important in both types but is particularly important in the avoidance of various drugs in the acute porphyrias. The acute attack may be specifically treated with carbohydrates, beta-blockers and haematin. Cutaneous hepatic porphyria may be treated by venesection, erythropoietic protoporphyria with beta caratene whilst congenital porphyria may be improved by splenectomy and chloroquine therapy.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗
PubMed1979

Haem biosynthesis in cutaneous hepatic porphyria: comparison with alcoholism and liver disease.

The enzymes of haem biosynthesis have been measured in the peripheral blood of 13 patients with cutaneous hepatic porphyria. The activity of leucocyte delta-aminolaevulinic acid synthase was significantly elevated (p less than 0.001) as was that of erythrocyte porphobilinogen deaminase (p less than 0.05). Leucocyte ferrochelatase activity was depressed (p less than 0.001) and the activity of erythrocyte uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase did not significantly differ from control values. Similar enzyme activities were assayed in 12 chronic alcoholics and 8 patients with liver disease and the results differed markedly from those obtained from the porphyric patients. It is unlikely that the raised leucocyte delta-amino-laevulinic acid synthase activity can be attributed to alcohol ingestion or liver disease. A defect in the activity of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase may exist in cutaneous hepatic porphyria but this could not be demonstrated in erythrocytes in this study.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗
PubMed1978

The association between lead concentrations in teeth and domestic water lead concentrations.

Tooth lead levels have been measured in 109 children living in Glasgow. A significant association has been demonstrated between molar tooth lead concentrations and domestic drinking water lead concentrations. Tooth lead concentrations were found to be greater the longer a child had liver in older housing with lead plumbing during foetal life and following birth. Tooth lead concentrations were also found to be age-related although no difference with respect to social class could be found.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Protein binding of salicylate in cutaneous hepatic porphyria.

(1) Plasma protein binding of salicylate was studied in 14 patients with cutaneous hepatic porphyria (CHP) and 11 normal subjects using ultrafiltration with centrifugation (membrane cones) and continuous ultrafiltrations. (2) Albumin and haemoglobin levels were significantly reduced in patients with CHP, and salicylate binding by ultrafiltration/centrifugation was 65% compared with 84% in normal subjects. (3) Plasma porphyrin levels were raised, but did not correlate with salicylate binding, and protoporphyrin or uroporphyrin added to plasma did not alter the amount of drug bound. (4) Palmitate added to plasma reduced salicylate binding by 9 to 20% but a crossover of patient and normal plasma proteins and ultrafiltrates confirmed that no other ultrafiltrable metabolites present in patient plasma appeared to cause decreased binding. (5) Scatchard plots obtained by continuous ultrafiltration for normal and patient plasma showed a reduction in the number of primary and secondary binding sites and an increase in the intrinsic association constants for both these sites. (6) It was concluded that the decreased salicylate binding in CHP was due to a reduced albumin concentration and altered salicylate albumin interaction.

Blood Proteins↗
PubMed1978

Troponin-like proteins from muscles of the scallop, Aequipecten irradians.

Ca2+ regulation of molluscan actomyosin adenosine triphosphatase is known to be associated with the myosin molecule. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, however, also suggests the possible presence of troponin, a thin-filament-linked Ca2+-regulatory complex. In the present study, scallop troponin and tropomyosin were prepared and complexed with rabbit actin; the resulting synthetic thin filaments form a Ca2+-dependent actomyosin adenosine triphosphatase with Ca2+-insensitive rabbit myosin, indicating that the troponin in scallops is potentially functional. Scallop troponin I was isolated and mixed with chicken troponin C and troponin T, forming a functional hybrid troponin complex, indicating that scallop and vertebrate troponins may act by a common mechanism. Densitometry of sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gels reveals that in synthetic thin filaments there are larger amounts of troponin than are present in native thin filaments. Amounts present in the intact muscle were not determined.

Actins↗
PubMed1978

Delta-aminolaevulinic acid metabolism in normal and lead-exposed humans.

The activity of the haem biosynthetic enzymes delta-aminolaevulinic acid synthetase (ALA.S) and delta-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA.D) were measured in the peripheral blood of a group of lead workers and control subjects. The haem precursor delta-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) was measured in blood and urine, whilst lead levels were measured in whole blood. The inter-relationships between all these parameters were examined and quantified. The results demonstrate that above a blood lead concentration of 2 mumole/l and below an erythrocyte ALA.D activity of 18 nmole ALA utlized/min/ml red blood cells (R.B.C.), Haem synthesis is depressed to such an extent that the activity of leucocyte ALA.S, the rate-limiting enzyme of haem biosynthesis, is increased by negative feedback.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗