FK 506 used as rescue therapy for human liver allograft recipients.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Jain.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A study was undertaken to determine the adverse foetal outcome in antichlamydial IgM positive asymptomatic pregnant females. An indirect immunoperoxidase assay was done to detect IgM in 78 apparently normal asymptomatic pregnant women during the third trimester and follow up was done till delivery to study the effect of chlamydial infection on foetal outcome. A total of 28 (35.9%) women were positive for antichlamydial IgM while only 3.33 per cent asymptomatic non-pregnant normal women (controls) were positive. 28.7 per cent IgM positive mothers delivered low birth weight (LBW) babies (P less than 0.05), 9.7 per cent had premature labour (PTL) and 4.7 per cent had intrauterine death (IUD). The findings are significant as none of the IgM negative mothers had PTL and IUD and only 2.6 per cent had LBW babies.
Serum samples from 20 non-pregnant women, 30 women with normal pregnancy and 50 women with pregnancy associated with pre-eclampsia were tested for circulating immune complexes using the polyethyleneglycol precipitation method. A highly significant positive correlation was found between circulating immune complexes and severe pre-eclampsia (BP greater than 140/90 mm Hg, albuminuria greater than 0.25 g/l). In contrast to this the difference in immune complex levels between non-pregnant subject, normal pregnancy cases and patients with mild pre-eclampsia was not statistically significant. A significant positive correlation was found between the level of circulating immune complexes and the severity of albuminuria. These findings suggest that circulating immune complexes, though not seeming to play an aetiological role in pre-eclampsia may very well be involved in its pathogenesis.
Atrioventricular (AV) block may be induced by ischaemia as a result of production of adenosine, a metabolite that accumulates during hypoxia and ischaemia. Adenosine antagonism has been shown to reverse experimental AV node block in dogs. Recently, theophylline has been shown to be highly effective in diminishing the frequency and severity of bradycardia in newborn infants with apnoea-bradycardia spells. We report here a case of acute inferior wall myocardial infarction who developed atropine resistant AV block which was reversed by aminophylline, a competitive, antagonist of adenosine.
Fifty patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were studied for the presence of lupus anticoagulant using three different assays--kaolin clotting time, platelet neutralization test, and tissue thromboplastin inhibition test. Lupus anticoagulant could be detected in seven cases (14%) with the use of one test in cases with a partial prothrombin time with kaolin more than five seconds greater than normal. The detection rate rose to 20% (10 cases) when using all three tests, so a panel of three assays could identify lupus patients apparently at risk for thrombotic complications.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
An Escherichia coli bacterial prostatitis was experimentally induced to determine the effect of bacterial infection on prostatic tissue zinc concentrations in castrated and gonadally intact male dogs. Five of the 22 mixed-breed dogs (group 1) had no culture evidence of infection 2 weeks after the instillation of bacteria into the prostate gland. The remaining 17 infected dogs were allotted to 2 groups; 1 group of dogs was subjected to castration (group CA, 7 dogs), and the other group of dogs was subjected to sham operation (group SO, 10 days). The groups were divided into groups of dogs with prostatic infection at necropsy (groups CA-I and SO-I), and those dogs without prostatic infection at necropsy (groups CA-N and SO-N). Urine, prostatic fluid, and prostatic tissue (week 0, 7, +/- 12) specimens were obtained for bacteriologic culturing to determine whether prostatic infection was present. Prostatic tissue was obtained at necropsy (week less than 6, 7, or 12) for analysis of zinc concentration by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The logarithmic mean prostatic tissue zinc concentrations were compared between groups. Group CA had a significantly lower prostatic zinc concentration than all other groups. Zinc concentrations were not statistically different between any of the other groups. Castration did decrease the prostatic tissue concentration of zinc, a known natural antibacterial factor. However, resistance to infection and resolution of infection were not correlated with prostatic tissue zinc concentrations in this experimental model.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Tiapamil (T), a calcium antagonist, was studied in hypertensive patients by 1) automatic monitor of blood pressure (AMBP), and 2) cuff and stethoscope clinic blood pressure (CBP). Systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) pressures and heart rate were measured. Patients (n = 58) received four weeks of placebos given twice daily. Baseline 24 h AMBP (wk 4), 147 +/- 18 (SBP) and 91 +/- 8 (DBP) mmHg; and CBP (wk 3 and 4), 152 +/- 16 (SBP) and 102 +/- 9 (DBP) were established. Then, patients received double-blinded therapy (wk 5-10) of twice daily tablets of placebo (n = 9); Level I T, 150-300 mg (n = 24); or Level II T, 450-600 mg (n = 25): i.e. 0 to 1,200 mg T/d. Significant responses, measured by AMBP (wk 10), were noted only at Level II T: SBP (-10.5 +/- 12.4) and DBP (-5.6 +/- 7.8) mmHg. However, CBP (wk 9 and 10) responded at Level I T (SBP, -7.7 +/- 12.4/DBP, -5.8 +/- 6.4) and Level II T (SBP, -8.8 +/- 9.4/DBP, -9.7 +/- 7.8 mmHg). There was minimal correlation (r = 0.16) of pressure responses to T measured by 24-h AMBP versus CBP methods. Therefore, T effectively lowered SBP and DBP, but individual responses measured by AMBP did not predict those measured by CBP. There was no effect of T on heart rate. Dizziness was noted in 12 percent of patients on T.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The mechanisms responsible for inhomogeneous myocardial blood flow after oral administration of a large dose (300 mg) of dipyridamole were assessed in 27 patients with serial thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and simultaneous 2-dimensional echocardiograms. Myocardial tomographic images were obtained 50 minutes and 3 to 4 hours after administration of dipyridamole. Two-dimensional echocardiograms were recorded at baseline and then every 15 minutes for 60 minutes. Dipyridamole caused only a mild reduction in blood pressure (from 129 +/- 18 to 126 +/- 16 mm Hg) and a mild increase in heart rate (from 69 +/- 15 to 73 +/- 4 beats/min). Sixteen patients had perfusion defects after dipyridamole by SPECT, which underwent partial or total filling-in. Fourteen of these patients (87.5%) had either a new abnormality or further deterioration of a preexisting wall motion abnormality by 2-dimensional echocardiography, and thus were considered to have developed transient ischemia during dipyridamole administration. Ten of 11 patients (91%) with normal perfusion or fixed defects by SPECT had no further deterioration in wall motion after oral dipyridamole, and were thus considered to have no evidence of myocardial ischemia. In conclusion, most patients with transient thallium-201 defects after dipyridamole develop transient worsening of resting wall motion by 2-dimensional echocardiography, suggestive of true myocardial ischemia. Because myocardial oxygen demand, as indicated by the heart rate-blood pressure product, did not change significantly, the mechanism of myocardial ischemia in these patients is likely to be diminished regional blood flow related to a "subendocardial steal" induced by dipyridamole.
Thrombolytic therapy has become the treatment of choice for patients with acute myocardial infarction. Researchers are not yet able to identify patients with salvage of myocardium who are at risk for recurrent coronary events. Thus, a prospective trial was performed in 46 patients with myocardial infarction (28 anterior and 18 inferior) who received thrombolytic therapy to determine if early thallium tomography (4.7 days) using oral dipyridamole would identify more patients with residual ischemia than early symptom-limited exercise treadmill tests (5.5 days). There were no complications during the exercise treadmill tests or oral dipyridamole thallium tomography. Mean duration of exercise was 11 +/- 3 minutes and the peak heart rate was 126 beats/min. Thirteen patients had positive test results. After oral dipyridamole all patients had abnormal thallium uptake on the early images. Positive scans with partial "filling in" of the initial perfusion defects were evident in 34 patients. Angina developed in 13 patients and was easily reversed with intravenous aminophylline. Both symptom-limited exercise treadmill tests and thallium tomography using oral dipyridamole were safely performed early after myocardial infarction in patients receiving thrombolytic therapy. Thallium tomography identified more patients with residual ischemia than exercise treadmill tests (74 vs 28%). Further studies are required to determine whether the results of thallium tomography after oral dipyridamole can be used to optimize patient management and eliminate the need for coronary angiography in some patients.
The experimental immunosuppressive drug FK 506 was given to 36 renal transplant recipients, many of whom were highly sensitized. Ten were undergoing kidney retransplantation, 10 also underwent liver transplantation at an earlier time (6 patients) or concomitantly (4 patients), and 2 patients received a third organ (heart or pancreas) in addition to a liver and kidney. With follow-ups of 4 to 13 months, all but 2 of the 36 patients are alive, 29 (81%) are dialysis free, and most have good renal function. Twenty of the 29 dialysis-free patients are receiving no or low-dose (2.5 to 5.0 mg/d) prednisone therapy. Only one kidney was lost to cellular rejection. However, patients who had antidonor cytotoxic antibodies in current or historical serum samples had a high rate (3 of 9) of irreversible humoral rejection. A low incidence of posttransplant hypertension was noteworthy. Hirsutism and gingival hyperplasia were not observed. Serum cholesterol levels in patients who took FK 506 were unexpectedly low, and the effect on the level of uric acid was minimal. The side effects of FK 506 therapy include nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and potential induction of a diabetic state. These are similar to the side effects of cyclosporine use, but probably less severe. The seeming safety, efficacy, and relative freedom from side effects of FK 506 encourage further trials in kidney transplantation.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Fifty-three patients with acute exacerbations of Research Diagnostic Criteria schizophrenic, schizoaffective (mainly schizophrenic), and other nonaffective psychoses completed 24 or 28 days of treatment with randomized, fixed, double-blind doses of 10, 20, or 30 mg of oral fluphenazine hydrochloride daily. In the sample as a whole, improvement was not predicted by dose but was negatively related to duration of illness and of lifetime hospitalization, and to the presence of akathisia during the study (which was unrelated to chronicity). But among patients showing 40% or greater improvement in positive symptoms, percent improvement was predicted by dose and dose per kilogram of body weight; this was not the case for negative symptoms. Severity of acute extrapyramidal symptoms (excluding acute dystonia, dyskinesia, and akathisia) was significantly correlated with dosage per kilogram. Doses greater than 0.2 mg/kg per day were associated with greater clinical improvement but also with a high incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms; doses over 0.3 mg/kg per day were associated with more severe extrapyramidal symptoms. These preliminary results suggest that there is a linear relationship between fluphenazine dosage and acute outcome, and that this relationship is observed in patients whose conditions improve to a criterion level. It is suggested that the nonresponder group may include many patients in whom dose is not relevant because they are unable (for a variety of reasons) to respond to the study treatment conditions; excluding them from analysis may allow a significant dose-response relationship to be observed. Akathisia deserves further study as a possible predictor of nonresponse.
In addition to lead shielding, increased distance between the operator and x-ray source will lower radiation exposure. To utilize this principle, we interposed a 24 in. piece of pressure tubing between the catheter used for coronary angiography and the manifold apparatus. Radiation exposure to the hand of the operator during coronary angiography was compared with and without the extension tubing. When corrected for the differences in exposure time, operator exposure was 5.38 mrem/min without the extension and 4.84 mrem/min with the extension. Although this is a small difference in exposure/min, a substantial reduction in exposure could accumulate over a 1 yr period. Insertion of this extension tube into the catheter system is a simple and safe way to further reduce operator exposure during coronary angiography.
Cardiac involvement due to sarcoidosis is well recognized. Arrhythmias have been recognized in up to 50% of patients who have cardiac involvement. We report on two patients with no systemic manifestations of sarcoidosis who presented with refractory ventricular tachycardia. Evaluation demonstrated atypical left ventricular "aneurysms" with normal coronary arteries. Surgical pathology demonstrated granulomas consistent with sarcoidosis. Despite extensive surgical resection, they continued to have symptomatic ventricular tachycardia requiring implantation of a defibrillator. Recognition of sarcoidosis as an etiology for ventricular tachycardia and aneurysm is important for possible avoidance of surgery.