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Biomedical subjects

A Rutman

Publications and source records attributed to A Rutman.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Ciliary abnormalities in respiratory disease.

One hundred and sixty seven children, ranging in age from 5 weeks to 16 years, with chronic upper or lower respiratory tract problems, or both, were investigated for ciliary dyskinesia. Abnormal ciliary function was found in 18 cases all of whom had chronic lower respiratory disease and most of whom also had upper respiratory problems. Fifteen of the 18 cases had reduced ciliary beat frequencies (less than 10 Hz) associated with dyskinesia and the other three showed apparent absence of ciliated cells. Of the 15 cases with reduced ciliary beat frequencies, ciliary ultrastructure was normal in seven cases but abnormal with missing dynein arms and occasional abnormalities of microtubular arrangement in eight. Respiratory symptoms in the perinatal period were more common in children with abnormal ciliary function and present in all those with ultrastructural abnormalities or absence of ciliated cells compared with 34 (26%) of 132 children, in whom symptoms were recorded, with normal ciliary function. This study would suggest that all children with unexplained chronic respiratory disease, in particular those with symptoms starting in the perinatal period, should be investigated for ciliary dyskinesia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Primary ciliary dyskinesia: cytological and clinical features.

Thirty patients with functional and/or morphological abnormalities of respiratory tract cilia were identified. The diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia was based on observed abnormalities of ciliary ultrastructure or beating in vitro (beat pattern, beat frequency or percentage of motile cilia). Beat frequency and motility indices approached the normal range in some cases and suggests that the term 'immotile cilia syndrome' is not appropriate. Morphological abnormalities were most commonly due to deficiency of dynein arms, affecting the outer arms (n = 7), inner arms (n = 3) or both (n = 10). Examples of radial spoke and microtubular defects were also identified but in seven subjects ciliary ultrastructure was normal. In six patients paired samples of nasal and bronchial cilia were obtained and showed consistent abnormalities of motility and ultrastructure. Adenosine triphosphate and adenosine triphosphatase did not restore in vitro motility when added to dynein deficient cilia. The clinical picture was of life-long sinusitis and recurrent bronchial infection but the spectrum was broader than that encompassed by Kartagener's triad (dextrocardia, sinusitis and bronchiectasis). Fourteen patients had normal cardiac situs and definite or highly suggestive evidence of bronchiectasis was present in only 17 patients. Radiological evidence of sinusitis was common but absence of frontal sinuses was not universal. Chronic serous otitis media was a frequent finding but deafness was rarely profound. Fertility problems were common but were not universal in female subjects. Lung function testing revealed evidence of airflow obstruction but this was mild in most cases.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1987

Upper respiratory tract viral infection and mucociliary clearance.

Twenty-six normal volunteers were exposed to rhinovirus or influenza B virus. Measurement of nasal mucociliary clearance, ciliary beat frequency, percent of epithelium ciliated, ciliary ultrastructure and nasal transmucosal potential difference were made before exposure, during viral incubation and at the time of expected overt infection. Ten volunteers failed to become infected, six were subclinically infected and nine were infected with symptoms. There were no significant differences between the results in volunteer groups during the incubation period or between uninfected and subclinical groups at the time of expected symptoms. Six of nine symptomatic infected volunteers had prolonged nasal clearance, and six of the seven biopsied had less than 50% of their epithelium ciliated. However, there was no significant reduction in ciliary beat frequency nor increase in ultrastructural ciliary abnormalities within this group of symptomatic volunteers. Of the two symptomatic infected (influenza B) volunteers tested, both showed significantly reduced transmucosal potential difference.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Human pulmonary alveolar macrophages with smokers' inclusions: their relation to the cessation of cigarette smoking.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed in 47 patients (24 smokers, 18 ex-smokers and 5 who never smoked). Cytocentrifuged preparations were stained with May-Grunwald-Giemsa (MGG) and differential counts of pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) with smokers' inclusions were performed. The data supported an exponential reduction in this percentage and indicated that about 3 years elapsed before this percentage approximated to the values in patients who had never smoked. Electron microscopy was performed on eight BALs and the results supported those obtained by light microscopy.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Isolation of spheroplastic forms of Haemophilus influenzae from sputum in conventionally treated chronic bronchial sepsis using selective medium supplemented with N-acetyl-D-glucosamine: possible reservoir for re-emergence of infection.

The isolation rate of Haemophilus influenzae from patients with persistent production of purulent sputum has been increased by the routine use of a selective medium. Nevertheless, some purulent sputum still fails to yield a pathogen. The selective medium was supplemented with N-acetyl-D-glucosamine to encourage primary isolation of colony forming, spheroplastic H influenzae, which reverted to normal forms on subculture. On the basis of in vitro experiments it is postulated that these spheroplastic forms of H influenzae may be induced by inadequate antimicrobial chemotherapy and may be responsible for re-emergence of symptoms in these patients during or shortly after stopping chemotherapy.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1984

The effects of levan on the acute inflammatory response.

The fructose polymer levan has been shown to affect the accumulation of leucocytes in inflammatory lesions. The present study has investigated the effect of levan on experimental pleurisy induced by carrageenan and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystals. Total pleural polymorphonuclear leucocyte counts and exudate volumes were significantly reduced by levan treatment. We were, however, unable to detect any effect on mononuclear cell numbers. Furthermore, levan treatment significantly reduced peripheral leucocyte numbers. The counter-irritant activity of levan was compared with that of a known counter-irritant, dextran. The ability of levan to reduce pleural polymorph numbers and exudate volume could not be accounted for totally by counter-irritation. Studies using an in-vitro leucocyte adhesion assay system indicate that levan affects leucocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium.

Animals↗