Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A T Axon

Publications and source records attributed to A T Axon.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1970

Permeability of the small intestine to substances of different molecular weight.

The permeability of the rabbit small intestine has been studied by measuring the plasma clearances of water-soluble molecules over the molecular weight range 60-33,000. An inverse relationship has been demonstrated between permeability and molecular weight. The significance of these findings in relation to current concepts of the ;pore hypotheses' is discussed, and the possible physiological and pathological implications are considered.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Colonic cancer surveillance in ulcerative colitis is not essential for every patient.

It is generally recognised that there is an increased risk of colonic cancer in patients with long-standing extensive colitis, and regular annual or biennial colonoscopic surveillance protocols have been recommended in order to detect early cancer. There is, however, little evidence to suggest that these protocols are of value. There have been no properly conducted controlled trials in this area, and the studies that have been reported are flawed by selection bias, the inclusion of patients with "pseudo disease" and protocol violators. Many studies have not distinguished between "screening colonoscopy" and "colonoscopic surveillance". Some have not drawn attention to the failures in the surveillance, i.e. patients with Dukes' grade C or worse, and overall the conclusions drawn have been unrealistically optimistic. The diagnosis of low grade dysplasia which has been accorded importance is insensitive, non-specific and is subject to gross interobserver error. It is of little clinical value. Colonoscopic surveillance using currently available techniques is of only marginal benefit to patients included within the protocol. It is not cost-effective and cannot be made to be so.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Disinfection and endoscopy: summary and recommendations. Working party report to the World Congresses of Gastroenterology, Sydney 1990.

This working party was convened by the organizers of the World Congresses of Gastroenterology, Sydney 1990. Its remit was to produce a report on disinfection in endoscopy. Endoscopy plays an essential role in the management of gastrointestinal disorders; its benefits far outweigh the occasional complications which arise. Nevertheless, case reports and surveys performed over a 20-year period confirm that endoscopic procedures do occasionally cause cross-infection and the current epidemic with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has highlighted the potential for more serious disease transmission if suitable precautionary measures are not generally applied in endoscopy practice. Contaminated equipment may cause infection in three ways: transmission of pathogenic organisms from one patient to another, the commonest example being Salmonellosis; transmission of infection such as hepatitis B (HBV) from patient to staff by needle-stick injury; and introduction of opportunistic organisms which colonize endoscopic and ancillary equipment on storage. This may cause focal sepsis or septicaemia, particularly in the immunocompromised, or cholangitis and pancreatic sepsis following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). These risks can be eliminated by the use of effective cleaning and disinfection techniques, by providing suitable staff training and by paying attention to endoscopy room procedures. Both HBV and HIV are inactivated by all currently accepted disinfecting or sterilizing procedures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Disinfection↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Abdominal migraine: a cause of abdominal pain in adults?

Eighty-five patients with non-organic abdominal pain, were interviewed with the help of a questionnaire. Those who responded to a high fibre diet were excluded from the study. Twenty-seven patients had multiple pains and 58 described a single pain, which was intermittent in 39. A detailed analysis of the symptoms and family history of the latter group suggested that in 19 patients the symptoms might have been caused by abdominal migraine. Six of these 19 had typical migraine-associated symptoms during the attack, characteristic abdominal pain and a family or personal history of classical migraine. Abdominal migraine should be considered in patients with non-organic abdominal pain where symptoms are not typical of irritable bowel syndrome and when organic disease has been excluded.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serum interleukin-8 in inflammatory bowel disease.

To investigate the relationship between serum concentrations of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease, serum IL-8 concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 93 patients. Interleukin-8 levels were compared with plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in 80 of these patients. Interleukin-8 levels were also measured in ten patients with active Crohn's disease, before and after treatment with a defined formula polymeric diet. Of these patients, 70 out of 93 IL-8 concentrations were below the detection limit of the assay. Levels were higher in patients with active ulcerative colitis (median < 20 pg/mL, 75th centile value = 190) compared with inactive disease (median and 75th centile value < 20; P < 0.05). Interleukin-8 concentrations correlated with a combined score for disease severity and extent (P = 0.01). Thirty-eight per cent (8/20) of patients with active Crohn's disease also had high levels of IL-8 but there was no significant difference between active and inactive disease. There was no correlation between serum IL-8 and plasma IL-6; on the contrary, very few patients had raised blood levels of both cytokines. In the diet treated group, serum IL-8 fell significantly after treatment (median = 37 pg/mL, range < 20-4615 before treatment, median < 20, range < 20-104 after treatment; P = 0.03). The results suggest that although IL-8 may be involved in the inflammatory process in inflammatory bowel disease, it is a poor marker of disease activity.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serum beta 2-microglobulin in malignant and benign diseases of the stomach and pancreas.

The levels of serum beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m) were measured in 480 patients suffering from gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer and benign diseases of the stomach and pancreas. Elevated levels were found in both cancer and benign diseases, although they were more frequent in cancer. However, these differences did not appear to have any diagnostic significance, there was no evidence that the level of serum beta 2-microglobulin bore any relation to the prognosis in carcinoma of the stomach or in carcinoma of the pancreas.

Adolescent↗