Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B L Fariss

Publications and source records attributed to B L Fariss.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Automatic wire twister.

This automatic wire twister used in surgery consists of a 6-inch needle holder attached to a twisting mechanism. The major advantage of this device is that it twists wires significantly more rapidly than the conventional manual techniques. Testing has found that the ultimate force required to disrupt the wires twisted by either the automatic wire twister or manual techniques did not differ significantly and was directly related to the number of twists. The automatic wire twister reduces the time needed for wire twisting without altering the security of the twisted wire.

Bone Wires↗
PubMed1987

Laboratory evaluation for Cushing's syndrome in psychiatric patients with cortisol nonsuppression following the overnight dexamethasone suppression test.

Laboratory tests used for the differential diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome have infrequently been employed in investigations of psychiatric patients who demonstrate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) overactivity, and these laboratory procedures have not previously been applied for the specific purpose of further evaluating the endocrine function of psychiatric patients with serum cortisol nonsuppression following the standard 1-mg overnight Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST). Low-dose (4 mg/48 hr) and high-dose (16 mg/48 hr) DSTs were administered to 10 psychiatric patients who exhibited cortisol nonsuppression after the overnight DST. Patients all had normal suppression to both the low-dose and high-dose tests. HPA overactivity in these patients was thus not sufficient to meet laboratory criteria for the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome. Study results suggest that psychiatric patients with abnormal cortisol suppression following the 1-mg overnight DST are likely to have normal responses when assessed by standard laboratory protocols used for the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome.

Adrenocortical Hyperfunction↗
PubMed1987

Talotibial exostoses with entrapment of the deep peroneal nerve.

An athlete with talotibial exostoses with entrapment of the deep peroneal nerve is presented. This diagnosis was made by history, physical and roentgenographic examinations, bone scan, and isokinetic exercising. Treatment of this condition involved surgical excision of the boney exostoses.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Serum zinc levels in sheep with experimental pancreatic abnormalities.

Serum zinc levels were measured in sheep before and after total pancreatectomy, pancreatic duct ligation, alloxan treatment, and pancreatic biopsy. Values were elevated after each procedure, but only total pancreatectomy and pancreatic duct ligation caused a significant increase (t = 3.5, p less than 0.05; t = 2.8, p less than 0.05, respectively). These effects were not due to changes in serum proteins. The results are consistent with a model in which the pancreas removes zinc from blood and subsequently eliminates it via the pancreatic duct. Facilitation of intestinal absorption of zinc by pancreatic products and effects of insulin on serum zinc are less significant.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Relationship between sex hormone binding globulin and estrogen receptors in breast cancer.

It has been suggested that the level of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is a better predictor of response of breast cancer to hormone treatment than the measurement of estrogen receptor (ER). However, no correlation of SHBG with ER status has been shown. To define the relationship between SHBG and the ER, the following study was undertaken. Fifty women with breast cancer and known ER status had SHBG measured by dextran-coated charcoal saturation analysis. The mean SHBG in all ER-positive patients was 20.7 +/- 2.4 (ng DHT bound/mL) and in all ER-negative patients was 11.5 +/- 2.0 (p less than 0.01). The mean premenopausal level of SHBG was 22.2 +/- 3.8 ng/mL and postmenopausal level was 20.0 +/- 5.7 ng/mL. There was no significant difference between these groups. ER-positive patients on tamoxifen had a SHBG of 29.8 +/- 9 ng/mL and ER-negative subjects on tamoxifen had a mean SHBG level of 8.3 +/- 3.4 ng/mL, p less than 0.01. ER-positive patients have a higher SHBG level than ER-negative patients; furthermore, this difference between ER-positive and ER-negative subjects was further demarcated by changes in SHBG after the subjects had been placed on tamoxifen.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Sex hormone-binding globulin changes with androgen replacement.

Since sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels are often elevated in sera of patients with testicular insufficiency, it is important to determine whether SHBG declines into the normal range and the extent of change in free testosterone (free T) after androgen administration. Five normal men and five patients with Klinefelter's syndrome were studied before and after the administration of testosterone enanthate (200 mg, im every 2 weeks). An additional five normal men and five patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) were treated with hCG (2000 U, three times a week). Three months after the administration of T or hCG, serum total and free T increased in both normal men and patients. Free T increased significantly in the Klinefelter's and HH patients from 94 +/- 20 and 14 +/- 5 pg/ml, respectively, to 271 +/- 50 and 276 +/- 41 pg/ml (P less than 0.01; P less than 0.001). The increase in the normal men treated with T or hCG was also significant (from 211 +/- 52 and 220 +/- 37 pg/ml to 390 +/- 83 and 330 +/- 90 pg/ml). SHBG fell in both the T-treated normal men (from 6.5 +/- 1.2 ng dihydrotestosterone bound/ml to 4.3 +/- 0.4; P less than 0.02) and the T-treated Klinefelter's patients (from 16.4 +/- 2 to 4.3 +/- 0.5; P less than 0.01). However, it was unchanged in the hCG-treated HH patients and rose in the hCG-treated normal men (from 6.6 +/- 0.7 to 8.6 +/- 1.0; P less than 0.05). This study demonstrates that treatment of hypogonadal men with T and hCG in the doses used increased free T levels above the basal levels for normal men. However, the effects of the increase in free T, as determined by a change in SHBG, were different depending upon the type of treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Seminal characteristics in the presence of a varicocele as compared with those of expectant fathers and prevasectomy men.

One hundred and thirty-one semen analyses were performed on men found to have a varicocele on a routine physical examination. The seminal characteristics of these men were contrasted with those of 87 men who were desirous of having a vasectomy and with those of 25 expectant fathers. No significant differences were found in the mean sperm density in these three groups of men. However, it was noted that a greater percentage of men with a varicocele had a sperm count of 20 million or less as compared with the control groups. It was also found that a greater percentage of the men with either a large or medium-sized varicocele had a sperm count of 20 million or less than those with a small varicocele. There was no significant difference in the percentage of oval forms, motility, or tapered forms in the three groups of men with a varicocele as compared with expectant fathers and men desirous of a vasectomy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Obesity and its role in polycystic ovary syndrome.

To examine the mechanism by which obesity influences ovulation, 55 patients with oligo- or anovulation were studied. Parameters measured in serum were sex steroid-binding globulin (SSBG), testosterone (T), PRL, LH, FSH, and estradiol (E2). The women were divided into 2 groups: an obese group (group 1), greater than 145% of ideal body weight, and a normal weight group, less than 120% ideal body weight. SSBG was measured by saturation analysis T, LH, FSH, PRL, and E2 were measured by RIA. SSBG group 1 levels were 7.14 ng dihydrotestosterone bound/ml compared to 14.7 ng dihydrotestosterone bound/ml in group 2 (P less than 0.05). There were no significant differences in FSH, T, or E2. The correlation of body weight vs. SSBG in all patients was r = -0.62. In these 2 groups, the SSBG was significantly lower in the obese patients compared to that in the normal weight patients, independent of T or E2 levels. SSBG correlated negatively with body weight, suggesting that obesity has an influence on SSBG levels independent of hormonal status. When SSBG is lowered, there may be an increase in free T which, by inhibiting follicular maturation, may begin the sequence of events seen in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Female↗
PubMed1981

Size heterogeneity of immunoreactive prolactin in stored semen and seminal plasma.

The difference between semen and seminal plasma immunoreactive human prolactin (iPRL) correlates with sperm count. Seminal plasma separated from sperm before freezing (SPB), after freezing (SPA), and serum were fractionated by G100 Sephadex chromatography. SPA contained four different molecular weight fractions of iPRL. Each fraction contained approximately 25% of the total iPRL measured. SPB and serum each had three molecular weight fractions and most of the iPRL coeluted with monomeric 125I-hPRL.

Humans↗
PubMed1980

The role of thyroid therapy in patients with thyroid cysts.

Twenty patients with benign thyroid cysts were studied in a prospective double-blind fashion to determine the effect of thyroid therapy on the recurrence of these cysts after aspiration. When the 10 patients receiving placebo medication were compared with the 10 patients ingesting thyroid hormone, no significant difference was found in the time either group was free of cyst recurrence. We conclude that thyroid therapy is not effective in preventing the recurrence of benign thyroid cysts after initial aspiration.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Tissue testosterone and dihydrotestosterone from bilateral testis biopsies in males with varicocele.

Nine males with varying degrees of subfertility with left varicocele underwent bilateral testicular biopsy for determination of testicular testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) content. Testicular tissue T and DHT levels varied greatly, and there was no significant difference when the group T and DHT content of the left testis was compared with that of the right testis. When the respective mean preoperative sperm count was compared with the bilateral tissue T and DHT content, no consistent relationship was found.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Paradoxical enhancement of tolbutamide-induced insulin release by diazoxide in a patient with islet cell hyperplasia.

A case of islet cell hyperplasia in a ten year old black male with symptomatic fasting hypoglycemia was documented histopathologically. Provocative studies with glucose, tolbutamide, glucagon, and diazoxide were performed to test the insulin response of hyperplastic islets. The islets responded to glucose, glucagon, and tolbutamide. Diazoxide potentiated the tolbutamide-induced insulin response, and this effect of diazoxide was not blocked by propranolol. In the diagnostic work up of islet cell hyperplasia, dizoxide may paradoxically potentiate tolbutamide-induced insulin release, a finding which may falsely suggest progression of the disease.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1978

Comparison of absorption of cortisone acetate and hydrocortisone hemisuccinate.

In four patients who required maintenance glucocorticoid therapy after bilateral adrenalectomy for Cushing's disease, we compared the effects of im injection and oral ingestion of cortisone acetate and hydrocortisone hemisuccinate. By the former route of administration, cortisone acetate was not effective in elevating plasma cortisol levels or in suppressing plasma adrenocorticotropin, although hydrocortisone was. When given by mouth, no significant difference was found between the two steroids. Therefore, in the treatment of acute adrenal insufficiency or in the maintenance of patients with chronic adrenal insufficiency and in their preparation for surgery or other stressful situations, we advise against im injection of cortisone acetate. Oral ingestion, however, is appropriate for maintenance.

Absorption↗