Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C R Lucas

Publications and source records attributed to C R Lucas.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

AIDS related Kaposi's sarcoma presenting as ulcerative colitis and complicated by toxic megacolon.

Gastrointestinal Kaposi's sarcoma is a well described and usually asymptomatic manifestation of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome. We report a patient who had extensive colonic Kaposi's sarcoma and presented with an ulcerative colitis like illness. Total colectomy was subsequently required as an emergency procedure for toxic megacolon. The patient remains well on maintenance interferon therapy 21 months after surgery.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

An outbreak of hepatitis B and D in butchers.

This report documents an outbreak of hepatitis B (HB) and hepatitis D (HD) in a group of butcher shop employees. During the 13-month period from September 1983 to October 1984, 8 employees from 2 establishments developed acute HB. Epidemiological investigation suggested that the first case, who was also an intravenous drug user, was the source of infection for other employees. This person and 2 others were found to have concurrent HD. In November 1984 the wife of one of the infected butchers also developed HB.

Disease Outbreaks↗
PubMed1987

Hepatitis B and renal transplantation.

Renal transplantation in HBsAg+ chronic carriers has a relative low risk of progressive liver disease, with mortality associated with liver disease at 7%. In contrast, HBsAg+ recipients who acquired their disease in the early posttransplant period had a mortality of 60%. HBeAg-positive patients who remain persistently positive are a subgroup with a poor prognosis and should not be offered a renal transplant.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Serum and urinary methionine concentrations in severe hepatic failure of viral hepatitis. Relevance to development of encephalopathy and prognosis.

A simple spectrophotometric method was developed to measure serum and urinary methionine concentrations. Serum methionine concentrations of greater than 200 mumol/L were found only in patients who were suffering from severe liver failure. In patients who died because of severe liver failure, a continuing increase in the methionine concentration was associated with a deteriorating mental state, while in patients who recovered the serum methionine concentration remained below 200 mumol/L during the coma stage. Urinary methionine to creatinine ratios above 300 were found only in specimens from patients who died. Sera and urine specimens from patients who were suffering from uncomplicated viral hepatitis showed no increase in methionine concentrations, while sera from patients with renal impairment and urinary specimens from patients who were suffering from chronic active hepatitis showed normal or only mildly elevated methionine concentrations.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

Study of the immunogenicity and infectivity of hepatitis B-containing stabilized plasma-protein solution.

In early 1984, five patients who were undergoing plasmapheresis at a Melbourne hospital developed a transient hepatitis B surface antigenaemia. A common batch of stabilized plasma-protein solution (SPPS) that was included in the replacement therapy for each patient was found to contain hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). A follow-up study was undertaken of these patients and others who were known to have received SPPS from the same batch (in total, 10 patients were followed for a median of 46.5 weeks). No patient developed evidence of hepatitis, although one patient developed antibody to surface antigen. It was concluded that the manufacturing process was effective in destroying the infectivity of the HBsAg-positive plasma that was used in this batch of SPPS and that the final product was poorly immunogenic in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Low dose hepatitis B vaccination in children.

One hundred and sixty-nine children negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody (anti-HBs), were given three doses of hepatitis B vaccine at monthly intervals. Doses were two micrograms or four micrograms given intradermally (ID) or intramuscularly (IM). All children were tested for HBsAg, anti-HBs and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) one month after the second dose of vaccine. Overall, 74% of children on two micrograms doses and 71% of children on four micrograms doses responded to two doses of vaccine by the production of anti-HBs. At this point, mass immunisation of other susceptible children was commenced. Four of 92 (4%) three to five year old subjects and 20 of 77 (26%) nine to 12 year olds were found to be anti-HBc positive alone, indicating prior infection. All 77 older children were further tested two months after the third dose of vaccine. All 20 who were anti-HBc positive, sero-converted for anti-HBs. Of the remaining 57, 52 (91%) produced anti-HBs at acceptable geometric mean titres (GMT). Three doses of two micrograms of H-B-VAX, given at monthly intervals were chosen for mass vaccination of high risk susceptible children in this mobile community, providing over 90% sero-conversion at low cost with a minimum of side effects.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMed1985

Prevalence of hepatitis B infections in a multiracial New Zealand community.

Plans to control hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in a high risk mixed race community, included the need for prevalence studies of HBV markers. Accordingly 7901 subjects, 93% of the population of Kawerau, where European and non-European children are present in almost equal numbers, were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs). Positive HBsAg sera were titred and tested for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). Highest rates for HBsAg and anti-HBs combined, were found in the 15-19 year old age groups; 61.6% in Europeans and 74.5% in non-Europeans. HBsAg prevalence was 4.2% and 18.2% respectively in the same groups. Ninety-six point four percent of 503 HBsAg positives followed up were confirmed as carriers. Infectivity as shown by HBeAg prevalence and HBsAg titre was highest in 0-10 year olds and declined with age. Prevalences were low in children aged less than one year old, suggesting that perinatal transmission was not a major factor in childhood carriage. Therefore attempts to control acquisition of carriage by vaccinating only those children of HBeAg positive mothers are unlikely to be successful.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Aetiology of fatal viral hepatitis in Melbourne. A retrospective study.

In the period from January 1971 to June 1983, 46 of 5477 patients (0.84%) admitted to Fairfield Hospital, Melbourne, with acute viral hepatitis died of fulminant hepatic failure. The case-fatality rate for patients with hepatitis A was 0.14%; for patients with hepatitis B, 0.84%; and for patients with non-A non-B (NANB) hepatitis, 2.29%. The highest case-fatality rates were observed in patients with post-transfusion hepatitis B (18.8%), and in patients with NANB hepatitis aged less than 5 years (50%) and 40 years and over (10%).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Delta agent infection in Melbourne.

Evidence of infection with delta agent was sought in 284 patients with acute hepatitis B referred to Fairfield Hospital, Melbourne, between July 1, 1981, and June 30, 1982 and in 127 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers. Acute and convalescent serum samples from the patients with acute hepatitis B and single or multiple sera from the HBsAg carriers were tested for delta antigen (delta ag) and/or antibody (anti-delta) by solid-phase radioimmunoassay (SPRIA). Evidence of infection was detected in 14.4% of patients with acute hepatitis B and 7.1% of chronic HBsAg carriers. Eighty-eight percent of those in whom delta agent infection was demonstrated were intravenous drug users.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Immunisation against hepatitis B.

Over the past decade it has been recognised that viral hepatitis is due to at least three different agents. Two of these--the viruses responsible for hepatitis A and hepatitis B--have been identified and characterised. A safe, effective subunit vaccine against hepatitis B is now available in Australia and should assist greatly in the control of this important disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Maintenance dialysis of patients infected with hepatitis B virus.

Haemodialysis of patients who were acutely or chronically infected with hepatitis B virus has been undertaken at Fairfield Hospital for Communicable Diseases for the past 10 years. Over this period, only one staff member has shown serological evidence of infection. The procedures taken to prevent the spread of infection, and the results of an ongoing serological survey of all persons associated with the haemodialysis unit are presented.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1980

Changing patterns in the distribution of hepatitis B subtypes.

From July 1, 1969, to June 30, 1977, 4,413 patients with acute viral hepatitis were admitted to Fairfield Hospital, Melbourne, of whom 1,128 (25.6%) had hepatitis type B. Only two of the four major subtypes of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were detected, HBsAg/ayw and HBsAg/adw, and of these HBsAg/ayw was present in 80.4% of cases. Over the 8-year period, hepatitis B became more common in Melbourne and the proportion of patients infected with the ayw subtype increased from 75 to 91%. Approximately 50% of the patients with hepatitis B were intravenous drug abusers. In most of the others the source of infection was unknown.

Acute Disease↗