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Biomedical subjects

D R Blake

Publications and source records attributed to D R Blake.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Protection against superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in synovial fluid from rheumatoid patients.

1. On exposure of synovial fluid to superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, generated enzymically or by activated polymorphonuclear leucocytes, hyaluronic acid is depolymerized and the fluid loses its lubricating properties. The ability of synovial fluid from rheumatoid patients to scavenge superoxide and hydrogen peroxide was therefore examined. 2. Synovial fluid from a range of rheumatoid patients contained no superoxide dismutase activity, insufficient caeruloplasmin to scavenge any superoxide radical and little, if any, catalase activity. 3. Total ascorbate (reduced ascorbate + dehydroascorbate) concentrations in the plasma and synovial fluid of rheumatoid patients were similar in each case. The values are at the low end of the normal range. 4. These results are discussed in relation to the role of oxygen radicals in inflammatory joint disease.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1979

Antithyroid-antibody activity in the snyovial fluid of patients with various arthritides.

Microsomal and thyroglobulin autoantibody activity has been detected in synovial fluid from 34 of 50 patients with various arthritides (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthrosis, and gout). Serum from only 4 of these patients showed thyroid-autoantibody activity, and the serum titres were considerably lower than the synovial-fluid titres. This suggests that thyroid autoantibody is produced locally in the joints of these patients.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1979

Infantile jejunal mucosa in infection and malnutrition.

Sixteen children with refractory diarrhea and three malnourished children who had frequent episodes of acute gastroenteritis but little diarrhea at the time of hospital admission, were studied by peroral upper small intestinal biopsy. Six children were adequately nourished; five children weighed 62 to 79% of expected weight and eight weighed less than 60% of expected weight. Two of the malnourished children had giardiasis. Pathogenic bacteria were found in only one case. Varying degrees of mucosal atrophy with reduction of mean villous height were seen in 18 cases. The concentration of mononuclear inflammatory cells and plasma cells was about half that seen in well-nourished children with severe nongastrointestinal infections. The concentration of mononuclear cells in the lamina propria was about twice that seen in normal adults. The proportions of IgA-producing cells and cells that stained for secretory component were significantly reduced, as compared with normal adult control values. This reduction was most striking in children with malnutrition complicated by giardiasis. Enzyme histochemical studies were performed for leucine aminopeptidase, alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase. There was a tendency for considerably reduced acid phosphatase activity in all clinical groups (kwashiorkor, marasmic kwashiorkor and marasmus) of growth-retarded infants.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1978

Self-poisoning: management of patients in Nottingham, 1976.

Analysis of the management of a sample of patients with drug overdoses in Nottingham in 1976 showed that some 10% of the patients who arrived in the casualty department after an overdose were neither admitted nor seen by a psychiatrist. Of the patients who were admitted to medical wards for psychiatric evaluation, 31% were thought to need no further psychiatric action while the default-rate in those who were referred to a psychiatric outpatient clinic was 43%. Both these endpoints showed considerable variations among the 10 psychiatric teams, but of every 100 patients with drug overdose who arrived in the casualty department, 51 left hospital without continuing psychiatric or social action having been taken. As the recommendations of the Hill Committee are not being implemented we suggest that they should be critically re-examined and that the indication for, and value of, psychiatric intervention should be determined.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is there excessive use of gastric lavage in the treatment of self-poisoning?

An attempt to identify those factors which influenced the decision to perform gastric lavage in 236 cases of deliberate self-poisoning seen over 6 months showed that 87% of patients seen within 4 hours of ingestion of the poison had a lavage, irrespective of the number of tablets and nature of drug taken. Overall, 77% had a gastric lavage. Most of the late lavages were carried out for salicylate ingestion. The changing pattern of drugs used for attempted selfpoisoning suggests that at least 50% of patients are being unnecessarily subjected to gastric lavage.

Acetaminophen↗