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Biomedical subjects

D Sinclair

Publications and source records attributed to D Sinclair.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Estimation of paraproteins by immunoturbidimetry and electrophoresis followed by scanning densitometry.

A comparison of paraprotein estimation by immunoturbidimetry (IT) and electrophoresis followed by scanning densitometry (EFD) showed significant differences in concentration for IgG, IgA, and IgM paraproteins. Overestimation of IgM paraproteins by IT was particularly marked. Our data suggest that both techniques should be used for IgG and IgA paraproteins but for IgM paraproteins IT was found to be unsuitable and EFD is the method of choice.

Blood Protein Electrophoresis↗
PubMed1989

The evaluation of suspected renal colic: ultrasound scan versus excretory urography.

Patients commonly present to the emergency department with a suspected diagnosis of renal colic. A prospective study of 98 patients presenting with acute flank or abdominal pain or both was conducted to determine the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound scan compared with excretory urography for the diagnosis of urinary tract calculi. All patients underwent standardized ultrasound scan and excretory urography as independent procedures. Two staff radiologists who reported the procedures were blinded to the results of the other diagnostic test and ultimate clinical outcome. All patients discharged home from the ED were followed to the hospital urology clinic. The diagnosis of urinary calculus was made only by identification of calculus at surgery or by reported passage of a stone by the patient. Of 85 patients available for follow-up study (56 men, 29 women; mean age, 40.5 years; range 18 to 77 years), calculi were identified in 69 (81%). Ultrasound identified calculi in 44 patients (sensitivity, 64%; specificity, 100%). Excretory urography identified calculi in 44 patients (identical sensitivity and specificity). When the presence of obstructive hydronephrosis only was used to diagnose renal calculi, ultrasound scan identified 59 patients (sensitivity, 85%; specificity, 100%) and excretory urography identified 62 patients (sensitivity, 90%; specificity, 94%). When the results of both diagnostic modalities were combined, calculi were identified in 59 patients (sensitivity, 85%; specificity, 100%) and hydronephrosis was seen in 66 patients (sensitivity, 95%; specificity, 94%). Our study shows that the diagnostic abilities of these procedures are equal in the detection of renal calculi.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Climate, intermittent humidification, and humidifier fever.

Two summer outbreaks of humidifier fever (HF) are described in a microprocessor factory (factory A) and a printing factory (factory B). The air in each factory was humidified intermittently and controlled by present humidistats operating to maintain a relative humidity of 45% by an air handler incorporating a spray humidifier in factory A and two ceiling mounted spray humidifiers in factory B. Questionnaire data from each workforce suggested that although symptoms apparently occurred most commonly in both factories on return from holiday (41/57, 71.9%), many subjects (24/40, 60%) in factory A also had intermittent symptoms of ill defined periodicity for some time before the disorder was recognised. Similar intermittent symptoms with no discernible pattern occurred in factory B in a smaller number of subjects (4/17, 23.5%), all of whom were night or rotating shift workers. Both episodes of humidifier fever after return from summer holiday developed when nocturnal air temperatures were unseasonably low; not on the day of return to work but two days later (factory A) and one day later (factory B). Symptoms were most common in most workers who had circulating serum IgG antibody measured by ELISA to humidifier sludge in factory B (14/17, 82.9%) but were most common in IgG antibody negative subjects in factory A (27/40, 67.5%). A more classic form of humidifier fever redeveloped in factory B during winter when meteorological recordings suggested that humidification of intake air was more continuous. Humidifier fever in winter may have been the major influence on the formulation of the symptom pattern thought to be relevant for recognition of the disorder. A form of the illness, however, can occur during the summer which is camouflaged by intermittent humidification when the symptoms appear to be more closely associated with cool nocturnal air intake and unrelated to the pattern of attendance at work.

Air Conditioning↗
PubMed1989

Oligoclonal immunoglobulins in HIV infection.

We tested 150 patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) for the presence of oligoclonal bands in serum, prompted by reports that these abnormal proteins may have prognostic significance. Sixty HIV-negative individuals from "at-risk" groups were tested along with 80 HIV-negative, healthy blood donors for the presence of these bands. All sera were tested by isoelectric focusing, because it is more sensitive for this purpose than more-conventional electrophoretic techniques. In the HIV-positive group, 61% of the sera had oligoclonal bands; in the HIV-negative "at-risk" group, 36% had bands. No bands were detectable in sera from the healthy blood-donor group. Some patients were also followed for differing periods throughout their infection, and changes in their oligoclonal banding patterns could not be correlated with disease progression. The fact that oligoclonal bands were found to be present without HIV infection in a substantial number of individuals from within the "at-risk" groups leads us to conclude that the presence of oligoclonal bands in HIV infection is of limited prognostic significance.

HIV Seropositivity↗
PubMed1988

The defect of lymphocyte locomotion in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: studies of polarization and growth-dependent locomotion.

This paper reports a study of the locomotor behaviour of the lymphocytes from 17 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The cells were studied both immediately after separation from blood and after culture for 24 to 48 h with a range of growth activators. Cells direct from blood were tested for polarization in fetal calf serum (FCS 20%), phorbol myristate acetate (PMA 10(-7)M) and colchicine (10(-5)M). The polarization of lymphocytes from CLL patients with high white cell (WBC) counts (greater than 10 X 10(9)/litre) was very poor in FCS and PMA, though the cells from about half of these patients responded well to colchicine. The response of cells from patients with low white cell counts was the same as that of controls. The growth activators, PHA (1 micrograms/ml), anti-CD3 antibody (OKT3 2.5 ng/ml), Cowan strain Staphylococcus aureus (SAC; 1.5 X 10(7)/ml) and PMA (10(-8)M) induced an increase in the proportion of locomotor lymphocytes from controls and from CLL patients with low white cell counts during 24 h of culture. Cells from patients with high white cell counts showed very little increase in locomotor forms in any activator including PMA and the B cell mitogen SAC. This defect was seen in both polarization assays and collagen gel invasion assays. The findings suggest that CLL lymphocytes have a defect of locomotion demonstrable at two levels: (a) the cells fail to respond by polarizing immediately upon stimulation; colchicine treatment reverses this defect in some cases; (b) they also fail to acquire locomotor capacity during culture with activators of growth.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Lymphocyte migration in murine malaria during the primary patent parasitaemia of Plasmodium chabaudi infections.

Inoculation of adult C57/BC mice with 10(6) red cells infected with Plasmodium chabaudi induces an acute primary parasitaemia peaking around the 8th or 9th day and lasting 10-14 days. Concomitantly, the spleen enlarges to reach 6-7 times its normal weight by the 11th day. The major component of this increase is between day 9 and 11, due primarily to an increase in erythropoietic cells in the red pulp. Although initially the white pulp increases in size, by day 11 it shows partial lymphocyte depletion which coincides with the occurrence of massive absolute lymphocytosis in the peripheral blood. 3H-Thymidine labelling in vivo suggests that this lymphocytosis is not due to lymphocytopoiesis. Collectively, these findings suggest a redistribution of lymphocytes. Lymphocyte migration was investigated around peak parasitaemia, using enriched populations of T and B cells labelled with 51Cr. The traffic patterns of these cells were followed over 36 h. These studies show decreased uptake (or decreased retention) of T and B cells by spleens of infected mice. Concomitantly, there is increased retention of T and B cells in the liver and lungs of infected mice, suggesting a complex redistribution of these cells. Lymphocyte migration to lymph nodes was unimpaired in these animals. Similar changes in T and B cell migration do not occur in Babesia microti infections in C57/BL mice. We relate our findings to histological and histochemical changes in the liver and spleen of malarious mice and discuss the significance of these findings to immunosuppression in malaria and to the development of parasiticidal immunity.

Animals↗