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Biomedical subjects

F R Ellis

Publications and source records attributed to F R Ellis.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

The distribution of serum alanine aminotransferase levels in a blood donor population.

The authors studied the distribution of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in 10,034 volunteer blood donors. The mean +/- SD ALT value was 21.4 +/- 19.3 IU/liter; 549 (5.5%) of the donors had a ALT value greater that 45 IU; 2.5 per cent had ALT values greater than 60 IU. In general, ALT levels were higher in males than in females, and were age related; peak values occurred in the third decade of life for males and between 50-60 years of age in females. ALT values greater than 45 IU were found significantly more often in males, in donors of both sexes 30-40 years of age, in married donors, in non-Caucasians, and in those whose education level was no higher than high school. Follow-up samples in donors with an initial ALT greater than 45 IU, revealed that 67% continued to have ALT values above 45 IU 2-8 weeks following initial sampling, and 40% had an ALT greater than 45 IU when tested again six months after entry into the study. ALT values greater than 60 IU were associated with a significantly increased prevalence of antibody of hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) occurring together. No statistically significant association was found between transaminase activity and the prevalence of anti-HBs or anti-HBc alone, or with hepatitis A antibody. These findings demonstrate that there are defined sociodemographic and serologic features of donors with elevated ALT values.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1982

Anthropometric studies of human subjects susceptible to malignant hyperpyrexia.

Height, weight, and skinfold thickness were measured on 82 patients prior to muscle biopsy which was performed to determine their susceptibility to malignant hyperpyrexia. Percentage body fat was calculated from the skinfold measurements. Using AP photographs six coronal diameters of the left thigh, equally spaced between the lower border of the patella and the perineum, were measured on another group of 90 patients referred for biopsy. The subjects were then divided into those who were susceptible to malignant hyperpyrexia (MHS) and those who were normal and acted as controls. Each group was separated into males and females. There was no significant difference in age between the MHS and the control groups. There was no difference between MHS and controls in height or weight but the percentage body fat in the MHS males was significantly lower than in the controls (P less than 0.02). The upper three thigh diameters in the MHS females were significantly greater than in the control group (P less than 0.05). There appears to be a difference in the leanness/fatness relationship and in the development of the thigh in MHS subjects compared with controls, but these differences are subtle and appear to vary with sex.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1981

Metabolic rate and blood hormone and metabolite levels of individuals susceptible to malignant hyperpyrexia at rest and in response to food and mild exercise.

Resting metabolic rate and the energy cost of performing a specific (light work load on a bicycle ergometer were measured in nine subjects susceptible to malignant hyperpyrexia (MHS) and nine control subjects, both fasting and following a 600-kcal meal. Blood glucose, lactate, pyruvate and serum triglycerides, thyroxine, cortisol, creatine kinase, growth hormone, and calcium and potassium levels at rest and immediately following exercise, after fasting and eating, were measured. There was no evidence of increased heat production in the MHS subjects compared with controls. The MHS subjects, however, showed a complete absence of dietary-induced thermogenesis with exercise. Compared with the controls, MHS subjects had higher insulin levels for essentially the same blood glucose values. Triglycerides in the MHS group rose steadily over the course of the experiment, whereas in the controls they did not vary from the initial value. Lactate did not rise as much with exercise in the MHS group but did nor fall with rest, and pyruvate did not change from resting fasting values, whereas in the controls it rose steadily. Differences were also found in thyroxine and cortisol levels between the MHS and control groups. The shunting of blood away from thermogenic tissue is suggested as a mechanism for the absence of diet-induced thermogenesis with exercise in the MHS group and the possibility of an underlying abnormality of cardiovascular (sympathetic) control mechanisms in these subjects is discussed. The biochemical abnormalities are discussed in relation to previous biochemical data from MHS humans and pigs and in relation to the abolition of dietary-induced thermogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Hepatitis-associated with markers in the American Red Cross volunteer blood donor population. III. Influence of donor selection practice upon HBsAg prevalence.

The American Red Cross collects blood from a number of defined subsets of the donor population and teh proportion of blood collected from each subset varies widely from center to center. A large part of the variation in prevalence of HBsAg may be related to variations in the proportion of blood collected from plants and factories, military units and schools or colleges. We have derived a regression equation, significant at the p less than 0.001 level, which links HBsAg prevalence with these collection parameters. Using this equation, we were able to predict the prevelance of HBsAg among first-time donors in 6 of the 9 geographic divisions of the United States with an accuracy exceeding 10%. The predictions for the remaining division were within 35% of the actual value. Correlation studies were supported by measurements of true donor prevalence in three blood centers.

Blood Donors↗
PubMed1980

Muscle.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1979

Use of plasma products with whole blood and packed RBCs.

During the past five years, there has been a sharp increase in the use of packed RBCs (PRBCs) and plasma products, whereas whole blood (WB) transfusions have steadily decreased. In order to determine whether plasma and its derivatives were being used to "reconstitute" whole blood from PRBCs, we performed a retrospective evaluation of all transfusion episodes in ten representative regional hospitals during a five-month period. Our results indicate that PRBCs were transfused 2.5 times more frequently than WB. Plasma products were administered with PRBCs less often than with WB: 14% of all PRBCs vs 24% of all WB units tranfused. The likelihood of a patient receiving plasma was found to correlate with the total amount of blood transfused and the frequency of transfusion. This study provides evidence that, at most, only a small percentage of PRBCs are given in conjunction with plasma as "reconstituted" WB.

Blood Transfusion↗
PubMed1979

Retrospective analysis of anaesthetics received by patients before susceptibility to malignant hyperpyrexia was recognized.

We have reviewed the anaesthetic histories of patients later found to be susceptible to malignant hyperpyrexia (MH). Many patients known to have this condition have been exposed to the known inducing agents previously, sometimes on more than on occasion. It is clear that insusceptibility to MH cannot be assumed from previous uneventful exposure to the known triggering agents and that all patients suspected of having inherited MH must be screened by in vivo muscle biopsy studies. No common factor could be found to explain this phenomenon.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

A screening test for the malignant hyperpyrexia phenotype using suxamethonium-induced contracture of muscle treated with caffeine and its inhibition by dantrolene.

Suxamethonium induced a contracture in caffeine pretreated human muscle in vitro. The contracture was significantly greater (P less than 0.001) with MHS muscle compared with muscle from normal subjects. This reaction is now used as an additional screening test for the MHS phenotype. The contracture was prevented by pretreatment with dantrolene.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Hepatitis B e antigen, DNA polymerase activity, and infection of household contacts with hepatitis B virus.

To determine if the presence of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and elevated DNA polymerase activity in the serum of chronic HBeAg carriers indicate increased contagiousness in a household setting, the household contacts of 74 carriers were prospectively evaluated for serologic evidence of hepatitis B infection. Thirty of the HBsAg carriers had HBeAg and 44 had anti-HBe. Twenty-eight HBeAg-positive carriers regularly demonstrated elevated DNA polymerase when serially drawn serum samples were analyzed. None of the anti-HBE-positive carriers demonstrated elevation of DNA polymerase activity. Both household contacts of HBeAg-positive and anti-HBe-positive carriers demonstrated serologic evidence of hepatitis B infection (HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc). However, infection was significantly more frequent among spouses and sexual partners of carriers who had either HBeAg (P less than 0.001) or elevated DNA polymerase activity (P less than 0.001). Thus, the data indicate that a particular subpopulation of spouses and sexual partners of hepatitis B carriers are at significantly greater risk for acquiring infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Haematological studies on vegans.

1. The concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate in the serum and folate in the erythrocytes were determined and full blood counts made on a series of caucasian vegans and omnivore controls. 2. The blood counts and films were normal in all the vegans and no subject had a haemoblobin concentration below the lower limit of normality. 3. Although within the normal range, male but not female vegans had lower values for erythrocyte counts and higher values for mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin than their controls regardless of whether they were taking vitamin B12 supplements or not. 4. The mean serum vitamin B12 concentration was lower in the vegans not taking vitamin B12 supplements and in those using foods supplemented with the vitamin than in the controls, but in no subject was it below 80 ng/1. 5. The serum folate concentrations were higher in the vegans than in their controls. The mean value for erythrocyte folate tended to be greater in the vegans not taking vitamin B12 supplements. No subject had an erythrocyte folate concentration of less than 100 microgram/1. 6. It is concluded that megaloblastic anaemia is very rare in caucasian vegans and that a diet consisting entirely of plant foods is generally adequate to promote normal blood formation providing it is composed of a mixture of unrefined cereals, pulses, nuts, fruit and vegetables and is supplemented with vitamin B12.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Studies of vegans: the fatty acid composition of plasma choline phosphoglycerides, erythrocytes, adipose tissue, and breast milk, and some indicators of susceptibility to ischemic heart disease in vegans and omnivore controls.

The fatty acid composition of erythrocytes, of plasma choline phosphoglycerides, and of adipose tissue, serum cholesterol, triglyceride and vitamin B12 concentrations, weights, heights and skinfold thickness were determined on 22 vegans and 22 age and sex matched omnivore controls. The fatty acid composition of breast milk from four vegan and four omnivore control mothers, and of erythrocytes from three infants breast fed by vegan mothers and six infants breast fed by omnivore control mothers was determined. The proportions of linoleic acid and its long-chain derivatives were higher, the proportion of the long-chain derivatives of alpha-linolenic acid was lower, and the ratio of 22:5omega3/22:6omega3 was greater in the tissues of the vegans and infants breast-fed by vegans than in controls; the most marked differences were in the proportions of linoleic (18:2omega6) and docosahexenoic (22:6omega3) acids. Weights, skinfold thickness, serum vitamin B12, cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were less in vegans than in controls. The difference in serum cholesterol concentration was most marked. It is concluded that a vegan-type diet may be the one of choice in the treatment of ischemic heart disease, angina pectoris, and certain hyperlipidemias.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1978

Effect of halothane on the rate of acid production, lactate production and pyruvate dehydrogenase activity of malignant hyperpyrexia human muscle.

The rates of acid production were compared in thin strips of muscle biopsy samples isolated from malignant hyperpyrexia and control vastus internus human muscle. Halothane doubled the rate of acid production by malignant hyperpyrexia susceptible muscle but had no effect on control samples. This increased rate of release of acid from muscle was not from lactate. In addition, the pyruvate dehydrogenase activity of both control and malignant hyperpyrexia muscle samples was not stimulated by halothane.

Acids↗