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Biomedical subjects

G E Holdstock

Publications and source records attributed to G E Holdstock.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1986

Value of a simple biochemical ratio in distinguishing upper and lower sites of gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

59 cases of overt gastrointestinal haemorrhage were reviewed in which the source of bleeding was not initially evident but was identified by later investigation. The admission plasma urea to creatinine concentration ratio proved highly accurate in distinguishing upper and lower gastrointestinal sources of haemorrhage. Regardless of blood volume lost, 33 of 38 patients with upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage (87%) had a ratio of 100 or more, and 20 of 21 patients with lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage (95%) had a ratio of less than 100, an overall accuracy of 90%. Elevation of the ratio was not related to clinical evidence of hypovolaemia. This simple ratio may be valuable in determining the sequence of investigations in patients with an unidentified source of gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1981

The effect of plasma exchange on the in vitro monocyte function of patients with immune complex diseases.

In vitro function tests were performed on peripheral blood monocytes isolated from patients with putative immune complex diseases undergoing therapeutic plasma exchange. Bacterial killing by monocytes improved significantly after plasma exchange (pre: 29 +/- 5%; post: 39 +/- 3%). The intracellular content of the acid hydrolase N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) after in vitro culture rose significantly following plasma exchange (pre: 48.3 +/- 21 nmol mg protein-1 hr-1; post: 76.6 +/- 30.6), although the amount of NAG released into the supernatant was unchanged. Plasma exchange also resulted in reduced levels of immune complexes (IC) and clinical improvement in most patients. The beneficial effect of plasma exchange in patients with IC diseases may be partly due to removal of IC which are known to influence the functional activity of cells of the mononuclear macrophage series.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1981

Sciatica in CGL: a sign of transformation.

Six patients are presented with chronic granulocytic leukaemia in whom sciatica and back pain developed. Within a few months of the onset of the symptoms other manifestations of acceleration of the disease became manifest and all patients subsequently died. Radiological evidence of bony infiltration was noted in two patients and post-mortem evidence of infiltration in a further two patients and it is suggested that the development of sciatica may herald the terminal stage of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Plasmapheresis in Crohn's disease.

6 patients with Crohn's disease for 1-14 years have been treated with plasmapheresis for periods of up to 6 months. The symptoms of the one newly diagnosed patient were controlled by plasmapheresis alone, and 5 steroid-dependent patients were able to reduce their steroid requirements. During the study period, 13 clinical relapses were managed without increasing steroid dosage. There was evidence of circulating soluble immune complexes in all the patients and these levels were lowered by plasmapheresis. A possible role of plasmapheresis in the management of Crohn's disease is discussed.

Adult↗