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Biomedical subjects

G Underhill

Publications and source records attributed to G Underhill.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Intradermal hepatitis B vaccine in thalassaemia and sickle cell disease.

Thirty two patients with beta thalassaemia and sickle cell disease who were having regular blood transfusions were selected to test the efficacy and immunogenicity of low dose (2 micrograms or 0.1 ml) intradermal hepatitis B vaccine compared with the standard (20 micrograms or 1 ml) intramuscular dose. There was no significant difference in the rates of seroconversion, seroconversion had occurred in all patients by seven months. There were no significant differences in antibody titres between the intramuscular and intradermal groups at 1, 2, and 6 months. Although the titres were significantly higher in the intramuscular group at seven months and at 12-18 months, the antibody titre in the intradermal group did not fall below 10 IU/l. The results of this study suggest that low dose intradermal hepatitis B vaccination is an effective and economical way of stimulating an immune response in patients with beta thalassaemia and sickle cell disease.

Anemia, Sickle Cell

HIV antigen testing.

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AIDS-Related Complex

Psychological aspects of recurrences of genital herpes.

Fifty-seven patients presenting with virologically confirmed first attacks of genital herpes were assessed for risk factors for time to the first recurrence. These factors included demographic details, personality traits, recent life events, herpes simplex biotype, frequency of orogenital intercourse and psychiatric illness as measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). This and our similar previous study (58 patients) were analysed separately and combined using a novel statistical technique (Cox's proportional hazards model). In the previous study there was a significant association only for GHQ score (p less than 0.02). For the present study age was the only statistical significant factor (the younger the patient the more likely a recurrence sooner (p less than 0.05), although there was a trend for high GHQ scorers to have recurrences sooner than low scorers. Data of the two studies combined showed that the only significant association with time to recurrence was the GHQ (p less than 0.02). These data support the notion that there is an association between psychiatric illness and recurrence of genital herpes.

Adaptation, Psychological

The effect of indomethacin treatment on lymphocyte PHA reactivity in healthy controls and patients with lymphoma and sarcoidosis.

Lymphocytes from healthy volunteers who took indomethacin orally for 3 d showed an enhanced in vitro response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). When indomethacin was added in vitro, lymphocytes from healthy controls showed similar but more consistent increases of PHA responses than lymphocytes from patients with sarcoidosis or lymphoma. Moreover, the enhancing effect of indomethacin was by and large more pronounced in those patients who had relatively normal PHA lymphocyte responses in the absence of indomethacin, and the presence of indomethacin failed in most instances to increase subnormal responses to normal control levels. These findings are not consistent with the notion that increased prostaglandin synthesis is the principal cause of subnormal PHA reactivity of lymphocytes from patients with sarcoidosis or lymphoma.

Adolescent