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Biomedical subjects

H M Bassan

Publications and source records attributed to H M Bassan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Aquagenic pruritus: prevalence and clinical characteristics.

We conducted a study of the prevalence and clinical characteristics of aquagenic pruritus (AP) in 996 employees at a general hospital. Forty-five of them claimed that they had AP, thus giving a reported prevalence of 4.5%; 12 were excluded for various reasons and a detailed workup was carried out in 33 people. In more than 75% of the cases AP had started before age 30 and lasted for over 10 years in 42%. The onset of AP occurred within 5 min of exposure in 76% of the cases and usually lasted between 10 and 30 min. In most cases no association could be demonstrated between AP and each of the following factors: place, season, time of day, water temperature, type of soap, towelling or mental stress. AP in at least one other family member was found in 33% of the cases.

Adolescent↗

[Heart-lung transplantation for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].

Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (DIPF) carries a poor prognosis, with an average survival of 4 years. A 37-year-old man had been followed by our department for over 5 years for biopsy-proven DIPF. The disease progressed relentlessly, unresponsive to corticosteroid or colchicine treatment. Marked pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure developed. Arterial pO2 decreased to 30 mmHg and he became bedridden and totally dependent on oxygen inhalation. A heart-lung transplantation was successful in June 1987. The anti-rejection regimen included cyclosporine and azathioprine. Subsequently his functional capacity improved remarkably and pO2 reached 87 mmHg on ambient air. Regular weekly followup visits have included physical examination, chest X-ray, cyclosporine blood levels, blood counts and determination of renal function. During a year of followup there has been no rejection episode nor any other major complication. Although experience with lung transplantation for end-stage DIPF is still limited, it is gradually being accepted as the only successful therapeutic approach. The case presented is the first in Israel of successful heart-lung transplantation for DIPF.

Adult↗

Effects of rifampin and isoniazid on the isolated perfused rat liver.

The effect of the antitubercular drugs rifampin and isoniazid on the function of the isolated, perfused rat liver was evaluated by monitoring the rate of bile flow and sulfobromophthalein (BSP) clearance. The effect of rifampin on bile flow was biphasic: rifampin concentration of 100 micrograms/ml increased the flow to 134% of baseline, while 1,000 micrograms/ml decreased the flow to 58% of baseline (p less than 0.01 for both). Rifampin also caused a dose-dependent inhibition of BSP removal from the perfusate and excretion in the bile. Isoniazid had no adverse effect on bile flow and BSP clearance, and the combination of isoniazid and rifampin had the same effects on the perfused liver as rifampin alone.

Animals↗

Digoxin quinidine interaction: a pharmacokinetic study in the isolated perfused rat liver.

Digoxin-quinidine interaction was studied in the experimental model of isolated perfused rat liver. Neither digoxin nor quinidine were toxic to the isolated rat liver. The clearance of digoxin and quinidine by the liver was directly related to the rate of bile flow and the size of the initial dose of digoxin. In the presence of quinidine, after initial doses of digoxin of 0.5 and 1 micrograms, the concentration of digoxin in the perfusate was increased 2.5 and 3-fold. Its excretion in the bile was reduced by 45% and 20.5%, respectively (all comparisons, p less than 0.01). Digoxin concentration in the liver tissue was calculated and found to be appreciably elevated in the presence of quinidine. A reduction of about 30% (p less than 0.05) in the excretion of quinidine in the bile was observed in the presence of digoxin. Thus, a competition of digoxin and quinidine for biliary excretion was demonstrated as an underlying cause for digoxin-quinidine interaction in the isolated perfused rat liver.

Animals↗

The formation of genotoxic metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene by the isolated perfused rat liver, as detected by the bioluminescence test.

The kinetics of the formation of mutagenic metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene (BP) in an isolated perfused rat-liver system have been studied. No genotoxic activity was detected in the perfusate using either the Ames test or the new bioluminescence test for genotoxic agents (BLT). The bile excretion showed strong genotoxic activity especially in the presence of the deconjugation enzymes beta-glucuronidase and arylsulfatase. The BLT was 1000-fold more sensitive than the Ames test in detecting the genotoxic activity in the bile excretion.

Animals↗

Multiple tendon rupture in systemic lupus erythematosus: case report and review of the literature.

Tendon rupture in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a rare complication that appears to occur in patients receiving corticosteroid therapy. A case is presented with sequential bilateral rupture of Achilles tendon and unilateral rupture of a patellar tendon. Six more published cases are reviewed. Tendon rupture in SLE has affected both males and females between the ages of 24 and 63 years. It occurred exclusively in the weight-bearing tendons: in 6 instances the patellar tendon was severed, in 2 the Achilles, and in one the quadriceps. All 7 patients were on corticosteroid therapy at or just before the time of injury. The deleterious effect of this treatment in loosening connective tissue is discussed.

Achilles Tendon↗

Subphrenic abscess following percutaneous liver needle biopsy.

A 65-yr-old diabetic woman had air in the bile ducts after a choledochoduodenostomy. Following a liver needle biopsy (LNB) she developed a subphrenic abscess with an air-fluid level. Presence of air in the bile ducts in a diabetic patient is a predisposing factor for infection and a contraindication for LNB.

Aged↗

Viral hepatitis during pregnancy in Israel.

Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data were obtained relating to 89 pregnant women who suffered from viral hepatitis during the period 1967-1977 in Israel. The obstetrical data, course of labor and details about the newborn, were all compared with the accepted obstetrical standards in Israel and abroad. A follow-up study was made of the 89 women and 69 of the offspring from these pregnancies, covering a period of from 2 to 10 years. The data of the present study demonstrate that during the last decade, a period of generally rising socio-economic status in Israel, viral hepatitis in pregnant women, ran a more favorable course than that previously reported. The incidence of hepatitis is equal in all trimesters of pregnancy, and a favorable outcome may usually be anticipated for the mother and the newborn.

Adolescent↗