Serum gonadotrophins in Down's syndrome.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to I McKenzie.
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Protamine hypersensitivity has been documented by intra-dermal skin testing in three patients who demonstrated sudden cardiovascular collapse and bronchospasm following the use of intravenous protamine sulphate. All patients had been given protamine previously. The effects of the anaphylactic response were terminated quickly by the administration of intravenous adrenaline associated with plasma volume expansion. Intra-dermal skin testing against all anaesthetic agents is recommended so that the specific allergen can be identified. In patients who are shown to be allergic to protamine sulphate and who require cardiac or vascular surgery careful monitoring of heparin dosage and neutralisation with hexadimethrine (Polybrene) intravenously appears to be a safe alternative.
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A computer program is described which implements a recently described [1], modified likelihood method of determining an appropriate weighting function to use when fitting immunoassay dose-response curves. The relationship between the variance of the response and its mean value is assumed to have an exponential form, and the best fit to this model is determined from the within-set variability of many small sets of repeated measurements. The program estimates the parameter of the exponential function with its estimated standard error, and tets the fit of the experimental data to the proposed model. Output options include a list of the actual and fitted standard deviation of the set of responses, a plot of actual and fitted standard deviation against the mean response, and an ordered list of the 10 sets of data with the largests ratios of actual to fitted standard deviation. The program has been designed for a laboratory user without computing or statistical expertise. The test-of-fit has proved valuable for identifying outlying responses, which may be excluded from further analysis by being set to negative values in the input file.
In order to assess the performance of the 14C-glycocholic acid breath test as an indicator of bacterial colonisation of the jejunum, 145 combined breath tests and jejunal aspirate cultures were carried out on a total of 50 subjects who had an increased probability of being colonised. Ninety-one of the 145 cultures were positive while only 31 of the breath tests were positive. This poor performance of the breath test relative to the aspirate culture can be predicted with reasonable accuracy from known bile deconjugating capabilities of bacteria found in the small intestine.
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The philosophy and achievements of the first two and a half years of a national quality control scheme for serum growth hormone assays are described. Three serum samples were distributed to participating laboratories every two weeks. A computer-produced summary of the quality control results, which contained scattergrams and a statistical analysis, was returned to participants four weeks after despatch. The performance of 11 experienced (SAS) laboratories was found to fulfil the necessary accuracy criteria, and their results provided the 'reference group mean', which served as the target value. Gross positive bias exhibited by several laboratories was due to the use of assays with inadequate sensitivity, and this practice was eliminated during the first six months. During the course of the Scheme the average bias fell from 30 to 14%. With assays of adequate sensitivity, bias was almost invariably due to the misuse of standards. Median within-laboratory, between-batch precision (CV) improved from 23 to 15%. The best performers achieved between-batch CV of 7% which was 1.5 x their within-batch CV: the worst had three- to four-fold differences between within- and between-batch CV. Rudimentary quality control of interpretation was found to result in improvements in interpretation per se and also served to reinforce the desire to improve numerical agreement. A 'recommended procedure' based upon supplied first and second antibody, and a communal 'reference range' from 280 untreated acromegalics, both proved valuable.
A patient presenting with a syndrome probably due to immune complex deposition was investigated and found to possess an inherited C2 complement deficiency. Family studies indicated that the deficiency was transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait. HLA typing for the HLA-A and HLA-B specificities and HLA-D specificities indicated a close linkage between the HLA and C2 genes, as has been described elsewhere. The HLA-A and B locus specificities HLA-AW25 and HLA-B18 were coded for by each of the two chromosomes carrying the C2(0) gene. However, the two chromosomes differed at the HLA-D locus, as one coded for HLA-DW2 whilst the other did not. This case, therefore, provides a unique haplotype and may be of importance in mapping the C2(0) locus, as it suggests that the gene order on chromosome 6 is HLA-D, C2(0), HLA-B, HLA-A. Extensive complement component assays indicated that utilization of complement in the patient was occurring via the alternate complement pathway. It is suggested that, as a result of the C2 deficiency, infections with viruses and other agents could lead to an immune complex disease due to an impaired capacity to effectively eliminate circulating complexes.
An unsuccessful human fallopian tube transplant is reported. A microsurgical technique is described which initially secured a viable transplant. However, the allograft subsequently died, probably as a result of rejection. Immunosuppression of the patient caused no complications or difficulties, the donor sharing one HL-A haplotype with the patient. The operative procedure, the risks of immunosuppression, and the ethical aspects of the case are discussed in order to present the problems associated with fallopian tube transplantation.
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40 adult outpatients with active endoscopically proven duodenal ulceration, who would otherwise have merited elective ulcer surgery, entered a double-blind trial of either cimetidine (1g/day) or placebo. After twenty-eight days, 17 of 20 (85%) patients receiving cimetidine showed ulcer healing, compared with 5 of 20 patients receiving placebo (p less than 0.0005). Patients receiving cimetidine had significantly more pain-free days and pain-free nights than those receiving placebo. There was good correlation between ulcer healing and symptomatic relief (p less than 0.0005).
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We describe a simple, convenient solid-phase radioimmunoassay of total thyroxine in unextracted serum. Serum samples are added directly to the assay incubation mixture, interference in the antigen/antibody reaction by the thyroxine-binding serum proteins being almost completely eliminated by the addition of 8-anilino 1-naphthalene sulfonic acid and incubation at pH 10.5. Residual interference is compensated for by including thyroxine-free serum in the standards. Use of thyroxine antibodies that are coupled to a solid support permits separation of free and antibody-bound hormone by a single washing step, followed by centrifugation. The method is specific, accurate, and reasonably precise. The results obtained compare well with those for radioimmunoassay of thyroxine in serum freed of protein by gel filtration, and with results of a competitive protein-binding method. The technical simplicity of the procedure should readily permit automation. These features suggest that the technique should be well suited for routine clinical laboratory use.