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Biomedical subjects

J A Church

Publications and source records attributed to J A Church.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Allergic rhinitis: diagnosis and management.

Allergic rhinitis affects up to 20 per cent of the pediatric population and occurs in children of all ages. Secondary infection, dental malocclusion and a variety of other sequelae may complicate the primary disorder. The diagnosis of allergic rhinitis is based on historic features, physical findings and selected laboratory investigations. Treatment may involve antigen avoidance programs and immunotherapy. However, pharmacotherapy with antihistamines, sympathomimetics and, in severe cases, corticosteroids, is most frequently used.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1980

Immunological mechanisms in the maintenance of pregnancy.

Mmammalian pregnancy involves prolonged, intimate interactions between genetically dissimilar organisms. This dissimilarity evokes an immunological response in the gravida which promotes placental implantation and fetal viability. The nature of the immunological reactions, the factors moderating these responses and the signficance of abnormalities in the responses are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Eosinophilia in the hospitalized neonate.

The incidence of and clinical associations with eosinophilia in a cross-section of hospitalized newborns had not been studied previously. The medical records of 200 such infants less than 29 days of age were reviewed. Total eosinophil counts were calculated and associations with a variety of clinical factors were examined. Eosinophilia (adjusted for day of age) occurred at least once in 22% of the infants studied. No significant skew could be detected in the age of onset of eosinophilia. Statistical analysis revealed eosinophilia to be significantly associated (p less than .05) with length of hospitalization, number of days of antibiotic therapy and use of parenteral alimentation. A trend toward eosinophilia was noted in lower birth weight infants (0.05 less than p less than 0.10). Eosinophilia was not associated with sex, age, Apgar score at birth, Caesarian section delivery, transfusions, phototherapy, specific diagnoses or type of oral feeding. Multiple regression analysis showed a highly positive correlation (r = .81) of associated factors with hospitalized days as the dependent variable. Eosinophilia appears to be a non-specific finding in sick neonates and is related to the severity of illness and the number of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures performed.

Aging↗
PubMed1980

Partial immunologic reconstitution and hyperimmunoglobulinemia-E in neonatally-acquired graft-versus-host disease.

A three-month-old girl with congenital immune deficiency developed graft-versus-host disease following engraftment of maternal immunocompetent cells. T and B lymphocyte numbers increased and lymphocyte responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin normalized during the patient's hospitalization. However, these cells failed to respond to pokeweed mitogen and several specific antigens, suggesting that the expanding clone of alloreactive cells had limited immunologic potential. Serum IgE concentration rose from an undetectable level to 2,600 u/ml, indicating an immunoregulatory imbalance. HLA typing revealed that the patient's parents shared HLA antigen specificities. Finally, experimental administration of antithymocyte globulin had no beneficial effect upon the patient's clinical course or laboratory findings.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1980

Neutrophil and monocyte chemotaxis in acutely infected patients with cystic fibrosis.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if an acquired dysfunction of neutrophil or monocyte chemotaxis contributes to the susceptibility of cystic fibrosis patients to persistent infection. Leukocyte chemotaxis and the ability to generate chemotactic factors were measured in acutely infected cystic fibrosis patients and clinically well adult volunteers with an agarose technique. Chemotaxis of neutrophils and monocytes from cystic fibrosis patients were not found to differ from those of normal adult cells. Sera from test subjects produce chemotactic factors for normal neutrophils and monocytes.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Review of intensive care unit admissions for asthma.

A review of ICU admissions for asthma to the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles was conducted for the period January 1969 through July 1977. The admission rate remained relatively constant during this period. Patients requiring ICU admission tended to be young, intractable severe asthmatics whose asthma started at a very young age. There were three patients who had no previous history of asthma. The incidence of pneumonitis/atelectasis was somewhat greater than has been reported for patients hospitalized for status asthmaticus. A significant number of children received neither intravenous corticosteriods, sympathomimetics nor oxygen therapy while hospitalized prior to transfer to the ICU. Those children receiving mechanical ventilation or intravenous isoproterenol tended to be somewhat younger and had a higher incidence of pneumonitis/atelectasis and more abnormal blood gas determinations than their counterparts who were not similarly treated. Mechanical ventilation was administered to 15 patients and 19 patients received intravenous isoproterenol. Intravenous isoproterenol resulted in prompt improvement in most patients; except for one patient who experienced cardiac arrhythmia (reversed when the dosage was decreased), this medication was well-tolerated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Inhibition of polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis by streptokinase-streptodornase.

Leukotaxis of circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN's) appears to be a critical step in the generation of local inflammatory reactions. The present studies demonstrate a reversible, dose-dependent inhibition of PMN chemotaxis by streptokinase-streptodornase (SK-SD). This inhibition does not appear to depend upon the presence of lymphocytes or the release of chemokinetic humoral factors and phagocytic and bactericidal capacities of PMN's are unaffected by the doses of SK-SD employed.

Cell Migration Inhibition↗
PubMed1978

Steroid-dependent asthma treated with inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate in children.

The efficacy of beclomethasone diproprionate aerosal (BDA) was studied in 27 steroid-dependent asthmatic children. In the double-blind portion of the study BDA was found to be superior to placebo. The benefits of BDA therapy were sustained through the two-year, open-label portion of the study. Adverse effects were few and minor. Transfer from oral corticosteroid therapy to BDA was carried out uneventfully and was not associated with untoward effects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Routine laboratory determinations in pediatric allergic disease.

Clinical and laboratory data were extracted from the medical records of 285 consecutive children after completion of their evaluations for suspected atopic disease. Blood eosinophilia, determined from a routine complete blood count, was present in more than 60% of patients tested. Nasal smear for eosinophils or a direct eosinophil count provided little additional evidence of atopic reactivity in simultaneously tested patients. Total serum IgE concentration was elevated in 75% to 81% of the children with asthma, nasal allergy and atopic dermatitis and an elevated serum IgE concentration or blood eosinophilia, or both, was noted in 85% of the patients studied. Selective IgA deficiency was documented in three children and hyperimmunoglobulinemia was found in 20 others. Serum complement activity was normal in 10 children with persistent urticaria, allergy, IgE, eosinophilia, immunoglobulins, complement.

Child↗
PubMed1977

Air leak syndromes as complications of respiratory disease in infancy and childhood.

Pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema are potential complications of a variety of pediatric illnesses. A review by the authors confirms the reports of others that asthma is the primary medical cause of pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema and that a variety of inflammatory and obstructive lesions can be associated with extra-vasation of pulmonary air. Pneumothorax infrequently complicates asthma. Asthma-associated pneumomediastinum rarely requires vigorous therapeutic intervention and massive subcutaneous emphysema may necessitate tracheostomy. Pressurized delivery of sympathomimetic aerosols have been condemned by some as an unnecessary cause of iatrogenic air leak. The data of the authors indicate that this form of therapy rarely causes air leak syndromes. The pathophysiology of extravasation of pulmonary air is reviewed.

Asthma↗