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Biomedical subjects

J Ballard

Publications and source records attributed to J Ballard.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

Intestinal biopsy in the diagnosis of cow's milk protein intolerance without acute symptoms.

4 infants, suspected of cow's milk protein intolerance, were placed on an elimination diet and then challenged with cow's milk. None reacted clinically, yet in 2 of the 4 patients jejunal biopsy revealed clear histological, ultrastructural, and immunological changes. It is suggested that these changes are the objective criteria on which the diagnosis of cow's milk intolerance should be based, and that the clinical evidence derived from milk challenge after an elimination diet may be unreliable.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1975

The small-intestinal mucosa in cow's milk allergy.

Two infants investigated for allergy to cow's milk proteins exhibited a local reaginic reaction in the small intestine after ingesting cow's milk, as shown by increased mucosal IgE plasma-cells and degranulation of mast cells. IgM plasma-cells and the staining of connective tissue and basement membranes with antisera to IgG and C3 complement were also increased, indicating several simultaneous immune reactions in the intestinal mucosa. These findings may provide a sound basis for diagnosis of such an allergy and for the treatment of similar patients with disodium cromoglycate.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1975

Hormonal regulation of hepatic P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) during development.

Hepatic gluconeogenesis in the rat does not begin until birth. The enzyme P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase appears initially at birth and is the final enzyme in the gluconeogenic sequence to develop. The appearance of this enzyme in the cytosol of rat liver is caused by the stimulation of enzyme synthesis, probably due directly to an increase in the hepatic concentration of cAMP. Enzyme degradation does not begin until 36 hours after birth. Studies with fetal rats in utero have shown that dibutyryl cAMP or glucagon will stimulate P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase synthesis and that this effect can be blocked by insulin. Insulin is known to depress the synthesis of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase in adult rat liver and in Reuber H-35 liver cells in culture. The glucocorticoids are without effect on the synthesis of the enzyme in fetal rat liver. Work by Girard et al. (J. Clin. Invest. 52: 3190, 1973) has established that the molar ratio of insulin to glucagon drops from 10 immediately after birth, to 1 after one hour. This is due to both a rise in glucagon and a fall in insulin concentrations at birth. These studies, together with our work on the synthesis of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase, indicate that the sharp drop in the concentration of insulin may relieve the normal inhibition of enzyme synthesis. This would allow the initial stimulation of enzyme synthesis by the glucagon-mediated rise in the concentration of CAMP.

Aging↗
PubMed1973

Mucosal secretory IgA and secretory piece in adult coeliac disease.

Immunofluorescence studies with specific antisera to secretory IgA (11S IgA) and secretory piece were carried out on the jejunal mucosa of nine patients with adult coeliac disease (treated and untreated). The results were compared with those obtained in four normal patients and in four patients with local and systemic IgA (7S) deficiency. 11S IgA and secretory piece were localized to the upper third of the epithelial cells of both surface and glandular epithelium in all groups of patients. However, in the untreated coeliac patients fluorescence was also demonstrated in the basement membrane and connective tissue of the mucosa (returning to normal on treatment). On the basis of our findings, a revised pathway for the normal production of 11S IgA is proposed as well as an additional pathway involving a ;backflow' of 11S IgA into the lamina propria in pathological states such as coeliac disease. This backflow is reversed by an adequate gluten-free diet. It is suggested that 7S IgA and 11S IgA may be involved in immune reactions in the mucosa with antigens such as gluten.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A chronic toxicity and oncogenicity study in rats and subchronic toxicity study in dogs on ingested vinylidene chloride.

The chronic toxicity and oncogenic potential of ingested vinylidene chloride (VDC) was evaluated in a 2-year study on Sprague-Dawley rats and the subchronic toxicity was evaluated in beagle dogs in a 97-day study. The vinylidene chloride was incorporated in the drinking water of the rats at nominal concentrations of 50, 100 or 200 ppm. The time weighted average mg/kg body weight/day dosages of vinylidene chloride administered to the male and female rats over the 2-year period at the various mean analyzed concentrations were 7, 10 or 20 for the males and 9, 14 or 30 for the females. Dogs were administered vinylidene chloride in peanut oil incorporated in a gelatin capsule at concentrations which provided 6.25, 12.5 or 25 mg vinylidene chloride/kg body weight/day. There were no significant differences between the groups of rats or dogs ingesting vinylidene chloride and their corresponding control groups in the following parameters: appearance and demeanor, mortality, body weight, food consumption, hematology, urinalysis, clinical chemistry determinations, organ weights and organ to body weight ratios. There were no significant differences in water consumption of the groups of rats ingesting vinylidene chloride and the controls. The sole treatment-related observation in the rats, evident only upon microscopic examination, was in the liver. The observation was characterized by a minimal amount of hepatocellular swelling with midzonal fatty change which occurred in the females at all dose levels and in the males only at the 200 ppm level. No exposure-related neoplastic changes occurred in the rats in any of the test groups. No exposure-related gross or histopathological changes were present in the tissues taken from the dogs at the termination of the 97-day study.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Are we providing for ethnic diversity in accident & emergency (A&E) departments?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to find what data on ethnicity are collected in North Thames Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments. Also to investigate how the data are used, what staff recruitment and training policies were in place, and to discover whether written material in different languages and interpreters were available. METHODS: This was a qualitative study using semi-structured questionnaires. A range of staff working in A&E departments in North Thames (that had a primary care initiative in place) were interviewed. RESULTS: Ethnic origin was recorded in all units but not on every patient. Only one unit had actively recruited staff from an ethnic minority. None of the units had formal training in place for staff to gain an appreciation of issues facing patients from ethnic minorities. Interpreters and written material in appropriate languages were available in all units. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst the needs of patients from ethnic minorities were recognised in all of the units there appeared to be scope for further research and development. There is a need for providers to undertake comprehensive studies on the utilisation and health needs of ethnic minorities attending both primary care and A&E services. Only with this information can more appropriate services be provided.

Cultural Diversity↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of selenium supplementation on selenium status of patients receiving chronic total parenteral nutrition.

Patients receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition (TPN) are at risk for selenium deficiency. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of parenteral selenium as selenious acid on the selenium status of seven long-term TPN patients. Patients received a dosage of zero, 80, or 160 micrograms Se/day for 1 month each. The measures of selenium status used were selenium levels in plasma and glutathione-peroxidase activities in erythrocytes and platelets. Urinary selenium excretion was measured. Control subjects were selected to match the sex, age, and weight of the patients. With increasing levels of parenteral selenium, there was increasing plasma selenium concentration as well as erythrocyte and platelet glutathione-peroxidase activity. There was no statistical difference between the patients during the time they received the 160 micrograms parenteral selenium treatment and the control subjects for platelet glutathione-peroxidase activity. At the 160 micrograms Se/day level, patient plasma selenium concentrations increased from 28% to 58% of the control levels. Four patients were studied after they returned to the 80 micrograms parenteral selenium/day from the 160-micrograms Se/day treatment. With decreasing parenteral selenium, three patients had decreasing platelet glutathione-peroxidase activity, while plasma selenium concentration decreased in two patients. These data suggest that some patients receiving long-term parenteral nutrition should receive parenteral selenium.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Calcium uptake during mitogenic stimulation of human lymphocytes: characterization of intracellular calcium compartments and demonstration of the presence of immunoreactive calrecticulin.

Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (HPBL) rapidly increases 45Ca2+ uptake into intracellular pools. Detectable increase in 45Ca2+ uptake occurred only on exposure to mitogenic lectins but not with non-mitogenic lectins. However, intracellular free Ca2+ concentration [(Ca2+)i] increased comparably on exposure to either mitogenic or non-mitogenic lectins. Permeabilization of 45Ca2+ loaded cells revealed distinct pools of Ca2+ uptake. The highly digitonin sensitive pool #I (permeabilized by 0.02% digitonin) exchanged slowly and included a part that represented endoplasmic reticulum. Pool II was defined by lower digitonin sensitivity, had a much faster initial uptake. Pool III was digitonin-resistant and predominantly non-vesicular. During the first 120 min of PHA stimulation, significant increase in 45Ca2+ uptake occurred only into pool II. Progressive increase in uptake into pool I then occurred so that by 24 hours, this pool constituted the major fraction of PHA induced increment in total 45Ca2+ uptake. Using specific antibody to the calcium binding protein calreticulin, an analogous immunoreactive protein was detectable in resting HPBL. PHA stimulation led to a striking increase in abundance of immunoreactive calreticulin so that 24 hrs after PHA stimulation, there was a 28 and 3.4 fold increase in the amount of immunoreactive calreticulin present in the non-particulate fraction and the total particulate membrane fraction, respectively. A major part (72%) of the total cellular immunoreactive calreticulin in PHA stimulated cells at 24 hrs was released into the medium after permeabilization of lymphocytes with 0.02% digitonin, corresponding to the location of calcium uptake pool I.

Autoantigens↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fractured lateral epicondyle with associated elbow dislocation.

We describe a case series involving a very unusual injury in children, i.e. a Milch 1 fracture of the lateral condyle with an associated dislocation of the elbow. This fracture configuration is normally stable as the intact capitellotrochlear groove serves as a lateral buttress for the coronoid-olecranon ridge of the ulna. In this series, however, each patient had an associated dislocation. These injuries usually present as a clinical dislocation and if the elbow is manipulated before radiographic imaging, the fracture line can be difficult to see on the post-reduction films. We recommend that all patients with a dislocated elbow should have elbow stability assessed under general anaesthesia, because a missed lateral condylar injury can lead to abnormalities in carrying angle, epiphyseolysis or an unstable elbow.

Bone Wires↗