Biomedical subjects

J L Hopper

Publications and source records attributed to J L Hopper.

183 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Genetic analysis of systolic blood pressure in Melbourne families.

1. Circumstantial evidence suggests that immunological mechanisms might contribute to hypertension in man. If so, it would be expected that those genetic loci which influence the human immune response would also influence the risk of hypertension. 2. To test this hypothesis, the distribution of systolic blood pressure (SBP) was studied in seventy-eight families comprising 437 adults ascertained through fifty-eight probands with hypertension and twenty probands with low to normal levels of blood pressure. After allowing for the method of ascertainment of the families, and adjusting for the effects of age and sex, about 55% of the phenotypic variance of SBP could be attributed to genetic factors including 23% (42% of the additive genetic variance) attributable to the effects of immunogenetic loci (HLA and Gm). 3. This suggests that relatives with a greater number of HLA and Gm haplotypes in common had more similar SBP levels than similar relatives with fewer HLA and Gm haplotypes in common. This finding supports the hypothesis that immunological mechanisms contribute to hypertension in man.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Magnetic resonance imaging and late-onset epilepsy.

The value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in investigation of patients with late-onset epilepsy has not been studied systematically. We evaluated prospectively the usefulness of MRI in 50 patients with late-onset epilepsy in whom a computed tomography (CT) scan was normal (32), did not allow a definitive diagnosis to be made (12), or showed irrelevant lesions (6). Patients were assessed clinically and had an EEG, and CT and MRI scans were reported by one neuroradiologist blinded to clinical and laboratory data. Of the 32 patients with a normal CT scan, MRI was normal in 20, showed irrelevant ischemic lesions in 8, and showed the cause of seizures in 4 patients. Of the 12 patients with nondiagnostic CT, MRI clarified the diagnosis in 5 and was normal in 2 patients. In 6 patients, both scans showed irrelevant ischemic lesions, and in 1 patient MRI showed a relevant additional lesion. The incidence of MRI-detected white matter ischemic lesions was no greater than in an age- and sex-matched group of subjects without seizures. MRI was diagnostic in 32% of the patients with partial seizures and/or focal EEG findings, as compared with 0% of patients without focal features (p less than 0.01). We conclude that MRI is useful in investigation of patients with late-onset epilepsy with focal features.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Analysis of variation in blood lead levels in Melbourne families.

Blood lead levels were measured in 651 subjects, aged from six to 91 years, from 83 Melbourne families. Lead levels were higher in males than in females, and increased with age (to 60 years), with haematocrit, and with cigarette smoking. Blood lead levels tended to increase with levels of blood pressure, and this weak positive correlation persisted after adjusting for age and sex differences. Blood lead levels were similar in members of the same family; the familial correlation was greatest for siblings during childhood, and least for spouses. This suggests that shared (home) environment has a greater influence on blood lead levels in young people than on those in adults. Over all, our findings highlight the importance of environmental factors as causes of variation in blood lead levels, and the importance of quality control in studies of blood lead.

Adolescent↗