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Biomedical subjects

J Rhodes

Publications and source records attributed to J Rhodes.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Gastric emptying after intestinal resection in Crohn's disease.

Gastric emptying, using a liquid meal labelled with 99Tcm DTPA was studied in 6 patients with Crohn's disease who had diarrhoea following resection of the small intestine. Results were compared with those obtained in 6 normal subjects and 6 patients who had classic dumping symptoms following gastric surgery. The rate of gastric emptying of patients with Crohn's disease was similar to that of normal subjects, and differed markedly from gastric emptying in patients with the dumping syndrome (P less than 0 . 001). Diarrhoea in patients with Crohn's disease who have undergone intestinal resection is not due to rapid gastric emptying and would therefore be unlikely to respond to therapeutic measures designed to improve similar symptoms in patients who have the dumping syndrome.

Adult↗

Diagnostic value of "bread-barium" swallow in patients with esophageal symptoms.

The value of a "bread-barium" swallow for diagnosis of disordered esophageal motility was examined in 53 patients, 20 of whom complained of dysphagia, 20 retrosternal chest pain, and 13 heartburn; a further 19 subjects served as controls. Esophageal manometry in the patients with dysphagia and chest pain revealed major abnormalities in 14 compared with the bread-barium swallow which showed changes consistent with esophageal spasm in 20. The standard barium swallow examination revealed major abnormalities in only five of these patients. The bread-barium examination is simple, complements the routine barium swallow, and is of value in patients with symptoms suggesting disturbed motility. It does not replace conventional studies for the diagnosis of esophageal motility disorders.

Barium Sulfate↗

Colonic release of 5-amino salicylic acid from an oral preparation in active ulcerative colitis.

5-amino salicylic acid coated with acrylic based resin was given orally to eight patients with active ulcerative colitis. Abdominal X-rays confirmed that the preparation released its contents in the terminal ileum and proximal colon. Differences between individuals were marked; the plasma 'concentration-time profile' reflected variations in the time taken for tablets to reach the terminal ileum.

Adult↗

Relationship between trace elements, sugar consumption, and taste in Crohn's disease.

Seventy patients with Crohn's disease, 50 with ulcerative colitis, and 58 control subjects were questioned about their sugar consumption, measurements were made of their taste acuity, and blood levels of various trace elements including zinc and selenium were estimated. Sugar consumption was significantly increased in Crohn's disease (p less than 0.01). There was only a minor reduction in taste acuity for acid taste in Crohn's disease. Plasma zinc and whole blood selenium were reduced in Crohn's disease. No relationship was found between sugar consumption, plasma zinc, and taste acuity in Crohn's disease.

Adult↗

Preliminary report of an association between measles virus and achalasia.

Complement fixation tests were performed on sera from 18 patients with achalasia and 12 age- and sex-matched controls against a number of bacterial and viral agents in an attempt to ascertain any association with previous infection or any evidence of an altered immune response. There was a statistically significant increase of antibody titre against measles virus in the sera of 21 patients with achalasia compared with age- and sex-matched controls and this was confirmed by haemagglutination inhibition.

Adult↗

Rapid increase in both plasma fibronectin and serum triiodothyromine associated with treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Plasma fibronectin and serum thyroid parameters were determined in 6 hyperglycemic nonketoacidotic patients (HNK) and 12 subjects with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). The DKA patients showed a marked increase in both plasma fibronectin and serum T3 over 5 days of insulin treatment [175.2 +/- 18.1% (+/- SEM) and 208.7 +/- 17.6% of initial values respectively], while these parameters did not change in the HNK patients despite equivalent control of diabetes. Serum rT3 levels declined, as expected, to 65.8 +/- 10.9% of the initial values in the DKA patients, but did not change in the HNK patients. There was a significant positive correlation between changes in plasma fibronectin and serum T3 values in the DKA patients (r = 0.5; P less than 0.005). Other reports have shown a decrease in plasma fibronectin concentrations in fasted patients, a well known low T3 state; therefore, the association between changes in plasma fibronectin and serum T3 values may be a widely observed phenomenon. The parallel changes in fibronectin and T3 may reflect alterations in the metabolic state of these patients. The precise nature of the relationship between changes in fibronectin and T3 concentrations requires additional investigations.

Adult↗

Human interferon action: reciprocal regulation by retinoic acid and beta-carotene.

The effects of retinol (vitamin A alcohol), retinoic acid (vitamin A acid), and beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A) on human interferon (HuIFN) action were examined in vitro. Retinoic acid and beta-carotene, at concentrations in or near the physiologic range, were consistently found to behave as oppositional signals in relation to HuIFN alpha and beta. Thus retinoic acid (and retinol) inhibited the stimulatory action of interferon (IFN) on monocyte membrane function, and this inhibition was reversed by beta-carotene; beta-carotene alone modestly potentiated IFN in this system. Remarkably, for the inhibitory action of IFN on lymphoblastoid cell division, the converse was true: beta-Carotene inhibited the cytostatic action of IFN, and this inhibition was reversed by retinoic acid; retinoic acid alone modestly potentiated IFN in this system. These initial observations suggest a regulatory mechanism whereby beta-carotene potentiates the stimulatory effects but inhibits the suppressive effects of HuIFN on host effector cells. Their significance is discussed with reference to the putative anticancer role of dietary beta-carotene.

Carotenoids↗

Increased expression of human monocyte HLA-DR antigens and Fc gamma receptors in response to human interferon in vivo.

The expression of class II MHC encoded antigens (HLA-DR) and Fc gamma receptors by peripheral blood monocytes from untreated patients with small cell carcinoma of the bronchus was compared with that of normal donors. Fc gamma receptor expression was found to be elevated in these patients in comparison with normal. In contrast HLA-DR antigen expression by patients' monocytes was somewhat depressed in comparison with normal. Continuous intravenous infusion of a total of 400 megaunits/m2 of human lymphoblastoid interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) over a 5 day period markedly increased both monocyte HLA-DR antigen expression and Fc gamma receptor expression in comparison with that of untreated patients and normal donors. The initial increases declined somewhat but were still evident after 3 weeks of intermittent intramuscular IFN-alpha therapy.

Antibody Formation↗

Assessment of nutritional status by anthropometry: a comparison of different standards of reference.

Anthropometric measurements of mid-arm circumference, mid-arm muscle circumference, and triceps skinfold thickness were made on 318 subjects and expressed as percentages of Jelliffe's reference standards, and in relation to centile categories published by Frisancho in 1981. There was no consistent agreement between the two standards of reference, both in and between sexes, and these results show that in any nutritional assessment it must be clearly stated which standard of reference is used.

Adolescent↗

'Esophageal angina' as the cause of chest pain.

One hundred consecutive medical emergency patients with anterior chest pain were followed to their final diagnosis to discover the prevalence of esophageal disease as the cause of anginal pain. Seventy-seven of the patients had pain that was anginal in character, and one fifth of these (16 patients) had abnormalities demonstrated by the following esophageal investigations: endoscopy with biopsy, manometry, radiology, and acid perfusion. The 16 patients whose anginal pain was thought to be due to esophageal disease all performed normally on an exercise tolerance test, and in eight of them the association between the esophagus and their symptoms was demonstrated by a positive provocation test result: esophageal acid perfusion was the most useful investigation in this group.

Angina Pectoris↗