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Biomedical subjects

J S Morris

Publications and source records attributed to J S Morris.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Serologic precursors of cancer: serum micronutrients and the subsequent risk of pancreatic cancer.

In a nested case-control study the stored, frozen sera from 22 cases of cancer of the pancreas and 44 matched control subjects were assayed for retinol, retinol-binding protein, total carotenoids, beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), and selenium. Prediagnostic serum levels of lycopene and Se were lower among cases than among matched control subjects. These differences remained after adjustment was made for possible confounding by smoking, educational level, and the other measured serum levels. Low levels of serum vitamin E appeared to have a protective effect but a chance association between vitamin E and cancer of the pancreas could not reasonably be excluded. The association between cancer of the pancreas and serum Se was significant when the data were analyzed as a whole but its effect was seen principally in men.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A study of the menopause, smoking, and contraception in women with Crohn's disease.

One hundred and ninety-six women with Crohn's disease from south-east Wales were asked to provide details of their menstrual cycles, age at menopause, history of surgery, smoking habits and use of oral contraceptives. One hundred and forty-six provided the information (response rate 77 per cent). Eighty-four were still menstruating, three were pregnant, 10 had undergone hysterectomy, one had a pharmacologically-induced menopause and 48 had had a physiological menopause. Of these 48 women, 33 were diagnosed as having Crohn's disease before the menopause. Twenty-five of these were smokers. The mean age at menopause was similar in smokers and non-smokers and in those diagnosed before and after the menopause. The mean age at menopause was between 46 and 47. A logistic analysis using the 'status quo' method showed that 50 per cent of women with Crohn's disease had the menopause at 47.6 years compared with 49.6 years in a group of healthy women from the same area. The two groups had similar smoking habits and it would seem that a premature menopause is associated with Crohn's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Serum levels of selenium and retinol and the subsequent risk of cancer.

A nested case-control study was conducted to assess the relation between serum levels of selenium and retinol and the subsequent risk of cancer. During the years 1972-1984, in northwest Washington State, 156 cases of cancer were identified among members of two employee cohorts from whom specimens had been previously obtained and stored. Two hundred eighty-seven controls were selected from these cohorts and matched to cases on the basis of employer, age, sex, race, and date of blood draw. Selenium and retinol levels were measured by neutron activation and high pressure liquid chromatography, respectively. Information on known cancer risk factors was collected by telephone interviews of subjects and next of kin. Levels of selenium and retinol were unassociated with the incidence of cancer of all sites combined, both overall and within subgroups defined by age, sex, levels of the other micronutrient, time between blood draw and diagnosis, smoking status, and family history of cancer. These findings suggest that neither serum levels of selenium nor those of retinol have an appreciable effect on the risk of cancer.

Blood Preservation↗
PubMed1987

Serologic precursors of cancer. I. Prediagnostic serum nutrients and colon cancer risk.

A study was undertaken to determine whether prediagnostic serum levels of retinol, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium are lower in colon cancer cases compared with matched, population-based controls. Sera were available from 25,802 participants of a serum collection campaign conducted in Washington County, Maryland in 1974. The authors identified from these participants 72 white colon cancer cases, who were first diagnosed with colon cancer during 1975-1983, and 143 white, living, cancer-free controls, matched to cases on the basis of age, sex, month of serum collection, and enumeration in a 1975 private census of Washington County. The mean values of serum nutrients in cases and controls, respectively, were 59.1 micrograms/dl and 61.8 micrograms/dl for retinol (p = 0.22), 32.9 micrograms/dl and 34.4 micrograms/dl for beta carotene (p = 0.52), 1.17 mg/dl and 1.27 mg/dl for vitamin E (p = 0.10), and 11.0 micrograms/dl and 11.5 micrograms/dl for selenium (p = 0.07). There were no consistent trends in the relative odds of colon cancer by quintiles of serum levels for any of the nutrients; however, a relative odds of 3.2 (95% confidence interval = 1.1-8.7) was found when persons in the four lowest quintiles of retinol were compared with those in the highest. No interactions with matching factors or between serum nutrients and no confounding effects of covariables were identified through conditional logistic regression analysis. The findings of this study do not support a strong association of low serum levels of retinol, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium with an increased risk of subsequent colon cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Serum selenium and the risk of cancer, by specific sites: case-control analysis of prospective data.

From 1971 to 1975, serum specimens were obtained from 6,860 men of Japanese ancestry in Hawaii. Since then, the following numbers of newly diagnosed cases with epithelial cancer have been identified: 82 colon, 71 lung, 66 stomach, 32 rectum, and 29 urinary bladder. The stored sera of the 280 cases and of 293 randomly selected controls were tested to determine their levels of selenium. There was no association of serum selenium with lung, stomach, or rectal cancer. An increase in relative risk (RR) was noted only for subjects in the lowest quintile of selenium values, as compared to the RR for subjects in the highest quintile, for colon (RR = 1.8) and urinary bladder cancer (RR = 3.1), but neither of these RR estimates was statistically significant (P = .09 and P = .07, respectively). Further work is needed to determine whether the antioxidant properties of selenium protect against specific types of cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Serum selenium assay following serum ferritin assay.

Serum samples from 10 individuals were divided into six subsamples. Three of these were tested for ferritin by radioimmunoassay. All six samples from each subject were then tested for selenium by neutron activation assay. There was no significant difference between the selenium values that had been obtained from the sera that had been tested for ferritin and those values that had been obtained for sera not tested for ferritin.

Ferritins↗
PubMed1986

Male fertility in Crohn's disease.

The fertility of 70 men with Crohn's disease and a group of age matched controls were compared. Crohn's disease was associated with a significant reduction in family size independent of steroid or sulphasalazine treatment.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1986

Crohn's disease in Jewish people--an epidemiological study in south-east Wales.

The prevalence of Crohn's disease in the Jewish population of south-east Wales was established by a postal survey, review of case notes and a survey of Jewish congregations in the three synagogues of the area. The prevalence of Crohn's disease had been established in various earlier studies at 52/10(5). Seven Jewish patients were identified amongst a population of between 1,750 and 2,500. The prevalence ranged from 280 to 400/10(5) (95% confidence interval 120-862/10(5]. There was no significant difference in prevalence between orthodox and reformed Jews. Jewish people are at a relative risk of developing Crohn's disease of 5.4-7.7 (95% confidence interval 2.3-17.2, p less than 0.001), but the role of diet is yet to be established.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Accumulation of cadmium by the eye with special reference to the lens.

Subcutaneously administered Cd2+ (in vivo) was accumulated in the eyes of rabbits. The concentration was greatest in the iris-ciliary body, followed by the retina, cornea, and lens. It was also present in the vitreous humor, but was not detectable in the aqueous humor. Cd2+ in the bathing medium in vitro was toxic to the lens (tissues gained Na and lost K) at 10(-3) M, for 24 hr incubation, or 10(-5) M, for 7 days. Cadmium-109 was gradually accumulated by the lens in vitro (the process may be saturable), but with 10(-7) M Cd in the medium (similar to the vitreous in Cd-treated rabbits) 100 times less was taken up in 24 hr than in the 28-day in vivo experiments. Cadmium-109 in vitro was almost confined to the outer 30 to 50% of the lens tissue. Cadmium-109 was able to reenter the bathing medium, and its efflux was not changed by the presence of external Cd, suggesting that substantial specific binding was not occurring. Efflux could be reduced by lanthanum so that it may follow pathways similar to those used by Ca and Zn.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

In vivo neutrophil delivery to inflammatory sites in surgical patients. Correlation with in vitro neutrophil chemotaxis and adherence.

We examined the interrelationships between leukocyte adherence (ADH), polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) chemotaxis (CTX), and PMN delivery to an inflammatory focus in hospitalized patients. Patients included 25 men and 17 women, with a mean age of 62.8 years, who were admitted for major elective surgery. The patients were studied preoperatively and on the second and seventh postoperative days. Leukocyte adherence increased on the second postoperative day (82.3%, P less than .05) and remained elevated on the seventh postoperative day (81.6%). Polymorphonuclear neutrophil chemotaxis decreased significantly on the second postoperative day (3.4 to 2.9 cm, P less than .05), but returned to normal by the seventh postoperative day. The PMN delivery to skin-window chambers decreased markedly on the second postoperative day (1.28 million cells, P less than .05) with a further decrease on the seventh postoperative day (0.82 million cells). There was no correlation between in vitro PMN CTX and in vivo cell delivery. We conclude that major surgery leads to increased ADH, decreased PMN CTX, and diminished PMN delivery to areas of inflammation. However, a single measure of PMN function such as in vitro PMN CTX does not, alone, reflect in vivo PMN delivery to areas of inflammation.

Adult↗