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Biomedical subjects

J Thompson

Publications and source records attributed to J Thompson.

At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

One-year comparative study of gold sodium thiomalate and auranofin in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

The therapeutic benefits and toxicity profile of auranofin (AF) have been compared with that of gold sodium thiomalate (GSTM) over a one-year period in 120 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A similar number of patients on both drugs remained in the study at one year (approximately 60%), and showed similar statistically significant improvement (p less than 0.01) in all clinical variables measured. At no time during the study was there a statistically significant difference in the clinical benefit obtained with either drug. Withdrawal from the study through lack of therapeutic benefit was twice as frequent with AF as with GSTM (11 compared to 6). Withdrawal due to a toxic reaction was twice as frequent and were potentially more serious with GSTM than with AF (15 compared to 9). We conclude that AF has a therapeutic potential similar to that of GSTM, however side effects were less prevalent and, when they did cause withdrawal of the drug, were potentially less serious.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1985

Stressful life events and somatic complaints in adolescents.

Although life stress has often been associated with recurrent pain in children and adolescents, level of stress has not previously been found useful in differentiating patients with functional pain from those in whom other conditions are diagnosed. In this study, a standard measure of stressful life events was systematically administered to 172 adolescents seen for the first time at an outpatient adolescent clinic. Patients with recurrent pain for which no organic etiology could be identified reported significantly higher life stress than patients being seen for routine checkup, acute minor illness, stable chronic illness, or pain with clinically diagnosed organic cause. Furthermore, patients referred for behavior problems indicated significantly higher life stress than all other patient groups. It is suggested that a measure of stressful life events may be a useful adjunct to the clinical interview and is of particular value in identifying specific stressors and planning treatment to address them.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Aeromonas-related diarrhea in adults.

We have reviewed the incidence of Aeromonas in patients with enteric disease at our hospital and found it to be the highest of any potential enteric pathogen. Eighty adult patients with diarrhea had Aeromonas isolated from feces, and in 73 Aeromonas was the only potential bacterial or parasitic pathogen detected. The spectrum of illness in patients with Aeromonas-related diarrhea ranged from acute, self-limited diarrhea to a chronic, indolent diarrheal illness. Sixteen percent (13/80) of the patients had evidence of colitis noted during sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Our data (and those from other studies) indicate that Aeromonas is relatively common in the feces of adults with diarrhea; they also indicate the need for prospective, controlled clinical and bacteriological studies to determine whether or not Aeromonas is an important enteric pathogen in adults.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Coupled transcription--translation in extracts of Streptomyces lividans.

A coupled transcription-translation system has been developed using extracts of Streptomyces lividans. Analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that proteins of the expected sizes were produced in systems programmed by pBR 322 or the Streptomyces plasmid pIJ 350. Also, linear forms of these plasmids retained template activity with no apparent loss of fidelity.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1984

Mechanical influences on the capnogram.

We found that altering aspirating flow rate (ASR) and sample tubing length (STL) affected the response time and capnogram of 2 different side-stream capnometers. Increased flow rate shortened rise time, transit time, and total delay time (TDT), whereas increased STL increased transit and TDTs but not rise time. Increasing rise time pushed the ascending limb of the capnogram to the right. Peak and baseline PCO2 values were accurate only when TDT did not exceed respiratory cycle time (RCT). Awareness of the potential for artifactual changes in the capnogram will avoid their misinterpretation as physiologic events.

Air↗
PubMed1984

Detection of occult blood in gastric juice.

The detection of occult blood in gastric fluid samples may be clinically important, but many current methods are too sensitive. Gastric fluid containing various concentrations of blood were subjected to analysis by four screening methods. Orthotolidine based tests (Hematest reagent tablets and Bili-Labstix) designed for urinary and fecal blood detection when applied to gastric aspirates were highly accurate, but sensitivity was so great that normal fluid yielded positive results. Guaiac slide tests (Hemoccult and Gastroccult slide tests) were less sensitive than the orthotolidine-based tests. The Hemoccult slide test was influenced by the low pH of gastric aspirates and neutralizing the acidity of the gastric fluid by addition of NaOH improved the sensitivity of the method. The Gastroccult slide test accurately determined gastric fluid pH and hemoglobin concentration greater than 300 micrograms/dl in the acid environment of gastric fluid. The Gastroccult slide test is a simple, rapid, and convenient method for initial evaluation of patients suspected of occult blood in gastric juice.

Gastric Juice↗
PubMed1984

Role of granulocytes in the prevention and therapy of experimental Streptococcus sanguis endocarditis in rabbits.

The contributions of granulocytes to the prevention and therapy of Streptococcus sanguis endocarditis with procaine benzylpenicillin (PBP) was investigated in rabbits. Depletion of granulocytes by treatment with mechlorethamine appeared to have no significant effect on either the prophylactic or therapeutic activities of PBP. Administration of 3,000 IU of PBP before inoculation with S. sanguis retarded the course of the endocarditis for only 24 h whether granulocytes were normal or depressed in numbers. Prophylaxis with either 15,000 or 30,000 IU of PBP was equally effective in non-granulocytopenic and granulocytopenic rabbits. Treatment of established infections with PBP at doses of 3,000 to 300,000 IU of PBP at 12-h intervals for 48 h was equally effective in rabbits with normal and depressed numbers of granulocytes. The effect of 3,000 IU of PBP was equivalent, however, to that of granulocytes alone, as shown by the fact that the numbers of CFU per gram of vegetation in the granulocytopenic rabbits treated with this dose of PBP and in the non-PBP-treated control rabbits were not significantly different.

Agranulocytosis↗
PubMed1984

Role of granulocytes and monocytes in experimental Escherichia coli endocarditis.

The role of granulocytes and monocytes during the induction and course of Escherichia coli endocarditis was investigated in rabbits by selectively depleting monocytes from the circulation with the drug VP16-213 and granulocytes and monocytes with nitrogen mustard. For induction, the number of E. coli needed to infect the vegetations in 50% of the rabbits was significantly lower in rabbits with combined granulocytopenia and monocytopenia than in those with selective monocytopenia or in control rabbits, whereas the number of E. coli needed to infect 50% of the rabbits did not differ between the latter two. During the course of the endocarditis in endocardial vegetations, the numbers of CFU per gram of vegetation were significantly higher in the rabbits with combined granulocytopenia and monocytopenia than in the monocytopenic and control rabbits but did not differ between the latter two. The numbers of granulocytes in the circulation and the numbers of CFU per gram of vegetation showed a significant negative correlation that was not measurably influenced by the duration of the disease but was dependent on the number of E. coli injected for the induction of endocarditis. Granulocytes were found to be most effective at the lowest numbers of bacteria injected. In the circulation, too, the numbers of CFU per milliliter were significantly higher in rabbits with combined granulocytopenia and monocytopenia than in those with selective monocytopenia and control rabbits, and there was a significant negative correlation between the numbers of granulocytes and CFU per milliliter of blood. From these findings we conclude that granulocytes play a protective role during the induction and course of E. coli endocarditis in rabbits, whereas no role is demonstrable for monocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Use of 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and 14C fluorography in studies of glycolysis and regulation of pyruvate kinase in Streptococcus lactis.

High-resolution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and 14C fluorography have been used to identify and quantitate intermediates of the Embden-Meyerhof pathway in intact cells and cell extracts of Streptococcus lactis. Glycolysing cells contained high levels of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (a positive effector of pyruvate kinase) but comparatively low concentrations of other glycolytic metabolites. By contrast, starved organisms contained only high levels of 3-phosphoglycerate, 2-phosphoglycerate, and phosphoenolpyruvate. The concentration of Pi (a negative effector of pyruvate kinase) in starved cells was fourfold greater than that maintained by glycolysing cells. The following result suggest that retention of the phosphoenolpyruvate pool by starved cells is a consequence of Pi-mediated inhibition of pyruvate kinase: the increase in the phosphoenolpyruvate pool (and Pi) preceded depletion of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, and reduction in intracellular Pi (by a maltose-plus-arginine phosphate trap) caused the restoration of pyruvate kinase activity in starved cells. Time course studies showed that Pi was conserved by formation of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate during glycolysis. Conversely, during starvation high levels of Pi were generated concomitant with depletion of intracellular fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. The concentrations of Pi and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate present in starved and glycolysing cells of S. lactis varied inversely. The activity of pyruvate kinase in the growing cell may be modulated by the relative concentrations of the two antagonistic effectors.

Carbon Radioisotopes↗
PubMed1984

Futile xylitol cycle in Lactobacillus casei.

A futile xylitol cycle appears to be responsible for xylitol-mediated inhibition of growth of Lactobacillus casei Cl-16 at the expense of ribitol. The gratuitously induced xylitol-specific phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase accumulates the pentitol as xylitol-5-phosphate, a phosphatase cleaves the latter, and an export system expels the xylitol. Operation of the cycle rapidly dissipates the ribitol-5-phosphate pool (and ultimately the energy supply of the cell), thereby producing bacteriostasis.

Carbon Radioisotopes↗
PubMed1984

Ultrafiltration vs equilibrium dialysis for determination of free fraction.

The analytical basis of membrane separation in determining plasma free drug concentrations is developed from consideration of the generalised ideal mass action and conservation laws applied to thermodynamic states of differing component volumes. The intuitively surprising theoretical independence of free drug concentration with changing fractional volume of protein predicts the equivalence of final free drug concentration after uniform pre-dilution with that after equilibrium dialysis against the same volume of buffer. Similarly, the ultrafiltrate free concentration of drugs in ideal plasma binding equilibrium is theoretically constant, regardless of the extent of reduction in fractional volume of binding protein during filtration. The pitfalls in calculating free and bound fraction and concentration from equilibrium dialysis are reviewed and expressions presented to correct the major artefacts. The dilution behaviour of drugs is predicted from the normalised mass action model. Practical aspects of validating ultrafiltration free drug levels using equilibrium dialysis are outlined.

Blood Proteins↗
PubMed1984

Role of granulocytes in the induction of an experimental endocarditis with a dextran-producing Streptococcus sanguis and its dextran-negative mutant.

The role of granulocytes in the induction of endocarditis with a dextran-producing Streptococcus sanguis and a dextran-negative mutant of this strain was studied. The number of colony-forming units of Streptococcus sanguis needed to colonize the vegetations in 50% of the rabbits (ID50) was significantly lower for the parent strain than for the dextran-negative mutant. However, in granulocytopenic rabbits the ID50s of both strains did not differ measurably. Dextran-negative streptococci were more readily cleared from the circulation than dextran-positive, but in this respect no difference was found between control and granulocytopenic rabbits, which indicates that clearance cannot account for the difference in ID50 between the two strains in the control group. At serum concentrations of 5% and lower, in-vitro granulocytes phagocytosed the dextran-negative streptococci more rapidly than the dextran-positive. The intracellular killing of the streptococci was no influenced by dextran production. This study suggests that an impaired phagocytic removal of attached bacteria from the vegetational surface can be a factor promoting the induction of endocarditis by dextran-producing streptococci.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Symptomatic thyroiditis and schizophrenia in a six-year-old girl.

A case of simultaneous symptomatic thyroiditis and schizophrenia in a prepubertal child is reported. The coexistence of these disorders has implications for potential diagnostic confusion and raises speculation of a shared immunologic and/or genetic etiology.

Autoimmune Diseases↗