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Biomedical subjects

K Hellsing

Publications and source records attributed to K Hellsing.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Copper malabsorption in coeliac disease.

Copper uptake during three hours from an oral test dose of copper sulphate solution giving three mg Cu++, close to the recommended daily dietary intake, was significantly reduced in patients with proximal intestinal disease, compared with normal subjects. Three out of ten patients had abnormal and otherwise unexplained blood counts compatible with the known haematological effects of copper deficiency and were restored to normal levels on a gluten-free diet. Copper deficiency and proximal intestinal disease should be suspected in patients with otherwise unexplained anaemia, especially neutropenia.

Adult↗

Post-operative substrate utilisation and gas exchange using two different TPN-systems: glucose versus fat.

Twenty patients were studied over the first 4 post-operative days following abdominal aortic surgery. Ten patients had 93% of their non-protein energy as glucose and insulin was given to keep blood glucose below 10 mmol/l. The other 10 patients had 80% of non-protein energy as fat (Intralipid). Amino acids corresponding to 12 g of nitrogen were given in both groups. Gas exchange, nitrogen balance, phosphate balance, vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) excretion, 1- and 3-methylhistidine in urine, acute phase proteins, immunoglobulins and albumin were followed. Substrate utilisation was calculated from indirect calorimetry data and nitrogen excretion. Metabolism in the early post-operative phase was found to adapt to the nutrition regimen given even though the composition was extreme either in fat or carbohydrate content. The glucose-insulin regimen had a better nitrogen sparing effect and based on the difference in 3-methylhistidine excretion it is suggested that mainly protein muscle benefitted from this. Regardless of the TPN-regimen given, those patients whose RQ deviated the most from the average in their group had the highest nitrogen excretion. The two groups showed no differences in plasma proteins and catecholamine excretion.

Journal Article↗

Effects of human albumin infusion on transepidermal water loss in newborn infants.

A study was made to determine whether the high transepidermal water loss in preterm newborn infants is affected by infusion of human albumin. In 7 preterm infants, born after 25-30 weeks of gestation, 0.5 g of human albumin per kilogram body weight (b.w.) was infused through an umbilical artery catheter in 6 h on the 1st day after birth. In 2 other infants, born after 28 completed weeks of gestation, human albumin in an amount of 1.0 g/kg body weight was infused. The plasma albumin concentration increased significantly from a pre-infusion value of 27.1 to 29.5 g/l after 4 h of infusion. Simultaneously the transepidermal water loss decreased from 26.6 to 23.5 g/(m2 X h); this difference was also significant. Within 2 h after the end of the albumin infusion, both the plasma albumin concentration and the transepidermal water loss had returned to levels that were not significantly different from the pre-infusion values. Plasma osmolality and sodium concentration did not alter during the infusion, nor did arterial blood pressure.

Body Water↗

Haemotherapy with red-cell concentrates and a new red-cell storage medium.

The effects on plasma proteins and haemostasis of haemotherapy with buffy-coat-poor red-cell concentrate and red cells suspended and stored in a new medium containing sodium chloride, adenine, glucose, and mannitol (SAGM) were studied in elective surgery. In patients with normal preoperative serum albumin levels no transfusion of plasma was necessary before 50% of blood volume had been lost. When three different types of haemotherapy were investigated in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery, it was found that when whole blood was replaced by red-cell concentrate and, later, by red-cell suspension in SAGM medium, the peroperative bleeding pattern did not change. The volume of transfused plasma was reduced by 47% in the red-cell-concentrate series and by 72% in the red-cell-suspension series. No albumin preparations were given and the use of red cells was decreased by 26%. Haemotherapy with red cells suspended in SAGM was useful in elective surgery and saved plasma for other purposes.

Aged↗

Changes in metabolism during a fasting period and a subsequent vegetarian diet with particular reference to glucose metabolism.

During an investigation on the effect of fasting and a vegetarian diet on the symptoms and signs in chronic cutaneous and arthritic diseases studies were made of glucose metabolism, liver function and the plasma concentration and urine excretion of some minerals. The study was performed on 27 patients who stayed as in-patients on a metabolic ward for five weeks. After the fasting period the blood glucose and serum insulin concentrations were lower (p less than 0.01) than before the fast. At the end of the period on the vegetarian (vegan) diet (three weeks) the insulin/glucose ratio was lower than at the start of the fast. Serum enzyme concentrations reflecting liver function increased during the fast, but normalized during the vegan diet. The intake of vitamin B12 and of selenium due to the vegan diets was very low, which may give reason for some concern during long-term use of this type of vegetarian diet.

Adult↗

Changes in glucose tolerance and plasma insulin during lipid-lowering treatment with diet, clofibrate and niceritrol.

In an effort to reduce serum lipids in patients with atherosclerotic manifestations, a combined treatment with a conventional lipid-lowering diet, clofibrate and niceritrol was used. The effect on glucose metabolism of such treatment was studied. Among the 106 patients 66 took the full dose of both drugs and of these 51 were weight-stable and non-diabetic. The effects of the diet and the drugs were evaluated in this subsample. Diet had no effect on fasting blood glucose concentration, the K value of an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and concentrations of serum insulin. Niceritrol treatment was associated with increased blood glucose, decreased K value, elevated fasting serum insulin and serum insulin at 60 min during IVGTT. Clofibrate had the opposite effects to niceritrol and when both drugs were combined, carbohydrate metabolism was unchanged compared with the pre-treatment state.

Aged↗

Decrease of lipoprotein lipase activity in skeletal muscle in man during a short-term carbohydrate-rich dietary regime. With special reference to HDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein and insulin concentrations.

Seven men took part in a study in which the diet was changed from an ordinary mixed one to a fat-rich diet [greater than 70% energy (E)] for 3 days followed by a carbohydrate-rich diet (greater than 70% E) for 3 days. Blood was drawn and muscle biopsies [for analysis of lipoprotein-lipase (LPL) activity] were taken before the study and at the end of each diet period. Insulin, apolipoprotein (apo) B, A-I and A-II, cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were determined in serum and the lipids also in the high density lipoproteins (HDL). Serum insulin was higher (p less than 0.01) during the carbohydrate-rich diet than during the fat-rich diet (12.0 +/- 0.9 vs. 7.5 +/- 0.5 microunits/l, mean +/- SEM), as were serum-triglycerides (2.42 +/- 0.27 vs. 0.98 +/- 0.07 mmole/1, p less than 0.001). Muscle LPL activity, on the other hand, was lower (p less than 0.01), 27.3 +/- 6.1 vs. 75.1 +/- 13.2 microunits/g. HDL-cholesterol was 1.22 +/- 0.08 during the carbohydrate-rich diet which was lower (p less than 0.01) than during the fat-rich diet, 1.45 +/- 0.11. The concentration of apo A-I and A-II did not vary significantly. It is suggested that the increased insulin concentrations during a short-term, carbohydrate-rich diet may have a down-regulating effect on muscle LPL activity. Low muscle LPL activity may account for part of the elevation of serum triglycerides. An ineffective hydrolysis of VLDL-triglycerides may contribute to the variation in HDL-cholesterol concentration seen under these circumstances.

Adolescent↗

Meconium screening for cystic fibrosis. An eight-year follow-up study.

The results of more than eight years of screening for cystic fibrosis (CF), utilizing the albumin concentration in meconium, are reported. Over 28 000 meconium samples were tested, over 24 000 of them by the Boehringer-Mannheim strip test, and all samples considered as showing a trace or positive result were followed up by an immunological technique. Eight-three meconium samples contained more than 20 g albumin/kg dry weight meconium and five of these were from children who were found to have CF. One child with CF was missed in the screening. From these figures the sensitivity of the method for detecting CF children at birth was calculated to be 75%, the specificity 99.7%, the negative predictive value 100%, the positive predictive value 4.0% and the incidence of CF in Sweden about 1:4,500. The incidence of pathologically elevated meconium albumin concentrations was found to be 25 times higher in premature than in full-term infants. Since the number of false positive results creates a problem, we suggest that premature children (birth weight less than 2500 g) and newborns with melaena should be excluded from further follow-up studies.

Albumins↗

Body weight, skeletal muscle morphology, and enzyme activities in relation to fasting serum insulin concentration and glucose tolerance in 48-year-old men.

Tissue samples were taken from the gastrocnemius muscle of 26 randomly selected, glucose-tolerant, 48-yr-old men. Hexokinase, phosphorylase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), succinate dehydrogenase, and lipoprotein lipase activity (LPLA), as well as the area per fiber type and capillary density, were determined. Mean fiber area correlated positively with relative body weight (r equals 0.53, P less than 0.01), but capillary density did not. The result is that, in cases of high body weight, each capillary supplies a larger muscle fiber area. Serum insulin concentration in the fasting state correlated positively with body weight (r equals 0.77, P less than 0.001) and with mean fiber area per capillary (r equals 0.87; P less than 0.001). Only during the latter part of an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) did blood glucose concentrations correlate with relative body weight and mean fiber area per capillary (r equals 0.42, r equals 0.51, P less than 0.05). A stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the different muscle morphology measurements could account for 3/4 of the variation in the fasting serum insulin concentration, the fasting insulin/glucose ratio, and the blood glucose concentration at 120 min in the OGTT. Of the intracellular enzymes, only LDH (r equals -0.71, P less than 0.001) correlated with the mean fiber area per capillary. LPLA correlated with capillary density (r equals 0.66, P less than 0.001), and, long with the muscle morphology measurements, could account for 3/4 of the variation in serum triglyceride concentrations. The results show that a large mean muscle fiber area/capillary ratio indicates a morphologic imbalance, which is related to both glucose tolerance and various degrees of insulin sensitivity.

Blood Glucose↗

Phosphate metabolism in renal stone formers. (I): Indices of phosphate handling in calcium stone patients and healthy subjects.

Healthy subjects (n = 112) and patients with recurrent idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis (n = 44) were evaluated regarding various indices of phosphate handling: serum phosphate concentration, renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate, index of phosphate excretion and renal threshold concentration for phosphate (TmP/GFR). The 24 hour and fasting 2 hour urinary phosphate excretions were similar in the two groups and the index of phosphate excretion was higher in stone formers, but for all the other variables lower mean values were found in the group of stone formers than in the group of normal subjects. The renal tubular capacity for reabsorption of phosphate (as evaluated by the different indices) appeared to decrease with advancing age concomitant with a reduction of the serum phosphate concentration. When age- and sex-matched subjects from the two groups were compared with regard to the phosphate variables lower values were still found in the group of stone forming subjects. This study gives support to earlier observations that renal stone formers tend to waste phosphate by and altered renal handling.

Absorption↗

The effects of colestipol when combined with clofibrate in the treatment of severe hyperlipidemia. Short-term and long-term studies.

Twenty-two patients suffering from hyperlipidemia and receiving therapy consisting of a lipid-lowering diet and clofibrate (1 g X 2) were in addition given colestipol hydrochloride (5 g X 3) (Colestid, Upjohn) in a randomized, cross-over study for 2 periods of 6 weeks. Both the cholesterol and the triglyceride concentrations in very low density lipoproteins remained unchanged during the colestipol treatment. The cholesterol concentration in low density lipoproteins decreased by 23% (P < 0.001) and increased in high density lipoproteins by 4% (P < 0.01). In a second part of the project, the effects on the lipoprotein lipids of 15 g of colestipol divided into 1, 2 or 3 daily doses were studied when added to ongoing therapy with clofibrate (1 g X 2) and lipid-lowering diet. When the colespitol was divided into 2 or 3 daily doses, the effects were manifested equally but were less pronounced when 1 dose per day was given. In a third study, 14 patients who were treated with a combination of lipid-lowering diet, clofibrate (1 g X 2) and colestipol hydrochloride (15 g daily) were followed over a 2-year period, during which time the serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were maintained at a reduced level. The fasting blood glucose and serum insulin concentrations were increased during colestipol treatment. Such treatment should therefore not be given to patients with impaired glucose tolerance.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Indices of alcohol intake. Comparison between serum concentrations of alkaline phosphatase and gamma glutamyltransferase in middle-aged men.

A comparison was performed on the validity of serum-gamma-glutamyltransferase (S-GT) and serum-alkaline phosphatase (S-ALP) concentrations for establishing the increased alcohol intake in a group of middle-aged men in Uppsala. These men were all born in 1915 and were participants of a special health investigation performed at their age of 60 years. Subjects who were registered at the Temperance Board, or had ethyl alcohol in urine or gave a positive reply to a question of alcohol intake were designated alcohol index cases. The mean S-GT values of these different alcohol index groups were significantly higher than that of a randomly selected subgroup devoid of alcohol findings in the same population. No such differences were found when comparing the corresponding mean S-ALP values. The authors thus point to the superiority of S-GT determinations to S-ALP determinations, especially in patients where the alcohol consumption certainly not is to be regarded as excessive.

Age Factors↗

A prospective study of urinary proteins in early infancy.

Urinary concentrations of protein, albumin, beta 2-microglobulin, alpha-amino nitrogen, and creatinine were determined in forty-one full-term infants on seven occasions up to six months of age. Except for beta 2-microglobulin the concentrations were highest on the first day, followed by a rapid decrease to a constant level within two weeks. Protein diminished approximately seven-fold, albumin twenty-fold, alpha-amino nitrogen three-fold and creatinine five-fold. By contrast, beta 2-microglobulin, a low molecular weight protein, first increased three-fold between day 1 and day 5, thereafter decreasing slowly 17-fold during the first three months of age. The data indicate that different kidney functions mature asynchronously.

Age Factors↗