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Biomedical subjects

K W Scott

Publications and source records attributed to K W Scott.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

The cross sectional area of diaphragmatic muscle fibres in emphysema, measured by an automated image analysis system.

The cross-sectional area of diaphragmatic muscle fibres was measured using a Quantimet 720 image analysis system in 18 patients with emphysema and six control non-emphysematous patients. The technique proved to be an accurate method of measuring muscle fibre area and much more rapid than the previously described methods. The mean cross-sectional area of the muscle fibres in the emphysematous group was 1069-5 mum2 and this was significantly greater than the mean of the control group which was 851-0 mum2. In the emphysematous group nine patients who died from chronic airways obstruction had a larger mean muscle fibre area than the nine patients with non-fatal respiratory disease. The emphysematous patients showed a marked increase in the number of very large muscle fibres (2000-2200 mum2) in the diaphrahm and also an increased variation in size from fibre to fibre. The increase in muscle fibre size showed a positive correlation with ventricular weight but not with the amount of emphysema in the lungs. It would appear that although the excursion of the diaphragm is reduced in emphysema the muscle fibres do not atrophy but in fact undergo work hypertrophy. This is presumably due to the horizontal shortening of the muscle fibres, when the diaphragm is working at a poor mechanical advantage, because it cannot descend normally in emphysematous patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

A PATHOLOGICAL study of the lungs and heart in fatal and non-fatal chronic airways obstruction.

The lungs and hearts from 50 patients were examined using morphometric techniques to determine the size of the right ventricle, the amount, type, and distribution of emphysema, the size of the bronchial mucous glands, and the proportion of the lung occupied by small airways of less than 2 mm diameter. The patients were divided into three groups according to the clinical history: 18 died as a result of chronic airways obstruction, 17 had symptoms of chronic chest disease but died from some unrelated cause, and 15 had no symptoms related to the respiratory system. The total amount of emphysema was found to be greater in the fatal than the symptomatic group who in turn had more emphysema than the asymptomatic group. A positive correlation was found between the amount of emphysema and the right ventricular weight. The amount of panlobular emphysema in the lung was found to be greater in the fatal group than in the others but this did not apply to the amount of centrilobular emphysema. The amount of panlobular, but not centrilobular, emphysema showed a positive correlation with right ventricular weight. As the total amount of emphysema increased it was found that there was an increase in each of three zones in the lung-apical, middle, and lower. There was no relationship between the bronchial mucous gland size and either the clinical state of the patients with symptoms or the right ventricular weight. The proportion of lung occupied by the lumen of small airways was significantly reduced in the fatal group as compared to the other two groups and also showed a negative (inverse) correlation with right ventricular weight. The total amount of emphysema, the amount of panlobular emphysema, and reduction in small airways lumen in the lung are the three factors in chronic airways obstruction which are quantitatively related to death in chronic airways obstruction and to right ventricular weight.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Quantitation of thick-walled peripheral lung vessels in chronic airways obstruction.

The number of thick-walled peripheral lung vessels (defined as vessels of less than 100 mu diameter with two distinct elastic laminae) was calculated in 50 postmortem lungs. The size of the right ventricle, the amount and type of emphysema, and the proportion of small airways lumen in the lung were also quantitated. Eighteen patients had died as a result of chronic airways obstruction, 17 had symptoms of chronic chest disease but died from some unrelated cause, and 15 had no symptoms related to the respiratory system. The mean number of thick-walled peripheral lung vessels (TWPV) was found to be significantly greater in the fatal disease group than in both of the other groups. No significant difference was found between the mean values of the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. The mean number of TWPV was significantly greater in cases with a right ventricular weight of more than 80 g than in those with a weight of less than 65 g. Positive correlations were found between the number of TWPV and right ventricular weight, total amount of emphysema in the lung, and the amounts of centrilobular and panlobular emphysema. Significant negative correlations were found between the number of TWPV and both the ratio of the weight of the left ventricle to the right ventricle and the proportion of small airways lumen in the lung.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMed1976

A clinicopathological study of fatal chronic airways obstruction.

A clinicopathological study of 21 patients who died as a result of chronic airways obstruction was carried out. Thirteen patients had been in right ventricular failure for at least one year before death and the other eight patients did not have right ventricular failure. The patients with long-standing right ventricular failure died at a younger age, on average, than those without failure. There were no significant quantitative differences between the two groups in the length of history of chest disease, blood gas estimations, respiratory function tests or degree of polycythaemia. The group with right ventricular failure had significantly larger mean right and left ventricular weights than the group without failure, but there were no significant differences in amounts of emphysema, size of bronchial mucous glands, proportion of small airways lumen in the lung or number of thick-walled peripheral lung vessels between the two groups. The findings did not support the division of this series of patients, with fatal chronic airways obstruction, into two distinct groups broadly defined as 'emphysematous' and 'bronchitic', either clinically or pathologically. A history of right ventricular failure correlated well with the finding of right ventricular hypertrophy at necropsy. Electrocardiographic evidence of right ventricular hypertrophy was found to correspond with the size of the right ventricle at necropsy in 66% of cases. The radiographic diagnosis of emphysema proved an accurate assessment when compared to the necropsy findings, and radiographic estimations of right ventricular enlargement were accurate in 65% of cases. Histological evidence of acute bronchitis was present in 20 of the 21 patients (95%), and five patients showed histological evidence of minor pulmonary thromboembolism. Ten patients in the series showed an increase in the weight of the left ventricular as well as the right ventricle.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Postmortem assessment of chronic airways obstruction by tantalum bronchography.

Tantalum bronchography was performed on 22 left lungs obtained at necropsy. Seven were from patients dying in cor pulmonale as a result of chronic airways obstruction and 15 were from unselected necropsies. Of the latter group, nine had no evidence of respiratory disease and six had pathological changes of emphysema and bronchial mucous gland enlargement when the lungs were examined following formalin fixation. A range of changes in the bronchographic appearances from the normal to the groosly abnormal is illustrated. The main changes in severely diseases lungs were: irregularity of the bronchial walls, failure of the walls to taper towards the periphery, areas of narrowing and dilatation, and 'pooling' of tantalum at the ends of airways. A count was made of the numbers of small airway branches in the most distal 4 cm of the lung and also of the number of airways of less than 1 mm in diameter. Patients dying in cor pulmonale had a significantly reduced total number of patent small airways in the area measured and also fewer patent airways of less than 1 mm diameter compared to both the other groups. Histological study of four of the lungs in greater detail revealed that the reduction in small airways filling was the result of a combination of obliteration and obstruction of the lumen by pus. Tantalum bronchography provides a good indication of the state of the bronchial tree at the time of death, and the changes seen are the result of both acute and chronic disease processes.

Adult↗
PubMed1967

Acne agminata.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase: correlation with histologic grade, lymph node status and estrogen receptor expression in human breast cancer.

Nitric oxide is produced by several isoenzymes which are present in many different tissues. We have recently reported the presence of inducible nitric oxide synthase in a breast cancer cell line. The purpose of this study was to examine the distribution of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in a series of human breast tumours. Immunohistochemical investigations demonstrated immunolabelling of tumour cells with the primary antibody, bovine endothelial anti-nitric oxide synthase. Although there was no correlation between eNOS staining and tumour size, there was a significant (p < 0.005) negative correlation (rho = -0.65) between the percentage of tumour cells staining positive for eNOS and the histologic grade of the tumour; there was also a significant (p < 0.05) negative correlation (rho = -0.40) between the percentage of tumour cells staining positive for eNOS and the number of positive lymph nodes. A significant (p < 0.005) positive correlation (rho = 0.63) between the percentage of tumour cells staining positive for eNOS and estrogen receptor (ER) expression by the tumour was also observed. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that eNOS is expressed by human breast tumours and that its presence negatively correlates with histologic grade and lymph node status and positively correlates with ER expression.

Animals↗