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Biomedical subjects

L Jones

Publications and source records attributed to L Jones.

At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources

A randomized controlled trial of intravenous streptokinase in evolving acute myocardial infarction.

To determine the efficacy of intravenous streptokinase in acute myocardial infarction, 52 patients were randomized to intravenous streptokinase or control groups. Time from onset of infarction to randomization was similar in the streptokinase group and control group, 4.9 +/- 2.1 hours vs 5.4 +/- 2.4 hours, respectively. The 28 streptokinase patients received an intravenous infusion of 700,000 units of streptokinase followed by full-dose anticoagulation. The 24 control patients received normal saline solution followed by full-dose anticoagulation. Of 28 streptokinase patients, 12 (43%) had noninvasive evidence of reperfusion by early peaking of serum creatine kinase (peak creatine kinase less than 16 hours after onset of infarction) vs 3 of 24 control patients (13%), p less than 0.02. Two streptokinase patients (7%) had reperfusion arrhythmias during streptokinase infusion. One streptokinase patient (4%) and two control patients (8%) died during hospitalization. At angiography (16 +/- 5 days after infarction) 22 of 26 streptokinase patients (85%) had a patent infarct-related coronary artery compared to 8 of 20 control patients (40%), p less than 0.01. Comparison of radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction assessed acutely (28 +/- 10 hours after infarction) with left ventricular ejection fraction at hospital discharge (15 +/- 3 days after infarction) showed no significant improvement in either the streptokinase or control group, 0% and +1%, respectively. At follow-up 13 +/- 7 months after infarction, total mortality rate was similar in the streptokinase group and control group, 17.8% (5 of 28 streptokinase patients) and 20.8% (5 of 24 control patients), respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

A comparison of fetal heart rate monitoring and umbilical artery waveforms in the recognition of fetal compromise.

Antenatal fetal heart rate monitoring was compared with the study of umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms for the recognition of fetal compromise in 170 patients considered at high fetal risk. In 53 patients the infant had a 5-min Apgar score of less than 7 and/or a birthweight less than 10th centile of weight for gestation. Fetal heart rate traces were classified as reactive or non-reactive and also assessed with a modified Fischer score. The systolic/diastolic A/B ratio was measured in the umbilical artery waveform. Fetal compromise was more efficiently recognized by study of the umbilical artery waveforms. The sensitivity of assessment by umbilical artery waveforms was 60% compared with 17% and 36% respectively, for the two methods of scoring fetal heart rate traces. This was not associated with an increase in false-positive results as the predictive value of both positive (64% compared with 69 and 58%) and negative (83% compared with 72 and 75%) results was similar when umbilical artery waveform analysis was compared with the two methods of scoring fetal heart rate traces. Specificity was also similar (85% compared with 97 and 88%).

Blood Flow Velocity↗

Bone marrow transplantation for patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia: T-cell depletion with Campath-1 reduces the incidence of graft-versus-host disease but may increase the risk of leukaemic relapse.

Between December 1983 and November 1985 we treated 39 patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia by chemoradiotherapy and transplantation from HLA-identical sibling donors using bone marrow that had been depleted of T cells ex vivo with the rat monoclonal antibody Campath-1. Twenty-eight of the patients were in the chronic phase (good-risk group) and 11 patients were in more advanced phases of the disease (accelerated phase or blastic transformation; poor-risk group). Of the patients of good risk 23 (82%) survive; the median duration of follow-up is 461 (range 111-776) days; of the 11 patients of poor risk four survive; the median duration of follow-up is 280 (range 189-658) days. Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of grade II or greater occurred in three (11%) of the patients of good risk and in six (55%) of the patients of poor risk. In the patients of good risk haematological evidence of relapse was seen in four and cytogenetic evidence of persisting or relapsed leukaemia (based on the finding of Philadelphia-chromosome-positive marrow metaphases more than 6 months after transplant) was seen in three other patients. In comparison with the patients of good risk transplanted with untreated marrow between February 1981 and December 1983, the incidence of acute GVHD was reduced significantly (P less than 0.001) but the risk of leukaemic relapse (including patients with only cytogenetic evidence of relapse) was increased (P less than 0.005). We conclude that T-cell depletion used in this manner may be associated with an increased risk of leukaemic relapse.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Histocompatible unrelated volunteer donors compared with HLA nonidentical family donors in marrow transplantation for aplastic anemia and leukemia.

We treated 14 patients by transplantation of marrow from unrelated volunteer donors. Eight patients had severe aplastic anemia, 3 had chronic granulocytic leukemia, and 3 had Fanconi's anemia. The results are compared with those of a group of 14 similar patients transplanted concurrently from human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched family members: Sustained engraftment was achieved in 8 of 14 patients in both groups; one additional patient survived with autologous marrow reconstitution following an unrelated donor transplant. In the unrelated donor group, 6 of 9 evaluable patients developed grade III through IV acute graft-v-host disease, as compared with 4 of 9 patients after family-mismatched transplants. Overall survival was similar in the two groups. In the unrelated donor group 4 of 14 (29%) patients survived (median survival 1,299 days) as compared with 5 of 14 (36%) in the mismatched-family donor group (median survival 808 days). In both groups, patients with HLA phenotypically matched donors fared better than those with donors who were mismatched for one or more HLA antigen. Of the patients transplanted from HLA phenotypically matched donors 6 of 12 patients (50%) survived, as compared with 3 of 16 patients (19%) transplanted from HLA-mismatched donors. We conclude that unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation (BMT) should be considered in those cases of leukemia or bone marrow failure in which the chance of cure using conventional therapy is remote and a HLA genotypically or phenotypically matched family donor is not available.

Anemia, Aplastic↗

Coronary blood flow during variation in coronary perfusion pressure.

It is demonstrated that severe dysfunction occurs in the myocardial segment supplied by a critically stenosed coronary artery during hypotension, while in contrast an increase in coronary perfusion pressure (to the extent used in this experimental model) is not detrimental to regional myocardial function. If the results of these experiments are applied to clinical practice, it appears to be of primary importance to maintain normal blood pressure in patients with ischaemic heart disease, and it may even be preferable to increase the blood pressure slightly during the peri-operative period.

Animals↗

Myocardial ischaemia during tachycardia--not due to an increase in myocardial oxygen demand.

It is generally believed that an increase in heart rate will be accompanied by an increase in myocardial oxygen demand (MVO2), but in a recent publication this concept has been challenged; we present data supporting the view that an increase in heart rate is not necessarily accompanied by an increase in MVO2. Our data are based on studies on dogs in five phases: (a) normal coronary arteries; (i) with normal heart rate; (ii) with tachycardia induced by a pacemaker; and (iii) with normal heart rate; and (b) with a constricted left anterior descending coronary artery: (i) with normal heart rate; and (ii) with induced tachycardia. MVO2 remained unchanged both per beat and per unit of time. Neither global nor regional myocardial function in the area supplied by the constricted artery changed during tachycardia. The reason for myocardial ischaemia should therefore not be attributed to an increase in MVO2 if the diameter of the heart is not increased, and attention should rather be focused on inadequate diastolic perfusion time and possible redistribution of blood from the potentially ischaemic zone.

Animals↗

Complement-subcomponent-C1-inhibitor synthesis by human monocytes.

By using a radioimmunoassay, C1-inhibitor was found to accumulate in the supernatants of human monocyte cultures. The production of this protein was inhibited reversibly by cycloheximide. When C1-inhibitor synthesis was compared with C2 synthesis, it was found that C1-inhibitor synthesis continued, whereas synthesis of C2 appeared to cease after about 7 days in culture. Immunoprecipitation of supernatants of monocyte cultures that had been pulsed with [35S]methionine showed a specific band with an Mr of 105 000. Immunoprecipitates of the lysates revealed a band of Mr 83 000; this was thought to represent a partially or non-glycosylated precursor of C1-inhibitor. C1-inhibitor produced by the monocytes was shown, by using a haemolytic assay, to be functionally active. However, the functional activity of C1-inhibitor was reduced by only 44% in the presence of cycloheximide, whereas the concentration of this protein in cycloheximide-treated culture supernatants fell by more than 93%. This finding suggests that monocytes secrete a second molecule, which inhibits C1 activity but is distinct from classical C1-inhibitor.

Cells, Cultured↗

The in-vitro activity of some antimicrobial agents against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

A total of 185 strains of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus was investigated for sensitivity to five other antimicrobial agents. The vast majority of these strains were also resistant to gentamicin and fusidic acid. Rifampicin was the most active drug tested (MIC90, 0.007 mg/l), while two newer compounds teichomycin and ciprofloxacin showed equal and appreciable activity (MIC90, 0.5 mg/l).

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Experience with 1000 colonoscopic polypectomies.

Experience with 1000 consecutive polypectomies in 591 patients, from December 1975 to October 1982, is reviewed. There were 633 adenomas, 292 hyperplastic, and 75 miscellaneous polyps. While eight minor bleeding episodes (0.8%) occurred, there were no major complications (perforations or bleeding requiring transfusion). The polyp retrieval rate was 97.9%. Of the 633 adenomas, seven (1.1%) had in situ carcinoma and ten (1.6%) invasive. Eight of the invasive group underwent colon resection with no positive nodes present. Anatomic location demonstrated a shift to the right side of the colon. Three hundred thirty-six (53.1%) were in the rectosigmoid; 134 (21.3%) were in the left colon; 79 (12.3%) were in the transverse colon; and 84 (13.3%) were in the right colon and cecum. Patients who have undergone benign polypectomy are colonoscoped again in 1 year, and, if negative, every 3 years thereafter. Postpolypectomy patients with malignant adenomas require closer observation. Endoscopic polypectomy, with its lower morbidity and mortality, has revolutionized the treatment of the colon polyp. It is also more cost-effective, with outpatient polypectomy being 29 times less expensive and inpatient polypectomy four times less expensive than transabdominal polypectomy.

Adenoma↗

Do cholecystectomy rates correlate with geographic variations in the prevalence of gallstones?

Two fold variations in the age and sex standardised post mortem prevalence of gallstones have been demonstrated between nine British towns by Barker and his colleagues. We have examined the rates of cholecystectomy in the Districts serving seven of these towns to discover whether the incidence of operation bears any relation to this variation in morbidity. The opportunity to compare independent measurements of morbidity with the supply of health services and their use is rare, and in this example a plausible association is demonstrated. Variations in cholecystectomy rates between countries is, however, more difficult to explain by variations in relevant morbidity.

Cholecystectomy↗