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Biomedical subjects

L Kennedy

Publications and source records attributed to L Kennedy.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Cyclical Cushing's disease: two distinct rhythms in a patient with a basophil adenoma.

A 71-yr-old woman with clinical signs of Cushing's syndrome was studied continuously for an extended period after demonstration of a paradoxical response to dexamethasone. She proved to have a corticotroph cell adenoma of the pituitary which caused secretion of ACTH and cortisol in two distinct rhythms. One rhythm consisted of a period of 40 days of excess cortisol production, followed by a period of 60-70 days of normal production. During the period of excess cortisol production there was a second rhythm, consisting of peaks of cortisol production every 3-6 days with intervening troughs of normal cortisol production. Prolonged clinical remission followed transphenoidal surgery, but the pituitary still has the ability to provoke abnormal amounts of cortisol secretion, as occurred during a postoperative dexamethasone suppression test. The long duration of normal cortisol production phases in this patient demonstrates the difficulty in excluding Cushing's syndrome in patients with suggestive clinical symptoms but normal serum and urinary cortisol levels if these tests are measured for a single short phase of several days.

Adenoma, Basophil↗
PubMed1985

Limited joint mobility in insulin-dependent diabetes: relationship to retinopathy, peripheral nerve function and HLA status.

Eighty-eight (43 per cent) of 204 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes had limited joint mobility affecting mainly the small joints of the hands. The presence of limited joint mobility correlated with duration of diabetes and with the presence of retinopathy. Patients with longstanding diabetes were approximately 2.5 times more likely to have proliferative retinopathy if limited joint mobility was present than if it was absent, although the risk for non-proliferative or background retinopathy was not increased. In patients with longstanding diabetes and limited joint mobility nerve conduction velocity and vibration perception threshold were significantly reduced compared with patients having similar duration of diabetes but normal joints. The association between insulin-dependent diabetes and HLA-DR3 and HLA-DR4 was confirmed, but there was no difference, between patients with and without limited joint mobility, in the frequency of the various HLA types. Limitation of joint mobility appears to be another "chronic complication' of diabetes, developing in parallel with retinopathy and deteriorating peripheral nerve function, and possibly of similar aetiology.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Serum cortisol concentrations during low dose dexamethasone suppression test to screen for Cushing's syndrome.

Forty four subjects (23 obese controls, 11 patients with possible Cushing's syndrome, and 10 patients with definite Cushing's syndrome) underwent low dose (0 X 5 mg every six hours for two days) dexamethasone suppression tests during which serum cortisol concentration at 0800 and excretion of urinary free cortisol over 24 hours were measured. Serum cortisol concentration fell to below 60 nmol/1 (2 X 2 micrograms/100 ml) in 31 subjects and remained above 250 nmol/1 (9 X 1 micrograms/100 ml) in the 13 others. Excretion of urinary free cortisol showed a similar response, falling to below 110 nmol (40 micrograms)/24 h in 31 and remaining above 180 nmol (65 micrograms)/24 h in the 13 others. There was complete concordance between the two variables in terms of the pattern of response. Serum cortisol concentration fell to below 60 nmol/1 (2 X 2 micrograms/100 ml) in at least 97% (31 of a possible 32) of subjects without Cushing's syndrome. On the other hand, a serum cortisol concentration of above 250 nmol/1 (9 X 1 micrograms/100 ml) after low dose dexamethasone gave a false positive diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome in at most only one of 13 patients (7 X 7%). Measurement of serum cortisol concentration during the low dose dexamethasone test is simpler than, and as accurate and reliable as, measurements of urinary steroids.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Predicting the need for insulin therapy in late onset (40-69 years) diabetes mellitus.

A six-year prospective study of 144 newly diagnosed, symptomatic diabetic patients aged 40-69 years showed that 21 (15%) required insulin therapy, commencing 1-61 months after diagnosis. The plasma insulin response to oral glucose was assessed at the time of diagnosis. All 12 patients with very low peak insulin response (less than or equal to 6 mU/l) required insulin therapy. Thirty-six patients had an intermediate insulin response (greater than 6 less than or equal to 18 mU/l); of these, 7 with a mean weight 88% (range 73-96%) of average body weight required insulin, while 29 with a mean weight 117% (range 98-158%) of average body weight, did not. Ninety-six patients had a peak insulin response (greater than 18 mU/l); 2 patients whose weights were 96% and 100% of average body weight, required insulin, while the remainder did not. Consideration of initial body weight and peak insulin response provides a useful prediction of the eventual need for insulin.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Hospital closures and survivals: an analysis of operating characteristics and regulatory mechanisms in three states.

This article examines factors related to hospital closures, using a longitudinal sample of surviving and closed hospitals. The hospitals are drawn from three states with different regulatory programs. Size of hospital and occupancy rate are shown to be related to likelihood of closure, while ownership, length of stay, and expenditures are not. These findings are observed both in the aggregate and within the individual states between 1960 and 1980. The three states--Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Maryland--represent different population trends and regulatory mechanisms and goals. The findings indicate that some programs appear to guarantee survival, whereas others are more neutral.

Arizona↗
PubMed1982

The effect of intensive dietary therapy on serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus: a prospective study.

Intensive dietary therapy in 57 newly diagnosed Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients led to an increase, compared with pre-treatment levels, in serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and the HDL/total cholesterol ratio after 3 and 6 months (0.05 less than p less than 0.1). The increase in HDL cholesterol was related to the degree of weight loss achieved. In 28 patients whose weight decreased by greater than or equal to 10% average body weight during the 6 months, HDL cholesterol rose from 1.22 +/- 0.06 to 1.36 +/- 0.06 mmol/l (p less than 0.001), whereas patients who lost less weight showed no significant increase in HDL cholesterol. The increase in mean serum HDL-cholesterol levels in female patients was associated with a mean weight reduction of 12.1% average body weight. Patients who were obese at diagnosis lost more weight during the study than non-obese patients (mean 13.2 versus 5.6% average body weight), and showed a significant increase in serum HDL-cholesterol levels. We conclude that intensive dietary therapy may lead to a less atherogenic lipid profile in Type 2 diabetes, particularly in patients who achieve a major weight reduction.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Analysis of HLA antigen association with proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

One hundred and thirteen patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus for at least 15 years were typed for 22 HLA antigens of the A and B series. Fifty-six patients had severe bilateral proliferative retinopathy and 57 had no retinopathy. There was no statistical difference in frequency of HLA antigens between the 2 groups of diabetic patients. There was a significantly higher frequency of HLA B15 and a significant lower frequency of HLA B14, B17 in the combined diabetic groups than in a control population of 200 normal blood donors.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1↗