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Biomedical subjects

M B Urowitz

Publications and source records attributed to M B Urowitz.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1966

The treatment of gout and disorders of uric acid metabolism with allopurinol.

Allopurinol (4-hydroxypyrazolo (3,4-d)-pyrimidine) is a potent xanthine oxidase inhibitor which inhibits the oxidation of naturally occurring oxypurines, thus decreasing uric acid formation. The clinical and metabolic effects of this agent were studied in 80 subjects with primary and secondary gout and other disorders of uric acid metabolism. Allopurinol has been universally successful in lowering the serum uric acid concentration and uric acid excretion to normal levels, while not significantly affecting the clearance of urate or other aspects of renal function. Oxypurine excretion increased concomitantly with the fall in urine uric acid. The agent is particularly valuable in the management of problems of gout with azotemia, acute uric acid nephropathy and uric acid urolithiasis. The minor side effects, clinical indications and theoretical complications are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Azathioprine in rheumatoid arthritis: a long-term follow-up study.

In 1973 we reported the beneficial effects of azathioprine in a double blind, cross-over study in 17 patients with classic rheumatoid arthritis. During subsequent follow-up over a mean period of 40 months, 4 patients had discontinued therapy because of poor therapeutic response and 1 because of nausea. Eleven of the 12 patients still taking azathioprine had maintained their initial beneficial response or showed further improvement. Adverse side effects during the follow-up period were minor. They included nausea in 1 patient and leukopenia with thrombocytopenia in another. An increased incidence of chromosomal abnormalities was detected in those patients still receiving azathioprine.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mixed leukocyte reaction in rheumatoid arthritis.

The mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR) responses of 29 patients with classic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were compared with those of 24 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Pools of stimulating cells were selected to include the major cross-reacting HL-A specificities. In pooled human serum the MLR response of the RA lymphocytes was significantly enhanced relative to the response controls (P less than 0.05). In autologous serum there was suppression of the MLR response in patients with RA which correlated with disease activity. The data suggest the presence of an intrinsically enhanced cellular reactivity of RA lymphocytes suppressed by serologic factor(s). The mechanisms of this enhancement of suppression are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cytotoxic activity of cerebrospinal fluids (CSF's) against lymphocytes and phagocytes: comparison of normal and systemic lupus erythematosus CSF's.

Fifty cerebrospinal fluids (CSF), 24 normal, 26 from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients were tested for cytotoxic activity against human lymphocytes, granulocytes and monocytes. Normal and SLE CSF's frequently killed all 3 cell types. Lympho- and granulocytotoxins often reacted at both 4 degrees/24 degrees C, and at 37 degrees C. They were more active when no complement was added (p less than 0.01), whereas monocytotoxicity was complement-dependent (p less than 0.01). Normal CSF's more often contained cold-reacting lymphocytotoxins and SLE CSF's more often had warm-reacting monocytotoxins, but the differences were not significant (p = 0.03). Cytotoxins were easily absorbed to and eluted from lymphocytes and granulocytes, and when CSF's were toxic to both types of cells, the corresponding eluates usually retained this activity. Sometimes, only 1 type of cell was killed by the eluate, whereas cytotoxicity against another was retained by the corresponding supernatant. In SLE remarkable differences were noted between CSF cytotoxins and serum cytotoxins. The former were often more potent at 37 degrees C not requiring non-human complement. Preliminary characterization of CSF cytotoxins suggests they may be IgG, however, participation of non-Ig cytotoxic substances cannot be excluded.

Cytotoxins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Neuropsychiatric lupus.

Sixty-six systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients followed prospectively had 77 episodes of neuropsychiatric lupus (NPL). Patients with NPL had more SLE manifestations than patients without NPL. Serologic data and cerebrospinal fluid analysis were not helpful in identifying an episode of NPL. Electroencephalogram was abnormal in more than 1/2 and brain scans in more than 3/4 of patients. In 74 episodes with a known outcome, 54 improved, 44 having been treated with increased corticosteroids. Patients with NPL had a higher incidence of deaths compared to patients without NPL.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Peripheral enthesopathy in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH): a radiologic study.

Radiographs of selected peripheral entheseal regions from 32 patients with axial diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) were examined for the presence of new bone formation. The prevalence of entheseal new bone in the various regions was as follows: 98% of tibial spines, 91% of posterior heel regions and about 80% of superior patella, olecranon and inferior heel regions. The new bone showed characteristic solid well defined cortical margins without features of inflammatory change. We suggest that further attention to these readily accessible and easily interpretable peripheral entheseal regions, particularly the posterior heel, may be useful to extend the diagnostic criteria of DISH.

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Systemic lupus erythematosus in a patient with C4 deficiency.

A 40-year-old female with systemic lupus erythematosus was found to be totally deficient in the 4th component of complement and to be lacking in Chido and Rodgers blood group substances on red cells and in plasma. Family studies were suggestive of a linkage of the C4 deficiency with an HLA haplotype. C2 in the patient's serum was 50% of normal but other complement components and alternative pathway functions were normal. Chemotactic and opsonic activities in the patient's serum were diminished.

Adult↗