Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Liron.
A 70-year-old man presented with large areas of brawny edema of the skin and neck and weakness of the muscles of the forearm. Biopsy revealed scleredema adultorum with inflammatory changes in the forearm muscle. An electromyogram showed a mixed pattern compatible with myositis.
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Extreme sinus bradycardia and T wave changes are described in a patient receiving lithium therapy. Ischemic heart disease was excluded by the results of radionuclide study and an exercise stress test. The electrocardiographic changes were shown to be related to lithium therapy, as documented by the inverse correlation between heart rate and plasma lithium levels.
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An elderly patient presenting with severe tetany secondary to hypocalcaemia causing bilateral fractures of the femoral necks, was proved to have coeliac disease. Severe muscle pains, an organic mental syndrome and personality changes are rare complications of coeliac disease and are reversible with treatment.
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Cholestatic jaundice developed in four patients after the administration of prajmalium bitartrate. The clinical, histologic, ultrastructural, and immunologic findings were determined. In all patients, the clinical and morphologic features indicated idiosyncrasy. Two antibodies distributed in a granular pattern along the bile canaliculi were detected by immunofluorescence in all patients. In one patient, autoimmune markers were found in the serum, and in two instances, the migration-inhibition factor assay against the offending drug was found to be positive. The data support the concept that immunologic processes may participate in the production of the cholestatic syndrome.
Nine patients are reported who developed hepatic injury following the administration of therapeutic agents. The drugs incriminated were prajmalium bitartrate (4 patients), quinidine (3 patients), procainamide and nifedipine (one patient each). In all patients the clinical features indicated an allergic process, which in three cases was substantiated by positive response to reexposure. The detection of immunologic processes in our patients by various in vitro methods supports the assumption that immune mechanisms may be involved in the production of drug-induced hepatic disease and confirm allergy.
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Cholestatic jaundice associated with chills, pruritus and blood eosinophilia developed in a patient who received prajmalium bitartrate therapy for ventricular arrhythmia following acute myocardial infarction. Discontinuation of the drug resulted in a spontaneous improvement in the clinical and biochemical findings. Challenge by prajmalium bitartrate caused rapid reappearance of the clinical and biochemical features. In immunological studies, deposits of IgG and IgA were detected at the bile canaliculi by fluorescent staining, and the patient's lymphocytes produced macrophage migration inhibition after in vitro incubation with prajmalium bitartrate. Thus, laboratory results support the assumption of an allergic mechanism.
Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from perianal lesions in a patient in whom lymphogranuloma venereum had been diagnosed 20 years previously. Treatment with tetracycline resulted in a pronounced improvement. Although C trachomatis is known to persist for a long time in the host, isolation of the micro-organism from infected tissues after such a prolonged period has not previously been reported.
Current evidence for the role of immune mechanisms in drug-induced liver disease is briefly surveyed. Cell-mediated immune reactions are frequently reported in the disease process, while humoral sensitization is poorly documented. The use and limitations of new diagnostic techniques in identifying drug hypersensitivity are discussed.