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Biomedical subjects

N Williamson

Publications and source records attributed to N Williamson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Frequency of occurrence, mode of development, and significance or rice bodies in rheumatoid joints.

The incidence of rice bodies (RB) in synovial effusions has been studied in 36 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in 12 patients with seronegative inflammatory arthritis (7 cases of Still's disease, 3 of psoriatic arthritis, and 2 of ankylosing spondylitis). In the RA group 50 joints were aspirated before and after saline lavage with a specially designed wide-bore needle. RB were found in 72% overall of the joints studied in this group, 14% on initial simple aspiration and an additional 58% after lavage. In contrast no rice bodies were found in 31 aspirations with lavage by an identical technique in the 12 patients with seronegative synovitis. The RB in RA synovitis occurred both early and late in the course of the disease and were not related to the severity of clinical or radiological changes. However, removal of rice bodies was accompanied by clinical improvement and reduction of synovitis. Macroscopically RB varied in shape and size, some being so large as to preclude effective removal by needles of the gauge customarily employed for joint aspirations. Microscopically the majority of RB were composed of coarsely reticular material reacting immunologically with antifibrinogen and antifibronectin and containing mononuclear cells. Some showed vacuolation suggestive of fibrinolysis, but many showed organisation like that seen in established connective tissues, with the formation of mature collagen, reticulin, and elastin. These findings are discussed in relation to the origin, development, and significance of rice bodies in rheumatoid synovitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Significance of fibronectin in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis.

Fibronectin is a glycoprotein secreted by connective tissue cells into their environment and into the blood. Plasma fibronectin has been isolated and used to prepare an antiserum. This has been shown to be specific for fibronectin and unreactive with fibrin(ogen) and collagen, to which fibronectin binds in vitro. The antiserum has been used to examine the distribution of this protein in the synovium in health, in rheumatoid arthritis, and in osteoarthrosis, and to estimate levels in plasma and synovial fluid. The results suggest that fibronectin is synthesised by synovial cells, and the synovial fluid level of fibronectin was found to be about twice the plasma level in rheumatoid arthritis. In long-standing arthritis fibronectin was also found to be codistributed with (presumably by adsorption upon) fibrin and immature collagen in intra-articular structures but was no longer demonstrable in areas where mature collagen had been formed in areas undergoing fibrosis. The possible significance of local fibronectin production within joints in relation to its possible effect on the resolution or continuance of arthritis is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Pyrophosphate arthropathy in hypophosphatasia.

The association of hypophosphatasia and pyrophosphate arthropathy in an adult patient has been described on 1 previous occasion. We report a further 2 patients with this disease combination. One patient suffers from the type of hypophosphatasia that presents in adult life, with fractures that are either spontaneous or the result of minimal trauma. The other patient suffered from the severe type of hypophosphatasia that presents in infancy but survived longer than is usual; the necropsy findings on this patient are reported.

Arthritis↗
PubMed1979

Anti-tissue antibodies and immunoglobulin levels in relation to HLA and other markers in Icelandic families.

Studies of 521 sera from the Icelandic cousin marriage project were made to assess the incidence of various anti-tissue antibodies and the levels of immunoglobulins, as these were considered to be useful markers of the humoral immune response. Comparisons were made between these parameters and the HLA-A and B antigens, the blood groups, the immunoglobulin allotypes (Gm, Km and Am), the properdin factor (Bf), and other markers. These investigations offered another approach to the study of the sites of action of immune response genes in man. Because the immune response may be expected to differ for each individual and depend at least in part, on the degree of exposure to different antigens, no absolute correlation was expected. There was, however, a marked association between certain IgG anti-tissue antibodies and HLA antigens. This was most marked for HLA-A10, B18 and b27, but not for HLA-A1 or B8. The comparison of immunoglobulin levels with HLA antigens, was less striking, although HLA-A2 appeared to be associated with low levels of IgE. There were also some associations between immunoglobulin levels and ABO blood groups.

Aged↗
PubMed1977

IgA class reticulin antibodies in relatives of patients with coeliac disease.

IgA class reticulin antibodies were not found in patients with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and hiatus hernia despite a significant incidence of IgG class reticulin antibodies. None of 56 normal healthy subjects was positive. In contrast, 13 (76%) of the sera from 17 patients with coeliac disease on normal diet were positive for IgA class antibodies as were 19 (20%) of 93 first degree relatives. Seventy-three relatives underwent jejunal biopsy. Grade III (flat) histology was found in 13 and, of these patients, 10 (77%) showed IgA class reticulin antibody in their serum. It is suggested that determination of IgA class reticulin antibodies was a useful test to determine which relative must be biopsied.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Detection by electron microscope of rod-shaped organisms in synovial membrane from a patient with the arthritis of Whipple's disease.

Rod-shaped organisms identical to those present in the jejunal mucosa have been found in the synovial membrane of a patient with Whipple's disease. These probably caused inflammatory changes which sere reflected in an increase of the cellular content and high enzyme levels (acid phosphatase and 5-nucleotidase) of the synovial fluid. Tetracycline was effective in controlling the bowel lesion but only had a temporary effect upon the arthritis. Erythromycin controlled both the bowel lesion and the arthritis.

Arthritis↗
PubMed1976

Anticonnective tissue and other antitissue 'antibodies' in the sera of patients with coeliac disease compared with the findings in a mixed hospital population.

Serum IgG specificities directed against various components of basement membrane and reticulin have been described, and their incidence in 138 patients with coeliac disease has been compared with that in 110 hospital inpatients, 100 normal blood donors, and 1441 other patients. A wide variety of antitissue specificities were observed but only a few appeared to be of any significance. The 'antireticulin' specificities have been subdivided into different groups according to their distinctive histological staining patterns. Specificity directed primarily against endothelial basement membrane was found most frequently in the sera of patients with hiatus hernia (35%) or coeliac disease (22%). The same specificity was also observed in patients with myasthenia gravis and to a lesser extent in Crohn's disease and in a mixed group of patients with unspecified organic gastrointestinal disease. An epithelial basement membrane reactivity was found in patients with rheumatoid arthritis but only rarely in other conditions. Staining of perivascular connective tissue represented a third type of 'antireticulin' specificity. It was found only rarely, although in coeliac disease this reactivity was found more frequently in combination with other connective tissue specificities.

Adult↗