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Biomedical subjects

P B Beeson

Publications and source records attributed to P B Beeson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1986

One hundred years of American internal medicine. A view from the inside.

The term internal medicine began to be used by German writers in the late 19th century to designate a branch of practice incorporating the growing understanding of morbid anatomy, microbiology, physiology, and biochemistry. American practitioners of internal medicine began to take a respected place in world medicine toward the close of the 19th century. Noteworthy changes followed World War II, owing to allocation of large sums of money for biomedical research by governments, philanthropic organizations, and the pharmaceutical industry. Clinical problems in this period shifted in preponderance from acute infections to the chronic diseases that accompany aging. Complex diagnostic procedures, together with a diversity of therapeutic choices, created need for full-time teachers and clinical investigators in medical schools, as well as for subspecialists in practice. The pendulum may have swung too far toward specialization, and in the future a substantial proportion of practitioners of internal medicine will still continue to serve as generalist physicians.

Diagnosis↗
PubMed1977

Protective role of complement in experimental Escherichia coli endocarditis.

Fourteen strains of Escherichia coli were tested for ability to cause infective endocarditis in rabbits prepared by prior placement of an intracardiac catheter. Strains that were resistant to the bactericidal action of serum caused E. coli endocarditis in 91.4% of rabbits, whereas serum-sensitive strains usually failed to cause persisting infection (11.3% infected, P less than 0.001). Although serum-sensitive E. coli lodged on heart valves within 1 h after intravenous injection, they survived less than 24 h in most normal rabbits. In contrast to normals, all five C6-deficient rabbits injected with a serum-sensitive strain of E. coli developed infective endocarditis (P less than 0.005). No correlation was found between the presence of K1 antigen and the incidence of experimental E. coli endocarditis. Thus, the ability of strains of E. coli to establish persisting endocardial infection in rabbits appears to be directly associated with resistance to the complement-mediated serum bactericidal system. These findings may explain in part the rarity of gram-negative bacillary endocarditis in patients; they also indicate that in certain special circumstances the serum bactericidal system can play a decisive role in host defense.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

The eosinophil.

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Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1975

Reversible granulocyte killing defect in anorexia nervosa.

Three patients are described with anorexia nervosa in whom malnutrition was present with neutropenia and a granulocyte bactericidal degect. Their peripheral blood granulocytes were found to have a reduced rate of killing of Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli in vitro. The opsonic activity of the patients' sera towards Staphylococcus aureus was normal. One of these patients had recurrent episodes of infection which stopped after she had gained 13 kg in weight. Clinical recovery was associated with a return of granulocyte function to normal. It is concluded that granulocyte bactericidal capacity towards a variety of bacteria may be reduced in patients with anorexia nervosa who have malnutrition. This type of acquired granulocyte bactericidal deficiency appears to be reversible.

Adolescent↗