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Biomedical subjects

P Gerard

Publications and source records attributed to P Gerard.

89 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Cobalamin malabsorption due to nondegradation of R proteins in the human intestine. Inhibited cobalamin absorption in exocrine pancreatic dysfunction.

In vivo studies demonstrate that the pancreatic enzymes and the ionic environment in the upper gastrointestinal tract are essential determining factors for transport and absorption of cobalamin in man. Jejunal fluid was aspirated from healthy human volunteers after administration of cyano[57Co]cobalamin preparations. Immunochemical analysis of the aspirates demonstrated that all isotopic vitamin was transferred to a protein that is identical to the gastric intrinsic factor in terms of molecular mass (57,500), ionic nature (mean pI, 5.09), and reactivity with anti-intrinsic factor sera. However, in the aspirates from patients with exocrine pancreatic dysfunction the vitamin was found to be coupled > 60% to a protein identical to R proteins in terms of molecular mass (125,000), ionic nature (mean pI, 3.51), and reactivity with anti-R protein and anti-intrinsic factor sera. The preferential transfer of cobalamin to R proteins in the patients and to intrinsic factor in healthy subjects was associated, respectively, with low and normal levels of pancreatic enzymes in the intestine and these in turn were paralleled respectively by impaired and normal ileal absorption of cobalamin. These findings confirm the suggestion that the formation of unabsorbable cobalamin complexes may be the reason of impaired vitamin absorption in exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Observations made with other selected patients demonstrate: (a) that decreased enzyme activity and nondegradation of R proteins may also be due to nonactivation of pancreatic zymogens in an acidic pH of the intestinal juice the vitamin transported to the jejunum couples to intrinsic factor when pancreatic function is normal, and to intrinsic factor and R protein in exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. The observations made with these selected patients may explain why not all patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency develop imparied cobalamin absorption, and also why the malabsorption is corrected by the administration of bicarbonate in certain patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Group B streptococcal colonization of pregnant women and their neonates. Epidemiological study and controlled trial of prophylactic treatment of the newborn.

Colonization with group B streptococci of the genital tract was studied in 1 115 women during the last trimester of pregnancy. 76 or 6.82% were found to harbour this bacterium. The incidence of contamination was significantly higher among Belgian women than among parturients of Mediterranean origin (p less than 0.001). It was also more frequent in primigravidae (p less than 0.05) and in the poorer (0.10 less than p greater than 0.05). At the time of admission in the delivery room, it was noticed that rupture of the amniotic membranes for more than 24 hours was more often associated with group B streptococcal carriage by the mother (p less than 0.001). 29 out of 68 (42.6%) infants born to group B streptococci positive mothers were colonized at birth. 67 of them were submitted to a controlled trial of immediate versus delayed penicillin therapy. 44.8% and 42.1% of the neonates were contaminated at birth in each group of treatment respectively. No instance of group B streptococcal infection developed in either group. This suggests that immediate therapy with penicillin of infants of group B streptococci positive mothers has no definite advantage upon delayed treatment.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1975

Early versus late introduction of continuous negative pressure in the management of the idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the early application of continuous negative pressure about the thorax, 23 infants with the idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome who had adequate alveolar ventilation were assigned to early or late application of CNP. There were 11 infants in the early CNP and 12 in the late CNP group. There were no differences between the two groups with respect to birth weight, gestational age, age at admission to the study, initial FIO2 requirements, or initial PaO2, PaCo2, and AaPO2. None of the ENCP patients required mechanical ventilation, whereas four of the LCNP group did so. The FIO2 requirements were significantly less for the ECNP infants when compared to the LCNP ones. The mean duration of FIO2 requirements greater than 0.6 was 28.3 hours for those receiving ECNP and 60.7 hours for those in LCNP (P LESS THAN 0.05). This study suggests that the course of RDS may be modified by the early application of CNP.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Identification of three-element windkessel model: comparison of time and frequency domain techniques.

The problem of the parameter identification of the three-element windkessel model is studied. Minimization by least-square technique--LSQ--in time domain and frequential techniques--FFT--are compared. Continuous pressure and flow curves were recorded in the proximal aorta of an open chest dog. Comparison shows very high correlations between the parameter estimations obtained by LSQ and FFT methods. However, systematic differences appear between the calculated values, but do not seem to endanger physiological interpretation of the results.

Animals↗