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Biomedical subjects

P Murray

Publications and source records attributed to P Murray.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Serum autoantibodies and uveitis.

The serum of 893 uveitis patients was examined for various non-ocular specific autoantibodies. Overall 40.8% of patients had detectable levels of autoantibodies in their sera. These comprised antibodies to smooth muscle (23.1%), nuclear material (12.7%), gastric parietal cell (3.0%), reticulin (1.8%), and mitochondria (0.2%). When the patients were distributed into nine selected categories of uveitis, only patients with one distinct clinical entity showed a statistically significant difference in the presence of the above serum autoantibodies as compared with healthy individuals. They were patients with uveitis associated with juvenile chronic arthritis, among whom antinuclear antibody was detected in 77% (p less than 0.001). Testing for the presence of circulating non-ocular specific autoantibodies appears to be of little or no value in the routine screening of uveitis patients, but it may be helpful in the diagnosis and management of certain individual cases, such as juvenile chronic arthritis, or as a research tool to advance understanding of pathogenetic mechanisms.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1985

Evaluation of a new screening system for enteric pathogens.

The two-hour Rapid SST strip (DMS Laboratories, Inc.) was compared with our standard screening system (triple sugar iron agar, lysine iron agar, and urea) for enteric pathogens. We tested 50 stock cultures of enteric pathogens and 213 stool cultures received in the Barnes Hospital Clinical Microbiology Laboratory over a two-month period. All enteric pathogens from the stock cultures and clinical specimens were identified correctly with the Rapid SST system. More false-positive reactions were observed with the Rapid SST system (34%) than with the conventional system (23%). However, the costs associated with using both systems were equivalent and the test results were available one day faster with the Rapid SST system. Thus, the Rapid SST is a rapid, accurate, and cost-effective method for screening stool specimens for enteric pathogens.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1984

Equipment choices, technical aspects and pitfalls of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.

Previously published papers on percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) have emphasized results rather than techniques. This review deals with equipment choices, technical aspects and pitfalls observed during the first 200 PTAs at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. Specific topics discussed include: (1) catheters kept in stock in the laboratory, (2) choice of approach and entry into the artery, (3) techniques for crossing stenoses, (4) dilatation of the lesion, (5) drugs used during the procedure, and (6) proper performance and interpretation of the postangioplasty arteriogram.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗
PubMed1982

Radionuclide ejection fraction: comparison of response to treadmill and bicycle exercise.

Most exercise radionuclide studies utilise the supine bicycle ergometer during imaging, although exercise on a treadmill results in greater cardiovascular stress. Twenty-three patients were studied to compare the radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) estimated immediately following treadmill exercise with that obtained at peak supine bicycle exercise in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and patients with normal coronary arteries. In 14 patients with CAD the rest LVEF was 47 +/- 7% (mean +/- SD) by first pass and 49 +/- 10% by equilibrium blood pool techniques. Immediately following maximum treadmill exercise, 13 of the 14 patients with coronary artery disease showed either no change or a decrease in LVEF, the LVEF was 49 +/- 7% (P = NS) and 47 +/- 8% (P = NS) by first pass and equilibrium determinations respectively. In comparison the LVEF during peak supine bicycle exercise decreased significantly to 42 +/- 12% (P less than 0.01). In nine patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries the rest LVEF was 51 +/- 4% by first pass and 54 +/- 6% by equilibrium, increasing to 67 +/- 7% (P less than 0.01) and 64 +/- 7% (P less than 0.01) respectively following treadmill exercise. During peak bicycle exercise LVEF increased in the normal patients to 61 +/- 7% (P less than 0.05). These data suggest that quantitative radionuclide angiography following either maximum treadmill exercise or during peak bicycle exercise can discriminate between patients with coronary artery disease and normal subjects, although the magnitude of left ventricular functional changes are greater during bicycle stress.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Ageing Britain: failing to count the days.

Traditionally one of the least favoured specialisms, psychogeriatrics has no better luck attracting funding than it does staff. But are more beds the answer to coping with senile mental infirmity?

Aged↗
PubMed1979

Child-rearing variables affecting the preschool child's response to dental stress.

Responses to dental stress were evaluated in 26 pre-school children during an initial examination visit. Child-rearing practices, assessed by home observation and parental report, were correlated with the dental stress measures. Significant relationships emerged which suggest that child-rearing practices influence the child's acquisition of coping skills and stress tolerance.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1979

Personality factors affecting the preschool child's response to dental stress.

Responses to dental stress were evaluated in 26 preschool children during an initial examination visit. Measures of the children's developmental status and personality were collected during a home visit. Significant relationships emerged which suggest that personality development influences children's ability to tolerate dental stress.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1979

Hepatic and pulmonary clearance of exogenous vasoactive intestinal peptide in the rat.

1125-labeled vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has been injected into the portal and systemic circulations of rats in an attempt to identify the distribution and fate of the circulating peptide. When VIP I125 was introduced into the portal circulation radioactivity was concentrated in the liver (415.5% +/- 57.2 at 10 min--counts per minute (cpm) per gram of tissue as percentage cpm per milliliter of plasma). Radioactivity in kidney and lung was 346.6% +/- 37.4 and 136.4% +/- 11.4, respectively. In contrast, if the liver was bypassed by performing a portacaval shunt or by injecting into the inferior vena cava, radioactivity was maximal in the lung (2,454.3% +/- 302.3 10 min after IVC injection) with activity in the liver of only 89.3% +/- 10.6. Analysis of the pattern of radioactivity in plasma and tissue extracts by gel filtration chromatography showed the presence of a number of fragments of smaller molecular weight than VIP with a progressive diminution of the amount of VIP-like radioactivity. Both liver and lung have the capacity to concentrate VIP from the circulation. Vasoactive intestinal peptide released into the portal circulation is probably taken up initially by the liver, and this may prevent subsequent uptake by pulmonary tissue. There is some evidence to suggest that the liver and the lung may handle VIP in different ways. If this is so, the enhanced pulmonary extraction of VIP when the liver is bypassed may have some significance for the cardiovascular complications of fulminant liver failure.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Hepatic inactivation of vasoactive intestinal peptide in man and dog.

IN AN EFFORT TO DOCUMENT THE ROLE OF THE LIVER IN THE CATABOLISM OF VASOACTIVE INTESTINAL PEPTIDE, SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXPERIMENTS WERE CARRIED OUT, INCLUDING: 1) simultaneous measurement of portal and systemic immunoreactive vasoactive intestinal peptide, both in the basal state and following calcium stimulation; 2) by measuring plasma concentrations of immunoreactive vasoactive intestinal peptide before and after portacaval shunt; 3) by measuring plasma VIP before and after portacaval shunt following calcium, prostigmine and pentagastrin stimulation; 4) by determining plasma VIP levels in patients with liver disease and in hepatic failure, and in patients with variceal hemorrhage before and serially after portal systemic shunt; 5) by measuring CSF vasoactive intestinal peptide in dogs before and after portacaval shunt and when the animals finally succumb to hepatic failure. The results consistently suggest that the shunting of portal blood away from the liver does not result in significant elevation of basal peripheral plasma levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide. Following stimulation however, increased amounts of peripheral plasma VIP are detected, following calcium, pentagastrin and prostigmine release of VIP. Portal vein levels are always significantly higher than peripheral plasma VIP again, confirming a catabolic role for the liver. In patients, elevation of peripheral plasma VIP is seen in hepatic failure, but not after portacaval shunt. Finally, cerebrospinal fluid VIP is elevated in dogs following hepatic failure, confirming the presence of a neural-gut axis and suggesting an influence of hepatic catabolism of VIP not only in the periphery, but also within the central nervous system.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Release of VIP by calcium stimulation.

Calcium has been shown to be a reliable releaser of VIP, as has been observed with most peptide hormones. VIP is released throughthe gastrointestinal tract. The challenge of VIP release by calcium could reveal different "potentials" in the production of the hormone, that are not appreciated in the basal state. Calcium stimulation thus showed a slightly greater level of VIP release from the pancreaticoduodenal vein than from the portal radicals. But although the significance of this finding remains to be defined, calcium release could have a clinical applicability in the challenge of equivocal VIPomas.

Animals↗