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Biomedical subjects

R E Gleason

Publications and source records attributed to R E Gleason.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Cardiac conduction defects associated with aortic and mitral valve calcification in dialysis patients.

The prevalence of aortic valve and mitral valve or mitral annular calcification by echocardiography was studied in 66 dialysis patients and correlated with results of 24-h ambulatory and resting ECG data and 12-month survival. The well-known association of mitral valve or mitral annular calcification with cardiac conduction defects was confirmed. Those patients with mitral valve or mitral annular calcification demonstrated a higher prevalence of first-degree atrioventricular block and bundle branch block. Despite advanced age and these conduction defects, those patients with mitral valvular calcification did not show decreased survival at 12 months.

Aortic Valve↗

Angiotensin-mediated renin suppression is altered in non-modulating hypertension.

Plasma renin activity (PRA) suppression by angiotensin II (Ang II), the "short feedback loop," has been shown to be blunted in essential hypertension. Non-modulators comprise 50% of normal- and high-renin essential hypertensive individuals and are defined by their abnormal adrenal and renal responses to infused Ang II. This study sought to determine if the abnormal Ang II suppression of PRA in essential hypertension is specific to non-modulators. We measured PRA suppression during infusion of Ang II in 22 normotensive and 32 hypertensive (16 modulators and 16 non-modulators) subjects. A significant correlation between basal PRA and the fall in PRA in response to Ang II infusion was seen in the normotensives (r = -0.934, p less than 0.001) and modulators (r = -0.831, p less than 0.001) but not in the non-modulators (r = -0.275, p = 0.304). However, after 3 days of converting enzyme inhibition therapy, the correlation between basal PRA and decrement in PRA was significant in the non-modulators (r = -0.762, p less than 0.01). Thus, the abnormal PRA suppression documented previously in hypertensive individuals is a defect specific to non-modulators and is corrected with converting enzyme inhibition therapy.

Adult↗

Application of the ambulatory 24-hour electrocardiogram in the prediction of cardiac death in dialysis patients.

The value of a 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram (AmECG) in assessing the risk of cardiac death was studied in 122 stable-condition dialysis patients followed up from two to six years after monitoring. An abnormal AmECG was defined by second-degree or greater AV block or by Lown grade 3 or greater ventricular ectopy. The incidence of cardiac mortality or an abnormal AmECG was not influenced by hypokalemia or beta-blockers. Digitalis was associated with both an abnormal AmECG and a twofold increase in mortality whether or not the AmECG was normal. Cardiac mortality accounted for 26 of 33 deaths within the first year after the AmECG. In the absence of coronary artery disease, survival at six months was 100% in patients with normal AmECG vs 90% (abnormal AmECG). In the presence of coronary artery disease, survival at six months was 83% (normal AmECG) vs 54% (abnormal AmECG).

Adult↗

Concurrent morning increase in platelet aggregability and the risk of myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death.

We have previously reported that the frequencies of myocardial infarction and of sudden cardiac death are highest during the period from 6 a.m. to noon. Since platelet aggregation may have a role in triggering these disorders, we measured platelet activity at 3-hour intervals for 24 hours in 15 healthy men. In vitro platelet responsiveness to either adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or epinephrine was lower at 6 a.m. (before the subjects arose) than at 9 a.m. (60 minutes after they arose). The lowest concentration of these agents required to produce biphasic platelet aggregation decreased (i.e., aggregability increased) from a mean +/- SEM of 4.7 +/- 0.6 to 3.7 +/- 0.6 microM (P less than 0.01) for ADP and from 3.7 +/- 0.8 to 1.8 +/- 0.5 microM (P less than 0.01) for epinephrine. The period from 6 to 9 a.m. was the only interval in the 24-hour period during which platelet aggregability increased significantly. We subsequently studied 10 subjects on alternate mornings after they arose at the normal time and after delayed arising. The morning increase in platelet aggregability was not observed when the subjects remained supine and inactive. Thus, there is a temporal association between increased platelet aggregability in the morning and an increased frequency of myocardial infarction and of sudden cardiac death. Demonstration of this association does not establish a cause--effect relation, but together with other evidence linking platelets to these disorders, it may provide insight into the mechanisms precipitating myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death and aid in the design of more effective preventive measures.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Diminished A-cell secretion in the early phase of type I diabetes mellitus.

The A-cell function in "true pre-type I diabetes" or in early phase of type I diabetes has not been reported. We studied A-cell reserve in response to intravenous arginine infusion in six individuals characterized by type I diabetes-associated immunologic defects and absent first-phase insulin secretory response to intravenous glucose prior to development of diabetes. The peak glucagon response in these patients was markedly impaired (153 +/- 39 pg/mL, mean +/- SEM) compared to a group of 23 normal, healthy controls (301 +/- 18; P less than 0.01) and a group of 11 healthy, discordant monozygotic twins of type I diabetic patients (250 +/- 25, P less than 0.05). The glucagon concentrations in response to oral glucose were completely suppressed to undetectable levels in three of the patients studied. In view of the well-known observations of insulitis in the prediabetic phase in man and in experimental models of type I diabetes and anti-islet cytoplasmic antibodies directed against all islet cells, our observations suggest an impairment of A-cells during the evolution of type I diabetes.

Adolescent↗

Limited joint mobility (LJM) of the hand in patients with diabetes mellitus: relation to chronic complications.

Limited joint mobility (LJM) of the hand was studied by visual examination in 361 diabetic outpatients aged 11 to 83 years, and 45 non-diabetic controls, without evidence of arthritis. LJM was evident in 58% of diabetic subjects and 4% of controls (p less than 0.001). LJM was noted in 131 (55%) of the 238 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) as opposed to 31 of the 41 patients (76%) with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). LJM occurred in 60 of the 82 diabetic subjects (73%) receiving insulin therapy who developed diabetes after the age of 35 years. LJM was significantly related to duration of diabetes in the patients with IDDM less than 40 years of age but was not associated with duration in the patients with NIDDM. A significant association of LJM and neuropathy was noted in patients less than 40 years of age with less than 20 years of diabetes. A significant association of LJM and retinopathy was also noted in those less than 40 years of age with less than 30 years of diabetes. There was no association of LJM and nephropathy regardless of age or duration of diabetes.

Adolescent↗

Role of muscle in CO2 production after oral glucose administration in man.

A significant increase in CO2 production, reflecting carbohydrate oxidation and/or fat synthesis, is observed in normal subjects after the ingestion of glucose. The anatomic site(s) of this CO2 production has not yet been localized, although liver and muscle are logical considerations. To assess the contribution of skeletal muscle to this process, we measured whole-body and forearm CO2 flux in normal, postabsorptive subjects after the ingestion of 100 g of glucose and calculated their total muscle CO2 production. In the basal state, muscle accounted for 19% of total CO2 production, and, after glucose administration, muscle CO2 production did not change significantly. Thus, muscle is not the principal site of the observed increase in CO2 production.

Adult↗

Differential sensitivity to beta-cell secretagogues in "early," type I diabetes mellitus.

The insulin secretory response to various beta-cell secretagogues was studied in four children (ages 11, 11, 12, and 10 yr) in "early" stages or remission of type I diabetes mellitus. One child was an anti-islet antibody positive monozygotic twin of a type I diabetic subject, two children had impaired glucose tolerance and elevated levels of Ia-positive T-cells, and the fourth was in remission (off insulin) of type I diabetes 6 mo after immunotherapy. The peak first-phase (0-10 min) insulin increment after intravenous (i.v.) glucose was negligible in each patient, whereas the peak responses to i.v. glucagon, tolbutamide, arginine, and oral glucose ranged between 10% and 43% of median responses in normal control subjects. The rank order of response to a variety of secretagogues was remarkably similar in all four subjects: i.v. arginine greater than i.v. glucagon greater than oral glucose greater than i.v. tolbutamide greater than i.v. glucose. These studies indicate that a "functional" beta-cell defect, namely a complete loss of response to i.v. glucose and a partial loss to other secretagogues, exists in type I diabetic patients before complete beta-cell destruction. This alteration in beta-cell responsiveness probably underlies our prior observation of slowly progressive loss of i.v.-glucose-induced insulin release in islet cell antibody-positive siblings to type I diabetic subjects.

Arginine↗

Pre-type I diabetes. Linear loss of beta cell response to intravenous glucose.

Twenty-one intravenous (i.v.) glucose tolerance tests were performed on nine subjects before the onset of overt type I diabetes mellitus. Islet cell antibodies (6 of 9 subjects) and elevated levels of Ia-positive T-lymphocytes (3 of 3 subjects studied) were detected during the prediabetic period. Elevations of fasting blood glucose and peak glucose during oral glucose tolerance tests were not observed until the year before onset of clinically overt diabetes. During the prediabetic period, there was a progressive loss of early-phase insulin release to i.v. glucose (rate of decline, 20-40 microU/ml insulin release/yr; correlation coefficient, 0.9).

Administration, Oral↗

Laser light scattering spectroscopy of in vivo human lenses.

Laser light scattering spectroscopy measures the thermal random movement of protein as characterized by the diffusion coefficient. This technique has been used in assessing cataract formation in animals. The changes detected appear to predict the later development of lens opacities. The sensitivity and quantitative aspects of this technique offer advantages over other presently available methods of detecting cataract formation. First studies in humans indicated a significant correlation between the diffusion coefficient and age (P less than 0.05). The age adjusted mean diffusion coefficient for nondiabetics (4.60 +/- 0.29; mean +/- SEM) was significantly higher compared to diabetics without retinopathy (3.59 +/- 0.41; P = 0.0473), diabetics with background or preproliferative retinopathy (2.73 +/- 0.27; P = 0.0001), or to diabetics with preproliferative or proliferative retinopathy receiving laser photocoagulation within 1 year of measurement (3.02 +/- 0.37; P = 0.0012). Diabetics with laser treatment more than 1 year prior to measurement (3.96 +/- 0.51) did not differ significantly from nondiabetics.

Adolescent↗

Muscle capillary basement membrane width and its relationship to diabetes mellitus in monozygotic twins.

Quadriceps (Q) and gastrocnemius (G) muscle capillary basement membrane width (CBMW) were measured in 18 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) twins. Thirteen of these twin pairs were discordant for insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD) and five pairs were concordant for either IDD (two pairs) or for non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDD). In 12 of the 13 nondiabetic (ND) twin mates of IDD, 50 oral glucose tolerance tests performed in the years before or after determination of CBMW revealed mean blood glucose levels in the 36-52 percentile range, compared with normal controls. The mean (+/-SD) age at the onset of IDD in discordant twins was 18.7 +/- 10.1 (range 8-37) yr and the mean duration of discordance at the time of biopsy was 13.6 +/- 8.3 (range 3-32) yr. CBMW data were compared within each twin (Q versus G) and between twin mates and age- and sex-matched controls. Overall, CBMW of IDD twins was greater than that of their ND twin mates. Differences between IDD and ND twins, however, were much more marked in gastrocnemius (1859 +/- 643 versus 1222 +/- 307 A, P less than 0.0003) than in quadriceps (1291 +/- 319 versus 1112 +/- 302 A; P less than 0.04). CBMW in gastrocnemius was significantly thicker than that in the quadriceps of IDD twins (t = 4.55, P less than 0.0008) but not in their ND twin mates (t = 1.15, P less than 0.27). CMBW was significantly thicker in IDD than in their ND twin mates (in quadriceps and/or gastrocnemius) in 10 of the 12 twin pairs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Resting and exercise hyperemic pulsatile arterial blood flow in insulin-dependent diabetic subjects.

Pulsatile arterial blood flow was studied in 20 normal (N), 20 short-term (STIDDM; mean: 5.17 yr), and 20 long-term insulin-dependent diabetic patients (LTIDDM; mean: 14.76 yr) between the ages of 18 and 30 yr with no clinically detectable peripheral vascular disease. Measurements were taken from waveforms obtained noninvasively using an electromagnetic flowmeter at rest and immediately after a 3-min isometric exercise challenge of the right leg. At rest, both groups of diabetics exhibited minute flow values similar to those in the normal group. This was achieved, however, by increased vasodilation in peripheral tissues as indicated by a difference in waveform configuration. Diabetic subjects showed a significantly smaller peak flow, a less steep ascending and descending slope, and a higher minute heart rate than normal controls. After 3 min of isometric exercise, the diabetic groups exhibited significantly less minute flow, flow/pulse, and a more vasodilated flow pattern similar to that recorded at rest. In addition, the LTIDDM group showed significantly less arterial elasticity than N or STIDDM groups as indicated by a shorter propagation time. These findings imply that apparent functional changes in pulsatile arterial blood flow occur early in the time course of diabetes and are independent of duration.

Adult↗

Type I diabetes mellitus in monozygotic twins: chronic progressive beta cell dysfunction.

In a prospective 21-year study, islet cell antibodies and beta cell function were serially assessed in 24 monozygotic twins initially discordant for type I diabetes mellitus. Eighteen of 21 twins typed had HLA-DR3 or HLA-DR4 antigens. During the follow-up, 4 twins developed type I diabetes mellitus, and in 3 of these 4 twins islet cell antibodies preceded the diagnosis of clinical diabetes mellitus by greater than 8, 5 and 7 years respectively. During the "prediabetic phase," the presence of islet cell antibodies was temporally associated with a progressive decline in first phase insulin response to intravenous glucose. Elevations in fasting blood glucose and abnormalities on oral glucose tolerance tests appeared only later during the course of the disease. Of the remaining 20 twins who continue to be discordant for type I diabetes mellitus, two have had islet cell antibodies for greater than 1.5 and 1 year respectively. One of these islet cell antibody-positive non-diabetic twins was restudied; despite a fasting blood glucose level of 64 mg/dL, she had a total absence of first phase insulin response to intravenous glucose. There was no evidence of transient islet cell antibody positivity in any of the twins studied. Type I diabetes mellitus in monozygotic twins has a prolonged prediabetic phase of progressive beta cell dysfunction with associated immunologic abnormalities.

Antibodies↗

Nephrotoxicity from angiographic contrast material. A prospective study.

Three hundred and seventy-eight hospitalized patients undergoing nonrenal angiography were evaluated for subsequent changes in renal function. Acute renal failure was defined as a rise in the serum creatinine level of 1.0 mg/dl or more. Several factors that appeared to play no significant role in causing acute renal failure included: the volume of contrast material injected, the anatomic site of injection and the presence of a prior history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus. The single risk factor identified was the presence of preexistent azotemia (blood urea nitrogen of 30 mg/dl and serum creatinine of 1.5 mg/dl). Whereas nonazotemic patients had a 2 percent incidence of definite acute renal failure, patients with chronic azotemia (mean blood urea nitrogen/creatinine = 47/2.3 mg/dl) had a 33 percent incidence. Three patients required short-term dialysis, and two required potassium-exchange resin therapy. No patient required permanent dialysis, and no patient died of acute renal failure. The persistence of a positive nephrogram 24 hours after angiography was a sensitive detector of a rise in the serum creatinine level although more expensive than the creatinine determination. While urine sediment analysis confirmed the diagnosis in many cases, it was relatively insensitive. Monitoring of urine volume proved to be of little value. We recommend a screening serum creatinine determination 24 to 48 hours after infusion of angiographic contrast material in azotemic patients.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

Seasonal incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) in Massachusetts, 1964-1973.

A total of 1142 Massachusetts resident, insulin-dependent diabetics were identified from medical records of the Joslin Clinic. All patients were less than 21 years of age at onset and developed diabetes between 1 January, 1964 and 31 December, 1973. This group consisted of 598 males (52.4%) and 544 females (47.6%) with mean ages at onset (+/- SD) of 11.1 +/- 4.9 and 10.9 +/- 4.6 years respectively. The period between onset and diagnosis was less than two months in 634 cases (81.8%). A first degree family history was noted in 209 cases (18.3%), while an additional 689 cases (60.3%) had more distant relatives with diabetes. The seasonal distribution of onsets was examined in the total group, and in subgroups categorized by sex, type of onset, age of onset, and family history. Significant peaks were noted during the first six months (January-June) in the total group and in all subgroups except those less than five or greater than 14 years of age at onset. Maximum incidence occurred in either January or February. During the second six month period (July-December) strong peaks were noted only in females and in those with no family history. Maximum incidence occurred in late July and in August, respectively. Exceptionally pronounced seasonal variation was demonstrated in a subgroup of 129 diabetics less than 15 years of age with onsets less than two months prior to diagnosis, and with no family history. The distribution of year of onset, in this group, showed considerable variation which did not correlate with year to year fluctuations in the reported incidence of aseptic meningitis, rubeola or mumps.

Adolescent↗

Retinal vascular reactivity to norepinephrine and angiotensin II in normals and diabetics.

Retinal arterial vasoconstriction induced by an infusion of angiotensin II or norepinephrine was investigated in eight normal controls (N), nine diabetics without retinopathy (DNR), and 10 diabetics with retinopathy (DR) by color fundus photographs taken before and after the infusions. Image analysis was done by a semiautomated computerized microdensitometer using a videoscanner. Normal controls and diabetics without retinopathy had a significant reduction in diameter compared with diabetics with retinopathy, who failed to constrict arterioles in response to either vasopressor. The mechanism of this phenomenon is unclear. Semiautomated computerized microdensitometry is reproducible and appears to be a sensitive technique to evaluate the vascular reactivity of the retinal vasculature.

Adult↗