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Biomedical subjects

R J Steele

Publications and source records attributed to R J Steele.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Length of Barrett's oesophagus: an important factor in the development of dysplasia and adenocarcinoma.

In a 15 year prospective study of endoscopic surveillance of columnar lined oesophagus, 102 patients with a mean follow up of 54 (12.5) months and total follow up of 462 years have been evaluated. Of all the sets of biopsies taken, 59 in 21 patients were found to exhibit dysplasia or carcinoma. Four male patients had carcinoma of the oesophagus, indicating a 30 times increased risk of development of adenocarcinoma in columnar lined oesophagus. The length of columnar lined oesophagus in subjects with dysplasia was significantly longer as compared with the whole group (p = 0.01) and when compared with the patients without dysplasia (p = 0.005). None of the patients with dysplasia had a columnar lined oesophagus of less than 8 cm. Length of columnar lined oesophagus therefore seems to be a significant risk factor in the development of dysplasia and subsequent carcinoma and intensive follow up of patients with columnar lined oesophagus greater than 8 cm in length is recommended.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Chronic giardiasis of the stomach.

Two cases of chronic giardiasis of the stomach diagnosed from gastric mucosal biopsy specimens are reported. The first case was associated with an acute-on-chronic gastritis and Helicobacter-like organisms, and the second with an adenocarcinoma of the stomach. In both cases the trophozoites had been missed in earlier biopsy specimens. As far as is known this is the first report of giardiasis of the stomach.

Aged↗

Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in Barrett's esophagus.

Six cases of known Barrett's esophagus were examined immunohistochemically for the presence of epidermal growth factor receptor. All cases showed expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in intestinal metaplastic Barrett's epithelium, the most common form of Barrett's change. Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor may be important in neoplastic transformation in Barrett's esophagus, possibly by an autocrine mechanism. Alternatively, epidermal growth factor receptor expression in intestinal metaplastic Barrett's epithelium may represent a nonneoplastic regenerative phenomenon as seen at other sites within the gastrointestinal tract. Further larger studies are required to assess the clinical significance of these findings.

Barrett Esophagus↗

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and complicated diverticular disease: a case-control study.

Fifty patients with severe complications of diverticular disease were compared with two groups of 50 controls, matched for age and sex. The first control group (A) was randomly selected from all emergency hospital admissions, and the second group (B) from patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease. Of the 50 study patients, 24 (48 per cent) were taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at the time of admission compared with nine (18 per cent) of control group A and ten (20 per cent) of control group B. Both of these differences were statistically significant, indicating a strong association between the ingestion of NSAIDs and the development of severe complications of diverticular disease.

Abscess↗

Adrenaline injection for endoscopic haemostasis in non-variceal upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

Over a 30-month period, 53 patients with actively bleeding non-variceal lesions of the oesophagus, stomach or duodenum were treated by endoscopic injection of 1/10,000 adrenaline. Initial haemostasis was obtained in 50 cases, and permanent haemostasis in 44. Emergency surgery for bleeding was required in nine patients overall, and there were four deaths. All lesions requiring surgery were located on the posterior wall of the duodenum or the lesser curve of the stomach, and all but one had evidence of an exposed arterial vessel. Adrenaline injection is an effective, safe and simple method of endoscopic haemostasis.

Adult↗

Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in colorectal cancer.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor expression was estimated in 50 invasive human colorectal cancers using immunohistochemistry and the degree of expression was quantified from integrated optical density measurements on the stained sections. All tumours stained positively, but Dukes' C tumours exhibited significantly higher levels of receptor than either Dukes' A or B tumours. In addition, histologically high grade cancers expressed receptors more strongly than those of low grade. It is concluded that a high EGF receptor concentration is associated with poor prognostic factors in colorectal malignancy.

Aged↗

A randomized trial of nonoperative treatment for perforated peptic ulcer.

To determine whether surgery could be avoided in some patients with perforated peptic ulcer, we conducted a prospective randomized trial comparing the outcome of nonoperative treatment with that of emergency surgery in patients with a clinical diagnosis of perforated peptic ulcer. Of the 83 patients entered in the study over a 13-month period, 40 were randomly assigned to conservative treatment, which consisted of resuscitation with intravenous fluids, institution of nasogastric suction, and intravenous administration of antibiotics (cefuroxime, ampicillin, and metronidazole) and ranitidine. Eleven of these patients (28 percent) had no clinical improvement after 12 hours and required an operation. Two of the 11 had a perforated gastric carcinoma, and 1 had a perforated sigmoid carcinoma. The other 43 patients were assigned to immediate laparotomy and repair of the perforation. One of these patients was found to have a perforated gastric carcinoma. The overall mortality rates in the two groups were similar (two deaths in each, 5 percent), and did not differ significantly in the morbidity (infection, cardiac failure, or renal failure) rates (40 percent in the surgical group and 50 percent in the nonsurgical group). The hospital stay was 35 percent longer in the group treated conservatively. Patients over 70 years old were less likely to respond to conservative treatment than younger patients (P less than 0.05). We conclude that in patients with perforated peptic ulcer, an initial period of nonoperative treatment with careful observation may be safely allowed except in patients over 70 years old, and that the use of such an observation period can obviate the need for emergency surgery in more than 70 percent of patients.

Age Factors↗

Endoscopic haemostasis for non-variceal upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

Endoscopic haemostasis can be effective in non-variceal upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage, and should be regarded as potential front-line treatment. Diverse methods are available, and although no single technique has become firmly established, current evidence favours thermal coagulation and injection therapy.

Electrocoagulation↗

Technical training in surgery: the trainee's view.

A questionnaire designed to investigate the technical training of general surgical trainees was distributed throughout Scotland. A total of 222 questionnaires were sent out and 179 (81 per cent) were returned. Of the responders, 38 per cent felt that the overall operative workload was too small and the majority thought that there was too little emphasis on supervised operating. Two-thirds of trainees were generally satisfied with the amount of unsupervised operating, although a substantial proportion (21 per cent) sometimes felt out of their depth when performing delegated emergency operations. Few had attended craft workshops or travelled to other centres, but of those who had, most considered both activities to be very useful. Photographic atlases and videos were not generally felt to be of great value by those who had used them. The majority of trainees did not believe that research activity had interfered excessively with their technical training.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Oestrogen receptors, lactate dehydrogenase and cellularity in human breast cancer.

Oestrogen receptor (ER) concentrations in breast tissues are almost universally expressed in relation to total soluble protein, though the latter does not fully correct for gross variations in receptor concentration due to variations in tissue cellularity. It was considered possible that the concentration of a specific glycolytic enzyme might be a better index and reflection of tumour cellularity. Measurements of the concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), oestrogen receptor and total soluble protein and estimates of tumour cellularity were therefore performed on 98 breast tissues (80 breast cancers, 18 benign tissues). Cellularity and the concentrations of oestrogen receptor, lactate dehydrogenase and total soluble protein were significantly higher in breast cancers than in the benign tissues. The concentration of oestrogen receptors (positives only) was, as expected, related to tissue cellularity (correlation coefficient, r = 0.35). The concentrations of both LDH and total soluble protein were also both strongly related to tissue cellularity (correlation coefficients r = 0.67 and 0.75, respectively), and to each other (r = 0.78). These results suggest that (1) total soluble protein concentration is a good index of cellularity and (2) there is unlikely to be any additional value in expressing receptor concentrations relative to LDH since the latter appears to be a 'typical' soluble protein.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Endoscopic injection of adrenaline for actively bleeding ulcers: a randomised trial.

A prospective randomised trial was performed to assess the efficacy of endoscopic injection of adrenaline for actively bleeding ulcers. Emergency endoscopy in 961 patients admitted for upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage identified 68 patients with actively bleeding ulcers. These 68 patients were randomised to receive either endoscopic injection of adrenaline or no endoscopic treatment. After endoscopy both groups were managed in an identical manner, and strict criteria for emergency operation were adhered to in both groups. Bleeding was initially controlled in all 34 patients assigned to the treatment group. Significantly fewer patients in the treatment group than in the control group needed emergency operations (five v 14, respectively). In addition, in the treatment group the median transfusion requirement was significantly less (three v five units of blood) and the median hospital stay shorter (six v eight days). No complications were observed with the injection of adrenaline, and the rate of healing of ulcers in those attending for endoscopy six weeks after discharge was similar in both groups (81% (17 out of 21 patients) in the treatment group v 79% (11 out of 14) in the control group). Injection of adrenaline is effective in stopping bleeding from actively bleeding ulcers.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗