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Biomedical subjects

R Matthews

Publications and source records attributed to R Matthews.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Immunoblot analysis of serological responses in invasive aspergillosis.

The serological response to Aspergillus fumigatus was investigated in patients with pulmonary aspergillosis using the immunoblot technique. Antibody was detected against nine components of the fungus, ranging in molecular weight from 88 000 to 33 000 daltons. Antibody to a 40 000 dalton component was present in most patients (13 of 16). In surviving patients it was high (two with aspergilloma) or low but persistent (two with invasive aspergillosis). It was absent or fell in the 12 patients who died of invasive aspergillosis. Antibody to this 40 000 dalton antigen was not present in 10 sera from healthy controls. This antigen may form the basis of a more sensitive and specific serodiagnostic test for systemic aspergillosis.

Antibodies, Fungal↗
PubMed1985

Mycobacterial antigen-specific human T-cell clones secreting macrophage activating factors.

Macrophage activating factor (MAF) is produced by antigen-stimulated lymphocytes and activates macrophages for antimicrobial function. The capacity of individual microbial antigens to evoke and regulate this response has been explored using an affinity purified antigen (TB68) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in combination with T-cell cloning. Four helper/inducer clones are described which responded strongly to this antigen. Three were specific, proliferating only to TB68 antigen and antigenic preparations containing this antigen. However, one of these clones (68.1) did not proliferate to BCG and PPD which contained the TB68 antigen. In addition, another clone, 68.13, also proliferated to other antigenic preparations which did not contain the TB68 antigen. Taken together, these data indicate the presence of several epitopes in the affinity-purified TB68 antigen. All the clones produced MAF, which enhanced H2O2 production in U937 cell lines and conventional macrophages matured from monocytes. Thus, T-cell clones proliferating to a mycobacterial antigen constitutively secrete lymphokines that activate macrophages to antimicrobial immunity.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1985

The treatment of nocturnal enuresis: a controlled comparison of two models of urine alarm.

This study examined the effectiveness of two models of urine alarm that are commercially available for the treatment of nocturnal enuresis. A total of 39 children who exhibited primary nocturnal enuresis was assigned to one of three experimental groups: behavioral conditioning with a contiguous model of alarm, behavioral treatment with a delayed model of alarm, or a clinical waiting list. Results for the 12-week program indicate that after the second week of treatment, the contiguous and delayed models of alarm produced comparable reductions in weekly wetting frequency that were significantly better than no treatment at all. Results indicated a significantly higher rate of apparatus malfunction for the delayed model of alarm. It is proposed that the contiguous alarm is the treatment of choice at the present time because of its significantly lower rate of malfunction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Secretion of a macrophage-activating factor distinct from interferon-gamma by human T cell clones.

Supernatants from clones of human T lymphocytes that were responding to a purified Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen were able to activate macrophages and macrophage-like myeloma cells (U937) to release increased amounts of the microbicidal agent hydrogen peroxide. The activity was not neutralized by monoclonal antibody against interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), was greater than could be accounted for by the IFN-gamma activity in the supernatants, and was separated from IFN-gamma by high performance liquid chromatography. It is evident that IFN-gamma is not the only macrophage activator released by T lymphocytes responding to microbial antigen, and may not even be the main one to enhance antimicrobial activity in infections such as tuberculosis.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1984

Phonological confusability in short-term memory for sentences as a predictor of reading ability.

Upon entry to kindergarten, a group of 477 children was given sentence memory tasks involving rhyming and non-rhyming sentences. These tasks were readministered to the children at the end of Grade 1 when the children were also tested for reading ability. Short-term memory for sentences was found to correlate with Grade 1 reading ability on both occasions when it was tested. Furthermore, at both ages the children found rhyming sentences harder to recall than non-rhyming sentences. However, contrary to some previous research, the study failed to find that poor readers were less severely penalized when the short-term memory sentence stimuli rhymed. The possible role of scaling artifacts in producing inconsistent results between studies is discussed.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1981

Deficiency of non-suppressible insulin-like activity in thalassaemia major.

The commonly occurring short stature in the condition of thalassaemia major was investigated with respect to the possible role of the somatomedin growth factor low molecular weight non-suppressible insulin-like activity (NSILAs). Nineteen affected patients (12 boys, 7 girls) aged between 2 and 21 years were studied. Twelve of them were on or below the 10th centile for height of whom 7 were on or below the 3rd centile for height. Serum immunoreactive growth hormone responses to exercise were normal in 9 of 11 subjects tested. Using an isolated fat cell bioassay NSILAs was undetectable in 10 and was more than 2 SD below the normal mean value in the other 9 subjects. High molecular weight NSILA (not a growth factor) was very low or undetectable in all 9 subjects tested. Low molecular weight NSILAs did not show the normal correlation with age in childhood, nor was there any correlation with height, height velocity, or bone age. The 2 children above the 50th centile for height had undetectable NSILAs. There was no evidence of iron or ferritin interfering in the bioassay, and mixing experiments showed no evidence of inhibitory activity towards NSILAs in thalassaemic sera. Low circulating levels of the somatomedin NSILAs may contribute to the short stature in thalassaemia major, but other factors may permit normal growth in some affected children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Residential facilities for mentally handicapped children: evaluation of a development project in Sheffield.

Aspects of residential units provided for children under the Sheffield Development Project were studied. A variety of issues were raised which could be helpful in planning future services. The demand for places was considerably less than had been expected under the Project plans, and a greater than predicted proportion of the children had severe handicaps. Units had not specialized as intended, but had developed their own admission criteria. All unit heads felt smaller group sizes would have been preferable and most favoured smaller bedrooms. Fewer institutional staff management practices took place in the more domestic environments. Provision for outdoor play tended to be neglected.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Treatment of chronic ulceration of the legs with human amnion.

Chronic leg ulcers in fifteen patients were prepared for autografting with a dressing of cultured human amnion. In thirteen vascular responses filled the ulcer beds with granulation tissue. Four patients initially received more traditional therapy and their lesions altered little in gross appearance and were not regarded clinically to have produced a granulation-tissue response. Fourteen patients received autografts after 5 days of amnion application and eight of these grafts have remained intact for 2-10 months. The appearance of healthy granulation tissue after amnion application was associated with successful autografting.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Human amnion as an adjunct in wound healing.

Biopsy specimens from the beds of leg ulcers of fifteen patients were obtained before and after the application for 5 days of cultured human amnion. After amnion application there was considerable granulation tissue in the ulcer bed and microscopical evidence of thinned connective tissues, vessel development, more compact resolution of vascular basement membranes, and many more factor VIII granules within endothelial cells. These findings suggest the presence of angiogenic factors in human amnion and this could explain the hitherto unexplained success of amniotic membranes in surgical practice.

Amnion↗
PubMed1978

Phenylethylamine overproduction in aggressive psychopaths.

Plasma concentrations of free and conjugated phenylacetic acid, the major metabolite of phenylethylamine, were higher in ten prisoners serving long terms of imprisonment for violent crimes than in pair-matched non-violent control prisoners. Since amphetamine, a compound closely related to phenylethylamine, can reduce aggressiveness in some violent subjects, the increase in phenylethylamine production may be an attempt to compensate for the unknown derangement of function responsible for increased aggression.

Adult↗