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Biomedical subjects

R W Steele

Publications and source records attributed to R W Steele.

161 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical applications of chemiluminescence of granulocytes.

The oxidative metabolic activity of granulocytes can be directly examined by chemiluminescence, a laboratory technique that measures photon emission during well-defined inflammatory or microbicidal events. Numerous studies have utilized chemiluminescence to examine early changes during infectious diseases and other pathologic processes. Studies have suggested that receptors on cell surfaces and oxygenation of granulocytes can reflect the severity of disease as well as provide early diagnostic information. Diseases within virtually every subspecialty of medicine have been studied in this respect, but most investigations have focused on infectious and autoimmune conditions. The present review summarizes current progress in laboratory methods and evaluates the potential application of recently published clinical data. It is apparent that during disease myeloperoxidase- and oxidase-dependent oxygenation activities reflect separate host responses, and independent measurements of these activities will offer a more meaningful understanding of host defense. Immune complexes and other factors in serum may also interact with granulocytes to alter the receptors on cell surfaces and subsequent metabolic activity. In some circumstances, enhanced function of granulocytes may be detrimental to the host.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Systemic blastomycosis in children.

Ten pediatric patients with systemic blastomycosis in Arkansas are reviewed. No particular age predisposition in childhood is apparent and there has been no change in incidence over the previous 40 years. Six of the 10 cases were male and 8 were black. Organ systems most commonly involved were pulmonary, skeletal and skin. With current therapy, usually amphotericin B as a single agent, the case fatality rate is less than 10%. Early recognition and institution of appropriate antifungal treatment remain the most important factors for survival and prevention of chronic pulmonary disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Infection in the immunocompromised host.

The largest numbers of immunocompromised pediatric patients are neonates and children who are managed in intensive care units. Therapeutic principles that apply to the classic neutropenic cancer patient are also relevant for these categories; maximum doses of bactericidal antibiotics given for longer periods should be used. Pediatricians should also be acquainted with those unusual infectious processes associated with specific immune deficits so that appropriate empiric therapy is selected. A protocol for managing the neutropenic patient with fever is discussed.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunologic aspects of human endometriosis.

General and specific immune function were examined in women with endometriosis. Nonspecific parameters included total leukocyte and differential counts, quantitative immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, and IgM) determinations, total hemolytic complement, C3, C4, mitogen-induced lymphocyte stimulation, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing; no differences were observed when data were compared to age-matched controls without endometriosis. In contrast, the specific immune response T-lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity to autologous endometrial cells was significantly reduced (P less than 0.01) in women with endometriosis. When results from patients were analyzed according to clinical severity of endometriosis, even more striking immunologic alterations were delineated. In addition, lymphocyte stimulation responses to autologous endometrial antigen were lower in patients with severe or moderate disease, approaching statistical significance (P = 0.18 and 0.12, respectively). These studies suggest an immunologic basis for development of endometriosis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nutritional evaluation and supplementation of elderly subjects participating in a "meals on wheels" program.

A nutritional assessment of 33 elderly subjects participating in a "meals on wheels" program revealed a high prevalence of nutritional deficiencies. Twelve of these subjects, who were considered to be at high risk for protein calorie malnutrition, received 240 ml of a polymeric dietary supplement three times daily for 16 wk. This resulted in a significant (50%) increase in total caloric and protein intake which was maintained for the entire 16 wk of study. In seven of the 12 subjects a weight gain of greater than 2 kg was found. Modest but significant elevations in serum albumin and highly significant elevations of the total iron binding capacity, serum and red cell folate, leukocyte ascorbate, and serum vitamin B12 provided strong evidence for improved nutritional status. In contrast no improvement in the hemoglobin, total lymphocyte count, T cell number, T suppressor cells, T helper, or B cells was noted. In no anergic subjects was skin test conversion found. In addition no increase in serum trace metals or vitamin B6 levels were noted. Thus this study demonstrates that nutritional supplementation results in significant improvement in selected nutritional parameters. The fact that the hematopoietic and immunological status of these patients was unchanged suggest that the abnormalities may be age rather than nutritionally related or that a critical nutritional deficiency was not corrected.

Aged↗