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Biomedical subjects

S H Kok

Publications and source records attributed to S H Kok.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

The in vivo and in vitro effects of levamisole in patients with lepromatous leprosy.

Levamisole, 150 mg daily, was administered on 2 consecutive days per week for 6 weeks to two groups of patients with lepromatous leprosy. Group I was composed of patients who were receiving specific anti-leprosy therapy for varying periods of time and Group II were untreated lepromatous patients. Whereas half the patients in Group I received levamisole and the other half a placebo, those in Group II all received levamisole. Patients in both groups showed a) no clinical improvement, b) no conversion of the lepromin reaction, c) no histological change in skin biopsies, d) conversion of SKSD skin reactions from negative to positive in 20% of patients from each group, and e) unaltered absolute neutrophil counts. Whereas the total lymphocyte counts were unchanged in patients from Group I, 13 patients from Group II showed an increased lymphocyte count of greater than 10%. Lymphocyte transformation and lymphokine production in the second group showed no significant change, although four patients showed some lymphokine production after levamisole therapy. E and EAC rosettes were significantly increased in cases where these were reduced prior to treatment with levamisole-Side effects due to levamisole were not experienced.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Further study of the neurohumoral factor, endorphin, in the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia.

Cross circulation was performed between the femoral arteries and veins of paired rabbits that were entirely conscious. Jaw opening reflex by dental pulp stimulation was used as pain index. When acupuncture was applied to the donor rabbit the pain thresholds of both the donor and recipient were elevated from 30 minutes to one hour after acupuncture stimulation and lasted for another 30 minutes after withdrawal of acupuncture. The analgesic effect in both the donor and recipient was abolished by the pretreatment of naloxone. The increase in the pain threshold of the non-acupunctured recipient was due to an opiate-like, humoral substance generated from the acupuncture donor. The possible role of endorphins in the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia is discussed.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1978

Endorphin release: a possible mechanism of acupuncture analgesia.

The action of acupuncture stimulation on analgesia has been investigated. The brain and serum extracts of acupunctured rabbits injected into rabbits produced a marked analgesic effect on the recipient, as shown by a great increase of their pain threshold. This effect is counteracted by a specific opiate anatagonist, naloxone. The data suggest that the release of the endogenous substances with morphine-like biological properties, endorphins, is increased by acupuncture stimulation, thus inhibiting pain perception.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1977

Hormonal changes associated with testicular atrophy and gynaecomastia in patients with leprosy.

Basal LH, FSH, 17 beta-oestradiol and testosterone and the gonadotrophin responses to luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) were studied in male patients with leprosy (twenty-four with lepromatous and six with tuberculoid leprosy). The mean basal LH and FSH was significantly elevated in the lepromatous group and was associated with an excessive response of both gonadotrophins following LHRH administration. The mean basal testosterone and 17 beta-oestradiol values in the lepromatous group were significantly lower than those of the tuberculoid and control groups. The abnormal gonadotrophin and sex steroid values in the lepromatous group are in keeping with the testicular atrophy and gynaecomastia accompanying this form of leprosy. However, the lack of a significant correlation between basal FSH and testicular atrophy should be noted. In addition, no correlation between any of these hormonal values and gynaecomastia could be demonstrated. The patients with tuberculoid leprosy had essentially normal hormonal profiles (except for two who had raised 17 beta-oestradiol values). This is compatible with the lack of gonadal involvement in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Hepatitis B antigen, hepatitis B antibody, and subtypes in leprosy.

The prevalence of hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B antibody (HBsAb), and subtypes in 242 cases of leprosy is reported. Patients were divided into three subgroups, lepromatous (174), tuberculoid (55), and borderline (13). A total of 131 patients were tested on admission; the remaining 111 had been institutionalized for a period of 3 months or more when tested. Of the 131 cases tested on admission, 88 were retested 6 to 12 months after admission. There was no statistical difference in the incidence of HBsAg and HBsAb among the three groups or between normal controls and the leprosy patients. The predominant subtype was ADW (84.1%). After institutionalization, one lepromatous case converted to HBsAg positive and four converted to HBsAb positive.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1976

T and CR+ lymphocyte profile in leprosy and the effect of treatment.

Thymus-derived lymphocytes (T lymphocytes) and complement receptor-bearing lymphocytes (CR+ lymphocytes) were estimated by using erythrocyte rosettes and erythrocyte-antibody-complement rosettes as markers in untreated lepromatous and untreated tuberculoid patients and in healthy controls. Treated lepromatous cases were also investigated. Ten cases of untreated lepromatous patients were reassessed 6 months or more after therapy commenced. A significant decrease in both percentages and absolute numbers of CR+ cells in the untreated lepromatous leprosy subjects was observed. This decrease showed a return to normal levels after treatment. The percentage of T cells in the untreated lepromatous cases was normal; however, the absolute numbers of T cells and the total lymphocyte count showed a significant decrease. After therapy, the T cell population was unchanged but the total number of lymphocytes increased significantly with treatment. The absolute number of T and CR+ cells was significantly less in the untreated than in the treated lepromatous patients.

Blood Cell Count↗