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Biomedical subjects

S Hirsch

Publications and source records attributed to S Hirsch.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

[Muscular strength: an indicator of nutritional status].

A hand dynamometer was used to measure muscle strength in 207 patients admitted to the Gastroenterology service of a general hospital. Validation of international standards in a normal population of both sexes and different ages revealed that our normals perform at the 25% percentile of international values. Results were correlated with other measurements of nutritional status, namely anthropometric measurements, serum albumin level and tuberculin test. Compared to normals, muscle strength was significantly (p < 0.01) lower in patients with body mass index under 19, cutaneous tricipital folding < 85%, brachial circumference < 85%, and serum albumin < 3.5 g/dl. No difference in muscle strength between tuberculin positive or negative subjects was observed. None of the nutritional parameter was helpful to predict complications in patients submitted to surgery. Thus, muscle strength is a useful parameter to evaluate nutritional status but, similar to other measurements, is not predictive of surgical complications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Controlled study of the effect of silymarin on alcoholic liver disease].

A controlled trial on the use of Silymarin in patients with alcoholic liver disease was performed. Seventy two patients were admitted to the trial and randomly assigned to an experimental or controls group. Experimentals received 280 mg/day of Silymarin and controls an equal number of placebo tablets. Three patients on placebo and nine on Silymarin were lost from control (p = 0.035), remaining in control 34 patients receiving placebo and 25 patients receiving the drug. Both groups did not differ in their initial laboratory assessment and were followed up for an average of 15 months. Ten patients died during the follow up (5 in placebo and 5 in Silymarin); life table analysis did not show significant differences in mortality. Patients who died had lower serum albumin and prothrombin time and higher total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatases and CCLI on the initial clinical and laboratory assessment. Final laboratory values and their changes in those who survived did not differ between Silymarin and placebo. Twenty two patients on placebo (65%) and 14 on Silymarin (58%) recognized alcohol ingestion or had a positive urine sample analysis for alcohol during follow up. Those who abstained from alcohol had a significant fall in gamma glutamyl transferase during follow up. No other significant differences were observed between these two groups. It is concluded that in this trial, Silymarin did not change the evolution or mortality of alcoholic liver disease.

Double-Blind Method↗
PubMed1992

Vaccination of Lewis rats against Mycoplasma arthritidis-induced arthritis.

The nature of Mycoplasma arthritidis antigens responsible for eliciting protective immunity in rats was studied by inoculation of rats with mycoplasmal components that had been subjected to a variety of physical and chemical treatments. All inocula tested induced good protection against development of clinical illness, as assessed by changes in body weight and appearance of joint swelling and/or temporary hind limb paralysis. Although all preparations stimulated development in inoculated rats of high titer of antimycoplasmal antibodies measured by ELISA, the complement-fixation antibody response was poor and, in some cases, lacking altogether. This indicated that completion-fixation antibodies may not be involved in protecting rats against M arthritidis-induced illness. Protective antigens were stable to heat (100 C for 10 minutes), formalin, and denaturation by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Inoculation with membrane and soluble cytoplasmic fractions was protective, as was inoculation with 5 M arthritidis fractions separated according to molecular weight by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). For this latter experiment, rat antisera obtained after vaccination, but prior to challenge exposure, were tested by immunoblot analysis against electrophoretically separated M arthritidis membrane proteins. Interestingly, all antisera from these rats recognized antigens migrating far outside the molecular weight range of the cell fractions with which rats were inoculated. This indicated either that the protective antigens may be composed of numerous antigenically related subunits that separated by SDS-PAGE into a variety of molecular weight ranges or that a few major antigens may exist in several forms or phases within a given population of M arthritidis.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Dose dependent inhibition of REM sleep in normal volunteers by biperiden, a muscarinic antagonist.

We tested the effect of biperiden (2, 4, and 8 mg per os 30 min before bedtime) on the polygraphically recorded sleep of normal volunteers (n = 8). Biperiden is a cholinergic, muscarinic receptor antagonist that may preferentially block the M1 receptor subtype. Compared with placebo, biperiden significantly prolonged rapid eye movement (REM) latency and suppressed REM sleep time and REM percentage in a dose-dependent manner. These REM suppressing effects of biperiden are similar to those previously reported with scopolamine and other nonselective muscarinic receptor antagonists. Because of uncertainties about the pharmacological specificity of biperiden, further studies are needed to determine the mechanism of action and the role of M1 receptors subtypes in the regulation of REM sleep.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

The effect of induced abortion on subsequent pregnancy outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of induced abortion on the outcome of the next pregnancy. DESIGN: Long-term prospective controlled cohort study. SETTING: Joint Royal College of General Practitioners/Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists study based in general practice in England, Scotland and Wales. SUBJECTS: 1311 women whose recruitment pregnancy had ended in induced abortion (the abortion group) and 2131 women whose recruitment pregnancy had a natural conclusion (the non-abortion group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Non-viable outcome (spontaneous or missed miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or stillbirth), birthweight, length of gestation. RESULTS: Induced abortion was not materially associated with any of the three measures of adverse outcome. Compared with the non-abortion group the relative risk of a non-viable outcome in the abortion group was 1.01 (95% CI 0.81 to 1.27). In the abortion group birthweight was an average 23 g lighter (95% CI -76 g to + 30 g) and length of gestation an average 0.9 days shorter (95% CI -2.2 days to + 0.4 days) than in the non-abortion group. Women who had their abortions in NHS premises had an increased risk of a non-viable outcome (RR 2.55, 95% CI 1.31 to 4.94) and had babies with significantly lower mean birthweight (-119 g, 95% CI -233 g to +5 g) compared with those who obtained their operations in the private sector. Women whose abortion had been carried out by a consultant had the lowest risk of non-viable outcome. Although these differences remained after adjustment for a number of important variables, it is possible that factors not measured in the present study, such as economic status and occupation, played a contributory role. CONCLUSION: Overall, induced abortion was not associated with any important effect on the three measures of adverse outcome in the subsequent pregnancy.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1991

Compulsory psychiatric treatment in the community. I. A controlled study of compulsory community treatment with extended leave under the Mental Health Act: special characteristics of patients treated and impact of treatment.

Following in-patient psychiatric treatment under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act, some patients have in the past remained on Section after discharge, and subsequently the Section has been renewed while the patient remained 'on leave'. People treated thus with 'extended leave' probably resemble closely those who would be placed on a community treatment order if this were available. A group of these extended-leave patients was compared with a control group, matched for age, sex and diagnosis, selected by consultant psychiatrists as not requiring treatment using a community treatment order. The two groups showed very few differences, but the extended-leave patients more commonly had a history of recent dangerousness and non-compliance with psychiatric treatment. Use of extended leave improved treatment compliance, reduced time spent in hospital, and reduced levels of dangerousness.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1991

Compulsory psychiatric treatment in the community. II. A controlled study of patients whom psychiatrists would recommend for compulsory treatment in the community.

Several English consultant psychiatrists were asked to identify which patients currently under their care they would recommend for treatment with a community treatment order, if such a provision existed. The psychiatrists were asked to match each such 'nominated' patient for age, sex and diagnosis with one or two control patients, not considered to require compulsory treatment in the community. From specific data collected, it was found that: the two groups did not differ in their 'lifetime' histories of psychiatric admissions, substance misuse, criminal charges or dangerousness; 65-72% of the total sample had a history of serious dangerousness; but in the 12 months before nomination, the 'nominated' patients were significantly less likely than the controls to have complied with psychiatric treatment, and more likely to have defaulted from follow-up. The results indicate that a psychiatrist's decision to recommend a patient for treatment with a community treatment order will depend predominantly on specific criteria related to the patient's recent past.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Social work role in developing and managing employee assistance programs in health care settings.

The hospital setting presents special needs for an Employee Assistance Program and special complications for sponsorship, development, and maintenance. What has been learned, how certain problems can be solved or avoided, how responsibility and accountability can be negotiated are presented by a team that has successfully established such a program at a large metropolitan medical center. In addition to successes, some unsolved problems are identified for further study.

Confidentiality↗
PubMed1991

Patterns of glucose and lipid abnormalities in black NIDDM subjects.

OBJECTIVE: We had previously shown two variants among black non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDDM) subjects in a normoglycemic remission: one with insulin resistance and the other with normal insulin sensitivity. This study examined whether these two variants exist in the ordinary hyperglycemic black NIDDM population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Fifty-two black NIDDM subjects were assessed for insulin-stimulated glucose disposal (euglycemic clamp), glycemic control (fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c), and fasting lipid profiles. RESULTS: The distribution of glucose disposal in 30 black NIDDM subjects (body mass index; BMI less than 30 kg/m2) was bimodal, which indicated two populations. Eighteen of 30 subjects (BMI 26.4 +/- 0.5 kg/m2) had insulin resistance (glucose disposal 3.21 +/- 0.24 mg.kg-1.min-1). Twelve of 30 subjects (BMI 24.83 +/- 1.1 kg/m2) had normal insulin sensitivity (glucose disposal 7.19 +/- 0.46 mg.kg-1.min-1). Twenty-one of the remaining 22 subjects (BMI 33.4 +/- 0.7 kg/m2) were insulin resistant (glucose disposal 2.88 +/- 0.21 mg.kg-1.min-1). Fasting serum triglyceride levels were lowest in the insulin-sensitive population (0.91 +/- 0.07 mM) and different from the insulin-resistant population, BMI less than 30 and greater than 30 kg/m2, (1.20 +/- 0.10 mM, P less than 0.05 and 1.42 +/- 0.17 mM, P less than 0.025, respectively). Fasting serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were not significantly different among the groups, although it did increase with insulin resistance and increasing obesity. Total serum cholesterol levels and glycemic control were similar for all three groups. Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were higher in women compared with men. CONCLUSIONS: In the hyperglycemic black NIDDM population, two variants exist: one with insulin resistance and one with normal insulin sensitivity. This insulin-sensitive variant represents 40% of subjects with a BMI less than 30 kg/m2. Moreover, the insulin-sensitive group has a lower risk profile for cardiovascular disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Comparison of four Mycoplasma arthritidis strains by enzyme immunoassay, metabolism inhibition, one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis, and immunoblotting.

Four Mycoplasma arthritidis strains, two virulent (158p10p9 and 14124p10) and two avirulent (PG6 and H606), were examined for differences in their antigenic compositions. Rabbit antisera prepared against each strain were compared for their reactivities against both homologous and heterologous strains by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and metabolism inhibition assay. These tests confirmed a close serologic relationship among the four strains. Only by cross-absorbing each antiserum with intact cells from both homologous and heterologous strains could serologic differences be detected. Interestingly, antigenic variability was minimal among those antigens involved in the metabolism inhibition reaction, suggesting that they may be highly conserved within this species. No differences in protein composition could be detected by one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. However, slight variation was apparent on two-dimensional gels, and antigens possessing strain-specific epitopes were detected by two-dimensional immunoblotting experiments performed with cross-absorbed antisera. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, two-dimensional electrophoresis, and immunoblotting experiments showed that the two virulent strains were closely related to each other, while the avirulent strains were more distantly related to each other and to the other two strains. The relationship of M. arthritidis serologic diversity to virulence remains unclear: however, this study has demonstrated that it may be possible to subdivide M. arthritidis into serogroups on the basis of cross-absorption patterns and to identify those antigens bearing strain-specific epitopes by immunoblotting with cross-absorbed antisera.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Oral contraceptives and rheumatoid arthritis: new data from the Royal College of General Practitioners' oral contraception study.

From data available at April 1987 it was found that the standardised risk ratio for rheumatoid arthritis between current users of oral contraceptives and never users was 0.82 (95% confidence interval 0.59 to 1.15); the ratio between former users and never users was 0.94 (95% confidence interval 0.72 to 1.22). Important secular trends have occurred within our study population. The incidence of rheumatoid arthritis among former and never users has declined over the past two decades. Current users have not experienced this temporal trend, and the ratio between current and never users has, therefore, approached unity. These secular changes may explain why some studies have found that oral contraceptives have a protective effect, while others have been unable to show such an effect.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Treatment of chronic renal failure: effects of a supplemented diet with essential amino acids].

We evaluated the results of essential amino acids supplementation added to a protein restricted diet (0.6 g/kg/day) in patients with advanced renal failure (creatinine clearance under 20 ml/min). A diet containing food with high biologic value was used as control. Diets were tested during 7 months. Anthropometric and nutritional (serum albumin and transferrin) values were normal in both groups both at the beginning and at the end of the treatment period. A slight increase in weight in the natural diet group and in serum phosphorus level in the amino acid supplemented group was observed. Two patients in each group required chronic dialysis, renal function remaining stable in the rest. We conclude that both forms of diet supplementation were effective in preserving nutritional status possibly in delaying deterioration of renal function in patients with advanced renal failure.

Amino Acids, Essential↗
PubMed1989

Glucose turnover rate and peripheral insulin sensitivity in alcoholic patients without liver damage.

Glucose intolerance is frequently found in alcoholic patients and an impaired insulin response has been documented in them. To look for alternative mechanisms that could explain this intolerance, a glucose turnover using tritiated glucose and an euglycemic glucose clamp were performed to measure the glucose production rate and peripheral insulin sensitivity, respectively. Two groups of recently abstinent chronic male alcoholic patients without evidence of liver damage were studied. The glucose turnover technique showed a higher basal glucose production rate in alcoholics, compared with normal volunteers (2.83 +/- 0.29 vs. 1.84 +/- 0.22 mg/kg/min); an intravenous ethanol load significantly increased this rate. The euglycemic glucose clamp did not show peripheral insulin resistance in alcoholics, compared with controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Nutritional support in hospitalized patients with alcoholic liver disease.

The effects of a nutritional support in hospitalized patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and liver failure were studied in a controlled protocol. Thirty-six patients were included, 17 were randomly assigned to an experimental group and the rest to a control group. Experimentals received a diet aiming at 50 kcal (209 kJ)/kg bodyweight/d and 1.5 g protein/kg bodyweight/d (as proteins of high biological value). Controls received the standard diet prescribed by the attending physician. The severity of liver failure and the nutritional status on admission were similar in both groups. The measured energy intake in controls was 1813 +/- 121 kcal/d (7589 +/- 506 kJ/d) and 2707 +/- 71 kcal/d (1131 +/- 297 kJ/d) in experimentals (P less than 0.001). The protein intake in controls was 47 +/- 3.8 g/d and in experimentals 80 +/- 3 g/d (P less than 0.001). There were seven deaths during the study period (two experimentals and five controls). No differences were observed in the evolution of liver failure, hepatic encephalopathy or nutritional status between both study groups. It is concluded that a higher energy and protein intake in these patients does not have adverse effects and is associated with a non-significant reduction in mortality.

Body Weight↗
PubMed1988

An H+-ATPase in opposite plasma membrane domains in kidney epithelial cell subpopulations.

Vectorial solute transport by epithelia requires the polarized insertion of transport proteins into apical or basolateral plasmalemmal domains. In the specialized intercalated cells of the kidney collecting duct, the selective placement of an apical plasma membrane proton-pumping ATPase (H+-ATPase) and of a basolateral membrane anion-exchange protein results in transepithelial proton secretion. It is currently believed that amino-acid sequences of membrane proteins contain critical signalling regions involved in sorting these proteins to specific membrane domains. Recently, it was proposed that intercalated cells can reverse their direction of proton secretion under different acid-base conditions by redirecting proton pumps from apical to basolateral membranes, and anion exchangers from basolateral to apical membranes. But others have found that antibodies raised against the red cell anion-exchange protein (Band 3) only labelled intercalated cells at the basolateral plasma membrane, providing evidence against the model of polarity reversal. In this report, we have examined directly the distribution of proton pumps in kidney intercalated cells using specific polyclonal antibodies against subunits of a bovine kidney medullary H+-ATPase. We find that some cortical collecting duct intercalated cells have apical plasma membrane proton pumps, whereas others have basolateral pumps. This is the first direct demonstration of neighbouring epithelial cells maintaining opposite polarities of a transport protein. Thus, either subtle structural differences exist between proton pumps located at opposite poles of the cell, or factors other than protein sequence determine the polarity of H+-ATPase insertion.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Impairments on neuropsychologic tests of temporohippocampal and frontohippocampal functions and word fluency in remitting schizophrenia and affective disorders.

Experimental neuropsychologic tests were administered to acute patients with schizophrenia and affective psychosis and to normal controls. Patients had remitting illnesses. Tests included memory for recurring digit and block spans (left and right temporohippocampal), digit and block spans (lateralized parietal/frontal), spatial and nonspatial conditional associate learning (frontohippocampal), and oral word fluency to letter-designated categories (frontal) and semantic-designated categories (left-sided). In 81% of schizophrenic patients patterned deficits incompatible with generalized losses of function were disclosed. Patterns were heterogeneous and characterized by (1) the frequency and severity of left temporohippocampal impairment; (2) asymmetric frontohippocampal function such that severity of bilateral impairment was associated with poorer nonspatial learning and superior performance with better nonspatial learning; (3) syndrome relationships predicted by the hemisphere imbalance syndrome model pertaining to positive and negative symptoms and the catatonic syndrome; (4) a generalized deficit independent of temporohippocampal functions; and (5) no relationship between performance and computed tomographic signs or medication. Patients with affective disorders had patterned deficits characterized by bilateral impairments that disclosed a preponderance of deficits in spatial learning and memory; depressives demonstrated impairments in digit span.

Affective Disorders, Psychotic↗
PubMed1988

Stimulation of inositol phosphate production by propranolol in human neutrophils.

1. Propranolol has been reported to be beneficial in treating patients suffering from a variety of diseases including migraine, psychosis and schizophrenia. The mode of action of propranolol in the treatment of the above diseases is not clear. 2. An investigation into the possible effect of propranolol on receptor activated inositol phospholipid hydrolysis was carried out using human neutrophils. Receptor activated inositol phosphate production by formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine has also been studied. 3. DL-propranolol caused a time and concentration dependent increase in inositol phosphate generation which was similar to that obtained for chemotactic peptide in neutrophils. The EC50 for propranolol was 2 microM compared to 0.5 microM for chemotactic peptide. 4. These results indicate the possibility that propranolol has a direct action on inositol phospholipid hydrolysis in addition to its beta-blocking effect.

Adult↗