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Biomedical subjects

S Levin

Publications and source records attributed to S Levin.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Interferon system in acute viral hepatitis.

Activation of the interferon system is an early antiviral immune defence mechanism. In 16 patients, whose viral hepatitis (A, B, and non-A, non-B) ran a normal course, blood interferon levels rose and cells were rapidly induced into an antiviral states. However, in 6 patients with acute fulminant hepatitis, the antiviral interferon system was grossly defective. Blood interferon levels were not measurable in 5 of them; in all 6, the mononuclear cells were not in an antiviral state and did not produce interferon-alpha or interferon-gamma when stimulated, but their intracellular antiviral mechanism was intact because small amounts of exogenous interferon induced an antiviral state in vitro. 5 of the patients with fulminant hepatitis received interferon-alpha therapy, with rapid activation of their interferon systems, accompanied by rapid and uncomplicated recoveries in 3. It is suggested that interferon be given a trial as an early treatment for severe viral hepatitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1982

Identification of abnormal patterns in eye movements of schizophrenic patients.

Using precise infrared recording instrumentation, we measured the eye-movement patterns in six schizophrenic patients who were taking medication and found saccadic intrusions and saccadic smooth-pursuit tracking in three. This defined some of the eye-movement irregularities reported previously by many investigators. A variety of eye-movement functions in addition to smooth pursuit exhibited these abnormalities, including fixation, vergence, and head-eye pursuit. Saccadic intrusions or saccadic pursuit also occurs in a number of neuro-ophthalmologic disorders, and occasionally in healthy normal subjects. Thus, these eye-movement abnormalities do not occur exclusively in schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Subjective symptoms in workers with low-level exposure to lead.

In an attempt to identify health effects associated with low-level lead exposure, 45 cable-manufacturing workers underwent clinical examinations in a cross-sectional study. Thirteen workers were in direct contact with lead-containing stabilizers, while 31 were only indirectly exposed. The directly exposed had a higher prevalence of reported neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms than those with low or insignificant lead exposure. None of the directly exposed had blood lead levels exceeding 60 micrograms per 100 ml. The clinical symptoms correlated with blood lead and zinc protoporphyrin. However, when the data were subjected to hierarchical log-linear modeling, a partial association was found between zinc protoporphyrin and symptoms, but not between blood lead and symptoms. The data suggest that non-specific neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms may occur at relatively low blood lead and zinc protoporphyrin levels, and that measurement of zinc protoporphyrin and exploration of clinical symptoms are valuable components in lead screening programs.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Cellular immunity in children with coeliac disease.

The experimental evidence implicating defective cell-mediated immunity in coeliac disease, a condition where symptomatology is believed to be due to immunological reaction to wheat gluten, is often inconsistent and sometimes controversial. Studies of certain parameters of cellular immunity in four groups of pediatric patients were performed: coeliac patients on normal diet; coeliac patients consuming gluten-free diet; children with cow's milk sensitivity. In all these assays no significant differences were found between treated or untreated coeliac children, infants with milk allergy or the gastro-intestinal control groups. On the basis of this study we could find no evidence of impairment of cell-mediated immunity in coeliac children. This conclusion is compatible with the hypothesis that intestinal damage may be due to a subpopulation of lymphocytes sensitive to gluten in persons with normal immune systems. In adults where abnormalities of cell-mediated immunity have sometimes been noted, the reason could be a loss of lymphocytes from the damaged mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract following prolonged antigenic stimulation. This indicated the need for strict adherence to a gluten-free-diet.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Effects of caerulein and bombesin on insulin and glucagon secretion from the isolated, perfused rat pancreas.

Caerulein nd bombesin, peptides first isolated from amphibian skin, act upon the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. To determine if these peptides influence mammalian endocrine pancreatic function, we tested their effects on the isolated, perfused rat pancreas. In these experiments, we examined effects of constant infusions of either caerulein (10(-11) M through 10(-8) M) or bombesin (10(11) M through 3.0 . 10(-7) M) which were superimposed upon glucose. Secretory studies consisted of a 20-min basal period (60 mg/dl glucose), then a 15-min infusion of glucose (150 mg/dl). Effects of the peptides (10(-9) M) upon the response to post-glucose arginine (168 mg/dl), confusion with glucose (60 mg/dl) for 15 min. were also studied. Neither peptide had any effect on basal insulin secretion. However, both peptides had distinct effects on insulin responses to the stimuli. Both caerulein and bombesin produced enhancement of glucose-induced insulin secretion, increasing total insulin secretion in a dose-dependent manner. Only caerulein enhanced arginine-induced insulin secretion. These peptides had no effect upon arginine-induced glucagon secretion.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Variation of (2'-5') oligo A synthetase level in lymphocytes and granulocytes of patients with viral infections and leukemia.

Using a simplified technique for the determination of oligoisoadenylate synthetase activity, we have compared the cellular level of this interferon (IFN)-induced enzyme in multiple samples of peripheral blood leukocytes. In mononuclear cells (PBMC) of healthy donors the enzyme level was remarkably constant, but in the cells of about 85% of patients with viral infections enzyme activity was significantly elevated. In contrast, the incidence of elevated activity in bacterial infections was low. Synthetase activity could be also detected in granulocytes, although normally its level in these cells was considerably lower than in PBMC. A sharp increase in the enzyme level in granulocytes was found in cells exposed in vitro to IFN, as well as in cells from patients undergoing IFN therapy. Increased synthetase activity was also detected in the granulocytes of patients with viral infections. We have also determined the level of the enzyme in patients with various types of leukemias. In a large proportion of the patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) we found severely decreased enzyme levels (10-20% of control value). The decreased activity could usually be correlated to predominance of blast cells in the peripheral blood.

2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase↗
PubMed1982

The interferon system in patients with malignant disease.

Since the interferon (IFN) system involves both IFN producing and IFN responding cells, it is possible to study separately these phenomena, relating them to disease entities as well as to response to therapy. Numerous studies in animals and man suggest effectiveness of IFN and IFN inducer therapy in cancer. However, the competency of the various components of the endogenous IFN system in malignancy has received little attention. These studies show that in malignancy there may be (1) a high incidence of elevated blood levels of IFN; (2) a deficient response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to endogenous and exogenous IFN; and (3) increased uninduced in vitro IFN production by these cells. These findings indicate that cancer patients are equipped with the ability to produce IFN and suggest that it may be the deficient response of their cells to IFN that plays a role in the development and progression of the disease. Furthermore, the finding of increased spontaneous "uninduced" production of IFN by cells from cancer patients suggest the possibility of an intracellular inducer such as found in persistently virus-infected cells.

Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous↗
PubMed1982

Serum ferritin levels in celiac disease.

Of the various common assayed parameters of iron metabolism, serum ferritin levels are the most discriminatory in distinguishing between non-treated celiac disease and other gastrointestinal disorders in the pediatric age group. Patients on normal diets usually have very low ferritin levels that increase at an average rate of 1 microgram/1/month when placed on a gluten-free diet. When the patient returns to a normal diet, however, ferritin levels decrease rapidly at an average rate of about 4 microgram/1/month. There is a relationship between abnormal intestinal changes and low ferritin levels in celiac disease with improvement in both when the patient is on a gluten-free diet. It is suggested that serial blood ferritin evaluations together with the leukocyte migration inhibition factor production assay should eliminate the need for invasive intestinal biopsies for the confirmation and possible follow-up to response to treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Moyamoya disease.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Clinical efficacy of cefotaxime in serious infections.

Thirty-five patients underwent 38 treatment courses with cefotaxime. Documented infections included 11 bacteremias, 7 cases of nosocomial pneumonia, 6 surgical wound infections, 3 bone infections, 1 biliary infection, and 1 urinary tract infection. Granulocytopenic patients with fever received 15 courses of empiric cefotaxime therapy alone; in 8 courses, no definite site of infection or pathogen was isolated. Broad-spectrum antibiotics had been administered to 23 patients before cefotaxime. Thirty-seven bacterial pathogens were isolated from 25 patients. Three such pathogens were resistant to cefotaxime and required alternative therapies. Pathogenic isolates included 13 Serratia marcescens, 12 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 4 Escherichia coli, 2 Klebsiella pneumoniae, 2 Providencia stuartii, 1 Enterobacter cloacae, 1 Haemophilus influenzae, 1 Enterococcus, and 1 Staphylococcus aureus. Of the treatment courses, 25 of 38 resulted in a favorable response to cefotaxime, including 9 of 15 in granulocytopenic patients. Superinfection was seen in one patient. The emergence of resistance was documented in another patient. Of 15 patients with multiply resistant pathogens, 12 improved with cefotaxime. Of 12 patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 6 favorably responded. Possible complications of cefotaxime were observed in 14 of 42 treatment courses. Cefotaxime is most useful in treatment of infections due to multiply resistant, gram-negative pathogens other than Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Nebulised sodium cromoglycate in the treatment of wheezy bronchitis in infants and young children.

44 children under 2 years of age suffering from recurrent or persistent wheezy bronchitis, completed a double-blind crossover trial comparing nebulised sodium cromoglycate and matching placebo. Analysis showed that treatment response was age-related. Sodium cromoglycate proved significantly superior to placebo in reducing night cough, sleep disturbance, wheeze and activity limitation in the 24 patients aged 12 months and above (mean 17.3) on entry to the study. Whereas no significant differences were observed in the 20 children below 12 months of age (mean 8.3). These findings were confirmed by weekly clinical assessment. Both age groups spent fewer days in hospital during the active treatment period. Final subjective assessments showed that the older age group, parents favoured cromoglycate treatment, whereas in the younger age group, parents favoured placebo, although neither reached statistical significance. Both age groups showed marked placebo response to nebulised water.

Aerosols↗
PubMed1982

Treatment of life-threatening viral infections with interferon alpha: pharmacokinetic studies in a clinical trial.

The effectiveness of human leukocyte interferon (IFN alpha) therapy was studied in 15 patients with acute life-threatening viral illnesses. All patients were critically ill, many close to death, when IFN therapy was begun. Included were six patients with acute fulminant hepatitis, four immunosuppressed patients with spreading herpes simplex, three severely ill patients with encephalitis, one case of severe fulminant juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis, and one of postmeasles dermatitis. Twelve of the 15 patients recovered, some dramatically, including 3 of the 6 fulminant hepatitis patients. Pharmacokinetic studies showed defective antiviral IFN responses in most of the patients--in particular, absence of in vivo IFN production. Because the patients were not producing IFN in response to the viral infection, the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were not primed into an antiviral state. Treatment with IFN alpha led to the rapid development of an antiviral state of the cells, which paralleled clinical recovery. In our opinion, IFN is the treatment of choice in acute viral infections, often lifesaving, provided it is given early in the infection before irreversible cell and tissue damage has taken place. Its use is most effective in those seriously ill patients with defective antiviral IFN responses.

Adolescent↗