Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T T White

Publications and source records attributed to T T White.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Cloning and sequence of cDNA coding for alpha 1-antitrypsin.

Recombinant plasmids containing human and baboon cDNA have been screened for alpha 1-antitrypsin, a major serine protease inhibitor present in blood. One plasmid, designated pBa alpha 1a2, was found to contain a cDNA insert of 1352 base pairs coding for the baboon inhibitor. It included 45 nucleotides that code for 15 amino acids present in the amino-terminal signal sequence of the protein, 1182 nucleotides that code for 394 amino acids in the mature protein, a stop codon, and a noncoding region of 76 nucleotides. Comparison of the amino acid sequences of baboon alpha 1-antitrypsin, human antithrombin III, and chicken ovalbumin indicated that these three proteins are about 230% homologous. A second plasmid, designated pH alpha 1a1, was found to contain a human cDNA insert of 306 base pairs. This plasmid coded for 69 amino acids present in the carboxyl-terminal region of human alpha 1-antitrypsin. The human and baboon cDNAs and their amino acid sequences are greater than 96% homologous.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Central hepatic resection and anastomosis for stricture or carcinoma at the hepatic bifurcation.

Ten cases of central hepatic resection for benign and malignant strictures are reported. Reconstruction was by hepaticojejunostomy with placement of a transhepatic silastic stent across the anastomosis. Four patients had carcinomas at the hepatic bifurcation. Four had high biliary stricture and two had intrahepatic stones and strictures. Follow-up ranged from six to 30 months. Two patients died in the postoperative period at two months and 18 months, both with widely patent hepaticojejunostomies. Satisfactory results have been obtained in seven of the eight remaining patients. These seven are symptom-free and without jaundice.

Adult↗

A new instrument for inserting a U tube.

A new instrument for the placement of U tubes through malignant and benign biliary strictures consists of a 3 mm Bakes dilator modified by a circumferential groove and a small hole through its tip.

Bile Duct Neoplasms↗

Results of surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis. Report of 142 cases.

The authors report on 142 patients treated surgically for chronic pancreatitis. They had an average age of 43.5; 34.5% were calcific; 62.7% were alcoholics: 28.9% had cysts; 19% had diabetes; 16.9% had steatorrhea; and all had pain. A follow-up of 55 patients undergoing pancreaticojejunostomy showed that, 4--21 years following operation 16 had marked improvement, 11 had some relief, four were not relieved from pain, and 24 had died, three within one month postoperatively and 21 later. Eighty to ninety-five per cent pancreatectomy was more effective in relieving pain in the 9 patients subjected to this type of resection than was the 50--80% pancreatic resection used in 16 patients. Pancreaticoduodenectomy was of some value in three of five patients so operated. Celiac ganglionectomy, used in 22 patients, and sphincteroplasty, used in 35 patients, were less effective in relieving symptoms than the other procedures.

Adult↗

Causes for 340 reoperations on the extrahepatic bile ducts.

Three hundred forty of 5,086 patients undergoing operations on the extrahepatic biliary trees at the Swedish and University of Washington Hospitals in Seattle between 1956 and 1970 required reoperation on this system. This figure for reoperations did not include procedures for subhepatic or subphrenic abscess and/or wound complications. The most common cause for reoperation was an attempt to retrieve a residual or recurrent common duct stone (26.8% of the cases). The second most common cause for re-exploration was a tumor obstructing the common bile duct (18.9%). Less frequent causes for secondary surgery were stenosis of the ampulla of Vater (10.3%), bile duct injury (12.1%), pancreatitis (10.3%), inflammatory stricture (1.5%), cystic duct remnant (5%), and many other less important problems. Thus 4.7% or almost one in 20 of all our biliary operations were secondary. We feel that operative cholangiograms supplemented by manometry are the useful adjunct towards finding otherwise undetectable biliary pathology, whether on the basis of stones, tumors, or structures. We also feel that placement of T-tubes with a large arm going to the surface will allow the removal of most stones left behind after common bile duct explorations with the assistance of directable stone baskets.

Adolescent↗

Immediate and long term effects of instrumental dilation of the sphincter of Oddi.

Large dilators passed through the sphincter of Oddi do not prevent retained or recurrent common bile duct stones. Large dilators are more likely to cause postoperative pancreatitis than are small ones. Pancreatitis resulting from maximal dilation is more likely to be severe, and the patients are more likely to die from it.

Ampulla of Vater↗

Cancer, pancreatitis, and the detection of the isoenzymes of DNAase, RNAase and amylase.

Substrate films of starch, RNA, and DNA were used to identify the isoenzymes of amylase, RNAase, and DNAase found in human ductal pancreatic juice subjected to isoelectric focusing. The pancreatic secretions from 15 patients were shown to contain as many as four isoenzymes of RNAase; the two major forms had isoelectric points of 7.87 and 7.52, and the two minor forms, of 7.25 and 6.90. Six DNAase bands were detected; the major bands had pI values of 4.86 and 4.79, and sometimes appeared as one band. The minor bands had pI values of 5.08, 5.00, 4.68, and 4.58. Purified bovine DNAase I, analyzed similarly, showed four bands (5.29, 5.19, 5.04 and 4.96). Nine isoenzymes of alpha-amylase were observed in the secretions from 15 patients. The major alpha-amylase isoenzyme had a pI value of 6.84 in 14 patients and of 7.04 in 1 patient. Secondary bands were seen with pI values of 6.23, 6.53 and 6.69. Additional isoenzymes were found with pI values of 7.16, 6.39, 6.00 and 5.78. The amylase isoenzyme with a pI value of 6.39 was found in 7 of the 8 patients with a normal pancreas or carcinoma of the pancreas, and in only 1 of 7 patients with acute or chronic pancreatitis.

Amylases↗

One per cent incidence of recurrent gallstones six to eight years after manometric cholangiography.

The national incidence of retained and recurrent common duct stones is between 2 and 7%. A prospective comparison of operative common duct pressure flow rates as opposed to operative cholangiography was commenced in 1968 to assay another diagnostic technique to assist in the reduction of this rather high incidence of recurrence. We are now reporting the 6-8 year follow-up data on the first 200 patients, 190 (95%) of whom were reevaluated in 1977. In our inital reports we were surprised to find that our accuracy with flow and pressure studies was 93%, not significantly different from that found with operative cholangiography (92%). The measurements of flow, resting pressure, and opening pressure in the patients with stones or strictures at the lower end of the bile duct were each significantly different from those found in normal ducts (p < 0.001). We considered normal flow to be 10 ml/min saline at 30 cm of pressure and normal intrabiliary pressure to be less than 16 cm of saline was measured through the cystic duct. To date only one individual has had to undergo reoperation for stones and another for recurrent biliary obstruction. A third individual is suspected of, but not proven, to have a retained stone. No patient who had a normal operative cholangiogram, flow and pressure studies, has had a late recurrence of stones. We have presented the specifications of a new catheter for performing flow and pressure x-ray studies, which we feel may be used to primarily evaluate the distal duct with greater accuracy and clarity. We think that this inexpensive but reliable method has an important place in biliary surgery, particularly where operative cholangiography may not be available, or, for one reason or, another, is not reliable.

Catheterization↗

Two instances of bile reflux without acute pancreatitis.

In two patients in whom most of the bile and the pancreatic juice were mixed, one within the pancreatic duct because of a presumed injury to the ampulla of Vater and the other within the bile duct secondary to a tumor of the ampulla of Vater, there was no pathologic evidence of acute pancreatitis within the pancreas. This was true even though there was chemical evidence that trypsin in its active form passed through the pancreas. On explanation for this is that trypsin inhibitors contained in human bile and pancreatic juice may bind trypsin.

Acute Disease↗