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Biomedical subjects

W A Briggs

Publications and source records attributed to W A Briggs.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Hypoxemia during hemodialysis using acetate versus bicarbonate dialysate.

To evaluate the extent and cause(s) of dialysis-related hypoxemia, we studied 10 patients, 7 days apart using acetate (AC) and bicarbonate dialysate (HCO3). We measured arterial blood gases, WBC, minute ventilation (VE) and inspired and expired gas concentrations and calculated the respiratory quotient (R) and the alveolar-arterial oxygen difference (A-a)DO2 before and during hemodialysis. 8 patients developed hypoxemia. Arterial PO2 (PaO2) dropped similarly at 30 min from 93 +/- 5 to 78 +/- 6 (p less than 0.05) and 89 +/- 4 to 79 +/- 5 mm Hg (p less than 0.05) with AC and HCO3, respectively. R and VE decreased during AC (p less than 0.05). (A-a)DO2 increased at 30 min and correlated with the drop in PaO2 during both AC (r = 0.68, p less than 0.025) and HCO3 (r = 0.76, p less than 0.025). The fall in PaO2 also correlated with the fall in WBC count for both AC and HCO3 (r = 0.63, p less than 0.005). The increase in arterial pH during HCO3 (up to 7.45 +/- 0.01) was significantly greater than that during AC (up to 7.42 +/- 0.01) (p less than 0.025), and coincided with a relative decrease in VE. We conclude that (1) HCO3 does not prevent hypoxemia, and (2) hypoventilation V/Q abnormalities and increase in arterial pH, contribute variably to dialysis related hypoxemia depending on the type of dialysate and the time during dialysis.

Acetates↗
PubMed1983

Zinc metabolism and taste acuity in renal transplant recipients.

To determine the effect of renal transplantation on taste acuity and zinc metabolism, we tested 43 patients with functioning allografts for 2.5 to 96 months. They were tested for taste by the 3-drop stimulus technique. In 30 of them, we determined zinc levels in plasma, hair, and urine. Subnormal plasma and hair zinc, as well as hyperzincuria, was present in all of the 15 patients less than 12 months posttransplant. In contrast, 10 patients who were more than 12 months posttransplant had plasma zinc levels, hair zinc, and urinary zinc excretions in the normal range. Zinc concentrations in plasma and hair of 5 patients who were more than 12 months posttransplant with renal failure, were subnormal and were similar to those in hemodialysis patients. Similarly, taste detection and recognition thresholds for sodium chloride, sucrose, urea, and hydrochloric acid were normal only in patients more than 12 months posttransplant with normal renal function. Plasma zinc, hair zinc, and urinary zinc were not related to prednisone or azathioprine dosage. These results suggest that abnormalities of zinc and taste persist up to 12 months posttransplant and may be related to increased urinary zinc losses.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Leukocyte metabolism and function in uremia.

Leukocyte metabolism was studied in 13 non-diabetic hemodialysis patients, 8 clinically stable, nondiabetic transplant recipients, and 13 control subjects. Metabolic parameters included rates of oxygen consumption (nmoles/min/10(6) cells), glucose uptake, lactate production (nmoles/hr/10(6) cells), and 14C-l-glucose oxidation to 14CO2 (nmoles/hr/10(6) cells). Granulocyte metabolism was stimulated by phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan (Z) and by the membrane perturbing agent phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Granulocyte motility in response to zymosan-activated plasma (ZAP) was also studied. Granulocytes from hemodialysis patients showed significantly impaired stimulated oxygen consumption (Z = 2.41 +/- 0.30 vs. 3.73 +/- 0.39; PMA = 2.63 +/- 0.33 vs. 3.67 +/- 0.19), resting glucose uptake (17.7 +/- 2.9 vs. 36.5 +/- 3.5), stimulated glucose uptake (Z = 44.2 +/- 7.1 vs. 71.8 +/- 5.3; PMA = 63.7 +/- 5.5 vs. 92.8 +/- 5.6), stimulated lactate production (Z = 68.4 +/- 5.1 vs. 97.5 +/- 9.3; PMA = 70.7 +/- 4.9 vs. 92.7 +/- 5.4), and ZAP-stimulated granulocyte motility (16 +/- 3 vs. 30 +/- 4 mu). Metabolic responses of granulocytes from transplant recipients were frequently intermediate between those of hemodialysis patients and controls, but not significantly different from controls. Abnormalities of glucose and oxygen metabolism in granulocytes from uremic patients may cause or contribute to granulocyte dysfunction and vulnerability to infection in such patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Glucose tolerance, insulin release, and insulin binding to monocytes in kidney transplant recipients.

In order to evaluate glucose tolerance following renal transplantation, intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT), with evaluation of hormonal responses to the intravenous glucose load and percent specific 125I-insulin binding to peripheral blood monocytes, were studied in eight clinically stable kidney transplant recipients. For comparison purposes, identical studies were done in eight control subjects and seven clinically stable hemodialysis patients. One transplant recipient was glucose intolerant, with fasting hyperglycemia, elevated HbA1C, and abnormal glucose decay constant. Impaired pancreatic insulin release appeared to be the major factor accounting for his glucose intolerance. The seven glucose-tolerant transplant recipients had significantly increased insulin release during IVGTT compared to control subjects, and significant correlations were found among insulin release, glucose decay constant, and fasting blood sugar in those patients. Insulin binding to monocytes was significantly greater in transplant recipients than control subjects due to an increase in insulin binding capacity per cell. A significant correlation was found between percent specific 125I-insulin binding and steroid dose, expressed as mg/kg body weight/day, in those patients. Thus, chronic steroid administration does not cause glucose intolerance in transplant recipients who manifest steroid-associated increases in pancreatic insulin release and cellular insulin binding capacity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Lymphocyte and granulocyte function in zinc-treated and zinc-deficient hemodialysis patients.

Lymphocyte blast transformation and granulocyte motility were studied in 20 clinically stable hemodialysis patients, 10 of whom were receiving 50 mg of zinc (as zinc acetate) per day and 10 of whom were not. Plasma zinc concentration was significantly higher in zinc-treated than in untreated patients (108 +/- 5 vs. 82 +/- 2 micrograms/dl). Mononuclear cell subpopulation analysis showed equivalent proportions of T lymphocytes and monocytes in both groups, but B lymphocytes were reduced in untreated patients (10 +/- 0.7 vs 14 +/- 0.5%). Lymphocyte blast transformations in response to nonspecific mitogens, soluble antigen and mixed lymphocyte culture were not significantly different in the two groups, nor was lymphocyte zinc concentration. Zinc-treated patients showed significantly greater granulocyte responsiveness to zymosan-activated serum (21 +/- 1 vs. 14 +/- 2 mean), greater chemokinetic activity (50 +/- 4 vs. 27 +/- 3 mean) and higher granulocyte zinc concentration (114 +/- 6 vs. 47 +/- 2 micrograms/10(6) cells) than untreated patients. Granulocyte zinc correlated significantly with plasma zinc (r = 0.81, P less than 0.001) and with granulocyte motility (r = 0.63, P = 0.001). Moderate zinc deficiency in hemodialysis patients does not result in abnormal lymphocyte blast transformation in vitro, but it does result in granulocyte zinc depletion and impaired granulocyte motility.

Acetates↗
PubMed1982

Zinc deficiency: a reversible complication of uremia.

Subnormal plasma zinc levels and decreased zinc concentration in hair and leucocytes as well as increased plasma ammonia and ribonuclease activity in dialyzed and nondialyzed uremic patients indicate that zinc metabolism is abnormal in uremia and is not corrected by dialysis. The effect of oral supplementation with zinc acetate (12 patients) or placebo (12 patients) on the above biochemical parameters in hemodialysis patients was determined as a part of a double-blind study. The zinc-supplemented, but not the placebo, group demonstrated significant increases in mean (+/- SD), plasma zinc (80 +/- 9 to 110 +/- 14, micrograms/dl), leucocyte zinc (56 +/- 13 to 1098 +/- 18, micrograms/10(10) cells), hair zinc (140 +/- 12 to 190 +/- 16 micrograms/g), and decreases in plasma ammonia (76 +/- 10 to 40 +/- 6 micrograms/dl) and plasma ribonuclease activity (1.49 +/- 0.08 to 0.78 +/- 0.10, OD/min/ml). Abnormalities of taste and sexual function improved significantly in patients receiving zinc but not in those on placebo therapy. These improvements in biochemical as well as clinical parameters confirm and extend our earlier observations of improvement in taste and sexual function after zinc supplementation. Together, they suggest that zinc deficiency is a complicating feature of uremia and can be corrected by oral zinc supplementation.

Acetates↗
PubMed1982

Effect of oral zinc therapy on gonadal function in hemodialysis patients. A double-blind study.

Zinc deficiency may account for the persistence of gonadal dysfunction in a majority of uremic men despite adequate dialysis. Twenty stable patients having hemodialysis three times a week completed a double-blind trial using either 50 mg of elemental zinc as zinc acetate (10 patients) or placebo (10 patients), orally. At the end of the 6-month study period, a significant increase in the mean (+/- SE) plasma zinc (75 +/- 2 micrograms/dL to 100 +/- 2 micrograms/dL, p less than 0.001), serum testosterone (2.8 +/- 0.3 ng/dL to 5.2 +/- 0.5 ng/mL, p less than 0.001), and sperm count (30 +/- 3 million/mL to 63 +/- 5 million/mL, p less than 0.001) occurred in the zinc-treated group, but not in those receiving the placebo. The zinc-treated group also had a significant fall in serum luteinizing hormone (92 +2- 10 mIU/mL to 49 +/- 26 mIU/mL, p less than 0.005) and follicle stimulating hormone (45 +/- 9 mIU/mL to 25 +/- 7 mIU/mL, p less than 0.05), not seen in the placebo group. Patients receiving zinc had an improvement in potency, libido, and frequency of intercourse not found in the placebo group. These results suggest that zinc deficiency is a reversible cause of gonadal dysfunction in patients having regular hemodialysis.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Influence of prior cellular immunity on the in vitro lymphocyte response to virus antigens after influenza vaccination.

The in vitro peripheral blood lymphocyte response to specific influenza virus antigens was studied before and 2 weeks after trivalent influenza vaccination of 16 healthy persons. Changes in serum hemagglutination inhibition antibody titers were also determined. An inverse correlation was found between the prevaccination antibody titers and the log2 mean-fold increase in antibody titers after vaccination (r = -0.86, P less than 0.01). An inverse correlation was also found between the prevaccination stimulation index and the ratio of postvaccination to prevaccination stimulation index for each virus strain (A/Victoria, r = -0.48, P less than 0.05; A/USSR, r = -0.55, P less than 0.02; and B/Hong Kong, r = -0.55, P less than 0.02). Similar negative correlations were not consistently found with the nonspecific mitogens phytohemagglutinin, pokeweed mitogen, and concanavalin A. These results suggest that the state of cellular as well as humoral immunity to virus antigens before vaccination influence the magnitude of response after vaccination and that antigen-specific suppressor cell activity may be stimulated by vaccination.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Propoxyphene and norpropoxyphene plasma concentrations in the anephric patient.

The widely used analgesic propoxyphene is subject to extensive presystemic (first-pass) biotransformation after oral administration. There have been indications that presystemic biotransformation of a drug may be less in anephric patients than in healthy subjects. Plasma concentrations of propoxyphene (a drug with dangerous adverse effects at high concentrations) and its major and pharmacologically active metabolite norpropoxyphene have been compared in 7 anephric patients and 7 healthy subjects after oral administration of a 130-mg dose. Maximum propoxyphene concentrations were much higher (177 +/- 16 vs 81 +/- 35 ng/ml, mean +/- SD, p less than 0.001), and areas under the concentration-time curve over 12 hr were much larger (4,310 +/- 1,520 vs 2,250 +/- 1,050 ng hr/ml, p less than 0.02) in the anephric patients than in the normal subjects. These differences were statistically significant even after normalization for dose per body weight. Norpropoxyphene concentrations were also higher and more persistent in the anephric patients. These differences, which appear to result from decreased presystemic biotransformation of propoxyphene and decreased elimintation of norpropoxyphene, indicate that propoxyphene should be used cautiously and at reduced doses in patients with renal failure.

Absorption↗
PubMed1980

Improvement of uremic hypogeusia by zinc: a double-blind study.

Diminished taste acuity may account for the persistence of protein and caloric malnutrition observed in a majority of hemodialysis patients inspite of liberalization of the prescribed amount of dietary protein. Twenty-two patients undergoing thrice weekly hemodialysis for more than 6 months were tested for taste acuity and plasma zinc concentration, after which a double-blind study was instituted using a zinc supplement (50 mg of elemental zinc as zinc acetate per day) or a placebo. The threshold of taste detection and recognition for salt (NaCl), sweet (sucrose), and bitter (urea) but not for sour (HCl) improved significantly in all patients on zinc supplementation. None of these parameters improved in those taking placebo. During the study period, the mean plasma zinc level increased from 75 +/- 8 to 97 +/- 10 microgram/dl (P less than 0.001) in patients receiving zinc acetate. There was not significant change in plasma zinc level in the placebo group (75 +/- 15 to 80 +/- 15). The results of this study show that uremic hypogeusia improved in association with zinc supplementation and elevation of plasma zinc concentration.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1980

Influenza vaccination in kidney transplant recipients: cellular and humoral immune responses.

Influenza infection in renal transplant recipients may cause either morbidity and mortality or acute allograft rejection; thus, routine annual influenza vaccination should be considered. We have studied the humoral and cellular immune responses to influenza virus antigens before and after trivalent vaccine administration in 13 patients and 16 control subjects. The patients, nine of whom were either on alternate-day or low-dose daily steroid therapy, showed highly significant serum hemagglutination-inhibition antibody responses to each influenza virus strain, There was no significant change in mean lymphocyte stimulation index to any influenza virus strain after vaccination in either group. There was no correlation in the patient group between hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titer or response, or lymphocyte stimulation index or response, and the degree of allograft function or dose or duration of immunosuppressive therapy. The vigorous antibody response and the evidence of cellular immunity support the efficacy of influenza vaccination in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Antiglomerular basement membrane antibody-mediated glomerulonephritis and Goodpasture's syndrome.

The originally dismal prognosis associated with anti-GBM Ab-mediated GN and Goodpasture's syndrome may be changing as we recognize a broader spectrum of disease, improve general supportive care, and improve specific treatment. Immunosuppressive therapy, if started early in the course of disease, may prevent or allow recovery from renal failure and may also result in cessation of recurrent pulmonary hemorrhage in most patients with this form of Goodpasture's syndrome. The administration of pharmacologic doses of corticosteroids intravenously can result in cessation of and dramatic recovery from severe pulmonary hemorrhage and obviate the need for emergency bilateral nephrectomy. Plasmaspheresis may represent a useful therapeutic procedure for the immediate and long term reduction in amounts of circulating anti-GBM Ab, but the definition of its true value and role awaits completion of controlled, prospective trials. Immunosuppressive therapy, with or without plasmapheresis, can reduce quantities of anti-GBM Ab in serum to undetectable levels without nephrectomy. Thus, it is likely, but not proven, that nephrectomy can be discontinued as a routine pretransplantation procedure in patients with anti-GBM Ab mediated GN. Finally, in patients who suffer irreversible renal failure, renal transplantation can be successfully undertaken with minimal risk of recurrent disease, when circulating anti-GBM Ab becomes undetectable.

Adolescent↗