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Biomedical subjects

W A Harland

Publications and source records attributed to W A Harland.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

Sudden coronary death in Glasgow: nature and frequency of acute coronary lesions.

A detailed pathological study of the coronary arteries was carried out on 130 random white subjects (91 male and 39 female) who died suddenly in the Glasgow area. In 30 there was a clearly defined cause of death that was not due to ischaemic heart disease. In eight subjects the cause of death was in doubt. Ninety two of the 130 showed coronary stenosis resulting in a loss of more than 75% of coronary artery cross sectional area and/or acute coronary events with no other cause of death. Of these 92 subjects considered to have died suddenly of ischaemic heart disease, 64% showed plaque rupture and thrombosis which occurred at sites of previous high grades of stenosis. Twenty two subjects had intraluminal thrombosis unrelated to plaque fissuring. Thirty eight (41%) showed histological evidence of recent myocardial necrosis; acute coronary events occurred in 34 of these. There was no correlation between the duration of symptoms before death and the occurrence of acute coronary events. Acute coronary events, mainly in the form of plaque rupture, are a common finding in sudden coronary death when a careful study is made of the whole coronary arterial tree.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1987

Sudden coronary death in Glasgow: the severity and distribution of chronic coronary atherosclerotic stenoses.

A detailed analysis of the extent of coronary artery atherosclerosis was made in 92 white subjects (66 men and 26 women) who died suddenly from ischaemic heart disease. Stenoses resulting in loss of greater than or equal to 75% of luminal cross sectional area (significant stenosis) were found in 90 subjects and these were more extensive in the proximal coronary tree than in the distal. Thirty nine per cent had triple vessel disease, 37% had double vessel disease, and 23% had single vessel disease. In addition one man had an isolated significant stenosis affecting the left main coronary artery. The frequency of significant stenoses in the left main coronary artery was greater in men than in women. The arteries that were least affected were the distal branches of the right coronary artery. A notable feature was the widespread nature of the coronary atherosclerosis: only 26 of the total of 1840 segments of coronary artery examined in the 92 victims could be described as having a normal intima (less than or equal to 10% loss of the area within the internal elastic lamina).

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium in post-mortem vitreous humour from humans.

Levels of magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium in post-mortem vitreous humour from human controls, fire fatalities and drowning victims have been determined. The effects of time-related internal changes, external environmental parameters and different causes of death are evaluated. Despite the positive correlation and marked increase of potassium and, to a lesser extent, of magnesium and calcium with the length of the post-mortem interval, individual biological variability severely limits the usefulness of predictions of post-mortem interval based on electrolyte metal data. At best, there is only a 2/3 chance of a prediction being within 12 h of the true value. Vitreous humour metal concentrations are affected by external influences, such as the elevated temperatures of fires which increase the rate of release of intracellular magnesium and potassium. In cases where drowning is suspected, establishment or exclusion of this cause of death is not possible on the basis of vitreous humour electrolyte metal data because of possible post-immersion diffusion across the permeable membrane of the eyeball. It appears, however, that magnesium in salt-water cases and sodium in fresh-water cases are related, albeit erratically, to the length of the immersion period.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Subarachnoid haemorrhage due to upper cervical trauma.

Seventeen cases are reported in which fatal subarachnoid haemorrhage was associated with injury to the upper cervical region. Most of these cases were alcohol-intoxicated, most had sustained their injuries in an altercation, and death was usually but not invariably rapid. It is proposed that trauma to the upper cervical region can cause subarachnoid haemorrhage, by a mechanism involving tracking of blood into the subarachnoid space from a damaged vertebral artery or one of its branches.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Cyanide exposure in fires.

The toxic hazard from cyanide produced in fires was assessed in casualties and in firemen exposed to the fire atmosphere. The levels of cyanide and its principal metabolite, thiocyanate, were measured in blood samples from fireman, non-fetal and fatal casualties, and from controls. Although firemen did not differ significantly from controls, casualities showed significant elevation of blood-cyanide, and in a small proportion of fatalities blood-cyanide reached toxic levels.

Cyanides↗
PubMed1977

Gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of thromboxane B2 and its detection in semen and human aorta by selected ion monitoring.

The gas-liquid chromatographic and mass spectrometric properties of some derivatives of thromboxane B2 methyl ester have been examined. Mass spectra were usually more informative at lower electron energies. The O-methyl- and O-n-propyloxime tri-trimethylsilyl ethers, and the tri-tert.-butyldimethylsilyl ether were used for selected ion monitoring (SIM). Thromboxane B2 was detected by SIM in bovine semen and in human aorta.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Radioimmunoassay of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in serum and urine by using antisera of different specificities.

We raised high-titre antisera to two LSD-bovine serum albumin conjugates, one linked via the indole nitrogen, the other via the amide side-chain. The antisera were specific for different parts of the LSD molecule, as demonstrated by cross-reactivity studies with LSD, its metabolites, ergot alkoloids, and closely related compounds. The antisera were used to develop a double-antibody radioimmunoassay with a detection limit of about 0.4 mug of LSD per liter of unextracted urine or serum. We saw no nonspecific interference by urine, serum, or from a series of commonly used drugs. There was good correlation between immunoassay values obtained with the two antisera (r = 0.91). However, the antiserum linked via the indole nitrogen gave consistently higher results for samples from persons who had taken LSD, owing to greater cross-reactivity with LSD metabolites. Radioimmunoassay by use of two such antisera is a more specific screening procedure for LSD abuse than has been available previously. In addition, antisera cross-reacting with LSD metabolites allow measurement of these compounds, for which there is no satisfactory method at the concentrations found in biological fluids in man.

Antibody Specificity↗