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Biomedical subjects

W H Cole

Publications and source records attributed to W H Cole.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The increase in immunosuppression and its role in the development of malignant lesions.

The first evidence that a major operation results in immunosuppression appeared in 1957. A few years later, numerous articles appeared in the medical literature showing that the same effect took place in the human being. When kidney transplantation was begun, it was soon learned that immunosuppression was necessary to obtain good results. Soon after suppression was adopted it was noted that malignancies were being encountered. The same was true with cardiac transplantation. Within the many types of immunodeficiencies, malignant lesions are significantly encountered in only one--AIDS.

Animals

Need for immunologic stimulators during immunosuppression produced by major cancer surgery.

Although surgery, radiology, and anticancer chemicals have been effective in the treatment of cancer, the immunologic phase of therapy deserves more effort and thought, because the possibilities are considerable. However, the immunologic phase is so complicated that, without the advances made during the past few years, little could be expected from immunology. The focus of this paper is on the immunosuppression produced by major cancer operations, at which time the patient needs immunologic help.

Antibody Formation

The classic. The treatment of claw-foot. By Wallace H. Cole. 1940.

True claw-foot is due to a lesion of the spinal cord, usually spina bifida occulta or poliomyelitis, with resulting weakness of certain muscles of the foot. It is, therefore, a symptom and not an entity. By systematic treatment some cases at least can be checked and others corrected with good functional feet resulting. Transplantation of the toe extensors to the cuneiform bones will aid in keeping the sole flat and preventing a progressive cavus. When wedge osteotomy is necessary to overcome the cavus, an anterior tarsal wedge will save function, and correct the deformity.

History, 19th Century

Midazolam in paediatric anaesthesia.

Midazolam was given intravenously to 100 children over the age of 8 years to induce anaesthesia and a similar control group was anaesthetised with diazepam. The actions of midazolam in children were found to be similar to those of diazepam. Midazolam acted more quickly in children than has been reported in adults. The effects on the circulation and respiration, and the incidence of postoperative amnesia were similar in children to that which has been reported in adults. The incidence of postoperative vomiting after midazolam was 1% in the recovery room and 32% during the first two postoperative days. Laboratory investigations did not demonstrate any adverse effects. Midazolam has a considerable advantage over diazepam being water soluble and injectable safely without dilution. This clinical trial suggests that midazolam is a satisfactory induction agent for children.

Anesthetics

Dissemination of cancer: the need for stimulation of the immune process during the immunosuppression produced by major operations.

There are four mechanisms of the dissemination of cancer: direct extension by tissue planes, by lymphatics, by the vascular system, and by implantation. Implantation may be either spontaneous or iatrogenic, and the unique cases of spontaneous implantation reported by Beahrs, in which carcinoma of the colon had seeded a fresh hemorrhoidectomy wound, illustrate how hardy cancer cells can be. The factors affecting the spread of cancer appear even more important than the mechanisms themselves. Immunologic factors (including stimulation), immunosuppression, tumor enhancement, tumor inhibition, and contrasting features are important. Stimulation of the immune process is becoming important because so many chemicals or processes are immunosuppressive, and it is now evident that all, or practically all, major operations are immunosuppressive. Accordingly, at the time of operation for cancer the patient should be given something to stimulate his immune system during the three or four weeks it is being suppressed by the operation.

Antineoplastic Agents

Efforts to explain spontaneous regression of cancer.

After a study of the 176 cases (Everson and Cole) of spontaneous regression of cancer and recent progress in immunology, the author is convinced stimulation of the immune process is the most important factor in S.R. of cancer. Stimulating factors are numerous including bacterial products, enzymes, infections, hormones, trauma, etc. Of the 176 cases reported by Everson and Cole, 71 (40%) were associated with some type of operative trauma. Since the effective anticancer agent interferon is an important protective agent (especially antiviral) in the human body, this product could readily play an important role. Immunoglobulins appear to be possible factors. The blocking and unblocking agents of the Hellströms and associates support this supposition. Elimination of carcinogens appears important, considering the remarkable disappearance of cancer of the bladder in 12 of 13 patients having diversion of the urine from the bladder to the colon by transplantation of the ureters from the bladder to the colon. Innumerable antigens unknown to us at the present time could act as stimulants to our immune system, and thus cause regression of cancer. Hormonal factors must obviously be considered, but the author is doubtful that they exert an important role.

Animals

The development of cholecystography: the first fifty years.

Visualization of the gallbladder by x-ray was first achieved in 1923 by the intravenous introduction into the body of a halogenated compound which was excreted by the liver into the bile ducts and gallbladder [1--4]. This was the first time that visualization of an organ had been accomplished by introducing a substance into the body and obtaining a roentgenogram after the substance had been metabolized and localized primarily in one organ. Previously, visualization of an organ had been achieved only by introducing a substance opaque to the x-ray directly into the lumen and obtaining a roentgenogram to outline its inner wall. By 1925 visualization of the gallbladder had also been accomplished by the oral administration of halogenated compounds [5,6]. The drugs employed for intravenous and oral cholecystography had been synthesized specifically for that purpose based on earlier experimental work of other investigators. The following account describes in detail the experimental background of cholecystography, its origin, and its development and use during the ensuing fifty years.

Administration, Oral

Relationship of causative factors in spontaneous regression of cancer to immunologic factors possibly effective in cancer.

In a book written by Everson and Cole (1966) on spontaneous regression 176 examples of the phenomenon were encountered in the medical literature from 1900 to 1964, supplemented by cases referred by friends. No common denominator of explanations were found. Various types of trauma (e.g., biopsy, incomplete excision), transfusions, infection, hormone changes, drugs, etc. were encountered as possible causative factors. Most significant of all factors was encountered in the 13 examples of spontaneous regression of the bladder; in this series regression of the tumor occurred in 10 after transplantation of the ureters out of the bladder. A consideration and discussion of various reactions in human beings associated with therapeutic regressions have been reviewed hoping to develop a correlation between the two types of regression. At the time of publication of our monograph 9 years ago we were unable to suggest any mechanisms which might explain the regressions. However, since that time so many advances have been made in immunology that it appears now that a stimulation of the immune process might explain most of the regressions. We are just beginning to learn a few methods of stimulating the immune process. Use of BCG is one of the best examples of this stimulating process; other bacterial agents, or fractions, are known to have this action. No doubt there are innumerable others unknown, some of which might explain spontaneous regressions. It would appear that hormonal changes might be responsible for many of the regressions but this author doubts it explains many. More is known at the present time about cellular immunity than humoral immunity, but greater possibilities surely lie in humoral immunity. The blocking and unblocking activities developed by the Hellströms and associates are no doubt important. Immunoglobulins exert a very important role in the immune process; antibodies may consist of immunoglobulins but much more needs to be known before this relationship can be understood. The recent report (Amery, 1975) that levamisole (given at the time of resection of the lung for carcinoma) improves patient survival is exciting. Amery believes the drug may prevent the hematogenous spread of the tumor during surgery and/or may decrease the immunosuppression caused by a major operation.

Adult

Spontaneous regression of cancer and the importance of finding its cause.

A few years ago Everson and I assembled all the examples of spontaneous regression in the world medical literature from 1900 to 1960 and added numerous cases from expriences of our friends. Our figure was 176. We excluded squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, and a large number of cases that did not fulfill the prerequisites of confirmed diagnosis and no significant treatment. The four most common examples of regression were carcinoma of the kidney (31), neuroblastoma (29), malignant melanoma (19), and choriocarcinoma (19); these constituted more than half the group. We did not require that the regression be permanent because it appeared that the explanation of temporary regression would be just as important as the cause of permanent regression. There was no proven specific cause of the regression, but the following mechanisms had a possible relationship: immunologic action, elimination of carcinogens, trauma (altering the antigen-antibody relationship), hormones, irradiation, infection and/or fever, and drugs or chemicals. The most applicable of these is elimination of the carcinogen. Immunologic reactions seem to offer the best explanation, and the potential of humoral immunity is more impressive than that of cellular immunity.

Antigen-Antibody Complex