The effect of 30 min cycle ergometry on ankylosing spondylitis.

The effect of 30 min cycle ergometry at approximately 100 W (mean 98.8 W; range 34-151 W) in 11 male patients who had no hip involvement were studied. In most patients, exercise produced immediate increases in spinal flexibility and bilateral cervical tilt, and a reduction in pain.

Protein Turnover, Energy Expenditure and Body Composition in Patients with Acute Leukaemia Undergoing Chemotherapy.

1. Measurements of whole body protein turnover using the (13)C-leucine tracer technique, of body composition using anthropometric measurements and DEXA scanning, and of resting energy expenditure (REE) assessed by indirect calorimetry were made in 8 patients with acute leukaemia undergoing a single course of chemotherapy. Measurements were made in the post absorptive state immediately before chemotherapy and were repeated close to the time of discharge from hospital (mean days in hospital 31 ± 4.

GM-CSF Priming of U937 Monocytic Cells Accelerates, But Does Not Increase, Tissue Factor (TF) Expression or Procoagulant Activity (PCA) After Stimulation with Endotoxin (LPS).

The monocytic U937 cell line, though immature, has many properties in common with mature monocytes. We have studied the antigenic expression and activity of tissue factor (TF) in the cytosol and on the surface of U937 cells after exposure to GM-CSF and endotoxin (LPS). Following exposure to LPS, both TF phenotype and procoagulant activity (PCA) increased linearly, with peak expression and activity after 18 hours of stimulation.

An analysis of biological hard tissues using the tomographic reconstruction error formula.

A variety of teeth and bone specimens have been scanned using the constant statistics tomographic scanner developed at the London Hospital Medical College. Each data set has been reconstructed with several Hamming filters, and for a geometric resolution ranging from 20 to 50 micrometers. The reconstructions have been studied using the approximate error formula for the convolution backprojection algorithm.

[Comparison of the results of determining antibiotic sensitivity on AGV medium and on Mueller-Hinton and isosensitest agars].

To evaluate the adequacy of AGV agar for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, the susceptibility of a range of bacteria to 10 antimicrobials on AGV, Mueller-Hinton and isoSensitest agars, all supplemented with 5 per cent lyzed horse blood was determined. Disc tests were used. In general, AGV agar gave identical susceptibility results to Mueller-Hinton and isoSensitest agars for common gram positive and gram negative bacteria with most of the tested microbials excluding sulphonamides and trimethoprim.

Serotonin efflux in the rat ventral lateral geniculate nucleus assessed by fast cyclic voltammetry is modulated by 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D autoreceptors.

Fast cyclic voltammetry (FCV) was used to measure electrically stimulated monoamine efflux in the rat ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN). The electrochemical characteristics of the released species resembled 5-HT but not dopamine or noradrenaline. Amine efflux was abolished by the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin (0.

Effect of mu, delta and kappa opioid receptor agonists on a reactive oxygen species mediated model of skin inflammation.

Opioid agents have been shown to protect against tissue damage caused by hypoxia/reperfusion, an event which has a significant reactive-oxygen-species (ROS) involvement. We have investigated the potential anti-inflammatory activity of three opioid agonists, DAMGO, DPDPE and U50488 in rat skin inflammation induced by the ROS hydrogen peroxide. The model involves the intradermal injection of the enzyme glucose oxidase which converts glucose to D-gluconic acid and H2O2 which is locally released.

Membranous nephropathy complicating adenolymphoma of the parotid (Warthin's tumour).

Membranous nephropathy has been described in association with many malignancies including various lymphomas. However, it has not been previously described as a complication of benign solid adenolymphoma of the parotid, also called Warthin's tumour. We describe a patient who presented with an adenolymphoma of the parotid, and developed a severe nephrotic syndrome due to membranous nephropathy 6 months after the parotid swelling.

Propionylcarnitine excretion is not affected by metronidazole administration to patients with disorders of propionate metabolism.

Unlabelled: Propionylcarnitine (PC) excretion has been measured during a clinical trial of metronidazole therapy in two patients with propionic acidaemia and two patients with methylmalonic aciduria. All patients were in good metabolic control and were receiving L-carnitine. While total propionate excretion was reduced by up to 40% in all four patients during metronidazole therapy, the excretion of propionylcarnitine remained largely unchanged.

Radicals generated by bone cutting and fracture.

When bone fractures, a remarkably high yield of radicals is generated. By working at 77K, these are stable enough for detection and study. Major species have been identified by ESR (EPR) spectroscopy as alkyl peroxyl radicals and RCH2.

Dependence of retinopathy (and other complications) on glycaemic control and on weight over 5/10 years from diagnosis of type II diabetes.

Glycosylated haemoglobins and weights were recorded for 200 consecutive diabetic clinic attenders seen yearly for 5 years, 76 of whom were also seen up to 10 years from diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, representing 1380 patient years. Weight fluctuation (> 3 kg) was associated with increased final prevalence of hypertension, macroalbuminaemia and a raised creatinine (P < 0.002) but this relationship was abolished by correction for higher initial weight.

Evidence for the Bauman variant in Kallmann's syndrome.

Background And Objective: Idiopathic hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (IHH) is a condition of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) deficiency. IHH associated with anosmia is Kallmann's syndrome. A variant has been described by Bauman where a patient with Kallmann's syndrome apparently regained normal hypothalamo-pituitary function 2 years after the initial diagnosis.

Bed rest decreases whole-body protein turnover in post-absorptive man.

1. Whole-body protein turnover was measured using the [15N]glycine tracer technique in 10 post-absorptive healthy volunteers during normal daily activities and a period of bed rest. 2.

Modulation of surface TNF expression by human leukaemic cells alters their sensitivity to exogenous TNF.

In this study, U937 leukaemic cells underwent apoptotic cell death following exposure to TNF. Pre-incubation of cells for 48 h with VitD(3) (10(-8)M) induced resistance to TNF, whereas incubation with tau-IFN or GM-CSF increased susceptibility to TNF. Resistance to exogenous TNF (exTNF) following culture with VitD(3) was associated with increased expression of endogenous TNF (enTNF).

A comparison of the strength of knots tied by hand and at laparoscopy.

Background: The strength of knots tied at laparoscopy was compared with that of hand-tied knots.

Study Design: The force needed to undo or break eight types of knots that were tied in fresh postmortem human stomachs was measured. The knotting performance of nylon, polyglactin 910, braided silk, polytetrafluoroethylene, braided polyester fiber, braided polyester suture, polyamide 66, and polydiaxone was also compared.

Granular cell change in astrocytic tumors.

Intracerebral granular cell neoplasms are uncommon. We report five hemispheric astrocytomas, all of which showed the distinctive features of granular cell change, being composed exclusively or predominantly of rounded cells with coarse granular eosinophilic cytoplasm and eccentrically placed nuclei. Four showed clear foci of transition from an anaplastic astrocytoma and contained lipidized as well as granular cells.

Do clinical guidelines introduced with practice based education improve care of asthmatic and diabetic patients? A randomised controlled trial in general practices in east London.

Objective: To determine whether locally developed guidelines on asthma and diabetes disseminated through practice based education improve quality of care in non-training, inner city general practices.

Design: Randomised controlled trial with each practice receiving one set of guidelines but providing data on the management of both conditions.

Subjects: 24 inner city, non-training general practices.

Laparoscopic Treatment of Rectal Prolapse.

Rectal prolapse is a distressing condition often affecting elderly patients. Open rectopexy has a proven track record in the treatment of this condition but may be complicated by significant morbidity. The benign nature of the disease and reduced pain and pulmonary complications of the laparoscopic approach makes this an attractive operation in this patient group.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumour of infancy: an immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study.

Two cases of melanotic neuro-ectodermal tumour of infancy (MNTI)--a rare neoplasm arising in the first year of life--are reported, with the results of immunohistochemical and ultrastructural examination. The tumours consisted of a biphasic cell population in a fibrous stroma. The small, darkly staining cells comprising the first population stained positively for synaptophysin, showing them to be neuroblasts, and the large epithelioid cells comprising the second cell population stained positively with the antibodies HMB-45 and NKI-Beteb, showing them to be melanocytes.

Gingival recession related to removable partial dentures in older patients.

One hundred forty-six patients, living in the community and attending a general dental practice, were examined on two occasions separated by 3 years to determine relationships among removable partial dentures, their design, and gingival recession. This study confirmed the relationship between the presence of a partial denture and an increase of gingival recession, but was unable to demonstrate any predictable relationship to the lack of tooth support, the material used for the dentures, or covering the gingival margins with lingual plates. These design factors may be less important than the maintenance of good oral hygiene for the prevention of periodontal disease in patients wearing removable partial dentures.