The changing distribution of Cypriots in London

"This paper analyses the residential behaviour of Cypriots in Greater London over the last 30 years. First, patterns of settlement and movement at a borough level are described and some explanations offered for the changes observed. Second, the authors look in more detail at the actual process of residential relocation with the aid of the results of a questionnaire survey [of] Greek Cypriots in the borough of Haringey." (summary in FRE)

Fatal myocardial disease associated with industrial exposure to cobalt

A man of 48 went into cardiac shock under anaesthesia during an operation for a duodenal ulcer. At necropsy he was found to have changes resembling those seen in cobalt cardiomyopathy and his myocardial cobalt level was grossly abnormal. Subsequent investigations established that he had been exposed to cobalt in his work which involved handling the powdered metal. The dangers of cobalt as an industrial hazard are pointed out and it is suggested that cobalt cardiomyopathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cardiac disease in those employed in the hard metal industry.

Prospective study of immune response to hydralazine and development of antideoxyribonucleoprotein in patients receiving hydralazine

To examine the relationship between the immune responses to hydralazine, a drug known to induce systemic lupus erythematosus, and to deoxyribonucleoprotein (DNP) we followed prospectively 21 hypertensive patients treated with hydralazine for the first time. Within one year, antibodies to hydralazine developed in 16 of these patients and anti-DNP in seven of these. In one patient whose serum had a positive antinuclear antibody test prior to treatment, a mild hydralazine systemic lupus erythematosus syndrome developed preceded by rises in the levels of both anti-hydralazine and anti-DNP. Studies by radioimmunoassay on serums of three additional patients, not followed in this study but known to have hydralazine-induced systemic lupus erythematosus, revealed no evidence for either (1) cross-reactivity between anti-DNP and anti-hydralazine or (2) antibodies specific for a hydralazine-DNP complex. In some way, perhaps related to the mechanism by which carrier molecules enhance the immunogenuity of haptens, hydralazine increases the antigenicity of DNP. This effect depends on the development of immunity to hydralazine as well.

Histocompatibility antigen frequencies in diabetic retinopathy

We studied the histocompatibility antigens A and B in 300 insulin-dependent diabetics: 200 had proliferative retinopathy and 100 did not. The two groups were matched for known duration of diabetes and other clinical features. In both groups the frequencies of HLA-B8, HLA-B18, and HLA-B8/HLA-B15 were significantly higher, and those of HLA-B7 and HLA-B12 were significantly lower than in healthy controls. The patients with proliferative retinopathy were significantly less often positive for HLA-B7 (X2 = 10.0; Pc < .03) than patients with nonproliferative retinopathy. When both groups were stratified for age at diagnosis, there were additional differences. HLA-B15 was significantly more frequent in the proliferative retinopathy group with age at diagnosis between 15 and 40 years (nonproliferative retinopathy = 16.4%; proliferative retinopathy = 39.4%; X2 = 7.89, Pc < .03; relative risk = 3.32) and HLA-B7 significantly less frequent (nonproliferative retinopathy = 23.6%; proliferative retinopathy = 5.6%; X2 = 8.0, Pc < .03; relative risk = 0.19). These differences in histocompatibility frequencies between patients with and without proliferative retinopathy indicate a genetic contribution to diabetic retinopathy.

Linkage analysis between the major histocompatibility system and insulin-dependent diabetes in families with patients in two consecutive generations

We have histocompatibility (HLA) genotyped 28 families with insulin-dependent diabetics in two or more consecutive generations, usually parent and child. This strategy of ascertainment was used to maximize the likelihood of obtaining a homogeneous type of disease within a family, and an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. 76 diabetics and 169 nondiabetics were studied in these families. The frequencies of the antigens Dw3 and Dw4, and the genotype Dw3/Dw4 among the diabetics are 59, 68, and 30%, respectively, as compared with 15, 12, and 2% in normal controls, and 43, 41, and 10% in the nondiabetic relatives of the diabetics. Dw2 is present in only one diabetic (4%), as compared with 18% in normal controls and 17% in nondiabetic relatives.HLA haplotype concordance was analyzed for sib pairs in relation to the haplotype shared by the affected parent/child pair, and for the diabetic sib pairs within each sibship. The results failed to reveal deviations in the expected HLA haplotype assortment. Assuming an autosomal dominant mode and several penetrance levels, linkage analysis between the HLA and diabetes was performed. The total lod score is 0.37 for a recombination fraction of 0.29 at 50% penetrance. Although the linkage and concordance analysis results are inconclusive, they seem to be different from those reported by us for families with normal parents and two or more diabetic sibs. Because ascertainment biases may have influenced these results in an unquantifiable manner, it is not certain whether the two types of families are genetically different. However, the marked difference in the lod scores for the 50% penetrant autosomal recessive model between the two types of families is compatible with a genetic dissimilarity between them. The high frequency of the Dw3 and Dw4 antigens, the Dw3/Dw4 genotype, and the decreased frequency of Dw2, however, indicate the existence of two or more important diabetic genetic factors associated with the D region of the HLA in these families.

Küntscher nailing of the tibia--a new tibial jig

This paper illustrates the use of a new tibial jig which facilitates closed Küntscher nailing of the tibia. A brief history of medullary nailing is given, followed by a description of the jig.

Postoperative pain relief using epidural morphine

In postoperative prostatectomy patients, morphine 2 mg in 10 ml 0.9% saline was given epidurally for pain relief and its effectiveness compared with bupivacaine. The duration of analgesia with morphine was approximately double that with bupivacaine. Significant hypotension occurred in approximately 5% of the patients receiving bupivacaine, but was not seen following morphine. These seem to be important advantages in the use of morphine by this route.

Patterns of Sardinian migration

In the first part of this paper, the authors trace "the history of Sardinian migration from the late nineteenth century to the present time. In the second part an attempt is made to test some of the hypothesized causes of migration. Census variables related to these causes and to the spatial pattern of migration are identified and analysed by the technique of stepwise multiple regression." The analysis, based on data for communes, covers the inter-censal period 1961-1971. The emphasis is on out-migration

Photochemotherapy in psoriasis: the first six months in Australia

The results of the first six months of treatment of psoriasis with photochemotherapy in the Skin and Cancer Foundation's clinic resulted in 30 out of 53 patients being completely clear of psoriasis lesions, 14 showing progressive improvement (and subsequently clearing), four failures, and five withdrawals. The treatment is not a cure, and requires maintenance therapy. It involves the use of large expensive machines to deliver ultraviolet light, and demands careful supervision and control dosimetry.

Progestogen modification of endometrial histology in menopasual women

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