ALCOHOLISM AND LIVER-FUNCTION TESTS

Click on the link to view

A comparison of two pregnancy tests

No Abstract

Serum alpha-feto-protein

No Abstrac

Memorandum: what can be done to avoid coronary heart disease?

Click on the link to view

Familial Type 11 Hyperlipoproteinaemia

Thirty-four patients with familial type 11 hyperlipoproteinaemia were seen over an 8-month period at a lipid disorders clinic for children and young adults. Of the 34 patients, 5 were classified as homozygous, 27 as heterozygous type lIa, and 2 as heterozygous type lib. Clinical manifestations of the disease were present in all 5 homozygous patients and in 12 of the 29 heterozygotes. The most common physical finding was Achilles tendon xanthoma. The high incidence of physical signs in our patients stresses the importance of such features in the young. For the purpose of treatment the heterozygotes were divided into 2 groups: (a) children under the age of 15 years; (b) young adults from 16 to 25 years of age. Patients in both groups received a minimum of 6 weeks' dietary treatment followed by combined dietary and cholestyramine therapy (Questran; Mead Johnson). The decrease in serum cholesterol on diet alone was similar in both groups. On combined therapy, the children showed a decrease in serum cholesterol of 27% compared with 15% in the young adults. A general fall in the serum cholesterol of 36% was achieved in the children, compared with 19% in the young adults. In 3 homozygotes diet alone produced a fall in serum cholesterol similar to that found in the heterozygotes. In 2 patients who had cholestyramine added to the diet,  further decrease of 20% in serum cholesterol was achieved

Liver-function tests in primary cancer of the liver in the Bantu

No Abstract

Serum alpha-feto-protein* III. Electrophoresis of sera from cases of primary cancer of the liver: an electrophoretic variant

No Abstrac

Arcus senilis corneae-its relationship to serum lipids in the South African bantu

Click on the link to view

The prevalence of hepatitis B (Australia) antigen in Southern Africa

The prevalence of hepatitis B (Australia) antigen (HBAg) in 38 941 apparently healthy persons of various ethnic groups living in the Transvaal was determined by countercurrent immuno-electrophoresis or by complement fixation. The prevalence was 0,09 - 0,6% in  healthy Whites, 0,9% in Coloured donors, 2,0% in urban Negroes and 7"10 in rural male Blacks. The positivity rate in 444 healthy Black subjects and in 423 Sana (Bushmen) inhabiting areas in the northern and north-western regions of Southern Africa ranged from 2,7 to 15,8%. An assessment of the frequency of HBAg in various tribal groups of either Sana (Bushmen) or rural Blacks indicated that geographical environment might be one of the factors influencing antigenaemia in healthy persons. The prevalence was highest in persons originating from the west coast regions of Southern Africa, in adjoining territories proceeding from the central plateau, and those countries north of this area (9,1 - 13,6%) An intermediate prevalence of 6 - 7% was noted in some regions abutting on the east coast strip, and a lower prevalence was recorded for inland regions, including Lesotho, the eastern Orange Free State, Natal Midlands and Zululand (4 - 4,7%), while the lowest frequency was found in northern Natal and the central Transvaal areas (2 - 3%). A small group of Sana in the north-eastern corner of South West Africa who had an incidence of 2,7% was the only one which did not fit in with the general geographical distribution of HBAg observed.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 941 (1974)

The prevalence of virus-B hepatitis South African blacks

The importance of virus-B as a cause of acute hepatitis in South African Blacks was determined by examining the serum of 147 patients during the acute stage of the illness for the presence of hepatitis-B antigen (HBAg). The antigen was found in 54% of 63 children and 65% of 83 adults with this disease. It is suggested that the relative predominance of virus-B hepatitis in Blacks is related to the high HBAg carrier rate in this population. The majority of patients with virus-B hepatitis did not give a history of parenteral exposure to the infectious agent, emphasising the importance of non·parenteral spread of virus-B.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 1837 (1974)