St Bartholomew's Hospital

About: St Bartholomew's Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in London, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 11054 authors who have published 13229 publications receiving 501102 citations. The organization is also known as: St. Bartholomew's Hospital & The Royal Hospital of St Bartholomew.

New insights into the mode of action of anti-inflammatory drugs

Abstract: The discovery of a second cyclooxygenase has provided fresh impetus to the search for new anti-inflammatory drugs. The second enzyme is effectively absent from healthy tissues but its levels rise dramatically during inflammation. It can be induced in migratory cells by bacterial lipopolysaccharide, cytokines and growth factors. The constitutive cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) can thus be considered a "housekeeping" enzyme, in contrast to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) which is activated by tissue damage. Both enzymes have a molecular weight of around 70 kDa and similar Km and Vmax values for their reaction with arachidonic acid. Several non steroid anti-inflammatory drugs which have more than 1,000 fold selectivity for COX-2 over COX-1 are in the early stages of drug development.

Heme oxygenase: a novel target for the modulation of the inflammatory response.

Abstract: Chronic inflammatory diseases place a heavy social and economic burden on the resources of many nations, but the number of safe and effective treatments is limited. To date, the major research effort has concentrated on those mediators responsible for the initiation and maintenance of the pathological process. In contrast, little attention has been focused on endogenous factors responsible for the resolution of the inflammation. Heme oxygenase ((HO); EC 1.14.99.3) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolism of heme to biliverdin (which is converted to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase), free iron and carbon monoxide (CO). Two isoforms of HO have been characterized, the constitutive isoform, HO-2, which is the major isoform present under physiological conditions, and the stress-induced isoform, HO-1, which has also been classified as heat-shock protein 32K (ref. 1). Increases in HO activity have been implicated in tissue protection against oxidative stress. In this communication, we describe the effects of modulating HO during an acute complement-dependent inflammatory response. Elevation of this enzyme resulted in a striking suppression, whereas inhibition of the enzyme led to a potentiation of the inflammatory response. Such novel enzyme modulation has application on the one hand to the treatment of inflammatory diseases and on the other hand to immnosuppressed states in which the impaired ability to mount an adequate inflammatory response may result in death from opportunistic infections.

Prevalence and correlates of personality disorder in Great Britain.

Abstract: Background Epidemiological data on personality disorders, comorbidity and associated use of services are essential for health service policy. Aims To measure the prevalence and correlates of personality disorder in a representative community sample. Method The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–IVAxis II disorders was used to measure personality disorder in 626 persons aged 16–74 years in households in England, Scotland and Wales, in a two-phase survey. Results The weighted prevalence of personality disorder was 4.4% (95% CI 2.9–6.7).Rates were highest among men, separated and unemployed participants in urban locations. High use of healthcare services was confounded by comorbid mental disorder and substance misuse. Cluster B disorders were associated with early institutional care and criminality. Conclusions Personality disorder is common in the community, especially in urban areas. Services are normally restricted to symptomatic, help-seeking individuals, but a vulnerable group with cluster B disorders can be identified early, are in care during childhood and enter the criminal justice system when young. This suggests the need for preventive interventions at the public mental health level.