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Biomedical subjects

A J Zuckerman

Publications and source records attributed to A J Zuckerman.

336 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

HIV infection of primate lymphocytes and conservation of the CD4 receptor.

The CD4 T-lymphocyte differentiation antigen is an essential component of the cell surface receptor for human immunodeficiency viruses (HIVs) causing AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) (refs 1-3). Peripheral blood lymphocytes of apes, New World and Old World monkeys express cell surface antigens homologous to CD4 of human T-helper lymphocytes. The cells of several of these species can be infected in short term culture with diverse strains of the type-1 or type-2 human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1 and HIV-2). HIV-1 is the prototype AIDS virus, and HIV-2 is the second type of AIDS virus, prevalent in West Africa. Infection of the primate cells correlates with evolutionary conservation on CD4 of one particular epitope cluster, and is inhibited by treatment of the cells with monoclonal antibodies to this epitope. The capacity of HIV to replicate in simian cells may provide a means for evaluating antiviral drugs and vaccines.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Role of hepatitis B virus in primary liver cancer.

There is an excess prevalence of markers of active infection with hepatitis B virus in patients with primary liver cancer in many parts of the world. Early age of infection with hepatitis B virus is likely to be an important factor, resulting in persistent infection that may progress to chronic liver damage. Results of recent experimental studies are consistent with integration of hepatitis B viral DNA with host cell DNA molecules. It is likely that primary liver cancer is the cumulative result of several cofactors including infection with hepatitis B virus; genetic, immunologic, hormonal, and nutritional factors; and environmental factors including mycotoxins and chemical carcinogens.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Stability of further-attenuated measles vaccines.

Accelerated stability tests on lyophilized measles vaccines show two distinct mechanisms of virus inactivation. A rapid initial loss of infectivity occurs only on exposure to temperatures above the ambient temperature. This loss is temperature related and may be attributable to the movement of residual moisture from the virus pellet into the void space of the vial. Subsequent inactivation of virus occurs at all temperatures as a first-order reaction that follows Arrhenius kinetics. Integration of values for these two components allows precise prediction of vaccine stability at any temperature. Analysis of the results obtained for greater than 30 vaccines shows that those which are stable for one week at 37 C have a predicted life of more than one year at 8 C. This simple test is now being applied to the identification of unstable products. The rate of this reaction is closely, if conservatively, matched by a time-temperature color indicator, which may be useful for monitoring vaccine quality.

Drug Stability↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tissue and organ culture studies of hepatitis B virus.

Techniques have been developed for the cultivation of human and nonhuman primate liver cells in tissue and organ culture. Progressive non-cytocidal involvement of the normal cytoplasmic and nuclear components of cultured liver cells has been demonstrated by specific attachment of fluorescent antibody to hepatitis B core and surface antigens after inoculation of the cultures of human origin with known infective sera and with clinical material. Hepatitis B surface antigen may be produced, although infrequently, in inoculated liver organ cultures but serial passage has not been achieved. Serial passage of hepatitis B virus has been reported with fragments of human embryo liver cultivated on the chorioallantoic membrane of the developing chick embryo. Intranuclear virus-like particles have been localized in hepatocytes of cultured explants of liver biopsies obtained from infants with chronic hepatitis B antigenemia. Further studies are urgently required to determine whether cultivation of hepatitis B virus can be firmly established in readily available cell and organ cultures.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Aetiology and outcome of acute viral hepatitis in pregnancy.

The aetiologic types of sporadic acute viral hepatitis in 169 pregnant women were compared with those of 70 non-pregnant women and 287 adult men. The majority of pregnant women (87.6%) came with acute hepatitis in the last trimester of pregnancy. Non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis accounted for 81.6% of hepatitis during pregnancy in comparison with 48.6% in non-pregnant women and 57.1% in adult men. Hepatitis A was extremely uncommon during pregnancy. Hepatitis B infection accounted for 17% of all cases in pregnant women compared with 45% in controls. Acute viral hepatitis in pregnancy had a poor outcome as assessed by maternal and/or fetal mortality (28.5%). The outcome was equally bad in hepatitis NANB and hepatitis B. Pregnant women generally had significantly lower immunoglobulin levels in comparison with non-pregnant women. In acute NANB hepatitis during pregnancy, serum IgG and IgM levels were lower and higher, respectively, compared with those in non-pregnant women and pregnant women with acute hepatitis B. It is suggested that an immune suppression during pregnancy might be responsible for increased susceptibility to acute NANB viral hepatitis, which, by itself, seems to induce only a transient acute phase IgM response.

Female↗