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A P De Jong

Publications and source records attributed to A P De Jong.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Differential protein expression in phenotypic variants of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Streptococcus pneumoniae undergoes spontaneous phase variation resulting in opaque and transparent colony forms. Differences in colony opacity correlate with differences in virulence: the transparent variants are more capable of colonizing the nasopharynx, whereas the opaque variants show increased virulence during systemic infections. To gain insight into the pathogenesis of pneumococcal disease at the molecular level, protein expression patterns of the phenotypic variants of two pneumococcal strains were compared by high-resolution two-dimensional protein electrophoresis. In comparison with transparent variants, the opaque variants reduced the expression of two proteins and overexpressed one protein. The proteins were identified by mass spectrometric analysis. The protein overexpressed in the opaque phenotype revealed significant homology to elongation factor Ts of Helicobacter pylori. One of the two proteins that were underexpressed in the opaque variants revealed significant homology to the proteinase maturation protein PrtM of Lactocobacillus paracasei, a member of the family of peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases. A consensus lipoprotein signal sequence suggests that the putative proteinase maturation protein A, designated PpmA, is located at the surface of the pneumococcus and may play a role in the maturation of surface or secreted proteins. The second underexpressed protein was identified as pyruvate oxidase, SpxB. The lower SpxB expression in opaque variants most probably explains the reduced production of hydrogen peroxide, a reaction product of SpxB, in this variant. Since a spxB-defective pneumococcal mutant has decreased ability to colonize the nasopharynx (B. Spellerberg, D. R. Cundell, J. Sandros, B. J. Pearce, I. Idanpaan-Heikkila, C. Rosenow, and H. R. Masure, 1996. Mol. Microbiol. 19:803-813, 1996), our data suggest that SpxB plays an important role in enhancing the ability of transparent variants to efficiently colonize the nasopharynx.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Clinical evaluation of Duraflo II heparin treated extracorporeal circulation circuits (2nd version). The European Working Group on heparin coated extracorporeal circulation circuits.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether the application of heparin treated circuits for elective coronary artery surgery improves postoperative recovery, a European multicenter randomised clinical trial was carried out. METHODS: In 11 European heart centers, 805 low-risk patients underwent cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with either an untreated circuit (n = 407) or an identical but heparin treated circuit (n = 398, Duraflo II). RESULTS: Significant differences were found among participating centers with respect to patient characteristics, blood handling procedures and postoperative care. The use of heparin treated circuits revealed no overall changes in blood loss, blood use, time on ventilator, occurrence of adverse events, morbidity, mortality, and intensive care stay. These results did not change after adjustment for centers and (other) prognostic factors as analysed with logistic regression. In both groups no clinical or technical (patient or device related) side effects were reported. Because female gender and aortic cross clamp time appeared as prognostic factors in the logistic regression analysis, a subgroup analysis with these variables was performed. In a subpopulation of females (n = 99), those receiving heparin treated circuits needed less blood products, had a lower incidence of rhythm disturbances and were extubated earlier than controls. In another subgroup of patients with aortic cross clamp time exceeding 60 min (n = 197), the amount of patients requiring prolonged intensive care treatment (> 24 h) was significantly lower when they received heparin treated circuits versus controls. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that improved recovery can be expected with heparin treated circuits in specific higher risk patient populations (e.g. females) and when prolonged aortic cross clamp time is anticipated. Further investigations are recommended to analyses the clinical benefit of heparin treated circuits in studies with patients in different well defined risk categories and under better standardised circumstances.

Adult↗

Modified sampling and analysis method for large volatility range airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A sampling method has been developed for the measurement for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air by gas chromatography isotope dilution mass spectrometry. The method has been designed to measure the largest possible volatility range of PAHs including the abundant naphthalenes. Sample volumes were approx. 500 m(3) in size at a sampling rate of approx. 18 m(3)/h. The sampler contained three sorption stages for the simultaneous capturing of particle bound and low and high volatile gaseous PAH, respectivley. Recoveries of sampling spikes were on average 90%. The detection limit was approx. 5 pg/m(3) for the high boiling range PAH. Results obtained showed a quite steady profile for most PAH in background air in The Netherlands. Comparison of abundance ratios with literature data indicate that traffic exhausts are the major source for the PAH in the area.

Journal Article↗

A combined single and multiple dose pharmacokinetic study of oral isosorbide-5-mononitrate in healthy volunteers.

Pharmacokinetics of 20 mg isosorbide-5-mononitrate (IS-5-MN) after single and multiple administration of two different tablet formulations were investigated in twelve healthy human subjects using an open, randomized, two-way crossover experimental design. Pentacard 20 mg tablets were compared with Ismo 20 mg tablets. After single-dose administration, both preparations caused a rapid increase in IS-5-MN plasma levels with the peak plasma concentration occurring between 0.5 and 1.5 h. For both formulations, the mean plasma half-life was found to be approximately 5 h after a single dose. In steady state during multiple dosing (t.i.d. at 8 h dosing intervals), a reduced elimination rate was observed. In line with this observation, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) for one 8 h dosing interval during multiple dosing was higher than the extrapolated AUC after a single dose. Based on statistical evaluation of the various relevant pharmacokinetic parameters calculated from the plasma concentrations occurring after single and multiple dosing, the tablet formulations are judged to be bioequivalent.

Administration, Oral↗

Multi-immunoaffinity chromatography: a simple and highly selective clean-up method for multi-anabolic residue analysis of meat.

A method for the detection of nortestosterone (NT) in bovine muscle at levels below 1 microgram/kg is described, based on enzymatic digestion of the sample, clean-up by immunoaffinity chromatography after defatting and detection by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (selected-ion monitoring). The immunoaffinity matrix was prepared after combining the isolated immunoglobulin G fractions from a rabbit antiserum raised against NT and methyltestosterone (MT). Its capacity per millilitre of gel was approximately 10 ng for each of the two steroids. Results for samples containing 0.1 microgram/kg NT and above are described. It is concluded that for multi-residue analysis of samples of muscle at levels as low as 0.1 microgram/kg, multi-immunoaffinity chromatography is a very suitable method of sample clean-up. For purposes of quantification the trideuterated internal standard [16,16,17 alpha-2H3] nortestosterone was synthesized.

Anabolic Agents↗

Relationships between structure and alpha-adrenergic receptor affinity of clonidine and some related cyclic amidines.

The inhibition of specific [3H]clonidine binding to alpha-adrenergic receptors in rat brain has been studied for 43 compounds structurally related to clonidine. Oxymetazoline was found to be the most potent compound in displacing [3H]clonidine from its binding sites. 2-Methylimidazoline, 1,2,3,5-tetrahydroimidazo[2,1-b]quinazoline and heterocyclic N-methyl-substituted compounds showed no affinity at all for [3H]clonidine receptor sites. There was a good correlation between hypotensive activity and alpha 2-adrenergic receptor affinity to some 2-(phenylamino)imidazolidines. Parallelisms between Ki's and pharmacological activities were also observed for other compounds. Apparent structural requirements for alpha 2-receptor affinity were the presence of an aromatic moiety and a N-hydrogen in the heterocyclic ring. Ortho substitution in the phenyl ring was necessary for high affinity. Compounds with an oxazolidine ring had approximately similar affinities for the [3H]clonidine binding sites compared with the corresponding imidazolines (except for the 2,6-dichlorophenyl-substituted compound) whereas the pyrrolidine derivatives showed a 10-fold weaker affinity. [3H]Clonidine sites showed a homogeneous character. KD values from saturation and displacement experiments were in good agreement with one another (2.6 and 2.7 nM, respectively) and with values in the literature.

Amidines↗