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Biomedical subjects

E J Thompson

Publications and source records attributed to E J Thompson.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Viral immunoblotting: a sensitive method for detecting viral-specific oliogoclonal bands in unconcentrated cerebrospinal fluid.

A new method for detecting viral antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid is described. The technique has many advantages over previously published methods in that it is highly sensitive eliminating the need to concentrate the CSF, takes 5 h to complete, avoids the use of radionucleides, and most importantly circumvents problems associated with prozone effects which occur in immunoprecipitation reaction since the viral antigen is immobilized on nitrocellulose membranes.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1984

Quantification of bands produced by isoelectric focusing using immunoperoxidase.

An improved, rapid, and sensitive (to autoradiographic levels) method for the quantification of IgG bands from cerebrospinal fluid is presented. The principle of an internal standard is employed using the discrete bands of a paraprotein to correct for any run to run variability in the enzyme detection system which is linked to the immunoassay of immobilised antigen.

Electrophoresis, Agar Gel↗
PubMed1983

Prenatal diagnosis of the Hurler syndrome: report on 40 pregnancies at risk.

In 40 pregnancies at risk for the Hurler syndrome 13 affected fetuses were detected by the demonstration of an alpha-L-iduronidase deficiency and an increased level of 35S-sulphate incorporation. The diagnosis were confirmed by the analysis of fetal tissues and/or cultured fetal skin fibroblasts. Microassays for alpha-L-iduronidase, using phenyl alpha-L-iduronide and more recently 4-methyl-umbelliferyl alpha-L-iduronide, enabled a reliable diagnosis to be made within 15 to 18 days after amniocentesis. 35S-sulphate incorporation has been a valuable adjunct in cases with a low (heterozygote) enzyme activity.

Amniocentesis↗
PubMed1983

Possible manifestation of the dystrophic X chromosome in muscle cultures from carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Multilayer cell clusters have been observed before confluence and before myotube formation in muscle cell cultures derived from open biopsies of 7 of 14 (50%) female carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and in a high percentage of other dystrophic cultures. By contrast, this abnormality was seen in only 12 of 204 (6%) muscle biopsies from patients with other neuromuscular disorders. It appears that cluster formation is independent of the amount of connective tissue present in vivo, because histopathological analysis of the carrier biopsies showed increased endomysial connective tissue in only two cases. These results suggest that cluster formation is an expression of a myogenic defect and that it may be a manifestation of the genetic abnormality in X-linked muscular dystrophy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

New approaches to the study of human dystrophic muscle cells in culture.

Tissue culture provides a system for studying the growth and differentiation of muscle cells in a controlled environment. Several studies have been carried out on diseased muscle cells in culture in attempts to elucidate the aetiology of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) but the results were equivocal. Work in our laboratory in recent years has yielded an improved method for preparing primary muscle cell cultures from dissociated biopsies which permits the morphological and biochemical evaluation of these cultures at all stages of growth and development. Our results have shown abnormalities in cell behaviour, ultrastructure and creatine kinase synthesis. The background to these studies is reviewed. Recently we have developed a cell cloning procedure that allows the accumulation of a large number of cells from a single selected cell. We can with this technique monitor quantitative and qualitative cellular and cytochemical differences between individual cell types without the ambiguities inherent in the use of mixed cell populations. The results obtained with 4 different clonal preparations derived from dystrophic muscle have shown that a number of specific features were expressed by each of the 4 clones with respect to their growth pattern, ultrastructure, synthesis of muscle specific protein and cell surface antigen. These findings clearly illustrate the potential of these cloning procedures for studying the genetic expression of homogeneous cell populations derived from normal adult human muscle and patients with X-linked muscle disease.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1983

Assessment of cerebrospinal fluid immunoglobulin patterns after isoelectric focusing. Use of kappa and lambda light chain immunoperoxidase staining.

Assessment of the presence of immunoglobulin (Ig) of restricted heterogeneity i.e. oligoclonal Ig in cerebrospinal fluid subjected to isoelectric focusing (IEF) may be difficult because of the tendency of the technique to subdivide even normal polyclonal IgG into bands and zones. Focused Ig stained by the immunoperoxidase technique for kappa and lambda light chains shows correspondence between the two patterns in the case of normal polyclonal Ig, but a marked discrepancy between kappa and lambda patterns in disorders associated with oligoclonal Ig, and kappa and lambda immunofixation makes assessment of agarose IEF separations of IgG more reliable.

Central Nervous System Diseases↗
PubMed1983

A comparison of cellulose acetate immunofixation with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for the detection of oligoclonal bands in unconcentrated cerebrospinal fluid.

Two methods of electrophoresis for the detection of oligoclonal bands in unconcentrated CSF were compared. A sample of 98 routine CSFs yielded 18 positives by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) while cellulose acetate electrophoresis with immunofixation (CAIF) gave 13 positives (72% of the PAGE findings). Despite the loss of sensitivity the cellulose acetate electrophoresis was easier to interpret and more suited to a routine hospital laboratory.

Electrophoresis, Cellulose Acetate↗
PubMed1983

Antibody synthesis within the central nervous system: comparisons of CSF IgG indices and electrophoresis.

VARIOUS LABORATORIES HAVE REPORTED DIFFERING SUCCESS RATES IN THEIR ABILITY TO DETECT INTRATHECAL SYNTHESIS OF ANTIBODY WHEN COMPARING THE INDEX OF [FORMULA: see text] with electrophoretic analysis. We selected 44 patients in the borderline area of minimal and/or equivocal abnormality by IgG index. Electrophoretic analysis (on polyacrylamide gels for oligoclonal gamma globulin pattern) of parallel specimens was performed at the same time. The number of samples giving a normal index but showing oligoclonal bands varied between 34% and 43% depending on the cut-off point. The views about normal barrier functions underlying such indices are discussed with particular reference to the pathophysiology of the blood-CSF barrier.

Albumins↗
PubMed1983

Sequential changes in oligoclonal patterns during the course of multiple sclerosis.

The majority of patients with multiple sclerosis have an abnormality of their spinal fluid immunoglobulins. This alteration is manifested as patterns of diffuse protein bands in the gamma globulin region following electrophoresis. This pattern has been termed one of restricted heterogeneity, or an oligoclonal pattern. We have found changes in the banding pattern of some patients studied longitudinally. Since the significance of these findings may be relevant to the pathogenesis of this notoriously waxing and waning disease, we discuss the importance of methodologies as well as the concept that IgM and IgA may be relevant to the interpretation of these observations.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗
PubMed1983

Sequential changes in oligoclonal patterns during the course of multiple sclerosis.

The majority of patients with multiple sclerosis have an abnormality of their spinal fluid immunoglobulins. This alteration is manifested as patterns of diffuse protein bands in the gamma globulin region following electrophoresis. This pattern has been termed one of restricted heterogeneity, or an oligoclonal pattern. We have found changes in the banding pattern of some patients studied longitudinally. Since the significance of these findings may be relevant to the pathogenesis of this notoriously waxing and waning disease, we discuss the importance of methodologies as well as the concept that IgM and IgA may be relevant to the interpretation of these observations.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗
PubMed1982

Identification of protein bands in polyacrylamide gel by protein printing.

Previously described methods for identification of proteins separated in cylindrical polyacrylamide gels have been found to be costly in time and antiserum and difficult to apply to small amounts of protein as are found in cerebrospinal fluid. We describe a method which involves printing of the proteins on the cut surface of the gel onto nitrocellulose paper. The protein bands of the imprint can then be identified using labelled antibodies. We have found this to be economical and quick, and it has permitted sensitive and reliable identification of proteins in unconcentrated cerebrospinal fluid and aqueous humour.

Blood Proteins↗
PubMed1982

Double-blind controlled trial of immunosuppression in the treatment of multiple sclerosis: final report.

In a double-blind controlled trial 43 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis were treated either with anti-lymphocyte globulin, prednisolone, and azathioprine, or with placebo preparations. Treatment began with a combination of the three medicaments but after 1 month was continued for another 14 months with azathioprine (3 mg/kg dialy) only. There was a marginally beneficial effect of immunosuppression on the overall relapse rate and clinical progression. However, there were significant effects on in-vitro lymphocyte function and in the visual evoked potentials in favour of the group receiving suppressive treatment. Placebo-treated patients of the HLA A3 tissue type had significantly more relapses than placebo-treated patients who were not of type HLA A3. Nevertheless, HLA-A3-positive patients treated with immunosuppression had significantly fewer relapses than A3-positive placebo-treated patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Nitrocellulose immunofixation following agarose electrophoresis in the study of immunoglobulin G subgroups in unconcentrated cerebrospinal fluid.

A method is presented which enables the study of cerebrospinal fluid proteins in minimal volumes of unconcentrated fluid. The method involves agarose electrophoresis followed by transfer of the proteins to a nitrocellulose membrane and then demonstration of their distribution using a double-antibody immunoperoxidase technique. The method is used here for the study of immunoglobulin G and its subgroups, and clearly shows that the oligoclonal pattern observed in multiple sclerosis is not restricted to any one subgroup.

Collodion↗
PubMed1982

Evidence for the deficiency of beta-glucosidase-activating factor in fibroblasts of patients with I-cell disease.

Reduced activity of beta-glucosidase was shown in the cultured skin fibroblasts of four patients with I-cell disease when the enzyme was tested without the use of detergents. In the presence of taurocholate and triton X100 beta-glucosidase activity was normal. This suggested a deficiency of a beta-glucosidase activating factor in I-cell fibroblasts rather than of the enzyme itself. The deficiency of beta-glucosidase activity was corrected to some extent by mixing cell lysates, and more effectively by cocultivation and fusion of I-cell disease and Gaucher fibroblasts. These results present evidence for the presence of a beta-glucosidase-activating factor in normal and Gaucher fibroblasts. In fibroblasts of patients with I-cell disease this activator is probably deficient, as is the case for most lysosomal enzymes.

Cells, Cultured↗