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Biomedical subjects

E Mitchell

Publications and source records attributed to E Mitchell.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

An outbreak of foodborne botulism associated with contaminated hazelnut yoghurt.

The largest recorded outbreak of foodborne botulism in the United Kingdom occurred in June 1989. A total of 27 patients was affected; one patient died. Twenty-five of the patients had eaten one brand of hazelnut yoghurt in the week before the onset of symptoms. This yoghurt contained hazelnut conserve sweetened with aspartame rather than sugar. Clostridium botulinum type B toxin was detected in a blown can of hazelnut conserve, opened and unopened cartons of hazelnut yoghurt, and one faecal specimen. Cl. botulinum type B was subsequently cultured from both opened and unopened cartons of the hazelnut yoghurt and from one faecal specimen. Investigations indicated that the processing of the conserve was inadequate to destroy Cl. botulinum spores. Control measures included the cessation of all yoghurt production by the implicated producer, the withdrawal of the firm's yoghurts from sale, the recall of cans of the hazelnut conserve, and advice to the general public to avoid the consumption of all hazelnut yoghurts.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Two outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease in Bolton Health District.

In 1988, there were two outbreaks of legionellosis in Bolton Health District. Altogether 37 cases of Legionnaires' disease and 23 cases of non-pneumonic legionellosis were identified. Twenty-five patients with Legionnaires' disease were associated with an engineering plant, 4 with Bolton town centre, and 8 with both the plant and town centre. Twenty-two people with non-pneumonic legionellosis were linked with the engineering plant and one with the plant and the town centre. A case-control study carried out among 37 employees with legionellosis and 109 control subjects at the plant showed that infection was associated with one of the 15 cooling towers on the site. Legionella pneumophila indistinguishable by serological and genetic typing methods was isolated from this cooling tower and from sputum samples from two patients. In the town centre, no one tower was linked with infection and L. pneumophila was not cultured from any of the nine towers identified. Control measures were implemented and to date there have been no further cases of legionellosis associated with Bolton Health District.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Maternal thyroid-blocking immunoglobulins in congenital hypothyroidism.

We evaluated 24 mothers whose babies had congenital hypothyroidism (CH) for the presence of immunoglobulins (Igs) that inhibited [125I]bovine TSH binding and blocked TSH-induced growth and function of FRTL-5 cells. Results were compared with those from 2 mothers with known primary myxedema (atrophic thyroiditis) whose babies had transient CH and with normal controls. Only 1 prospectively evaluated CH mother had potent TSH binding inhibitory, growth inhibitory, and function inhibitory IgGs. Further study of this discordant mother's serum indicated that she was hypothyroid, probably due to atrophic thyroiditis. Both mothers with known primary myxedema had blocking IgGs. The thyroid growth-blocking activity was verified by cell count, could be absorbed by and eluted from Staphylococcal protein-A, indicating that it was an IgG, and was not an anti-TSH idiotype. Half-maximal inhibition was similar in the three different assays for thyroid-blocking activity, suggesting that TSH binding inhibitory, growth inhibitory, and function inhibitory IgGs in some patients with primary myxedema may be the same antibody population. There was no correlation with the titer of antimicrosomal antibodies. These data suggest that maternal thyroid-blocking IgGs interacting with the TSH receptor do not play a role in most cases of sporadic CH. Determination of TSH binding inhibitory IgGs, but not antimicrosomal antibodies, is a sensitive screening test for the presence of TSH receptor-blocking antibodies.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Large outbreak of food poisoning caused by Salmonella typhimurium definitive type 49 in mayonnaise.

An investigation was conducted to determine the vehicle of infection of an outbreak of food poisoning in a large metropolitan building early in 1988. A questionnaire was distributed to 700 people who had eaten in the building during the week of the outbreak, and attack rates for specific food were calculated. Food and stool samples, environmental samples, and eggs and environmental swabs from the egg suppliers were examined microbiologically. Altogether 474 questionnaires were returned, 120 people reporting gastrointestinal illness. The illness was significantly associated with foods containing mayonnaise. Salmonella typhimurium definitive type 49 was isolated from 76 of the 84 stool samples containing salmonella and from five of the eight samples taken from the chicken house of the main egg supplier. Mayonnaise was probably the vehicle of infection, which was caused by S typhimurium definitive type 49.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

An outbreak of viral gastroenteritis in a psychiatric hospital.

In September and October 1987, an outbreak of gastroenteritis due to small round structured viruses occurred in a large psychiatric hospital. A total of 149 people, 83 patients and 66 members of staff, were affected over a 26-day period. Most cases were associated with three psychogeriatric wards. The outbreak highlighted the special problems of infection control in long-stay psychiatric units and methods of overcoming these difficulties are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Perceived stress in medical school: resistors, persistors, adaptors and maladaptors.

A longitudinal study of perceived medical student stress (PMSS) was conducted on 305 first year medical students. Data were collected at orientation in September and again in May, 2 weeks before exams. Four types of students were identified using a standardized and reliable measure of PMSS. These included students whose PMSS scores began and ended low (resistors), whose PMSS scores began and remained high (persistors), whose PMSS scores decreased from high to low (adaptors) and whose PMSS scores increased from low to high (maladaptors). The four groups differed predictably on indices of distress and were also distinguishable by a variety of psychosocial variables including type A personality, anger expression and coping. In contrast, life events played a minor role in distinguishing the groups. The results are discussed in relation to previous research on medical student stress.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

Impaired mobility of human T lymphocyte surface molecules during inactive systemic lupus erythematosus. Relationship to a defective cAMP pathway.

The T lymphocytes of patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) exhibit impaired capping of the surface molecules CD3, CD4, and CD8 and a defective cAMP-dependent pathway. Since the mobility of these molecules is regulated in part by cAMP, we sought to determine whether there is a specific defect(s) along the T cell cAMP pathway that contributes to the persistent capping disorder observed during inactive SLE. The data suggest that a defect may exist at the level of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activation or at a point distally. We propose that a disorder of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity might account for the defect of capping observed in both the CD3, CD4 (helper/inducer) and CD3, CD8 (suppressor) subsets observed in SLE.

4-(3-Butoxy-4-methoxybenzyl)-2-imidazolidinone↗
PubMed1983

Higher plants contain L-asparate oxidase, the first enzyme of the Escherichia coli quinolinate synthetase system.

Cotton callus cells contain an L-aspartate oxidase which does not appear to be active with D-aspartate, L-glutamate or D- or L-alanine. The enzyme requires for activity a dialyzable cofactor with an apparent molecular weight of 1,050. Since L-aspartate oxidase is the first enzyme of the pathway for de novo synthesis of the pyridine ring in Escherichia coli, this finding suggests that higher plants may use the L-aspartate-dihydroxyacetone phosphate pathway for de novo pyridine nucleotide biosynthesis.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗