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Biomedical subjects

E R Alexander

Publications and source records attributed to E R Alexander.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

Polymicrobial etiology of acute pelvic inflammatory disease.

We studied 204 women with acute pelvic inflammatory disease to delineate further the causes of that illness. Gonococci were recovered from 91. Gonococcal pili antibody rose or fell significantly in 12 of 18 patients with positive cultures and only two of 19 who had negative cultures and smears for Neisseria gonorrhaoea(P smaller than 0.005). N. gonorrhoeae was found in peritoneal exudate from eight of 21 patients with, and none of 33 without, cervical gonococcal infection. Among patients with severe disease, other bacteria were recovered from peritoneal exudates from five of 16 with, and 19 of 22 without, cervical gonococcal infection (P smaller than 0.025). Mixed anaerobic and aerobic bacterial peritoneal infection was common in nongonococcal pelvic disease. The most common species recovered were Bacteroides fragilis, peptostreptococci, and peptococci. Tuboperitoneal gonococcal infection probably causes pelvic inflammatory disease in most patients with cervical gonococcal infection, whereas polymicrobial tuboperitoneal infection probably causes most nongonococcal cases.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1975

Etiology of nongonococcal urethritis.

Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from the urethra from 48 (42 per cent) of 113 men with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU), four (7 per cent) of 58 without overt urethritis, and 13 (19 per cent) of 69 with gonorrhea. Postgonococcal urethritis (PGU) developed in 11 of 11 men who had C. trum antibody to C. trachomatisis developed. The immunotype specificity of chlamydial antibody corresponded to the immunotype isolated. Among culture-negative patients. chlamydial antibody prevalence correlated with the number of past sex partners and with previous NGU. Herpesvirus hominis, cytomegalovirus, T-mycoplasma, Mycoplasma hominis, other bacteria, and Trichomonas vaginalis were not implicated in NGU or PGU. Thus, the cause of chlamydia-negative NGU and PGU remains obscure. Endocervical chlamydia were found in sex partners of 15 of 22 NGU patients with and two of 24 without urethral chlamydial infection (p smaller than 0.001). Tetracycline treatment of both sex partners appears advisable.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1975

Light and electron microscopic study of Chlamydia trachomatis infection of the uterine cervix.

Cervical biopsy specimens from two patients with infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis (TRIC agent) were studied by means of light and electron microscopy. Intraepithelial vesicles containing C. trachomatis were present in the cervical mucosa. These intramucosal vesicles were readily recognized in paraffin sections by means of light microscopy. The developmental stages of C. trachomatis, which have previously been seen in tissue cell culture, chicken embryo, and conjunctival infections, were also apparent in cervical infection.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1975

Simplified microimmunofluorescence test with trachoma-lymphogranuloma venereum (Chlamydia trachomatis) antigens for use as a screening test for antibody.

A simplified microimmunofluorescence test with trachoma-lymphogranuloma venereum (Chlamydia trachomatis) antigens has been devised as a screening test for antibody in human sera. The test differs from our standard procedure by amalgamating 15 different immunotypes into nine antigen pools, by using only three serum dilutions, and by dropping use of duplicate slides. The screening test could be performed on at least six times as many sera as the standard test for a given unit of effort. It was shown to have a sensitivity equal to the standard test and an ability to determine specific immunotype on the basis of antibody pattern (72%) only slightly reduced from the standard test (84%). The screening test was carried out on 876 patients from different population groups in the Seattle area. The tests showed that antibody was present frequently in persons attending venereal disease clinics (60%) and commonly (25%) in a group of adults without venereal disease. Nine percent of children under 15 years of age tested had antibody; the significance of this finding is unknown.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Seven-year follow-up of cardiovascular study and maximal exercise of Chinese men.

A seven-year follow-up in 1973 of a prospective cardiovascular study of 1820 initially, healthy, middle-aged Chinese men of 40-59 years of age identified 1745 (95.9%) known survivors, 49 (2.7%) interim deaths, and 26 (1.4) who could not be traced. Of the survivors, 1462 (83.8%) were re-examined, 292 (16.7%) had another treadmill test of maximal exercise, and 283 (16.2%) failed to return for re-examination. On the basis of interim surveillance of hospital admissions, questionnaires and re-examination, a greater incidence of noncardiovascular events (338 or 18.6%) than evidence of cardiovascular disease (220 or 12.1%) was found while the majority (1021 or 56.1%) remained healthy. Total mortality was 0.29 for men under 50 and 0.76 per 100 person-years for men of 50 or more years of age. Only nine, or 18.4% of the deaths were due to cardiovascular causes, and unexpectedly for this population sample, only three were attributed to stroke. When cardiovascular morbidity was related to presence of ST depression after maximal exercise, to hypertension at rest by WHO criteria, to both findings, or to absence of either on initial intake examination, incidence increased from 2.3% for NEITHER group, to 5.7% for ST group, to 11.9% for HT group, and to 25.0% for BOTH groups. Re-examination revealed more evidence of cardiovascular disease than did surveillance of hospital admissions. Additional to effects of aging and mild adiposity, longitudinal changes in blood pressure and ST depression, increasing in the NEITHER group, but less frequent in the other groups, showed some evidence of regression toward the mean, as well as emerging disease and the confounding effects of uncontrolled treatment of hypertension in many. The potential for prediction of subsequent cardiovascular morbidity or mortality appeared stronger for hypertension than for postexertional ST depression, although the two were additive in this population, which is more prone to hypertension and stroke but now is developing clinical manifestations of coronary heart disease more frequently.

Adult↗
PubMed1974

Isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis by use of 5-iodo-2-deoxyuridine-treated cells.

Irradiated McCoy cells have provided a useful technique for the isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis strains, among which are found the etiological agents of trachoma, inclusion conjunctivitis, and lymphogranuloma venereum. Because irradiation is not always readily available, 5-iodo-2-deoxyuridine (IUDR) treatment of cells was investigated as a substitute procedure. IUDR-treated cells were found to be as sensitive to C. trachomatis infection as were irradiated McCoy cells. Stock chlamydial strains gave similar titers of iodine-stained inclusions in either system. When cells treated with IUDR were compared with irradiated cells for the isolation of C. trachomatis from clinical specimens, 5 of 138 specimens yielded isolates in IUDR-treated cells not found in irradiated ones, and one isolate was obtained from irradiated but not from IUDR-treated cells. In those 56 cases where inclusions were seen in both systems, there were significantly more inclusions in IUDR-treated than in irradiated cells. Although this series of cultures is too small to determine whether IUDR-treated cells are superior to irradiated ones for the isolation of C. trachomatis, the data indicate that IUDR treatment is at least equally effective.

Animals↗