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Biomedical subjects

E Vesterinen

Publications and source records attributed to E Vesterinen.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

A T-helper cell epitope overlaps a major B-cell epitope in human papillomavirus type 18 E2 protein.

Cultivated CD4+ T-helper cells from two patients with cervical adenocarcinoma showed responses to a peptide EKTGILTVTYHSETQRTK derived from an E2 protein of human papillomavirus type 18 (HPV 18), but not to a corresponding HPV 16 peptide (HKSAIVTLTYDSEWQRDQ). Serum antibodies in the HPV 18 peptide were also demonstrated in these patients. The GILT motif resembles a common pattern present in many T-cell epitopes, and is located at the beginning of an 11-amino acid-long A-helix structure close to the carboxyterminal end of HPV 18 E2. We conclude that two epitopes (a T-helper cell epitope and a B-cell epitope) overlap in the HPV 18 E2.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1979

Chlamydia trachomatis in acute salpingitis.

In a study to evaluate the possible role of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in acute salpingitis, 26% of 106 patients with severe symptoms had positive culture results for C. trachomatis; 43% of the 72 patients from whom paired sera were obtained had either positive culture results for or seroconversion in the single antigen immunofluorescence test to C. trachomatis. Twenty-six per cent of patients harboured N. gohorrhoeae and 14% had gonococcal complement-fixing antibody titres greater than or equal to 8. Intrauterine devices were used by 48% of patients, no difference being found in the frequency of use between patients harbouring C. trachomatis or N. gonorrhoeae. The possible role of C. trachomatis should be considered in the treatment of acute salpingitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Infertility and cervical Chlamydia trachomatis infections.

Of the 51 women examined for infertility, 19.6 per cent were found Chl. trachomatis culture-positive. This differs, although not significantly, from the 9 per cent isolation rate among our general gynecological outpatients. The results suggest that Chl. trachomatis should be considered in women with unexplained infertility.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections in patients with cervical atypia.

Of 177 gynecologic outpatients with cervical dysplasia studied, 29 (16%) were found to excrete Chlamydia trachomatis from their urogenital tract. Sera collected from 93 of these patients were significantly more often positive for and showed higher levels of antichlamydial micro-complement fixation (CF) and immunofluorescence (IF) antibodies than sera obtained from the controls. However, when the sera were tested for anti-herpesvirus type II (HSV-II) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies, no difference between the cases and the controls were encountered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Genital chlamydial infections in patients attending a gynaecological outpatient clinic.

Investigation for genital chlamydial infections was carried out on 160 patients of fertile age attending a gynaecological outpatient clinic. Thirteen (9%) of the 144 patients with valid specimens were found to be Chlamydia-positive. Seven (54%) of them had antichlamydial antibodies by the complement-fixation test, and 11 (85%) antichlamydial antibodies by a single-antigen immunofluorescence test compared with 21 (16%) and 70 (53%), respectively, of the 131 Chlamydia-negative patients. Patients with overt genital chlamydial infection often complained of ocular and urethral symptoms. Usually there was clinical evidence of cervical infection as well as of inflammation on cervicovaginal smears. Colposcopical and histological examinations did not show any specific alterations.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1978

Oestrogenic activity associated with ovarian cystadenomas after the menopause.

In a group of 59 patients over the age of 55 years with ovarian serous and mucinous cystadenomas, a total of 29 (49%) showed moderate or strong oestrogenic activity as determined by maturation index in vaginal cytologic smears, in contrast to nine (13%) of 70 control patients with other gynecological disorders than ovarian tumours. The bacterial flora was dominated by Döderlein type bacilli in 24 of the 27 test patients with an elevated maturation index, also reflecting the abnormal oestogenic activity in these patients. When the serous and mucinous cystadenoma groups were compared, a striking difference was found: of the 30 patients with mucinous cystadenomas, 23 (77%) displayed moderate of strong oestrogenic activity, while this was the case with only six (21%) of the 29 patients with serous cystadenomas. These findings stress the importance of an abnormal oestrogenic activity, revealed by an elevated cytologic maturation index, as memento for the possibility of post-menopausal ovarian cystadenoma.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1977

Induction of latent Herpes simplex virus type 2 infection in human cervical epithelial cells in vitro.

An in vitro method was used to induce non-productive herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infections in human ecto- and endocervical epithelial cells. Adenine arabinoside (ara-A) could prevent the replication of HSV-2 in ecto- and endocervical cells and after removal of ara-A from growth medium a rapid destruction of explants with development of infectious virus was observed. When ara-A was not withdrawn until 4 days or later after in vitro infection the morphological, immunofluorescent and virological studies detected no infections. However, 2-3 weeks after inoculation there were in some cultures morphological as well as immunofluorescent signs of HSV infection without demonstrable infectious virus, indicating an incidental abortive nature of the infective process.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1977

Occurrence of genital herpes simplex and cytomegalovirus infections in pregnancy.

A total of 244 pregnant women, 172 in the first and 72 in the third trimester, were screened for genital herpes simplex (HSV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections using virus isolation, cytological examination and serological studies. In addition, immuno-fluorescence staining of exfoliated cervical cells was used for the detection of HSV infections. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) could not be isolated and no characteristic HSV altered cells were found in cytological (PAPA) smears. Cytomegalovirus was isolated four times but PAPA smears obtained from these patients were also normal. In 34 (14%) patients HSV antiserum detected immunofluorescence positive exfoliated cervical cells. Overall, 14% of patients had HSV-2 antibodies and 71% CMV antibodies. No differences between the first or third trimesters in these respects were noted.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1976

Human ecto- and endocervical epithelial cells as targets for herpes simplex type two infection in vitro.

An in vitro method was used to compare the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2) susceptibility of human ecto- and endocervical epithelial cells as well as the induced cellular alterations. HSV2 caused a productive infection and morphological alterations both in ecto- and endocervical epithelial cells, but the cytopathogenicity, virus production and development of HSV2 antigens showed a greater sensitivity of ectocervical cells to HSV2 infection. The cytopathogenicity and production of infectious virus did not depend on the antibody pattern of the target cell donor patients. Basically similar morphological alterations were seen in ecto- and endocervical cultures and the various morphological types of altered cells are described.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1976

Adenine arabinoside (ARA-A) blocked HSV-2 infected human skin fibroblasts as targets for the detection of serum mediated and cellular cytotoxicity in patients with cervical carcinoma.

Human skin fibroblasts remained viable after infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) if grown after infection in the presence of adenine arabinoside (ARA-A); The cells were specifically killed by normal human lymphoid cells in the presence of HSV-2 convalescent or rabbit immune serum, and this cytotoxicity could be blocked by a crude HSV-2 antigen preparation. Antibodies capable of mediating such cytotoxicity against HSV-2 induced cell surface antigens could be detected in four out of eleven patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Ten patients were tested for the presence of direct cellular cytotoxicity against HSV-2 infected, ARA-A blocked target cells and none was found.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Examination of men with nongonococcal urethritis and their sexual partners for Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma urealyticum.

Chlamydia trachomatis was recovered from 39 (52%) of 75 men who had nongonococcal urethritis and from 28 (37%) of their sexual partners. Of the partners of men with Chlamydia-positive nongonococcal urethritis, 64% excreted Chlamydia, compared with 8% of the partners of men with Chlamydia-negative nongonococcal urethritis. In contrast, an apparently sexual mode of transmission was not observed with Ureaplasma urealyticum. Rates of recovery of U. urealyticum from men with nongonococcal urethritis whose cultures were Chlamydia-positive and those whose cultures were Chlamydia-negative were the same. Significant seroconversion was detected bythe single-antigen immunofluorescence test in about 50% of patients who had Chlamydia-postive cultures.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cytopathogenicity of cytomegalovirus to human ecto- and endocervical epithelial cells in vitro.

The effect of cytomegalovirus on cell cultures initiated from human uterine endo- and ectocervix was studied. Pure epithelial cultures were obtained which differed in morphology depending on the source. The ectocervical cells grew in mosaic-like regular epithelial patterns, whereas endocervical cultures had a poorer intercellular cohesion, irregular polygonal cell form and curved cytoplasmic processes. Occasional fibroblastic colonies grew in three out of 32 ectocervical cultures and in none of the endocervical cultures. In the latter no cells with fibroblast-specific surface antigens could be seen. Ectocervical cells were resistant to cytomegalovirus infection; only in three out of 20 cultures could individual altered cells be detected. In contrast, endocervical cultures supported the growth of cytomegalovirus and at best 30 per cent of the explanted colonies showed cytologic alterations as well as virus-specific immunofluorescence. The various types of altered cells are described and it si concluded that endocervical epithelial cells may be the site of replication of human cytomegalovirus so commonly found in cervical secretions.

Antigens, Viral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical and virological findings in patients with cytologically diagnosed gynecologic herpes simplex infections.

Amoung 57,117 routinely collected Papanicolaou smears from the female genital tract there were 90 slides (0.16%) from 85 patients on which a cytologic diagnosis of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection was made. The characteristic cytologic changes occurred predominantly on the ectocervical part of the smears. The changes were transient but occasionally remained detectable on the corresponding histologic specimens up to 2.5 months. Viral isolation was successful in a majority of cases when performed simultaneously with or less than a week after the cytologic diagnosis. The rate of success rapidly decreased thereafter. Positive fluorescent antibody assays of viral antigens on cytologic smears behaved similarly. Cases with apparent primary infection as well as with secondary infection (recurrences) were included in the material but no differences in the morphology of virally altered cells and be found, indicating that primary and secondary infections could not be distinguished on this basis. There were significantly more cytologic dysplastic changes as well as assorted micro-organism infections in the HSV group as compared to the controls.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Adenovirus infection and cytopathic alterations of human cervical epithelial cells in vitro.

The effect of adenovirus infection was studied in monolayer cultures of human ecto- and endocervical epithelial cells. In both types of cultures adenovirus type 1 resulted in a slowly progressing lytic infection with persistent production of infectious virus, viral antigens and of cytopathic alterations in a fraction of cells. The changes were similar in ecto- and endocervical epithelial cells. Although many of the alterations detected may represent unspecific lesions, nuclear changes consisting of lobulated nuclear inclusion bodies seemed to be characteristic. These alterations differ from those observed during infection with the herpes group of viruses and may serve as indicators of cervical adenovirus infection in cytologic screening.

Adenoviruses, Human↗