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Biomedical subjects

F Jackson

Publications and source records attributed to F Jackson.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Teladorsagia circumcincta egg output at the onset of natural and induced lactation in ewes.

Nineteen ewes maintained under 'worm-free' conditions received anthelmintic and 1 week later were dosed on 5 days each week with 500 Teladorsagia circumcincta larvae for between 10 and 12.5 weeks. Faecal egg counts were determined twice weekly. There were three groups: pregnant (P) ewes (n = 6) which each reared twin lambs, hormone-treated (H) ewes (n = 7) which were not pregnant and were given exogenous hormones (dexamethasone, oestradiol-17 beta, progesterone) for 37 days to induce udder development and milk production, and untreated barren (B) ewes (n = 6). The plasma concentrations of oestradiol-17 beta, prolactin and progesterone were measured. Starting 10-15 days before birth in Group P, there was a biphasic periparturient rise in egg count and the onset of the first peak in egg count preceded the parturient peak in plasma prolactin concentration by several days. Most Group H (5/7) and all Group B ewes remained highly resistant to Teladorsagia infection throughout, despite an induced rise in prolactin concentrations in Group H ewes. It was concluded that factors other than prolactin initiate the periparturient rise but that prolactin is one factor which maintains the response once lactation commences.

Animals

Immune exclusion of Haemonchus contortus larvae in the sheep: effects on gastric mucin of immunization, larval challenge and treatment with dexamethasone.

The rapid expulsion of the gastric nematode Haemonchus contortus from primed sheep is a complex mechanism which probably involves immediate hypersensitivity reactions and mucus. Quantitative techniques were employed to determine the content and distribution of mucin in the gastric mucosae of sheep of varying immune status, following a single large challenge with H. contortus. Substantial depletion of both neutral and acidic mucin, following challenge, was noted in the gastric mucosae of naive sheep. When compared with normal controls, animals rendered immune by daily oral challenge had significant reductions in neutral mucin at the mucosal surface and increased quantities of acidic mucin deeper in the mucosa. Mucin distribution in immune sheep was not significantly altered 48 h after challenge. Treatment of immune animals with the corticosteroid dexamethasone, abrogated the protective response with gross depletion of mucus in challenged sheep, but had little measurable effect on the mucin profile of unchallenged animals, except for a slight increase in acidic mucin at the mucosal surface and the absence of any detectable mucin in the zone adjacent to the sub-mucosa. Immunity to H. contortus diminishes with time after immunization. Animals still immune 6 weeks after immunization were found to have mucin profiles which did not differ significantly from those of freshly immunized animals, whereas animals susceptible to re-infection 12 weeks after immunization had mucin profiles more closely resembling those seen in naive controls. Immunization by daily oral challenge was also accompanied by hyperplasia of the gastric mucosa which persisted for at least 12 weeks after immunization had ceased.

Animals

Cryptococcal meningitis occurring in HIV infected individuals.

Three cases of cryptococcal meningitis in patients with HIV infection are described. A high index of suspicion is required for diagnosis. India ink preparation and culture of the CSF for cryptococcus is mandatory in HIV seropositive patients irrespective of the CSF white cell count and biochemistry.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Mixed connective tissue disease with arterial thrombosis, antiphospholipid antibodies and heparin induced thrombocytopenia.

We report a patient with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) who presented with thrombosis of the right femoral artery in association with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). When treated surgically and with heparin prophylaxis, she developed heparin induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis which necessitated amputation of a lower limb. Thus our patient developed 2 separate groups of autoantibodies associated with thrombotic events. Our case highlights an association between thrombosis, aPL and MCTD. Furthermore, it emphasizes a need for intensive monitoring when hypercoaguable individuals with connective tissue disorders are treated with heparin.

Adult

The emerging AIDS epidemic in Ireland--clinicopathological findings in 23 early cases.

A longitudinal study with follow up to the end of 1989 was carried out on 23 patients with AIDS who had attended St. James's Hospital, Dublin, by the end of 1987. Until then only 33 cases of AIDS had been reported in Ireland. The patients, all of whom had antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), were predominantly male, young (mean age 31.3 years) and belonged about equally to three major risk groups: homosexuals, intravenous drug abusers (IVDA) and haemophiliacs. AIDS was diagnosed because of oesophageal candidiasis (8 cases), Kaposi's sarcoma (4), mycobacterial infection (4), pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (3), toxoplasmosis (2) or encephalopathy (2). Malignant lymphoma and a variety of infections occurred in the course of illness, and neurological involvement developed in 11 patients (48%). Mortality following diagnosis of AIDS was 39% at one year and 64% after two years. Autopsy in 10 of the 16 deaths contributed much to defining the extent and nature of the disease. The demographic pattern, risk group status, survival and range of complications were broadly similar to the pattern of AIDS as seen elsewhere in developed countries. However, compared to the profile of disease reported from the United States, oesophageal candidiasis (52%) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (22%) were more prominent, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (39%), Kaposi's sarcoma (22%) and Mycobacterium avium intracellulare (13%) were less frequent and cryptococcal infection was not identified. These regional variations in the frequency of the various complications and particularly the prominence of tuberculosis, probably reflect the interaction of the immunocompromised patient with the local environment and may have important diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Usefulness of serial pulmonary function testing as an indicator of amiodarone toxicity.

A prospective study was conducted of 189 patients treated with amiodarone, maintained at doses of 400 to 800 mg/day and followed for up to 6 years. Only patients who had life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias unresponsive to conventional therapy were enrolled, and they underwent baseline pretreatment pulmonary function tests, with follow-up testing every 6 months. Morbidity and mortality statistics were confirmed by chart review and patient telephone interview. Of the 189 enrolled patients, 101 are alive, 84 are dead and 4 are lost to follow-up. Amiodarone-induced toxicity to the neurologic system, lungs, thyroid or liver was the primary or complicating cause of death in 12 of the 84 patients who died. The overall prevalence of all these forms of toxicity was 15%. Sixty-nine percent of the patients with amiodarone toxicity had pulmonary toxicity alone or combined with other forms of toxicity. Pulmonary function test abnormalities were noted at baseline in 75% of patients who had amiodarone-induced toxicity. The proportion of abnormal baseline pulmonary function tests was not significantly different among all toxic patients, pulmonary toxic patients and nontoxic patients. An evaluation of the decrease in pulmonary function over time could not distinguish patients who developed toxicity from those who did not. The observed incidence of pulmonary toxicity is consistent with published values; however, contrary to the findings of others, no statistically significant differences in pulmonary function at baseline or in changes over time were found between toxic and nontoxic patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amiodarone

Dangerous dogs.

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Aggression

Effect of exogenous surfactant instillation on experimental acute lung injury.

Pulmonary surfactant replacement has previously been shown to be effective in the human neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. The value of surfactant replacement in models of acute lung injury other than quantitative surfactant deficiency states is, however, uncertain. In this study an acute lung injury model using rats with chronic indwelling arterial catheters, injured with N-nitroso-N-methylurethane (NNNMU), has been developed. The NNNMU injury was found to produce hypoxia, increased mortality, an alveolitis, and alterations in the pulmonary surfactant system. Alterations of surfactant obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage included a reduction in the phospholipid-to-protein ratio, reduced surface activity, and alterations in the relative percentages of the individual phospholipids compared with controls. Treatment of the NNNMU-injured rats with instilled exogenous surfactant (Survanta) improved oxygenation; reduced mortality to control values; and returned the surfactant phospholipid-to-protein ratio, surface activity, and, with the exception of phosphatidylglycerol, the relative percentages of individual surfactant phospholipids to control values.

Acute Disease

Adult respiratory syndrome following autologous bone marrow transfusion.

Autologous bone marrow transplantation was performed in a 48-year-old man with relapsed high grade lymphoma. Two hours after the marrow infusion he developed pulmonary infiltrates and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The aetiology of ARDS in this setting is uncertain but probably relates to pulmonary infection and endotoxaemia present at the time of marrow infusion. As the number of transplant procedures increases, particularly in patients with relapsed or resistant disease, this complication may become more common. In the infected patient in whom it is more likely to occur, prevention may be possible by giving anti-endotoxin antiserum prior to marrow infusion.

Bone Marrow Transplantation

Development of immunity to incoming radiolabelled larvae in lambs continuously infected with Ostertagia circumcincta.

Infective larvae of Ostertagia circumcincta were radiolabelled with 75selenium by a method which did not affect their viability. Three groups of five-month-old lambs were infected daily with 1000 unlabelled infective larvae for four, eight and 12 weeks, respectively. After each period one of these groups and a group of worm-free controls were challenged with three consecutive daily doses of 1000 radiolabelled third stage larvae. The lambs were killed 13 days after the first dose of challenge larvae and their worm burdens examined. The first indication of immunity was retardation of developing worms observed at four weeks. Resistance to the establishment of incoming worms developed between four and eight weeks and a brief period of population turnover probably took place at this time. Simultaneously a greater inhibition of worm development occurred resulting in an increase in the number of parasites recovered as early fourth stage larvae. By 12 weeks the animals were almost completely immune to incoming worms. The development of resistance to incoming worms correlated with a rise in serum antibody titre and an increase in the number of intraepithelial globule leucocytes in the gastric mucosa.

Animals

Development of immunity to incoming radiolabelled larvae in lambs continuously infected with Trichostrongylus vitrinus.

Infective third stage larvae (L3) of Trichostrongylus vitrinus were radiolabelled with 75 selenium by a method which did not affect their viability. Three groups of six-month-old lambs were infected daily with 1000 L3 for four, eight and 12 weeks, respectively. After each period, one of those groups (n = 5) and a group (n = 4) of worm-free controls were challenged with three consecutive daily doses of 1000 radiolabelled L3, killed 10 days after the first dose, and their worm burdens examined. After four weeks of continuous infection partial immunity to the establishment of challenge L3 was apparent, and by eight and 12 weeks, with the exception of one sheep, there was almost total resistance to incoming worms. Immunity was also expressed as an inhibition of the development of established worms.

Animals

Susceptibility of the pre-parturient ewe to infection with Trichostrongylus vitrinus and Ostertagia circumcincta.

During two successive years, groups of pregnant ewes and non-pregnant worm-free sheep were given anthelmintic, challenged one week later with 10,000 infective larvae of either Trichostrongylus vitrinus or Ostertagia circumcincta and killed two, four and six weeks after challenge. All of the ewes were killed within three days of their predicted lambing date. There was no annual variation in the response of the ewes to infection with either species. Compared to adult naive animals, ewes expressed resistance to infection with T vitrinus at all times, with significantly lower worm burdens composed largely of inhibited third stage larvae. Ewes challenged with O circumcincta were fully as susceptible as naive animals with regard to the size and stage of development of their worm populations. Mechanisms regulating the numbers of adult O circumcincta were operative in the adult naive animals but not in the ewes.

Animals

Influence of two levels of concurrent infection with Ostertagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus vitrinus on the growth performance of lambs.

Groups of seven lambs were infected on five days each week for 11 weeks with either 1000 or 2000 Trichostrongylus vitrinus larvae alone or concurrently with 1500 or 2500 Ostertagia circumcincta larvae and their growth performance compared to that of worm-free controls. The cumulative liveweight gain of the infected groups was significantly lower than that of the controls but the gain of the concurrently infected lambs did not differ significantly from the respective T vitrinus group. There were no significant differences in the numbers of T vitrinus or O circumcincta recovered from the single and concurrently infected groups, although there was a tendency for lower mean T vitrinus burdens at the higher level of ostertagia/trichostrongylus infection. The distribution of T vitrinus along the small intestine was similar in single and concurrently infected lambs. The reason for the lack of a marked additive effect on growth rate with concurrent infection is discussed in relation to changes in the concentration of two plasma constituents and lesions in the gastrointestinal tract.

Animals

Nematodirus infection in lambs on an alternate grazing system of husbandry.

The epidemiology of Nematodirus battus infection under a husbandry system based on an annual alternation of sheep and cattle was studied from 1983 to 1985. Pasture larval levels and sheep and cattle worm egg outputs were monitored from April to September each year. The level of N battus contamination on the sheep pasture and the number of clinically affected lambs increased over the three years despite grazing with cattle in the intervening year. Examination of cattle faeces demonstrated that six-month-old calves excreted moderate numbers of N battus eggs in June and July, thus contaminating next season's sheep grazing.

Animal Husbandry

Immune exclusion of Haemonchus contortus larvae in sheep: dose dependency, steroid sensitivity and persistence of the response.

Naive and immune sheep, treated with anthelmintic, challenged directly into the abomasum and killed 48 hours later were used to examine the steroid sensitivity, persistence and dose dependency of immune mechanisms which result in the failure of incoming Haemonchus contortus larvae to establish (immune exclusion). Immune exclusion was almost totally abolished by corticosteroid treatment, the mean percentage of larvae establishing in the mucosa of immune sheep was 1.4 per cent of the challenge infection whereas in those treated with dexamethasone it was 24.4 per cent and in naive sheep 27.3 per cent. Immune animals challenged after seven and 42 days without antigenic experience excluded more than 90 per cent of the challenge larvae from their mucosae, whereas those challenged after 84 days without antigenic experience were as susceptible as naive animals. Immune exclusion was dose dependent, animals challenged with 10(6) and 10(5) larvae excluded 93 per cent and 82.5 per cent of the challenge dose whereas those challenged with 10(4) larvae failed to exclude larvae.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones