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Biomedical subjects

G M Robertson

Publications and source records attributed to G M Robertson.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Bovine IgM and IgG response to Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo as measured by enzyme immunoassay.

The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect specific IgG and IgG antibodies in the sera of cattle infected or immunized with Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo. IgM appeared first but was quickly followed by IgG which persisted longer than IgM. The levels of antibody detectable by ELISA and by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) did not correlate, suggesting that the two techniques measured different antigen--antibody systems. The transient nature of the IgM response as measured by ELISA indicates potential usefulness as a serodiagnostic test for detecting current leptospiral infections.

Agglutination Tests↗

Claimants for mobility allowance: causes of disability and the scope for prevention.

Six hundred and twenty-one claimants for Mobility Allowance were examined by the author, who recorded the patient's statement of his or her history and current disability, carried out a full physical examination and observed the gait and limitation of walking. Four hundred and seventy-five appeared to satisfy the medical conditions to qualify for the allowance. They were analysed by age, sex and body system involved and were compared with the corresponding total figure for Mobility Allowance in England, Scotland and Wales.The more common diagnoses are listed and are considered from the point of view of prevention. The implications for general practice are discussed. They concern the detection of hypertension and health education for antenatal care, smoking and the wearing of seat belts.

Adult↗

Replication of infectious laryngotracheitis virus in chickens following vaccination.

The site of replication of infectious laryngotracheitis vaccine virus (ILTV) was studied in chickens vaccinated by drinking water (DW), intraconjunctival (IC) and cloacal (CL) routes. The anatomical sites exposed to vaccine were determined by simulating vaccination with rhodamine red dye. Virus replication was determined by recovering virus from various organs at necropsy. The dye simulation studies clearly demonstrated that DW vaccination did not usually expose susceptible target organs to virus while the CL and IC routes flooded susceptible organs with vaccine. Virus replication was confined to the cloaca in CL vaccination birds while in IC and DW vaccination birds most replication took place in the nasal cavity. Vaccine virus did not always become established in DW vaccinated birds and its establishment did not appear to be related to the amount of vaccine these birds were exposed. It was concluded that DW vaccination depends for its success upon the accidental contamination of the nasal cavity with vaccine virus during the act of drinking.

Animals↗

The effect of challenge with virulent Brucella abortus on beef cattle vaccinated as calves or adults with either Brucella abortus strain 19 or 45/20.

Groups of female calves were vaccinated subcutaneously with the standard dose of Brucella abortus strain 19 (S19) or with B. abortus 45/20 (S45/20). These calves and non-vaccinated control calves were mated at 15 months of age and challenged by way of the conjunctival sac with B. abortus strain 544 (S544). The incidence of abortion, stillbirths, weanling calves and healthy calves was observed after challenge and specimens were collected for culture at parturition and slaughter. Fifteen healthy calves were born to 18 animals vaccinated with S19, 12 were born to 18 animals vaccinated with S45/20 and 2 were born to 8 animals that were not vaccinated. B. abortus was isolated from 5 of the animals vaccinated with S19, 13 of the animals vaccinated with S45/20 and 9 of the 12 animals that were not vaccinated. Only one of the 5 infected animals vaccinated with S19 was vaccinated as an adult.

Animals↗

The association between body strike and dermatophilosis of sheep under controlled conditions.

The association of dermatophilosis with body strike of sheep caused by Lucilia cuprina was studied in a controlled environment. When sheep with areas of wet normal fleece and areas of wet fleece containing scabs induced by infection of the skin with Dermatophilus congolensis were exposed to gravid L. cuprina the files oviposited only on dermatophilosis-affected areas. In wet dermatophilosis-affected fleece, naturally oviposited L. Cuprina eggs hatched and the larvae developed to the second instar stage. Artificially implanted L cuprina eggs hatched in both wet dermatophilosis-affected fleece and wet normal fleece. In wet dermatophilosis-affected fleece the larvae from implanted eggs developed normally but in wet normal fleece they did not develop past the first instar stage. It was concluded that wet but otherwise uncomplicated dermatophilosis lesions are attractive to L. cuprina and provide sufficient protein to allow larval development to take place.

Actinomycetales Infections↗

Spray vaccination of chickens using infectious laryngotracheitis virus.

Day-old chickens were vaccinated with the SA2 strain of infectious laryngotracheitis vaccine using a coarse spray and 14-day-old chickens were vaccinated using a coarse or a fine (Turbair Vaccinair 240) spray. The Conjunctiva was the most common site of infection in all cases but this almost invariably led to involvement of the nasolacrimal ducts. Other sites in the nasal cavity were affected less frequently. The clinical consequences of infection in day-old chickens were too severe for field use but the mortality (0 to 1.4% in different experiments) in 14-day-old chickens may be acceptable in some circumstances although about 9% developed infection of the trachea. It is concluded that a less pathogenic vaccine is needed if spray vaccination with ILT is to be recommended as a routine procedure particularly for day-old chickens.

Animals↗

Evaluation of an indirect fluorescent antibody test to diagnose Babesia equi infection in horses.

An indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test for the diagnosis of Babesia equi infections was evaluated. Antigen prepared by conventional methods was of high quality in one instance and of lesser quality in a second when possible autofluorescence of the horse blood caused inconvenience in reading tests. Tests on 14 horses shown by parasitological means to be either infected (9) or uninfected (5) produced reactions at dilutions of 1/270 to 1/7290 for infected and at 1/10 to 1/90 for uninfected animals. The accuracy of the test was further demonstrated during investigations of 701 horses in 3 states of Australia. The 30 horses reacting at 1/270 to 1/2430 were from 33 imported to 3 different farms in Australia from a common source. Investigations of crossreactivity between B. equi and B. bovis of cattle suggested that B. bovis would not interfere with the test for B. equi, but that the reverse was possible.

Animals↗

The role of bursa-dependent responses in immunity to infectious laryngotracheitis.

The effect of combined day-old surgical bursectomy and cyclophosphamide therapy on the response of young chicks to Brucella abortus antigen and cloacal vaccination against infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) was examined. The combined treatment effectively prevented the development of serum antibody to both B abortus and ILTV, yet when these chickens were challenged with virulent ILTV, they were found to be immune. It is suggested that immunity to ILTV may depend on the development of a cell mediated immune response.

Animals↗

Inadequate parathyroid response in acute pancreatitis.

We studied nine consecutive hypocalcemic patients with acute pancreatitis to elucidate the mechanism of hypocalcemia. Mean serum ionized calcium, 0.97 mM, was below the normal mean of 1.16 mM (P less than 0.001). Seven of eight patients tested had normal parathyroid hormone levels. All responded to parenteral parathyroid extract by increasing serum ionized calcium and urinary cyclic AMP, indicating parathyroid-hormone-responsive target organs. Calcitonin and glucagon concentrations were increased above normal in some patients, but there was no relation with serum ionized calcium. Parenteral glucagon had no significant effect on serum ionized calcium or calcitonin concentrations. These findings suggest that neither glucagon nor calcitonin was primarily responsible for the hypocalcemia, which did not produce expected increases in serum parathyroid hormone concentrations. Relative parathyroid insufficiency may account for the persistent hypocalcemia frequently observed in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Acute Disease↗

In vitro and in vivo activity of hamycin against Blastomyces dermatitidis.

Clinical responses of patients with blastomycosis to treatment with hamycin have been variable. An explanation for this was sought in a series of studies in which in vitro and in vivo susceptibilities to hamycin of five strains of Blastomyces dermatitidis were compared. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of hamycin for the five strains indicated uniformly high levels of in vitro susceptibility (0.008 to 0.016 mug/ml). In vivo activity was measured in infected mice treated intraperitoneally for a period of 28 days with doses of the drug ranging from 0.001 to 0.030 mg per mouse. Significant differences in response to treatment among the five strains were noted (P < 0.001), and protective doses were found to vary from 0.001 to >0.030 mg per mouse per day. Further observations of infected mice after treatment revealed marked rates of relapsing infection, and several strains caused death. Persistent inapparent infections were also detected on culture of selected organs. Toxicity due to hamycin alone was not observed. These results suggest that variations in clinical responses to hamycin therapy in treatment of blastomycosis reflect differences in pathogenesis and host response in vivo to the infecting organism rather than differences in susceptibility of B. dermatitidis to hamycin.

Amphotericin B↗