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Biomedical subjects

H C Mansmann

Publications and source records attributed to H C Mansmann.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Assessment of venom-specific IgG antibody in patients treated for hymenoptera allergy.

The IgG antibody (Ab) response achieved with specific venom immunotherapy was explored in 32 patients with Hymenoptera hypersensitivity. Venom-specific IgG Ab was quantitated before and after 1 year of immunotherapy using two solid phase radioimmunoassay (SPRIA) methods. An agarose-based test using 125I-Staphylococcus aureus Protein A (SPRIA) was used to determine specific IgG for five Hymenoptera species: yellow jacket (YJ), honeybee (HB), yellow-faced hornet (YH), white-faced hornet (WFH), and Polistes (POL). A cellulose disk test using 125I-anti-IgG (IgG RAST) was available only for YJ and HB venoms. Acceptable agreement (90% concordance) was observed with IgG anti-HB levels measured in the two assays. For the YJ-IgG, however, 17/69 (25%) of sera positive in the SPRIA were negative in the IgG RAST, whereas the converse was not observed. This result suggests that the IgG RAST is insufficiently sensitive to detect YJ-IgG responses in all patients on maintenance level immunotherapy. Using the Protein A SPRIA, there was excellent agreement between the venom used for immunotherapy and the specificity of the IgG Ab response. In 31 patients treated with a total of 90 venom species, 90/90 venom IgG levels were increased or maintained at high pretreatment levels in response to immunotherapy. In the same patients venom IgG levels obtained for venom species not included in therapy were undetectable or declined in 55/60 cases; in 4 cases treatment with YJ venom stimulated a WFH and/or YH IgG response, the remaining case, YJ venom stimulated a small rise in POL IgG. These apparent discrepancies can be explained by variable cross-reactivity among vespid and POL venoms. Among 32 patients with a combined total of 87 positive venom skin tests, 1 year of specific immunotherapy resulted in greater than 5 micrograms/ml of venom-specific IgG in 61 instances. In 25 instances, the level of venom IgG was detectable but less than 5 micrograms/ml, and in 1 case venom IgG could not be detected. Based on recent analyses by Golden et al., some or all of these latter 26 cases may represent suboptimal therapy despite a standard immunotherapy regimen. We conclude that venom IgG measurements can provide a specific and quantitative assessment of the immunologic response to venom therapy, and that such assessment may be clinically useful in detecting instances of suboptimal immunotherapy.

Antibody Specificity↗
PubMed1983

Sickle cell disease and bronchial asthma.

A six-year-old girl with sickle cell disease and severe asthma was treated for status asthmaticus on several occasions. Sickle cell crises appeared to be precipitated by the asthmatic episodes. The interactions between these two disease processes are discussed and a treatment protocol for the rare patient with both of these diseases is proposed.

Acidosis↗
PubMed1981

Suppressor cell dysfunction and necrotizing lesions in a child.

A girl had opportunistic infections and was found to have T-cell dysfunction. During a period of months, recurrent staphylococcal infections, polyclonal hyperglobulinemia, eosinophilia, and peripheral, necrotizing, cutaneous lesions developed. Circulating immune complexes were demonstrated, and abnormal suppressor-cell function was found. At age 36 months, the child died of a staphylococcal pneumonia. At postmortem examination, the thymus gland was found to be histologically abnormal, lacking corticomedullary differentiation. We propose that this patient had a syndrome in which lymphocyte abnormalities and dysfunction of suppressor T cells permitted hyperresponsiveness of antibody-forming cells. Large amounts of circulating antibody and immune complexes were formed, and their deposition led to peripheral tissue injury.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1979

Posterior subcapsular cataracts in steroid-requiring asthmatic children.

Slit-lamp examinations were performed on 24 children and adolescents with severe asthma, all of whom had received steroids for at least 365 days. Posterior subcapsular cataracts (PSCC) were detected in 7 (29.1%). None of the patients had been treated with beclomethasone. All 7 of the patients with PSCC were in the subgroup of 14 patients who had been on the highest doses of corticosteroid, 10 mg or more per day, for the longest period of time. The 7 children with PSCC were all below the fifth percentile for height and had fallen away from their normal growth curve. Of the 17 children in whom PSCC were not detected, only 1 was below the fifth percentile for height. It would seem from our results that the steroid-requiring asthmatic who is growth-suppressed is at an increased risk for developing PSCC. We have documented the reversal of PSCC in 2 children. Both of these children had been placed on beclomethasone, which allowed for the discontinuation of daily prednisone in one case and a reduction to less than 10 mg per day of prednisone in the other. The reversal occurred within 6 months of starting on beclomethasone.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Lymphocyte subpopulations of atopic children and the effect of therapy upon them.

Recent reports note decreased T cell function in association with certain atopic conditions in man. This study was performed to determine whether numbers of circulating T cells are decreased in atopic children and adolescents in comparison with nonatopic age-matched control subjects. The subjects were not selected on the basis of a particular atopic diagnosis, but relatively more had allergic rhinitis and/or asthma (52) than had atopic eczema (7). Numbers of circulating T cells were not found to be significantly different in allergic children aged 2 to 10 yr than in control subjects. Atopic children and adolescents over age 10 yr had significantly fewer T cells in relative percentages (p less than 0.05), but when absolute numbers were considered significance was lost. Atopic children aged 2 to 10 years had significantly more B cells in both relative percentages and absolute numbers than did control subjects (p less than 0.02 and p less than 0.05, respectively). When those subjects treated with corticosteroids were separated from the total atopic group, there were no significant differences between the atopic and control subjects. The effects of corticosteroids, bronchodilators, antihistamines, and immunotherapy were considered and could be shown to produce no consistent effect on lymphocyte subpopulations.

Adolescent↗