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Biomedical subjects

H J Gerth

Publications and source records attributed to H J Gerth.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

[Microbiologic findings in vaginal discharges].

Microbiological examinations were performed in 247 women complaining of vaginal discharge. An average of 3.9 different organisms was isolated from each patient. Gardnerella vaginalis was found in 62.8% of all women. Candida spp. were seen in 22.7%. Trichomonas vaginalis occurred in 6.5%, Neisseria gonorrhoeae in 1.2%, Chlamydia trachomatis in 10.1%, Mycoplasmata in 13.8%, Cytomegalovirus in 2.8%, and Herpes simplex Type 2-virus in 1.1%. None of the above was found in 17.4% of the patients. Statistic evaluation revealed correlation between different pathogens and between pathogens and normal vaginal bacteria, e.g. a higher prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis, Mycoplasmata and Bacteroides spp. in association with Gardnerella vaginalis, and a lower prevalence of Candida spp. and lactobacilli. A pathogenic role of the Mycoplasmata in connection with vaginal discharge cannot be supported by this study. The results of antimicrobial therapy are reported and discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[Q-fever epidemic in an institute of human pathology].

At the Institute of Pathology of Tübingen University 12 members of the staff (nine doctors, one secretary, one cleaner, and one autopsy assistant) fell ill with an influenza-like disease with high fever. In 11 instances there was positive serological evidence of Q-fever. The post-mortem room assistant was not tested serologically, but the disease followed a typical course. All those who fell ill had taken part in post-mortem examinations or a case demonstration at the Institute of Pathology. Seven more doctors fell ill at about the same time. They were working at two different clinic buildings, 1 km apart. They and one medical student had positive serology for Q-fever. No other cases of Q-fever were reported among clinic personnel. All doctors and very likely also a student who fell ill had taken part in the above mentioned case demonstration at the Pathology Institute, 19 days before the mean onset of the disease. No other possible sources of infection were found. In none of the 12 patients who underwent autopsy at the time was there clinical evidence of Q-fever; it was not possible to determine the source of infection retrospectively.

Autopsy↗
PubMed1982

[Results from the hepatitis A-virus diagnostic of the hygiene-institut in Tübingen].

The age-specific and seasonal distribution of serologically confirmed hepatitis A-cases in the area of Tübingen in southern Germany is reported. During 1978-1980 most of the hepatitis A-cases diagnosed by high anti-HAV-IgM titers occurred from September to December. The age distribution of patients with German names showed two age-related peaks, the first one in young children 5-10 years of age and a second one in young adults between 20-30 years. In patients with names suggesting mediterranean origin there is only one age-related peak in early childhood. A comparison of German children with children of foreign parents born and grown up in Germany shows an earlier infection and higher infection rate in the latter. The parents of these children are almost exclusively immigrant workers from mediterranean countries. Visits of the children to the home countries of their parents in which hepatitis A is very common are supposed to be of prime importance for the high prevalence and early occurrence of hepatitis A in this group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

[Influenza].

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Humans↗
PubMed1980

[Influenza].

Progress in influenza research within the last 5 years with particular reference to the variation of surface antigens and its relation to epidemiology and immunity is reviewed. Antigenic shift may be a consequence of reassortment of genes between influenza strains. The origin of the newly introduced genes cannot be ascertained at present. The possibility that under certain circumstances animal strains become established in the human population with or without genetic interaction with human strains has to be considered and even latency of the virus in men is within the realms of possibility. The monoclonal antibody technique revealed much more complicated antigenic structures of the hemagglutinin than has been proposed before and at present a forecast of future antigenic changes is impossible. Furthermore, no future epidemiologic developments can be predicted from the antigenic changes alone.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay for detection of IgM antibodies to hepatitis A virus.

The conditions for a sensitive and specific solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the detection of IgM antibodies to hepatitis A virus (HAV) were optimized, and the RIA was used to assay sera from patients with hepatitis. IgM antibodies to HAV reached highest concentrations between one and three weeks after onset of icterus and were measurable in follow-up sera for at least 12 months after infection. To prove the specificity, the IgG antibodies were separated from patient sera by sucrose density-gradient centrifugation. The remaining IgM antibodies, after treatment with beta-mercaptoethanol, did not bind in the RIA, and, when the anti-IgM antibody bound to the solid phase was replaced with anti-IgG, a negative result was obtained with incubation of IgM antibody to HAV. Also, the presence of IgG was shown not to interfere with measurement of IgM antibody to HAV. Finally, as a further specificity control, 50 sera positive for rheumatoid factor or from patients infected with hepatitis B virus, cytomegalic inclusion disease, infectious mononucleosis, influenza A virus, rubella, or measles were tested, and all of these sera were negative for IgM antibody to HAV.

Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic↗
PubMed1979

Influenza virus: appearance of high mouse-neurovirulent recombinants.

Recombinants from two influenza A strains that lacked mouse neurovirulence were tested, along with their parent strains, for mouse neurovirulence and for the ability to propagate in dissociated mouse embryo brain cells. The parents used were (i) strain A/Rostock/34 (FPV) (Hav1N1), with a high chicken neurovirulence, and (ii) the mouse-lung-adapted human strain Engl/1/61 (H2N2), lacking neurovirulence. In some of the recombinants high mouse neurovirulence could be detected after intracerebral inoculation of low virus doses. There was neither a correlation between surface antigen and neurovirulence nor between neurovirulence and mouse lung virulence in our system, although neurovirulence was only found in strains with Hav1 hemagglutinin. There was an association between replication in mouse embryo brain cells in culture and high mouse neurovirulence.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Application of a solid-phase radioimmunoassay and immune electron microscopy for hepatitis A in diagnosis and research.

With crude virus suspensions from stool and antibodies from hepatitis-A patients, a solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) for detection of hepatitis virus A (HVA) had antibodies against hepatitis virus A (anti-HVA) has been developed. Examples for the application of this test are demonstrated. Virus particles from the stools of the two patients were further characterized. Serologically, they were identical or very similar to the MS-1 strain. Isopycnic CsCl-gradient centrifugation of both strains revealed two peaks, but the particles of different densities did not differ in size or serologically. A modification of the RIA was also useful for determination of IgM antibodies in patients' sera fractionated by sucrose-density centrifugation. The application of the RIA method for serologic epidemiology is demonstrated by a comparison of anti-HVA prevalence in German and non-German women residing in Germany.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Hepatitis A-virus particles in stools of patients from a natural hepatitis outbreak in Germany.

During a hepatitis outbreak in Southern Germany 27 nm particles were visualized by immune electron microscopy in stools of two patients. These particles were sereologically identical or similar to hepatitis A-virus particles identified in the USA. The buoyant density of these particles was 1.34 g/cm3 as shown by cesium chloride density centrifugation. The particles were first observed in small numbers in a stool obtained 11 days, and in large numbers in stools obtained 6 and 7 days before the onset of jaundice. Few particles were seen on the day of the onset of jaundice and none thereafter. In both patients a sereoconversion to hepatitis A-virus as judged by immune electron microscopy could be demonstrated.

Disease Outbreaks↗
PubMed1977

[Live influenza vaccines (author's transl)].

Recent progress in live influenza A vaccine research is reviewed. As vaccine strains with new antigenic determinants have to be available in a short time, methods for rapid and reproducible attenuation of wild strains are needed. The possibilities for attenuation of influenza A wild strains and their relative merits are discussed. Particular problems arise from the fact that in interpandemic periods the population is composed of individuals with varying degrees of immunity. Vaccine strains of different virulence or different dosages for nonimmune and partially immune segments of the population may be necessary. Vaccine trials of the last few years are reviewed and the future uses of live influenza vaccines are discussed.

Antigens, Viral↗
PubMed1977

Seroepidemiological investigation of patients and family contacts in an epidemic of hepatitis A.

Serial blood and faecal samples were collected from patients and family contacts during an outbreak of hepatitis A in a village and tested by a solid-phase competitive type radioimmunoassay for hepatitis A antigen and hepatitis A antibody. The amount and duration of excretion of hepatitis A antigen was correlated with the severity of the illness. In 2 severe clinical cases, hepatitis A antigen was demonstrated in faecal extracts 11 days before the onset of jaundice and continuing for 10 days thereafter, with maximum shedding during the late incubation period. Faecal antigen was demonstrated in low concentrations for only 2 days in a patient with mild disease and in a person with subclinical infection. There was an inverse correlation between the incidence of infection and prevalence of hepatitis A antibody and age. Of 24 infections, 19 (79%) occurred in persons in the age group 0 to 20 years, a group in which only 6% of individuals had pre-existing antibody. Hepatitis A antibody was present in the serum of 3 persons in low titres of 1:20 to 1:40 on the day jaundice developed. The antibody titres increased very rapidly during the following 2 weeks of illness and slowly during the following months, reaching titres of 1:900 to 1:3500. In a separate study, a mean antibody titre of 1:591 was found in 13 patients, 12 years after clinical hepatitis A with jaundice.

Adolescent↗