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H Russell

Publications and source records attributed to H Russell.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

A multi-laboratory evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunoassay quantitating human antibodies to Streptococcus pneumoniae polysaccharides.

An enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA) is described and evaluated which quantitates human antibodies to serotype specific S. pneumoniae polysaccharide (PnPs) in human sera. Based on the observations previously described by Koskela (1), native PnPs are used as coating antigens and sera are absorbed with a soluble pneumococcal absorbant material containing C-polysaccharide (CPs) to ensure measurement of serotype specific anti-PnPs antibodies. The robustness of this method was evaluated by ten laboratories using the same reagents, protocol, and five human serum samples. Reproducible antibody values were obtained for IgM, IgG, and IgA antibodies to five different PnPs serotypes, 3, 6B, 14, 19F, and 23F. The overall mean percent coefficients of variation in this interlaboratory study for all five selotype specific anti-PnPs determinations with the five coded sera were 30% for IgG, 3/% for IgM, and 36% for IgA. This assay can be standardized for quantitation of serotype specific anti-PnPs antibodies, allowing comparison of antibody values in vaccine trials evaluating pneumococcal vaccines.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay↗
PubMed2001

Accumulation of stress and inducer-dependent plant-cell-wall-degrading enzymes during asexual development in Aspergillus nidulans.

Determination and interpretation of fungal gene expression profiles based on digital reconstruction of expressed sequenced tags (ESTs) are reported. A total of 51,524 DNA sequence files processed with PipeOnline resulted in 9775 single and 5660 contig unique ESTs, 31.2% of a typical fungal transcriptome. Half of the unique ESTs shared homology with genes in public databases, 35.8% of which are functionally defined and 64.2% are unclear or unknown. In Aspergillus nidulans 86% of transcripts associate with intermediate metabolism functions, mainly related to carbohydrate, amino acid, protein, and peptide biosynthesis. During asexual development, A. nidulans unexpectedly accumulates stress response and inducer-dependent transcripts in the absence of an inducer. Stress response genes in A. nidulans ESTs total 1039 transcripts, contrasting with 117 in Neurospora crassa, a 14.3-fold difference. A total of 5.6% of A. nidulans ESTs implicate inducer-dependent cell wall degradation or amino acid acquisition, 3.5-fold higher than in N. crassa. Accumulation of stress response and inducer-dependent transcripts suggests general derepression of cis-regulation during terminal asexual development.

Aspergillus nidulans↗
PubMed2000

Molecular cloning and functional characterization of murine transmembrane activator and CAML interactor (TACI) with chromosomal localization in human and mouse.

The human Taci gene (Transmembrane Activator and CAML Interactor) encodes a recently discovered member of the Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor family. TACI is expressed in B-lymphocytes and may act to regulate humoral immunity. To identify functionally important regions of the protein, we have isolated and characterized the murine homolog of the human Taci cDNA. The proteins display 61.5% similarity and 54.6% identity. Mouse TACI is a type III transmembrane protein, as judged by the lack of a cleaved signal sequence and its N-terminal extracellular exposure. The intracellular domains of the mouse and human proteins share a single, defined region of high sequence conservation (19 of 23 residues identical). This constitutes a novel domain that may play a part in the initiation of signal transduction through TACI. In support of this notion, mouse TACI was found to activate NFAT, NFkB, and AP1 transcription factors in a transient transfection assay. The Taci gene was localized to human Chromosome (Chr) 17p11 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The murine homolog was localized by intraspecific backcross analysis to the middle of Chr 11, a region that is syntenic to human Chr 17p. This work identifies conserved domains within TACI that may mediate the cellular distribution and signal transduction function of the protein and extend the details of homology between mouse Chr 11 and human 17p.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Evaluation of the onset and duration of effect of azelastine eye drops (0.05%) versus placebo in patients with allergic conjunctivitis using an allergen challenge model.

OBJECTIVE: The trial evaluated the effectiveness of the investigational antihistaminic and antiallergic compound Azelastine Eye Drops (AZE) in the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis using an allergen challenge model. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, paired-eye study. PARTICIPANTS: Adults with a history of allergic conjunctivitis (>/=2 years) who were asymptomatic throughout the trial, had a positive skin test (cat dander, grass, or ragweed pollen within the last year), and had a positive conjunctival reaction (score 2+ or more for itching and redness in both eyes on a 0-4 scale) during two separate conjunctival provocation tests (CPT) before randomization. METHODS: Eighty patients underwent a 2-week screening period (visits 1 and 2) that included a CPT during visit 1 to establish the allergen threshold dose and a second confirmatory CPT performed at visit 2. Eye symptom assessments for itching (evaluated by patient) and conjunctival redness (evaluated by physician) were performed 5 and 10 minutes after CPT using a 5-point scale (from 0 = none to 4+ = severe). Qualified patients were randomized to receive one drop of AZE (0.015 mg of azelastine hydrochloride) in one eye and one drop of placebo in the other eye 20 minutes before CPT at visit 3 (onset) and 8 or 10 hours before CPT at visit 4 (duration). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Individual severity scores for itching (evaluated by patient) and conjunctival redness (evaluated by physician) for each eye at 3, 5, and 10 minutes after CPT at visits 3 and 4 using a 5-point scale (0 = none to 4+ = very severe). RESULTS: Each of the 80 randomized patients completed the trial. Mean itching and conjunctival redness scores at visit 3 (onset) were significantly lower (P: < 0.001) in the AZE-treated eyes than in the placebo-treated eyes. At visit 4 (duration), mean itching and conjunctival redness scores (P: </= 0.003) for the 8-hour group and mean itching scores (P: </= 0.001) for the 10-hour group were significantly lower in the AZE-treated eyes than in the placebo-treated eyes. Significant differences in mean tearing and chemosis severity scores were also seen at visit 3 (onset) and visit 4 (duration) in the AZE-treated eyes when compared with the placebo-treated eyes. Treatment with AZE was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Therapy of experimentally induced allergic conjunctivitis with AZE was highly effective, with an onset of action seen within 3 minutes and a duration of effect of at least 8 to 10 hours.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Expertise sensitive item selection.

In this paper we describe and illustrate a procedure for selecting items from a large pool for a certification test. The proposed procedure, which is intended to improve the alignment of the certification test with on-the-job performance, is based on an expertise sensitive index. This index for an item is the difference between the item's p values for experts and novices. An example is provided of the application of the index for selecting items to be used in certifying bakers.

Canada↗
PubMed1998

The epidemiology of prostate cancer in Jamaica.

PURPOSE: Before this study, the highest reported incidence of prostate cancer in the world was thought to be among United States black men. The age adjusted rates in 1992 for United States black and white men were 249 and 182/100,000 respectively. The epidemiology of prostate cancer in Jamaica, a country of 2.5 million people of primarily African descent, was studied and compared with that of white and black Americans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 1,121 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed from 1989 to 1994. Sources of information included the Jamaican Cancer Registry, government pathology laboratory, hospital and clinic records, and physician office records. Incidence rates were computed using data from the 1991 Jamaican census. Age adjustments were made using the 1970 United States standard population. RESULTS: The average age adjusted incidence of prostate cancer in Kingston, Jamaica was 304/100,000 men. Median patient age at diagnosis was 72 years. More than 80% of the cases were pathologically confirmed. Of the patients 30% presented with acute urinary retention, 16% presented with bone metastases, 15% had gross hematuria at the time of diagnosis and an abnormal rectal examination suspicious for cancer was noted in 42%. Prostate specific antigen was measured in only 7% of cases in 1989 but in 48% of cases by 1994. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that Jamaican men in Kingston have a high incidence of prostate cancer, much higher than even black Americans during a similar period. Furthermore, the cancers are more significant clinically with greater morbidity in Jamaica than in the United States.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Familial study of prostate cancer in Jamaica.

OBJECTIVES: Rates of prostate cancer in Kingston, Jamaica are extremely high (occurring in more than 300 men out of 100,000 in 1989 to 1993). This article addresses the familial aggregation of prostate cancer in Jamaica. Early evidence for familial prostate cancer was found in the Utah Mormon population. Increased risk of prostate cancer in men with a family history of prostate cancer has been consistently observed in subsequent studies. There have been few studies, however, involving black men, who are known to have an overall higher risk of developing prostate cancer. METHODS: Two hundred sixty-three patients with prostate cancer documented by histology were studied. Two hundred sixty-three age-matched control patients were used for comparison. Extensive pedigrees were obtained for both patients with cancer and controls. Data on other malignancies including lung, breast, colon, stomach, and uterine were also collected. RESULTS: The patients with cancer and the controls were comparable with respect to age and family size. Thirty patients with cancer had a first degree relative (ie, brother, father, or son) with prostate cancer compared to 15 controls. The odds ratio is 2.1 (95% confidence interval 1.1 to 4.4). Nine patients with cancer had a second degree relative (ie, grandfather, grandson, or uncle) affected compared to 3 controls. The odds ratio is 3.1 (95% confidence interval 0.8 to 17.8). There was no statistically significant difference in the rates of any of the other cancers studied. CONCLUSIONS: Familial aggregation of prostate cancer is clearly evident in black Jamaican men. A man with one first degree relative with prostate cancer is twice as likely as the general population to develop prostate cancer. In addition, there may be a statistical difference in the risk of developing prostate cancer if an individual has one second degree relative affected.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Comparison of a pneumococcal common protein (PsaA) antibody ELISA and a PsaA immune complex ELISA for detection of pneumococcal serum antibody.

We examined and compared results from three assays, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and two immune complex ELISAs for analysis of the serum antibody response to a native pneumococcal 37-kD common cell-wall protein by using acute- and convalescent-phase sera from 56 patients with community-acquired pneumonia. The sensitivities of the ELISA, the undissociated and dissociated immune complex assays were 85% (23 of 27), 78% (21 of 27) and 67% (18 of 27), respectively. To determine specificity, paired sera from patients with pneumonia of other bacterial etiologies were tested. The specificities were 83, 83 and 72% for the ELISA, undissociated immune complex, and dissociated immune complex, respectively. Based on this study, the sensitivities of the three assays were not statistically different. These tests could be used retrospectively to confirm invasive pneumococcal disease.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗
PubMed1997

Overly literal interpretations of speech in autism: understanding that messages arise from minds.

Children with autism and children with Down's syndrome watched the following enactment. A protagonist put one item in location A and another in location B and then left the scene. Subsequently, the items were swapped the other way round. Finally, the protagonist (who remained ignorant of the swap) requested the item in A. The observing child participant was asked to judge (1) which item the protagonist wanted and (2) which item the protagonist put in A. Unlike children with Down's syndrome, those with autism made more errors in judging that the speaker wanted the item in B than in judging that the item the speaker put in A is now in B; children with autism wrongly tended to interpret utterances literally, and they did this significantly more frequently than children with Down's syndrome. We conclude that children with autism have a difficulty making nonliteral interpretations that cannot be explained as (1) a realist bias, (2) an inability to inhibit a prepotent response, and (3) a failure to keep track of the exchange of items.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Protection of mice against fatal pneumococcal challenge by immunization with pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA).

Pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA) is a 37-kDa surface protein present on Streptococcus pneumoniae having significant homology with fimbrial adhesion proteins. Immunization of CBA/CaHNJ Xid mice with PsaA using either complete Freund's or TiterMax adjuvants significantly protected mice against heterologous intravenous challenge with type 3 pneumococcal strain WU2 at doses up to 45 times the LD50. The results indicate that PsaA warrants further evaluation as a vaccine candidate for human pneumococcal disease.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗
PubMed1996

Purification and seroreactivity of pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA).

Pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA) is a 37-kDa common protein antigen of Streptococcus pneumoniae. In the present study, the protein was purified so that its immunoreactivity could be determined. PsaA was released and purified from cells by lysis in the presence of n-laurylsarcosine; this was followed by ammonium sulfate precipitation and subsequent preparative isoelectric focusing. A capture antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the immunoreactivity of purified PsaA. The assay had a 67% sensitivity for sera from patients with bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia. A specificity of 97% was estimated on the basis of a lack of reactivity with sera from patients with pneumonia caused by other organisms. PsaA is a potential vaccine candidate and may be useful as an antigen in a diagnostic assay for pneumococcal disease.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗
PubMed1996

Comparative effects of bluetongue virus infection of ovine and bovine endothelial cells.

Bluetongue virus (BTV) infection results in disparate clinical syndromes among ruminant species. An in vitro model system of BTV/target cell interaction was developed using umbilical vein endothelial cells (EC)from fetal lambs and calves. These cells had microscopic, ultrastructural, and immunocytochemical features typical of EC. BTV infection in these cells was examined using virus binding assays, plaque assays, a whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, electron microscopy, and a bioassay for interferon activity. EC from both species supported cytopathic BTV infections. Ovine EC bound more BTV initially and produced more virus over time, whereas bovine EC underwent more rapid lysis subsequent to infection. An ultrastructural comparison of BTV-infected ovine and bovine EC, grown as differentiated capillary-like cords on a laminin-rich matrix or as monolayers, revealed no significant interspecies differences in viral morphogenesis between 1 minute and 24 hours after infection. The intracellular distribution of BTV nonstructural protein 1, which localized to virus inclusion bodies and tubules, was identical for ovine and bovine endothelial cells. Ovine and bovine EC produced a soluble mediator of interferon activity in response to BTV infection; however, ovine EC produced higher levels of interferon activity at lower levels of infection. These findings indicate differences in BTV-EC interaction that may contribute to the pathogenesis of the severe inflammatory disease that is characteristic of clinical bluetongue disease in sheep.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of psaA, the Streptococcus pneumoniae gene encoding a 37-kilodalton protein homologous to previously reported Streptococcus sp. adhesins.

Gene psaA, which encodes the Streptococcus pneumoniae 37-kDa protein, was cloned in Escherichia coli, and its complete nucleotide sequence was determined. Analysis of the sequence of the 2.4-kb cloned fragment revealed three open reading frames (ORFs). ORF2, which is 933 bp long, was identified as psaA. The two other ORFs identified flank psaA. ORF1, located upstream of psaA, is 836 nucleotides long and encodes a protein with a calculated molecular mass of 29,843 Da. The sequence for ORF3, located downstream of psaA, was only partially determined. Northern (RNA) blot analysis of pneumococcal RNA suggests that psaA is transcribed as part of a polycistronic message. Analysis of the primary structure of the protein encoded by this gene indicated significant similarity to two previously reported streptococcal proteins, SsaB (80% similarity) and FimA (92.3% similarity), from S. sanguis and S. parasanguis, respectively. These two homologous proteins have been shown to be associated with bacterial adhesion, and the possibility of a similar role for PsaA is hypothesized.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗
PubMed1992

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus-specific immune responses in cattle following immunization with modified-live and inactivated vaccines. Analysis of the specificity and activity of serum antibodies.

Cattle were immunized with vaccines containing modified-live or inactivated bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and serum antibody responses were analyzed. Compared with preinculation values, at Day 14 after two biweekly immunizations with modified-live or inactivated vaccines there were significant increases in BRSV-specific titers in the sera of cattle that received both types of vaccines, as determined by a whole cell ELISA. Using a blocking ELISA and radioimmune precipitation it was determined that there was recognition of the fusion (F) protein by antibodies from cattle that received both types of BRSV antigens: however, virus neutralization assays revealed that only cattle that received modified live virus, either in monovalent or polyvalent vaccines, developed neutralizing antibodies to BRSV after two immunizations. These results indicate that inactivation of BRSV can lead to a dissociation between serological recognition of the F protein and virus neutralization in vaccinated cattle.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Distinguishing Chlamydia species by restriction analysis of the major outer membrane protein gene.

Clinical isolates of Chlamydia pneumoniae from diverse geographic locations and strains of other Chlamydia species were typed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) gene followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the product. Use of synthetic primers corresponding to highly conserved regions of the MOMP gene resulted in amplification of a 1070 bp product in laboratory strains and clinical isolates of C. pneumoniae, C. trachomatis and C. psittaci. PCR products were digested with restriction enzymes Alu I and Mbo I and separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Restriction fragment patterns varied in length from 8-12 bands of 30-400 bp in size in Alu I digests, and 6-7 bands of 50-400 bp in size in Mbo I digests. Strains representing different chlamydia species were easily distinguishable by this method, as were different serovars of C. trachomatis. Strains of C. pneumoniae tested include laboratory strain TW-183 and recent clinical isolates from Atlanta, Brooklyn, Wisconsin and Norway. One combination of primers reacted with C. psittaci strains and C. pneumoniae strain TW-183, but not with other strains of C. pneumoniae tested regardless of the concentration of DNA in the sample. With use of a pan-reactive primer combination, however, restriction patterns were similar in all strains of C. pneumoniae tested. This gene typing technique can be valuable for distinguishing the three chlamydial species and potentially strains of C. pneumoniae in clinical and epidemiologic studies.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed1992

Pneumonia--a clinical or radiographic diagnosis? Etiology and clinical features of lower respiratory tract infection in adults in general practice.

Etiology and clinical manifestations have been studied in 153 adult patients with lower respiratory tract infection, and the results are presented according to clinical and radiographic diagnosis. Laboratory investigations revealed that bacterial infection, mycoplasma and chlamydia included, occurred as often in 22 patients whose clinical diagnoses of pneumonia were not evident radiographically, as in 20 patients with radiographic pneumonia. In the latter group significantly higher values of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were demonstrated. The most common pathogen was influenzavirus A, followed by respiratory syncytial virus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Chlamydia pneumoniae infection was found in 3 patients with radiographic pneumonia. The study supports the traditional view that patients with a positive chest radiograph as a rule present more serious manifestations of lower respiratory tract pathology than patients with a normal radiograph. However, as only 1/9 patients with pneumococcal infection and 2/7 with mycoplasmal infection had radiographic evidence of pneumonia, radiography alone did not seem to offer sufficient information for selecting patients for antibacterial therapy.

Adult↗