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Biomedical subjects

Hans Wigzell

Publications and source records attributed to Hans Wigzell.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Micrometer-sized particles in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with schizophrenia.

The etiology of schizophrenia is unknown, but the pathogenetic process involves organic changes in brain tissue, which may alter the composition of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). For the present study, CSF was obtained by lumbar puncture from 22 schizophrenic patients and 38 control patients. We have used scanning electron microscopy combined with filtration techniques to search for pathogenic correlates and diagnostic biomarkers in the nano-micrometer range. Micrometer-sized spherical particles were isolated from CSF in 20 of the 22 patients with schizophrenia compared to only two of the 38 controls (P < 0.001). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis did not reveal bacterial DNA material in the particles. The particles have not replicated in culture. The micrometer-sized particles may serve as biological disease markers in schizophrenia. Hypothetically, they may be involved in development of the disease or may result from the disease process in brains of schizophrenic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Phase I/II trial of HIV-1 hyperimmune globulin for the prevention of HIV-1 vertical transmission in Uganda.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the safety, tolerance, pharmacokinetics, and virologic and immunologic changes associated with the use of Ugandan HIV hyperimmune globulin (HIVIGLOB) in HIV infected pregnant Ugandan women and their infants. DESIGN: A prospective, phase I/II, three-arm dose escalation trial of HIVIGLOB. METHODS: HIVIGLOB was prepared from discarded HIV infected units of blood collected from the National Blood Bank in Kampala. From June 1996 to April 1997, 31 HIV positive pregnant women were enrolled with HIVIGLOB infusions given at 37 weeks gestation and within 16 h of birth for infants. The first 10 mother-infant pairs were infused at a dose of 50 mg/kg, followed by 11 pairs at 200 mg/kg, and 10 pairs at 400 mg/kg. Study participants were followed for 30 months. RESULTS: Thirty-one women and 29 infants were infused with HIVIGLOB. The infusions were safe and well tolerated by the women and their infants at all doses. There were no significant changes in virologic or immunologic parameters after HIVIGLOB infusion. Pharmacokinetic properties of this product were similar to other immune globulin products with a median half-life of 28 days in women and 30 days in infants. CONCLUSION: An HIV immune globulin product derived from HIV infected Ugandan donors is safe, well tolerated, and has pharmacokinetic properties consistent with other immunoglobulin products. Data suggest that a 400 mg/kg dose of HIVIGLOB would be the most appropriate dose for a subsequent efficacy trial of HIVIGLOB for the prevention of mother to child HIV transmission.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

The role of IFN-gamma in the outcome of chlamydial infection.

Chlamydia are intracellular bacteria which infect many vertebrates, including humans. They cause a myriad of severe diseases, ranging from asymptomatic infection to pneumonia, blindness or infertility. IFN-gamma plays an important role in defense against acute infection and in the establishment of persistence. Chlamydia have evolved mechanisms to escape IFN-gamma functions. IFN-gamma-mediated effector mechanisms may involve effects on the metabolism of tryptophan or iron, on the inducible NO synthase (iNOS), on the secretion of chemokines and adhesion molecules or on the regulation of T-cell activities. IFN-gamma is secreted by the innate and the adaptive arms of the immune system. Within the former, Chlamydia-infected macrophages express IFN-gamma that in turn mediates resistance to infection. IFN-alpha/beta are pivotal for both IFN-gamma- and iNOS-mediated resistance to chlamydial infection in macrophages.

Animals↗