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Biomedical subjects

J Baum

Publications and source records attributed to J Baum.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1971

Polymorphonuclear leucocyte chemotaxis in patients with bacterial infections.

A new in vitro method of measuring the chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear leucocytes from peripheral blood has been used to calculate a chemotactic index. The mean chemotactic index in 15 patients with bacterial infection (434) was significantly less (P <0.0005) than in 15 normal controls (553) matched for age and sex. The reduction in chemotaxis could be correlated with the duration of the infection, with the greatest impairment being found in those patients with the shortest duration of infection. In five patients studied before and after appropriate therapy the chemotactic index returned to normal values with clearing of the infection. It is suggested that the impairment in chemotaxis may be due to prior phagocytosis of antibody-antigen complexes by the polymorphonuclear leucocytes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1971

Chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Using a new in vitro method of measuring the chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from peripheral blood, a chemotactic index has been calculated. The mean chemotactic index of 320 in 24 patients with definite rheumatoid arthritis, was significantly less (P < 0.0005) than the mean of 555 in 24 normal controls matched for age and sex. The mean chemotactic index of 435 in eight patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was also significantly less (P < 0.01) than that of 553 in similarly matched controls. The chemotactic index could not be correlated with age, sex, disease activity, drugs used in treatment, latex titer, immunoglobulin levels, or protein coating on the cells. However, there was a correlation between the chemotactic index and the serum complement B(1e)/B(1a) value (P < 0.01) in 17 patients with adult onset rheumatoid arthritis. Although the serum complement B(1e)/B(1a) values were within the normal range, the lowest chemotactic indices were associated with the lowest complement values. The chemotactic indices in three patients with severe connective tissue disease (seropositive rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and polymyositis) returned to normal after 5 days' treatment with 60 mg of prednisolone per day. Incubation of the cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis with hydrocortisone in vitro failed to alter the chemotactic indices. Prior incubation of normal cells with purified rheumatoid factor complexes, rheumatoid serum, or macromolecules of iron dextran impaired their chemotaxis. It is suggested that phagocytosis of complexes in vivo is a possible mechanism by which the chemotaxis of the polymorphonuclear leukocytes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is impaired. This impairment in chemotaxis may explain the increased incidence of bacterial infection, both during life and as a cause of death in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1969

Decreased 19S antibody response to bacterial antigens in systemic lupus erythematosus.

The antibody response to immunization with Brucella and the levels of natural antibody to Escherichia coli and Shigella were compared in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and control groups. After Brucella immunization, SLE patients showed a significantly lower antibody response in whole serum and in the macroglobulin antibody fraction separated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Sucrose gradient fractionation of natural antibodies to E. coli and a polyvalent Shigella antigen showed a significant decrease in macroglobulin antibody against four of the five E. coli antigens tested and the Shigella polyvalent antigen in SLE patients when compared with a group of normal individuals and a matched control group with pulmonary tuberculosis. Whole serum natural antibody titers against 5 of 13 Shigella antigens were significantly lower in the SLE patients when compared with the normal group, and against 7 of 13 when compared with the matched tuberculosis controls. Whole serum titers against 8 of 13 E. coli antigens were significantly lower in the SLE patients when compared with normal subjects. The observed decreased antibody response to bacterial antigens in SLE patients, occurring mainly in the macroglobulin fraction, is discussed in relation to the increased incidence of infection commonly observed in these patients.

Adolescent↗