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Biomedical subjects

J C Coleman

Publications and source records attributed to J C Coleman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Combined use of sonication and monoclonal antibodies for the detection of early and late cytomegalovirus antigens in centrifugation cultures.

A total of 157 clinical specimens was inoculated into shell vials and conventional tube cell cultures containing confluent monolayers of human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELF). Of 31 clinical cytomegalovirus (CMV) isolates, 30 specimens (96.8%) were positive by the immunofluorescence method on centrifugation vial cultures (CVC-IF), whereas the cytopathic effects (CPE) of CMV were detected in only 14 specimens (45.2%) in conventional tube cell cultures (CCC), P less than 0.001 and in 22 specimens (70.9%) in centrifugation vial cultures (CVC-P), P less than 0.1. Significantly more fluorescent foci were detected in centrifugation cultures inoculated with sonicated urine samples (P less than 0.001). CVC-P is more sensitive than CCC for the diagnosis of CMV (P less than 0.05), and a highly significant difference was observed when we compared the mean day to initial detection of CPE (P less than 0.001). For optimal detection of CMV, both CVC-IF and CVC-P should be used for the laboratory diagnosis of this virus infection.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Effects of sucralfate or mild irritants on experimental gastritis and prostaglandin production.

Rats pretreated with dilute ethanol, dilute hydrochloric acid, or dilute sodium hydroxide had significantly less gastric mucosal damage when they were exposed 15 or 30 minutes later to strong irritants. The dilute agents, known as mild irritants, also caused an increase in the production of gastric mucosal prostaglandin E2 at the 15- and 30-minute dosing intervals. This suggests that the mild irritants are only effective in providing gastric mucosal protection when they increase gastric production of prostaglandin E2. Sucralfate treatment also caused an increase in gastric mucosal production of prostaglandin E2 at only the 15- and 30-minute dosing intervals. In contrast, pretreatment with sucralfate protected against the damaging effects of the strong irritants for at least 480 minutes. Therefore, prostaglandin E2 may play a role in sucralfate's protective effect at short dosing intervals, but at longer intervals, when prostaglandin E2 changes were not observed, sucralfate was still found to be very effective in reducing the severity of gastritis. This suggests that sucralfate acts, at least in part, through some other mechanism(s) besides increasing gastric mucosal prostaglandin E2 production.

Animals↗

Suramin treatment for chronic active hepatitis B--toxic and ineffective.

Suramin has recently been shown to inhibit the activity of the duck hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase (DHBV DNAp) in vitro. However, we found no demonstrable in vivo suppression of human hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase (HBV DNAp) activity in three male patients with severe chronic active hepatitis. Suramin treatment resulted in prolongation of the prothrombin time in all cases and a rise in bilirubin in two and it may have led to haemorrhage from oesophageal varices in one patient and to hepatic encephalopathy in another. Its use in chronic hepatitis is not recommended.

Esophageal and Gastric Varices↗

An analysis of the in vivo interactions between chemical convulsants and anticonvulsants.

The interactions between pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), picrotoxin (PIC), or bicuculline (BIC) and diazepam, phenobarbital, or valproate were subjected to Schild plot analysis. Log dose-probit response curves for minimal clonic seizures were determined for three chemical convulsants in the absence and in the presence of various concentrations of three anticonvulsants. The calculated median convulsant doses were subjected to Schild plot analysis and the pA2 values determined. A comparison of the pA2 values for the various convulsant/anticonvulsant combinations suggested the following conclusions: (i) the sequence of events leading to minimal clonic seizures evoked by PTZ or PIC involves a common receptor, (ii) BIC acts through a different receptor, and (iii) Schild plot analysis of the antagonism between convulsant and anticonvulsant is in agreement with their antagonism in vitro studies. Thus, Schild plot analysis can be useful in the evaluation of anticonvulsant activity in vivo and may offer some insight into the potential clinical usefulness of anticonvulsant substances.

Animals↗

Imported epidemic non-A, non-B hepatitis in Qatar.

During one year, 198 patients were admitted to the Hamad General Hospital, Qatar, with acute viral hepatitis. Sera from 126 of these were tested for HBsAg, IgM anti-HBc, IgG anti-HAV, IgM anti-HAV, and delta antibody in those positive for HBsAg. Only 6% of the patients were Qatari nationals and the remainder were immigrants. Of the 126 patients tested, 7 had acute hepatitis A, 29 had acute hepatitis B (none were positive for delta antibody), and the remaining 91 were regarded as having had acute non-A, non-B hepatitis. Of this latter group, 75% were Indian immigrants of whom 59% presented within six weeks of arrival in Qatar and only 2 patients presented later than eight weeks. These patients were thought to have contracted the infection in transit camps in India before immigration to Qatar.

Adolescent↗

Cytomegalovirus and schizophrenia. A test of a viral hypothesis.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 20 chronically hospitalised male schizophrenics and from 12 patients admitted with acute schizophrenia were examined for antibodies against cytomegalovirus. A sensitive and specific enzyme-immunoassay was used to detect IgG or IgM classes of antibodies in the CSF of the schizophrenic patients and of ten orthopaedic patients, who served as controls. No significant amounts of IgM antibody were found in the CSF of either group. A significant titre of IgG was found in only one of the 32 schizophrenics, an acute patient, but in four of the orthopaedic patients. The results do not support an association of cytomegalovirus infection with schizophrenia; if such an association occurs, it must be unusual.

Antibodies, Viral↗

Cytomegalovirus infection in pregnancy: preliminary findings from a prospective study.

8278 (56%) of 14 789 pregnant women who were screened for cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies at their first antenatal visit were seropositive. 42 (3 per 1000) infants screened were congenitally infected. 3 (7%) have serious handicaps, 14 (33%) have minor or transient problems, and 25 (60%) have so far had no problems. In 26 of the 42 mothers with infected infants CMV antibodies were present in the first antenatal blood sample. 28 (67%) of the infected infants were born to mothers who had experienced a primary infection in pregnancy and 7 (17%) to mothers who had experienced recurrent infection. In the remaining 7 (17%) it was not possible to determine the type of maternal infection. One handicapped infant was born after a probable recurrent CMV infection during pregnancy. These preliminary findings suggest that routine screening of pregnant women to detect evidence of primary CMV infection is not helpful.

Antibodies, Viral↗

Non-A, non-B hepatitis: a case report.

Ultrastructural changes in a liver biopsy obtained for diagnostic purposes from a patient with suspected non-A, non-B hepatitis were consistent with hepatitis and included dilatation and disaggregation of the endoplasmic reticulum, hepatocyte disarray, and variations in mitochondrial size. In addition, some foci of hepatocytes showed atypical cytoplasmic changes including intranuclear cytoplasmic pseudo-inclusions, consisting basically of invaginations of the cytoplasmic mass into the nucleus, glycogen deposits in the same nuclei, and frequently accumulations of fat droplets. The mitochondria were generally pleomorphic, and occasionally the mitochondrial cristae were arranged longitudinally. Dilatation, hypertrophy, and distortion of the Golgi complexes were found in affected hepatocytes. Similar ultrastructural changes have previously been reported in human hepatocellular carcinoma as well as in carcinomas of other tissues.

Cell Nucleus↗

Cell-mediated immunity in HBeAg-positive homosexuals with chronic liver disease.

Chronic liver disease developing after infection with the hepatitis B virus may be due to impairment of cell-mediated immunity (CMI). In a study of CMI by the lymphocyte transformation test to two mitogens and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) the response to the mitogens, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and purified protein derivative (PPD), was normal in all of 15 male homosexuals with HBsAg-positive chronic liver disease, indicating a normal non-specific cellular immune response. By contrast, only one of the 15 patients showed a response to HBsAg, which may explain the high prevalence of chronic HBsAg carriage in these patients.

Adult↗

Natural history of liver disease in chronic hepatitis B surface antigen carriers. Survey of 100 patients from Great Britain.

100 consecutive British chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen seen in a London teaching hospital are described. 77 were male homosexuals and only 19 had either symptoms or signs of chronic liver disease. 27 had normal liver function tests and 69 of the remaining patients had minimal changes, chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed on liver biopsy. The 4 remaining patients did not have a biopsy but did have abnormal liver function tests. Chronic hepatitis B virus infection was an important cause of these conditions. Most patients showed no clinical, biochemical, or histological change during a mean follow-up period of 44 months, and only 9.7% spontaneously seroconverted from hepatitis B antigen positivity to become anti-hepatitis B e antibody carriers. Although the prognosis is good in the medium term, 7 patients died from hepatocellular carcinoma.

Adolescent↗

The HBe antigen-antibody system and its relationship to clinical and laboratory findings in 100 chronic HBsAg carriers in Great Britain.

HBeAg or anti HBe were detected using radioimmunoassay in 93 out of 100 British patients who were chronic HBsAg carriers. HBeAg was found more commonly than anti HBe in younger patients and those with higher titres of HbsAg and abnormal liver function tests. HBeAg was present particularly in patients with chronic active hepatitis (26 out of 29) and chronic persistent hepatitis (16 out of 21). Anti HBe was found particularly in healthy carriers (19 out of 27), and patients with cirrhosis (4 out of 8) and hepatocellular carcinoma (7 out of 8). However, the system was of little help in predicting the liver biopsy appearances in the individual patient. During a mean follow-up period of 44 months, 6 of the 62 (9.7%) HBeAg positive carriers converted to anti HBe, a spontaneous seroconversion rate of 2.68% per year.

Adolescent↗

Liver disease among homosexual males.

5% of 2612 homosexual males attending genitourinary clinics were found to be hepatitis-B surface-antigen (HBsAg) positive. Liver biopsy was done in 25 who had abnormal liver-function tests but no symptoms or signs of liver disease, and 14 (56%) of these proved to have chronic active hepatitis or active cirrhosis. Neither the liver-function tests nor the viral markers in serum reflected the severity of the liver disease. 38% of a group of 118 HBsAg positive patients were HBeAg positive, and sexual contacts of these individuals may be at serious risk of infection.

Carrier State↗