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Biomedical subjects

J Hodgson

Publications and source records attributed to J Hodgson.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Differential induction of programmed cell death in CD8+ and CD4+ T cells by the B subunit of cholera toxin.

We have recently demonstrated that a short-term treatment of parental splenocytes with the B subunit of cholera toxin (CT-B) abrogates the development of acute GVHD in F1 hybrid mice transplanted with these cells. In order to obtain better insight into the mechanism of the action of CT-B, we studied the effect of CT-B on survival of purified murine T cells and their subsets. We show that treatment with B subunit stimulates apoptosis in T cells, detectable following incubation in vitro. Although apoptosis was noticed in both CD8+ and CD4+ T cell subsets, the treatment preferentially stimulates programmed cell death (PCD) in CD8+ population. Thus, immunosuppressive action of CT-B in vivo may be in part due to its ability to eliminate CD8+ T cells.

Animals↗

Enteroviral pharyngitis diagnosed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

The role of enteroviruses in childhood pharyngitis was investigated using enteroviral specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Viral/bacterial throat swabs were taken from 50 children with acute pharyngitis and 26 controls. A positive culture was identified in only 26% of children with pharyngitis (adenovirus 10%, group A streptococci 2%), and none of the controls. Enteroviral RT-PCR was positive in 8% of the pharyngitis group and none of the controls. Enteroviruses are an important cause of pharyngitis in childhood.

Acute Disease↗

Comparison of two immunoassay procedures for detecting enterovirus IgM.

Enteroviruses cause significant illness in man but viral diagnosis is problematic. Enterovirus-specific IgM tests have been developed but due to the difficulties of obtaining reliable control sera the interpretation of assay data remains mainly arbitrary and empirical. The present study was undertaken to assess the reliability of such assays by comparing two tests performed independently in two different laboratories: a mu-capture radioimmunoassay (MACRIA) which utilizes 35S-labelled Coxsackie virus antigens and an enzyme immunoassay (EIA). A feature of the MACRIA was that sera were tested in one large batch whereas the EIA was in routine use in a reference laboratory. The MACRIA was easy to perform but more suitable for research investigations than routine diagnostic use. Similar results were detected in the majority of sera tested in the two assays with 85% concordance achieved on testing 120 sera. Of the 18 discrepant results, 11 were positive by EIA only and 7 by MACRIA only. 89-95% concordance was obtained on testing sera against individual Coxsackie B1-5 serotypes, moreover 52% of the sera positive in MACRIA were reactive against only one viral antigen and the results on certain of the more strongly reactive sera suggested the existence of a measure of type specificity in the MACRIA test. Qualitative differences between the two tests highlighted problems of interpretation in the absence of a gold standard and cautioned against sole reliance on serology for diagnosis of enteroviral infections.

Animals↗

Remodeling MMPIs.

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Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Effects of a minor isoleucyl tRNA on heterologous protein translation in Escherichia coli.

In Escherichia coli, the isoleucine codon AUA occurs at a frequency of about 0.4% and is the fifth rarest codon in E. coli mRNA. Since there is a correlation between the frequency of codon usage and the level of its cognate tRNA, translational problems might be expected when the mRNA contains high levels of AUA codons. When a hemagglutinin from the influenza virus, a 304-amino-acid protein with 12 (3.9%) AUA codons and 1 tandem codon, and a mupirocin-resistant isoleucyl tRNA synthetase, a 1,024-amino-acid protein, with 33 (3.2%) AUA codons and 2 tandem codons, were expressed in E. coli, product accumulation was highly variable and dependent to some degree on the growth medium. In rich medium, the flu antigen represented about 16% of total cell protein, whereas in minimal medium, it was only 2 to 3% of total cell protein. In the presence of the cloned ileX, which encodes the cognate tRNA for AUA, however, the antigen was 25 to 30% of total cell protein in cells grown in minimal medium. Alternatively, the isoleucyl tRNA synthetase did not accumulate to detectable levels in cells grown in Luria broth unless the ileX tRNA was coexpressed when it accounted for 7 to 9% of total cell protein. These results indicate that the rare isoleucine AUA codon, like the rare arginine codons AGG and AGA, can interfere with the efficient expression of cloned proteins.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Constitutive and inducible kappa B binding activities in the cytosol of v-Rel-transformed lymphoid cells.

Constitutive and inducible kapp B binding activities associated with v-Rel and c-Rel in the cytosol of v-Rel-transformed cells have been identified. These activities were resolved by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatographic techniques into a high-molecular-weight protein-DNA complex designated complex I containing v- and c-Rel and lower-molecular-weight complexes II, III and IV which contained only v-Rel and which were stimulated by nucleotides, low pH, and detergent. These experiments suggest that interaction of v-Rel and c-Rel decreases the DNA-binding activity of each.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Hearing assessment after meningitis and meningococcal disease.

A method to increase audiology referral after meningitis or meningococcal disease was audited in 89 children. A standardised proforma increased referrals from 78% to 96% over a two year period. However, only 73% of children had a hearing test. The major reason for hearing not being tested changed from non-referral to non-attendance.

Child↗