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Biomedical subjects

J Pepys

Publications and source records attributed to J Pepys.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Avian erythrocyte agglutination tests with the sera of bird fanciers.

The agglutination of avian red cells, particularly pigeon and budgerigar cells, by sera from patients who had been exposed to birds and had respiratory symptoms, as well as from healthy bird fanciers, has been used to detect the presence of avian specific antibody. Agglutination tests performed by standard techniques using bird erythrocytes can be read within 45 minutes. One hundred and sixty-five sera were tested, and the 44 which were precipitin positive gave a positive agglutination test with one exception. Of 61 sera which gave positive agglutination tests, 43 gave positive precipitin tests with unconcentrated serum and seven others after fourfold concentration of the serum. Avian antibodies were demonstrated in the remaining 11 sera by radioimmunoelectrophoretic tests. Absorption of the sera with pigeon IgG and IgM and the use of animal antisera directed against pigeon IgG showed that the agglutination reactions were mediated by antibodies directed against pigeon IgG and IgM, and against light chains derived from pigeon IgG.

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗
PubMed1977

Studies in chronic allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. 1. Clinical and physiological findings.

This report outlines the clinical and physiological features in 50 asthmatic patients with chronic allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in whom the diagnosis was made from 2 to 25 years ago (mean duration 10-9 years). From a questionnaire and analysis of the peak expiratory flow rate measurements it was found that they were worse in the winter months, corresponding to the maximal concentrations of Aspergillus fumigatus in the atmosphere. Nineteen patients reported daily sputum production of up to an eggcupful or more, and 24 had noticed sputum 'plugs' in the previous year. Reduction of vital capacity (VC) was found in 20 patients, of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in 38 patients, and of maximal expiratory flow at 50% VC breathing air (V50air) in 47 patients. Nine patients had significantly reduced gas transfer factor (DLCO). Significant improvement (more than 15%) in FEV1 after inhaled bronchodilator was shown by only 17 patients. There were statistically significant correlations between the degree of reduction in the physiological measurements of VC, FEV1, and V50air with the age of the patient at the time of the study and the later in life the diagnosis of aspergillosis was made, whereas the reduction in DLCO was also significantly related to the duration of aspergillosis. Prospective studies are needed for a proper assessment of any protective effect of treatment on the pathophysiological changes due to the disease over many years.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Studies in chronic allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. 2. Radiological findings.

The characteristics and the incidence of changes in plain chest radiographs were analysed in detail in 50 asthmatic patients with chronic allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in whom the diagnosis had been made from 2 to 25 years previously (mean duration 10-9 years). One thousand two hundred and forty-two chest radiographs, an average of about two per year per patient, were reviewed. Two hundred and sixty-seven acute episodes of transient shadows (a mean of 5-3 per patient), mostly homogeneous consolidations and band-like shadows, were recorded throughout the period of follow-up. Features of overinflation were present in 21 patients in the first radiograph and in 17 in the last, the decrease being attributed to the effects of permanent lung damage due to the allergic aspergillosis. Permanent changes, such as tubular and ring shadows, loss of vascular shadows, and lobar shrinkage were recorded in 41 patients at the start and in 49 at the end of the follow-up. The tubular shadows were found in 28 patients in the first radiograph and in 45 in the last, whereas ring shadows were seen in 18 and 30 patients respectively. Half of the episodes of consolidation and atelectasis left permanent changes, mainly ring shadows, as seen in the last radiograph. Of the band-like shadows, 32% were found to be followed by the subsequent appearance of tubular shadows. Statistically significant correlations were found between the duration of aspergillosis, the number of transient shadows throughout the period of follow-up, the extent of the permanent shadows, and the reduction of gas transfer factor at the time of the final follow-up.

Aspergillosis↗
PubMed1977

Studies in chronic allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. 3. Immunological findings.

Precipitin tests by two different methods, double-diffusion (DD) and counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE), and measurements of total and specific IgE against Aspergillus fumigatus were made in 50 patients with chronic allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and in three control groups--atopics with a positive immediate prick test to A. fumigatus but no evidence of allergic aspergillosis, atopics with a negative prick test to A. fumigatus, and non-atopics. Precipitins were found in 84% and 78% of the patients with aspergillosis by the DD and CIE methods respectively. Precipitins were also found in 6 out of 27 (22%) patients with a positive prick test to A. fumigatus but no evidence of aspergillosis and in 1 of 24 patients with a negative prick test to A. fumigatus. The means of specific and total IgE values were significantly higher in the group of patients with aspergillosis than in the three other groups of patients. The increase in specific but not total IgE showed a statistically significant correlation with positive precipitin tests in the patients with aspergillosis. Total IgE but not specific IgE values were significantly higher (0-02 less than P less than 0-05) in patients who had had a transient radiographic shadow in the previous three months. Positive precipitin tests were also significantly correlated with the number of transient shadows in the past and with the interval of time since the last transient shadow.

Aspergillosis↗
PubMed1977

Studies in chronic allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. 4. Comparison with a group of asthmatics.

A comparison is made of lung function tests and radiographic findings in 20 asthmatic patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis paired in terms of sex, age, and duration of asthma with 20 other asthmatics in whom the diagnosis of aspergillosis was excluded in order to see if the aspergillosis causes more lung damage. One hundred per cent of the patients with aspergillosis and 75% of the patients with asthma alone showed a significantly reduced forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) before bronchodilator. All the patients in the two groups had a significantly reduced maximal expiratory flow at 50% vital capacity breathing air (V50air) but the severity of the reduction was statistically greater in the aspergillosis group. Reversibility in FEV1 of 15% and more was found in 50% of patients with asthma alone as against 31% of patients with aspergillosis. The degree of reversibility of FEV1 was also statistically greater in patients with asthma alone. Improvement of less than 20% of V50 after helium-oxygen breathing was found in 33% of the patients with asthma alone and in 75% of the patients with aspergillosis. Patients with aspergillosis also showed significantly (0-001 less than P less than 0-01) more reduced gas transfer factor. Radiological features of overinflation were as common in the two groups. Tubular and ring shadows were found in 95% and 60% respectively of patients with aspergillosis as against 45% and 15% of patients with asthma alone.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

False positive complement fixation tests with respiratory virus preparations in bird fanciers with allergic alveolitis.

False positive raised complement fixation titres to egg-grown virus preparations were found in six pigeon fanciers suffering from extrinsic allergic alveolitis but not in six similar budgerigar fanciers. The raised titres in the pigeon fanciers fell fourfold over a short interval in the absence of avian exposure and were attributable to antibodies directed against antigens from hen's egg in which the test virus preparations were grown. Such antigens were shown to be present in the virus preparations. In view of the clinical similarities between influenza and acute extrinsic allergic alveolitis, it is essential that a diagnosis of influenza in bird fanciers is not based on either a single raised titre or a fourfold fall in complement fixation titre without appropriate control tests with avian antigens.

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗
PubMed1977

Complement in the induction of IgE antibody formation.

The IgE antibody response of NIH mice to ovalbumin was suppressed by in vivo complement depletion with cobra factor. This observation extends to IgE the finding that complement participates in thymus-dependent antibody formation. Control mice producing IgI anti-ovalbumin antibody after boosting all developed marked peripheral eosinophilia, whereas mice in which the IgE antibody response had been suppressed by cobra factor did not. Administration of cobra factor itself had no effect on peripheral eosinophil levels.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Isolation of a peptido-polysaccharide from the dermatophyte Epidermophyton floccosum and a study of its reaction with human C-reactive protein and a mouse anti-phosphorylcholine myeloma serum.

Culture filtrate extracts from a number of dermatophyte and Aspergillus species precipitate with human C-reactive protein (CRP) and the lectin Con A. Using immobilized Con A, a peptidopolysaccharide (PPS) has been isolated from Epidermophyton floccosum culture filtrate by affinity chromatography and shown to precipitate with Con A, human CRP sera and a mouse myeloma serum with specificity for phosphorylcholine (PC). The PPS contains carbohydrate (60%), protein (35%), choline and phosphate. The carbohydrate portion consists almost entirely of D-mannose with only 2% hexosamine. Amino acid analysis revealed that serine, threonine, proline and glycine accounted for over 50% of the total amino acids present. Precipitation of E. floccosum PPS and pneumococcal C substance with human CRP sera and mouse anti-PC serum were compared in quantitative precipitin studies. Inhibition studies demonstrated that PC is a potent inhibitor of the serum CRP-PPS and myeloma protein-PPS precipitation reactions. The involvement of 'C substances' in a variety of biological processes is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

The antigen-binding capacity of serum IgG. An immunosorbent method applied to subtilisin as antigen.

A method for estimating the antigen-binding capacity of serum IgG is presented. A Sepharose anti-human IgG immunosorbent is incubated with test serum and washed. The antigen-binding capacity of the bound specific IgG is determined by incubation with purified, inactivated 125I-subtilisin. The method was applied tp the sera of workers in the detergent industry exposed to enzymatic preparations from Bacillus subtilis. The sera of 33 out of 69 workers bound a detectable amount of subtilisin, the detection limit ranging from 8--34 ng/ml in different assays. The amount of antigen bound ranged from 42--9380 ng/ml. IgG to subtilisin was not detected in the sera of 61 subjects with no known exposure to subtilisin and who were not factory workers.

Absorption↗
PubMed1976

Egg allergy, influenza vaccine, and immunoglobulin E antibody.

In a study of 70 patients with asthma, rhinitis, and eczema, those giving a definite history of allergic reactions to egg more frequently showed positive skin tests to egg extracts (p = less than 0.003), the wheal diameters of which were significantly larger (p = less than 0.01) than in patients with only a possible or no such history. Patients with a definite history of egg allergy had significantly higher levels of specific IgE antibody against egg yolk, egg white, and allantoic fluid than patients in the other two groups (p = less than 0.005). Seven patients, all of whom had given a definite history of allergy to egg, were found to have positive skin prick tests to influenza vaccine, at the concentration used in medical practice. Two of these patients had previously been given influenza vaccine and both had developed adverse reactions. Of the 22 patients giving a definite history of allergy to egg, the 7 (35 per cent) with positive skin tests to influenza vaccine had significantly larger skin tests and higher levels of specific IgE antibody to the egg extracts than the group as a whole (p = less than 0.001). Allergic reactions to influenza vaccine are likely to occur in patients who have a definite history of allergy to egg and large skin prick test reactions or high levels of specific IgE antibody to egg extracts. Those at risk can best be identified by skin prick testing with egg extracts and undiluted influenza vaccine.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Antibodies mediating type I skin test reactions to polysaccharide and protein antigens of Candida albicans.

Immediate, type I, prick test reactions in man to purified fractions of Candida albicans group A were mediated by different classes of antibody. The allergens were the cell-wall polysaccharide, mannan, and 'purified' cytoplasmic protein fraction, free of mannan, prepared by passage through Sepharose-concanavalin-A. Passive transfer tests in the monkey gave immediate reactions, (1) to the purified, cytoplasmic, protein mediated by heat-labile long-term sensitizing antibody, and (2) to the polysaccharide, mannan, mediated by heat-stable short-term sensitizing antibody.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Asthma due to non-occupational exposure to toluene (tolylene) di-isocyanate.

The production of asthma by toluene di-isocyanate, aspirated into the ventilating system and emanating from the exhausts of a neighbouring factory, was established in three otherwise non-exposed clerical workers. Occupational-type exposure tests with a polyurethane varnish/toluene di-isocyanate mixture elicited vigorous and prolonged non-immediate asthmatic reactions, thus enabling identification of the otherwise, obscure etiological cause of their asthma.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Investigation of a respiratory disease associated with an air-conditioning system.

This paper describes the investigation of respiratory disease presenting in a group of men employed on the printing floor of a factory. The air-conditioning units supplying this floor were found to be contaminated with a variety of micro-organisms. The specific cause of the disease was not identified but an alteration in the system of humidification led to the complete resolution of symptoms.

Aged↗
PubMed1976

Immediate (type I) allergic responses to platinum compounds.

A series of platinum complexes has been used for allergy tests in a number of platinum refinery workers who are known to be sensitive to hexachloroplatinate ([PtCl6]2-) salts. The results show that the allergy-eliciting compounds are confined to a very small group of ionic complexes containing reactive halogen ligands. Neutral complexes and those containing more strongly bound ligands are totally inactive. These variations in activity are interpreted in terms of established kinetic and thermodynamic parameters.

Chelating Agents↗
PubMed1976

Bakers' asthma.

Bronchial provocation tests by "occupational" exposure to flour provoked dual asthmatic reactions accompanied by rhinitis in two atopic bakers engaged in the manufacture of bread and pies. Ingestion tests with uncooked flour produced no reactions. Skin prick tests with aqueous extracts of flour produced positive immediate reactions in both bakers, and negative reactions in nine of ten atopic asthmatic control subjects with no occupational exposure to flour. Intracutaneous tests, performed in one precipitin negative baker, gave dual responses. Precipitating antibodies to an aqueous extract of flour were found in the unconcentrated serum of the other baker, and not in ten control subjects.

Adult↗