Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Ulrich.
This article describes isolated aplasia of the upper canines with retained deciduous canines in identical female twins. The twins are also concordant in some ectodermal stigmata. As a result of investigating other members of the family it appears that aplasia of the canines is due to a specific autosomal dominant gene.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Serum neutralization was measured in 72 sera collected during a 5.5-year period from 10 HIV infected individuals. Neutralizing antibodies (NA) were present in all sera. NA titers ranging from greater than 40 to greater than 640 were detected in sera from 4 patients, who all remained healthy and further an increase with time of NA was observed in these 4 patients. Progression to disease was observed in 3 persons with NA titers less than or equal to 40 who also lacked or lost anti-gag antibodies. Two of these patients were HIV antigenaemic prior to development of disease, whereas antigen was not detected in the remaining 7 healthy persons. A weak positive correlation (R(S) = +0.643, p less than 0.001) was found between titers of NA and whole virus antibody (WVA), with the ratios between titers (NA titer/WVA titer) varying a 100-fold. The results suggest that the presence of NA in some cases might be related to a healthy carrier state and that a combination of low titer NA with decline of anti-gag antibodies and/or HIV antigenaemia is associated with progression to clinical disease.
39 persons with an incidentally discovered seroconversion from HIV antibody negative (Ab-) to antibody positive (Ab+) state as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were investigated for the presence of (1) HIV antigen (Ag) and (2) immunoblotting test (IBT) Ab in serum samples collected within the year before seroconversion. 13 (33%) of the patients were HIV Ag+ at some time before seroconversion. However, the collection of samples was not done systematically and the samples from patients who had at least 1 sample collected within 3 months before seroconversion were thus compiled separately. This group consisted of 58 samples from 19 patients and among these none were HIV Ag+ earlier than 11 weeks before seroconversion, but the prevalence of HIV Ag+ samples was rising towards seroconversion and 10 patients (53%, 95% confidence limits: 29-76%) became HIV Ag+ in this 11-week period. Further, among all patients 13 (33%) were IBT Ab+ 4-50 days (median: 14 days) before seroconversion. Finally, among 18 patients with signs and symptoms consistent with an acute HIV infection 10 were HIV Ag+, as opposed to 4 HIV Ag+ patients among 21 without symptoms (p = 0.041).
To examine a possible relationship between decreased immune function and serological parameters, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antigenaemia and the quality and quantity of whole virus antibodies and antibodies against the major core protein p24, we investigated 160 healthy HIV infected individuals (CDC classification II and III). According to the number of T-helper lymphocytes (CD4 cells) these were divided into two groups (CD4 cell counts above or below 500/microliter), which according to the lymphocyte transformation response to pokeweed mitogen (response above or below 20% of control value) were further subdivided into two groups. Both the presence of HIV antigen (p = 0.022) and the absence of p24 antibodies (p = 0.001) correlated to a decreased CD4 cell count. Lack of p24 antibodies was more frequent than was the presence of HIV antigen among persons with decreased CD4 cell count and decreased response to pokeweed mitogen, indicating that absence of p24 antibodies may be an earlier marker of immune dysfunction than the presence of HIV antigen. In persons with p24 antibodies present, a low such titer was associated with a decrease of both immune parameters. Presence of HIV antigen and absence of p24 antibodies thus seems to correlate with the severity of immune dysfunction in healthy HIV infected individuals.
The native major core protein p24 of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was immunoaffinity purified by a monoclonal antibody and used to develop an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (inELISA) for detecting p24 antibodies in human sera. Its ability to detect p24 antibodies was compared to that of the immunoblotting test (IBT) and a commercial available competition ELISA (compELISA) employing recombinant HIV core protein. In tests on 60 serum samples the overall agreement of the inELISA and the IBT was 93.3%. Fifty-two samples were p24 antibody positive in both the inELISA and the IBT and of these 24 (46.2%) were positive in the compELISA. All compELISA positive samples were derived from healthy individuals, whereas of the 28 (53.8%) compELISA negative samples 1 was from a patient with acute HIV infection, 18 from healthy individuals and 9 from ARC/AIDS patients. The compELISA was able to distinguish among healthy persons with normal or low T-helper cell count (P = 0.048), as was the inELISA when p24 antibodies were titrated (P = 0.027). The inELISA equals IBT in specificity and sensitivity, is convenient and is very suitable for titration of p24 antibodies.
In a cross-sectional population study of Danish patients with AIDS 16 of 23 had clinical signs of neurological disease with muscle weakness or ataxia of the lower limbs as the dominant manifestation. Tibial and median nerve conduction was mildly slowed in a few patients and 15 had widening of cerebral ventricles at CT. However, all had prolonged latency of cortical evoked response following tibial nerve stimulation mainly due to slowing through the spinal cord. The prolongation of the latency of the evoked cortical responses was most pronounced in patients with lower limb ataxia and/or paresis. It is concluded that affection of the long tracts of the spinal cord are closely associated with the human immunodeficiency virus infection.
1,182 males and 155 females attending an STD clinic from June 1984 to October 1985 were investigated for the presence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 348 (29.5%) of the males and 5 (3.2%) of the females were antibody positive (ab+). 237 of the males were initially antibody negative (ab-) and were tested more than once, and during a 16-month period 40 of these seroconverted from ab- to antibody positive. The mean follow-up period of these 40 patients was 7.1 months, and thus the seroconversion rate is estimated to be 2.4% per month. Samples from 37 of these were available for HIV antigen testing. 19 of the patients were antigen positive in the latest ab- sample and accordingly, 18 patients were antigen negative in the latest ab- sample. No difference was found between the mean follow-up periods of those with and those without HIV antigen in the latest ab- serum and the presence of HIV antigen in serum was not associated with symptoms of acute HIV infection. After 20 months of follow-up, none (0.0-8.8%, 97.5% confidence limits) of the 40 patients have developed AIDS or AIDS-related complex.
Eight different monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were raised against a lysate of the HTLV-IIIb isolate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). All eight MAbs recognized the major core protein p24 as well as the gag precursors p39 and p55. Three different epitopes were defined by the eight MAbs when an antigen-catching ELISA was used as the test system. An antigen-catching ELISA for p24 was developed by use of two of the MAbs defining two different epitopes. This ELISA system was applied to the detection of p24 in culture supernatants from lymphocyte cultures of 13 different HIV isolates. The present p24 detecting ELISA proved useful for characterization of different isolates of HIV. Further, two MAbs from the present panel of antibodies were demonstrated to be sensitive and specific probes for the immunohistological detection of p24 protein in tissue sections of lymphoid tissue.
In order to determine the frequency of HIV antibodies among patients with haemophilia and other inheritable blood clotting disorder in the Lower Silesia region of South-West Poland, we examined a representative fraction comprising 106 patients from a cohort of 302 blood clotting disorder patients. The methods used for detecting HIV antibodies were an ELISA, the immunoblotting test ("Western blot") and an indirect immunofluorescence test. 8 patients were reactive in the ELISA, but only 2 (1.9%) patients were truly seropositive by the confirmation tests. Both patients have received imported commercial factor VIII preparation. Totally 17 patients have been treated with imported factor VIII, thus 12% (95% confidence limits: 1.5-36.5%) of these were seropositive. This figure, which is lower than figures obtained from the USA and Western Europe, is probably due to far less intensive treatment of the patients. None (95% confidence limits: 0-4.1%) of the patients solely treated with blood transfusion and locally produced preparation was HIV antibody positive. These results indicate a low prevalence of HIV infection in this region of Poland but are, on the other hand, a strong argument for an introduction of HIV antibody screening of blood donors to maintain these favourable condition.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A method for elution of HIV antibodies from whole blood or serum impregnated filter paper discs was developed. The results from testing of 73 eluates in an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and the immunoblotting test agreed with the results obtained by ordinary serum testing. Significant loss of antibody activity was not observed, neither in the eluates after storage for 1 mth at -20 degrees C nor in the filter paper discs after storage for 3 mths at +4 degrees C. This technique may be useful in facilitating sample collection and transportation, particularly in remote areas of the world.
Foscarnet was administered by continuous intravenous infusion in 15 patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in an open, uncontrolled study. Mean steady state serum concentrations of foscarnet was 261 mumol/l. Treatment was given for 6-21 days, median 14 days, being interrupted prematurely due to renal function impairment in seven patients, and due to other reasons in three patients. Foscarnet therapy was accompanied by improvement of some, probably cytomegalovirus (CMV) related, symptoms but did not otherwise affect the clinical condition of the patients. The occurrence of positive CMV cultures decreased significantly during therapy. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) detection by culture was positive in 70-80% of cultures and was unaffected by foscarnet treatment. Eight patients had detectable, free HIV antigen in serum before therapy, and in five of these HIV antigen disappeared during therapy, but reappeared 4-23 weeks after therapy. No patient lost HIV antigen, except during foscarnet therapy. No patient became HIV antigen positive during foscarnet therapy. Immunological parameters did not change during or after foscarnet therapy. Renal function impairment was seen in 9 patients (95% confidence limits, 32-84%), apparently due to reversible tubular damage. At follow-up, serum creatine was normal in all surviving patients. Concomitant medication may have contributed to the renal side-effects. Severe renal function impairment, i.e. serum creatinine above 0.25 mumol/l, was only seen in patients who at the start of foscarnet therapy were chronically affected by their disease. Thus, foscarnet reduces HIV antigen production in AIDS patients. Renal function impairment limits foscarnet use in AIDS patients, but in individuals with less severe manifestations of HIV infection, this side effect may be less frequent.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
We report three homosexual men who developed malaise, fever and a roseola-like exanthema which disappeared over 2 weeks. During 3 months follow-up, all three patients felt well and had no symptoms. HTLV III seroconversion was detected several weeks after the acute HTLV III infection. In two of the three cases the Western blot technique was able to detect HTLV III antibodies before they were detectable by the ELISA technique.
The Organon Teknika Vironostika anti-HTLV-III/LAV test was evaluated in three Danish blood banks. The evaluation comprised in total 3,940 consecutive donors. In all three blood banks the tests were carried out exactly according to the manufacturer's instructions, using a low cut-off value defined as (4N + P)/5, where N and P are means of optical densities of known negative and positive samples. By this method the overall frequency of repeatably positive samples was 0.30%. When tested by Western blot, however, none of these samples were shown to contain specific antibodies against HTLV-III/LAV proteins. When testing different categories of patients, only sera containing HLA antibodies gave rise to false-positive reactions. Finally, important differences in the results were observed regarding sample preparation, single or dual wavelength optical density readings, and the experience of the technical staff.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.