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Biomedical subjects

L Kaufman

Publications and source records attributed to L Kaufman.

At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources
PubMed1972

Comparison of a newly developed latex agglutination test and an immunodiffusion test in the diagnosis of systemic candidiasis.

A newly developed latex agglutination (LA) test and a modified immunodiffusion (ID) test were evaluated. The antigen used was a homogenate of Candida albicans. A total of 167 antisera were employed in the evaluation. They included 36 sera from clinically well persons; 78 from patients with various clinical forms of candidiasis; 52 from patients with proven cases of aspergillosis, blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, nocardiosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, sporotrichosis, and tuberculosis; and one serum from a patient with toruloposis. Use of the LA test in conjunction with the ID test permitted the detection of more than 90% of 43 proven candidiasis cases. Of all the heterologous cases and normal human sera tested, LA reactions were noted with 3 of 10 cryptococcosis case specimens, 1 of 9 tuberculosis case specimens, and with the torulopsemia case serum. In contrast, the only heterologous serum reactive in the ID test was that from the patient with torulopsemia. Torulopsis glabrata and C. albicans antisera gave identical reactions in LA and ID tests with T. glabrata or C. albicans antigens. ID tests with selected antigens, however, permitted differentiation of rabbit and human T. glabrata antibody from that of C. albicans antibody. Six different precipitins were recognized with the C. albicans antigens. The occurrence of multiple precipitin lines and high LA titers was suggestive of severe candidiasis. The LA test, in contrast to the ID test, appeared to have prognostic value. Together, the LA and ID tests provided a simple, rapid, and accurate means of detecting and monitoring infections by species of Candida.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1972

Isolation of a new soluble antigen from the yeast phase of Histoplasma capsulatum.

A method is described by which a soluble antigen was prepared from the yeast phase of Histoplasma capsulatum. This soluble preparation had a specificity greater than that of whole-cell yeast-phase antigens. In complement fixation tests with sera from human cases of histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, and coccidioidomycosis, the soluble antigen reacted in 12.1% of 141 tests with heterologous sera, whereas conventional whole-cell yeast antigens reacted in 47.3% of 91 tests with heterologous sera. The reactivities of the two types of antigens with homologous sera were essentially the same.

Antigens, Fungal↗
PubMed1972

Pathogenesis and immunological aspects of experimental histoplasmosis in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis).

Studies were carried out to obtain basic information on the pathogenesis of experimental histoplasmosis in Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) and to determine whether such infected primates can be used as a source of positive reference sera in serological tests for histoplasmosis. Ten monkeys were inoculated intraperitoneally with approximately 9.1 x 10(7) viable Histoplasma capsulatum yeast-form cells or cell aggregates. At periodical intervals, their sera were tested for antibodies to H. capsulatum by the complement fixation (CF), immunodiffusion, and latex agglutination tests. Selected monkeys were also sacrificed at periodical intervals for cultural and pathological evaluation of their tissues. Infection with H. capsulatum elicited high-antibody responses, and the fungus disseminated to many organs. Initially, the infected monkeys developed CF titers as high as 1:256 to both histoplasmin and H. capsulatum yeast cell antigens. Subsequent challenges boosted the CF antibody titers to levels as high as 1:1,024. All of the monkeys developed M precipitins, and some also produced H precipitins. Latex agglutination titers as high as 1:1,024 were also demonstrated. Our findings show that Cynomolgus monkeys experimentally infected with H. capsulatum by the intraperitoneal route develop a mild form of histoplasmosis and that these animals can be used as a source of reference sera in serological tests for histoplasmosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1970

Chemically induced porphyria: prevention by prior treatment with phenobarbital.

The excessive induction of hepatic delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase in rats after the administration of porphyria-inducing compounds is prevented by prior treatment with phenobarbital. Studies in vivo and in vitro indicate that phenobarbital prevents the induction of chemical porphyria by increasing the rate of detoxification of inducers by way of drug-metabolizing enzymes of the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed1970

Effects of neostigmine and atropine on motor activity of ileum, colon, and rectum of anaesthetized subjects.

In unanaesthetized patients atropine and neostigmine in doses normally used by anaesthetists to reverse muscle relaxants produced a pronounced increase in bowel activity. This response occurred whether atropine was given before or simultaneously with neostigmine.The response still occurred in 38% of patients anaesthetized without halothane, and possibly this increase in motility might endanger a recently constructed anastomosis. The ileum appeared particularly prone to neostigmine stimulation, and anastomoses involving ileum would seem especially at risk. When halothane was used during anaesthesia the response was completely inhibited during the period studied.

Anesthesia, General↗
PubMed1970

Application of agglutinins for the rapid and accurate identification of medically important Candida species.

Agglutinins have been prepared against the medically important Candida species. Crude antisera to the various species demonstrated intense cross-reactions with heterologous yeastlike fungi as well as with many true yeasts. However, carefully monitored adsorptions of selected antisera allowed the production of six factor sera that proved useful in a slide agglutination test. These six sera permitted the rapid and specific identification of C. guilliermondii, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, and C. pseudotropicalis. They also allowed the delineation of two groups: (i) C. albicans (type A)-C. tropicalis and (ii) C. albicans (type B)-C. stellatoidea. C. albicans type A could be readily distinguished from C. tropicalis by its ability to form germ tubes in serum. C. stellatoidea could be distinguished from C. albicans type B by its predominantly filamentous growth on a nutritionally deficient medium. The medically important Candida species could be identified within 24 hr by the combined use of serological and morphological procedures.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1970

Comparison of macrocomplement and microcomplement fixation techniques used in fungus serology.

A comparative evaluation was performed on the micro- and macrocomplement fixation (CF) tests that are used as standard procedures in the serodiagnosis of blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, and histoplasmosis. Tests with 937 sera from suspected and culturally proven cases of these diseases against yeast-form antigens of Blastomyces dermatitidis and Histoplasma capsulatum and against the soluble antigens, coccidioidin and histoplasmin, revealed that the microtiters were within +/- 1 dilution of the macrotiters in 83 to 93% of the sera. Tests on randomly coded quality control sera revealed the microform of the CF test to be highly reproducible. Our studies indicate that the results obtained by the two tests have similar diagnostic and prognostic interpretations. Because of the sensitivity, reproducibility, economy, and ease of performance, the microtest is highly recommended for use in fungus serology.

Blastomyces↗
PubMed1969

Immunological studies with an m-deficient histoplasmin skin-test antigen.

Previous studies have shown that a single skin test to histoplasmin may induce complement-fixing antibodies or M precipitins (or both) to histoplasmin in histoplasmin-sensitive, but serologically negative, individuals. Ideally a skin-test antigen should be one which detects hypersensitivity without stimulating humoral antibodies. Histoplasmin skin-test antigens presently used contain both H and M antigens. The present study was undertaken to evaluate an histoplasmin skin-test antigen deficient in the M component but containing the H antigen. Thirty histoplasmin-hypersensitive subjects were bled prior to administration of the experimental skin-test antigen and at various time intervals thereafter. Only six of the thirty hypersensitive subjects showed serological responses. The sera of the six, however, only showed weak precipitin reactions, five showed M bands, and only one showed an M and an H band. None showed complement-fixation titers with either the yeast or mycelial antigens of Histoplasma capsulatum. Our data suggest that the use of a skin-test antigen purified to contain only H component would detect histoplasmin hypersensitivity without inducing antibodies and would eliminate false-positive serological reactions caused by the M component.

Journal Article↗