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Biomedical subjects

M E Collins

Publications and source records attributed to M E Collins.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Role of the chemokine eotaxin in the pathogenesis of equine sweet itch.

The chemokine eotaxin is involved in the recruitment of eosinophils and T helper 2 lymphocytes in human allergic diseases, and drugs that block its activity, including eotaxin receptor (CCR3) antagonists, are being developed. The authors have recently cloned the horse ortholog of eotaxin and shown that it can induce equine eosinophil migration and activation in vitro. Moreover, eotaxin mRNA expression was upregulated in cultured horse dermal fibroblasts exposed to equine interleukin-4, suggesting a possible source of this eosinophil chemoattractant in equine skin. The results of this study show that eotaxin and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP) 1, but not MCP-2 or MCP-4, mRNA expression is upregulated in skin biopsies of sweet itch lesions when eosinophils are present, when compared with clinically normal skin from the same ponies.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Tat protein expression in MDBK cells does not confer susceptibility to bovine immunodeficiency virus.

The ability of BIV strain R29 to infect bovine cell lines in the presence or absence of a functional lentiviral Tat protein is described. Jembrana disease virus (JDV) Tat protein was stably expressed in MDBK cells. No viral replication could be detected in this cell line after infection with BIV R29. Transfection of MDBK cells and MDBK Tat expressing cells with BIV R29 proviral DNA established that BIV R29 could not replicate in MDBK cells. Whether viral entry into MDBK cells is also a block to BIV R29 infection of MDBK cells has yet to be established.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Cytokine adjuvancy of BVDV DNA vaccine enhances both humoral and cellular immune responses in mice.

The effect of cytokine adjuvancy on a bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) DNA vaccine expressing the major glycoprotein E2 was investigated in mice. Murine interleukin-2 (IL-2) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were chosen for their potential ability to enhance the humoral and cellular immune responses involved in protection against BVDV. Both cytokines, co-administered as separate plasmid constructs, had a marked effect on ELISA and neutralising antibody titres, improving the spectrum of neutralisation induced by the E2 DNA vaccine, as demonstrated in heterologous neutralisation assays. The predominance of IgG2a isotypes, in sera from all DNA injected groups, indicated a Th1 biased immune response. Antigen specific proliferation of murine splenocytes from immunised mice was enhanced by cytokine co-administration, with the highest stimulation indexes observed in the group co-injected with the GM-CSF construct. These results obtained in the mouse (Balb/c; H2-kd) animal model demonstrate the value of the two cytokines as adjuvants for the E2 DNA vaccine. The need for an adjuvant in this system was emphasised by the MHC restriction observed when C57BL/6 mice (H2-kb) were immunised with the E2 DNA construct. Antibody levels were dramatically lower in this mouse strain.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Evidence for the presence of two bovine lentiviruses in the cattle population of Bali.

Antibodies directed against two bovine lentiviruses, Jembrana disease virus (JDV) and bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV), were detected in Balinese cattle sera using two new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) based on the combination of capsid (CA) protein and transmembrane (TM) peptides derived from JDV or BIV sequences. Twenty eight of the 77 sera tested on the JDV ELISA showed anti-JDV antibodies with an unequal distribution of seropositive animals throughout the different districts of Bali. Furthermore, when 17 of the JDV positive sera were tested on Western blot, using the same JDV CA antigen, only 13 were judged positive confirming that the ELISA was a more sensitive technique for the detection of seropositive animals. Finally, 9 of the 49 JDV seronegative animals showed anti-BIV antibodies when tested on BIV-specific ELISA. These two ELISAs appeared to be highly sensitive for the detection of anti-JDV and anti-BIV antibodies. Moreover, for the first time, animals showing antibodies against BIV were identified on the main island of Bali and on the JDV-free Nusa Penida island.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Follow-up client satisfaction in a supported education program.

Satisfaction data have recently returned to popularity, as an outcome measure in managed behavioral healthcare systems. However, there are few examples of management uses of such data. We collected data 12 months after participants had completed a supported education program, concerning their retrospective satisfaction and the barriers, needs, and personal difficulties currently experienced in their attempts to pursue post-secondary education or training. Data on follow-up supportive contacts were also obtained. Results supported participants' continuing satisfaction, and identified particular information items which were endorsed as most helpful. However, the data indicated that personal difficulties presented obstacles to many and that a majority of participants had current needs for financial aid, tutoring, job placements, support groups, and transportation. Following completion of the supported education program, many participants had continuing contacts in support of their educational plans. The amount of contact was generally low, however. In the future, supported education programs need to build in mechanisms to ensure students receive ongoing support for education, since this support was found to positively and significantly affect individuals' enrolling in college or training.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Cloning of equine chemokines eotaxin, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, MCP-2 and MCP-4, mRNA expression in tissues and induction by IL-4 in dermal fibroblasts.

We report the cloning of four equine CC chemokines, eotaxin, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, MCP-2 and MCP-4, which show high levels of identity with their respective homologous sequences in other species. Using a multiplex RT-PCR, we have studied the constitutive mRNA expression of these four CC chemokines in skin, lung, liver, spleen, jejunum, colon and kidney of normal adult horses and compared this data with the eosinophil counts in the same samples. We demonstrate that eotaxin mRNA is only expressed in jejunum and colon, where there are large numbers of eosinophils suggesting that eotaxin might be recruiting eosinophils in the normal digestive tract of the horse. MCP-1 and MCP-4 are expressed in all tissues whereas MCP-2 is only found in some samples of lung, spleen, liver and kidney. We also report the early induction (2h) of equine eotaxin and MCP-4, and the up-regulation of MCP-1 by interleukin-4 in dermal fibroblasts, suggesting these chemokines might be involved in equine skin allergic diseases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Co-administration of IL-2 enhances antigen-specific immune responses following vaccination with DNA encoding the glycoprotein E2 of bovine viral diarrhoea virus.

Induction of effective immunity requires the delivery of a protective antigen with appropriate co-stimulatory signals. For bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) this antigen is the major viral glycoprotein E2. Neutralising antibodies are directed towards the E2 protein and passive transfer of antibodies in serum or colostrum can completely protect against viral infection. DNA vaccination of mice with a construct encoding the E2 glycoprotein induced neutralising antibody levels that were potentially sufficient to prevent virus replication in a challenge system. The co-delivery of interleukin-2 (IL-2) further enhanced the levels of antibody raised. The strong IgG2a component of the antigen-specific antibody suggests a Th1 bias to the immune response induced following vaccination.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed2000

Integrating vocational services on case management teams: outcomes from a research demonstration project.

Recent innovations to improve employment rates among persons with psychiatric disabilities include "hybrid case management/employment services." Project WINS was a research/demonstration project which integrated specialized vocational services into case management teams. In this report, client outcomes of WINS involvement are evaluated, using a quasiexperimental, longitudinal design. On almost all the work-related variables, participants in the immediate and delayed treatment conditions displayed better outcomes than those in the control condition, as did individuals receiving moderate or substantial service versus no/ minimal services. To address possible selection bias due to the quasiexperimental nature of the design, further analyses used baseline differences across conditions and participation levels as covariates. Results of multivariate analyses showed some anomalous findings regarding significant positive effects for the delayed, but not the immediate treatment condition versus the no-treatment control group. However, in similar analyses involving participation level as the independent variable, a moderate or substantial amount of service increased the odds of working by almost five times and also positively affected three other work-related variables. While limitations of this quasiexperimental design are noted, the results appear promising enough to support replications of WINS.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Impact of welfare reform on teenage parent recipients: an analysis of two cohorts.

To assess early effects of welfare reform, administrative data was used to compare prereform and postreform cohorts of teenage parents regarding the impact of reform on welfare enrollments, case closures, child maltreatment, and subsequent births. The relation of mandated living arrangements to outcomes was also examined. Cohort differences were observed in enrollments and reasons for closure, but not in maltreatment or birth rates. Living arrangements were found to be associated with case closure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Teenage parents and welfare reform: findings from a survey of teenagers affected by living requirements.

An important component of welfare reform aimed at minor teenage parents is a requirement that the teenager live in an appropriate living situation, typically with a parent or guardian. The State of Massachusetts developed Teen Living Programs as an alternate living arrangement for minor teenage parents receiving welfare who are unable to live with family members. This article reports on a survey of 199 teenage parents who lived in the Teen Living Programs. Three research questions were asked: Who are the teenagers served by these programs? What services were provided? To what extent have teenagers attained key outcomes? Outcomes measured included educational attainment, employment, welfare status, homelessness, and subsequent pregnancy. Implications for social policy, further program development, and clinical intervention are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Characteristics predicting successful outcomes of participants with severe mental illness in supported education.

OBJECTIVE: The study sought to identify characteristics of participants in a supported education program that were related to a successful outcome. Supported education programs provide rehabilitation and support services to help people attain postsecondary education. METHODS: A total of 147 persons who completed such a program were interviewed six or 12 months later, or at both times, to determine whether they were involved in productive activity, which was defined as engaging in either college or vocational education or in paid employment. Variables examined as predictors of productive activity were demographic characteristics; education and work background; social support; self-perceptions related to self-esteem, empowerment, quality of life, and school self-efficacy; and illness-related variables, including diagnosis, symptoms, and length of illness. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression identified the strongest predictor as productive activity at baseline. Marital status was the only significant demographic variable in the model; single participants were less likely to be engaged in productive activity. For participants who reported more frequent contact with their social network, the likelihood of engagement in productive activity was higher, and for those who reported more encouragement for education from their network, the likelihood was lower. A lower level of adjustment in the financial domain decreased the likelihood of productive activity, and a higher level of problems with housework increased the likelihood. No illness-related variable or self-perception was a significant predictor. CONCLUSIONS: Factors related to a successful outcome from a supported education program for persons with severe mental illness are also likely to be important factors for nondisabled populations. Among those with mental illness, social support is a key factor in attaining educational and vocational goals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Bovine viral diarrhea virus quasispecies during persistent infection.

Analysis of viral genome sequences from two calves persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus revealed a quasispecies distribution. The sequences encoding the glycoprotein E2 were variable, translating to a number of changes in predicted amino acid sequences. The NS3 region was found to be highly conserved in both animals. The number of E2 clones showing variant amino acids increased with the age of the animal and comparison of the consensus sequences at the different time points confirmed differences in the predicted E2 sequences over time. The immune tolerance that allows the lifelong persistence of this viral infection is highly specific. It is likely that some of the variant viruses generated within these animals will differ antigenically from the persisting virus and be recognized by the immune system. Evidence of an immune response to persisting virus infection was gathered from a larger sample of cattle. Serum neutralizing antibodies were found in 4 of 21 persistently infected animals. Accumulations of viral RNA in the lymph nodes of all animals examined, particularly in the germinal center light zone, may represent antigenic variants held in the form of immune complexes on the processes of follicular dendritic cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Measuring coping strategies in an educational intervention for individuals with psychiatric disabilities.

Coping is a critical theoretical concept believed to be a mediator for successful outcomes produced through a variety of different social work interventions. This article describes an approach used to measure coping with stressors and was designed specifically for an intervention, the Michigan Supported Education Research Project, aimed at providing support for people with psychiatric disabilities to pursue college or vocational education. Hypothetical scenarios were developed that matched the content of material covered in the program. Open-ended responses were elicited from program participants as part of an in-person interview. Key findings included a participation effect on the number of positive coping strategies of participants and a significant relationship among some coping strategies and later outcomes. Implications for social work practice and research are identified.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1998

Noncytopathogenic bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) reduces cleavage but increases blastocyst yield of in vitro produced embryos.

The growing application of in vitro embryo production systems that utilize slaughterhouse tissues of animals of unknown health status conveys the risk of disease transmission. One pathogen of concern in this regard is bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of BVDV on in vitro embryonic development. A bovine in vitro embryo production system was experimentally infected with BVDV at 2 stages: prior to in vitro maturation by incubating cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) with virus (strain Pe515; titer 10(6.2) tissue culture infective dose (TCID)50/mL) or vehicle for 2 h, and then during in vitro culture by the use of BVDV infected granulosa cells. Exposure to BVDV throughout in vitro production reduced cleavage rates (P = 0.01) but increased (P = 0.05) the number of embryos that reached the 8-cell stage when expressed as a percentage of cleaved oocytes. Blastocyst yield was increased by the presence of virus when expressed as a proportion of oocytes (P = 0.0034) or of those cleaved (P < 0.0001). The percentage of total blastocyst yield on Days 7, 8 and 9 for the control and virus treatments was 20, 51, 29 and 29, 41, and 29%, respectively, indicating that the rate of blastocyst development was nonsignificantly faster in the virus-treated group (P = 0.06). These results indicate that the presence of non-cytopathogenic BVDV in an in vitro production system may reduce cleavage rates but allow those cleaved to develop to blastocysts at a higher rate.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Maternal recognition of foetal infection with bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV)--the bovine pestivirus.

BACKGROUND: Pestiviruses are the veterinary viruses with genome homology to human hepatitis C virus (HCV). This group includes classical swine fever virus (CSFV), border disease virus of sheep (BDV) and bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV). There are some similarities in the pathology of all three virus infections; in utero transmission to the foetus can cause early embryonic losses, severe congenital abnormalities and, particularly with BVDV, lifelong persistent infections. In situ hybridisation studies have demonstrated virus within reproductive tissues and the germinal centres of lymphoid tissue. OBJECTIVES: To examine the immune response of cattle throughout their pregnancy following infection with bovine pestivirus (BVDV) during the first trimester (before 110 days). STUDY DESIGN: In two experimental studies, heifers were infected with BVDV before 98 days gestation. Their antibody response was monitored during the remainder of the pregnancy. In another study, the antibody response of pregnant cattle was monitored following a natural infection of BVDV on a farm. Calves of the dams from all these three studies were examined, following birth, for persistent BVDV infection. RESULTS: It was observed that in dams carrying persistently infected foetuses, the immune response was markedly higher (13811 + 1273 U ELISA antibody) than in those dams carrying uninfected foetuses (2542+/-588 U ELISA antibody). These results were used to establish an antibody threshold (10000 U ELISA antibody) to predict the virus status of unborn calves during a farm outbreak of BVDV infection. The combined results of experimental and farm studies showed that in dams with low antibodies, 5/15 calves were infected whereas in dams with high antibodies, 17/19 calves were infected. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive reliability of the assay appeared valuable but not secure. The ability of BVDV to infect the foetus with consequent maternal recognition, whilst remaining inaccessible to maternal immune exclusion, is a novel finding.

Abortion, Veterinary↗
PubMed1998

Genome instability in BVDV: an examination of the sequence and structural influences on RNA recombination.

The cytopathogenic biotype of the pestivirus, bovine viral diarrhea virus, is frequently a product of nonhomologous recombination in the region of the genome encoding the viral NS2-NS3 proteins. The possibility that sequences or structures in this region contributed to a hotspot for RNA recombination was examined. A PCR-based strategy was used to examine viral genomic RNA isolated from tissue samples of cattle persistently infected with the noncytopathogenic biotype of the virus. Analysis of two different regions of the viral genome revealed that recombination was not restricted to particular sequences. Alignment of the genomic sequences undergoing recombination and examination of the predicted secondary structures of the participating RNAs revealed that the dissociation of partial, newly synthesized negative strand RNAs from the positive strand template occurred at many different sites on the molecule. Similarly, it appeared that the reassociation of the RNA polymerase complex with a second positive strand template was frequently influenced by short regions of homology between the nascent RNA strand and open secondary structures in the template molecule.

Animals↗