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Biomedical subjects

M Leinonen

Publications and source records attributed to M Leinonen.

229 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

Comparison of counter-current immunoelectrophoresis, latex agglutination, and radioimmunoassay in detection of soluble capsular polysaccharide antigens of Haemophilus influenzae type b and Neisseria meningitidis of groups A or C.

Three serological methods, radioimmunoassay (RIA), latex agglutination (LX), and counter-current immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP), for sensitivity in the detection of the capsular polysaccharide antigen of Haemophilus influenzae type b or Neisseria meningitidis groups A and C were compared. RIA was consistently the most sensitive, LX the next, and CIEP the least sensitive. When RIA and LX were used to test cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of patients with meningitis, they gave very similar results. In only two out of 47 samples, in which RIA detected one of the three antigens, was the amount of the specific polysaccharide too low to be detected by LX. By the serological methods we could detect evidence of specific pathogen in 49 samples, including nine from patients who had received intensive antimicrobial treatment for up to three days and from whom specimens yielded no bacteria on culture. The reactions were specific in all cases except two out of 47 tests positive by LX. From these two CSF samples N. meningitidis group B could be cultivated, whereas the LX was recorded positive for N. meningitidis of group A in one case, and of group C in the other. The nonspecific reactions could be due to antibodies to bacterial components other than the capsular polysaccharide.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1977

The latex agglutination test for the diagnosis of meningococcal and haemophilus influenzae meningitis.

103 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 55 patients with bacteriologically proven meningitis (caused mainly by Neisseria meningitidis group A and Haemophilus influenzae type b) and from 29 patients with unproved meningitis or other diseases were studied using the latex agglutination (LA) test to demonstrate bacterial antigen in CSF. The tests for N. meningitidis groups A and C and H. ineluenzae type b were found to be rapid, reliable and specific for the serological group of the organism. The demonstration of N. meningitidis group B antigen has not succeeded with the test. Negative results were obtained from culture-positive samples in 4 cases where the bacterial growth was scanty. On the other hand the LA test was clearly positive on 3 occasions in which meningococci did not grow in cultures because of initiated antibacterial therapy or delay before culturing. False-positive results were rare (2 cases). The LA test was found to be at least as sensitive as counterimmunoelectrophoresis in demonstrating bacterial antigens in CSF.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chlamydia pneumoniae community-acquired pneumonia: a review of 62 hospitalized adult patients.

In a prospective study, Chlamydia pneumoniae was identified as the etiological agent in 62 (17.9%) of 346 adult patients hospitalized over the course of one year for community-acquired pneumonia at the Soroka Medical Center in Beer-Sheva, Israel. The diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infection was based on serological testing of antibodies by the MIF technique. In 43 of these patients (69.4%), at least one other etiological agent, in addition to C. pneumoniae for community-acquired pneumonia was identified. Streptococcus pneumoniae was identified in 34 patients with C. pneumoniae (54.8%), as an additional causative factor in infection. Community-acquired pneumonia patients with C. pneumoniae were significantly older than non-C. pneumoniae patients (p = 0.03), had a higher APACHE II score on admission (p < 0.05), a higher rate of positive blood cultures (p = 0.02), and longer periods of hospitalization (p = 0.022). Seven patients with pure C. pneumoniae infection recovered, despite treatment which is not considered to be specific for C. pneumoniae. It was concluded that C. pneumoniae is a common etiological agent for community-acquired pneumonia in our region, particularly in the elderly, and is characterized by a high rate of concomitant infections with other pulmonary pathogens. No specific clinical or radiological pattern was discerned that could distinguish between C. pneumoniae community-acquired pneumonia and non-C. pneumoniae community-acquired pneumonia.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A study of the pneumococcal vaccine in prevention of clinically acute atttacks of recurrent otitis media.

A total of 827 infants and children three months to six years of age were vaccinated randomly after an attack of otitis media, with either the 14-valent pneumococcal vaccine or a control vaccine against Hemophilus influenzae type b. Clinically acute attacks of otitis media that occurred greater than or equal to 14 days after vaccination were analyzed by culture of the middle ear fluid. Children who had received the pneumococcal vaccine at the age of seven to 83 months experienced within the first six months after vaccination significantly fewer attacks of otitis media caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae than did children in the control group (50% overall reduction, p less than 0.01). The reduction of attacks was specific to those pneumococcal types/groups present in the vaccine that induced a good serum antibody response; the specific protection indicated for vaccine types/groups other than 6 (to which the antibody response was very poor) was 67% (P less than 0.001). No or very little protection was seen in infants younger than seven months or in any children later than six months after vaccination.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serum antibody response to pneumococcal otitis media.

Total and immunoglobulin class-specific antibody responses to the infecting pneumococcal serotype/group in sera of 114 children, 3 months to 7 years old, who had acute pneumococcal otitis media, were measured by radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of these children 36% showed a twofold or greater increase of antibodies as a response to their infection, but the responsiveness varied from 17 to 83% among different pneumococcal types. The number and intensity of responses increased with the age of the children. In acute sera only IgG and IgM class antibodies were usually detectable. IgG and IgM class antibodies were regularly formed as a response to the infection. IgA class antibodies were frequently seen in the convalescent sera when the total antibody response was strong, and they were the first to start declining.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antibody response to 14-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine in pre-school age children.

Antibody responses to 14-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine were measured by Farr-type radioimmunoassay in children younger than 7 years of age. On the basis of immunogenicity in young children individual pneumococcal polysaccharides could be identified as uniformly good, strongly age-dependent or uniformly poor immunogens. Pneumococcal types 6A and 23F, which frequently cause pneumococcal infections in small children, were the poorest immunogens in this age group. The children younger than 2 years of age responded very poorly also to types 19F and 18C whereas older children had good antibody responses to these types. The results support the current view that present pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines are not beneficial in children younger than 2 years of age and stress the importance of attempts to improve their immunogenicity.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

First and second dose antibody responses to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in infants.

Total (radioimmunoassay) and immunoglobulin class-specific (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) antibody responses to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides were measured in children who received the first dose of 14-valent pneumococcal or control (saline) vaccine at the age of 7 months and the second dose at the age of 13 months. Types 3 and 18C elicited strong antibody responses and types 14 and 19F elicited intermediate responses in all immunoglobulin classes after both doses of the vaccine. The generally poor immunogen types 6A and 23F elicited a weak antibody response mainly in the immunoglobulin M class. The antibody levels to most pneumococcal types also decreased rapidly after both injections of the vaccine.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of uteroplacental circulation does not evoke harmful CTG changes or perinatal events.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an intravascular ultrasound contrast agent used in the examination of uteroplacental circulation in late pregnancy has any effect on fetal cardiotocographic (CTG) parameters or fetal well-being. METHODS: The uteroplacental circulation of 69 women with singleton third trimester pregnancies was examined by power Doppler with contrast agent (Levovist((R)); Schering AG, Berlin, Germany) enhancement. Computed CTG examination using Dawes/Redman criteria was recorded just before and after ultrasonographic examination in 25 subjects examined with contrast agent and in 15 control patients who were given only physiological saline injection during ultrasonography. Umbilical artery blood flow velocity waveform was examined in 15 subjects before and 5 min after maternal contrast agent injection. Obstetric outcome of all the 69 subjects was evaluated by birthweight, placental weight, fetal and neonatal distress, prenatal hemorrhages, cord arterial and venous blood pH and macroscopic placental examination. RESULTS: No apparent fetal or maternal harmful effects caused by the contrast-enhanced ultrasonography were observed. In CTG examination there was a statistically significant increase in the number of accelerations and fetal movements and in short-term variation after administration of the contrast agent in both subjects and controls. There were no significant changes in the umbilical artery blood flow velocity waveform after administration of the contrast agent. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast agent enhancement in the examination of uteroplacental circulation does not produce any harmful fetal or placental effects in late pregnancy. Ultrasonographic examination itself, obviously due to maternal stress reaction, is associated with a slight activation of fetal behavioral status.

Cardiotocography↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and inflammation in adults with asthma.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and immune response to the C. pneumoniae heat shock protein 60 (CpHsp60) have been suggested to be associated with asthma. OBJECTIVES: To study whether a slightly elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) level as a marker of low-grade systemic inflammation has a role in this association, we collected serum and sputum samples from 103 asthma patients with disease severity ranging from mild to moderate and from 30 healthy volunteers. METHODS: IgA and IgG antibodies to C. pneumoniae elementary bodies (CpEB) and CpHsp60 were measured by enzyme immunoassay. Serum CRP levels were measured with a rapid two-site ultra-sensitive assay based on time-resolved immunofluorometry. RESULTS: The asthma patients, especially those with moderate asthma, had higher serum IgA antibody levels to CpHsp60 than the healthy controls (test for trend, p = 0.05), whereas antibody levels to CpEB antigen did not differ between the study groups. CRP levels were higher in both asthma groups compared to the control group and moreover, the patients with moderate asthma had higher CRP levels than those with mild asthma (test for trend, p < 0.01). The subjects with a slightly elevated CRP level, defined as > or =1.8 mg/l, had higher CpEB IgA (p = 0.001), CpEB IgG (p = 0.008) and CpHsp60 IgA (p = 0.023) antibody levels in serum compared to the subjects with lower CRP levels. CONCLUSIONS: Slightly elevated CRP levels as a marker of low-grade systemic inflammation may be associated with C. pneumoniae infection in asthma patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Efficacy of pneumococcal vaccination against recurrent otitis media. Preliminary results of a field trial in Finland.

For this study, 781 children, and 3 to 83 months, after presenting with acute otitis media, were immunized with either 14-valent pneumococcal or Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide vaccine. The vaccines were tolerated well. Antibody responses to the 14 pneumococcal polysaccharide types, measured by radioimmunoassay, were fair to good and increased with age, with the exception of types 1, 6 and 12 to which the responses were generally poor. During the follow-up of 1-17 months, average 13 months, 45 vaccine type (except type 6) pneumococcal recurrences were met among 456 pneumococcal-vaccinated and 45 among 288 H. influenzae-vaccinated children, at least six months old (P < .05). The corresponding protective efficacy by the pneumococcal vaccine was 37%, for the first six months, 51% (P < .01). No protection by the pneumococcal vaccine was seen against group 6 pneumococci, nor among 19 infants under six months of age. Nonvaccine type pneumococcal ad H. influenzae recurrences did not significantly concentrate in either of the vaccination groups. Thus, it seems that parenteral immunization of children can reduce the recurrence rate of otitis media caused by pneumococci of types (except type 6) present in the vaccine.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Beclomethasone dipropionate Easyhaler is as effective as budesonide Turbohaler in the control of asthma and is preferred by patients. German Study Group.

This randomised, crossover study compared the efficacy, safety, acceptability and patient preference of two multidose powder inhalers (MDPIs)--beclomethasone dipropionate Easyhaler (BDP-EH) and budesonide Turbohaler (BUD-TH)--in 79 stable asthmatics who used inhaled steroids but had no experience of MDPIs. After eight weeks' treatment a mean increase in morning PEF of 16 l/min from a baseline of 356 +/- 112 l/min was observed for each treatment. Similar improvements occurred in evening PEF, FEV1, FVC and asthma symptoms. Both treatments had only minimal effect on morning serum cortisol levels. Compliance with both treatments was high (> 97%) but almost twice as many patients favoured the EH (59%) compared with the TH (33%); 7% rated the devices equally. Scores of device acceptability were significantly in favour of the EH (p = 0.001). BDP-EH and BUD-TH showed comparable efficacy and safety in the treatment of asthma. Each MDPI had a high rate of compliance, but patients registered greater preference for the EH than the TH.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Familial undulatory nystagmus in Ayrshire bulls in Finland.

The article describes a familial, undulatory nystagmus in Finnish Ayrshire bulls. The nystagmus appeared as a high-frequency tremor with a small amplitude and it was similar in both eyes. The vision didn't seem to be affected. In three of the affected five bulls a slight paramyoclonia posterior ('stretches') was also noticed. A histological examination of the vestibular nuclei with the adjacent brain area revealed no abnormalities. The pedigree of the bulls suggests a recessive autosomal inheritance.

Animals↗