Biomedical subjects
M Nuti
Publications and source records attributed to M Nuti.
Seroepidemiology of bancroftian filariasis in the Seychelles Islands.
Wuchereria bancrofti is the only human filarioid present in the Seychelles archipelago. The last parasitological survey carried out in Mahé revealed a microfilaraemia rate of 3.6%. Serum samples from 417 native individuals living in Mahé were tested for the presence of filarial antibodies by ELISA method, using crude soluble extract of Brugia pahangi adult worm as antigen. The results seem to show a proportion of the population (17%) has been exposed to W. bancrofti (with OD values greater than 0.5) and 7% (with OD greater than 0.7) have specific filarial antibodies. The pattern of distribution of antibody levels in the sample population studied strongly suggest that filariasis is still endemic in Seychelles (Mahé).
A spectrum of monoclonal antibodies reactive with human mammary tumor cells.
Splenic lymphocytes of mice, immunized with membrane-enriched fractions of metastatic human mammary carcinoma tissues, were fused with the NS-1 non-immunoglobulin-secreting murine myeloma cell line. This resulted in the generation of hybridoma cultures secreting immunoglobulins reactive in solid-phase radioimmunoassays with extracts of metastatic mammary carcinoma cells from involved livers, but not with extracts of apparently normal human liver. As a result of further screening of immunoglobulin reactivities and double cloning of cultures, 11 monoclonal antibodies were chosen that demonstrated reactivities with human mammary tumor cells and not with apparently normal human tissues. These monoclonal antibodies could be placed into at least five major groups on the basis of their differential binding to the surface of various live human mammary tumor cells in culture, to extracts of mammary tumor tissues, or to tissue sections of mammary tumor cells studied by the immunoperoxidase technique. Whereas a spectrum of reactivities to mammary tumors was observed with the 11 monoclonal antibodies, no reactivity was observed to apparently normal cells of the following human tissues: breast, lymph node, lung, skin, testis, kidney, thymus, bone marrow, spleen, uterus, thyroid, intestine, liver, bladder, tonsils, stomach, prostate, and salivary gland. Several of the antibodies also demonstrated a "pancarcinoma" reactivity, showing binding to selected non-breast carcinomas. None of the monoclonal antibodies showed binding to purified ferritin or carcinoembryonic antigen. Monoclonal antibodies of all five major groups, however, demonstrated binding to human metastatic mammary carcinoma cells both in axillary lymph nodes and at distal sites.
Circulating immune complexes detected by C1q solid phase assay in leprosy.
Sixty-three sera of patients with leprosy were tested for the presence of circulating immune complexes (CIC) by C1q solid phase assay (C1qSPA). The mean values in CIC levels in leprosy patients were very high in comparison to native and European controls. No difference was found in the tuberculoid and lepromatous forms, but there was a good correlation between the presence of CIC and autoantibodies.
Dengue in the Seychelles.
Epidemics of dengue-like illness occurred in the Seychelles from December 1976 to April 1977 and from December 1978 to January 1979. Dengue 2 virus was isolated from individuals who had been in the Seychelles in 1977. From February to April 1979, sera were collected from outpatients in Mahé, Seychelles, who had not previously been hospitalized with a dengue-like illness. Results of neutralization tests with these sera indicated that prevalence rates for the four dengue viruses were between 81% and 91.8% and that dengue 2 was the most probable etiological agent in the epidemics. In addition, antibodies to chikungunya (8.7%) and Sindbis (7.4%) viruses were found, providing, for the first time, evidence of the presence of these two alphaviruses in the Seychelles.
Serological survey of toxoplasmosis in Somalia.
Of 356 samples of human sera collected from native patients in two distinct zones of Somalia, 53% were positive (greater than or equal to 1:8) to the dye-test for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies. A significantly lower incidence (P less than 0.01) of infection was found in patients living in the arid Mogadishu area, compared to that in patients from villages on the river borders, situated in humid soil zones. Furthermore, in 4.2% of the river area cases the titres were over 300 I.U., indicating that acute T. gondii infection exists among the Somalian population. These differences were regarded as being due to climatic and geographical conditions rather than to diet or socio-economic conditions.
Indirect immunoperoxydase test in the serological diagnosis of urinary schistosomiasis.
The outcome of the indirect immunofluorescence test (IIF) and the indirect immunoperoxydase test (IIP) was compared in 60 serum samples of patients affected by haematobium schistosomiasis and in controls. There was a striking agreement (positive correlation in 86.6%). The IIP is a simpler and cheaper test than the IIF.
[Diffusion of hepatitis B surface antigens in subjects with bladder schistosomiasis].
The problem of the relationship between the surface B antigen and the parasitosis characterized by active penetration of the larvae through the skin has not yet been resolved. Conflicting results have been reported lately on this problem even though it is currently believed that HBsAg is found more often among patients infected by parasites than among healthy subjects. Serum samples from 67 Somalian patients infected by S. haematobium were tested for the presence of the surface B antigen by ELISA method. The HBsAg was found in 19.4 per cent of these patients, while among controls (90 cases) the frequency of HBsAg was of 10 per cent. A comparative analysis of the results obtained with various methods in Somalia shows that the frequency of HBsAg among subjects with urinary schistosomiasis is of 25.9 per cent with indirect haemoagglutination (IHA), of 19.4 per cent with ELISA method and of 14.8 per cent with radioimmunoassay (RIA). These observations seem to indicate that the problem of an increased frequency of HBsAg among patients with urinary schistosomiasis needs further investigation.
Surface hepatitis B antigen and urinary schistosomiasis.
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The surface antigen (HBsAg) and the e-antigen (HBeAg) in Somalian patients with acute viral hepatitis.
Serum samples from 55 Somalian patients with acute viral hepatitis were examined for the presence of the surface antigen (HBsAG) and the e-antigen (HBeAg) and the corresponding antibodies (anti-HBs and anti-e). No e-antigen was detected in patients with viral hepatitis or in controls (47 cases); anti-e was found in 23.6% of hepatitis cases, all of whom were HBsAg carriers, and in 10% of the controls. The HBsAg was found in 60% of cases with hepatitis and 34% of controls; the anti-HBs was detected in 18% of the patients with hepatitis, all except one of whom were negative for HBsAg; in the one exception the HBsAg and anti-HBs were present simultaneously; the anti-HBs was found in 44.6% of controls. The frequency of serological evidence of hepatitis B infection (HBV) based on the presence of antigen/antibody HBs was 78.2% among patients with acute viral hepatitis; only 30% of these patients showed evidence of anti-e antibody.
Leprosy and hepatitis B virus markers: incidence of HBsAg and HBeAg in Somalian patients.
Serum samples from 222 Somalian patients, 135 with the lepromatous form of leprosy and 87 with the tuberculoid form of the disease, were examined for the presence of the surface antigen (HBsAg), the "e" antigen (HBeAg), and their corresponding antibodies (anti-HBs and anti-e). HBsAg was present in 24.4% of the LL cases and in 11.5% of the TT patients while anti-HBs was found respectively in 46.6% and 58.6%. The e-antigen was not found in any case of leprosy; anti-e was detected in 8.1% of the LL patients and in 3.5% of the TT cases. The rate of HBV seropositivity (HBsAg plus anti-HBs) was the same in the LL patients (71.1%) and in the TT patients (70.1%) and that could reflect the conditions of life in their closed community. The analysis of results obtained in Somalia has shown the presence of a difference in the distribution of HBsAg among leprosy patients, with an increased antigenemia in the lepromatous form which was statistically significant (p less than 0.05). No differences, however, were found between the leprosy patients and healthy controls. These observations seem to indicate that patients with lepromatous leprosy do not have an increased susceptibility to infection by hepatitis B virus.
IgE serum levels in urinary schistosomiasis.
IgE serum levels were determined by PRIST in 56 patients suffering from urinary schistosomiasis and in 39 healthy subjects living in the Coriolei area, south of Mogadishu. Abnormally high IgE values (as referred to normal values found in European healthy controls) were observed in 87.5% of the patients, the mean average being 1359.58 +/- 721.11 U/ml in schistosomiasis and 430.57 +/- 600.90 U/ml in Somalian healthy controls (P less than 0.01). The possible role of IgE in parasitic infection is discussed.
Histoplasmosis diffusion in Somalia: study of skin-test and serological survey.
Histoplasmin skin-test was applied to 1014 patients in two different parts of Somalia: in Mogadishu, an arid area, and in Jilib, a southern village on the banks of the Juba river. Among these patients only three gave areas of induration greater than 5 mm in diameter; all reactors were from Jilib. Results of a serological survey (latex-agglutination test) of histoplasmosis antibodies among 203 Somalian patients from three villages in river valleys are compared with the results of 171 inhabitants of the town of Mogadishu. Indirect agglutination antibody titers greater than or equal to 20 were found in 21.6% of the Mogadishu population as compared to 52.2% found in the river villages. In 96.2% of our cases in which the two tests were contemporarily used, the skin-test was completely negative despite high titres of positivity in the serological test. The results indicate the existence of founts of histoplasmosis infection in Somalia, particularly in humid areas bordering the rivers rather than in the surrounding arid semi-desert area characteristic of most of the country.
[E antigen (HBeAG) and surface antigen (HBsAg) in bladder schistosomiasis].
The problem of the relationship between surface B antigen and schistosomiasis or other parasitic infections which are transmitted though the skin is not still resolved. Serum samples from 54 Somalian patients infected by Schistosoma haematobium were tested for the presence of the surface B antigen (HBsAg) and the e-antigen (HBeAg). The HbsAg was found in 14.8 per cent of these patients, while among controls (47 cases) the frequency was of 34.0 p]er cent; no e-antigen was found among the patients and controls, the prevalence of anti-HBs antibodies was of 57.4 per cent among the patients with urinary schistosomiasis and of 44.6 per cent among the controls; a low rate of anti-e antibodies was found in the patients (7.4%) and in the controls (10.6%). These observation seem to indicate that the problem of an increased frequency of hepatitis B virus markers among patients with urinary schistosomiasis needs for further investigation.
[A case of relapsing cutaneous larva migrans transmitted by a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)].
A case of relapsing "creeping eruption" connected with parasites of the cheetah is reported in the man. The parasitological examination, carried out in two cheetahs liable of this syndrome, has shown two different helmintic species: Ancylostoma caninum and Ancylostoma tubaeforme.
[Inhibition of EA and EAC rosette formation by sera of patients with vesical schistosomiasis].
Circulating immune complexes were investigated by the E.A. and E.A.C. rosette inhibition test in sera samples from patients infested by Schistosoma haematobium. About 60% of the patients demonstrated significantly higher inhibition values than controls. The material inhibiting E.A.C. rosette formation was precipitated by 3.5% polyethilene glycol, thus excluding the role of C3 fragments and suggesting that inhibition was due to immune complexes.
[Relations between hepatitis B surface antigen and parasitic diseases: observations in patients with ancylostomiasis and schistosomiasis].
Hepatitis B antigen carriage was studied in Somalia in 155 patients with ancylostomiasis, with urinary schistosomiasis and with leprosy (lepromatosus and tuberculoid type and leprosy with schistosomiasis). The results have showed a significantly (p less than 0,001) higher frequency of HBsAg among the patients with ancylostomiasis (33,33%) and with urinary schistosomiasis (25,92%) than either the leprosy patients (9,67% in the L type and 6,89% in the T type) or the controls (11,11%); in the leprosy patients with schistosomiasis the frequency was 40,0%. The role of some penetrating skin parasites in the epidemiology of hepatitis B was discussed.