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Biomedical subjects

M R Hall

Publications and source records attributed to M R Hall.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Assessment of adaptive functioning in Huntington's disease.

The Huntington's Disease Activities of Daily Living (HD-ADL) scale is a 17-item informant-completed instrument for rating adaptive functioning in Huntington's disease (HD) patients. To assess the reliability and clinical correlates of the HD-ADL, it was administered along with the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and Quantified Neurological Exam (QNE) to 93 HD patients. The HD-ADL has high internal consistency (coefficient alpha = 0.91). Principal components factor analysis of the HD-ADL revealed four factors (General Functioning, Domestic Activities, Home Upkeep, and Family Relationships) accounting for 72% of the total variance. MMSE score, motor impairment score, and duration of disease were the best predictors of HD-ADL score. Similar results were obtained in an independent replication sample of patients. The HD-ADL scores correlate with Shoulson and Fahn's total functional capacity (TFC) index (r = -0.89). The HD-ADL scale is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing adaptive function in HD patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

Schistosoma mansoni: immunoreactivity of human sera with the surface antigen Sm23.

Sm23, a surface antigen of Schistosoma mansoni, elicits an immune response in patients infected with the parasite, although to a lesser degree than Sj23, the homologue of Sm23 in Schistosoma japonicum. To characterize the host immune response to Sm23, we have expressed full-length Sm23 using the baculovirus expression system and have also expressed the N-terminal 133 amino acids and the 85 C-terminal amino acids by means of the prokaryotic vector pGEX. A total of 70 sera from patients from Sudan and Egypt were examined for alpha-Sm23 antibodies in an ELISA and in Western blot analysis using both the C-terminal polypeptide and the full-length protein. A subset of these sera was also tested for reactivity with the N-terminal polypeptide. The alpha-Sm23 antibody titers in infected patients varied widely and were not correlated with egg counts or age of the individuals. Most of the seroreactivity was directed against the C-terminal polypeptide.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

Patient compliance with prolonged low-dose oral etoposide for small cell lung cancer.

Using an 'intelligent' tablet bottle which, unknown to the patient, electronically records the times of opening we have assessed the compliance of patients with prescribed oral medication. The compliance pattern of 12 patients receiving low dose etoposide for small cell lung cancer was monitored over 25 treatment periods, representing a total of 298 days. The data were expressed as overall compliance (OC), defined as the observed number of bottle openings as a percentage of the prescribed number of doses, and as two indices representing daily and hourly irregularities in the times of opening. The OC had a mean (+/- s.d.) value of 93.2% (+/- 12%) over the 25 treatment periods, and is similar to that which we have reported in a group of lymphoma patients (Lee et al., 1992). By means of a self assessed diary card we monitored the physical and mental state of the patients. Although we found significant associations between the compliance measures and some of the diary card measures, the magnitude of the observed effects would be of little practical consequence. We conclude that, in our group of patients, inadequate compliance with oral chemotherapy would not account for any significant lack of clinical response.

Carcinoma, Small Cell↗
PubMed1993

Herpesvirus proteinase: site-directed mutagenesis used to study maturational, release, and inactivation cleavage sites of precursor and to identify a possible catalytic site serine and histidine.

The cytomegalovirus maturational proteinase is synthesized as a precursor that undergoes at least three processing cleavages. Two of these were predicted to be at highly conserved consensus sequences--one near the carboxyl end of the precursor, called the maturational (M) site, and the other near the middle of the precursor, called the release (R) site. A third less-well-conserved cleavage site, called the inactivation (I) site, was also identified near the middle of the human cytomegalovirus 28-kDa assemblin homolog. We have used site-directed mutagenesis to verify all three predicted sequences in the simian cytomegalovirus proteinase, and have shown that the proteinase precursor is active without cleavage at these sites. We have also shown that the P4 tyrosine and the P2 lysine of the R site were more sensitive to substitution than the other R- and M-site residues tested: substitution of alanine for P4 tyrosine at the R site severely reduced cleavage at that site but not at the M site, and substitution of asparagine for lysine at P2 of the R site reduced M-site cleavage and nearly eliminated I-site cleavage but had little effect on R-site cleavage. With the exception of P1' serine, all R-site mutations hindered I-site cleavage, suggesting a role for the carboxyl end of assemblin in I-site cleavage. Pulse-chase radiolabeling and site-directed mutagenesis indicated that assemblin is metabolically unstable and is degraded by cleavage at its I site. Fourteen amino acid substitutions were also made in assemblin, the enzymatic amino half of the proteinase precursor. Among those tested, only 2 amino acids were identified as essential for activity: the single absolutely conserved serine and one of the two absolutely conserved histidines. When the highly conserved glutamic acid (Glu22) was substituted, the proteinase was able to cleave at the M and I sites but not at the R site, suggesting either a direct (e.g., substrate recognition) or indirect (e.g., protein conformation) role for this residue in determining substrate specificity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Clinical evaluation of the efficacy of inoculating cattle with a vaccine containing Tritrichomonas foetus.

To test the efficacy of a polyvalent Tritrichomonas foetus vaccine, 130 nulliparous heifers were randomly assigned to either receive the test T foetus vaccine or to serve as nonvaccinated controls. The polyvalent test vaccine consisted of a Campylobacter fetus/Leptospira canicola-grippotyphosa-hardjo-icterohaemorrhagiae-pamona bacterine containing 5 x 10(7) killed T foetus/dose. The polyvalent control vaccine consisted of the aforementioned formulation without T foetus. Heifers were administered 2 doses of control or experimental vaccine at 3-week intervals. Heifers were bred to T foetus-infected bulls and their conception and pregnancy rates were determined throughout gestation. In addition, serum samples were analyzed to determine induced concentrations of antitrichomonal antibodies and vaginal secretions were sampled to determine T foetus infection rates in control and vaccinated animals. One week after each of the 15-day breeding periods, 60% (6 of 10) of tested vaccinates and 80% (8 of 10) of tested control animals were T foetus culture-positive. The mean duration of infection of vaccinates was 3.8 weeks (+/- 7.5 days), compared with 5.4 weeks (+/- 7.5 days) of infection for control heifers. All vaccinates developed increased immunofluorescence and serum neutralizing antibody titers following the first immunization, and had additional increases of at least fourfold in response to the second injection. In contrast, no consistent increase in immunofluorescence or serum neutralizing antibodies was observed in control animals. Conception rates were 89.2% for vaccinates and 85.9% for control animals 30 days after breeding and 80 to 90% of these remained pregnant 60 days after breeding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Abortion, Veterinary↗
PubMed1991

Endocrinological and behavioral changes associated with the onset of incubation in the duck.

Plasma levels of prolactin were measured during the onset of incubation in ducks. A rapid rise in prolactin levels from a mean of 5.7 to 33.1 ng/ml occurred during the formation of the final 20% of the clutch; during which the females increased their nest-box occupancy from 9.9 to 22.2 hours per day. A pronounced decrease in plasma progesterone levels, but not estradiol, occurred in females in the days immediately preceding the onset of incubation and termination of egg laying. A similar decrease in plasma LH occurred. Plasma corticosterone levels also decreased during the transition from egg laying to incubation. In male ducks, who play no role in incubation, LH remained constant until well into incubation when it decreased. Changes in plasma levels of prolactin are discussed in relation to tactile stimulation from the clutch and nutritional stress.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Host response to Pasteurella multocida turbinate atrophy toxin in swine.

A porcine strain of Pasteurella multocida (serotype D:3) produced a toxin causing turbinate atrophy (TA) in pigs. The toxin (TAT), processed on a high performance liquid chromatography size exclusion column, eluted as a single peak (molecular weight of about 160,000) containing trace amounts of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS; protein:LPS, 85:1). The eluted fraction migrated on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels as a single band. It could be prevented from dissociating into two prominent polypeptides by addition of a protease inhibitor. A single dose (2.0 to 79.0 micrograms/kg) of TAT given to pigs intravenously was lethal. Doses from 0.02 to 1.0 microgram/kg caused transient clinical signs of porcine systemic toxicosis with reduced appetite, generalized weakness, depression, lethargy, weight loss, and in some instances, death. Intradermal doses of TAT (greater than or equal to 0.1 microgram/site) produced hemorrhagic areas within four hours. Systemically, TAT causes bilateral TA, lymphopenia, liver dysfunctions, and possible renal impairment. Affinity of TAT for cells of epithelial origin was demonstrated in mice given 125I-TAT. In vitro, TAT stimulated DNA and protein syntheses of peripheral blood lymphocytes and suppressed syntheses in turbinate and kidney cell cultures without being cytolytic. Biological effects of TAT were eliminated by exposure to either heat, trypsin or anti-TAT antibody.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Immunological responses of cross-bred and in-bred miniature pigs to swine poxvirus.

Swine poxvirus (SPV), topically and subdermally applied to skin of the inguinal region of cross-bred and in-bred miniature pigs, caused typical pox lesions to occur with a pustular stage at 4 to 5 days p.i., and healing by 10 to 14 days p.i. Following inoculation, peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of the pigs showed lower transformation responses to SPV and mitogens (Concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin and 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate) than PBLs from uninoculated controls. The PBLs generally responded to SPV from 7 to 9 days p.i. to 23 to 30 days p.i. with a maximum transformation response at the 12 to 13 days p.i. interval. Sera from the animals generally showed presence of SPV-neutralizing antibody as early as 7 days p.i. and a peak titer at 20 days p.i. of 1:512. No detectable SPV-antibody was observed at 50 days p.i. By 51Cr release assays, PBLs displayed the ability to lyse target cells in the presence of SPV-antibody with peak lysis from the 11th through the 21st day p.i. An antibody-histocompatibility restricted cell lysis was observed at 11 and 14 days p.i. When PBLs were depleted of adherent cells, there was a reduction in lysis of target cells indicating the adherent cells were instrumental as effector cells in the presence of SPV-antibody. Control pigs not exposed to SPV showed no PBL response to SPV-antigen. Partially histocompatible and non-histocompatible porcine kidney cells were found useful as cell models for evaluating SPV-infected pigs in their effort to immunologically respond to SPV.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Investigations of the incidence of bovine trichomoniasis in nevada and of the efficacy of immunizing cattle with vaccines containing Tritrichomonas foetus.

Trichomonas cultures taken from 2389 bulls showed that approximately 4.7% of them were infected. Correlation of these data with the ranches from which diagnostic samples were obtained indicated that in the period of 1984 through 1987 26.7 to 44.1% of ranches had at least one infected bull. Thirty-four 18-month-old Holstein heifers were assigned to one of three groups, controls n = 12 animals, soluble vaccine n = 11 animals, and whole vaccine n = 11 animals to determine the effect of Tritrichomonas foetus vaccines on the reproductive performance of T . foetus infected animals. Heifers were bred with T . foetus infected bulls beginning two weeks after the second T . foetus vaccination. All immunized animals developed antibody titers of at least 1:1000 following vaccination. In addition, all control and immunized animals became infected with T . foetus . However, the duration of infection was approximately two weeks shorter in immunized animals. Approximately 42% (5 of 12) of control heifers remained infected with T . foetus for the duration of the experiment, while only 18% (2 of 11) of each of the vaccine groups remained infected for the duration of the experiment. Finally, 27% (3 of 11) of heifers in each of the vaccine groups were pregnant at slaughter, while none of the control heifers were pregnant at slaughter. Therefore, both vaccine formulations appeared to protect heifers (P<0.05) from fetal loss due to trichomoniasis.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1989

Antigenic relationship among field isolates of Tritrichomonas foetus from cattle.

Analysis of protein and antigen profiles of Tritrichomonas foetus isolates from cattle from 5 western states was accomplished by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, immunoblot, immunoprecipitation, and fluorography techniques. Total protein profiles of all isolates were compared by Coomassie brilliant blue staining of T foetus protein samples prepared by 4 protein-extraction methods. Antigenic tritrichomonas proteins were identified by immunoblot assay with polyclonal bovine or rabbit anti-T foetus serum. Additionally, [14C]glucosamine-labeled T foetus was used for total and antigenic glycoprotein analyses. Detectable differences in the composition of total proteins or antigenic tritrichomonal proteins were not observed among all isolates. However, intensity differences in some antigenic protein bands were apparent. Bovine and rabbit sera from immunized animals possessed antibodies to the same antigenic tritrichomonal proteins. Each T foetus isolate contained 4 to 7 molecular weight size classes of glycoprotein, which were labeled by [14C]glucosamine; however, only 3 to 4 glycoproteins were identified as antigens by bovine or rabbit antiserum.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Occurrence of bovine herpesvirus-1 DNA in nucleosomes and chromatin of bovine herpesvirus-1-infected cells: identification of a virion-associated protein in chromatin of infected cells.

During virus replication a fraction of the intranuclear DNA of bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) was present in the nucleosomal structure of infected eukaryotic cells, and virion proteins were associated with the chromatin of virus infected cells. Synthesis of BHV-1 DNA in bovine embryonic lung (BEL) cells was found to begin four to six hours post-infection (p.i.) and to continue until at least 24 hours p.i. Chromatin isolated from infected cell nuclei at ten hours p.i. contained both BHV-1 viral and cell DNA. No BHV-1 DNA was found in mock-infected cell chromatin. Micrococcal nuclease cleavage products of both mock-infected and BHV-1-infected BEL cell nuclei produced monomers and multimers of unit fragment size which were indistinguishable from each other and displayed a typical nucleosome pattern on agarose gels. Southern analyses of micrococcal nuclease digests of infected cell nuclei indicated that some of the intranuclear BHV-1 DNA was present in a nucleosomal form. Three new proteins (with approximate molecular weights: 125,000, 42,000, and 17,000) were identified in chromatin isolated from BHV-1-infected BEL cells at ten hours p.i. These proteins were not present in mock-infected BEL cell chromatin. The 17,000 molecular weight protein was recognized by BHV-1 virion specific antisera. Neither of the two larger proteins appear to bind DNA from BHV-1. The smallest protein co-migrates with cellular histones, but no DNA binding proteins with the same molecular weight were found in the virion.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

The transport of plasma thyroxine in white storks (Ciconia ciconia) and the association of high levels of plasma transthyretin (thyroxine-binding prealbumin) with moult.

Antisera raised against domestic fowl transthyretin (thyroxine-binding prealbumin) and quail albumin were used to identify thyroxine-binding proteins in the plasma of White storks (Ciconia ciconia) and to measure seasonal changes in these proteins. Three plasma proteins were shown to bind thyroxine (T4). They were albumin, transthyretin and a protein with an electrophoretic mobility on non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis intermediate between albumin and transthyretin. There was no thyroxine-binding globulin. The plasma concentrations of transthyretin and albumin were measured in male and female storks exposed to the photoperiodic and climatic conditions experienced during an annual cycle at 46 degrees N, 11 degrees E. The storks were in four age groups, fledglings and 1-, 2- and 3-year-old birds. A strong correlation (P less than 0.001) was found between daylength and the concentration of transthyretin during the period from February to August in the 1-, 2- and 3-year-old male and female storks, with peak values of 150-210 mg/l in May, June and July coinciding with the annual moult. Between September and January the concentration of plasma transthyretin was low, ranging between 80 and 100 mg/l. The concentration of plasma albumin was not correlated with seasonal changes in daylength and did not change during moult. It is suggested that seasonally high concentrations of plasma transthyretin may have a physiological role in moult.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Human cytomegalovirus infection of human placental explants in culture: histologic and immunohistochemical studies.

The induction of human cytomegalovirus infection in human first-trimester placentas was studied with a placental explant culture model. Replication and/or release of human cytomegalovirus in placental explant cultures did not occur at any time from 1 to 10 days after infection when examined by plaque assay and analyses of extracted deoxyribonucleic acids. In contrast, typical human cytomegalovirus-induced histopathologic lesions bearing human cytomegalovirus antigens were consistently localized in the trophoblastic cells covering placental villi. These data clearly demonstrate that placental cells are permissive of latent and/or abortive human cytomegalovirus infection in vitro. Our results support the hypothesis that during human cytomegalovirus infection of pregnant women, maternal viremia or intrauterine infection results in latent human cytomegalovirus infection of placental cells that may persist during the course of pregnancy.

Antigens, Viral↗
PubMed1987

External stimuli affecting incubation behavior and prolactin secretion in the duck (Anas platyrhynchos).

The importance of general environmental, including visual and tactile, stimuli on behavior and prolactin secretion during the incubation phase of reproduction in the duck (Anas platyrhynchos) was investigated. Nest occupancy rapidly increased at the end of egg laying and marked the initiation of incubation. Two recesses from the nest each day were synchronized to dawn and dusk; the median occurrence was 0.23 hr after dawn and 1.17 hr before dusk. Mean recess length was 36.1 +/- 1.9 min at dawn and 40.5 +/- 2.1 min at dusk. Plasma prolactin concentrations during incubation, 25.8 +/- 2.3 ng/ml, decreased to baseline levels, 10.8 +/- 1.9 ng/ml, within 24 hr after nestbox removal. The withdrawal of tactile, but not visual, stimuli of the clutch during incubation by either anesthesia or denervation of the incubation patch caused significant decreases in prolactin plasma concentrations within 24 hr. Prolactin plasma concentrations decreased rapidly at the end of incubation in ducks which successfully hatched young as well as in unsuccessful incubators. Temperature manipulations of the clutch, either above or below normal, caused decreases in plasma prolactin concentrations in parallel with temperature modification.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1987

Medical audit in geriatric medicine.

A form developed to audit the case notes of general medical patients was modified for use in geriatric medicine. The case notes of 41 admissions to the geriatric wards of a teaching hospital were audited with the new form and their contents did not come up to the standard set. Deficiencies were found in those parts of the notes considered to reflect the distinctive features of the specialty, e.g. the functional history, the assessment of mobility and the recording of multidisciplinary case conferences. The introduction of a standard history and examination form to meet the needs of patients admitted to geriatric wards, better training in geriatric medicine for junior doctors and closer scrutiny of medical records by consultants are suggested as ways of improving documentation in the case notes.

England↗