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Biomedical subjects

N Vardinon

Publications and source records attributed to N Vardinon.

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

Clinical, epidemiological and natural history study of HIV-1 infection among seropositive homo/bisexuals in Israel, 1986-92. A collaborative study in three medical centers.

The clinical and epidemiological aspects of HIV-1 seropositive homo/bisexuals at three AIDS screening clinics in Israel were analyzed retrospectively for the 4-year period 1986-92. Of 1,526 individuals who attended the clinics a total of 238 (15.5%) were found to be HIV-1 seropositive; 182 seropositives were followed for a mean of 3.3 (+/- 2.6) person-years. The incidence of AIDS in this cohort was 33% over 4 years, a rate of 9.8/100 person-years. Half of all HIV-1 seropositives are estimated to have been infected outside Israel. On initial presentation 144 (62%) were asymptomatic and 94 (38%) were symptomatic. CD4 levels were > 500 ml3 in 87 (36%), 200-500 ml3 in 66 (28%) and < 200 ml3 in 45 (19%) individuals. The pattern of clinical presentations was similar to that seen in the West, but mycobacterial infections were rare. A cohort of 86 homo/bisexuals with full-blown AIDS was followed for a mean of 2.2 person-years. The mortality rate in this group was 53.5% over 4 years, a rate of 26/100 person-years. Thus, HIV infection among Israeli homosexuals ceased to be a rarity as it took the pattern of AIDS in the West, with some special features such as the late presentation of patients for medical treatment and the paucity of mycobacterial diseases complicating the disease.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1991

Platelet antibody binding and spontaneous aggregation in 21 lupus anticoagulant patients.

In order to ascertain the role of the antiphospholipid antibody in the pathogenesis of thrombotic disorders, a study of 21 lupus anticoagulant-positive patients was done by a number of serologic and functional platelet tests. In immunofluorescent studies, we found that 80% showed a mitochondrial pattern on HEp cells and all patients gave an ubiquitously intense staining of donor platelets. By a microscopic spontaneous aggregation test, all lupus anticoagulant-positive patients showed accelerated platelet aggregation which was calcium-independent. The results show that the plasma of lupus anticoagulant-positive patients contains a platelet-binding antibody and causes spontaneous agglutination of platelets. These properties may play a role in the thrombogenesis common to the antiphospholipid syndrome.

Antiphospholipid Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

Poliovirus vaccination responses in HIV-infected patients: correlation with T4 cell counts.

HIV infection is known to impair both cellular and humoral immunity. The antibody levels to poliovirus were measured in 17 HIV-infected and 3 HIV-seronegative homosexual men before and after vaccination with enhanced inactivated poliovirus vaccine (eIPV). The subjects were tested for neutralizing antibodies to poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3; the number of peripheral blood T4 cells and lymphocyte responses after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen were measured. Before vaccination, all subjects demonstrated neutralizing antibodies to the three types of poliovirus. After eIPV administration, a rise in anti-poliovirus antibody titer was noted in subjects whose T4 cell count was greater than 200/ml, whereas the group with low T4 cell counts failed to respond. The response to eIPV immunization correlated with the number of circulating T4 cells and the mitogen-induced lymphocyte stimulation index.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Transferrin in seminal plasma and in serum of men: its correlation with sperm quality and hormonal status.

Transferrin concentrations in the seminal plasma and in serum were measured and correlated with sperm quality (concentration, motility and morphology) and hormonal status (FSH, LH and testosterone) of 75 men aged from 21 to 46 years. A significant positive correlation was found between the seminal plasma concentration of transferrin and the sperm concentration (r = 0.69, P less than 0.0001) and motility (r = 0.39, P less than 0.0001). No other correlations were found. These data confirm that seminal plasma levels of transferrin can be used as a reliable index of sperm quality, and possibly as a Sertoli cell marker.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Reduction of circulating HIV antigens in seropositive patients after treatment with AL-721.

Sixteen patients seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at different stages participated in an open trial using the lipid mixture AL-721. Seven patients were antigen negative and asymptomatic and the other nine antigen positive, three of whom were virtually asymptomatic. AL-721 was given per os once a day at a dose of 10 g in a fat-free breakfast for up to 16 months. The presence of HIV antigens in the serum was monitored by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) using two commercial kits. In five of the nine antigen-positive patients the concentration of HIV antigens was reduced to basal level after about 3 months of AL-721 treatment; three of these responders were asymptomatic, one had persistent generalized lymphadenopathy, and the other had Kaposi's sarcoma. In one of the antigen-positive patients who did not respond to AL-721, the addition of AZT to the treatment resulted in a marked decrease in antigen level. Another AIDS patient receiving this combination therapy from onset of the trial showed a similar decrease. The other two nonresponding patients were at a stage of full-blown AIDS. These results suggest that AL-721, an innocuous compound, may be effective in reducing the serum HIV level in patients at the preclinical stage.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Demonstration of antispermatozoal antibodies in varicocele-related infertility with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

To assess the existence of a possible immunologic factor in varicocele-associated infertility, we searched for antispermatozoal antibodies in serum, seminal plasma, and bound to spermatozoa in 32 infertile men with varicocele and 22 infertile patients without palpable varicocele, with the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, we performed morphologic and microbiologic analyses of the semen and urethral smears for isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis. Twenty-nine men from the varicocele group (90.6%) demonstrated antispermatozoal antibodies, compared with only 9 men (40.9%) in the control group. The antibodies in both groups, when present, were mainly serum and seminal plasma immunoglobulins IgA and IgM. A significant quantitative difference between the varicocele and control groups was also observed for serum IgA, seminal plasma IgA and IgM, and sperm-bound IgG, IgA, and IgM. Oligozoospermia and asthenozoospermia were significantly more prevalent in the varicocele men. An asymptomatic genital tract infection with C. trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Escherichia coli was traced in 40.6% of the varicocele men and in 45.5% of the control group. No interaction could be demonstrated between the infection and antispermatozoal antibody formation. These data suggest that an immunologic factor may play a role in varicocele-associated infertility; however, its impact on reproduction has yet to be assessed.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1984

Herpes zoster encephalitis: isolation of virus from cerebrospinal fluid.

Two elderly female patients developed symptoms and signs of encephalitis, coincident with a cutaneous zoster eruption ("shingles"). One recovered slowly with mild residual motor dysfunction, and the other died. Varicella-zoster virus was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of the two patients. Review of the literature revealed only eight previously described patients in whom herpes zoster virus was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Alkaline phosphatase immuno-enzymatic technique in the diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris.

Alkaline phosphatase was used in an immuno-enzymatic procedure to detect tissue-bound and circulating antibodies in pemphigus vulgaris. Pemphigus antibodies were revealed by a direct method using alkaline phosphatase conjugated goat anti-human IgG. Cryostat sections were incubated with the specific antiserum, and alkaline phosphatase activity was then revealed histochemically either by Gomori's technique or by the azo dye method. The sections were examined by light microscopy and intercellular staining was demonstrated in the epidermis. The indirect method, in which the patient's serum was incubated with sections of normal skin, gave similar results. Using parallel sections, an immunofluorescent technique was used to demonstrate tissue-bound and circulating antibodies. The alkaline phosphatase method appeared to be slightly less sensitive than the immunofluorescent method.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1980

Suppressive action of cytoplasmic and metabolite extracts of Candida albicans on the immune response in guinea pigs.

This study investigated the possibility that Candida albicans components exert a suppressive effect on the immune response of guinea pigs (GP), similar to that of live C. albicans organisms as was previously shown. Hartley GP were inoculated with C. albicans crude cytoplasmic or metabolite (culture filtrate) extracts (containing most of the organism's cell contents or its metabolite and degradation products, respectively). Their immunological responses towards sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were compared with those of GP inoculated with SRBC alone or with SRBC together with live C. albicans organisms. The immunological responses were measured by: 1) rosette formation (RF) of SRBC with peritoneal macrophages, 2) haemolytic plaque formation (PFC) with lymph node-cells, 3) haemagglutination and 4) haemolysis tests. According to the RF tests, inoculation of GP with either cytoplasmic or metabolite extracts resulted in decreased RF as compared to GP inoculated with SRBC only; the decrease was correlated with the protein concentration of the extracts. Inoculation with metabolite extract led to a more diminished RF than with cytoplasmic extract, but less than with live C. albicans organisms. Inoculation of cytoplasmic extracts did not affect the haemagglutinin and haemolysin titers, while that of metabolite extracts resulted in a slight decrease of these titers. The assays for PFC were not conclusive enough to point to a suppressive effect of C. albicans extracts. In summary, it appears that both the cytoplasmic and metabolite extracts of C. albicans exert a partial suppressive effect on the immune response in GP, as judged primarily on the basis of the RF results.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Antigen-specific mast cell degranulation in contact sensitivity to picryl chloride. An early event.

Mast cells from the peritoneum of mice painted with the contact sensitizing agent picryl chloride degranulate when exposed to antigen (TNP) in vitro. Degranulation was consistently demonstrated 4 days after painting which associated with the ability of mice to produce contact sensitivity reactions as measured by ear swelling and radiometric assays. Serum reagin or reagin-producing cells could not be detected until 6 days after painting but TNP-phage neutralizing activity was detected after 2 days. Mast cell degranulation could be elicited by TNP or DNP derivatives indicating the involvement of antibody.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Suppressive action of Candida albicans on the immune response in mice.

This study was carried out to determine whether Candida albicans infection has a suppressive effect on the immune response in mice and, if so, whether the suppressive effect influences the response towards T-dependent or T-independent antigens. ICR mice were injected with SRBC with or without C. albicans, or with bacterial LPS with or without C. albicans. The immune response of the mice towards SRBC or towards the LPS was compared by the assay for PFC, hemagglutination and hemolysis tests. The results showed a decrease in the number of PFC in spleens of mice inoculated with SRBC and C. albicans as compared to mice inoculated with SRBC alone, but no decrease in animals injected with LPS and C. albicans as compared to those immunized with LPS alone. No significant differences in the titers of hemagglutinins and hemolysins in sera of mice inoculated with SRBC or with SRBC and C. albicans were observed. C. albicans infection had no effect at all on the hemagglutinins and hemolysins titers in sera of mice inoculated with LPS. These data indicate that C. albicans affects the early phase of the immune response primarily towards T dependent antigens.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Immunoglobulin type of anti-Candida albicans antibodies in candidal vaginitis.

Immunoglobulin G(IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) fractions of sera from patients with candidal vaginitis were tested by the immune adherence and agglutination tests for presence of anti-Candida albicans antibodies. The anti-Candida albicans antibodies were found in the IgG and IgM fractions.

Antibodies, Fungal↗
PubMed1977

Serum anti-candida albicans antibodies in candidal and non-candidal vaginitis.

The agglutination, immunodiffusion and immune adherence tests were performed on sera from 60 women with clinically diagnosed vaginitis. Candida albicans was isolated from the vaginal discharge of 36 of them (Group 1) and not from the other 24 (Group 2). Fifty eight patients reacted positively in the agglutination test. No differentiation could be made between the two groups on the basis of this test (number of positive sera and height of titer). No antibodies could be detected by the immunodiffusion test (except for one positive serum). The immune adherence test demonstrated a difference between the two groups, which was expressed both in the total of positive reacting sera and in titer of antibodies.

Agglutination Tests↗