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Biomedical subjects

P Fireman

Publications and source records attributed to P Fireman.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Pituitary cellular hypersensitivity in idiopathic hypopituitarism.

Lymphocyte transformation in response to a saline extract of human pituitary was used to evaluate anti-pituitary immunity in patients with idiopathic hypopituitarism. Nine normal subjects and three children with idiopathic hypopituitarism were studied. Lymphocytes of one patient were significantly reactive to pituitary extract (beyond the 95% tolerance limits of the normal subjects) at five and eleven months after the diagnosis of hypopituitarism. The anti-pituitary hypersensitivity appeared organ specific since there was no lymphocyte reactivity to human thyroid extract in this patient. The presence of alopecia universalis, dystrophic nails and a primary immunodeficiency state suggests an autoimmune basis of his hypopituitary state. Due to hypogammaglobulinaemia and the lack of pituitary cell antibodies in this child, a humoral role in the development of his hypopituitarism is not supported.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Hypogammaglobulinemia with sarcoidlike granulomas.

A 12-year-old girl had sarcoidlike syndrome and hypogammaglobulinemia. Pancytopenia and hepatosplenomegaly were noted at age 4 years. Histopathologic study showed typical sarcoidlike granulomas. Chronic lung disease, along with recurrent infections, developed. Immunologic studies revealed common variable hypogammaglobulinemia, abnormal cellular immune functions, and decreased C4 levels. An immunoregulatory defect is suggested as the pathogenesis of this immunodeficiency syndrome, with multisystem sarcoidlike granulomas, hypersplenism, pulmonary disease, and abnormal cellular and humoral immunity.

Agammaglobulinemia↗
PubMed1983

Immunologic-mediated eustachian tube obstruction: a double-blind crossover study.

Eight subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis confirmed by positive skin tests and serum radioallergosorbent test to ragweed or timothy grass pollen were identified. A double-blind provocative antigen challenge was performed with intranasal insufflation of 50 mg of dry pollen to which the subject was either sensitive (ragweed or timothy) or not sensitive (pine). Before and after pollen insufflation, measurements of nasal function by nasal rhinomanometry and eustachian tube (ET) function by the nine-step tympanometry test were performed for up to 14 days. The ability to dilate the ET was documented in 14 of the 16 ears of the eight subjects before challenge. Within 30 min after antigen challenge transient obstruction of the ET associated with inability to dilate upon swallowing was observed in all 14 ears. Clinical symptoms of allergic rhinitis, including rhinorrhea and nasal obstruction, were produced in all subjects. ET function changes were reversible in three of 14 ears within 2 hr but persisted for more than 3 days in six of the ears. As a control, insufflation of pine pollen did not alter ET function or rhinomanometric values or produce clinical symptoms in the eight subjects. These findings suggest an allergic basis for ET obstruction and possibly for the development of otitis media with effusion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Responses of lymphocytes from human colostrum or milk to influenza antigens.

Paired samples of peripheral blood and colostrum or milk were obtained from women 1 to 6 days after delivery. After Ficoll-Hypaque centrifugation, peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and colostrum or milk lymphocytes (COL) were examined for surface membrane characteristics and in vitro proliferative reactivity. As determined by sheep red blood cell rosetting and by immunoglobulin-coated beads, PBL showed an average of 54% T and 12% B lymphocytes, whereas COL showed 33% T and 22% B rosettes, respectively. Paired samples of PBL and COL were used for lymphocyte transformation with three distinct strains of influenza virus: A/USSR, A/Victoria, and B/Hong Kong. Of COL from nine subjects tested against all three strains of influenza virus, five samples (56%) gave positive responses to at least one. These studies indicate that COL contain cells responsive in vitro to several influenza antigens. Such sensitized cells may provide a mechanism for the transfer of antigen responsiveness and protection from the mother to the neonate.

Antigens, Viral↗
PubMed1982

The nasal smear for eosinophils. Its value in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Nasal smears for eosinophils obtained by nose blowing and/or posterior nasopharyngeal swabbing were stained with Wright's or Hansel's stains and read in three groups of children aged 4 to 15 years: 65 with seasonal allergic rhinitis, 42 with perennial rhinitis and negative skin tests, and 70 nonallergic controls. Of smears obtained by either or both methods, 69%, 11%, and 7% were positive (greater than or equal to 4%) in the three groups, respectively. Almost identical results were obtained using only the nose-blowing method. In children with seasonal nasal symptoms, the nasal smear for eosinophils appears to be a reliable diagnostic test with moderately high sensitivity and high specificity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Partial reversal of radiation-induced immunosuppression by T-lymphocyte lysate.

BN rats were irradiated with 500 rad of 60Co 1 day before immunization with 0.1 mg of ovalbumin in alum hydroxide gel. The onset of reaginic and haemagglutinating antibody synthesis was suppressed to a non-detectable level for at least 3-4 weeks. When these irradiated rats were injected intraperitoneally with 10(8) viable or sonicated thymocytes 1 day after irradiation, the suppressed reaginic and haemagglutinating antibody synthesis was successfully restored. This suggests that: (i) thymocytes can restore the radiation-induced immunosuppression, but viability of thymocytes is not essential in this immune restoration; (ii) active biological molecules exist in the cytoplasmic pool of the normal thymocytes which can restore the radiation-induced immunosuppression; and (iii) the thymus not only plays a central role in the normal morphological development of the lymphoid system and its functional immunological maturation, but may also play an important role in the reversal of radiation-induced immunosuppression. To investigate tissue specificity of the factors that are actively engaged in the restoration of the suppressed immune response, peripheral lymphocytes, spleen cells, bone marrow cells and kidney cells were also tested. The results demonstrated that both peripheral lymphocytes and spleen cells could restore the suppressed immune response, but not bone marrow cells or kidney cells. This suggests that the active factors may be present only in T lymphocytes. Since the active factors could be found in the tissues other than thymocytes and non-stimulated lymphocytes, they appear to be different from thymosin, transfer factor or lymphokines derived from sensitized lymphocytes, and they were most likely not synthesized de novo.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Teaching self-management skills to asthmatic children and their parents in an ambulatory care setting.

A program designed to teach self-management skills to asthmatic children and their parents was performed by a nurse-educator utilizing health education techniques. Goals included: (1) reduce frequency and severity of asthma; (2) reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations; (3) reduce school absenteeism; (4) develop positive family self-help attitudes; and (5) incorporate patient-parent education in an office. After informed consent was obtained, 26 asthmatic children, aged 2 to 14 years, were selected and evaluated. Appropriate asthma management including avoidance, medications, and immunotherapy, if indicated, was initiated for both a study group (13 patients) and a comparison group (13 patients). Symptom and medication diaries were kept for six to 18 months. Educational intervention by a nurse-educator, including four hours of individual instruction, group classes, telephone access, and monitoring for the study patients, resulted in fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits as compared to control patients, tenfold less school absenteeism, and fewer asthma attacks. Estimated hospital and emergency room costs were much less in the educated group. These results were accomplished by improving comprehension of and compliance with the medical management program by the study patients and their families; more medications were used and therapy for asthma was initiated earlier.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Parameters of humoral and cellular immunity of influenza A/USSR/90/77 (H1N1) virus in various age groups.

After a local epidemic of A/USSR influenza, immunologic parameters related to influenza A/USSR/90/77 (H1N1) virus were studied in four age groups: elderly persons (greater than or equal to 64 years), healthy adults (20-44 years), children (six to 13 years), and neonates (who served as controls). Sera from the first three groups had nearly equivalent titers of hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody (geometric mean titers, 1:8-1:11), which were greater than those in cord blood of neonates. Lymphocyte proliferation responses to influenza A/USSR viral antigens among study groups were similar, with mean stimulation ratios (to whole virus) of 4.2-5.4; neonatal cord blood samples were unresponsive (stimulation ratio, 1.1). In contrast, the magnitude of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against baby hamster kidney target cells infected with influenza A/USSR virus was significantly greater with lymphocytes from adults and elderly persons (P less than 0.05) than with those from children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Prophylaxis of attacks of hereditary angioedema.

Danazol, an attentuated androgen, has been suggested as an effective agent for the prophylaxis of attacks of hereditary angioedema. Four patients, with a clinical history of hereditary angioedema and a demonstrated depression of the serum inhibitor of the first component of complement (C1 INH) and the fourth component of complement (C4), were entered into a study to determine the minimum effective dose of this agent. All four of the patients had been experiencing attacks at least monthly, but they had only six attacks during a total of 60 patient months of Danazol therapy. The minimum effective dose varied from 100 to 400 mg/day. The drug appeared to work by increasing the level of serum C1 INH which reached the normal range in two of four patients. Side effects were only the anticipated menstrual irregularities in the female patients. Danazol appears to be an efficacious drug for prophylaxis of hereditary angioedema.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Antitoxin responses in the elderly to tetanus-diphtheria (TD) immunization.

A high per centage of reported cases of tetanus and diphtheria in the United States occurs in persons over 60 years old. The sera of 69 elderly persons, mean age 80 years, were tested for prevalence of tetanus and diphtheria antibodies, and only 51% and 59%, respectively, had protective levels (greater than or equal to .01 AU/ml). In a prospective study 27 elderly volunteers were given 0.5 ml tetanus-diphtheria (Td) toxoid twice, seven months apart. Before toxoid 26% and 59% of persons had protective antitoxin levels against tetanus and diphtheria. After one dose the per cent protected rose to 42 and 88. After the second dose all persons immunized had protective levels. No subjects had significant side effects after either dose. These data demonstrate that many elderly persons lack protection against tetanus and diphtheria and document that two doses of Td toxoid would confer immunity to virtually all such persons.

Aged↗