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Biomedical subjects

R C Gehrz

Publications and source records attributed to R C Gehrz.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Cytomegalovirus vaccine. Specific humoral and cellular immune responses in human volunteers.

Four seronegative adult male volunteers were immunized with Towne strain cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine. The only reaction was transient pain and swelling at the inoculation site. Viral cultures were performed during the first 12 weeks after immunization, and CMV was not recovered from throat, urine, or peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Both CMV-specific humoral and cellular immunity developed within three weeks of vaccination. Whereas humoral antibody titers declined steadily with time, the cellular immune responses seemed biphasic. An early peak in lymphocyte proliferation to CMV antigen occurred three to six weeks after immunization. Responses then diminished but increased again six to ten months after immunization. This study in a small group of normal male volunteers indicated that CMV vaccine was safe and immunogenic. That CMV vaccine elicited CMV-specific humoral and cell-mediated immunity is important, because there is evidence that both are necessary for protection from CMV infections.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Defective membrane function in a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency disease.

We report a girl with severe combined immunodeficiency with functional impairment of both humoral and cellular immunity despite normal numbers of B and T lymphocytes. Immunologic studies revealed hypergammaglobulinaemia, absent migratory response by polymorphonuclear leucocytes to chemoattractants, and diminished lymphocyte proliferative responses to mitogens, antigens and allogeneic leucocytes. However, stimulation of the patient's mononuclear leucocytes with the calcium ionophore, A23187, resulted in a normal proliferative response. We therefore postulate a membrane defect as the basis for immunologic dysfunction in this child.

Calcimycin↗
PubMed1979

Characterization of the role of mononuclear cell subpopulations in the in vitro lymphocyte proliferation assay.

Purified human mononuclear cell subpopulations have been evaluated in the in vitro lymphocyte proliferation assay. Monocyte-depleted mononuclear cells had reduced or absent responses to mitogens and antigens which could be restored to the original mononuclear cell response by addition of purified plastic adherent cells. Purified T lymphocytes obtained by density gradient centrifugation of E-rosette-forming cells demonstrated low but significant proliferative responses to mitogens, but no significant response to antigens. The addition of monocytes potentiated the response of purified T cells to mitogens and antigens, but did not fully reconstitute the original mononuclear cell response unless non-T lymphocytes were also present. It is concluded that mononuclear cell proliferation represents a complex mechanism of cellular interaction involving multiple subpopulations of cells.

Antigens↗
PubMed1977

Specific cell-mediated immune defect in active cytomegalovirus infection of young children and their mothers.

4 young children with active cytomegalovirus (C.M.V.) infection were found, by an in-vitro lymphocyte-proliferation assay, to have a C.M.V.-specific cell-mediated immune defect. These children had antibodies to C.M.V. and were actively shedding C.M.V. in the urine when studied. Their general cellular immune responses were intact, with normal numbers of T lymphocytes and normal in-vitro responses to mitogens and at least one antigen. 3 of the 4 mothers studied shortly after delivery had decreased cell-mediated immunity to C.M.V. These findings suggest that an antigen-specific immune defect facilitates transmission of virus from mother to infant and permits persistence of viral replication in the offspring.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Meningitis due to combined infections. Association of Haemophilus influenzae type B and Clostridium perfringens.

Haemophilus influenzae type B and Clostridium perfringens were recovered simultaneously from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with purulent meningitis. No antecedent history of head trauma was present to explain the coexistence of the anaerobe with Haemophilus organisms. A review of the literature on mixed meningitis indicates that no previous cases of anaerobes have been reported in uncomplicated meningitis due to multiple organisms. In addition, the recovery of clostridia is extremely unusual in the absence of an identifiable portal of entry. We have identified two additional cases of clostridia infection in the central nervous system and recommend that anaerobic organisms be considered in selected cases of meningitis.

Ampicillin↗