Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Pollard.
Antibody to cytomegalovirus (CMV) was sought in sera from Malta using immunofluorescence. Seven per cent of the infants, 36% of the school children, increasing to 100% of the adults aged over 40 years were found to have antibody. Most infection occurred in pre-school children and adults over 25 years of age. This pattern of antibody acquisition appears different from that described for other countries.
Systemic chemotherapy as a mode of therapy in metastatic malignant thymoma has never been systematically evaluated. Chemotherapeutic agents, including doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, cis-platinum, nitrogen mustard, prednisone or combination of agents like MOPP have produced tumor remission. A case report of complete remission of malignant thymoma in which the combination of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and cis-platinum (CAP) was used is reported.
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1138 first clinical episodes of coronary heart disease (CHD) in 17 944 middle-aged male office workers in the Civil Service are reported. Men who engaged in vigorous sports, keep-fit, and the like during an initial survey in 1968-70 had an incidence of CHD in the next 8 1/2 years somewhat less than half that of their colleagues who recorded no vigorous exercise. The CHD rates of men who took such vigorous exercise were lower in both fatal and non-fatal clinical manifestations, though more so in fatal; throughout the age-range studied, though more striking in later middle age and early old age; and in all other sub-groups examined, including men with a family history of CHD, the obese, the short of stature, cigarette smokers, and men with severe hypertension and subclinical angina, as well as in those in favourable situations for CHD or neutral. The generality of the advantage suggests that vigorous exercise is a natural defence of the body, with a protective effect on the ageing heart against ischaemia and its consequences.
Clinical and morphologic features of seven T-cell lymphomas of the large cell type are described. The tumors were grouped into those with irregular (3 cases) and those with round and regular nuclei (4 cases). In both groups, variation in cell size, numerous histiocytes and vessels, and many mitoses were distinguishing features. In only 1 case in the round and regular nucleus group was there relatively little variation in cell size and a paucity of histiocytes. Abundant polyribosomes, long strands of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and lysosomal granules were prominent electron microscopic features in both groups of tumors. The clinical presentations and courses varied considerably, especially in patients with tumors of the round nucleus type. One patient presented initially with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 1 with Lennert's lymphoma, another with bone marrow infiltration, and a fourth with subcutaneous tumors. Two patients with the round nucleus type are still alive one and a half and two years after the original diagnosis. Two patients died two years after the onset of symptoms. Each of the 3 patients with tumors of the irregular nucleus type had a rapid clinical course and died within ten months.
The number of notified cases of whooping cough in the 1977-79 outbreak in England and Wales was the largest for over 20 years. The percentage of children receiving pertussis vaccine has declined sharply since 1974. Area Health Authorities with low vaccination acceptance had notification-rates 60% above those with higher acceptance. There was a partial correlation coefficient of -0.57 (p less than 0.001) between vaccination and notification rates after elimination of the effects of social class and overcrowding. The 1-4 year age-group, which contained the children most affected by the decline in vaccination-rates, showed a much bigger increase in notifications than other age-groups. The evidence suggests a direct relation between the decline in vaccination-rate and the increase in notifications.
We examined the effect of state and federal legislative actions on the incidence of human salmonellosis associated with pet turtles. Using the Salmonella Surveillance System of the Center for Disease Control, we identified Salmonella serotypes that were and were not specifically turtle associated. From 1970 to 1976, there was a 77% reduction in frequency of turtle-associated serotypes and no consistent trend among non-turtle-associated serotypes. Decrease in frequency of turtle-associated serotypes correlated best with decrease in total production of pet turtles. Reduction in turtle-associated sertotypes temporally correlated with an 18% reduction in frequency of salmonellosis in children, aged 1 to 9 years. Frequency of turtle-associated serotypes rapidly fell in states importing turtles, in contrast to states producing them. Continued although infrequent occurrence of salmonellosis in children with pet turtles counsels against relaxing legislation concerned with its control.
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An injection of influenza vaccine was offered to approximately 60 000 Postal and Telecommunications staff at the beginning of five successive winters. The sickness absence of this group, which included those who accepted the offer of vaccine as well as those who did not, was compared throughout the winter with that of a similar number of employees who were not offered vaccine. The two groups, ;vaccinated' and control, comprised the staff of nearly 400 Post Office units scattered throughout Great Britain, the units of the two groups being matched as far as practicable for numbers employed, type of work, region and type of location.The proportion who accepted vaccine fell from 42% in the first year (when only 26 000 Telecommunications employees were offered vaccine) to 35% in the second year, and 25% by the fifth year.With the exception of Telecommunications employees in 1972-73, the sickness absence rate of the group offered vaccine was less than that of the group not offered vaccine, and the difference was evident during the winter observation periods both when influenza was prevalent and when it was not. In the last four years of the study the average difference in sickness absence between the ;vaccinated' and control groups was 1.26 days per 100 employees per week during and 1.12 days outside the influenza periods. Moreover, the difference during the influenza periods was greater than could be expected from the acceptance rate of vaccine and the estimated attack rate of influenza. The apparent reduction in sickness absence of the group offered vaccine in comparison with the group not offered vaccine represented an appreciable saving in cost.It is suggested than an annual influenza vaccination campaign in industry may produce financial benefit, but that only a proportion of the benefit is due to an improvement in health.
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Papaverine hydrochloride (PAP) has previously been shown to have a potent inhibitory effect on the replication of viruses such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and measles. In this report the effect of PAP on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication and T lymphocyte cell function were examined. MT4 cells infected with HIV strain 3b were incubated with serial dilutions of PAP (1-30 microM). At selected times postinfection HIV replication was measured by reverse transcriptase activity (RT) or HIV p24 Ag. PAP significantly inhibited HIV replication by more than 99% at doses of 30 microM with an CD50 and ED50 of 32 microM and 5.8 microM respectively. The mechanism of inhibition of HIV caused by PAP appeared independent form its ability to increase intracellular levels of cAMP and was not mediated via a direct effect on RT activity. To examine T cell function, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from normal donors were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or CMV Ag in the presence or absence of PAP (1-30 microM). At selected times proliferative response to PHA and CMV Ag were determined by [3H]thymidine uptake. In addition, interferon (IFN) gamma and interleukin 2 (IL2) response to mitogens were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). PAP enhanced PHA induced IFN production at doses of 1-10 microM and CMV Ag induced IFN production at doses of 1-3 microM. Higher doses were inhibitory. PAP did not affect IL-2 production or IL2 receptor expression and had an inhibitory effect on mitogenic responses.
Data from the National Immunization Information Hotline (NIIH) concerning vaccine adverse event inquiries were analyzed from 1998 to 2000 (total n = 23,841 [public n = 14,330; health care professionals n = 9,511]). Approximately 20% of calls from the public from 1998 to 2000 concerned vaccine adverse events. These calls increased 199.5% from 1998 (n = 422) to 1999 (n = 1,264), then declined 12.4% from 1999 to 2000 (n = 1,107). A Lexus Nexus search showed that the number of news stories mentioning vaccine safety showed a similar pattern. Women were more likely to call the NIIH concerning vaccine adverse events than men, and persons 40-59 years old and persons 60 years old and over were less likely to call about vaccine adverse events than those 20-39 years. The parallel trends in news stories mentioning vaccine safety and calls to the NIIH concerning adverse events suggests that news stories may stimulate questions about vaccine safety. Understanding that news stories may elicit questions about vaccine adverse events and examining the characteristics of persons who ask vaccine adverse event questions may guide future informational interventions toward those most in need.