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Biomedical subjects

W Johnson

Publications and source records attributed to W Johnson.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Treatment of advanced bladder cancer using cis-platinum.

Cis-platinum (120 mg/m2) was given to 14 patients with locally inoperable or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Five patients (35%) showed a response, two complete (14%), and three partial (21%). Nine patients (65%) had no response. The median duration of survival was 3.5 months for non-responders; 6.5 months for partial responders; and 25 months for complete responders. The side effects and implications of treatment using this agent are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Coinfections of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila with influenza A virus.

Serum samples from patients with documented influenza A virus infections were examined for antibodies to Legionella pneumophila and Mycoplasma pneumoniae to determine whether simultaneous or sequential infections with L. pneumophila and M. pneumoniae were complicating factors in influenza. When the frequency of copositivity of sera to influenza A virus and L. pneumophila was compared with the expected frequency for each infection alone, the difference was not statistically significant. However, when the frequency of copositivity of sera to influenza A virus and M. pneumoniae was compared with the expected frequency for each infection alone, there was a statistically significant (P less than 0.005) absence of coincident titers. Seasonal variations and differences in relative age frequencies for the two infections may partially explain the absence of coinfections. These data also suggest that in patients with either M. pneumoniae or influenza A virus infection, some type of protective mechanism which prevents coinfections with these organisms is present.

Humans↗
PubMed1983

Legionella pneumophila-induced immunostimulation and blastogenesis of normal mouse spleen cells in vitro.

Cell-free sonic extracts prepared from Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 were found to enhance the uptake of [3H]thymidine by normal mouse spleen cell cultures in vitro and also stimulate an enhanced antibody response to sheep erythrocytes, both in immunized and nonimmunized cultures. Increased background antibody responses to other erythrocyte species also occurred, indicating that the Legionella antigen was a polyclonal B cell activator. A purified cell wall component with physicochemical properties relatively similar to endotoxin, but without toxicity for mice, was found to have mitogenic activity for normal mouse spleen cells and immunostimulatory properties for anti-erythrocyte antibody response. Heating the sonicate or the purified somatic antigen for 10 min diminished immunoenhancing activity but had little effect on mitogenic properties. These results point to the complex effects of Legionella-derived antigens on normal lymphoid cell function and indicate that antigens derived from Legionella have marked immunomodulatory properties.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Legionnaires' disease associated with a hospital water system: a cluster of 24 nosocomial cases.

Over a 10-month period, 24 cases of Legionnaires' disease pneumonia occurred among patients admitted to an Iowa hospital, most of whom were immunosuppressed. Eleven patients died. Twenty-one patients were admitted to a recently completed hospital addition, 16 of these to a new hematology-oncology unit. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from the patients, water outlets, and hot water in the new addition. Water quality variables in the hospital addition were adequate. Shock chlorination, temporary elevation of the hot water temperature, and continuous chlorination of hospital water decreased the frequency of isolation of Legionella. Water use by patients in the hematology-oncology unit was restricted until the water was free of Legionella. The incidence of Legionnaires' disease decreased. Indirect evidence supports an hypothesis of water-borne disease in this cluster of cases. Current variables of acceptable water potability may not guarantee water free of L. pneumophila.

Cross Infection↗
PubMed1983

Neuropsychological deficit in chronic alcoholism: early detection and prediction by analysis of verbal behavior.

The content analysis of five-minute speech samples obtained from detoxified chronic alcoholic patients is a valid test for measuring cognitive impairment during the course of treatment. Such cognitive impairment scores six months after hospital discharge can be predicted using the variables of age, educational level, certain drinking patterns and cognitive impairment scores at the time of hospital admission. Patients who abstain for six months following hospital discharge have less cognitive impairment than those patients who resume drinking.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Virulence conversion of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 by passage in guinea pigs and embryonated eggs.

When virulent Legionella pneumophila is passaged on supplemented Mueller-Hinton agar, it remains virulent for guinea pigs and embryonated hen eggs for two passages. However, by the fifth passage the cultures become avirulent for guinea pigs. Flagella were not produced by L. pneumophila on the first passage on supplemented Mueller-Hinton agar. In contrast, 12 passages on charcoal-yeast extract agar did not result in the reduction of virulence or the loss of flagella of L. pneumophila. Growth in supplemented yeast extract broth or on Norit-A-filtered supplemented yeast extract agar also did not result in a reduction of the virulence of L. pneumophila. However, L. pneumophila did not produce flagella when grown on these two media. Thus, it appears that the production of flagella is not required for the virulence of L. pneumophila when administered by the intraperitoneal route of infection. A virulent flagellated form of L. pneumophila was recovered by passing an avirulent form six times in guinea pigs. When avirulent L. pneumophila was passaged 12 times in embryonated eggs, a nonflagellated form of the bacterium was recovered which had an increased virulence for guinea pigs and embryonated eggs. However, virulent forms were not recovered by passage of avirulent forms on commonly used laboratory media. These results support the suggestion that a suitable host is required for the selection of the virulent form of L. pneumophila from avirulent cultures.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Pretibial rash in Legionella pneumophila pneumonia.

Legionella pneumophila pneumonia developed in a 46-year-old man, 23 days after receiving a cadaveric renal homograft. A painful, nonpruritic, macular, erythematous rash limited to the pretibial surfaces of both legs appeared on the fifth day of illness. Fever, pneumonia, and rash resolved in association with erythromycin lactobionate therapy.

Erythema Nodosum↗
PubMed1981

Ultrastructural localization and protective activity of a high-molecular-weight antigen isolated from Legionella pneumophila.

Immunoperoxidase labeling showed that the F-1 antigen of Legionella pneumophila is located on the bacterial cell surface. Protection against lethal intraperitoneal challenge with serogroup 1 L. pneumophila was induced in guinea pigs by heat-killed cells and F-1 antigen from serogroup 1, but not by heat-killed cells or F-1 antigens from serogroup 2, 3, or 4.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Immunological and biochemical relationships among flagella isolated from Legionella pneumophila serogroups 1, 2, and 3.

Flagella were isolated from virulent Legionella pneumophila serogroups 1, 2, and 3. Antiserum made against purified serogroups 1 flagellin agglutinated live, flagellated serogroups 1, 2, and 3 but not heat-killed or nonflagellated bacteria. A single line of identity was seen in immunodiffusion slides between the flagella isolated from the three serogroups and antibody to flagellin isolated from serogroups 1, 2, and 3. Indirect immunoperoxidase staining showed that antibody to flagellin isolated from serogroup 1 organisms reacted with flagella on serogroup 1, 2, and 3 bacteria. Indirect immunoperoxidase staining was also showed that antibody to flagellin isolated from serogroup 1 L. pneumophila did not react with the serogroup-specific cell surface antigen, thus demonstrating that the flagella- and the serogroup-specific antigen are separate antigens. The amino acid content of the flagella from the three serogroups was essentially the same, with aspartate, glutamate, alanine, and threonine comprising 41% of the total. Thirty-five percent of the amino acids were hydrophobic, and there were not detectable amounts of cysteine, tryptophan, or tyrosine.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1981

Seroreactivity to Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila: lack of a statistically significant relationship.

We reviewed antibody titers to Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila serogroup I in sera from 1,060 cases of acute respiratory infection to determine whether there was an association in seroreactivity to these organisms. Of the 170 serum pairs with antibodies to L. pneumophila (35 seroconversions and 135 with presumptive titers), 32 (18.8%) demonstrated seroreactivity to M. pneumoniae (17 seroconversions and 15 with presumptive titers). This frequency was not significantly greater than the seroreactivity to M. pneumoniae observed in sera without antibodies to L. pneumophila (17.5%) (0.05 less than P less than 0.10), which included 111 seroconversions and 45 sera with presumptive titers.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1981

In situ subcellular distribution and metabolism of progesterone, estradiol and androstenedione in the vascularly separated and isolated hypothalamus of the female rhesus monkey.

A neurosurgical procedure has been developed for the vascular isolation of the hypothalamus-thalamus region of the rhesus monkey brain. The circulation to the left and right halves of the hypothalamus was also isolated and each half of the hypothalamus was perfused simultaneously, but separately, with a dextran-blood solution which contained radioactive gonadal steroids. The hypothalamus in situ efficiently converted [3H]androstenedione to [3H]estrone and this aromatization was inhibited by the presence of androsta-1,4,6-triene-3,17-dione (ATD) in the perfusate. [3H]Progesterone was metabolized predominantly to 5 alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione (5 alpha-DHP) and 20 alpha-hydroxypregn-4-ene-3-one (20 alpha-OHP). Subcellular fractionation of the hypothalamus after the in situ perfusion with [3H]-progestin or [3H]estradiol to the hypothalamus of estrogen-treated ovariectomized monkeys or oil-treated ovariectomized monkeys, respectively, indicated that the retention of [3H]estradiol in the nucleus was a saturable, limited-capacity phenomenon. No saturable subcellular distribution of [3H]progesterone or [3H]R 5020 was observed. This latter observation might be attributable to the presence of a progesterone receptor in too small a concentration to be detected by the methods used.

20-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone↗
PubMed1981

Determination of alkaline phosphatase in casein: collaborative study.

A collaborative study was made to determine alkaline phosphatase in casein samples by the rapid colorimetric test. Six to eight collaborators tested 10 unknown casein samples containing various amounts of residual phosphatase with and without the addition of magnesium acetate. Results indicated that magnesium acetate significantly increased phosphatase activity. The collaborators correctly analyzed 95% of the samples with the added magnesium acetate. The method has been adopted official first action.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1980

Screening for hypertension in adolescents: the search for normal values.

Appropriate control of adult hypertension is currently challenging our health care system. Evaluation of juvenile hypertension may assist in alleviating this massive medical problem by helping to identify potentially remediable risk factors. Assessment of "normal" blood pressure values for children and adolescents must first be accomplished before attempting modification of "abnormals." A hypertension detection and referral surveyed the blood pressures of 7,498 New Orleans high school students aged 14 to 18, to identify youngsters with high blood pressure and to refer them for further evaluation; to demonstrate the range of adolescent blood pressures in this population; to stimulate cooperative blood pressure screening efforts; and to increase the awareness of hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors. Peer group analysis for age, sex, and race showed some variation and divergence to the "tracking" effect. Black boys, for example, showed a sharp increase in diastolic blood pressures at age 16. Blood pressures greater than the 90th percentile are recommended as criteria for referral for further medical evaluation, and were found in this study to be 140-150/84-90 mm Hg for boys and 130-140/84-90 mm Hg for girls.

Adolescent↗