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Biomedical subjects

Y L Danon

Publications and source records attributed to Y L Danon.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

The cognitive outcome of full-term small for gestational age infants at late adolescence.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the cognitive and academic performance of adolescents who were born small for gestational age (SGA) at term. METHODS: A 17-year historical prospective study was done by matching neonatal data of 1758 infants to the results of the medical and intelligence assessment performed at age 17 years at the army draft board medical examination in Israel. The results of children born SGA (weight at term birth below the third percentile) were compared to those of children who were born appropriate for gestational age (AGA). RESULTS: After adjustment by a multiple linear regression analysis, the mean (+/- standard error of the mean) intelligence test scores were 103.1 +/- 2.9 versus 105.8 +/- 1.5 (P = 0.3) for the males and 100.3 +/- 2.5 versus 104.7 +/- 1.6 (P < .03) for the females. Males born SGA at term were found to have lower educational achievements (having less than 12 years of schooling or attending a vocational school) compared with the AGA group. The odds ratio for this finding after adjustment by a logistic regression analysis was 2.40 (95% confidence interval 1.07-5.39; P < .03). Intranatal events were not found to have an effect on the measured neurodevelopmental outcome. CONCLUSION: Infants born SGA at term have an increased risk for lower cognitive performance and schooling achievements than those born AGA; this result seems to be unrelated to their intranatal course.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Effect of valvular heart diseases, migraine headaches, and perianal diseases on the risk of involvement in motor vehicle crashes.

Impaired health can interfere with driving performance. We have launched this investigation to identify in professional military drivers health parameters that might be associated with involvement in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). All Israel Defense Forces professional male drivers (N = 5,605) conscripted into compulsory military service between April 1, 1988 and April 1, 1990 were divided into two groups according to whether (N = 1,300) or not (N = 4,305) the driver was involved in MVCs during the same time frame. Using the multivariate Cox model, a significant association was shown between involvement in MVCs and the following health parameters: mild-to-moderate valvular heart disease (p = 0.0002, chi 2 = 13.89), migraine headaches (p = 0.009, chi 2 = 6.91), and perianal diseases (p = 0.006, chi 2 = 7.44). We hypothesize that interference with the driver's performance level may be a result of the discomfort associated with those clinical conditions. It is possible that interference with the personal performance level decreased the ability of the driver to cope with the specific driving task demands and resulted in the involvement of the driver in MVCs. We suggest that because of the high social and economic costs associated with road accidents, it is important to investigate further the association of involvement in MVCs and health problems. If our findings are confirmed in the future studies, intervention programs to reduce MVC rates would be suggested and conducted among professional drivers.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1994

Urinary tract infections with low and high colony counts in young women. Spontaneous remission and single-dose vs multiple-day treatment.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to test whether the spontaneous cure rate is higher in dysuric women with low urinary colony counts (10(2) to 10(4) colony-forming units [cfu] per milliliter) than in women with high colony counts (> or = 10(5) cfu/mL) and whether the response of patients with low colony counts to single-dose treatment is better than those with high colony counts. METHODS: Dysuric women underwent a clinical interview, examination, urine culture, and microscopic examination of urine, and were asked to postpone treatment for 2 days. At that time, the urine tests were repeated. Women with bacterial urinary tract infection were randomized to a group given a single dose of 1200 mg of norfloxacin and to a group treated with 400 mg of norfloxacin twice daily for 7 days. Cure rates were tested at 1 and 5 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: Of 146 women with urinary tract complaints, 113 (25 patients with sterile urine cultures, 21 with low colony counts, and 67 with high colony counts) agreed to postpone antibiotic treatment. Two days after the initial urine culture, only one patient with a low initial colony count had a sterile urine culture (5%, 95% confidence interval, 0% to 14%); and 10 patients (48%, 95% confidence interval, 27% to 69%) had a colony count of 10(5) cfu/mL or more. The rate of spontaneous cure in women with high initial colony count was 7%, 95% confidence interval, 1% to 13%. One week after treatment, the cure rates were 48 (84%) of 57 patients given single-dose treatment vs 49 (98%) of 50 patients treated for 7 days. Five weeks after treatment the rates were 63% and 83%, respectively. The efficacy of single-dose treatment in patients with low urinary counts were similar to those with high counts, and less than that achieved by 7 days of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The spontaneous cure rate for a 2-day period is minimal in patients with both a low and a high colony count, but half of the patients with low urinary counts will have high colony counts after this interval. The response to single-dose treatment is similar in patients with low and high colony counts, and lower than with multiday treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Placental transfer of immunoglobulin G subclasses.

The concentrations in cord blood of total immunoglobulin G (IgG) and the four subclasses of IgG were measured in 34 fetuses at a mean gestational age of 25 weeks (range, 18 to 35 weeks). The blood samples were obtained by percutaneous umbilical blood sampling, and results were compared with the respective IgG subclass concentrations of the mothers. The efficiency of transplacental transfer of the different IgG subclasses was determined. Transfer of IgG1 and IgG4 was found to be significantly more efficient than that of IgG3 and IgG2. IgG2 was the subclass least efficiently transferred from mother to fetus. These differences may partly explain the susceptibility of newborns to various pathogens, such as streptococcus group B.

Female↗
PubMed1994

Neurofibromatosis type 1 in Israel: survey of young adults.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) (von Recklinghausen's disease) is one of the most common human autosomal dominant disorders. In a survey of 374440 17 year old Jewish recruits for military service, 390 cases of NF1 were discovered, with a prevalence of 1.04/1000 (0.94/1000 for males and 1.19/1000 for females), or two to five times the reported prevalence of this disease. NF1 was more common in youngsters whose parents were of North African and Asian origin (1.81/1000 and 0.95/1000, respectively) and less common in those of European and North American origin (0.64/1000). All these differences were statistically significant and may be partially explained by the more advanced parental age of the NF group (as suggested by the larger number of children in the North African and Asian families) or by founder effect or both. The height and weight of the NF1 subjects was significantly lower than those of the controls. The intelligence score of persons with NF1 was similar to that of the control group when corrected for gender and ethnic origin. No significant increase in epilepsy or mental illnesses was found. This study provides evidence of the high overall prevalence of NF1 among Jews in Israel, with significantly increased prevalence in certain ethnic groups.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1994

Erythema multiforme and hypersensitivity myocarditis caused by ampicillin.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of erythema multiforme and hypersensitivity myocarditis caused by ampicillin. CASE SUMMARY: A 13-year-old boy was treated with ampicillin and gentamicin because of suspected septicemia. Medications were discontinued when erythema multiforme and congestive heart failure caused by myocarditis occurred. The patient was treated with methylprednisolone and gradually improved. Macrophage-migration inhibition (MIF) test with ampicillin was positive. DISCUSSION: After most infections causing erythema multiforme and myocarditis were ruled out, a drug-induced allergic reaction was suspected. Positive MIF test for ampicillin showed sensitization of the patient's lymphocytes to ampicillin. CONCLUSIONS: Hypersensitivity myocarditis is a rare and dangerous manifestation of allergy to penicillins.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Food allergy in infants and children: clinical evaluation and management.

A total of 122 infants and children up to age 17 (69 males and 53 females) who were referred for food allergy to the Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit were evaluated by complete history, emphasizing the implicated foods, clinical presentation and involvement of various organ systems, physical examination, and prick skin tests to food allergens. Fourteen infants with a history of egg white allergy and positive skin tests to egg white also underwent skin tests (prick and intradermal in 1:100 dilution) to measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine; 35 children under 3 years old had 41 oral challenges with the suspected foods; and 9 children over 3 years old had 12 oral challenges with the suspected foods. We found that cow milk/humanized milk formula, egg white, soybean, and peanut are the main allergenic foods in the pediatric population. Thirteen children had 13 positive oral challenges: 12 to cow milk/humanized milk formula and one to egg white. Symptoms reproduced by oral challenges included urticarial and erythematous rash, conjunctival itching, angioedema, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and rhinorrhea. No anaphylactic shock was reported. Negative skin test has an excellent predictive accuracy for negative oral challenge with the suspected food in children > 3 years old. The negative predictive accuracy of cow milk skin test in children < 3 years was 73%. Positive skin test is not a good predictor of a clinical reaction to food. Oral food challenge performed cautiously in a medical setting is the "gold standard" for diagnosis. MMR vaccine can be safely administered to infants with egg white allergy after skin tests with the vaccine are performed.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

Sequence analysis of the new human T cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type I isolate (HTLV-I) in Israel.

Recent studies have established the presence of human T cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type I (HTLV-I) in Israel. The entire nucleotide sequence of HTLV-I virus from a previously described HE isolate of a Mashadi Jewish Iranian patient was determined. To further characterize the LTR and env genes from the HTLV-I isolate we employed polymerase chain reaction amplification with subsequent cloning and sequencing of the amplified products on both strands. Sequence analyses of amplified LTR regions of this variant showed marked nucleotide homology of 98% compared to Japanese isolates, while African and Indo-Malay (Papua, New Guinea) and Solomon Island isolates showed more divergence with sequence homology of 95% and 91%. Higher homology of 98-99% was conserved in the amplified HTLV-env gene. In this respect the Iranian isolate was most similar to the African and Japanese isolate and divergent from the Melanesian HTLV-I variant, supporting the theory that HTLV-I may have originated in Africa and reached the Far East by overland trade routes.

Africa↗
PubMed1994

Longitudinal study on the prevalence of asthma among Israeli young adults.

We studied the medical records of more than 400,000 males and females who were born in 1963-74 and examined at the age of 17-18 years, as part of the routine health assessment prior to induction into the Israel Defense Forces. As part of the assessment, each one was asked whether he/she had ever suffered from asthma or other respiratory disease. Any positive response was confirmed by a letter from the family physician and previous hospitalization records. All patients with symptoms that could be due to asthma, past or present, were referred to examination by a pulmonologist. The severity of asthma was then categorized to three grades of severity. The data were adjusted for sex and ethnic origin and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel statistics were used to compute the association with 1 degree of freedom. The average prevalence of active disease was 2.7% for males and 2.22% for females. The prevalence of active disease increased significantly during the last decade (chi 2 = 769.25, P < 0.001). A significant association (P < 0.001) between increased active asthma prevalence and the following parameters was recorded. Asthma prevalence was higher among conscripts of European or North American origin (3.63% for males, 2.71% for females) and higher in Jews than among Druze. Increased prevalence was found among males and females who were examined at Tel-Hashomer, 3.4% and 2.41% respectively, in comparison with other geographic areas. A higher prevalence of active asthma was recorded for conscripts living in a kibbutz, 3.13% and 3.12, males and females respectively, as compared with other types of settlements. Higher prevalence was recorded for conscripts who had graduated from high school, 3.27% for males and 2.3% for females, in comparison with other levels of education. Also significantly associated with increased prevalence of active disease were other socioeconomic factors, such as a small number of children in the family and being the firstborn child. Increased prevalence of active asthma in males and females was associated with high IQ (111+), 3.5% and 2.29%, respectively. There was a higher prevalence of asthma among conscripts who were born in the summer and autumn than those born in the winter or spring. Conscripts who had asthma in the past were heavier, taller and fatter than the control group (with 95% confidence intervals). The pattern among females was much the same but did not reach significance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Hearing impairment in idiopathic hypoparathyroidism and pseudohypoparathyroidism.

Sensorineural hearing impairment is a lesser known feature of hypoparathyroidism. The hearing of 20 patients with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism was investigated by pure-tone audiometry. Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was found in three (15%). Sensorineural hearing loss is considered to be associated with a prolonged low calcium level in the inner ear fluid and is a possible complication of hypoparathyroidism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Measles immunity in Israeli young adults: effects of second immunization at 18 years of age.

Measles morbidity and mortality in Israel have declined since the introduction of routine vaccination, even though measles continues to occur in epidemic cycles. In this study we examined the antibody response to measles revaccination, and the effect of prior administration of immune serum globulin (ISG) on the antibody response to measles vaccine. A study group of 312 young adults in army service received the Schwartz strain measles vaccine. Serum antibody levels were studied prior to vaccination and 2 and 4 weeks after vaccination. The finding of this study show that: a) booster response occurs in those vaccinees shown to have low or undetectable prerevaccination titers of measles antibodies; b) there is no effect of administration of ISG, prior to vaccination, on the antibody response to measles vaccine; and c) at the present level of immunity to measles in the Israeli adolescent population, we still may witness periodic epidemics in populations at risk.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The immune response to booster vaccination against diphtheria toxin at age 18-21 years.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immunity of Israeli adults against the diphtheria toxin and to assess the immune response to a 2 Lf booster vaccination of diphtheria. The antibody levels against the toxin were measured in 200 volunteers aged 18-21. Later, a booster vaccination at a dosage of 2 Lf (flocculation units) was given and the immune response measured. We found that prior to the booster vaccination 174 (87%) of the study group had an antibody level > or = 0.1 IU/ml, 16 (8%) had an antibody level of > or = 0.06 IU/ml and < or = 0.09 IU/ml, and 10 (5%) had an antibody level of < or = 0.05 IU/ml. At the 10th day after the booster vaccination 185 (99%) acquired antibody level > or = 0.1 IU/ml, and at the 28th day all the vaccinees had antibody level above 0.1 IU/ml. When comparing the anamnestic and the delayed reaction to the booster vaccination, no significant difference was found between the group that prior to the vaccination had antibody level < or = 0.05 IU/ml and the group with antibody level > or = 0.06 IU/ml and < or = 0.09 IU/ml. Side effects were mainly local: 76 (38%) of the vaccinees had moderate local pain at the site of the injection and 40 (20%) had severe local pain. Abduction limitation of the injected arm was reported by 17 (8%) of the subjects. Weakness was reported by 67 (33%), headache by 18 (9%) and fever by 2 (1%) subjects. We conclude that antibody levels > or = 0.1 IU/ml are protective and booster vaccination at a dosage of 2 Lf raises the antibody levels to protective levels in all the vaccines.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The effect of shiga toxin and sonicates of Shigella isolates from children with neurologic manifestation on neuroblastoma cell lines.

Although neurologic manifestations are frequent during childhood shigellosis, their pathogenesis is unclear and controversial. Shiga toxin and other cytotoxins are often implicated, but their effect on neuronal cells has not been determined. We examined the effect of purified Shiga toxin and sonicates of Shigella isolates from children with neurologic symptoms on well-characterized human neuroblastoma cells in vitro. Quantitative determinations showed high cytotoxicity of Shiga toxin on HeLa cells (1.2 x 10(6) CD50/mg purified toxin), but no effect on LA-N-1, LA-N-5 and IMR neuroblastoma cell lines. Pretreatment with tumor necrosis factor, which increases expression of the Shiga toxin receptor, globotriosyl ceramide, in endothelial cells and enhanced Shiga toxin cytotoxicity, did not affect the susceptibility of neuroblastoma cells to the toxin. Low dilutions (up to 1:16-1:64) of sonicates of Shigella isolates from children with neurologic symptoms caused agglutination of neuroblastoma cells, but no cell killing was observed morphologically. This study shows that Shiga toxin does not exhibit cytotoxic activity on the human neuroblastoma cell lines examined, neither do sonicates of relevant Shigella strains. The mechanism and significance of the agglutination activity on neuroblastoma cells should be further studied.

Bacterial Toxins↗