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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

[The symbolic power of bodily secretions].

Are ethical and political questions discussed more in aesthetic than in social terms? Political debates in contemporary art are often expressed through the use of symbolic power structures that are related to bodily secretions and products. By visualizing the less delicate parts of the organic body, contemporary artists focus on the vulnerability of the human body and its illness and pain. If human suffering is aestheticized: is this a question of form or a question of creating a cultural cover-up? Bodily secretions are associated with a range of complex social and cultural meanings and symbols. Metaphors related to body products may function as markers of ethnic, religious, social and sexual differences. In postmodern cultural criticism, the symbolic power of body metaphors is of great importance.

Bodily Secretions↗
PubMed1989

Sexual history, attitudes and functioning of obsessive-compulsive patients.

An exploratory investigation of sexual history, attitudes and functioning was conducted with 44 obsessive-compulsive outpatients seeking behavioral therapy. Prior to treatment, patients completed a life history questionnaire which requested information about personal and parental attitudes toward sex, current sexual functioning, sexual obsessions, and sexual history. Pretreatment measures of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology revealed a severely obsessional group who were moderately depressed and introverted. Obsessive-compulsives did not appear to differ from normative samples in sexual history or attitudinal variables. One-third of the present sample reported obsessions related to sexual themes. Symptomatology interferred with sexual satisfaction, particularly for those concerned with bodily secretions. Sexual dysfunction, however, was relatively uncommon. Categorizing patients according to the type of obsession (bodily secretion vs. other obsession) or their religious affiliation (Catholic vs. non-Catholic) yielded no differences with respect to sexual history, attitudes and treatment outcome. Some association of early sexual experiences with current sexual dysfunction was observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Human spongiform encephalopathy: the National Institutes of Health series of 300 cases of experimentally transmitted disease.

We present a synthesis of clinical, neuropathological, and biological details of the National Institutes of Health series of 300 experimentally transmitted cases of spongiform encephalopathy from among more than 1,000 cases of various neurological disorders inoculated into nonhuman primates during the past 30 years. The series comprises 278 subjects with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, of whom 234 had sporadic, 36 familial, and 8 iatrogenic disease; 18 patients with kuru; and 4 patients with Gerstmann-Strüssler-Scheinker syndrome. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, numerically by far the most important representative, showed an average age at onset of 60 years, with the frequent early appearance of cerebellar and visual/oculomotor signs, and a broad spectrum of clinical features during the subsequent course of illness, which was usually fatal in less than 6 months. Characteristic spongiform neuropathology was present in all but 2 subjects. Microscopically visible kuru-type amyloid plaques were found in 5% of patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, 75% of those with kuru, and 100% of those with Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome; brain biopsy was diagnostic in 95% of cases later confirmed at autopsy, and proteinase-resistant amyloid protein was identified in Western blots of brain extracts from 88% of tested subjects. Experimental transmission rates were highest for iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (100%), kuru (95%), and sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (90%), and considerably lower for most familial forms of disease (68%). Incubation periods as well as the durations and character of illness showed great variability, even in animals receiving the same inoculum, mirroring the spectrum of clinical profiles seen in human disease. Infectivity reached average levels of nearly 10(5) median lethal doses/gm of brain tissue, but was only irregularly present (and at much lower levels) in tissues outside the brain, and, except for cerebrospinal fluid, was never detected in bodily secretions or excretions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Experimental infection of cynomolgus macaques with Ebola-Reston filoviruses from the 1989-1990 U.S. epizootic.

This study describes the pathogenesis of the Ebola-Reston (EBO-R) subtype of Ebola virus for experimentally infected cynomolgus monkeys. The disease course of EBO-R in macaques was very similar to human disease and to experimental diseases in macaques following EBO-Zaire and EBO-Sudan infections. Cynomolgus monkeys infected with EBO-R in this experiment developed anorexia, occasional nasal discharge, and splenomegaly, petechial facial hemorrhages and severe subcutaneous hemorrhages in venipuncture sites, similar to human Ebola fever. Five of the six EBO-R infected monkeys died, 8 to 14 days after inoculation. One survived and developed high titered neutralizing antibodies specific for EBO-R. The five acutely ill monkeys shed infectious virus in various bodily secretions. Further, abundant virus was visualized in alveolar interstitial cells and free in the alveoli suggesting the potential for generating infectious aerosols. Thus, taking precautions against aerosol exposures to filovirus infected primates, including humans, seems prudent. This experiment demonstrated that EBO-R was lethal for macaques and was capable of initiating and sustaining the monkey epizootic. Further investigation of this animal model should facilitate development of effective immunization, treatment, and control strategies for Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

Animals↗
PubMed2007

A structural comparison of human serum transferrin and human lactoferrin.

The transferrins are a family of proteins that bind free iron in the blood and bodily fluids. Serum transferrins function to deliver iron to cells via a receptor-mediated endocytotic process as well as to remove toxic free iron from the blood and to provide an anti-bacterial, low-iron environment. Lactoferrins (found in bodily secretions such as milk) are only known to have an anti-bacterial function, via their ability to tightly bind free iron even at low pH, and have no known transport function. Though these proteins keep the level of free iron low, pathogenic bacteria are able to thrive by obtaining iron from their host via expression of outer membrane proteins that can bind to and remove iron from host proteins, including both serum transferrin and lactoferrin. Furthermore, even though human serum transferrin and lactoferrin are quite similar in sequence and structure, and coordinate iron in the same manner, they differ in their affinities for iron as well as their receptor binding properties: the human transferrin receptor only binds serum transferrin, and two distinct bacterial transport systems are used to capture iron from serum transferrin and lactoferrin. Comparison of the recently solved crystal structure of iron-free human serum transferrin to that of human lactoferrin provides insight into these differences.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

The fate of Lyngbya majuscula toxins in three potential consumers.

Blooms of Lyngbya majuscula have been reported with increasing frequency and severity in the last decade in Moreton Bay, Australia. A number of grazers have been observed feeding upon this toxic cyanobacterium. Differences in sequestration of toxic compounds from L. majuscula were investigated in two anaspideans, Stylocheilus striatus, Bursatella leachii, and the cephalaspidean Diniatys dentifer. Species fed a monospecific diet of L. majuscula had different toxin distribution in their tissues and excretions. A high concentration of lyngbyatoxin-a was observed in the body of S. striatus (3.94 mg/kg(-1)) compared to bodily secretions (ink 0.12 mg/kg(-1); fecal matter 0.56 mg/kg(-1); eggs 0.05 mg/kg(-1)). In contrast, B. leachii secreted greater concentrations of lyngbyatoxin-a (ink 5.41 mg/kg(-1); fecal matter 6.71 mg/kg(-1)) than that stored in the body (2.24 mg/kg(-1)). The major internal repository of lyngbyatoxin-a and debromoaplysiatoxin was the digestive gland for both S. striatus (6.31 +/- 0.31 mg/kg(-1)) and B. leachii (156.39 +/- 46.92 mg/kg(-1)). D. dentifer showed high variability in the distribution of sequestered compounds. Lyngbyatoxin-a was detected in the digestive gland (3.56 +/- 3.56 mg/kg(-1)) but not in the head and foot, while debromoaplysiatoxin was detected in the head and foot (133.73 +/- 129.82 mg/kg(-1)) but not in the digestive gland. The concentrations of sequestered secondary metabolites in these animals did not correspond to the concentrations found in L. majuscula used as food for these experiments, suggesting it may have been from previous dietary exposure. Trophic transfer of debromoaplysiatoxin from L. majuscula into S. striatus is well established; however, a lack of knowledge exists for other grazers. The high levels of secondary metabolites observed in both the anaspidean and the cephalapsidean species suggest that these toxins may bioaccumulate through marine food chains.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

The concept of flow in Rwandan popular medicine.

This paper examines Rwandan popular concepts of health and physiology focusing upon notions which concern the bodily secretions: blood, saliva, semen, and maternal milk. Through the analysis of a female patient's description of an illness caused by "poisoning', the author demonstrates that Rwandan notions of individual health, social order, and the cosmos manifest the principle of homology. Liquid substances participate in several important processes in Rwandan social life, including those of production, exchange, and reproduction. Pathology arises where the flow of liquids becomes perturbed, hence a contrast is drawn between "flow' and "anomic flow'. Ritually controlling "flow' was once the responsibility of the Rwandan divine king (mwami). Today, although Rwanda is no longer a monarchy, symbolic constructs related to the "flow/anomic flow' dialectic continue to permeate Rwandan popular medicine and this is evinced in the discourse of patients and healers. In this particular instance, the patient uses this symbolic model to express feelings of malaise which run the gamut from "micro' level phenomena--herself and her household--to "macro' level phenomena--political strife at the national level.

Anthropology, Cultural↗
PubMed1999

The action of Lonomia achelous caterpillar venom on some blood coagulation and fibrinolysis parameters of the rabbit.

The bodily secretions of the Lonomia achelous caterpillar cause a severe and often fatal acquired bleeding diathesis in humans. The rabbit was selected as model animal in an attempt to understand the mode of action of the venom. The animals were injected subcutaneously with either hemolymph or chromatographically purified fractions. Injections of hemolymph produced a drop in fibrinogen and factor XIII levels and an increase in fibrinogen degradation products (FDP). In addition one batch of hemolymph decreased plasminogen levels. The chromatographically semipurified fraction II decreased both fibrinogen and plasminogen. The effect was dose dependent but, unlike in humans, there was a fairly rapid return to baseline values. In conclusion, the response to Lonomia achelous venom in the rabbit is similar to the response seen in humans, but with a more rapid recovery.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Secretor genotyping for A385T, G428A, C571T, C628T, 685delTGG, G849A, and other mutations from a single PCR.

BACKGROUND: The secretor status of an individual is important for disease relationship studies, because it determines the presence of ABH blood group antigens in the gastrointestinal tract and bodily secretions. Routine serologic methods for determining secretor status are unreliable. Current strategies based on PCR for genotyping require relatively large amounts of DNA and have to be done as several separate experiments. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A single, multiplex PCR technique followed by RFLP digestion with four restriction enzymes produced unique genotype profiles for most known secretor (FUT2) mutations. RESULTS: Samples from a range of individuals with common and rare secretor genotypes were analyzed. Each gave unique patterns that allowed secretor genotypes to be determined. CONCLUSION: By using the method described here and genomic DNA, a secretor genotype based on the FUT2 mutations A385T, G428A, C571T, C628T, 685delTGG, and G849A could be accurately determined.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1976

Hepatitis B surface antigen in saliva, impetiginous lesions, and the environment in two remote Alaskan villages.

A study was conducted in an area of hepatitis B hyperendemicity to determin whether contact with infective bodily secretions or contaminated environmental surfaces could be involved in the transmission of the hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B surface antigen was detected in gingival swab, saliva, and impetiginous lesion exudate samples from children. Hepatitis B surface antigen also was found in swab samples of surfaces frequently touched or placed in the mouth. In the absence of classical exposure to infectious blood or blood products, these findings suggested that, in a crowded home environment, saliva and cutaneous exudates containing hepatitis B virus may play a role in the transmission of hepatitis B.

Alaska↗
PubMed2004

Public health implications related to spread of pathogens in manure from livestock and poultry operations.

During the 20th century, food animal agriculture grew from small operations, where livestock (cattle, sheep, and swine) and poultry (chickens and turkeys) had access to free range, to large operations where animals and poultry were concentrated and confined to feed lots or buildings. The quantity of manure produced by confinement animals in the United States has been estimated to be in excess of 61 million tons of dry matter per year, and another report states that 1.2 billion tons of manure are produced by cattle annually in the United States (US Senate Agricultural Committee, 1998). As urban developments have come closer to livestock operations, there has been increasing public concern for the impact of the latter on public health and the environment. Although management practices for livestock production have increased in efficiency, insufficient attention has been given to managing and utilizing wastes so that they benefit rather than pollute the environment. Animal manure includes urine and various bodily secretions such as those from the nose, vagina, and mammary glands. Dust from animals and manure may be blown from buildings by powerful fans, and manure is often piled near the animal quarters or is spread on land in solid or liquid form. Public concerns associated with disposal of animal manure include objectionable odors, flies, excessive levels of phosphorous and nitrogen, and the potential for spread of human pathogens. It has been observed that despite linkages between outbreaks of gastroenteritis in humans and livestock operations, the importance of animal manure in the spread of infectious agents tends to be underestimated.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Rethinking the role of isolation practices in the prevention of nosocomial infections.

To prevent nosocomial infections, hospitals use two types of procedures: routine patient care practices (handwashing, for example), which are used in appropriate circumstances on all patients, and more intensive isolation precautions, which are implemented only when patients are suspected of having particular infections. Aspects of these current practices, however, may limit their effectiveness. We propose the use of body substance isolation, a simpler alternative system that is used for all patients, not just in response to a specific diagnosis, and that emphasizes the increased use of barrier precautions, especially gloving, when contact with potentially infectious bodily secretions is anticipated. Because of its rationale and simplicity, body substance isolation has been enthusiastically accepted at our hospitals, and we encourage others to consider and evaluate this approach.

Bedding and Linens↗
PubMed2001

Trimethylaminuria: the fish malodor syndrome.

The fish malodor syndrome (also known as the fish odor syndrome and trimethylaminuria) is a metabolic disorder characterized by the presence of abnormal amounts of the dietary-derived tertiary amine, trimethylamine, in the urine, sweat, expired air, and other bodily secretions. Trimethylamine itself has the powerful aroma of rotting fish, and this confers upon the sufferer a highly objectionable body odor, which can be destructive to the personal, social, and work life of the affected individual. In recent years, much progress has been made at all levels-clinical, epidemiological, biochemical, and genetic-in our understanding of this unfortunate condition. The present article summarizes this progress, draws attention to the different types of fish malodor syndrome, and highlights the current needs in the treatment of such patients.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

B virus (Herpesvirus simiae) and human infection.

B virus (Herpesvirus simiae) infections in macaque colonies are common. Herpetiform lesions as well as asymptomatic shedding of virus in bodily secretions from macaques pose a risk to animal handlers and laboratory workers. Fatal encephalitis in humans infected with B virus has occurred. Dermatologists may become involved in the initial evaluation of animal handlers exposed to this virus through bites or infectious secretions.

Acyclovir↗
PubMed1977

[Serum siderophilin (transferrin) and ekkrinosiderophilin (lactoferrin) as non-specific microbiostatic agents in human health and disease: clinical implications (author's transl)].

A short historical review of the antimicrobial effects of siderophilin, the iron chelator in human plasma and serum, is followed by a presentation of the rational basis for assigning it a role in the overall defence mechanisms of the host against infectious disease. Details are given of the qualitative and quantitative activities of normal and pathological sera on the growth and nutrition of several pathogenic bacteria and the fungus Candida albicans as governed by the percentage iron saturation of their contained siderophilin. Staphylococcus aureus is differentiated from Staphylococcus albus by its ability to grow in normal serum whose percentage iron saturation affects not only the metabolism of Staphylococcus aureus but also its production of diffusible factors and sensitivity to antibiotics. The protein iron chelator of bodily secretions, ekkrinosiderophilin, found in relatively high concentrations in human milk is likewise evaluated for its antimicrobial properties and their relevance to the health of the newborn.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗