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Biomedical subjects

A Keil

Publications and source records attributed to A Keil.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Murray Valley encephalitis acquired in Western Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To report a recent fatal case of encephalitis associated with evidence of Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection, only the second fatality from this infection in Western Australia. CLINICAL FEATURES: An 18-month-old Aboriginal boy was admitted to hospital in northwest Western Australia with proven Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: After an initial good response to antibiotics (amoxycillin and cefotaxime) he relapsed and died with evidence of encephalitis. Analysis of serum showed a high titre of antibody to Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus with the presence of specific IgM. No evidence was found for other infective agents. CONCLUSION: It is likely that this child died from MVE which followed his bacterial meningitis. Of the strains of mosquitoes trapped in the area of suspected infection 77.8% were Culex annulirostris, the major vector species for MVE. No MVE virus was isolated from these mosquitoes, but serum from one of the sentinel chickens contained MVE virus antibodies, indicating the presence of the virus in that region.

Encephalitis↗
PubMed1989

Binding of divalent and trivalent cations with crotoxin and with its phospholipase and its non-catalytic subunits: effects on enzymatic activity and on the interaction of phospholipase component with phospholipids.

We have studied the interaction of divalent and trivalent with a potent phospholipase A(2) neurotoxin, crotoxin, from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. The pharmacological action of crotoxin requires dissociation of its catalytic subunit (component B) and of its non-enzymatic chaperone subunit (component A), then the binding of the phospholipase subunit to target sites on cellular membranes and finally phospholipid hydrolysis. In this report, we show that the phospholipase A(2) activity of crotoxin and of component B required Ca2+ and that other divalent cations (Sr2+, Cd2+ and Ba2+) and trivalent lanthanide ions are inhibitors. The lowest phospholipase A(2) activity was observed in the presence of Ba2+, which proved to be a competitive inhibitor of Ca2+. The binding of divalent cations and trivalent lanthanide ions to crotoxin and to its subunits has been examined by equilibrium dialysis and by spectrofluorimetric methods. We found that crotoxin binds two divalent cations per mole with different affinities; the site presenting the highest affinity (K(d) in the mM range) in involved in the activation (or inhibition) of the phospholipase A(2) activity and must therefore be located on component B, the other site (K(d) higher than 10 mM) is probably localized on component A and does not play any role in the catalytic activity of crotoxin. We also observed that crotoxin component B binds to vesicular and micellar phospholipids, even in the absence of divalent cations. The affinity of this interaction either does not change or else increases by an order of magnitude in the presence of divalent cations.

Cations, Divalent↗
PubMed1987

The role of childhood sexual abuse in the development of alcoholism in women.

The effects of childhood sexual abuse on the development of alcoholism in women were examined by comparing a sample of 45 alcoholic women selected from local treatment agencies and Alcoholics Anonymous groups with a group of 40 nonalcoholic women selected randomly from a household population. Face-to-face interview schedules were administered to both samples. Sexual abuse was defined as any unwanted sexual contact with a person at least five years older than the respondent, or with any family relative, regardless of age difference. Types of sexual contact included both nonphysical contact (e.g., invitations, exposure) and physical contact (e.g., fondling, intercourse). Results showed that alcoholic women were more likely to have experienced sexual abuse, had a greater number of different types of sexual abuse experiences, and endured sexual abuse over a longer period than the comparison group. The presence of any childhood sexual abuse experience was sufficient to discriminate between the alcoholic women and the comparison group, even controlling for demographic variables and the presence of a parent with alcohol-related problems. Although alcoholic women were more likely to report that a parent had alcohol-related problems, relatively few of the sexual abuse incidents were perpetrated by a parent. The data suggest that vulnerabilities to sexual abuse were attributable to environmental or psychological factors in homes in which a parent was reported as having alcohol-related problems.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

[Report of case of opalescent dentin. A polariation optic and microradiographic study on a pulpless tooth].

Ground sections prepared from a molar (-7) with opalescent dentine were investigated by the means of polarizing microscopy and microradiography. Histological and clinical findings are discussed. Unfortunately, heredity could not be surely determined. But in all experience we are shure, that a hereditary mutation, recently or earlier in a generation occured, was the cause also in this case.

Adult↗