PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A M Wolf

Publications and source records attributed to A M Wolf.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes from chronically infected cats are induced in vitro by retroviral vector-transduced feline T cells expressing the FIV capsid protein.

We have previously reported the presence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-specific, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) in experimentally FIV-infected cats. However, the fine specificity of the CTL and the role of individual FIV proteins in inducing FIV-specific CTL responses remain unknown. In this study, we examined the in vitro induction and activity of FIV p24 capsid-specific CTL obtained from cats that had been experimentally infected with FIV Petaluma for 30 to 56 months. An amphotropic murine retroviral vector was used to generate transgenic primary feline T lymphoblasts that expressed the FIV capsid protein. When the autologous capsid-transduced T cells were used in vitro to stimulate CTL responses from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chronically infected cats, MHC-restricted lysis of virus-infected target cells was observed. The majority of the CTL expressed CD8, and depletion of this population, but not CD4+ cells, effectively diminished the CTL activity. When the autologous capsid-transduced T cells were used as target cells, lysis by capsid-induced effectors was not observed. Analysis of capsid-transduced T cell clones revealed a variable and low level of capsid expression among the clones. This study demonstrates the potential for using retroviral vectors as a means of inducing CTL effector cells that will specifically kill lentivirus-infected cells during lentiviral infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Development and reproducibility of a food frequency questionnaire to assess diets of older children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a self-administered food frequency questionnaire for older children and adolescents and to demonstrate reproducibility over a 1-year period. DESIGN: The youth/adolescent questionnaire (YAQ) was based on the validated Nurses' Health Study food frequency questionnaire and was developed to reflect the eating habits of this age group. SUBJECTS: The multiethnic sample consisted of 179 youths (ages 9 to 18 years) who completed the questionnaire twice, 1 year apart. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated on nutrient data adjusted in relation to energy intake and on unadjusted food data. RESULTS: Reproducibility for nutrients ranged from .26 for protein and iron to .58 for calcium, and for foods it ranged from .39 for meats to .57 for soda. Mean reproducibility was higher among girls than boys for energy and nutrients and for foods; no consistent pattern was observed for age. CONCLUSION: A self-administered food frequency questionnaire has a reasonable ability to assess the eating habits of older children and adolescents over time.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Relation of body fat distribution to reproductive factors in pre- and postmenopausal women.

The cross-sectional relations of several reproductive characteristics with self-reported waist-to-hip circumference ratio were evaluated in 44,487 pre- and postmenopausal women 40 to 65 years of age who were free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. All results were adjusted for age, body mass index, cigarette smoking, physical activity, and alcohol intake. Current use of postmenopausal hormones was associated with a significantly lower waist-to-hip ratio than either past or never use independent of type of menopause (0.778 versus 0.784, p = 0.0001 and 0.787, p = 0.0001, respectively), although associations with type (unopposed estrogens versus combined estrogen and progesterone) and duration of hormone therapy were not noted. Waist-to-hip ratio did not differ between pre- and postmenopausal women, but demonstrated weak positive associations with age at menarche, parity, and age at first birth, and a weak inverse association with past duration of breast-feeding. These data confirm relations of several reproductive factors and use of hormone replacement therapy with body fat distribution. Epidemiologic studies relating body fat distribution to disease outcomes in women should consider these factors as potential confounders.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1994

Reproducibility and validity of a self-administered physical activity questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The reproducibility and validity of self-administered questionnaires on physical activity and inactivity were examined in a random (representative) sample of the Nurses' Health Study II cohort and a random sample of African-American women in that cohort. METHODS: Repeat questionnaires were administered 2 years apart. Past-week activity recalls and 7-day activity diaries were the referent methods; these instruments were sent to participants four times over a 1-year period. RESULTS: The 2-year test-retest correlation for activity was 0.59 for the representative sample (n = 147) and 0.39 for the African-American sample (n = 84). Correlations between activity reported on recalls and that reported on questionnaire were 0.79 and 0.83 for the representative and African-American samples, respectively. Correlations between activity reported in diaries and that reported on questionnaire were 0.62 and 0.59, respectively. Test-retest coefficients for inactivity were 0.52 and 0.55, respectively. Correlations between inactivity reported in diaries and that reported on questionnaire were 0.41 and 0.44, respectively. CONCLUSION: The simple, short questionnaires on activity and inactivity used in the Nurses' Health Study II are reasonably valid measures for epidemiological research.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Gentamicin toxicosis in a North American cougar.

This report documents nephrotoxicosis in a North American cougar (Felis concolor) caused by gentamicin overdose and describes a method of calculating drug dosages by metabolic scaling for species in which pharmacokinetic studies have not been performed. Determining drug dosages by metabolic scaling can decrease the likelihood of administering inappropriate drug doses in exotic animals.

Alopecia↗
PubMed1993

Ovarian abscesses and pyometra in a domestic rabbit.

Infection with Pasteurella multocida can induce pyoendometritis, pyosalpingitis, and ovarian abscesses in rabbits. The likelihood of rabbits developing clinical pasteurellosis is predisposed by factors such as buildup of ammonia fumes, ambient temperature changes and drafts, reproduction, older age, existence of carriers, and poor sanitation. Traditionally, prevention of pasteurellosis in rabbits has focused on identifying suspected carriers and culling those animals from the rabbitry.

Abscess↗
PubMed1993

The relationship of caloric intake to frequency of dieting among preadolescent and adolescent girls.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationships of concern with weight and shape, frequency of dieting, body mass index (weight/height2), and energy intake among 431 preadolescent and adolescent girls from a working-class New England suburb. METHOD: A cross-sectional study design used self-report measures of concern with weight, frequency of dieting, and average dietary intake. RESULTS: Approximately 30% of the girls in each age stratum were above the national age-standardized 85th percentile for body mass index (BMI). Body mass index was positively associated with concern about weight and shape (r = 0.46, p = 0.0001) and frequency of dieting (r = 0.49, p = 0.0001). Extreme concern with weight and shape was most common among the obese preadolescent and adolescent girls; however, dissatisfaction was also present among the underweight females. Fifty percent of the girls who were below the national age-standardized 15th percentile for BMI reported their ideal weight is less than their current weight, implying that among young women thinness is not adequate protection against dissatisfaction with weight and shape. Frequency of dieting was positively associated with concern about weight and shape (r = 0.53, p = 0.001) but not physical activity (r = -0.04, p = 0.36). Overall, we did not find strong evidence that dieters were eating less than their nondieting peers. Only among high school students was there a significant negative association between frequency of dieting and energy intake (r = -0.20, p = 0.01), suggesting that "dieting" may have a different meaning to preadolescents and adults. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that self-reported frequent dieting in preadolescent and young adolescent girls is more indicative of extreme concern with weight than of decreased energy intake. Furthermore, extreme concern with weight and shape is most common among the obese preadolescent and adolescent girls.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Activity, inactivity, and obesity: racial, ethnic, and age differences among schoolgirls.

Physical activity, inactivity, and obesity were assessed by questionnaire among a multiethnic sample of 552 girls in grades 5 through 12. Hispanics and Asians reported lower activity levels than other racial groups. Only 36% of the entire sample and less than one fifth of either Asians or Hispanics met the year 2000 goal for strenuous physical activity. Physical activity was inversely associated with age and age-adjusted body mass index. Obesity was unrelated to inactivity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Evaluation of cofactor effect of feline syncytium-forming virus on feline immunodeficiency virus infection.

Although feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and the unrelated retrovirus feline leukemia virus (FeLV) are associated with acquired immune deficiency in cats, experimental and field evidence indicates that coinfection with both viruses may lead to more serious disease syndrome. A third feline retrovirus, feline syncytium-forming virus (FeSFV), which is far more prevalent than either FIV or FeLV and is considered nonpathogenic in nature, is consistently coisolated from sick, FIV-infected cats. To determine the potential role of FeSFV in enhancement of FIV-mediated disease, persistent FeSFV infection was established in 14 of 24 nine-month-old cats. Four months later, half the FeSFV-infected and half the noninfected cats were inoculated with blood obtained from a cat persistently infected with the Petaluma strain of FIV. At postinoculation week 17, 1 male cat infected with only FIV died of bacterial bronchopneumonia that could have been attributed to FIV-induced acquired immune deficiency-like syndrome. However, none of the remaining cats had clinical illness, whether infected with either virus alone or coinfected with both viruses. As early as postinoculation week 6, decreases were observed in the CD4+ to CD8+ T-lymphocyte ratio of both groups of cats inoculated with FIV. Infection with FeSFV had no effect on the CD4+ to CD8+ T-cell ratio. Mitogen stimulation assays and total WBC count were unaffected by FeSFV infection, although an increase in numbers of neutrophils from FeSFV-infected cats was consistent, especially when compared with the decrease observed after FIV infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Fungal diseases of the nasal cavity of the dog and cat.

Fungal infections of the nasal cavity are a common cause of nasal disease in the dog and cat. Aspergillus fumigatus most commonly affects the dog; Cryptococcus neoformans is the most common fungus isolated from the cat. Rhinosporidium infection causes obstructive nasal polyps in the dog but has not been reported in the cat. Several other miscellaneous fungi, including Exophiala, Alternaria, Trichosporon, Blastomyces, and Histoplasma, and the alga Prototheca occasionally cause nasal disease in dogs and cats.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Esophageal hiatal hernia and megaesophagus complicating tetanus in two dogs.

Two dogs with tetanus developed transient megaesophagus and hiatal hernia associated with gastroesophageal reflux and regurgitation. The megaesophagus and hiatal hernia were diagnosed radiographically and resolved with resolution of the tetanus. These 2 cases, plus previously reported cases, indicate that tetanus can cause megaesophagus and esophageal dysfunction. Therefore, thoracic radiography should be included as part of the diagnostic evaluation of dogs suspected of having tetanus.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Heinz body hemolytic anemia associated with high plasma zinc concentration in a dog.

Acute zinc toxicosis from the ingestion of pennies was diagnosed in a dog with Heinz body hemolytic anemia (PCV = 14%), leukocytosis (51,000 cells/ml) with a left shift (3,060 band neutrophils; 37,740 segmented neutrophils) and monocytosis (4,080 cells/ml), azotemia (BUN = 60 mg/dl), bilirubinemia (total bilirubin = 5.3 mg/dl), hypokalemia (3.0 mEq/L), high serum alkaline phosphatase activity (691 U/L), high total plasma solids (8.1 g/dl), hemoglobinuria, and proteinuria. Despite aggressive medical treatment, renal failure ensued, and the dog died of cardiac arrest. The clinical signs, clinical course, and laboratory findings in this dog were similar to what has been reported in other cases of acute zinc toxicosis in dogs, with the exception of a history of generalized seizures and the findings of Heinz bodies. Although a causative relationship between plasma zinc values and Heinz body formation cannot be proven, their association suggests that oxidative damage to erythrocyte hemoglobin and cell membrane proteins may be involved in the pathogenesis of zinc-induced hemolysis.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1989

Systemic mycoses.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adolescent↗