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Biomedical subjects

A McAuliffe

Publications and source records attributed to A McAuliffe.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

A study of helminth parasites in culled cows from Ireland.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal nematode, lungworm and liver fluke infection in culled cows in Ireland. Abomasa, colorectal contents and livers were collected from 30 to 68 culled beef and dairy cows during autumn 2002 and summer 2003, respectively. Ostertagia ostertagi were found in the abomasa of only three (10%) cows sampled in autumn and in 38 (57%) cows examined in summer. The majority of positive animals had low burdens of O. ostertagi but a few individuals in the group sampled during the summer had a moderate infection (5000-10,000 adult worms). A proportion of the cows in the summer group were also co-infected with small numbers of Trichostrongylus axei. Cooperia oncophora predominated in the recoveries from the larval cultures although O. ostertagi were also recovered. The overall prevalence of Dictyocaulus viviparus was 14%, based on larval identification in faecal samples. Liver fluke, or varying degrees of pathology attributable to Fasciola hepatica, were present in 65% of the livers. The results of this study extend those of previous workers, which were largely limited to dairy cows alone and which focussed on gastrointestinal nematodes and did not include simultaneous infections with lungworm and liver fluke. It was concluded, from the level of polyparasitism evident in this study, that adult cattle should be considered in preventative approaches to bovine helminthosis.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2003

Irish diabetes detection programme in general practice.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in patients over the age of 40 years attending their general practitioner (GP) in Ireland, through opportunistic screening, using a three-step screening tool involving self-determined high-risk groups, random venous plasma glucose (RVPG) measurement and oral glucose tolerance tests. DESIGN: In participating general practices, 100 consecutive patients > 40 years, completed a screening questionnaire relating to diabetes-related symptoms and risk factors. Patients with previously diagnosed diabetes were not excluded from the study and the screening instrument included a question about known diabetes. Patients without known diabetes mellitus (DM) and with at least two risk factors and/or symptoms underwent a RVPG test. Those with an RVPG above 5.5 mmol/l underwent an oral glucose tolerance test. RESULTS: Forty-one practices returned 3821 questionnaires. The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in the study population was 9.2% (353), of whom 23.5% (83) were previously undiagnosed. DM was detected on the basis of an RVPG >11.1 mmol/l in 0.8% (32) of the studied population. DM was detected on the basis of the oral glucose tolerance test in 1.3% (51) of the population. One per cent (39) had a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) > or = 7.0 mmol/l, 0.6% (24) had a 2-h >11.0 mmol/l and 0.3% (12) had both. Diabetes would not have been detected in 12 people had the 2-h test been omitted. The prevalence rate for IFG and/or IGT was 3.9% (148). Of the 103 patients with IGT, 83 (81%) would have been missed had the GTT been omitted. CONCLUSION: Opportunistic diabetes screening in general practice using a screening questionnaire followed by RVPG testing and GTT for those above 5.5 mmol/l is feasible, with a high participation rate. The use of GTTs rather than fasting glucose testing alone improves patient identification, in particular those with IGT who are at higher cardiovascular risk.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Activation of the feline c-fms proto-oncogene: multiple alterations are required to generate a fully transformed phenotype.

The v-fms oncogene is capable of producing tumors in vivo and transforming cells in culture; in contrast, the c-fms proto-oncogene is nontransforming. In this report we present the complete nucleotide sequence of a feline c-fms cDNA, the progenitor of the v-fms oncogene. Comparison of this sequence with that of v-fms shows that the proteins encoded by these two genes differ by nine amino acid substitutions and the replacement of 50 C-terminal amino acids present in c-fms by 11 unrelated residues in v-fms. Using chimeric fms genes and site-directed mutagenesis, we have determined that the C-terminal modification present in v-fms is sufficient to generate a partially transforming phenotype, but that mutations at amino acid positions 301 and 374 are required (in addition to the C-terminal modification) to generate a fully transforming fms gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Experimental erythrocyte autoantibodies. V. Induction and suppression of red blood cell autoantibodies in mice injected with rat bromelain-treated red blood cells.

Mice injected with rat red blood cells (RBC), or rat bromelain-treated (brom) RBC, produce RBC autoantibodies and suppressor cells that specifically inhibit the autoimmune response without inhibiting the net production of antibodies against rat RBC. It has been investigated whether suppressor cells induced by injections of rat RBC are effective in preventing autoantibody production induced by rat brom RBC and vice versa. Autoantibodies were induced in C3H mice by weekly ip injections, each 0.2 ml, of a 6% suspension of rat RBC or rat brom RBC. Autoantibody production was assayed using Coombs' test. Suppressor cells were present in the spleens of mice positive in Coombs' tests and were shown by intravenous injections of 40 X 10(6) viable cells per mouse into untreated syngeneic mice 18 hr before the first injection of rat RBC or rat brom RBC. Autoantibodies eluted from mice positive in Coombs' tests after injections of rat RBC or brom RBC were absorbed by either type of rat RBC but not by RBC from sheep. This suggests that rat RBC and rat brom RBC display antigens that are similar, if not identical, to autoantigens on the mouse RBC. Spleen cells from mice injected with rat RBC suppressed autoantibodies induced by both rat RBC and rat brom RBC. In contrast, spleen cells from mice injected with rat brom RBC suppressed autoantibodies induced by rat brom RBC but not those induced by unmodified rat RBC. This differential suppression may be due to the removal from rat RBC, by bromelain, of a suppressor site and/or autoantigens of some specificities. Thus rat brom RBC may not induce the total range of specificities of autoantibodies, and of suppressor cells, induced by rat RBC.

Animals↗