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Biomedical subjects

B Cuthbertson

Publications and source records attributed to B Cuthbertson.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Distribution of hepatitis A antibody over a process for the preparation of a high-purity factor VIII concentrate.

The levels of hepatitis A antibody were studied in factor VIII products manufactured by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service. It was found that the current high-purity factor VIII product has no detectable hepatitis A antibody, whereas the superseded intermediate-purity product had significant antibody levels (6,700 mIU/ml). Although the finished high-potency factor VIII product has no detectable hepatitis A antibody, significant levels of antibody are found in the early stages of product manufacture. This antibody may offer some protection against hepatitis A contamination present in very occasional plasma donations. Antibody to parvovirus B19 is also present at intermediate stages in the manufacture of high-potency factor VIII, but its significance is not known. Hepatitis A antibody levels were also measured in normal immunoglobulin. These data indicate that antibody levels in the plasma pools used to manufacture factor VIII are falling.

Consumer Product Safety↗
PubMed1991

Outcome of bipolar disorder on long-term treatment with lithium.

The long-term treatment outcome of 248 bipolar patients in an out-patient lithium programme was assessed. Over half of the patients (138 or 56%) had no affective episodes in the year observed. Patients were divided into outcome groups according to GAS scores: the outcome for 40% of patients was good, for 41% fair, and for 19% poor. More frequent psychiatric admissions before starting lithium treatment was the best predictor of poor outcome, followed by a negative affective style in the family and lower social class. Current alcohol and drug abuse was associated with poor outcome. Although familial and psychosocial factors were significantly associated with outcome, the findings suggest there may be inherent differences in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder reflected in an increased frequency of episodes which account for a large variance in lithium treatment outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Potential contribution of mild pepsin treatment at pH4 to the viral safety of human immunoglobulin products.

Different manufacturers use several different processes for the production of intravenous immunoglobulin. Several manufacturers include a production step where the immunoglobulin is treated with low levels of pepsin at pH 4. A series of experiments were undertaken to assess whether or not pH 4/pepsin treatment could inactivate a range of test viruses. Acid-labile viruses such as vaccinia, herpes simplex, mumps and Semliki Forest virus were found to be susceptible to pH 4/pepsin treatment whereas poliovirus type 2, an acid-stable virus, was completely resistant to this treatment. In immunoglobulin preparations, viral contaminants are likely to be present as antibody/virus complexes and such complexing was found to help protect the test viruses from inactivation by pH 4/pepsin treatment. Despite this protection, at least 99% of the test inoculum of two susceptible viruses (vaccinia and herpes simplex) was found to be inactivated after treatment and the subsequent dissociation of virus/antibody complexes. It is concluded that pH 4/pepsin treatment may contribute to the safety of intravenous IgG by inactivating potential viral contaminants.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1987

The viral safety of intravenous immunoglobulin.

Human immunoglobulin for intravenous (IV) use has an established safety record with regard to transmission of hepatitis B virus. The bulk of available evidence also suggests that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is not transmitted by IV immunoglobulin. There has been one report, however, of isolation of HIV from two patients with hypogammaglobulinaemia who had been treated with several immunoglobulin products. Certain IV immunoglobulin products have transmitted non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis but careful clinical assessment of recipients of other products suggests that non-infective preparations can be made. Interpretation of available data most likely to be correct is that contamination with NANB is reduced but not eliminated by cold-ethanol fractionation and that the use of further virucidal procedures in the finishing of immunoglobulin products will confer a higher degree of safety.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Increased half-life of gammaglobulin after prolonged intravenous replacement therapy.

The half-life of total IgG and antibodies to cytomegalovirus and pneumococcal polysaccharide type III was consistently prolonged after a 9 month course of intravenous gammaglobulin treatment in three patients with 'primary' hypogammaglobulinaemia. The half-life of antibody to tetanus toxoid showed no consistent pattern. These data are at variance with the traditional dogma that IgG half-life is inversely related to serum IgG concentration. They suggest that patients on intravenous gammaglobulin therapy are likely to need less, rather than more, infusions when their serum IgG has risen to within the physiological range.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Hyperimmune immunoglobulin therapy for cytomegalovirus infections in renal transplant patients.

Eleven renal transplant patients with CMV infection have been treated by passive immunisation, one with high-titre anti-CMV plasma and 10 with fractionated hyperimmune anti-CMV immunoglobulin. All were pyrexial for at least seven days before treatment with typical clinical and laboratory features of CMV infection. Seven of the 11 patients treated showed a striking and sustained response within 24-48 hours of therapy, with lysis of fever, resolution of pneumonitis, a rise in white cell count and improvement in renal function and liver function tests.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Histocompatibility types and antiviral antibodies in a diverse group of individuals.

A study was made of the possible relationship between histocompatibility (HLA) antigens of the A and B loci and antibodies to cytomegalovirus, influenza A (victoria strain), measles, rotavirus, vaccinia, and varicella/zoster. A large and diverse group of unselected individuals was studied. A possible relationship was detected between the presence of the antigen B15 and a lack of circulating measles antibodies. The study group was divided into three sections: (a) healthy individuals, (b) "renal disease" patients awaiting renal transplantation, and (c) patients with various types of "other disease," mainly of an immunological nature. Significantly elevated titers to cytomegalovirus and varicella/zoster were found in the two diseased groups, but these elevated titers could not be linked with the presence or absence of any particular HLA A or B antigen.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1980

Rapid random-donor screening for the selection of viral antibody-containing blood donations.

We describe a 3 1/2 year trial in which we used immunofluorescence to detect and titrate antibody to six common viruses in normal healthy blood donors drawn at random from West and South East Scotland. The trial was designed to allow selection of blood donations rich in specific antiviral antibody for inclusion in the plasma pool which would, in turn, be used for the preparation of specific antiviral immunoglobulin. The results show the natural frequency of occurrence of antibody to different viruses in healthy adult blood donors.

Antibodies, Viral↗