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Biomedical subjects

B Sarov

Publications and source records attributed to B Sarov.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Detection of specific IgA antibodies to varicella zoster virus in serum of patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

Varicella zoster virus (VZV)-specific IgG and IgA antibody titers were determined in serial serum samples of 23 patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome by the immunoperoxidase assay. Varicella zoster virus-specific IgG antibodies were found in the first serum samples of all the patients. In 80% of 20 patients in whom a serum sample was available within 5 days after the onset of the disease. VZV-specific IgA antibodies were detected. The second serum sample was VZV-specific IgA-positive in all of the patients. While all the healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects had VZV-specific IgG antibodies, VZV-specific IgA antibodies were detected in a low titer (dilution = 2) in only three of the subjects. By using VZV-specific IgA antibody titers greater than or equal to 2 and greater than or equal to 4 by the immunoperoxidase assay as a "cutoff" for younger and older patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, respectively, an early diagnosis of the disease can be obtained in 89% of the younger and in 64% of the older patients by a single serum sample.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The prevalence of IgG antibodies to spotted-fever group rickettsiae among urban and rural dwelling children in southern Israel.

The prevalence of IgG antibodies to spotted-fever group rickettsiae was studied in a sample of 1,055 healthy children aged 2-17 years, residents of the desert Negev region of southern Israel. Groups of children from 5 different places of residency were tested: (1) urban children from the city of Beer-Sheva; (2) children from Omer, a suburb of the city; (3) children from rural communes ("kibbutz"); (4) children from small agricultural settlements ("moshav"); and (5) seminomadic bedouin children. Overall 40 sera (3.8%) were positive by the indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay at a titer of 40. The prevalence rate was 3.6% in males and 4.0% in females. Age-specific prevalence rates for the 2-5, 6-9, 10-13 and 14-17 year old groups were 2.0, 5.4, 4.1 and 3.6% respectively. The prevalence rates by place of residency were: urban 3.3%, suburban 3.3%, "kibbutz" 3.8%, "moshav" 5.1% and seminomadic children 3.3%, and did not differ by socio-economic status as measured by degree of crowding. The results indicate that spotted fever is endemic in all human habitats in the Negev region. Our data do not support association to sex or socio-economic status of the children tested. Lack of cumulative prevalence rates with increasing age suggests that antibodies may wane to undetectable levels in the years following the infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Cutaneous leishmaniasis serodiagnosis by immunoperoxidase assay.

Immunoperoxidase assay was used for the determination of serum-specific anti-leishmanial IgG antibodies in 65 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), in 5 with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and in 84 controls. A significant difference was observed between CL and VL sera and the control sera when either Leishmania major, L. donovani or L. aethiopica intact promastigotes were used as antigens. CL patients showed similar activity against L. major and L. donovani antigen (titers 4-64 and less than 2-64 respectively), whereas VL patients showed a higher activity with the homologous antigen L. donovani (titers 128-2,048). A high and significant correlation was demonstrated between immunoperoxidase assay, immunofluorescent assay and radioimmunoassay. No cross-reactivity was found with sera from malaria patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[IgA and IgG antibodies to Chlamydia in IgA nephropathy as well as in mesangiocapillary and membranous glomerulonephritis].

It might be supposed that, among the antigens causing chronic immune complex glomerulonephritis (IC GN), there are foreign materials, e.g. bacterial antigens penetrating the mucosal barrier. To put this hypothesis to the test, the presence and titres of IgA and IgG antibodies against Chlamydia (C., one of the most frequent bacteria causing mucosal inflammation) have been studied in the sera of 70 patients with IgA nephropathy (IgA NP), of 25 with mesangiocapillary GN (MCGN) and of 27 with membranous GN (MGN) using a single serovar (L2) inclusion immunoperoxidase assay. Significantly more IgA (titres greater than or equal to 8) and IgG (titres greater than or equal to 32) antibodies were found in the sera of IgA NP and MCGN patients than in healthy controls. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that there are some similarities between the clinical and morphological picture of IgA NP and MCGN. Furthermore, it may be assumed that in renal patients with an active C. infection (high IgG titres with IgA seropositivity) C. antigens may play a role in the production of nephropathogenic IC developing in antibody excess.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The association between chlamydial-specific IgG and IgA antibodies and pregnancy outcome in an in vitro fertilization program.

Chlamydial-specific IgG and IgA antibodies were determined by a single serovar (L2) immunoperoxidase assay (IPA) in the serum of all patients that have conceived in an in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF & ET) program (n = 106) and in a group of patients that went through the program at the same period of time and did not conceive (n = 94). The prevalence rate of elevated IPA IgG (titers greater than or equal to 1:128) and IPA IgA (titers greater than or equal to 1:16) specific to chlamydiae was significantly higher (P less than 0.001) in the IVF & ET pregnancy loss and nonconception groups ("failures") versus the IVF & ET term pregnancy group ("successes") (74 vs 47%, odds ratio = 4.1, and 34 vs 14%, odds ratio = 4.3, respectively). Stepwise discriminant analysis revealed that elevated specific chlamydial IgG had the greatest effect on the variance between successes and failures in this study group. Our study indicates the possible role of past or chronic active chlamydiae infection on the "take-home baby rate" in an IVF & ET program.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Serum IgG and IgA antibodies to Chlamydia in ectopic pregnancies.

The possible association of Chlamydia trachomatis with ectopic pregnancies was evaluated in a case-control study, comprising 35 women with ectopic pregnancy and 294 apparently healthy women who served as controls. Chlamydia-specific IgG and IgA antibodies were determined by single serovar (L2) inclusion immunoperoxidase assay (IPA). Socio-demographic characteristics, gynecological history and contraceptive methods were also evaluated. An inverse relationship was found between the educational levels and the prevalence of IgG and IgA antibodies to chlamydia. The prevalence rate of elevated IPA IgG (titer greater than or equal to 128) and IPA IgA (titer greater than or equal to 16) specific to chlamydia was significantly higher in women with ectopic pregnancy versus controls (32% vs 8%, respectively, for IgG: odds ratio = 4.9; and 26% vs 4% for IgA: odds ratio = 7.5). Chlamydia trachomatis was not isolated in cell cultures in 10 specimens available from fallopian tubes of women with ectopic pregnancy. Only 9% of the women recall having pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) indicating that most of the infections were asymptomatic. Women who did not use IUD had a higher proportion of chlamydia-specific IgG and IgA seropositives, though not statistically significant, as compared to IUD users. This study further supports the hypothesis that subclinical infection of the tube with C. trachomatis may underlie ectopic pregnancies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

A possible harmful late effect of methylprednisolone therapy on a time cluster of optic neuritis.

Clinical records of all patients (n = 26) suffering from optic neuritis during the last 16 years re-evaluated in relation to treatment. The patients were treated in 3 ways: with prednisone; with "pulse" megadoses of methylprednisolone; and untreated. A possibly frightening conversion to multiple sclerosis was seen in the group of patients with methylprednisolone, compared with the other 2 groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Detecting Chlamydia trachomatis in men with urethritis: serology v isolation in cell culture.

The accuracy of single serovar (L2) inclusion immunoperoxidase assay (IPA) to show serum IgG and IgA antibodies specific to chlamydiae was compared with culture for Chlamydia trachomatis to diagnose chlamydial infection in 73 men with acute urethritis. C trachomatis only was isolated from 18 (25%), Neisseria gonorrhoeae only from 17 (23%), and both organisms from six (8%). Thus 24 (33%) yielded chlamydiae. Assays based on IgG antibodies to chlamydiae at a titre of 1/64 or more showed high sensitivity (96%) and a good negative predictive value (80%), but low specificity (13%) and agreement (48%) compared with culture. IgG antibodies to chlamydiae at a titre of 1/128 or more showed lower sensitivity (75%) but higher specificity (72%), negative predictive value (79%), and agreement (73%). IgA antibodies to chlamydiae at a titre of 1/8 or more showed a sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 72%, negative predictive value of 88%, and agreement of 79%. An appreciable (fourfold or more) decrease in IgA and IgG titres was observed in most (10) of the 15 men from whom second blood samples were obtained one to two years after treatment. Measuring specific IgA and IgG antibodies to chlamydiae by IPA may serve as a useful complementary test for diagnosing and following up patients with urethritis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

A cluster of cases of spotted fever in a kibbutz in southern Israel.

During the 3-year period 1984-1986, 13 cases of spotted fever were clinically diagnosed and serologically confirmed among the 341 residents of an agricultural settlement in the Negev desert in southern Israel (attack rate 3.8%, expected attack rate 0.13%). The disease was observed more frequently during the warmer months, with a peak in June. Nine cases were children and adolescents and 4 were adults (attack rate 6.2% and 2.0% respectively; p less than 0.05). The clinical and laboratory findings were consistent with a multisystem involvement. A "tache noire" was not observed in any case. Four cases required hospitalization for complications including severe toxicity, intractable vomiting, thrombophlebitis and hyponatremia. Three of the hospitalized patients were adults and only one was a youngster. All patients recovered. The geographic distribution of the cases showed a clustering in the marginal area of residency: 8 cases occurred among the 121 residents of this area (6.6%), vs. only 5 cases among the 220 residents of the central area (2.3%) (p less than 0.05). This finding suggests that in endemic areas, the inhabitants of the interface between man's habitat and a wild ecological niche have a higher risk of acquiring spotted fever.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Familial studies on the occurrence of natural autoantibodies.

Natural autoantibodies are often incidentally found in healthy individuals who are not first-degree relatives of known patients with autoimmune diseases. In an attempt to examine whether there exists a familial tendency in the production of such natural autoantibodies, 134 healthy members of 32 families were examined for antibodies against ss-DNA, ds-DNA, poly (I), poly (G), cardiolipin, histones, Sm, RNP, SS-A (Ro) and SS-B (La), using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Only 16 of the 134 subjects (11.9%) were found to possess autoantibodies in their sera in a titer exceeding the mean by 3 SD, and none of the 'positive' subjects were related. We conclude that in contrast to the familial occurrence of the autoantibodies of first-degree relatives of patients with autoimmune disease, there is no familial tendency in the occurrence of natural autoantibodies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Natural autoantibodies in the serum of healthy women--a five-year follow-up.

Autoantibodies are often found among healthy individuals. The significance of these findings, regarding the potential development of overt autoimmune disease and the severity of such an eventuality, is as yet unclear. In order to elucidate these issues 506 healthy women were screened and 60 women of child-bearing age were found to posses high titres of various anti-nuclear antibodies. After a 5-year follow-up, 57 of these 60 women were found to have autoantibodies to a variety of autoantigens. Seven of the women had some symptoms that could be associated with the presence of the antibodies (i.e. arthritis, multiple abortions, Raynaud's phenomenon), however, none exhibited overt clinical signs of an autoimmune disease. Our study may point to the fact that in normal subjects (women aged 22-44 years) high titres of natural autoantibodies are not necessarily indicative of a high risk of developing an overt autoimmune condition, at least for a follow-up period of 5 years.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Prevalence of CMV antibodies among women of childbearing age in different social environments in southern Israel.

The prevalence rate of IgG antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV) was determined in a sample of 567 women of childbearing age in the southern part of Israel by the immunoperoxidase assay to membrane antigen (IPAMA) technique. Urban Jewish women of Afro-Asian origin showed significantly higher rates of seropositivity than urban Jewish women of European-American origin (80% vs 65%, respectively, P less than 0.001), closely resembling the level of CMV seropositivity found in Afro-Asian and European-American countries in the same age and sex population groups. The Bedouin women showed slightly lower rates of CMV seropositivity (75%) than Jewish women of Afro-Asian origin. Particularly high rates of CMV seropositivity were detected in women who live in a kibbutz environment: 96% in women of Afro-Asian origin and 80% in women of Euro-American origin. Multiple discriminant analysis also singles out the kibbutz environment as a major contributor to the variance between the groups tested (P less than 0.003).

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Chlamydia specific IgG and IgA antibodies in women with obstructive infertility as determined by immunoblotting and immunoperoxidase assays.

The prevalence rate of IgG and IgA antibodies to Chlamydia was analyzed in 50 women with laparoscopy-verified tubal infertility and in 50 age-matched control women by single serovar (L2) inclusion immunoperoxidase assay (IPA) and by immunoblotting technique (IB). Women with tubal infertility had significantly (p less than 0.001) elevated IPA Chlamydia IgG antibody titer greater than or equal to 128 and greater than or equal to 256 than controls (64% vs 16%. Odds ratios = 9.3 and 50% vs 10%, Odds ratio = 9 respectively). The prevalence rate of IPA IgA antibody titer (greater than or equal to 16) to Chlamydia was also significantly higher (p less than 0.001) in women with tubal infertility than controls (48% vs 8%, Odds ratio = 10.6). Antibodies to at least 19 chlamydial structural polypeptides ranging in molecular weight from 30 kD to 204 kD, were detected by the IB technique in the IPA seropositive sera. Antibodies to 57-60 kD were detectable in almost all the IPA IgG and IgA seropositive sera. The prevalence rate of IgG antibody to 57 kD-60 kD was significantly higher in women with obstructive infertility than healthy woman (84% vs. 56% p less than 0.01; Odds ratio = 3.8). More significantly, higher differences to 57-60 kD polypeptide were found in the case of IgA between the infertile women and controls (52% vs. 10%, p less than 0.001; Odds ratio = 9.7). The significance of IPA and IB technique for screening of infertile women is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Two sequential outbreaks of rotavirus gastroenteritis: evidence for symptomatic and asymptomatic reinfections.

In two sequential outbreaks of rotavirus gastroenteritis that occurred in a kibbutz in southern Israel (the Negev), 32 persons (9% of the population) were ill in the first and 45 (13% of the population) in the second. Excretion of virus, changes in titers of rotavirus-specific serum IgG, or both implicated rotavirus in 72% of the illnesses in outbreak 1 and in 56% of the illnesses in outbreak 2. In both outbreaks the age-specific morbidity rate decreased with increasing age. Half (six of 12) of the children six to 27 months of age who were ill with rotavirus in outbreak 1 were ill with rotavirus again in outbreak 2, whereas two were asymptomatically infected; older children who were ill in outbreak 1 were not ill in outbreak 2. Serotype determination by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using monoclonal antibodies to VP7 implicated a serotype 3 virus in outbreak 1 and a serotype 1 virus in outbreak 2.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Evaluation of an intervention program for head lice infestation in school children.

In order to investigate the point prevalence rate of pediculosis capitis (human head lice) among children in the southern region of Israel, 1431 elementary school children (6 to 15 years old), representing rural and urban environments, were examined and characterized by sociodemographic variables. An intervention program was initiated immediately after the first examination, which included "health education" for children and parents and free medicated shampoo (with pediculocides) provided for each child detected as "positive." The intervention program was evaluated by a second examination performed on the same population after an interval of 1 month. Fifty-five percent of the children (793 of 1431) were found to be infested with one of the markers of head lice, with the highest rate in kibbutz children (80%) and the lowest rate (37%) among children who live in an urban neighborhood of high socioeconomic status. Analysis of various characteristics (related to the children screened in this study) revealed that crowding was the main factor contributing to the variation in the rates of infestation. Evaluation of the intervention program revealed a significant success in reducing head lice infestation that was not influenced by variation in socioeconomic status or place of residence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Antinuclear autoantibodies in sera of healthy pregnant women and their offspring.

The presence of autoantibodies in the fetus has previously been investigated in the offspring of mothers with autoimmune diseases, but not in the offspring of healthy pregnant women. Employing the ELISA method, we examine four SLE-associated auto-antibodies (anti-dsDNA, anti-ssDNA, anti-poly(I), and anti-cardiolipin) in sera obtained from 196 healthy pregnant women and their offspring. All detected autoantibodies in maternal and blood cord sera were of the IgM isotype. Thirty-four maternal sera (17.3%) were positive for one or more tested autoantibodies: 16 (8.1%) for one autoantibody alone, 17 (8.6%) for two autoantibodies, and one (0.5%) for three autoantibodies; 1.5%, 5.6%, 9.6%, and 10.2% of the maternal sera were positive for autoantibodies against dsDNA, ssDNA, poly(I), and cardiolipin, respectively. In only one blood cord serum sample was an autoantibody (IgM anti-ssDNA) detected. This infant was born to a healthy seronegative mother. The finding that all offspring of IgM seropositive mothers are IgM seronegative is not surprising since maternal IgM autoantibodies do not cross the placenta. The finding of an IgM seropositive infant born to an IgM seronegative mother may indicate that the fetus is capable of self-production of autoantibodies.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Comparison between cell culture and serology for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis in women seeking abortion.

The efficiency of an immunoperoxidase serological assay and culture of Chlamydia trachomatis were compared in 127 women seeking first trimester abortion. Serum IgG and IgA antibodies specific for C trachomatis were detected by a single serovar (L2) inclusion immunoperoxidase assay (IPA). Eighty (63%) women were seropositive for chlamydial IgG and 31 (24%) for IgA antibodies. C trachomatis was isolated from 21 of 127 (17%) women. Twenty of the 80 women (25%) seropositive for specific IgG antibodies and one of 47 (2%) patients without these antibodies were culture positive (p less than 0.001). Compared with isolation, chlamydial antibodies at a titre of greater than or equal to 16 showed high sensitivity and negative predictive value (95% and 98%, respectively), but low specificity and efficiency (43% and 52%, respectively). Chlamydial IgA antibodies at a titre of greater than or equal to 8 showed low sensitivity (52%), but a higher specificity, negative predictive value, and efficiency of 81%, 90%, and 76%, respectively. C trachomatis IgG antibodies at a titre of 16 as determined by IPA can be used as an efficient negative exclusion marker for active chlamydial infection in screening women seeking abortion.

Abortion Applicants↗