PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C Cernescu

Publications and source records attributed to C Cernescu.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Quantitative and qualitative changes in the immunoglobulins of HIV-infected children].

In HIV-infected children impairment of B lymphocytes appears to precede the T cell deficiency, elevated but dysfunctional immunoglobulins being a hallmark of pediatric infection. Electrophoretic and immunochemical data obtained with samples from 91 cases of AIDS in children aged 7-36 months in P2 clinical stage are reported. In 21 children successive samples were obtained at each 3-4 months for a one-year follow-up. In electrophoresis low albumin level and marked increase of globulins level were noted. In immunodiffusion all Ig classes but especially IgG were increased. HI measles antibodies titers in all these samples were negative or very low in spite of measles vaccination positive record. Distinct from adult AIDS where absolute number of pan T and CD4 positive lymphocytes are good predictive markers, in pediatric AIDS estimation of quantitative and qualitative changes of immunoglobulins is useful for clinical diagnosis and follow-up of patients.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The knowledge and attitudes of medical students in their 2d year about AIDS].

This study had two specific aims: determining the level of knowledge about AIDS acquired through the courses on this subject; analysing the students' attitude towards the disease, with respect to different aspects related to the future professional risk. For this purpose, a questionnaire was made up and from the answers a data base was set up, processed and stored for further studies. We analysed to which extent the students are acquainted with the routes of transmission of HIV infection, with the groups of risk and with the groups of ages exposed to contagion in Romania. We were interested in whether the students recognize the clinical signs of the disease, the diagnosis methods and the specific medicines used. We studied to which extent the students consider the routine HIV diagnosis necessary for all hospitalised patients, for foreigners residing in Romania, for Romanians working abroad, as well as for couples before marriage. In order to have a clear image on the students' opinion about the risk of getting the disease in general as well as on their fears concerning the professional risk of infection, several questions in this regard were included in the questionnaire. Another important aspect of the study consists in estimating the degree to which the knowledge acquired through the courses make the students able to offer in their turn useful and credible information to their family, friends or strangers. The students' perception of AIDS is mainly determined by the risk of sexual contamination, while the control measures regarding the interruption of the other ways are underestimated.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The incidence of antiviral antibodies in multiple slcerosis.

The serological investigation of 96 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, 61 patients with various other neurological diseases and 100 healthy controls made evident the increased incident of antimeasles and antiparinfluenza type 1 antibodies in the group of "probable" MS patients. There was no significant difference as regards antimumps antibodies. Antimeasles antibodies were detected in 7 of the 8 cerebrospinal fluid samples from "probable" MS patients, but in none of the 12 samples from patients with other neurological diseases. The significance of these results for the etiology of MS is discussed.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Electron microscopic observations of vesicular stomatitis virus particles penetration in human fibroblasts.

The penetration of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) into the target cells is known to depend on the acid triggered receptor-mediated endocytosis pathway (RME). However, the possible contribution of phagocytosis and macropinocytosis both at early and late stages of infection and of plaque-forming process is unknown. Electron microscopic images of fibroblasts obtained one hour after VSV adsorption at 37 degrees C showed RME vesicles as well as clusters of particles in cytoplasmic inlets and phagocytic vacuoles which are morphologically similar with macropinosomes. Therefore, the possibility that VSV can use, in addition to RME, phagocytosis and macropinocytosis is discussed with respect to the wide range of host cell VSV infectivity and binding as well as to pseudotype formation.

Cytoplasm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The continuous decrease in the number of SSPE annual cases ten years after compulsory anti-measles immunization.

The record of SSPE cases diagnosed immunochemically and serologically in our laboratory, standing for about 60% of the total new cases reported in our country, shows a significant decrease in the incidence in 1988-89 (from 5.21 new cases per year per million total population in 1987 to 1.82 cases in 1988). In 85% of the patients, SSPE onset occurred at the age of 10 years or more, suggesting the possibility of a primary measles infection before anti-measles immunization became compulsory. High serum and CSF anti-measles antibody titres in recently diagnosed patients show subclinical long-term courses. Further serologic tests for viruses inducing persistent infections (herpes viruses, AgHBs and HIV) do not show any difference when compared to a control group excepting an increased incidence of anti-cytomegalic titres.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The mechanisms of persistent measles virus infection in HEp-2 cells].

Persistent infection with Edmonston strain of measles virus was established in a highly susceptible clone of HEp-2 cells. The morphological and cytogenic aspects of persistent infection are presented. Carriage of measles virus in cells persistently infected is marked by important differences between standard Edmonston strain and virus stocks isolated from time to time from the carrier state. It is especially significant that cell fusion capacity decreased in amount concordant with the drop in the yield of infectious virus. Addition of UV inactivated Sendai virus, trypsin treatment or incubation at suboptimal temperatures precipitate the cytocidal effect of measles virus. Some clinical implications of reactivation of the lytic cycle in the carrier state are suggested.

Cell Line↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Interferon: signal molecules involved in its antiviral effect.

A major problem concerning interferon (IFN)-cell interaction is the second messenger system that transduces the IFN signal. We discuss the evidences existing in literature and our arguments which suggest that the antiviral effect of IFNs alpha and beta are mediated by a membrane mechanism including a phospholipase C dependent hydrolysis of phosphoinositides. The resulting two second messengers: diacylglycerol and inositol triphosphate and subsequent, separate but interacting, signal pathways: activation of protein kinase C and ionic events are tested in respect with the antiviral effect of IFN.

Diglycerides↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Protein kinase C and the antiviral effect of human interferon.

Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors: Hidaka's compounds H-7 (10 microM) and H-8 (20 microM), palmitoyl-carnitine (10 microM) and phloretin (50 microM), did not modify the antiviral effect of human natural or recombinant interferon alpha and of natural interferon beta. The tumor promoter 12-o-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (200 nM), known as activator of PKC induced an antiviral state when tested on human embryo fibroblasts challenged with the vesicular stomatitis virus. The battery of PKC inhibitors used inhibited the antiviral effect induced by TPA. Palmitoyl-carnitine (10 microM) exerted a toxic effect that was reversed by interferon treatment (2,000 IU/ml interferon alpha). These results suggest that PKC, possibly activated by interferon-receptor interaction, is not essential for inducing the antiviral effect of interferon, but, probably, mediates the antiviral effect of TPA.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Study on the innocuity of the hypophyseal human growth hormone.

The hypophyseal human growth hormone (hGH), a Raben type laboratory preparation, was re-evaluated as regards its innocuity for therapeutic use. Besides the usual control tests recommended by the Romanian Pharmacopoeia, the contamination of the hGH for clinical use with acute and slow viruses, was investigated taking into account the withdrawal of this hormone in many developed countries. The contamination was absent both with acute viruses as resulted from hemadsorption on cell cultures and counterimmunoelectrophoresis, and with slow viruses as observed from a two year-follow up of guinea pigs injected intracerebrally with the hGH preparation. Further, the content of the growth hormone itself as well as the contamination degree with other pituitary hormones was examined. The hGH-RIA content was 2.23 +/- 0.13 IU/mg (means +/- SEM), range: 1.38-2.80 IU/mg (1st International Standard hGH 80/505-1982). The prolactin contamination assessed by RIA was 187.34 +/- 37.66 ng/mg hGH, range: 28.44-385.20 ng (International Standard WHO: 80/541). The LH and FSH contamination as quantified by the Isocommerz (DDR) RIA kits was with two orders of magnitude lower than 10 IU-LH/IU-hGH, the upper LH contamination limit considered as acceptable. Moreover, the proportion of the large molecular forms in the lyophilized hGH preparation was investigated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Corroborating the data obtained by these control tests with our previous experience on 149 pituitary dwarfs treated with this hGH preparation during the interval 1964-1984, resulted minor risks of some dangerous side effects of hGH administration in children with growth hormone deficiency by possible contamination with pathogenic agents or with other disturbing hormones.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The SSPE model: suggestions for an explication of viral persistence].

The detection of a latent viral flora intrinsic to the central nervous system (CNS) raises the problem to know if some neuropathogenic strains have the property of initiating persistent infections or if the persistence is the result of the immune response particularities at the CNS level. A review is done of the pathogenic explanations of virus persistence in SSPE, followed by the discussion about two pathogenic alternatives issues from the author's studies: the antigenic "drift" hypothesis and the one of the defective interfering particles preferential synthesis.

Antigenic Variation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antimeasles specificity of anticytochrome C serums.

The serums of cytochrome C immunized guinea pigs recognize measles virus hemagglutinin. Antimeasles specificity is confirmed by seroneutralization and immunodiffusion reactions. Cytochrome C preimmunized guinea pigs, when inoculated with measles hemagglutinin, present booster-type increases of the antiviral titres.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The antiviral effect of human interferon alpha is dependent on phosphoinositide-derived messengers.

Neomycin the putative blocker of membrane polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis, inhibited the antiviral activity of human interferon alpha, when tested on human quiescent fibroblasts challenged with vesicular stomatitis virus. The anti-interferon effect of neomycin could be correlated in terms of dose dependence for both neomycin (0.05-1 mM) and interferon (100-5,000 IU/ml). The results suggest that the antiviral activity of interferon alpha depends on diacylglycerol formation. Indeed, the synthetic diacylglycerol (50 microM) was as effective as 100 IU/ml interferon in inducing the antiviral state.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antiviral effect of lithium chloride.

Studies in human embryo fibroblasts infected with measles or herpes simplex virus showed a reduction in virus yield when cultures were pretreated with 1-10 mM lithium chloride doses. Maximum effect was obtained by a 1 h treatment with 10 mM lithium chloride, preceding viral infection by 19-24 hours. A specific antiviral effect against measles virus was manifest immediately after culture pretreatment. Intermittent treatment with 10 mM lithium chloride of cultures persistently infected with measles or herpes virus obtained from human myeloid K-562 cell line shows a reduction in the extracellular virus yield. In the K-562/herpes virus system, the culture treatment with lithium chloride and acyclovir (10 microM) has an additive inhibitory effect on virus production. The paper is focused on the mechanism of lithium chloride antiviral action and the expediency of lithium therapy in SSPE (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis).

Cell Line↗