PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C F Lee

Publications and source records attributed to C F Lee.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Allergenic components of Candida albicans identified by immunoblot analysis.

Allergenic components of Candida albicans fractionated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes were identified using sera from 30 asthmatic patients who showed positive skin test and RAST (radio-allergosorbent test) to C. albicans. The IgE-binding yeast components in the complex antigen preparation were then detected by reaction with enzyme-labelled anti-human IgE antibodies. They were confirmed by Coomassie blue R-250 staining of the membrane to visualize all protein bands after reaction with the enzyme substrate. The IgE-binding patterns of the sera tested were heterogeneous, displaying a total of 16 identifiable components with molecular weights ranging from 20 to 94 kD. A 40 kD component showed the highest IgE-binding frequency, being recognized by 23 (77%) of the 30 sera examined. The other 15 allergenic components identified were recognized by less than 25% of the sera tested. Only two of the 30 serum samples contained IgE antibodies reactive with seven to eight allergenic components. Ten of the 30 sera reacted with only one allergenic component, and the remaining serum samples recognized two to five of the 16 identified allergens. Results described in this study are applicable to allergen standardization work and provide a basis for further study on the role of C. albicans in clinical allergy.

Antigens, Fungal↗

Detection of herpes simplex virus by using A549 cells in centrifugation culture with a rapid membrane enzyme immunoassay.

The RAMP herpes simplex virus (HSV) culture confirmation test was compared with immunofluorescence (IF) staining with a specific HSV monoclonal antibody reagent for the detection of HSV in centrifugation culture. The RAMP test detected 47 of 57 IF-positive specimens (sensitivity, 88.6%) and agreed with 217 of 220 IF-negative specimens (specificity, 98.6%). The RAMP test can be performed in less than 15 min and gives an immediate visual result. However, the sensitivity and the false-positive and false-negative results need further investigation.

Cell Line↗

Plasma homovanillic acid in schizophrenics: supportive evidence for the two-subtype hypothesis.

Plasma levels of homovanillic acid (pHVA), a major metabolite of dopamine (DA), were measured in a group of 51 schizophrenic inpatients before and during 6 weeks of neuroleptic treatment. Steady-state plasma drug concentrations were monitored in parallel with pHVA. Good responders (n = 22) had higher pretreatment pHVA levels as compared to poor responders (n = 22). Differential pHVA changes during neuroleptic treatment were also found between each group. The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of age, duration of illness, severity of presenting symptoms, neuroleptic, dose, or plasma drug concentration. Two hypothetical subtypes in the group of schizophrenics were proposed.

Adult↗

Plasma homovanillic acid levels and subtyping of schizophrenia.

Plasma levels of homovanillic acid (HVA), a major metabolite of dopamine, were measured in a group of 24 schizophrenic inpatients before and during 6 weeks of haloperidol (HAL) treatment. Steady-state plasma HAL levels were measured in parallel with plasma HVA. Differential plasma HVA responses to HAL treatment were found between good and poor outcome patients. The two groups did not differ significantly in plasma HAL levels. Two hypothetical subtypes of schizophrenia are proposed.

Adolescent↗

Use of murine monoclonal antibodies for laboratory diagnosis of varicella-zoster virus infection.

The laboratory diagnosis of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection was reevaluated by direct immunofluorescent-antibody staining (DFA) and centrifugation culture with newly available murine monoclonal antibodies. Specimen smears were examined by DFA using monoclonal antibodies to VZV and to herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2. Specimens were also inoculated into shell vials for centrifugation culture and into standard tube cell culture. Of 68 specimens tested from 60 patients, 39 (57%) were positive for VZV by at least one method. DFA was positive in 36 of 39 (92%); centrifugation culture was positive at 24 h in 23 of 39 (59%) and at 48 h in 31 of 39 (79%); and standard culture was positive in 25 of 39 (64%). Twenty-three of the 39 positive specimens (59%) were positive by all three techniques. Forty-three of the 60 patients were considered to have VZV by clinical criteria, and 35 of these 43 (81%) had laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis. These data confirm that DFA is the method of choice for the rapid laboratory confirmation of VZV infection. The centrifugation culture assay can provide an alternative method to DFA for the laboratory diagnosis of VZV infection.

Animals↗

[The interrelationships of hepatitis B e antigen antibody and HBsAg-circulating immune complexes in asymptomatic HBsAg carriers].

The prevalence of asymptomatic HBsAg carriers and positive rate of HBsAg immune complexes (HBsAg-CICs) were comparatively higher among Chinese. The former is considered to be related with hepatitis B e antigen and the latter is not clear yet. In order to investigate the relationship between HBsAg-CICs and e antigen antibody among asymptomatic carriers. 90 subjects of carriers was tested for HBsAg-CICs by PEG-trypsinisation method and for e antigen antibody by radio-immunoassay. HBsAg-CICs were positive in 66 subjects among 90 carriers. The concentration of HBsAg-CICs (ng/ml) was significantly higher among 32 subjects with positive HBeAg (333.87 +/- 265.39) than 27 subjects with positive anti-HBe (181.03 +/- 162.05), p less than 0.02. Furthermore, the positive rate of e antigen and e antibody was just contrary among carriers with positive and negative HBsAg-CICs. Among 24 subjects with negative HBsAg-CICs, the percentage of positive HBeAg was much lower than positive e antibody. A significant interrelationship was present between positive or negative HBsAg-CICs and e antigen, antibody, the statistically significant was proved by the Chi square test. The above results showed that the high prevalence of asymptomatic HBsAg carriers among Chinese may be related to e antigen.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗

Evaluation of a direct fluorescein-conjugated monoclonal antibody for detection of cytomegalovirus in centrifugation culture.

A fluorescein-conjugated murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) reactive with cytomegalovirus (CMV) was evaluated for the detection of CMV in centrifugation culture. Of 188 specimens, 90 were positive for CMV in centrifugation culture. The fluorescein-conjugated MAb detected CMV in 86 of 90 (95%) specimens at 16 h postinoculation, and 88 of 90 (98%) were positive at 36 h. The fluorescein-conjugated MAb can be used in a direct immunofluorescence assay that can be completed in 15 min following cover slip fixation. Use of this antibody in centrifugation culture provides a convenient and rapid assay for the identification of CMV.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

[Specific circulating immune complexes in patients with hepatitis B].

Antigen specific hepatitis B surface antigen circulating immune complexes (HBsAg-CICs) were measured in 109 cases of hepatitis B with positive HBsAg (among them, 49 cases were acute and 60 cases were chronic hepatitis), 96 cases of asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen carriers, and 95 cases of normal blood donors. The mean concentration (ng/ml) of HBsAg-CICs was 303.50 +/- 357.70, 319.26 +/- 334.35 and 179.66 +/- 234.26 for the first three groups respectively; and was negative in normal groups. The concentration of HBsAg-CICs were significantly higher in acute and chronic group when compared with the asymptomatic carrier's group, (p less than 0.02 and p less than 0.01, respectively). Longitudinal series studies showed a close correlation between the levels or changes of HBsAg-CICs and the activity of the disease; patients with persistent HBsAg-CICs had a poor prognosis; and this were true not only in acute but also in chronic hepatitis patients. The mean concentration of HBsAg-CICs was higher in patients with positive hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) than in negative; but lower in patients with hepatitis B e anti-body (anti-HBe) positive than in negative. The higher prevalence of HBsAg-CICs in sera among asymptomatic HBsAg carriers in our study might be related to the prevalence of HBeAg among Chinese carriers. Further more, because HBsAg-CICs was related to the activity and prognosis of hepatitis B, it is worthwhile reconsidering whether so called "healthy" carriers were really healthy when their sera HBsAg-CICs tested positive.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗

Fc and C3b receptor expression of phagocytes in poorly controlled diabetic patients.

Attachment, an energy-independent step, of sensitized sheep erythrocytes EA and EAC to Fc and C3b receptors, respectively, on granulocytes and monocytes from poorly controlled diabetic patients was investigated. The results show similar percentages of EA and EAC rosette-forming cells for normal and diabetic human neutrophils. The expression of Fc receptors on normal and diabetic monocytes were also similar in that the former contained 74.5 +/- 9.3% and the latter contained 66.0 +/- 9.4% rosette-forming cells. However, a significantly lower percentage (48.3 +/- 15.2%) of EAC rosette positive cells was found in diabetic monocytes as compared to that (68.1 +/- 8.2%) found in normal controls (p less than 0.001). Incubation of diabetic monocytes with insulin or serum obtained from normal individuals one hour prior to assay corrected the impaired expression of C3b receptors in diabetic monocytes. In addition, we also found that diabetic serum itself is noxious to C3b receptor expression by normal human monocytes and that high concentrations of glucose play no apparent role in the regulation of the receptor function.

Adult↗

Achieving expected parities: a reanalysis of Freedman et al.'s data, 1962-1977.

A reanalysis of data included in a recent report by Freedman et al. (1980), using methods suggested by Goodman (1978), yields considerably different substantive conclusions than were arrived at by those earlier analysts. These differences clearly point out the hazards of descriptive analysis, especially of sample data which come in the form of contingency tables.

Adult↗