PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C Wasi

Publications and source records attributed to C Wasi.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

High prevalence of delta virus infection in Thai intravenous drug abusers.

The prevalence of antibodies to delta virus (anti-delta) in the selected groups of hepatitis B surface antigenemia population was investigated. The subjects were 84 intravenous drug abusers; 20 chronic hepatitis, 12 cirrhosis, 6 primary hepatocellular carcinoma and 46 asymptomatic healthy carriers. Anti-delta was detected in 65.48% of intravenous drug abusers, 11.11% of chronic active hepatitis and 8.33% of cirrhosis cases. None of asymptomatic carriers had anti-delta. In addition, 51 acute icteric hepatitis B patients who were positive for HBs Ag and 20 IV drug abusers positive for anti-HBc only (HBsAg and anti-HBs negative) were negative for anti-delta.

Adult↗

Viral infections in beta-thalassemia/hemoglobin E patients.

One hundred ten patients with beta-thal/Hb E disease and 60 normal controls matched for age and socioeconomic status were followed for 1.5 years. They were examined clinically, and blood and plasma were studied for Coxsackie B viruses and others. The findings suggest that the patients are more susceptible to Coxsackie B virus but not to rubella, herpes simplex, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, and M. pneumoniae. In contrast to bacterial infections, splenectomized patients did not show evidence of increased viral infections.

Antibodies, Viral↗

Passive hemagglutination test for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen.

Available tests for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) are complicated. A passive hemagglutination assay for anti-HBc was developed by sensitizing sheep erythrocytes with hepatitis B core antigen synthesized by a recombinant DNA technique. It was compared with a commercial passive hemagglutination assay and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for anti-HBc and showed good agreement with both. It is rapid, simple, and sensitive.

DNA, Recombinant↗

Prevalence of cytomegalovirus antibodies in Thai blood donors.

Antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV) were determined in Thai blood donors using the complement fixation (CF) test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 203 voluntary blood donors, 181 males and 22 females, who came to the Blood Bank at Siriraj Hospital during February 1985, were investigated. Their ages ranged from 17 to 53 years (mean 24.3 +/- 6.9). Seventy-three out of 156 (46.8%) and 171 out of 203 (84.2%) sera were positive for CMV antibodies as detected by the CF test and ELISA respectively. The result of ELISA showed that 95.5 per cent of the female blood donors and 82.9 per cent of the males possessed CMV antibodies. No difference in the geometric mean titres of either sex was noted. The findings indicated that ELISA was more sensitive than the CF test for detecting CMV antibodies. The high percentage of CMV-seropositive blood donors indicates that CMV infection is common in this country. Therefore, it might be necessary to test blood donors for CMV antibodies when they are giving blood for use by certain patients, especially immunocompromised ones; the same observation applies with regard to organ donors before transplantation is carried out.

Adolescent↗

Susceptibility to varicella-zoster virus in Thai children and young adults.

During 1982-1983, susceptibility to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in 224 Thai subjects at high risk for varicella infection was studied. The immune adherence hemagglutination (IAHA) and VZ skin test were carried out to determine VZV immunity in immunocompromised children and young adults. The history of varicella and herpes zoster from each subject was recorded. The mean +/- SD age in children and young adults were 7.3 +/- 2.8 and 19.6 +/- 1.2. Negative IAHA test was found in 74.2% of 62 children and 35.2% of 162 young adults. The increase in immune individuals was demonstrated with advancing age. Response to VZ skin test showed positive results in 79 of 162 (48.8%) young adults. The seronegativity was related to the negative VZ skin test (p less than 0.001, X2 test). Regardless of antibody detection or VZ skin test, 47 of 162 (29%) young adults were susceptible. According to the positive history of varicella and of herpes zoster obtained from 95 young adults, 80% had developed varicella during 1 to 10 years of age and 8.8% had positive history of herpes zoster. The findings suggest that the IAHA and VZ skin test should be used together for assessing VZ immunity. Varicella vaccination is highly recommended for susceptible persons who may develop severe illness.

Adolescent↗

Prevalence of HTLV-III/LAV antibody in selected populations in Thailand.

Antibody to the human T-lymphotropic virus, type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV) by ELISA test was detected in one (1%) of 101 male homosexual prostitutes (confidence limit 95%:0.03-5.4%, in two (2%) of 100 thalassemia patients, and in none (C.L. 95%:0-3.6%) of 100 female prostitutes, 99 parenteral drug abusers, 100 male VD patients, 100 consecutive blood donors in serum collected from February through June 1985. Serum from the positive homosexual subject was strongly positive on repeated ELISA testing, and was also positive by Western Blot test. The two thalassemia patients, who were repeatedly weakly-positive by ELISA, were negative by Western Blot test and presumed to be false positive reactors. Prevalence of HTLV-III/LAV virus in sexually-active homosexuals in Thailand in 1985 appears to be similar to the 1% rate among homosexuals in San Francisco in 1978 at the start of the AIDS epidemic there.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗