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Biomedical subjects

D S Freestone

Publications and source records attributed to D S Freestone.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Zidovudine.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Prevention of necrotising enteritis in Papua New Guinea by active immunisation.

Necrotising enteritis (pig-bel) caused by Clostridium welchii type C is a major cause of illness and death in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. In a controlled trial of active immunisation with a clostridial toxoid prepared from type-C cultures the incidence of pig-bel in over 2500 immunised children within 24 months of immunisation was less than an eighth of that in a control group. Necrotising enteritis in Papua New Guinea is now a preventable disease.

Adolescent

Development, preparation and safety testing of a Clostridium welchii type C toxoid. I: preliminary observations in man in Papua New Guinea.

The reactogenicity and immunogenicity of various strengths of plain and adsorbed Cl. welchii type C toxoid have been evaluated in laboratory tests and in man in Papua New Guinea. The greater antigenicity and acceptable clinical reactivity of a vaccine containing 50 total combining power units per 0.5 mm of adsorbed toxoid resulted in its selection for further field studies.

Adult

Antibody responses to vaccination with WRL 105 strain live influenza vaccine in previously vaccinated and unvaccinated volunteers.

Intranasal vaccination with a single 0.5 ml dose of 10(7.0) EID 50 WRL 105 strain live influenza vaccine elicited four-fold or greater increases in circulating homotypic haemagglutinating inhibiting (HAI) antibody in 60 (64.5%) of 93 volunteers, or in 58 (74.4%) of 78 volunteers with HAI antibody titres before vaccination of less than or equal to 1/20. In comparison, in a group of volunteers vaccinated 9 months previously re-vaccination elicited antibody responses in only 4 (6.9%) of 58 volunteers, or in 3 (14.3%) of 21 volunteers with antibody titres before vaccination of less than or equal to 1/20. Titres of vaccine-induced antibody and antibody resulting from earlier natural infection appeared to fall slowly and at equivalent rates over a 9 month period.

Adult

The prevention of pig-bel in Papua New Guinea.

In many Highlands hospitals pig-bel is the commonest cause of death in children over 12 months of age. In a double blind controlled trial in Sina Sina we have shown that Clostridium welchii type C beta toxoid (beta toxoid) protects against pig-bel (p < 0.02). Of 2,538 children given beta toxoid, two developed pig-bel in the following two years. Seventeen of 2,532 control children vaccinated with tetanus toxoid developed pig-bel. We suggest that beta toxoid be given to Highlands children at two, four and six months of age. Boosters may be needed. Health services in the Highlands need to be improved so that this vaccine can be effectively delivered.

Adolescent

Problems in the investigation of adverse reactions.

All drugs and vaccines administered to man cause adverse reactions. In general the adverse reaction profile of a new vaccine should be defined in its clinical trial phase, but the incidence of adverse reactions occurring infrequently is likely to emerge only after extensive clinical use. Problems in the investigation and assessment of reports of adverse reactions which occur infrequently are reviewed. It is important that case reports be complete and include details of the batch number and manufacturer of the incriminated vaccine, and of its storage and administration. The assessment of reports of adverse reactions, which are similar in nature to those occurring in equivalent unvaccinated populations, presents special problems and may require case control studies. As new types of vaccines are developed it will be necessary to improve systems which monitor the occurrence of adverse reactions which occur infrequently and those which bear a distant time relationship to immunisation.

Clinical Trials as Topic

Vaccination against rubella in Britain: benefits and risks.

The benefits and risks of rubella vaccine differ with the programme of vaccination adopted. Programmes in which vaccine is primarily administered to girls aged 11 to 13 years are slow in achieving effects on the incidence of congenital rubella because of the 10 year delay between vaccination and peak child-bearing. In Britain an increase in the percentage of women rubella antibody seropositive and a fall in the numbers of pregnancies terminated for rubella have occurred following the introduction of vaccination for 13 year old girls in 1970. The majority of women will continue to be protected by the sturdy immunity elicited by natural infection occurring before vaccination. Programmes which vaccinate boys and girls before school entry aim to shield pregnant women from infection and are more rapid in effects. However, in such populations immunity becomes predominantly vaccine induced, while vaccination at an earlier age requires the immunity to be more durable. In general, reactions to rubella vaccine increase with the age of the vaccine. Nevertheless, there are few significant reactions to vaccine and for the individual vaccinee the risks of vaccination are low.

Abortion, Induced

Rubella in Orkney: seroepidemiology and vaccination.

Rubella haemagglutination inhibiting (HAI) antibody titres were determined in 54 seronegative women and 31 naturally immune women after vaccination and revaccination with Wistar RA27/3 strain rubella vaccine administered by the intranasal or subcutaneous routes or revaccination with the Cendehill strain administered subcutaneously. In addition, HAI antibody titres were determined in 46 seronegative schoolgirls after vaccination with the Cendehill strain and revaccination with the RA27/3 strain.All seronegative women vaccinated with the RA27/3 strain developed antibody, peak titres being reached 6 weeks after vaccination. Six months after vaccination with the Cendehill strain, 45 (98%) of the 46 seronegative girls had developed antibody, but 11 (24%) had not reached their peak titre by 6 weeks, suggesting a slower response than that elicited by the RA27/3 strain. Revaccination did not induce significant antibody responses in the seronegative women vaccinated 6 months previously with RA27/3 but 4 naturally immune women developed an eightfold increase in antibody. In 10 (22%) of 46 schoolgirls previously vaccinated with the Cendehill strain a significant rise in antibody followed revaccination with RA27/3. These results provide further evidence of the more rapid antibody responses elicited by the RA27/3 vaccine in comparison with the Cendehill vaccine.An outbreak of natural rubella occurred in 1972 and 97 cases were confirmed serologically. The clinical disease was more common in older school-children and in adults. More males than females were affected in the 11-15 age group, the sex ratio being 18:12; this may be explained by the routine vaccination of girls of this age group as part of the national programme which began in 1970. The significance of the persistence of high HAI antibody titres after natural infection and the effect of the epidemic on the serological status of the population are discussed.

Adolescent

WRL 105 strain (H3N2) live attenuated influenza vaccine: acceptability, reactivity, and antibody response in normal, bronchitic, and geriatric volunteers.

The acceptability, reactivity, and antibody responses of recombinant WRL 105 strain, live, attenuated influenza virus vaccine administered intranasally were studied in seventeen normal adults, and in seventeen bronchitic and twenty-one geriatric volunteers. The effect on peak flow and 1-second forced expiratory volume (F.E.V.1) on the 3rd, 5th, and 7th days after vaccination was measured in the bronchitic and normal groups. Seroconversion occurred in 80% to tht homologous virus, in 40.6% to A/Victoria/3/75, and in 26.5% to A/England/864/75 in subjects with pre-vaccination haemagglutination inhibition titres of less than 1/40. A fourfold or greater increase in homologous anti-neuraminidase antibody was found in 48% of twenty-seven infected subjects when measured by a new elution inhibition technique. The frequency and nature of symptoms were similar in both infected and non-infected groups. No significant changes in F.E.V.1 occurred, but on days 5 and 7 there was a decrease in peak flow measurements in both infected and non-infected groups when assessed as the percentage change of the pre-vaccination value.

Administration, Intranasal

Comparison of antibody responses and reactivity of "Alice" and WRL 105 strain live influenza vaccines.

Groups of 45 adult volunteers were vaccinated intranasally with a single dose of either "Alice" or WRL 105 strain live influenza vaccines. Seroconversion rates against A/Scotland/840/74 were significantly greater following administration of WRL 105 but seroconversion rates against A/England/42/72, A/Port Chalmers/1/73, A/Finland/4/74, A/Victoria/3/75, and A/England/864/75 did not differ significantly between the two vaccines. Poor antibody responses were elicited by both "Alice" and WRL 105 strains against A/Victoria/3/75 and A/England/864/75. No severe reactions followed the administration of either vaccine.

Administration, Intranasal