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Biomedical subjects

E Eerola

Publications and source records attributed to E Eerola.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

An uncooked vegan diet shifts the profile of human fecal microflora: computerized analysis of direct stool sample gas-liquid chromatography profiles of bacterial cellular fatty acids.

The effect of an uncooked extreme vegan diet on fecal microflora was studied by direct stool sample gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) of bacterial cellular fatty acids and by quantitative bacterial culture by using classical microbiological techniques of isolation, identification, and enumeration of different bacterial species. Eighteen volunteers were divided randomly into two groups. The test group received an uncooked vegan diet for 1 month and a conventional diet of mixed Western type for the other month of the study. The control group consumed a conventional diet throughout the study period. Stool samples were collected. Bacterial cellular fatty acids were extracted directly from the stool samples and measured by GLC. Computerized analysis of the resulting fatty acid profiles was performed. Such a profile represents all bacterial cellular fatty acids in a sample and thus reflects its microflora and can be used to detect changes, differences, or similarities of bacterial flora between individual samples or sample groups. GLC profiles changed significantly in the test group after the induction and discontinuation of the vegan diet but not in the control group at any time, whereas quantitative bacterial culture did not detect any significant change in fecal bacteriology in either of the groups. The results suggest that an uncooked extreme vegan diet alters the fecal bacterial flora significantly when it is measured by direct stool sample GLC of bacterial fatty acids.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Does reduced erythrocyte C3b receptor (CR1) activity contribute to the pathogenesis of yersinia triggered reactive arthritis?

Erythrocyte C3b receptor (CR1) activity was measured in 27 patients with yersinia triggered reactive arthritis and in 151 control subjects, including 36 patients with uncomplicated yersiniosis and 115 healthy subjects. CR1 was measured by the immune adherence haemagglutination method. Patients with yersinia triggered reactive arthritis had reduced levels of CR1 compared with the controls. This difference was mainly due to the finding that five out of six HLA B27 negative patients with arthritis had decreased CR1 activity. Such a quantitative difference may contribute to the pathogenesis of reactive arthritis by affecting the clearance of immune complexes.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

FGFR-4, a novel acidic fibroblast growth factor receptor with a distinct expression pattern.

We have previously identified two novel members of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) gene family expressed in K562 erythroleukemia cells. Here we report cDNA cloning and analysis of one of these genes, named FGFR-4. The deduced amino acid sequence of FGFR-4 is 55% identical with both previously characterized FGFRs, flg and bek, and has the structural characteristics of a FGFR family member including three immunoglobulin-like domains in its extracellular part. Antibodies raised against the carboxy terminus of FGFR-4 detected 95 and 110 kd glycoproteins with a protein backbone of 88 kd in COS cells transfected with a FGFR-4 cDNA expression vector. The FGFR-4 protein expressed in COS cells could also be affinity-labeled with radioiodinated acidic FGF. Furthermore, ligand binding experiments demonstrated that FGFR-4 binds acidic FGF with high affinity but does not bind basic FGF. FGFR-4 is expressed as a 3.0 kb mRNA in the adrenal, lung, kidney, liver, pancreas, intestine, striated muscle and spleen tissues of human fetuses. The expression pattern of FGFR-4 is distinct from that of flg and bek and the yet additional member of the same gene family, FGFR-3, which we have also cloned from the K562 leukemia cells. Our results suggest that FGFR-4 along with other fibroblast growth factor receptors performs cell lineage and tissue-specific functions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Application of gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of cellular fatty acids for species identification and typing of coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) of bacterial cellular fatty acids was used to analyze 264 isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci, of which 178 were Staphylococcus epidermidis. The presence and amounts of individual fatty acids were determined to generate fatty acid profiles for each of the seven coagulase-negative species tested. The fatty acid profiles were then analyzed by computerized correlation and cluster analysis to calculate mean correlation values between isolates belonging to the same or different species, as well as to establish cluster analysis dendrograms. These data ultimately allowed the clustering of individual samples into species-specific clusters. Species identification by the GLC clustering was highly consistent with species identification by biochemical assays; the results were similar in 92.4% of the cases. The GLC profile correlation analysis was further used to analyze multiple blood isolates from 60 patients in order to determine the usefulness of this methodology in establishing identity, as well as differences, between consecutive patient isolates. The correlation between those multiple S. epidermidis isolates determined to be identical by standard techniques (such as the antibiogram, biotype, and plasmid profile) was significantly (P less than 0.001) higher than that between random isolates of the same species. The correlation coefficient was greater than 97 for 40 (97.6%) of the 41 patients with multiple identical blood isolates, compared with less than 95 in all 19 (100.0%) patients with multiple nonidentical isolates. The successful use of the computerized GLC analysis in this study demonstrated its appropriate application for species identification and typing of coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMed1991

Antimicrobial therapy of septicemic patients in intensive care units before and after blood culture reporting.

68 cases of positive blood cultures from 54 intensive care unit (ICU) patients were analyzed retrospectively. The empiric antimicrobial therapy was correct in 65% of the cases as judged by the species and sensitivity of the blood culture isolate. After initial Gram-staining results were known, coverage increased to 77%. After the final blood culture results the coverage was still only 81%. The bacteremia-related mortality was 13%. Although there was no significant difference between the occurrence of bacteremia-related and non-bacteremia-related deaths either in patients with correct or non-optimal empiric treatment, this study emphasizes the need for better utilization of culture reporting. A considerable part of the final blood culture results went unnoticed by the ICU physicians which stresses the importance of good communication between the laboratory and wards.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Monoclonal antibodies against chicken Bu-1a and Bu-1b alloantigens.

The production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against chicken B cell surface alloantigens, Bu-1a and Bu-1b, is described. Flow cytometric analysis using these mAbs demonstrates that Bu-1 gene locus does not show allelic exclusion. Two color fluorescence analysis using simultaneous surface marker labeling and DNA staining shows that the expression of Bu-1 antigen is not restricted to a specific phase of the cell cycle. Earlier findings that Bu-1 locus is not linked to the MHC locus are confirmed. Furthermore, data is presented that Bu-1 antigen expression is not entirely B cell restricted. Apparently a fraction of larger mononuclear cells with typical light scatter characteristics in flow cytometry also bear this marker. MAbs against both allelic Bu-1 antigens are beneficial tools e.g. in typing of chicken lines and in studies on chicken B cell differentiation.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Pure and mixed mucinous breast carcinomas: DNA stemline and prognosis.

The DNA stemline of 45 mucinous breast carcinomas was determined by flow cytometry using paraffin embedded archival tissue sections. The material consisted of 26 pure mucinous and 19 mixed mucinous carcinomas. The patients were followed up for at least 15 years or until death. Nearly all pure mucinous carcinomas had a normal DNA stemline (25 of 26) with only one aneuploid tumour. Mixed mucinous carcinomas had a DNA content resembling that of common ductal carcinoma with 11 aneuploid tumours. Aneuploid tumours tended to be of higher grade and stage than diploid tumours. The survival of patients with pure mucinous carcinoma was better than that of patients with mixed mucinous carcinoma. Mucinous carcinoma should be classified as such only if it is a pure mucinous carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗
PubMed1987

T cell function in chickens bursectomized at 60 hours of incubation.

Chickens surgically bursectomized in ovo (Bx) at 60 hr of embryonic development offer a unique model to study selectively the influence of the bursa of Fabricius on thymus-dependent immune functions because the lymphoid cells of these animals develop in the total absence of the bursal microenvironment. The Bx chickens have been shown to be unable to respond to antigenic stimulation by specific antibody production. In the present study, we have characterized different aspects of T-cell-mediated immunity in Bx chickens. Our results indicate the existence of a normal, functional T cell system in these animals. Peripheral blood leukocytes from Bx chickens were able to induce normal graft-versus-host reaction and mixed lymphocyte reaction. The capacity of peripheral blood T cells from Bx animals to produce interleukin-2 was indistinguishable from that of their normal counterparts, suggesting normal function of T helper cells. We demonstrate that peripheral blood leukocytes from Bx birds have normal in vitro proliferative responses to nonspecific T cell mitogens, concanavalin A, and phytohemagglutinin, and to a specific antigen, keyhole limpet hemocyanin. The inability of the Bx chickens to respond to specific antigens is therefore restricted to B cells and to production of specific antibodies. Our findings indicate that the bursa of Fabricius is not necessary for the development of thymus-dependent immune functions and support the suggestion that the specific function of the bursa is the creation of antibody diversity.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Lymphoid cell chimerism and transplantation tolerance induced by bursal and postbursal cells.

Transplantation of allogeneic bursal cells into cyclophosphamide-treated, immunodeficient chickens is a useful experimental model for analyzing the mechanisms of transplantation tolerance, especially because transplanted bursal cells do not produce graft-versus-host disease. In this study we have determined B-lymphoid chimerism in various lymphoid organs after transplantation of allogeneic bursal stem cells or postbursal cells, and used a variety of tests to determine presence of immunological tolerance. Transplanted bursal stem cells induced a state of stable chimerism that could easily be detected in peripheral blood and other lymphoid organs. Chimerism induced by postbursal cells was low in peripheral blood, but clearly observable in other lymphoid organs, especially in spleen and thymus. Both bursal and postbursal cells induced specific unresponsiveness to donor-line alloantigens. Bursal cell recipients accepted donor line skin grafts--and their graft-versus-host reactivity, as assayed by embryonal splenomegaly, and mixed lymphocyte reactivity against donor line alloantigens were significantly decreased. Despite differences in chimerism, a strong transplantation tolerance was readily induced with bursal stem cells and with postbursal cells.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of sex chromosome aneuploidy on growth of human skin fibroblasts in cell culture.

Growth of human skin fibroblast lines with sex chromosome aneuploidy was studied in cell culture. Two lines were derived from individuals with 45,X and two from individuals with 47,XYY chromosome constitution. The aneuploid cell lines were compared with normal skin fibroblasts derived from age-matched same-sex siblings. To ensure similar conditions in culture, each study-control pair was treated simultaneously and equally in all steps. Growth in both 45,X cell cultures slowed down earlier than in control cultures. One of the 47,XYY cultures grew faster and the other at a similar speed to the control culture. Thus, the 45,X cell lines seemed to have lesser, and one of the 47,XYY cell lines greater, growth potential than the 46,XX and 46,XY cells, respectively. These differences in the final cell numbers may relate to changes in the rate of cell division of the aneuploid cell lines. However, the results do not support the hypothesis that an increasing number of sex chromosomes decreases the rate of cell division.

Adolescent↗