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Biomedical subjects

E Hall

Publications and source records attributed to E Hall.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Seroepidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in a population of Egyptian children.

BACKGROUND: To describe the seroepidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in a population of Egyptian children under 3 years. METHODS: A cohort of children under 36 months, residing in Abu Homos, Egypt, were visited at home twice weekly. Information regarding the child's breastfeeding status was obtained, and periodic anthropometric and household hygiene surveys were performed. In June 1997, a serosurvey was conducted on 187 study participants over 6 months old. The serosurvey was repeated in October 1997. All sera were tested for IgG antibodies to H. pylori. RESULTS: The June prevalence of H. pylori infection was 10%, and the incidence from June to October was 15%. Between June and October, 8 (42%) of 19 children that were positive for H. pylori infection seroreverted to negative. All seroreversions occurred in children 6-17 months. Other than age, no sociodemographic or environmental factor was significantly associated with incident H. pylori infection. There was no significant differences in the weight-for-age, weight-for-height, and height-for-age z-scores between children with and without prevalent H. pylori infection. CONCLUSIONS: Infection with H. pylori is common in Egyptian children under 3 years old and is not associated with malnutrition. No predictors for H. pylori infection were found. Our preliminary evidence for transient H. pylori infections in young children needs to be confirmed in a prospective cohort study, and predictors for persistent infection should be sought, since only these may be relevant to the known sequellae of infection.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1999

Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori among Egyptian newborns and their mothers: a preliminary report.

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common human bacterial infections in the world and children in the developing countries acquire H. pylori infection early in life. We prospectively evaluated the prevalence of serum antibodies to H. pylori in a cohort of pregnant women and their offspring. Mothers' sera were collected during the third trimester of pregnancy and sera from their offspring were collected when they were 7-9 months and 18 months of age. Pylori-Stat, a commercially available ELISA kit, was used to detect antibodies to H. pylori in the serum of the subjects tested. Sera from 169 mothers were available for testing and 88% of these samples were positive for anti-H. pylori IgG. Of the 169 children tested, 13% of the infants 7-9 months of age and 25% of the children 18 months of age had serologic evidence of H. pylori infection. These data indicate that infection with H. pylori is common in Egypt and acquisition of infection occurs at a very young age.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Sublethal damage repair times for a late-responding tissue relevant to brachytherapy (and external-beam radiotherapy): implications for new brachytherapy protocols.

PURPOSE: Data were analyzed from recent experiments with the end point of late rectal obstruction in rats, involving acute and various protracted radiation exposures. Because the end point is of direct relevance both for brachytherapy as well as external beam radiotherapy, the goal was to estimate the linear-quadratic (LQ) parameters alpha/beta and T1/2, which are of importance for designing improved protraction/fractionation schemes. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The data were fit to the LQ model, both in its standard form and in a form in which two different components of sublethal damage repair-fast and slow-are assumed. The design of the experiments was such that both slow and reasonably fast sublethal damage repair components should be separately estimated, if they were contributing to a significant degree. RESULTS: LQ parameter estimates were alpha/beta = 4.6 Gy [4.0, 5.5] and T1/2 = 70.2 min [59.1, 91.4]. Despite the experimental design facilitating detection of a rapid component of repair, no statistically robust evidence for a very fast repair component was found. CONCLUSIONS: The long estimated repair time for a late-responding normal-tissue end point with direct relevance to brachytherapy suggests a variety of possible brachytherapy protocols that may be more efficacious than continuous low dose rate irradiation. Just as a difference in alpha/beta ratios between early- and late-responding tissues are a central tenet in radiotherapy, so corresponding differences in T1/2 values have the potential to be exploited, particularly for brachytherapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Responses to acellular pertussis vaccines and component antigens in a coughing-rat model of pertussis.

Two acellular pertussis vaccines (SmithKline Beecham 3-component and Connaught 5-component), and a whole-cell pertussis vaccine (Evans), were similarly protective against paroxysmal coughing and leukocytosis in a coughing-rat model of pertussis. A two-dose immunization schedule was followed by sublethal intrabronchial challenge with Bordetella pertussis strain 18-323, encased in fine agarose beads, and the coughing monitored by sound-activated tape recorders. Pertussis toxoid by itself gave some protection against coughing, but lower than that afforded by the vaccines, despite inducing a higher serum anti-PT titre. The other component antigens, given individually, failed to protect against coughing although inducing antibodies. Immunization with the whole-cell and acellular vaccines and with their component antigens, as well as challenge with B. pertussis, caused significant elevation of total serum IgE antibodies. Antigen-specific IgG and IgA were detected in tracheobronchial washings from rats recovering from B. pertussis challenge, but vaccination prior to challenge had little influence on these antibody levels. The coughing-rat model of pertussis may be useful for the comparative testing of different formulations of pertussis vaccines before trials in human infants.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

The impact of age on outcome in lymphoblastic leukaemia; MRC UKALL X and XA compared: a report from the MRC Paediatric and Adult Working Parties.

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of age on outcome in a large cohort of children and adults with lymphoblastic leukaemia who were treated on two similar trials. Factors influencing outcome were examined in 2204 patients aged over 1 year treated between 1985 and 1992 on the parallel Medical Research Council Trials UKALL X and XA, for children and adults, respectively. There was a progressive worsening in survival with increasing age from 85% (95% CI 83-87) at 5 years for children aged 1-9 to 24% (CI 17-31) for patients over 40. Induction failures, deaths in remission and bone marrow relapses increased significantly with age. Analysis of clinical and biological features showed dominance of early B-ALL in childhood and increasing incidence of the Ph' chromosome with age. Over 80% of eligible children, but a much lower proportion of adults especially those over 40, was entered. Compliance was stricter in the paediatric trial but most deviations in adults involved giving more treatment. Analysis of results in a proportional hazards model confirmed the overwhelming independent influence of age; with all other factors equal a 10 year old had half the risk of treatment failure of a 20 year old and a 44 year old double the risk. Selective entry to therapeutic trials and increased treatment-related toxicity are features of adult ALL but age itself remains a dominant prognostic factor. While improved supportive care and refinements of conventional therapy may have some effect on prognosis, new understandings and treatment approaches to adult ALL are needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Safety and immunogenicity of an oral, killed enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-cholera toxin B subunit vaccine in Egyptian adults.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is the leading cause of bacterial diarrhea in young children in developing countries. The safety and immunogenicity of a killed, oral ETEC vaccine consisting of whole cells plus recombinantly produced cholera toxin B subunit (rCTB) was evaluated in Egypt, which is endemic for ETEC diarrhea. Seventy-four healthy Egyptian adults (21-45 years old) were randomized and received two doses of the ETEC/rCTB vaccine (E003) or placebo 2 weeks apart. The frequency of adverse events after either dose did not differ by treatment group, and no severe adverse events were reported. After vaccination, peripheral blood IgA B cell responses to CTB (100%) and to vaccine colonization factor antigens CFA/I (94%), CS4 (100%), CS2 (81%), and CS1 (69%) were significantly higher than response rates for the placebo group. These favorable results in Egyptian adults indicate that the ETEC/rCTB vaccine is a promising candidate for evaluation in younger age groups in this setting.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Induction of abnormal respiratory sounds by capsaicin in rats previously infected with Bordetella pertussis.

Sprague Dawley rats, previously infected with Phase-I Bordetella pertussis, developed more severe abnormal respiratory sounds than normal animals, but not coughing, when exposed to aerosolized capsaicin, one of several cough-inducing agents tested. Stethoscope examination suggested that greater production of pulmonary mucus might be occurring after capsaicin challenge of the infected animals, compared to the uninfected controls. Rats of three other strains gave characteristically different responses from the Sprague Dawleys. The administration of capsaicin to B. pertussis-infected rats may provide useful insights into the pathophysiology of excess mucus secretion in human pertussis.

Aerosols↗
PubMed1998

Prenatal diagnosis of a der(X)t(X;15)(p22.2;q11.2) inherited from a maternal translocation X;15.

A karyotype 46,X,der(X)t(X;15)(p22.2;q11.2) derived from a maternal translocation X;15 was ascertained in a female fetus through an abnormal triple screen test at 16 weeks that gave a 1/56 risk for Down syndrome. The pregnancy was terminated at 19.5 weeks and anatomopathologic studies showed fewer malformations than other fetal trisomies 15. This is the first prenatal identification of an unbalanced t(X;15).

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Affinity-purified, mixed monospecific crotalid antivenom ovine Fab for the treatment of crotalid venom poisoning.

SUBJECT OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy and safety of a new antivenom, affinity-purified, mixed monospecific crotalid antivenom ovine Fab, in human subjects with minimal or moderate crotalid envenomation. METHODS: We conducted a prospective multicenter clinical trial of 11 patients 10 years or older with progressive manifestations after mild to moderate crotalid snakebite. After giving their consent, subjects received four to eight vials of study drug and were then repeatedly examined over 48 hours and at 7 and 14 days after discharge. Each patient's clinical condition was evaluated serially with the use of a validated severity score, as well as on the basis of the investigator's assessment. RESULTS: In all 11 subjects to the antivenom was judged by the investigator to have had a beneficial response. The severity score for each patient remained the same or decreased over the first 4 hours. However, two subjects demonstrated worsened condition 12 to 15 hours after antivenom administration. In no subject did an allergic reaction develop. CONCLUSION: In this patient group, affinity-purified, mixed monospecific crotalid antivenom ovine Fab was associated with a halt of progressive crotalid venom poisoning. Initial safety data are promising but must be addressed further in subsequent studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Interaction of metals with muscarinic cholinoceptor and adrenoceptor binding, and agonist-stimulated inositol phospholipid hydrolysis in rat brain.

In vitro mercury (Hg) or lead (Pb) effectively inhibited the binding of 3H-quinuclidinyl-benzilate (QNB) (a muscarinic cholinoceptor antagonist) and 3H-prazosin (an alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist) to their receptors in cerebellar and cerebral cortex membranes in a concentration-dependent manner. Hg was more potent than Pb. When the rats were treated with Hg (5 mg/kg body wt) or Pb (25 mg/kg body wt) for 24 hr, a decrease in 3H-prazosin and an increase in 3H-QNB receptor binding were observed in cerebral cortex. There was no alteration in 3H-prazosin binding in cerebellum with the above treatment of metals, but 3H-QNB binding in cerebellum was significantly inhibited by Hg. However, both 3H-prazosin and 3H-QNB receptor bindings were significantly decreased in cerebellum of rats treated for 7 days with Hg (1 mg/kg body wt/day) or Pb (25 mg/ kg body wt/day). But in cerebral cortex of rats treated with these metals for 7 days, a decrease in 3H-prazosin and an increase in 3H-QNB receptor binding activities were noticed. There was a significant decrease in phospholipid content in cerebral cortex but not in cerebellum of rats treated with these metals for 7 days. At 100 microM concentration carbachol or acetylcholine or norepinephrine stimulated 3H-inositol incorporation and 3H-inositol phosphate (IP) formation in rat cerebral cortical slices. Hg or Pb in vitro though increased the agonist-stimulated 3H-inositol incorporation, 3H-IP formation was not significantly altered. The present investigation demonstrates the differential responses by alpha 1-adrenoceptor and muscarinic cholinoceptor in cerebellum and cerebral cortex of rat to in vitro and in vivo effects of Hg or Pb.

Adrenergic Antagonists↗
PubMed1997

Cytogenetics adds independent prognostic information in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia on MRC trial UKALL XA. MRC Adult Leukaemia Working Party.

Cytogenetic classification of 350 adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia on MRC UKALL XA trial showed the following statistically significant associations: t(9;22) (11%) increased with increasing age and leucocyte counts (WBC) and most had a C/pre-B immunophenotype. t(4;11) (3%) was associated with higher WBCs, increasing age and null immunophenotype. Other abnormalities of 11q (abn11q) (4%) were associated with male sex and T-cell ALL. High hyperdiploidy (7%) and abn9p (5%) decreased with increasing WBC. High hyperdiploid patients were younger and tended to have C/pre-B ALL. Triploidy/tetraploidy (3%) decreased and pseudodiploidy (11%) increased with increasing WBC. Cytogenetic classification was prognostically important (chi-square for heterogeneity of classification = 53.56; P < 0.0001) and added significance to age, sex and WBC. A poor prognosis for patients classed as t(9;22) (13% disease-free survival at 3 years), as t(4;11) 24% at 3 years) and hypodiploid (11% at 3 years), and good prognosis for abn12p (4% of subjects) and high hyperdiploidy (74% and 59% at 3 years respectively) were statistically significant, but the 54% 3-year disease-free survival for patients with t(1;19) was not. The prognosis of patients classed as t(9;22) was independent of other single variables. Abn12p, abnormalities of 11q (including t(4;11) cases) and hypodiploidy added prognostic significance to all other variables combined.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The effects of human relations training on reported teacher stress, pupil control ideology and locus of control.

BACKGROUND: This study presents the reported outcomes of a two-year, part-time Masters' programme in human relations using an experiential learning methodology based mainly on humanistic psychological theory. AIMS: The following hypotheses were examined. That as a result of the two-year programme: the experience of reported stress would be reduced; reported attitudes to student classroom control would shift from custodial to humanistic; there would be an increase in reports from participants of a sense of control over their lives; changes of behaviour in work, social settings and at home related to these three variables would be reported. SAMPLE: Involved in the study were 42 experienced teachers. These included 32 women and 10 men, with an average age of 35, who worked in a wide range of educational institutions. Their learning style preferences were also considered as independent variables. A control group of 42 was established with similar demographic characteristics. METHODS: Prior to the course, the experimental group and the control group were given the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Pupil Control Ideology Form. In the early stages of the course, the experimental group completed the Kolb Learning Style Inventory and an informal measure of locus of control which was repeated at the end of the first year of the course. A sample of 32 from the experimental group were given semi-structured interviews relating to changes in their professional and personal lives. RESULTS: The results indicated that, following the training, there was a reduction in reported stress, indications of a more humanistic orientation towards pupil control and an increase in a sense of an internal locus of control. The quantitative data were confirmed by qualitative data generated from semi-structured interviews, which involved substantial reports of applications of the training in their professional and personal lives. CONCLUSION: These results provide support for including experiential human relations training as part of both the in-service and initial teacher training programmes.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Differences in coughing and other responses to intrabronchial infection with Bordetella pertussis among strains of rats.

Four strains of rats were each infected intrabronchially with approximately 10(8) CFU of Bordetella pertussis 18-323 encased in fine agarose beads. After 8 days, Sprague-Dawley rats developed the highest incidence of coughing paroxysms, as monitored with voice-activated tape recorders; Brown Norway, Lewis, and Hooded Lister rats coughed significantly less frequently. Marked leukocytosis, with counts up to four times the normal levels, and retardation of normal weight gain occurred in all four rat strains. Both coughing and leukocytosis were greater in animals that were infected at 4 weeks of age than in those infected at 6 weeks of age. Total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) rose in all four rat strains 9- to 244-fold by day 8 after infection and returned to near preinfection levels at 6 weeks. Sprague-Dawley and Lewis rats, which had the lowest basal levels of total IgE in serum, showed the greatest degrees of elevation. All four rat strains had IgG to B. pertussis whole-cell sonicate and to filamentous hemagglutinin in 6-week-postinfection sera. However, the strains differed in production of IgG to pertussis toxin, with Sprague-Dawley rats having the highest titers and Hooded Lister and Lewis rats being nonresponders. These studies highlight the importance of rat strain as a variable in the coughing-rat model of pertussis and validate the choice of the Sprague-Dawley rats in previous studies.

Age Factors↗