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Biomedical subjects

E Petersen

Publications and source records attributed to E Petersen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

[Occurrence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Denmark. A study of 5.402 pregnant women].

Consecutive serum samples from 5402 women were analyzed for specific IgG and IgM Toxoplasma gondii antibodies by enzyme immunosorbent assay. The prevalence of IgG antibodies was 27.4%. The seroconversion rate was estimated to be 1.16% per year (SE = 0.0017) in all age groups, consistent with an incidence of acute toxoplasmosis in pregnant women of 0.65%. Based on theses figures, the estimated number of congenitally infected cases are discussed. There was no difference in the prevalence of antibodies in women from rural or urban areas, or from different parts of Denmark.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

Immune responses to band 3 neoantigens on Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in subjects living in an area of intense malaria transmission are associated with low parasite density and high hematocrit value.

During the intracellular development of the human malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, cryptic regions of the erythrocyte band 3 protein are exposed. Antibodies against these band 3-related neoantigens block cytoadherence, and peptides based on amino acid sequences of putative exofacial loops of band 3 protein block the in vitro and in vivo adherence of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes. At present, it is not known whether reactivity to these antigens is related to exposure to the malaria parasite or is correlated with protective immunity. The reactivities of plasma to peptides containing amino acid sequences of putative exofacial loops 3 and 7 of human band 3 protein were determined for children and adults living in an area of perennial malaria transmission (Liberia) and for donors who had never been exposed to malaria (Denmark). Plasma samples from children and adults living in an area of intense malaria transmission showed a much higher reactivity with the band 3 peptides than did those from nonimmune individuals. High reactivity to the loop 3 peptide (amino acids 546 to 555) was correlated with lower mean parasite density in children in the 5- to 9-year-old age group. The presence of antibodies against loop 3 and 7 peptides was not associated with a low packed erythrocyte volume (hematocrit); in fact, higher-than-average reactivities to both peptides were positively correlated with high hematocrit values, indicating that antibodies which specifically recognize the band 3-related neoantigens are not involved in hemolysis (autoimmunity).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Urinary excretion of modified nucleosides as biological marker of RNA turnover in patients with cancer and AIDS.

Using boronate gel affinity chromatography and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), a method for the simultaneous determination of 12 urinary modified nucleosides has been developed. The RP-HPLC fractions were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. The HPLC quantitation of urinary nucleoside levels before and after surgery of cancer patients suggested that urinary 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine and N-[(9-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-9H-purine-6-yl) carbamoyl]-L-threonine (t6A) levels were helpful in monitoring therapeutic effects in cancer patients. From the fact that molar ratios of urinary N2,N2-dimethylguanosine (m2 2G)pseudouridine (psi) and t6A/psi in cancer patients were lower than those of normal or post-surgical cancer patients, the increase of rRNA content in cancer tissues growing rapidly was estimated using the stoichiometric relationship between the ratio of the number of residues of their modified nucleoside in RNAs and the proportion of rRNA to total RNAs in average tissues of whole body. Furthermore, from the estimation of RNA turnover using urinary nucleoside levels, it was found that the half-lives of rRNA rather than tRNA of patients with cancer and those of both RNAs in the case of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were extremely short compared with those of the normal. Thus, we discovered that the selected urinary modified nucleosides were very useful as a biological marker of whole-body RNA turnover in patients with cancer and AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1993

Classification of clinical falciparum malaria and its use for the evaluation of chemosuppression in children under six years of age in Liberia, west Africa.

The possible role of malaria as cause of morbidity was assessed during one year in 262 children aged 6 months to 6 years living in two villages in a rural area of Liberia. The study population was followed by weekly clinics and three-monthly surveys and the children were randomly allocated to receive either chloroquine or placebo every 3 weeks. The morbidity of the children was evaluated by criteria based on the history and the clinical condition into four different stages, in order to describe the probability that an observed clinical event could be attributed to malaria infection, based on the presence of detectable parasites in the blood, the history the previous week, and the clinical status of the child. The level of anaemia, splenomegaly and measured body temperature supported that malaria was the major contributor to the overall morbidity observed. Based on the stage classification of clinical illness, children were classified as having 'possible clinical malaria' or 'probable clinical malaria'. Malaria appeared to be an important cause of febrile episodes during both dry and rainy seasons. During the rainy season more than 60% of the children experienced at least one clinical malaria episode, and during the dry season more than 50% of the children experienced at least one clinical attack of malaria. Children receiving chemosuppression had overall fewer clinical malaria attacks, and the effect of the chemosuppression was most pronounced in the dry season, the odds ratio comparing children receiving regular chemosuppression with children receiving presumptive treatment only was estimated to 0.39 (0.25-0.62).

Anemia↗
PubMed1993

Extra-intestinal amebiasis: clinical presentation in a non-endemic setting.

37/38 patients with reciprocal titers > or = 512 against Entamoeba histolytica in Denmark over a 5-year period were evaluated retrospectively in order to establish the clinical profile of extra-intestinal amebiasis in a non-endemic area. 24 of these had extra-intestinal amebiasis, all presenting 1 or more amebic liver abscesses on ultrasonography. Fever was the most common finding, present in 91% of the cases. The most striking observation was the lack of both abdominal pain and tenderness in 22% of the patients with liver abscess. Pulmonary symptoms and abnormal chest X-rays were each recorded in 45% of the cases. Liver abscesses with or without pulmonary involvement were the only extra-intestinal manifestations recorded. The condition was initially misconceived in more than half the cases, but most of the patients responded well once treatment with metronidazole was started.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Prevalence, incidence and geographical distribution of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in pregnant women in Denmark.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and incidence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Denmark, and to estimate the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis. Consecutive serum samples from 5,402 women were analysed for specific IgG and IgM Toxoplasma gondii antibodies by EIA. The prevalence of IgG antibodies was 27.4%. The seroconversion rate was estimated to be 1.16% per year (SE = 0.0017) in all age groups, consistent with an incidence of acute toxoplasmosis in pregnant women of 0.65%. Specific IgM antibodies were present in sera from 29 women. Based on an assumed maternofetal transmission rate of 50%, the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis was estimated to be 0.33%. Based on these data it is predicted that about 410 pregnant women are infected with T. gondii every year in Denmark, and that about 200 children every year are infected in utero by T. gondii. There was no difference in the prevalence of antibodies in women from rural or urban areas, or from different parts of Denmark.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Capture ELISA for IgM antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum glutamate rich protein.

This report describes a novel mu chain capture ELISA for the detection of IgM antibodies against a Plasmodium falciparum antigen. A fragment of the 220 kDa P. falciparum glutamate rich protein containing amino acid residues 489-1271 was expressed in E. coli as a recombinant chimeric beta-galactosidase fusion protein and used as antigen after purification and biotinylation. Specific IgM antibodies were found in 51% (39/77) of sera from adult Liberians immune to malaria. The binding of IgM antibodies was specific for the malaria portion of the fusion protein and no cross-reactivity was found in sera from patients with IgM antibodies due to other diseases. Inhibition studies with a fusion protein containing amino acid residues 816-1134 (GLURP816-1134) representing the carboxy-terminal repeat region suggested a different use of epitopes for IgM antibodies in different individuals.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Parasitic diseases in patients with impaired immune response. Clinical picture and diagnosis].

Patients with impaired immune system are frequently infected with various parasitic diseases. The clinical picture is characterized by unusual manifestations and frequently severe recurrences of infections which are not normally serious. Some almost parasitic microorganisms produce symptoms exclusively in patients with impaired immune system. Parasitic infections have become increasingly common with the increasing number of patients who live for prolonged periods with impaired immune systems, often as a result of infection with HIV. Among the numerous parasitic infections which are observed in man, there are a few which occur particularly frequently in patients with impaired immune systems. This is a brief review of the clinical pictures and diagnostic options in parasitic disease in individuals with impaired immune system with particular emphasis on infections caused by: Pneumocystis carinii, Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium ssp., Microspora, Entamoeba histolytica, Leishmania ssp., and Strongyloides stercoralis. In patients with impaired immunity, parasitic infections frequently cause nonspecific symptoms and, on account of the impaired immunity, antibodies to the parasite are not always produced. The diagnosis of these infections is, therefore, based on morphological demonstration of the microorganism concerned, culture, specific antigen or DNA defections.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Transient expression of recombinant glycoprotein Ib alpha polypeptides in COS cells that inhibit von Willebrand factor binding to the platelet glycoprotein Ib/IX complex.

The cDNA encoding the glycoprotein Ib alpha polypeptide has been expressed in COS cells. Transfection with full-length cDNA and a cDNA truncated at an internal XbaI site produced a recombinant polypeptide doublet with estimated molecular weights of 48 and 46 kDa (rGpIb alpha L318) which could be resolved into a single band of molecular weight 36 kDa following digestion with endoglycosidase F. A portion of the truncated polypeptide was retained in the endoplasmic reticulum of COS cells and slowly released. A second fraction was rapidly secreted into COS cell-conditioned medium and could be used for functional studies. Soluble rGpIb alpha L318 harvested from COS cell-conditioned medium inhibited ristocetin-dependent binding of [125I]-vWF to fixed washed human platelets (IC50 20 nM). Binding was inhibited by reduction and alkylation of "rGp1b alpha L318" suggesting the need for a critical disulfide bond to maintain biological activity of the recombinant polypeptide. We conclude that the recombinant polypeptides produced by transfection of GpIb alpha cDNA into heterologous cells are secreted, soluble, and can inhibit vWF binding to platelet GpIb/IX.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1992

[Congential toxoplasmosis and ocular involvement. A review with 6 case reports].

A review is presented of the ocular affections in congenital toxoplasmosis. The epidemiological, pathogenetic and pathological conditions are reviewed together with the clinical manifestations and the diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities. On the basis of incidence investigations and knowledge from the literature, it must be assumed that approximately 190 infants with congenital toxoplasmosis are born annually in Denmark. Only approximately 15% of the infections will be symptom-producing and will be diagnosed neonatally, but more than 85% of the children with congenital toxoplasmosis will develop chorioretinitis on delivery or later in life and this will frequently cause reduction in vision or blindness. Congenital toxoplasmosis must be regarded as the commonest cause of chorioretinitis and it is probable that congenital toxoplasmosis and chorioretinitis due to toxoplasmosis are considerably underdiagnosed in Denmark. Treatment of congenital toxoplasmosis from birth improve the prognosis. Toxoplasmosis should be suspected in all cases of chorioretinitis. When antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii are demonstrated and the clinical picture is compatible with toxoplasmosis and when there is no other diagnosis, anti-Toxoplasma treatment should be considered. It is important to inform pregnant women about prophylactic measures. If investigations for toxoplasmosis were introduced in the prenatal or perinatal examinations, treatment could be initiated from birth and the diagnosis could be confirmed by possible activation of the chorioretinitis at a later date. Six case reports are presented.

Adult↗