Low incidence of pulmonary Pseudomonas cepacia infection in Danish cystic fibrosis patients.
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Adolescent↗
Biomedical subjects
H K Johansen
Publications and source records attributed to H K Johansen.
Seasonal onset of initial colonisation and chronic infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis in Denmark.
BACKGROUND AND METHODS: To assess the relation between seasonal variation and the onset of initial and chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, 300 Danish patients with cystic fibrosis were investigated. A retrospective analysis based on case reports was performed to identify the date and year of initial and chronic P aeruginosa infection from 1965 to 1990. RESULTS: Sixty six per cent of the patients contracted their initial P aeruginosa colonisation and 68% contracted chronic infection during the winter months (October to March). Despite major changes in treatment, including improved and intensified antibiotic treatment, during the investigation period in our cystic fibrosis centre, the seasonal difference in P aeruginosa infection persisted. CONCLUSIONS: As respiratory virus infections have the same seasonal distribution in Denmark such infections may pave the way for P aeruginosa and thus explain the parallel seasonal occurrence of this pathogen in patients with cystic fibrosis.
Chronic Disease↗
Local IgA and IgG response to intratracheal immunization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa antigens.
We have experimentally immunized rats intratracheally with sonicated Pseudomonas aeruginosa to develop a high antibody response systemically and locally. The systemic antibodies were measured by a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on serum samples, whereas the local antibodies were measured on eluates from paper discs containing saliva. High levels of IgA antibodies were elicited in saliva whereas only traces of IgG antibodies were detected; the opposite results were found in serum. The saliva disc method permits serial measurements from the same animal and therefore offers the possibility to follow post-immunization antibody responses.
Animals↗
[Manchincel poisoning complicated by streptococcal pharyngitis and impetigo].
A Danish tourist to Antigua in the West Indies, ate a fruit of Hippomane mancinella and developed acute poisoning with blistering of the oral mucosa and diarrhoea and a streptococcal superinfection. Ignorant tourists and their travel advisers are warned against this potentially deadly apple-tree-like plant and its tempting fruits.
Adult↗
Severity of cystic fibrosis in patients homozygous and heterozygous for delta F508 mutation.
To assess the relation between genotype and severity of disease in cystic fibrosis (CF) the frequencies and extent of several features of its phenotypic expression were investigated in the 235 patients who attend the Danish CF Centre. 14 patients who attend irregularly and 3 who do not carry the delta F508 mutation at all were excluded. The case-reports of the remaining 218 patients (aged 4 months to 41 years) were carefully evaluated, and they were all analysed for the delta F508 mutation. 172 (79%) were homozygous for delta F508 and 46 (20%) were heterozygous. The mutation therefore occurs on 89% of the chromosomes analysed. There were no significant differences between the homozygous and heterozygous groups in the proportions with meconium ileus at birth, liver involvement, or chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. However, significantly more of the homozygous patients had onset of symptoms before the age of 6 months (p less than 0.025); they were significantly younger at diagnosis (p = 0.013) and centre referral (p = 0.006); they required greater pancreatic enzyme substitution (p = 0.0002) and had poorer lung function; and the calculated yearly incidence of chronic Ps aeruginosa infection and yearly mortality rates were greater than in heterozygous patients (p = 0.0001).
Adolescent↗
[Generalized toxic symptoms caused by Clostridium difficile infection in a patient with Wilms' tumor].
This case report describes a 15 months-old patient with Wilms' tumor, who was treated with radical operation and chemotherapy. During hospitalization the patient suffered from recurrent lung infections, which were treated with appropriate antibiotics. Subsequently, the patient developed severe abdominal affection with daily melena, liver and kidney involvement, and generalized edema and hypertension. Cl. difficile and its cytotoxin was demonstrated in feces, and the patient was successfully treated with vancomycin. Although rare, Cl. difficile may cause severe generalised illness in children under two years of age, and it is important to examine any infant with abdominal symptoms for the occurrence of Cl. difficile, even though no diarrhoea is present.
Clostridioides difficile↗
Experimental immunization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa alginate induces IgA and IgG antibody responses.
We tried experimentally to induce a specific antibody response against Pseudomonas aeruginosa locally in the airways and systemically in rats by three different routes of immunization; intragastric feeding, intratracheal inoculation or subcutaneous vaccination. Three groups of rats were immunized with live mucoid P. aeruginosa PAO 579 by intragastric feeding or with killed PAO 579 intratracheally or subcutaneously. Three other groups were immunized with purified P. aeruginosa alginate either by intragastric feeding, intratracheally or subcutaneously. At weekly intervals for four weeks animals were sacrificed and serum and bronchial fluid were obtained. The specific IgA and IgG antibody response in lavage fluid and serum was measured. Only traces of antibodies could be detected in the bronchial lavage fluids. Anti-alginate IgA and IgG antibodies developed in all rats immunized with alginate but no antibodies against other P. aeruginosa antigens were detected. The highest IgA and IgG titer against alginate was induced by the subcutaneous immunization. IgA and IgG antibodies against other P. aeruginosa antigens developed in rats immunized with liver and sonicated bacteria. The highest IgA and IgG titers were obtained after intratracheal and subcutaneous immunization with sonicated bacteria. The present work has shown that IgA and IgG antibodies develop with high specificity after immunization. The different titers obtained do not necessarily reflect different degrees of protection.
Alginates↗
Changes in T1 relaxation processes in the bone marrow following treatment in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A magnetic resonance imaging study.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and T1 relaxation time measurements of the vertebral bone marrow were performed in 11 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at diagnosis. Nine of the children were re-examined after chemotherapeutic treatment. The results were compared with histological data from bone marrow biopsies obtained in close association to the MR examinations. Ten age matched children were examined as a control group. A 1.5 Tesla whole body scanner was used for the measurements. The pretreatment T1 relaxation times of the bone marrow were significantly prolonged, compared to the age matched controls. After chemotherapy the T1 relaxation times of the children with ALL decreased significantly towards or into the normal range. A significant correlation was found between the T1 relaxation time and the content of malignant blast cells in the bone marrow.
Adolescent↗
Frequency of the delta F508 mutation on cystic fibrosis chromosomes in Denmark.
We have investigated the frequency of the delta F508 mutation on cystic fibrosis (CF) chromosomes in Denmark. Of 304 chromosome tested, 86.8% have the delta F508 mutation. The majority of the chromosomes with this mutation are found on chromosomes with the XV2c/KM19 haplotype B (97.3%), whereas 15/16 chromosomes with haplotype C have another mutation, confirming that only very few mutations will account for the majority of CF genes in the Danish population.
Cystic Fibrosis↗
Computer simulation of immunochemical interactions.
A computer model for simulation of the interactions between a macromolecular antigen and its corresponding IgG has been developed. The model takes all possible immune complexes into account, and it calculates the most probable immune complex distribution patterns on the basis of basic thermodynamic principles from the valences and initial concentrations of antigen and antibody, respectively, together with an association constant assumed to be common to all mutual interactions. In antigen excess small antigen-rich complexes are predicted. At or near equivalence a rich variety of relatively small complexes is predicted, while in antibody excess complexes of the type AgAbn are found to be the most probable. By further assuming that the precipitate consists of antibody excess complexes, a precipitin curve can be calculated. The agreement between calculated results and experimentally obtained data is found to be good. It is of special interest that this theory implies that the outcome of immunochemical interactions depend equally well on the concentrations of antigen and of antibody.
Animals↗