PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H McLaughlin

Publications and source records attributed to H McLaughlin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Comparison of methods of production of farmer's lung antigens.

The extracellular growth products of Micropolyspora faeni, Thermoactinomyces vulgaris and Thermoactinomyces candidus were prepared by three methods; (1) double dialysis; (2) growth in tryptone soya broth (TSB) and (3) synthetic broth (AOAC). It was found that double dialysis was superior to growth in TSB or AOAC for the production of M. faeni antigens, as determined by immunoblot. Double dialysis, TSB and AOAC were similar for antigens of T. vulgaris and T. candidus. Both organisms showed bands of the same mobility on immunoblot and also produced lines of identity on double diffusion.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1991

Purification and structural study of two albumin variants in an Irish population.

Two types of variant albumins were detected during routine electrophoresis on cellulose acetate on 34,000 sera from patients in a relatively stable Irish population. The fast type (IRE1) (relative mobility 1.05) had a heterozygote frequency of 1/3,780, and the slow type (IRE2) (relative mobility of 0.94) had a heterozygote frequency of 1/8,500. A method for purification of the two types of variants is described. Structural study of the fast variant established a single amino acid substitution 313 lysine----asparagine (313 Lys----Asn); this variant has been reported in several European populations and also in New Guinea indigenes. However, the slow variant has a new substitution, 479 glutamic acid----lysine (479 Glu----Lys). Because it appears to be uniquely Irish, the slow variant (formerly called IRE2) has been renamed albumin Dublin. Three other albumin variants most often reported in European populations (cumulative frequency only about 1/3,500) were not detected in this study. Because of the significance of albumin genetic variants for the study of protein evolution and as an aid in identification of drug-binding sites, clinical chemists are asked to be on the alert for cases of bisalbuminemia.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Period prevalence of allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis in a regional hospital outpatient population in Ireland 1985-88.

The period of prevalence, 1988 inclusive, of Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) and Allergic Bronchopulmonary Candiasis (ABPC), the two most frequently reported forms of allergic Bronchopulmonary Mycosis (ABPM), was investigated in an Irish regional hospital respiratory medicine outpatients, catchment area population 536,000. ABPM was defined by the presence of a majority of seven criteria: asthma, eosinophilia, elevated IgE, antibodies to Aspergillus Fumigatus or Candida Albicans, immediate skin test reaction to either fungus, culture of either fungus in sputum, and otherwise unexplained transient or permanent lung field x-ray abnormalities. New referrals were investigated for ABPM if they had asthma and eosinophilia, or asthma and lung field x-ray abnormalities. Fourteen patients with ABPM were identified from a total of 1390 new referrals, a period prevalence of just over one per cent. It is concluded that (1) ABPM is a relatively common disorder in an Irish regional hospital respiratory medicine outpatient population and (2) ABPC constitutes a higher proportion of this disorder than previously considered.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Morphological and quantitative aspects of the development of cytoplasmic granules in concanavalin A-stimulated normal human lymphocytes.

We have studied normal human lymphocytes stimulated by concanavalin A to determine the rate and extent of development of cytoplasmic granules. Morphological studies on stimulated lymphocytes were undertaken at the light and electron microscopic level. The percentage of T lymphocytes bearing different CD antigens (CD3, CD4, and CD8) that also contained cytoplasmic granules was also assessed. Granules were identified in a high percentage of lymphocytes bearing each of the three CD markers studied.

Cell Survival↗
PubMed1989

Farmers lung: a three year survey and comparison of ELISA and CIEP techniques in antibody detection.

The incidence of detection of antibodies against antigens derived from two thermophilic actinomycetes in patients clinically suspected of having Farmer's Lung was assessed. Approximately 25% of samples submitted over a three year period were found to be positive in either the ELISA test or the CIEP test for antigens derived from M. faeni and T. vulgaris. The ELISA test proved to be more sensitive than the CIEP test in the detection of antibodies directed against both organisms.

Actinomycetales↗
PubMed1989

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

A report entitled "Kaposi's Sarcoma and Pneumocytosis Carinii Pneumonia among homosexual men in New York City and California" in the MMWR in July 1981 alerted the world to the appearance of a completely new disease. The opportunistic infections and cancers occurring in these patients had previously only been seen in patients who were immunosuppressed. Homosexual men were the first as a major risk group to be identified. Others quickly followed. The pattern of occurrence clearly indicated an infectious agent as the likely cause, and within two years the virus had been identified in Europe and the USA. In Europe it was named Lymphadenopathy Associated Virus (LAV) by Montagnier its discover, and in the USA, Human T cell Lymphotrophic Virus III (HTLV III). It is now known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Nitroblue tetrazolium reduction in lymphocytes.

Certain populations of lymphocytes have been shown to reduce tetrazolium salts, indicating that superoxide anion may be present in lymphocytes. These experiments were done to determine if nitroblue tetrazolium reduction by lymphocytes was due to the presence of superoxide anion. Mitogen-activated lymphocytes showed increased nitroblue tetrazolium reduction compared to unstimulated cells, and the cells reducing nitroblue tetrazolium were both T-cells and non-T-cells. Release of superoxide anion or hydrogen peroxide by either resting or stimulated lymphocytes was not detected. There was no difference between resting and stimulated lymphocytes in the amount of chemiluminescence produced in the presence of lucigenin, an agent which appears to be sensitive to intracellular and extracellular superoxide anion. The results, then, indicate superoxide anion is not present in lymphocytes.

Acridines↗
PubMed1986

Hydroxyl radical scavengers inhibit human lectin-dependent cellular cytotoxicity.

The role of oxygen-derived free radicals (ODFR) in lectin-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (LDCC) in humans was investigated. The hydroxyl radical traps thiourea, methanol, ethanol and phenol were effective in inhibiting LDCC, as was DABCO, a singlet oxygen quencher. The proposed pathway of hydroxyl radical production in living cells is either an iron catalysed Haber-Weiss reaction or a Fenton reaction. The effect of inhibitors of these pathways was investigated. The superoxide anion scavengers superoxide dismutase, ferricytochrome c and Tiron were without effect. It was shown that Tiron inhibits the lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence produced by the action of xanthine oxidase, and also the lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence produced by activated PMN, suggesting that this agent (Tiron) scavenges intracellular superoxide anion. Catalase gave slight inhibition of LDCC only. The ferric iron chelator desferrioxamine gave no protection of the target cells, while the ferrous chelator, 1,10-phenanthroline, inhibited LDCC and partially prevented the detection of hydroxyl radicals generated by the Fe2+-H2O2 system. Cibacron blue, an agent that inhibits NAD(P)H linked enzymes, also inhibited LDCC. The cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and salicylate were without effect, while the lipoxygenase inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) inhibited cytolysis. None of the LDCC inhibitors was cytotoxic to the effector cells or to the target cells, neither did they inhibit lymphocyte-target binding. The findings would suggest that hydroxyl radicals have a role to play in human T-cell mediated cytolysis, either as the active lytic agent or as an epiphenomenon.

Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity↗
PubMed1978

Multiple myeloma and chronic lymphatic leukemia in the same patient.

A patient with both chronic lymphatic leukemia and multiple myeloma is presented. Characterisation of the leukemic cells showed them to possess Fc receptors but to lack SmlG and C3 receptors. Intracellular immunoglobulin was not detected within the leukemic cells. The multiple myeloma presented as a soft tissue mass on the chest wall and produced an IgGK paraprotein. The possible relationship of the two disorders is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1977

Lymphocytes in sarcoidosis: a clinical correlation.

The responsiveness of lymphocytes from 40 sarcoidosis patients and 32 control subjects to Phytohaemagglutinin (P.H.A.), P.P.D. and Candida duration and activity of disease or treatment program are analyzed and discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

T and B lymphocytes in sarcoidosis: a clinical correlation.

Immunological abnormalities in sarcoidosis have been previously described. Cutaneous anergy to a wide variety of antigens first prompted the suggestion that the underlying defect may be of importance in the aetiology or pathogenesis of the disorder. The thymus derived lymphocytes appear to be particularly affected, and both quantitative and qualitative in vitro defects have been described in these cells in sarcoidosis patients. We have quantitatively investigated T and B cells in a series of 52 sarcoidosis patients, and our results indicate that, as a group, sarcoidosis patients have lower mean total lymphocyte counts and lower T cell counts than the control series in agreement and with other reports. We found no difference between B cells in the sarcoidosis and control groups. The quantitative abnormalities detected did not correlate with any of the clinical parameters which were investigated--stage of disease, duration of the disease, treatment regime, and activity of disease--and there was a considerable overlap between the results obtained in sarcoidosis patients and the controls. Our results indicate that these investigations are of little value in the management of sarcoidosis patients.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1976

Evaluating the effectiveness of innovative design for a community mental health center.

The effectiveness of the design of the inpatient and day patient areas of a community mental health center was evaluated in 1969, soon after the center was opened, and again in 1974. The focal area is a large, irregularly shaped communal space; it opens onto a wide, encircling corridor ringed with bedrooms, multiuse rooms, and offices. The center was designed to encourage different behaviors and varied uses of space, to promote interaction, and to stimulate and challenge patients. In 1974 the evaluators found the design still worked well for the unit that still operated the same kind of program the center was designed for, a therapeutic community, even though the unit admitted sicker patients than planned. The design did not work as well for the second unit, which had become a crisis intervention program for patients who were often highly agitated, suicidal, or determined to escape; security and surveillance were major problems.

Community Mental Health Services↗