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Biomedical subjects

I Gust

Publications and source records attributed to I Gust.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Physicochemical stability and inactivation of human and simian rotaviruses.

The effects of various physical and chemical treatments on the stability of a human serotype 1 rotavirus and simian agent 11 (SA11) were compared by using a fluorescence focus assay. The infectivity of both strains was retained after storage at room temperature for 14 days, 4 degree C for 22 days, and -20 degree C for 32 days; lyophilization; and treatment at pH 3 to 11. Both viruses were inactivated at pH 12, as was the human virus at pH 2, although this pH resulted in only partial inactivation of SA11. The human virus also appeared to be more sensitive than SA11 to the action of ether and chloroform. The infectivity of both viruses was lost after UV irradiation for 15 min and after treatment with 8% formaldehyde for 5 min, 70% (vol/vol) ethanol for 30 min, and 2% lysol, 2% phenol, and 1% H2O2 for 1 h each.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Autoantibody to aldolase in acute and chronic hepatitis.

Sera from 82 patients with acute or chronic hepatitis and 40 chronic carriers of hepatitis B were examined by ELISA and immunoblotting for reactivity with the glycolytic enzyme aldolase. The results of the ELISA tests, expressed as a percentage of a positive control, were compared to those obtained with sera from 39 patients with rubella, 11 with cytomegalovirus infection and 74 healthy subjects. The ELISA reaction with sera, expressed as mean +/- standard deviation was, for 15 patients with hepatitis A, 58.3 +/- 20.5%; 15 with hepatitis B, 59.5 +/- 42.18; 23 with hepatitis non-A, non-B 51.1 +/- 34.4%; 11 with HBsAg positive chronic active hepatitis, 70.1 +/- 31.5%; and 17 with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, 66.8 +/- 21.4%. All values were significantly (p less than 0.05-p - less than 0.001) higher than those obtained with sera from carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen, 25.6 +/- 27.2%; rubella, 21.1 +/- 20.0%; cytomegalovirus infection, 19.2 +/- 27.8%; or healthy subjects, 20.9 +/- 16.2%. In two randomly selected sera, reactivity with aldolase by ELISA was neutralized by absorption with the enzyme. Selected sera showing reactivity by ELISA reacted by immunoblotting with aldolase. The findings suggest that acute or chronic liver damage may provoke the production of autoantibodies to aldolase.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

Prevalence of delta infection in the western Pacific region.

The prevalence of coinfection and superinfection with the delta agent was studied in 2,645 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive subjects from six countries and nine islands in the Western Pacific region. The study group comprised 262 patients with acute hepatitis B and 2,383 chronic carriers of HBsAg, of whom 278 were suffering from chronic liver disease or primary hepatocellular carcinoma. While major foci of infection were observed in Nauru, Niue, and Western Samoa, delta infection appears to be uncommon in other parts of the region.

Asia, Southeastern↗
PubMed1986

Detection of IgM antibodies to delta antigen after coinfection and superinfection with the delta virus.

A sensitive microtitre radioimmunoassay was developed for detection of IgM antibodies to delta antigen. The assay was based on the selective binding of IgM from test sera to antihuman IgM (u-chain specific) fixed to wells of a microtitre plate, and utilized delta antigen extracted from the liver of an experimentally infected chimpanzee. This test proved to be useful in distinguishing between coinfection and superinfection with the hepatitis delta virus (HDV). Transient anti-delta IgM responses were observed in patients coinfected with HDV, while prolonged elevated IgM levels were found in HBsAg carriers with chronic liver disease superinfected with HDV. Two distinct serological patterns were observed in both coinfection and superinfection. In coinfection, only 50% of patients with detectable anti-delta IgM went on to develop a long-lasting antibody response. Following superinfection with HDV either stationary or fluctuating levels of IgM antibody were demonstrated. In patients with fluctuating antibody levels, the presence or absence of IgM antibody related to the level of viral replication.

Hepatitis Antibodies↗
PubMed1986

Evaluation of a new assay for antibodies to LAV/HTLV III.

The sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies to LAV/HTLV III produced by Genetic Systems was assessed with the identical panel of sera used in previous evaluations of anti-HTLV III ELISAs. The results from this study show that the Genetic Systems anti-LAV/HTLV III ELISA proved to be of equivalent sensitivity and to have higher specificity than assays currently used in Australia for screening purposes while maintaining high levels of intra- and inter-laboratory reproducibility.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1986

Antigenic analysis of rotavirus isolates using monoclonal antibodies specific for human serotypes 1, 2, 3 and 4, and SA11.

Five neutralizing monoclonal antibodies produced against human rotavirus (HRV) serotypes 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the simian rotavirus (SA11) were used to study 59 rotavirus isolates of human, simian and feline origin previously serotyped using polyclonal antisera. In neutralization tests, 19 of 26 HRV serotype 1 isolates, both strains of HRV serotype 2, 14 of 24 HRV serotype 3 isolates and all of seven serotype 4 isolates were neutralized by the homologous serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies. Use of the panel of monoclonal antibodies revealed antigenic differences between strains within serotypes 1 and 3 and, in the case of the serotype 3 strains, each variant had a unique RNA electropherotype. An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) which utilized the monoclonal antibodies essentially confirmed the neutralization results. Preliminary results show that direct serotyping in faecal extracts by EIA using these monoclonal antibodies is specific but lacks sensitivity.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1986

Autoantibodies to intermediate filaments in acute viral hepatitis A, B and non-A, non-B are directed against vimentin.

Using ELISA and immunoblotting, autoantibodies to vimentin were sought in sera from 10 patients with acute hepatitis A, 10 with acute hepatitis B, 13 with acute non-A, non-B hepatitis, 16 with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, 17 with cytomegalovirus infection and 40 from healthy persons. The ELISA results were expressed as a percentage of the value obtained with a monoclonal antibody to vimentin. The results (mean and SD) for acute hepatitis A (51.2 +/- 21.7%), acute hepatitis B (44.5 +/- 28.2%) and acute hepatitis non-A, non-B (43.0 +/- 16.4%) were significantly (p less than 0.01) higher than those for autoimmune chronic active hepatitis (20.5 +/- 7.7%), cytomegalovirus infection (25.9 +/- 12.2%) and healthy controls (16.8 +/- 9.3%). Immunoblotting showed that sera from patients with acute viral hepatitis reacted with 57 kd vimentin in triton-cytoskeletal extracts of fibroblasts. These results show that autoantibodies to vimentin are present in sera from patients with acute hepatitis A, B and non-A, non-B. Antivimentin autoantibodies may be useful in the diagnosis of acute non-A, non-B hepatitis.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1985

An epidemic of influenza in the population of Niue.

An epidemic of influenza A occurred in the Niue population during May-June 1983. The infection was introduced by two index cases returning from New Zealand to the village of Makefu. The epidemic started in this village and then spread rapidly around the island. The incidence of infection was calculated to be 41 per 100 population based on 1981 census figures. There was no predilection for the infection to affect any particular age bracket, although the elderly were over-represented amongst the hospital admissions because of greater severity of illness in this age group. Two deaths occurred, and 3.4% of cases received treatment in hospital. Apart from generalised symptoms (fever, body pain, and headache), respiratory symptoms, particularly cough, were prominent. Gastrointestinal symptoms were reported in a minority. The average duration of illness was 6 days. Virology results indicated that the epidemic was due to influenza A/Bangkok/1/79(H3N3). Paired serological studies also revealed five cases of dengue fever. Previous records reveal that epidemics of influenza are a frequent occurrence in Niue, although not a major cause of mortality since the 1950s. It is suggested that early treatment of complications is the most important measure to decrease the impact of influenza and that measures such as isolation of cases, restriction of population movement and quarantine of incoming cases may be useful to prevent the propagation of epidemics in a small and isolated population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Delta agent infection in Melbourne.

Evidence of infection with delta agent was sought in 284 patients with acute hepatitis B referred to Fairfield Hospital, Melbourne, between July 1, 1981, and June 30, 1982 and in 127 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers. Acute and convalescent serum samples from the patients with acute hepatitis B and single or multiple sera from the HBsAg carriers were tested for delta antigen (delta ag) and/or antibody (anti-delta) by solid-phase radioimmunoassay (SPRIA). Evidence of infection was detected in 14.4% of patients with acute hepatitis B and 7.1% of chronic HBsAg carriers. Eighty-eight percent of those in whom delta agent infection was demonstrated were intravenous drug users.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Radioimmunofocus assay for detection and quantitation of human rotavirus.

A radioimmunofocus assay suitable for quantitation of cell culture-adapted human rotavirus was developed. The method was reproducible, more sensitive than plaque assay, and useful to detect and quantify strains of rotavirus which do not produce plaques. Preliminary results also suggested that the technique will be a useful means of serotyping cell culture-adapted strains of the virus.

Animals↗