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Biomedical subjects

J A Bellanti

Publications and source records attributed to J A Bellanti.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1978

Pseudomonas colonization in cystic fibrosis. A study of 160 patients.

We investigated the role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization in the respiratory tracts of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients to relate the effect of this colonization to progression of bronchial airway pathologic conditions and to the patients' clinical progress, and to identify predisposing factors to persistence of P aeruginosa colonization and bronchial tree damage. Half of 160 CF patients studied had persistent P aeruginosa respiratory tract colonization; the other half had none. Pseudomonas aeruginosa seems to have an exclusive propensity for the respiratory tract and may appear at any age. Treatment with antibiotics, including aminoglycosides, failed to eradicate P aeruginosa. The continuous use of antibiotics seemed to contribute to the persistence of P aeruginosa and the appearance of mucoid strains of P aeruginosa.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Ideal target organism for quantitative bactericidal assays.

We have developed a target organism which permits quantitative bactericidal assays. The organism is an Escherichia coli mutant which cannot grow at the temperature of the assay (37 degrees C), but retains full colony-forming potential for subsequent quantitation at 25 degrees C. We show that quantitative data on the bactericidal capacity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and alveolar macrophages can be obtained when this mutant is used as a target. The procedure used to generate the strain is described in detail and should be applicable to many bacterial species. Characterization of the properties of the mutant indicates that it has a strong potential for use in other in vivo and in vitro investigations of host responses to microbial invasion.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Specific impairment of cell-mediated immunity in mothers of infants with congenital infection due to cytomegalovirus.

Specific lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity to cytomegalovirus (CMV) in eight infants (six to 27 months old) with congenital CMV infection and in the mothers of six of these infants was evaluated with use of a 51chromium (51Cr)-release microassay. The control population consisted of 25 normal newborns, children, and adults. The titers of indirect hemagglutinating (IHA) antibody to CMV in the infected infants ranged from 1:16 to 1:1,024. All of these infants had detectable specific immune release of 51Cr that ranged from 3.3% to 48.9% (mean +/-SE, 21.0%+/-5.6%). The mothers of these infants demonstrated significantly elevated titers of IHA antibody to CMV (geometric mean titer, 1:410) as compared with a mean titer of 1:22 in controls (t = 5.71; P less than 0.001) but showed significantly depressed specific immune release (9.2% +/- 3.2%) compared with that of normal seropositive controls (24.8% +/- 2.8%; t = 3.31; P less than 0.001). In addition, two adult nulliparous women with persistent CMV viruria were also found to have depressed specific immune release to CMV (10.8% and 16.2%). These data suggest that a specific impairment in cell-mediated immunity to CMV occurs in mothers of infants with congenital CMV infection and in some persons who persistently excrete CMV.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Multiple leukocyte abnormalities in chronic granulomatous disease: a familial study.

A variety of leukocyte enzyme activities were studied in an 11-year-old female with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) and several members of her family. Leukocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) activity was 17 nmol/min/mg protein in the patient; two brothers with symptoms of recurrent bacterial infections have G-6-PD activities of 58 and 37 nmol/min/mg protein; the activites of this enzyme in both parents, maternal grandmother, and one additional brother were within normal limits. Storage at 4 degrees or heating at 37 degrees over a 120-min period revealed a marked lability of G-6-PD activity in the patient's cells which could not be stabilized by the addition of NADP and 2-mercaptoethanol; this lability was not seen in other family members tested. Activities of leukocyte glutathione reductase were reduced in both parents and the two affected male siblings with values of 18, 23, 23, and 24 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. Activities of leukocyte glutathione peroxidase were reduced in all of the immediate family members tested, with values ranging from 11.2 to 43 nmol/min/mg protein; the activity of this enzyme in the patient was 38.5. Leukocyte NADP content in the patient, father, and two affected male siblings were 16.5, 23.4, 22.2, and 28.2 nmol/15 min/10(7) leukocytes, respectively.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Maturation of the rabbit alveolar macrophage during animal development. I. Perinatal influx into alveoli and ultrastructural differentiation.

Rabbit alveolar macrophages (AM's) were collected by tracheobronchial lavege at sequential times during animal development. The total number of cells recovered by this technique was found to increase markedly shortly before birth (Fig. 4). This apparent influx of macrophages into the alveoli continued during the first postnatal week, and, at a reduced rate, throughout the first postnatal month of life (Fig. 3). Ultrastructurally, AM's of the prenatal period resembled their monocyte precursors, and contained modest numbers of lysosomes and mitochondria, scant lamellae of ribosome-studded endoplasmic reticulum (RER), and a small Golgi apparatus (Fig. 12). A considerable amount of phagocytosed material was observed in these AM's, and consisted largely of cellular debris and two forms of surfactant-related phospholipids, termed tubular and lamellar myelin (Figs. 12-15). The quantity of these ingested phospholipids increased dramatically shortly after birth, in correlation with the known release of similar material from type II pneumocytes at this time. (Figs. 16 and 19). During the first postnatal week AM's showed a considerable increase in number of mitochondria and in the development of the RER and Golgi apparatus (Fig. 22). Increased accumulations of lipid droplets were also noted during this period. Ingested material continued to consist largely of surfactant-related phospholipids, but was less abundant at this time. By 28 days after birth, AM's were nearly morphologically mature (Fig. 25). They showed large numbers of lysosomes and mitochondria, and well developed RER and Golgi apparatuses. Ingested phospholipid material was still visualized, and the incomplete degradation of this material appeared to give rise to the dense intraphagolysosomal whorls characteristic of the mature AM.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Maturation of the rabbit alveolar macrophage during animal development. III. Phagocytic and bactericidal functions.

Phagocytic and bactericidal function of rabbit alveolar macrophages (AMs) lavaged from animals during the course of postnatal maturation was studied. Staphylococcus aureus and a temperature-sensitive mutant of Escherichia coli, which could not replicate at 37 degrees during the functional assays, were employed as test bacteria. Assays of the phagocytic capacity of AMs from rabbits of various age groups revealed no significant differences either in the percentage of AMs which took up bacteria (79-90%) or in the number of bacteria taken up per AM (Table 1). In contrast, bactericidal activity of AMs was found to increase with increasing animal age. No bactericidal activity was detected in AMs from newborn animals (Figs. 1 and 2), whereas AMs from 7-day-old animals exhibited at least a bacteristatic activity against S. aureus (Fig. 1) and AMs from 28-day-old rabbits showed marked bactericidal activity, essentially the same as that of AMs from adult rabbits. Adult AMs killed 75% of the S. aureus and 60% of the E. coli within 120 min (Figs. 1 and 2).

Aging↗
PubMed1977

Recent advances in clinical immunology.

In this brief presentation I have attempted to summarize some of the major advances in basic and clinical immunology which have had an impact on clinical medicine. These have ranged from the prevention of Rh hemolytic disease to the discovery of secretory IgA and IgE and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in man to the recent knowledge of specialization, differentiation and regulation of lymphocyte populations and their application in immunotherapy of malignant disease. Further investigation in immunology should provide exciting prospects to find the solutions to diseases which heretofore had been diagnostic and therapeutic orphans.

Erythroblastosis, Fetal↗