PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J B Kurtz

Publications and source records attributed to J B Kurtz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Chronic enteroviral meningoencephalitis in agammaglobulinemia: case report and literature review.

Chronic enteroviral meningoencephalitis is a well-recognized complication in patients with X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA). The majority of published cases refers to its occurrence in patients on no replacement therapy or on only intramuscular immunoglobulin. The advent of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in the early 1980s and its widespread use in XLA was thought to have virtually eradicated enteroviral meningoencephalitis in these patients. We describe the development of echovirus meningoencephalitis in an 11-year-old boy on regular IVIg replacement whose serum IgG levels were maintained at between 6 and 8 g/L (NR 6-13 g/L). Treatment with daily high-dose IVIg was commenced, with significant clinical improvement being noted within a few weeks in association with a reduction in blood-brain barrier permeability. The persistence of live virus, however, necessitated the use of intraventricular immunoglobulin. The virus proved resistant to two courses of specific intraventricular immunoglobulin and a 6-week course of oral ribavirin and eventually proved fatal 5 months after presentation. In view of the therapeutic uncertainties we have reviewed the use of immunoglobulin in the treatment of enteroviral meningoencephalitis over the past 6 years.

Acyclovir↗
PubMed1992

Legionella shakespearei sp. nov., isolated from cooling tower water.

A Legionella-like organism (strain 214T [T = type strain]) was isolated from a cooling tower in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. This strain required L-cysteine and contained cellular branched-chain fatty acids that are typical of the genus Legionella. Strain 214T produced pink colonies on buffered charcoal-yeast extract agar. Ubiquinone Q-12 was the major quinone. Strain 214T was serologically distinct from other legionellae as determined by a slide agglutination test. The results of DNA hybridization studies showed that strain 214T (= ATCC 49655T) is a member of a new Legionella species, Legionella shakespearei.

Base Composition↗
PubMed1992

Progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy, sclerosing cholangitis, bronchiectasis and disseminated warts in a patient with primary combined immune deficiency.

A 24 year old man presented with an unusual primary combined immune deficiency syndrome characterised by a profound lymphopenia of CD4 cells, selective serum IgG2 subclass deficiency, poor polysaccharide antibody responses, disseminated warts, recurrent sinopulmonary infection and bronchiectasis. The developed progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy (PML) in association with sclerosing cholangitis. Progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy (PML) usually occurs as an opportunistic infection in patients with secondary defects in cellular immunity.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Prolonged faecal excretion of poliovirus in a nurse with common variable hypogammaglobulinaemia.

A nurse with common variable hypogammaglobulinaemia was found to excrete a non-vaccine strain type II poliovirus for almost a year following a bout of gastroenteritis. Attempts were made to halt intestinal carriage of the virus in view of the possible risk of spread to immunocompromised patients and the risk of paralytic poliomyelitis to the patient himself. Three doses of killed Salk vaccine failed to stimulate salivary anti-polio antibodies. Excretion of the virus ceased spontaneously just before oral immunoglobulin containing high titres of antibodies to polio virus was used to halt virus excretion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Prevalance of antibodies to 15 antigens of Legionellaceae in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Sera from 252 patients with community-acquired pneumonia were examined for the presence of antibodies to 15 antigens of 7 Legionella spp. by indirect immunofluorescent antibody testing. The sera had been collected as part of the British Thoracic Society/Public Health Laboratory Service study of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. We also examined sera from 20 patients with gram-negative sepsis. Using a limited range of antigens of L. pneumophila, nine cases of legionellosis were diagnosed in the original study. However, using antigens to other Legionella spp., we identified two further cases, caused by L. micdadei and L. gormanii respectively. Twenty-six other patients had titres of 16 or 32 to one or more antigens, most commonly L. bozemanii serogroup 1, L. micdadei and L. dumoffi. None of the patients with non-legionella pneumonia, however, had significant changes in legionella antibody titres. All of the patients with Gram-negative sepsis had titres of less than 16.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1990

Congenital rubella after previous maternal immunity.

Two mothers who had asymptomatic rubella infection in pregnancy gave birth to severely affected infants. In both, the presence of preexisting antibody was well documented, although it could not be established whether it was the result of vaccine or natural infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Antigenic characterization of cell-cultivated astrovirus serotypes and development of astrovirus-specific monoclonal antibodies.

Cultivation of human astroviruses in human embryonic kidney or LLCMK2 cell cultures was corroborated for four of the five serotypes originally reported (types 1, 2, 4, and 5). By using type-specific rabbit antisera and immunofluorescence of virus-infected cells, we readily distinguished between serotypes of astrovirus; however, these serotypes showed a high degree of cross-reactivity by enzyme-linked immunoassay, a result indicating the presence of a group antigen. We prepared monoclonal antibodies to astrovirus type 2 antigen and selected them on the basis of group antigen reactivity. The antibodies were reactive with the four astrovirus serotypes that we could cultivate, as well as with the Marin County strain of astrovirus. A previously reported cell-cultivated astrovirus type 3 also reacted with the monoclonal antibodies. These monoclonal antibodies, and the finding of group reactivity among the human astroviruses, should facilitate studies on the importance of these viruses as agents of viral gastroenteritis.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Astroviruses: human and animal.

The name astrovirus was used by Madeley and Cosgrove in 1975 to describe a small round virus (approximately 28 nm diameter) with star-like appearance on electron microscopy. It was first seen in faeces from a few children with gastroenteritis. An aetiological role in gastroenteritis has since been confirmed. The virus causes a mild illness after an incubation period of 3-4 days. Antibody studies indicate that infection is widespread and, in Britain, mainly occurs in the 2-5 year age group. Outbreaks occur in, for example, institutions and paediatric wards. The virus usually spreads by the faecal-oral route but food- or water-borne outbreaks have occurred. Strains of astrovirus have been isolated from many animals including calf, lamb, pig, cat, dog, duck and turkey. The lamb strain can cause gastroenteritis but the bovine strain did not cause diarrhoea in gnotobiotic calves. Infected turkeys have scours, and infection in ducklings causes haemorrhagic hepatitis with a mortality up to 25%. Five human serotypes have been described, all antigenically distinct from the bovine and ovine strains. The human astrovirus does not replicate in conventional tissue cultures but undergoes a non-productive cycle in human embryo kidney cells, and productive replication in the presence of trypsin. It is a positive-strand RNA virus, which is acid stable (pH3), survives at 60 degrees C for five but not 10 minutes and, like the enteroviruses, resists inactivation by alcohols. It has a density of 1.35-1.37 g/ml in caesium chloride.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The prevalence of serological markers for hepatitis B virus infection amongst anaesthetists in the Oxford region.

A total of 125 anaesthetists from nine hospitals within the Oxford region were surveyed to study the prevalence of serological markers for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. No anaesthetists were positive for Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) and only four (3.2%) were positive for HBsAg antibody (anti-HBsAg). This result is in marked contrast to other studies and suggests that anaesthetists in the United Kingdom do not constitute a high risk population. The reasons for this are discussed.

Anesthesiology↗