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Biomedical subjects

J C Feeley

Publications and source records attributed to J C Feeley.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Bottle feeding as a risk factor for cholera in infants.

To determine risk factors for cholera in infants, a retrospective matched-pair study of 42 cases and their controls was undertaken during an outbreak of El Tor cholera in Bahrain in the autumn of 1978. The highest attack-rate of cholera (125/10 000) occurred in infants in the 6--11 month age-group, which corresponds to the weaning age in this community. Significantly more cases than controls were principally bottle fed (greater than 50% milk intake by bottle) than principally breast fed during the week before onset of illness (p=0.004). Analysis of various patterns of breast and bottle feeding did not determine whether the protection afforded by breast feeding was a negative effect (due to the lack of exposure to contaminated bottle feedings for breast fed infants) or a positive effect (due to protective functions of constituents of human breast milk). Cholera infection (with or without symptoms) among mothers of either case or control infants was uncommon (case mothers 3, control mothers 5), and mean serum vibriocidal and antitoxic antibody levels were similar for the two groups of mothers. These observations suggest that maternal infection did not affect the relative risk of infants having symptomatic cholera.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1979

Charcoal-yeast extract agar: primary isolation medium for Legionella pneumophila.

Charcoal-yeast extract agar is a new bacteriological medium that supports excellent growth of the Legionella pneumophila. It results from modifications made in an existing L. pneumophila medium, F-G agar. Yeast extract, instead of an acid hydrolysate of casein, serves as the protein source. Beef extractives and starch are not added. Activated charcoal (Norit A or Norit SG) is included at 0.20% (wt/vol). Comparison of charcoal-yeast extract and F-G agars showed that a greater number of colony-forming units of L. pneumophila was recovered from a standardized tissue inoculum on charcoal-yeast extract agar (4.35 x 10(6) colony-forming units) than on F-G agar (4.85 x 10(4) colony-forming units). Macroscopic colonies of L. pneumophila were visible on the new medium within 3 days, whereas 4 days of growth was required on F-G agar.

Agar↗
PubMed1979

Detection of Legionella pneumonophila antigen in urine by enzyme-linked immunospecific assay.

An enzyme-linked immunospecific assay "sandwich" technique was developed for detecting soluble antigen from the Legionnaires disease bacterium (Legionella pneumophila). With this technique, antigen was detected in urine specimens from guinea pigs inoculated intraperitoneally with heat-killed Legionnaires disease bacteria and in urine specimens from three of four patients who attended the American Legion Convention in Philadelphia in 1976. Urine from a fifth pneumonia patient who attended the Eucharistic Congress (but who was a dubious seroconverter) was negative. Presumably, the test could also be used for detecting antigen in sputum or respiratory aspirates, but this has not been tried to date.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Nosocomial Legionnaires' disease in Columbus, Ohio.

Three patients with severe pneumonia at a community hospital in Columbus, Ohio, were found to have Legionnaires' disease in late August 1977. A subsequent serologic survey of patients with pneumonia at this hospital identified three additional cases. Among patients with pneumonia, hospital exposure in the 2 weeks before onset of illness was significantly associated with Legionnaires' disease (P = 0.003). Serosurveys of hospital employees with a recent history of upper respiratory illness, healthy employees, and workers at the hospital construction site showed that one of 101, one of 107, and none of 114, respectively, has a single reciprocal titer of greater than or equal to 256 to the Legionnaires' disease (LD) bacterium. Serosurveys of patients with pneumonia at three control hospitals identified five additional patients with Legionnaires' disease, three of them with pneumonia that was apparently hospital acquired in a single renal transplant unit. A fourth patient from that unit without clinical illness had a fourfold rise in titer to LD bacterium.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

A major focus of Legionnaires' disease in Bloomington, Indiana.

Thirty-nine cases of Legionnaires' disease in a 16-month period were identified in visitors to and residents of Bloomington, Indiana. Thirty-five patients had spent at least one night at the Indiana Memorial Union in the 2 weeks before becoming ill. Five of 32 sporadic cases nationwide between 1 January and 31 March 1978 were retrospectively shown to be in persons who had recently visited the Union. The risk of acquiring Legionnaires' disease as a Union visitor was at least 17 times greater than that for Bloomington residents 20 years or older. Employees who had worked at the Union 5 years or longer were more likely to be seropositive than workers in other Bloomington hotels. Legionnaires' disease bacterium was isolated from five environmental sites in Bloomington. A cooling tower may have been involved in disease spread, but it was not the only source. Hypochlorite solution was added to cooling tower water as a precautionary measure; however, one case was confirmed in a man with Union exposure 9 days after hypochlorite treatment had begun.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Cellular lipids of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium.

We qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed the simple and complex lipids of 10 Legionnaires' disease bacteria. The phospholipids in decreasing order of concentration were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, cardiolipin, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine. The total phospholipids averaged 96 micromoles per gram dry cell weight. Phospholipid fatty acids were solely branched-chain fatty acids and were, in decreasing order of concentration, iso-C16:0, anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0, iso-C14:0, iso-C16:1, and an unidentified fatty acid. Neutral lipids identified were free fatty acid, ubiquinone, triglyceride, diglyceride, monoglyceride, and wax ester. Neutral lipid fatty acids consisted predominately of branched-chain fatty acids, normal fatty acids, and a minor unidentified fatty acid. Analysis of the cellular lipids of 10 Legionnaires' disease bacteria revealed an unusual and novel microorganism.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1979

Immunochemical, serologic, and immunologic properties of major antigens isolated from the Legionnaires' disease bacterium. Observations bearing on the feasibility of a vaccine.

Two antigens were isolated from each of three strains of the Legionnaires' disease (LD) bacterium. One antigen was serotype-specific; the other cross-reacted with strains of LD bacteria of different serotypes. The serotypic antigens contained all the major branched-chain fatty acids characteristic of LD bacteria and were a lipid-protein-carbohydrate complex. Electrophoresis resolved the serotypic antigen of Knoxville 1 strain into four protein bands and one glycoprotein band with molecular weights ranging from 0.5 to 7.2 x 10(5). The specificity of the serotypic antigens was established by immunofluorescent staining, and double gel diffusion confirmed the absence of cross-reactions between the serotypic antigens of different types and the partial identity of the serotypic antigens from serologically related strains. The cross-reacting antigens formed precipitin bands with all the homologous and heterologous sera tested. Induction of immunity by vaccination with serotypic antigens was shown in three animal models using guinea pigs and mice. Passive-transfer of immunity (IgG) was also shown in mice and guinea pigs. These observations raise the possiblity of a vaccine for protection against infection of LD bacteria.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Fine structure of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium. In-vitro and in-vivo studies of four isolates.

We obtained four bacterial isolates from patients with Legionnaires' disease and examined them for in-vitro and in-vivo fine-structure characteristics. All isolates had an outer membrane, cytoplasmic membrane, and intracellular membrane structure. Numerous intracellular inclusions were seen, particularly from in-vivo specimens, and appeared membrane-limited. Fine-structure analysis did not reveal the presence of a definitive peptidoglycan structure. Isolation, purification, and chemical analysis of Legionnaires' disease bacterium pepdoglycan established molar ratios of alanine-glutamic acid and muramic acid-glucosamine. Diaminopimelic acid was absent in the Legionnaires' disease bacterium peptidoglycan. The Kellenberger procedure for fixation appears to be the best method for the fine-structure determination of Legionnaires' disease bacteria.

Alanine↗
PubMed1979

Isolation of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium from environmental samples.

We analyzed 24 environmental samples collected in or near the Indiana Memorial Union, where an epidemic of Legionnaires' disease occurred in early 1978. We conducted fluorescent antibody analyses and culture on F-G and charcoal yeast extract agars of each sample directly; splenic tissue of guinea pigs inoculated with the sample; and yolk sacs from embryonated eggs inoculated with splenic tissue of guinea pigs injected with the sample. Legionnaires' disease (LD) bacterium was isolated from seven of the 24 samples: one water sample from the air-conditioner cooling tower of the Union; three water samples from a stream near the Union; and three mud samples from the same stream. The LD bacterium strains were of three different serotypes. These findings indicate that LD bacteria may be widespread in nature.

Air Conditioning↗
PubMed1979

Immunologic factors affecting the in-vivo and in-vitro survival of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium.

Immunologic factors affecting viability of the Legionnaires' disease (LD) bacterium were studied in vitro and in vivo in mice and guinea pigs. In bactericidal tests, fresh human serum quickly killed LD cells. Heating fresh serum to 56 degrees C for 30 min destroyed bactericidal activity; absorbing it with bentonite had little effect. Fresh normal human serum was more effective than guinea pig serum. Adding LD cells to fresh normal human serum caused a greater than 50% depletion in functional complement activity, apparently by activating the classic C-142 pathway, because human serum deficient in C4 was not bactericidal. Antibodies to the Knoxville 1 LD strain in guinea pigs showed enhanced complement-mediated bactericidal activity. Without complement, immune guinea pig or human sera prolonged in-vitro LD cell survival. Antibodies to Knoxville 1 in mice depressed in-vitro bactericidal activity of human complement against Knoxville 1. In-vitro bactericidal tests support in-vivo studies in subcutaneous chambers. Complement-deficient mice immunized with Knoxville 1 were (P less than 0.01) less resistant to homologous challenge than nonimmunized mice. Immunized guinea pigs had a greater than 80-fold increase in resistance to subcutaneous-chamber infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Detection of enterotoxigenic and invasive strains of Yersinia enterocolitica.

Membrane filtrates and heavy cell suspensions of 11 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from a recent epidemic were examined respectively for enterotoxin activity and tissue invasiveness. Although no heat-labile enterotoxins were detected, some strains were found to possess heat-stable enterotoxins and to have the ability to penetrate the conjunctival epithelia of guinea pig eyes. These activites were detected only in cultures grown at 25 degrees C and not at 36 degrees C.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed1978

Antibiotic treatment of guinea-pigs infected with agent of Legionnaires' disease.

Erythromycin and rifampicin (rifampin) were able to prevent death of guineapigs given intraperitoneal injections of the agent causing legionnaires' disease. Penicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and gentamicin showed no significant effect. On the basis of clinical experience and experimental observations, erythromycin is recommended for patients suspected to have legionnaires' disease. Combined therapy with erythromycin and rifampicin may be justified in patients with confirmed legionnaires' disease who are not responding to erythromycin alone or as part of a controlled antibiotic trial among suspected cases during an outbreak of legionnaires' disease.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1978

Epidemic Yersinia enterocolitica infection due to contaminated chocolate milk.

In September and October, 1976, an outbreak of illness due to chocolate milk contaminated with Yersinia enterocolitica resulted in hospitalization of 36 children, 16 of whom had appendectomies. Infection with Y. enterocolitica serotype 0:8 was demonstrated in 38 ill persons. Sixty-one per cent of the persons who were infected had a titer greater than 1:160 OH agglutinins to serotype 8 yersinia, whereas 48 per cent of the hospitalized children had a fourfold change in agglutinin titer. An epidemiologic investigation demonstrated that illness was associated with drinking of chocolate milk purchased in school cafeterias, and Y. enterocolitica 0:8 was subsequently isolated from the milk. The investigation suggested that the bacterium was introduced at the dairy during the mixing by hand of chocolate syrup with previously pasteurized milk.

Adolescent↗