PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Hungerford

Publications and source records attributed to J Hungerford.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Evaluation of tickGARD(PLUS), a novel vaccine against Boophilus microplus, in lactating Holstein-Friesian cows.

The effects of vaccination with the Bm 86 vaccine TickGARD(PLUS) against infestation with cattle tick (Boophilus microplus) and of holding cattle on a feedpad until 09:00 hours after the morning milking was tested on 40 mid lactation Holstein cattle using a factorial design. Vaccination resulted in a 56% reduction in tick numbers in the field over one generation, and a 72% reduction in laboratory measures of the reproductive efficiency of ticks. The liveweight gain of vaccinated cattle over 27 weeks was 18.6 kg higher than that of controls, and vaccinated cattle tended to have lower somatic cell count in milk (SCC). There were no other significant differences in measures of production. Cattle kept on the feedpad after the morning milking carried 26% more ticks than those returned immediately to their paddocks.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Development and validation of a patient based measure of outcome in ocular melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Patients with uveal melanoma can be treated by a number of modalities. As none of the different treatments offer a survival advantage, a key factor in choosing among treatments is their differential impact on patients' quality of life. A short, patient based questionnaire was developed and validated for evaluating outcomes following treatment for uveal melanoma. METHODS: The 21 item measure of outcome in ocular disease (MOOD) assesses the patient's view of outcome in terms of visual function and the impact of treatment. The reliability and validity of the three MOOD scores (total, vision, impact) were evaluated in 176 patients who had been treated for uveal melanoma (75 brachytherapy, 78 proton beam radiotherapy, 23 enucleation). Of these, 165 patients also completed the SF-36. RESULTS: All three MOOD scales met standard criteria for acceptability, reliability, and validity. The proportion of missing data was low, and responses to all items were well distributed across response categories. Internal consistency, assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficients, exceeded the standard criterion of 0. 70 for all three summary scores. Item total correlations ranged from 0.22 to 0.77 (mean item total correlation 0.58), indicating good homogeneity. Test-retest correlations for all three summary scores exceeded 0.85. Scaling assumptions, assessed by item convergent and discriminant validity correlations, were met for the vision and impact scores. The MOOD showed good content validity, as assessed by review by ophthalmologists and patients. Construct validity was demonstrated by high intercorrelations between the vision and impact scores and the total scale; higher scores for patients who reported being very satisfied compared with those who were not very satisfied and for those who reported persistent red eye compared with those who did not have this complication (known group differences/hypothesis testing); moderate correlations between the MOOD and the SF-36 and visual acuity (convergent validity); and low correlations between the MOOD and age and sex (discriminant validity). CONCLUSIONS: The MOOD is a practical and scientifically sound patient based measure which can be used in research and audit to evaluate outcomes following treatment for uveal melanoma. It takes 5 minutes to complete and meets standard psychometric criteria for reliability and validity.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1995

Modelling the field efficacy of a genetically engineered vaccine against the cattle tick, Boophilus microplus.

The cattle tick Boophilus microplus Canestrini (Ixodidae) is an obligate parasite of bovines in the tropics. Vaccination against the tick, using concealed antigens, has previously been demonstrated to give partial protection which can vary under field conditions. In this paper computer modelling is used to evaluate the potential impact of the vaccine on populations of ticks on grazing cattle. The degree and duration of protection required to maintain tick numbers at acceptable levels is investigated. Results of the computer analyses have been used to guide the further development of the vaccine and to support an application for registration of the vaccine for control of the cattle tick in Australia. They demonstrate the contribution that modelling can make in evaluating the novel impacts that new technologies may have on the host-parasite relationship in different ecological environments.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Commercialisation of a recombinant vaccine against Boophilus microplus.

Increasingly, there is need for methods to control cattle tick (Boophilus microplus) infestations by the use of non-chemical technology. This need is brought about by a mixture of market forces and the failure or inadequacy of existing technology. A recombinant vaccine has now been developed against the tick. This vaccine relies on the uptake with the blood meal of antibody directed against a critical protein in the tick gut. The isolation of the vaccine antigen, Bm86, and its production as a recombinant protein is briefly described. The vaccine has been tested in the field, has been taken through the full registration process and is now in commercial use in Australia. A related development has occurred in Cuba. The potential for improvement of the current vaccine and for the development of similar vaccines against other haematophagous parasites is discussed.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

Bilateral phaeochromocytomas in von Hippel-Lindau disease: diagnosis by adrenal vein sampling and catecholamine assay.

Three unrelated patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease had phaeochromocytomas diagnosed as a result of screening in their third decade. All had raised 24-h urinary noradrenaline levels and obvious unilateral adrenal tumours on ultrasound scanning and computed tomography. The contralateral adrenal appeared either normal or equivocally abnormal using the same imaging techniques. Radiolabelled meta-iodo-benzylguanidine uptake and enhanced T2-weighted magnetic resonance signals confirmed the ipsilateral lesion, but showed no abnormality in the contralateral adrenal. Nevertheless, venous sampling demonstrated abnormally elevated noradrenaline:adrenaline ratios (normal < 1) in blood draining both adrenals in all three patients. All underwent bilateral adrenalectomy: histological examination confirmed bilateral phaeochromocytomas in all three patients, with the smaller adrenal showing tumours between 3 and 11 mm in diameter. A fourth patient with von Hippel-Lindau disease was also evaluated because of a left 'suprarenal' mass discovered by ultrasound scanning. Urinary and plasma catecholamines were normal. Computed tomography showed a normal right adrenal, with a left para-aortic mass lying superior to the left adrenal. Magnetic resonance scanning showed an enhanced T2 signal from the mass, which also showed positive uptake with radiolabelled mIBG. At operation, a non-secretory left para-aortic paraganglioma was found. Venous sampling suggested that the left adrenal was normal, and this was confirmed on histology. Venous sampling for catecholamine assays is effective in locating small bilateral phaeochromocytomas and defining a normal adrenal gland, and can be useful in preventing unnecessary or repeat operations in patients with non Hippel-Lindau disease.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1993

Uveal melanoma.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Brachytherapy↗
PubMed1992

Follow-up of retinoblastoma patients having prenatal and perinatal predictions for mutant gene carrier status using intragenic polymorphic probes from the RB1 gene.

We have carried out presymptomatic prediction of mutant gene carrier status in ten individuals with a family history of retinoblastoma. In all cases standard linkage studies were employed using intragenic DNA probes which recognise restriction fragment length polymorphisms. In four cases foetal DNA samples were obtained by chorionic villus sampling, the remaining six were derived from either cord blood samples or venipuncture of neonates. We demonstrated that the mutant gene was inherited by only one of these patients who has subsequently developed bilateral tumours. Six of the other cases have now reached the age beyond which it might have been expected that tumours would develop and are all disease free. It must be concluded that repeated ophthalmological examination of these and future patients shown not to have inherited the mutant gene, is unnecessary.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Increased expression and mutation of p53 in choroidal melanoma.

Using CM-1 antibody directed against the human p53 protein, high levels of mutant p53 protein expression were found in 12 out of 18 malignant choroidal melanomas. In contrast, we failed to observe elevated p53 expression, indicating the absence of p53 mutation in seven choroidal naevi, a potentially premalignant condition that can progress to form malignant melanoma. For two choroidal melanomas, we demonstrated that high levels of p53 protein were accompanied by exon 7 mutations. The mutations were found at codon 238, TGT-->TTT and codon 253, ACC-->AGC. These observations suggest that acquisition of abnormalities of the p53 gene may be an important step in the development of malignant melanoma.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Early diagnosis of the retinopathy of incontinentia pigmenti: successful treatment by cryotherapy.

Prospective examination of the ocular fundi was carried out in the newborn female sibling of a girl with incontinentia pigmenti and bilateral retinopathy. At age 3 months the new baby's peripheral retina was found to be avascular in both eyes. At age 2 years progressive vascular proliferation at the watershed area between normal and abnormal retina led to bilateral vitreous haemorrhage. The new vessel tufts promptly regressed when the avascular area in each eye was treated by single-freeze cryotherapy and the blood in the vitreous absorbed. Cicatricial retinopathy was thereby prevented. Prospective retinal examination of newborn female siblings of children with incontinentia pigmenti is advised, with early cryotherapy recommended if progressive neovascularisation is detected.

Child↗
PubMed1990

Electrophoretic assessment of aqueous and serum neurone-specific enolase in retinoblastoma and ocular malignant melanoma.

The isoenzyme pattern of enolase was examined in the aqueous humour and serum of patients with retinoblastoma (10 aqueous, 8 sera), malignant melanoma (4 aqueous, 25 sera), and normal subjects undergoing cataract surgery (25 aqueous, 30 sera). The assay we used allowed assessment of all three major isoenzymes, including the gamma gamma isoenzyme (neurone-specific enolase). No enolase was detectable in normal aqueous; alpha alpha isoenzyme was present in the aqueous of one patient with malignant melanoma, while aqueous from all patients with retinoblastoma contained both alpha alpha and gamma gamma. Normal serum contained only an alpha alpha band, while serum from patients with retinoblastoma contained alpha alpha, alpha gamma, and gamma gamma bands (7 sera, 87.5%), or alpha alpha only (1 patient, 12.5%). All sera from patients with malignant melanoma contained the alpha alpha band, with low levels of gamma gamma in 16 (60%). In a single patient with Coats's disease alpha alpha was present in the serum, but no enolase was detected in aqueous. Increased amounts of gamma-containing isoenzymes of enolase are found in both serum and aqueous from patients with retinoblastoma. In malignant melanoma there is often an increase in serum gamma gamma enolase. The assessment of aqueous and serum enolase patterns may be of value in the diagnosis of retinoblastoma and malignant melanoma.

Aqueous Humor↗
PubMed1990

Detection of ocular malignancies.

The case notes of new patients attending the oncology clinic at Moorfields Eye Hospital during the first 5 months of 1988 were analysed retrospectively with regard to the origin of the primary referral, the presence of symptoms, the diagnosis and management. Sixty-eight of 94 new patients were diagnosed as having malignant ocular lesions. Of these 68, 47% were first seen and referred by an optician. Half of these patients were asymptomatic at the time of detection.

Adolescent↗