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Biomedical subjects

K A Johansen

Publications and source records attributed to K A Johansen.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Quality assessment of resuscitation].

The object of the study was to evaluate the availability of paediatricians for resuscitation of newborns and the quality of resuscitation. During the period 1.9.95-15.1.96 a prospective registration was made of the initial treatment of all newborns where a paediatrician was involved. It was noted whether the doctor was present when needed. A comparison with the written guidelines was made. The paediatrician was called to 27% of the 1461 babies born during that period. In 93% of the deliveries with maternal risk factors the pediatrician was called before the delivery and was present at the delivery in 89% of the cases. The resuscitation was optimal in 60%, less satisfactory in 38% and unsatisfactory in 2% of the cases. Intensified training and supervision of doctors dealing with resuscitation of newborns and strengthening of the staff on duty is recommended.

Apgar Score↗
PubMed2000

Development of a novel, rapid integrated Cryptosporidium parvum detection assay.

The aim of this study was to develop a reverse transcription-PCR assay and lateral flow detection protocol for specific identification of Cryptosporidium parvum. The method which we developed is sensitive and specific and has a low limit of detection. In our protocol a solid phase material, the Xtra Bind Capture System, was used for extraction and purification of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) specific for C. parvum. The Xtra Bind Capture System interfaced with pellets concentrated from water samples collected with previously developed filtration devices. The pellets were resuspended in reagent water (final volume, 0.5 ml), and an equal amount of rupture buffer and the Xtra Bind Capture System was added to the resuspended pellet mixture. The dsRNA target sequences in a 0. 5-ml portion were captured by the solid phase material via hybridization. The debris and potential inhibitors were removed by washing the Xtra Bind material several times with buffer. The Xtra Bind material with its bound dsRNA was added directly to an amplification reaction mixture, and the target was amplified without elution from the Xtra Bind material. A PCR was performed in the presence of the Xtra Bind Capture System, which resulted in robust amplification of the target. The detection system which we used was adapted from lateral flow chromatography methods typically used for antigen-antibody reactions. The result was a colored line that was visible if the organism was present. When this method was used, we were able to reproducibly and correctly identify 10 oocysts added to 0.5 ml of reagent water. When the protocol was evaluated with a small set of environmental samples, the level of detection was as low as 1 oocyst/liter. The total time from resuspension of the pellet to detection was about 3 h, which is considerably less than the 5 h required for immunomagnetic separation followed by an indirect immunofluorescence assay and microscopy.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Pseudomonas aeruginosa hemolytic phospholipase C suppresses neutrophil respiratory burst activity.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a persistent pathogen in the airways of patients with cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis from other causes and appears to have evolved strategies to survive the inflammatory response of the host. We hypothesized that the secreted hemolytic phospholipase C (PLC) of P. aeruginosa (PlcHR) would decrease neutrophil respiratory burst activity. We found that while intact wild-type P. aeruginosa cells stimulated moderate respiratory burst activity from human neutrophils, an isogenic mutant pseudomonas (DeltaHR strain) containing a targeted deletion of the plcHR operon induced a much more robust oxidative burst from neutrophils. In contrast, a second pseudomonas mutant (DeltaN) containing a disruption in the gene encoding the nonhemolytic PLC (PlcN) was not different from the wild type in stimulating neutrophil O2.- production. Readdition of purified PlcHR to the DeltaHR strain suppressed neutrophil O2.- production to levels stimulated by wild-type bacteria. Interestingly, purified PlcHR decreased phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)- but not formyl methionyl-leucyl-proline (fMLP)-induced respiratory burst activity, suggesting interference by PlcHR with a protein kinase C (PKC)-specific signaling pathway. Accordingly, the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide inhibited the oxidative burst induced by either PMA or intact pseudomonas, but not by fMLP, whereas the p38 kinase inhibitor SB-203580 fully inhibited the respiratory burst induced by fMLP or the PlcHR-replete wild-type bacteria, but not PMA or the PlcHR-deficient DeltaHR bacterial mutant. We conclude that expression of PlcHR by P. aeruginosa suppresses bacterium-induced neutrophil respiratory burst by interfering with a PKC-dependent, non-p38 kinase-dependent pathway.

Bronchiectasis↗
PubMed1998

[Frequency of admissions to neonatal care units of 1994 birth cohorts in Funen and Frederiksborg Counties].

The frequency of admission to neonatal intensive care units is higher in Denmark than in the UK. The organization of the paediatric departments varies from county to county in Denmark. To investigate possible differences due to the organization, the records for all hospitalized newborns in a one year period in two counties (FR and FU) were studied. The rate of prematurity was higher in county FU than in FR, but, surprisingly, the admission rate was lowest in county FU. For full term infants the highest admission rate was found in county FR, where more infants were treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure compared to FU. Short admissions were more common in FR. The on-call paediatrician is a senior doctor in FU, whereas it is a junior doctor in FR, and this could be a possible explanation for the differences between the two counties.

Denmark↗
PubMed1996

Biochemical and molecular analysis of phospholipase C and phospholipase D activity in mycobacteria.

Resurgence of mycobacterial infections in the United States has led to an intense effort to identify potential virulence determinants in the genus Mycobacterium, particularly ones that would be associated with the more virulent species (e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) using radiolabeled phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin as substrates indicated that cell extracts of M. tuberculosis contain both phospholipase C (PLC) and phospholipase D (PLD) activities. In contrast, only PLD activity was detected in cell extracts of M. smegmatis. Neither activity was detected in cell-free culture supernatants from these organisms. We and others recently identified two open reading frames in M. tuberculosis with the potential to encode proteins which are highly homologous to the nonhemolytic (PlcN) and hemolytic (PlcH) phospholipase C enzymes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In contrast to the plc genes in P. aeruginosa, which are considerably distal to each other (min 34 and 64 on the chromosome), the mycobacterial genes, designated mpcA and mpcB, are tandemly arranged in the same relative orientation and separated by only 191 bp. Both the mpcA and the mpcB genes were individually cloned in M. smegmatis, and PLC activity was expressed from each gene in this organism. Hybridization experiments using the mpcA and the mpcB genes as probes under conditions of moderate stringency identified sequences homologous to these genes in M. bovis, M. bovis BCG, and M. marinum but not in several other Mycobacterium species, including M. smegmatis, M. avium, and M. intracellulare. TLC analysis using radiolabeled substrates indicated that M. bovis and M. marinum cell extracts contain PLC and PLD activities, but only PLD activity was detected in M. bovis BCG cell extracts. Sphingomyelinase activity was also detected in whole-cell extracts of M. tuberculosis, M. marinum, M. bovis, and M. bovis BCG, but this activity was not detected in extracts of M. smegmatis. Sphingomyelinase activity was detected in cell extracts from M. smegmatis harboring either recombinant mpcA or mpcB. These data indicate that PLC and sphingomyelinase activities are associated with the most virulent mycobacterial species, while PLD activity was detected in both virulent and saprophytic strains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

[Meningitis].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Child↗
PubMed1994

Maternal steroid sulfatase deficiency--cause of high-risk pregnancy?

A pregnancy is described in a woman with X-linked steroid sulfatase deficiency and an unaffected but growth-retarded male fetus. Her previous affected pregnancy that resulted in intrauterine fetal death was reported. Urinary estriol estimation in pregnancy is discussed.

Arylsulfatases↗
PubMed1990

Biological reactivity of Moraxella bovis lipopolysaccharide.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was isolated from Moraxella bovis 118F and ATCC 10900, M ovis ATCC 33078, and M phenylpyruvica ATCC 23333 by hot phenol-water extraction. In silver-stained sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels, M bovis 118F LPS had a smooth profile, whereas the other Moraxella preparations appeared to be rough. The LPS preparations induced pyrogenicity and dermal Shwartzman reactions in rabbits, and induced production of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 in vitro. Induction of tumor necrosis factor appeared to be among the most potent biological activities of M bovis LPS.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗
PubMed1982

A controlled clinical trial in advanced ovarian cancer.

Thirty-eight patients with an advanced ovarian cancer (FIGO stage III and IV) were randomly allocated to treatment, either with melphalan (M) or a combination of adriamycin, 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide (CAF) to determine the effect on survival. Actuarial survival of the two treatment groups was the same but the combination was more toxic.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1981

Acute-phase C56-forming ability and concentrations of complement components in normotensive and hypertensive pregnancies.

A prospective study of 61 women who were normotensive at booking revealed an increased incidence of C56-forming ability in those who later developed hypertension. Similar changes were found before delivery in a separate group of women admitted with latent hypertension and in each of 11 women with severe pre-eclampsia and a surviving fetus. The C56-forming ability, an acute phase feature, often preceded the hypertension and the findings suggest an indirect relation between complement changes and the mechanism causing hypertension in pregnancy. Concentrations of complement components in hypertensive and normotensive pregnancies were also compared with each other and with those of normal healthy non-pregnant women. The hypertensive patients had increased total alternative pathway function and higher factor B concentrations. The C56-negative sera from hypertensive patients tended to have C7 concentrations higher than normal whereas C56-positive patients had higher C5 concentrations. The aetiological and pathological implications are discussed.

Complement Activation↗