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K Verrier-Jones

Publications and source records attributed to K Verrier-Jones.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Mucosal immunity in the urinary tract: changes in sIgA, FSC and total IgA with age and in urinary tract infection.

The incidence of primary urinary tract infection (UTI) is greatest in the first month of life and decreases with age throughout childhood. Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) is an important component of mucosal immunity. The changes in secretory IgA, IgA and free secretory component (FSC) during the first year of life were examined in relation to age, sex and in infants, feeding practice. These constituents were further compared between healthy children and those with acute and recurrent UTI. Urine was collected from 41 healthy infants (16 female: 25 male) at intervals (mean age 1.4, 9.1, 44, 91, 210 and 412 days), 139 healthy children (75 female: 64 male), 29 children with histories of recurrent UTI (25 female: 4 male) and 10 with acute UTI (8 female: 2 male). sIgA, IgA and FSC were measured by enzyme linked immunoassay. In the majority of children sIgA and IgA were undetectable at birth. SIgA and IgA rose significantly during the first year then levelled off throughout childhood. FSC was detectable from birth (geometric mean [mean of logged values]-GOM at day 1.4, 362.2 ng/ml). No sex differences were apparent for any of the three constituents at any age. Breast feeding was associated with higher levels of sIgA and IgA than bottle feeding. This was highly significant at 9.1 days when sIgA and IgA levels of breast fed compared with bottle fed infants were 64.6 ng/ml vs 21.2 and 56.2 ng/ml vs 18.7 ng/ml respectively, giving a GOM ratio of 3.04 for sIgA and 3.0 for IgA (p < 0.001 for both). No significant difference in the three parameters were demonstrable when children with recurrent UTI-with normal or abnormal renal tracts-were compared with controls. Acute UTI resulted in raised sIgA, IgA and FSC compared with controls (GOM ratio of 4.9 [p < 0.002], 4.2 [p < 0.005] and 2.7 [p < 0.001] respectively). The proportion of total IgA present as sIgA (sIgA/total IgA) was not significantly different in the acute vs control groups. Urinary sIgA and IgA may be important for the observed variation with age in infant UTI and the reduced incidence in breast fed infants but does not appear to contribute to the sex associated difference in susceptibility to infection at any age.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

P1 blood group phenotype, secretor status in patients with urinary tract infections.

We have examined the distribution of P antigen, Lewis blood group phenotypes and secretor status of 65 patients with E. coli UTI (20 asymptomatic bacteriuria, 20 cystitis and normal radiology, 25 reflux nephropathy) and 45 controls who have never experienced a UTI episode. The distribution of Lewis blood group antigens was similar in all UTI groups and in the controls. The incidence of non-secretors in the reflux nephropathy group was similar to that in controls (24% versus 31%). The P1 phenotype was present in 100% of patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria, 80% with cystitis and controls and only 44% with reflux nephropathy. The combined P1/non-secretor phenotype was observed in 45% of patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria, 30% with cystitis, 12% with reflux nephropathy and in 22% of control healthy individuals. P2/secretor phenotype was demonstrated in 44% of patients with reflux nephropathy and in only 11% of controls. Our data suggest that having P2 blood group protects against asymptomatic colonization of the urinary tract, but is associated with the type of infection responsible for scarring in reflux nephropathy. It also appears that being a non-secretor does not predispose to renal scarring and that combined P2/secretor phenotype may be linked with susceptibility to reflux nephropathy.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1992

Outcome of pregnancy in an Oxford-Cardiff cohort of women with previous bacteriuria.

To investigate the influence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in childhood on subsequent pregnancy, we reviewed the outcome of 139 pregnancies in 88 women who were first identified during a programme of screening schoolgirls for asymptomatic bacteriuria carried out between 1970-1972. Data were analysed for the following groups: 50 pregnancies in 28 women with known renal scars (group 1); 16 pregnancies in 14 women with normal kidneys and reflux (group 2); 73 pregnancies in 46 women with normal urinary tracts (group 3); 139 healthy controls. Women in group 1 had a 3.3-fold increased relative risk of hypertension (p < 0.01) and a 7.6-fold increased risk of pre-eclampsia (p < 0.05) compared to controls, and a higher rate of obstetric interventions, including emergency caesarean section. Women in groups 2 and 3 appeared to carry a slightly increased risk of hypertension during the last trimester (RR = 1.8) but there were no significant differences in this or the incidence of pre-eclampsia or mode of delivery. Bacteriuria was more prevalent in all index groups compared to controls (37 per cent vs. 8 per cent, p < 0.01) and included four cases of acute pyelonephritis in in the study group. Fetal outcome was satisfactory in all cases. These results suggest that women with renal scars are at risk of hypertension and pre-eclampsia during pregnancy but that modern obstetric care minimizes these risks.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Survival time in cystinosis. A collaborative study.

In a retrospective study the overall survival time of 205 cystinotic patients of six countries was determined. The median survival time was 8.5 years. The median time for 'renal death' (age at death due to uraemia or age at starting renal replacement therapy) was 9.2 years. The youngest patient dying of renal death was 5.2 years. No sex difference in survival time was noticed. Furthermore no difference in survival time was noted between the different countries. The analysis of the overall survival curve indicates no clear differences between the infantile and adolescent types of cystinosis.

Adolescent↗