PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

L Sigal

Publications and source records attributed to L Sigal.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Selection of continuous epitope sequences and their incorporation into poly(ethylene glycol)-peptide conjugates for use in serodiagnostic immunoassays: application to Lyme disease.

Continuous epitope sequences were selected from immunogenic Bb proteins by epitope mapping. The identified epitope sequences were synthesized by solid phase peptide synthesis and purified by high performance liquid chromatography. Each epitope was conjugated individually to a multifunctional poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) carrier. The result PEG-peptide conjugates were used as antigens in ELISA for diagnosis of Lyme disease. The results showed that the defined epitope peptides were Lyme disease specific and could be used in a format of PEG-peptide conjugate as the antigen to achieve improved sensitivity and specificity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Update on Lyme Carditis.

Lyme carditis is an uncommon manifestation of infection with Borrelia bugdorferi. It is easily treated with standard antibiotic regimens and prognosis is excellent, especially if treatment is prompt. For symptomatic or higher degrees of block, patients may require hospitalization for monitoring and occasionally temporary external pacing. Intravenous antibiotics are warranted for such patients. For less severe conduction disturbances, oral therapy suffices.

Journal Article↗

[Immune response against foot-and-mouth disease virus in cattle: effect of vaccination].

Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) is one of the most feared animal virus and vaccination still has to be used in many countries. In previous reports, using a murine model, we studied the cellular basis of immune responses against FMDV and were able to show that they are atypical. In cattle, although complete protection may be attained after only one dose of killed virus vaccine, very little is known about protection against FMDV, except for antibody responses, but practically nothing concerning the cellular basis of their immune response. Moreover, since neutralizing titers do not always correlate with protection, the potency of vaccines in controlled by viral challenge. Our aim is to study cellular immune responses against FMDV, and to search for a correlate to protection. As a first step, 55 virgin cattle from a non endemic area (Patagonia) were divided into three groups: C: non immunized controls; HS: immunized with saponine containing vaccine; and EO: with oil emulsified vaccine. After vaccination, they were carried to an endemic area (Buenos Aires), where they were challenged with live FMDV. Animals were bled immediately before and 7 days after challenge, and their white blood cells and lymphocyte subpopulations were counted. All animals showed a marked neutropenia and eosinophilia, significantly higher in HS than in EO and C groups; both parameters were significantly better in the 2nd assay. Total lymphocyte counts were normal. Lymphocyte subpopulations were assessed by immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies: their proportions were normal and did not change during illness in group C. Several factors could have induced the observed eosinophilia and neutropenia: parasites, stress, saponine, others.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Dynamic performance characteristics of the liquid metal strain gage.

Performance characteristics of the liquid metal strain gage (LMSG) were evaluated by both static and dynamic bench testing. Statically, the devices were found to have outputs closely proportional to engineering strains, up to strain levels of 40%. While individual gage factors varied appreciably (up to 50%), each of the gages studied showed excellent reproducibility of behavior. Dynamically, the response to sinusoidal strain inputs was frequency-independent up to 50 Hz, and there was no detectable phase shift. Similarly, the LMSG response to constant-speed displacement inputs was velocity-independent over the range of nominal strain rates from 20 s-1 to 0.02 s-1. The devices proved capable of maintaining stable outputs when held stretched to fixed lengths, even if such tests were performed immediately following stepwise displacement inputs. Thermal artifacts were found to be modest (0.185% apparent strain per degree C), and there was no appreciable sensitivity to non-axial strains. When mounted on an in vitro ligament preparation, the LMSG measured apparent ligament strain similar to that detected by a video dimension analyzer. A protocol by which an implanted LMSG could be used to infer in vivo muscle forces was demonstrated, based on recordings of tendo-Achilles strains developed by a rabbit during slow hopping.

Animals↗