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Biomedical subjects

N M Burdash

Publications and source records attributed to N M Burdash.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

White cell subpopulations in autoimmune infertile men and their wives with cytotoxic sperm antibodies.

Sixty six infertile men with cytotoxic sperm antibodies had fewer and lower percentages of OKT4-positive helper/inducer T lymphocytes p = 0.004 and 0.003, respectively), than the fertile (n = 14) and infertile (n = 12) antibody-negative controls. Ratio of OKT4/OKT8 was decreased (p less than 0.01), while numbers of OKDR and BD-Leu12 positive predominantly B lymphocytes were increased (p less than 0.0001) in infertile men with sperm antibodies. T lymphocytes positive for OKT3, OKT11 and OKT4 and the OKT4/OKT8 ratio were decreased in infertile women with sperm antibodies, while B lymphocytes positive for OKDR and BD-Leu12 were increased in infertile women with or without sperm antibodies (p less than 0.0001, versus fertile controls). Lymphocyte responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM), however, were similar in 20 fertile and 136 infertile couples. Lymphocytes from infertile men with sperm antibodies had an enhanced stimulatory response to autologous sperm and seminal plasma. It is concluded that sperm antigens from autoimmune infertile men stimulate heightened immune responses to sperm antigens and altered distribution of white cell populations in both partners.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Lymphocyte phenotype changes in congenital and acquired perinatal cytomegalovirus infections.

The recognition that the multiple functions of T-lymphocytes are accomplished by separate subpopulations of cells that can be delineated both functionally and by antisera directed against specific cell surface markers is one major advance in immunology. Our study was directed at enumerating lymphocyte subsets in cytomegalovirus (CMV) perinatal infections with monoclonal antibodies and cell flow cytometry. Eight patients ranging in age from 1 week to 2 1/2 months were studied. Except for one term neonate, all of the infants were less than 36 weeks of gestational age, with a mean of 31.5 weeks (range 27-36 weeks) at birth. The mean birth weight of the premature infants was 1,211 gm (range 870-2420 gm). Five patients were 3 weeks old when studied and were classified as congenital CMV by viral isolation. Three were older than 2 months and were classified as acquired CMV. One of the acquired CMV infants was followed from birth to 6 months of age and had normal lymphocyte numbers at 2 weeks with alterations appearing at 8 weeks. The results of these studies indicated that in congenital CMV there is a normal to high helper/suppressor ratio. On the contrary, in acquired CMV this ratio is profoundly depressed because of significant increase in suppressor T-lymphocytes with borderline normal helper T-lymphocytes. In the latter group, the ratio increased with time after the acute infection episode. Our results agree with reported data indicating that in adults with CMV there is a depression of the helper/suppressor ratio during the acute stage with a return toward normal values during convalescence.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1979

Immuno-heterogeneity of the calcitonins of hypercalcemia, breast and lung cancers and medullary carcinoma of thyroid.

Four antisera raised in the goat have very different properties: all recognized the immunoreactive calcitonin (iCT) of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid (MCT), one the response of normal subjects to induced or endogenous hypercalcemia and 2 others a different molecular species which occurs in half the patients with cancer of breast and 3/4 of patients with cancer of the lung. The latter two antisera are most sensitive to the 22-32 sequence of human calcitonin. Depending on the antiserum used, 4 or 7 peaks of immunoreactivity are found in eluates by column chromatography or stimulated serum from MCT. Not all elevated levels of iCT in serum are diagnostic of MCT and ectopic production by lung and breast cancer must be considered. Presence of higher levels of iCT with greater amounts of cancer tissue and undetectable levels after surgery or radiotherapy when using antisera which require intact molecule of calcitonin for recognition suggest the possibility that sequential calcitonin levels with differentiating antisera may be helpful in assessing the extent of disease and response to therapy.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1978

An identification scheme for gram-negative nonfermentative bacilli.

A series of six flow charts have been developed to identify the Gram-negative nonfermentative bacilli most commonly isolated from clinical specimens. Colonial morphology and oxidase reactivity determine the pathway to be followed on the flow chart which then indicates the specific test to be performed. Most isolates can be identified within 24 hours using 3 to 5 tests. Each pathway was selected on the basis of 94-100 per cent confidence limits otherwise an alternate pathway is shown. Results of 2,788 nonfermenters identified by this scheme are discussed.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1977

Simplified silver-plating stain for flagella.

Rhodes' silver-plating technique for staining flagella was tested for its reliability and convenience as a routine procedure in the clinical laboratory. Modifications were made in the stain preparation and the procedure of staining and were tested with smears of known motile gram-negative nonfermentative bacilli. The stain has proved to be accurate and reliable and can be easily utilized with a minimum of training.

Alcaligenes↗
PubMed1977

Bacterial gram staining by conventional and strip methods.

Conventional gram staining was compared with a method which uses dye impregnated paper strips for staining. The paper strip technique was judged accurate and reproducible and is recommended for use in the small laboratory and hospital ward.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1976

Carcinoembryonic antigen and cystic fibrosis protein in blood from cystic fibrosis homozygotes and heterozygote carriers.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) activity was measured by radioimmunoassay in blood from cystic fibrosis (CF) homozygotes, heterozygote carriers of CF, normal healthy controls, and other patient controls with carcinomas involving gastrointestinal organs. All samples were also screened by electrofocusing for cystic fibrosis protein (CFP), a metabolic marker previously shown to be associated with the CF gene. Significantly increased levels of CEA activity were found in all CFP-positive groups; however, with one exception all patient controls with marked increases in CEA activity were CFP-negative. Immunodiffusion of perchloric acid extracts of CEA-like material from heterozygote carrier blood indicated that the CEA-like material, which was elevated in homozygotes and heterozygotes for CF, showed only partial identity with two separate CEA preparations obtained from colon carcinomas and was not identical to either A, B, or O(H) blood group substances. This glycoprotein material did, however, react with three different anti-CEA antisera. Our finding of an abnormally increased glycoprotein in cystic fibrosis, taken together with previous reports demonstrating abnormalities in the carbohydrate portion of glycoproteins found in various exocrine secretions in CF, further suggests that the primary defect in this disease is manifested partly as a defect in glycoprotein metabolism. This defect may result from an abnormality in one or more of the glycosyltransferases, possibly caused by a more primary defect in polyamine metabolism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Alpha-1-antitrypsin (Pi) types in Down's syndrome.

Alpha-1-antitrypsin (Pi) phenotypes have been determined in 40 patients suffering from Down's syndrome. Thirty-six of the patients were found to have a normal M phenotype, whereas two deficient phenotypes of the MS variety were observed. In addition, two M variants were noted. The significance of an M variant phenotype in some patients with Down's syndrome is not completely understood and is currently under investigation. Since the majority of the patients had a normal alpha-1-antitrypsin phenotype, the results of this study indicate that a deficiency in alpha-1-antitrypsin plays no role in the respiratory fragility of individuals with Down's syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Evaluation of the acid-fast smear.

A retrospective analysis of the data involving all specimens submitted to the mycobacteriology laboratory over the past 20 months supports the continued use of the acid-fast smear as an aid in the detection of tuberculosis.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1976

Automatic gram-staining with the microstainer II.

A comparison was made between the Microstainer II, an automatic staining machine, and the traditional, manual gram-staining method using clinical material and known organisms in a double blind study. Gram-reactions were in agreement with 98.4% of the organisms. The machine-stained microorganisms were generally found to be of the same or better quality than manually-stained organisms. Transfer of bacteria from slide to slide or smear to smear was not a significant problem. The Microstainer II would appear to be a useful addition to the large volume bacteriology laboratory.

Automation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunologic parameters in Down's syndrome.

Down's syndrome children are known to have increased susceptibility to respiratory infections. Quantitative or qualitative differences in the various components of the immune system could account for increased susceptibility to infection involving the upper respiratory tract. In an effort to establish certain normal values and to determine if humoral immune abnormalities are associated with the chromosomal anomalies of Down's syndrome, immunoglobulin levels, certain complement component levels, viral antibodies, hepatitis B surface antigen and milk precipitins from a population of inpatients and outpatients were compared with those of age, sex and race matched control populations. It does not appear that the upper respiratory infections are associated with abnormally low levels of immunoglobulins or complement, with the possible exception of IgM. Both the inpatient and outpatient Down's syndrome populations had decreased levels of IgM, indicating a possible relationship with the syndrome itself. In addition, the symptomatology does not seem to be due to IgE mediated atopic sensitivity. Hepatitis B surface antigen was found only in institutionalized Down's syndrome patients, but it did not seem to be related to the other immune components studied.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MIF-like activity in non-stimulated and virus infected cell cultures.

Macrophage-migration inhibition factor (MIF) is a lymphocyte-derived substance which plays an important role in cell mediated immunity. Soluble factors containing MIF-like activity and produced by non-stimulated and virus-infected non-lymphoid cell cultures have also been reported. In the present study, a MIF-like factor was repeatedly detected in Buffalo green monkey kidney cells infected with mumps and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) indicating that this substance is reproducible and can be stimulated by two viruses of widely varying groups. Wistar-38 (WI-38) cell cultures also increased production of this substance in response to mumps but not HSV-1 infection, indicating that the production of this factor is not necessarily induced by all viruses. A factor which stimulated the spread of macrophages was also found to be induced in WI-38 cells by both viruses, suggesting yet another substance produced by non-lymphoid cells in response to viral infection. The ability of non-stimulated WI-38 cells to produce MIF-like activity was also confirmed, and this factor could be further stimulated or opposed by viral infection.

Cells, Cultured↗