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Biomedical subjects

O Meurman

Publications and source records attributed to O Meurman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Performance of two new enzyme immunoassays for the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies to rubella.

Two new enzyme immunoassays for detection of rubella-specific IgM and IgG antibodies, Rubaset EIA-M and Rubaset EIA-G, were evaluated. Serum samples from 350 patients with or without rubella symptoms were tested. Rubaset EIA-M had a sensitivity of 98.0%, a specificity of 95.2% and an overall agreement of 96.8% compared with Rubazyme-M. Sera from patients with autoimmune diseases showed no false-positive reactivity. The corresponding values for Rubaset EIA-G were 98.5%, 94.8% and 96.9% respectively, compared with Rubazyme. Sera yielding discordant results were mainly acute-phase specimens from patients with confirmed rubella infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Molecular and biological characteristics of echovirus 22, a representative of a new picornavirus group.

Recent sequence analysis revealed that the human pathogen echovirus 22 (EV22) is genetically distant from all the other picornaviruses studied to date (T. Hyypiä, C. Horsnell, M. Maaronen, M. Khan, N. Kalkkinen, P. Auvinen, L. Kinnunen, and G. Stanway, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8847-8851, 1992). We have further characterized the biological properties of the virus and show here that the virion has properties similar to those of other picornaviruses. However, the protein composition is unique, in that most copies of one of the three major capsid proteins, VP0, do not undergo the further processing to VP2 and VP4 observed during the maturation of the virus in previously studied picornaviruses. Alignment of the capsid protein sequences with those of other picornaviruses revealed, furthermore, that the VP3 polypeptide contains an apparent insertion of approximately 25 amino acids at its amino terminus. An arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motif is found in VP1, and by using synthetic peptides, it was shown that this sequence plays a role in cell surface receptor recognition. Finally, EV23 was shown to share remarkable identity with EV22 in certain parts of the genome and also belongs to this previously unrecognized picornavirus group.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Does parvovirus B19 have a role in rheumatoid arthritis?

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether parvovirus B19 (B19) infection is associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The polymerase chain reaction was applied to serum, cells isolated from synovial fluid, and synovial fluid. Enzyme immunoassay technique was used to detect antibodies against B19. RESULTS: Of 142 patients with early RA (onset of disease under one year) and 67 control patients, serological evidence of recent parvoviral infection was found in 4/135 and 2/62, respectively. However, no evidence for the presence of parvoviral DNA was observed in 18 synovial fluids, 21 samples of synovial fluid granulocytes or 40 sera, all obtained from 65 patients diagnosed with early RA. CONCLUSION: Although there is published evidence of chronic rheumatoid-like arthropathy following acute parvovirus infection, our findings do not support the involvement of B19 in the aetiopathogenesis of RA.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Clinical scoring system in the evaluation of adult pharyngitis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare results of a clinical scoring system for diagnosis of group A streptococcal pharyngitis with microbiologic results, when several different pharyngeal pathogens were tested simultaneously. DESIGN: Evaluation of clinical manifestations of 106 adult patients with pharyngitis of different microbial origin. SETTING: General private practice; Health Center Pulssi, Turku, Finland. PATIENTS: Adult patients whose chief complaints were sore throats. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: A symptom score that was assigned to each patient according to the total number of certain signs and symptoms that are postulated to increase the probability of group A streptococcal pharyngitis and blood measurements for infection. RESULTS: The highest symptom scores, 3 and 4, were found in 21 patients. These patients had pharyngitis due to group A streptococcus (four patients), group C streptococcus (four patients), group G streptococcus (two patients), group F streptococcus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, influenza A virus, influenza B virus, herpes simplex type 1 virus (two patients), and coxsackie B4 virus. No pathogen could be identified from three of the 21 patients. The C-reactive protein values and the leukocyte counts were raised significantly more often in streptococcal infections than in infections of other origin; the P values were .00016 and .028, respectively. CONCLUSION: Use of a clinical scoring system alone for diagnosis of pharyngitis may lead to improper use of anti-microbial agents. There is a need for accurate microbiologic diagnostic procedures in general practice to determine proper treatment of pharyngitis as well as to test the effect of antibacterial and, in the future, antiviral treatment in respiratory tract infections.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Preceding respiratory infection predisposing for primary and secondary invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b disease.

Cases (117) with invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease and their family members reported symptoms of respiratory infection during the 4-week period before the onset of Hib disease significantly more often than age-, sex- and residence-matched controls (225) and their family members during the same time period. Viral (adenovirus; influenza A and B; parainfluenza types 1, 2 and 3; and respiratory syncytial virus) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae serology was performed in 84 paired sera from cases and 112 paired sera from controls, who were healthy children matched to the cases by age, year and season. Viral or M. pneumoniae infection was diagnosed equally often among cases and controls (18% for both groups). However, patients who were associated cases of Hib disease (i.e. either the primary or secondary case of a case pair) had a diagnostic viral serology more often (50%) than did sporadic cases (13%) (odds ratio, 7.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 33; P = 0.006). These results suggest that some infectious agent(s) caused symptoms among the patients and circulated among the patients' closest contacts immediately before their development of Hib disease and possibly predisposed for invasive Hib disease. For the development of associated Hib disease among close contacts of an index case, adenovirus, influenza A, respiratory syncytial virus or para-influenza type 1, 2 and 3 infections may be important.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1992

Shedding of infectious virus and virus antigen during acute infection with respiratory syncytial virus.

Shedding of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) of hospitalized children with acute respiratory infection was studied using direct antigen detection by time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay, rapid identification of infectious virus in centrifugally inoculated cell cultures by immunoperoxidase staining and conventional virus culture. Sequential NPAs, in which also local RSV-specific IgA response was measured, were collected from children with proven RSV infection. The shedding pattern was similar for both infectious virus and viral antigen. The overall agreement of the three methods was good (81%) in diagnostic specimens collected on admission, but markedly reduced (46%) in follow-up specimens. Secretory IgA was abundant in specimens giving discrepant or negative results only. The proportion of patients who shed RSV was high (> or = 87%) in the first week after onset of symptoms, and decreased sharply in the second week. An opposite temporal pattern was found in the proportion of patients with detectable RSV-IgA in their secretions. Sequentially isolated strains were antigenically stable as determined by their reactivity with a large panel of monoclonal antibodies. The findings suggest that RSV shedding should be monitored by using more than one method for virus detection.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Prokaryotic expression of a VP1 polypeptide antigen for diagnosis by a human parvovirus B19 antibody enzyme immunoassay.

To produce parvovirus B19 antigen for diagnostic purposes, partially overlapping segments covering the genes encoding the viral structural proteins VP1 and VP2 were cloned into expression vectors. The constructs were induced in Escherichia coli, resulting in the expression of beta-galactosidase fusion proteins. In immunoblotting experiments with sera from patients with erythema infectiosum, immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies bound to a single polypeptide of 235 amino acids at the N terminus of VP1. The DNA fragment encoding this polypeptide was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and cloned into an expression vector. The viral capsid antigen expressed in E. coli was purified by preparative agarose gel electrophoresis and used in IgG and IgM solid-phase enzyme immunoassays. Comparison with reference gamma- and mu-capture radioimmunoassays using whole virus antigen showed that these antibody tests are suitable for the serodiagnosis of human infections caused by parvovirus B19.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1992

Immunoglobulin G antibody avidity in patients with respiratory syncytial virus infection.

The titer and avidity of respiratory syncytial virus-specific antibodies were measured in 196 serum specimens from 93 children with an acute, laboratory-confirmed respiratory syncytial virus infection. An enzyme immunoassay method based on the ability of urea to dissociate the bound antibodies with low avidity from the antigen was used. Three patterns of immune responses were observed. Children less than 6 months of age usually had low titers of antibodies with high avidity in their acute-phase serum samples. These antibodies were concluded to be of maternal origin, since their reaction pattern was similar to that of healthy adults. During the next few weeks, a slight increase in titers with a concurrent decrease in antibody avidity was observed. All children 6 to 24 months of age had low-avidity antibodies in their acute-phase serum samples, which matured to high avidity during the follow-up. On the contrary, about half of the children greater than 24 months of age had high-avidity antibodies already in the acute-phase serum samples. We conclude that the former children were experiencing primary infections with respiratory syncytial virus and the latter were experiencing reinfections. All adults with remote immunity had antibodies with high avidity.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Peripheral facial palsy caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and viruses in south-western Finland.

In a prospective study from 1983 through 1984, 77 patients (31 men and 46 women with a mean age of 47 +/- 20 years) with peripheral facial palsy of primarily unknown etiology were investigated. Only 2 patients with acute otitis media received antibiotics. Serology of the patients was investigated on days 1 and 14. IgG and IgM antibodies against herpes simplex, varicella-zoster and cytomegalovirus were determined by enzyme immunoassay, and against Epstein-Barr virus by immunofluorescence. In a retrospective analysis, IgM, IgA and IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi were determined by enzyme immunoassay. Borreliosis was diagnosed in 5 patients and varicella-zoster infection in 7. There was no statistically significant difference in recovery time between the different groups. Follow-up time for the patients with borreliosis was over 5 years. Neither meningeal symptoms nor polyneuropathy was observed in the patients with borreliosis even in the absence of antibiotic therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Viral lower respiratory tract infections in Filipino children.

Viral causes of acute lower respiratory tract infection were studied prospectively between 15 June and 31 October 1984 in 312 Filipino children less than 5 years old living in periurban slums and middle-class housing. The cause was based on viral antigen detection, virus isolation, and antibody assays. There were 131 children (41.2%) who were admitted to the hospital, and 150 (47%) had an infiltrate on chest radiograph. A total of 198 viral infections were confirmed in 162 patients (51.9%), 42.3% with single viral infection and 9.6% with mixed (two or more) infection. The infections were measles (21.4%), influenza A (15.9%), parainfluenza types 1, 2, and 3 (8.8%), respiratory syncytial virus (7.1%), influenza B (5.8%), enteroviruses (5.1%), adenoviruses (3.9%), herpes simplex virus (1.6%), and cytomegalovirus (1.3%). Viral infections other than measles were seen in 39.7% of the cases. The presence of viral infection correlated with better nutritional status. Influenza A or B diagnosis was associated with mild forms of acute respiratory tract infection, measles and a preceding rash with severe disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

Serologic diagnosis of pertussis: evaluation of pertussis toxin and other antigens in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

IgM, IgA, and IgG antibodies to Bordetella pertussis were measured in paired sera from 34 patients who were culture-positive for pertussis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with disrupted B. pertussis bacteria, purified pertussis toxin, or outer membrane proteins (OMP) as antigens. Paired sera from 50 patients with other respiratory infections were used as controls. The sensitivities of the assays from paired sera were 61%, 90%, and 90% and specificities were 98%, 92%, and 72%, respectively. Of the patients culture-positive for pertussis, 68% had positive levels of antibody to pertussis toxin antigen in their first serum samples, obtained at the same time as samples for culture. Infants had antibody responses to pertussis toxin antigen, in contrast to weak antibody responses measured by B. pertussis antigen. The results from this study indicate that ELISA, especially measuring pertussis toxin IgA, is a valuable additional tool for diagnosing pertussis and can be used as a complementary test with cultures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Pharyngitis in adults: the presence and coexistence of viruses and bacterial organisms.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence and coexistence of viruses and bacterial organisms causing pharyngitis in adults. DESIGN: Open study using diagnostic methods, including rapid antigen-detection techniques, to test for the presence of viruses of the respiratory tract, as well as Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Chlamydia trachomatis, the Chlamydia species strain TWAR, and beta-hemolytic streptococci. SETTING: Open health care. PATIENTS: One hundred six consecutive adult patients, 15 to 65 years old, whose chief complaint was sore throat. MAIN RESULTS: Of the 106 patients, beta-hemolytic streptococci were found in only 24 patients (5 patients with group A streptococci, 13 with group C, 5 with group G, and 1 with group F); M. pneumoniae was found in 10 patients, the Chlamydia species strain TWAR in 9 patients, and viruses in 27 patients. Two microbes were simultaneously isolated in 3 patients, and no microbial findings were detected in 33 patients. CONCLUSION: Because 19 patients were infected with the Chlamydia species strain TWAR and M. pneumoniae, and 24 patients were infected with beta-hemolytic streptococci, the diagnostic procedures and therapies for adult patients with pharyngitis need to be reconsidered. The results of our study also confirm earlier suggestions that the Chlamydia species strain TWAR alone is a causative agent for pharyngitis in adults.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Enzyme immunoassays for detection of IgG and IgM antibodies to parainfluenza types 1, 2 and 3.

Quantitative enzyme immunoassays for parainfluenza type 1, 2 and 3 IgG antibodies were developed. Serum specimens were tested at a single dilution of 1:1000 and results expressed in units by the use of a standard curve. The unit values correlated well with titres obtained by testing the same specimens in serial dilutions. All serum pairs with significant titre rises also showed significant rises in unit values. Parainfluenza IgG and IgM serology was evaluated in 66 patients with a proven parainfluenza infection. Diagnostic IgG antibody increases were detected in 70, 69 and 87% of parainfluenza type 1, 2 and 3 infections, respectively. Heterologous titre rises between parainfluenza types 1 and 3 were common. IgM antibodies were detected in 42% of the patients, most commonly in those below two years of age and rarely in adults.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1989

Long-term persistence of intrathecal viral antibody responses in postinfectious diseases of the central nervous system and in Rett syndrome.

Twenty patients: seven with herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE), six with other severe central nervous system (CNS) infections and 7 with Rett syndrome were studied to determine whether they showed any intrathecal synthesis of virus-specific or total IgG in CNS. The study of the postinfectious patients was made a mean of 20 years after the primary infection in childhood. Four of seven patients with HSVE had an elevated IgG index and four showed intrathecal viral antibody production which was both specific (against HSV) and non-specific. One patient with congenital syphilis and one with tuberculotic meningitis showed non-specific intrathecal viral antibody synthesis. In three of seven patients with Rett syndrome intrathecal antibody production was observed. The clarification of the mechanism of polyclonal immunoactivation in postinfectious diseases would be of interest since similar persistent immunoactivation is a common feature in multiple sclerosis. In Rett syndrome the immunoactivation may also have pathogenetic significance.

Adolescent↗