PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P G Higgins

Publications and source records attributed to P G Higgins.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Experimental parvoviral infection in humans.

Healthy adult volunteers were inoculated intranasally with human parvovirus obtained from an asymptomatic blood donor. One week after inoculation, intense viremia was observed in seronegative volunteers, accompanied by a mild illness with pyrexia, malaise, myalgia, itching, and excretion of virus from the respiratory tract. In the following week hematologic studies revealed reticulocytopenia with an associated slight drop in hemoglobin concentration, lymphopenia, neutropenia, and a drop in platelet counts. At 17-18 days after inoculation a second-phase illness with rash and arthralgia lasting three to four days occurred in three of four infected volunteers. This study confirms the etiologic role of human parvovirus in erythematous rash illness, with the second-phase illness being consistent with adult cases of erythema infectiosum. Moreover, the hematologic changes associated with infection support the hypothesis that the same virus is responsible for the temporary arrest of erythropoiesis that leads to aplastic crisis in persons with chronic hemolytic anemia.

Anemia, Hemolytic↗
PubMed1985

Studies on 44 081 R.P., a new antirhinovirus compound, in cell cultures and in volunteers.

A synthetic compound, 2-[(1,5,10,10a-tetrahydro-3H-thiazolo[3,4b]isoquinolin-3-ylidene) amino]-4-thiazoleacetic acid (S), 44 081 R.P., inhibits the multiplication of rhinoviruses in cell cultures. Of the 69 rhinovirus strains and serotypes that have been studied, 39% were inhibited at a concentration of 7 micrograms/ml, far below that which affects cellular metabolism (250 micrograms/ml). Preliminary data indicate that the compound inhibits some early events of virus replication but that some cellular functions are also involved in its mechanism of action. Despite its antiviral activity in vitro, the compound, when self-administered intranasally as a 0.2% solution to volunteers from the day before to 5 days after inoculation with a human rhinovirus strain, had no significant effect on rhinorrhea, clinical score, or laboratory evidence of infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Acute phase response of serum amyloid A protein and C reactive protein to the common cold and influenza.

C reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A protein (SAA) are sensitive and rapid acute phase reactants, and their measurement for monitoring inflammatory disease and assessing the prognosis in secondary amyloidosis is gaining widespread acceptance. The changes in these proteins in eight subjects suffering from natural colds, 15 subjects with experimentally induced colds (rhinoviruses E1, 3, 9, 14, or 31), and eight with experimentally induced influenza (A/Eng/40/83) were studied. SAA concentration increased in 21 of the 23 subjects with natural or experimental rhinovirus colds (mean increase 95 mg/l); CRP concentration increased in 11 (mean increase 11 mg/l). All subjects with influenza showed pronounced increases in SAA concentrations (mean increase 642 mg/l) while six showed increases in CRP concentration (mean increase 22 mg/l). All these increases were highly significant (p less than 0.001). Asymptomatic excretors of both rhinovirus and influenza virus showed significant increases in SAA concentration (p = 0.015 for rhinovirus and p less than 0.001 for influenza virus) but not in CRP concentration. No changes in SAA or CRP values were seen in 12 volunteers after challenge with saline. These observations suggest that caution is required in the interpretation of estimations of SAA concentration and that it may be too sensitive an acute phase protein for clinical use as its concentration may be raised in both trivial and asymptomatic viral infections.

Amyloid↗
PubMed1984

Pharmacokinetics of intranasally applied medication during a cold.

The rate at which interferon is cleared from the nose after local administration was measured in volunteers both before and after challenge with virulent strains of human rhinovirus. Interferon was not cleared more rapidly after virus challenge, and there was no relationship between the amount of nasal secretion produced after challenge, and the rate of interferon clearance. These findings suggest that an inverse relationship between the quantity of a locally applied antirhinovirus drug which is recovered in nasal wash, and clinical and laboratory evidence of rhinovirus infection may be taken as evidence for a beneficial effect of the drug.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1984

Intranasal lymphoblastoid interferon ("Wellferon") prophylaxis against rhinovirus and influenza virus in volunteers.

Purified lymphoblastoid interferon (HuIFN-alpha) or placebo was self-administered intranasally by volunteers using a spray device three times daily for four and one-third days beginning one day before virus challenge. Each subject received a total dose of 35.1 Mu of interferon (IFN) administered in 13 equal doses of 2.7 Mu. Doses were administered in a volume of 0.2 ml (0.1 ml to each nostril). The first group received human rhinoviruses types 9 and 14. There were no significant colds in 19 volunteers receiving IFN and 7 in 23 volunteers receiving placebo (p less than 0.05). Serological responses and/or recovery of challenge virus were obtained in 14 (74%) recipients of IFN and in all 23 recipients of placebo (p less than 0.05). Mean daily and total clinical scores and mean daily and total nasal secretion weights were significantly greater in those receiving placebo than in those given IFN. The second group received influenza virus A/Eng/40/83. There were 4 significant illnesses in 13 volunteers receiving IFN and 10 in 17 volunteers receiving placebo (p greater than 0.05). Serological responses and/or recovery of challenge virus were obtained in 11 volunteers receiving IFN and 14 volunteers receiving placebo. Mean daily secretion weight and mean clinical scores were lower in those given IFN than in those given placebo - the differences were significant for clinical score on 2 days. The results suggest that IFN prophylaxis was less effective against influenza A than against rhinovirus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Evaluation of the antirhinovirus chalcone Ro 09-0415 given orally to volunteers.

Ro 09-0415, a phosphorylated 'pro-drug' of the potent antirhinovirus compound, 4' ethoxy-2'-hydroxy-4, 6' dimethoxy-chalcone (Ro 09-0410) was tested in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial for its protective effect against experimental rhinovirus infection. The maximum dose, 1200 mg bd, based on considerations of practicality and tolerance was given orally both before and after challenge with a sensitive rhinovirus, type 9. Plasma concentrations of active compound in excess of those required for the inhibition of rhinovirus type 9 in vitro were achieved, but there was no evidence to suggest that treatment with Ro 09-0415 had a beneficial effect. It is concluded that Ro 09-0415 given orally is unlikely to be of value in the prophylaxis or therapy of human rhinovirus infection.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1984

Interferons.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

An effective dosage regimen for prophylaxis against rhinovirus infection by intranasal administration of HuIFN-alpha 2.

Before the prophylactic effect of human interferon alpha 2 (HuIFN-alpha 2) can be tested against naturally acquired rhinovirus infection in a large-scale field trial, it is desirable to show that self-administration of the drug is practical, and to determine the smallest well-tolerated dose likely to produce a worthwhile effect. Here we report that self-administered intranasal interferon can be effective, and show how prophylaxis against rhinovirus infection is affected by both the quantity of interferon, and the interval between a dose and virus challenge. Finally, the medication regimen suggested for use in field trials (3.85 MU 3 times/day) was tested in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in volunteers. Although virus challenge was at a time when those being treated with interferon would be most susceptible, a substantial protective effect was still demonstrated.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1983

Comparative intranasal pharmacokinetics of interferon using two spray systems.

Physician-administered and self-administered interferon (IFN) nasal sprays were compared by measuring residual IFN recovered from the nose at intervals following single doses. Amounts of IFN recovered five minutes after administration and the decay curves of recoverable antiviral and immunoreactive IFN with time were variable between volunteers but similar for both methods. It follows that a self-administered IFN spray would be suitable for future trials of IFN in upper respiratory infections. It was also confirmed that IFN persists in the nose for at least 24 h and is not all recovered by nasal washing, suggesting that it may be bound to, then slowly released from, nasal mucosal cells.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1983

Intranasal interferon as protection against experimental respiratory coronavirus infection in volunteers.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, self-administered intranasal human interferon alpha A produced by recombinant DNA technology was given both before and after virus challenge with a respiratory coronavirus. The incidence of colds, the severity of symptoms and signs, and virus replication were all reduced in subjects receiving interferon as compared with those given placebo.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1982

Measuring nurses' accuracy of estimating blood loss.

Estimation is the most commonly used method to determine blood loss. According to the literature, estimating blood loss is not exact; there are wide margins of error and blood loss tends to be underestimated. Forty-two registered nurses were asked to estimate varied amounts of blood on 20 peripads. Both over- and underestimation occurred; 71% overestimated and 25% underestimated blood loss. There was also disagreement as to what constituted heavy, moderate or slight blood loss. There was no difference in accuracy among variables of education, years of experience, specialty area, or when and how nurses learned to estimate. Contrary to current literature, these nurses: 1 overestimated blood loss; 2 had significant difficulty in estimating very small and very large amounts of blood; 3 although in error, were consistent in estimating repeated samples with the same amounts of blood; 4 were not consistent in estimating heavy, moderate, and slight blood loss.

Bandages↗
PubMed1982

Circumcision.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Circumcision, Male↗