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Biomedical subjects

R C Talamo

Publications and source records attributed to R C Talamo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1982

Serum prealbumin levels in alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (PiZ).

The relationship between low serum prealbumin levels and alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (PiZ) was investigated. Pi typing was done by acid starch gel electrophoresis followed by crossed antigen-antibody electrophoresis and/or immunofixation. Serum prealbumin levels were determined by radial immunodiffusion. While the serum concentration of prealbumin was low in nine of the fifteen PiZ children, this could be explained by the presence of liver disease in eight of those patients; one patient was asymptomatic. In contrast, only one of the twelve adult PiZ patients exhibited a low prealbumin level, also due to liver disease. We conclude that there is no direct association between PiZ alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency and low serum prealbumin levels in children or adults.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Prevalence of asthma and health service utilization of asthmatic children in an inner city.

To determine the prevalence of asthma and to examine the pattern of health service utilization of asthmatic children in Baltimore, we sent questionnaires randomly to 4096 first and sixth graders attending Baltimore City public schools; 2898 completed the questionnaire. Asthma was defined as "a condition which causes difficulty in breathing, with wheezing noises in the chest." On the basis of this definition, we found that the cumulative prevalence of asthma was 10.5% and the 12 mo period prevalence was 7.2%. The prevalence was significantly higher for boys (male:female = 1.6:1) and for blacks (black:white = 1.5:1). Nearly 50% of the children with active asthma missed 6 days or more out of the school year because of illnesses due to asthma. Almost half the asthmatic children obtained their care of asthma in the emergency room, and twice as many blacks as whites used the emergency room as their primary source of care. Moreover, emergency room users had a higher school absentee rate than non-emergency room users.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1982

Diurnal variation of air and helium-oxygen flow-volume curves in asthmatic children.

In order to assess diurnal variation of flow-volume curves and to determine whether small airways are involved in the diurnal variation of pulmonary function in asthmatic children, we studied eight asthmatics who were attending an asthma summer camp. Spirometry and maximal expiratory flow-volume curves with air and a helium-oxygen mixture were obtained in the morning and afternoon over a 10-day period. We found that significant increases in maximal expiratory flows at all lung volumes occurred in the afternoon. However, the increase in flows with helium (helium response) was unchanged from morning to afternoon. These results suggest that both large and small airways are involved in the diurnal variation of pulmonary function in asthmatic children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Mucus-stimulating activity in the sera of patients with cystic fibrosis: demonstration and preliminary fractionation.

The ciliated, mucus-secreting urn cell complex (UCC) is found swimming in the coelomic cavity of the marine invertebrate Sipunculus nudus. This cell complex, which can be maintained in suspension cultures, responds to various stimuli by hypersecreting mucus in the form of a cohesive mucus "tail." This tail can be measured and expressed as a multiple of "urn cell diameters." Using this bioassay, heated sera from 35 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), 29 patients who were obligate heterozygotes for the CF gene, and 42 controls with a variety of diseases were tested. Control sera yielded a mean (+/- S.D.) mucus tail length of 2.5 (+/-2.3); CF sera yielded a mean mucus tail length of 7.5 (+/- 2.9), (P < 0.0005), and obligate heterozygote sera yielded a mucus tail length of 6.2 (+/- 2.1), (P < 0.0005). These responses were reproducible with different UCC suspensions from the same Sipunculus, as well as from different Sipunculi. In addition, sera from 3 CF patients and 3 controls were chromatographed on protein A-Sepharose. The bound IgG fraction was then washed with 8 M urea and subsequently eluted with 1 M acetic acid. Pooled dialyzed, lyophilized fractions were assayed as coded samples in the UCC assay. Mucus-stimulating activity as measured by mucus tail length per mg protein was greatest in the fractions eluted with 8 M urea. The 8 M urea fractions from 3 CF sera were 2.8 to 5.5 times as active as fractions from 3 control sera. The UCC assay can quantitatively measure mucus-stimulating activity in CF serum. This activity appears to be associated with a serum fraction which can be dissociated from IgG.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Anaphylactic release of a basophil kallikrein-like activity. I. Purification and characterization.

These studies describe the IgE-mediated relase of a basophil kallikrein-like enzyme that is an arginine esterase and is inhibited by plasma, diisopropylphosphofluoridate, and Trasylol. The substrate specificity for the synthetic amino acid ester substrates p-toluenesulfonyl-L-arginien methyl ester, benzoyl-arginine methyl ester, and acetyl-tyrosine methyl ester is similar for the basophil enzyme and plasma kallikrein. The interaction of arginine esterase-active fractions from ion-exchange (DEAE-Sephacel) and gel filtration (Sepharose 6B) chromatography, with human plasma kininogen, generates immunoreactive kinin. The basophil arginine esterase and kinin-generating activities co-chromatograph on Sepharose 6B and the quantity of kinin generated is, in general, proportional to the arginine esterase activity of the column fractions, suggesting that these two activities are subserved by the same protease. The ability of this protease to generate kinin equally well from heat- and acid-treated plasma, as from fresh human plasma, suggests that this protease has kallikrein-like activity. These data suggest that kallikrein-like activity can be generated from human basophils as a direct result of a primary IgE-mediated immune reaction, thus providing a potential link between reactions of immediate hypersensitivity and the plasma and(or) tissue kinin-generating systems.

Anaphylaxis↗
PubMed1979

Anaphylactic relase of a basophil kallikrein-like activity. II. A mediator of immediate hypersensitivity reactions.

This report describes the immune release of a new mediator from human peripheral leukocytes, a basophil kallikrein-like activity (BK-A). The release process is initiated by the interaction of antigen on anti-IgE with cell-bound IgE, and appears to be similar in mechanism to the relase of histamine and other mediators of the immediate hypersensitivity reaction. The dose-response relationships and kinetics of histamine and BK-A release from antigen-challenged peripheral leukocytes are similar. The relase of the BK-A is calcium and temperature dependent, requires metabolic energy, and is controlled by hormone-receptor interactions that influence the cellular level of cyclic AMP, as has been described for other mediators of immediate hypersensitivity reactions. The data indicate that the interaction of BK-A with human plasma kininogen, generates immunoreactive kinin. We conclude that the antigen-IgE interation leads to the release from human basophils of a new mediator, a basophil kallikrein-like activity which may well be a link between reactions of immediate hypersenstivitity and the plasma and/or tissue kinin-generating systems.

Anaphylaxis↗
PubMed1979

An unusual type of alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency in a child.

An unusual variant of serum alpha1-antitrypsin is described in a 15 5/6-year-old white male with a history of chronic pulmonary disease. The patient had a very low level of this protease inhibitor as demonstrated by tryptic inhibitory capacity and electroimmunoassay. Even though the patient's serum alpha1-antitrypsin was partially purified and concentrated, no phenotypic pattern was seen using conventional Pityping procedures (acid starch gel with crossed antigen-antibody electrophoresis or isoelectric focusing). Crossed antigen-antibody electrophoresis using agarose in both steps, immunoelectrophoresis, and agarose electrophoresis followed by immunofixation all revealed a slow-moving alpha1-antitrypsin, cathodal to the Pi Z region. Studies on sera from the patient's mother and two half-sibs showed that all three had clear Pi M phenotypic pattersn. Quantitative date on these sera suggested that the unusual variant may be inherited in a codominant fashion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Presence of alpha-1-antitrypsin on mitogen-stimulated human lymphocytes.

Human lymphocytes that have undergone concanavalin A-induced blastogenetic transformation demonstrate surface alpha-1-antitrypsin by immunofluorescence when examined after 72 hr of culture, whereas unstimulated cells do not. These results may indicate a role for alpha-1-antitrypsin in lymphocyte blastogenesis.

Concanavalin A↗
PubMed1979

Basophil kallikrein of anaphylaxis (BK-A)--purification and characterization.

These studies describe the IgE-mediated release of a basophil kallikrein of anaphylaxis (BK-A) that has arginine esterase activity and is inhibited by plasma, DFP, and Trasylol. The interaction of BK-A active fractions from ion exchange (DEAE-Sephacel) and gel filtration (Sepharose 6B) chromatography, with human plasma kininogen generates immunoreactive kinin. The BK-A and kinin-generating activities co-chromatograph on DEAE-Sephacel and Sepharose 6B columns, and the quantity of kinin generated is, in general, proportional to the BK-A activity of the column fractions, suggesting that these two activities are subserved by the same protease. These data suggest that kallikrein-like activity can be generated from human basophils as a direct result of a primary IgE-mediated immune reaction, thus providing a potential link between reactions of immediate hypersensitivity and the plasma and/or tissue kinin-generating systems.

Anaphylaxis↗
PubMed1978

Unilateral hyperlucent lung (Swyer-James syndrome) after severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

An 11-year-old girl contracted pneumonia with consolidation of the left lower lobe, infiltrates in the lingula and left upper lobe, and a large left pleural effusion, accompanied by a Mycoplasma complement-fixation titer increasing to 1:16,384. Serial chest radiographs demonstrated resolution of the pneumonia and effusion, followed by development of a hyperlucent left lower lobe. This diagnosis was supported by abnormalities discovered by chest cinefluoroscopic examination and lung scans of ventilation and perfusion. Unilateral hyperlucent lung should be considered as a possible sequel to severe Mycoplasma pulmonary infection.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1978

Selective IgA deficiency and Pi ZZ-antitrypsin deficiency. Association with recurrent sinopulmonary infections, emphysema, and bronchiectasis.

We describe a patient in whom selective IgA deficiency and homozygous alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency were discovered. Clinically, the patient suffered from chronic sinopulmonary infections, destructive emphysema, and bronchiectasis. The interrelation of IgA and alpha1-antitrypsin was studied. Twenty-three alpha1-antitrypsin-deficient sera were screened for IgA deficiency. None of these sera were deficient in IgA. Fifteen IgA-deficient sera were screened for alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency. In this group, three patients were found to have variant alpha1-antitrypsin phenotypes. Respiratory infections were a prominent complaint in all three of these patients, with bronchiectasis in two patients. We believe that the combination of IgA and alpha1-antitrypsin deficiencies should be considered in the evaluation of any patient with idiopathic bronchiectasis.

Bronchiectasis↗
PubMed1978

Immediate (IgE-mediated) skin testing in the diagnosis of allergic disease.

Immediate (IgE-mediated) skin tests are widely used in the diagnosis of allergic diseases. Skin tests correlate well with more specialized studies (RAST, histamine release and provocation tests) in the diagnosis of allergic disease. Lack of standardization and quantitation of biologic potency of allergens make critical comparison of skin test results impossible. A survey of practicing allergists yielded widely divergent opinions concerning the effect of anti-allergic drugs on skin tests. The results of published studies indicate that only antihistamines cause significant depression of skin reactivity. Therefore, therapy for asthma may be continued while diagnostic skin testing is in progress, avoiding the possible morbidity associated with discontinuing pharmacologic therapy.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗