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Biomedical subjects

R Deibel

Publications and source records attributed to R Deibel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Possible typhus-group infection in New York State: presentation of four suspect cases.

Epidemiologic investigations were recently conducted on four cases which were reported in New York State in 1986 and 1987, three of which were within one family. These included hospital chart reviews, case or family interviews, animal trappings, and ectoparasite surveys. Serologic tests and immunoblots were performed on blood samples obtained from these patients. All four patients had acute febrile illnesses; two required hospitalization and one died. Microimmunofluorescence test results using Rickettsia typhi and R. prowazekii antigens showed a greater than or equal to 4-fold increase in titer with paired sera from three patients. The remaining patient had a single serum titer of 4096 with both antigens. In addition, sera from all patients reacted with R. typhi in the immunoblot test and, from the three patients for whom sera were available, also with R. prowazekii. Results suggest that the four patients were exposed to the typhus-group rickettsiae or to an organism which shares a common epitope(s).

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Detection of enteroviruses using subgenomic probes of Coxsackie virus B4 by hybridization.

The objective of this research was to develop group- and type-specific probes for the detection of enteroviruses. Coxsackie virus B4 RNA was cloned, and a series of subgenomic clones were generated. Six of these clones, containing sequences from the 3' end or the 5' end of the genome, were tested for their ability to detect these viruses in a small number of infected cells employing nucleic acid hybridization technique and total cytoplasmic RNA from a panel of 11 serotypes of enteroviruses. The RNA from cells infected with Coxsackie B viruses gave characteristic and positive hybridization signals. Coxsackie B-specific probes and a control Echo 9 probe detected Coxsackie A9 and Echo 3 weakly. As little as 0.5 microgram of the RNA--which contained 10-20 ng of poly(A)-containing, virus-specific, hybridizable RNA--was sufficient to successfully conduct the assay, suggesting high sensitivity of these probes. Probes that are 3' end-specific appear to be group specific, while those that are 5' end-specific appear to be type specific among the serotypes tested.

DNA↗
PubMed1988

Nucleic acid hybridization for detection of cell culture-amplified adenovirus.

A number of recombinant plasmids containing genomic segments of adenovirus were constructed. Seven cloned probes, as well as total adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) and Ad16 genomic DNA, were tested by a nucleic acid hybridization technique for sensitivity and specificity in detecting adenoviruses in infected cells. Adenovirus DNA was spotted onto a nitrocellulose filter and hybridized with 32P-labeled DNA probes. The probes, total Ad2 genomic DNA, and plasmid pAd2-H (containing the hexon gene from Ad2 DNA) all detected 10 reference serotypes of five genomic subgroups (A through E) with similar sensitivities. However, plasmid pAd2-H required less preparation time than did total Ad2 DNA. Probes pAd2-F (containing the fiber gene from Ad2) and pAd16-BD (containing the BamHI D fragment from Ad16) hybridized only with reference serotypes from the homologous subgroups (C and B, respectively). Of 101 patient isolates amplified in cells, pAd2-H detected 100% of all isolates from both the homologous and the heterologous subgroups. The detection rates for pAd2-F were 100% (subgroup C) and 3.6% (subgroups A, B, and D), and those for pAd16-BD were 100% (subgroup B) and 9.4% (subgroups A, C, and D). A commercial biotinylated product (Pathogene II) was also included in this study for comparison.

Adenoviruses, Human↗
PubMed1987

cDNA probes of individual genes of human rotavirus distinguish viral subgroups and serotypes.

The use of cDNA probes for detection of rotaviruses has been investigated using plasmids containing inserts specific for each of the eleven genes of human rotavirus strain Wa. In a dot-blot detection system in which radioactive DNA probes were hybridized to viral RNA extracted from cultivatable rotavirus strains, cDNAs of genes 7, 8, 10 and 11, were found to be the most reliable probes for detecting a range of rotavirus strains. Unexpectedly, rotaviruses could be distinguished with respect to subgroup and subtype specificities when cDNAs of genes 6 and 9, which encode the immunologically relevant proteins VP6 (group-specific antigen) and VP7 (type-specific antigen), were used as probe, even though the nucleic acid sequences of these genes are known to have a high degree of sequence homology.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1986

Widespread outbreaks of clam- and oyster-associated gastroenteritis. Role of Norwalk virus.

Consumption of raw shellfish has long been known to be associated with individual cases and sporadic outbreaks of enteric illness. However, during 1982, outbreaks of gastroenteritis associated with eating raw shellfish reached epidemic proportions in New York State. Between May 1 and December 31, there were 103 well-documented outbreaks in which 1017 persons became ill: 813 cases were related to eating clams, and 204 to eating oysters. The most common symptoms were diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. Incubation periods were generally 24 to 48 hours long, and the duration of illness was 24 to 48 hours. Bacteriologic analyses of stool and shellfish specimens did not reveal a causative agent. Norwalk virus was implicated as the predominant etiologic agent by clinical features of the illness and by seroconversion and the formation of IgM antibody to Norwalk virus in paired serum samples from persons in five (71 percent) of seven outbreaks in which testing was done. In addition, Norwalk virus was identified by radioimmunoassay in clam and oyster specimens from two of the outbreaks. Determining the source of the shellfish was not always possible, but northeastern coastal waters were implicated. The magnitude, persistence, and widespread nature of these outbreaks raise further questions about the safety of consuming raw shellfish.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1985

Diagnosis of rotavirus infection with cloned cDNA copies of viral genome segments.

The diagnostic potential of cloned cDNA copies of human rotavirus (strain WA) genome segments for the detection of rotavirus in clinical specimens has been determined. A hybridization assay in which a mixture of 32P-labeled cDNAs representing the 11 rotavirus segments was used as a probe compared favorably with three frequently used diagnostic tests for rotavirus in terms of both specificity and sensitivity. Significantly, clinical isolates could be readily distinguished when cloned cDNA copies of individual genome segments were used independently as a probe. In assays in which genome RNA from rotaviruses of known subgroups and serotypes were tested, cloned probes that encode nonstructural viral proteins hybridized efficiently to genome RNAs of all strains, whereas cloned probes corresponding to genome segments 6 and 9 exhibited the potential for differentiating strains of different subgroups and serotypes. Cloned cDNA copies of rotavirus genome segments therefore offer considerable potential for improved general diagnosis of rotavirus in clinical specimens, as well as for epidemiological studies in which virus isolates can be distinguished on the basis of nucleotide sequence homology of individual genome segments.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1985

Circulation of influenza viruses and paramyxoviruses in waterfowl originating from two different areas of North America.

Migratory waterfowl and shore birds harbour a wide range of influenza viruses, some of which have been implicated in influenza outbreaks in mammals and domestic birds. In the present study, a comparison was made of two marshalling areas for different migratory flyways of waterfowl in North America over a 6-8-year period. Virtually all known influenza subtypes were isolated and the predominant subtype changed from year to year. A marked difference between the two locations was that the predominant subtypes circulating were never the same, even though in both areas, most virus isolations were made from the same duck species (mallard duck). Isolations of paramyxovirus were characterized mainly as avian PMV-1.Viruses isolated from ducks included those antigenically related to viruses causing disease in birds and mammals, although the viruses did not necessarily appear in ducks immediately before they appeared in other species. For example, H5N2 isolates antigenically related to the virus causing severe disease outbreaks in chickens in the USA in 1983, were detected in ducks from both areas at different times (1976, 1980 and 1982). These studies indicate that ducks in different areas represent a continual source of orthomyxoviruses and paramyxoviruses of potential disease significance to other species.

Alberta↗
PubMed1984

California serogroup viruses in New York State: the role of subtypes in human infections.

The roles of various subtypes of the California serogroup viruses as infectious agents and as neuropathogens were evaluated by using the plaque reduction neutralization test. Sera from 394 patients with central nervous system (CNS) infections during 1971-1982 and from 501 persons without CNS manifestations were studied. Jamestown Canyon (JC) and La Crosse (LAC) viruses were found to have been common infectious agents in New York State for at least 16 years. JC virus was the prevalent indicated agent in patients with antibody to California serogroup viruses in screening tests (62 of 93 cases), followed by LAC virus (11 cases), snowshoe hare (2 cases), and trivittatus (1 case). In the remaining 17 patients the subtype was undetermined. LAC virus appears to be more pathogenic for children and to produce more serious illness, as judged by the frequent clinical diagnosis of encephalitis. JC virus affects mainly adults, and meningitis was the most common diagnosis. JC virus appears to cause a stronger neutralizing antibody response than does LAC virus, with a longer persistence of high levels of antibody. Some cases of JC virus infection may have been missed in the past due to the choice of a LAC-like isolate from New York State as the sole antigen in hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) screening tests. Comparison of the HI test and a single-dilution neutralization assay for screening for the two major subtypes, JC and LAC, indicated that the latter procedure is more broadly reactive and is less likely to miss cases if only one test antigen is used.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Monoclonal antibodies against La Crosse virus.

Monoclonal antibodies have been used to show that an epitope is present on the G1 glycoprotein of prototype La Crosse virus that is absent or significantly altered on several isolates of La Crosse virus made in New York State, U.S.A. The portion of the G1 protein where this epitope is located plays a role in both virus neutralization and haemagglutination. Additional experiments revealed that under the appropriate assay conditions the monoclonal antibodies permitted discrimination between representatives of the North American members of the California serogroup.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Assay of rubella antibody by passive hemagglutination and by a modified indirect immunofluorescence test.

The passive hemagglutination (PHA) test and a modified indirect immunofluorescence (IF) test were compared with the standard hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test for the assay of rubella antibody. For sera from healthy individuals with or without detectable rubella antibody the agreement between the new and the standard procedure was 96.4% for the PHA and 98.1% for the IF test. In rubella patients with serologic confirmation by HI, the IF test detected significant rises in 219 (99.1%) of 221 patients and the PHA test detected antibody conversion in 68 (93%) of 73 patients. In some circumstances the PHA or the IF test may facilitate a presumptive or definitive diagnosis. Absence of PHA reactions in single sera from patients with HI antibody was often (41% of such cases) an early indication of current rubella infection. IF antibody increased more gradually than HI antibody in rubella patients, and diagnostic IF titer rises were observed in several cases when HI titers had reached a plateau.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1979

Arboviruses in New York State: an attempt to determine the role of arboviruses in patients with viral encephalitis and meningitis.

In a reveiw of 2,963 patients with signs of infections of the central nervous system in New York State in 1966--1977, arboviruses were found to be the confirmed or presumptive etiologic agents in 60 patients. California encephalitis (CE) virus was the most common (44 patients), followed by Powassan (POW) virus (8), St. Louis encephalitis virus (7), and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus (1). Most patients (47) were children. The incidence of encephalitis was higher in patients with arbovirus findings than in infections with any other of the common neurotropic viruses. The disease was fatal in two patients, one infected with POW virus, the other with EEE virus. Most patients with CE virus infections resided in suburban areas. All POW infections were contracted in six rural counties known for their recreational facilities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Strain-specific local and systemic cell-mediated immune responses to cytomegalovirus in humans.

Employing the techniques of complement fixation, immunofluorescence, and in vitro lymphocyte transformation assay, the antibody and cell-mediated immunity to cytomegalovirus (CMV) were studied in the serum, peripheral blood lymphocytes, tonsillar lymphocytes, and cord blood lymphocytes. The study population consisted of 32 children undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. In the lymphocyte transformation assay, three strains of CMV (AD-169, ADH-1-41, and Davis), herpes simplex type 1, and phytohemagglutinin were employed as antigens. Sixty-five percent of the subjects were found to have CMV-specific antibody activity. The lymphocyte transformation response to phytohemagglutinin was similar in all subjects. No CMV-specific lymphocyte transformation activity was detected in cultures of cord blood lymphocytes. Significant cell-mediated immunity was observed in the tonsillar lymphocytes of 30% (3/10) of the seronegative individuals and in the peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from one such subject. Over 75% (16/21) of the seropositive subjects demonstrated cell-mediated immunity against one or more strains of CMV in the peripheral blood lymphocytes and tonsillar lymphocytes. In the lymphocyte transformation assay, no cross-reactivity was apparent between CMV and herpes simplex type 1. These studies demonstrate the presence of strain-specific systemic and mucosal cell-mediated immune response to CMV in humans. The frequency and distribution of lymphocyte transformation responses to the three CMV strains suggest antigenic heterogeneity of CMV.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Eastern equine encephalomyelitis in upstate New York: studies of a 1976 epizootic by a modified serologic technique, hemagglutination reduction, for rapid detection of virus infections.

An extensive outbreak of eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) occurred in upstate New York during the summer of 1976, with 37 cases confirmed in horses by isolation of virus and/or by serologic examination. Other specimens collected in the affected area yielded 16 further isolates: 9 from 818 pools of 33,365 mosquitoes, 5 from tissues of 64 birds and 2 from 4 sentinel pheasants with serologic conversions. EEE antibodies were also detected in 81 of 499 wild birds tested. Our data implicate sparrows, cowbirds, and catbirds in the amplification of EEE virus and Culiseta melanura mosquitoes as vectors among avians. During the course of this epizootic a modified serologic technique involving hemagglutination reduction gave reliable diagnoses of EEE as early as 24 hours after receipt of field specimens.

Animals↗