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Biomedical subjects

R M Woodland

Publications and source records attributed to R M Woodland.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Antigens of the sheep scab mite Psoroptes ovis.

Sheep scab caused by the mite Psoroptes ovis (Hering) is a highly contagious disease of sheep. As a first step in developing a mite-derived vaccine for controlling the disease, the soluble antigens in mite extracts which induce an immune response in sheep were identified by electrophoretic and immunoblotting techniques. At least 22 proteins were present in P. ovis extracts as revealed by Coomassie Blue staining. Mite-infested sheep serum recognised six antigenic bands in the extracts with approximate relative molecular weights ranging from 12 to 183 kDa. A deeply staining band at 31.2 kDa and another at 41.8 kDa are of particular diagnostic value. Immunoblotting studies showed that there was no cross reactivity between P. ovis and two other ectoparasites of sheep in the UK, the sheep louse Bovicola ovis (Schrank) and the sheep tick Ixodes ricinus L.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Experimental conjunctival infection of lambs with a strain of Chlamydia psittaci isolated from the eyes of a sheep naturally affected with keratoconjunctivitis.

Five ram-lambs were inoculated into the left conjunctival sac with the 15R isolate of Chlamydia psittaci, recovered from a sheep with keratoconjunctivitis. A sixth ram-lamb was kept in contact with them. The five lambs developed varying degrees of acute conjunctivitis and 14 days later C psittaci could be recovered from the inoculated eyes, from which Branhamella ovis was also isolated. The eyes were examined regularly for four months; C psittaci could not be re-isolated but the eyes developed varying degrees of follicular conjunctivitis. After four months the sheep were treated with corticosteroids in an attempt to reactivate a latent chlamydial infection but no chlamydiae could be isolated. Five months after the start of the experiment the six lambs were inoculated with 15R into the left conjunctival sacs. Acute conjunctivitis developed which was not as severe as after the first inoculation, but C psittaci could only be recovered from the left eyes of three sheep three days after inoculation. The eyes remained chronically affected by follicular conjunctivitis. Six months after the start of the experiment the left eyes were again inoculated with 15R; on this occasion acute conjunctivitis did not develop and chlamydiae could not be isolated. Chronic follicular conjunctivitis persisted until the experiment was terminated three months later.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Colposcopy, biopsy, and cytology results in women with chlamydial cervicitis.

Colposcopy and biopsy were carried out at diagnosis and at follow up of 222 women. Of 322 cervical biopsy specimens taken, 174 were from women with chlamydial cervicitis (patients) and 48 from control women (both at diagnosis) and 100 from 76 patients and seven controls at follow up. Of the 174 patients with chlamydial cervicitis, 158 (91%) had erythema compared with 9/48 (19%) controls, and 140 (81%) had "follicles" and lumps compared with three (6%) controls. The cervical polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMNL) count in a high power (x 1000) field (HPF) was 85 in patients compared with 47/HPF in controls. Cervical ectopia was found in 154 (89%) patients compared with 32 (67%) controls. After treating the 174 patients, we found erythema in nine (5%) and "follicles" in 16 (9%); both conditions were disappearing. Lymphocytic germinal follicles were found on histology in only 5/165 patients compared with none in controls or in patients at follow up examination (after treatment for chlamydial cervicitis). Inclusions were found in 6/165 patients compared with none in controls or patients at follow up. Chlamydiae were found on electron microscopy in slides from seven out of 159 patients compared with none from controls or 81 subjects at follow up. Estimating numbers of inflammatory cells and measuring vascularity showed diffuse increases in lymphocytes and plasma cells and increases in vascularity in both endocervical and exocervical tissue of patients with chlamydial cervicitis. These increases were lessened by treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Management and prevention of ocular viral and chlamydial infections.

A majority of cases of preventable and/or curable ocular morbidity and blindness are caused by ocular infections. They may account for 70 to 90% of all ocular morbidity seen by family doctors, general practitioners, health centers, and local ophthalmologists in both developed and developing countries. Unfortunately, most health authorities and doctors, including ophthalmologists, consider these diseases to be of little or no importance because they are not fully aware of the high prevalence of these infections and the blinding sequelae which may occur following incorrect diagnosis and treatment. Also, they are not aware of the social and economic impact of these infections in the absence of proper management and implementation of preventive measures. In this review, we examine present knowledge of chlamydial and common viral ocular infections. We discuss the problems of diagnosis, management, and prevention and propose solutions relevant to developed and developing countries.

Adenoviridae Infections↗
PubMed1987

Diagnosis of ophthalmia neonatorum.

Ninety consecutively seen babies with eye discharge in the first three weeks of life were examined. Four babies had "sticky eyes" with no evidence of ophthalmia and had uniformly negative cultures and test results for antichlamydial antibody; these babies were excluded. Of the 86 babies with ophthalmia neonatorum, Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated from eight, Chlamydia trachomatis from 44, other bacteria alone from 20, and 14 had negative cultures. Three babies with negative cultures had longstanding conjunctivitis and had been treated with chloramphenicol eye ointment; all had antichlamydial IgM antibodies, indicating that the conjunctivitis was chlamydial. Hence the total number of babies whose conjunctivitis was chlamydial was 47. The result of the Gram stained conjunctival smear correlated well with that of culture and final assessment by the microimmunofluorescence test, enabling an immediate presumptive diagnosis to be made of gonococcal, chlamydial, or bacterial conjunctivitis. Prompt and effective treatment of babies was started. Explanation to the mother and contact tracing were carried out when the confirmatory cultures and antibody tests were completed. The Gram stained conjunctival smear is a highly sensitive, specific, and predictive test for the aetiological agent of ophthalmia neonatorum. By virtue of its simplicity and rapidity the test may be useful in developing countries.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1987

Sensitivity of mitomycin-C treated McCoy cells for isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis from genital specimens.

A new cell culture method was developed for the diagnostic isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis using McCoy cells pretreated with mitomycin-C. This drug acts on the cell by producing cross links between strands of DNA and results in the production of large, flat cells, which are similar to irradiated cells, and large chlamydial inclusions. In tests using a laboratory isolate of Chlamydia trachomatis, there were significantly more inclusions produced in mitomycin-treated monolayers than in cycloheximide-treated monolayers. Using clinical specimens, significantly more isolates were obtained in mitomycin-treated cells than in cycloheximide-treated cells. The new cell culture technique therefore offers a cell culture method which has the advantages of producing large inclusions similar to irradiated cells but with the convenience of drug treatment.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1987

Value and cost effectiveness of double culture tests for diagnosis of ocular viral and chlamydial infections.

Swabbings from the eyes of 4132 patients attending ophthalmic casualty and outpatients clinics were tested for chlamydiae, adenovirus, and herpes simplex virus. Laboratory isolation tests gave positive results for one of these three agents in 696 (16.8%) cases. When a positive isolation was obtained, only 341 (49%) agreed with the clinical diagnosis while 355 (51%) either had no definite diagnosis marked on the request card or had been clinically diagnosed incorrectly. Routine testing of ocular specimens for all likely organisms can enable the correct treatment to be started sooner than doing one test at each visit, thereby reducing the number of times the patient has to visit the clinic and the expenses involved.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1985

Chlamydial pelvic infection in cats: a model for the study of human pelvic inflammatory disease.

The inoculation of feline keratoconjunctivitis agent (Chlamydia psittaci) directly into the oviducts of eight cats produced an acute disease that was characterised by hyperaemia of the tissue and pronounced polymorphonuclear leucocyte infiltration of the epithelium and subepithelial stroma. The lumens of the tubes contained exudates of desquamated epithelial cells and polymorphonuclear leucocytes. After about 30 days the disease subsided leaving chronic inflammation with the tissue infiltrated with both polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells. Fimbrial scarring and formation of adhesions were apparent by 40 to 50 days after inoculation. Chlamydiae were isolated in McCoy cell cultures from most cats, in one for as long as 51 days after inoculation. Inclusions were seen in histological sections or smears of cells from the fimbriae of four of the eight cats. Six of the eight cats developed antibodies to feline keratoconjunctivitis agent, which were detectable as early as 12 days after inoculation. To facilitate repeated examinations of the cats' fallopian tubes, techniques for laparoscopy in cats and for the collection of specimens while under laparoscopic examination were developed. The latter technique has since been applied successfully in man.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Evidence of chlamydial infection in infertile women with and without fallopian tube obstruction.

This study investigates the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies in 164 infertile women who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy and dye insufflation as part of routine infertility investigations. C. trachomatis antibodies were found in 36 (22%) of 164 infertile women, which was significantly more than the prevalence of antibodies in a control group (22 of 200, 11%). C. trachomatis antibodies were found in 25 (35.7%) of 70 infertile women who had laparoscopically verified peripheral tubal disease. This was significantly more than the prevalence of C. trachomatis antibodies in infertile women with normal fallopian tubes (6 of 52, 11.5%). The prevalence of C. trachomatis antibodies in infertile patients with laparoscopically verified cornual disease was similar to those without cornual disease. C. trachomatis was not isolated from any of the patients studied. This study confirms that past chlamydial salpingitis is associated with the development of peripheral fallopian tube obstruction with resultant infertility.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

A rapid method for staining inclusions of Chlamydia psittaci and Chlamydia trachomatis.

A new staining method was developed for the detection of inclusions of Chlamydia psittaci and Chlamydia trachomatis inclusions in cell cultures. Using a combination of methyl green and neutral red stains and washing at pH 5.0, inclusions were stained red while cell cytoplasm was pale pink and cell nuclei were pale green. The method was significantly better than Giemsa staining and comparable to immunofluorescence for detecting C psittaci inclusions. Its sensitivity for detection C trachomatis inclusions by dark field microscopy was similar to that of Giemsa staining.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Comparative sensitivity of fluorescent antibody staining of conjunctival scrapings and irradiated McCoy cell culture for the diagnosis of hyperendemic trachoma.

The sensitivity of an indirect fluorescent antibody (FA) staining technique for detecting chlamydial inclusions in scrapings from the whole conjunctiva (upper tarsus, upper fornix, and lower lid) was compared with the sensitivity of culture in irradiated McCoy cells for the diagnosis of hyperendemic trachoma. In a group of 211 patients with various grades of active trachoma from the Bandar Abbas area of Southern Iran 42 patients were positive for chlamydiae by either method. There was little difference between the rates of positivity of FA staining of the scrapings from the whole conjunctiva (28 positives) and culture in irradiated McCoy cells (32 positives). In the patients included in this study chlamydial inclusions were detected in 15 eyes by examination of FA stained scrapings taken from the upper tarsal conjunctiva, whereas inclusions were detected in 40 eyes by the additional examination of scrapings taken from the upper fornix and lower lid (P less than 0.001). The examination of FA stained scrapings taken from the whole conjunctiva and spread as a single but larger smear may provide a satisfactory alternative to cell culture methods for the diagnosis of trachoma, particularly for field studies when cell culture facilities are not available.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1978

Sensitivity of immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence staining for detecting chlamydia in conjunctival scrapings and in cell culture.

The sensitivities of Giemsa, immunofluorescence, and immunoperoxidase staining for the detection of Chlamydia psittaci inclusions in conjunctival scrapings and in irradiated McCoy cell monolayers were compared. Conjunctival specimens were obtained from a cat colony in which a trachoma-like disease, feline chlamydial keratoconjunctivitis, was endemic. The two immunochemical techniques were found to be of equal sensitivity and 50% to 100% more sensitive than Giemsa stain. Permanent preparations of immunoperoxidase stained material can be made and can be read using a simple light microscope. These features make the technique more useful than immunofluorescence staining, which gives temporary preparations that must be examined with a specialised fluorescence microscope.

Animals↗