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Biomedical subjects

S L Inhorn

Publications and source records attributed to S L Inhorn.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Serologic study of specimens with borderline FTA-ABS test reactivity.

The treponemal group-specific absorbed fluorescent antibody test (FTA-ABS) does not yield clearly positive or negative results in all instances. This study was designed to analyze those sera showing borderline reactivity, in order to determine whether additional tests may help to resolve serodiagnostic problem cases. FTA-ABS tests on 23,807 sera submitted to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene yielded borderline results with 479 specimens (2%). Patients showing inconclusive FTA-ABS test reactivity were equally distributed among older and younger age groups, and 6% of borderline cases were women. Of all the 479 specimens, only five sera (1%) gave a non-specific hemagglutination with the Treponema pallidum microhemagglutination (MHA-TP) test, with 82.5% of the FTA-ABS test borderline sera yielding negative results with the MHA-TP test. Because recent findings had shown atypical false fluorescence with the FTA-ABS test on sera from patients with antinuclear antibody, the fluorescent antinuclear antibody test (FANA) was also performed on specimens inconclusive with the FTA-ABS test. Only seven sera (1.5%) were reactive by the FANA test, suggesting that antinuclear antibody was not a significant cause of borderline FTA-ABS reactions. The implications of these findings to venereal disease serology laboratory practice are discussed.

Adolescent

Use of an inhibitor-resistant live attenuated influenza vaccine in normal and asthmatic adults.

The efficacy of a monovalent live attenuated influenza A (H3N2) vaccine (an inhibitor-resistant recombinant strain named "Alice") and of a bivalent vaccine composed of "Alice" and influenza B strain R75 (also inhibitor-resistant), was tested in healthy and asthmatic adults. Two intranasal doses of the monovalent "Alice" vaccine were given to 95 healthy adults in the winter of 1973-74. Ninety-three % of 68 subjects with initial serum hemagglutination (HI) titers of less than or equal to 1:40 had a significant (4-fold or greater) antibody increase in post-vaccination sera. Overall, 77% of the vaccinees had significant antibody rises. Two doses of the bivalent (A/B) vaccine were given to 53 healthy adults in the winter of 1974-75. Eighty-two % of 34 subjects with initial HI titers of less than or equal to 1:40 had 4-fold or greater antibody rises to influenza A, and overall 57% of the vaccinees responded. The B component of the bivalent vaccine was less effective; only 56% of persons with initial HI titers of less than or equal to 1:40, and 28% of all vaccinees had significant antibody rises. Both tf asthmatics who received "Alice" and one of 10 (10%) who received the bivalent vaccine had serologic responses to influenza A. None of the asthmatics responded to the B component of the bivalent vaccine. Analysis of the incidence of febrile respiratory illness during an influenza outbreak in the winter of 1974-75 revealed no differences in the attack rates of placebos and vaccines. In conclusion, both the "Alice" and bivalnet (A/B) vaccines were effective in eliciting serologic responses to influenza A in healthy persons. They were less effective in asthmatics. The lack of protection observed may have been due to the onset of influenza before the vaccine could take effect or to the failure of the vaccine itself.

Administration, Intranasal

Serologic profile of children in a Mexican highland community: prevalence of complement-fixing antibodies to Mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza viruses.

The study investigated the prevalence of antibodies to five leading agents of childhood respiratory disease in the county of Huixquilucan, Mexico. Tests of sera from a random sample of children between 3 months and 18 years of age confirmed serologically the presence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial (RS) virus and parainfluenza 1, 2 and 3 viruses in this relatively isolated highland community. Highest overall antibody frequency of 64.2% was seen for parainfluenza 3, and antibody to this virus was acquired early in life. Antibody to M. pneumoniae was least prevalent among children surveyed; this rate was 15.5% overall. This was only slightly below the prevalence rates for antibodies to RS virus and parainfluenza 1 and 2 viruses, which had intermediate frequency rates of 23%, 32%, and 22.9%, respectively. The relatively low prevalence of antibody to RS virus was unexpected. Differences in prevalence rates in regard to location of residence or family size were insignificant. Statistically significant differences in age-specific antibody prevalence rates in respect to sex were noted only for the 5- to 9-year-old group to M. pneumoniae and to parainfluenza 3.

Adolescent

Attenuated influenza A vaccine (Alice) in an adult population: vaccine-related illness, serum and nasal antibody production, and intrafamily transmission.

Ninety-five healthy adults, ages 18 to 56 years, received two intranasal doses, 2 weeks apart, of a live, attenuated, influenza type A (H3N2) vaccine (an inhibitor-resistant recombinant strain of A/England/42/72 named "Alice"). Ninety-two persons were given placebos similarly. Ninety-three percent of 68 subjects with initial serum hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) titers of greater than or equal to 1:40 to influenza A (H3N2) had a fourfold or greater antibody increase in postvaccination sera. Forty-four percent of 27 subjects with an initial HI titer of greater than or equal to 1:80 had similar increases. Overall, 77% of vaccinees had fourfold or greater antibody titer increases. Vaccinees had geometric mean serum HI titers (GMT) of 1:26, 1:123, and 1:166 at 0, 14, and 30 days, respectively. The GMTs for placebos were 1:21, 1:22, and 1:21. Thirty-five vaccinees were examined for both serum and nasal antibody; 89% had significant increases in one or both. Nasal antibody response was directly related to the level of initial serum HI titer in that 83% of 12 persons with prevaccination HI titers of 1:80 greater than or equal to 1:80 showed significant nasal antibody rises, whereas only 61% of the remaining 23 subjects with prevaccination HI titers of less than or equal to 1:40 did so. The number and severity of clinical signs and symptoms reported by vaccinees and placebos did not differ significantly. The greatest differences noted between groups were for nasal congestion on days 0 to 6 (8.3%) and rhinitis on days 14 to 20 (5.9%). Four vaccinees shed Alice after primary vaccination, but viral titers were low (10 to 100 tissue culture-infective doses/ml). One member in each of 15 cohabiting male-female couples received Alice while the other received a placebo; one of the placebo members had significant increases in serum and nasal antibody, indicating a possible transmission.

Administration, Intranasal

Absorbed heterophile and ox-cell hemolysin test in serodiagnosis of infectious mononucleosis.

The accuracy of the absorbed heterophile and the ox-cell hemolysin procedures was compared by testing of 1577 sera routinely submitted to the State Laboratory of Hygiene for serodiagnosis of IM. Results of both tests were in agreement with 1369 (86.8%) sera; additional 122 (7.7%) samples yielded minor disagreements in results. Major discrepancies in results were seen with 86 sera (5.4%). On basis of clinical data peripheral blood smear findings, tests comprising our IM syndrome test battery, and additional serologic tests, we concluded that in most instances of ox-cell hemolysin positive heterophile negative findings, there was evidence to support a diagnosis of IM. Such support was lacking in a majority of cases with heterophile positive, ox-cell negative findings, and in several of these patients infection with agents other than EBV was suggested. On the basis of comparisons of sensitivity, specificity, cost and ease of performance, the ox-cell hemolysin test appears to offer several advantages over the other available IM serodiagnostic procedures for a public health laboratory performing a large number of tests.

Hemolysin Proteins

Mechanisms of chromatid breakage in human lymphocyte cultures.

G2 banding of human peripheral blood cultures with actinomycin D and tetracycline produced chromatid breakage in lightly stained Giemsa bands, and the number of such breaks tended to increase with fixation time. Chromatid breakage due to 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA was also localized in light bands, but the number of these breaks did not increase with fixation time. These findings suggest that modification of chromosomal protein as a result of exposure to AMD or other chemicals following DNA synthesis can result in fixative-dependent chromatid breakage of susceptible chromosomal regions, unlike breakage due to 3H-thymidine which primarily affects DNA and is not affected by fixation. Thus, chromatid breakage observed in short-term lymphocyte cultures is not necessarily evidence of mutagenicity involving DNA, but rather may be due to toxic effects on synthesis or attachment of chromosomal proteins.

Cells, Cultured

Influenza surveillance of Wisconsin (USA) population-detection of A/New Jersey by isolation and serologic monitoring and vaccine evaluation.

The 1976-77 influenza surveillance in Wisconsin consisted of three major areas of study. Serum and virus isolation specimens were obtained from the practicing medical community and from epidemiologic studies. From all sources 1,132 throat specimens were tested by egg and tissue culture inoculations. Three isolations similar to A/New Jersey/8/76 were recovered from pig farm associated patients. One contact with one of the isolate patients seroconverted to A/New Jersey suggesting patient to patient spread. Serological monitoring of 1,361 patients showed no other A/New Jersey activity in the state. In addition 31 influenza B/Hong Kong and 8 A/Victoria isolates have been recovered as well as 34 B and 11 A seroconversions. A surveillance using primarily syphilis serology premarital serums has been conducted from August 29, 1976 through April 23, 1977. No significant influenza A activity in the state was recognized by this study. However, increased herd immunity from vaccination was detected. The last phase of this surveillance was an evaluation of the mass immunization program and the efficacy of the vaccines. Two-hundred-ninety individuals contributed pre- and post-vaccine serums to this study. Eighty-three percent of those persons with a pre-vaccine titer of 1:80 or less to A/New Jersey/8/76 developed a post-vaccine titer four-fold or greater to that virus type. Those who received vaccine containing A/Victoria/3/75 were less responsive. Refractiveness to vaccine antibody stimulation was greater than or equal to 1:160 for A/New Jersey and less than or equal to 1:40 with A/Victoria.

Adolescent