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Biomedical subjects

W Weir

Publications and source records attributed to W Weir.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Population genetic analysis and sub-structuring of Theileria parva in Uganda.

In recent years the population structures of many apicomplexan parasites including Plasmodium spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptospordium parvum have been elucidated. These species show a considerable diversity of population structure suggesting different strategies for transmission and survival in mammalian hosts. We have undertaken a population genetic analysis of another apicomplexan species (Theileria parva) to investigate the levels of diversity of this parasite and the role of genetic exchange in three geographically separate populations. The principal hindrance to carrying out such a study on field isolates was the high proportion of blood samples that contain multiple genotypes, making it impossible to determine the genotypes of the parasites directly. This problem was overcome by sampling only young indigenous calves between 3 and 9 months of age in which approximately 60% of the T. parva infected calves contained a single/predominant allele at each locus, making it possible to undertake population genetic analyses. Blood samples were collected from calves in three geographically distinct regions of Uganda and were analysed using 12 polymorphic mini and microsatellite markers that were evenly dispersed across the four chromosomes. We have identified 84 multilocus genotypes (MLG) from these samples, indicating high levels of diversity in the parasite. Analysis of linkage disequilibrium between pairs of loci provides evidence that the population in Lira district had an epidemic structure. The population in Mbarara was substructured containing two genetically distinct sub-groups and the larger sub-group also had an epidemic population structure. The population from Kayunga was in linkage disequilibrium. Genetic distances and Wrights fixation index (F(ST)) indicate that there is evidence for geographical sub-structuring between the Lira and the Kayunga populations.

Alleles↗
PubMed1998

A study of the immunology of the chronic fatigue syndrome: correlation of immunologic parameters to health dysfunction.

Surface and intracellular immunologic and apoptotic markers and functional lymphocyte assays after stimulation with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibodies or phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were studied in 44 patients fulfilling the Oxford criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Results were then correlated to scores for the Short Form-36 health questionnaire (SF-36), which assesses eight aspects of patient's well-being, and for the general health questionnaire (GHQ), which detects current psychiatric disorder. Patients had significantly increased mean fluorescence intensity readings of HLA-DR in CD4 and CD8 cells (P < 0.05). Expression of the costimulatory receptor CD28 in CD8 cells was significantly reduced, and the apoptosis repressor ratio of bcl-2/bax in both CD4 and CD8 was increased in patients (P < 0.05). Patients with increased HLA-DR expression had significantly lower SF-36 total scores, worse body pains, and poorer general health perception and physical functioning scores. Increased spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation was associated with poor general health perception. PHA proliferative responses were lower in patients with poor emotional and mental health scores, and the anti-CD3/anti-CD28 response was low in those with low general health perception scores. Higher spontaneous proliferation and reduced PHA responses correlated with higher GHQ scores. Similarly, GHQ scores were significantly higher, indicating worse mental health, in those with lower total SF-36 scores and worse general and mental health scores in the SF-36 questionnaire. Finally, higher expression of the costimulatory molecule CD28 correlated with higher total SF-36 scores, general health perception and social functioning scores, and with lower role limitation due to physical health. The increased expression of class II antigens and the reduced expression of the costimulatory receptor CD28, which is a marker of terminally differentiated cells, lend further support to the concept of immunoactivation of T-lymphocytes in CFS and may be consistent with the notion of a viral etiopathogenesis in the illness. We report, for the first time, increased expression of the apoptosis repressor protein bcl-2, which may contribute to enhanced survival of activated lymphocytes. Using the SF-36 health assessment questionnaire and the GHQ, we demonstrated changes in different immunological parameters, each of which correlated with particular aspects of disease symptomatology.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Ways of coping with chronic fatigue syndrome: development of an illness management questionnaire.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disorder of uncertain aetiology, and there is uncertainty also about the appropriate way in which patients should manage the illness. An illness management questionnaire (IMQ) was designed to assess coping in CFS. This was completed by 207 patients, in parallel with the COPE scales (a general measure of coping that can be applied situationally), and measures of functional impairment, anxiety and depression. The IMQ yielded four factors: maintaining activity, accommodating to the illness, focusing on symptoms and information-seeking. Scales based upon these factors together predicted 26, 27 and 22% of the variance in functional impairment, anxiety and depression, respectively, and each scale had significant relationships with relevant scales of the COPE, supporting the interpretation of the factors. It is suggested that the IMQ may be employed to relate ways of coping to outcomes in CFS, and to assess coping as a mediator of change in cognitive-behavioural interventions.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1987

An unusual presentation of tuberculosis--'injury TB'.

Thirteen patients are presented who developed tuberculosis at the site of injury. They were all immigrants from areas where tuberculosis is endemic. The presence of injury caused a delay in diagnosis and therefore appropriate treatment. In an immigrant with an injury that pursues an unusual or protracted course, tuberculous infection should be considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Ascites in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Peritoneal serositis is not a widely recognised aspect of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Indeed, ascites in SLE is said to occur only when complicated by the nephrotic syndrome, congestive cardiac failure, or hepatic cirrhosis. We describe two patients who developed ascites that could be attributed to none of these complications.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Ocular injuries from liquid golf ball cores.

Tissue removed from nine new cases from 18 hours to 20 weeks after injury by a golf ball contained crystalline and other foreign material to which there was a mild inflammatory reaction followed by macrophagic activity and fibrosis. Optical and electron probe analysis showed that the crystalline material was crushed barytes containing small quantities of muscovite as is typical in natural deposits. The centres of several golf balls were shown to contain essentially identical material. By contrast with previous reports, no zinc sulphide was found. The form and frequent location of the deposits in the conjunctiva as compared with cornea and eyelid is related to the structure of these tissues.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

TB or not TB?

These 3 cases illustrate what we believe to be unusual presentations of tuberculosis. In no case was there conclusive proof of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis using histological, microbiological or radiological techniques. All were treated empirically with anti-tuberculous medication, with complete recovery. With the re-emergence of tuberculosis, there may be a rise in such cases, and the importance of their recognition and empirical treatment is discussed.

Adult↗