Age-specific prevalence of antibodies to pyrimidine kinase enzymes of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, and of varicella zoster virus.

The age-specific prevalence of antibodies to pyrimidine kinase enzymes of herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) and of varicella zoster virus (VZV) was measured in serum specimens from 360 persons. Specific inhibition of viral enzyme activity by the serum was used as an indication of the presence of antibodies to the enzyme. For HSV-1 and HSV-2 together the overall prevalence of positive sera increased with age and reached about 50% in the older age groups, the major part of the positive sera being HSV-1 positive.

Polyamine depletion results in impairment of polyribosome formation and protein synthesis before onset of DNA synthesis in mitogen-activated human lymphocytes.

Lymphocytes, exposed to mitogens in culture, show enhanced protein and RNA synthesis before the onset of DNA synthesis. Inhibition by DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine of polyamine synthesis in phytohaemagglutinin-activated human lymphocytes resulted in a suppression of protein synthesis, which was evident before the initiation of DNA synthesis. The mitogen-induced increase in the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA was subsequently inhibited in parallel with the activity of thymidine kinase in the polyamine-depleted cells.

Interferon affects the formation of adhesion plaques in human monocyte cultures.

When monocytes isolated from human blood adhere to glass substratum, actin- and vinculin-containing punctate plaques rapidly appear at the ventral surface of the cells. We show here that highly purified human leukocyte interferon (IFN) can inhibit formation of these adhesion plaques in a dose-dependent manner. Complete inhibition was obtained when 300 IU/ml IFN were added into the cell-seeding medium.

Kinetics of specific IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM antibody responses in rubella.

Rubella-specific IgD and IgE antibodies were determined with a solid-phase enzyme immunoassay using enzyme-labeled heavy-chain specific anti-immuno-globulins, and the antibody responses in rubella infection were compared to IgM, IgA, and IgG antibodies. IgD and IgE antibodies increased rapidly after the onset of infection, remained at a high level for at least 2 months, and declined slightly by 6 months. In comparison, the IgM antibodies decreased more rapidly, whereas the IgG antibodies persisted longer at a steady level.

The Mr 95,000 gelatin-binding protein in differentiated human macrophages and granulocytes.

Cultured adherent human macrophages and a promonocytic cell line, U 937, were previously shown to produce a Mr 95,000 gelatin-binding protein. The protein has no immunologic cross-reactivity with the well-characterized gelatin-binding protein fibronectin and the Mr 70,000 gelatin-binding protein produced by a variety of mesenchymal or epithelial cell types (T. Vartio et al, J Biol Chem 257:8862, 1982).

Immunoglobulin G subclass antibody responses in influenza A and parainfluenza type 1 virus infections.

Antibody responses in immunoglobulin G1, G2, G3, G4, A (IgA1) and M isotypes were studied in 10 patients with an acute influenza A and in another 10 patients with a parainfluenza type 1 virus infection using radioimmunoassay with standardized monoclonal anti-immunoglobulins. A four-fold or greater increase of antibody in patients have an acute influenza A virus infection, were found in IgG1 (all 10 cases), IgG3 (seven cases), IgG4 (eight cases) and in IgA1 (six cases) whereas IgG2 and IgM responses were observed only in one and three cases, respectively. The antibody titre values were converted to immunoglobulin units by multiplying the titre by a pre-determined correction coefficient compensating for the varying affinity of the individual monoclonal anti-immunoglobulins.

Prophylactic oral acyclovir after renal transplantation.

In a double-blind, controlled study 35 herpes simplex virus (HSV) antibody-positive patients were randomized to receive oral acyclovir 200 mg X 4 daily or placebo for 28 days following renal transplantation. The incidence of herpes virus infection was compared in both groups by weekly virus demonstration/isolation testing from throat swabs and urine, and by serum antibody demonstration. None of the 18 patients allocated to acyclovir showed any signs of HSV or varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection during the trial period, whereas 9 of 17 receiving placebo had signs of HSV (P less than 0.

Effect of concomitant food intake on absorption kinetics of erythromycin in healthy volunteers.

The steady state absorption of erythromycin from enteric-coated pellets of erythromycin base was compared with that from enteric-coated tablets in a randomized, two-way cross-over study in 24 healthy adult volunteers. A higher mean individual peak concentration (p less than 0.01), and a greater mean area under the serum concentration-time (0-8 h) curve (AUC, p less than 0.

Enzyme immunoassay, complement fixation and hemagglutination inhibition tests in the diagnosis of influenza A and B virus infections. Purified hemagglutinin in subtype-specific diagnosis.

The efficacy of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in detecting diagnostic antibody rises to influenza A and B viruses was compared with complement fixation (CF) and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests in 455 patients with an acute respiratory infection. EIA and HI detected significantly more diagnostic antibody rises against influenza A than the CF method (96 and 87 vs. 47, respectively).

Detection of rotavirus in faecal specimens by enzyme immunoassay, latex agglutination and electron microscopy.

Faecal specimens from 570 patients with gastroenteritis were studied for rotaviruses by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), electron microscopy (EM) and latex agglutination test (LX). Specimens from 127 patients were positive and 379 were negative with all 3 methods. 64 (11%) specimens gave contradictory results in the tests.

Oral acyclovir suppression of recurrent genital herpes: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study was conducted in 31 male patients with a history of frequently recurrent genital herpes who received consecutively 200 mg acyclovir and matching placebo by mouth four times a day for 12 weeks each. During acyclovir therapy recurrences were completely prevented in 24 (77%) and were reduced in both frequency and duration in the remainder compared with those occurring during treatment with placebo. The incidence and nature of adverse events reported during each treatment period was virtually identical.

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its inhibitor secreted by cultured human monocyte-macrophages.

Human blood monocytes in culture differentiate to macrophagelike cells within 1 week. Coinciding with this morphological transition the cells started releasing increasing amounts of the serine proteinase plasminogen activator (PA; Mr 56,000) of the urokinase (u-PA) type and the proteinase inhibitor alpha-2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M). Unlike the cell-associated PA activity, which was also readily detected in fresh monocytes, the activity secreted into the serum-free culture medium could be measured only after treatment of the samples with sodium dodecyl sulphate.

Inhibition of phytohemagglutinin-induced DNA synthesis and of adenosine deamination by 5-azacytidine and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine in intact human cells.

5-Azacytosine nucleosides block phytohemagglutinin-induced thymidine incorporation into DNA in intact human blood lymphocytes in a dose-dependent manner at 1-100 micrograms/ml. Maximal inhibition was observed when mitogen and 5-azacytidine or 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine were added to the culture in admixture. Both analogues also inhibit deamination of exogenous adenosine in stimulated cells without affecting the synthesis of nucleotides from adenosine, adenine or hypoxanthine.

Serological diagnosis of influenza A and B infections by enzyme immunoassay. Comparison with the complement fixation test.

Paired sera from 784 patients with symptoms of acute respiratory disease were examined for antibodies against influenza A, B and parainfluenza (1 and 3) viruses by complement fixation (CF) and enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The internal variation of the EIA test results was low and an increase of 0.250 in absorbance values which corresponded to a two-fold increase in end-point titres was considered a diagnostic antibody rise.

Age-specific prevalence of complement-fixing antibodies to sixteen viral antigens: a computer analysis of 58,500 patients covering a period of eight years.

The age-specific prevalence of CF antibodies against 16 viral antigens was determined by using the computerized data registry of the routine diagnostic laboratory of the authors' department. The material consisted of data based on serum specimens from about 58,500 patients. All ages from newborn infants to 90-year-olds were represented.

Restricted replication of herpes simplex virus in human monocyte cultures: role of interferon.

Exposure of fresh human monocytes in culture to high or moderate concentrations of herpes simplex virus (HSV) resulted in an abortive infection or in a highly restricted replication of the virus. Infectious progeny virus yields were obtained either by diluting the inoculum virus to multiplicities of 0.1-0.

Erythromycin absorption in healthy volunteers from single and multiple doses of enteric-coated pellets and tablets.

The absorption of erythromycin from two different enteric-coated preparations was evaluated in three groups of healthy volunteers. After a single dose, taken after an overnight fast, absorption was significantly better from enteric-coated pellets than from tablets; both the mean peak serum concentration and the peak mean level were higher (p less than 0.01) in all three groups, and the mean area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC) was at least 65% larger.

Reorganization of cytoskeletal and contractile elements during transition of human monocytes into adherent macrophages.

Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy was used to study the reorganization of contractile and cytoskeletal elements of human monocytes during their in vitro transition into macrophage-like cells. In freshly isolated monocytes, actin, myosin, alpha-actinin, and vinculin all had a diffuse distribution, whereas microtubules and vimentin-type intermediate filaments showed a distinct fibrillar organization. In culture, the cells differentiated within 1 week to two distinct cell types: bipolar fibroblastoid cells and flattened epithelioid cells.

Sensitive interferon assay based on immunoenzymatic quantification of viral antigen synthesis.

A sensitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for determining the biological activity of human interferon was developed. Green monkey kidney (Vero) cells and human embryonic lung (HEL) cells were grown in microtitre plates, treated with leukocyte interferon (IFN alpha) and infected with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Cells were fixed with paraformaldehyde and permeabilized with Triton X-100.

Solid-phase enzyme immunoassay for rotavirus antigen: faecal protease activity as a reason for false-negative results.

Rabbits and guinea pigs were immunized with purified bovine rotavirus. Immunoglobulin G fractions of the resulting antisera were used in a standard four-layer solid-phase enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for rotavirus antigen in human faecal specimens. Samples negative for rotavirus in electron microscopy, when diluted in standard EIA buffers, regularly gave absorbance values lower than those obtained with buffer blank only.