Loss of protective immunity to polio, diphtheria and Haemophilus influenzae type b after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Immunity to poliovirus, diphtheria and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was studied in 16 adult recipients of a bone marrow transplant from an HLA-identical sibling donor in order to evaluate the need for revaccinations. T-cell depletion was not done in any case. The donors and patients were studied before bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and the patients 1, 3, 6, and 12 months later.

Serologic diagnosis of pertussis: evaluation of pertussis toxin and other antigens in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

IgM, IgA, and IgG antibodies to Bordetella pertussis were measured in paired sera from 34 patients who were culture-positive for pertussis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with disrupted B. pertussis bacteria, purified pertussis toxin, or outer membrane proteins (OMP) as antigens. Paired sera from 50 patients with other respiratory infections were used as controls.

Serum antibody response to B. pertussis Tn5 mutants, purified PT and FHA in two different mouse strains and passive protection in the murine intranasal infection model.

The protective capacities of antibodies to pertussis toxin (PT) were compared with antibodies to several other pertussis antigens in an experimental murine model of intranasal infection with Bordetella pertussis. Protection from lethal challenge was achieved by passive immunization with mouse antisera to whole cells of the virulent B. pertussis BP338(Vir+) and its Tn5-generated mutants, BP353(Fha-), BP348(Adc-Hly-) and to a lesser extent of BP347(Vir-).

Observations on a formaldehyde low-temperature steam sterilizer.

In Finnish hospitals, heat labile equipment is mostly sterilized by ethylene oxide (EO) gas. Formaldehyde sterilizers are rarely used. We have tested a new commercial autoclave constructed exclusively for formaldehyde and low-temperature steam (F-LTS) sterilization, offering a potentially safer and cheaper method of sterilization.

Outbreak of paralytic poliomyelitis in Finland: widespread circulation of antigenically altered poliovirus type 3 in a vaccinated population.

An outbreak of 9 cases of paralytic poliomyelitis and 1 non-paralytic case occurred in Finland between August, 1984, and January, 1985, after two decades of freedom from the disease attributable to a successful immunisation programme. During the outbreak poliovirus type 3 was isolated from the patients, from about 15% of healthy persons tested, and from sewage water. At least 100 000 persons were estimated to have been infected.

A rapid and simple method for evaluation of serum opsonic capacity against Bordetella pertussis by chemiluminescence.

Serum opsonic capacity against Bordetella pertussis was studied by using quantitative chemiluminescence (CL) which is known to have several advantages over conventional methods in the evaluation of opsonization and phagocytosis. For opsonization, sera from whooping cough patients or from controls were incubated with killed B. pertussis cells at 37 degrees C for 30 min.

Class-specific antibody response to lymphocytosis promoting factor (LPF) and fimbriae (F) in pertussis.

IgM, IgA and IgG antibodies to lymphocytosis promoting factor and fimbriae were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay in seropositive and/or culture-positive patients without symptoms of pertussis, culture-negative patients with typical whooping cough symptoms, and culture-positive patients with typical symptoms. The culture-negative patients with typical symptoms had higher antibody levels in the first specimens and stronger responses to these antigens than the other patients. Antibody levels in the first specimens and antibody responses did not correlate with patients' age and duration of symptoms before taking of the first specimens.

High-performance liquid chromatography in the quality control of immunoglobulin preparations during production and storage.

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been used in the routine quality control of immunoglobulin preparations to measure the contents of aggregates, dimers, monomers and degradation products. The correlation coefficients between TSK 3000 SW, Ultrogel AcA 34 and Sephacryl S-300 chromatography were calculated and a reasonable correlation was found. The decrease in the potency of anti-tetanus immunoglobulin at room temperature was accompanied by an increase in degradation products.

Diagnosis of pertussis.

During a local outbreak of pertussis mainly involving school-children and adults, 71 patients with suspected whooping cough and 25 of their household contacts were studied in the course of 1 day so as to compare enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with bacterial isolation in the diagnosis of pertussis. Serum samples and two nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from all persons. Five different culture media were used.

Serologic diagnosis of pertussis: comparison of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and bacterial agglutination.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and bacterial agglutination (BA) method for determining the presence of antibodies to Bordetella pertussis were compared on serum samples from 21 patients with whooping cough and their 76 family members. The overall diagnostic agreement between the two methods was 77%. The data for BA-detected antibodies correlated best with IgG and IgA antibodies to B.

Immunity to diphtheria in Helsinki in 1975.

To determine the status of the population's immunity to diphtheria, the Schick test was performed on 489 and the diphtheria antitoxin level determined in 404 hospital patients, all residents of Helsinki. A low ("unprotective", less than 0.01 IU/ml) antitoxin level was found in not more than 5% among persons under 20.

Interaction of Pseudomonas cytochrome cd1 with the cytoplasmic membrane.

Labelling with ferritin-conjugated antibody shows that Pseudomonas cytochrome cd1 is associated with the inner surface of the cytoplasmic membrane. Cytochrome cd1 is however, enriched to the soluble fraction obtained after destruction of Pseudomonas spheroplasts. Comparison of the respiratory nitrite reductase activities, due to this cytochrome, between different cellular fractions and the purified enzyme shows that while the kinetic pattern and the temperature dependence of the activity remain almost the same the molecular activity is enhanced when the enzyme is released from cells.

Meningococcus group A vaccine in children three months to five years of age. Adverse reactions and immunogenicity related to endotoxin content and molecular weight of the polysaccharide.

Vaccination of 21,007 children between the ages of three months and five years was completed with five different lots of the meningococcal group A capsular polysaccharide vaccine. A correlation was found between the frequency and severity of adverse reactions and the endotoxin content of the vaccine lots. All vaccine lots elicited a serum antibody response.

The quatenary structure of Pseudomonas cytochrome oxidase studied by electron microscopy.

Pseudomonas cytochrome oxidase (EC 1.9.3.

Adverse reactions and endotoxin content of polysaccharide vaccines.

Adverse reactions occurring when 1.5 million children and young adults were vaccinated with different lots of group A meningococcal and one lot of Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide vaccines were analyzed on the basis of records kept by local health personnel and 19,000 special questionnaires. The incidence of anaphylactic reactions was 0.

The subunit structure of Pseudomonas cytochrome oxidase.

Pseudomonas cytochrome oxidase (EC 1.9.3.