229 results match your criteria: "Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research[Affiliation]"

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide mediates the loss of CD4 from the surface of purified peripheral blood monocytes.

Clin Exp Immunol

December 1992

AIDS Pathogenesis Research Unit, Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield Hospital, Australia.

In this study we have looked at the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the surface antigen expression of cultured monocytes. Monocytes were purified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and cultured in the presence or absence of LPS. The cultured cells were then stained with anti-MO3, anti-IL-2R and anti-CD4 MoAbs.

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Identification of two novel human immunodeficiency virus type 1 splice acceptor sites in infected T cell lines.

J Gen Virol

July 1992

AIDS Molecular Biology Laboratory, Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield Hospital, Victoria, Australia.

The regulatory and accessory proteins of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are produced from singly or multiply spliced mRNAs. We have used HIV-1-specific oligonucleotide primer pairs in a polymerase chain reaction procedure on RNA from lymphocyte cell lines infected with HIV-1(228,200). The amplified products were analysed by hybridization with splice junction-specific oligonucleotide probes to determine splice donor/splice acceptor combination utilization, subcloned into a plasmid vector and the nucleotide sequences were obtained.

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Three AIDS patients with severe cutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection refractory to therapy with acyclovir and foscarnet (2 patients) were treated with a topical preparation of trifluorothymidine (TFT) and interferon-alpha. Complete healing of lesions occurred in 1 patient; a second had significant regression of the infected area. In the third, the lesion was stabilized twice after application of the preparation and reduced in size after a subsequent treatment.

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Replication complexes associated with the morphogenesis of rubella virus.

Arch Virol

February 1992

Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield Hospital, Victoria, Australia.

Thin section electron microscopy was used to investigate cellular changes associated with the replication of rubella virus (RV) in Vero cells and to compare these changes to those of the related alphavirus, Semliki Forest virus (SFV). Conspicuous membrane-bound cytoplasmic vacuoles analogous to the alphavirus replication complexes were observed in RV infected cells but not in mock infected cells. The vacuoles were characterised by membrane-bound vesicles measuring about 60 nm which often displayed an irregular dense core and/or a network of fibres.

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Entry of human immunodeficiency virus infection into a population of injecting drug users, Victoria, 1990.

Med J Aust

September 1991

Epidemiological Research Unit, MacFarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research Inc., Fairfield Hospital, VIC.

Objective: To investigate the pathway by which the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is entering populations of injecting drug users (IDUs) in Victoria.

Design: A retrospective case-control study comparing the prevalence of self reported risk behaviour in HIV-infected and uninfected Victorian IDUs.

Setting: Subjects were recruited by trained peer outreach workers from their personal networks, community agencies and Fairfield Hospital outpatients, and by a research worker from the major metropolitan prison.

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Monocyte--macrophages are important target cells and reservoirs for HIV. The existing methods for the quantification of infectious virus in HIV stocks are not totally satisfactory for use with macrophage cultures. We have developed an infectious focus assay for the direct quantification of virions infectious for human peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages adhering to plastic microtitre plates.

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Testing of saliva for antibodies to HIV-1.

AIDS

May 1991

Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield Hospital, Australia.

To determine whether saliva is a potentially useful sample for screening for HIV infection when serum is not obtainable, saliva and serum samples from 50 HIV-infected and 50 uninfected subjects were tested for antibody to HIV-1 (anti-HIV-1) using a second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; Abbott) and prototype antibody-capture ELISA (Wellcome). Of saliva specimens from HIV-infected people, six gave negative results on the Abbott and one on the Wellcome assays; all specimens from uninfected people were negative by both assays. Sensitivity for the Abbott assay was therefore 88.

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Design of new anti-viral agents for chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

J Gastroenterol Hepatol

January 1992

Hepatitis Research Unit, Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield, Victoria, Australia.

The effectiveness of therapies for chronic hepatitis B will depend on their ability to inhibit all HBV replicative intermediates including viral SC DNA as well as stimulating the host's immune system to clear virus and produce sustained immunity. Future therapies will require the use of combined treatments in 'cocktail-type arrangements' as outlined in this paper, linked with careful staging of the hepatitis B carrier state.

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Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) results in progressive depletion of the CD4 subset T-lymphocytes and the development of opportunistic infections and certain malignancies. Charts were reviewed for 185 HIV-infected individuals with 265 AIDS-defining illnesses (ADIs) who had T-lymphocyte subset analyses performed within 2 months prior to or 1 month following the diagnosis. Also included were 22 HIV-infected patients with oral candidiasis and 20 with asymptomatic infection.

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Effect of Phyllanthus amarus on duck hepatitis B virus replication in vivo.

J Med Virol

December 1990

Hepatitis Research Unit, Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield Hospital, Victoria, Australia.

Nine ducks congenitally infected with the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) were treated either orally (four ducks for 10 weeks) or intraperitoneally (five ducks for 12 weeks) with the Indian traditional herbal remedy Phyllanthus amarus. Compared to placebo-treated control ducks, these treatments did not result in a reduction of circulating viral DNA in the serum or in the level of viral DNA replication in the liver. In two of the five intraperitoneal-treated ducks, a reduction in the levels of duck hepatitis B surface antigenaemia (DHBsAg) was observed.

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Morphogenesis of hepatitis A virus: isolation and characterization of subviral particles.

J Virol

November 1990

Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield Hospital, Victoria, Australia.

The morphogenesis of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in BS-C-1 cells was examined by immunoblotting with antisera to capsid proteins and labeling of virus-specific proteins with L-[35S]methionine. Antiserum to VP2 detected two virus-specific proteins with apparent molecular masses of 30.6 and 30 kDa, representing VP0 and VP2, while antiserum to VP1 detected proteins with molecular masses of 33 and 40 kDa, representing VP1 and a virus-specific protein which we designated PX, respectively.

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Human immunodeficiency virus-(HIV) infected monocyte-macrophages may contribute to the pathogenesis of HIV-associated immune deficiency and dysfunction by acting as a target and potential reservoir for the virus in vivo, and by functioning abnormally following infection. We have shown that HIV-infected macrophages fuse with uninfected CD4-expressing lymphoid cells in vitro; this may provide an additional mechanism for CD4 lymphocyte depletion in vivo. We report here the inhibition of syncytium formation between HIV-infected macrophages and uninfected CD4-expressing T-lymphoid cells by monoclonal antibody S3.

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Primary duck hepatocyte (PDH) cultures were established from ducklings congenitally infected with the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV), plated onto feeder cell layers of irradiated human embryonic lung fibroblasts, and observed for 2 to 3 weeks. This system permitted the survival of the PDH in a differentiated form free of fibroblastic overgrowth for at least 3 weeks. The hepatocytes were shown to contain all the replicative DNA intermediates found during DHBV replication as well as the DHBV structural proteins PRE-S1, PRE-S2, and S of duck hepatitis B surface antigen (DHBsAg).

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The replication kinetics of HIV were examined in HTLV-I-transformed MT-2 cells. The duration of the initial replication cycle was 20 hours, determined by the first detection of infectious progeny virus, development of syncytia, and production of viral RNA and protein. A phase of exponential virus production followed until 62 h postinfection.

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Primary duck hepatocyte (PDH) cultures, congenitally infected with the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV), were grown on feeder cell layers of irradiated human embryonic lung fibroblasts and then exposed to a number of compounds with recognized or potential antiviral activity. These compounds included conventional antiviral agents, reverse transcriptase inhibitors, compounds with activity to supercoiled-DNA, and DNA-binding agents. Twenty-three compounds were evaluated, and 13 were found to inhibit significantly viral DNA replication.

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Design of hepatitis A vaccines.

Br Med Bull

April 1990

Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Hepatitis A is a major public health problem in many rapidly developing countries and it is still an important disease in many developed countries. Isolation of the virus in cell culture and access to reliable animal models has led to the development of several candidate vaccines. Both inactivated and attenuated vaccines have been developed which appear to be safe, antigenic and protective in laboratory animals.

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Prevention of viral hepatitis.

Aust Fam Physician

February 1990

Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield Hospital, Victoria.

Viral hepatitis is one of the more common potentially serious infections that may be acquired during international travel. Clinically indistinguishable syndromes may be produced by a variety of enterically and parenterally transmitted hepatitis viruses, with widely differing implications and outcomes. Most travel-related hepatitis can be prevented by a combination of sensible precautions and appropriate immunoprophylaxis.

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Use of a conserved immunodominant epitope of HIV surface glycoprotein gp41 in the detection of early antibodies.

AIDS

January 1990

NH & MRC Special Unit for AIDS Virology, Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield Hospital, Victoria, Australia.

An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) utilizing a synthetic peptide analogue of HIV gp41 (amino acids 579-599, RILAVERYLKDQQLLGIWGCS) as antigen was compared with two commercial assays (Genetic Systems, Abbott ENVACORE) for the ability to detect antibodies in the early stages of infection. Two panels, consisting of 96 sera from 15 people and 140 sera from 44 people seroconverting to HIV, were examined. In the first group the synthetic peptide assay (gp41 EIA) detected antibodies before the Genetic Systems EIA in seven out of 15 people and concurrently in the remaining eight.

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We compared the efficacy of 3 antiretrovirals in cultured human peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages and lymphoid cells infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Zidovudine (greater than 0.01 micrograms/ml) or foscarnet (greater than or equal to 100 micrograms/ml) consistently inhibited HIV replication (p24 antigen production) in acutely infected macrophages by more than 90%; alpha interferon (1,000 units/ml) inhibited HIV replication by 88-99%.

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The nucleotide sequence of cDNA from a high-passage, cell culture-adapted variant of hepatitis A virus strain HM175 was compared with the previously determined sequences of wild-type virus and two other cell culture-adapted variants. A total of 42 nucleotide changes were detected when the sequence was compared with wild-type virus. Five of these changes were common to all cell culture-adapted strains and a further two changes were shared by the strains that had experienced the greatest number of cell culture passages.

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Control of HBV and HDV infection in an isolated Pacific Island: 1. Pattern of infection.

J Med Virol

September 1989

Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infections are known to be hyperendemic in Nauru. Because of the consequences of chronic HBV infection, the Nauruan Government has commenced a program that aims to reduce and eventually eliminate hepatitis B infection by immunizing susceptible adults and children on the island and every newborn baby. At the outset of this program, a national seroepidemiological survey was undertaken.

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