Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Bacteriolytic Activity Of Selected Vertebrate Sera For Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Stricto And Borrelia Bissettii, Amy J. Ullmann, Robert S. Lane, Klaus Kurtenbach, Michael Miller, Martin E. Schriefer, Nordin Zeidner, Joseph Piesman

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An in vitro assay to evaluate the bacteriolytic activity of the complement pathway was applied to 2 strains of Borrelia bissettii, CO501 and DN127, and compared with that of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto B31. Sera from mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus) and the Western Fence lizard ( Sceloporus occidentalis) were completely borreliacidal for B. burgdorferi and for both strains of B. bissettii. Serum from Bobwhite quail ( Colinus virginianus) was nonlytic for B. burgdorferi and partially lytic for B. bissettii strains, CO-501 and DN127. Serum from a New Zealand White rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) …

Acquaintance Rape Of College Students, Rana Sampson

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Rape is the most common violent crime on American college campuses today. This guide describes the problem of acquaintance rape of college students, addressing its scope, causes and contributing factors; methods for analyzing it on a particular campus; tested responses; and measures for assessing response effectiveness. With this information, police and public safety officers can more effectively prevent the problem.
Researchers believe that college rape prevention programs, including the most widely used ones, are insufficient. Most rapes are unreported, perhaps giving campus administrators and police the false impression that current efforts are adequate. In addition, campus police may be influenced …

Association Of Borrelia Garinii And B. Valaisiana With Songbirds In Slovakia, Klara Hanincova, Veronika Taragelova, Juraj Koci, Stefanie M. Schafer, Rosie Hails, Amy J. Ullmann, Joseph Piesman, Milan Labuda, Klaus Kurtenbach

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In Europe, 6 of the 11 genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato are prevalent in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks. In most parts of Central Europe, B. afzelii, B. garinii, and B. valaisiana are the most frequent species, whereas B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. bissettii, and B. lusitaniae are rare. Previously, it has been shown that B. afzelii is associated with European rodents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify reservoir hosts of B. garinii and B. valaisiana in Slovakia. Songbirds were captured in a woodland near Bratislava and investigated for engorged ticks. Questing I. ricinus ticks …

Inhibition Of Markers Of Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation By The Hormone Relaxin, Robert G. Bennett, Kusum K. Kharbanda, Dean J. Tuma

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Hepatic fibrois results from excess extracellular matrix produced primarily by hepatic stellate cells (HSC). In response to injury, HSC differentiate to a myofibroblastic phenotype expressing smooth muscle actin and fibrillar collagens. Relaxin is a polypeptide hormone shown to have antifibrotic effects in fibrosis models. In this study, activated HSC from rat liver were treated with relaxin to determine if relaxin can reverse markers of HSC activation. Relaxin treatment resulted in a decrease in the expression of smooth muscle actin, but had no effect on cell proliferation rate. The levels of total collagen and type I collagen were reduced, while the …

Impaired Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis By The Asialoglycoprotein Receptor In Ethanol-Fed Mice: Implications For Studying The Role Of This Receptor In Alcoholic Apoptosis, Shana R. Dalton, Robert L. Wiegert, Cheryl R. Baldwin, Karen M. Kassel, Carol A. Casey

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During receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME), extracellular molecules are internalized after being recognized and bound to specific cell surface receptors. In previous studies of the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) in rats, we showed that ethanol impairs RME at multiple ASGPR sites. Ethanol administration has been shown to increase apoptosis, and we demonstrated increased sensitization to apoptotic induction in hepatocytes from ethanol-fed rats. Although a physiological role for the ASGPR has not been identified, investigators have shown its involvement in the uptake/clearance of apoptotic cells in vitvo. This suggests a potential role for the ASGPR in the removal of apoptotic cells, and the recent …

Acute Pesticide-Related Illnesses Among Working Youths, 1988–1999, Geoffrey M. Calvert, Louise N. Mehler, Rachel Rosales, Lynden Baum, Catherine Thomsen, Dorilee Male, Omar Shafey, Rupali Das, Michelle Lackovic, Ernest Arvizu

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Objectives. The goal of this study was to describe acute occupational pesticide-related illnesses among youths and to provide prevention recommendations.
Methods. Survey data from 8 states and from poison control center data were analyzed. Illness incidence rates and incidence rate ratios were calculated.
Results. A total of 531 youths were identified with acute occupational pesticide-related illnesses. Insecticides were responsible for most of these illnesses (68%), most of which were of minor severity (79%). The average annual incidence rate among youths aged 15 to 17 years was 20.4 per billion hours worked, and the incidence rate ratio among youths vs adults …

Interferon Gamma Enhances Proteasome Activity In Recombinant Hep G2 Cells That Express Cytochrome P4502e1: Modulation By Ethanol, Natalia A. Osna, Dahn L. Clemens, Terrence M. Donohue Jr.

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We tested the influence of IFNγ on proteasome activity in parental Hep G2 cells that do not metabolize ethanol, as well as in recombinant Hep G2-derived cells that express either or both alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1). IFNγ treatment increased proteasome activity in VL-17A (ADH⁺, CYP2E1⁺) and E-47 (CYP2E1⁺) cells, but not in Hep G2, VI-R2 (parental cells with empty vectors) or in VA-13 (ADH⁺) cells. Proteasome activation by IFNγ correlated positively with the level of CYP2E1 activity. Treatment of VL-17A cells with agents that inhibit CYP2E1 or the inducible …

What Affects Influenza Vaccination Rates Among Older Patients? An Analysis From Inner-City, Suburban, Rural, And Veterans Affairs Practices, Richard Kent Zimmerman, Tammy A. Santibanez, Janine E. Janosky, Michael J. Fine, Mahlon Raymund, Stephen A. Wilson, Inis Jane Bardella, Anne R. Medsger, Mary Patricia Nowalk

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BACKGROUND: Despite strong evidence of the effectiveness of influenza vaccination, immunization rates have reached a plateau that is below the 2010 national goals. Our objective was to identify facilitators of, and barriers to, vaccination in diverse groups of older patients.
METHODS: A survey was conducted in 2000 by computer-assisted telephone interviewing of patients from inner-city health centers, Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinics, rural practices, and suburban practices. The inclusion criteria were age ≥66 years and an office visit after September 30, 1998.
RESULTS: Overall, 1007 (73%) interviews were completed among 1383 patients. Influenza vaccination rates were 91% at VA clinics, …

Chronic Ethanol Consumption Impairs Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis Of Maa-Modified Albumin By Liver Endothelial Cells, Michael J. Duryee, Lynell W. Klassen, Thomas L. Freeman, Monte S. Willis, Dean J. Tuma, Geoffrey M. Thiele

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Alcoholic liver disease has been associated with abnormalities in receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME) which results in abnormal degradation of metabolically altered proteins. Model systems using formaldehyde-modified albumin (f-Alb) have shown an impairment in RME following chronic alcohol consumption utilizing both in situ perfused rat livers and isolated rat liver endothelial cells (LECs). The discovery that alcohol metabolite derived aldehydes can modify proteins prompted a study to determine if malondialdehyde– acetaldehyde-modified albumin (MAA-Alb) would be degraded similar to that reported for f-Alb, and whether ethanol-fed rats would demonstrate an impaired RME with respect to this ligand which occurs as a consequence of …

Sodium Tanshinone Iia Sulfonate Mediates Electron Transfer Reaction In Rat Heart Mitochondria, Guangyin Zhou, Wen Jiang, Yan Zhao, Guangén Ma, Wenjuan Xin, Junjie Yin, Baolu Zhao

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In this paper, an electron transfer reaction mediated by sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) was studied in rat heart mitochondria. It was found that STS could stimulate mitochondrial NADH oxidation dose-dependently and partly restore NADH oxidation in the presence of respiratory inhibitor (rotenone or antimycin A or KCN). It was likely that STS could accept electrons from complex I similar to ferricyanide and could be converted to its semiquinone form that could then reduce oxygen molecule. The data also showed that cytochrome c (Cyt c) could be reduced by STS in the presence of KCN, or STS could transfer the …

A Preliminary Linkage Map Of The Hard Tick, Ixodes Scapularis, A. J. Ullmann, J. Piesman, M. C. Dolan, W. C. Black Iv

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Blackwell Publishing Ltd. A linkage map of the Ixodes scapularis genome was constructed, based upon segregation amongst 127 loci. These included 84 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, 32 Sequence-Tagged RAPD (STAR) markers, 5 cDNAs, and 5 microsatellites in 232 F₁ intercross progeny from a single, field-collected P₁ female. A preliminary linkage map of 616 cM was generated across 14 linkage groups with one marker every 10.8 cM. Assuming a genome size of ~ 10 ⁹ bp, the relationship of physical to genetic distance was found to be ~ 300 kb/cM in the I. scapularis genome.

Absence Of Interferon-Γ–Inducible Gene Igtp Does Not Significantly Alter The Development Of Chagasic Cardiomyopathy In Mice Infected With Trypanosoma Cruzi (Brazil Strain), A. P. De Souza, B. Tang, H. B. Tanowitz, S. M. Factor, V. Shtutin, J. Shirani, G. A. Taylor, L. M. Weiss, L. A. Jelicks

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Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) contributes to host resistance during acute infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas’ disease. Inducibly expressed guanosine triphosphatase (IGTP), a 48-kDa guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase), is a member of a family of GTPase proteins inducibly expressed by IFN-γ. The expression pattern of IGTP suggests that it may mediate IFN-γ–induced responses in a variety of cell types. IGTP has been demonstrated to be important for control of Toxoplasma gondii infection but not for resistance against Listeria monocytogenes. We evaluated the role of IGTP in development of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy in IGTP null mice and C57X129sv (wild …

Accuracy Of Six Commercially Available Systems For Identification Of Members Of The Family Vibrionaceae, Caroline M. O’Hara, Evangeline G. Sowers, Cheryl A. Bopp, Sarah B. Duda, Nancy A. Strockbine

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Six commercially available bacterial identification products were tested with Vibrio alginolyticus (12 strains), V. cholerae (30 strains), Photobacterium (Vibrio) damselae (10 strains), V. fluvialis (10 strains), V. furnissii (4 strains), V. hollisae (10 strains), V. metschnikovii (9 strains), V. mimicus (10 strains), V. parahaemolyticus (30 strains), and V. vulnificus (10 strains) to determine the accuracy of each system for identification. The products included API 20E, Crystal E/NF, MicroScan Neg ID2 and Rapid Neg ID3, and Vitek GNI+ and ID-GNB. Each product was tested only with those species that were listed in its database. Overall, the systems correctly …

Estimated Risk Of Transmission Of The West Nile Virus Through Blood Transfusion In The Us, 2002, Brad J. Biggerstaff, Lyle R. Petersen

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BACKGROUND: The West Nile virus (WNV) epidemic in 2002 in the US saw over 3300 reported human cases of WNV disease, with over 2300 reported cases of WNV encephalitis and meningitis. The first documented cases of transfusion transmission of WNV through voluntary blood donation also occurred.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Case onset dates from the 2002 WNV epidemic in the US were used to estimate the risk of transfusion-associated transmission with statistical resampling. An easily computed approximating formula for the mean risk was derived. Estimates were computed for six high-incidence states and metropolitan areas.

RESULTS: Mean and …

Incidence Of Ovarian Cancer By Race And Ethnicity In The United States, 1992–1997, Marc T. Goodman, Holly L. Howe, Ko Hui Tung, Joellyn Hotes, Barry A. Miller, Steven S. Coughlin, Vivien W. Chen

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Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among U.S. women.¹ An estimated 23,400 new cases were expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2001. As is the case for breast and endometrial cancers, ovarian cancer is more common among women in northern and central Europe, and North America compared with Africa, South America, and Asia.² In the U.S., substantial racial and ethnic variations also are observed in the incidence of ovarian cancer. rates reportedly are highest among non-Hispanic white and American Indian women, and are lower among Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, and Asian women.³ Among white …

Ethanol Consumption Decreases The Synthesis Of The Mannose 6-Phosphatelinsulin-Like Growth Factor Ii Receptor But Does Not Decrease Its Messenger Rna, James Haorah, Richard Macdonald, Julie A. Stoner, Terrence M. Donohue, Jr.

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The mannose 6-phosphatelinsulin-like growth factor I1 receptor (M6P/IGF-IIR) is a protein that facilitates the transport of acid hydrolases into the lysosome. We have shown that chronic ethanol consumption lowers the M6P/IGF-IIR content in rat hepatocytes. Here, we determined the steady-state level of mRNA encoding M6P/IGF-IIR, as well as the rate of receptor synthesis, to ascertain whether the ethanol-elicited reduction in receptor protein content is related to changes in either or both of these parameters. Rats were pair-fed the normal carbohydrate (NC) or low carbohydrate high-fat (LC) liquid diets containing either ethanol or isocaloric maltose-dextrin for 7-8 weeks. RNA was isolated …

The Ascendancy Of Amblyomma Americanum As A Vector Of Pathogens Affecting Humans In The United States, James E. Childs, Christopher D. Paddock

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Until the 1990s, Amblyomma americanum was regarded primarily as a nuisance species, but a tick of minor importance as a vector of zoonotic pathogens affecting humans. With the recent discoveries of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and “Borrelia lonestari,” the public health relevance of lone star ticks is no longer in question. During the next 25 years, the number of cases of human disease caused by A. americanum-associated pathogens will probably increase. Based on current trajectories and historic precedents, the increase will be primarily driven by biological and environmental factors that alter the geographic distribution and intensity of …