Immunologic studies in subjects with a serum sickness-like illness after immunization with human diploid cell rabies vaccine

Ten patients developing a serum sickness-like hypersensitivity reaction to human diploid cell rabies vaccine were studied and compared with control subjects matched for previous vaccination history and level of rabies virus-specific IgG response to immunization. The clinical reaction consisted of delayed onset, generalized urticaria, and angioedema, with some arthralgias. Skin biopsy specimens demonstrated a leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Individuals reacting to the vaccine possessed IgE antibodies to human diploid cell rabies vaccine, to mock vaccine lacking viral antigen, and to fetal calf serum (FCS), a vaccine trace contaminant. Increased levels of IgG antibodies to FCS, mock vaccine, and beta-propiolactone-modified FCS, and human serum albumin were also found. Such humoral responses to vaccine components other than rabies virus might be responsible for the hypersensitivity reactions developing after rabies vaccination.

Clinical course of recurrent genital herpes and treatment with foscarnet cream: results of a Canadian multicenter trial

Clinic-initiated topical treatment of recurrent genital herpes with foscarnet cream (concentration, 0.3% in men and 1% in women) was compared with a placebo in a Canadian multicenter trial involving 309 patients. Culture-positive episodes of herpes took significantly longer to heal than did the others. Lesions in men were larger and lasted longer but were less symptomatic than those in women. Foscarnet did not statistically improve the times to healing or the loss of symptoms overall but did result in a higher proportion of symptom-free individuals after one day of treatment. Foscarnet-treated patients had a reduced duration of shedding of virus, and this was significant for men. These clinical benefits do not, however, warrant general use of this agent for established lesions. Earlier, prodromal treatment might have been more effective, but patient-initiated studies include a greater proportion of culture-negative (shorter) episodes that often make results difficult to interpret.

Factors indicative of outcome in a comparative trial of acyclovir and vidarabine for biopsy-proven herpes simplex encephalitis

A total of 208 patients underwent brain biopsy for presumptive herpes simplex encephalitis and were randomized to receive either vidarabine, vira-A, at 15 mg/kg/day, or acyclovir, at 30 mg/kg/day for ten days. 69 patients (33%) had biopsy-proven disease; 37 received vira-A and 32 acyclovir. With the exception of age, patient populations were balanced for demographic characteristics. Overall survival for acyclovir recipients was 72% compared with 46% for vira-A-treated patients 18 months after therapy (p = 0.008). After adjustment for differences of age between treatment populations by multivariant regression analyses, acyclovir treatment remained superior to vidarabine therapy (p = 0.041). Mortality varied according to the level of consciousness at the onset of therapy. For lethargic, semicomatose and comatose patients, mortality was 42%, 46%, and 67%, respectively, for the vira-A-treated patients and 0%, 25% and 25%, respectively, for acyclovir-treated patients. Six months post-therapy morbidity assessments revealed five (14%) vira-A versus 12 (38%) acyclovir recipients who had returned to normal function, while eight (22%) and three (9%), respectively, had moderate debility. Outcome differences were significant (p = 0.02; Wilcoxon, 2-sample test) using an adapted scoring system. Age and Glasgow coma scale greater than 10 predicted the best outcome following acyclovir treatment. Disoriented patients who flex and respond by eye to pain had no mortality and 50% returned to normal. These data indicate that acyclovir is the treatment of choice for biopsy-proven herpes simplex encephalitis.

Partial characterization of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein isolated from mouse serum

AGP was purified from mouse serum by perchloric acid treatment and CM-Sepharose chromatography. Induction of inflammation with turpentine resulted in a 10-fold increase in the serum level of mouse AGP, indicating mouse AGP is an acute phase reactant. Biochemical characterization of mouse AGP indicated similarity with human and rat AGP.

Potential of influenza vaccine and amantadine to prevent influenza A illness in Canadian forces personnel 1980-1983

A randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind trial was designed to compare the efficacy and side-effects of a standard influenza vaccine and amantadine chemoprophylaxis, to prevent influenza A virus illness in Canadian Forces Bases (CFB) personnel in Manitoba during three winter seasons from 1980-83. From 220 to 333 volunteers were allocated to vaccine (V), saline injection as vaccine placebo (VP), amantadine 100 mg/day (Al), 200 mg/day (A2) or placebo (AP) capsule groups. A median of 89% of V recipients had HAI titres <20, 4-6 weeks after immunization, indicating protection against illness due to vaccine strains. Myalgia was the commonest side effect but was not clinically important.

Influenza A community outbreaks due to vaccine strains, or antigenically related ones, occurred in 1980–81 and 1982–83. Chemoprophylaxis was continued for 32 and 39 consecutive days, respectively, during those periods and was well tolerated. However, 16% of Al or A2 recipients were noncompliant as evidenced by a lack of drug in urine or plasma. The incidences of laboratory-confirmed illness were 3 and 13 per 1000 in these two years, too low to enable us to assess the efficacy of our preventative measures. Subclinical influenza occurred in <10% of unimmunized subjects.

These data suggested that both strategies for preventing influenza in CFB personnel had the potential to be protective with minimal adverse effects. However, our data did not permit us to recommend one in preference to the other.

Vidarabine versus acyclovir therapy in herpes simplex encephalitis

We randomly assigned 208 patients who underwent brain biopsy for presumptive herpes simplex encephalitis to receive either vidarabine (15 mg per kilogram of body weight per day) or acyclovir (30 mg per kilogram per day) for 10 days. Sixty-nine patients (33 percent) had biopsy-proved disease; 37 received vidarabine, and 32 acyclovir. The mortality in the vidarabine recipients was 54 percent, as compared with 28 percent in the acyclovir recipients (P = 0.008). Six-month mortality varied according to the Glasgow coma score at the onset of therapy. For scores of greater than 10, 7 to 10, and less than or equal to 6, mortality was 42, 46, and 67 percent in the patients treated with vidarabine, as compared with 0, 25, and 25 percent in those treated with acyclovir. A six-month morbidity assessment using an adapted scoring system revealed that 5 of 37 patients receiving vidarabine (14 percent) as compared with 12 of 32 receiving acyclovir (38 percent) were functioning normally (P = 0.021). Eight vidarabine-treated patients (22 percent) and three acyclovir-treated patients (9 percent) had moderate debility. Patients under 30 years of age and with a Glasgow coma score above 10 had the best outcome with acyclovir treatment. We conclude that acyclovir is currently the treatment of choice for biopsy-proved herpes simplex encephalitis.

Fatal diphtheria in an older woman

A previously healthy 68-year-old woman presented with fever and sore throat. Her condition was initially diagnosed as necrotizing streptococcal tonsillitis and was treated with penicillin G, given intravenously. A swab of her throat taken for culture at the time of admission yielded Corynebacterium diphtheriae 48 hours later. At that time an electrocardiogram showed new T-wave inversion--evidence of diphtheritic myocarditis. She was immediately given 60 000 units of equine diphtheria antitoxin (following a test dose), but later that day she began choking, became apneic and died. The patient had not received any immunizing agents as a child, and no antitoxin was detected in a blood sample obtained prior to administration of the antitoxin. Her death re-emphasizes the seriousness of diphtheria, an infection to which many elderly people are susceptible.

Prophylactic amantadine dose and plasma concentration-effect relationships in healthy adults

Amantadine dose, plasma concentration, prophylactic and adverse effect relationships for prevention of influenza A virus infection in healthy young adult subjects were investigated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Seventy-four subjects with hemagglutination inhibition antibody titers less than or equal to 16 against an attenuated influenza A virus AF9/Montreal/3/72 (H3N2) were randomly allocated to groups taking 0 (placebo), 25, 100, or 150 mg amantadine syrup prophylactically twice a day for 31 doses. Eighteen other subjects were randomly allocated to control groups for investigation of drug toxicity (150 mg) or concurrent other virus infection (placebo). Steady-state trough plasma concentrations were 110 +/- 39, 302 +/- 80, and 572 +/- 207 ng/ml (X +/- SD) for the three amantadine doses and increased out of proportion to dose. Prophylaxis groups were challenged intranasally with virus after the fifth dose at steady state; control subjects received saline solution. No subject became ill. Input virus was recovered 48 or 72 hr after challenge from nose or throat swabs of nine of 21 subjects taking placebo, one of 18 subjects taking 100 mg amantadine, three of 18 subjects taking 25 mg amantadine, and six of 17 subjects taking 150 mg amantadine. There were no differences in seroconversion rates or adverse symptoms. Our data do not support a change in the recommended amantadine prophylactic dose for influenza A virus infection in healthy young adults. We defined trough steady-state plasma concentrations associated with the recommended amantadine dose of 100 mg twice a day that should be mimicked in devising dose schedules for populations with differing amantadine kinetics.

Amantadine kinetics in healthy elderly men: implications for influenza prevention

Amantadine kinetics were investigated in 10 healthy elderly men 60 to 76 yr old. We calculated a dose that would yield the same trough steady-state plasma amantadine concentration (Cpss; 300 ng/ml) as a 200 mg/day dose taken by young healthy adults; this dose prevents influenza A virus infection and is well tolerated by this population. With a one-compartment open model, kinetic parameters were calculated after a single dose of 25, 50, or 75 mg or the same dose twice a day for 10.5 days. Peak concentration occurred 4.0 to 8.0 hr after dosing, but the calculated AUC was proportional to dose, indicating that relative bioavailability was independent of dose. This was supported by recovery of 88% of the single doses in urine. No change in apparent volume of distribution was found. Log trough Cpss increased with dose. Trough Cpss varied less than 300% for equivalent doses. There was first-order elimination of drug from plasma, with a median t1/2 of 28.9 hr (range 18.5 to 45.0 hr), and elimination was independent of dose and creatinine clearance. The median ratio of renal amantadine clearance to creatinine clearance was 2.07 (range 0.64 to 4.20), suggesting renal tubular secretion. Compared to data from healthy young adults, the t1/2 was doubled and renal drug clearance was diminished in elderly men. To achieve the target trough Cpss of 300 ng/ml, healthy older men must take amantadine at a dose of 1.4 mg/kg/day, and we suggest that this is a rational dose for evaluation of efficacy and safety for influenza A prophylaxis in this population.

Prospective, randomized, comparative trials in the therapy for intraabdominal and female genital tract infections

The results of four prospective, randomized comparative trials, in which the authors' two university teaching hospitals participated, that compared selected antimicrobial regimens with the combination of clindamycin and an aminoglycoside in the therapy for intraabdominal and female genital tract infections are reviewed. In the first trial, the rates of cure for patients with intraabdominal infections were 33 (79%) of 42 treated with clindamycin and gentamicin, 43 (81%) of 53 treated with chloramphenicol and gentamicin, and 35 (90%) of 39 treated with ticarcillin and gentamicin. The rates of cure for females with genital tract infections were 16 (94%) of 17, 11 (100%) of 11, and 12 (92%) of 13 treated with the three respective combinations. The rates of cure in the second study were 22 (88%) of 25 treated with metronidazole and gentamicin and 23 (88%) of 26 treated with clindamycin and gentamicin. In the third study, the rates of cure were 23 (82%) of 28 treated with cefoxitin and tobramycin as compared with 24 (89%) of 27 treated with clindamycin and tobramycin. In the fourth study, 21 (87%) of 24 patients treated with ceftizoxime alone are cured as compared with 13 (87%) of 15 treated with clindamycin and tobramycin. These prospective, randomized trials suggest that chloramphenicol and gentamicin, ticarcillin and gentamicin, metronidazole and gentamicin, cefoxitin and tobramycin, or ceftizoxime alone are as effective as clindamycin and gentamicin or tobramycin in therapy for mixed aerobic/anaerobic infections.

Aging and heavy drug use: a prescription survey in Manitoba

A random sample of claimants under Manitoba's Pharmacare plan provided information on the drugs prescribed for those individuals who spent more than $50 for drugs in 1978. More women than men were represented among the 412 claimants aged 50 to 64 (58% females), and more drugs were prescribed for women than men (8.38 +/- 3.4 vs. 7.17 +/- .33, mean +/- S.E.M., p less than 0.02). For the 403 claimants aged 65 and older, the sex distribution matched that of the general population (55%), and the difference in number of drugs prescribed was not statistically significant (8.49 +/- .36 vs 7.98 +/- .35). For the claimants aged 65 and older, the five most heavily prescribed drug categories were thiazide-type diuretics (prescribed for 51.6% of older claimants in 1978), benzodiazepines (40.0%), salicylates (26.8%), digoxin (22.6%) and codeine (20.8%). There were few differences in prescription frequencies between younger and older claimants, and these data indicate that drugs prescribed for heavy drug users do not change markedly as a function of age.

Evaluation of a human diploid cell strain rabies vaccine: final report of a three year study of pre-exposure immunization

The antibody responses of 194 volunteers were studied for up to 3 years after primary immunization with one, two or three doses of human diploid cell rabies vaccine, administered either in 0.1 ml volumes intradermally (i.d.) or as 1.0 ml intramuscularly (i.m.). Sero-conversion occurred in 95% of subjects after the first injection and in 100% after the second. The highest titres and most durable antibody responses were induced by three injections of vaccine. Booster doses were administered either by the subcutaneous (s.c.) or i.d. route, after 6, 12 or 24 months to randomly grouped volunteers; these induced responses greater than or equal to 5.0 i.u. per ml in 95% of subjects. The responses were rapid and were neither influenced by the primary regimen nor by the timing and route of the booster dose. Antibody titres after i.d. immunization were only two-fold lower than those induced by the larger volume of vaccine. The findings suggest that the i.d. route is both effective and economic.

Double-blind trial of perioperative intravenous metronidazole prophylaxis for abdominal hysterectomy

A double-blind trial of perioperative intravenous metronidazole treatment to prevent infections at the operative site and unexplained fever after abdominal hysterectomy was conducted in 106 patients. Metronidazole prophylaxis reduced the rate of recovery of anaerobes from vaginal swabs for several days and prolonged the high rate of vaginal carriage of enterococci and aerobic gram-negative bacilli following hysterectomy. Although the fever index, calculated from the duration of a temperature above 37.3 degrees C, was significantly lower in the metronidazole-treated group than in the placebo-treated group, the frequency of postoperative infections, the proportion of patients requiring antibiotic treatment and the average duration of hospital stay were similar in the two groups. These results do not support the reported value of perioperative metronidazole prophylaxis in patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy.

Amantadine kinetics in healthy young subjects after long-term dosing

We investigated the disposition of amantadine in 13 healthy, young adults after long-term dosage. Doses of 25, 100, or 150 mg, randomly allocated, were taken at 12-hr intervals in syrup for 31 doses. A 1-compartment open model and complete bioavailability were assumed. Absorption rate was variable with peak concentrations in plasma occurring at 1 to 12 hr. Since the calculated area under the plasma concentration against time curve was proprotional to it, relative bioavailability was independent of dose at steady state. As the dose increased, the apparent volume of distribution decreased. Intra- and intersubject variations in trough plasma drug concentrations at steady state were less than triple for equivalent doses. Elimination of drug from plasma was consistent with a first-order process. Plasma half-lifes (t1/2s) ranged from 10.2 to 31.4 hr and were independent of dose or creatinine clearance. The ratio of renal drug clearance to creatinine clearance ranged from 1.26 to 14.97, suggesting substantial renal tubular secretion. The median ratio of plasma drug clearance to renal drug clearance approached unity.

Immunization with a human diploid cell strain of rabies virus vaccine: two-year results

Antibody responses following primary vaccination with 1.0 ml of intramuscularly (im) or 0.1 ml of intradermally (id) administered human diploid cell rabies virus vaccine were observered for two years. Three primary doses of vaccine were given to 77 volunteers on days 0, 28, and 56. An antibody response was detected in all vacinees after a single dose; at one month, the response in the group that received vaccine id was identical to that in the group that was given vaccine im, although only 1/10th of the dose of vaccine was used. After the second and third doses, the antibody responses were higher with the primary im regimen; this difference was significant at two, three, and 12 months when the geometric mean titers of antibody were twofold higher for im than for id vaccination. The antibody responses to a booster dose of vaccine administered to randomly grouped volunteers by the subcutaneous or id route at six, 12, or 24 months were similar irrespective of the method of primary immunization but were greater with increasing intervals between primary and booster doses.

Effect of a polynucleotide interferon inducer of fungal origin on experimental rhinovirus infection in humans

A double-stranded RNA of fungal origin (BRL 5907) was given intranasally to volunteers. Apart from mild local irritancy of the higher dosage, the compound was well tolerated. A double-blind placebo-controlled trial of a three-day course (5 mg per day) of BRL 5907 against challenge with rhinovirus type 4 showed that treatment was associated with a delay in onset of symptoms and a reduction in shedding of virus, but the differences were not statistically significant. Low titers of interferon were found in nasal washings.

Distribution and removal of human serum albumin-technetium 99m instilled intranasally

The efficacy of antiviral drugs and vaccines administered intranasally may depend upon the technique of application. The distribution and time-course of removal of human serum albumin-technetium 99m (HSA-Tc 99m)-instilled intranasally were studied in eleven healthy volunteers using a gamma camera and an anterior sodium iodide scintillation detector. In 100 randomized studies material was delivered as drops in the supine position or as a spray to seated subjects. A significantly higher proportion of 'good' distributions (62 in 73 tests) was obtained with drops compared with spray (1 in 27). The volume administered was varied between 0.10 ml and 0.75 ml and the concentration of HSA was changed from 3 to 30% with no significant effect upon the distribution of time-course of removal; pertechnetate in isotonic saline was distributed and removed in a manner comparable to HSA-Tc 99m. Activity recorded by the detector showed an initial rapid fall associated with removal of most of the material from the nasal cavity, followed by a slower decline associated with the removal of material mainly from the anterior region of the nose. A multidose study confirmed that frequent administration by drops is required to maintain a high level of activity in the nasal cavity. Using this technique it should be possible to correlate measurements of antiviral efficacy and vaccines take-rates with certain characteristics of intranasal applicators; such studies may lead to the design of better devices.

Human diploid cell strain rabies vaccine. Rapid prophylactic immunisation of volunteers with small doses

The clinical and antibody responses of volunteers to three intradermal schedules of human diploid cell strain rabies vaccine (0.4 ml on day 0; 0-1 ml on days 0, 1, 2, 3; and 0-1 ml on days 0, 3, 7, and 14) are described. Vaccine was administered to 114 contacts of two rabid patients in order to evoke a rapid antibody response and the antibody titres of 30 of those who were vaccinated and bled were measured. High antibody titres were obtained in all subjects irrespective of their immunisation schedule; there were only minimal local reactions. All volunteers had titres greater than 1/78 (1.7 I.U./ml) by day 14, and 7 of 10 receiving 0.1 ml into each limb on day 0 had detectable antibody by day 7.

Treatment of wounds from animals suspected of carrying neurotropic viruses

The methods used at the Clinical Research Centre, Northwick Park Hospital, to treat wounds potentially infected with neurotropic viruses are outlined. Emphasis is laid on first aid and on surgical attention. Patients should remain under medical supervision for at least four weeks after the injury, the need for specific post-exposure treatment depending on the nature of the exposure.

Immunogenicity and acceptability of a human diploid-cell culture rabies vaccine in volunteers

A rabies vaccine, prepared in human diploid-cell culture, was given intradermally (i.d.) or intramuscularly (i.m.) to 35 volumteers who had not previously received prophylactic immunisation. Rabies neutralising antibody titres rose sharply after the first dose, and 4 weeks after the second dose all titres were above 1/80 (1-7 i.u. per ml.). Immunisation via the i.d. and i.m. routes was equally successful in terms of likely immune status, but the i.d. rate was associated with many more local sideeffects.