Baruch S. Blumberg

A Serum Antigen (Australia Antigen) in Down's Syndrome, Leukemia, and Hepatitis

Excerpt We have previously reported the presence of an isoantigen of human sera, rare or absent in normal U. S. and northern European populations but relatively common in patients with leukemia (1,...

An epidemic of hepatitis in a chronic-hemodialysis unit. Australia antigen and differences in host response.

Abstract In a chronic-hemodialysis unit all nine patients and six of 15 staff members, within one year, had evidence of viral hepatitis. Australia antigen (Au[1]), a virus-like particle associated with acute and chronic viral hepatitis but not other liver diseases was found in the blood of eight of the nine patients and in the two staff members with hepatitis tested. Clinical and laboratory features of hepatitis in the staff and the patients in dialysis were different. In the former an acute disease characterized by serum bilirubin over 3 mg per 100 ml, SGPT over 1000 units and duration of SGPT elevations of less than 10 weeks developed. The patients on dialysis manifested a chronic anicteric disease, with SGPTs under 1000 units but SGPT elevations lasting for 20 weeks or more; the cases were detected only because of frequent testing for Au(1) and SGPT. Susceptibility of patients with chronic renal disease to chronic Au(1) hepatitis is probably related to impaired immunologic responsiveness.

Australia Antigen and Acute Viral Hepatitis

Abstract Australia antigen (Au(1)) was found in the sera of 20% of 125 patients with acute viral hepatitis. It was not present in the sera of 138 patients with other diseases affecting the liver (L...

Usage and bioassays in Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae). IV. Clustering of antiviral uses and other effects

A number of species of the genus Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae) have been tested for their efficacy as antivirals, partly on the basis of references to traditional usage for the treatment of diseases possibly having a viral origin. There are also many references to indigenous uses and to laboratory assays for other biological activities in this large genus (550+ species). These citations have been arranged by subgenus, section, subsection and species and have been published in three previous papers. This paper summarizes selected clustering of usage and effect by subgeneric taxa. Consideration of the data from ethnobotany, in vitro assays and clinical trials supported the presence of some type of biological activity(s) particularly within the subgenus Phyllanthus. Although the herbaceous species of subgenus Phyllanthus have been extensively used to treat jaundice, and have generally inhibited hepadnavirus DNAp, effects on chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or related viruses have generally been negative. Alternative explanations for the wide usage have been little explored. Other medical categories suggested possible leads for research, or possibly, herbal or galenic remedies with bona fide effects. In most cases, the data remain suggestive but not conclusive.

Lack of perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus infection in senegal, West Africa

Between 1977 and 1980, 1442 pregnant women in Thies, Senegal, were tested for serologic markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Of these, 9.8% were HBsAg(+), 59.9% were anti-HBs(+), and 15.6% had anti-HBc alone. Of 116 HBsAg(+) pregnant women, only 19.8% were HBeAg(+), a much lower proportion of infectious carriers than seen in Asian populations. Cord blood from 1353 babies was HBsAg(-), implying that the babies were not infected prior to birth. Four hundred sixty-two babies, including 88 born to HBsAg(+) mothers, were observed for 2 weeks to 38 months after birth. In contrast to observations in Asia, none of the babies became HBsAg(+) before 5 months of age, and only three of the 16 born to HBeAg(+) mothers became HBsAg(+) within the first year of life; all three developed chronic infections (i.e., HBsAg(+) for greater than or equal to 6 months. In the second year of life, six of 34 babies born to HBsAg(+), HBeAg(-)/anti-HBe(-) mothers became infected with HBV, and four of the six developed chronic infections. During the first 3 years of life, infections occurred at a higher rate in infants born to HBsAg(+) (17%) than to HBsAg(-) (4%) women. The latter group of infants included 4.0% of those born to anti-HBs(+) mothers, 4.6% born to anti-HBcAg(+), and 3.2% born to uninfected women. These observations indicate that HBV infections in Senegal usually do not occur perinatally, but do occur at high incidence later in infancy and childhood. Such infections can be prevented by the use of hepatitis B vaccine alone; administration of hepatitis B immune globulin should not be needed.

Hepatitis B Virus and the Prevention of Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC or hepatoma) is one of the most lethal and most common cancers in the world. Before 1950, several pathologists noted that PHC usually occurred in livers that w...

DNA polymerase activity as an index of lymphocyte stimulation: studies in Down's syndrome

The ability of peripheral blood lymphocytes to respond to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in vitro was studied in patients with Downs syndrome. The response was measured by the increase in DNA polymerase activity and the rate of incorporation of tritiated thymidine by the cultured lymphocytes. These activities were significantly lower in PHA-stimulated lymphocytes from patients with Downs syndrome compared with age- and sex-matched, mentally retarded patients without Downs syndrome from the same institution and the normal healthy volunteers. The impairment in response to PHA does not seem to be related to the presence of Australia antigen in patients with Downs syndrome or to institutionalization itself. In contrast to DNA polymerase activity and thymidine-(3)H uptake, there was no significant difference in the percentage of blast transformation in the three groups studied. The poor response of the lymphocytes from patients with Downs syndrome to a mitogenic stimulus could reflect an impairment of cellular immune functions in these patients which may be one of the factors contributing to the vulnerability of these patients to repeated or persistent infections.

Albumin Naskapi: A New Variant of Serum Albumin

An apparently new Variant of human serum albumin, albumin Naskapi, has been found in high frequency in the Naskapi Indians of Quebec and, in lower frequency,in other North American Indians.The family and population data of the albumin are consistent with its inheritance as a simple autosomal trait Controlled by a gene designated Al Naskapi. This gene is allelic with the gene AlA which controls the common albumin.Both homozygotes and heterozygotes have been distinguished. This is the first report of a homozygote for an albumin Variant.

Association of graft survival with host response to hepatitis B infection in patients with kidney transplants.

We studied the relation of host response to hepatitis B infection before transplantation with survival of kidney grafts in 79 patients receiving 87 transplants. Antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) signaled early graft rejection (median survival congruent to two months), whereas hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) signaled delayed rejection (greater than 22 months). Patients with neither HBsAg nor anti-HBs had graft survival times (median congruent to 16 months) similar to the HBsAg carriers but significantly longer than the anti-HBs-positive patients (p less than 0.01). Similar results were observed when patients who received HLA-identical kidneys or had anti-HLA antibodies before transplantation were excluded. The highest probability of graft rejection was in patients with anti-HBs who received kidneys from male donors. The probability that such grafts would survive for four months was less than 20 per cent. HLA-nonidentical kidneys transplanted into patients with anti-HBs have a poor prognosis, whereas such grafts in HBsAg carriers have as good a prognosis as grafts in uninfected recipients.

Uses and bioassays in Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae): a compilation: II. The subgenus Phyllanthus

References to either indigenous uses or the results of controlled assays are numerous for species of Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae). These citations have been arranged by subgenus, section, subsection and species and will be published in four parts, including (Part IV) analysis, discussion and conclusions concerning apparent clustering of some uses or effects within taxa. This paper (Part II) covers the subgenus Phyllanthus.