Immunogenicity of a new Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (meningococcal protein conjugate) (PedvaxHIB).

Haemophilus influenzae type b is responsible for an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 cases of meningitis per year in the United States, mainly in children 2 months to 5 years old. The mortality rate from meningitis due to H influenzae type b infections ranges from 5% to 10%. Despite antibiotic treatment, up to 35% of survivors have permanent neurologic sequelae. In addition to meningitis, H. influenzae type b is responsible for other invasive infections, including epiglottitis, septicemia, cellulitis, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, pneumonia, pericarditis, and otitis media; approximately 30,000 cases H influenzae diseases occur annually in the United States. The diseases peak in incidence between 6 and 12 months of age, with almost one half of the cases occurring before 1 year of age. About 75% of disease caused by H influenzae type b occurs in children younger than 24 months old. The incidence of disease is higher in children of certain groups, including blacks, Hispanics, Eskimos and Native Americans, young children attending day-care facilities, patients with asplenia or antibody-deficiency syndromes, and children of lower socioeconomic status. There is considerable evidence that antibody to the capsular polysaccharide (polyribosylribitol-phosphate [PRP] of H influenzae type b is protective.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A second sooty mangabey monkey with naturally acquired leprosy: first reported possible monkey-to-monkey transmission.

The existence of naturally acquired leprosy in a second sooty mangabey monkey has been documented. The disease has the clinical and histopathological characteristics of subpolar lepromatous leprosy (LLs), and microbiological studies thus far confirm the etiologic agent as Mycobacterium leprae. This mangabey had been housed in direct contact with the first mangabey in which naturally acquired leprosy was diagnosed in 1979. Clinical symptoms appeared in the second mangabey in 1986, almost 7 years after the appearance of skin lesions in the first monkey. It is likely that the second mangabey contracted leprosy from the first mangabey or that both animals contracted the disease by contact with an unknown common third source. This is the only known possible natural transmission of leprosy from monkey to monkey, and suggests that a potential zoonosis exists in wild monkeys that may serve as a reservoir for the disease in areas where human leprosy is endemic.

The distribution of serum high density lipoprotein subfractions in non-human primates.

The ultracentrifugal flotation patterns in 1.2 g/ml solvent and ultracentrifugal gradient distribution of high density lipoproteins (HDL) from the primates--human, apes and monkeys--were determined, with emphasis on the gorilla species of apes and rhesus monkeys. Diets for non-human primates were commercial chow, which is low in cholesterol. Molecular weights and protein, cholesterol, phospholipid and triglyceride compositions of various density fractions were determined on human, gorilla and rhesus HDL. The HDL2/HDL3 ratio was determined from the two peaks observed upon flotation in high salt in the analytical ultracentrifuge. The HDL2 of all three species of apes--gorillas (Gorilla gorilla), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus)--was always greater than HDL3, while that of all six species of Old World monkeys--Rhesus (Macaca mulatta), sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys), cynomolgus (Macaca fascicularis), stumptails, (Macaca arctoides) patas (Erythrocebus patas) and African greens (Cercopithecus aethiops)--was less. In addition, the HDL3 concentration in five gorillas was about 15 mg/dl as cholesterol while the HDL2 concentration was 92 mg/dl, much lower and higher, respectively, than humans. HDL2 of gorillas was similar in density and molecular weight to that of humans. The distribution of densities in gorilla HDL was predominantly in HDL2, while rhesus HDL usually, but not always, was unimodal, having a density distribution similar in heterogeneity to human HDL3, but somewhat less dense (peaking at 1.109 vs. 1.129 g/ml). The molecular weight of rhesus HDL was about the same as human HDL3 in all three density subfractions and at the peak density.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of cholesterol feeding on primate serum lipoproteins. III. The change in high density lipoprotein components.

Sooty mangabey (Cercocebus atys) monkeys had a lower serum HDL cholesterol concentration than any other Old World monkey species reported. In addition, they had a higher serum Lp(a) concentration than other species. The mangabeys were fed a cholesterol-fat diet for 5 weeks. HDL2 and HDL3 amounts were determined from the two peaks apparent upon analytical ultracentrifugation. In the first 1-3 weeks, 13 of the 14 mangabeys increased 30% (mean) in total HDL, this increase occurring only in the HDL2 fraction. After 5 weeks, HDL and HDL2 decreased markedly. During the cholesterol feeding, HDL3 continually decreased in flotation rate, indicating it was either smaller and/or denser. HDL2 and HDL3 separated well on molecular sieving agarose columns during the diet period, whereas a single symmetrical elution peak was found for chow-fed HDL. Thus on a cholesterol-fat diet, HDL2 and HDL3 increased in difference in molecular size.

Oral immunization with polyvalent streptomycin-dependent Escherichia coli vaccine.

Streptomycin-dependent Escherichia coli serotypes O 111, O 55 and O 26 were used to vaccinate young patas monkeys against these organisms by the oral route. Five administrations of 10(10) cells in 3-day intervals gave almost full protection to the animals against challenge with 9 to 11 minimal infective doses of homologous virulent organisms for at least 1 month, whether the three serotypes were administered singly or simultaneously.