Snake venom ophthalmia and blindness caused by the spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) in Nigeria.

Venom entered the eyes of 9 patients spat at by the spitting cobra, Naja nigricollis. In 5 the only effect was a simple conjunctivitis but 4 had corneal ulceration, 1 developed anterior uveitis indicating absorption of venom in the anterior chamber, and 2 were permanently blinded. Treatment of this rare emergency is discussed: immediate irrigation of the eye with water, careful examination for corneal abrasion, and prevention of secondary infection are recommended. The value of local specific antivenom is unproven.     

Bites by the Philippine cobra (Naja naja philippinensis): prominent neurotoxicity with minimal local signs

We studied 39 patients envenomed by the Philippine cobra (Naja naja philippinensis). Neurotoxicity occurred in 38 cases and was the predominant clinical feature. Respiratory paralysis developed in 19 patients, and was often rapid in onset--in 3 cases apnea occurred within 30 min of the bite. There were 2 deaths, both in patients who were moribund upon arrival at the hospital. Three patients developed necrosis, and 14 individuals with systemic symptoms had no local swelling. Both cardiotoxicity and reliable nonspecific signs of envenoming were absent. Bites by the Philippine cobra produce a distinctive clinical picture characterized by severe neurotoxicity of rapid onset and minimal local tissue damage.     

Bites by the Philippine cobra (Naja naja philippinensis): an important cause of death among rice farmers

We investigated mortality from cobra (Naja naja philippinensis) bite among Filipino rice farmers. Village records in one area were examined and we conducted a careful survey in this and two additional areas among inhabitants at varying risk for snakebite. The death rate from cobra bite was estimated to be as high as 107.1 deaths per 100,000 population per year at one site. Most victims were young (median age 17) and 98% were males. Only 8% of the victims studied reached a hospital. The confirmed death rate averaged 53.8/100,000 for the three populations.     

Clinical manifestations of cobra bite in the Thai farmer.

Twenty cases of cobra bite in farmers from the central region of Thailand are reported. Ptosis is the earliest sign of cobra bite and is an important diagnostic indication of systemic poisoning. Restlessness, irregular breathing and mental confusion are warning signs of respiratory paralysis. Antivenom for cobra bite was administered intravenously together with symptomatic and supportive treatment; 19 patients survived and 1 died from cerebral anoxia.     

Seasonal changes in the histology of the adrenal gland of the cobra, Naja naja

Seasonal changes in the adrenal gland of the cobra have been followed over a period of three years using histological and histochemical techniques.     

The effect of a cardiotoxic component of the venom of the indian cobra (Naja nigricollis) on the subcellular structure and function of heart muscle.

The effect of the purified cardiotoxic component of the venom from the Indian cobra snake (Naja nigricollis) on the subcellular function and structure of heart muscle cells was investigated. The concentration of toxin used ranged between 10 and 50 μg/ml. When added to microsomal fractions rich in sarcoplasmic reticulum 10 to 50 μg toxin/ml interfered with ability of these fractions to accumulate Ca²⁺ from an oxalatecontaining reaction mixture. This effect was accompanied by an inhibition of the Ca²⁺-activated ATPase enzyme. Ten, 25 and 50 μg toxin/ml caused the microsomes to release their previously bound Ca²⁺ at a relatively rapid rate, and accelerated the onset of this release process. Ten μg toxin/ml reduced the ability of isolated mitochondria to accumulate Ca²⁺ by approximately 50%; the ability of isolated fragments of the plasma membrane to accumulate Ca²⁺ was also reduced but to a lesser extent.When added to either isolated papillary muscle immersed in Krebs-Henseleit solution or Langendorff-perfused hearts the cardiotoxin caused extensive ultrastructural damage. The plasma membranes were disrupted and particulate matter appeared in the extracellular space. The mitochondria were damaged and contracture bands developed.     

Prognostic factors for amputation in the case of envenoming by snakes of the Bothrops genus (Viperidae)

The prognostic factors for amputation following envenoming by snakes of the Bothrops genus were identified from the medical records of 3139 patients. Each of these patients had been bitten by Bothrops sp. and treated in the Hospital Vital Brazil, in S?o Paulo, Brazil, between 1981 and 1990. The 21 (0.67%) of the patients who had undergone amputation were compared with the 3118 who had not, with respect to the characteristics of the accident, the snake, the victim, the local and systemic manifestations of the envenoming and the treatment. There was an association between amputation and the month of the accident, the time of day when the accident happened, the length of the attacking snake, the anatomical region bitten, systemic bleeding and renal failure. Patients bitten in the fingers, during the cooler months, between 00.00 and 12.00 hours and/or by snakes > 60 cm in length, who developed blisters and abscesses at the site of the bite, systemic bleeding and/or renal failure underwent amputation more frequently than the others (P < 0.05 for each).     

Clinical aspects and consequences of envenoming by a captive rhinoceros viper (Bitis nasicornis) in Hungary

A case of Rhinoceros viper (Bitis nasicornis) bite is reported. The bitten hand distended to the wrist, which was tense and painful, with only mild local livid discolouration manifested around the fang mark. Slight hypertension with moderate tachycardia and temporary coagulopathy were observed. The patient received analgesic and intravenous fluids, antibiotics and anti-tetanus therapy. Use of antiserum was not necessary. The bitten person was treated in the main centre for snakebite first aid: in the Toxicological Ward of Erzsébet Hospital of Budapest. We attach importance to the implications of this case because envenoming by B. nasicornis being relatively rare in captivity all over the world (particularly in Europe and the USA), as well as in the wilderness in Africa.     

酶联免疫法检测粪便幽门螺杆菌特异性抗原

目的：探讨酶联免疫法（ＥＬＩＳＡ）检测粪便幽门螺杆菌（ＨＰ）特异性抗原（ＨＰＳＡ）在诊断ＨＰ感染中的价值。方法：９９例患者通过快速尿素酶试验及组织学Ｗａｒｔｈｉｎ－Ｓｔａｒｒｙ银染法检测,分为ＨＰ感染组和非感染组,用酶联免疫法检测粪便中ＨＰＳＡ。结果：粪便酶联免疫法检测ＨＰ感染的敏感性为１００％,特异性为８５．７１％。结论：酶联免疫法检测粪便中ＨＰＳＡ敏感性、特异性高,且取材方便,方法简单,适合临床应用。     

Use of IgM-capture ELISA for confirmation of Japanese encephalitis infections in the Philippines

In 2001, the Research and Biotechnology Division (RBD) of St Luke's Medical Center, in collaboration with the Institute of Tropical Medicine of Nagasaki University in Japan, initiated a long-term study of Japanese encephalitis in the Philippines. Laboratory confirmation of acute cases of Japanese. encephalitis was done by IgM-capture ELISA, which detects anti-JEV immunoglobulin M in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. In the period 2002-2004, a total of 614 CSF samples were submitted to RBD, and of these, 11.7% were positive for anti-JEV IgM: 17 in 2002, 18 in 2003, 32 in 2004, and 5 in 2005. Positive cases came from patients aged 2-77 years. In the 72 positive cases where gender was identified, 44 were male and 28 female. Possible co-infections with dengue virus were also detected by separate testing for anti-dengue IgM by ELISA in 17 CSF samples positive for JE.     

Anti-coagulant activity of a metalloprotease: further characterization from the Indian cobra (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Naja naja</Emphasis>) venom

A high molecular mass, non toxic metalloprotease the NN-PF3 with the bound Ca²⁺ and Zn²⁺ from the Naja naja venom has been studied further for its anticoagulant property. The molecular mass by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry was 67.81 kDa. The NN-PF3 exhibited fibrin(ogen)olytic activity. In addition to fibrinogen, NN-PF3 hydrolyzed blood and plasma clot with the later hydrolyzed about one fold higher. The α polymer of fibrin was preferentially hydrolyzed over the α chain but the β chain and γ–γ dimer remained untouched. It was devoid of plasminogen activation property. It prolonged the activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time and the thrombin clotting time of citrated human plasma. It did not affect the thrombin activity. In mice, defibrinogentaion, prolonged bleeding time (P < 0.01) and reduced fibrinogen level were observed following intravenous injection. Human plasma or α2-macroglobulin did not, but the polyvalent anti-venom inhibited the NN-PF3 activity. In contrast to most snake venom metalloproteases, it did not degrade extra cellular matrix proteins.     

Attenuation by 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid of acute lung injury induced by cobra venom factor in the rat

Neutrophil-derived oxygen metabolites are thought to play an important role in the genesis of acute lung injury in a variety of diseases. In an effort to find an agent that might limit the injury, we evaluated the beneficial effects of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), a drug that has been safely administered to humans as an iron-chelating agent. Because experimental evidence has demonstrated that DHB can act as an inhibitor of free radical-induced reactions, we tested its protective effect against the neutrophil-dependent lung injury that occurs in rats after the intravenous infusion of cobra venom factor (CVF). Using a permeability index that measures the amount of intravenously administered 125I-albumin that accumulates in lung tissue, we found that pretreatment with DHB reduced (p less than 0.05) the lung injury in CVF-treated rats in a dose-dependent manner. Morphometric analysis of lung tissue indicated that the protection by DHB was not caused by inhibition of CVF-induced neutrophil sequestration within the lung vasculature. Because iron-saturated DHB did not attenuate lung injury, and because in vitro experiments demonstrated that DHB inhibited iron-hydrogen peroxide-induced peroxidation of phospholipid liposomes, we suspect that DHB may be protecting the lung via chelation of iron. We conclude that dihydroxybenzoic acid protects the rat lung from the neutrophil-dependent lung injury that occurs after cobra venom factor infusion. Because this drug has been safely administered to humans, it may have potential as an agent to prevent acute lung injury.     

Anti-dextran antibodies of carp detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Carp produce anti-alpha (1-6) dextran antibodies after immunization with a vaccine of Leuconostoc mesenteroides B512. These antibodies can be determined by passive haemagglutination, quantitative precipitation or by ELISA. In our hands the ELISA has proved to be 100 times more sensitive than the passive haemagglutination test. We could not found any correlation between the anti-dextran activity estimated with the passive haemagglutination on the one and the ELISA on the other hand.     

Antibodies to coccidia: detection by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Summary The ELISA test was used for the detection of antibodies to coccidia in the serum and/or egg yolk of chickens infected with Eimeria acervulina, E. maxima or E. tenella and in the serum of rats infected with E. nieschulzi. Antigens prepared from different developmental stages of the parasite were tested and the cross-reaction between different species of Eimeria were examined. The variability in cross-reactivity of different species and the advantages and possible applications of the test are discussed.