Humoral immune response to human papillomavirus infection

Nematodes are known to be a useful system for studies of comparative development. Here we perform a molecular phylogenetic analysis to allow for the independent interpretation of the developmental and morphological changes observed among a selected set of nematode species. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis is based on coding regions of the genes for RNA polymerase II, the small subunit rRNA and an expansion segment of the large subunit rRNA. Sequences were compared from five species in the family (Rhabditidae) that includes the developmental model organism Caenorhabditis elegans and from an outgroup taxon Aduncospiculum halicti (Diplogasterina). The phylogenetic analysis does not support the monophyly of the subfamily Mesorhabditinae and identifies the unnamed strain PS1010 as a sister taxon of C. elegans despite its morphologically divergent buccal capsule. On the basis of the inferred framework, we can begin to interpret the evolution of vulval development and of morphological differences among these nematode species.     

Humoral immune response within the lung in HIV-1 infection

BACKGROUND: Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is known to cause injury to the kidney. However, it is not known how lesion size varies as the parameters of SWL treatment (number of shocks, kilovoltage, kidney size) are changed. This hypothesis could not be tested because there was no method available to quantitate accurately the SWL-induced renal lesion. METHODS: A dosage of 2,000 shocks at 24 kV delivered by an unmodified Dornier HM3 lithotripter was applied to the lower pole calyx of the right kidney of small and large pig kidneys. A new method was developed to embed a whole pig kidney for serially sectioning, recording, and digitization. Automated computer color recognition made it possible to discriminate regions of hemorrhage from undamaged tissue and allowed quantitation of the lesion in single sections and in the entire kidney. RESULTS: The new protocol resulted in an accurate identification of sites of hemorrhage and calculations of the volume fraction of injured renal tissue. Lesion size induced in small kidneys was significantly larger than that induced in the larger kidneys (7.6 +/- 1.2% and 1.6 +/- 0.7%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Computer segmentation of serially sectioned SWL-treated kidneys has determined that kidney size is a risk factor for enhanced renal injury.     

Humoral and cellular immune response to elastin in patients with systemic sclerosis

Fifty-six patients (age range, 15-79 yr, average, 37.0+/-18.5 yr), with a clinical and/or radiological diagnosis of acute maxillary sinusitis, were prospectively studied with ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT). The imaging finding which supported the diagnosis of acute sinusitis with US was the identification of the hyperechoic posterior antral wall through the hypoechoic inflammation. The findings were compared to CT (3 mm axial sections). The sensitivity of US for maxillary sinus disease was found to be 66.7% and the specificity was 94.9%, which were similar to the plain film ones (65.2 and 96.8%, respectively). The results of the present study suggest US as the method of first choice for acute sinusitis of the maxillary antra, particularly for children and pregnant women.     

Humoral immune response of cottontail rabbits naturally infected with Francisella tularensis in southern Illinois

Cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) usually are thought to succumb to infection with Francisella tularensis. Reports of a rabbit population from southern Illinois (USA) with a high prevalence of F. tularensis antibodies suggested that some cottontails survived infection with this typically fatal bacterium. Our goal was to examine the humoral response of cottontails from a study area in southern Illinois for which multiple serum samples existed. Multiple sera were collected from 79 cottontails from 1986 to 1990 and 63% gained, lost, or maintained ELISA titers of IgM and IgG isotype antibodies. The typical pattern of antibody response appeared to be IgM isotype antibodies first, followed by IgG isotype antibodies, with both generally increasing to high titers. Negative culture attempts of liver tissue from 51 cottontails with varying antibody responses suggested that chronic infection did not occur in rabbits that developed antibody. The significance of the cottontail antibody response in resolution or prevention of tularemia infection remains unclear.     

Humoral nitric oxide levels and antibody immune response of symptomatic and indeterminate Chagas'' disease patients to commercial and autochthonous Trypanosoma cruzi antigen

Coronary balloon angioplasty is associated with a high incidence of restenosis in diabetics and of revascularisation of the culprit lesion and increased long-term mortality. The authors report the short and medium-term results of coronary stenting in diabetics. Between May 1995 and April 1997, 2,182 patients underwent coronary stenting. This population included 272 diabetics : 58 insulin-dependent and 214 non-insulin dependent (oral antidiabetics). Stents were implanted in vessels with mean diameters of 3 mm and over. During the hospital period, the complication rate (mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, emergency coronary bypass surgery, subacute thrombosis of the stent) was comparable in non-diabetics, insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetics (2.55, 0 and 2.0% respectively). One patient (0.5%) died and another (0.5%) had non-fatal myocardial infarction (thrombosis of the stent) in the non-insulin-dependent group. No complications were observed in the insulin-dependent diabetic group. The mean clinical follow-up of 13 months (3-26 months) was respected in 93 and 97% of diabetics. The non-fatal myocardial infarction rate and revascularisation of the culprit lesion were comparable in the insulin and non-insulin-dependent groups (0 versus 0.5% and 8.2 versus 10.5% respectively) but global mortality was higher in the insulin-dependent diabetics (9.3 versus 2.4%).     

Humoral immune response to Malassezia furfur in patients with pityriasis versicolor and seborrheic dermatitis

The postmortem stature was measured in 57 Korean adult males (age range: 20-86 years old, mean: 52.3 years old) in supine position. After dissection of the corpses, we measured the maximum length of the remaining limb-bones (humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia and fibula). The correlation coefficients between the stature and each limb-bone length were calculated. Simple regression equations for estimating stature from each limb-bone length and multiple regression equations from the combination of limb-bone lengths were also obtained.     

Humoral immune reaction in chronic liver diseases

In 60 patients with a morphologically ascertained chronic liver disease and 40 hepatologically examined patients with a healthy liver of a control group the quantitative determination of the immunoglobulin and the immunofluorescence-serological determination of antibodies against nuclei, smooth musculature and mitochondria were carried out. Only in one female patient with a chronic active hepatitis out of 51 patients with morphologically ascertained liver cirrhosis or chronic active hepatitis antibodies against nuclei and smooth musculature in a level of the titre of more than 1 : 40 and only in 2 female patients with a primary biliary cirrhosis antibodies against mitochondria could be proved in a level of the titre of more than 160. Titres of antibodies lying below were found in the group of patients with liver diseases and the control group in the same frequency, so that an autoimmune form of the cryptogenic cirrhosis could not be differentiated. The proof of antibodies against nuclei and smooth musculature of a high titre in connection with an isolated increase of the IgG is of special diagnostic importance for the autoimmune form of the chronic active hepatitis; the same is the case in the proof of antibodies against mitochondria of a high titre in connection with an isolated increase of IgM.     

Humoral and cellular immune responses of dogs immunized with a nucleic acid vaccine encoding human carcinoembryonic antigen

A nucleic acid vaccine encoding human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was administered to 10 juvenile dogs, 10-15 weeks of age, by four parenteral routes. The routes tested were intramuscular injection using a needle and syringe, intramuscular injection using the Biojector needleless injection device, intradermal injection or intravenous injection. All groups received 150 micrograms of plasmid DNA on weeks 0, 4, 7 and 13. All dogs were bled weekly for 17 weeks and tested for antibody against human CEA. Dogs given plasmid intramuscularly either by needle and syringe or Biojector showed significant antibody responses by week 9 which peaked by week 15. Dogs receiving plasmid intravenously showed slight, unsustained increases in antibody titers while dogs receiving plasmid intradermally had significant titers, but at levels approximately one log less than those induced by intramuscular injection. The five dogs immunized by intramuscular delivery of plasmid DNA were examined for cellular immune responses to human CEA by lymphoblast transformation (LBT) assay. All five showed significant CEA-specific lymphoproliferation when compared with unvaccinated dogs. Physical examination, clinical chemistry, hematology and histopathology examinations revealed no abnormalities associated with nucleic acid immunization.     

Humoral immune response to tetanus-diphtheria vaccine given during extended use of chloroquine or primaquine malaria chemoprophylaxis

Immune suppression resulting from prolonged chemoprophylaxis and potential drug-vaccine interaction were investigated within the context of a randomized placebo-controlled trial that compared daily primaquine or weekly chloroquine administration for malaria prevention. After 11 months of prophylaxis, adult male subjects received a tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccination. Prophylaxis continued 4 weeks longer. Anti-tetanus and anti-diphtheria antibody levels were measured by ELISA at baseline and at 1, 3, 7, and 14 months after Td vaccination. All groups were comparable at baseline. Immunization triggered significant increases in anti-tetanus and anti-diphtheria IgG levels over each group's pre-Td baseline levels and those of an unvaccinated control group. Geometric mean anti-tetanus titers (GMTs) in the primaquine group were significantly higher than those of the placebo group at 1, 3, and 14 months. Anti-tetanus GMTs in placebo and chloroquine groups declined over 14 months to levels comparable to those of unvaccinated controls, but levels in the primaquine group remained significantly higher than in controls.     

The murine immune response to the male-specific antigen mouse testicular cytochrome c

Male and female A/J mice were examined for their ability to elicit T lymphocyte and antibody (Ab) responses to the male-specific Ag, mouse testicular cytochrome c (Mt cyt). T lymphocytes from both male and female mice primed in vivo responded to the Ag in in vitro proliferation assays, and the dose-response curves were statistically indistinguishable. In addition, similar levels of Ab to Mt cyt were observed in immunized male and female mice. The B cells producing the Ab had switched isotypes to IgG1 and IgG2a, indicating that the self-reactive T helper (Th) cells in male mice were functional. Thus, male mice do not appear to be immunologically tolerant to Mt cyt, at least at the Th and B lymphocyte levels. No evidence for disease was found in male mice primed with Mt cyt. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-positive antigen-presenting cells are present in the testes and these were shown in vitro to process and present Mt cyt to a T cell hybridoma specific for the synthetic peptide Mt cyt 93-104. However, the hybridoma was not activated in the absence of exogenous Mt cyt 93-104 or Mt cyt, indicating that endogenous Mt cyt is not normally processed in sufficient quantity to effectively load MHC class II molecules with this particular Mt cyt-derived peptide. Notwithstanding any immunologic privilege of the testes, the lack of tolerance to Mt cyt and its failure to elicit an autoimmune disease could extend from the low levels of processed Mt cyt Ag available for T cell recognition. The T cell response elicited by Mt cyt contrasts the lack of response to mouse somatic cytochrome c which differs from Mt cyt at 13 amino acid residues and is expressed in most tissues and at higher levels.     

Humoral immune response to the Trypanosoma cruzi complement regulatory protein as an indicator of parasitologic clearance in human Chagas' disease

Immunoprecipitation of the purified 160-kDa complement regulatory protein of Trypanosoma cruzi by Chagas' disease patient sera was examined as a possible correlate of the complement-mediated lysis test and as an indicator of parasite clearance. The results presented demonstrate that assessment of the humoral response to this antigen is a useful indicator of parasite clearance and may be particularly helpful in the assessment of some patients for whom other serological tests produce ambiguous results.     

Synthetic lipopeptides incorporated in liposomes: in vitro stimulation of the proliferation of murine splenocytes and in vivo induction of an immune response against a peptide antigen

Amphiphilic lipopeptides, such as Pam3CysAlaGly and Pam3CysSerSer, were synthesized and incorporated into liposomes, and their ability to induce the proliferation of BALB/c mouse splenocyte was tested in vitro. When compared to monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) the following potency order was found: liposomal lipopeptides > liposomal MPL > free (emulsified) lipopeptides. These results strongly depend on the size of the vesicles used: a mitogenic effect was observed only with lipopeptides incorporated within vesicles of diameter < or = 100 nm while lipopeptides in larger vesicles (diameter approximately 300 nm) gave no response. This may be related to the necessity for the liposome-associated lipopeptides to be endocytosed to reach putative intracellular targets. As immunoadjuvanticity seems to be linked to B-lymphocyte activation, the lipopeptides represent attractive alternatives to MPL for the realization of completely synthetic liposome-based peptide vaccine formulations. This was borne out by showing that Pam3CysAlaGly and Pam3CysSerSer, when incorporated in small unilamellar vesicles carrying a covalently conjugated synthetic peptide of sequence IRGERA, corresponding to an epitope of the C-terminal region of histone H3, were able to induce a potent and long-lasting immune response.     

HPLC fractionated soluble egg antigen from Schistosoma mansoni elicits a heterogeneous human immune response

Antihypertensive effects of beni-koji were studied using 29 outpatients with mild hypertension in a placebo-controlled double-blind comparative fashion. After a 4-week vehicle (apple juice) run-in period, 13 patients were assigned to receive beni-koji aqueous extracts containing juice once daily (27 g of beni-koji eq. per day) for 8 weeks and 16 were assigned to vehicle. Two patients assigned to the vehicle group did not complete the study. In addition to casual blood pressure, 24-hr non-invasive ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) was monitored in 6 patients given the beni-koji drink and 5 patients given the vehicle. 1) In the beni-koji group, both casual systolic and diastolic pressure decreased significantly during the treatment period (from 150 +/- 10/96 +/- 6 mmHg to 140 +/- 10/89 +/- 10 mmHg, p < 0.01). The averages of the 24-hr blood pressure recorded in ABP (24-BP) also significantly decreased (from 141 +/- 17/95 +/- 13 mmHg to 132 +/- 21/86 +/- 10 mmHg, p < 0.05) when compared with those of the control period. Casual pressure normalized (less than 140/90 mmHg) in 4 patients who received beni-koji. Circadian variation of the blood pressure by ABP showed a significant decrease during the daytime. 2) In the vehicle group, casual systolic pressure did not change significantly (from 155 +/- 8 mmHg to 151 +/- 12 mmHg), but diastolic pressure decreased significantly (98 +/- 7 mmHg to 93 +/- 6 mmHg). Casual blood pressure did not normalize in any of the patients and 24-BP did not change significantly. 3) Summative evaluation of safety showed that no problems appeared in the beni-koji group. In conclusion, beni-koji appears to be an effective and safe food material for mild essential hypertension. The mechanism of the antihypertensive effect of beni-koji still remains to be investigated.     

Immune response and lack of immune response to Plasmodium falciparum P126 antigen and its amino-terminal repeat in malaria-infected humans

A parasitophorous vacuole protein of Plasmodium falciparum, p126, is a potential candidate for a malaria vaccine. Its N-terminal region, composed of six repeats of eight amino acids, appears to be involved in the induction of protective immunity against P. falciparum challenge in monkeys. This study evaluated the immune response to p126 and to its N-terminal region (Nt47) in patients (n = 45) living in a malaria-endemic area of Brazil (Colina, Porto Velho, Rondonia). Cellular proliferative responses against Nt47 were low and infrequent. The study of the humoral immune response demonstrated that 95% of the patients had detectable anti-p126 antibodies and 77% had anti-Nt47 antibodies. Analysis of the antibody isotypes specific for Nt47 revealed that all four IgG subclasses were present and individuals with higher levels of anti-Nt47 cytophilic IgG antibody (IgG1 + IgG3/IgG2 + IgG4) had significantly lower parasitemia levels, suggesting that antibodies to the N-terminal region of the p126 protein may contribute to acquisition of immunity to P. falciparum malaria.     

Daily events are associated with a secretory immune response to an oral antigen in men.

To examine a hypothesized link between daily stressful events and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) antibody, 96 adults from the community completed daily event questionnaires and gave daily saliva samples for up to 12 wks. They also ingested a capsule of a novel protein to challenge their secretory immune systems. The questionnaire yielded measures of negative and positive experiences, of their content, and of negative and positive affect. On a within-Ss, day-to-day basis, reporting more desirable events was related to more sIgA antibody, and reporting more undesirable events was related to less. Desirable events also had lagged (1 and 2 days), positive effects on sIgA levels. Undesirable work events and desirable leisure and household events were more strongly related to sIgA than events in other categories. Positive affect related directly to sIgA, and negative mood related inversely to same-day sIgA. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In situ immune response in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) following oral antigen in TCR-transgenic mice

Oral administration of Ag results in systemic hyporesponsiveness termed oral tolerance. The regulatory cells induced by oral Ag are effective in the suppression of Th1-type autoimmune diseases. We examined the cytokine microenvironment in gut-associated lymphoid tissue in response to orally administered OVA in OVA TCR-transgenic mice. Mice were fed a low (0.5 mg) or high (500 mg) dose of OVA one time or five times. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated increased IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-beta in the gut within 6 h of a low-dose feeding and after five low-dose or high-dose feedings. IFN-gamma and IL-2 either decreased or showed no change, with the exception of a small transient increase in IL-2 at 6 h after a low dose. Increases in IL-4 and IL-10 were found in the dome of the Peyer's patch, and increases in TGF-beta were observed in the interfollicular region and the villi. IL-10 was also substantially increased in the villi. IL-4 and IL-10 were produced predominately by CD4+ T cells. TGF-beta was found predominately in macrophages and CD4+ T cells. Peyer's patches had a marked up-regulation of TGF-beta mRNA as measured by RT-PCR. These results demonstrate the differential activation of cytokine production in discrete regions of gut-associated lymphoid tissue. The induction of cytokines known to inhibit autoimmune disease at the site of Ag absorption indicates an important role for the mucosal immune system in the establishment of oral tolerance.     

Characterisation of the primary local and systemic immune response in gnotobiotic lambs against rotavirus infection

This study characterised the primary immune response in gnotobiotic lambs after infection with a lamb rotavirus (RV). Lambs were infected and killed over a 7 week period together with controls. RV-ELISA and neutralising antibodies were determined in serum, nasal secretions, and intestinal scrapings. RV-antibody secreting cells (ASC) were enumerated in blood. Lymphocyte proliferations were determined in blood and gut-associated lymphoid tissues and cytokine expression was analysed in jejunal Peyer's patches (JPPs) and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs). Infected lambs cleared the virus by 8-9 days after infection without showing any clinical signs. The first indication of a specific immune response to RV was an increased expression of IL-4 mRNA in the JPPs in the infected group compared to the control group 3 days after infection. Rotavirus-specific IgA ASC in blood and IgA antibodies in serum and nasal secretions were detected from 7 days after infection followed at 10 days after infection by RV-specific IgG ASC and antibodies. Rotavirus-specific IgA antibodies were not detected in intestinal scrapings in the first 10 days after infection, but were detected by 52 days after infection. No RV-specific neutralising antibodies were seen in the intestine during the course of the experiment.     

An antigen valence theory to explain the evolution and organization of the humoral immune response

The three modes of antibody production, natural, T independent (TI) and T dependent (TD) are conserved among vertebrate species suggesting an important role for each in protection against pathogens. Here, I use an artificial 'universe' to argue that the three modes of antibody production represent layers that evolved to deal optimally with antigens of different valence. Thus, the apparently more sophisticated TD response has not superseded the natural and TI components of the humoral immune response. Furthermore, the characteristic differences in isotype, somatic mutation and memory displayed by each antibody layer are appropriate for their targeted range of surface structures. It is also suggested that the TD and TI activation arms are at the extremes of a continuum, with signal integration of antigen and T cell-derived signals contributing to B cell decisions about isotype selection, proliferation and secretion that minimize the time to protection.     

Humoral reactions in syngeneic hosts against tumor cell surface incomplete saccharide moieties

Components on the surface of MM2 ascites mammary carcinoma cells induce agglutination factors in the serum of syngeneic host C3H/He mice, and bind the factors in vitro. These components have been classified into three groups: MM2-specific substances, mammary tumor virus (MTV)-associated substances and tumor-associated embryonic materials. The substances contained saccharide moieties and their terminal sugar residues were essential for the binding of the serum factors. These terminal saccharides were exposed during cell proliferation,but masked in stationary cells, at least partly, due to elongation of the saccahride moieits. The terminal structures of these polysaccharide moities of growing and stationary cells were studied by semiquantitative tumor cell agglutination using the agglutinating activities against MM2 cells of MM2-regressor serum and of FMA/R- and Ehrlich-regressor sera which had partial cross-agglutination activities. Agglutination by phytohemagglutinins, inhibition of the agglutination by saccharides or with isolated cell surface components and treatment of the cells with glycosidases were also used for this purpose.