Antigen DNA isolated from immune complexes in plasma of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus hybridizes with the Escherichia coli lac Z gene.

Antigen DNA was isolated from immune complexes in plasma of three patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using affinity column. The antigen DNA thus obtained was subjected to hybridization experiments in order to investigate its origin. Unexpectedly, plasmid pUC18 used as a probe was found to hybridize with the antigen DNA, pUC18 was then cleaved into three fragments with the restriction enzyme HaeII. A 445-bp fragment containing lac Z DNA hybridized with the antigen DNA. Finally, the lacZ DNA itself was found to hybridize with the antigen DNA. These data strongly suggest that the antigen DNA obtained from three patients is of bacterial origin.     

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the measurement of antibodies to different parts of the gram-negative lipopolysaccharide core region

Bovine serum albumin was complexed with the core antigens of either Escherichia coli J5 LPS, Salmonella minnesota R595 LPS or E. coli lipid A. These core-BSA complexes were used for solid-phase coating in ELISAs for anti-core antibodies. Antibodies, binding to various parts of the core region were easily quantified in a single experimental set-up, which was hitherto not possible. The ELISA has only 3 incubation steps and is not costly as only moderate amounts of the core antigens (i.e., 1 microgram per test) were needed for coating. The sensitivity proved to be excellent and the complexes were biologically fully active (compared to native, smooth LPS), which make them suitable for the screening (after fusion) of monoclonal anti-core antibodies. Another possible application is the large-scale screening of blood-bank sera in order to find samples with a high anti-core antibody content.     

Vascular lesions in testes associated with male infertility in Cameroon

Summary Testicular biopsies in 40 of 41 infertile males with severe oligospermia in Cameroon presented massive subendothelial fibrinoid deposits in the small and medium sized vessels. Fibrinogen, complement and IgM were demonstrated in these deposits by immunofluorescence. Evidence strongly suggestive of parasitic testicular involvement was also observed in 2 cases.It is postulated that the fibrinoid deposits are the result of repeated formation and deposition of circulating immune complexes by reaction of antibodies with antigens. These antigens could be of various origins and in the cases described here they could be derived from living or dying parasites in the region. The accumulation and incorporation of the fibrinoid deposits may lead to vascular stenosis resulting in chronic ischaemia, tubular atrophy and fibrosis, and finally oligospermia.     

CMOSens~流量计和控制器在NO输送系统中的应用

本文在研究分析了CMOSens质量流量计和控制器的基础上,研究设计了一套能与呼吸机周期同步且成比例地释放NO标气的NO输送系统,并用N O/NO 2电化学传感器连续监测治疗气中NO浓度和二氧化氮(NO 2)浓度。在NO治疗气浓度为20 ppm的情况下,通过整定系统软件参数后,呼吸机的吸气流量和NO供给流量的相位差为0,NO检测浓度相比较整定前的检测值平均增大2.15 ppm,更接近于NO设定浓度值,NO 2检测浓度≤0.2 ppm属于安全范围。结果表明经过整定后的系统系实现了和呼吸机周期同步地供给NO标气,并且提高了NO治疗气的精度、降低了NO由于被氧化而生成NO 2的可能性。     

C4a anaphylatoxin levels as an indicator of disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus

The use of a synthetic protease inhibitor, nafamstat mesilate, has enabled reliable estimations of in vivo complement activation to be made in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Elevation of C3a anaphylatoxins was found in two out of 24 patients and elevation of C4a anaphylatoxins was found in 20 out of 24 patients, confirming that complement activation, predominantly by the classical pathway, is a common occurrence in the disease. Significantly higher levels of C4a anaphylatoxin were found in 16 patients, with more aggressive disease requiring supplementary treatment with azathioprine, while the remaining eight patients, with less severe disease, required purely steroid therapy. Very strong associations between elevated C4a anaphylatoxins and raised DNA antibody titres, C1q binding activity and low complement C4 levels were also observed, suggesting that anaphylatoxin measurement may be a sensitive additional method for monitoring disease activity in SLE.     

Depressed lymphocyte transformation and the role of prostaglandins in atopic dermatitis.

We have shown that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with atopic dermatitis have a reduced in vitro proliferative responsiveness to concanavalin A when compared with non-atopic controls. Addition of the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor indomethacin caused a significant enhancement of the mitogen response in the patients, indicating a suppressive effect of cyclooxygenase products. We have further demonstrated increased levels of prostaglandin E2 in the supernatants of the PBMC cultures and increased levels of IgE immune complexes in the sera of the atopic dermatitis patients and therefore hypothesize that IgE immune complexes may cause increased monocyte production of prostaglandins which in turn appears to be responsible for a reduced lymphocyte proliferation.     

Circulating immune complexes may play a regulatory and pathogenic role in experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis.

We compared the time course of changes in serum levels of circulating immune complexes (CICs) and of IgG antibody after sensitization of albino Lewis and pigmented Lister strain rats with uveitogenic (retinal S-antigen) and non-uveitogenic (ovalbumin) protein antigens of comparable molecular weight. Normal levels of CICs were far lower in Lewis rats in which experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) takes the form of a severe panuveitis, than in Lister rats, in which the disease is mild, focal, confined to the posterior segment, and of lower incidence. After sensitization with either S-antigen or ovalbumin, polyethylene-glycol-precipitable CIC (PEG-CIC) peaked and fell as IgG antibody levels rose in both rat strains. However, peak levels of PEG-CIC were lower and subsequent IgG antibody levels were higher in the Lewis strain than in the less susceptible Lister strain. In both strains of rat these linked PEG-CIC/IgG antibody responses occurred earlier after sensitization with uveitogenic (S-) antigen than with ovalbumin, whether or not individual S-antigen-sensitized Lister rats developed EAU. In contrast, complement-binding CIC rose substantially only in those rats of both strains displaying EAU in response to S-antigen and not in response to ovalbumin. We suggest that immune complex (idiotypic) regulation of IgG antibody responses may be more readily perturbed by a pathogenic autoantigen (S-antigen) than by a bland antigen (ovalbumin). We also suggest that differences between the balance of regulatory and pathogenic CIC responses to uveitogenic retinal antigen may underlie or reflect strain differences in susceptibility to and severity of EAU.     

Ribosome-lamella complexes in a case of transitional cell carcinoma involving the prostate

We report ribosome-lamella complexes (RLC) in cancer cells of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the prostate in a 52-year-old Caucasian man. Histopathologically, cancer cells were proliferated in various-sized nests, mostly associated with central necrosis. Some invaded into the surrounding normal glandular space and the stroma, with occasional lymphatic invasion. Fine structural study of cancer cells revealed that cross-sectioned RLC as well as densely aggregated ribosomes were detected in their cytoplasm, situated close to, but not directly connected with, dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum. These were composed of a concentric alternative arrangement of both lamellae and ribosomes. In the central and surrounding parts of the RLC, ribosomes were observed, revealing a smooth transition to the ribosomal component of RLC in size and shape. The presence of both RLC and dense aggregation of ribosomes close to the rough endoplasmic reticulum suggests that their functions might be related to specific or aberrant protein synthesis under unknown conditions. Although RLC have been often reported in hematopoietic malignancies, their occurrence in the malignant epithelial component has been only reported in a case of pulmonary adenocarcinoma. This is the first report of RLC in TCC in the literature.     

Studies of an outbreak of acute hepatitis A: I. Complement level fluctuation

An outbreak of hepatitis A occurred in a rural elementary school in Colbert County, Alabama, in October and November 1972. The outbreak was caused by sewage-contaminated drinking water and involved 49 children and 1 adult. Acute and convalescent serum samples were obtained from the hepatitis patients, and from each of 24 unafflicted matched controls at the same time. Strinkingly, the levels of the third and fourth components of complement (C'3 and C'4) were markedly reduced in the acute samples from the sick children but returned to normal in the convalescent ones; the C'3 and C'4 levels in the healthy matched controls were not reduced. In addition, antigen-antibody complexes were found in convalescent sera from some of the sick children. These findings indicate that immune complexes are present in acture hepatitis A and suggest that the techniques for future virus isolation may have to be altered.