儿童铁缺乏对血清IgG亚类及PnPs特异性IgG亚类抗体的影响

本文测定铁缺乏症患儿血清IgG亚类(47例)和PnPs特异性IgG_1、IgG_2抗体(18例)。发现47例缺铁儿童中28例伴IgG亚类缺陷,各亚类缺陷检出率依次为:IgG_4 27.66％(13/47)、IgG_1 21.28％(10/47)、IgG_2 14.89％(7/47)、IgG_2 2.13％(1/47)。与同龄正常儿童比较,缺铁组血清IgG_4和IgG_1均值以及PnPs特异性IgG_1、IgG_2抗体水平明显降低;缺铁患儿外周血CD~+_4细胞百分率及CD~+_4/CD~+_8细胞比值降低,IL-6活性、T淋巴细胞增殖反应减低。缺铁时反复呼吸道感染率(占63.83％)亦明显增高。提示缺铁不仅致T细胞功能受损,B细胞功能亦明显障碍。     

Effect of intravenous immunoglobulin treatment on the Th1/Th2 balance in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions

PROBLEM: The way by which intravenous immunoglobulin (IvIg) acts to prevent immunlogically mediated recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA) has not been clarified. In the present study, a possible effect of IvIg on the T helper cell (Th1/Th2) balance was investigated in abortions of either alloimmune or autoimmune abnormalities. METHOD OF STUDY: The study included 21 women treated with IvIg before conception because of a history of RSA characterized by alloimmune abnormalities (n = 15) or associated with anti-phospholipid antibodies (APA) (n = 6). Peripheral blood samples, collected before and 5 days after the first IvIg infusion, were stimulated, and Th1 and Th2 cells were detected by flow-cytometric analysis using a combination of monoclonal antibodies against T-cell surface markers and intracellular interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-4. The percentage of IFN-gamma-producing (Th1) and IL-4-producing (Th2) cells and the Th1/Th2 ratio were compared between pre- and post-infusion samples. RESULTS: A decrease of Th1 percentage in 66.6% of the cases and a concurrent Th2 percentage increase (47.61%) resulted in a decrease in the Th1/Th2 ratio in most of the cases (76.1%) (p < 0.01). Similar results were found in Group A (Th1/Th2 decreased in 60% of the cases, p < 0.05), while in Group B the effect of IvIg was not clear (Th1/Th2 increased in three and decreased in another three cases). CONCLUSION: Our finding suggests that IvIg administration in women with alloimmune RSA enhances Th2 polarization. This is not always the case with APA-associated abortions.     

Primary structure of a variable region of the V kappa I subgroup (ISE) in light chain deposition disease.

Although structural abnormalities of monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains (LC) are suspected to play a determinant role in non-amyloid light chain deposition disease (LCDD), this condition is as yet poorly documented at the molecular level, since only three sequences have been reported to date. In a case of myeloma-associated LCDD, the patient's urine contained an unglycosylated kappa Bence Jones protein made up of dimers and monomers with an apparent molecular mass of 25,000 which was assigned to the V kappa I subgroup by N-terminal amino acid sequencing. The complete variable region sequence of the monoclonal kappa chain produced by the malignant plasma cells was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using small amounts of material obtained by bone marrow aspiration. The sequence of three independently amplified cDNA clones derived from a normal-sized kappa messenger RNA was identical to that of the urinary kappa chain. The kappa mRNA had an overall normal structure made up of a V kappa I sequence rearranged to J kappa I. Several unusual features of the variable region (the first complete V kappa I sequence reported in LCDD) included three substitutions that introduced hydrophobic residues at spatially close positions. The strategy associating N-terminal sequence determination and cDNA cloning by PCR could help in accumulating new sequence data and improving our understanding of LCDD pathogenesis.     

Allergic conversion of protective mucosal immunity against nasal bacteria in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis

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Effects of recombinant leukocyte interferon on serum immunoglobulin concentrations and lymphocyte subpopulations in chronic hepatitis B

To investigate immune effects of interferon (IFN) therapy in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B, serum immunoglobulin concentrations and peripheral lymphocyte subpopulations were sequentially studied before, during, and after therapy in nine patients who were treated with recombinant human -IFN in doses ranging from 3 to 10 million units per day for 28 days. Serum immunoglobulin A levels decreased significantly, from 414±23 mg/dl (mean ± SE) to 379±28 mg/dl (P<0.05), after the first week of therapy and to a bottom value of 323±20 mg/dl (P<0.001) at the fourth week. Immunoglobulin G levels decreased significantly, from 2603±175 to 2328±169 mg/dl (P<0.005), after the first week of therapy and to a bottom value of 2005±199 mg/dl (P<0.001) at the fourth week. Immunoglobulin M levels were also reduced significantly after 3 weeks of therapy (from 229±23 to 188±15 mg/dl;P<0.01). These reductions in immunoglobulins A, G, and M returned to pretreatment levels by 4 months after the end of the therapy. In lymphocyte subpopulations, significant depressions were found in CD3-, CD4-, CD8-, and B1-positive cells in peripheral blood after the first week of therapy (CD3, from 1700±114 to 1234±114/mm³,P<0.005; CD4, from 1036±88 to 780±64/mm³,P<0.005; CD8, from 620±57 to 426±60/mm³,P<0.05; and B1, from 519±84 to 276±48/mm³,P<0.01) followed during therapy, while Leul la-positive cells did not change significantly. During the 6-month follow-up period, three patients had a sustained clinical remission in which HBeAg disappeared from serum. Disappearance of HBeAg was unassociated with initial levels or percentage changes of serum immunoglobulins and peripheral lymphocytes expressing each of the test markers in these patients. These findings suggest that immune effects of IFN therapy are independent from its antiviral effects.     

Reverse enzyme-linked immunospot assay (RELISPOT) for the detection of cells secreting immunoreactive substances

A reverse modification of the recently described enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT), based on localized enzyme-substrate reactions in gel, is described for the enumeration of antigen-secreting cells using petri dishes coated with specific antibodies. As a model the detection of mouse and human immunoglobulin-secreting cells has been evaluated. Simple and sensitive, this new method, termed RELISPOT, can be adapted for the quantitation of secreted antigen thus providing additional information on the metabolic state of the population of cells tested.     

Characterization of two epitopes on insulin using monoclonal antibodies

Three monoclonal antibodies (MAb), 21 (IgG1), I10 (IgG1) and H38 (IgG2b), to insulin have been tested for cross-reactivity with 11 species variants of insulin and three of proinsulin. Correlations of differences of reactivities between the MAb and the species variants of insulin with the respective amino acid sequences of the latter have permitted the identification of two epitopes recognized by the MAb which encompass the regions in the A- and B-chains of insulin subject to frequent evolutionary amino acid substitutions. MAb 21 and H38 are directed to an epitope which includes residues B27-30 and A1 or A4 and can discriminate between human and pig insulins which differ only at B30. MAb 21 reacts with human (B30 thr) but not with pig (B30 ala) insulins, whereas MAb H38 exhibits a reciprocal specificity. Neither MAb 21 nor MAb H38 react with human or pig proinsulins respectively indicating that the presence of the C-peptide joining A1 to B30 masks the epitope. MAb 21 reacts with human insulin 125I-labeled at tyr A14 but not B26 suggesting that incorporation of the I atom at B26 also masks the epitope. MAb I10 is directed to an epitope which includes A8-10 and A4 or B3 with a specificity for the human A8-10 sequence. MAb I10 reacts with human proinsulin and human insulin 125I-labeled at either tyr A14 or B26.     

Co-existence of glucagon- and substance P-like immunoreactivity in the chicken retina

This immunohistochemical study of chicken retina using flat-mounts shows that pancreatic glucagon- and substance P-like immunoreactive amacrine cells have more heterogeneous subpopulations than was previously understood to be the case. Using double-staining immunohistochemical procedures we demonstrate that a substantial proportion of all subtypes of glucagon-like immunoreactive cells contain substance P-like immunoreactivity and that the ratio of the amacrine cells containing both peptides to total immunoreactive cells varies according to position in the retinal and cell type. These results suggest that retinal cells may have different functions according to position or cell type.     

Increased central adiposity is associated with pro-inflammatory immunoglobulin G N-glycans

Background

Increased body fat may be associated with an increased risk of developing an underlying pro-inflammatory state, thus leading to greater risk of developing certain chronic conditions. Immunoglobulin G has the ability to exert both anti- and pro-inflammatory effects, and the N-glycosylation of the fragment crystallisable portion is involved in mediating this process. Body mass index, a rudimentary yet gold standard indication for body fat, has been shown to be associated with agalactosylated immunoglobulin G N-glycans.

Secretory immunoglobulin A and cardiovascular reactions to mental arithmetic, cold pressor, and exercise: effects of alpha-adrenergic blockade

The mechanism underlying acute changes in secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) remains to be determined. In this experiment, sIgA and cardiovascular activity were monitored at rest and while participants performed a mental arithmetic task, cold pressor, and submaximal cycle exercise following placebo or 1 mg of the alpha-adrenergic blocker, doxazosin. Under placebo, the tasks produced patterns of cardiovascular activity indicative of combined alpha- and beta-adrenergic, alpha-adrenergic, and beta-adrenergic activation, respectively. Doxazosin was associated with reduced blood pressure during cold pressor, but not during arithmetic or exercise. Mental arithmetic elicited increases in sIgA concentration and exercise produced increases in both sIgA concentration and secretion rate; these changes were unaffected by alpha blockade. In contrast, the cold pressor was associated with decreases in both sIgA concentration and secretion rate, which were blocked by doxazosin. These data suggest that acute decreases, but not increases, in sIgA are mediated by alpha-adrenergic mechanisms.