Antiactin and antitubulin antibodies in canine visceral leishmaniasis

Visceral leishmaniasis, a chronic and often fatal disease, is caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani. Both specific and nonspecific antibodies are produced in the course of the disease, and autoantibodies may be involved in pathogenesis. Tubulin and actin have been found to be associated with L. donovani. To learn whether antiactin and antitubulin antibodies are present in visceral leishmaniasis, we tested sera from 263 infected dogs by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibodies to the antigens L. donovani, actin, and tubulin. All samples reacted positively with L. donovani, and a high percentage reacted positively with all three antigens. Sera from 202 uninfected dogs were also tested, none reacted with L. donovani antigen, although positive reactions were observed for 8 of the samples with actin or tubulin. It was found that the antibody-antigen reaction occurred at the Fab portion of the immunoglobulin molecule. Competitive enzyme immunoassays showed that the reaction was inhibited if the positive serum was first incubated with L. donovani antigen, actin, or tubulin and then tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These results suggest that antiactin and antitubulin antibodies are present in the sera of dogs infected with visceral leishmaniasis.     

Τhe multiple temporalities of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Greece

Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy - This contribution intends to explore patients’ lived experience, with a focus on the temporal dimension. On the basis of a qualitative study that led me...     

The presence of both antivirus and antiself antibodies in sera from patients with adenovirus and influenza B

Using the ELISA method we examined serum samples from 62 male patients aged 19-23 infected with adenovirus (serotype 7), 22 children aged 7-14 infected with influenza B (B/Norway 1/84) and 113 normal subjects aged 5-30. The infections were diagnosed serologically by complement fixation, by inhibition of hemagglutination, by ELISA and by viral culture. Moreover using enzyme-linked short-time culture assay, the production of specific antivirus antibodies and autoantibodies in vitro by spleen cells (1 x 10(6) cells/well) from normal mice and from mice immunized with adenovirus and influenza B was studied. At the same time their sera antibody titers were determined. All the serum samples were tested against the following antigens: adenovirus, influenza B, ds-DNA, actin, myosin, myoglobin, thyroglobulin, H. transferrin, H. interferon a and BSA. FV. For the further characterization of positive sera, an evaluation of specificity by competitive ELISA-test and by preparations of F(ab')2 fragments from patients' sera was also carried out. It was found that the percentage of positivity for the specific virus and other antigens was higher in the patients' samples than in the samples from the normal subjects. The specific antivirus antibody was of IgG class and their titers ranged from 1/4, 800 up to 1/19,200. Autoantibodies belonged to IgM, IgA, IgG classes and their titers ranged from 1/400 to 1/1,600. In comparison, titers of normal subjects' sera ranged from 1/150 to 1/600 and 1/150 to 1/300, respectively and both were IgG classes. Both specific virus antibodies and autoantibodies appeared at the same time. The competitive ELISA-test showed a marked inhibition (95-98%) of antivirus antibodies with the specific antigen, whereas autoantibodies were less inhibited (40-50%) by homologous antigens. The antigen-antibody reaction occurred at the Fab portion of the immunoglobulin molecule, since these fragments inhibited antibody reactivity. The same results were observed with spleen cells from immunized mice and the above-mentioned antigens when cultured in vitro.     

Mapping of somatostatin receptor types in GH or/and PRL producing pituitary adenomas

BACKGROUND: Somatostatin is a tetradecapeptide exerting inhibitory action on endocrine and exocrine cell secretion and proliferation. Somatostatin receptors (SST) are widely expressed in various neoplasms including endocrine tumours. Using immunohistochemistry, the expression of SST(1), SST(2A), SST(2B), SST(3), SST(4), and SST(5) was studied in tissue microarrays (TMAs), using a series of 90 human pituitary adenomas producing growth hormone and/or prolactin, including 30 of each somatotroph, lactotroph, and mixed somatotroph/lactotroph adenoma type. METHODS: For immunohistochemistry, the standard avidin biotin complex method enhanced by tyramide was used, using polyclonal antisera for all SST types. A four point scoring system was used to assess the membranous immunopositivity. RESULTS: All SST types were positive in all tumour types, showing varying immunoreactivity scores. SST(5) and SST(2A) were the predominant receptors, showing strong expression in high frequency in all three adenoma types. Strong expression of SST(1) was higher in lactotroph adenomas than in other tumour types. CONCLUSIONS: The immunohistochemical results of SST expression are in agreement with most findings of previous molecular studies. The fact that SST(2A) expression is predominant suggests that pharmaceutical octapeptide somatostatin analogues may act through this receptor, while the role of SST(2B) may be merely synergistic.     

Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy in reducing anxiety in adults and children with asthma: A systematic review

Objective: Asthma and anxiety are known to interact, leading to exacerbations for both conditions. This systematic review summarised evidence regarding the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in reducing anxiety in individuals with asthma, with results presented separately for adults and children. Data sources: PRISMA and CRD guidance were followed to conduct and report the current review. Three major electronic databases (Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, and EMBASE) and manual searches were used to find relevant published and unpublished research. Study selections: Sixteen trials (12 adult- and four child-focused) met inclusion criteria, and were evaluated with adapted quality criteria. Both controlled trials and repeated-measures designs were eligible. All CBT intervention formats were eligible (group, individual, computerised, and self-help). Nine studies (eight adult and one child) focused upon participants with either an anxiety diagnosis or with above-threshold anxiety scores on a validated measure at baseline. Results: The review provides tentative preliminary support for the use of CBT for anxiety in adults with asthma, with the evidence base for interventions with children appearing promising, but under-developed. Studies were more likely to indicate beneficial effects where anxiety-focused (rather than illness-focused) intervention protocols were utilised, asthma-related education was provided and where the trials focused on individuals with likely clinical levels of anxiety at baseline. Conclusion: Whilst further high-quality research is needed, available evidence is supportive of anxiety-focused CBT interventions tailored to target the particular mechanisms thought to maintain this comorbidity in asthma.     

GILBERT SYNDROME ASSOCIATED WITH β-THALASSEMIA

The authors investigated whether the considerable variability in serum bilirubin levels (STB) found in transfusion-dependent &#103 -thalassemia, &#103 -thal intermedia, and heterozygous &#103 -thalassemia individuals could be related to the coexistence of Gilbert syndrome (GS). The promoter region [A(TA) n TAA] of the bilirubin UDP-glucuronosyltransferase gene (UGT1A1) was analyzed in a total of 128 &#103 -thalassemia individuals (108 transfusion-dependent &#103 -thal patients, 20 very mild &#103 -thal intermedia) and in 33 &#103 -thal heterozygotes. The control group consisted of 70 healthy children with no history of anemia. The frequency of GS genotype (TA) 7 /(TA) 7 did not differ significantly between the groups studied. A significant difference was observed between serum bilirubin levels (STB) and GS genotypes (TA) 7 /(TA) 7 and (TA) 6 /(TA) 7 and also between (TA) 7 /(TA) 7 and (TA) 6 /(TA) 6 for all groups examined. These results confirm that the (TA) 7 /(TA) 7 GS genotype is one of the factors accounting for the hyperbilirubinemia observed in &#103 -thalassemia major, intermedia, and heterozygous individuals.     

Leishmaniasis in Greece I. Isolation and identification of the parasite causing human and canine visceral leishmaniasis

Three human and 19 canine leishmanial stocks were typed according to their excreted factor serotype and the electrophoretic mobility of their MDH, GPI, G6PDH and 6PGDH and shown to be identical with regard to these characters and, thus with Leishmania donovani infantum. This verifies the opinion of earlier researchers, who suggested that the parasites which cause human and canine visceral leishmaniasis in Greece are the same organism and that dogs are the reservoir for the human infection. The complexities raised by the co-existence of human cutaneous leishmaniasis in Greece caused by L. tropica (formerly L. t. minor) are stressed. A comparison was made of the clinical symptomatology, serological diagnosis by IFA and ELISA tests and parasitological diagnosis of the human cases and canine infections.     

Autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus and normal subjects

Summary The presence of various antibodies in serum samples from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and from healthy subjects was investigated by ELISA, using a panel of natural antigens. Fifty-eight serum samples from 58 healthy women and 50 serum samples from 30 patients with active SLE were tested with 9 natural antigens (ds-DNA, actin, tubulin, thyroglobulin, myosin, myoglobin, human transferrin, human interferon a and BSA FV). It was found that the proportion of positive sera from healthy women at a dilution of 1/20 was almost the same as that of lupus sera at a dilution of 1/150 for nearly all antigens, while at a dilution of 1/150 the proportion of positive sera from patients with SLE was significantly higher for nearly all antigens. In lupus sera a high degree of correlation was observed between titers of anti-DNA and titers of the other antibodies. One hundred eighty-eight serum samples from 53 SLE patients, taken during exacerbation and remission of the disease were tested with ds-DNA, actin and tubulin. Antibodies (IgG) to ds-DNA actin and tubulin were found in the majority of serum samples taken during the active phase of the disease. On the other hand, very few serum samples taken during remission were found to be positive. A high degree of correlation was found between the OD of anti-actin/anti-ds-DNA (r=0.769) and anti-tubulin/anti-ds-DNA (r=0.829). In a competitive enzyme immunoassay for DNA, actin, tubulin, myosin and thyroglobulin, a high degree of inhibition was observed with the homologous antigens. Cross inhibition was observed between actin, tubulin and myosin, and to a lesser degree with DNA. These results indicate that normal sera contain low titers of auto and foreign antibodies while active SLE sera react strongly with the same antigens.