Relationship between serum antisperm antibodies and anticardiolipin antibodies and clinical pregnancy outcome in an in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer program.
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OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of maternal immunological factors on clinical pregnancy outcome in an in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) program. METHODS: One hundred and fifty IVF-ET treatment cycles from November 1995 to November 1996 were studied. The indication for IVF-ET treatment was bilateral blocked tubes. Serum antisperm antibodies and anticardiolipin antibodies were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cleavage rate and successful pregnancy rate in relation to antibody status of infertile women after IVF-ET treatment were assessed. RESULTS: Lower cleavage rate (64.2% +/- 32.1%) was found in 44 cycles of antisperm antibody seropositive women, compared with 84.8% +/- 18.7% in 106 cycles of seronegative women (P < 0.05). The clinical pregnancy rate was 31.8% in antisperm antibody-positive cycles and 20.8% in negative cycles (P > 0.05). The abortion rates of the two groups were similar (P > 0.05). Lower pregnancy rate (9.5%) was found in 21 cycles of serum anticardiolipin antibody-positive group, compared with 26.3% in 129 cycles of seronegative women (P < 0.05). Of patients with bio-chemical pregnancy and no pregnancy, 20.0% and 16.2%, respectively, had seropositive anticardiolipin antibody, compared with 5.6% of patients with clinical pregnancy (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Serum immunological factors may play a part in clinical pregnancy outcome in IVF-ET. (+info)
Exposure of mice to topical bovine thrombin induces systemic autoimmunity.
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Bovine thrombin is used as an aid to hemostasis in medical and surgical procedures. At least 500,000 Americans are exposed to this therapeutic annually and reports suggest that exposure is associated with the development of autoreactive antibodies. To determine whether bovine thrombin can induce pathological autoimmunity we exposed nonautoimmune-prone galactose-alpha1-3-galactose-deficient mice to the two bovine thrombin preparations currently approved for use in the United States. We found that, like humans exposed to bovine thrombin, mice developed an immune response against the therapeutic and the xenogeneic carbohydrate galactose-alpha1-3-galactose, and some mice developed autoantibodies against clotting factors. Further, unexpectedly, a single exposure to this therapeutic also induced autoimmunity with features characteristic of systemic lupus erythematosus including antibodies against nuclear antigens, native DNA, double-stranded DNA, and cardiolipin. High levels of these autoantibodies correlated with glomerulonephritis in all mice evaluated. This autoimmune syndrome was detected in mice 15 weeks after a secondary exposure to bovine thrombin and female mice were found to develop the syndrome at a significantly greater frequency than males. Thus, these studies indicate that exposure to bovine thrombin preparations can induce a pathological systemic autoimmune syndrome with lupus-like serology. (+info)
BACKGROUND: Circulating antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are often detected in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) but little is known about the causes of their formation. AIMS: We have evaluated whether ethanol mediated oxidative injury might promote the development of aPL in ALD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: IgG against beta(2) glycoprotein 1 (beta(2)-GP1), cardiolipin, and human serum albumin (HSA) complexed with either oxidised arachidonic acid (HSA-APP) or malondialdehyde (HSA-MDA) were assayed by ELISA in heavy drinkers with or without ALD and in healthy subjects. RESULTS: Circulating IgG recognising cardiolipin were significantly higher in ALD patients than in controls. However, anticardiolipin reactivity of ALD sera was only evident using, as the antigen, oxidised cardiolipin but not oxidation protected cardiolipin. In ALD patients, individual values of IgG antioxidised cardiolipin were associated with the titres of antibodies against HSA-MDA and HSA-APP (r=0.68 and 0.72, respectively; p<0.0001) used as markers of oxidative stress. ALD patients also displayed increased levels of antibodies against phospholipid binding protein beta(2)-GP1, and individual reactivity towards oxidised cardiolipin and beta(2)-GP1 were highly correlated (r=0.85; p<0.0001). IgG binding to oxidised cardiolipin, HSA-MDA, and HSA-APP was also significantly higher in beta(2)-GP1 positive than in beta(2)-GP1 negative sera. However, preadsorption of beta(2)-GP1 positive sera on beta(2)-GP1 coated ELISA plates reduced reactivity to oxidised cardiolipin by 80%, without affecting that to HSA-APP or HSA-MDA. CONCLUSIONS: Ethanol induced oxidative injury is associated with the development of antibodies targeting complexes between oxidised cardiolipin and beta(2)-GP1. These antibodies might account for high aPL titres observed in patients with severe ALD. (+info)
Healing of skin necrosis and regression of anticardiolipin antibodies achieved by parathyroidectomy in a dialyzed woman with calcific uremic arteriolopathy.
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AIM: To present the impact of parathyroidectomy on the spontaneous healing of necrotic lesions of the skin of the lower leg and on anticardiolipin antibodies regression in a 68-year-old female dialyzed patient with hyperparathyroidism and calcific-uremic arteriolopathy (CUA). METHODS: After the occurrence of initial lesions of the lower leg skin, the intact parathyroid (iPTH) level, calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) product were measured, and on two occasions at 6-week intervals, the titer of anticardiolipin antibodies was determined, followed by a clinical monitoring of the progress of necrotic skin lesions. Two months after the occurrence of the skin lesions, the patient's right leg was amputated below the knee due to gangrene, and a histopathological analysis of the skin tissue sample of the amputated lower leg was made. After parathyroidectomy, iPTH, Ca x P product were measured, and on two occasions at 6 weeks' intervals, anticardiolipin antibodies titer was determined, followed by a clinical monitoring of lesions of the left lower leg skin. RESULTS: Before parathyroidectomy, iPTH level and Ca x P product were increased, as well as IgG anticardiolipin antibody titer measured on two occasions 6 weeks apart. The histopathological analysis of the skin tissue sample of the amputated right lower leg showed mural calcification of artery walls and thrombotic occlusions of small arteries, arterioles, and dermal capillaries, in addition to epidermolysis. A week after parathyroidectomy, iPTH level and Ca x P product were within normal range. Two measurements 6 weeks apart revealed no anticardiolipin antibodies. Eight weeks after parathyroidectomy, spontaneous healing of necrotic skin lesions of the left lower leg was observed. CONCLUSION: Regression of anticardiolipin antibodies, normalization of Ca x P product, and healing of the skin lesions after parathyroidectomy all pointed to the elevated PTH level as a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of CUA. (+info)
Effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge injection on anticardiolipin antibody production induced by beta2 glycoprotein.
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AIM: To explore the therapeutic effect and the mechanism of Chinese herbs on antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) by observing the effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge injectio (SmBI) on anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) induced by beta2 glycoprotein I (beta2-GP I). METHODS: Sixty female mice randomly fell into 6 groups: group A, B, C, D was injected through abdominal cavity with different dosage of SmBI daily; after 14 d, group A, B, C, E was immunized with 150 microg of purified human beta2-GP I in complete Freund's adjuvant subcutaneously; group F as control. The titre of aCL were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; subsets of T cell were grouped by streptavidin-biotin complex technique; and the activity of IL-2 was measured by MTT chromatometry. RESULTS: (1) Compared with group E, the absorbance (A) of aCL in group A, B, and C was decreased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). By linear correlation, the dosage is negatively correlated with the A values of aCL in 1, 2, and 3 weeks (P < 0.01). (2) Compared with group E, TH/TS ratio was reduced in group A, B, and C (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); there is no significant differences between group D and F (P>0.05). By linear correlation, the dosage is negatively correlated with TH/TS ratio (P < 0.01). (3) Compared with E, the activity of IL-2 in group B and C decreased significantly (P < 0.01). By linear correlation, there is negative correlation between dosage and IL-2 activity (P < 0.01). There is no significant difference between D and F (P > 0.05). (4) There is positive correlation between TH/TS ratio and IL-2 activity in different dilutions (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The mechanism of suppressive effect of SmBI on aCL induced by beta2-GP I may be realized by resuming the elevated TH/TS ratio and IL-2 activity. The state that SmBI have no effect on normal mice indicates that SmBI has selective immunoregulative functive. (+info)
Atherosclerosis.
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Is atherosclerosis a cellular or humoral mediated autoimmune disease? (+info)
Retinal vein occlusion in two patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome.
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Primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a disease producing vascular thrombus with antiphospholipid antibody without association with autoimmune diseases as systemic lupus erythematosus. Retinal vein occlusion is a rare vascular manifestation in primary APS. We describe 2 cases of primary APS presenting with developing blurred vision. Each had central retinal vein occlusion and high titer of IgG anticardiolipin antibody. (+info)
Anticardiolipin antibodies in rheumatoid patients treated with etanercept or conventional combination therapy: direct and indirect evidence for a possible association with infections.
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OBJECTIVE: To assess the occurrence of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) (as well as of anti-DNA antibodies) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with etanercept or combination therapy. METHODS: Eight patients treated with etanercept 25 mg twice weekly were studied for a period of 85 weeks. A control group of 39 patients with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing combination treatment (methotrexate (MTX) + cyclosporin A or MTX + chloroquine) were studied for the same period of time. The occurrence of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA-IgG) and anti-DNA was examined, together with the possible occurrence of infections due to bacteria capable of inducing B cell activation. RESULTS: In 5/8 patients receiving etanercept an increase of ACA-IgG was seen, while anti-DNA became positive in 3/8 patients. A nasal or bronchial infection due to Staphylococcus aureus (Staph aureus) or a urinary tract infection due to E coli, occurred in all five cases. Antibiotic treatment produced a return to normal of ACA-IgG, and also of anti-DNA, in all cases except one. The infectious agent was eradicated in all subjects but one. In the control group Staph aureus was found in the nasal swab in 10/39 subjects; ACA-IgM (followed by ACA-IgG) appeared at the same time as infection occurred in 6/10, while no infection related to the increased ACA-IgM was recorded in the other four. CONCLUSIONS: Bacterial DNA, especially that enriched in CpG motifs, is a powerful immunostimulant that may, in some cases, lead to ACA or anti-DNA positivity, once tumour necrosis factor alpha is blocked. Eradication of the infections leads to a rapid decrease of ACA-IgG and of anti-DNA levels. (+info)