Serum and intestinal isotype antibody responses to Wa human rotavirus in gnotobiotic pigs are modulated by maternal antibodies.
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The effects of passive antibodies on protection and active immune responses to human rotavirus were studied in gnotobiotic pigs. Pigs were injected at birth with saline or sow serum of high (immunized) or low (control) antibody titre and subsets of pigs were fed colostrum and milk from immunized or control sows. Pigs were inoculated at 3-5 days of age and challenged at 21 days post-inoculation (p.i.) with virulent Wa human rotavirus. Pigs receiving immune serum with or without immune colostrum/milk were partially protected against diarrhoea and virus shedding after inoculation, but had significantly lower IgA antibody titres in serum and small intestinal contents at 21 days p.i. and lower protection rates after challenge compared with pigs given control or no maternal antibodies. IgG antibody titres were consistently higher in small than in large intestinal contents. Pigs given control serum with control colostrum/milk had lower rates of virus shedding after inoculation than those given control serum alone. In summary, high titres of circulating maternal antibodies with or without local (milk) antibodies provided passive protection after inoculation but suppressed active mucosal antibody responses. These findings may have implications for the use of live, oral rotavirus vaccines in breast-fed infants. (+info)
Neonatal varicella: varicella zoster immunoglobulin (VZIG) does not prevent disease.
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Two infants with severe varicella are reported. They received varicella zoster immunoglobulin (VZIG) without concurrent information to parents or carers regarding further care. In both these cases there was a three day delay between the onset of symptoms and initiation of aciclovir. This delay was due to lack of awareness of the high risk of varicella in these infants. Infants born to mothers with onset of chickenpox 4 days before to 2 days after delivery are at risk of fatal varicella, despite the use of VZIG prophylaxis. (+info)
Involvement of interleukin-2 in analgesia produced by Coriolus versicolor polysaccharide peptides.
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AIM: To study the role of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) in analgesia produced by Coriolus versicolor polysaccharide peptide (PSP). METHODS: The IL-2 antiserum was injected i.c.v. or i.p. and the MBH was destroyed electrolytically. RESULTS: PSP i.g. 1 g.kg-1.d-1 for 6 d increased the pain threshold in tail stimulation-vocalization test in rats. This PSP-produced analgesia was blocked by i.c.v., but not i.p., IL-2 antiserum and disappeared after electrolytic lesion of MBH. CONCLUSION: The analgesia produced by PSP is mediated by IL-2 which is activated by PSP and interacts with IL-2 receptors in the MBH. (+info)
Human sperm proteome: immunodominant sperm surface antigens identified with sera from infertile men and women.
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The objective of this study was to identify those immunodominant sperm antigens recognized by antisperm antibodies (ASA) in the serum samples of infertile men and women. High-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was employed to separate human sperm proteins using isoelectric focusing or nonequilibrium pH gradient electrophoresis, followed by PAGE. Serum samples from 15 infertile male subjects and 6 infertile female subjects that contained ASA as assayed by the immunobead binding test (IBT) were analyzed by Western blotting followed by enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL). Serum samples from 10 fertile subjects (5 males and 5 females) that were ASA negative by IBT were used as controls. The ECL blots were analyzed by computer scanning to compare the immunoreactivity between serum samples from fertile and infertile subjects and to identify the antigens unique to the sera of the infertile subjects; 98 sperm auto- and iso-antigenic protein spots were recognized by sera from infertile males and females but not from fertile subjects. Based on vectorial labeling with 125I at the sperm surface, a subset of 6 auto- and iso-antigens was identified as possibly relevant to antibody-mediated infertility. (+info)
Short ragweed allergen induces eosinophilic lung disease in HLA-DQ transgenic mice.
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The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restriction of the IgE response to different allergens in humans has been a subject of numerous published studies. However, the role and contribution of specific HLA class II molecules in the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation are unknown and difficult to assess. HLA-DQ6 and HLA-DQ8 transgenic mice lacking endogenous mouse class II gene expression were actively immunized and later challenged intranasally with short ragweed (SRW) allergenic extract. The HLA-DQ transgenic mice developed pulmonary eosinophilia and lung tissue damage. We also found an increase in total protein (TP) level and IL-5 production in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and an increase in SRW-specific Th2-type immunoglobulins (IgG1, IgG2b) and total serum IgE levels. Under similar treatment, DQ-negative full-sib control mice were normal. The allergic response could be significantly inhibited or abrogated in HLA-DQ mice by systemic treatment with anti-DQ mAb. The in vivo responses of HLA-DQ6 and HLA-DQ8 mice showed differences in terms of levels of eosinophilia, BAL protein, IL-5 concentration, and lung hyperreactivity to inhaled methacholine. These findings demonstrate the crucial role for specific HLA-DQ molecules in SRW-specific CD4(+) T-cell activation and resulting recruitment of eosinophils into the airways. (+info)
Localization of sequential antigenic determinants on bovine beta-casein with synthetic peptides and antisera from mouse, rabbit, and goat.
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The antigenic determinants of bovine beta-casein (beta-CN) were localized by using twenty overlapping peptides encompassing the entire sequence of beta-CN and anti-beta-CN antisera from outbred mouse, rabbit and goat. The profile of the reactions was characteristic to the species, the dominant antigenic regions being 80-95, 143-158 and 195-209 in mouse, 1-16 in rabbit and 100-115 in goat. Regions 1-16, 100-115, 121-136 and 143-158 were antigenic in all three species. The number of antigenic regions recognized by goat was much fewer than that by mouse and rabbit, possibly because of the homology between bovine and goat beta-CN. A mixture of the twenty peptides could absorb about 50-60% of beta-CN specific antibodies from each species. Furthermore, the mouse and rabbit anti-beta-CN antibodies were also specific to the phosphorylated regions. We therefore conclude that the major antigenic determinants on beta-CN would be largely sequential and include the phosphorylated sites. (+info)
Differential expression and cross-regulatory function of RANTES during mycobacterial (type 1) and schistosomal (type 2) antigen-elicited granulomatous inflammation.
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The role of RANTES in Th1 and Th2 cell-mediated immune responses has been enigmatic. To approach this question, we analyzed RANTES expression and function in murine models of types 1 and 2 cell-mediated pulmonary granulomas elicited with Mycobacterium bovis or Schistosoma mansoni egg Ag-coated beads, respectively. Compared with type 2, type 1 lesions had up to 4-fold greater RANTES protein and mRNA production. Type 1 draining lymph nodes also produced up to 7-fold higher levels of RANTES. Anti-RANTES Ab treatments had opposite effects, decreasing type 1 lesion area by 25% and augmenting type 2 lesions by 50%. The latter was associated with increased IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13 production by lymph nodes. Infusion of rRANTES (1 mg/kg/day) did not affect type 1 lesions, but reduced type 2 lesion area by 27% and eosinophils by 40%. Lymph node cultures from RANTES-treated mice had augmented type 1 and impaired type 2 responses. In vitro, RANTES caused selective, dose-related inhibition of IL-4 that was largely dependent on CCR1 receptors. In conclusion, RANTES plays different roles in types 1 and 2 granuloma formation, promoting the former and mediating cross-regulatory inhibition of the latter. Moreover, RANTES may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of established type 2 hypersensitivity. (+info)
Mouse monocyte-derived chemokine is involved in airway hyperreactivity and lung inflammation.
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The cloning, expression, and function of the murine (m) homologue of human (h) monocyte-derived chemokine (MDC) is reported here. Like hMDC, mMDC is able to elicit the chemotactic migration in vitro of activated lymphocytes and monocytes. Among activated lymphocytes, Th2 cells were induced to migrate most efficiently. mMDC mRNA and protein expression is modulated during the course of an allergic reaction in the lung. Neutralization of mMDC with specific Abs in a model of lung inflammation resulted in prevention of airway hyperreactivity and significant reduction of eosinophils in the lung interstitium but not in the airway lumen. These data suggest that mMDC is essential in the transit/retention of leukocytes in the lung tissue rather than in their extravasation from the blood vessel or during their transepithelial migration into the airways. These results also highlight the relevance of factors, such as mMDC, that regulate the migration and accumulation of leukocytes within the tissue during the development of the key physiological endpoint of asthma, airway hyperreactivity. (+info)