Russian journal of immunology : RJI : official journal of Russian Society of Immunology最新文献

An increased extracellular production of free radicals with bactericidal activity does not improve the efficacy of intracellular digestion of Staphylococci. The amount of intracellular oxygen reactive species generated by the neutrophils from patients with an infectious condition has been found considerably decreased as compared to healthy donors. On the other hand, the excess of secretion of free radicals into the extracellular space leads inevitably to the adaptive increase of antioxidant enzymes and, as a result, to an increase in the total antioxidant capacity of the blood plasma. Indeed, patients with septicemia at its highest peak (at the moment of hospitalization) showed a significant increase (more than twice) in the parameters of catalase and superoxide dismutase activity; the antioxidant capacity of the plasma was elevated as well. The patients of the other two groups in our study (with a localized infection) did not show any statistically significant rise in these parameters. On the second day after the initiation of an intensive treatment the activity of the enzymes and the total antioxidant capacity of the plasma dropped sharply below the normal level. Therefore, the staphylococcus infection, especially its generalized from, is characterized by an increased extracellular secretion of radicals together with a decreased generation of intracellular radicals. On one hand this leads to the failure of the intracellular killing, on the other--to the inflammatory free radical-mediated damage of the host cells and tissues. Cytokines, such as interleukins and interferons, can regulate the free radical-mediated processes during the staphylococcus infections. The effect of the two recombinant cytokines (IL-1 beta, IFN-gamma) on the character of free radical production and intracellular killing of Staphylococci by neutrophils isolated from the blood of patients and healthy donors has been studied. The analysis of the effect of cytokines on the radical production by phagocytes revealed a redistribution of the extracellular and intracellular fractions of free radicals rather than a general increase of the oxygen active metabolite production. As expected, the increment in the number of intracellular radicals improved significantly the process of phagocytosis.

This review presents data suggesting a new immunoregulatory role of the erythroid nucleus-containing cells. The three main mechanisms of the possible immunosuppressive effect of these cells are described. It has been demonstrated that the erythroid nucleus-containing cells produce a variety of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The p15 protein (a product of the env gene) is considered to provide a novel immunosuppressive mechanism. Finally, the existing data suggest that the erythroid nucleus-containing cells are able to produce an immunosuppressive factor, which is different from the known cytokines. It has been proposed that the immunosuppressive effect of the erythroid nucleus-containing cells greatly contributes to the regulation of the immune homeostasis in normal and immunopathological conditions.

Lymphocyte proliferation and apoptosis at different stages of the development of the autoimmune disorder in MRL/MpJ-lpr mice was studied. Hematopoietic progenitor colony formation during the course of the disease was characterized. A detectable difference at the level of lymphocyte proliferation, apoptosis, and the relative amount of BFU-E, CFU-GM and CFU-GEMM cell colonies was revealed between healthy young mice and animals spontaneously developing pronounced symptoms of the autoimmune disorder. The quantity of BFU-E and CFU-GEMM colonies was remarkably increases in aged MRL/MpJ-lpr mice even before clinical manifestation of the disease (proteinuria). An elevated number of CFU-GEMM was accompanied by a striking increase in their size. The study of hematopoietic disturbances in autoimmune MRL/MpJ-lpr mice may be very useful for understanding the mechanism of the autoimmune disease development and searching for new strategies of the correction of the autoimmune disorder.

We have conducted a comparative study of the lymphocyte surface antigens in patients with atopic bronchial asthma (ABA) in an acute stage and during clinical remission of the disease using a wide variety of monoclonal antibodies. In patients with ABA, independently of the stage of the disease, we have observed a decline in the total number of T lymphocytes due to cell reduction in both sub-populations--T helpers and cytotoxic T cells. During the acute phase of the disease a significant increase in the number of B lymphocytes at all stages of differentiation was observed. This suggests a general activation of the B cell network of the immune system. In patients at all the phases of the disease we observed a statistically significant elevation in the number of activated B cells (CD23+) and of early activation markers CD25 and CD71, as well as of the lymphocytes that express the adhesion receptor CD54 (ICAM-1). On the contrary, a two-fold increase in the number of blood HLA DR lymphocytes was typical only for the patients in an acute phase of the disease. A significant increase in the activation parameters representing the CD25/CD95 and HLA DR/CD95 ratio was found during the ABA aggravation. Based on the obtained results we conclude that the development of the remission in ABA is associated with the restoration of the activation induced apoptosis of the lymphocytes, which in turn leads to a reduction in the intensity of the reagin response.

Serological analysis of cDNA expression libraries (SEREX) is a technique designed for the identification of tumor specific antigens serologically recognized by the patient immune system. Application of SEREX to different types of tumor led to the identification of a wide range of tumor-associated antigens. Here we used SEREX to search for new antigens associated with renal cancer. The cDNA expression libraries were prepared from two renal cell carcinoma specimens and screened with the autologous patients sera. A total of 96 positive clones representing 66 different genes were isolated, including 18 genes with unknown function. All positive clones were further characterized by reactivity against a panel of sera from healthy donors and patients with renal cancer. As a result, we identified four antigens with a cancer-related serological profile, which may be used for the diagnostics of renal cancer.

The problems in the creation of vaccines for the prevention and treatment of neoplasms and the perspectives of their application are discussed. The positive and negative properties of the conjugates of the chemical carcinogens with proteins, DNA and enterotoxins, as well as the properties of the monoclonal anti-idiotype antibodies to the carcinogens are being analyzed. We are describing here a new technology of the anti-carcinogen vaccine production that we have developed. We suggest using transgenic plants and bacteria carrying the Fv-genes of antibodies for the passive immunoprevention of cancer diseases. We assume that lymphoproliferative neoplasms mainly arise from the clones carrying membrane receptors for the carcinogens. Therefor, here it is proposed to use the xenogenic anticarcinogens antibodies for the active immunotherapy of leukemia and other lymphoproliferative neoplasms.

The influence of beta-endorphin and immunorphin on human leukemic cell growth in vitro was studied. It was shown that both peptides increase the growth of T-lymphoblastoid cells in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of these peptides on the 3H-thymidine incorporation into T-lymphoblastoid cell line Jurkat was not reversed by the antagonist of opioid receptor naloxone. Interestingly, these peptides had no effect on B-lymphoblastoid and promyelocyte cell growth, however they enhance 3H-thymidine incorporation into myeloid cell lines.