Allergie und Immunologie最新文献

Immunological studies on 20 patients with frequently recurrent Herpes simplex labialis were performed. Disorders of the cell-mediated immunity were often observed which do not only occur during the relapses. The number of T cells and their function were especially reduced. On the other hand there were no alterations of the CD4/CD8 ratio and the suppressor-activity. In vitro studies with peptides of thymopoietin and splenin justify the assumption that these peptides have therapeutic effects in recurrent herpes simplex infections.

The aminopeptidase N (AP N, EC 3.4.11.2) is an ectoenzyme of the plasma membrane, playing presumably an important role in the regulation of immunological processes. The specific activities of Ala-pNA and Leu-pNA cleavage (per cell) are distributed in monocytes T- and non-T-lymphocytes in a proportion of 1:0.2:0.25 and 1:0.17:0.18, respectively. The capacities of Ala-pNA and Leu-pNA hydrolysis in the total fraction T- and non-T-cells are distributed as 1:0.8 and 1:0.7, respectively. The main part of Ala-pNA cleavage was shown to be caused by AP N on the basis of the KM-value (0.5 mmol/l), the activation by CO2+ ions and the pH optimum (7.0-7.5). The Leu-pNA cleavage is dependent on CO2+ and DTT and distinct from the classical cytosolic leucyl aminopeptidase.

Mitogenesis in peripheral blood lymphocyte and separated T and non-T cells cultures activated with formalin-fixed and heated staphylococcus aureus strain 520 (STA) was studied. The peak of DNA-synthesis in presence of STA is on day 7. The maximum of proliferation was found for T cell on day 7 and for non-T cells on day 3 after stimulation with STA. We found a strong correlation between the expression of CD25 antigen and the 3H-thymidine incorporation. It is concluded that B and T cell proliferation can be studied without purifying the cells using the different proliferation kinetics in presence of STA.

Heat shock proteins (HSP) or stress proteins are produced by prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells in response to a variety of environmental stressors. The heat shock response is one of the most universal reactions known and heat shock proteins are among the most conserved molecules in phylogeny. Recent findings concerning the immune response to heat shock proteins are discussed especially with respect to the role of HSPs postulated in septic disease and inflammation, in antipathogenic immunity and in the induction of autoimmune diseases. Results and speculations considering a relationship between HSPs and gamma/delta T cells or polyreactive antibodies, possibly as part of a phylogenetic old immune system, are critically reviewed.

The present study provides a survey on the structure and functions of human Vh-genes. The more than 100 individual gene segments on chromosome 14 are classified, according to sequence homologies, into 6 families. They differ very much in size and contain pseudogenes, form an interspersed cluster, exhibit homologies with mouse genes and have phylogenetically developed from a single primordial gene. There seem to be no association of antibody specificities with distinct Vh genes or families. Reports of preferential VH gene usage in the fetal stage or in autoantibody synthesis require confirmation. Vh genes for Ig production in the adult mammalian organism are, most probably randomly selected.

The intensity of inflammatory response was evaluated in skin test on guinea pig using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid obtained from patients with some diseases of the respiratory tract. The results of skin test were verified with activities of proteases in BAL fluid. The study was performed on 24 patients with atopic bronchial asthma, 21 with chronic bronchitis, 13 with sarcoidosis (II phase) and 18 control subjects. All patients were undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopies and BAL fluid was obtained. The results of skin test on guinea pig using BAL fluid were correlated with the activities of acid and neutral proteases. The highest activity of proteases and intensity of skin reactions were noted in patients with atopic bronchial asthma and sarcoidosis. Authors suggest that the skin test on guinea pig with BAL fluid may be useful tool for total evaluation of inflammatory response in patients with atopic bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and sarcoidosis.

In a retrospective study of allograft rejections in renal transplant recipients we examined the value of cytokine production monitoring. Interleukin 1 (IL 1) and interleukin 2 (IL 2) activities were determined in supernatants of mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes in 8 renal transplant recipients serially for a period up to 60 days after transplantation. LPS-induced IL 1 as well as PHA-induced IL 2 production in patients after renal transplantation were significantly decreased in comparison to healthy controls. Seven episodes of cellular rejection were diagnosed in renal allograft recipients during this time, only 4 rejection episodes, however, were associated with a rise in the IL 1 and simultaneous IL 2 production occurred for 2 up to 3 days before the diagnosis of rejection. Moreover there were 12 instances in which an elevation of IL 1 and IL 2 production was found independently from the rejection. In 8 cases the augmentation of IL 1 and IL 2 production could be associated with clinical infections. We conclude from these results that a cytokine monitoring for the diagnosis of allograft rejection does not seem to be useful.

Allergic side effects give rise to a modification of the immunotherapy. Variation of the injection protocol and/or prophylactic application of antihistamines are successful in many patients. Combined active and passive immunotherapy is helpful only in a part of the remaining cases; this therapy is expensive and practicable only in few specialized clinics. Up to date a superior tolerance together with an at least equal efficacy as compared to conventional aqueous extracts has not been demonstrated either for aluminium precipitated or for chemically modified extracts.

BCH 069 is a new synthetic pentapeptide with thymic hormone-like activity. Two groups of patients received 50 mg BCH 069 or placebo by subcutaneous injection for 4 weeks 3 times weekly. The third group of patients received 50 mg BCH 069 by intravenous injection for 6 weeks 3 times weekly. The therapy was carried out during the peak of the pollen season. We observed the following clinical and biochemical activities of BCH 069: - flush symptom with a feeling of heat during intravenous administration of 50 mg/10 ml but not during 50 mg/20 ml, - decrease of triglyceride serum level, - decrease of SGOT- and SGPT serum levels, - increase of lipase serum level, - decrease of hemoglobin. - All changes of the biochemical parameters were not outside of the normal laboratory values. The disease-specific inflammatory changes were not seen in the intravenously treated group. The administration route is very important for the clinical side effect but not for drug induced biochemical changes. It can be concluded that BCH 069 is a well tolerated drug.

This study presents two murine monoclonal antibodies which react with the Common Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Antigen (CALLA). Both antibodies can be used for the diagnosis of common ALL (cALL). Indirect immunofluorescence studies (FACS-analysis) showed that the antibodies react with granulocytes and different human cell lines (Nalm-6, Reh, Raji, CCRF-CEM). The monoclonal antibodies BL-CALLA/1 and BL-CALLA/2 identify a single polypeptide chain of 95 kD. Both antibodies recognize the same or closely related epitope of the CALLA-molecule and are able to modulate in vitro the antigen on the CALLA-positive cell line Reh.