Acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica. Section C, Immunology最新文献

Sheep erythrocyte (E) rosette tests were performed with E from 3 different sheep. The E rosette test for "active" T lymphocytes was performed with untreated E. E tests for the quantitation of the total number of T lymphocytes were performed with untreated as well as AET-treated E, in assays with and without fetal calf serum (FCS). Lymphocytes from patients with active and stable multiple sclerosis (MS) and with infectious mononucleosis (IM) as well as from healthy individuals were examined. The "total" E test performed with untreated E from one sheep and lymphocytes from patients with active MS gave lower percentages of rosette-forming cells (RFC) than when E from the other two sheep were used. FCS in the medium, or AET treatment of E partly but not wholly abrogated this difference. The origin of the E is thus of importance for the results of the rosette tests in patients with active MS, even if FCS or AET treatment is used.

The T-cell mediated immunity in 21 patients with seronegative spondarthritis was tested with mitogens PHA, PWM, Con-A and MLC, and found to be reduced except when tested with Con-A. The patients were then treated with levamisole or placebo for 12 weeks in a double-blind trial. During treatment the T-cell responses normalized in both groups, and it is concluded that the enhanced response is independent of levamisole. Earlier we reported clinical improvement in levamisole treated patients and the data of the present study suggest that the effect of levamisole occurs locally in the inflamed tissues.

By means of recently developed immunochemical assays increased levels of the complement C3c and C3d split products were found in synovial fluids of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as compared with synovial fluids of patients with traumatic synovitis (TS). In plasma, only the C3d levels were significantly increased compared with plasma levels of patients with TS. Both split products were higher in RA synovial fluids (SF) than in RA plasma. A positive correlation between the C3d concentrations in plasma and the presence of IC in serum was found, and between the C3c levels and the concentration of polymorphonuclear cells in SF of RA patients. Due to differences in turn-over of C3c and C3d determination of plasma C3d levels may be a useful parameter for the evaluation of immunological activity in RA, while measurement of C3c in the synovial fluid may elucidate the actual inflammatory activity in the synovial membranes.

Cross-reactivity between capsular antigens of Haemophilus influenzae types a and b, and Streptococcus pneumoniae types 6A and 6B was studied by means of comparative double diffusion, quantitative precipitin tests and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antisera against whole bacteria were employed. When capsular antigens of S. pneumoniae types 6A and 6B were compared by means of the double diffusion technique, three antigenic determinants were distinguished, two of them being common to the two serotypes. When pneumococcal capsular antigens were compared with H. influenzae capsular antigens, cross-reactive antibodies were detectable only in anti-pneumococcal sera. The heterologous pneumococcal polysaccharide preparation precipitated about 80% of the capsular antibodies in pneumococcal antisera, while heterologous H. influenzae polysaccharide precipitated only about 20-30% of the capsular antibodies in anti-H. influenzae sera. S. pneumoniae polysaccharide precipitated 10-20% of the antibodies in antisera against. H. influenzae, and H. influenzae polysaccharide precipitated about 20-25% of the antibodies in antisera against S. pneumoniae type 6A. Approximately the same degree of cross-reactivity was revealed when ELISA was employed. The absorption study of the antisera with D-ribitol-5-phosphate indicates that this structure is responsible for the cross-reactivity between S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae.

Sodium benzoate is widely used as a food preservative and reputed to be a scavenger of hydroxyl radical (.OH). The effects of sodium benzoate on the function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) stimulated by S. aureus or the chemical agent, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) were examined in vitro using assays of chemiluminescence (CL), total bactericidal activity, intracellular recovery of bacteria, as well as release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lysozyme and superoxide anion (O2(-)). Sodium benzoate decreased chemiluminescence, superoxide anion and lysozyme release by PMN stimulated with S. aureus but did not similarly affect these responses of PMN to the chemical agent, PMA. The ability of PMN to kill S. aureus was also impaired by sodium benzoate and associated with a reduced number of intracellular bacteria recovered after 90 minutes incubation. LDH release from PMN was not demonstrable at concentrations of sodium benzoate below 100 mM indicating that damage can not account for these findings. The underlying mechanism of the altered bactericidal function of PMN treated with sodium benzoate appears to be a result of decreased uptake of S. aureus.

Two strains of guinea-pigs selectively bred for either high (IMM/S) or low (IMM/R) ovalbumin-induced respiratory anaphylaxis were examined for correlations between respiratory anaphylaxis and production of homocytotropic and passive hemagglutinating antibodies. The passive cutaneous anaphylaxis assay (PCA-assay) was used to test for the production of the three classes of homocytotropic antibodies, IgGla, IgGlb and IgE after immunization either by inhalation of the antigen or by intraperitoneal injection of the antigen adsorbed on aluminium hydroxide. IgE was not detected in any of the strains within the seven-week period following immunization. When immunization was performed by the inhalation technique, antibodies of the two subclasses IgGla and IgGlb as well as hemagglutinating antibodies were demonstrated in all sublines from IMM/S, while in sublines from IMM/R IgGla and IgGlb were never found, and hemagglutinating antibodies were only detected in small amounts or not at all. However, injection of the antigen with aluminium hydroxide as adjuvant resulted in production of hemagglutinating antibodies as well as IgGla and IgGlb in both IMM/S and IMM/R. When such animals were challenged by inhalation of the antigen, a severe respiratory anaphylactic response was induced in guinea-pigs from IMM/S only.

Following a single injection of cyclophosphamide (Cy) a biphasic spleen reaction occurred. During the first week the spleen size as well as the proliferative activity of the spleen cells were markedly reduced. However, during the next week a compensatory reaction developed with spleen enlargement and cellular proliferation far above normal. In the period of increasing spleen size, days 7-12 after Cy injection, the mitogenic response of the spleen cells was reduced and simultaneously they developed a suppressor activity which was able to inhibit the mitogen response of normal spleen cells. This suppressor activity could be reduced if the mice were reconstituted by an injection of normal spleen cells after Cy injection. Injection of Cy one day before tumour transplantation resulted in reduced tumour growth in syngeneic recipients compared with non-treated controls. However, this inhibition of tumour growth was abolished when normal spleen cells were injected after Cy treatment.

The effect of human leukocyte interferon (Hu INF alpha) on antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity against antibody-treated chicken red blood cells was studied. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were not significantly stimulated by IFN in ADCC. The lymphocytes freed from adherent cells, however, were more cytotoxic when IFN-treated, than without this treatment. The results might indicate that several potential effector cell types in the original mononuclear cell suspension competed for the targets and that only some of these effector cells became IFN-stimulated.

Macrophages from C3D2 or C57B1/6 mice were activated in vitro by coculture with MC1M-AA sarcoma cells or by addition of cell free tumour ascites fluid from the same tumour. After 5-7 days of in vitro activation, macrophages were harvested, mixed with MC1M-AA or B-16 melanoma cells, and reinjected into C3D2 or C57B1/6 mice respectively. Mice were evaluated for tumour development, and the early histological appearance of the B16 melanomas was studied. Activated macrophages gave a significant delay and decrease in tumour take when mixed with B16 melanoma cells at a tumour cell: activated macrophage ratio of 1:20. When activated macrophages were mixed with MC1M-AA cells at a tumour cell: activated macrophage ratio of 1:50, a slight delay and a significant decrease in tumour take was observed. BCG-activated macrophages did exhibit a very weak effect on MC1M-AA tumour growth. When B16 melanoma cells were injected into mice together with activated macrophages, an acute inflammatory reaction was observed at the site of injection. The organization of the tumour was delayed, and necrotic tumour cells could be found. In some cases, small islands of tumour cells escaped killing, and gave rise to delayed tumour development.

Infarct-kidney hypertension was induced in congenital athymic nude rats, and in their immunologically normal haired littermates. In both groups a significant initial increase in blood pressure was seen in the course of the first 30 days. In the remainder of the observation period of 120 days the mean blood pressure in the nude rats decreased to a significantly lower level where-as in the haired rats the mean blood pressure remained unchanged at the high level. Although a high mortality weakened the results, it is hypothesized that the failing ability to maintain the elevated blood pressure into the late phase in the nude rats could be due to impaired thymus function. Nine of 14 haired rats had increased numbers of lymphocytes around intrarenal arteries, in contrast to only 1 of 10 nude rats. A periarteritis nodosa like picture was observed around mesenterial arteries of 3 nude and 2 haired rats. The level of plasma renin was similar preoperatively in nude and haired rats. Infarction of the kidney was followed by a significant decrease in the plasma renin level in both nude and haired rats, which at 10 days was significantly lower in haired than in nude rats, despite a higher blood pressure in the latter.