Humoral and cellular immune response generated by different vaccine programs before and after Salmonella Enteritidis challenge in chickens

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Differential antibody isotype expression to the major Paracoccidioides brasiliensis antigen in juvenile and adult form paracoccidioidomycosis

We investigated the relationship between antibody response to the major Paracoccidioides brasiliensis antigen, a 43-kDa glycoprotein, and the two paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) clinical presentations, the juvenile and the adult forms. Total immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgG isotypes, and IgA anti-gp43 antibodies were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in patients' sera. Juvenile PCM patients had higher (P =.003) IgG anti-gp43 levels than adult form patients. IgG1 subclass levels, however, were comparable between the two clinical forms. Patients with the juvenile form had higher (P <.001) IgG4, but lower(P =.03) IgG2 levels than patients with the adult form. The IgG4 isotype, regulated by interleukin 4, was found in all juvenile form patients but in only 12% of the adult form patients. In contrast, high levels of the IgG2 isotype, regulated by interferon-gamma, were found in 41% of the adult PCM patients, mainly those with a more benign disease, but in only 12% of the juvenile patients. IgG3 was either absent or detected at low levels. These results demonstrate, for the first time, specific IgG4 antibodies in the humoral immune response of patients with an endemic deep mycosis and suggest that the switch to the IgG subclasses in PCM is regulated by the patients' T-helper subset (Th-l or Th-2) dominant cytokine profile. A possible role for IgG4 in the immunopathogenesis of the juvenile, more severe form of the disease is discussed. Finally, IgA was found mainly in adult form patients, probably as a result of the chronic mucosal antigenic stimulation characteristic of this form. (C) Elsevier, Paris.

Yersinia enterocolitica O : 3 isolated from patients with or without reactive arthritis induces polyclonal activation of B cells and autoantibody production in vivo

The mechanisms by which arthritis-provoking pathogens such as Yersinia enterocolitica interact with the human immune system to produce inflammatory synovitis are not well known. One of the immunomodulating mechanisms used against these pathogens is the polyclonal activation of lymphocytes. In this study, we investigated the extent of the B-lymphocyte activation induced in mice by a strain of Y. enterocolitica O:3 (FCF 526) isolated from a patient with arthritis, and compared it with two other strains, a virulent one (FCF 397[+]) isolated from a patient without arthritis and its plasmidless isogenic pair (FCF397[-]). Also we investigated the production of autoantibodies in mice infected with these different strains. SPF Swiss mice were infected intravenously with a suspension of Y. enterocolitica . Spleen cells were taken on days 7, 14, 21 and 28 after infection and the number of cells secreting nonspecific and specific antibodies of IgG 1 , IgG 2a , IgG 2b , IgG 3 , IgM and IgA isotypes were determined by the ELISPOT technique. The presence of autoantibodies in mouse serum was investigated by the dot-blot assay. The pattern of infection of the three bacterial strains were almost the same. We observed a general increase in the number of nonspecific Ig-secreting cells with all three strains, and the greatest increases observed were in the IgG 2a and IgG 3 isotypes. Only a small fraction of the immunoglobulins detected were antibacterial, suggesting that the rest resulted from polyclonal B cell activation. The strain isolated from the patient with arthritis (FCF526) induced the greatest production of autoantibodies, coinciding with the period in which the greatest activation of nonspecific B lymphocytes was seen. There were no signs of arthritis or inflammation in the joints of the infected animals. Based on our results, we were unable to determine whether there is an association between the arthritogenic capability of Y. enterocolitica and polyclonal activation of B cells.

Production of Trichophyton mentagrophytes antigens and their characterization in mice

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Time-dependent alterations of soluble and cellular components in human milk

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Transfer of Maternal Immunity to Newborns of Diabetic Mothers

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Diabetes induced immunological and biochemical changes in human colostrum

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Serological follow-up of patients with paracoccidioidomycosis treated with itraconazole using Dot-blot, ELISA and Western-blot

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Síndrome de ativação macrofágica em paciente com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico juvenil

A hemofagocitose reativa ou síndrome de ativação macrofágica (SAM) é uma complicação das doenças inflamatórias sistêmicas, causada por expansão de células T e macrófagos, com produção maciça de citocinas pró-inflamatórias, ocorrendo mais freqüentemente na artrite idiopática juvenil sistêmica e raramente no lúpus eritematoso sistêmico juvenil (LESJ). OBJETIVO: Relatar um caso de LESJ que evoluiu com SAM precipitada por infecção e infarto esplênico, com desfecho fatal. RELATO DE CASO: Uma menina de 7 anos, com diagnóstico de LESJ desde os 5 anos, evoluiu com artrite em atividade, alopecia intensa, citopenias, cefaléia, infecções respiratórias recorrentes e elevação intermitente de transaminases. Os anticorpos anti-DNA e anticardiolipina IgG e IgM foram identificados e a biópsia renal evidenciou glomerulonefrite lúpica de classe III. A paciente foi tratada com pulso de metilprednisolona, prednisona, azatioprina e hidroxicloroquina. Após dois anos, na vigência de pneumonia apresentou abdome agudo e convulsões, evoluindo para o choque hemorrágico fatal após esplenectomia, que evidenciou infarto esplênico e infiltração maciça por macrófagos hemofagocíticos CD163+. CONCLUSÃO: A revisão do desfecho sugere a SAM precipitada por infecção e sobreposta a atividade inflamatória do lúpus com febre persistente, citopenias, disfunção hepática, hepatomegalia e esplenomegalia, como efeitos do excesso de produção de citocinas. Os anticorpos anticardiolipina podem ter tido papel precipitante na coagulopatia, que resultou infarto esplênico e choque hemorrágico.

Padrões morfológicos de lesão glomerular e correlação com achados clinicolaboratoriais de 43 crianças com síndrome nefrótica

OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a associação entre os parâmetros clinicolaboratoriais e alteração morfológica de biópsias renais em crianças com síndrome nefrótica. MÉTODOS: Os dados foram obtidos dos prontuários médicos de 43 crianças com síndrome nefrótica submetidas a biópsia renal. RESULTADOS: Vinte e oito pacientes eram do sexo masculino (65,1%), idades entre 1,4 a 12 anos (média de 4,7±3,2). Quarenta e dois pacientes (97,7%) apresentaram edema; 83,7%, oligúria e 32,5%, hipertensão arterial. A média de proteinúria foi 15,3g/1,73m²SC/dia e 55,8% apresentaram hematúria microscópica. As biópsias renais mostraram: glomerulonefrite proliferativa mesangial (GNPM) em 37,2%, glomeruloesclerose segmentar e focal (GESF) em 27,9%, alterações glomerulares mínimas (LM) em 25,6%, glomerulonefrite membranoproliferativa (GNMP) em 7% e glomerulonefrite membranosa (GNM) em 2,3%. Vinte e seis pacientes (60,5%) apresentaram resistência ao corticosteróide. Idade, sexo, hipertensão arterial, oligúria, uréia e creatinina séricas não mostraram diferenças estatísticas significativas entre os pacientes com GNPM, GESF e LM. Os pacientes com GNPM e GESF apresentaram maior freqüência de hematúria microscópica (p < 0,003 e p < 0,03; respectivamente). Os pacientes com GESF apresentaram maiores níveis de proteinúria (p < 0,01 versus LM e p < 0,05 versus GNPM). Os pacientes com LM apresentaram sensibilidade ao corticosteróide (p < 0,001 versus GESF e p = 0,047 versus GNPM). CONCLUSÕES: Sexo, idade, presença de hipertensão arterial ou oligúria e níveis séricos de uréia e creatinina não auxiliaram na diferenciação entre pacientes com GNPM, GESF e LM. Os pacientes com LM apresentaram sensibilidade a corticosteróides e menos probabilidade de apresentar hematúria microscópica. Pacientes com GESF apresentaram maiores níveis de proteinúria.

Immunological evaluation of the intestinal mucosa of broiler chicks treated with Lactobacillus Spp. and challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis

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Evaluation of in vitro and in vivo adhesion and immunomodulatory effect of Lactobacillus species strains isolated from chickens

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Spontaneously hypertensive rat as experimental model of salivary hypofunction

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Relationship of abomasal histology and parasite-specific immunoglobulin A with the resistance to Haemonchus contortus infection in three breeds of sheep

This study was carried out to evaluate the relationship of abomasal inflammatory cells and parasite-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) in mucus, with the resistance to Haemonchus contortus infection in three breeds of sheep naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes. The breeds were the native Santa Ines sheep, and the European Suffolk and Ile de France breeds. Mast cells, eosinophils and globule leucocytes were enumerated in abomasal mucosa. Eosinophils within the sub-mucosa also were counted separately. Histamine concentration was estimated in abomasal tissue samples. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was carried out in mucus samples to determine the level of IgA anti-H. contortus third and fifth instar. There were no significant differences among group means of these variables (P > 0.05). The correlation coefficients between fecal egg counts (FEC) x mast cells (r = -0.490; P < 0.05) and FEC x eosinophils in sub-mucosa (r = -0.714; P < 0.01) was significant in the Santa Ines sheep. In the Ile de France group, the correlation coefficients between globule leucocytes x FEC (r = -0.879; P < 0.001) and histamine x worm burden (r = -0.833; P < 0.01) were also significant. In the Santa Ines and Ile de France sheep, correlation coefficients between IgA anti-L3 x worm burden and IgA anti-L3 x FEC were negative. In general, inflammatory cells and IgA-parasite-specific in abomasum were inversely associated with H. contortus worm burden and FEC indicating that they may impair parasite development or fecundity in the three breeds of sheep. However, similar mean values of inflammatory cells and IgA were found in the resistant (Santa Ines) and in the susceptible (Suffolk and Ile de France) breeds of sheep. The enumeration of cells by histological assessment does not provide information on their functional activity, which may be different among breeds. Thus, the effect of breed on the functional activity of these and other inflammatory cells is an important area for further study. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mucosa-associated but not luminal Escherichia coli is augmented in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

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