HIV Molecular Immunology 2014

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Yusim, Karina [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Korber, Bette Tina Marie [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Barouch, Dan [Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA (United States); Koup, Richard [Vaccine Research Center National Institutes of Health (United States); de Boer, Rob [Utrecht Univ. (Netherlands). Dept. of Biology; Moore, John P. [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Weill Medical College; Brander, Christian [Institucioi Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats (ICREA), Barcelona (Spain); Haynes, Barton F. [Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States). Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Departments of Medicine, Surgery and Immunology; Walker, Bruce D. [Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, MA (United States); Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

2015-02-03

HIV Molecular Immunology is a companion volume to HIV Sequence Compendium. This publication, the 2014 edition, is the PDF version of the web-based HIV Immunology Database (http://www.hiv.lanl.gov/content/immunology/). The web interface for this relational database has many search options, as well as interactive tools to help immunologists design reagents and interpret their results. In the HIV Immunology Database, HIV-specific B-cell and T-cell responses are summarized and annotated. Immunological responses are divided into three parts, CTL, T helper, and antibody. Within these parts, defined epitopes are organized by protein and binding sites within each protein, moving from left to right through the coding regions spanning the HIV genome. We include human responses to natural HIV infections, as well as vaccine studies in a range of animal models and human trials. Responses that are not specifically defined, such as responses to whole proteins or monoclonal antibody responses to discontinuous epitopes, are summarized at the end of each protein section. Studies describing general HIV responses to the virus, but not to any specific protein, are included at the end of each part. The annotation includes information such as crossreactivity, escape mutations, antibody sequence, TCR usage, functional domains that overlap with an epitope, immune response associations with rates of progression and therapy, and how specific epitopes were experimentally defined. Basic information such as HLA specificities for T-cell epitopes, isotypes of monoclonal antibodies, and epitope sequences are included whenever possible. All studies that we can find that incorporate the use of a specific monoclonal antibody are included in the entry for that antibody. A single T-cell epitope can have multiple entries, generally one entry per study. Finally, maps of all defined linear epitopes relative to the HXB2 reference proteins are provided.

Long-term clinical outcome of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with discordant immunologic and virologic responses to a protease inhibitor-containing regimen.

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Piketty, C; Weiss, L; Thomas, F; Mohamed, A S; Belec, L; Kazatchkine, M D

2001-05-01

Within a prospective cohort of 150 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients who began first-line protease inhibitor therapy in 1996, the outcome of 42 patients with discrepant virologic and immunologic responses to antiretroviral treatment at 12 months was analyzed at 30 months of treatment. The incidence of AIDS-defining events and deaths (14%) in the group of patients with immunologic responses in the absence of a virologic response was higher than that in full-responder patients (2%); yet, the incidence in this group was lower than that in patients with no immunologic response, despite a virologic response (21%), and was lower than that in patients without an immunologic or virologic response (67%; P<.0001, log-rank test). Differences in outcome were significant (relative risk, 6.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.9-39.3) when factors for progression were compared with those of responder patients. The results support the relevance of the CD4 cell marker over plasma HIV load for predicting clinical outcome in patients who do not achieve full immunologic and virologic responses.

Initial immunological changes as predictors for house dust mite immunotherapy response.

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Gómez, E; Fernández, T D; Doña, I; Rondon, C; Campo, P; Gomez, F; Salas, M; Gonzalez, M; Perkins, J R; Palomares, F; Blanca, M; Torres, M J; Mayorga, C

2015-10-01

Although specific immunotherapy is the only aetiological treatment for allergic disorders, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Specific immunotherapy induces changes in lymphocyte Th subsets from Th2 to Th1/Treg. Whether differences in immunological patterns underlie patient response to immunotherapy has not yet been established. We studied the immunological changes occurring during a 1-year period of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DP) immunotherapy and their relation with clinical outcome. We included 34 patients with DP allergy who received subcutaneous specific immunotherapy (SCIT) for 1 year. Following treatment, patients were classified as responders or non-responders. Fourteen allergic subjects who did not receive SCIT were included as controls. Peripheral blood was obtained at 0, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months and cultured with nDer p 1. Phenotypic changes, cytokine production and basophil response were analysed by flow cytometry; transcription factors were measured by mRNA quantification. Serum immunoglobulin levels were also measured. After 1 year of SCIT, 82% of cases showed improved symptoms (responders). Although increases in sIgG4 were observed, BAT reactivity was not modified in these patients. Increases in T-BET/FOXP3 as well as nDer p 1-specific Th1/Treg frequencies were also observed, along with a decrease in Th2, Th9 and Th17. These changes corresponded to changes in cytokine levels. Patients who respond well to DP-SCIT show immunological differences compared to non-responders. In responders, basal differences include a lower frequency of Th1 and higher frequencies of Th2, Th9 and Th17 cells. After 1 year of treatment, an increased production of sIgG4 was observed in responders, along with a change in Th2 response towards Th1/Treg. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Immunological Response of Hiv-Infected Children to Highly Active Antiretoviral Therapy at Gondar University Hospital, North-Western Ethiopia.

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Kokeb, Mehretie; Degu, Getu

2016-01-01

The effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in children has not been well studied specially in developing countries where the burden of HIV is high. This study was aimed to assess the immunologic response of HIV-infected children to HAART at Pediatric ART Clinic Gondar University Hospital. Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Pediatric ART Clinic Gondar University Hospital from March 01-April 30, 2014. The study included 283 HIV-infected children who were on HAART for 6 months and above. Medical records of HIV-infected children were reviewed using pre-tested questionnaire. CD4 count/percent was collected every 6 months retrospectively. For all statistical significance tests, the cut-off value was pimmunological response. The study revealed that there was good Immunological response to ART, and that the maximum response was in the 1(st) 6 months of ART. Low CD4 count at initiation, undisclosed HIV status and lack of good adherence were found to cause low immunological response to HAART.

Some notes on radiation immunology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sado, Toshihiko

1977-01-01

Immunological movement related to radiation immunology were reviewed. Basic items about cell mechanism of immunological reaction were explained, and then, relationship between immunity and radiation was given an outline. As to radiation effects on immunological lymphatic system, radiosensitivity of lymphocytes and immunological reaction, radiation effects on T and B cells, and radiosensitivity of lymphatic system, especially thymus were mentioned, and furthermore, delayed effects of radiation on immunological system were described. Radiation effects on relationship between bone marrow transplantation and genesis of reticulum cell tumor and delayed effects of radiation on them were mentioned, and genetic resistance against hematopoietic cell transplantation and its radiosensitivity were also described. Relationship between carcinogenesis due to radiation and immunity, and a state of specific immunological in an individual non-responsiveness having cancer, were also referred to. (Kanao, N.)

The New Cellular Immunology

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Claman, Henry N.

1973-01-01

Discusses the nature of the immune response and traces many of the discoveries that have led to the present state of knowledge in immunology. The new cellular immunology is directing its efforts toward improving health by proper manipulation of the immune mechanisms of the body. (JR)

Predictors of immunological failure after initial response to highly active antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1-infected adults: a EuroSIDA study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dragsted, Ulrik Bak; Mocroft, Amanda; Vella, Stefano

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND: Factors that determine the immunological response to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) are poorly defined. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to investigate predictors of immunological failure after initial CD4(+) response. METHODS: Data were from EuroSIDA, a prospective, international...

Tumor immunology.

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Mocellin, Simone; Lise, Mario; Nitti, Donato

2007-01-01

Advances in tumor immunology are supporting the clinical implementation of several immunological approaches to cancer in the clinical setting. However, the alternate success of current immunotherapeutic regimens underscores the fact that the molecular mechanisms underlying immune-mediated tumor rejection are still poorly understood. Given the complexity of the immune system network and the multidimensionality of tumor/host interactions, the comprehension of tumor immunology might greatly benefit from high-throughput microarray analysis, which can portrait the molecular kinetics of immune response on a genome-wide scale, thus accelerating the discovery pace and ultimately catalyzing the development of new hypotheses in cell biology. Although in its infancy, the implementation of microarray technology in tumor immunology studies has already provided investigators with novel data and intriguing new hypotheses on the molecular cascade leading to an effective immune response against cancer. Although the general principles of microarray-based gene profiling have rapidly spread in the scientific community, the need for mastering this technique to produce meaningful data and correctly interpret the enormous output of information generated by this technology is critical and represents a tremendous challenge for investigators, as outlined in the first section of this book. In the present Chapter, we report on some of the most significant results obtained with the application of DNA microarray in this oncology field.

Lessons from reproductive immunology for other fields of immunology and clinical approaches.

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Markert, Udo R; Fitzgerald, Justine S; Seyfarth, Lydia; Heinzelmann, Joana; Varosi, Frauke; Voigt, Sandra; Schleussner, Ekkehard; Seewald, Hans-Joachim

2005-01-01

Reproduction is indispensable to evolution and, thus, life. Nonetheless, it overcomes common rules known to established life. Immunology of reproduction, and especially the tolerance of two genetically distinct organisms and their fruitful symbiosis, is one of the most imposing paradox of life. Mechanisms, which are physiologically used for induction of said tolerance, are frequently abused by pathogens or tumors intending to escape the host's immune response. Understanding the regulation of immune responses in pregnancy and the invasion of allogeneic fetus-derived trophoblast cells into the decidua may lead to new therapeutic concepts. In transplantation, knowledge concerning local physiological immunotolerance may be useful for the development of new therapies, which do not require a general immune suppression of the patient. In immunological disorders, such as autoimmune diseases or allergies, immune deviations occur which are either prevented during pregnancy or have parallels to pregnancy. Vice versa, lessons from other fields of immunology may also offer new notions for the comprehension of reproductive immunology and may lead to new therapies for the treatment of pregnancy-related problems.

Relationship between maternal immunological response during pregnancy and onset of preeclampsia.

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Martínez-Varea, Alicia; Pellicer, Begoña; Perales-Marín, Alfredo; Pellicer, Antonio

2014-01-01

Maternofetal immune tolerance is essential to maintain pregnancy. The maternal immunological tolerance to the semiallogeneic fetus becomes greater in egg donation pregnancies with unrelated donors as the complete fetal genome is allogeneic to the mother. Instead of being rejected, the allogeneic fetus is tolerated by the pregnant woman in egg donation pregnancies. It has been reported that maternal morbidity during egg donation pregnancies is higher as compared with spontaneous or in vitro fertilization pregnancies. Particularly, egg donation pregnancies are associated with a higher incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension and placental pathology. Preeclampsia, a pregnancy-specific disease characterized by the development of both hypertension and proteinuria, remains the leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. The aim of this review is to characterize and relate the maternofetal immunological tolerance phenomenon during pregnancies with a semiallogenic fetus, which are the spontaneously conceived pregnancies and in vitro fertilization pregnancies, and those with an allogeneic fetus or egg donation pregnancies. Maternofetal immune tolerance in uncomplicated pregnancies and pathological pregnancies, such as those with preeclampsia, has also been assessed. Moreover, whether an inadequate maternal immunological response to the allogenic fetus could lead to a higher prevalence of preeclampsia in egg donation pregnancies has been addressed.

Local immunological mechanisms of sublingual immunotherapy.

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Allam, Jean-Pierre; Novak, Natalija

2011-12-01

To summarize novel insights into the immunological mechanisms of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). Within the recent decades, several alternative noninvasive allergen application strategies have been investigated in allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT), of which intra-oral allergen application to sublingual mucosa has been proven to be well tolerated and effective. To date, SLIT is widely accepted by most allergists as an alternative option to conventional subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). Although detailed immunological mechanisms remain to be elucidated, much scientific effort has been made to shed some light on local and systemic immunological responses to SLIT in mice as well as humans. Only a few studies focused on the detailed mechanisms following allergen application to the oral mucosa as part of the sophisticated mucosal immunological network. Within this network, the pro-tolerogenic properties of local antigen-presenting cells (APCs) such as dendritic cells - which are able to enforce tolerogenic mechanisms and to induce T-cell immune responses - play a central role. Further on, basic research focused not only on the immune response in nasal and bronchial mucosa but also on the systemic T-cell immune response. Thus, much exiting data have been published providing a better understanding of immunological features of SLIT but far more investigations are necessary to uncover further exciting details on the key mechanisms of SLIT.

Immunological responses to parasitic arthropods.

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Baron, R W; Weintraub, J

1987-03-01

Parasitic arthropods are responsible for enormous economic losses to livestock producers throughout the world. These production losses may range from simple irritation caused by biting and non-biting flies to deaths and/or damage to carcass, fleece, or skin resulting from attack by myiasis flies. The estimated costs of these losses are colossal but even these usually include only direct losses and ignore those associated with pesticide application. In the USA alone (in 1976), these losses were conservatively estimated at more than 650 million US dollars. The long term use of chemical control measures for these pests has resulted in many serious problems including residues in meat and milk products, rapid development of insecticide resistance, the destruction of non-target organisms, environmental pollution, and mortality and morbidity of livestock. These concerns have prompted researchers to seek alternative methods of arthropod control, including the artificial induction of immunity. In this review, R. W. Baron and J. Weintraub discuss several examples of ectoparasites that can induce immunological resistance in the host, including Sarcoptes and Demodex mites, the sheep ked (Melophagus ovinus), Anopluran lice and myiasis-causing flies such as Hypoderma.

Immunologic and clinical responses to "Monday morning miseries" antigens.

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Cernelc, S; Stropnik, Z

1987-01-01

Authors analysed 96 workers exposed to air conditioning system (Group A), and 71 workers (Group B) breathing normal ambient air. 38 workers in group A had a positive clinical history of "Monday morning miseries". Eight cases with the diagnosis hypersensitivity pneumonitis, acute and chronic form was based on environmental history, clinical investigations, physical examination, Chest-X-ray examination, immunological test "in vivo" and "in vitro" with common allergens and antigen "Monday morning miseries", ELISA, spirometry and PEFR (Peak Expiratory Flow-Rate) measurements. Exposure to contaminated air may be responsible for morbidity and reduced performance of workers.

Modeling-Enabled Systems Nutritional Immunology

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Verma, Meghna; Hontecillas, Raquel; Abedi, Vida; Leber, Andrew; Tubau-Juni, Nuria; Philipson, Casandra; Carbo, Adria; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2016-01-01

This review highlights the fundamental role of nutrition in the maintenance of health, the immune response, and disease prevention. Emerging global mechanistic insights in the field of nutritional immunology cannot be gained through reductionist methods alone or by analyzing a single nutrient at a time. We propose to investigate nutritional immunology as a massively interacting system of interconnected multistage and multiscale networks that encompass hidden mechanisms by which nutrition, microbiome, metabolism, genetic predisposition, and the immune system interact to delineate health and disease. The review sets an unconventional path to apply complex science methodologies to nutritional immunology research, discovery, and development through “use cases” centered around the impact of nutrition on the gut microbiome and immune responses. Our systems nutritional immunology analyses, which include modeling and informatics methodologies in combination with pre-clinical and clinical studies, have the potential to discover emerging systems-wide properties at the interface of the immune system, nutrition, microbiome, and metabolism. PMID:26909350

Modeling-Enabled Systems Nutritional Immunology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meghna eVerma

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This review highlights the fundamental role of nutrition in the maintenance of health, the immune response and disease prevention. Emerging global mechanistic insights in the field of nutritional immunology cannot be gained through reductionist methods alone or by analyzing a single nutrient at a time. We propose to investigate nutritional immunology as a massively interacting system of interconnected multistage and multiscale networks that encompass hidden mechanisms by which nutrition, microbiome, metabolism, genetic predisposition and the immune system interact to delineate health and disease. The review sets an unconventional path to applying complex science methodologies to nutritional immunology research, discovery and development through ‘use cases’ centered around the impact of nutrition on the gut microbiome and immune responses. Our systems nutritional immunology analyses, that include modeling and informatics methodologies in combination with pre-clinical and clinical studies, have the potential to discover emerging systems-wide properties at the interface of the immune system, nutrition, microbiome, and metabolism.

Gamma irradiation reduces the immunological toxicity of doxorubicin, anticancer drug

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Kim, Jae-Hun; Sung, Nak-Yun; Raghavendran, H. Balaji; Yoon, Yohan; Song, Beom-Seok; Choi, Jong-il [Team for Radiation Food Science and Biotechnology, Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup 580-185 (Korea, Republic of); Yoo, Young-Choon [Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 302-718 (Korea, Republic of); Byun, Myung-Woo [Team for Radiation Food Science and Biotechnology, Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup 580-185 (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Young-Jeong [Division of Food Science, International University of Korea, Jinju 660-759 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Ju-Woon [Team for Radiation Food Science and Biotechnology, Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup 580-185 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: sjwlee@kaeri.re.kr

2009-07-15

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used anticancer agent, but exhibits some immunological toxicity to patients during chemotherapy. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation on the immunological response and the inhibition activity on in vivo tumor mass of DOX. The results showed that DOX irradiated at 10 and 20 kGy reduce the inhibition of mouse peritoneal macrophage proliferation and induce the release of cytokines (TNF-{alpha} and IL-6) when compared with non-irradiated DOX. The cytotoxicity against human breast (MCF-7), murine colon adenocarcinoma (Colon 26) and human monocytic (THP-1) tumor cell were not significantly different between non-irradiated and irradiated DOX (P<0.05). In vivo study on the tumor mass inhibition, gamma-irradiated DOX showed a considerable inhibition of tumor mass and this effect was statistically non-significant as compared with non-irradiated DOX. In conclusion, gamma irradiation could be regarded as a potential method for reducing the immunological toxicity of DOX. Further researches is needed to reveal the formation and activity of radiolysis products by gamma irradiation.

Gamma irradiation reduces the immunological toxicity of doxorubicin, anticancer drug

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae-Hun; Sung, Nak-Yun; Raghavendran, H. Balaji; Yoon, Yohan; Song, Beom-Seok; Choi, Jong-il; Yoo, Young-Choon; Byun, Myung-Woo; Hwang, Young-Jeong; Lee, Ju-Woon

2009-01-01

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used anticancer agent, but exhibits some immunological toxicity to patients during chemotherapy. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation on the immunological response and the inhibition activity on in vivo tumor mass of DOX. The results showed that DOX irradiated at 10 and 20 kGy reduce the inhibition of mouse peritoneal macrophage proliferation and induce the release of cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) when compared with non-irradiated DOX. The cytotoxicity against human breast (MCF-7), murine colon adenocarcinoma (Colon 26) and human monocytic (THP-1) tumor cell were not significantly different between non-irradiated and irradiated DOX (P<0.05). In vivo study on the tumor mass inhibition, gamma-irradiated DOX showed a considerable inhibition of tumor mass and this effect was statistically non-significant as compared with non-irradiated DOX. In conclusion, gamma irradiation could be regarded as a potential method for reducing the immunological toxicity of DOX. Further researches is needed to reveal the formation and activity of radiolysis products by gamma irradiation.

Basophil FcεRI Expression in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: A Potential Immunological Predictor of Response to Omalizumab Therapy.

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Deza, Gustavo; Bertolín-Colilla, Marta; Pujol, Ramon M; Curto-Barredo, Laia; Soto, Dulce; García, Maribel; Hernández, Pilar; Gimeno, Ramon; Giménez-Arnau, Ana M

2017-06-09

Although the efficacy of omalizumab has been clearly demonstrated in the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), its mechanism of action, which results in improvement in CSU symptoms, is not entirely understood. This study investigated the effect of omalizumab on expression of the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) on blood basophils from patients with active CSU, and its association with the clinical response. Patients exhibiting significant clinical improvement showed a sharp reduction in the levels of basophil FcεRI after 4 weeks, which was maintained throughout the total duration of the treatment. Such evolution was not observed in non-responder patients. Furthermore, non-responders showed significantly lower baseline levels of FcεRI than responders. Baseline basophil FcεRI expression was found to be a potential immunological predictor of response to omalizumab (100% sensitivity and 73.2% specificity). The results of this study contribute to our knowledge of the therapeutic benefit and mechanism of action of anti-IgE therapy in CSU.

Immunological Response to Biodegradable Magnesium Implants

Science.gov (United States)

Pichler, Karin; Fischerauer, Stefan; Ferlic, Peter; Martinelli, Elisabeth; Brezinsek, Hans-Peter; Uggowitzer, Peter J.; Löffler, Jörg F.; Weinberg, Annelie-Martina

2014-04-01

The use of biodegradable magnesium implants in pediatric trauma surgery would render surgical interventions for implant removal after tissue healing unnecessary, thereby preventing stress to the children and reducing therapy costs. In this study, we report on the immunological response to biodegradable magnesium implants—as an important aspect in evaluating biocompatibility—tested in a growing rat model. The focus of this study was to investigate the response of the innate immune system to either fast or slow degrading magnesium pins, which were implanted into the femoral bones of 5-week-old rats. The main alloying element of the fast-degrading alloy (ZX50) was Zn, while it was Y in the slow-degrading implant (WZ21). Our results demonstrate that degrading magnesium implants beneficially influence the immune system, especially in the first postoperative weeks but also during tissue healing and early bone remodeling. However, rodents with WZ21 pins showed a slightly decreased phagocytic ability during bone remodeling when the degradation rate reached its maximum. This may be due to the high release rate of the rare earth-element yttrium, which is potentially toxic. From our results we conclude that magnesium implants have a beneficial effect on the innate immune system but that there are some concerns regarding the use of yttrium-alloyed magnesium implants, especially in pediatric patients.

Impact of body weight on virological and immunological responses to efavirenz-containing regimens in HIV-infected, treatment-naive adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marzolini, Catia; Sabin, Caroline; Raffi, François

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing among HIV-infected patients. Whether standard antiretroviral drug dosage is adequate in heavy individuals remains unresolved. We assessed the virological and immunological responses to initial efavirenz (EFV)-containing regimens...... individuals had significantly higher CD4 cell count at baseline, CD4 cell recovery at 6 and 12 months after EFV initiation was comparable to normal-weight individuals. CONCLUSION: Virological and immunological responses to initial EFV-containing regimens were not impaired in heavy individuals, suggesting...

Immunological responses during a virologically failing antiretroviral regimen are associated with in vivo synonymous mutation rates of HIV type-1 env

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mens, Helene; Jørgensen, Louise Bruun; Kronborg, Gitte

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the underlying causes of differences in immunological response to antiretroviral therapy during multidrug-resistant (MDR) HIV type-1 (HIV-1) infection. This study aimed to identify virological factors associated with immunological response during therapy failure...... for analysis. In a longitudinal mixed-effects model, plasma HIV-1 RNA only tended to predict immunological response (P=0.06), whereas minor protease inhibitor (PI) and nucleoside reverse transcriptase (NRTI) mutations at baseline correlated significantly with CD4+ T-cell count slopes (r= -0.56, P=0.04 and r......= -0.64, P=0.008, respectively). Interestingly, synonymous mutations of env correlated inversely with CD4+ T-cell count slopes (r=-0.60; P=0.01) and individuals with codons under positive selection had significantly better CD4+ T-cell responses than individuals without (0.42 versus -5.34; P=0...

Impact of a new vaccine clinic on hepatitis B vaccine completion and immunological response rates in an HIV-positive cohort.

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Rock, Clare; de Barra, Eoghan; Sadlier, Corinna; Kelly, Sinead; Dowling, Catherine; McNally, Cora; Bergin, Colm

2013-06-01

Hepatitis B virus vaccination (HBVV) in the HIV-infected population has poor reported completion rates and immunological response rates. At our HIV clinic, we established a vaccine clinic to improve HBVV outcomes using interventions such as SMS text reminders and double-dose (DD) HBVV for standard-dose non-responders (SD NRs). A five-year (2003-2008) retrospective review of the completion rates and immunological response rates for HBVV after the establishment of the dedicated vaccine clinic was conducted. Statistical significance was assumed at presponse rate to DD HBVV among SD NRs. On-treatment analysis showed an 88% (155/176) overall immunological response to SD HBVV and DD HBVV, if required. High HBVV completion and response rates in this HIV cohort were enabled through the use of multiple interventions, including the use of SMS text message reminders and routine referral for DD vaccination. Copyright © 2012 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunologic responses in corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) after experimentally induced infection with ferlaviruses.

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Neul, Annkatrin; Schrödl, Wieland; Marschang, Rachel E; Bjick, Tina; Truyen, Uwe; von Buttlar, Heiner; Pees, Michael

2017-04-01

OBJECTIVE To measure immunologic responses of snakes after experimentally induced infection with ferlaviruses. ANIMALS 42 adult corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) of both sexes. PROCEDURES Snakes were inoculated intratracheally with genogroup A (n = 12), B (12), or C (12) ferlavirus (infected groups) or cell-culture supernatant (6; control group) on day 0. Three snakes from each infected group were euthanized on days 4, 16, 28, and 49, and 3 snakes from the control group were euthanized on day 49. Blood samples were collected from live snakes on days -6 (baseline), 4, 16, 28, and 49. Hematologic tests were performed and humoral responses assessed via hemagglutination-inhibition assays and ELISAs. Following euthanasia, gross pathological and histologic evaluations and virus detection were performed. RESULTS Severity of clinical signs of and immunologic responses to ferlavirus infection differed among snake groups. Hematologic values, particularly WBC and monocyte counts, increased between days 4 and 16 after infection. A humoral response was identified between days 16 and 28. Serum IgM concentrations increased from baseline earlier than IgY concentrations, but the IgY relative increase was higher at the end of the study. The hemagglutination-inhibition assay revealed that the strongest reactions in all infected groups were against the strain with which they had been infected. Snakes infected with genogroup A ferlavirus had the strongest immune response, whereas those infected with genogroup B had the weakest responses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results of this experimental study suggested that the ferlavirus strain with the highest virulence induced the weakest immune response in snakes.

The host immunological response to cancer therapy: An emerging concept in tumor biology.

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Voloshin, Tali; Voest, Emile E; Shaked, Yuval

2013-07-01

Almost any type of anti-cancer treatment including chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and targeted drugs can induce host molecular and cellular immunological effects which, in turn, can lead to tumor outgrowth and relapse despite an initial successful therapy outcome. Tumor relapse due to host immunological effects is attributed to angiogenesis, tumor cell dissemination from the primary tumors and seeding at metastatic sites. This short review will describe the types of host cells that participate in this process, the types of factors secreted from the host following therapy that can promote tumor re-growth, and the possible implications of this unique and yet only partially-known process. It is postulated that blocking these specific immunological effects in the reactive host in response to cancer therapy may aid in identifying new host-dependent targets for cancer, which in combination with conventional treatments can prolong therapy efficacy and extend survival. Additional studies investigating this specific research direction-both in preclinical models and in the clinical setting are essential in order to advance our understanding of how tumors relapse and evade therapy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristic of immunological adaptive response induced by low level whole body irradiation with X-rays in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju Guizhi; Song Chunhua; Qi Jin; Liu Shuzheng

1995-01-01

The range of preirradiated doses (D 1 ) and challenge doses (D 2 ) for the induction of immunological adaptive response and the optimum time intervals between D 1 and D 2 were investigated in Kunming mice. The results were as follows: 1. Single whole body preirradiation by X-rays with D 1 doses of 25∼100 mGy (12.5 mGy/min) could induce adaptive response of spontaneous incorporation of 3 H-TdR into thymocytes and the reaction of splenocytes to LPS. 2. With D 2 doses of 1.0 to 1.5 Gy, the adaptive response of spontaneous incorporation of 3 H-TdR into thymocytes and the reaction of splenocytes to ConA and LPS could be induced. 3. The optimum interval for the induction of immunological adaptive response between D 1 and D 2 could be 6∼12 h

T cells' immunological synapses induce polarization of brain astrocytes in vivo and in vitro: a novel astrocyte response mechanism to cellular injury.

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Barcia, Carlos; Sanderson, Nicholas S R; Barrett, Robert J; Wawrowsky, Kolja; Kroeger, Kurt M; Puntel, Mariana; Liu, Chunyan; Castro, Maria G; Lowenstein, Pedro R

2008-08-20

Astrocytes usually respond to trauma, stroke, or neurodegeneration by undergoing cellular hypertrophy, yet, their response to a specific immune attack by T cells is poorly understood. Effector T cells establish specific contacts with target cells, known as immunological synapses, during clearance of virally infected cells from the brain. Immunological synapses mediate intercellular communication between T cells and target cells, both in vitro and in vivo. How target virally infected astrocytes respond to the formation of immunological synapses established by effector T cells is unknown. Herein we demonstrate that, as a consequence of T cell attack, infected astrocytes undergo dramatic morphological changes. From normally multipolar cells, they become unipolar, extending a major protrusion towards the immunological synapse formed by the effector T cells, and withdrawing most of their finer processes. Thus, target astrocytes become polarized towards the contacting T cells. The MTOC, the organizer of cell polarity, is localized to the base of the protrusion, and Golgi stacks are distributed throughout the protrusion, reaching distally towards the immunological synapse. Thus, rather than causing astrocyte hypertrophy, antiviral T cells cause a major structural reorganization of target virally infected astrocytes. Astrocyte polarization, as opposed to hypertrophy, in response to T cell attack may be due to T cells providing a very focused attack, and thus, astrocytes responding in a polarized manner. A similar polarization of Golgi stacks towards contacting T cells was also detected using an in vitro allogeneic model. Thus, different T cells are able to induce polarization of target astrocytes. Polarization of target astrocytes in response to immunological synapses may play an important role in regulating the outcome of the response of astrocytes to attacking effector T cells, whether during antiviral (e.g. infected during HIV, HTLV-1, HSV-1 or LCMV infection), anti

T cells' immunological synapses induce polarization of brain astrocytes in vivo and in vitro: a novel astrocyte response mechanism to cellular injury.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Barcia

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Astrocytes usually respond to trauma, stroke, or neurodegeneration by undergoing cellular hypertrophy, yet, their response to a specific immune attack by T cells is poorly understood. Effector T cells establish specific contacts with target cells, known as immunological synapses, during clearance of virally infected cells from the brain. Immunological synapses mediate intercellular communication between T cells and target cells, both in vitro and in vivo. How target virally infected astrocytes respond to the formation of immunological synapses established by effector T cells is unknown.Herein we demonstrate that, as a consequence of T cell attack, infected astrocytes undergo dramatic morphological changes. From normally multipolar cells, they become unipolar, extending a major protrusion towards the immunological synapse formed by the effector T cells, and withdrawing most of their finer processes. Thus, target astrocytes become polarized towards the contacting T cells. The MTOC, the organizer of cell polarity, is localized to the base of the protrusion, and Golgi stacks are distributed throughout the protrusion, reaching distally towards the immunological synapse. Thus, rather than causing astrocyte hypertrophy, antiviral T cells cause a major structural reorganization of target virally infected astrocytes.Astrocyte polarization, as opposed to hypertrophy, in response to T cell attack may be due to T cells providing a very focused attack, and thus, astrocytes responding in a polarized manner. A similar polarization of Golgi stacks towards contacting T cells was also detected using an in vitro allogeneic model. Thus, different T cells are able to induce polarization of target astrocytes. Polarization of target astrocytes in response to immunological synapses may play an important role in regulating the outcome of the response of astrocytes to attacking effector T cells, whether during antiviral (e.g. infected during HIV, HTLV-1, HSV-1 or LCMV

Reactivation of Immunological Response in Lethally X-Irradiated Mice Treated with Isogeneic Bone Marrow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stankovic, V.; Slijepcevic, M.; Hrsak, I. [Institute Ruder Boskovic, Zagreb, Yugoslavia (Croatia)

1968-08-15

Male and female C57BL/H and CBA/H mice aged 10-12 weeks were used as recipients and donors, respectively. All recipient mice were given a lethal whole-body X-irradiation dose (850 R for C57BL and 950 R for CBA mice) followed by iv injection of 10 x 106 isogeneic eosin-negative bone-marrow cells suspended in 0.5 ml of Hank's solution. The number of eosin-positive cells was less than 10%. The state of immunological responsiveness of irradiated recipients was measured at different time intervals up to 86 days after irradiation. The immune response to bacterial antigen was measured with the titre of agglutinating antibodies in serum six days after iv antigenic stimulation with a suspension of 2 x 10{sup 7} killed Salmonella typhimurium cells. The immune response to tissue antigens was evaluated by: (a) the effectiveness of the spleen cells from isologous radiation chimeric parental mice in preventing bone marrow from F{sub 1} (C57BL x CBA) hybrid donor from therapeutically affecting lethally irradiated F j recipient mice; (b) the effectiveness of the spleen cells in inducing splenom egaly in recipient F{sub 1} hybrid mice (Simonsen test). It was found that the responsiveness to bacterial antigens reappears much earlier and increases much faster than the immunological responsiveness to tissue antigens. (author)

What vaccination studies tell us about immunological memory within the innate immune system of cultured shrimp and crayfish.

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Chang, Yu-Hsuan; Kumar, Ramya; Ng, Tze Hann; Wang, Han-Ching

2018-03-01

The possibility of immunological memory in invertebrates is a topic that has recently attracted a lot of attention. Today, even vertebrates are known to exhibit innate immune responses that show memory-like properties, and since these responses are triggered by cells that are involved in the innate immune system, it seems that immune specificity and immune memory do not necessarily require the presence of B cells and T cells after all. This kind of immune response has been called "immune priming" or "trained immunity". In this report, we review recent observations and our current understanding of immunological memory within the innate immune system in cultured shrimp and crayfish after vaccination with live vaccine, killed vaccine and subunit vaccines. We also discuss the possible mechanisms involved in this immune response. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recreational music-making modulates immunological responses and mood states in older adults.

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Koyama, Masahiro; Wachi, Masatada; Utsuyama, Masanori; Bittman, Barry; Hirokawa, Katsuiku; Kitagawa, Masanobu

2009-06-01

Given that previous studies have shown that recreational music-making has benefits for younger individuals, we explored two questions. (1) Could a recreational music-making protocol improve mood and modulate immunological responses in a direction opposite to that associated with chronic stress in older adults? (2) Would the protocol affect older and younger participants differently? Two groups of volunteers demarcated at age 65 years underwent identical one-hour recreational music-making interventions. Pre-and post-intervention data were collected using blood samples and mood state questionnaires. Data from 27 older and 27 younger volunteers were analyzed for cytokine production levels, natural killer cell activity, plasma catecholamines, and numbers of T cells, T cell subsets, B cells, and natural killer cells. Exercise expenditure was also recorded. In the older group, we found significant increases in the number of lymphocytes, T cells, CD4+ T cells, memory T cells, and production of interferon-gamma and interleukin-6. In the younger group, modulation was non-significant. Worthy of note was the specific immunological changes in the direction opposite to that expected with chronic stress in the older group. The increase in Th1 cytokine IFN-gamma and unchanged Th2 cytokine IL-4 and IL-10 levels in the older group suggests a shift to a Th1-dominant status, a shift opposite to that expected with stress. However, the immunological changes were not statistically different between the two groups. Mood states improved in both groups, but were also not statistically different between groups. Although no statistically significant difference was found between the two age groups, the improvement in immunological profile and mood states in the older group and the low level of energy required for participation suggest this music-making protocol has potential as a health improvement strategy for older individuals.

Engineering antigen-specific immunological tolerance.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kontos, Stephan; Grimm, Alizee J.; Hubbell, Jeffrey A.

2015-05-01

Unwanted immunity develops in response to many protein drugs, in autoimmunity, in allergy, and in transplantation. Approaches to induce immunological tolerance aim to either prevent these responses or reverse them after they have already taken place. We present here recent developments in approaches, based on engineered peptides, proteins and biomaterials, that harness mechanisms of peripheral tolerance both prophylactically and therapeutically to induce antigenspecific immunological tolerance. These mechanisms are based on responses of B and T lymphocytes to other cells in their immune environment that result in cellular deletion or ignorance to particular antigens, or in development of active immune regulatory responses. Several of these approaches are moving toward clinical development, and some are already in early stages of clinical testing.

Intranasal immunization with protective antigen of Bacillus anthracis induces a long-term immunological memory response.

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Woo, Sun-Je; Kang, Seok-Seong; Park, Sung-Moo; Yang, Jae Seung; Song, Man Ki; Yun, Cheol-Heui; Han, Seung Hyun

2015-10-01

Although intranasal vaccination has been shown to be effective for the protection against inhalational anthrax, establishment of long-term immunity has yet to be achieved. Here, we investigated whether intranasal immunization with recombinant protective antigen (rPA) of Bacillus anthracis induces immunological memory responses in the mucosal and systemic compartments. Intranasal immunization with rPA plus cholera toxin (CT) sustained PA-specific antibody responses for 6 months in lung, nasal washes, and vaginal washes as well as serum. A significant induction of PA-specific memory B cells was observed in spleen, cervical lymph nodes (CLNs) and lung after booster immunization. Furthermore, intranasal immunization with rPA plus CT remarkably generated effector memory CD4(+) T cells in the lung. PA-specific CD4(+) T cells preferentially increased the expression of Th1- and Th17-type cytokines in lung, but not in spleen or CLNs. Collectively, the intranasal immunization with rPA plus CT promoted immunologic memory responses in the mucosal and systemic compartments, providing long-term immunity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Basophil FcεRI Expression in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: A Potential Immunological Predictor of Response to Omalizumab Therapy

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Gustavo Deza

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Although the efficacy of omalizumab has been clearly demonstrated in the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU, its mechanism of action, which results in improvement in CSU symptoms, is not entirely understood. This study investigated the effect of omalizumab on expression of the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI on blood basophils from patients with active CSU, and its association with the clinical response. Patients exhibiting significant clinical improvement showed a sharp reduction in the levels of basophil FcεRI after 4 weeks, which was maintained throughout the total duration of the treatment. Such evolution was not observed in non-responder patients. Furthermore, non-responders showed significantly lower baseline levels of FcεRI than responders. Baseline basophil FcεRI expression was found to be a potential immunological predictor of response to omalizumab (100% sensitivity and 73.2% specificity. The results of this study contribute to our knowledge of the therapeutic benefit and mechanism of action of anti-IgE therapy in CSU.

Immunologic lung disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harman, E.M.

1985-01-01

The term immunologic lung disease comprises a broad spectrum of disease. The authors have covered a few entities in which recent studies have been particularly helpful in elucidating pathophysiology though not in uncovering the inciting cause. Common to all of these entities is the problem of finding appropriate methods of defining disease activity and response to treatment. As exemplified by the improved outlook for Goodpasture's syndrome with elucidation of its underlying immunopathology, it is likely that better understanding of the immunologic basis of sarcoid and interstitial disease may be helpful in planning more effective treatment strategies. 44 references

Immunological consideration for some aspects of radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makidono, Atsushi; Makidono, Tohoru; Yoshimoto, Kiichiro.

1978-01-01

What immunology should be in radiology was considered from the modern immunological and radioimmunological point of view. In order to evaluate an immunological response to radiation at a cellular level, radiosensitivities of macrophage, T-cell, and B-cell were selectively described from a modern immunological stand point. On the basis of this knowledge, radioimmunology was explained; and in clinical field, diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumor, radiotherapy for suppressing immuno-lymphatic system, and reactivators for making the treatment effective were described. Immunoreaction in homo-transplantation of organs, relationship between radiation and auto-immunization, and relationship between carcinogenesis of radiation and immunity were explained so that the way of considering immunology in radiology will be summarized. (Ueda, J.)

Immunologic mechanism at infertility

OpenAIRE

Aydın, İlknur; Erci, Behice

2006-01-01

Infertility has been serious problem for couples that want to have a child. It is estimated that %10-15 of marriages are involuntary childless; that is, there is the serious problem of infertility. In more than 40% of infertility couples that is the reason of their infertility was unknown. In those couples, probably immunological factors were found to be responsible for the infertility. In the article, it was aimed to review the immunologic causes of male and female infertility in the light o...

Comparative study on the effect of RES-stimulating and blockading agents on the immunological response after irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mori, K; Seto, A; Ito, Y [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

1975-03-01

The effects of carbon particles and bacterial endotoxins on immunological recovery after irradiation were compared in relation to the radioprotective effects of the agents. When mice were injected with 10 mg of carbon particles (sufficient to protect the animals from radiation-induced death) 24 hrs prior to the administration of sheep red blood cells, the recovery of their immune response to the antigen was not significantly affected. Administration of 1 mg of carbon particles caused a slight enhancement of immune response. Previous treatment of animals with endotoxin resulted in a significant suppression of the immune response regardless of irradiation, the degree of suppression depending on the dose given. These results strongly suggest that the radioprotective effect of carbon- or endotoxin-treatment is attributable to the apparent RES-blockade and to the enhancement of hemopoietic recovery rather than to the enhancement of immunological recovery after irradiation.

Comparative study on the effect of RES-stimulating and blockading agents on the immunological response after irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Kazuhiro; Seto, Akira; Ito, Yohei

1975-01-01

The effects of carbon particles and bacterial endotoxins on immunological recovery after irradiation were compared in relation to the radioprotective effects of the agents. When mice were injected with 10 mg of carbon particles (sufficient to protect the animals from radiation-induced death) 24 hrs prior to the administration of sheep red blood cells, the recovery of their immune response to the antigen was not significantly affected. Administration of 1 mg of carbon particles caused a slight enhancement of immune response. Previous treatment of animals with endotoxin resulted in a significant suppression of the immune response regardless of irradiation, the degree of suppression depending on the dose given. These results strongly suggest that the radioprotective effect of carbon- or endotoxin-treatment is attributable to the apparent RES-blockade and to the enhancement of hemopoietic recovery rather than to the enhancement of immunological recovery after irradiation. (auth.)

Immunological functioning in Alzheimer's disease: differential effects of relative left versus right temporoparietal dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Paul S; Roosa, Katelyn M; Williams, Megan R; Witt, John C; Heilman, Kenneth M; Drago, Valeria

2013-10-15

The cerebral hemispheres are differentially involved in regulating immunological functioning and the neuropathology associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is asymmetrical. Thus, subgroups of AD patients may exhibit different patterns of immunological dysfunction. We explored this possibility in a group of AD patients and found that patients with low white blood cell counts and low lymphocyte numbers exhibited better performance on tests of right temporoparietal functioning. Also, a significant positive relationship exists between lymph numbers and performance on a test of left temporoparietal functioning. Thus, some AD patients have greater immunological dysfunction based on relative left versus right temporoparietal functioning. © 2013.

Factors determining immunological response to vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis virus in older individuals.

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Lindblom, Pontus; Wilhelmsson, Peter; Fryland, Linda; Matussek, Andreas; Haglund, Mats; Sjöwall, Johanna; Vene, Sirkka; Nyman, Dag; Forsberg, Pia; Lindgren, Per-Eric

2014-01-01

We performed a cross-sectional study including 533 individuals (median age 61) from the highly TBE endemic Åland Islands in the archipelago between Sweden and Finland. Blood samples, questionnaires and vaccination records were obtained from all study participants. The aim was to investigate if there was any association between TBEV antibody titer and 12 health-related factors. Measurement of TBEV IgG antibodies was performed using two commercial ELISA assays (Enzygnost and Immunozym), and a third in-house rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test was used to measure TBEV neutralizing antibodies. The age of the individual and the number of vaccine doses were the two most important factors determining the immunological response to vaccination. The response to each vaccine dose declined linearly with increased age. A 35 year age difference corresponds to a vaccine dose increment from 3 to 4 to achieve the same immunological response. Participants previously vaccinated against other flaviviruses had lower odds of being seropositive for neutralizing TBEV antibodies on average, while participants with self-reported asthma had higher odds of being seropositive. By comparing the 3 serological assays we show that the Enzygnost and Immunozym assay differ due to choice of cutoffs, but not in overall accuracy.

Immunological Changes on Allergic Response after Beevenom Immunotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong-Ha Han

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Beevenom immunotherapy(BVIT in allergic patients is a well-established treatment modality for the prevention of systemic anaphylactic reactions caused by insect stings. BVIT is accompanied by increases in allergen-specific IgG, particularly the IgG4 isotype, which blocks not only IgE-dependent histamine release from basophils but also IgE-mediated antigen presentation to T cells. Inhibition of T cells after BVIT also involves decreased induction of the costimulatory molecule ICOS, which, in turn, seems to be dependent on the presence of IL-10, also associated with the inhibited status of T cells after BVIT. Suppression of T cells by IL-10 is an active process, which depends on the expression and participation of CD28. Immune tolerance in specific allergen immunotherapy might be a consequence of decreased Th2 or increased Th1 response of allergen specific T lymphocytes. BVIT shifted cytokine responses to allergen from a TH-2 to a TH-1 dominant pattern, suggesting direct effects on T cells. Many studies showed that severe side effects due to venom immunotherapy are rare. These results suggest that immunological changes after BVIT may be applied to be therapeutic alternative of general allergic diseases including beevenom allergy.

Antibody response against Betaferon® in immune tolerant mice: involvement of marginal zone B-cells and CD4+ T-cells and apparent lack of immunological memory.

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Sauerborn, Melody; van Beers, Miranda M C; Jiskoot, Wim; Kijanka, Grzegorz M; Boon, Louis; Schellekens, Huub; Brinks, Vera

2013-01-01

The immunological processes underlying immunogenicity of recombinant human therapeutics are poorly understood. Using an immune tolerant mouse model we previously demonstrated that aggregates are a major trigger of the antidrug antibody (ADA) response against recombinant human interferon beta (rhIFNβ) products including Betaferon®, and that immunological memory seems to be lacking after a rechallenge with non-aggregated rhIFNβ. The apparent absence of immunological memory indicates a CD4+ T-cell independent (Tind) immune response underlying ADA formation against Betaferon®. This hypothesis was tested. Using the immune tolerant mouse model we first validated that rechallenge with highly aggregated rhIFNβ (Betaferon®) does not lead to a subsequent fast increase in ADA titers, suggesting a lack of immunological memory. Next we assessed whether Betaferon® could act as Tind antigen by inactivation of marginal zone (MZ) B-cells during treatment. MZ B-cells are major effector cells involved in a Tind immune response. In a following experiment we depleted the mice from CD4+ T-cells to test their involvement in the ADA response against Betaferon®. Inactivation of MZ B-cells at the start of Betaferon® treatment drastically lowered ADA levels, suggesting a Tind immune response. However, persistent depletion of CD4+ T-cells before and during Betaferon® treatment abolished the ADA response in almost all mice. The immune response against rhIFNβ in immune tolerant mice is neither a T-cell independent nor a classical T-cell dependent immune response. Further studies are needed to confirm absence of immunological memory (cells).

Immunology of Gut Mucosal Vaccines

Science.gov (United States)

Pasetti, Marcela F.; Simon, Jakub K.; Sztein, Marcelo B.; Levine, Myron M.

2011-01-01

Summary Understanding the mechanisms underlying the induction of immunity in the gastrointestinal mucosa following oral immunization and the cross-talk between mucosal and systemic immunity should expedite the development of vaccines to diminish the global burden caused by enteric pathogens. Identifying an immunological correlate of protection in the course of field trials of efficacy, animal models (when available), or human challenge studies is also invaluable. In industrialized country populations, live attenuated vaccines (e.g. polio, typhoid, and rotavirus) mimic natural infection and generate robust protective immune responses. In contrast, a major challenge is to understand and overcome the barriers responsible for the diminished immunogenicity and efficacy of the same enteric vaccines in underprivileged populations in developing countries. Success in developing vaccines against some enteric pathogens has heretofore been elusive (e.g. Shigella). Different types of oral vaccines can selectively or inclusively elicit mucosal secretory immunoglobulin A and serum immunoglobulin G antibodies and a variety of cell-mediated immune responses. Areas of research that require acceleration include interaction between the gut innate immune system and the stimulation of adaptive immunity, development of safe yet effective mucosal adjuvants, better understanding of homing to the mucosa of immunologically relevant cells, and elicitation of mucosal immunologic memory. This review dissects the immune responses elicited in humans by enteric vaccines. PMID:21198669

The immunological response of HIV-positive patients initiating HAART at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Annison, L; Dompreh, A; Adu-Sarkodie, Y

2013-12-01

The study sought to document the experience of immunological improvement among Ghanaian PLHIV on HAART comparing different categories of patients. Serology Unit, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana. The study comprised a convenient sample of 303 treatment naïve HIV patients due to start HAART. Questionnaires were used to collect patient demographic and clinical data. Four CD4 counts were measured at six-monthly intervals to determine rates of CD4 change. These were pre-therapy, 1(st) post-therapy, 2(nd) post-therapy, and 3(rd) post-therapy counts. The rates of CD4 change among the different categories of patients were also compared. At baseline, women had higher CD4 count (mean of 77.4 cells/μl), and mean age of participants was 40 years. The CD4 count increased from a mean baseline of 70.2 cells/μl to 229.2, 270.0, and 297.6 cells/μl at 6, 12, and 18 months of treatment respectively (P response. There was no difference (P=0.18) in treatment response comparing those with CD4 immunological recovery during 12 months of treatment The study, therefore, concludes that significant immunological improvement is possible among Ghanaian PLHIV on HAART as long as a high level of treatment adherence is observed.

Pubertal-related changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity and cytokine secretion in response to an immunological stressor.

Science.gov (United States)

Goble, K H; Bain, Z A; Padow, V A; Lui, P; Klein, Z A; Romeo, R D

2011-02-01

Pubertal development is marked by profound changes in stress reactivity. For example, following a brief stressor, such as foot shock, ether inhalation or restraint, prepubertal rats display a prolonged adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone response that takes twice as long to return to baseline compared to adults. Pubertal-related differences in the recovery of the hormonal stress response following a more protracted systemic stressor, such as an immunological challenge, have not yet been investigated. Moreover, it is unclear whether an immunological stressor leads to a differential cytokine response in animals before and after pubertal maturation. To examine these issues, we used a single injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.1 mg/kg) to induce a hormonal stress and innate immune response and measured plasma ACTH, corticosterone, and the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in prepubertal and adult male rats 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 24 h after LPS exposure. In a follow-up experiment, we assessed neural activation, as indexed by FOS immunohistochemistry, in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) in prepubertal and adult males 0, 4, 8, or 24 h after a 0.1 mg/kg injection of LPS. By contrast to the prolonged response observed in prepubertal animals following a variety of acute stressors, we found that corticosterone and IL-6 responses induced by LPS recover toward baseline faster in prepubertal compared to adult rats. Along with these different peripheral responses, we also found that LPS-induced neural activation in the PVN of prepubertal animals showed a faster return to baseline compared to adults. Together, these data indicate that prepubertal and adult animals react in distinct ways, both peripherally and centrally, to an immunological stressor. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Neuroendocrinology © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

PEGylated graphene oxide elicits strong immunological responses despite surface passivation

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Nana; Weber, Jeffrey K.; Wang, Shuang; Luan, Binquan; Yue, Hua; Xi, Xiaobo; Du, Jing; Yang, Zaixing; Wei, Wei; Zhou, Ruhong; Ma, Guanghui

2017-02-01

Engineered nanomaterials promise to transform medicine at the bio-nano interface. However, it is important to elucidate how synthetic nanomaterials interact with critical biological systems before such products can be safely utilized in humans. Past evidence suggests that polyethylene glycol-functionalized (PEGylated) nanomaterials are largely biocompatible and elicit less dramatic immune responses than their pristine counterparts. We here report results that contradict these findings. We find that PEGylated graphene oxide nanosheets (nGO-PEGs) stimulate potent cytokine responses in peritoneal macrophages, despite not being internalized. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations support a mechanism by which nGO-PEGs preferentially adsorb onto and/or partially insert into cell membranes, thereby amplifying interactions with stimulatory surface receptors. Further experiments demonstrate that nGO-PEG indeed provokes cytokine secretion by enhancing integrin β8-related signalling pathways. The present results inform that surface passivation does not always prevent immunological reactions to 2D nanomaterials but also suggest applications for PEGylated nanomaterials wherein immune stimulation is desired.

Prevalence and Predictors of Immunological Failure among HIV Patients on HAART in Southern Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Yirdaw, Kesetebirhan Delele; Hattingh, Susan

2015-01-01

Immunological monitoring is part of the standard of care for patients on antiretroviral treatment. Yet, little is known about the routine implementation of immunological laboratory monitoring and utilization in clinical care in Ethiopia. This study assessed the pattern of immunological monitoring, immunological response, level of immunological treatment failure and factors related to it among patients on antiretroviral therapy in selected hospitals in southern Ethiopia. A retrospective longitudinal analytic study was conducted using documents of patients started on antiretroviral therapy. Adequacy of timely immunological monitoring was assessed every six months the first year and every one year thereafter. Immunological response was assessed every six months at cohort level. Immunological failure was based on the criteria: fall of follow-up CD4 cell count to baseline (or below), or CD4 levels persisting below 100 cells/mm3, or 50% fall from on-treatment peak value. A total of 1,321 documents of patients reviewed revealed timely immunological monitoring were inadequate. There was adequate immunological response, with pediatric patients, females, those with less advanced illness (baseline WHO Stage I or II) and those with higher baseline CD4 cell count found to have better immunological recovery. Thirty-nine patients (3%) were not evaluated for immunological failure because they had frequent treatment interruption. Despite overall adequate immunological response at group level, the prevalence of those who ever experienced immunological failure was 17.6% (n=226), while after subsequent re-evaluation it dropped to 11.5% (n=147). Having WHO Stage III/IV of the disease or a higher CD4 cell count at baseline was identified as a risk for immunological failure. Few patients with confirmed failure were switched to second line therapy. These findings highlight the magnitude of the problem of immunological failure and the gap in management. Prioritizing care for high risk

Virtual immunology: software for teaching basic immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Berçot, Filipe Faria; Fidalgo-Neto, Antônio Augusto; Lopes, Renato Matos; Faggioni, Thais; Alves, Luiz Anastácio

2013-01-01

As immunology continues to evolve, many educational methods have found difficulty in conveying the degree of complexity inherent in its basic principles. Today, the teaching-learning process in such areas has been improved with tools such as educational software. This article introduces "Virtual Immunology," a software program available free of charge in Portuguese and English, which can be used by teachers and students in physiology, immunology, and cellular biology classes. We discuss the development of the initial two modules: "Organs and Lymphoid Tissues" and "Inflammation" and the use of interactive activities to provide microscopic and macroscopic understanding in immunology. Students, both graduate and undergraduate, were questioned along with university level professors about the quality of the software and intuitiveness of use, facility of navigation, and aesthetic organization using a Likert scale. An overwhelmingly satisfactory result was obtained with both students and immunology teachers. Programs such as "Virtual Immunology" are offering more interactive, multimedia approaches to complex scientific principles that increase student motivation, interest, and comprehension. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Solving Immunology?

Science.gov (United States)

Vodovotz, Yoram; Xia, Ashley; Read, Elizabeth L; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep; Hafler, David A; Sontag, Eduardo; Wang, Jin; Tsang, John S; Day, Judy D; Kleinstein, Steven H; Butte, Atul J; Altman, Matthew C; Hammond, Ross; Sealfon, Stuart C

2017-02-01

Emergent responses of the immune system result from the integration of molecular and cellular networks over time and across multiple organs. High-content and high-throughput analysis technologies, concomitantly with data-driven and mechanistic modeling, hold promise for the systematic interrogation of these complex pathways. However, connecting genetic variation and molecular mechanisms to individual phenotypes and health outcomes has proven elusive. Gaps remain in data, and disagreements persist about the value of mechanistic modeling for immunology. Here, we present the perspectives that emerged from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) workshop 'Complex Systems Science, Modeling and Immunity' and subsequent discussions regarding the potential synergy of high-throughput data acquisition, data-driven modeling, and mechanistic modeling to define new mechanisms of immunological disease and to accelerate the translation of these insights into therapies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunological response and protection of mice immunized with plasmid encoding Toxoplasma gondii glycolytic enzyme malate dehydrogenase.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, I A; Wang, S; Xu, L; Yan, R; Song, X; XiangRui, L

2014-12-01

Toxoplasma gondii Malate dehydrogenase (TgMDH) plays an important role as part of the energy production cycle. In this investigation, immunological changes and protection efficiency of this protein delivered as a DNA vaccine have been evaluated. Mice were intramuscularly immunized with pTgMDH, followed by challenge with virulent T. gondii RH strain, 2 weeks after the booster immunization. Compared to the control groups, the results showed that pTgMDH has stimulated specific humoral response as demonstrated by significant high titers of total IgG and subclasses IgG1 and IgG2a , beside IgA and IgM, but not IgE. Analysis of cytokine profiles revealed significant increases of IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-17, while no significant changes were detected in TGF-β1. In cell-mediated response, both T lymphocytes subpopulations CD4(+) and CD8(+) were positively recruited as significant percentages were recorded in response to immunization with TgMDH. Significant long survival rate, 17 days, has been observed in the TgMDH vaccinated group, in contrast with control groups which died within 8-9 days after challenge. These results demonstrated that TgMDH could induce significant immunological responses leading to a considerable level of protection against acute toxoplasmosis infection. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Immunological Demyelination Triggers Macrophage/Microglial Cells Activation without Inducing Astrogliosis

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Frank Cloutier

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The glial scar formed by reactive astrocytes and axon growth inhibitors associated with myelin play important roles in the failure of axonal regeneration following central nervous system (CNS injury. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that immunological demyelination of the CNS facilitates regeneration of severed axons following spinal cord injury. In the present study, we evaluate whether immunological demyelination is accompanied with astrogliosis. We compared the astrogliosis and macrophage/microglial cell responses 7 days after either immunological demyelination or a stab injury to the dorsal funiculus. Both lesions induced a strong activated macrophage/microglial cells response which was significantly higher within regions of immunological demyelination. However, immunological demyelination regions were not accompanied by astrogliosis compared to stab injury that induced astrogliosis which extended several millimeters above and below the lesions, evidenced by astroglial hypertrophy, formation of a glial scar, and upregulation of intermediate filaments glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP. Moreover, a stab or a hemisection lesion directly within immunological demyelination regions did not induced astrogliosis within the immunological demyelination region. These results suggest that immunological demyelination creates a unique environment in which astrocytes do not form a glial scar and provides a unique model to understand the putative interaction between astrocytes and activated macrophage/microglial cells.

Clinical, immunological and virological response to different antiretroviral regimens in a cohort of HIV-2-infected patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Ende, Marchina E.; Prins, Jan M.; Brinkman, Kees; Keuter, Monique; Veenstra, Jan; Danner, Sven A.; Niesters, Hubert G. M.; Osterhaus, Albert D. M. E.; Schutten, Martin

2003-01-01

Objective: To assess the clinical, immunological and virological response and the emergence of resistance towards antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a cohort of HIV-2-infected patients. Design: Observational study. Patients: HIV-2-infected patients residing in the Netherlands. Results: From 1995 to

The immunological response and post-treatment survival of DC-vaccinated melanoma patients are associated with increased Th1/Th17 and reduced Th3 cytokine responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Durán-Aniotz, Claudia; Segal, Gabriela; Salazar, Lorena; Pereda, Cristián; Falcón, Cristián; Tempio, Fabián; Aguilera, Raquel; González, Rodrigo; Pérez, Claudio; Tittarelli, Andrés; Catalán, Diego; Nervi, Bruno; Larrondo, Milton; Salazar-Onfray, Flavio; López, Mercedes N

2013-04-01

Immunization with autologous dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with a heat shock-conditioned allogeneic melanoma cell lysate caused lysate-specific delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions in a number of patients. These responses correlated with a threefold prolonged long-term survival of DTH(+) with respect to DTH(-) unresponsive patients. Herein, we investigated whether the immunological reactions associated with prolonged survival were related to dissimilar cellular and cytokine responses in blood. Healthy donors and melanoma patient's lymphocytes obtained from blood before and after vaccinations and from DTH biopsies were analyzed for T cell population distribution and cytokine release. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from melanoma patients have an increased proportion of Th3 (CD4(+) TGF-β(+)) regulatory T lymphocytes compared with healthy donors. Notably, DTH(+) patients showed a threefold reduction of Th3 cells compared with DTH(-) patients after DCs vaccine treatment. Furthermore, DCs vaccination resulted in a threefold augment of the proportion of IFN-γ releasing Th1 cells and in a twofold increase of the IL-17-producing Th17 population in DTH(+) with respect to DTH(-) patients. Increased Th1 and Th17 cell populations in both blood and DTH-derived tissues suggest that these profiles may be related to a more effective anti-melanoma response. Our results indicate that increased proinflammatory cytokine profiles are related to detectable immunological responses in vivo (DTH) and to prolonged patient survival. Our study contributes to the understanding of immunological responses produced by DCs vaccines and to the identification of follow-up markers for patient outcome that may allow a closer individual monitoring of patients.

Genomic Circuitry Underlying Immunological Response to Pediatric Acute Respiratory Infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Henrickson, Sarah E; Manne, Sasikanth; Dolfi, Douglas V; Mansfield, Kathleen D; Parkhouse, Kaela; Mistry, Rakesh D; Alpern, Elizabeth R; Hensley, Scott E; Sullivan, Kathleen E; Coffin, Susan E; Wherry, E John

2018-01-09

Acute respiratory tract viral infections (ARTIs) cause significant morbidity and mortality. CD8 T cells are fundamental to host responses, but transcriptional alterations underlying anti-viral mechanisms and links to clinical characteristics remain unclear. CD8 T cell transcriptional circuitry in acutely ill pediatric patients with influenza-like illness was distinct for different viral pathogens. Although changes included expected upregulation of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), transcriptional downregulation was prominent upon exposure to innate immune signals in early IFV infection. Network analysis linked changes to severity of infection, asthma, sex, and age. An influenza pediatric signature (IPS) distinguished acute influenza from other ARTIs and outperformed other influenza prediction gene lists. The IPS allowed a deeper investigation of the connection between transcriptional alterations and clinical characteristics of acute illness, including age-based differences in circuits connecting the STAT1/2 pathway to ISGs. A CD8 T cell-focused systems immunology approach in pediatrics identified age-based alterations in ARTI host response pathways. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the host response to the myxosporean parasite, Ceratomyxa shasta (Noble), by histology, scanning electron microscopy, and immunological techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Bartholomew, J.L.; Smith, C.E.; Rohovec, J.S.; Fryer, J.L.

1989-01-01

The tissue response of Salmo gairdneri Richardson, against the myxosporean parasite. Ceratomyxa shasta (Noble), was investigated using histological techniques, scanning electron microscopy and immunological methods. The progress of infection in C. shasta-susceptible and resistant steelhead and rainbow trout was examined by standard histological techniques and by indirect fluorescent antibody methods using monoclonal antibodies directed against C. shasta antigens. Trophozoite stages were first observed in the posterior intestine and there was indication that resistance was due to the inability of the parasite to penetrate this tissue rather than to an inflammatory response. Examination of a severely infected intestine by scanning electron microscopy showed extensive destruction of the mucosal folds of the posterior intestine. Western blotting and indirect fluorescent antibody techniques were used to investigate the immunological component of the host response. No antibodies specific for C. shasta were detected by either method.

Communication, the centrosome and the immunological synapse.

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Stinchcombe, Jane C; Griffiths, Gillian M

2014-09-05

Recent findings on the behaviour of the centrosome at the immunological synapse suggest a critical role for centrosome polarization in controlling the communication between immune cells required to generate an effective immune response. The features observed at the immunological synapse show parallels to centrosome (basal body) polarization seen in cilia and flagella, and the cellular communication that is now known to occur at all of these sites.

Immunology of Paratuberculosis Infection and Disease

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The study of host immune responses to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is complicated by a number of factors, including the protracted nature of the disease and the stealthy nature of the pathogen. Improved tools for the measurement of immunologic responses in ruminant species, par...

Hibernating little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) show variable immunological responses to white-nose syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Marianne S; Reichard, Jonathan D; Murtha, Timothy D; Nabhan, Morgan L; Pian, Rachel E; Ferreira, Jennifer S; Kunz, Thomas H

2013-01-01

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging infectious disease devastating hibernating North American bat populations that is caused by the psychrophilic fungus Geomyces destructans. Previous histopathological analysis demonstrated little evidence of inflammatory responses in infected bats, however few studies have compared other aspects of immune function between WNS-affected and unaffected bats. We collected bats from confirmed WNS-affected and unaffected sites during the winter of 2008-2009 and compared estimates of their circulating levels of total leukocytes, total immunoglobulins, cytokines and total antioxidants. Bats from affected and unaffected sites did not differ in their total circulating immunoglobulin levels, but significantly higher leukocyte counts were observed in bats from affected sites and particularly in affected bats with elevated body temperatures (above 20°C). Bats from WNS-affected sites exhibited significantly lower antioxidant activity and levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), a cytokine that induces T cell differentiation. Within affected sites only, bats exhibiting visible fungal infections had significantly lower antioxidant activity and levels of IL-4 compared to bats without visible fungal infections. Overall, bats hibernating in WNS-affected sites showed immunological changes that may be evident of attempted defense against G. destructans. Observed changes, specifically elevated circulating leukocytes, may also be related to the documented changes in thermoregulatory behaviors of affected bats (i.e. increased frequencies in arousal from torpor). Alterations in immune function may reflect expensive energetic costs associated with these processes and intrinsic qualities of the immunocapability of hibernating bats to clear fungal infections. Additionally, lowered antioxidant activity indicates a possible imbalance in the pro- versus antioxidant system, may reflect oxidative tissue damage, and should be investigated as a contributor to WNS

Hibernating little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus show variable immunological responses to white-nose syndrome.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marianne S Moore

Full Text Available White-nose syndrome (WNS is an emerging infectious disease devastating hibernating North American bat populations that is caused by the psychrophilic fungus Geomyces destructans. Previous histopathological analysis demonstrated little evidence of inflammatory responses in infected bats, however few studies have compared other aspects of immune function between WNS-affected and unaffected bats. We collected bats from confirmed WNS-affected and unaffected sites during the winter of 2008-2009 and compared estimates of their circulating levels of total leukocytes, total immunoglobulins, cytokines and total antioxidants. Bats from affected and unaffected sites did not differ in their total circulating immunoglobulin levels, but significantly higher leukocyte counts were observed in bats from affected sites and particularly in affected bats with elevated body temperatures (above 20°C. Bats from WNS-affected sites exhibited significantly lower antioxidant activity and levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4, a cytokine that induces T cell differentiation. Within affected sites only, bats exhibiting visible fungal infections had significantly lower antioxidant activity and levels of IL-4 compared to bats without visible fungal infections. Overall, bats hibernating in WNS-affected sites showed immunological changes that may be evident of attempted defense against G. destructans. Observed changes, specifically elevated circulating leukocytes, may also be related to the documented changes in thermoregulatory behaviors of affected bats (i.e. increased frequencies in arousal from torpor. Alterations in immune function may reflect expensive energetic costs associated with these processes and intrinsic qualities of the immunocapability of hibernating bats to clear fungal infections. Additionally, lowered antioxidant activity indicates a possible imbalance in the pro- versus antioxidant system, may reflect oxidative tissue damage, and should be investigated as a

Obligate brood parasites show more functionally effective innate immune responses: an eco-immunological hypothesis

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Hahn, D. Caldwell; Summers, Scott G.; Genovese, Kenneth J.; He, Haiqi; Kogut, Michael H.

2013-01-01

Immune adaptations of obligate brood parasites attracted interest when three New World cowbird species (Passeriformes, Icteridae, genus Molothrus) proved unusually resistant to West Nile virus. We have used cowbirds as models to investigate the eco-immunological hypothesis that species in parasite-rich environments characteristically have enhanced immunity as a life history adaptation. As part of an ongoing program to understand the cowbird immune system, in this study we measured degranulation and oxidative burst, two fundamental responses of the innate immune system. Innate immunity provides non-specific, fast-acting defenses against a variety of invading pathogens, and we hypothesized that innate immunity experiences particularly strong selection in cowbirds, because their life history strategy exposes them to diverse novel and unpredictable parasites. We compared the relative effectiveness of degranulation and oxidative burst responses in two cowbird species and one related, non-parasitic species. Both innate immune defenses were significantly more functionally efficient in the two parasitic cowbird species than in the non-parasitic red-winged blackbird (Icteridae, Agelaius phoeniceus). Additionally, both immune defenses were more functionally efficient in the brown-headed cowbird (M. ater), an extreme host-generalist brood parasite, than in the bronzed cowbird (M. aeneus), a moderate host-specialist with lower exposure to other species and their parasites. Thus the relative effectiveness of these two innate immune responses corresponds to the diversity of parasites in the niche of each species and to their relative resistance to WNV. This study is the first use of these two specialized assays in a comparative immunology study of wild avian species.

Cosmos-1989 immunology studies

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Sonnenfeld, Gerald

1991-01-01

Evidence from both human and rodent studies has indicated that alterations in immunological parameters occur after space flight. The number of flight experiments has been small, and the full breadth of immunological alterations occurring after space flight remains to be established. Among the major effects on immune responses after space flight that have been reported are: alterations in lymphocyte blastogenesis and natural killer cell activity, alterations in production of cytokines, changes in leukocyte sub-population distribution, and decreases in the ability in the ability of bone marrow cells to respond to colony stimulating factors. Changes have been reported in immunological parameters of both humans and rodents. The significance of these alterations in relation to resistance to infection remains to be established. The current study involved a determination of the effects of flight on Cosmos mission 2044 on leukocyte subset distribution and the sensitivity of bone marrow cells to colony stimulating factor-GM. A parallel study with antiorthostatic suspension was also carried out. The study involved repetition and expansion of studies carried out on Cosmos 1887.

Immunological reactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shubik, V.M.

1984-01-01

Materials on comparative characteristics of state of some immunological parameters under the effect of toxic radioactive and non-radioactive chemical substances on organism of experimental animas as well as data on possible role of disclosed immunological changes are presented. Data on the possible role of immunological mechanisms in shortening life span and distortions of reproduction function are given

Plasma Metabolomics Biosignature According to HIV Stage of Infection, Pace of Disease Progression, Viremia Level and Immunological Response to Treatment.

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Bruno Scarpellini

Full Text Available We evaluated plasma samples HIV-infected individuals with different phenotypic profile among five HIV-infected elite controllers and five rapid progressors after recent HIV infection and one year later and from 10 individuals subjected to antiretroviral therapy, five of whom were immunological non-responders (INR, before and after one year of antiretroviral treatment compared to 175 samples from HIV-negative patients. A targeted quantitative tandem mass spectrometry metabolomics approach was used in order to determine plasma metabolomics biosignature that may relate to HIV infection, pace of HIV disease progression, and immunological response to treatment.Twenty-five unique metabolites were identified, including five metabolites that could distinguish rapid progressors and INRs at baseline. Severe deregulation in acylcarnitine and sphingomyelin metabolism compatible with mitochondrial deficiencies was observed. β-oxidation and sphingosine-1-phosphate-phosphatase-1 activity were down-regulated, whereas acyl-alkyl-containing phosphatidylcholines and alkylglyceronephosphate synthase levels were elevated in INRs. Evidence that elite controllers harbor an inborn error of metabolism (late-onset multiple acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency [MADD] was detected.Blood-based markers from metabolomics show a very high accuracy of discriminating HIV infection between varieties of controls and have the ability to predict rapid disease progression or poor antiretroviral immunological response. These metabolites can be used as biomarkers of HIV natural evolution or treatment response and provide insight into the mechanisms of the disease.

Plasma Metabolomics Biosignature According to HIV Stage of Infection, Pace of Disease Progression, Viremia Level and Immunological Response to Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Scarpellini, Bruno; Zanoni, Michelle; Sucupira, Maria Cecilia Araripe; Truong, Hong-Ha M; Janini, Luiz Mario Ramos; Segurado, Ismael Dale Cotrin; Diaz, Ricardo Sobhie

2016-01-01

We evaluated plasma samples HIV-infected individuals with different phenotypic profile among five HIV-infected elite controllers and five rapid progressors after recent HIV infection and one year later and from 10 individuals subjected to antiretroviral therapy, five of whom were immunological non-responders (INR), before and after one year of antiretroviral treatment compared to 175 samples from HIV-negative patients. A targeted quantitative tandem mass spectrometry metabolomics approach was used in order to determine plasma metabolomics biosignature that may relate to HIV infection, pace of HIV disease progression, and immunological response to treatment. Twenty-five unique metabolites were identified, including five metabolites that could distinguish rapid progressors and INRs at baseline. Severe deregulation in acylcarnitine and sphingomyelin metabolism compatible with mitochondrial deficiencies was observed. β-oxidation and sphingosine-1-phosphate-phosphatase-1 activity were down-regulated, whereas acyl-alkyl-containing phosphatidylcholines and alkylglyceronephosphate synthase levels were elevated in INRs. Evidence that elite controllers harbor an inborn error of metabolism (late-onset multiple acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency [MADD]) was detected. Blood-based markers from metabolomics show a very high accuracy of discriminating HIV infection between varieties of controls and have the ability to predict rapid disease progression or poor antiretroviral immunological response. These metabolites can be used as biomarkers of HIV natural evolution or treatment response and provide insight into the mechanisms of the disease.

Immunological response in egg-sensitive adults challenged with cheese containing or not containing lysozyme.

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Filippo; Iaconelli, Amerigo; Fiorentini, Lucia; Zito, Francesco; Donati, Maria Benedett; De Cristofaro, Maria Laura; Piva, Gianfranco; Mingrone, Geltrude

2012-12-01

Lysozyme is an enzyme that hydrolyzes bacterial peptidoglicans. For this reason, it is used in cheese manufacturing in order to prevent a defect of long-ripened hard cheese called "late blowing" due to the outgrowth of spores of Clostridium tyrobutyricum and Clostridium butyricum. Moreover, germination of Listeria monocytogenes spores into vegetative cells is also sensitive to lysozyme. The enzyme can be an allergenic molecule, and for this reason there are concerns about its use in food industry. The immunological and clinical response of consumption of lysozyme-containing cheese has been evaluated in 25 egg-sensitive subjects with or without lysozyme sensitization. A total of 25 egg-sensitive subjects were enrolled in this study. All the subjects were already treated for egg-sensitization and presented a positive skin prick test. All the subjects had a body mass index ≤ 25 kg/m(2) and were in the age range of 20-50 years. Each subject was studied twice and received randomly 30 g of Grana Padano (containing lysozyme) or TrentinGrana cheese (lysozyme-free) of two different aging periods: 16 or 24 months. A washout period of 1 week between each cheese intake was adopted. Blood samples were taken in fasting conditions and 1 hour after cheese intake and IgA, total IgE, and lysozyme-, ovomucoid-, and ovalbumin-specific IgE were measured. No adverse reactions were observed in both groups of patients after cheese samples were given. Lysozyme did not determine any variation of specific IgE compared with basal level. In lysozyme-sensitive patients a significant relationship between IgA and lysozyme-specific IgE was observed when lysozyme-containing cheese was given, confirming that lysozyme can pass the gut barrier. Neither adverse events nor immunological responses were observed after ingestion of cheese containing lysozyme. However, the immunological properties of peptides deriving from cheese protein hydrolysis need to be clarified, as does the effect of lysozyme on

The pluripotent history of immunology. A review

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Neeraja Sankaran

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The historiography of immunology since 1999 is reviewed, in part as a response to claims by historians such as Thomas Söderqvist the field was still immature at the time (Söderqvist & Stillwell 1999. First addressed are the difficulties, past and present, surrounding the disciplinary definition of immunology, which is followed by a commentary on the recent scholarship devoted to the concept of the immune self. The new literature on broad immunological topics is examined and assessed, and specific charges leveled against the paucity of certain types of histories, e.g. biographical and institutional histories, are evaluated. In conclusion, there are compelling indications that the history of immunology has moved past the initial tentative stages identified in the earlier reviews to become a bustling, pluripotent discipline, much like the subject of its scrutiny, and that it continues to develop in many new and exciting directions.

Prevalence and Predictors of Immunological Failure among HIV Patients on HAART in Southern Ethiopia

OpenAIRE

Yirdaw, Kesetebirhan Delele; Hattingh, Susan

2015-01-01

Immunological monitoring is part of the standard of care for patients on antiretroviral treatment. Yet, little is known about the routine implementation of immunological laboratory monitoring and utilization in clinical care in Ethiopia. This study assessed the pattern of immunological monitoring, immunological response, level of immunological treatment failure and factors related to it among patients on antiretroviral therapy in selected hospitals in southern Ethiopia. A retrospective longit...

The Basel Institute for Immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Melchers, Fritz

2012-01-01

At the Centennial Exhibition of the Nobel Prize, the Nobel Foundation called it one of the ten cradles of creativity. The journal Nature likened its ideals to those of the French revolution--Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité--and called it a paradise devoted to the science of immune systems: the Basel Institute for Immunology (BII). Founded by Roche in 1968, inaugurated in 1971, and closed in 2000, it was home to almost 450 scientific members, over 1,000 scientific visitors, and nearly 100 scientific advisors from more than 30 countries who worked in complete academic freedom and without commercial motives on over 3,500 projects, publishing more than 3,200 scientific papers, almost all of them on the structure and functions of immune systems of different species. This review contains a first collection of historical facts and dates that describe the background of the exceptionally successful performance and the strong scientific impact of the institute on the field of immunology.

Association between discordant immunological response to highly active anti-retroviral therapy, regulatory T cell percentage, immune cell activation and very low-level viraemia in HIV-infected patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Saison, J; Ferry, T; Demaret, J; Maucort Boulch, D; Venet, F; Perpoint, T; Ader, F; Icard, V; Chidiac, C; Monneret, G

2014-06-01

The mechanisms sustaining the absence of complete immune recovery in HIV-infected patients upon long-term effective highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) remain elusive. Immune activation, regulatory T cells (T(regs)) or very low-level viraemia (VLLV) have been alternatively suspected, but rarely investigated simultaneously. We performed a cross-sectional study in HIV-infected aviraemic subjects (mean duration of HAART: 12 years) to concomitantly assess parameters associated independently with inadequate immunological response. Patients were classified as complete immunological responders (cIR, n = 48) and inadequate immunological responders (iIR, n = 39), depending on the CD4(+) T cell count (> or response to long-term HAART, activation of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, T(reg) percentages and very low-level viraemia. Causative interactions between T(regs) and CD4(+) T cells should now be explored prospectively in a large patients cohort. © 2014 British Society for Immunology.

Low-pressure pulsed focused ultrasound with microbubbles promotes an anticancer immunological response.

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Liu, Hao-Li; Hsieh, Han-Yi; Lu, Li-An; Kang, Chiao-Wen; Wu, Ming-Fang; Lin, Chun-Yen

2012-11-11

High-intensity focused-ultrasound (HIFU) has been successfully employed for thermal ablation of tumors in clinical settings. Continuous- or pulsed-mode HIFU may also induce a host antitumor immune response, mainly through expansion of antigen-presenting cells in response to increased cellular debris and through increased macrophage activation/infiltration. Here we demonstrated that another form of focused ultrasound delivery, using low-pressure, pulsed-mode exposure in the presence of microbubbles (MBs), may also trigger an antitumor immunological response and inhibit tumor growth. A total of 280 tumor-bearing animals were subjected to sonographically-guided FUS. Implanted tumors were exposed to low-pressure FUS (0.6 to 1.4 MPa) with MBs to increase the permeability of tumor microvasculature. Tumor progression was suppressed by both 0.6 and 1.4-MPa MB-enhanced FUS exposures. We observed a transient increase in infiltration of non-T regulatory (non-Treg) tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and continual infiltration of CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL). The ratio of CD8+/Treg increased significantly and tumor growth was inhibited. Our findings suggest that low-pressure FUS exposure with MBs may constitute a useful tool for triggering an anticancer immune response, for potential cancer immunotherapy.

Divergent immunological responses following glutaraldehyde exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azadi, Shahla; Klink, Kimberly J.; Meade, B. Jean

2004-01-01

Although Glutaraldehyde (Glut) has been demonstrated to be a moderate contact sensitizer, numerous cases of occupational asthma related to Glut exposure have been reported. The purpose of these studies was to examine the dose-response relationship between Glut exposure and the development of T cell-mediated vs. IgE- mediated responses. Initial evaluation of the sensitization potential was conducted using the local lymph node assay (LLNA) at concentrations ranging from 0.75% to 2.5%. A concentration-dependent increase in lymphocyte proliferation was observed with EC3 values of 0.072% and 0.089% in CBA and BALB/c mice, respectively. The mouse ear swelling test (MEST) was used to evaluate the potential for Glut to elicit IgE (1/2 h post challenge) and contact hypersensitivity (24 and 48 h post challenge) responses. An immediate response was observed in animals induced and challenged with 2.5% Glut, whereas animals induced with 0.1% or 0.75% and challenged with 2.5% exhibited a delayed response 48 h post challenge. IgE-inducing potential was evaluated by phenotypic analysis of draining lymph node cells and measurement of total serum IgE levels. Only the 2.5% exposed group demonstrated a significant increase (P + B220 + cells and serum IgE. Following 3 days of dermal exposure, a significant increase in IL-4 mRNA in the draining lymph nodes was observed only in the 2.5% exposed group. These results indicate that the development of an immediate vs. a delayed hypersensitivity response following dermal exposure to Glut is at least in part mediated by the exposure concentration

Tumor immunology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otter, W. den

1987-01-01

Tumor immunology, the use of immunological techniques for tumor diagnosis and approaches to immunotherapy of cancer are topics covered in this multi-author volume. Part A, 'Tumor Immunology', deals with present views on tumor-associated antigens, the initiation of immune reactions of tumor cells, effector cell killing, tumor cells and suppression of antitumor immunity, and one chapter dealing with the application of mathematical models in tumor immunology. Part B, 'Tumor Diagnosis and Imaging', concerns the use of markers to locate the tumor in vivo, for the histological diagnosis, and for the monitoring of tumor growth. In Part C, 'Immunotherapy', various experimental approaches to immunotherapy are described, such as the use of monoclonal antibodies to target drugs, the use of interleukin-2 and the use of drugs inhibiting suppression. In the final section, the evaluation, a pathologist and a clinician evaluate the possibilities and limitations of tumor immunology and the extent to which it is useful for diagnosis and therapy. refs.; figs.; tabs

The immunology of smallpox vaccines

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Richard B; Ovsyannikova, Inna G; Jacobson, Robert M; Poland, Gregory A

2010-01-01

In spite of the eradication of smallpox over 30 years ago; orthopox viruses such as smallpox and monkeypox remain serious public health threats both through the possibility of bioterrorism and the intentional release of smallpox and through natural outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases such as monkeypox. The eradication effort was largely made possible by the availability of an effective vaccine based on the immunologically cross-protective vaccinia virus. Although the concept of vaccination dates back to the late 1800s with Edward Jenner, it is only in the past decade that modern immunologic tools have been applied toward deciphering poxvirus immunity. Smallpox vaccines containing vaccinia virus elicit strong humoral and cellular immune responses that confer cross-protective immunity against variola virus for decades after immunization. Recent studies have focused on: establishing the longevity of poxvirus-specific immunity, defining key immune epitopes targeted by T and B cells, developing subunit-based vaccines, and developing genotypic and phenotypic immune response profiles that predict either vaccine response or adverse events following immunization. PMID:19524427

Virtual Immunology: Software for Teaching Basic Immunology

Science.gov (United States)

Berçot, Filipe Faria; Fidalgo-Neto, Antônio Augusto; Lopes, Renato Matos; Faggioni, Thais; Alves, Luiz Anastácio

2013-01-01

As immunology continues to evolve, many educational methods have found difficulty in conveying the degree of complexity inherent in its basic principles. Today, the teaching-learning process in such areas has been improved with tools such as educational software. This article introduces "Virtual Immunology," a software program available…

Current status of immunologic studies in human lung cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gross, R.L.

1978-06-01

Several aspects of the immunology of human malignancy are reviewed, with particular emphasis on relevant findings in lung cancer. The existence of tumor-specific cell-mediated immune responses in patients with cancer has been demonstrated in numerous tumor types. Of more relevance in clinical situations is the association of generalized immunologic depression with malignancy. In the vast majority of cases, progressive declines in both tumor-specific and nonspecific immunologic parameters are observed with advancing disease. The approach to the immunologic evaluation of cancer patients and the potential usefulness of this approach to the diagnosis, prognosis, management, and assessment of therapeutic response are discussed. Evidence aimed at elucidating the mechanism of immunosuppression in malignancy, such as serum-blocking factors, immunoregulatory alpha globulins, and suppressor cells, is presented. Finally, emphasis is placed on the various forms of immunotherapy, including both specific active methods such as tumor cell or tumor antigen vaccines and nonspecific active immunotherapy involving agents like Bacillus Calmette-Guerin and levamisole. Early results from clinical immunotherapeutic trials are discussed.

Comparative anatomy of phagocytic and immunological synapses

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Florence eNiedergang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The generation of phagocytic cups and immunological synapses are crucial events of the innate and adaptive immune responses, respectively. They are triggered by distinct immune receptors and performed by different cell types. However, growing experimental evidence shows that a very close series of molecular and cellular events control these two processes. Thus, the tight and dynamic interplay between receptor signaling, actin and microtubule cytoskeleton, and targeted vesicle traffic are all critical features to build functional phagosomes and immunological synapses. Interestingly, both phagocytic cups and immunological synapses display particular spatial and temporal patterns of receptors and signaling molecules, leading to the notion of phagocytic synapse. Here we discuss both types of structures, their organization and the mechanisms by which they are generated and regulated.

Effect of age on immunological response in the first year of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1-infected adults in West Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Balestre, Eric; Eholié, Serge P; Lokossue, Amani; Sow, Papa Salif; Charurat, Man; Minga, Albert; Drabo, Joseph; Dabis, François; Ekouevi, Didier K; Thiébaut, Rodolphe

2012-05-15

To assess the effect of aging on the immunological response to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the West African context. The change in CD4 T-cell count was analysed according to age at the time of ART initiation among HIV-infected patients enrolled in the International epidemiological Database to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Collaboration in the West African region. CD4 gain over 12 months of ART was estimated using linear mixed models. Models were adjusted for baseline CD4 cell count, sex, baseline clinical stage, calendar period and ART regimen. The total number of patients included was 24,107, contributing for 50,893 measures of CD4 cell count in the first year of ART. The baseline median CD4 cell count was 144 cells/μl [interquartile range (IQR) 61-235]; median CD4 cell count reached 310 cells/μl (IQR 204-443) after 1 year of ART. The median age at treatment initiation was 36.3 years (10th-90th percentiles = 26.5-50.1). In adjusted analysis, the mean CD4 gain was significantly higher in younger patients (P immunological response after 12 months of ART was significantly poorer in elderly patients. As the population of treated patients is likely to get older, the impact of this age effect on immunological response to ART may increase over time.

Immunologic basis for adverse reactions to radiographic contrast media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stejskal, V; Nilsson, R; Grepe, A [Astra Pharmaceuticals AB, Soedertaelje (Sweden). Lab. of Safety Assessment Stockholm Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Genetic and Cellular Toxicology Stockholm Univ. (Sweden). Wallenberglaboratoriet Danderyds Sjukhus, Danderyd (Sweden). Radiologic Clinic

1990-11-01

The lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) was used to elucidate whether certain side effects induced by radiographic contrast media have an immunologic etiology. Groups studied were: 8 patients who had previously experienced adverse reactions in association with urography, 6 patients who underwent urography without notable side reactions, 17 occupationally exposed nurses, and 9 unexposed controls. The lymphocytes from 2 hypersensitive patients and from 11 nurses exhibited a positive proliferative response to amidotrizoate. Five nurses who had shown a positive response, had a previous history of hypersensitivity reactions when handling contrast media, whereas the remaining 6 were free of symptoms. Amidotrizoatespecific memory cells were absent in patients who underwent urography without signs of hypersensitivity and in 7/9 of unexposed control subjects. Lymphocytes from patients sensitive to amidotrizoate cross-reacted to structurally related ionic contrast media while nonionic contrast agents did not induce proliferation of the lymphocytes. Thus, ionic radiographic contrast agents have antigenic properties in man. Irradiated mixtures of radiographic contrast media and serum proteins were, in general, not effective in inducing an LTT response. (orig.).

Immunologic basis for adverse reactions to radiographic contrast media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stejskal, V.; Nilsson, R.; Grepe, A.; Stockholm Univ.; Stockholm Univ.; Danderyds Sjukhus, Danderyd

1990-01-01

The lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) was used to elucidate whether certain side effects induced by radiographic contrast media have an immunologic etiology. Groups studied were: 8 patients who had previously experienced adverse reactions in association with urography, 6 patients who underwent urography without notable side reactions, 17 occupationally exposed nurses, and 9 unexposed controls. The lymphocytes from 2 hypersensitive patients and from 11 nurses exhibited a positive proliferative response to amidotrizoate. Five nurses who had shown a positive response, had a previous history of hypersensitivity reactions when handling contrast media, whereas the remaining 6 were free of symptoms. Amidotrizoatespecific memory cells were absent in patients who underwent urography without signs of hypersensitivity and in 7/9 of unexposed control subjects. Lymphocytes from patients sensitive to amidotrizoate cross-reacted to structurally related ionic contrast media while nonionic contrast agents did not induce proliferation of the lymphocytes. Thus, ionic radiographic contrast agents have antigenic properties in man. Irradiated mixtures of radiographic contrast media and serum proteins were, in general, not effective in inducing an LTT response. (orig.)

Modulation of the ISFET response by an immunological reaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schasfoort, Richardus B.M.; Bergveld, Piet; Bomer, Johan G.; Kooyman, R.P.H.; Greve, Jan

1989-01-01

A new method is presented for the detection of an immunological reaction in a membrane. Antigens (or antibodies) are taken up in a porous membrane, which covers the gate area of an ISFET. By stepwise changing of the electrolyte concentration, a transient transport of ions through the

Mouse infection models for space flight immunology

Science.gov (United States)

Chapes, Stephen Keith; Ganta, Roman Reddy; Chapers, S. K. (Principal Investigator)

2005-01-01

Several immunological processes can be affected by space flight. However, there is little evidence to suggest that flight-induced immunological deficits lead to illness. Therefore, one of our goals has been to define models to examine host resistance during space flight. Our working hypothesis is that space flight crews will come from a heterogeneous population; the immune response gene make-up will be quite varied. It is unknown how much the immune response gene variation contributes to the potential threat from infectious organisms, allergic responses or other long term health problems (e.g. cancer). This article details recent efforts of the Kansas State University gravitational immunology group to assess how population heterogeneity impacts host health, either in laboratory experimental situations and/or using the skeletal unloading model of space-flight stress. This paper details our use of several mouse strains with several different genotypes. In particular, mice with varying MHCII allotypes and mice on the C57BL background with different genetic defects have been particularly useful tools with which to study infections by Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Pasteurella pneumotropica and Ehrlichia chaffeensis. We propose that some of these experimental challenge models will be useful to assess the effects of space flight on host resistance to infection.

Immunologically active biomaterials for cancer therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Omar A; Mooney, David J

2011-01-01

Our understanding of immunological regulation has progressed tremendously alongside the development of materials science, and at their intersection emerges the possibility to employ immunologically active biomaterials for cancer immunotherapy. Strong and sustained anticancer, immune responses are required to clear large tumor burdens in patients, but current approaches for immunotherapy are formulated as products for delivery in bolus, which may be indiscriminate and/or shortlived. Multifunctional biomaterial particles are now being developed to target and sustain antigen and adjuvant delivery to dendritic cells in vivo, and these have the potential to direct and prolong antigen-specific T cell responses. Three-dimensional immune cell niches are also being developed to regulate the recruitment, activation and deployment of immune cells in situ to promote potent antitumor responses. Recent studies demonstrate that materials with immune targeting and stimulatory capabilities can enhance the magnitude and duration of immune responses to cancer antigens, and preclinical results utilizing material-based immunotherapy in tumor models show a strong therapeutic benefit, justifying translation to and future testing in the clinic.

Immunologic, hemodynamic, and adrenal incompetence in cirrhosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Risør, Louise Madeleine; Bendtsen, Flemming; Møller, Søren

2015-01-01

dysfunction, but is not responsive to volume expansion. Recent research indicates that development of hepatic nephropathy represents a continuous spectrum of functional and structural dysfunction and may be precipitated by the inherent immunologic, adrenal, and hemodynamic incompetence in cirrhosis. New...... research explores several new markers of renal dysfunction that may replace serum creatinine in the future and give new insight on the hepatic nephropathy. Our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms causing the immunologic, adrenal, and hemodynamic incompetence, and the impact on renal...

Immunologic and hematologic responses in ponies with experimentally induced Strongylus vulgaris infection.

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Bailey, M; Martin, S C; Lloyd, S

1989-08-01

Immunologic and hematologic responses were examined in 4 ponies with experimentally induced Strongylus vulgaris infection and in 5 helminth-free ponies. Two ponies were inoculated with 200 larvae and 2 were inoculated with 700 larvae of S vulgaris and then were reinoculated with the same numbers of larvae 34 weeks later. Initial response of the ponies inoculated with S vulgaris was S vulgaris antigen-induced lymphocyte response that developed 1.5 to 3 weeks after inoculation and did not persist. Development of antigen-reactive lymphocytes was followed sequentially by a biphasic complement-fixing antibody response, then biphasic eosinophilia. Antibody titer to S vulgaris antigen was higher in ponies inoculated with 700 larvae, compared with that in ponies given 200 larvae of S vulgaris. Also, the second peak in antibody titer and in absolute number of eosinophils was observed earlier in ponies inoculated with 700 larvae, compared with ponies inoculated with 200 S vulgaris larvae, and subsided before or from about 24 weeks after inoculation. The prepatent period for S vulgaris infection was 24 to 25 weeks. After reinoculation with S vulgaris, a degree of increased lymphocyte responsiveness was apparent but, by 17 weeks after reinoculation, only the primary peak in the absolute number of eosinophils indicated an anamnestic response. Essentially, antibody was not detectable after reinoculation.

Chimpanzees and bonobos exhibit emotional responses to decision outcomes.

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Alexandra G Rosati

Full Text Available The interface between cognition, emotion, and motivation is thought to be of central importance in understanding complex cognitive functions such as decision-making and executive control in humans. Although nonhuman apes have complex repertoires of emotional expression, little is known about the role of affective processes in ape decision-making. To illuminate the evolutionary origins of human-like patterns of choice, we investigated decision-making in humans' closest phylogenetic relatives, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes and bonobos (Pan paniscus. In two studies, we examined these species' temporal and risk preferences, and assessed whether apes show emotional and motivational responses in decision-making contexts. We find that (1 chimpanzees are more patient and more risk-prone than are bonobos, (2 both species exhibit affective and motivational responses following the outcomes of their decisions, and (3 some emotional and motivational responses map onto species-level and individual-differences in decision-making. These results indicate that apes do exhibit emotional responses to decision-making, like humans. We explore the hypothesis that affective and motivational biases may underlie the psychological mechanisms supporting value-based preferences in these species.

Aging alters the immunological response to ischemic stroke.

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Ritzel, Rodney M; Lai, Yun-Ju; Crapser, Joshua D; Patel, Anita R; Schrecengost, Anna; Grenier, Jeremy M; Mancini, Nickolas S; Patrizz, Anthony; Jellison, Evan R; Morales-Scheihing, Diego; Venna, Venugopal R; Kofler, Julia K; Liu, Fudong; Verma, Rajkumar; McCullough, Louise D

2018-05-11

. Microglia in young heterochronic mice (Old → Young) developed a senescent-like phenotype. After stroke, aged animals reconstituted with young marrow had reduced behavioral deficits compared to isochronic controls, and had significantly fewer brain-infiltrating neutrophils. Increased rates of hemorrhagic transformation were seen in young mice reconstituted with aged bone marrow. This work suggests that age alters the immunological response to stroke, and that this can be reversed by manipulation of the peripheral immune cells in the bone marrow.

The influence of sublingual immunotherapy on several parameters of immunological response in children suffering from atopic asthma and allergic rhinitis depending on asthma features.

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Ciepiela, Olga; Zawadzka-Krajewska, Anna; Kotuła, Iwona; Demkow, Urszula

2014-01-01

The clinical efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has already been proven and is known to be high. Its influence on the immunological system of patients suffering from bronchial asthma was also examined. However, it is still unclear how the polysensitisation, coexistence of other atopic disease and asthma treatment step influence the response to treatment with specific immunotherapy. Herein we evaluate the impact of one-year SLIT on selected markers of immunological response depending on different individual and clinical factors of children suffering from atopic asthma and allergic rhinitis. Twenty-five patients aged 8.1 ± 3.1 years (range 5-15 years), 21 boys and 4 girls, suffering from asthma and allergic rhinitis with polysensitisation to seasonal and non-seasonal allergens, shortlisted for SLIT, were included in the study. Th1 cell and Th2 cell percentages, Bcl-2 expression in T cells, and basophil activation after allergen challenge (house dust mite and/or grass pollen antigen in solution used for skin prick tests) in peripheral blood were measured using flow cytometry. The association between clinical features of asthma and the influence of SLIT on immunological parameters was evaluated with exact Fisher test. No association between the influence of one-year sublingual immunotherapy on immunological system and patients' age, polysensitisation, asthma treatment step, or coexistence of any other atopic diseases was observed. However, an increase of the Th1 percentage in children sensitised against more than three allergens was found more often (at the limit of statistical significance) than in the group of children sensitised against three or less allergens. Based on our results, we cannot point to any subgroup isolated in the study, in which the response of the immunological system to sublingual immunotherapy is more satisfactory than any other. Nevertheless, the increase of Th1 cells may be more specific for polysensitised children.

Modelling the immunological response to a tetravalent dengue vaccine from multiple phase-2 trials in Latin America and South East Asia.

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Dorigatti, Ilaria; Aguas, Ricardo; Donnelly, Christl A; Guy, Bruno; Coudeville, Laurent; Jackson, Nicholas; Saville, Melanie; Ferguson, Neil M

2015-07-17

The most advanced dengue vaccine candidate is a live-attenuated recombinant vaccine containing the four dengue viruses on the yellow fever vaccine backbone (CYD-TDV) developed by Sanofi Pasteur. Several analyses have been published on the safety and immunogenicity of the CYD-TDV vaccine from single trials but none modelled the heterogeneity observed in the antibody responses elicited by the vaccine. We analyse the immunogenicity data collected in five phase-2 trials of the CYD-TDV vaccine. We provide a descriptive analysis of the aggregated datasets and fit the observed post-vaccination PRNT50 titres against the four dengue (DENV) serotypes using multivariate regression models. We find that the responses to CYD-TDV are principally predicted by the baseline immunological status against DENV, but the trial is also a significant predictor. We find that the CYD-TDV vaccine generates similar titres against all serotypes following the third dose, though DENV4 is immunodominant after the first dose. This study contributes to a better understanding of the immunological responses elicited by CYD-TDV. The recent availability of phase-3 data is a unique opportunity to further investigate the immunogenicity and efficacy of the CYD-TDV vaccine, especially in subjects with different levels of pre-existing immunity against DENV. Modelling multiple immunological outcomes with a single multivariate model offers advantages over traditional approaches, capturing correlations between response variables, and the statistical method adopted in this study can be applied to a variety of infections with interacting strains. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Alterations in immune responses in prenatally irradiated dogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nold, J.B.; Benjamin, S.A.; Miller, G.K.

1988-01-01

Immunologic responses were studied in beagle dogs following prenatal (35 days gestation) irradiation to evaluate the effects of ionizing radiation on the developing immune system. Each dog received 1.5 Gy 60 Co gamma irradiation or sham irradiation. Prenatally irradiated dogs exhibited a significant reduction in primary humoral antibody responses to inoculated sheep red blood cells, a T-dependent antigen, and a concurrent decrease in T-helper lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood at 3 to 4 months of age. Similarly, irradiated fetuses have been shown to have defects in epitheliostromal development of the thymus. It is suggested that the postnatal immunologic deficits may relate to the prenatal thymic injury

Immunological, clinical, haematological and oxidative responses to long distance transportation in horses.

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Padalino, Barbara; Raidal, Sharanne Lee; Carter, Nicole; Celi, Pietro; Muscatello, Gary; Jeffcott, Leo; de Silva, Kumudika

2017-12-01

Horses are transported frequently and often over long distances. Transportation may represent a physiological stressor with consequential health and welfare implications. This study reports the effects of a long distance journey on immunological, clinical, haematological, inflammatory and oxidative parameters in an Experimental Group (EG) of ten horses, comparing them with six horses of similar age and breed used as a non-transported Control Group (CG). Clinical examination and blood sampling were performed twice on all horses: immediately after unloading for the EG, and at rest on the same day for the CG (day 1); at rest on the same day one week later for both groups (day 7). On day 1 EG horses showed increased heart and respiratory rates (Ptransportation induced an acute phase response impairing the cell-mediated immune response. Clinical examinations, including assessing CRT and body weight loss, and the monitoring of redox balance may be useful in evaluating the impact of extensive transport events on horses. A better understanding of the link between transportation stress, the immune system and the acute phase response is likely to inform strategies for enhancing the welfare of transported horses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunological change in a parasite-impoverished environment: divergent signals from four island taxa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jon S Beadell

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Dramatic declines of native Hawaiian avifauna due to the human-mediated emergence of avian malaria and pox prompted an examination of whether island taxa share a common altered immunological signature, potentially driven by reduced genetic diversity and reduced exposure to parasites. We tested this hypothesis by characterizing parasite prevalence, genetic diversity and three measures of immune response in two recently-introduced species (Neochmia temporalis and Zosterops lateralis and two island endemics (Acrocephalus aequinoctialis and A. rimitarae and then comparing the results to those observed in closely-related mainland counterparts. The prevalence of blood parasites was significantly lower in 3 of 4 island taxa, due in part to the absence of certain parasite lineages represented in mainland populations. Indices of genetic diversity were unchanged in the island population of N. temporalis; however, allelic richness was significantly lower in the island population of Z. lateralis while both allelic richness and heterozygosity were significantly reduced in the two island-endemic species examined. Although parasite prevalence and genetic diversity generally conformed to expectations for an island system, we did not find evidence for a pattern of uniformly altered immune responses in island taxa, even amongst endemic taxa with the longest residence times. The island population of Z. lateralis exhibited a significantly reduced inflammatory cell-mediated response while levels of natural antibodies remained unchanged for this and the other recently introduced island taxon. In contrast, the island endemic A. rimitarae exhibited a significantly increased inflammatory response as well as higher levels of natural antibodies and complement. These measures were unchanged or lower in A. aequinoctialis. We suggest that small differences in the pathogenic landscape and the stochastic history of mutation and genetic drift are likely to be important in

Enhancement of immunological activity after mild hyperthermia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noguchi, Kenichi; Hasegawa, Takeo; Takahashi, Tohru

2002-01-01

At present, hyperthermia is clinically very important as interdisciplinary therapeutic method, and studies are being performed on combined effects with surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and gene therapy for the treatment of malignant tumors. We evaluated the effects of hyperthermia under temperature of 42.5C and demonstrated that the activation of immunological response is increased and anti-tumor effect cabn be obtained in this studies. We used animals were C3H mice (male,7W) bearing SCC-VII tumor on femur skin. Then, the mice were divided to 10 mice in each group, and only femur region was immersed in warm water for thermal treatment. Also we measured the tumor growth, changes of blood cell fraction and NK cell activity. The results of the present study confirmed: (1) Anti-tumor effect can be given by thermal treatment at relatively mild temperature (mild temperature at 39C-42C); (2) The increase of neutrophils is dependent on the quantity of heat added; (3) Immunological response of monocytes and lymphocytes is associated with it; (4) Activity of the immunological potency as a whole such as activation of NK cells was also confirmed

Hematology and immunology studies

Science.gov (United States)

Kimzey, S. L.

1977-01-01

A coordinated series of experiments were conducted to evaluate immunologic and hemotologic system responses of Skylab crewmen to prolonged space flights. A reduced PHA responsiveness was observed on recovery, together with a reduced number of T-cells, with both values returning to normal 3 to 5 days postflight. Subnormal red cell count, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit values also returned gradually to preflight limits. Most pronounced changes were found in the shape of red blood cells during extended space missions with a rapid reversal of these changes upon reentry into a normal gravitational environment.

THE EFFICACY OF THREE MEDICINAL PLANTS: GARLIC, GINGER AND MIRAZID AND A CHEMICAL DRUG METRONIDAZOLE AGAINST CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM. I-IMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSE.

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Abouel-Nour, Mohamed F; EL-Shewehy, Dina Magdy M; Hamada, Shadia F; Morsy, Tosson A

2015-12-01

Cryptosporidisis parvum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite infects intestinal epithelial cells causing a major health problem for man and animals. Experimentally the immunologic mediated elimination of C. parvum requires CD4+ T cells and IFN-gamma. But, the innate immune responses also have a significant protective role in both man and animals. the mucosal immune response to C. parvum in C57BL/6 neonatal and GKO mice shows a concomitant Thl and Th2 cytokine mRNA expression, with a crucial role for IFN-gamma in the resolution of the infection. NK cells and IFN-gamma have been shown to be important components in immunity in T and B cell-deficient mice, but IFN-gamma-dependent resistance is demonstrated in alymphocytic mice. Epithelial cells may play a vital role in immunity as once infected these cells have increased expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines and demonstrate anti-infection killing mechanisms. C. parvum immunological response was used to evaluate the efficacy of anti-cryptosporidisis agents of Garlic, Ginger, Mirazid and Metronidazole in experimentally infected mice.

Consortium biology in immunology: the perspective from the Immunological Genome Project.

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Benoist, Christophe; Lanier, Lewis; Merad, Miriam; Mathis, Diane

2012-10-01

Although the field has a long collaborative tradition, immunology has made less use than genetics of 'consortium biology', wherein groups of investigators together tackle large integrated questions or problems. However, immunology is naturally suited to large-scale integrative and systems-level approaches, owing to the multicellular and adaptive nature of the cells it encompasses. Here, we discuss the value and drawbacks of this organization of research, in the context of the long-running 'big science' debate, and consider the opportunities that may exist for the immunology community. We position this analysis in light of our own experience, both positive and negative, as participants of the Immunological Genome Project.

Neuromyelitis optica IgG stimulates an immunological response in rat astrocyte cultures.

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Howe, Charles L; Kaptzan, Tatiana; Magaña, Setty M; Ayers-Ringler, Jennifer R; LaFrance-Corey, Reghann G; Lucchinetti, Claudia F

2014-05-01

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a primary astrocyte disease associated with central nervous system inflammation, demyelination, and tissue injury. Brain lesions are frequently observed in regions enriched in expression of the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channel, an antigenic target of the NMO IgG serologic marker. Based on observations of disease reversibility and careful characterization of NMO lesion development, we propose that the NMO IgG may induce a dynamic immunological response in astrocytes. Using primary rat astrocyte-enriched cultures and treatment with NMO patient-derived serum or purified IgG, we observed a robust pattern of gene expression changes consistent with the induction of a reactive and inflammatory phenotype in astrocytes. The reactive astrocyte factor lipocalin-2 and a broad spectrum of chemokines, cytokines, and stress response factors were induced by either NMO patient serum or purified IgG. Treatment with IgG from healthy controls had no effect. The effect is disease-specific, as serum from patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, Sjögren's, or systemic lupus erythematosus did not induce a response in the cultures. We hypothesize that binding of the NMO IgG to AQP4 induces a cellular response that results in transcriptional and translational events within the astrocyte that are consistent with a reactive and inflammatory phenotype. Strategies aimed at reducing the inflammatory response of astrocytes may short circuit an amplification loop associated with NMO lesion development. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Immunology of Bee Venom.

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Elieh Ali Komi, Daniel; Shafaghat, Farzaneh; Zwiener, Ricardo D

2017-01-20

Bee venom is a blend of biochemicals ranging from small peptides and enzymes to biogenic amines. It is capable of triggering severe immunologic reactions owing to its allergenic fraction. Venom components are presented to the T cells by antigen-presenting cells within the skin. These Th2 type T cells then release IL-4 and IL-13 which subsequently direct B cells to class switch to production of IgE. Generating venom-specific IgE and crosslinking FcεR1(s) on the surface of mast cells complete the sensitizing stage in allergic individuals who are most likely to experience severe and even fatal allergic reactions after being stung. Specific IgE for bee venom is a double-edged sword as it is a powerful mediator in triggering allergic events but is also applied successfully in diagnosis of the venom allergic patient. The healing capacity of bee venom has been rediscovered under laboratory-controlled conditions using animal models and cell cultures. The potential role of enzymatic fraction of bee venom including phospholipase A2 in the initiation and development of immune responses also has been studied in numerous research settings. Undoubtedly, having insights into immunologic interactions between bee venom components and innate/specific immune cells both locally and systematically will contribute to the development of immunologic strategies in specific and epitope-based immunotherapy especially in individuals with Hymenoptera venom allergy.

The role of dehydroepiandrosterone on functional innate immune responses to acute stress.

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Prall, Sean P; Larson, Emilee E; Muehlenbein, Michael P

2017-12-01

The androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) responds to stress activation, exhibits anti-glucocorticoid properties, and modulates immunity in diverse ways, yet little is known of its role in acute stress responses. In this study, the effects of DHEA and its sulfate ester DHEA-S on human male immune function during exposure to an acute stressor is explored. Variation in DHEA, DHEA-S, testosterone, and cortisol, along with bacterial killing assays, was measured in response to a modified Trier Social Stress test in 27 young adult males. Cortisol was positively related to salivary innate immunity but only for participants who also exhibited high DHEA responses. Additionally, DHEA positively and DHEA-S negatively predicted salivary immunity, but the opposite was observed for serum-based innate immunity. The DHEA response to acute stress appears to be an important factor in stress-mediated immunological responses, with differential effects on immunity dependent upon the presence of other hormones, primarily cortisol and DHEA-S. These results suggest that DHEA plays an important role, alongside other hormones, in modulating immunological shifts during acute stress. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Modeling of immunological ageing with radiation and its modulation by an herbal composition hemohim

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, Sung-Kee; Park, Hae-Ran; Jung, Uhee

2012-01-01

Although aging is one of the several chronic effects of ionizing radiation (IR), there have been no experimental data on radiation-induced immunological aging. The most interesting aging-related change in immune system is the imbalance of helper T (Th) 1- and Th2-related immune responses that are associated with many diseases. We investigated chronic effects on immune responses after IR exposure (5Gy) in mice in comparison with those of old mice. At 6 months after irradiation, the proliferation of spleen lymphocytes which was known as the most important issue in an aging process was declined similarly to that of 18-months-old mice. IFN-a-bar and IgG2a levels (Th1-related response) were lower in irradiated mice than in normal mice of same age, showing similar levels to those of old normal mice. In contrast, IL-4, IL-5, IgG1 and IgE levels (Th2-related response) were increased in irradiated mice when compared with the same-aged normal mice. Also, the low expression of IL-12p70 and its receptors in irradiated and old mice was detected. The level of phosphorylated STAT4 was lower in the irradiated mice. In addition, the decrease of NK cell activity was intensified in the irradiated mice, showing lower values than those of old mice. Interestingly, the absolute numbers and the percentages of NK cells was extremely decreased in irradiated mice, whereas the absolute numbers of Th cells and Tc cells were significantly decreased in old mice. Taken together, however, our results showed that 8-month-old irradiated mice exhibited immunological changes similar to 18-month-old normal mice and it can be suggested that IR can induce the rapid immunological aging. In our lab, HemoHIM, a new herbal composition, had been previously developed to protect the self-renewal tissues and promote the recovery of immune system against acute IR. Our recent data showed that HemoHIM can ameliorate the immunological imbalance that persisted long-term in fractionated-IR exposed mice by regulating

Review of immunological and infectous disease studies at ABCC-RERF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finch, S C [Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima (Japan)

1981-05-01

This is a review of the prospective study undertaken for 20 years at ABCC-RERF concerning infectiousness, response to inflammation, and immunological abnormality of atomic bomb survivors. Immunological investigation, although relatively few, suggested some possible disturbance of antibody reaction against influenza virus type A, the survivors in utero, and also demonstrated a higher incidence of the serum-hepatitis antigen in high dose exposures than controls. Preliminary survey showed decreased T/B lymphocyte ratio and PHA response, especially in elders. No findings indicating an increase in infectiousness and incidence of inflammatory diseases were found in A-bomb survivors.

[Immunological status of patients with amebic hepatic abscess].

Science.gov (United States)

Canto Solís, A; Miranda Feria, A J; Medina Martinez, J; Teran Ortíz, L A; Suárez Sánchez, F

1975-01-01

The authors studied 10 cases of amoebic hepatic abscess documented by clinical evidence and confirmed by laboratory tests, liver scan and a good response to treatment. The immunological state of the patients was determined by protein electrophoresis, immunoelectrophoresis, counter-immunoelectrophoresis, radial immunodiffusion and roset formation for T and B lymphocytes. It is concluded that the alterations of cellular and humoral immunity is evident in cases of amoebic hepatic abscess; this alterations are more clear in the acute form of the illness and the immunological deficiency is more significant in the celular immunity.

[Immunological background and pathomechanisms of food allergies].

Science.gov (United States)

Schülke, Stefan; Scheurer, Stephan

2016-06-01

Recent advances in immunology have greatly improved our understanding of the pathomechanisms of food allergies. Food allergies are caused and maintained by complex interactions of the innate and adaptive immune system involving antigen-presenting cells (APC), T cells, group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2), epithelial cells (EC) and effectors cells. Additionally, epigenetic factors, the intestinal microbiome and nutritional factors modulating the gastrointestinal lymphatic tissue probably have a significant impact on allergy development. However, why certain individuals develop tolerance while others mount allergic responses, the factors defining the allergenicity of food proteins, as well as the immunological mechanisms triggering allergy development have yet to be analyzed in detail.

The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus immunological response to chemical pollution exposure: The case of lindane.

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Stabili, Loredana; Pagliara, Patrizia

2015-09-01

In the marine environment organochlorine insecticides can be broadly detected in water, sediments, and biota. These pollutants may have major ecological consequences since they may affect marine organisms and endanger organismal growth, reproduction or survival. In this study we investigated the modification of some sea urchin immunological parameters in response to subchronic lindane (γ-HCH) exposure. Adult specimens of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus were exposed to two different concentrations (0.1 and 0.5 mg L(-1)) of lindane. After 24 and 48h of treatment, we examined the lindane influence on coelomocytes vitality and enumeration as well on some humoral parameters. Our results showed that the presence of the pesticide affected both cellular and humoral components of the immune system. In particular, P. lividus coelomocytes vitality did not change but a decrease of the total cell number and an increase of the red cells was recorded. Haemolytic and lysozyme-like activities as well as antibacterial activity on Vibrio alginolyticus of treated animals decreased. Sea urchin immunological competence modifications might represent a tool for monitoring disease susceptibility thus providing biological criteria for the implementation of water quality standards to protect marine organisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunological characteristics and response to lipopolysaccharide of mouse lines selectively bred with natural and acquired immunities.

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Narahara, Hiroki; Sakai, Eri; Katayama, Masafumi; Ohtomo, Yukiko; Yamamoto, Kanako; Takemoto, Miki; Aso, Hisashi; Ohwada, Shyuichi; Mohri, Yasuaki; Nishimori, Katsuhiko; Isogai, Emiko; Yamaguchi, Takahiro; Fukuda, Tomokazu

2012-05-01

Genetic improvement of resistance to infectious diseases is a challenging goal in animal breeding. Infection resistance involves multiple immunological characteristics, including natural and acquired immunity. In the present study, we developed an experimental model based on genetic selection, to improve immunological phenotypes. We selectively established three mouse lines based on phagocytic activity, antibody production and the combination of these two phenotypes. We analyzed the immunological characteristics of these lines using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is one of the main components of Gram-negative bacteria. An intense immunological reaction was induced in each of the three mouse lines. Severe loss of body weight and liver damage were observed, and a high level of cytokine messenger RNA was detected in the liver tissue. The mouse line established using a combination of the two selection standards showed unique characteristics relative to the mouse lines selected on the basis of a single phenotype. Our results indicate that genetic selection and breeding is effective, even for immunological phenotypes with a relatively low heritability. Thus, it may be possible to improve resistance to infectious diseases by means of genetic selection. © 2011 The Authors. Animal Science Journal © 2011 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Immunological dynamics associated with rapid virological response during the early phase of type I interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae-Won; Kim, Won; Kwon, Eun-Kyung; Kim, Yuri; Shin, Hyun Mu; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Min, Chan-Ki; Choi, Ji-Yeob; Lee, Won-Woo; Choi, Myung-Sik; Kim, Byeong Gwan; Cho, Nam-Hyuk

2017-01-01

Type I interferons (IFNs) play an important role in antiviral immunity as well as immunopathogenesis of diverse chronic viral infections. However, the precise mechanisms regulating the multifaceted effects of type I IFNs on the immune system and pathological inflammation still remain unclear. In order to assess the immunological dynamics associated with rapid viral clearance in chronic hepatitis C patients during the acute phase of type I IFN therapy, we analyzed multiple parameters of virological and immunological responses in a cohort of 59 Korean hepatitis C patients who received pegylated IFN-α and ribavirin (IFN/RBV). Most of the Korean patients had favorable alleles in the IFN-λ loci for responsiveness to IFN/RBV (i.e., C/C in rs12979860, T/T in rs8099917, and TT/TT in rs368234815). Rapid virological response (RVR) was determined mainly by the hepatitis C virus genotype. Among the cytokines analyzed, higher plasma levels of IL-17A and FGF were observed in non-RVR patients infected with viral genotype 1 and IP-10 was consistently elevated in RVR group infected with genotype 2 during the early phase of antiviral therapy. In addition, these three cytokines were correlated each other, suggesting a functional linkage of the cytokines in antiviral responses during IFN/RBV therapy. A low baseline frequencies of regulatory T cells and γδ T cells, but high level of group 2 innate lymphoid cells, in peripheral bloods were also significantly associated with the RVR group, implicating a potential role of the cellular immunity during the early phase of IFN/RBV therapy. Therefore, the immunological programs established by chronic hepatitis C and rapid disruption of the delicate balance by exogenous type I IFN might be associated with the subsequent virological outcomes in chronic hepatitis C patients.

The effect of incident tuberculosis on immunological response of HIV patients on highly active anti-retroviral therapy at the university of Gondar hospital, northwest Ethiopia: a retrospective follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Assefa, Abate; Gelaw, Baye; Getnet, Gebeyaw; Yitayew, Gashaw

2014-08-27

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is usually complicated by high rates of tuberculosis (TB) co-infection. Impaired immune response has been reported during HIV/TB co-infection and may have significant effect on anti-retroviral therapy (ART). TB/HIV co - infection is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the effect of TB incidence on immunological response of HIV patients during ART. A retrospective follow-up study was conducted among adult HIV patients who started ART at the University of Gondar Hospital. Changes in CD4+ T - lymphocyte count and incident TB episodes occurring during 42 months of follow up on ART were assessed. Life table was used to estimate the cumulative immunologic failure. Kaplan-Meier curve was used to compare survival curves between the different categories. Cox-proportional hazard model was employed to examine predictors of immunological failure. Among 400 HIV patients, 89(22.2%) were found to have immunological failure with a rate of 8.5 per 100 person-years (PY) of follow-up. Incident TB developed in 26(6.5%) of patients, with an incidence rate of 2.2 cases per 100 PY. The immunological failure rate was high (20.1/100PY) at the first year of treatment. At multivariate analysis, Cox regression analysis showed that baseline CD4+ T - cell count immunological failure. There was borderline significant association with incident TB (AHR 2.2; 95%CI: 0.94 - 5.09, p = 0.06). The risk of immunological failure was significantly higher (38.5%) among those with incident TB compared with TB - free (21.1%) (Log rank p = 0.036). High incidence of immunological failure occurred within the first year of initiating ART. The proportions of patients with impaired immune restoration were higher among patients with incident TB. Lower baseline CD4+ T - cells count of immunological failure. The result highlighted the beneficial effects of earlier initiation of ART on CD4+ T - cell count recovery.

Radiotherapy as an immunological booster in patients with metastatic melanoma or renal cell carcinoma treated with high-dose Interleukin-2: evaluation of biomarkers of immunologic and therapeutic response.

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Ridolfi, Laura; de Rosa, Francesco; Ridolfi, Ruggero; Gentili, Giorgia; Valmorri, Linda; Scarpi, Emanuela; Parisi, Elisabetta; Romeo, Antonino; Guidoboni, Massimo

2014-09-23

Tumor cells killed by radiation therapy (RT) are a potentially good source of antigens for dendritic cell (DC) uptake and presentation to T-cells. RT upregulates cell death receptors such as Fas/CD95 and MHC-I, induces the expression of co-stimulatory molecules on tumor cells, and promotes production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. High-dose interleukin-2 (HD-IL-2) bolus has been shown to obtain objective response rates ranging from 15% to 17% in patients with metastatic melanoma or renal cell carcinoma (RCC), with 6% to 8% of cases experiencing a durable complete response. However, HD-IL-2 is also associated with severe side-effects; if it is to remain a component of the curative treatment strategy in patients with metastatic melanoma or RCC, its therapeutic efficacy must be improved and patients who are most likely to benefit from treatment must be identified a priori. We designed a clinical study combining immunomodulating RT and HD-IL-2 to evaluate their clinical and immunological efficacy and to explore the predictive and prognostic value of 1) tumor-specific immune response and 2) serum levels of proangiogenic cytokines. The primary endpoint of this proof-of-principle phase II study is immune response. Secondary endpoints are the identification of biomarkers potentially predictive of response, toxicity, response rate and overall survival. Three daily doses of booster radiotherapy (XRT) at 6-12 Gy will be administered to at least one metastatic field on days -3 to -1 before the first and third cycle. Treatment with IL-2 (dose 18 MIU/m2/day by continuous IV infusion for 72 hours) will start on day +1 and will be repeated every 3 weeks for up to 4 cycles and then every 4 weeks for a further 2 cycles. Immune response against tumor antigens expressed by melanoma and/or RCC will be evaluated during treatment. Circulating immune effectors and regulators, e.g. cytotoxic T lymphocytes and regulatory T cells, as well as serum levels of proangiogenic

Immunological monitoring for prediction of clinical response to antitumor vaccine therapy.

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Mikhaylova, Irina N; Shubina, Irina Zh; Chkadua, George Z; Petenko, Natalia N; Morozova, Lidia F; Burova, Olga S; Beabelashvili, Robert Sh; Parsunkova, Kermen A; Balatskaya, Natalia V; Chebanov, Dmitrii K; Pospelov, Vadim I; Nazarova, Valeria V; Vihrova, Anastasia S; Cheremushkin, Evgeny A; Molodyk, Alvina A; Kiselevsky, Mikhail V; Demidov, Lev V

2018-05-11

Immunotherapy has shown promising results in a variety of cancers, including melanoma. However, the responses to therapy are usually heterogeneous, and understanding the factors affecting clinical outcome is still not achieved. Here, we show that immunological monitoring of the vaccine therapy for melanoma patients may help to predict the clinical course of the disease. We studied cytokine profile of cellular Th1 (IL-2, IL-12, IFN-γ) and humoral Th2 (IL-4, IL-10) immune response, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA), transforming growth factor-β 2 (TGF-β 2), S100 protein (S100A1B and S100BB), adhesion molecule CD44 and serum cytokines β2-microglobulin to analyze different peripheral blood mononuclear cell subpopuations of patients treated with dendritic vaccines and/or cyclophosphamide in melanoma patients in the course of adjuvant treatment. The obtained data indicate predominance of cellular immunity in the first adjuvant group of patients with durable time to progression and shift to humoral with low cellular immunity in patients with short-term period to progression (increased levels of IL-4 and IL- 10). Beta-2 microglobulin was differentially expressed in adjuvant subgroups: its higher levels correlated with shorter progression-free survival and the total follow-up time. Immunoregulatory index was overall higher in patients with disease progression compared to the group of patients with no signs of disease progression.

Virological and immunological response to antiretroviral regimens containing maraviroc in HIV type 1-infected patients in clinical practice: role of different tropism testing results and of concomitant treatments.

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Rossetti, Barbara; Bianco, Claudia; Bellazzi, Lara Ines; Bruzzone, Bianca; Colao, Grazia; Corsi, Paola; Monno, Laura; Pagano, Gabriella; Paolucci, Stefania; Punzi, Grazia; Setti, Maurizio; Zazzi, Maurizio; De Luca, Andrea

2014-01-01

We assessed the immunovirological response to antiretroviral regimens containing maraviroc in HIV-infected viremic patients with viral tropism predicted by different assays. We selected antiretroviral treatment-experienced HIV-1-infected patients initiating regimens containing maraviroc after different phenotypic or genotypic viral tropism assays, with at least one HIV-1 RNA determination during follow-up. Survival analysis was employed to assess the virological response as time to HIV-1 RNA immunological response as time to a CD4 cell count increase of ≥ 100/μl from baseline. Predictors of these outcomes were analyzed by multivariate Cox regression models. In 191 treatments with maraviroc, virological response was achieved in 65.4% and the response was modestly influenced by the baseline viral load and concomitant drug activity but not influenced by the type of tropism assay employed. Immunological response was achieved in 58.1%; independent predictors were baseline HIV-1 RNA (per log10 higher: HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.05-1.60) and concomitant therapy with enfuvirtide (HR 2.05, 0.96-4.39) but not tropism assay results. Of 17 patients with baseline R5-tropic virus and available tropism results while viremic during follow-up on maraviroc, seven (41%) showed a tropism switch to non-R5 virus. A significant proportion of experienced patients treated with regimens containing maraviroc achieved virological response. The tropism test type used was not associated with immunovirological response and concomitant treatment with enfuvirtide increased the chance of immunological response. More than half of virological failures with maraviroc were not accompanied by tropism switch.

What Can Vampires Teach Us about Immunology?

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Schneider, David S

2016-04-01

Speculative fiction examines the leading edge of science and can be used to introduce ideas into the classroom. For example, most students are already familiar with the fictional infectious diseases responsible for vampire and zombie outbreaks. The disease dynamics of these imaginary ailments follow the same rules we see for real diseases and can be used to remind students that they already understand the basic rules of disease ecology and immunology. By engaging writers of this sort of fiction in an effort to solve problems in immunology we may be able to perform a directed evolution experiment where we follow the evolution of plots rather than genetic traits. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The role of HLA-E polymorphism in immunological response

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milena Iwaszko

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The HLA-E protein is one of the most extensively studied MHC class Ib antigens and the least polymorphic one compared to other MHC class I molecules. In the human population there have been reported just ten alleles encoding three different peptides. Only two of these alleles, namely HLA-E*0101 and HLA-E*0103, are widely distributed (around 50�0each. The proteins encoded by these alleles differ from each other in one amino acid at position 107. In HLA-E*0101 it is arginine and in HLA-E*0103 it is glycine. The difference between these proteins manifests itself in surface expression levels, affinities to leader peptides and thermal stabilities of their complexes.The HLA-E molecule is a ligand for CD94/NKG2 receptors on NK cells and TCR receptors on NK-CTL (NK-cytotoxic T lymphocyte cells, so it plays a double role in both innate and adaptive immunity. This paper reviews the knowledge on the role of the HLA-E molecule in the immunological response. Aspects related to polymorphism of the HLA-E gene and the course of several diseases including type I diabetes, ankylosing spondylitis, HCV and HIV infections, nasopharyngeal cancer and recurrent spontaneous abortions, as well as the outcome of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, are presented and discussed in more detail.

Rapid reduction of hepatitis C virus-Core protein in the peripheral blood improve the immunological response in chronic hepatitis C patients.

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Kondo, Yasuteru; Ueno, Yoshiyuki; Wakui, Yuta; Ninomiya, Masashi; Kakazu, Eiji; Inoue, Jun; Kobayashi, Koju; Obara, Noriyuki; Shimosegawa, Tooru

2011-12-01

  The extracellular hepatitis C virus (HCV)-antigen, including HCV-Core protein, can suppress immune cells. Recently, the efficacy of double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) was reported. However, the mechanism of efficacy of DFPP might not be only the reduction of HCV but also the effect of immune cells via direct and/or indirect mechanisms. The aim of this study is to analyze the virological and immunological parameters of difficult-to-treat HCV patients treated with DFPP combined with Peg-interferon and RBV (DFPP/Peg-IFN/RBV) therapy.   Twelve CHC patients were enrolled and treated with DFPP/Peg-IFN/RBV therapy. The immunological, virological and genetic parameters were studied.   All patients (4/4) treated with the major IL28B allele (T/T) could achieve complete early virological response (EVR). The amounts of HCV-Core antigen in the peripheral blood of EVR patients treated with DFPP/Peg-IFN/RBV rapidly declined in comparison to those of late virological response (LVR) patients treated with DFPP/Peg-IFN/RBV and EVR patients treated with Peg-IFN and RBV (Peg-IFN/RBV). The amount of IFN-γ produced from peripheral blood gradually increased. On the other hand, the amount of IL10 gradually decreased in the EVR patients. The frequencies of HCV-Core binding on CD3+ T cells rapidly declined in EVR patients treated with DFPP/Peg-IFN/RBV therapy. Moreover, the distributions of activated CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells and CD16-CD56 high natural killer cells were significantly changed between before and after DFPP.   The rapid reduction of HCV-Core antigens and changes in the distribution of lymphoid cells could contribute to the favorable immunological response during DFPP/Peg-IFN/RBV therapy. © 2011 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

Immunologic manifestations of autophagy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deretic, Vojo; Kimura, Tomonori; Timmins, Graham

2015-01-01

The broad immunologic roles of autophagy span innate and adaptive immunity and are often manifested in inflammatory diseases. The immune effects of autophagy partially overlap with its roles in metabolism and cytoplasmic quality control but typically expand further afield to encompass unique...... immunologic adaptations. One of the best-appreciated manifestations of autophagy is protection against microbial invasion, but this is by no means limited to direct elimination of intracellular pathogens and includes a stratified array of nearly all principal immunologic processes. This Review summarizes...... the broad immunologic roles of autophagy. Furthermore, it uses the autophagic control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a paradigm to illustrate the breadth and complexity of the immune effects of autophagy....

Expression of Fgf23 in activated dendritic cells and macrophages in response to immunological stimuli in mice.

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Masuda, Yuki; Ohta, Hiroya; Morita, Yumiko; Nakayama, Yoshiaki; Miyake, Ayumi; Itoh, Nobuyuki; Konishi, Morichika

2015-01-01

Fibroblast growth factors (Fgfs) are polypeptide growth factors with diverse biological activities. While several studies have revealed that Fgf23 plays important roles in the regulation of phosphate and vitamin D metabolism, the additional physiological roles of Fgf23 remain unclear. Although it is believed that osteoblasts/osteocytes are the main sources of Fgf23, we previously found that Fgf23 mRNA is also expressed in the mouse thymus, suggesting that it might be involved in the immune system. In this study we examined the potential roles of Fgf23 in immunological responses. Mouse serum Fgf23 levels were significantly increased following inoculation with Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus or intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide. We also identified activated dendritic cells and macrophages that potentially contributed to increased serum Fgf23 levels. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling was essential for the induction of Fgf23 expression in dendritic cells in response to immunological stimuli. Moreover, we examined the effects of recombinant Fgf23 protein on immune cells in vitro. Fgfr1c, a potential receptor for Fgf23, was abundantly expressed in macrophages, suggesting that Fgf23 might be involved in signal transduction in these cells. Our data suggest that Fgf23 potentially increases the number in macrophages and induces expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a proinflammatory cytokine. Collectively, these data suggest that Fgf23 might be intimately involved in inflammatory processes.

Effects of A-bomb radiation on immunological competence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiyama, Mitoshi; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

1992-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effects of A-bomb radiation on human immunological competence from the current immunological viewpoint. Early disturbance of immunological competence after A-bombing was characterized by (1) rapid decrease of lymphocytes (within one day), (2) decrease in humoral factors such as antibodies and complements (immediately), (3) decrease in neutrophils and monocytes (3-50 days later), and (4) delayed recovery of lymphocytes (more than 4 weeks). Long term effects of A-bombing on immunological competence are discussed in terms of immunocompetent cells. The peripheral lymphocyte response to PHA tended to be noticeable with aging among A-bomb survivors exposed to 2 Gy or more than the control persons. The peripheral lymphocyte response to MLC was decreased in a dose-dependent manner in A-bomb survivors aged 15 years or older at the time of A-bombing. The count of mature T lymphocytes was decreased in elderly A-bomb survivors, although neither functional nor numerical decrease in T lymphocytes was observed in younger A-bomb survivors. This could be explained by the hypothesis that the recovery of T lymphocytes is incomplete in elderly people due to thymus involution. An increased HPRT mutant cells in T lymphocytes correlated with A-bomb radiation doses. The count of B lymphocytes tended to be decreased in elderly A-bomb survivors. A functional and numerical increase in NK cells was associated with advancing age; however, this was not found to be correlated with A-bomb radiation. There was no evidence of correlation between A-bomb radiation and any of bone marrow cells, virus infection, autoimmunity, and tumor-specific immunity. (N.K.) 61 refs

Hematology/immunology (M110 series). [human hemodynamic response to weightlessness simulation

Science.gov (United States)

1973-01-01

The hematology/immunology experiments in the Skylab mission study various aspects of the red blood cell, including its metabolism and life span, and blood volume changes under zero gravity conditions to determine the precise mechanism of the transient changes which have been seen on the relatively brief missions of the past.

Disturbances of immunological homeostasis induced by radioactive iodine agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anokhin, Yu.N.; Norets, T.A.

1986-01-01

(CBAxC57B1/6)F 1 mice were injected with 125 I and 131 I-sodium iodide at a dose of 5.74x10 4 Bq/g. For a long time after such treatment the animals manifested an increased level of spleen cells humoral immune response to a foreign antigen (sheep erythrocytes). The autoreactivity of spleen and lymph node lymphocytes to autologous erythrocytes was also elevated. At the same time the selective migration of 51 Cr-labeled spleen lymphocytes to the peripheral lymphoid organs was suppressed. The use of a model system of adoptive cell transfer revealed an increase in the functional activity of cells suppressing a humoral response in mice treated with radiopharmaceuticals. The most pronounced disturbances of immunological reactivity in mice took place 6 mos. after the beginning of the experiment. The results obtained indicated that mechanisms of immune response regulation played a certain role in disturbances of immunological homeostasis induced by radioactive iodine agents

Immunological features underlying viral hemorrhagic fevers.

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Messaoudi, Ilhem; Basler, Christopher F

2015-10-01

Several enveloped RNA viruses of the arenavirus, bunyavirus, filovirus and flavivirus families are associated with a syndrome known as viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF). VHF is characterized by fever, vascular leakage, coagulation defects and multi organ system failure. VHF is currently viewed as a disease precipitated by viral suppression of innate immunity, which promotes systemic virus replication and excessive proinflammatory cytokine responses that trigger the manifestations of severe disease. However, the mechanisms by which immune dysregulation contributes to disease remain poorly understood. Infection of nonhuman primates closely recapitulates human VHF, notably Ebola and yellow fever, thereby providing excellent models to better define the immunological basis for this syndrome. Here we review the current state of our knowledge and suggest future directions that will better define the immunological mechanisms underlying VHF. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Updating the immunology curriculum in clinical laboratory science.

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Stevens, C D

2000-01-01

To determine essential content areas of immunology/serology courses at the clinical laboratory technician (CLT) and clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) levels. A questionnaire was designed which listed all major topics in immunology and serology. Participants were asked to place a check beside each topic covered. For an additional list of serological and immunological laboratory testing, participants were asked to indicate if each test was performed in either the didactic or clinical setting, or not performed at all. A national survey of 593 NAACLS approved CLT and CLS programs was conducted by mail under the auspices of ASCLS. Responses were obtained from 158 programs. Respondents from all across the United States included 60 CLT programs, 48 hospital-based CLS programs, 45 university-based CLS programs, and 5 university-based combined CLT and CLS programs. The survey was designed to enumerate major topics included in immunology and serology courses by a majority of participants at two distinct educational levels, CLT and CLS. Laboratory testing routinely performed in student laboratories as well as in the clinical setting was also determined for these two levels of practitioners. Certain key topics were common to most immunology and serology courses. There were some notable differences in the depth of courses at the CLT and CLS levels. Laboratory testing associated with these courses also differed at the two levels. Testing requiring more detailed interpretation, such as antinuclear antibody patterns (ANAs), was mainly performed by CLS students only. There are certain key topics as well as specific laboratory tests that should be included in immunology/serology courses at each of the two different educational levels to best prepare students for the workplace. Educators can use this information as a guide to plan a curriculum for such courses.

Normal function of immunologic stem cells from aged mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, D.E.; Doubleday, J.W.

1975-01-01

Marrow or spleen grafts from aged donor mice produced antibody-forming cells as effectively as did grafts from younger controls in recipients tested 3 to 10 months after the transplantation. All recipients were lethally irradiated, and the T6 chromosome marker was used to demonstrate that they were populated by donor cell lines. Recipients of aged or younger control grafts gave similar responses when stimulated with varying doses of antigen and when tested at different times after the transplantation except in two cases. Recipients of aged spleen grafts gave significantly lower responses than younger controls for the first few weeks after the transplantation. If recipients had been thymectomized before lethal irradiation, aged cell lines (pooled marrow and spleen cells) gave only 37 percent of the responses of younger controls. Given sufficient time and intact young recipients, immunologic stem cell lines from old donors populated recipients with cells having normal immune responses. These results suggest that age-related immunologic defects are not intrinsically timed in the precursor cell lines that populate the immune system. (U.S.)

Mathematical Models for Immunology: Current State of the Art and Future Research Directions.

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Eftimie, Raluca; Gillard, Joseph J; Cantrell, Doreen A

2016-10-01

The advances in genetics and biochemistry that have taken place over the last 10 years led to significant advances in experimental and clinical immunology. In turn, this has led to the development of new mathematical models to investigate qualitatively and quantitatively various open questions in immunology. In this study we present a review of some research areas in mathematical immunology that evolved over the last 10 years. To this end, we take a step-by-step approach in discussing a range of models derived to study the dynamics of both the innate and immune responses at the molecular, cellular and tissue scales. To emphasise the use of mathematics in modelling in this area, we also review some of the mathematical tools used to investigate these models. Finally, we discuss some future trends in both experimental immunology and mathematical immunology for the upcoming years.

Baseline blood immunological profiling differentiates between Her2-breast cancer molecular subtypes: implications for immunomediated mechanisms of treatment response.

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Tudoran, Oana; Virtic, Oana; Balacescu, Loredana; Lisencu, Carmen; Fetica, Bogdan; Gherman, Claudia; Balacescu, Ovidiu; Berindan-Neagoe, Ioana

2015-01-01

Breast cancer patients' response to treatment is highly dependent on the primary tumor molecular features, with triple-negative breast tumors having the worst prognosis of all subtypes. According to the molecular features, tumors stimulate the microenvironment to induce distinct immune responses, baseline immune activation being associated with higher likelihood of pathologic response. In this study, we investigated the deconvolution of the immunological status of triple-negative tumors in comparison with luminal tumors and the association with patients' clinicopathological characteristics. Gene expression of 84 inflammatory molecules and their receptors were analyzed in 40 peripheral blood samples from patients with Her2- primary breast cancer tumors. We studied the association of triple-negative phenotype with age, clinical stage, tumor size, lymph nodes, and menopausal status. We observed that more patients with estrogen (ER)/progesterone (PR)-negative tumors had grade III, while more patients with ER/PR-positive tumors had grade II tumors. Gene expression analysis revealed a panel of 14 genes to have differential expression between the two groups: several interleukins: IL13, IL16, IL17C and IL17F, IL1A, IL3; interleukin receptors: IL10RB, IL5RA; chemokines: CXCL13 and CCL26; and cytokines: CSF2, IFNA2, OSM, TNSF13. The expression levels of these genes have been previously shown to be associated with reduced immunological status; indeed, the triple-negative breast cancer patients presented with lower counts of lymphocytes and eosinophils than the ER/PR-positive ones. These results contribute to a better understanding of the possible role of antitumor immune responses in mediating the clinical outcome.

Investigation of endocrine and immunological response in fat tissue to hyperbaric oxygen administration in rats.

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Şen, H; Erbağ, G; Ovali, M A; Öztopuz, R Ö; Uzun, M

2016-04-30

Though HBO treatment is becoming more common, the mechanism of action is not fully known. The positive effects of HBO administration on the inflammatory response is thought to be a possible basic mechanism. As a result, we aimed to research whether endocrine and immunological response of fat tissue changes in rats given HBO treatment model. This research was carried out on Wistar albino rats, they were treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Their fatty tissue were taken from the abdomen, gene expression of the cytokines and adipokines were analyzed with Real time PCR method. When the gene expression of hormones and cytokines by fat tissue was examined, the leptin, visfatin, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-10 levels in the HBO treatment group were statistically significantly increased compared to the control group (p=0.0313, p=0.0156, p=0.0156, p=0.0156, p=0.0313). In conclusion, in our study we identified that HBO administration affected the endochrinological functions of fat tissue.

A very low geno2pheno false positive rate is associated with poor viro-immunological response in drug-naïve patients starting a first-line HAART.

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Armenia, Daniele; Soulie, Cathia; Di Carlo, Domenico; Fabeni, Lavinia; Gori, Caterina; Forbici, Federica; Svicher, Valentina; Bertoli, Ada; Sarmati, Loredana; Giuliani, Massimo; Latini, Alessandra; Boumis, Evangelo; Zaccarelli, Mauro; Bellagamba, Rita; Andreoni, Massimo; Marcelin, Anne-Geneviève; Calvez, Vincent; Antinori, Andrea; Ceccherini-Silberstein, Francesca; Perno, Carlo-Federico; Santoro, Maria Mercedes

2014-01-01

We previously found that a very low geno2pheno false positive rate (FPR ≤ 2%) defines a viral population associated with low CD4 cell count and the highest amount of X4-quasispecies. In this study, we aimed at evaluating whether FPR ≤ 2% might impact on the viro-immunological response in HIV-1 infected patients starting a first-line HAART. The analysis was performed on 305 HIV-1 B subtype infected drug-naïve patients who started their first-line HAART. Baseline FPR (%) values were stratified according to the following ranges: ≤ 2; 2-5; 5-10; 10-20; 20-60; >60. The impact of genotypically-inferred tropism on the time to achieve immunological reconstitution (a CD4 cell count gain from HAART initiation ≥ 150 cells/mm(3)) and on the time to achieve virological success (the first HIV-RNA measurement immunological reconstitution was overall 75.5%, and it was significantly lower for FPR ≤ 2 (54.1%) in comparison to other FPR ranks (78.8%, FPR 2-5; 77.5%, FPR 5-10; 71.7%, FPR 10-20; 81.8%, FPR 20-60; 75.1%, FPR >60; p = 0.008). The overall proportion of patients achieving virological success was 95.5% by 12 months of therapy. Multivariable Cox analyses showed that patients having pre-HAART FPR ≤ 2% had a significant lower relative adjusted hazard [95% C.I.] both to achieve immunological reconstitution (0.37 [0.20-0.71], p = 0.003) and to achieve virological success (0.50 [0.26-0.94], p = 0.031) than those with pre-HAART FPR >60%. Beyond the genotypically-inferred tropism determination, FPR ≤ 2% predicts both a poor immunological reconstitution and a lower virological response in drug-naïve patients who started their first-line therapy. This parameter could be useful to identify patients potentially with less chance of achieving adequate immunological reconstitution and virological undetectability.

Hepatitis C virus and the immunological response to hepatitis B virus vaccine in dialysis patients: meta-analysis of clinical studies.

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Fabrizi, F; Dixit, V; Martin, P; Messa, P

2011-12-01

It is well known that the seroconversion rate of patients following hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination is lower in uraemic than healthy subjects. A variety of inherited or acquired factors have been implicated in this diminished response, and the high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among patients on maintenance dialysis has been suggested to play a role. However, the impact of HCV on the immune response to HB vaccine in patients receiving long-term dialysis is not entirely understood. Here, we evaluate the influence of HCV infection on the immunological response to HBV vaccine in dialysis population by performing a systematic review of the literature with a meta-analysis of clinical studies.We used the random-effects model of DerSimonian and Laird with heterogeneity and sensitivity analyses. The end-point of interest was the rate of patients showing seroprotective anti-hepatitis B titres at completion of HBV vaccine schedule among HCV-positive versus HCV-negative patients on chronic dialysis. We identified eight studies involving 520 unique patients on long-term dialysis. Aggregation of study results did not show a significant decrease in response rates among HCV-infected versus noninfected patients [pooled odds ratio = 0.621 (95% CI, 0.285; 1.353)]. The P-value was 0.007 for our test of study heterogeneity. Stratified analysis in various subgroups of interest did not meaningfully change our results. Our meta-analysis showed no association between immunological response to hepatitis B vaccine and HCV infection in individuals on long-term dialysis. These results support the use of recombinant vaccine against hepatitis B in patients on regular dialysis with HCV infection. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Orchestrating cytoskeleton and intracellular vesicle traffic to build functional immunological synapses.

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Soares, Helena; Lasserre, Rémi; Alcover, Andrés

2013-11-01

Immunological synapses are specialized cell-cell contacts formed between T lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells. They are induced upon antigen recognition and are crucial for T-cell activation and effector functions. The generation and function of immunological synapses depend on an active T-cell polarization process, which results from a finely orchestrated crosstalk between the antigen receptor signal transduction machinery, the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, and controlled vesicle traffic. Although we understand how some of these particular events are regulated, we still lack knowledge on how these multiple cellular elements are harmonized to ensure appropriate T-cell responses. We discuss here our view on how T-cell receptor signal transduction initially commands cytoskeletal and vesicle traffic polarization, which in turn sets the immunological synapse molecular design that regulates T-cell activation. We also discuss how the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) hijacks some of these processes impairing immunological synapse generation and function. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

SPECIAL ISSUE VETERINARY IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOPATHOLOGY: PROCEEDINGS 8TH INTERNATIONAL VETERINARY IMMUNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM

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This is the Special Issue of Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. that summarizes the 8th International Veterinary Immunology Symposium (8 th IVIS) held August 15th-19th, 2007, in Ouro Preto, Brazil. The 8 th IVIS highlighted the importance of veterinary immunology for animal health, vaccinology, reproducti...

Development of radiation immunology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Yi; Dang Bingrong; Bing Tao; Zhang Hong; Li Wenjian; Liu Bing

2005-01-01

Radiation immunology as a new subject has made a great progress in recent years, especially in the radiation hormesis. At the same time, the research of radiobiological effect on heavy ions has played an important role in the cancer therapy, especially on the radiation immunology of heavy ions in the outer space. In this review, the authors summarized the status and development of radiation-immunology, and try to find out some better ways which can increase efficient killing on tumours, but reduce the damages on normal tissues. (authors)

Preparation of supramolecular hydrogel-enzyme hybrids exhibiting biomolecule-responsive gel degradation.

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Shigemitsu, Hajime; Fujisaku, Takahiro; Onogi, Shoji; Yoshii, Tatsuyuki; Ikeda, Masato; Hamachi, Itaru

2016-09-01

Hydrogelators are small, self-assembling molecules that form supramolecular nanofiber networks that exhibit unique dynamic properties. Development of supramolecular hydrogels that degrade in response to various biomolecules could potentially be used for applications in areas such as drug delivery and diagnostics. Here we provide a synthetic procedure for preparing redox-responsive supramolecular hydrogelators that are used to create hydrogels that degrade in response to oxidizing or reducing conditions. The synthesis takes ∼2-4 d, and it can potentially be carried out in parallel to prepare multiple hydrogelator candidates. This described solid-phase peptide synthesis protocol can be used to produce previously described hydrogelators or to construct a focused molecular library to efficiently discover and optimize new hydrogelators. In addition, we describe the preparation of redox-responsive supramolecular hydrogel-enzyme hybrids that are created by mixing aqueous solutions of hydrogelators and enzymes, which requires 2 h for completion. The resultant supramolecular hydrogel-enzyme hybrids exhibit gel degradation in response to various biomolecules, and can be rationally designed by connecting the chemical reactions of the hydrogelators with enzymatic reactions. Gel degradation in response to biomolecules as triggers occurs within a few hours. We also describe the preparation of hydrogel-enzyme hybrids arrayed on flat glass slides, enabling high-throughput analysis of biomolecules such as glucose, uric acid, lactate and so on by gel degradation, which is detectable by the naked eye. The protocol requires ∼6 h to prepare the hydrogel-enzyme hybrid array and to complete the biomolecule assay.

Role of nervous system on immunological response of animal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elssayed, A.E.A.

1980-01-01

Autoantibodies occur more frequently in old age. Both organ and non organ specific antibodies have been reported to occur in increasing frequency in sera of diseased free men and mice relatively late in life. The prevalence of autoantithyroglobulin antibodies in various thyroid abnormalities are common regardless of age. The investigation reported in the present study was aimed to provide some insights on virtually unexplored area of autoantithyroglobulin as related to central nervous system using various radio immunological and serological techniques for the determination of antibody formation and toter, in artificial case of auto immunity developed by induced T G immunity in rabbits

Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived macrophages and their immunological function in response to tuberculosis infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Danping; Ding, Jiongyan; Li, Ouyang; He, Quan; Ke, Minxia; Zhu, Mengyi; Liu, Lili; Ou, Wen-Bin; He, Yulong; Wu, Yuehong

2018-02-26

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) represent an innovative source for the standardized in vitro generation of macrophages (Mφ). Mφ show great promise in disease pathogenesis, particularly tuberculosis. However, there is no information about human iPS-derived (hiPS) macrophages (hiPS-Mφ) in response to tuberculosis infection. In the present study, macrophages derived from hiPS were established via embryoid body (EB) formation by using feeder-free culture conditions, and the human monocyte cell line THP-1 (THP-1-Mφ) was used as control. iPS-Mφ were characterized by using morphology, Giemsa staining, nonspecific esterase staining (α-NAE), phagocytosis, and surface phenotype. Additionally, after treatment with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for 24 h, cell apoptosis was detected by using an Annexin V-FITC Apoptosis Detection assay. The production of nitric oxide (NO), expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), activity of apoptosis-related protein cysteine-3 (Caspase-3) and expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) were analyzed. With respect to morphology, surface phenotype, and function, the iPS-Mφ closely resembled their counterparts generated in vitro from a human monocyte cell line. iPS-Mφ exhibited the typically morphological characteristics of macrophages, such as round, oval, fusiform and irregular characteristics. The cells were Giemsa-stained-positive, α-NAE-positive, and possessed phagocytic ability. iPS-Mφ express high levels of CD14, CD11b, CD40, CD68, and major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II). Moreover, with regard to the apoptotic rate, the production of NO, expression of TNF-α, and activity of Caspase-3 and Bcl-2, iPS-Mφ closely resemble that of their counterparts generated in vitro from human monocyte cell line in response to BCG infection. The rate of apoptosis of BCG-treated iPS-Mφ was 37.77 ± 7.94% compared to that of the untreated group at 4.97 ± 1.60% (P immunological function in response to Bacillus Calmette

Difference in clinical presentation, immunology profile and treatment response of type 1 autoimmune hepatitis between United Kingdom and Singapore patients

OpenAIRE

Than, Nwe Ni; Ching, Doreen Koay Siew; Hodson, James; McDowell, Patrick; Mann, Jake; Gupta, Ravi; Salazar, Ennaliza; Ngu, Jing Hieng; Oo, Ye Htun

2016-01-01

Background Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an immune-mediated liver disease of unknown etiology. Increasing incidence of AIH in Asian patients has been reported. However, the phenotypic difference of Asian patients in Europe and Asia has still not been explored. Aim To evaluate the clinical presentation, biochemical and immunological profiles, treatment response and survival outcome of type 1 AIH from two tertiary liver transplant centres (United Kingdom and Singapore). Method Patients who fulf...

Some advances in radiation immunology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Shuzheng

1985-01-01

This paper is an overview of some of the recent advances in the study of radiation effects on immunity with special emphasis on the relation between radiation immunology and radiation carcinogenesis. The first part of the paper discusses the radiosensitivity of lymphocytes, emphasizing the heterogeneity of the lymphocyte population, the relative radiosensitivity of different lymphocyte subpopulations and their subsets, and the effect of the state of activation on lymphocyte radiosensitivity. The second part deals with the essentials of the theory of immunological surveillance, the specific and nonspecific components of anti-tumor immunity, and the effects of radiation on them. The last part of the paper is concerned with the phenomenon of radiation-induced augmentation of the immune response and the expression of radiation hormesis in the immune system with brief descriptions of some of the data from the author's laboratory. The need for a more sophisticated study of the possible hormetic effects of low level radiation on the immune system and other defense and adaptive functions of the body is stressed

A new era in veterinary immunology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Halliwell, R.E.W.; Goudswaard, J.

1979-01-01

The importance of the creation of a new international journal of “Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology” is apparent following the emergence of veterinary immunology as an identifiable discipline and the vital part played by investigations of animal models of immunological diseases of

Multivariate statistical analyses demonstrate unique host immune responses to single and dual lentiviral infection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunando Roy

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV are recently identified lentiviruses that cause progressive immune decline and ultimately death in infected cats and humans. It is of great interest to understand how to prevent immune system collapse caused by these lentiviruses. We recently described that disease caused by a virulent FIV strain in cats can be attenuated if animals are first infected with a feline immunodeficiency virus derived from a wild cougar. The detailed temporal tracking of cat immunological parameters in response to two viral infections resulted in high-dimensional datasets containing variables that exhibit strong co-variation. Initial analyses of these complex data using univariate statistical techniques did not account for interactions among immunological response variables and therefore potentially obscured significant effects between infection state and immunological parameters.Here, we apply a suite of multivariate statistical tools, including Principal Component Analysis, MANOVA and Linear Discriminant Analysis, to temporal immunological data resulting from FIV superinfection in domestic cats. We investigated the co-variation among immunological responses, the differences in immune parameters among four groups of five cats each (uninfected, single and dual infected animals, and the "immune profiles" that discriminate among them over the first four weeks following superinfection. Dual infected cats mount an immune response by 24 days post superinfection that is characterized by elevated levels of CD8 and CD25 cells and increased expression of IL4 and IFNgamma, and FAS. This profile discriminates dual infected cats from cats infected with FIV alone, which show high IL-10 and lower numbers of CD8 and CD25 cells.Multivariate statistical analyses demonstrate both the dynamic nature of the immune response to FIV single and dual infection and the development of a unique immunological profile in dual

Gender difference in 2-year mortality and immunological response to ART in an HIV-infected Chinese population, 2006-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, Zhihui; Xu, Jiahong; Jiao, Jin Hua; Ma, Ye; Durako, Stephen; Yu, Lan; Zhao, Yan; Zhang, Fujie

2011-01-01

Since it was initiated in 2002, the China Free Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) Program has been progressing from an emergency response to a standardized treatment and care system. As of December 31, 2009, a total of 81,880 patients in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and special municipalities received free ART. Gender differences, however, in mortality and immunological response to ART in this cohort have never been described. To understand whether women and men who enrolled in the China National Free ART Program responded equally well to the treatment. A retrospective analysis of the national free ART databases from June 2006-December 2008 was performed. HIV-infected subjects who were 18 years or older, ART naïve at baseline, and on a 3TC regimen enrolled in the program from June 1 to December 31, 2006, were included in this study, then followed up to 2 years. Among 3457 enrolled subjects who met the inclusion criteria, 59.2% were male and 40.8% female. The majority of the subjects were 19-44 years old (77%) and married (72%). Over the full 24 months of follow-up, the mortality rate was 19.0% in males and 11.4% in females (p = 0.0014). Males on therapy for 3-24 months were more likely to die than females (HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.04-2.06, p = 0.0307) after adjusting for baseline characteristics. Compared to men, women had higher CD4+ counts over time after initiating ART (p<0.0001). Our study showed that women had an overall lower mortality and higher CD4+ counts than men in response to ART treatment, which may be attributed to adherence, biological factors, social, cultural and economic reasons. Further study is needed to explore these factors that might contribute to the gender differences in mortality and immunological response to ART.

Immunological response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in blood from type 2 diabetes patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Raposo-García, Sara; Guerra-Laso, José Manuel; García-García, Silvia; Juan-García, Javier; López-Fidalgo, Eduardo; Diez-Tascón, Cristina; Nebreda-Mayoral, Teresa; López-Medrano, Ramiro; Rivero-Lezcano, Octavio Miguel

2017-06-01

The convergence of tuberculosis and diabetes represents a co-epidemic that threatens progress against tuberculosis. We have investigated type 2 diabetes as a risk factor for tuberculosis susceptibility, and have used as experimental model whole blood infected in vitro with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Blood samples from diabetic patients were found to have a higher absolute neutrophil count that non-diabetic controls, but their immune functionality seemed impaired because they displayed a lower capacity to phagocytose M. tuberculosis, a finding that had been previously reported only for monocytes. In contrast, an increased production of TNFα was detected in infected blood from diabetic patients. Despite the altered phagocytic capacity showed by cells from these patients, the antimicrobial activity measured in both whole blood and monocyte derived macrophages was similar to that of controls. This unexpected result prompts further improvements in the whole blood model to analyze the immune response of diabetes patients to tuberculosis. Copyright © 2017 European Federation of Immunological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The 14th European Immunology Meeting--EFIS 2000. 23-27 September 2000, Poznañ, Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Wysocki, P J; Nawrocki, S; Mackiewicz, A

2001-01-01

The 14th European Immunology Meeting--EFIS 2000, held in Poznan, Poland on 23-27 September 2000, was the last major meeting of European immunologists in the second millennium. This conference was intended to summarise past achievements and to present future prospects in immunology. The philosophy of the scientific program was to fuse fundamental and clinical immunology and give a chance for basic scientists and clinicians to discuss mutual topics in a general view. There were eight state-of-art lectures, 12 'meet an expert' sessions, 20 plenary sessions and 46 workshops. More than 900 works were presented. Significant interest was focused on several aspects of cancer immunology and immunotherapy. EFIS 2000 was accompanied by six pre-congress satellite symposia held in various Polish cities. The topics were, 'Heat shock proteins: immune, stress response and apoptosis' (Gdansk), 'Infectious immunity and vaccines' (Kazimierz Dolny), 'Mononuclear phagocytes in basic and clinical immunology' (Cracow), 'Immunology of reproduction' (Poznan), 'Primary immunodeficiencies' (Warsaw) and 'Glycoimmunology' (Wroclaw).

Effect of endosulfan on immunological competence of layer birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, P P; Kumar, Ashok; Chauhan, R S; Pankaj, P K

2016-07-01

The present study was aimed to investigate the immunological competence of endosulfan insecticide after limited oral administration in White Leghorn layer chickens. A total of 20 White Leghorn birds were given endosulfan in drinking water at 30 ppm/bird/day (no observable effect level dose) for a period of 3-months. Immune competence status of layer birds and chicks hatched from endosulfan offered birds were estimated at 15-day interval in layer birds and at monthly interval in chicks using immunological, biochemical parameters, and teratological estimates. There was a significant decrease in levels of total leukocytes count, absolute lymphocyte count, absolute heterophil count, total serum protein, serum albumin, serum globulin, and serum gamma globulin in the birds fed with endosulfan as compared to control. Similarly, immune competence tests such as lymphocyte stimulation test, oxidative burst assay, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests indicated lower immunity in birds treated with endosulfan as compared to control. Subsequently, chicks produced from endosulfan-treated birds were also examined for immune competence, but no significant difference was observed between chicks of both the groups. The exposure to endosulfan in limited oral dosage was able to exhibit hemo-biochemical and other changes that could be correlated with changes in the immunological profile of layer chickens suggesting cautious usage of endosulfan insecticide in poultry sheds.

A global "imaging'' view on systems approaches in immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ludewig, Burkhard; Stein, Jens V; Sharpe, James; Cervantes-Barragan, Luisa; Thiel, Volker; Bocharov, Gennady

2012-12-01

The immune system exhibits an enormous complexity. High throughput methods such as the "-omic'' technologies generate vast amounts of data that facilitate dissection of immunological processes at ever finer resolution. Using high-resolution data-driven systems analysis, causal relationships between complex molecular processes and particular immunological phenotypes can be constructed. However, processes in tissues, organs, and the organism itself (so-called higher level processes) also control and regulate the molecular (lower level) processes. Reverse systems engineering approaches, which focus on the examination of the structure, dynamics and control of the immune system, can help to understand the construction principles of the immune system. Such integrative mechanistic models can properly describe, explain, and predict the behavior of the immune system in health and disease by combining both higher and lower level processes. Moving from molecular and cellular levels to a multiscale systems understanding requires the development of methodologies that integrate data from different biological levels into multiscale mechanistic models. In particular, 3D imaging techniques and 4D modeling of the spatiotemporal dynamics of immune processes within lymphoid tissues are central for such integrative approaches. Both dynamic and global organ imaging technologies will be instrumental in facilitating comprehensive multiscale systems immunology analyses as discussed in this review. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

21 CFR 866.5040 - Albumin immunological test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Albumin immunological test system. 866.5040... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Immunological Test Systems § 866.5040 Albumin immunological test system. (a) Identification. An albumin immunological test system is a device that consists of...

Role of nervous system on immunological response of animal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elssayed, A.E.A.

1980-01-01

Autoantibodies occur more frequently in old age. Both organ and non organ specific antibodies have been reported to occur in increasing frequency in sera of diseased free men and mice relatively late in life. The prevalence of auto-anti-thyroglobulin antibodies in various thyroid abnormalities are common regardless of age. The investigation reported in the present study was aimed to provide some insights on virtually unexplored area of auto-anti-thyroglobulin as related to central nervous system using various radio immunological and serological techniques for the determination of antibody formation and toter, in artificial case of auto-immunity developed by induced T G immunity in rabbits

42 CFR 493.921 - Diagnostic immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Diagnostic immunology. 493.921 Section 493.921... Testing Proficiency Testing Programs by Specialty and Subspecialty § 493.921 Diagnostic immunology. The subspecialties under the specialty of immunology for which a program may offer proficiency testing are syphilis...

42 CFR 493.927 - General immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false General immunology. 493.927 Section 493.927 Public... Proficiency Testing Programs by Specialty and Subspecialty § 493.927 General immunology. (a) Program content and frequency of challenge. To be approved for proficiency testing for immunology, the annual program...

Polish scientists in fish immunology: a short history : review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muiswinkel, van W.B.; Pilarczyk, A.

2015-01-01

This review describes the role played by Polish scientists in the field of fish immunology and vaccination starting around 1900. In the early days, most publications were dealing with a description of relevant cells and organs in fish. Functional studies (phagocytosis, antibody response) came later

The immunological synapse: a focal point for endocytosis and exocytosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Gillian M; Tsun, Andy; Stinchcombe, Jane C

2010-05-03

There are many different cells in the immune system. To mount an effective immune response, they need to communicate with each other. One way in which this is done is by the formation of immunological synapses between cells. Recent developments show that the immune synapse serves as a focal point for exocytosis and endocytosis, directed by centrosomal docking at the plasma membrane. In this respect, formation of the immunological synapse bears striking similarities to cilia formation and cytokinesis. These intriguing observations suggest that the centrosome may play a conserved role in designating a specialized area of membrane for localized endocytosis and exocytosis.

Is Graves’ disease a primary immunodeficiency? New immunological perspectives on an endocrine disease

OpenAIRE

Struja, Tristan; Kutz, Alexander; Fischli, Stefan; Meier, Christian; Mueller, Beat; Recher, Mike; Schuetz, Philipp

2017-01-01

Background Uncertainty about factors influencing the susceptibility and triggers for Graves’ disease persists, along with a wide variation in the response to anti-thyroid drugs, currently at approximately 50% of non-responders. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize immunological concepts, with a combined endocrine and immunological perspective, to highlight potential new areas of research. Main text Relevant studies were identified through a systematic literature search using the P...

Consortium biology in immunology: the perspective from the Immunological Genome Project.

OpenAIRE

Benoist, C; Lanier, L; Merad, M; Mathis, D; Immunological Genome Project,

2012-01-01

Although the field has a long collaborative tradition, immunology has made less use than genetics of 'consortium biology', wherein groups of investigators together tackle large integrated questions or problems. However, immunology is naturally suited to large-scale integrative and systems-level approaches, owing to the multicellular and adaptive nature of the cells it encompasses. Here, we discuss the value and drawbacks of this organization of research, in the context of the long-running 'bi...

Experimental photoimmunology: immunologic ramifications of UV-induced carcinogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daynes, R.A.; Bernhard, E.J.; Gurish, M.F.; Lynch, D.H.

1981-01-01

The use of animal model systems to investigate the sequence of events which lead to the induction and progression of skin tumors following chronic ultraviolet light (UVL) exposure has clearly shown that the direct mutagenic effects of UVL is only one of the components involved in this process. In spite of the fact that overt carcinogenesis is only one of the many effects produced by UV light, most hypotheses as to the mechanism by which UVL can cause the mutations necessary to achieve the transformed phenotype have focused on the direct effects of UVL on DNA and the generation of carcinogenic compounds. Investigations during the last 5 yr, however, have clearly demonstrated that immunologic factors are also critically important in the pathogenesis of UV-induced skin cancers. A complete understanding of UV-carcinogenesis must therefore consider the mechanisms which allow the transformed cell to evade immunologic rejection by the host in addition to those aspects which deal with conversion of a normal cell to a cancer cell. It is the object of this review to provide both a historical account of the work which established the immunologic consequences of chronic UVL exposure and the results of recent experiments designed to investigate the kinetics and mechanisms by which UVL affects the immunologic apparatus. In addition, a hypothetical model is presented to explain the sequence of events which ultimately lead to the emergence of the suppressor T-cells which regulate antitumor immune responses

Pediatric allergy and immunology in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Celik, Gülfem; Bakirtas, Arzu; Sackesen, Cansin; Reisli, Ismail; Tuncer, Ayfer

2011-06-01

Allergic diseases constitute a significant health problem in Turkey. According to a recent multicenter study, which used the ISAAC questionnaire, the mean prevalence of wheezing, rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema in 10-yr-old school children during the past year was 15.8%, 23.5%, and 8.1%, respectively. A healthcare level system, regulated by Ministry of Health, is available in Turkey. Pediatric allergists and pediatric immunologists provide patient care at the tertiary level. Currently, 48 centers deliver care for allergic and immunologic diseases in children. There are 136 pediatric and 61 adult allergists/immunologists. Although the number of allergy/clinical immunology specialists is limited, these centers are capable of delivering many of the procedures required for the proper management and diagnosis of allergy/immunology. Pediatric allergy and/or immunology is a subspecialty lasting 3 yr and follows a 4-yr pediatric specialist training. Fellow training involves gaining knowledge in basic and clinical allergy and immunology as well as the performance and interpretation of laboratory procedures in the field of allergy and clinical immunology. The Turkish National Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (TNSACI) was officially established in 1989 and currently has 356 members. The society organizes a national congress annually and winter schools for fellowship training as well as training courses for patients and their relatives. TNSACI also has a strong representation in European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID) through its participation in the executive committee, consensus reports, and initiatives in the diagnosis of allergic and immunologic diseases of children. The 30th Congress of the EAACI is also due to be held in Istanbul, Turkey, between June 11 and 15, 2011. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Role of immunological surveillance in radiation carcinogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sado, Toshihiko

2003-01-01

The immune system is known to be highly susceptible to various physical, chemical, and biological insults. The studies on the immediate and long-term effects of radiation on immune system of mice indicated very clearly that there was a dose-dependent reduction in the number of T and B cells, depression of antibody and cytotoxic T cell responses as well as proliferative responses of spleen cells to T and B cell mitogens shortly after irradiation, but they all recovered to the control level within a few months. Immunosuppression observed shortly after irradiation had little influence on the development of radiogenic tumors. The effects of radiation on the incidence of Friend leukemia virus (FLV)-induced leukemias are examined by using young adult B6C3F 1 male mice which are normally resistant to FLV-induced leukemogenesis. There was a clear threshold dose of 2 Gy below which the development of FLV induced leukemias was not observed but after exposure to >3 Gy high incidence of leukemias was observed. Fractionated, weekly exposure of young C57BL strain mice to 1.6 Gy of X-rays for four successive weeks causes most of the exposed mice to develop thymic lymphomas between 3 and 10 months. However, when the exposed mice are grafted with bone marrow cells from normal donors, the development of thymic lymphomas on the exposed mice is greatly inhibited. There was a clear dose response relationship between the number of bone marrow cells injected and the inhibition of the development of thymic lymphomas. It now appears clear that T cell-mediated immunological surveillance against newly arising neoplasms conceived by Thomas and Burnet does not hold true anymore in the original form, although virus-infected host cells and other host cells expressing altered-self' markers on their cell surfaces are constantly monitored by the immunological surveillance mechanism. A surveillance function against newly arising neoplasms may be a property of surrounding normal tissue cells rather

Immunological studies relating to the climate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballester, J.M.; Cruz, C.; Inclan, G.; Maclas, C.; Suarez, L.; Rivero, R.; Borres, I.M.; Ustariz, C.; Del Valle, L.; Villegas, R.; Martinez, E.; Rorrajero, I.; Guevara, V.; Leon, A.; Paz, L.; Pelaez, J.C.; Roque, M.C.

1993-01-01

In order to know the effects of ultra-violet radiations on the integrity of their immunological system, a hematologic and immunological study was carried out in 30 clinically healthy children aged between 10 and 15; 15 of each sex, who come from a region in Bielorussia that was affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident, and who received medical and recreational services at the 'Jose Marti' Pioneers'City, located Tarara Beach (Havana, Cuba) from July 9,1990 to August 27,1990. Data from the initial evaluations upon their arrival in Cuba were compared whit the final results before their return to Bielorussia, in the following variables: haemoglobin, leucocytes, platelets, absolute counts of lymphocytes and neutrophylous polymorphonuclears, levels of sericeus of Igs G, A, M, and E sericas and (CH50), as well as the presence of circulating immuno complexes; besides spot-forming cellular clusters (spontaneous, active, and medial by the receptor Fc in neutrophylous) and the cells identified with monoclonal antibodies against CD2, CD3, CD8 and CD4/CD8 quotient. Cutaneous response to antigen and lymphoblastic transformation in the presence of PHA and PwN were also assessed. Results of this research allow to infer that the adequate and monitored position against ultra-violet rays from the solar radiation in children exposed to low doses of ionizing irradiation does not deteriorate the human immunological system, and do favor its regulation and normal performance

Immunology and Epidemiology

CERN Document Server

Hraba, Tomáš

1986-01-01

In February 1985 a small international meeting of scientists took place at the recreation resort of the Polish Academy of Sci­ ences in Mogilany, near Cracow, Poland. The initiative for holding the workshop came from a working meeting on mathematical immunology and related topics at the International Institute for Applied Sys­ tems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria, in November 1983. In addition to representatives of IIASA, delegates of the IIASA National Member Organizations (NMO) of Czechoslovakia, Italy, and the soviet Union took part in that working meeting. The participants came to the conclusion that IIASA could play an important role in facilitating the development of research in this field. The first step that they recommended to I IASA was to organize a workshop on mathematical immunology. The purpose of the workshop was to review the progress that has been made in applying mathematics to problems in immunology and to explore ways in which further progress might be achieved, especially by more efficie...

A review of immunological and infectious disease studies at ABCC-RERF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finch, S.C.

1980-11-01

This report reviews the results of 20 years of ABCC-RERF studies for evidence of abnormalities in the exposed atomic bomb survivors relating to infectious, inflammatory, or immunologic disorders. Relatively few definitive immunologic investigations have been conducted. The findings, however, suggest possible radiationrelated impairment of the antibody response to certain type A influenza viruses in the in utero exposed children and an increased prevalence rate of hepatitis associated antigen in the serums of heavily exposed persons in comparison to their controls. Preliminary studies indicate that the T to B lymphocyte ratio and the phytohemagglutinin responsiveness of the T lymphocytes of the heavily exposed persons, especially those of older age, are moderately depressed. Observation in the Adult Health Study population have shown little evidence of increased infectious or inflammatory disease in the exposed survivors. (author)

Imagining 'reactivity': allergy within the history of immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamieson, Michelle

2010-12-01

An allergy is commonly understood to be an overreaction of the immune system to harmless substances that are misrecognised as foreign. This concept of allergy as an abnormal, misdirected immune response-a biological fault-stems from the idea that the immune system is an inherently defensive operation designed to protect the individual through an innate capacity to discriminate between the benign and toxic, or self and nonself. However, this definition of allergy represents a radical departure from its original formulation. Literally meaning 'altered reactivity', the term was coined in 1906 by Austrian paediatrician Clemens von Pirquet, to describe the fundamentally mutable nature of the immune response. This paper argues that the conventional interpretation of allergy-as-pathology derives from specific concepts of 'organism', 'response', and 'normal' immune function that have-for over a century-governed the perception and study of immune phenomena within immunology. Through an examination of Louis Pasteur's conceptualisation of the host body/microorganism relationship, I argue that immunology is founded on a view of the organism as a discrete, autonomous entity, and on a concomitant notion of the immune response as essentially reactive. Revisiting the concept of 'altered reactivity', this paper points to the fact that allergy was initially posited as a general theory of immune responsiveness and, importantly, one that poses a significant challenge to orthodox notions of immunopathology. It suggests that Pirquet's unique view of immune responsiveness presents an account of organismic or biological identity that encapsulates, rather than reduces, its ecological complexity. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunological methods for gentamicin determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krugers Dagneauz, P.G.L.C.; Olthuis, F.M.F.G.

1979-01-01

For immunoassay, an antibody against the substance to the determined, the pure substance itself, and a labelled form or derivative of the substance are required. The principles and problems of the preparation of antibodies are discussed, some methods for the preparation of derivatives labelled with radioactive tracers or enzymes are reviewed, and homologous enzyme-immunological determination of gentamicin is discussed in detail. A comparison is mae of three radio-immunological determination methods, and the most suitable radio-immunological method is compared with two microbiological techniques. The results are found to be comparable. (Auth.)

Understanding immunology: fun at an intersection of the physical, life, and clinical sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Arup K.

2014-10-01

Understanding how the immune system works is a grand challenge in science with myriad direct implications for improving human health. The immune system protects us from infectious pathogens and cancer, and maintains a harmonious steady state with essential microbiota in our gut. Vaccination, the medical procedure that has saved more lives than any other, involves manipulating the immune system. Unfortunately, the immune system can also go awry to cause autoimmune diseases. Immune responses are the product of stochastic collective dynamic processes involving many interacting components. These processes span multiple scales of length and time. Thus, statistical mechanics has much to contribute to immunology, and the oeuvre of biological physics will be further enriched if the number of physical scientists interested in immunology continues to increase. I describe how I got interested in immunology and provide a glimpse of my experiences working on immunology using approaches from statistical mechanics and collaborating closely with immunologists.

Immunologic Intervention in HIV Infection: Anti-Polymerase Responses and Hormonal Regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

1992-05-01

34), has serious physical ad psyhdologic cosequn , including further compromise of irmmu status in AIMS (1). Dr. D. Kotler of Columbia University recently...nutritional factors in the induction of immunologic abnormalities in HIV-positive homosexual men. J. AIDS 2:235, 1989. 2. Kotler D, Nutrition in AIDS...1051, 1990. 14. Korq X-B, Zhu Q-Y, Vidal PM, Watanole AM, Polsky B, Armstrong D, Ostrandz M, lang SA Jr, Rxthors E, Cmaa T-C. Cmparisons of anti-HIV

42 CFR 493.833 - Condition: Diagnostic immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Condition: Diagnostic immunology. 493.833 Section..., Or Any Combination of These Tests § 493.833 Condition: Diagnostic immunology. The specialty of diagnostic immunology includes for purposes of proficiency testing the subspecialties of syphilis serology...

Gender difference in 2-year mortality and immunological response to ART in an HIV-infected Chinese population, 2006-2008.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhihui Dou

Full Text Available Since it was initiated in 2002, the China Free Antiretroviral Treatment (ART Program has been progressing from an emergency response to a standardized treatment and care system. As of December 31, 2009, a total of 81,880 patients in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and special municipalities received free ART. Gender differences, however, in mortality and immunological response to ART in this cohort have never been described.To understand whether women and men who enrolled in the China National Free ART Program responded equally well to the treatment.A retrospective analysis of the national free ART databases from June 2006-December 2008 was performed. HIV-infected subjects who were 18 years or older, ART naïve at baseline, and on a 3TC regimen enrolled in the program from June 1 to December 31, 2006, were included in this study, then followed up to 2 years.Among 3457 enrolled subjects who met the inclusion criteria, 59.2% were male and 40.8% female. The majority of the subjects were 19-44 years old (77% and married (72%. Over the full 24 months of follow-up, the mortality rate was 19.0% in males and 11.4% in females (p = 0.0014. Males on therapy for 3-24 months were more likely to die than females (HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.04-2.06, p = 0.0307 after adjusting for baseline characteristics. Compared to men, women had higher CD4+ counts over time after initiating ART (p<0.0001.Our study showed that women had an overall lower mortality and higher CD4+ counts than men in response to ART treatment, which may be attributed to adherence, biological factors, social, cultural and economic reasons. Further study is needed to explore these factors that might contribute to the gender differences in mortality and immunological response to ART.

Systems immunology: just getting started.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Mark M; Tato, Cristina M; Furman, David

2017-06-20

Systems-biology approaches in immunology take various forms, but here we review strategies for measuring a broad swath of immunological functions as a means of discovering previously unknown relationships and phenomena and as a powerful way of understanding the immune system as a whole. This approach has rejuvenated the field of vaccine development and has fostered hope that new ways will be found to combat infectious diseases that have proven refractory to classical approaches. Systems immunology also presents an important new strategy for understanding human immunity directly, taking advantage of the many ways the immune system of humans can be manipulated.

Ideernes epidemiologi og kulturens immunologi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Jesper

2007-01-01

, suggested by Sperber, is extended by an ‘immunology of cultural systems’. In addition to the selective forces described by Sperber and Boyer, the immunological approach argues that the relative success of new representations is largely dependent on how well they fit already existing cultural models...

Effect of Yikangning on immunological function in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Fangyu; Xu Xiaoyi; Shi Yulu; Sheng Xuecheng; Zhao Liyan

2001-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effect of Yikangning oral liquid on immunological function in mice. Methods: 3 H-TdR incorporation was used to detect the lymphocyte transformation rate for Con A and LPS. Results: The drug increased the lymphocyte transformation rate in mice with lowed immunological function. Conclusion: Yikangning enhances immunological function in mice with lowered immunological function

The enhancement of immunological activity by mild hypothermia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawal, Takeo; Gu, Yeun Hwa; Miyata, Katuyuki

2004-01-01

In general, the term hypothermia is applied for the therapeutic method for the treatment of cancer using micro wave, RF wave thermal system or intra-tissue thermal device. It was found to be a tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which is one of cytokines secreted by macrophages 'P'j. With remarkable progress in the instruments and technique in recent years, fundamental and clinical research showed extensive development 'Q'j. At present, hypothermia is clinically very important as inter- disciplinary therapeutic method, and studies are being performed on combined effects with surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and gene therapy for the treatment of malignant tumor 'R'j. Also, hypothermia is characterized by its selective thermal effect on tumor 'S'j. In this sense, it is called mild hypothermia. There have been not many reports, which described mild hypothermia for the purpose of treating the cases with cancer. This suggests the possibility of immunological response by heating relatively mild temperature (39-42). In this respect, by experiments using mouse as model, we evaluated the effects of hypothermia under temperature of 42.5 and lower and demonstrated that the activation of immunological response is increased and anti-tumor effect can be obtained

Evaluation of an educational exhibition on global issues and consumer responsibility: From involvement to hopelessness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Činčera

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The article presents the evaluation of an interactive exhibition for secondary education students (15-19 years old, focusing on global problems and consumer responsibility. The evaluation was conducted in three schools. Data were obtained from interviews with teachers (N=3 and questionnaires (N=204 distributed among students after the exhibition. For the analysis, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. The results suggest that the exhibition was successful in terms of involving students and increasing their awareness of the problems. Some students evaluated the exhibition as manipulative. An unintended effect of the exhibition was students’ feeling of hopelessness. This article discusses the results and suggests a change in strategy when dealing with global problems in schools.

[Immunological theory of senescence].

Science.gov (United States)

Drela, Nadzieja

2014-01-01

Senescence can result from decreased potential of the immune system to respond to foreign and self antigens. The most common effect is the inhibition to destroy dying and cancer cells and the decrease of the immune response to pathogens. Aging is closely related to inflammatory phenotype, which facilitate the development of age-related diseases. The mammal immune system is highly organized and adapted to react to a wide range of antigens. According to the immunological theory, the causative agents of senescence are multilevel changes of development and functions of immune cells. Some of changes can be beneficial for the maintenance of homeostasis and lifespan in continuously changing endogenous environment and immune history of the organism.

42 CFR 493.1208 - Condition: General immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Condition: General immunology. 493.1208 Section 493....1208 Condition: General immunology. If the laboratory provides services in the subspecialty of General immunology, the laboratory must meet the requirements specified in §§ 493.1230 through 493.1256, and §§ 493...

Immunological tumor status may predict response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and outcome after radical cystectomy in bladder cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Tervahartiala, Minna; Taimen, Pekka; Mirtti, Tuomas; Koskinen, Ilmari; Ecke, Thorsten; Jalkanen, Sirpa; Boström, Peter J

2017-10-04

Bladder cancer (BC) is the ninth most common cancer worldwide. Radical cystectomy (RC) with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is recommended for muscle-invasive BC. The challenge of the neoadjuvant approach relates to challenges in selection of patients to chemotherapy that are likely to respond to the treatment. To date, there are no validated molecular markers or baseline clinical characteristics to identify these patients. Different inflammatory markers, including tumor associated macrophages with their plastic pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic functions, have extensively been under interests as potential prognostic and predictive biomarkers in different cancer types. In this immunohistochemical study we evaluated the predictive roles of three immunological markers, CD68, MAC387, and CLEVER-1, in response to NAC and outcome of BC. 41% of the patients had a complete response (pT0N0) to NAC. Basic clinicopathological variables did not predict response to NAC. In contrast, MAC387 + cells and CLEVER-1 + macrophages associated with poor NAC response, while CLEVER-1 + vessels associated with more favourable response to NAC. Higher counts of CLEVER-1 + macrophages associated with poorer overall survival and CD68 + macrophages seem to have an independent prognostic value in BC patients treated with NAC. Our findings point out that CD68, MAC387, and CLEVER-1 may be useful prognostic and predictive markers in BC.

Regulatory immune cells and functions in autoimmunity and transplantation immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Papp, Gabor; Boros, Peter; Nakken, Britt; Szodoray, Peter; Zeher, Margit

2017-05-01

In physiological circumstances, various tolerogenic mechanisms support the protection of self-structures during immune responses. However, quantitative and/or qualitative changes in regulatory immune cells and mediators can evoke auto-reactive immune responses, and upon susceptible genetic background, along with the presence of other concomitant etiological factors, autoimmune disease may develop. In transplant immunology, tolerogenic mechanisms are also critical, since the balance between of alloantigen-reactive effector cells and the regulatory immune cells will ultimately determine whether a graft is accepted or rejected. Better understanding of the immunological tolerance and the potential modulations of immune regulatory processes are crucial for developing effective therapies in autoimmune diseases as well as in organ transplantation. In this review, we focus on the novel insights regarding the impaired immune regulation and other relevant factors contributing to the development of auto-reactive and graft-reactive immune responses in autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection, respectively. We also address some promising approaches for modification of immune-regulatory processes and tolerogenic mechanisms in autoimmunity and solid organ transplantation, which may be beneficial in future therapeutic strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Immunological and genetic aspects of asthma and allergy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne-Marie Madore

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Anne-Marie Madore, Catherine LapriseUniversité du Québec à Chicoutimi, Département des sciences fondamentales, Saguenay, CanadaAbstract: Prevalence of allergy and allergic asthma are increasing worldwide. More than half of the US population has a positive skin prick test and approximately 10% are asthmatics. Many studies have been conducted to define immunological pathways underlying allergy and asthma development and to identify the main genetic determinants. In the effort to find missing pieces of the puzzle, new genomic approaches and more standardized ones, such as the candidate gene approach, have been used collectively. This article proposes an overview of the actual knowledge about immunological and genetic aspects of allergy and asthma. Special attention has been drawn to the challenges linked to genetic research in complex traits such as asthma and to the contribution of new genomic approaches.Keywords: immune response, allergy, asthma, genetics, genomics

Systems Theory in Immunology

CERN Document Server

Doria, Gino; Koch, Giorgio; Strom, Roberto

1979-01-01

This volume collects the contributions presented at the "Working Conference on System Theory in Immunology", held in Rome, May 1978. The aim of the Conference was to bring together immunologists on one side and experts in system theory and applied mathematics on the other, in order to identify problems of common interest and to establish a network of joint effort toward their solution. The methodologies of system theory for processing experimental data and for describing dynamical phenomena could indeed contribute significantly to the under­ standing of basic immunological facts. Conversely, the complexity of experimental results and of interpretative models should stimulate mathematicians to formulate new problems and to design appropriate procedures of analysis. The multitude of scientific publications in theoretical biology, appeared in recent years, confirms this trend and calls for extensive interaction between mat- matics and immunology. The material of this volume is divided into five sections, along ...

Basic and clinical immunology

Science.gov (United States)

Chinen, Javier; Shearer, William T.

2003-01-01

Progress in immunology continues to grow exponentially every year. New applications of this knowledge are being developed for a broad range of clinical conditions. Conversely, the study of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies is helping to elucidate the intricate mechanisms of the immune system. We have selected a few of the most significant contributions to the fields of basic and clinical immunology published between October 2001 and October 2002. Our choice of topics in basic immunology included the description of T-bet as a determinant factor for T(H)1 differentiation, the role of the activation-induced cytosine deaminase gene in B-cell development, the characterization of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells, and the use of dynamic imaging to study MHC class II transport and T-cell and dendritic cell membrane interactions. Articles related to clinical immunology that were selected for review include the description of immunodeficiency caused by caspase 8 deficiency; a case series report on X-linked agammaglobulinemia; the mechanism of action, efficacy, and complications of intravenous immunoglobulin; mechanisms of autoimmunity diseases; and advances in HIV pathogenesis and vaccine development. We also reviewed two articles that explore the possible alterations of the immune system caused by spaceflights, a new field with increasing importance as human space expeditions become a reality in the 21st century.

Gender Difference in 2-Year Mortality and Immunological Response to ART in an HIV-Infected Chinese Population, 2006–2008

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, Zhihui; Xu, Jiahong; Jiao, Jin Hua; Ma, Ye; Durako, Stephen; Yu, Lan; Zhao, Yan; Zhang, Fujie

2011-01-01

Background Since it was initiated in 2002, the China Free Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) Program has been progressing from an emergency response to a standardized treatment and care system. As of December 31, 2009, a total of 81,880 patients in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and special municipalities received free ART. Gender differences, however, in mortality and immunological response to ART in this cohort have never been described. Objective To understand whether women and men who enrolled in the China National Free ART Program responded equally well to the treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis of the national free ART databases from June 2006–December 2008 was performed. HIV-infected subjects who were 18 years or older, ART naïve at baseline, and on a 3TC regimen enrolled in the program from June 1 to December 31, 2006, were included in this study, then followed up to 2 years. Results Among 3457 enrolled subjects who met the inclusion criteria, 59.2% were male and 40.8% female. The majority of the subjects were 19–44 years old (77%) and married (72%). Over the full 24 months of follow-up, the mortality rate was 19.0% in males and 11.4% in females (p = 0.0014). Males on therapy for 3–24 months were more likely to die than females (HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.04–2.06, p = 0.0307) after adjusting for baseline characteristics. Compared to men, women had higher CD4+ counts over time after initiating ART (p<0.0001). Conclusions Our study showed that women had an overall lower mortality and higher CD4+ counts than men in response to ART treatment, which may be attributed to adherence, biological factors, social, cultural and economic reasons. Further study is needed to explore these factors that might contribute to the gender differences in mortality and immunological response to ART. PMID:21857947

Immunologic Quality Improvement of Racing Pigeon Squabs Through Induction of Cropmilk Using Probiotic Lactobacillus SP.

OpenAIRE

Irianto, Agus; Budiyanto, B Heru

2004-01-01

Probiotic is live microbial cells supplementation that has beneficial effect to the host. Feeding adult pigeons (Columba livia) with food supplemented with probiotic, Lactobacillus sp., at concentration 106,108, and 1010 cells g-1 respectively have been done in order to improve the immunologic quality of the squabs. Immunologic response namely the number and activity of kidney’s macrophage were examined. Also, the pathologic signs which developed following artificial infection by intramuscula...

Reproductive immunology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Ole B

2012-01-01

pathological pregnancy are suggested to predispose to adaptive immunological processes against alloantigens on the trophoblast that may further increase the risk of pathological pregnancy outcome. The best documented adaptive immune reaction against fetal alloantigens is directed against male-specific minor...

Advances in basic and clinical immunology in 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Chinen, Javier; Badran, Yousef R; Geha, Raif S; Chou, Janet S; Fried, Ari J

2017-10-01

Advances in basic immunology in 2016 included studies that further characterized the role of different proteins in the differentiation of effector T and B cells, including cytokines and proteins involved in the actin cytoskeleton. Regulation of granule formation and secretion in cytotoxic cells was also further described by examining patients with familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. The role of prenylation in patients with mevalonate kinase deficiency leading to inflammation has been established. We reviewed advances in clinical immunology, as well as new approaches of whole-genome sequencing and genes newly reported to be associated with immunodeficiency, such as linker of activation of T cells (LAT); B-cell CLL/lymphoma 11B (BCL11B); RGD, leucine-rich repeat, tropomodulin domain, and proline-rich domain-containing protein (RLTPR); moesin; and Janus kinase 1 (JAK1). Trials of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapy for primary immunodeficiency have had relative success; the use of autologous virus-specific cytotoxic T cells has proved effective as well. New medications are being explored, such as pioglitazone, which is under study for its role in enhancing the oxidative burst in patients with chronic granulomatous disease. Development of vaccines for HIV infection continues to provide insight into the immune response against a virus with an extraordinary mutation rate. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Isolation and preservation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells for analysis of islet antigen-reactive T cell responses: position statement of the T-Cell Workshop Committee of the Immunology of Diabetes Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallone, R; Mannering, S I; Brooks-Worrell, B M; Durinovic-Belló, I; Cilio, C M; Wong, F S; Schloot, N C

2011-01-01

Autoimmune T cell responses directed against insulin-producing β cells are central to the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Detection of such responses is therefore critical to provide novel biomarkers for T1D 'immune staging' and to understand the mechanisms underlying the disease. While different T cell assays are being developed for these purposes, it is important to optimize and standardize methods for processing human blood samples for these assays. To this end, we review data relevant to critical parameters in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) isolation, (cryo)preservation, distribution and usage for detecting antigen-specific T cell responses. Based on these data, we propose recommendations on processing blood samples for T cell assays and identify gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed. These recommendations may be relevant not only for the analysis of T cell responses in autoimmune disease, but also in cancer and infectious disease, particularly in the context of clinical trials. © 2010 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Immunology © 2010 British Society for Immunology.

Immunology studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.M.; Baron, P.A.; Drake, G.A.; LaBauve, P.M.; London, J.E.; Wilson, J.S.

1977-01-01

The following studies were conducted in the field of immunology; a model system to determine toxic effects on the immune system using 3 H-uridine uptake by Feells of rats; and survival in lethally irradiatd mice receiving allogenic fetal liver and thymus

Recognition of higher order patterns in proteins: immunologic kernels.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert D Bremel

Full Text Available By applying analysis of the principal components of amino acid physical properties we predicted cathepsin cleavage sites, MHC binding affinity, and probability of B-cell epitope binding of peptides in tetanus toxin and in ten diverse additional proteins. Cross-correlation of these metrics, for peptides of all possible amino acid index positions, each evaluated in the context of a ±25 amino acid flanking region, indicated that there is a strongly repetitive pattern of short peptides of approximately thirty amino acids each bounded by cathepsin cleavage sites and each comprising B-cell linear epitopes, MHC-I and MHC-II binding peptides. Such "immunologic kernel" peptides comprise all signals necessary for adaptive immunologic cognition, response and recall. The patterns described indicate a higher order spatial integration that forms a symbolic logic coordinating the adaptive immune system.

The enhancement of immunological activity by mild hypothermia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasegawal, Takeo; Gu, Yeun Hwa; Miyata, Katuyuki [Graduate School of Suzuka Univ. of Med Sci. Master, Suzuka (Japan)] (and others)

2004-11-15

In general, the term hypothermia is applied for the therapeutic method for the treatment of cancer using micro wave, RF wave thermal system or intra-tissue thermal device. It was found to be a tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which is one of cytokines secreted by macrophages 'P'j. With remarkable progress in the instruments and technique in recent years, fundamental and clinical research showed extensive development 'Q'j. At present, hypothermia is clinically very important as inter- disciplinary therapeutic method, and studies are being performed on combined effects with surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and gene therapy for the treatment of malignant tumor 'R'j. Also, hypothermia is characterized by its selective thermal effect on tumor 'S'j. In this sense, it is called mild hypothermia. There have been not many reports, which described mild hypothermia for the purpose of treating the cases with cancer. This suggests the possibility of immunological response by heating relatively mild temperature (39-42). In this respect, by experiments using mouse as model, we evaluated the effects of hypothermia under temperature of 42.5 and lower and demonstrated that the activation of immunological response is increased and anti-tumor effect can be obtained.

The ninth international veterinary immunology symposium

Science.gov (United States)

This Introduction to the special issue of Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology summarizes the Proceedings of the 9th International Veterinary Immunology Symposium (9th IVIS) held August, 2010, in Tokyo, Japan. Over 340 delegates from 30 countries discussed research progress analyzing the immune...

The Paget Trial: A Multicenter, Observational Cohort Intervention Study for the Clinical Efficacy, Safety, and Immunological Response of Topical 5% Imiquimod Cream for Vulvar Paget Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Linden, Michelle; Meeuwis, Kim; van Hees, Colette; van Dorst, Eleonora; Bulten, Johan; Bosse, Tjalling; IntHout, Joanna; Boll, Dorry; Slangen, Brigitte; van Seters, Manon; van Beurden, Marc; van Poelgeest, Mariëtte; de Hullu, Joanne

2017-09-06

Vulvar Paget disease is a rare skin disorder, which is most common in postmenopausal Caucasian women. They usually present with an erythematous plaque that may show fine or typical "cake icing" scaling or ulceration that may cause itching, pain, irritation, or a burning sensation. Although most cases are noninvasive, vulvar Paget disease may be invasive or associated with an underlying vulvar or distant adenocarcinoma. The histological evidence of so-called "Paget cells" with abundant pale cytoplasm in the epithelium confirms the diagnosis. The origin of these Paget cells is still unclear. Treatment of choice is wide local excision with negative margins. Obtaining clear surgical margins is challenging and may lead to extensive and mutilating surgery. Even then, recurrence rates are high, ranging from 15% to 70%, which emphasizes the need for new treatment options. A number of case reports, retrospective case series, and one observational study have shown promising results using the topical immune response modifier imiquimod. This study aims to investigate the efficacy, safety, and immunological response in patients with noninvasive vulvar Paget disease using a standardized treatment schedule with 5% imiquimod cream. Topical 5% imiquimod cream might be an effective and safe treatment alternative for vulvar Paget disease. The Paget Trial is a multicenter observational cohort study including eight tertiary referral hospitals in the Netherlands. It is ethically approved by the Medical-Ethical Committee of Arnhem-Nijmegen and registered in the Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CCMO) Register by as NL51648.091.14. Twenty patients with (recurrent) noninvasive vulvar Paget disease will be treated with topical 5% imiquimod cream three times a week for 16 weeks. The primary efficacy outcome is the reduction in lesion size at 12 weeks after end of treatment. Secondary outcomes are safety, immunological response, and quality of life. Safety will be

Immunology in Pittsburgh.

Science.gov (United States)

Finn, Olivera J; Salter, Russell D

2006-01-01

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has a long tradition of excellence in immunology research and training. Faculty, students, and postdoctoral fellows walk through hallways that are pictorial reminders of the days when Dr. Jonas Salk worked here to develop the polio vaccine, or when Dr. Niels Jerne chaired the Microbiology Department and worked on perfecting the Jerne Plaque Assay for antibody-producing cells. Colleagues and postdoctoral fellows of Professor Salk are still on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh Medical School as are graduate students of Professor Jerne. A modern research building, the 17 story high Biomedical Science Tower, is a vivid reminder of the day when Dr. Thomas Starzl arrived in Pittsburgh and started building the most prominent solid-organ-transplant program in the world. The immunology research that developed around the problem of graft rejection and tolerance induction trained numerous outstanding students and fellows. Almost 20 yr ago, the University of Pittsburgh founded the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) with the renowned immunologist Dr. Ronald Herberman at its helm. This started a number of new research initiatives in cancer immunology and immunotherapy. A large number of outstanding young investigators, as well as several well-established tumor immunologists, were recruited to Pittsburgh at that time.

Short-term increase of body weight triggers immunological variables in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Van de Velde, H; Janssens, G P J; Stuyven, E; Cox, E; Buyse, J; Hesta, M

2012-01-15

Overweight in dogs is, as in other companion animals, a major risk factor for several metabolic disorders. However, it is not yet known whether immunity is challenged by increased body weight in dogs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a short-term increase in body weight on immunological variables in adult healthy beagle dogs. Sixteen dogs, divided into a control group (CG) and weight gain group (WGG), were included. During a period of 13 weeks, the CG was fed at maintenance energy requirement (MER), whereas the WGG received a double amount of food. After 13 weeks, blood samples were taken for immunological and biochemical analyses. Weight gain and increased body condition score in the WGG were accompanied by a significant higher leptin concentration. Weight gain increased the number of lymphocytes and immunoglobulins A and M and was responsible for a higher proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Short-term increase of body weight thus seems to trigger immunological variables in dogs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Immunological mechanisms of sublingual allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Natalija; Bieber, T; Allam, J-P

2011-06-01

Within the last 100 years of allergen-specific immunotherapy, many clinical and scientific efforts have been made to establish alternative noninvasive allergen application strategies. Thus, intra-oral allergen delivery to the sublingual mucosa has been proven to be safe and effective. As a consequence, to date, sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is widely accepted by most allergists as an alternative to conventional subcutaneous immunotherapy. Although immunological mechanisms remain to be elucidated in detail, several studies in mice and humans within recent years provided deeper insights into local as well as systemic immunological features in response to SLIT. First of all, it was shown that the target organ, the oral mucosa, harbours a sophisticated immunological network as an important prerequisite for SLIT, which contains among other cells, local antigen-presenting cells (APC), such as dendritic cells (DCs), with a constitutive disposition to enforce tolerogenic mechanisms. Further on, basic research on local DCs within the oral mucosa gave rise to possible alternative strategies to deliver the allergens to other mucosal regions than sublingual tissue, such as the vestibulum oris. Moreover, characterization of oral DCs led to the identification of target structures for both allergens as well as adjuvants, which could be applied during SLIT. Altogether, SLIT came a long way since its very beginning in the last century and some, but not all questions about SLIT could be answered so far. However, recent research efforts as well as clinical approaches paved the way for another exciting 100 years of SLIT. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Regulatory T Cells in HIV-Infected Immunological Nonresponders Are Increased in Blood but Depleted in Lymphoid Tissue and Predict Immunological Reconstitution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaardbo, Julie C; Hartling, Hans J; Ronit, Andreas

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: HIV-infected immunological nonresponders fail to immune reconstitute despite optimal treatment. We hypothesized that regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in immunological reconstitution. Tregs and Treg subpopulations were measured in blood and Foxp3 cells in lymphoid tissue......, and the impact of Tregs on immunological reconstitution was determined. METHODS: HIV-infected individuals on combination antiretroviral therapy for a minimum of 2 years were included. The study population included 14 immunological nonresponders (INR; CD4 T-cell count .... In contrast, responders resembled healthy controls. Finally, in INR, high level of Tregs in blood and Foxp3 cells in lymphoid tissue were associated with higher level of immunological reconstitution after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, altered distribution of Tregs was found in INR...

Rheumatoid arthritis patients exhibit impaired Candida albicans-specific Th17 responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Bishu, Shrinivas; Su, Ee Wern; Wilkerson, Erich R; Reckley, Kelly A; Jones, Donald M; McGeachy, Mandy J; Gaffen, Sarah L; Levesque, Marc C

2014-02-11

Accumulating data implicate the CD4+ T cell subset (Th17 cells) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). IL-17 is an inflammatory cytokine that induces tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, IL-1β and IL-6, all of which are targets of biologic therapies used to treat RA. RA patients are well documented to experience more infections than age-matched controls, and biologic therapies further increase the risk of infection. The Th17/IL-17 axis is vital for immunity to fungi, especially the commensal fungus Candida albicans. Therefore, we were prompted to examine the relationship between RA and susceptibility to C. albicans because of the increasing interest in Th17 cells and IL-17 in driving autoimmunity, and the advent of new biologics that target this pathway. We analyzed peripheral blood and saliva from 48 RA and 33 healthy control subjects. To assess C. albicans-specific Th17 responses, PBMCs were co-cultured with heat-killed C. albicans extract, and IL-17A levels in conditioned supernatants were measured by ELISA. The frequency of Th17 and Th1 cells was determined by flow cytometry. As a measure of IL-17A-mediated effector responses, we evaluated C. albicans colonization rates in the oral cavity, salivary fungicidal activity and levels of the antimicrobial peptide β-defensin 2 (BD2) in saliva. Compared to controls, PBMCs from RA subjects exhibited elevated baseline production of IL-17A (P = 0.004), although they had similar capacity to produce IL-17A in response to Th17 cell differentiating cytokines (P = 0.91). However RA PBMCs secreted less IL-17A in response to C. albicans antigens (P = 0.006). Significantly more RA patients were colonized with C. albicans in the oral cavity than healthy subjects (P = 0.02). Concomitantly, RA saliva had reduced concentrations of salivary BD2 (P = 0.02). Nonetheless, salivary fungicidal activity was preserved in RA subjects (P = 0.70). RA subjects exhibit detectable impairments in oral immune responses to C. albicans, a

Immunological memory: What's in a name?

Science.gov (United States)

Pradeu, Thomas; Du Pasquier, Louis

2018-05-01

Immunological memory is one of the core topics of contemporary immunology. Yet there are many discussions about what this concept precisely means, which components of the immune system display it, and in which phyla it exists. Recent years have seen the multiplication of claims that immunological memory can be found in "innate" immune cells and in many phyla beyond vertebrates (including invertebrates, plants, but also bacteria and archaea), as well as the multiplication of concepts to account for these phenomena, such as "innate immune memory" or "trained immunity". The aim of this critical review is to analyze these recent claims and concepts, and to distinguish ideas that have often been misleadingly associated, such as memory, adaptive immunity, and specificity. We argue that immunological memory is a gradual and multidimensional phenomenon, irreducible to any simple dichotomy, and we show why adopting this new view matters from an experimental and therapeutic point of view. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Multiscale modelling in immunology: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cappuccio, Antonio; Tieri, Paolo; Castiglione, Filippo

2016-05-01

One of the greatest challenges in biomedicine is to get a unified view of observations made from the molecular up to the organism scale. Towards this goal, multiscale models have been highly instrumental in contexts such as the cardiovascular field, angiogenesis, neurosciences and tumour biology. More recently, such models are becoming an increasingly important resource to address immunological questions as well. Systematic mining of the literature in multiscale modelling led us to identify three main fields of immunological applications: host-virus interactions, inflammatory diseases and their treatment and development of multiscale simulation platforms for immunological research and for educational purposes. Here, we review the current developments in these directions, which illustrate that multiscale models can consistently integrate immunological data generated at several scales, and can be used to describe and optimize therapeutic treatments of complex immune diseases. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Intensive educational course in allergy and immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Elizalde, A; Perez, E E; Sriaroon, P; Nguyen, D; Lockey, R F; Dorsey, M J

2012-09-01

A one-day intensive educational course on allergy and immunology theory and diagnostic procedure significantly increased the competency of allergy and immunology fellows-in-training. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Failure to achieve immunological recovery in HIV-infected patients with clinical and virological success after 10 years of combined ART: role of treatment course.

Science.gov (United States)

Raffi, François; Le Moing, Vincent; Assuied, Alex; Habak, Sofiane; Spire, Bruno; Cazanave, Charles; Billaud, Eric; Dellamonica, Pierre; Ferry, Tristan; Fagard, Catherine; Leport, Catherine

2017-01-01

We assessed factors, including treatment course, associated with failure to obtain a 10 year immunological response after starting first-generation PI-containing combined ART (cART). In the prospective COPILOTE cohort of HIV-infected patients started on a first-generation PI-containing regimen in 1997-99, the impact of cART history on the failure to achieve immunological response measured at 10 years was assessed by multivariate logistic regression models in the 399 patients with clinical and virological success of cART. Failure of CD4 response (CD4 >500/mm 3 ) was associated with age ≥40 years at baseline (P failure to achieve complete immunological response (CD4 >500/mm 3 and CD4:CD8 ratio >1) were CD4:CD8 ratio ≤0.8 at month 8 (P success. Lack of treatment interruption may improve long-term immunological outcome in HIV infection. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Immunological and biological changes during ipilimumab treatment and their potential correlation with clinical response and survival in patients with advanced melanoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Simeone, Ester; Gentilcore, Giusy; Giannarelli, Diana; Grimaldi, Antonio M; Caracò, Corrado; Curvietto, Marcello; Esposito, Assunta; Paone, Miriam; Palla, Marco; Cavalcanti, Ernesta; Sandomenico, Fabio; Petrillo, Antonella; Botti, Gerardo; Fulciniti, Franco; Palmieri, Giuseppe; Queirolo, Paola; Marchetti, Paolo; Ferraresi, Virginia; Rinaldi, Gaetana; Pistillo, Maria Pia; Ciliberto, Gennaro; Mozzillo, Nicola; Ascierto, Paolo A

2014-07-01

Ipilimumab can induce durable disease control and long-term survival in patients with metastatic melanoma. Identification of a biomarker that correlates with clinical benefit and potentially provides an early marker of response is an active area of research. Ipilimumab was available upon physician request for patients aged ≥16 years with stage III (unresectable) or IV cutaneous, ocular or mucosal melanoma, who had failed or did not tolerate previous treatments and had no other therapeutic option available. Patients received ipilimumab 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks for four doses. Tumour assessments were conducted at baseline, Week 12 and Week 24 using immune-related response criteria. Patients were monitored continuously for adverse events (AEs), including immune-related AEs. Candidate immunological markers were evaluated in peripheral blood and sera samples collected at baseline and Weeks 4, 7, 10 and 12. Among 95 patients treated with ipilimumab 3 mg/kg, the immune-related disease control rate at Week 24 was 38 %. With a median follow-up of 24 months, median overall survival was 9.6 months. Both disease control and survival were significantly associated with decreasing levels of lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein and FoxP3/regulatory T cells, and increasing absolute lymphocyte count, between baseline and the end of dosing (Week 12). Ipilimumab is a feasible treatment option for heavily pretreated patients with metastatic melanoma. Changes in some immunological markers between baseline and the fourth ipilimumab infusion appear to be associated with disease control and survival, but verification in prospective clinical trials is required.

Egyptian Journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (The ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Focus and Scope. This journal is the official journal of the Egyptian Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. It is he first Egyptian Journal specialized in the field of allergy and immunology in the pediatric age group. It is a forum for the presentation and promotion of new researches in the field of allergy and immunology, ...

Egyptian Journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (The)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This journal is the official journal of the Egyptian Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. It is he first Egyptian Journal specialized in the field of allergy and immunology in the pediatric age group. It is a forum for the presentation and promotion of new researches in the field of allergy and immunology, for maintaining ...

Immunological and toxicological risk assessment of e-cigarettes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Gagandeep; Pinkston, Rakeysha; Mclemore, Benathel; Dorsey, Waneene C; Batra, Sanjay

2018-03-31

Knowledge of the long-term toxicological and immunological effects of e-cigarette (e-cig) aerosols remains elusive due to the relatively short existence of vaping. Therefore, we performed a systematic search of articles published in public databases and analysed the research evidence in order to provide critical information regarding e-cig safety. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (or e-cigs) are an alternative to traditional cigarettes for the delivery of nicotine and are typically filled with glycerol or propylene glycol-based solutions known as e-liquids. Though present in lower quantities, e-cig aerosols are known to contain many of the harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke. However, due to the paucity of experimental data and contradictory evidence, it is difficult to draw conclusive outcomes regarding toxicological, immunological and clinical impacts of e-cig aerosols. Excessive vaping has been reported to induce inflammatory responses including mitogen-activated protein kinase, Janus tyrosine kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription and nuclear factor-κB signalling, similar to that induced by tobacco smoke. Based on recent evidence, prolonged exposure to some constituents of e-cig aerosols might result in respiratory complications such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and inflammation. Future studies are warranted that focus on establishing correlations between e-cig types, generations and e-liquid flavours and immunological and toxicological profiles to broaden our understanding about the effects of vaping. Copyright ©ERS 2018.

Immunological and toxicological risk assessment of e-cigarettes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gagandeep Kaur

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Knowledge of the long-term toxicological and immunological effects of e-cigarette (e-cig aerosols remains elusive due to the relatively short existence of vaping. Therefore, we performed a systematic search of articles published in public databases and analysed the research evidence in order to provide critical information regarding e-cig safety. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (or e-cigs are an alternative to traditional cigarettes for the delivery of nicotine and are typically filled with glycerol or propylene glycol-based solutions known as e-liquids. Though present in lower quantities, e-cig aerosols are known to contain many of the harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke. However, due to the paucity of experimental data and contradictory evidence, it is difficult to draw conclusive outcomes regarding toxicological, immunological and clinical impacts of e-cig aerosols. Excessive vaping has been reported to induce inflammatory responses including mitogen-activated protein kinase, Janus tyrosine kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription and nuclear factor-κB signalling, similar to that induced by tobacco smoke. Based on recent evidence, prolonged exposure to some constituents of e-cig aerosols might result in respiratory complications such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and inflammation. Future studies are warranted that focus on establishing correlations between e-cig types, generations and e-liquid flavours and immunological and toxicological profiles to broaden our understanding about the effects of vaping.

A phase I study of combination vaccine treatment of five therapeutic epitope-peptides for metastatic colorectal cancer; safety, immunological response, and clinical outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Hazama, Shoichi; Nakamura, Yusuke; Takenouchi, Hiroko; Suzuki, Nobuaki; Tsunedomi, Ryouichi; Inoue, Yuka; Tokuhisa, Yoshihiro; Iizuka, Norio; Yoshino, Shigefumi; Takeda, Kazuyoshi; Shinozaki, Hirokazu; Kamiya, Akira; Furukawa, Hiroyuki; Oka, Masaaki

2014-03-10

To evaluate the safety of combination vaccine treatment of multiple peptides, phase I clinical trial was conducted for patients with advanced colorectal cancer using five novel HLA-A*2402-restricted peptides, three peptides derived from oncoantigens, ring finger protein 43 (RNF43), 34 kDa-translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane (TOMM34), and insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA binding protein 3 (KOC1), and the remaining two from angiogenesis factors, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) and VEGFR2. Eighteen HLA- A*2402-positive colorectal cancer patients who had failed to standard therapy were enrolled in this study. 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg or 3.0 mg each of the peptides was mixed with incomplete Freund's adjuvant and then subcutaneously injected at five separated sites once a week. We also examined possible effect of a single site injection of "the cocktail of 5 peptides" on the immunological responses. ELISPOT assay was performed before and after vaccinations in the schedule of every 4 weeks. The vaccine treatment using multiple peptides was well tolerated without any severe treatment-associated systemic adverse events. Dose-dependent induction of peptide-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes was observed. The single injection of "peptides cocktail" did not diminish the immunological responses. Regarding the clinical outcome, one patient achieved complete response and 6 patients revealed stable disease for 4 to 7 months. The median overall survival time (MST) was 13.5 months. Patients, in which we detected induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific to 3 or more peptides, revealed significantly better prognosis (MST; 27.8 months) than those with poorer immune responses (MST; 3.7 months) (p = 0.032). Our cancer vaccine treatment using multiple peptides is a promising approach for advanced colorectal cancer with the minimum risk of systemic adverse reactions. UMIN-CTR number UMIN000004948.

Immunology for rheumatology residents: working toward a Canadian national curriculum consensus.

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, Shirley L; Herman-Kideckel, Sari; Mahendira, Dharini; McDonald-Blumer, Heather

2015-01-01

Immunologic mechanisms play an integral role in understanding the pathogenesis and management of rheumatic conditions. Currently, there is limited access to formal instruction in immunology for rheumatology trainees across Canada. The aims of this study were (1) to describe current immunology curricula among adult rheumatology training programs across Canada and (2) to compare the perceived learning needs of rheumatology trainees from the perspective of program directors and trainees to help develop a focused nationwide immunology curriculum. Rheumatology trainees and program directors from adult rheumatology programs across Canada completed an online questionnaire and were asked to rank a comprehensive list of immunology topics. A modified Delphi approach was implemented to obtain consensus on immunology topics. Only 42% of program directors and 31% of trainees felt the current method of teaching immunology was effective. Results illustrate concordance between program directors and trainees for the highest-ranked immunology topics including innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and cells and tissues of the immune system. However, there was discordance among other topics, such as diagnostic laboratory immunology and therapeutics. There is a need to improve immunology teaching in rheumatology training programs. Results show high concordance between the basic immunology topics. This study provides the groundwork for development of future immunology curricula.

Roitt's essential immunology

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Delves, Peter J; Roitt, Ivan M

2011-01-01

... of the immune system, the hallmark easy-reading style of Roitt's Essential Immunology clearly explains the key principles needed by medical and health sciences students, from the basis of immunity to clinical applications...

Haematological and immunological indicators for radiation exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dehos, A.

1990-01-01

It is examined if haematological and immunological parameters can be used as biological indicators for radiation exposure. Additional criteria for biological indicators, apart from the dose dependence of the effect, are listed here. The state of the art concerning the development of haematological and immunological indicators is discussed. Several haematological indicators are currently used in diagnosis when excess radiation exposure has occurred (e.g., after the Chernobyl accident). However, further research work has to be done in the field of immunological indicators. (orig.) [de

21 CFR 866.5640 - Infectious mononucleosis immunological test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Infectious mononucleosis immunological test system....5640 Infectious mononucleosis immunological test system. (a) Identification. An infectious mononucleosis immunological test system is a device that consists of the reagents used to measure by...

Comparison of Th17 cells mediated immunological response among asthmatic children with or without allergic rhinitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Qing, Miao; Yongge, Liu; Wei, Xu; Yan, Wang; Zhen, Li; Yixin, Ren; Hui, Guan; Li, Xiang

2018-03-31

To investigate whether there were differences in Th17 cells mediated immunological responses among asthmatics with or without allergic rhinitis. A case-control comparison was conducted in a cohort of 67 children with asthma (AS), 50 children with allergic rhinitis (AR), 52 children with both AS and AR (ASR), 25 infectious rhinitis (IR), and 55 healthy controls (HC). The percentages of circulating Th17 cells were determined by flow cytometry. The Th2- and Th17-related cytokines in plasma and culture supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of proinflammation cytokine IL-17E on Th2 cytokines production from human T helper (Th) lymphocytes was analyzed. (1) A inter-group comparison revealed that Th17 cells levels were highest in ASR group [(0.89% ± 0.27) %], following by AS group [(0.82 ± 0.29) %] and AR group[(0.78 ± 0.17) %] (Pimmunological characteristics among asthmatic children with or without allergic rhinitis.

Overcoming immunological barriers in regenerative medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Zakrzewski, Johannes L; van den Brink, Marcel R M; Hubbell, Jeffrey A

2014-08-01

Regenerative therapies that use allogeneic cells are likely to encounter immunological barriers similar to those that occur with transplantation of solid organs and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Decades of experience in clinical transplantation hold valuable lessons for regenerative medicine, offering approaches for developing tolerance-induction treatments relevant to cell therapies. Outside the field of solid-organ and allogeneic HSC transplantation, new strategies are emerging for controlling the immune response, such as methods based on biomaterials or mimicry of antigen-specific peripheral tolerance. Novel biomaterials can alter the behavior of cells in tissue-engineered constructs and can blunt host immune responses to cells and biomaterial scaffolds. Approaches to suppress autoreactive immune cells may also be useful in regenerative medicine. The most innovative solutions will be developed through closer collaboration among stem cell biologists, transplantation immunologists and materials scientists.

Systems immunology: just getting started

OpenAIRE

Davis, Mark M; Tato, Cristina M; Furman, David

2017-01-01

Systems-biology approaches in immunology take various forms, but here we review strategies for measuring a broad swath of immunological functions as a means of discovering previously unknown relationships and phenomena and as a powerful way of understanding the immune system as a whole. This approach has rejuvenated the field of vaccine development and has fostered hope that new ways will be found to combat infectious diseases that have proven refractory to classical approaches. Systems immun...

Present-day problems of nuclear medicine in immunology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agranat, V.Z.; Rossel's, A.N.; Balyura, A.V.

1990-01-01

The authors describe in a systemic order the potentialities of the use of nuclear medicine methods in immunology. Two fields of their application were singled out: experimental and clinical immunology, each one including in vivo and in vitro methods. The authors cited examples of their use, emphasizing the importance and prospects of radioimmunoassays for determination of the level of hormones in patients with various immunological pathology

Therapeutic Effects of Bee Venom on Immunological and Neurological Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Deok-Sang; Kim, Sun Kwang; Bae, Hyunsu

2015-06-29

Bee Venom (BV) has long been used in Korea to relieve pain symptoms and to treat inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. The underlying mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions of BV have been proved to some extent. Additionally, recent clinical and experimental studies have demonstrated that BV and BV-derived active components are applicable to a wide range of immunological and neurodegenerative diseases, including autoimmune diseases and Parkinson's disease. These effects of BV are known to be mediated by modulating immune cells in the periphery, and glial cells and neurons in the central nervous system. This review will introduce the scientific evidence of the therapeutic effects of BV and its components on several immunological and neurological diseases, and describe their detailed mechanisms involved in regulating various immune responses and pathological changes in glia and neurons.

Immunological reactivity of patients with malignant tumor of the head and neck, 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakaguchi, Kosaku; Okuda, Minoru; Tomiyama, Shunichi

1981-01-01

Before and after two different methods of treatment (operation and radiation), humoral and cellular immunities were examined in patients with head and neck cancer. Variation of immunological reactivity exhibited different patterns between the two groups, even when malignant tumors disappeared. In the operation group, humoral immunities were elevated in terms of the serum levels of α 2 -globulin, complement (CH 50 ), IgA, IgG and Carcinoembrionic Antigen (CEA). Cellular immunities, however, showed no change. In the irradiation group, humoral immunities were not changed, but cellular immunities were significantly depressed showing decreases in the number of peripheral lymphocytes and in the degree of PHA-induced lymphocyte transformation. The above-mentioned patterns of immunological changes were observed in patients without cancer as well. The elevated humoral immunity in the operation group recovered to the pre-treatment level within a few months, whereas the suppressed cellular immunity in the irradiation group was presumed to persist for a longer time. (author)

Immunology update: topics in basic and clinically applied reproductive immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, J S

1996-05-01

A postgraduate course covering basic and clinical reproductive immunology was held in Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A., on March 19, 1996, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Society for Gynecological Investigation. The course was organized and chaired by Joseph A. Hill.

Prognostic value of immunologic abnormalities and HIV antigenemia in asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals: proposal of immunologic staging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hofmann, B; Bygbjerg, Ib Christian; Dickmeiss, E

1989-01-01

The prognostic value of various immunologic tests was investigated in 150 HIV-seropositive homosexual men, who were initially without HIV-related symptoms or AIDS and who were followed for a median of 12 months (range 3-28 months). The laboratory investigations included HIV antigen in serum, total...... lymphocyte count, T-helper (CD4) and T-cytotoxic/suppressor (CD8) counts, and lymphocyte transformation responses to the mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and to antigenic extracts from Candida albicans and cytomegalovirus. 24 individuals developed HIV-related symptoms or AIDS (11...... cases). All parameters except the CD8 count were of prognostic value, but a multivariate analysis of symptom-free survival showed that HIV antigenemia, a CD4 count less than 0.5 x 10(9)/l, and relative response to PWM below 25% of controls contained all the prognostic information. Individuals abnormal...

Graduate Students' Interest in Immunology as a Discipline

Science.gov (United States)

Kwarteng, Alexander; Frimpong, Michael; Sylverken, Augustina Angelina; Arthur, Yarhands D.; Ahuno, Samuel T.; Owusu-Dabo, Ellis

2017-01-01

Interest and motivation significantly influence achievement; however, interest in immunology remains to be determined. Using a structured questionnaire, the current study assessed for the first time interest in immunology among biomedical graduate students in Ghana after a one-week introduction to immunology course. Our results revealed that…

Widespread immunological functions of mast cells: fact or fiction?

Science.gov (United States)

Rodewald, Hans-Reimer; Feyerabend, Thorsten B

2012-07-27

Immunological functions of mast cells are currently considered to be much broader than the original role of mast cells in IgE-driven allergic disease. The spectrum of proposed mast cell functions includes areas as diverse as the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses, protective immunity against viral, microbial, and parasitic pathogens, autoimmunity, tolerance to graft rejection, promotion of or protection from cancer, wound healing, angiogenesis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and others. The vast majority of in vivo mast cell data have been based on mast cell-deficient Kit mutant mice. However, work in new mouse mutants with unperturbed Kit function, which have a surprisingly normal immune system, has failed to corroborate some key immunological aspects, formerly attributed to mast cells. Here, we consider the implications of these recent developments for the state of the field as well as for future work, aiming at deciphering the physiological functions of mast cells. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Particularities of the human genome immunological effects under radiogenic stress conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coretchi, L.

2010-01-01

In this paper the immunological effects and individual dosimeter control results of the occupationally exposed workers (OEW) employed in the radiological therapy and radiological diagnostic are presented. The peripheral blood lymphocytes immunological phenotypization has been made by using monoclonal antibodies ('Sorbent' LTD, Moscow, Russia). The number of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+, CD19+ T-lymphocytes and CDHLA DR has been determined by utilizing 'FACS-COUNT' flow cytometry and 'LOMO' luminescent microscope. Length of service (seniority) in the radiogenic stress conditions, age and individual accumulated doses of the OEW were taken into consideration during the results' analysis. The thermoluminescent dosimeters have been used in the process of individual dosimeter monitoring of the OEW. A data base was created in Access and afterwards exported to Microsoft Excel, the latter being used for descriptive statistic. The results demonstrated the general dysfunction of the OEW immunological system, which manifested itself through the diminution, balance or co-expression of the superficial determinants responsible with immunity system. The individual doses of the investigated OEW were within admissible levels according to Fundamental Norms of Radiation Protection standards. (authors)

European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology task force report on 'dose-response relationship in allergen-specific immunotherapy'.

Science.gov (United States)

Calderón, M A; Larenas, D; Kleine-Tebbe, J; Jacobsen, L; Passalacqua, G; Eng, P A; Varga, E M; Valovirta, E; Moreno, C; Malling, H J; Alvarez-Cuesta, E; Durham, S; Demoly, P

2011-10-01

For a century, allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) has proven to be an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and insect sting allergy. However, as allergen doses are frequently adapted to the individual patient, there are few data on dose-response relationship in SIT. Allergen products for SIT are being increasingly required to conform to regulatory requirements for human medicines, which include the need to demonstrate dose-dependent effects. This report, produced by a Task Force of the EAACI Immunotherapy Interest Group, evaluates the currently available data on dose-response relationships in SIT and aims to provide recommendations for the design of future studies. Fifteen dose-ranging studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and twelve reported a dose-response relationship for clinical efficacy. Several studies also reported a dose-response relationship for immunological and safety endpoints. Due to the use of different reference materials and methodologies for the determination of allergen content, variations in study design, and choice of endpoints, no comparisons could be made between studies and, as a consequence, no general dosing recommendations can be made. Despite recently introduced guidelines on the standardization of allergen preparations and study design, the Task Force identified a need for universally accepted standards for the measurement of allergen content in SIT preparations, dosing protocols, and selection of clinical endpoints to enable dose-response effects to be compared across studies. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Immunological effects in acute radiation sickness reconvalescents - results of thirteen years of follow-up

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chumak, A.A.; Bazyka, D.A.; Belyaeva, N.V.; Azarskova, M.B.; Minchenko, Zh.N.; Pleskach, O.Ya.; Mishchenko, L.P.

2000-01-01

For immunological follow-up of people who had suffered from acute radiation sickness in 1986 connected with the Chernobyl NPP accident different immunological reactions were used. Both in the period of early recovery and remote reconvalescence period people had changes in expression of lymphocytes surface antigens, suggesting that even in the cases of satisfactory compensations functional reserves of immune system was narrow. Correlations with absorbed doses and somatic mutations in the locus of T-cell receptor were found. Results of the study suggested that individual characteristics of postirradiation recovery depended both on absorbed doses and genetically determined responses on the radiation hazard

Medical immunology: two-way bridge connecting bench and bedside.

Science.gov (United States)

Rijkers, Ger T; Damoiseaux, Jan G M C; Hooijkaas, Herbert

2014-12-01

Medical immunology in The Netherlands is a laboratory specialism dealing with immunological analyses as well as pre- and post-analytical consultation to clinicians (clinical immunologists and other specialists) involved in patients with immune mediated diseases. The scope of medical immunology includes immunodeficiencies, autoimmune diseases, allergy, transfusion and transplantation immunology, and lymphoproliferative disorders plus the monitoring of these patients. The training, professional criteria, quality control of procedures and laboratories is well organized. As examples of the bridge function of medical immunology between laboratory (bench) and patient (bedside) the contribution of medical immunologists to diagnosis and treatment of primary immunodeficiency diseases (in particular: humoral immunodeficiencies) as well as autoantibodies (anti-citrullinated proteins in rheumatoid arthritis) are given. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antioxidative and immunological responses in the haemolymph of wolf spider Xerolycosa nemoralis (Lycosidae) exposed to starvation and dimethoate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stalmach, Monika; Wilczek, Grażyna; Homa, Joanna; Szulinska, Elżbieta

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the intensity of enzymatic antioxidative parameters [catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSTPx), glutathione reductase (GR), total antioxidant capacity (TAC)] and percentage of high granularity cells as well as low to medium granularity cells in haemolymph of wolf spiders Xerolycosa nemoralis exposed to starvation and dimethoate under laboratory conditions. Only in starved males, haemolymph included a lower percentage of high granularity cells, accompanied by high activity of CAT and GSTPx, than in the control. Exposure of males to dimethoate increased CAT activity, after single application, and significantly enhanced GR activity, after five-time application. In females, five-time contact with dimethoate elevated the percentage of high granularity cells. As in comparison to females, male X. nemoralis were more sensitive to the applied stressing factors, it may be concluded that in natural conditions both food deficiency and chemical stress may diminish the immune response of their organisms. - Highlights: • Starvation of males diminishes their immunological potential. • Females, compared with males, are less sensitive to starvation and dimethoate. • Antioxidative responses are stronger in starvation than after dimethoate intoxication. - The level of antioxidative response and quantitative changes of haemocytes in the haemolymph of wolf spider Xerolycosa nemoralis (Lycosidae) depend on the stressor and gender.

Comparative immunology of allergic responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Gershwin, Laurel J

2015-01-01

Allergic responses occur in humans, rodents, non-human primates, avian species, and all of the domestic animals. These responses are mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies that bind to mast cells and cause release/synthesis of potent mediators. Clinical syndromes include naturally occurring asthma in humans and cats; atopic dermatitis in humans, dogs, horses, and several other species; food allergies; and anaphylactic shock. Experimental induction of asthma in mice, rats, monkeys, sheep, and cats has helped to reveal mechanisms of pathogenesis of asthma in humans. All of these species share the ability to develop a rapid and often fatal response to systemic administration of an allergen--anaphylactic shock. Genetic predisposition to development of allergic disease (atopy) has been demonstrated in humans, dogs, and horses. Application of mouse models of IgE-mediated allergic asthma has provided evidence for a role of air pollutants (ozone, diesel exhaust, environmental tobacco smoke) in enhanced sensitization to allergens.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder children exhibit an impaired accommodative response.

Science.gov (United States)

Redondo, Beatriz; Vera, Jesús; Molina, Rubén; García, José Antonio; Ouadi, Miriam; Muñoz-Hoyos, Antonio; Jiménez, Raimundo

2018-05-01

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common paediatric neurobehavioural disorders causing multiple functional impairments in children. Based on the relationship between the neural system that controls attention and ocular dynamics, the present study compares the magnitude and variability of accommodation between a group of non-medicated ADHD children and an age-matched control group. The magnitude and variability of the accommodative response were objectively measured in 36 children using the WAM-5500 autorefractometer for 90 consecutive seconds at three static viewing distances (500, 40, and 20 cm). Participants were divided into ADHD (n = 18) or control (n = 18) groups based on clinically validated criteria. Children with ADHD exhibited higher lags of accommodation (p = 0.024), increasing at closer viewing distances, in comparison to the control group. Marginal statistical differences were found for the variability of accommodation (p = 0.066), with the ADHD group showing a trend towards higher variability. Our analysis showed that the magnitude and variability of accommodation did not vary over time between groups (p > 0.05). Our data suggest that children with ADHD have a less accurate accommodative response. These results provide a new ocular index that could help to clarify the relationship between accommodative response and attentional deficits, which could have a direct impact on the academic, cognitive, and visual performance of ADHD children.

21 CFR 866.5230 - Colostrum immunological test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Immunological Test Systems § 866.5230... colostrum. Colostrum is a substance excreted by the mammary glands during pregnancy and until production of...

Pediatric allergy and immunology in Israel.

Science.gov (United States)

Geller-Bernstein, Carmi; Etzioni, Amos

2013-03-01

After the geographic and sociodemographic settings as well as the health care in Israel are briefly described, the scope of pediatric allergy and immunology in Israel is presented. This includes specific disorders commonly encountered, the environment that induces symptoms, the specialists who treat them, and the common challenges of patients, parents, doctors, and allied health personnel who collaborate to manage the maladies and patient care. Allergies usually affect some overall 15-20% of the pediatric population. The main allergens are inhaled, ingested, or injected (insects stings). Generally, the incidence of the various allergens affecting children in Israel, is similar to other parts of the Western world. Owing to the high consanguinity rate in the Israeli population, the prevalence of the various immunodeficiency conditions (in the adaptive as well as the innate system) is higher than that reported worldwide. Pediatric allergists/immunologists also treat autoimmune disorders affecting the pediatric group. Pediatric allergy and clinical immunology are not separate specialties. The 25 specialists who treat children with allergic/immunologic diseases have undergone a basic training in Pediatrics. They also received an additional 2-yr training in allergy and clinical immunology and then have to pass the board examinations. They work mainly in pediatric allergy units, in several hospitals that are affiliated to the five medical schools in the country. Aside from clinical work, most of the centers are also heavily involved in clinical and basic research in allergy and immunology. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Pediatric allergy and immunology in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tozzi, Alberto E; Armenio, Lucio; Bernardini, Roberto; Boner, Attilio; Calvani, Mauro; Cardinale, Fabio; Cavagni, Giovanni; Dondi, Arianna; Duse, Marzia; Fiocchi, Alessandro; Marseglia, Gian L; del Giudice, Michele Miraglia; Muraro, Antonella; Pajno, Giovanni B; Paravati, Francesco; Peroni, Diego; Tripodi, Salvatore; Ugazio, Alberto G; Indinnimeo, Luciana

2011-05-01

In Italy, according to the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood study, the prevalence of current asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic eczema in 2006 was 7.9%, 6.5%, and 10.1% among children aged 6-7 and 8.4%, 15.5%, and 7.75% among children aged 13-14 yr. University education in this field is provided by the Postgraduate Schools of Pediatrics and those of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, as well as several annual Master courses. The Italian Society of Pediatric Allergology and Immunology (SIAIP) was founded in 1996 and counts about 1000 members. SIAIP promotes evidence-based management of allergic children and disseminates information to patients and their families through a quite innovative website and the National Journal 'Rivista Italiana di Allergologia Pediatrica'. In the last decade, four major regional, inter-regional, and national web-based networks have been created to link pediatric allergy centers and to share their clinical protocols and epidemiologic data. In addition, National Registers of Primary Immune-deficiencies and on Pediatric HIV link all clinical excellence centers. Research projects in the field of pediatric allergy and immunology are founded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) and by the National Research Council (CNR), but the overall investments in this research area are quite low. Only a handful Italian excellence centers participate in European Projects on Pediatric Allergy and Immunology within the 7th Framework Program. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology currently hosts two Italians in its Executive Committee (EC) and one in the EC of the Pediatric Section; moreover, major European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology meetings and courses in the area of pediatrics (e.g., PAAM, Venice, 2009) have been held in Italy in the last 3 yr. Italian hallmarks in the management of allergic diseases in childhood are a quite alive and spread interest in

Pathobiochemical, hematological and immunological findings in pigs with an acute radiation syndrome showing only a few clinical symptoms. 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rose, H.; Arndt, A.; Wolf, G.; Neumeister, K.; Riessbeck, K.H.; Gold, F.; Barth, J.; Baumann, H.; Niemiec, C.; Soelter, B.; Schwedt, P.

1978-01-01

Depending on time after irradiation, T lymphocytes and the immunological response of lymphocytes was estimated in store pigs after whole-body irradiation (2 Gy). Using the rosette technique a significant decrease of the T-lymphocytes was found from the second to the sixth day after irradiation. Both the leukocyte-migration test (LMT) and the leukocyte-adherence-inhibition test (LAI) led to a diminished immunological response of the lymphocytes up to 9 days after irradiation. It is concluded that the resistance is diminished in the first week after irradiation, even when only a few clinical symptoms of radiation syndrome are present. (author)

Advances in asthma, allergy and immunology series 2004: basic and clinical immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chinen, Javier; Shearer, William T

2004-08-01

This review highlights some of the most significant advances in basic and clinical immunology that were published from August 2002 to December 2003, focusing on manuscripts that appeared in the Journal. Articles selected were those considered most relevant to Journal readers. With regard to basic immunology, this report includes articles describing FcepsilonRI expression in mucosal Langerhans cells and type II dendritic cells, mechanisms of TH1 and TH2 regulation, the role of Foxp3 in the development of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells, and the increasing importance of Toll receptors in immunity. Articles related to clinical immunology that were selected include the first report of lymphocyte subsets values from a large cohort of normal children; the description of new genetic defects in primary immunodeficiencies; a description of the complications of gene therapy for X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency; a report of 79 patients with hyper-IgM syndrome; a report of the mechanism of action and complications of intravenous immunoglobulin; a report of new approaches for immunotherapy; and an article on advances in HIV infection and management, including a report of defensins, small molecules with anti-HIV properties. Also summarized is an article that studied the immune system during a prolonged stay in the Antarctic, a model for human studies on the effect of environmental conditions similar to space expeditions.

Selenium Pretreatment Alleviated LPS-Induced Immunological Stress Via Upregulation of Several Selenoprotein Encoding Genes in Murine RAW264.7 Cells.

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Wang, Longqiong; Jing, Jinzhong; Yan, Hui; Tang, Jiayong; Jia, Gang; Liu, Guangmang; Chen, Xiaoling; Tian, Gang; Cai, Jingyi; Shang, Haiying; Zhao, Hua

2018-04-18

This study was conducted to profile selenoprotein encoding genes in mouse RAW264.7 cells upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge and integrate their roles into immunological regulation in response to selenium (Se) pretreatment. LPS was used to develop immunological stress in macrophages. Cells were pretreated with different levels of Se (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 μmol Se/L) for 2 h, followed by LPS (100 ng/mL) stimulation for another 3 h. The mRNA expression of 24 selenoprotein encoding genes and 9 inflammation-related genes were investigated. The results showed that LPS (100 ng/mL) effectively induced immunological stress in RAW264.7 cells with induced inflammation cytokines, IL-6 and TNF-α, mRNA expression, and cellular secretion. LPS increased (P immunological stress in RAW264.7 cells accompanied with the global downregulation of selenoprotein encoding genes and Se pretreatment alleviated immunological stress via upregulation of a subset of selenoprotein encoding genes.

42 CFR 493.837 - Standard; General immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; General immunology. 493.837 Section 493.837 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... These Tests § 493.837 Standard; General immunology. (a) Failure to attain a score of at least 80 percent...

Sex-driven differences in immunological responses: challenges and opportunities for the immunotherapies of the third millennium.

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Mirandola, Leonardo; Wade, Raymond; Verma, Rashmi; Pena, Camilo; Hosiriluck, Nattamol; Figueroa, Jose A; Cobos, Everardo; Jenkins, Marjorie R; Chiriva-Internati, Maurizio

2015-03-01

Male-based studies, both at the biochemical and at the pre-clinical/clinical trial levels, still predominate in the scientific community. Many studies are based on the wrong assumption that both sexes are fundamentally identical in their response to treatments. As a result, findings obtained mainly in males are applied to females, resulting in negative consequences female patients. In cancer immunotherapy, there is still a scarce focus on this topic. Here we review the main differences in immune modulation and immune system biology between males and females with a particular focus on how these differences affect cancer immunotherapy and cancer vaccines. We reviewed articles published on PubMed from 1999 to 2014, using the keywords: sex hormones, immune response, estrogen, immunotherapy, testosterone, cancer vaccines, sex-based medicine. We also present new data wherein the expression of the cancer testis antigen, Ropporin-1, was determined in patients with multiple myeloma, showing that the expression of Ropporin-1 was influenced by sex. Male and female immune systems display radical differences mainly due to the immune regulatory effects of sex hormones. These differences might have a dramatic impact on the immunological treatment of cancer. Moreover, the expression of tumor antigens that can be targeted by anti-cancer vaccines is associated with sex. Future clinical trials focusing on cancer immunotherapy will need to take into account the differences in the immune response and in the frequency of target antigen expression between male and females, in order to optimize these anti-cancer immunotherapies of the third millennium.

Immunological responses of the mangrove oysters Crassostrea gasar naturally infected by Perkinsus sp. in the Mamanguape Estuary, Paraíba state (Northeastern, Brazil).

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Queiroga, Fernando Ramos; Marques-Santos, Luis Fernando; Hégaret, Hélène; Soudant, Philippe; Farias, Natanael Dantas; Schlindwein, Aline Daiane; Mirella da Silva, Patricia

2013-08-01

Perkinsus genus includes protozoan parasites of marine mollusks, especially bivalves. In the last four years, this parasite has been detected in mangrove oysters Crassostrea rhizophorae and Crassostrea gasar from the Northeastern region of Brazil. Hemocytes are the key cells of the oyster immune system, being responsible for a variety of cellular and humoral reactions, such as phagocytosis, encapsulation and the release of several effector molecules that control the invasion and proliferation of microorganisms. In Brazil, there is little information on perkinsosis and none on the immune responses of native oysters' species against Perkinsus spp. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of natural infection by Perkinsus sp. on the immunological parameters of mangrove oysters C. gasar cultured in the Mamanguape River Estuary (Paraíba, Brazil). Adults oysters (N = 40/month) were sampled in December 2011, March, May, August and October 2012. Gills were removed and used to determine the presence and intensity of the Perkinsus sp. infection, according to a scale of four levels (1-4), using the Ray's fluid thioglycollate medium assay. Immunological parameters were measured in hemolymph samples by flow cytometry, including: total hemocyte count (THC), differential hemocyte count (DHC), cell mortality, phagocytic capacity, and production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). The plasma was used to determine the hemagglutination activity. The results showed the occurrence of Perkinsus sp. with the highest mean prevalence (93.3%) seen so far in oyster populations in Brazil. Despite that, no oyster mortality was associated. In contrast, we observed an increase in hemocyte mortality and a suppression of two of the main defense mechanisms, phagocytosis and ROS production in infected oysters. The increase in the percentage of blast-like cells on the hemolymph, and the increase in THC in oysters heavily infected (at the maximum intensity, 4) suggest an induction of

Update in clinical allergy and immunology.

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von Gunten, S; Marsland, B J; von Garnier, C; Simon, D

2012-12-01

In the recent years, a tremendous body of studies has addressed a broad variety of distinct topics in clinical allergy and immunology. In this update, we discuss selected recent data that provide clinically and pathogenetically relevant insights or identify potential novel targets and strategies for therapy. The role of the microbiome in shaping allergic immune responses and molecular, as well as cellular mechanisms of disease, is discussed separately and in the context of atopic dermatitis, as an allergic model disease. Besides summarizing novel evidence, this update highlights current areas of uncertainties and debates that, as we hope, shall stimulate scientific discussions and research activities in the field. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Immunological Enhancement of Interferon Alpha Treatment to Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation in Irradiated Rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, E.M.; Abd El-Naby, Y.H.

2011-01-01

The Influence of the biological response modifiers: interferon alpha (IFN-α) and bone marrow transplantation (BMT) on stimulation of blood cell recovery and boosting the immunological response were investigated in this work. Male rats received BMT 3 h post total body ?-irradiation of 5 Gy and were injected with 10 units of IFN-α weekly for 5 weeks. Irradiation induced a significant decrease in blood parameters, reduced glutathione (GSH) as well as bone marrow lymphocyte count and viability. Immunological data revealed that tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) recorded a significant depression while lipid peroxidation (MDA) was conversely elevated. White blood cells (WBC), erythrocytes (RBC), haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (Hct), lymphocytes and GSH in irradiated animals receiving BMT and IFN-α, were significantly elevated, while MDA was significantly depressed as compared to the irradiated group. Bone marrow lymphocytic count and viability percentage were significantly increased while IL-2 and TNF-α were normalized. The curative action of IFN-α enforcing significant innate response could trigger and augment adaptive immune response by bone marrow transplantation. Such therapies boosting both components of immunity would be considered a potential strategy for irradiation treatment

Is Graves' disease a primary immunodeficiency? New immunological perspectives on an endocrine disease.

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Struja, Tristan; Kutz, Alexander; Fischli, Stefan; Meier, Christian; Mueller, Beat; Recher, Mike; Schuetz, Philipp

2017-09-25

Uncertainty about factors influencing the susceptibility and triggers for Graves' disease persists, along with a wide variation in the response to anti-thyroid drugs, currently at approximately 50% of non-responders. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize immunological concepts, with a combined endocrine and immunological perspective, to highlight potential new areas of research. Relevant studies were identified through a systematic literature search using the PubMed and EMBASE databases in March 2016. No cut-offs regarding dates were imposed. We used the terms "Graves' Disease" or "Basedow" or "thyrotoxicosis" together with the terms "etiology", "pathophysiology", "immunodeficiency", "causality", and "autoimmunity". The terms "orbitopathy", "ophthalmopathy", and "amiodarone" were excluded. Articles in English, French, German, Croatian, Spanish, and Italian were eligible for inclusion. While concepts such as the impact of iodine, smoking, human leucocyte antigen, infections, and ethnicity are established, new ideas have emerged. Pertaining evidence suggests the involvement of autoimmunity and immunodeficiency in the pathophysiology of Graves' disease. Recent studies point to specific immunological mechanisms triggering the onset of disease, which may also serve as targets for more specific therapies.

Tumor Immunology meets…Immunology: Modified cancer cells as professional APC for priming naïve tumor-specific CD4+ T cells.

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Bou Nasser Eddine, Farah; Ramia, Elise; Tosi, Giovanna; Forlani, Greta; Accolla, Roberto S

2017-01-01

Although recent therapeutic approaches have revitalized the enthusiasm of the immunological way to combat cancer, still the comprehension of immunity against tumors is largely incomplete. Due to their specific function, CD8+ T cells with cytolytic activity (CTL) have attracted the attention of most investigators because CTL are considered the main effectors against tumor cells. Nevertheless, CTL activity and persistence is largely dependent on the action of CD4+ T helper cells (TH). Thus establishment of tumor-specific TH cell response is key to the optimal response against cancer. Here we describe emerging new strategies to increase the TH cell recognition of tumor antigens. In particular, we review recent data indicating that tumor cells themselves can act as surrogate antigen presenting cells for triggering TH response and how these findings can help in constructing immunotherapeutic protocols for anti-cancer vaccine development.

Novel processing of Barkhausen noise signal for assessment of residual stress in surface ground components exhibiting poor magnetic response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vashista, M.; Paul, S.

2011-01-01

The Barkhausen Noise Analysis (BNA) technique has been utilised to assess surface integrity of steels. But the BNA technique is not very successful in evaluating surface integrity of ground steels that exhibit poor micro-magnetic response. A new approach has been proposed for the processing of BN signal and two newly proposed parameters, namely 'count' and 'event', have been shown to correlate linearly with the residual stress upon grinding, with judicious choice of user defined 'threshold', even when the micro-magnetic response of the work material is poor. In the present study, residual stress induced upon conventional plunge surface grinding of hardened bearing steel has been investigated along with unhardened bearing steel for benchmarking. Moreover, similar correlation has been established, when primarily compressive stress is induced upon high speed grinding using cBN wheel with moderately deep cut suppressing the micro-magnetic response from the ground medium carbon steel as the work material. - Highlights: → The problem of work materials exhibiting poor BN response and poor Barkhausen Noise response is identified. → A novel signal processing strategy is introduced to address the issue of poor micro-magnetic response of some ferromagnetic material. → Potential of newly introduced BN parameters has been studied. → These two BN parameters exhibited linear correlation with residual stress for work material with poor micro-magnetic response.

50 years of Dutch immunology--founders, institutions, highlights.

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Gmelig-Meyling, Frits H J; Meyaard, Linde; Mebius, Reina E

2014-12-01

At the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Dutch Society for Immunology (DSI, de Nederlandse Vereniging voor Immunologie), this contribution deals with some highlights of 50 years of Immunology in the Netherlands. It narrates about the founders and first board members of the DSI, their institutes, progeny and patrimony, describes major centers of immunological activities, mentions key persons in the field, and touches upon some events dear to the Society and its members. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wearing red for signaling: the heme-bach axis in heme metabolism, oxidative stress response and iron immunology.

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Igarashi, Kazuhiko; Watanabe-Matsui, Miki

2014-04-01

The connection between gene regulation and metabolism is an old issue that warrants revisiting in order to understand both normal as well as pathogenic processes in higher eukaryotes. Metabolites affect the gene expression by either binding to transcription factors or serving as donors for post-translational modification, such as that involving acetylation and methylation. The focus of this review is heme, a prosthetic group of proteins that includes hemoglobin and cytochromes. Heme has been shown to bind to several transcription factors, including Bach1 and Bach2, in higher eukaryotes. Heme inhibits the transcriptional repressor activity of Bach1, resulting in the derepression of its target genes, such as globin in erythroid cells and heme oxygenase-1 in diverse cell types. Since Bach2 is important for class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin genes as well as regulatory and effector T cell differentiation and the macrophage function, the heme-Bach2 axis may regulate the immune response as a signaling cascade. We discuss future issues regarding the topic of the iron/heme-gene regulation network based on current understanding of the heme-Bach axis, including the concept of "iron immunology" as the synthesis of the iron metabolism and the immune response.

The immunological synapse

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klemmensen, Thomas; Pedersen, Lars Ostergaard; Geisler, Carsten

2003-01-01

. A distinct 3-dimensional supramolecular structure at the T cell/APC interface has been suggested to be involved in the information transfer. Due to its functional analogy to the neuronal synapse, the structure has been termed the "immunological synapse" (IS). Here, we review molecular aspects concerning...

Immunological response to quadrivalent HPV vaccine in treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

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Tjon Pian Gi, Robin E A; San Giorgi, Michel R M; Pawlita, Michael; Michel, Angelika; van Hemel, Bettien M; Schuuring, Ed M D; van den Heuvel, Edwin R; van der Laan, Bernard F A M; Dikkers, Frederik G

2016-10-01

Aim of this study was to explore influence of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil(®)) on the immune status of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) patients. In retrospective observational study, six RRP patients who received the quadrivalent HPV vaccine and whose HPV seroreactivity was measured were included. Multiplex HPV Serology was used to determine HPV-specific antibodies pre- and post-vaccination. Surgical interventions and patient records were analyzed. Five HPV6 and 1 HPV11 infected patient were included. Mean antibody reactivity against the associated HPV type rose from 1125 median fluorescence intensity (MFI) pre-vaccination to 4690 MFI post-vaccination (p immunological increase can cause decrease in number of surgeries.

Evaluating immunologic response and clinical deterioration in treatment-naïve patients initiating first-line therapies infected with HIV-1 CRF01_AE and subtype B

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Oyomopito, Rebecca A.; Li, Patrick CK.; Sungkanuparph, Somnuek; Phanuphak, Praphan; Tee, Kok Keng; Sirisanthana, Thira; Kantipong, Pacharee; Oka, Shinichi; Lee, Chris KC.; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Choi, Jun Yong; Sohn, Annette H.; Law, Matthew; Chen, Yi-Ming A.

2012-01-01

Background HIV-1 group M viruses diverge 25%–35% in envelope, important for viral attachment during infection, and 10–15% in the pol region, under selection pressure from common antiretrovirals. In Asia, subtypes B and CRF01_AE are common genotypes. Our objectives were to determine whether clinical, immunologic or virologic treatment responses differed by genotype in treatment-naïve patients initiating first-line therapy. Methods Prospectively collected, longitudinal data from patients in Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea were provided for analysis. Covariates included demographics, hepatitis B and C coinfections, baseline CD4 T lymphocyte count and plasma HIV-1 RNA levels. Clinical deterioration (a new diagnosis of CDC category B/AIDS-defining illness or death) was assessed by proportional hazards models. Surrogate endpoints were 12-month change in CD4 cell count and virologic suppression post-therapy, evaluated by linear and logistic regression, respectively. Results Of 1105 patients, 1036 (93.8%) infected with CRF01_AE or subtype B were eligible for inclusion in clinical deterioration analyses and contributed 1546.7 person-years of follow-up (median:413 days, IQR:169–672 days). Patients >40 years demonstrated smaller immunological increases (p=0.002) and higher risk of clinical deterioration (HR=2.17; p=0.008). Patients with baseline CD4 cell counts >200 cells/μL had lower risk of clinical deterioration (HR=0.373; p=0.003). A total of 532 patients (48.1% of eligible) had CD4 counts available at baseline and 12 months post-therapy for inclusion in immunolgic analyses. Patients infected with subtype B had larger increases in CD4 counts at 12 months (p=0.024). A total of 530 patients (48.0% of eligible) were included in virologic analyses with no differences in response found between genotypes. Conclusions Results suggest that patients infected with CRF01_AE have reduced immunologic response to therapy at 12 months, compared to

THE IMMUNOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF RA PATIENTS WITH ANAEMIA

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A. E. Sizikov

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract. The aim of the investigation was to study the immunological characteristics of RA patients with anaemia. Clinical and laboratory data including the percentage of the main lymphocyte subclasses, phagocyte and DTH-effector activity, serum concentration of immunoglobulins, the percentage of cells producing IFNγ and/or IL-4 and percent of monocytes producing TNF. We revealed some significant clinical, laboratory and immunological differences between RA patients and healthy donors and between patients with and without anaemia. Our data demonstrate RA anemic patients to have more severe disorders than patients without anaemia. We also revealed some significant immunological differences between RA patients and healthy donors and between patients with and without anaemia, including percent of cells producing IFNγ and/or IL-4. Our data permit to conclude that RA patients have many different immunological disturbances, more severe in anaemic patients.

Isotope-based immunological techniques. Their use in assessment of immune competence and the study of immune responses to pathogens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duffus, W.P.H.

1984-01-01

The influence of isotope-based techniques on both assessment of immune competence and immune response to pathogens is discussed. Immunodeficiencies acquired as a result of factors like malnutrition and concomitant disease can severely affect not only attempts to intensify and improve production but also successful immune response against important vaccines such as rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease. Isotope-based techniques, with their accuracy, speed and small sample volume, are ideally suited for assessing immunocompetence. One of the main drawbacks remains antigen purity, an area where research should now be concentrated. Lymphocyte transformation is widely used to assess cell-mediated immuno-competence but techniques to assess biological functions such as phagocytosis and cell-mediated cytotoxicity could more usefully reflect immune status. These latter techniques utilize isotopes such as 3 H, 14 C, 32 P and 125 I. Investigation of specific cell-mediated immune response often requires a labelled target. Suitable isotopes such as 51 Cr, 99 Tcsup(m), 75 Se and 3 H are compared for their capacity to label both mammalian and parasite targets. Suggestions are made on a number of areas of research that might usefully be encouraged and supported in order to improve applied veterinary immunology in tropical countries. (author)

Essential Neuroscience in Immunology.

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Chavan, Sangeeta S; Tracey, Kevin J

2017-05-01

The field of immunology is principally focused on the molecular mechanisms by which hematopoietic cells initiate and maintain innate and adaptive immunity. That cornerstone of attention has been expanded by recent discoveries that neuronal signals occupy a critical regulatory niche in immunity. The discovery is that neuronal circuits operating reflexively regulate innate and adaptive immunity. One particularly well-characterized circuit regulating innate immunity, the inflammatory reflex, is dependent upon action potentials transmitted to the reticuloendothelial system via the vagus and splenic nerves. This field has grown significantly with the identification of several other reflexes regulating discrete immune functions. As outlined in this review, the delineation of these mechanisms revealed a new understanding of immunity, enabled a first-in-class clinical trial using bioelectronic devices to inhibit cytokines and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis patients, and provided a mosaic view of immunity as the integration of hematopoietic and neural responses to infection and injury. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Immunological Effects of Conventional Chemotherapy and Targeted Anticancer Agents.

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Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Buqué, Aitziber; Kepp, Oliver; Zitvogel, Laurence; Kroemer, Guido

2015-12-14

The tremendous clinical success of checkpoint blockers illustrates the potential of reestablishing latent immunosurveillance for cancer therapy. Although largely neglected in the clinical practice, accumulating evidence indicates that the efficacy of conventional and targeted anticancer agents does not only involve direct cytostatic/cytotoxic effects, but also relies on the (re)activation of tumor-targeting immune responses. Chemotherapy can promote such responses by increasing the immunogenicity of malignant cells, or by inhibiting immunosuppressive circuitries that are established by developing neoplasms. These immunological "side" effects of chemotherapy are desirable, and their in-depth comprehension will facilitate the design of novel combinatorial regimens with improved clinical efficacy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Immunology & Human Health.

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Dawson, Jeffrey R.; And Others

This monograph was designed for the high school biology curriculum. The first section reviews the major areas of importance in immunology. Section three contains six instructional activities for the high school classroom and the second section contains teacher's materials for those activities. The activities address for students some of the major…

Face-offs in reproductive immunology: the Montreal forum meeting report.

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Croy, B Anne; Baines, Malcolm G

2004-10-01

The combined 12th International Congress of Immunology (ICI) and the 4th Annual Conference of the Federation of Clinical Immunological Societies (FOCIS) was held in Montreal, Canada July 18-23, 2004 and attracted over 6000 immunologists and almost 4000 abstracts. The host society, the Canadian Society for Immunology (CSI) spent many years in preparation for this large meeting and encouraged its members to propose topics for symposia and mini-symposia and to sponsor satellite meetings. With sponsorship of CSI; the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; the University of Guelph, Guelph, ON; Queen's University, Kingston, ON; McGill University, Montreal, QU, Canada; and the American Society for Reproductive Immunology, a focused, highly successful, one day satellite meeting on human uterine immunology was held. The highlights of the presentations and discussions are reported.

Obese mice exhibit an altered behavioural and inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide

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Catherine B. Lawrence

2012-09-01

Obesity is associated with an increase in the prevalence and severity of infections. Genetic animal models of obesity (ob/ob and db/db mice display altered centrally-mediated sickness behaviour in response to acute inflammatory stimuli such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS. However, the effect of diet-induced obesity (DIO on the anorectic and febrile response to LPS in mice is unknown. This study therefore determined how DIO and ob/ob mice respond to a systemic inflammatory challenge. C57BL/6 DIO and ob/ob mice, and their respective controls, were given an intraperitoneal (i.p. injection of LPS. Compared with controls, DIO and ob/ob mice exhibited an altered febrile response to LPS (100 μg/kg over 8 hours. LPS caused a greater and more prolonged anorexic effect in DIO compared with control mice and, in ob/ob mice, LPS induced a reduction in food intake and body weight earlier than it did in controls. These effects of LPS in obese mice were also seen after a fixed dose of LPS (5 μg. LPS (100 μg/kg induced Fos protein expression in several brain nuclei of control mice, with fewer Fos-positive cells observed in the brains of obese mice. An altered inflammatory response to LPS was also observed in obese mice compared with controls: changes in cytokine expression and release were detected in the plasma, spleen, liver and peritoneal macrophages in obese mice. In summary, DIO and ob/ob mice displayed an altered behavioural response and cytokine release to systemic inflammatory challenge. These findings could help explain why obese humans show increased sensitivity to infections.

On immunological polymorphism of autoimmune thyroiditis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karachentsev, Yu.Yi.

1999-01-01

The study involved 46 persons. In the majority of patients the exposure dose was 0.155±0.01 Gy. Clinical, ultrasound, immunological, statistical and non-parametric methods were used. Considerable immunological polymorphism of autoimmune thyroiditis in the liquidators has been established; 1) with disturbances in the cellular immunity and low antithyroid antibody index, 2) without disturbances in the cellular immunity with positive indices of antithyroid antibodies, 3) with disturbances in cellular immunity and high indices of TH and MA antibodies

ANIMAL MODELS FOR THE STUDY OF LEISHMANIASIS IMMUNOLOGY

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Elsy Nalleli Loria-Cervera

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Leishmaniasis remains a major public health problem worldwide and is classified as Category I by the TDR/WHO, mainly due to the absence of control. Many experimental models like rodents, dogs and monkeys have been developed, each with specific features, in order to characterize the immune response to Leishmania species, but none reproduces the pathology observed in human disease. Conflicting data may arise in part because different parasite strains or species are being examined, different tissue targets (mice footpad, ear, or base of tail are being infected, and different numbers (“low” 1×102 and “high” 1×106 of metacyclic promastigotes have been inoculated. Recently, new approaches have been proposed to provide more meaningful data regarding the host response and pathogenesis that parallels human disease. The use of sand fly saliva and low numbers of parasites in experimental infections has led to mimic natural transmission and find new molecules and immune mechanisms which should be considered when designing vaccines and control strategies. Moreover, the use of wild rodents as experimental models has been proposed as a good alternative for studying the host-pathogen relationships and for testing candidate vaccines. To date, using natural reservoirs to study Leishmania infection has been challenging because immunologic reagents for use in wild rodents are lacking. This review discusses the principal immunological findings against Leishmania infection in different animal models highlighting the importance of using experimental conditions similar to natural transmission and reservoir species as experimental models to study the immunopathology of the disease.

Novel marmoset (Callithrix jacchus model of human Herpesvirus 6A and 6B infections: immunologic, virologic and radiologic characterization.

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Emily Leibovitch

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Human Herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6 is a ubiquitous virus with an estimated seroprevalence of 95% in the adult population. HHV-6 is associated with several neurologic disorders, including multiple sclerosis, an inflammatory demyelinating disease affecting the CNS. Animal models of HHV-6 infection would help clarify its role in human disease but have been slow to develop because rodents lack CD46, the receptor for cellular entry. Therefore, we investigated the effects of HHV-6 infections in a non-human primate, the common marmoset Callithrix jacchus. We inoculated a total of 12 marmosets with HHV-6A and HHV-6B intravenously and HHV-6A intranasally. Animals were monitored for 25 weeks post-inoculation clinically, immunologically and by MRI. Marmosets inoculated with HHV-6A intravenously exhibited neurologic symptoms and generated virus-specific antibody responses, while those inoculated intravenously with HHV-6B were asymptomatic and generated comparatively lower antibody responses. Viral DNA was detected at a low frequency in paraffin-embedded CNS tissue of a subset of marmosets inoculated with HHV-6A and HHV-6B intravenously. When different routes of HHV-6A inoculation were compared, intravenous inoculation resulted in virus-specific antibody responses and infrequent detection of viral DNA in the periphery, while intranasal inoculation resulted in negligible virus-specific antibody responses and frequent detection of viral DNA in the periphery. Moreover, marmosets inoculated with HHV-6A intravenously exhibited neurologic symptoms, while marmosets inoculated with HHV-6A intranasally were asymptomatic. We demonstrate that a marmoset model of HHV-6 infection can serve to further define the contribution of this ubiquitous virus to human neurologic disorders.

FOCIS goes south: advances in translational and clinical immunology.

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Kalergis, Alexis M; Anegon, Ignacio; González, Pablo A

2017-09-01

FOCIS goes South: Advances in Translational and Clinical Immunology was the first Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) ( www.focisnet.org ) meeting held in Latin America (May 15-17, 2017, Santiago de Chile, Chile). The meeting was organized as a 3-day workshop and was fostered by the Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, a recently nominated FOCIS Center of Excellence. The workshop brought together FOCIS associates, such as members of the FOCIS Board of Directors, Directors of different Centers of Excellence, regional speakers and 350 attendees. The Meeting covered aspects of immune regulation and modulation, as well as immunotherapy in areas of autoimmunity, transplantation, cancer and infectious diseases, among others. The activity also had a full-day immunology course and a day-long flow cytometry course.

Citizens unite for computational immunology!

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Belden, Orrin S; Baker, Sarah Catherine; Baker, Brian M

2015-07-01

Recruiting volunteers who can provide computational time, programming expertise, or puzzle-solving talent has emerged as a powerful tool for biomedical research. Recent projects demonstrate the potential for such 'crowdsourcing' efforts in immunology. Tools for developing applications, new funding opportunities, and an eager public make crowdsourcing a serious option for creative solutions for computationally-challenging problems. Expanded uses of crowdsourcing in immunology will allow for more efficient large-scale data collection and analysis. It will also involve, inspire, educate, and engage the public in a variety of meaningful ways. The benefits are real - it is time to jump in! Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IMMUNOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF LOCAL INFLAMMATION

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V. A. Chereshnev

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract.  The  lecture  presents  current  data,  as  well  as  authors’  view  to  the  issue  of  immune  system involvement into inflammation. General physiological principles of immune system functioning are considered in details. Immunological mechanisms of local inflammation and participation of immune system components are analyzed with regard of protective/adaptive reactions in inflammatory foci. Original formulations of basic concepts are presented from the viewpoint of pathophysiology, immunopathology and clinical immunology, as being applied to the issues discussed. (Med. Immunol., 2011, vol. 13, N 6, pp 557-568

Endurance- and Resistance-Trained Men Exhibit Lower Cardiovascular Responses to Psychosocial Stress Than Untrained Men.

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Gröpel, Peter; Urner, Maren; Pruessner, Jens C; Quirin, Markus

2018-01-01

Evidence shows that regular physical exercise reduces physiological reactivity to psychosocial stress. However, previous research mainly focused on the effect of endurance exercise, with only a few studies looking at the effect of resistance exercise. The current study tested whether individuals who regularly participate in either endurance or resistance training differ from untrained individuals in adrenal and cardiovascular reactivity to psychosocial stress. Twelve endurance-trained men, 10 resistance-trained men, and 12 healthy but untrained men were exposed to a standardized psychosocial stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test. Measurements of heart rate, free salivary cortisol levels, and mood were obtained throughout the test and compared among the three groups. Overall, both endurance- and resistance-trained men had lower heart rate levels than untrained men, indicating higher cardiac performance of the trained groups. Trained men also exhibited lower heart rate responses to psychosocial stress compared with untrained men. There were no significant group differences in either cortisol responses or mood responses to the stressor. The heart rate results are consistent with previous studies indicating reduced cardiovascular reactivity to psychosocial stress in trained individuals. These findings suggest that long-term endurance and resistance trainings may be related to the same cardiovascular benefits, without exhibiting strong effects on the cortisol reactivity to stress.

Sublingual immunotherapy for peanut allergy: clinical and immunologic evidence of desensitization.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Edwin H; Bird, J Andrew; Kulis, Michael; Laubach, Susan; Pons, Laurent; Shreffler, Wayne; Steele, Pamela; Kamilaris, Janet; Vickery, Brian; Burks, A Wesley

2011-03-01

There are no treatments currently available for peanut allergy. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is a novel approach to the treatment of peanut allergy. We sought to investigate the safety, clinical effectiveness, and immunologic changes with SLIT in children with peanut allergy. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study subjects underwent 6 months of dose escalation and 6 months of maintenance dosing followed by a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge. Eighteen children aged 1 to 11 years completed 12 months of dosing and the food challenge. Dosing side effects were primarily oropharyngeal and uncommonly required treatment. During the double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge, the treatment group safely ingested 20 times more peanut protein than the placebo group (median, 1,710 vs 85 mg; P = .011). Mechanistic studies demonstrated a decrease in skin prick test wheal size (P = .020) and decreased basophil responsiveness after stimulation with 10(-2) μg/mL (P = .009) and 10(-3) μg/mL (P = .009) of peanut. Peanut-specific IgE levels increased over the initial 4 months (P = .002) and then steadily decreased over the remaining 8 months (P = .003), whereas peanut-specific IgG4 levels increased during the 12 months (P = .014). Lastly, IL-5 levels decreased after 12 months (P = .015). No statistically significant changes were found in IL-13 levels, the percentage of regulatory T cells, or IL-10 and IFN-γ production. Peanut SLIT is able to safely induce clinical desensitization in children with peanut allergy, with evidence of immunologic changes suggesting a significant change in the allergic response. Further study is required to determine whether continued peanut SLIT is able to induce long-term immune tolerance. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

ASSESSMENT OF EFFICACY IN APPLICATION OF TOPICAL IMMUNOLOGIC RESPONSE MODIFIER FOR PREVENTION OF INFLUENZA AND ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN CHILDREN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.N. Lytkina

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this work was to assess the efficacy of bacterial lysate for prevention of acute respiratory infections. The article provides results of monitoring children in the orphanage who were administered the medication of this group as a prophylactic drug against acute respiratory infections. Children also from orphanages who were not administered the medication were selected as a control group. It was found that out of 80 children who underwent preventive treatment, only 26 children fell ill, while out of 80 children in the control group so did 78 orphans. The results achieved allowed the topical immunologic response modifier to be recommended as a general preventive medication for wide use in children in the period of seasonal respiratory infection incidence rate pickup.Key words: influenza, acute respiratory infections, preventive treatment, children.

Genomic and transcriptomic approaches to study immunology in cyprinids: What is next?

Science.gov (United States)

Petit, Jules; David, Lior; Dirks, Ron; Wiegertjes, Geert F

2017-10-01

Accelerated by the introduction of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), a number of genomes of cyprinid fish species have been drafted, leading to a highly valuable collective resource of comparative genome information on cyprinids (Cyprinidae). In addition, NGS-based transcriptome analyses of different developmental stages, organs, or cell types, increasingly contribute to the understanding of complex physiological processes, including immune responses. Cyprinids are a highly interesting family because they comprise one of the most-diversified families of teleosts and because of their variation in ploidy level, with diploid, triploid, tetraploid, hexaploid and sometimes even octoploid species. The wealth of data obtained from NGS technologies provides both challenges and opportunities for immunological research, which will be discussed here. Correct interpretation of ploidy effects on immune responses requires knowledge of the degree of functional divergence between duplicated genes, which can differ even between closely-related cyprinid fish species. We summarize NGS-based progress in analysing immune responses and discuss the importance of respecting the presence of (multiple) duplicated gene sequences when performing transcriptome analyses for detailed understanding of complex physiological processes. Progressively, advances in NGS technology are providing workable methods to further elucidate the implications of gene duplication events and functional divergence of duplicates genes and proteins involved in immune responses in cyprinids. We conclude with discussing how future applications of NGS technologies and analysis methods could enhance immunological research and understanding. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Extraction, Characterization and Immunological Activity of Polysaccharides from Rhizoma gastrodiae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juncheng Chen

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A response surface and Box-Behnken design approach was applied to augment polysaccharide extraction from the residue of Rhizoma gastrodiae. Statistical analysis revealed that the linear and quadratic terms for three variables during extraction exhibited obvious effects on extraction yield. The optimum conditions were determined to be a liquid-to-solid ratio of 54 mL/g, an extraction temperature of 74 °C, an extraction time of 66 min, and three extractions. These conditions resulted in a maximum Rhizoma gastrodiae polysaccharide (RGP extraction yield of 6.11% ± 0.13%. Two homogeneous polysaccharides (RGP-1a and RGP-1b were obtained using DEAE cellulose-52 and Sephadex G-100 columns. The preliminary characterization of RGP-1a and RGP-1b was performed using HPLC-RID, HPGPC, and FTIR. Tests of the immunological activity in vitro showed that the two polysaccharides could significantly stimulate macrophages to release NO and enhance phagocytosis in a dose-dependent manner. In particular, RGP-1b (200 μg/mL and LPS (2 μg/mL had almost the same influence on the NO production and phagocytic activity of RAW 264.7 macrophages (p > 0.05. All the data obtained indicate that RGP-1a and RGP-1b have the potential to be developed as a health food.

Single Cell Genomics: Approaches and Utility in Immunology

Science.gov (United States)

Neu, Karlynn E; Tang, Qingming; Wilson, Patrick C; Khan, Aly A

2017-01-01

Single cell genomics offers powerful tools for studying lymphocytes, which make it possible to observe rare and intermediate cell states that cannot be resolved at the population-level. Advances in computer science and single cell sequencing technology have created a data-driven revolution in immunology. The challenge for immunologists is to harness computing and turn an avalanche of quantitative data into meaningful discovery of immunological principles, predictive models, and strategies for therapeutics. Here, we review the current literature on computational analysis of single cell RNA-seq data and discuss underlying assumptions, methods, and applications in immunology, and highlight important directions for future research. PMID:28094102

Recent advances in the field of nutritional immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Monk, Jennifer M; Hou, Tim Y; Chapkin, Robert S

2011-11-01

Every 4 years, researchers in the cross-disciplinary field of nutritional immunology convene for a FASEB-sponsored meeting entitled, "Nutritional Immunology: Role in Health and Disease", which was held this summer in Carefree, AZ, USA. The scope of the conference encompassed a diverse list of research topics, including, but not restricted to, obesity and immune dysfunction, nutrient-gene interactions, mucosal immunity and a discussion of future directions for the field. Here, we summarize some of the findings shared at the conference, specifically focusing on obesity, immunological function of dietary components (n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and flavanoids), gut immunity and the microbiota, and relevant emerging technologies and databases.

Primary immunodeficiencies: a pictorial immunology primer for radiologists

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manson, D.E.; Sikka, S.; Reid, B.; Roifman, C.

2000-01-01

The immune response constitutes a complex array of interconnecting pathways and mechanisms that result in a sophisticated series of communicative reactions designed to protect against foreign substances. Recent advances in immunologic investigations have begun to unlock many of the previous mysteries underlying the body's defense mechanisms. The complexities of organ transplantation, the isolation of organisms that selectively impair the immune system, and the widespread use of sophisticated anti-neoplastic therapies have necessitated a more comprehensive understanding of underlying immune mechanisms by all physicians. This review presents a simplified view of the development of the immune response. We present strategic examples of primary (i.e., congenital) disorders of immune function to create a framework to understand the major mechanisms that constitute the various ''arms'' of the immune system. It is sometimes easier to understand complex mechanisms when one sees how disease processes interfere with these mechanisms. We have excluded many of the more detailed and complicated mechanisms involved in the immune response in an effort to maintain simplicity

Effect of surgical and immunological castration on haematological ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The PCV and HB of dogs surgically castrated increased progressively up to16th week after castration but only up to10 weeks in dogs immunologically castrated. Both PCV and HB decreased progressively after 10 weeks in dogs immunologically castrated. Similarly, the WBC of dogs surgically castrated steadily increased ...

Biochemical and immunological responses to low doses of ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shabon, M.H.; Sayed, Z.S.; Mahdy, E.M.; El-Gawish, M.A.; Shosha, W.

2006-01-01

Malondialdehyde, lactate dehydrogenase, iron concentration, IL-6 and IL-1b concentration, hemoglobin content, red cells, white cells and platelet counts were determined in seventy-two male albino rats divided into two main groups. The first one was subdivided into 7 subgroups; control and 6 irradiated subgroups with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 Gy single dose of gamma radiation. The other was subdivided into 4 subgroups irradiated with fractionated doses of gamma radiation; three groups were irradiated with 0.3, 0.7 and 1 Gy (0.1 Gy/day) and the last subgroup with 1 Gy (0.2 Gy/day). All animals were sacrificed after three days of the last irradiation dose. The results revealed that all biochemical parameters were increased in rats exposed to fractionated doses more than the single doses. Hematological parameters were decreased in rats exposed to single doses more than the fractionated ones. In conclusion, the data of this study highlights the stimulatory effect of low ionizing radiation doses (= 1 Gy), whether single or fractionated, on some biochemical and immunological parameters

Effect of Low-Dose Irradiation on Biochemical and Immunological Responses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shabon, M.H.; Sayed, Z.S.; El-Gawish, M.A.; Mahdy, E.M.E.; Shosha, W.Gh.

2008-01-01

Lipid peroxidation (Malondialdehyde), Lactate dehydrogenase, Iron Concentration, IL-6 and IL-1β concentration were determined in Seventy-two male albino rats divided in two main groups. The first one was subdivided into 7 subgroups; control and 6 irradiated subgroups with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1 Gy single dose of gamma radiation. The other was subdivided into 4 irradiated subgroups with fractionated dose .-radiation of 0.3, 0.7 and 1 Gy with 0.1 Gy per day and the last subgroup 1 Gy with 0.2 Gy daily. All animals were sacrificed after three days of the last irradiation dose. The results revealed that all biochemical parameters were increased in rats exposed to fractionated more than single doses. In conclusion, the data of this study highlight on the beneficial and stimulatory effect of low ionizing radiation doses (≥ 1Gy) whether single or fractionated on some biochemical and immunological parameters. These findings may be fruitful for those who undergo radiotherapy as well as the dose-effect relationship

Hematology and immunology studies - The second manned Skylab mission

Science.gov (United States)

Kimzey, S. L.; Johnson, P. C.; Ritzman, S. E.; Mengel, C. E.

1976-01-01

The hematologic and immunologic functions of the Skylab 3 astronauts were monitored during the preflight, inflight, and postflight phases of the mission. Plasma protein profiles showed high consistency in all phases. A transient suppression of lymphocyte responsiveness was observed postflight. A reduction in the circulating blood volume due to drops in both the plasma volume and red cell mass was found. The loss of red cell mass is most likely a suppressed erythrypoiesis. The functional integrity of the circulating red cells did not appear to be compromised in the course of flight.

10 workshops on Immunology of preeclampsia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerard, Chaouat

2017-09-01

For the 10th issue of the « island workshops », now the Reunion Workshops, organised by Pierre Yves Robillard since the first one in Tahiti challenging the "vascular disease only" theory of pre eclampsia and introducing the primipaternity concept, we examined the reasons for considering an Immunological approach to the disease. This (brief) overview thus examines several important topics in an Immunological framework. I have chosen to present here the evolution of the main themes rather than a purely chronological vision. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Update on Gender Equity in Immunology, 2001 to 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, Virginia Smith; Kovats, Susan; Parent, Michelle A; Gaffen, Sarah L; Hedrick, Catherine C; Jain, Pooja; Denzin, Lisa K; Raghavan, Malini; Stephens, Robin

2016-11-15

In 2001, The American Association of Immunologists Committee on the Status of Women conducted a survey examining the percentage of women faculty members within immunology departments or women in immunology graduate programs across 27 institutions in the United States, comparing it to the percentage of women receiving a Ph.D. Here, we examine the representation of women across these same 27 immunology departments and programs to examine changes in gender equity over the last 15 years. Copyright © 2016 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Etiology and immunology of infectious bronchitis virus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LF Caron

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV of chickens is currently one of the main diseases associated with respiratory syndrome in domestic poultry, as well as with losses related to egg production. The etiological agent is a coronavirus, which presents structural differences in the field, mainly in the S1 spike protein. The immune response against this virus is complicated by the few similarities among serotypes. Environmental and management factors, as well as the high mutation rate of the virus, render it difficult to control the disease and compromise the efficacy of the available vaccines. Bird immune system capacity to respond to challenges depend on the integrity of the mucosae, as an innate compartment, and on the generation of humoral and cell-mediated adaptive responses, and may affect the health status of breeding stocks in the medium run. Vaccination of day-old chicks in the hatchery on aims at eliciting immune responses, particularly cell-mediated responses that are essential when birds are first challenged. Humoral response (IgY and IgA are also important for virus clearance in subsequent challenges. The presence of antibodies against the S1 spike protein in 3- to 4-week-old birds is important both in broilers and for immunological memory in layers and breeders.

Electrochemical analysis of gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles for detecting immunological interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham, Thao Thi-Hien; Sim, Sang Jun

2010-01-01

An electrochemical impedance immunosensor was developed for detecting the immunological interaction between human immunoglobulin (IgG) and protein A from Staphylococcus aureus based on the immobilization of human IgG on the surface of modified gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles. The nanoparticles with an Au shell and Fe oxide cores were functionalized by a self-assembled monolayer of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid. The electrochemical analysis was conducted on the modified magnetic carbon paste electrodes with the nanoparticles. The magnetic nanoparticles were attached to the surface of the magnetic carbon paste electrodes via magnetic force. The cyclic voltammetry technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements of the magnetic carbon paste electrodes coated with magnetic nanoparticles-human IgG complex showed changes in its alternating current (AC) response both after the modification of the surface of the electrode and the addition of protein A. The immunological interaction between human IgG on the surface of the modified magnetic carbon paste electrodes and protein A in the solution could be successfully monitored.

Response to combination antiretroviral therapy: variation by age

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundgren, Jens

2008-01-01

-naive individuals starting combination antiretroviral therapy from 1998 to 2006. OUTCOME MEASURES: Time from combination antiretroviral therapy initiation to HIV RNA less than 50 copies/ml (virological response), CD4 increase of more than 100 cells/microl (immunological response) and new AIDS/death were analysed...... response. The probability of virological response was lower in those aged 6-12 (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.87) and 13-17 (0.78) years, but was higher in those aged 50-54 (1.24), 55-59 (1.24) and at least 60 (1.18) years. The probability of immunological response was higher in children and younger adults...... and reduced in those 60 years or older. Those aged 55-59 and 60 years or older had poorer clinical outcomes after adjusting for the latest CD4 cell count. CONCLUSION: Better virological responses but poorer immunological responses in older individuals, together with low precombination antiretroviral therapy...

The immunologic considerations in human head transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hardy, Mark A; Furr, Allen; Barret, Juan P; Barker, John H

2017-05-01

The idea of head transplantation appears at first as unrealistic, unethical, and futile. Here we discuss immunological considerations in human head transplantation. In a separate accompanying article we discuss surgical, ethical, and psychosocial issues concerned in body-to-head transplantation (BHT) [1]. The success of such an unusual allograft, where the donor and the recipient can reject each other, depends on prevention of complex immunologic reactions, especially rejection of the head by the body (graft-vs-host) or probably less likely, the possibility of the head rejecting the total body allograft (host-vs-graft). The technical and immunologic difficulties are enormous, especially since rapid nerve and cord connections and regeneration have not yet been possible to achieve. In this article we begin by briefly reviewing neuro-immunologic issues that may favor BHT such as the blood brain barrier (BBB) and point out its shortcomings. And we touch on the cellular and humoral elements in the brain proper that differ in some respects from those in other organs and in the periphery. Based on recent successes in vascular composite allografts (VCAs), we will elaborate on potential specific advantages and difficulties in BHT of various available immunosuppressive medications already utilized in VCAs. The risk/benefit ratio of these drugs will be emphasized in relation to direct brain toxicity such as seizure disorders, interference, or promotion of nerve regeneration, and potentiation of cerebral viral infections. The final portion of this article will focus on pre-transplant immunologic manipulation of the deceased donor body along with pretreatment of the recipient. Copyright © 2017 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunologic mechanism of the suppressive effect of low dose radiation on thymic lymphoma induced by radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiujuan; Yang Ying; Li Xiuyi; Liu Shuzheng

1999-01-01

To study immunologic mechanism of the suppressive effect of low dose radiation (LDR) on thymic lymphoma (TL) induced by high dose radiation (HDR). The authors adopted the model that C57BL/6J mice were administered whole body irradiation with 1.75 Gy X-rays one time every week for 4 weeks to induce TL. It was examined that splenic NK cytotoxic activity, IL-2 and γ-IFN secretion activity, peritoneal macrophage phagocytosis and its TNF-α secretion activity in mice with different dose 1 month after irradiation. The results showed that all the immunologic functions mentioned above in mice given 75 mGy 12 h before 1.75 Gy every time were higher than that in mice given only 1.75 Gy, and approached to the sham-irradiation mice. It suggested that the suppressive effect of LDR on TL induced by HDR may be related to the adaptive response induced by LDR and decreasing immunological functions damage caused by HDR

A baseline metabolomic signature is associated with immunological CD4+ T-cell recovery after 36 months of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Gallego, Esther; Gómez, Josep; Pacheco, Yolanda M; Peraire, Joaquim; Viladés, Consuelo; Beltrán-Debón, Raúl; Mallol, Roger; López-Dupla, Miguel; Veloso, Sergi; Alba, Verónica; Blanco, Julià; Cañellas, Nicolau; Rull, Anna; Leal, Manuel; Correig, Xavier; Domingo, Pere; Vidal, Francesc

2018-03-13

Poor immunological recovery in treated HIV-infected patients is associated with greater morbidity and mortality. To date, predictive biomarkers of this incomplete immune reconstitution have not been established. We aimed to identify a baseline metabolomic signature associated with a poor immunological recovery after antiretroviral therapy (ART) to envisage the underlying mechanistic pathways that influence the treatment response. This was a multicentre, prospective cohort study in ART-naive and a pre-ART low nadir (Immunological recovery was defined as reaching CD4 T-cell count at least 250 cells/μl after 36 months of virologically successful ART. We used univariate comparisons, Random Forest test and receiver-operating characteristic curves to identify and evaluate the predictive factors of immunological recovery after treatment. HIV-infected patients with a baseline metabolic pattern characterized by high levels of large high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles, HDL cholesterol and larger sizes of low density lipoprotein particles had a better immunological recovery after treatment. Conversely, patients with high ratios of non-HDL lipoprotein particles did not experience this full recovery. Medium very-low-density lipoprotein particles and glucose increased the classification power of the multivariate model despite not showing any significant differences between the two groups. In HIV-infected patients, a baseline healthier metabolomic profile is related to a better response to ART where the lipoprotein profile, mainly large HDL particles, may play a key role.

Cancer immunology and canine malignant melanoma: A comparative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Atherton, Matthew J; Morris, Joanna S; McDermott, Mark R; Lichty, Brian D

2016-01-01

Oral canine malignant melanoma (CMM) is a spontaneously occurring aggressive tumour with relatively few medical treatment options, which provides a suitable model for the disease in humans. Historically, multiple immunotherapeutic strategies aimed at provoking both innate and adaptive anti-tumour immune responses have been published with varying levels of activity against CMM. Recently, a plasmid DNA vaccine expressing human tyrosinase has been licensed for the adjunct treatment of oral CMM. This article reviews the immunological similarities between CMM and the human counterpart; mechanisms by which tumours evade the immune system; reasons why melanoma is an attractive target for immunotherapy; the premise of whole cell, dendritic cell (DC), viral and DNA vaccination strategies alongside preliminary clinical results in dogs. Current "gold standard" treatments for advanced human malignant melanoma are evolving quickly with remarkable results being achieved following the introduction of immune checkpoint blockade and adoptively transferred cell therapies. The rapidly expanding field of cancer immunology and immunotherapeutics means that rational targeting of this disease in both species should enhance treatment outcomes in veterinary and human clinics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cutting edge issues in allergy and clinical immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthias, Torsten; Shoenfeld, Yehuda

2007-02-01

Approximately every 5 yr, Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology deviates from its usual practice of publishing volumes devoted to one theme to including papers that cover a range of subjects. This issue is one such exception and arose following a symposium at the International Institute for Research in Autoimmune Diseases named AESKU.KIPP Institute at their Wendelsheim facility. The AESKU.KIPP Institute was a particularly venue because it was initially established by a German diagnostic company and a Swiss benefactor, Karl- Heinz Kipp. The goal of the Institute was to develop a unique atmosphere to encourage original research in the field of autoimmunity and clinical immunology. The thought was to create an institute where young scientists from throughout the world could come for short periods of time to learn newer methodologies in both clinical immunology and also molecular biology. This theme contains several of the papers presented at the opening of the Institute and are incorporated herein because they focus on several unique aspects of clinical immunology, often referred to as the mosaic of autoimmunity.

21 CFR 866.6030 - AFP-L3% immunological test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Tumor Associated Antigen immunological Test... studies, and clinical assessment. (b) Classification. Class II (special controls). The special control is...

Immunology of term and preterm labor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peltier Morgan R

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract During pregnancy there is an alteration in maternal immunity within the uterus where innate, proinflammatory immune responses are tightly regulated to prevent immunological rejection of the fetal allograft. Disruption of the delicate balance of cytokines by bacteria or other factors increases the production of proinflammatory cytokines at the maternal-fetal interface and activates the parturition mechanism prematurely. Despite years of searching, there is still no broadly effective strategy for preventing preterm labor and most therapies are directed at inhibiting myometrial contractions and improving neonatal outcome. Recent studies with progestins and interleukin-10 (IL-10, however, are showing promise in randomized clinical trials and animal studies. Furthermore, the identification of the Toll-like receptors as upstream mediators of inflammation may offer alternative therapeutic targets for preventing this common pregnancy complication.

Single-Cell Genomics: Approaches and Utility in Immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Neu, Karlynn E; Tang, Qingming; Wilson, Patrick C; Khan, Aly A

2017-02-01

Single-cell genomics offers powerful tools for studying immune cells, which make it possible to observe rare and intermediate cell states that cannot be resolved at the population level. Advances in computer science and single-cell sequencing technology have created a data-driven revolution in immunology. The challenge for immunologists is to harness computing and turn an avalanche of quantitative data into meaningful discovery of immunological principles, predictive models, and strategies for therapeutics. Here, we review the current literature on computational analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing data and discuss underlying assumptions, methods, and applications in immunology, and highlight important directions for future research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Veterinary Immunology Committee Toolkit Workshop 2010: Progress and plans

Science.gov (United States)

The Third Veterinary Immunology Committee (VIC) Toolkit Workshop took place at the Ninth International Veterinary Immunology Symposium (IVIS) in Tokyo, Japan on August 18, 2020. The Workshop built on previous Toolkit Workshops and covered various aspects of reagent development, commercialisation an...

Towards integrating extracellular matrix and immunological pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, David F; Thomas, Paul G

2017-10-01

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex and dynamic structure made up of an estimated 300 different proteins. The ECM is also a rich source of cytokines and growth factors in addition to numerous bioactive ECM degradation products that influence cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. The ECM is constantly being remodeled during homeostasis and in a wide range of pathological contexts. Changes in the ECM modulate immune responses, which in turn regulate repair and regeneration of tissues. Here, we review the many components of the ECM, enzymes involved in ECM remodeling, and the signals that feed into immunological pathways in the context of a dynamic ECM. We highlight studies that have taken an integrative approach to studying immune responses in the context of the ECM and studies that use novel proteomic strategies. Finally, we discuss research challenges relevant to the integration of immune and ECM networks and propose experimental and translational approaches to resolve these issues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exhibition

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2016-01-01

Encounters Hanne Blitz From February 1st to 12th 2016 CERN Meyrin, Main Building What is our reaction to a first encounter with a tourist attraction? Contemporary Dutch painter Hanne Blitz captures visitors' responses to art and architecture, sweeping vistas and symbolic memorials. Encounters, a series of oil paintings curated specially for this CERN exhibition, depicts tourists visiting cultural highlights around the world. A thought-provoking journey not to be missed, and a tip of the hat to CERN's large Hadron Collider.

Environmental conditions, immunologic phenotypes, atopy, and asthma: new evidence of how the hygiene hypothesis operates in Latin America.

Science.gov (United States)

Figueiredo, Camila Alexandrina; Amorim, Leila D; Alcantara-Neves, Neuza M; Matos, Sheila M A; Cooper, Philip J; Rodrigues, Laura C; Barreto, Mauricio L

2013-04-01

It has been proposed that improved hygiene and reduced experience of infections in childhood influences the development of allergic diseases. The mechanisms by which the hygiene operates are not well established but are underpinned by two apparently incompatible immunologic paradigms, the balance of TH1 versus TH2 cytokines and IL-10-mediated regulation of TH2 cytokines. This study defined immunologic phenotypes with the use of latent class analysis and investigated their associations with environmental factors, markers of allergy and asthma, in a Latin American population. We studied 1127 children living in urban Brazil. Data on wheeze and environmental exposures were collected with standardized questionnaires. Atopy was measured by specific IgE in serum and skin prick test reactivity to aeroallergens. Cytokines were measured in culture after the stimulation of peripheral blood leukocytes with mitogen. Infections with pathogens were assessed by serology and stool examinations. Children were classified as having high or low burden of infection. Latent class analysis was used to identify immune phenotypes on the basis of cytokine production. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the adjusted effects of environment and burden of infection on the immunologic phenotypes and the effect of the phenotypes on atopy and asthma. Three phenotypes were identified, labeled underresponsive, intermediate, and responsive. Children of more educated mothers, living in improved environmental conditions, and with a low burden of infection were significantly more likely to have the responsive phenotype. The responsive phenotype was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of atopy but not asthma. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the immune mechanisms by which the hygiene hypothesis operates in urban Latin America. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of conditioned psychological stress on immunological recovery in mice exposed to low-dose x irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, K.; Flood, J.F.; Makinodan, T.

1984-01-01

A study was initiated to determine the effects of psychological stress on the immune response in BALB/c mice recovering from exposure to a low dose of ionizing radiation. Mice were first subjected to conditioning training for 12 days, then exposed to 200 R, subjected to psychological stress for 14 days, and assessed for peak anti-sheep RBC response. The seven treatment groups included two unirradiated groups and five irradiated groups. Mice exposed to 200 R and then subjected to conditioned psychological stress responded less vigorously to antigenic stimulation than those of the other irradiated groups. The psychological stress imposed upon these mice did not influence the antibody-forming capacity of unirradiated mice. These results indicate that a psychological stress which did not affect the immunological activity of unirradiated mice can curtail the immunological recovery of mice exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation

Exhibition; Image display agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Normazlin Ismail

2008-01-01

This article touches on the role of Malaysian Nuclear Agency as nuclear research institutions to promote, develop and encourage the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in its agricultural, medical, manufacturing, industrial, health and environment for the development of the country running successfully. Maturity of Malaysian Nuclear Agency in dealing with nuclear technology that are very competitive and globalization cannot be denied. On this basis Malaysian Nuclear Agency was given the responsibility to strengthen the nuclear technology in Malaysia. One way is through an exhibition featuring the research, discoveries and new technology products of the nuclear technology. Through this exhibition is to promote the nuclear technology and introduce the image of the agency in the public eye. This article also states a number of exhibits entered by the Malaysian Nuclear Agency and achievements during the last exhibition. Authors hope that the exhibition can be intensified further in the future.

Oral Microbiology and Immunology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahlén, Gunnar; Fiehn, Nils-Erik; Olsen, Ingar

, dental assistants and trainees may find it a useful source of reference. The contents are based on general microbiology and immunology. Oral microbiology is given particular attention, with examples relevant to oral infectious diseases. Each chapter opens with a relatively short pre-reading section...

Antiretroviral therapy initiation before, during, or after pregnancy in HIV-1-infected women: maternal virologic, immunologic, and clinical response.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlada V Melekhin

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Pregnancy has been associated with a decreased risk of HIV disease progression in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART era. The effect of timing of HAART initiation relative to pregnancy on maternal virologic, immunologic and clinical outcomes has not been assessed.We conducted a retrospective cohort study from 1997-2005 among 112 pregnant HIV-infected women who started HAART before (N = 12, during (N = 70 or after pregnancy (N = 30.Women initiating HAART before pregnancy had lower CD4+ nadir and higher baseline HIV-1 RNA. Women initiating HAART after pregnancy were more likely to receive triple-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Multivariable analyses adjusted for baseline CD4+ lymphocytes, baseline HIV-1 RNA, age, race, CD4+ lymphocyte count nadir, history of ADE, prior use of non-HAART ART, type of HAART regimen, prior pregnancies, and date of HAART start. In these models, women initiating HAART during pregnancy had better 6-month HIV-1 RNA and CD4+ changes than those initiating HAART after pregnancy (-0.35 vs. 0.10 log(10 copies/mL, P = 0.03 and 183.8 vs. -70.8 cells/mm(3, P = 0.03, respectively but similar to those initiating HAART before pregnancy (-0.32 log(10 copies/mL, P = 0.96 and 155.8 cells/mm(3, P = 0.81, respectively. There were 3 (25% AIDS-defining events or deaths in women initiating HAART before pregnancy, 3 (4% in those initiating HAART during pregnancy, and 5 (17% in those initiating after pregnancy (P = 0.01. There were no statistical differences in rates of HIV disease progression between groups.HAART initiation during pregnancy was associated with better immunologic and virologic responses than initiation after pregnancy.

21 CFR 866.5100 - Antinuclear antibody immunological test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Antinuclear antibody immunological test system....5100 Antinuclear antibody immunological test system. (a) Identification. An antinuclear antibody... the autoimmune antibodies in serum, other body fluids, and tissues that react with cellular nuclear...

POST-EXPOSURE IMMUNOLOGICAL PREVENTION AGAINST VARICELLA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.K. Tatochenko

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The article focuses on immunological prevention of varicella, particularly efficacy and advisability of vaccinating contact individuals in a pocket (post-exposure vaccination: its role in reducing the epidemiological process and economic burden of the infection, in achieving control over outbreak disease incidence. It features data obtained by foreign researchers and own research results. It demonstrates that vaccination of children and adults immediately after contact with the individual suffering from varicella allows significant reduction in disease incidence. Key words: varicella, vaccination, post-exposure immunological prevention, children. (Pediatric Pharmacology. – 2010; 7(4:30-33

Using a Vaccine Proposal Assignment to Help Students Synthesize Topics Covered in an Undergraduate Immunology Course

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca L. Sparks-Thissen

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Undergraduate students often have difficulty keeping track of all the pieces of the immune response and how they relate to each other.  To help students synthesize the information in an upper-level, undergraduate immunology course, the students in my course investigate the immune response to pathogen of their choosing and then use that information to design a vaccine to that pathogen.

Effect of HIV type 1 subtype on virological and immunological response to combination antiretroviral therapy: evidence for a more rapid viral suppression for subtype A than subtype B-infected Greek individuals.

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Paraskevis, Dimirios; Touloumi, Giota; Bakoyannis, Giorgos; Paparizos, Vassilios; Lazanas, Marios; Gargalianos, Panagiotis; Chryssos, Georgios; Antoniadou, Anastasia; Psichogiou, Mina; Panos, Georgios; Katsarou, Olga; Sambatakou, Helen; Kordossis, Theodoros; Hatzakis, Angelos

2013-03-01

Whether response to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) differs between those infected with HIV-1 subtype A or B remains unclear. We compared virological and immunological response to cART in individuals infected with subtype A or B in an ethnically homogeneous population. Data derived from the Athens Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (AMACS) and analysis were restricted to those of Greek origin. Time to virological response (confirmed HIV-RNA 500 copies/ml at any time or no response by month 6) were analyzed using survival models and CD4 changes after cART initiation using piecewise linear mixed effects models. Of the 571 subjects included in the analysis, 412 (72.2%) were infected with subtype B and 159 (27.8%) with subtype A. After adjusting for various prognostic factors, the rate of virological response was higher for those infected with subtype A versus B (adjusted HR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.08-1.68; p=0.009). Subtype A was also marginally associated with a lower hazard of virological failure compared to subtype B (HR=0.73; 95% CI: 0.53-1.02; p=0.062). Further adjustment for treatment adherence did not substantially changed the main results. No significant differences were observed in the rates of CD4 increases by subtype. The overall median (95% CI) CD4 increase at 2 years of cART was 193 (175, 212) cells/μl. Our study, based on one of the largest homogeneous groups of subtype A and B infections in Europe, showed that individuals infected with subtype A had an improved virological but similar immunological response to cART compared to those infected with subtype B.

Immunologic reconstitution during PEG-ADA therapy in an unusual mosaic ADA deficient patient.

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Liu, Ping; Santisteban, Ines; Burroughs, Lauri M; Ochs, Hans D; Torgerson, Troy R; Hershfield, Michael S; Rawlings, David J; Scharenberg, Andrew M

2009-02-01

We report detailed genetic and immunologic studies in a patient diagnosed with adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency and combined immune deficiency at age 5 years. At the time of diagnosis, although all other lymphocyte subsets were depleted, circulating CD8(+) T cells with a terminally differentiated phenotype were abundant and expressed normal ADA activity due to a reversion mutation in a CD8(+) T cell or precursor. Over the first 9 months of replacement therapy with PEG-ADA, the patient steadily accumulated mature naïve CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, as well as CD4(+)/FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells, consistent with restoration of a functional cellular immune system. While CD19(+) naïve B cells also accumulated in response to PEG-ADA therapy, a high proportion of these B cells exhibited an immature surface marker phenotype even after 9 months, and immunization with neoantigen bacteriophage varphiX174 demonstrated a markedly subnormal humoral immune response. Our observations in this single patient have important implications for gene therapy of human ADA deficiency, as they indicate that ADA expression within even a large circulating lymphocyte population may not be sufficient to support adequate immune reconstitution. They also suggest that an immature surface marker phenotype of the peripheral B cell compartment may be a useful surrogate marker for incomplete humoral immune reconstitution during enzyme replacement, and possibly other forms of hematopoietic cell therapies.

German Society for Immunology and Australasian Society for Immunology joint Workshop 3(rd) -4(th) December 2015 - Meeting report.

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Kurts, Christian; Gottschalk, Catherine; Bedoui, Sammy; Heinzel, Susanne; Godfrey, Dale; Enders, Anselm

2016-02-01

The German Society for Immunology (DGfI) and the Australasian Society for Immunology (ASI) hosted the first DGfI-ASI joint workshop from December 3-4, 2015 in Canberra, Australia. A delegation of 15 distinguished German immunologists discussed the workshop topic "immune regulation in infections and immune mediated diseases" with the aim to establish new German-Australasian collaborations, discuss new concepts in the field of immune regulation and build a scientific network to create more utilizable resources for excellent (trans-border) immunological research. The workshop was associated with the 45(th) Annual Scientific Meeting of the ASI held from Nov 29-Dec 3, 2015, opening up even more opportunities for finding new collaboration partners. A return meeting will be linked to the annual DGfI meeting that will take place in 2017 in Erlangen. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cancer immunotherapy and immunological memory.

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Murata, Kenji; Tsukahara, Tomohide; Torigoe, Toshihiko

2016-01-01

Human immunological memory is the key distinguishing hallmark of the adaptive immune system and plays an important role in the prevention of morbidity and the severity of infection. The differentiation system of T cell memory has been clarified using mouse models. However, the human T cell memory system has great diversity induced by natural antigens derived from many pathogens and tumor cells throughout life, and profoundly differs from the mouse memory system constructed using artificial antigens and transgenic T cells. We believe that only human studies can elucidate the human immune system. The importance of immunological memory in cancer immunotherapy has been pointed out, and the trafficking properties and long-lasting anti-tumor capacity of memory T cells play a crucial role in the control of malignant tumors. Adoptive cell transfer of less differentiated T cells has consistently demonstrated superior anti-tumor capacity relative to more differentiated T cells. Therefore, a human T cell population with the characteristics of stem cell memory is thought to be attractive for peptide vaccination and adoptive cell transfer. A novel human memory T cell population that we have identified is closer to the naive state than previous memory T cells in the T cell differentiation lineage, and has the characteristics of stem-like chemoresistance. Here we introduce this novel population and describe the fundamentals of immunological memory in cancer immunotherapy.

On the roles of polyvalent binding in immune recognition : perspectives in the nanoscience of immunology and the immune response to nanomedicines

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Vorup-Jensen, Thomas

2014-01-01

Immunology often conveys the image of large molecules, either in the soluble state or in the membrane of leukocytes, forming multiple contacts with a target for actions of the immune system. Avidity names the ability of a polyvalent molecule to form multiple connections of the same kind with liga......Immunology often conveys the image of large molecules, either in the soluble state or in the membrane of leukocytes, forming multiple contacts with a target for actions of the immune system. Avidity names the ability of a polyvalent molecule to form multiple connections of the same kind...

Precision medicine in patients with allergic diseases: Airway diseases and atopic dermatitis-PRACTALL document of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

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Muraro, Antonella; Lemanske, Robert F; Hellings, Peter W; Akdis, Cezmi A; Bieber, Thomas; Casale, Thomas B; Jutel, Marek; Ong, Peck Y; Poulsen, Lars K; Schmid-Grendelmeier, Peter; Simon, Hans-Uwe; Seys, Sven F; Agache, Ioana

2016-05-01

In this consensus document we summarize the current knowledge on major asthma, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis endotypes under the auspices of the PRACTALL collaboration platform. PRACTALL is an initiative of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology aiming to harmonize the European and American approaches to best allergy practice and science. Precision medicine is of broad relevance for the management of asthma, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in the context of a better selection of treatment responders, risk prediction, and design of disease-modifying strategies. Progress has been made in profiling the type 2 immune response-driven asthma. The endotype driven approach for non-type 2 immune response asthma, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis is lagging behind. Validation and qualification of biomarkers are needed to facilitate their translation into pathway-specific diagnostic tests. Wide consensus between academia, governmental regulators, and industry for further development and application of precision medicine in management of allergic diseases is of utmost importance. Improved knowledge of disease pathogenesis together with defining validated and qualified biomarkers are key approaches to precision medicine. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Immunological status of patients with uterine ceroix carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Il'in, I.V.; Dekster, L.I.; Letskij, V.B.

1979-01-01

Comparative data on the immunological status of 60 patients with uterine cervix carcinoma 27 of whom were exposed to combined radiotherapy are given. The evaluation of the immunological parameters makes it possible to note a marked affection of the T system by radiant energy. Taking into consideration a significant immunodepressive effect of irradiation it is advisable that immunotherapy by included into the therapeutic regimen

50 years of pediatric immunology: progress and future, a clinical perspective.

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Singh, Surjit; Gupta, Anju; Rawat, Amit

2013-01-08

Rapidly evolving advances in the field of immunology over the last few decades have impacted the practice of clinical medicine in many ways. In fact, understanding the immunological basis of disease has been pivotal in deciphering the pathogenesis of several disease processes, infective or otherwise. As of today, there is hardly any specialty of medicine which is not influenced by immunology. Pediatric rheumatological disorders, vasculitides, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (PIDs) and autoimmune disorders fall under the domain of clinical immunology. This specialty is poised to emerge as a major clinical specialty in our country. The gulf between bench and bedside is narrowing down as our understanding of the complex immunological mechanisms gets better. However, a lot still needs to be done in this field as the morbidity and mortality of some of these conditions is unacceptably high in the Indian setup. A number of medical schools and institutes in the country now have the resources and the wherewithal to develop into specialized centres of clinical immunology. We need to concentrate on training more physicians and pediatricians in this field. The future is bright and the prospects exciting.

Immunology of Yersinia pestis Infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bi, Yujing

2016-01-01

As a pathogen of plague, Yersinia pestis caused three massive pandemics in history that killed hundreds of millions of people. Yersinia pestis is highly invasive, causing severe septicemia which, if untreated, is usually fatal to its host. To survive in the host and maintain a persistent infection, Yersinia pestis uses several stratagems to evade the innate and the adaptive immune responses. For example, infections with this organism are biphasic, involving an initial "noninflammatory" phase where bacterial replication occurs initially with little inflammation and following by extensive phagocyte influx, inflammatory cytokine production, and considerable tissue destruction, which is called "proinflammatory" phase. In contrast, the host also utilizes its immune system to eliminate the invading bacteria. Neutrophil and macrophage are the first defense against Yersinia pestis invading through phagocytosis and killing. Other innate immune cells also play different roles, such as dendritic cells which help to generate more T helper cells. After several days post infection, the adaptive immune response begins to provide organism-specific protection and has a long-lasting immunological memory. Thus, with the cooperation and collaboration of innate and acquired immunity, the bacterium may be eliminated from the host. The research of Yersinia pestis and host immune systems provides an important topic to understand pathogen-host interaction and consequently develop effective countermeasures.

Effect of intratracheally instilled depleted uranium on immunological function of rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

You Hanhu; Yang Zhihua; Cao Zhenshan; Zhu Maoxiang; Liu Xingrong

2004-01-01

Objective: To study immunological effects of depleted uranium in rats. Methods: Wistar rats were exposed to depleted uranium by single intratracheal instillation. Body weight and peripheral blood cells were measured weekly and immunological functions were evaluated by weight coefficient of immune organs, plague forming cells of splenocytes, total and subpopulation counts of lymphocytes in thymus. Results: Early after administration, body weight decreased and red blood cells as well as platelets reduced while white blood cells increased, which returned to normal within 1 or 2 months. Immunological functions of splenocytes and thymocytes were affected dose-dependently by depleted uranium. Conclusion: Depleted uranium induces immunological dysfunction in rats. (authors)

Current immunological and molecular biological perspectives on seafood allergy: a comprehensive review.

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Leung, Nicki Y H; Wai, Christine Y Y; Shu, ShangAn; Wang, Jinjun; Kenny, Thomas P; Chu, Ka Hou; Leung, Patrick S C

2014-06-01

Seafood is an important component in human diet and nutrition worldwide. However, seafood also constitutes one of the most important groups of foods in the induction of immediate (type I) food hypersensitivity, which significantly impacts the quality of life and healthcare cost. Extensive efforts within the past two decades have revealed the molecular identities and immunological properties of the major fish and shellfish allergens. The major allergen involved in allergy and cross-reactivity among different fish species was identified as parvalbumin while that responsible for shellfish (crustaceans and mollusks) allergy was identified as tropomyosin. The cloning and expression of the recombinant forms of these seafood allergens facilitate the investigation on the detailed mechanisms leading to seafood allergies, mapping of IgE-binding epitopes, and assessment of their allergenicity and stability. Future research focusing on the immunological cross-reactivity and discovery of novel allergens will greatly facilitate the management of seafood allergies and the design of effective and life-long allergen-specific immunotherapies.

Immunologic Abnormalities, Treatments, and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Nathalie F; Kolte, Astrid M; Larsen, Elisabeth C

2016-01-01

Recurrent pregnancy loss, depending on the definition, affects 1% to 3% of women aiming to have a child. Little is known about the direct causes of recurrent pregnancy loss, and the condition is considered to have a multifactorial and complex pathogenesis. The aim of this review was to summarize ...... the evaluation and the management of the condition with specific emphasis on immunologic biomarkers identified as risk factors as well as current immunologic treatment options. The review also highlights and discusses areas in need of further research....

Vaccines for the future: learning from human immunology

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De Gregorio, Ennio; Rappuoli, Rino

2012-01-01

Summary Conventional vaccines have been extremely successful in preventing infections by pathogens expressing relatively conserved antigens through antibody‐mediated effector mechanisms. Thanks to vaccination some diseases have been eradicated and mortality due to infectious diseases has been significantly reduced. However, there are still many infections that are not preventable with vaccination, which represent a major cause of mortality worldwide. Some of these infections are caused by pathogens with a high degree of antigen variability that cannot be controlled only by antibodies, but require a mix of humoral and cellular immune responses. Novel technologies for antigen discovery, expression and formulation allow now for the development of vaccines that can better cope with pathogen diversity and trigger multifunctional immune responses. In addition, the application of new genomic assays and systems biology approaches in human immunology can help to better identify vaccine correlates of protection. The availability of novel vaccine technologies, together with the knowledge of the distinct human immune responses that are required to prevent different types of infection, should help to rationally design effective vaccines where conventional approaches have failed. PMID:21880117

Egyptian Journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (The): Site Map

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Egyptian Journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (The): Site Map. Journal Home > About the Journal > Egyptian Journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (The): Site Map. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

The immunology of Zika Virus [version 1; referees: 2 approved

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Abigail Culshaw

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Zika virus (ZIKV was initially thought to cause only mild, self-limiting symptoms. However, recent outbreaks have been associated with the autoimmune disease Guillain-Barré syndrome and causally linked to a congenital malformation known as microcephaly. This has led to an urgent need for a safe and effective vaccine. A comprehensive understanding of the immunology of ZIKV infection is required to aid in the design of such a vaccine. Whilst details of both innate and adaptive immune responses to ZIKV are emerging, further research is needed. As immunopathogenesis has been implicated in poor outcomes following infection with the related dengue virus, identification of cross-reactive immune responses between flaviviruses and the impact they may have on disease progression is also of high importance.

HIV-infected viremic long-term non-progressors and controllers display different immunological mechanisms for preserved CD4+cell counts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaardbo, J; Ronit, A; Hartling, H

2012-01-01

of viral replication cannot explain non-progression in LTNP. Therefore we hypothesized that the immunological mechanism responsible for preserved CD4 counts in LTNP is different from that in VC. Methods: 69 treatment naïve HIV-infected patients were included in a cross-sectional study. A total of 14 LTNP...... ratio in LTNP compared to VC were found (3.8 vs. 5.5, P=0.068) while ratios in LTNP and PR were similar (4.0, P>0.05). Conclusion: LTNP displayed high levels of immune activation, apoptotic cells and reduced Th17/Treg ratio compared to VC, while LTNP were similar to PR. Thus, the immunological mechanism...... responsible for preserved CD4 counts in LTNP is still unclear but seems to be different from that in VC....

Effect of reduced dose schedules and intramuscular injection of anthrax vaccine adsorbed on immunological response and safety profile: a randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Jennifer G; Plikaytis, Brian D; Rose, Charles E; Parker, Scott D; Babcock, Janiine; Keitel, Wendy; El Sahly, Hana; Poland, Gregory A; Jacobson, Robert M; Keyserling, Harry L; Semenova, Vera A; Li, Han; Schiffer, Jarad; Dababneh, Hanan; Martin, Sandra K; Martin, Stacey W; Marano, Nina; Messonnier, Nancy E; Quinn, Conrad P

2014-02-12

We evaluated an alternative administration route, reduced schedule priming series, and increased intervals between booster doses for anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA). AVA's originally licensed schedule was 6 subcutaneous (SQ) priming injections administered at months (m) 0, 0.5, 1, 6, 12 and 18 with annual boosters; a simpler schedule is desired. Through a multicenter randomized, double blind, non-inferiority Phase IV human clinical trial, the originally licensed schedule was compared to four alternative and two placebo schedules. 8-SQ group participants received 6 SQ injections with m30 and m42 "annual" boosters; participants in the 8-IM group received intramuscular (IM) injections according to the same schedule. Reduced schedule groups (7-IM, 5-IM, 4-IM) received IM injections at m0, m1, m6; at least one of the m0.5, m12, m18, m30 vaccine doses were replaced with saline. All reduced schedule groups received a m42 booster. Post-injection blood draws were taken two to four weeks following injection. Non-inferiority of the alternative schedules was compared to the 8-SQ group at m2, m7, and m43. Reactogenicity outcomes were proportions of injection site and systemic adverse events (AEs). The 8-IM group's m2 response was non-inferior to the 8-SQ group for the three primary endpoints of anti-protective antigen IgG geometric mean concentration (GMC), geometric mean titer, and proportion of responders with a 4-fold rise in titer. At m7 anti-PA IgG GMCs for the three reduced dosage groups were non-inferior to the 8-SQ group GMCs. At m43, 8-IM, 5-IM, and 4-IM group GMCs were superior to the 8-SQ group. Solicited injection site AEs occurred at lower proportions in the IM group compared to SQ. Route of administration did not influence the occurrence of systemic AEs. A 3 dose IM priming schedule with doses administered at m0, m1, and m6 elicited long term immunological responses and robust immunological memory that was efficiently stimulated by a single booster vaccination at

Immunology in the liver--from homeostasis to disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Heymann, Felix; Tacke, Frank

2016-02-01

The liver is a central immunological organ with a high exposure to circulating antigens and endotoxins from the gut microbiota, particularly enriched for innate immune cells (macrophages, innate lymphoid cells, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells). In homeostasis, many mechanisms ensure suppression of immune responses, resulting in tolerance. Tolerance is also relevant for chronic persistence of hepatotropic viruses or allograft acceptance after liver transplantation. The liver can rapidly activate immunity in response to infections or tissue damage. Depending on the underlying liver disease, such as viral hepatitis, cholestasis or NASH, different triggers mediate immune-cell activation. Conserved mechanisms such as molecular danger patterns (alarmins), Toll-like receptor signalling or inflammasome activation initiate inflammatory responses in the liver. The inflammatory activation of hepatic stellate and Kupffer cells results in the chemokine-mediated infiltration of neutrophils, monocytes, natural killer (NK) and natural killer T (NKT) cells. The ultimate outcome of the intrahepatic immune response (for example, fibrosis or resolution) depends on the functional diversity of macrophages and dendritic cells, but also on the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory T-cell populations. As reviewed here, tremendous progress has helped to understand the fine-tuning of immune responses in the liver from homeostasis to disease, indicating promising targets for future therapies in acute and chronic liver diseases.

Methods for microbiological and immunological studies of space flight crews

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, G. R. (Editor); Zaloguev, S. N. (Editor)

1978-01-01

Systematic laboratory procedures compiled as an outgrowth of a joint U.S./U.S.S.R. microbiological-immunological experiment performed during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project space flight are presented. Included are mutually compatible methods for the identification of aerobic and microaerophilic bacteria, yeast and yeastlike microorganisms, and filamentous fungi; methods for the bacteriophage typing of Staphylococcus aureus; and methods for determining the sensitivity of S. aureus to antibiotics. Immunological methods using blood and immunological and biochemical methods using salivary parotid fluid are also described. Formulas for media and laboratory reagents used are listed.

Immunological pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease

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Seung Hoon Lee

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD is a chronic inflammatory state of the gastrointestinal tract and can be classified into 2 main clinical phenomena: Crohn's disease (CD and ulcerative colitis (UC. The pathogenesis of IBD, including CD and UC, involves the presence of pathogenic factors such as abnormal gut microbiota, immune response dysregulation, environmental changes, and gene variants. Although many investigations have tried to identify novel pathogenic factors associated with IBD that are related to environmental, genetic, microbial, and immune response factors, a full understanding of IBD pathogenesis is unclear. Thus, IBD treatment is far from optimal, and patient outcomes can be unsatisfactory. As result of massive studying on IBD, T helper 17 (Th17 cells and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs are investigated on their effects on IBD. A recent study of the plasticity of Th17 cells focused primarily on colitis. ILCs also emerging as novel cell family, which play a role in the pathogenesis of IBD. IBD immunopathogenesis is key to understanding the causes of IBD and can lead to the development of IBD therapies. The aim of this review is to explain the pathogenesis of IBD, with a focus on immunological factors and therapies.

Immunological response of the Sub-Antarctic Notothenioid fish Eleginops maclovinus injected with two strains of Piscirickettsia salmonis.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez, D; Díaz-Ibarrola, D; Vargas-Lagos, C; Oyarzún, R; Pontigo, J P; Muñoz, J L P; Yáñez, A J; Vargas-Chacoff, L

2018-04-01

Eleginops maclovinus is an endemic fish to Chile that lives in proximity to salmonid culture centers, feeding off of uneaten pellet and salmonid feces. Occurring in the natural environment, this interaction between native and farmed fish could result in the horizontal transmission of pathogens affecting the aquaculture industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the innate and adaptive immune responses of E. maclovinus challenged with P. salmonis. Treatment injections (in duplicate) were as follows: control (100 μL of culture medium), wild type LF-89 strain (100 μL, 1 × 10 8 live bacteria), and antibiotic resistant strain Austral-005 (100 μL, 1 × 10 8 live bacteria). The fish were sampled at various time-points during the 35-day experimental period. The gene expression of TLRs (1, 5, and 8), NLRCs (3 and 5), C3, IL-1β, MHCII, and IgMs were significantly modulated during the experimental period in both the spleen and gut (excepting TLR1 and TLR8 spleen expressions), with tissue-specific expression profiles and punctual differences between the injected strains. Anti-P. salmonis antibodies increased in E. maclovinus serum from day 14-28 for the LF-89 strain and from day 14-35 for the Austral-005 strain. These results suggest temporal activation of the innate and adaptive immune responses in E. maclovinus tissues when injected by distinct P. salmonis strains. The Austral-005 strain did not always cause the greatest increases/decreases in the number of transcripts, so the magnitude of the observed immune response (mRNA) may not be related to antibiotic resistance. This is the first immunological study to relate a pathogen widely studied in salmonids with a native fish. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maintaining Intestinal Health: The Genetics and Immunology of Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseSummary

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Judith R. Kelsen

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD is a multifactoral disease caused by dysregulated immune responses to commensal or pathogenic microbes in the intestine, resulting in chronic intestinal inflammation. An emerging population of patients with IBD younger than 5 years of age represent a unique form of disease, termed very early onset IBD (VEO-IBD, which is phenotypically and genetically distinct from older-onset IBD. VEO-IBD is associated with increased disease severity, aggressive progression, and poor responsiveness to most conventional therapies. Further investigation into the causes and pathogenesis of VEO-IBD will help improve treatment strategies and may lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms that are essential to maintain intestinal health or provoke the development of targeted therapeutic strategies to limit intestinal inflammation and promote tissue repair. Here, we discuss the phenotypic nature of VEO-IBD, the recent identification of novel gene variants associated with disease, and functional immunologic studies interrogating the contribution of specific genetic variants to the development of chronic intestinal inflammation. Keywords: Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Whole Exome Sequencing, Mucosal Immunology

Regulation of immunological and inflammatory functions by biotin.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuroishi, Toshinobu

2015-12-01

Biotin is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin and is well-known as a co-factor for 5 indispensable carboxylases. Holocarboxylase synthetase (HLCS) catalyzes the biotinylation of carboxylases and other proteins, whereas biotinidase catalyzes the release of biotin from biotinylated peptides. Previous studies have reported that nutritional biotin deficiency and genetic defects in either HLCS or biotinidase induces cutaneous inflammation and immunological disorders. Since biotin-dependent carboxylases involve various cellular metabolic pathways including gluconeogenesis, fatty acid synthesis, and the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids and odd-chain fatty acids, metabolic abnormalities may play important roles in immunological and inflammatory disorders caused by biotin deficiency. Transcriptional factors, including NF-κB and Sp1/3, are also affected by the status of biotin, indicating that biotin regulates immunological and inflammatory functions independently of biotin-dependent carboxylases. An in-vivo analysis with a murine model revealed the therapeutic effects of biotin supplementation on metal allergies. The novel roles of biotinylated proteins and their related enzymes have recently been reported. Non-carboxylase biotinylated proteins induce chemokine production. HLCS is a nuclear protein involved in epigenetic and chromatin regulation. In this review, comprehensive knowledge on the regulation of immunological and inflammatory functions by biotin and its potential as a therapeutic agent is discussed.

[Value of immunologic phenotyping of acute leukemias in children].

Science.gov (United States)

Vannier, J P; Bene, M C

1989-10-01

Immunologic typing has demonstrated considerable heterogeneity among the acute leukemias. The most significant recent advance has been development of monoclonal antibody techniques. Some markers identified using these techniques seem to be specific for a given stage of maturation of one lymphoid or myeloid cell line. Most acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALLs) are malignant proliferations whose differentiation appears to have become 'stuck' at one stage of maturation. Results of immunologic typing correlate well with the other clinical and biological data. For prognostic purposes, several patterns can be identified. Among B line ALLs, four varieties have been differentiated, i.e., CD10 negative ALLs, common ALLs, pre-B ALLs, and B ALLs. T ALLs include a broad spectrum of heterogeneous proliferations whose immunologic classification is made difficult by the large number of phenotypes encountered. Among acute myeloblastic leukemias (AMLs), some highly undifferentiated forms have been recognized, by means of immunologic typing, as originating in one of the myeloid cell lines. However, the nosologic and prognostic significance of these studies is less obvious than in ALLs.

Involvement of Hookworm Co-Infection in the Pathogenesis and Progression of Podoconiosis: Possible Immunological Mechanism

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Damilare O. Famakinde

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Podoconiosis is an endemic, non-infectious, geochemical and non-filarial inflammatory cause of tropical elephantiasis. The immunology of podoconiosis is not yet expressly understood. In spite of this, co-infection and co-morbidity with the infectious, soil-transmitted hookworm disease that causes iron deficiency anemia has been found to be predominant among affected individuals living in co-endemic settings, thus creating a more complex immunological interplay that still has not been investigated. Although deworming and iron-rich nutrient supplementation have been suggested in podoconiosis patients living under resource-poor conditions, and it is thought that hookworm infection may help to suppress inflammatory responses, the undisputed link that exists between a non-infectious and an infectious disease may create a scenario whereby during a co-infection, treatment of one exacerbates the other disease condition or is dampened by the debilitation caused by the other. In this paper, we elaborate on the immunopathogenesis of podoconiosis and examine the possible immunological dynamics of hookworm co-infection in the immunopathology of podoconiosis, with a view toward improved management of the disease that will facilitate its feasible elimination.

Immunological effects of ayahuasca in humans.

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dos Santos, Rafael Guimarães

2014-01-01

Ayahuasca is a botanical hallucinogen traditionally used by indigenous groups of the northwest Amazon. In the last decade, the use of ayahuasca has spread from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru to the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Africa. Despite acute and long-term evidence of good tolerability and safety for ayahuasca administered in the laboratory or ritually consumed in religious contexts, little is known about the immunological impact of ayahuasca on humans. Since ayahuasca is used by an increasing number of consumers, and considering its therapeutic potential, more information is needed regarding ayahuasca potential risks. This article presents a brief overview of the available data regarding the immunological impact of ayahuasca in humans.

Remembrance of immunology past: conversations with Herman Eisen.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisen, Herman N; Schlesinger, Sondra

2015-01-01

Herman Eisen and Sondra Schlesinger spent several days together in September 2007 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, talking about immunology, focusing on his remembrances of the field over the more than 60 years of his involvement. This article is an abridged version of those discussions (the full version is available on the Annual Reviews website). It is both an oral history and a written memory of some important but selected areas of immunology.

Immunological half-life of porcine proinsulin C-peptide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oyama, H; Horino, M; Matsumura, S [Kawasaki Medical Coll., Kurashiki (Japan). Div. of Endocrinology; Kobayshi, K; Suetsugu, N [Yamaguchi Univ., Ube (Japan). School of Medicine

1975-11-01

Immunological half-lifes of injected porcine C-peptide and insulin with RIA were studied and calculated as 9.8 and 8.0 minutes. Higher circulating levels of C-peptide as compared to insulin in normal young swines lead to speculation about a longer half-life of C-peptide. This hypothesis was verified in this study. Immunological half-lifes of porcine proinsulin and insulin in the pig were 20 and 6 minutes, respectively.

Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunology: A Psychobiological Concept.

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França, Katlein; Lotti, Torello M

2017-01-01

Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunology (P.N.E.I.) is a scientific field of study that investigates the link between bidirectional communications among the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system and the correlations of this cross-talk with physical health. The P.N.E.I. innovative medical approach represents a paradigm shift from a strictly biomedical view of health and disease taken as hermetically sealed compartments to a more interdisciplinary one. The key element of P.N.E.I. approach is represented by the concept of bidirectional cross-talk between the psychoneuroendocrine and immune systems. The Low Dose Medicine is one of the most promising approaches able to allow the researchers to design innovative therapeutic strategies for the treatment of skin diseases based on the rebalance of the immune response.

Quality in radio-immunology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hegesippe, Michel

1982-01-01

The author outlines the technique of radio-immunological analysis (RIA) which is now widely used for neo-natal detection of congenital hyperthyroidism. He describes the methods and controls that are called for - as regards the specificity of doses, the sensitivity and reliability of the separation technique - to guarantee the quality of RIA and the validity of its results [fr

Bronchiectasis in Children: Current Concepts in Immunology and Microbiology.

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Pizzutto, Susan J; Hare, Kim M; Upham, John W

2017-01-01

Bronchiectasis is a complex chronic respiratory condition traditionally characterized by chronic infection, airway inflammation, and progressive decline in lung function. Early diagnosis and intensive treatment protocols can stabilize or even improve the clinical prognosis of children with bronchiectasis. However, understanding the host immunologic mechanisms that contribute to recurrent infection and prolonged inflammation has been identified as an important area of research that would contribute substantially to effective prevention strategies for children at risk of bronchiectasis. This review will focus on the current understanding of the role of the host immune response and important pathogens in the pathogenesis of bronchiectasis (not associated with cystic fibrosis) in children.

Immunological characterization and transcription profiling of peripheral blood (PB monocytes in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD and specific polysaccharide antibody deficiency (SPAD: case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jyonouchi Harumi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction There exists a small subset of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD characterized by fluctuating behavioral symptoms and cognitive skills following immune insults. Some of these children also exhibit specific polysaccharide antibody deficiency (SPAD, resulting in frequent infection caused by encapsulated organisms, and they often require supplemental intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG (ASD/SPAD. This study assessed whether these ASD/SPAD children have distinct immunological findings in comparison with ASD/non-SPAD or non-ASD/SPAD children. Case description We describe 8 ASD/SPAD children with worsening behavioral symptoms/cognitive skills that are triggered by immune insults. These ASD/SPAD children exhibited delayed type food allergy (5/8, treatment-resistant seizure disorders (4/8, and chronic gastrointestinal (GI symptoms (5/8 at high frequencies. Control subjects included ASD children without SPAD (N = 39, normal controls (N = 37, and non-ASD children with SPAD (N = 12. Discussion and Evaluation We assessed their innate and adaptive immune responses, by measuring the production of pro-inflammatory and counter-regulatory cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs in responses to agonists of toll like receptors (TLR, stimuli of innate immunity, and T cell stimulants. Transcription profiling of PB monocytes was also assessed. ASD/SPAD PBMCs produced less proinflammatory cytokines with agonists of TLR7/8 (IL-6, IL-23, TLR2/6 (IL-6, TLR4 (IL-12p40, and without stimuli (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α than normal controls. In addition, cytokine production of ASD/SPAD PBMCs in response to T cell mitogens (IFN-γ, IL-17, and IL-12p40 and candida antigen (Ag (IL-10, IL-12p40 were less than normal controls. ASD/non-SPAD PBMDs revealed similar results as normal controls, while non-ASD/SPAD PBMCs revealed lower production of IL-6, IL-10 and IL-23 with a TLR4 agonist. Only common features observed between ASD/SPAD and non

21 CFR 866.6010 - Tumor-associated antigen immunological test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

.... Class II (special controls). Tumor markers must comply with the following special controls: (1) A... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tumor-associated antigen immunological test system... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Tumor Associated Antigen...

Immunological problems of radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusztai-Markos, Z.

1979-01-01

The possible importance of the immune system in early development and progression of breast cancer is being discussed. The different laboratory methods in controlling the specific and non-specific immune reactivity are summarized. The modification of the immunological parameters by radio- resp. chemotherapy is critically presented on the basis of published data and on own results. An analysis of the data obtained by various immunological methods in respect to their consequences in diagnosis and prognosis is done. An immunological monitoring in the control of radio-, chemo- and immunotherapy in breast cancer patients is proposed. (orig.) [de

Cholera in pregnancy: Clinical and immunological aspects.

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Khan, Ashraful I; Chowdhury, Fahima; Leung, Daniel T; Larocque, Regina C; Harris, Jason B; Ryan, Edward T; Calderwood, Stephen B; Qadri, Firdausi

2015-10-01

The objective of this study was to examine the clinical and immunological features of cholera in pregnancy. Women of reproductive age presenting to the icddr,b Dhaka hospital with cholera, and enrolled as part of a larger cohort study, were tested for pregnancy on admission. We compared initial clinical features and immune responses of pregnant patients with non-pregnant female patients at days 2, 7 and 21 after infection. Among reproductive age women enrolled between January 2001 and May 2006, 9.7% (14/144) were pregnant. The duration of diarrhoea prior to admission tended to be higher in pregnant compared to non-pregnant patients (p=0.08), but other clinical characteristics did not differ. Antibody responses to cholera toxin B subunit (CtxB), toxin-coregulated pilus A (TcpA), Vibrio cholerae lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and serum vibriocidal antibody responses, were comparable between pregnant and non-pregnant patients. There were no deaths among the pregnant cases or non-pregnant controls, and no adverse foetal outcomes, including stillbirths, during 21 days of follow up of pregnant cases. To our knowledge, this is the first report of immune responses in pregnant women with cholera. We found that pregnant woman early in pregnancy has comparable clinical illness and subsequent immune responses compared to non-pregnant women. These findings suggest that the evaluation of safety and immunogenicity of oral cholera vaccines in pregnancy should be an area of future investigations. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Immunological state of patients with carcinoma of the bronchus before and after radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savage, A.M.; Pritchard, J.A.V.; Deeley, T.J.; Davies, B.H.; Sully Hospital

1980-01-01

The immunological state of 30 patients with carcinoma of the bronchus was assessed before and after radiotherapy by lymphocyte response to PHA and E and EAC rosette formation. The results were compared with those from age-matched patients with benign chest disease and a group of healthy control subjects. Differences were found between the three groups and decreased immunological responses were found to correlate with shorter survival times for patients with cancer of the bronchus. These differences were associated with the extent of the disease, or with the smoking habits of the patients. Significant differences in percentage EAC cell rosetting were demonstrated between lymphocytes from patients with malignant disease (31.3 +- 2.0) and those for control groups (21.5 +- 1.9 and 24.0 +- 2.2). Cancer patients and benign chest disease patients both had significantly decreased mean E rosetting values (59.3% and 55.6%) compared with healthy control subjects (69.7%). The group of cancer patients with a normal percentage of T lymphocytes and total number of lymphocytes and radiotherapy, or those with low percentage EAC cell rosettes, had a greater than 80% survival after seven months compared with less than 50% for the rest of the patients with carcinoma of the bronchus. (author)

Pathological and immunological responses associated with differential survival of Chinook salmon following Renibacterium salmoninarum challenge

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Metzger, David C.; Elliott, Diane G.; Wargo, Andrew; Park, Linda K.; Purcell, Maureen K.

2010-01-01

Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha are highly susceptible to Renibacterium salmoninarum, the causative agent of bacterial kidney disease (BKD). Previously we demonstrated that introduced Chinook salmon from Lake Michigan, Wisconsin (WI), USA, have higher survival following R. salmoninarum challenge relative to the progenitor stock from Green River, Washington, USA. In the present study, we investigated the pathological and immunological responses that are associated with differential survival in the 2 Chinook salmon stocks following intra-peritoneal R. salmoninarum challenge of 2 different cohort years (2003 and 2005). Histological evaluation revealed delayed appearance of severe granulomatous lesions in the kidney and lower overall prevalence of membranous glomerulopathy in the higher surviving WI stock. The higher survival WI stock had a lower bacterial load at 28 d post-infection, as measured by reverse-transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). However, at all other time points, bacterial load levels were similar despite higher mortality in the more susceptible Green River stock, suggesting the possibility that the stocks may differ in their tolerance to infection by the bacterium. Interferon-γ, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), Mx-1, and transferrin gene expression were up-regulated in both stocks following challenge. A trend of higher iNOS gene expression at later time points (≥28 d post-infection) was observed in the lower surviving Green River stock, suggesting the possibility that higher iNOS expression may contribute to greater pathology in that stock.

Radiotherapy and peculiarities of immunological reactivity in uterine and cervical cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mechev, D.S.; Stolyarova, O.Yu.

2005-01-01

The peculiarities of immunological reactivity in uterine and cervical cancer was studied. The study involved 94 patients who were administered combination radiation therapy for the above cancer. Before the treatment, the investigated group of the patients was characterized by the changes in a number of parameters of immunological reactivity (increased IgG, IgA, IgM serum concentrations, reduction of CD3+ and CD4+ amount, increased expression of CD95). The majority of changes were noticed immediately after the radiation therapy. Three and six month later the majority of immunological reactivity parameters did not differ from the respective values in the healthy group. Investigation of immunological reactivity in patients with uterine and cervical cancer allows to choose adequate treatment for this group of patients and improve its efficacy

Immunologic assessment of patients with pulmonary metaplasia and neoplasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross, R.L.; Saccomanno, G.; Smith, D.M.; Saunders, R.; Thomas, R.G.

1979-01-01

Immune profiles have been obtained on 206 individuals including 57 controls, 50 lung cancer patients, and 99 uranium miners with well-defined sputum cytologies ranging from normal to carcinoma in situ. Little effect of smoking, uranium mining or a combination of mining plus smoking on immune function was observed if sputum cytology was normal. In heavy smokers there was a suggestion that total T cells are increased while T cell function is slightly depressed. Immunologic abnormalities were noted in the moderate atypia group where 40% had one or more abnormal immunologic parameters. Immunologic abnormalities were detected in 68 to 70 patients with marked atypia, carcinoma in situ, or invasive carcinoma. Further sequential study of the uranium miner population is necessary to define more precisely the predictive value of immunologic testing, and the role of early identification of high risk individuals in the early institution of definitive therapy, such as surgery or immunotherapy. Long-term prospective analysis of this population may also provide the answer to the question of whether alterations in immune function precede, or result from the appearance of cells committed to the development of neoplasia

The size of the thymus: an important immunological diagnostic tool?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeppesen, Dorthe Lisbeth

2003-01-01

of the thymus relevant to its function and could measurement of the thymus be a useful immunological diagnostic tool in the investigation of thymic function in humans with a depressed immune system? Conclusion: Studies using the size of the thymus as an immunological diagnostic tool should be encouraged....

A controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effect of GanedenBC(30) on immunological markers.

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Kimmel, M; Keller, D; Farmer, S; Warrino, D E

2010-03-01

GanedenBC(30), a probiotic, has been shown to significantly increase T-cell production of TNF-alpha after ex vivo exposure to a strain of adenovirus (AdenoVI) or influenza A (H3N2 Texas strain [FluTex]). The current controlled study was designed to further evaluate the effect of GanedenBC(30) on immunological marker levels following viral exposure. Ten healthy subjects' baseline immunological marker levels were analyzed. Subjects consumed 1 capsule/day of GanedenBC(30) for 28 days and returned for post-treatment immunological marker evaluation. Subjects' baseline measurements served as their own control. All subjects completed the study with no adverse events; however, one subject was excluded from the final analysis based on a reasonable consideration as an outlier. CD3+CD69+ cells, IL-6, IL-8, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and TNF-alpha levels were increased after exposure to AdenoVI and FluTex. IL-1beta levels also increased after exposure to AdenoVI but were decreased after ex vivo exposure to FluTex. CD3+CD69+ cells increased significantly (P = 0.023) after exposure to both viral strains. Differences in IL-8 levels after FluTex exposure achieved statistical significance (P = 0.039) as did IFN-gamma levels after AdenoVI exposure (P = 0.039). A regimen of one capsule per day containing 500 million CFU of GanedenBC30 may be a safe and effective option for enhancing the immunological response to common viral respiratory tract infections. 2010 Prous Science, S.A.U. or its licensors. All rights reserved.

Regenerative immunology: the immunological reaction to biomaterials.

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Cravedi, Paolo; Farouk, Samira; Angeletti, Andrea; Edgar, Lauren; Tamburrini, Riccardo; Duisit, Jerome; Perin, Laura; Orlando, Giuseppe

2017-12-01

Regenerative medicine promises to meet two of the most urgent needs of modern organ transplantation, namely immunosuppression-free transplantation and an inexhaustible source of organs. Ideally, bioengineered organs would be manufactured from a patient's own biomaterials-both cells and the supporting scaffolding materials in which cells would be embedded and allowed to mature to eventually regenerate the organ in question. While some groups are focusing on the feasibility of this approach, few are focusing on the immunogenicity of the scaffolds that are being developed for organ bioengineering purposes. This review will succinctly discuss progress in the understanding of immunological characteristics and behavior of different scaffolds currently under development, with emphasis on the extracellular matrix scaffolds obtained decellularized animal or human organs which seem to provide the ideal template for bioengineering purposes. © 2017 Steunstichting ESOT.

A review of the basis of the immunological diagnosis of ruminant brucellosis.

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Ducrotoy, Marie J; Conde-Álvarez, Raquel; Blasco, José María; Moriyón, Ignacio

2016-03-01

Bacteria of the genus Brucella cause brucellosis, the most common bacterial zoonosis worldwide. The diagnosis of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis ruminant brucellosis is based on bacteriological and immunological tests, the latter being routinely used in control and eradication and surveillance programs. Infections by smooth and rough Brucella spp., the use of smooth and rough vaccines, and the false-positive serological reactions caused by Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 and other cross-reacting bacteria represent the immunological contexts in which those tests are used. This complex context explains the large number of brucellosis tests that have been developed, and that vary in antigen type, antigen presentation, antibody and conditions for the reaction, the response detected and the sample required. This wealth of information and an imperfect understanding of Brucella antigens and of the peculiarities of the immunoresponse to Brucella has created confusion and led to several misconceptions on the usefulness and limitations of the brucellosis diagnostic tests. In this review, Brucella antigens are examined focusing on cellular topology, supramolecular properties, epitopic structure and lipopolysaccharide and protein cross-reactivity in the various contexts of the immune response in ruminants. Then, the significance of these features in diagnostic tests that use whole bacteria is discussed with respect to the activities of ruminant immunoglobulins, and the effect of pH on unspecific agglutinations, non-agglutinating and blocking antibodies, pseudo-prozones and complement activation. Similarly, the bacterial surface lipopolysaccharides and cognate polysaccharides are discussed with regards to topological effects, epitope exposure, ionic strength and antibody avidity in immunoprecipitation, immunosorbent and fluorescence polarization assays. Finally, the search for immunodominant protein antigens and their use in immunological tests is reviewed. Critical review

Breaking Immunological Tolerance through OX40 (CD134

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Pratima Bansal-Pakala

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Immunological tolerance represents a mechanism by which cells of the host remain protected from the immune system. Breaking of immunological tolerance can result in a variety of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. The reasons for tolerance breaking down and autoimmune processes arising are largely unknown but of obvious interest for therapeutic intervention of these diseases. Although reversal of the tolerant state is generally unwanted, there are instances where this may be of benefit to the host. In particular, one way a cancerous cell escapes being targeted by the immune system is through tolerance mechanisms that in effect turn off the reactivity of T lymphocytes that can respond to tumor-associated peptides. Thus tolerance represents a major obstacle in developing effective immunotherapy against tumors. The molecules that are involved in regulating immunological tolerance are then of interest as they may be great targets for positively or negatively manipulating the tolerance process.

Panel 5: Microbiology and Immunology Panel

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Murphy, Timothy F.; Chonmaitree, Tasnee; Barenkamp, Stephen; Kyd, Jennelle; Nokso-Koivisto, Johanna; Patel, Janak A.; Heikkinen, Terho; Yamanaka, Noboru; Ogra, Pearay; Swords, W. Edward; Sih, Tania; Pettigrew, Melinda M.

2014-01-01

Objective The objective is to perform a comprehensive review of the literature from January 2007 through June 2011 on the virology, bacteriology, and immunology related to otitis media. Data Sources PubMed database of the National Library of Medicine. Review Methods Three subpanels with co-chairs comprising experts in the virology, bacteriology, and immunology of otitis media were formed. Each of the panels reviewed the literature in their respective fields and wrote draft reviews. The reviews were shared with all panel members, and a second draft was created. The entire panel met at the 10th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Otitis Media in June 2011 and discussed the review and refined the content further. A final draft was created, circulated, and approved by the panel. Conclusion Excellent progress has been made in the past 4 years in advancing an understanding of the microbiology and immunology of otitis media. Advances include laboratory-based basic studies, cell-based assays, work in animal models, and clinical studies. Implications for Practice The advances of the past 4 years formed the basis of a series of short-term and long-term research goals in an effort to guide the field. Accomplishing these goals will provide opportunities for the development of novel interventions, including new ways to better treat and prevent otitis media. PMID:23536533

Pediatric allergy and immunology in Brazil.

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Rosario-Filho, Nelson A; Jacob, Cristina M; Sole, Dirceu; Condino-Neto, Antonio; Arruda, Luisa K; Costa-Carvalho, Beatriz; Cocco, Renata R; Camelo-Nunes, Inês; Chong-Neto, Herberto J; Wandalsen, Gustavo F; Castro, Ana P M; Yang, Ariana C; Pastorino, Antonio C; Sarinho, Emanuel S

2013-06-01

The subspecialty of pediatric allergy and immunology in Brazil is in its early years and progressing steadily. This review highlights the research developed in the past years aiming to show the characteristics of allergic and immunologic diseases in this vast country. Epidemiologic studies demonstrated the high prevalence of asthma in infants, children, and adolescents. Mortality rates and average annual variation of asthma hospitalization have reduced in all pediatric age groups. Indoor aeroallergen exposure is excessively high and contributes to the high rates of allergy sensitization. Prevalence of food allergy has increased to epidemic levels. Foods (35%), insect stings (30%), and drugs (23%) are the main etiological agents of anaphylaxis in children and adolescents. Molecular diagnosis of primary immunodeficiencies (PID) showed a high incidence of fungal infections including paracoccidioidomycosis in X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome, and the occurrence of BCG adverse reactions or other mycobacterial infections in patients with chronic granulomatous disease. Education in pediatric allergy and immunology is deficient for medical students, but residency programs are effective in training internists and pediatricians for the practice of allergy. The field of PID requires further training. Last, this review is a tribute to Prof. Dr. Charles Naspitz, one of the pioneers of our specialty in Brazil. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Immunological Assays as an Opportunity of Assessment of Health Risks of Airborne Particle Mixture Including Nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brzicová, Tána; Danihelka, Pavel; Micka, Vladimír; Lochman, Ivo; Lach, Karel; Lochmanová, Alexandra

2013-01-01

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate perspectives of the assessment of nonspecific biological effects of airborne particulate matter including nanoparticles using appropriate immunological assays. We have selected various in vitro immunological assays to establish an array allowing us to monitor activation of the cell-mediated and humoral response of both the innate and adaptive immunity. To assess comprehensive interactions and effects, the assays were performed in whole blood cultures from healthy volunteers and we used an original airborne particle mixture from high pollution period in Ostrava region representing areas with one of the most polluted air in Europe. Even if certain effects were observed, the results of the immunological assays did not prove significant effects of airborne particles on immune cells' functions of healthy persons. However, obtained data do not exclude health risks of long-term exposure to airborne particles, especially in case of individuals with genetic predisposition to certain diseases or already existing disease. This study emphasizes the in vitro assessment of complex effects of airborne particles in conditions similar to actual ones in an organism exposed to particle mixture present in the polluted air.

Baseline immunity to diphtheria and immunologic response after booster vaccination with reduced diphtheria and tetanus toxoid vaccine in Thai health care workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiboonchutikul, Surasak; Manosuthi, Weerawat; Sangsajja, Chariya; Thientong, Varaporn; Likanonsakul, Sirirat; Srisopha, Somkid; Termvises, Patamavadee; Rujitip, Jitlada; Loiusirirotchanakul, Suda; Puthavathana, Pilaipan

2014-07-01

A prospective study to evaluate immune status against diphtheria and immunologic response after tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster vaccination was conducted in 250 Thai health care workers (HCWs). A protective antibody was found in 89.2% of the HCWs (95% confidence interval [CI], 83.3%-91.5%) before receipt of the Td booster vaccination, compared with 97.2% (95% CI, 95.1%-99.3%) after receipt of the first dose of booster (P diphtheria increased from 0.39 IU/mL (95% CI, 0.35-0.44 IU/mL) before the Td booster vaccination to 1.20 IU/mL (95% CI, 1.12-1.29 IU/mL) after the vaccination (P diphtheria, which still circulates in Thailand. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cell source determines the immunological impact of biomimetic nanoparticles.

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Evangelopoulos, Michael; Parodi, Alessandro; Martinez, Jonathan O; Yazdi, Iman K; Cevenini, Armando; van de Ven, Anne L; Quattrocchi, Nicoletta; Boada, Christian; Taghipour, Nima; Corbo, Claudia; Brown, Brandon S; Scaria, Shilpa; Liu, Xuewu; Ferrari, Mauro; Tasciotti, Ennio

2016-03-01

Recently, engineering the surface of nanotherapeutics with biologics to provide them with superior biocompatibility and targeting towards pathological tissues has gained significant popularity. Although the functionalization of drug delivery vectors with cellular materials has been shown to provide synthetic particles with unique biological properties, these approaches may have undesirable immunological repercussions upon systemic administration. Herein, we comparatively analyzed unmodified multistage nanovectors and particles functionalized with murine and human leukocyte cellular membrane, dubbed Leukolike Vectors (LLV), and the immunological effects that may arise in vitro and in vivo. Previously, LLV demonstrated an avoidance of opsonization and phagocytosis, in addition to superior targeting of inflammation and prolonged circulation. In this work, we performed a comprehensive evaluation of the importance of the source of cellular membrane in increasing their systemic tolerance and minimizing an inflammatory response. Time-lapse microscopy revealed LLV developed using a cellular coating derived from a murine (i.e., syngeneic) source resulted in an active avoidance of uptake by macrophage cells. Additionally, LLV composed of a murine membrane were found to have decreased uptake in the liver with no significant effect on hepatic function. As biomimicry continues to develop, this work demonstrates the necessity to consider the source of biological material in the development of future drug delivery carriers. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Diversity in immunological synapse structure

Science.gov (United States)

Thauland, Timothy J; Parker, David C

2010-01-01

Immunological synapses (ISs) are formed at the T cell–antigen-presenting cell (APC) interface during antigen recognition, and play a central role in T-cell activation and in the delivery of effector functions. ISs were originally described as a peripheral ring of adhesion molecules surrounding a central accumulation of T-cell receptor (TCR)–peptide major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) interactions. Although the structure of these ‘classical’ ISs has been the subject of intense study, non-classical ISs have also been observed under a variety of conditions. Multifocal ISs, characterized by adhesion molecules dispersed among numerous small accumulations of TCR–pMHC, and motile ‘immunological kinapses’ have both been described. In this review, we discuss the conditions under which non-classical ISs are formed. Specifically, we explore the profound effect that the phenotypes of both T cells and APCs have on IS structure. We also comment on the role that IS structure may play in T-cell function. PMID:21039474

Immunology of breast milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmeira, Patricia; Carneiro-Sampaio, Magda

2016-09-01

In the critical phase of immunological immaturity of the newborn, particularly for the immune system of mucous membranes, infants receive large amounts of bioactive components through colostrum and breast milk. Colostrum is the most potent natural immune booster known to science. Breastfeeding protects infants against infections mainly via secretory IgA (SIgA) antibodies, but also via other various bioactive factors. It is striking that the defense factors of human milk function without causing inflammation; some components are even anti-inflammatory. Protection against infections has been well evidenced during lactation against, e.g., acute and prolonged diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, including otitis media, urinary tract infection, neonatal septicemia, and necrotizing enterocolitis. The milk's immunity content changes over time. In the early stages of lactation, IgA, anti-inflammatory factors and, more likely, immunologically active cells provide additional support for the immature immune system of the neonate. After this period, breast milk continues to adapt extraordinarily to the infant's ontogeny and needs regarding immune protection and nutrition. The need to encourage breastfeeding is therefore justifiable, at least during the first 6 months of life, when the infant's secretory IgA production is insignificant.

Immunology of breast milk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Palmeira

Full Text Available Summary In the critical phase of immunological immaturity of the newborn, particularly for the immune system of mucous membranes, infants receive large amounts of bioactive components through colostrum and breast milk. Colostrum is the most potent natural immune booster known to science. Breastfeeding protects infants against infections mainly via secretory IgA (SIgA antibodies, but also via other various bioactive factors. It is striking that the defense factors of human milk function without causing inflammation; some components are even anti-inflammatory. Protection against infections has been well evidenced during lactation against, e.g., acute and prolonged diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, including otitis media, urinary tract infection, neonatal septicemia, and necrotizing enterocolitis. The milk’s immunity content changes over time. In the early stages of lactation, IgA, anti-inflammatory factors and, more likely, immunologically active cells provide additional support for the immature immune system of the neonate. After this period, breast milk continues to adapt extraordinarily to the infant’s ontogeny and needs regarding immune protection and nutrition. The need to encourage breastfeeding is therefore justifiable, at least during the first 6 months of life, when the infant’s secretory IgA production is insignificant.

Sézary Syndrome and Atopic Dermatitis: Comparison of Immunological Aspects and Targets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ieva Saulite

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sézary syndrome (SS, an aggressive form of erythrodermic pruritic cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL, from an immunological perspective characterized by increased Th2 cytokine levels, elevated serum IgE and impaired cellular immunity. Not only the clinical appearance but also the hallmark immunological characteristics of SS often share striking similarities with acute flares of atopic dermatitis (AD, a common benign chronic inflammatory skin disease. Given the overlap of several immunological features, the application of similar or even identical therapeutic approaches in certain stages of both diseases may come into consideration. The aim of this review is to compare currently accepted immunological aspects and possible therapeutic targets in AD and SS.

An e-learning course in medical immunology: does it improve learning outcome?

Science.gov (United States)

Boye, Sondre; Moen, Torolf; Vik, Torstein

2012-01-01

E-learning is used by most medical students almost daily and several studies have shown e-learning to improve learning outcome in small-scale interventions. However, few studies have explored the effects of e-learning in immunology. To study the effect of an e-learning package in immunology on learning outcomes in a written integrated examination and to examine student satisfaction with the e-learning package. All second-year students at a Norwegian medical school were offered an animated e-learning package in basic immunology as a supplement to the regular teaching. Each student's log-on-time was recorded and linked with the student's score on multiple choice questions included in an integrated end-of-the-year written examination. Student satisfaction was assessed through a questionnaire. The intermediate-range students (interquartile range) on average scored 3.6% better on the immunology part of the examination per hour they had used the e-learning package (p = 0.0046) and log-on-time explained 17% of the variance in immunology score. The best and the less skilled students' examination outcomes were not affected by the e-learning. The e-learning was well appreciated among the students. Use of an e-learning package in immunology in addition to regular teaching improved learning outcomes for intermediate-range students.

American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

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... Care Professionals Find an Allergist American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Seeking Relief? Find an Allergist ... shots? View All Postings Ask the Allergist Index Allergy & Asthma News Let it snow, but don’t ...

Measurement of the IgG2 response to Pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides may identify an antibody deficiency in individuals referred for immunological investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Antony; Irure Ventura, Juan; Sims, Dawn; Echeverría de Carlos, Ainara; Gómez de la Torre, Ricardo; Tricas Aizpún, Lourdes; Ocejo-Vinyals, J Gonzalo; López-Hoyos, Marcos; Wallis, Gregg; Harding, Stephen

2017-01-01

IgG2 is the most efficient subclass for providing protection against pneumococcal pathogens. We hypothesised that some individuals may be unable to mount an effective pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (PCP) IgG2 response despite having a normal PCP IgG concentration (PCP IgG2 deficient). The median pre-vaccination PCP IgG2 concentration was significantly lower in individuals referred for immunological investigation compared to healthy controls (2.8 mg/L range, 95% CI 1.1-88 vs. 29.5mg/L, 95% CI 13.5-90, p = 0.0002). PCP IgG:IgG2 ratios were significantly higher for the referral population than for healthy controls suggesting the increased production of PCP specific subclasses other than IgG2. The percentage of individuals with PCP IgG2 deficiency was significantly higher in referral groups compared to controls (31% vs. 5%; p = 0.0009) and in an individual with PCP IgG2 deficiency, the balance of PCP specific IgG subclass antibodies post vaccination changed from IgG2>IgG1>IgG3>IgG4 to IgG1>IgG3>IgG2>IgG4. The median PCP IgG2 concentration in those with PCP IgG2 deficiency was significantly lower in the referral groups compared to controls (7.8 mg/L, 95% CI 1.1-12 vs. 12.7 mg/L, 95% CI 11.8-13.1; p = 0.006). The data suggests a defect in the production PCP IgG2 may be present in individuals with normal PCP IgG referred for immunological investigation.

Immunological and biological properties of recombinant Lol p 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Boutin, Y; Lamontagne, P; Boulanger, J; Brunet, C; Hébert, J

1997-03-01

Current forms of allergy diagnosis and therapies are based on the use of natural allergenic extracts. Despite strong evidence that higher therapeutic efficacy may be achieved with purified allergens, the purification of multiple allergic components from extracts is a fastidious and sometimes an impossible task. However, the use of recombinant allergens may be an alternative to overcome this problem. In this study, we compared the immunological properties of recombinant (r) Lol p 1 with those of the natural protein. We cloned directly the gene encoding Lol p 1 from genomic DNA of ryegrass pollen. This gene was subcloned into the expression vector pMAL-c and expressed as fusion protein. Subsequently, rLol p 1 was cleaved from maltose-binding protein using factor Xa. Using binding inhibition and proliferative assays, we assessed the immunological properties of the recombinant allergens. The capacity of rLol p 1 to trigger basophil histamine release and to elicit a skin reaction was also assessed and compared to those of its natural counterpart. We found that the Lol p 1 gene has no introns since we amplified this gene directly from genomic DNA. We demonstrated that the binding sites of anti-Lol p 1 monoclonal antibody, specific human IgG and IgE antibody are well conserved on rLol p 1 as no difference in the binding inhibition profile was observed when using either natural or recombinant protein. At the T-cell level, rLol p 1 elicited a T-cell response in mice comparable to that observed with the natural protein. In addition, we demonstrated that the biological characteristics of rLol p 1 were comparable to those of the natural counterpart, in that rLol p 1 elicited a skin wheal reaction and induced basophil histamine release in grass-allergic patients only. The data indicate that natural Lol p 1 and rLol p 1 shared identical immunological and biological properties.

Ligand mobility modulates immunological synapse formation and T cell activation.

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Chih-Jung Hsu

Full Text Available T cell receptor (TCR engagement induces clustering and recruitment to the plasma membrane of many signaling molecules, including the protein tyrosine kinase zeta-chain associated protein of 70 kDa (ZAP70 and the adaptor SH2 domain-containing leukocyte protein of 76 kDa (SLP76. This molecular rearrangement results in formation of the immunological synapse (IS, a dynamic protein array that modulates T cell activation. The current study investigates the effects of apparent long-range ligand mobility on T cell signaling activity and IS formation. We formed stimulatory lipid bilayers on glass surfaces from binary lipid mixtures with varied composition, and characterized these surfaces with respect to diffusion coefficient and fluid connectivity. Stimulatory ligands coupled to these surfaces with similar density and orientation showed differences in their ability to activate T cells. On less mobile membranes, central supramolecular activation cluster (cSMAC formation was delayed and the overall accumulation of CD3ζ at the IS was reduced. Analysis of signaling microcluster (MC dynamics showed that ZAP70 MCs exhibited faster track velocity and longer trajectories as a function of increased ligand mobility, whereas movement of SLP76 MCs was relatively insensitive to this parameter. Actin retrograde flow was observed on all surfaces, but cell spreading and subsequent cytoskeletal contraction were more pronounced on mobile membranes. Finally, increased tyrosine phosphorylation and persistent elevation of intracellular Ca(2+ were observed in cells stimulated on fluid membranes. These results point to ligand mobility as an important parameter in modulating T cell responses.

The Specific Roles of Vitamins in the Regulation of Immunosurveillance and Maintenance of Immunologic Homeostasis in the Gut

OpenAIRE

Hosomi, Koji; Kunisawa, Jun

2017-01-01

Vitamins are micronutrients which are essential for the maintenance of biological responses including immune system. Hence, vitamin deficiency increases a risk of infectious, allergic, and inflammatory diseases. Accumulating evidence has recently revealed the molecular and cellular mechanisms of vitamin-mediated regulation in the active and quiescent immune responses. In this review, we focus on the immunologic roles of vitamins in the regulation of homeostasis and surveillance in the gut.

Historical links between toxinology and immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavaillon, Jean-Marc

2018-04-01

Research on bacterial toxins is closely linked to the birth of immunology. Our understanding of the interaction of bacterial protein toxins with immune cells has helped to decipher immunopathology, develop preventive and curative treatments for infections, and propose anti-cancer immunotherapies. The link started when Behring and Kitasato demonstrated that serotherapy was effective against 'the strangling angel', namely diphtheria, and its dreadful toxin discovered by Roux and Yersin. The antitoxin treatment helped to save thousands of children. Glenny demonstrated the efficacy of the secondary immune response compared to the primary one. Ramon described anatoxins that allowed the elaboration of effective vaccines and discovered the use of adjuvant to boost the antibody response. Similar approaches were later made for the tetanus toxin. Studying antitoxin antibodies Ehrlich demonstrated, for the first time, the transfer of immunity from mother to newborns. In 1989 Marrack and Kappler coined the concept of 'superantigens' to characterize protein toxins that induce T-lymphocyte proliferation, and cytokine release by both T-lymphocytes and antigen presenting cells. More recently, immunotoxins have been designed to kill cancer cells targeted by either specific antibodies or cytokines. Finally, the action of IgE antibodies against toxins may explain their persistence through evolution despite their side effect in allergy.

Post-menopausal Women Exhibit Greater Interleukin-6 Responses to Mental Stress Than Older Men.

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Endrighi, Romano; Hamer, Mark; Steptoe, Andrew

2016-08-01

Acute stress triggers innate immune responses and elevation in circulating cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6). The effect of sex on IL-6 responses remains unclear due to important limitations of previous studies. The purpose of this study was to examine sex differences in IL-6 responses to mental stress in a healthy, older (post-menopausal) sample accounting for several moderating factors. Five hundred six participants (62.9 ± 5.60 years, 55 % male) underwent 10 min of mental stress consisting of mirror tracing and Stroop task. Blood was sampled at baseline, after stress, and 45 and 75 min post-stress, and assayed using a high sensitivity kit. IL-6 reactivity was computed as the mean difference between baseline and 45 min and between baseline and 75 min post-stress. Main effects and interactions were examined using ANCOVA models. There was a main effect of time for the IL-6 response (F 3,1512 = 201.57, p = stress compared to males. Results were independent of age, adiposity, socioeconomic position, depression, smoking and alcohol consumption, physical activity, statin use, testing time, task appraisals, hormone replacement, and baseline IL-6. Other significant predictors of IL-6 reactivity were lower household wealth, afternoon testing, and baseline IL-6. Healthy, post-menopausal females exhibit substantially greater IL-6 responses to acute stress. Inflammatory responses if sustained over time may have clinical implications for the development and maintenance of inflammatory-related conditions prevalent in older women.

CCL8 BASED IMMUNOLOGICAL MONITORING

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2008-01-01

The present invention relates to an immunological method and, more particularly, a method for measuring cell-mediated immune reactivity (CMI) in mammals based on the production of CCL8.The invention further discloses an assay and a kit for measuring CMI to an antigen using whole blood or other...

A Salamander Tale: Effective Exhibits and Attitude Change

Science.gov (United States)

Rollins, Jeffrey; Watson, Sunnie Lee

2017-01-01

Little information exists regarding intention behind the design and development of Extension outreach and educational exhibits. An evaluation of response to the exhibit "A Salamander Tale" indicates that the methods used to develop the exhibit resulted in an effective way to present information to an adult audience. Survey questions were…

Cancer immunology and colorectal cancer recurrence

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vannucci, Luca

-, č. 3 (2011), s. 1421-1431 ISSN 1945-0524 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA500200917 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : colorectal cancer * inflammation * tumor Subject RIV: EC - Immunology

Immunology of IgG4-related disease

Science.gov (United States)

Della-Torre, E; Lanzillotta, M; Doglioni, C

2015-01-01

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a fibroinflammatory condition that derives its name from the characteristic finding of abundant IgG4+ plasma cells in affected tissues, as well as the presence of elevated serum IgG4 concentrations in many patients. In contrast to fibrotic disorders, such as systemic sclerosis or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in which the tissues fibrosis has remained largely intractable to treatment, many IgG4-RD patients appear to have a condition in which the collagen deposition is reversible. The mechanisms underlying this peculiar feature remain unknown, but the remarkable efficacy of B cell depletion in these patients supports an important pathogenic role of B cell/T cell collaboration. In particular, aberrant T helper type 2 (Th2)/regulatory T cells sustained by putative autoreactive B cells have been proposed to drive collagen deposition through the production of profibrotic cytokines, but definitive demonstrations of this hypothesis are lacking. Indeed, a number of unsolved questions need to be addressed in order to fully understand the pathogenesis of IgG4-RD. These include the identification of an antigenic trigger(s), the implications (if any) of IgG4 antibodies for pathophysiology and the precise immunological mechanisms leading to fibrosis. Recent investigations have also raised the possibility that innate immunity might precede adaptive immunity, thus further complicating the pathological scenario. Here, we aim to review the most recent insights on the immunology of IgG4-RD, focusing on the relative contribution of innate and adaptive immune responses to the full pathological phenotype of this fibrotic condition. Clinical, histological and therapeutic features are also addressed. PMID:25865251

Big data analytics in immunology: a knowledge-based approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guang Lan; Sun, Jing; Chitkushev, Lou; Brusic, Vladimir

2014-01-01

With the vast amount of immunological data available, immunology research is entering the big data era. These data vary in granularity, quality, and complexity and are stored in various formats, including publications, technical reports, and databases. The challenge is to make the transition from data to actionable knowledge and wisdom and bridge the knowledge gap and application gap. We report a knowledge-based approach based on a framework called KB-builder that facilitates data mining by enabling fast development and deployment of web-accessible immunological data knowledge warehouses. Immunological knowledge discovery relies heavily on both the availability of accurate, up-to-date, and well-organized data and the proper analytics tools. We propose the use of knowledge-based approaches by developing knowledgebases combining well-annotated data with specialized analytical tools and integrating them into analytical workflow. A set of well-defined workflow types with rich summarization and visualization capacity facilitates the transformation from data to critical information and knowledge. By using KB-builder, we enabled streamlining of normally time-consuming processes of database development. The knowledgebases built using KB-builder will speed up rational vaccine design by providing accurate and well-annotated data coupled with tailored computational analysis tools and workflow.

Big Data Analytics in Immunology: A Knowledge-Based Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guang Lan Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available With the vast amount of immunological data available, immunology research is entering the big data era. These data vary in granularity, quality, and complexity and are stored in various formats, including publications, technical reports, and databases. The challenge is to make the transition from data to actionable knowledge and wisdom and bridge the knowledge gap and application gap. We report a knowledge-based approach based on a framework called KB-builder that facilitates data mining by enabling fast development and deployment of web-accessible immunological data knowledge warehouses. Immunological knowledge discovery relies heavily on both the availability of accurate, up-to-date, and well-organized data and the proper analytics tools. We propose the use of knowledge-based approaches by developing knowledgebases combining well-annotated data with specialized analytical tools and integrating them into analytical workflow. A set of well-defined workflow types with rich summarization and visualization capacity facilitates the transformation from data to critical information and knowledge. By using KB-builder, we enabled streamlining of normally time-consuming processes of database development. The knowledgebases built using KB-builder will speed up rational vaccine design by providing accurate and well-annotated data coupled with tailored computational analysis tools and workflow.

An immunologic portrait of cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stroncek David F

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract The advent of high-throughput technology challenges the traditional histopathological classification of cancer, and proposes new taxonomies derived from global transcriptional patterns. Although most of these molecular re-classifications did not endure the test of time, they provided bulk of new information that can reframe our understanding of human cancer biology. Here, we focus on an immunologic interpretation of cancer that segregates oncogenic processes independent from their tissue derivation into at least two categories of which one bears the footprints of immune activation. Several observations describe a cancer phenotype where the expression of interferon stimulated genes and immune effector mechanisms reflect patterns commonly observed during the inflammatory response against pathogens, which leads to elimination of infected cells. As these signatures are observed in growing cancers, they are not sufficient to entirely clear the organism of neoplastic cells but they sustain, as in chronic infections, a self-perpetuating inflammatory process. Yet, several studies determined an association between this inflammatory status and a favorable natural history of the disease or a better responsiveness to cancer immune therapy. Moreover, these signatures overlap with those observed during immune-mediated cancer rejection and, more broadly, immune-mediated tissue-specific destruction in other immune pathologies. Thus, a discussion concerning this cancer phenotype is warranted as it remains unknown why it occurs in immune competent hosts. It also remains uncertain whether a genetically determined response of the host to its own cancer, the genetic makeup of the neoplastic process or a combination of both drives the inflammatory process. Here we reflect on commonalities and discrepancies among studies and on the genetic or somatic conditions that may cause this schism in cancer behavior.

Immunological evaluation of lipopeptide group A streptococcus (GAS vaccine: structure-activity relationship.

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Mehfuz Zaman

Full Text Available Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus, GAS is a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen responsible for a wide variety of diseases. To date, GAS vaccine development has focused primarily on the M-protein. The M-protein is highly variable at the amino (N-terminus (determining serotype but is conserved at the carboxyl (C-terminus. Previously a 29 amino acid peptide (named J14 from the conserved region of the M-protein was identified as a potential vaccine candidate. J14 was capable of eliciting protective antibodies that recognized many GAS serotypes when co-administered with immuno-stimulants. This minimal epitope however showed no immunogenicity when administered alone. In an attempt overcome this immunological non-responsiveness, we developed a self-adjuvanting vaccine candidate composed of three components: the B-cell epitope (J14, a universal helper T-cell epitope (P25 and a lipid moiety consisting of lipoamino acids (Laas which target Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2. Immunological evaluation in B10.BR (H-2k mice demonstrated that the epitope attachment to the point of lipid moiety, and the length of the Laa alkyl chain have a profound effect on vaccine immunogenicity after intranasal administration. It was demonstrated that a vaccine featuring C-terminal lipid moiety containing alkyl chains of 16 carbons, with P25 located at the N-terminus, and J14 attached to the side chain of a central lysine residue was capable of inducing optimal antibody response. These findings have considerable relevance to the development of a broad spectrum J14-based GAS vaccine and in particular provided a rational basis for peptide vaccine design based on this self-adjuvanting lipopeptide technology.

Adoptive transfer of dendritic cells expressing CD11c reduces the immunological response associated with experimental colitis in BALB/c mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Paiatto, Lisiery N; Silva, Fernanda G D; Yamada, Áureo T; Tamashiro, Wirla M S C; Simioni, Patricia U

2018-01-01

-γ were lower in supernatants of cells from mice treated with nDCs. The results allow us to conclude that the adoptive transfer of cells expressing CD11c is able to reduce the clinical and immunological signs of drug-induced colitis. Adoptive transfer of CD11c+DC isolated from both naive and tolerant mice altered the proliferative and T cell responses. To the best of our knowledge, there is no previously published data showing the protective effects of DCs from naïve or tolerant mice in the treatment of colitis.

Clinical immunology - Autoimmunity in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tervaert, Jan Willem Cohen; Kallenberg, Cees G. M.

2014-01-01

Clinical immunology is in the Netherlands a separate clinical specialty within internal medicine and pediatrics. Clinical immunologists work closely together with nephrologists, rheumatologists and many other medical specialists. Apart from research and teaching, clinical immunologists are taking

The immunology of the vermiform appendix: a review of the literature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kooij, I. A.; Sahami, S.; Meijer, S. L.; Buskens, C. J.; te Velde, A. A.

2016-01-01

This literature review assesses the current knowledge about the immunological aspects of the vermiform appendix in health and disease. An essential part of its immunological function is the interaction with the intestinal bacteria, a trait shown to be preserved during its evolution. The existence of

Integration of lyoplate based flow cytometry and computational analysis for standardized immunological biomarker discovery.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federica Villanova

Full Text Available Discovery of novel immune biomarkers for monitoring of disease prognosis and response to therapy in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases is an important unmet clinical need. Here, we establish a novel framework for immunological biomarker discovery, comparing a conventional (liquid flow cytometry platform (CFP and a unique lyoplate-based flow cytometry platform (LFP in combination with advanced computational data analysis. We demonstrate that LFP had higher sensitivity compared to CFP, with increased detection of cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-10 and activation markers (Foxp3 and CD25. Fluorescent intensity of cells stained with lyophilized antibodies was increased compared to cells stained with liquid antibodies. LFP, using a plate loader, allowed medium-throughput processing of samples with comparable intra- and inter-assay variability between platforms. Automated computational analysis identified novel immunophenotypes that were not detected with manual analysis. Our results establish a new flow cytometry platform for standardized and rapid immunological biomarker discovery with wide application to immune-mediated diseases.

Integration of lyoplate based flow cytometry and computational analysis for standardized immunological biomarker discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Villanova, Federica; Di Meglio, Paola; Inokuma, Margaret; Aghaeepour, Nima; Perucha, Esperanza; Mollon, Jennifer; Nomura, Laurel; Hernandez-Fuentes, Maria; Cope, Andrew; Prevost, A Toby; Heck, Susanne; Maino, Vernon; Lord, Graham; Brinkman, Ryan R; Nestle, Frank O

2013-01-01

Discovery of novel immune biomarkers for monitoring of disease prognosis and response to therapy in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases is an important unmet clinical need. Here, we establish a novel framework for immunological biomarker discovery, comparing a conventional (liquid) flow cytometry platform (CFP) and a unique lyoplate-based flow cytometry platform (LFP) in combination with advanced computational data analysis. We demonstrate that LFP had higher sensitivity compared to CFP, with increased detection of cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-10) and activation markers (Foxp3 and CD25). Fluorescent intensity of cells stained with lyophilized antibodies was increased compared to cells stained with liquid antibodies. LFP, using a plate loader, allowed medium-throughput processing of samples with comparable intra- and inter-assay variability between platforms. Automated computational analysis identified novel immunophenotypes that were not detected with manual analysis. Our results establish a new flow cytometry platform for standardized and rapid immunological biomarker discovery with wide application to immune-mediated diseases.

Unwanted Immunology

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M.V. Supotnytskyi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The paper considers the role of antigenic imprin­ting phenomena and antibody-dependent enhancement of infection in epidemic, infectious and postvaccinal processes. Based on published experimental data, it is shown that both phenomena are directly related to the laws of development and course of epide­mics, the pathogenesis of infectious diseases and safe use of vaccines. Their ignoring by researchers has led to failures in the design of vaccines against HIV/AIDS, dengue fever, influenza, malaria, hemorrhagic fever and encephalitis. These data show that, without taking into account the two phenomena, the further development of immunology and epidemiology in the direction of breakthrough discoveries in there areas of science are impossible.

Prospective validation of immunological infiltrate for prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in HER2-negative breast cancer--a substudy of the neoadjuvant GeparQuinto trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Issa-Nummer, Yasmin; Darb-Esfahani, Silvia; Loibl, Sibylle; Kunz, Georg; Nekljudova, Valentina; Schrader, Iris; Sinn, Bruno Valentin; Ulmer, Hans-Ullrich; Kronenwett, Ralf; Just, Marianne; Kühn, Thorsten; Diebold, Kurt; Untch, Michael; Holms, Frank; Blohmer, Jens-Uwe; Habeck, Jörg-Olaf; Dietel, Manfred; Overkamp, Friedrich; Krabisch, Petra; von Minckwitz, Gunter; Denkert, Carsten

2013-01-01

We have recently described an increased lymphocytic infiltration rate in breast carcinoma tissue is a significant response predictor for anthracycline/taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). The aim of this study was to prospectively validate the tumor-associated lymphocyte infiltrate as predictive marker for response to anthracycline/taxane-based NACT. The immunological infiltrate was prospectively evaluated in a total of 313 core biopsies from HER2 negative patients of the multicenter PREDICT study, a substudy of the neoadjuvant GeparQuinto study. Intratumoral lymphocytes (iTuLy), stromal lymphocytes (strLy) as well as lymphocyte-predominant breast cancer (LPBC) were evaluated by histopathological assessment. Pathological complete response (pCR) rates were analyzed and compared between the defined subgroups using the exact test of Fisher. Patients with lymphocyte-predominant breast cancer (LPBC) had a significantly increased pCR rate of 36.6%, compared to non-LPBC patients (14.3%, pimmunological infiltrate in breast tumor tissue is predictive for response to anthracycline/taxane-based NACT. Patients with LPBC and increased stromal lymphocyte infiltration have significantly increased pCR rates. The lymphocytic infiltrate is a promising additional parameter for histopathological evaluation of breast cancer core biopsies.

Immunological status of different categories of population after Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chumak, A.A.; Bazyka, D.A.; Minchenko, J.N.

1997-01-01

Investigation of immune status of the victims of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident irradiated in different doses was performed. Acute postradiation immunodeficiency in heavily exposed persons was changed in 6-24 months to the 5-7 year period of restitution and the latter was succeeded by normalization of CD3+, CD+, CD11+ cell count and serum IgG and IgA content in certain patients, while the others revealed immunologic deficiency of the mixed type. HLA-antigenic combinations connected to the increased radiosensitivity were found out. Elaboration of in vitro tests for surface antigens expression in response to thymic peptides allowed to make adequate immunocorrection if needed. (author)

Intercorrelation between immunological biomarkers and job stress indicators among female nurses: A nine-month longitudinal study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyung-Suk eYoon

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Some immunological biomarkers have been reported to be associated with job stress. This study was conducted to explore an intercorrelation between the psychological components of job stress and various immunological biomarkers among female nurses. To assess monthly and weekly job stress, 41 nurses had repeatedly completed the questionnaires such as the GJSQ, the POMS and the CES-D. Using flow cytometry and radioimmunoassay, the number of white blood cells, lymphocytic proliferation to mitogens, and toxoid were measured. Moreover, the levels of hydrocortisol, IL-b, INF-r, and TNF-a and salivary IgA were eveluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. When the Pearson correlation coefficients between job stress and immunological biomarkers were estimated after adjusting for age and smoking status, Clashes: conflict at work was significantly related to the number of CD4 cells (r = 0.36, p-value < 0.05, CD4 to CD8 ratio (0.35; < 0.05, response to concanavalin A (0.42; < 0.05, and phytohemagglutinin (0.35; < 0.05. Additionally, the level of hydrocortisol was significantly related to seven psychosocial measures; i.e., role conflict (-0.47; < 0.01, role ambiguity (-0.39; < 0.05, clashes at work (-0.38; < 0.05, control & influence at work (0.53; < 0.01, task control (0.55; < 0.001, resources at work (0.35; < 0.05, and skill underutilization (0.43; < 0.05. The results indicate that 1 the psychological job stress is associated with the levels of some immunological biomarkers in nurses; and 2 especially, hydrocortisol shows a remarkable relationship with diverse job stress indicators.

The regulations and role of circadian clock and melatonin in uterine receptivity and pregnancy-An immunological perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Man, Gene Chi Wai; Zhang, Tao; Chen, Xiaoyan; Wang, Jianzhang; Wu, Fangrong; Liu, Yingyu; Wang, Chi Chiu; Cheong, Ying; Li, Tin Chiu

2017-08-01

During normal pregnancy, the mechanism by which the fetus escapes immunological rejection by the maternal womb remains elusive. Given the biological complexities, the immunological mechanism is unlikely to be simply an allograft response in acceptance or rejection of the early pregnancy. Circadian clock responsible for the mammalian circadian rhythm is an endogenously generated rhythm associated with almost all physiological processes including reproduction. There is now growing evidence to suggest that the circadian clocks are intricately linked to the immune system and pregnancy. When perturbed, the role of immune cells can be affected on maintaining the enriched vascular system needed for placentation. This alteration can be triggered by the irregular production of maternal and placental melatonin. Hence, the role of circadian rhythm modulators such as melatonin offers intriguing opportunities for therapy. In this review, we evaluate the complex interaction between the circadian clock and melatonin within the immune system and their roles in the circadian regulation and maintenance of normal pregnancy. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Elucidating the immunological effects of 5-azacytidine treatment in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and identifying new conditional ligands and T-cell epitopes of relevance in melanoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frøsig, Thomas Mørch

2015-01-01

This review is focused on research within three different areas of tumor immunology: discovery of new T-cell epitopes and a new immunological antigen (reported in Paper I and II), elucidation of the immunological effects of treatment with a hypomethylating drug (reported in Paper III) and discovery...... frequently recognized by T cells from HLA-A2 patients. On contrary, in Paper II we wanted to investigate the protein Nodal as a novel immunological target. We took advantage of a T-cell epitope mapping platform in which HLA ligands are predicted by computer-based algorithms, further tested in the laboratory...... by an ELISA-based method and used for flow cytometry-based detection of specific T-cell responses by use of combinatorial encoded major histocompatibility (MHC) class I multimers. This procedure resulted in 127 (Paper I) and 32 (Paper II) confirmed HLA ligands, respectively, which we used for screening...

Experimental Chagas disease in Balb/c mice previously vaccinated with T. rangeli. II. The innate immune response shows immunological memory: reality or fiction?

Science.gov (United States)

Basso, B; Marini, V

2015-03-01

Trypanosoma cruzi is a real challenge to the host's immune system, because it requires strong humoral and cellular immune response to remove circulating trypomastigote forms, and to prevent the replication of amastigote forms in tissues, involving many regulator and effector components. This protozoan is responsible for Chagas disease, a major public health problem in Latinamerica. We have developed a model of vaccination with Trypanosoma rangeli, a parasite closely related to T. cruzi, but nonpathogenic to humans, which reduces the infectiousness in three different species of animals, mice, dogs and guinea pigs, against challenge with T. cruzi. In a previous work, we demonstrated that mice vaccinated with T. rangeli showed important soluble mediators that stimulate phagocytic activity versus only infected groups. The aim of this work was to study the innate immune response in mice vaccinated or not with T. rangeli. Different population cells and some soluble mediators (cytokines) in peritoneal fluid and plasma in mice vaccinated-infected and only infected with T. cruzi were studied. In the first hours of challenge vaccinated mice showed an increase of macrophages, NK, granulocytes, and regulation of IL6, IFNγ, TNFα and IL10, with an increase of IL12, with respect to only infected mice. Furthermore an increase was observed of Li T, Li B responsible for adaptative response. Finally the findings showed that the innate immune response plays an important role in vaccinated mice for the early elimination of the parasites, complementary with the adaptative immune response, suggesting that vaccination with T. rangeli modulates the innate response, which develops some kind of immunological memory, recognizing shared antigens with T. cruzi. These results could contribute to the knowledge of new mechanisms which would have an important role in the immune response to Chagas disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Recertification in allergy and immunology: an historical review with special emphasis on the 1983 examination.

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin, R G; Des Prez, L; Mansmann, H C; Meskauskas, J A; Pierson, W

1985-03-01

Recertification offers a method of evaluating a diplomate's cognitive knowledge of allergy and immunology. In 1983 candidates for the American Board of Allergy and Immunology recertification examination were offered the entire certifying examination but were informed that they would, for recertification purposes, be held responsible only for a subset of questions judged to be particularly clinically relevant. All 40 candidates elected to take the entire certifying examination. Differences between the performance of certifying and recertifying candidates on the recertifying questions were small. Except for the five-choice questions, the differences in performance between the two groups on the remaining questions were also small in an absolute sense. Recertification performance was not related to the time of original certification. Ninety-eight percent of the candidates completed a questionnaire after the examination. Ninety percent stated that they would encourage their colleagues to participate in the recertification process.

Lesion-Specific Immune Response in Granulomas of Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Pilot Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selvakumar Subbian

Full Text Available The formation and maintenance of granulomas is central to the host response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb infection. It is widely accepted that the lungs of patients with tuberculosis (TB usually contain multiple infection foci, and that the granulomas evolve and differentiate independently, resulting in considerable heterogeneity. Although gene expression profiles of human blood cells have been proposed as biomarkers of Mtb infection and/or active disease, the immune profiles of discrete lesion types has not been studied extensively. Using histology, immunopathology and genome-wide transcriptome analysis, we explored the immunological profile of human lung TB granulomas. We show that although the different granulomas share core similarities in their immunological/inflammatory characteristics, they also exhibit significant divergence. Despite similar numbers of CD68+ macrophages in the different lesions, the extent of immune reactivity, as determined by the density of CD3+ T cells in the macrophage rich areas, and the extent of fibrosis, shows considerable variation. Both quantitative and qualitative differences among significantly differentially expressed genes (SDEG were noted in each of the lesion types studied. Further, network/pathway analysis of SDEG revealed differential regulation of inflammatory response, immune cell trafficking, and cell mediated immune response in the different lesions. Our data highlight the formidable challenges facing ongoing efforts to identify peripheral blood biomarkers due to the diversity of lesion types and complexity of local immune responses in the lung.

Trpc2-deficient lactating mice exhibit altered brain and behavioral responses to bedding stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasen, Nina S; Gammie, Stephen C

2011-03-01

The trpc2 gene encodes an ion channel involved in pheromonal detection and is found in the vomeronasal organ. In tprc2(-/-) knockout (KO) mice, maternal aggression (offspring protection) is impaired and brain Fos expression in females in response to a male are reduced. Here we examine in lactating wild-type (WT) and KO mice behavioral and brain responses to different olfactory/pheromonal cues. Consistent with previous studies, KO dams exhibited decreased maternal aggression and nest building, but we also identified deficits in nighttime nursing and increases in pup weight. When exposed to the bedding tests, WT dams typically ignored clean bedding, but buried male-soiled bedding from unfamiliar males. In contrast, KO dams buried both clean and soiled bedding. Differences in brain Fos expression were found between WT and KO mice in response to either no bedding, clean bedding, or soiled bedding. In the accessory olfactory bulb, a site of pheromonal signal processing, KO mice showed suppressed Fos activation in the anterior mitral layer relative to WT mice in response to clean and soiled bedding. However, in the medial and basolateral amygdala, KO mice showed a robust Fos response to bedding, suggesting that regions of the amygdala canonically associated with pheromonal sensing can be active in the brains of KO mice, despite compromised signaling from the vomeronasal organ. Together, these results provide further insights into the complex ways by which pheromonal signaling regulates the brain and behavior of the maternal female. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acute Immunologic Reaction to Silicone Breast Implant after Mastectomy and Immediate Reconstruction: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massoome Najafi

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Since the introduction of silicone based medical devices in to clinical practice, several reports appeared in the medical literature regarding their adverse effects. However, there are few reports of immunologic reactions to these implants.Case presentation: A case of systemic reaction to a breast implant inserted for immediate breast reconstruction in a breast cancer patient is presented. The patient developed fever and skin rash two months after the surgery. Investigations disclosed no infectious origin for the fever and a dramatic response to steroid therapy was observed.Conclusion: Immunologic reaction should be considered in case of systemic signs and symptoms after silicone breast implant placement as a rare complication. 

Evolutionary dynamics of human autoimmune disease genes and malfunctioned immunological genes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Podder Soumita

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background One of the main issues of molecular evolution is to divulge the principles in dictating the evolutionary rate differences among various gene classes. Immunological genes have received considerable attention in evolutionary biology as candidates for local adaptation and for studying functionally important polymorphisms. The normal structure and function of immunological genes will be distorted when they experience mutations leading to immunological dysfunctions. Results Here, we examined the fundamental differences between the genes which on mutation give rise to autoimmune or other immune system related diseases and the immunological genes that do not cause any disease phenotypes. Although the disease genes examined are analogous to non-disease genes in product, expression, function, and pathway affiliation, a statistically significant decrease in evolutionary rate has been found in autoimmune disease genes relative to all other immune related diseases and non-disease genes. Possible ways of accumulation of mutation in the three steps of the central dogma (DNA-mRNA-Protein have been studied to trace the mutational effects predisposed to disease consequence and acquiring higher selection pressure. Principal Component Analysis and Multivariate Regression Analysis have established the predominant role of single nucleotide polymorphisms in guiding the evolutionary rate of immunological disease and non-disease genes followed by m-RNA abundance, paralogs number, fraction of phosphorylation residue, alternatively spliced exon, protein residue burial and protein disorder. Conclusions Our study provides an empirical insight into the etiology of autoimmune disease genes and other immunological diseases. The immediate utility of our study is to help in disease gene identification and may also help in medicinal improvement of immune related disease.

Immunology of the eye

OpenAIRE

Weronika Ratajczak; Beata Tokarz-Deptuła; Wiesław Deptuła

2018-01-01

The eye is an organ of sight characterized by unusual immunological properties, resulting from its anatomical structure and physiology, as well as the presence of specific elements that, through the mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity, provide homeostasis of the eyeball. This article reviews the defensive elements of individual eye structures: conjunctiva, cornea, lacrimal gland, anterior chamber of the eye, uvea, retina and eye-associated lymphoid tissue (EALT), where we distinguish a...

Gene expression demonstrates an immunological capacity of the human endolymphatic sac

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Martin Nue; Kirkeby, Svend; Vikeså, Jonas

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of the present study is to explore, demonstrate, and describe the expression of genes related to the innate immune system in the human endolymphatic sac. It is hypothesized that the endolymphatic sac has a significant immunological function in the human inner ear...... was obtained. Multiple key elements of both the cellular and humoral innate immune system were expressed, including Toll-like receptors 4 and 7, as well as beta-defensin and lactoferrin. CONCLUSIONS: The present data provides the first direct evidence of an immunological capacity of the human endolymphatic sac...... immunological entity of the inner ear. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A....

Benefits of extra begging fail to compensate for immunological costs in southern shrike (Lanius meridionalis nestlings.

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Gregorio Moreno-Rueda

Full Text Available Theoretical models aimed at explaining the evolution of honest, informative begging signals employed by nestling birds to solicit food from their parents, require that dishonest signalers incur a net viability cost in order to prevent runaway escalation of signal intensity over evolutionary time. Previous attempts to determine such a cost empirically have identified two candidate physiological costs associated with exaggerated begging: a growth and an immunological cost. However, they failed to take into account the fact that those costs are potentially offset by the fact that nestlings that invest more in begging are also likely to obtain more food. In this study, we test experimentally whether a 25% increase in ingested food compensates for growth and immunological costs of extra begging in southern shrike (Lanius meridionalis nestlings. Three nestmates matched by size were given three treatments: low begging, high begging-same food intake, and high begging-extra food intake. We found that, while a higher food intake did effectively compensate for the growth cost, it failed to compensate for the immunological cost, measured as T-cell mediated immune response against an innocuous mitogen. Thus, we show for the first time that escalated begging has an associated physiological net cost likely to affect nestling survival negatively.

Advances in clinical immunology in 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Chinen, Javier; Notarangelo, Luigi D; Shearer, William T

2016-12-01

Advances in clinical immunology in the past year included the report of practice parameters for the diagnosis and management of primary immunodeficiencies to guide the clinician in the approach to these relatively uncommon disorders. We have learned of new gene defects causing immunodeficiency and of new phenotypes expanding the spectrum of conditions caused by genetic mutations such as a specific regulator of telomere elongation (RTEL1) mutation causing isolated natural killer cell deficiency and mutations in ras-associated RAB (RAB27) resulting in immunodeficiency without albinism. Advances in diagnosis included the increasing use of whole-exome sequencing to identify gene defects and the measurement of serum free light chains to identify secondary hypogammaglobulinemias. For several primary immunodeficiencies, improved outcomes have been reported after definitive therapy with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapy. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Centriole polarisation to the immunological synapse directs secretion from cytolytic cells of both the innate and adaptive immune systems

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Arico Maurizo

2011-06-01

the immunological synapse. Morphologically, the overall structure of the immunological synapses formed by NK and iNKT cells are very similar to those formed by CTLs, with both exocytic and endocytic organelles polarised towards the centrosome at the plasma membrane, which forms a focal point for exocytosis and endocytosis within the immunological synapse. We conclude that centrosomal polarisation provides a rapid, responsive and precise mechanism for secretory lysosome delivery to the immunological synapse in CTLs, NK cells and iNKT cells.

Centriole polarisation to the immunological synapse directs secretion from cytolytic cells of both the innate and adaptive immune systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Stinchcombe, Jane C; Salio, Mariolina; Cerundolo, Vincenzo; Pende, Daniela; Arico, Maurizo; Griffiths, Gillian M

2011-06-28

overall structure of the immunological synapses formed by NK and iNKT cells are very similar to those formed by CTLs, with both exocytic and endocytic organelles polarised towards the centrosome at the plasma membrane, which forms a focal point for exocytosis and endocytosis within the immunological synapse. We conclude that centrosomal polarisation provides a rapid, responsive and precise mechanism for secretory lysosome delivery to the immunological synapse in CTLs, NK cells and iNKT cells.

Immunological condition in population living near Semipalatinsk tests site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satow, Yukio; Ueda, Masafumi.

1992-01-01

This is the brief introduction of the immunological survey at Pavlodar, Kazakhstan SSR, a 300 km away from the Semipalatinsk test site, originally reported by Beysembaev E.A.,Valivach M.N. (Course of Clinical Immunology in Pavlodar Dzerzhynsky str., 166), Molochanov N.E. (Pavlodar Regional Hospital), Kazakav, V.M. (Radiologist Lab. of Regional Sanitary and Epidemiology Station), Ounusov B.A. and Osorodnikova O.P. (Clinical Immunology Centre in Pavlodar). The comparative investigations on (1) 150 preschool age children in Pavlodar before and 6 months after the cessation of nuclear tests, (2) 25 children suffering from frequent respiratory infections before the cessation and 25 analogous children after the cessation, and (3) 69 children (age 1 - 7) and 70 adults (age 28 - 58) inhabitants of Maysky district, where radioactivity is especially high, and 50 children and 50 adults of Pavlodar inhabitants, are reported. Erythrocyte rosette-forming cells, immunoglobulins G, A, and M, etc. are tested. (A.Y.)

Transitioning the Allergy/Immunology Patient from Childhood to Adulthood.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoyte, Flavia C L

2017-06-01

Allergic disorders and immunodeficiencies are generally chronic and even lifelong conditions, often changing over time, making the cautious transition of care from childhood to adulthood particularly important. Many, but not all, patients can continue to receive their care from the same physician as they transition through adolescence and emerging adulthood, made possible because allergy/immunology training programs require cross-training in the care of both pediatric and adult patients. Although keeping the same physician makes the transition easier for many allergy/immunology patients, even these patients face psychosocial issues unique to adolescents and emerging adults, including increased autonomy, risk-taking behavior, and medical self-management. Successful transition for patients with chronic allergic and immunologic conditions involves an understanding of the natural history of these conditions by patients and physicians alike, a gradual increase in self-management depending on individual readiness, and careful communication between pediatric and adult specialists as care is transitioned. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(6):e229-e234.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

[Immunological monitoring in kidney transplantation: 13 years experience of a Moroccan histocompatibility laboratory].

Science.gov (United States)

Brick, C; Atouf, O; Essakalli, M

2016-05-01

The quality of the immunological monitoring is crucial because it determines the success of the kidney transplantation. The scope of this work is to describe the experience of the department of immunological unity of the Ibn Sina university hospital in Rabat regarding the immunological monitoring of patients transplanted between 2001 and 2014. Patient samples were collected from nephrology services of different public and private hospitals of Morocco. The tests conducted in the context of immunological monitoring are ABO typing, HLA-A, B, DR, DQ typing, anti-HLA antibodies detection and identification and cross-match. One hundred and fourteen benefited from a pre- and post-transplant immunological monitoring in our laboratory. The percentage of recipients having between 2 and 5 stored sera is 60.5 before transplantation and 56.1 after transplantation. Immunized patients account for 22.8% before the transplant and 17.6% after transplantation. Ninety-seven patients still have a functional graft, while 4 of them had DSA of low intensity before transplantation. Five immunological rejections were reported while the cross-match were negative and no DSA was identified before transplantation. Patient survival and graft at 1 year was 98.2% and 92.7% respectively. Conducting regular immunological monitoring is sometimes difficult in our context, however, the results are satisfactory in terms of graft and patients survival. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Effects of feed-borne Fusarium mycotoxins on hematology and immunology of turkeys.

Science.gov (United States)

Chowdhury, S R; Smith, T K; Boermans, H J; Woodward, B

2005-11-01

Feeding grains naturally-contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins has been shown to alter the metabolism and performance of turkeys. The objectives of the current experiment were to examine the effects of feeding turkeys with grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on their hematology and immunological indices (including functions), and the possible protective effect of feeding a polymeric glucomannan mycotoxin adsorbent (GMA). Two hundred twenty-five 1-d-old male turkey poults were fed corn, wheat, and soybean meal-based starter (0 to 3 wk), grower (4 to 6 wk), developer (7 to 9 wk), and finisher (10 to 12 wk) diets formulated with uncontaminated grains, contaminated grains, or contaminated grains with 0.2% GMA. The chronic consumption of Fusarium mycotoxins caused minor and transient changes in hematocrit (0.33 L/L) and hemoglobin (10(6) g/L) concentrations as well as in blood basophil (0.13 x 10(9)/L) and monocyte counts (3.42 x 10(9)/L) compared with controls. Supplementation of the contaminated diet with GMA prevented these effects on blood cell counts. Biliary IgA concentrations were significantly increased (4.45-fold) when birds were fed contaminated grains compared with controls, but serum IgA concentrations were not affected. Contact hypersensitivity to dinitrochlorobenzene, which is a CD8+ T-cell-mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity response, was decreased (48%) by feed-borne mycotoxins compared with the control. By contrast, the primary and secondary antibody response to sheep red blood cells, a CD4+ T-cell-mediated response, was not affected. It was concluded that chronic consumption of grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins exerts only minor adverse effects on the hematology and some immunological indices of turkeys. Consumption of grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins may, however, increase the susceptibility of turkeys to infectious agents against which CD8+ T cells play a major role in defense.

Intestinal lymphangiectasia: an undescribed cause of malabsorption and incomplete immunological recovery in HIV-infected patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Marco-Lattur, Maria D; Payeras, Antoni; Campins, Antoni A; Pons, Jaume; Cifuentes, Carmen; Riera, Melcior

2011-02-01

Although paradoxical virological and immunological response after HAART has been well studied, intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL) in HIV-1 infected patients has not previously described. To describe HIV patients who developed IL. Clinical Case series. 4 patients with HIV and IL diagnosis based on clinical, endoscopic and pathological findings. All four cases had prior mycobacterial infections with abdominal lymph node involvement and a very low CD4 cell count nadir. They developed intestinal lymphangiectasia despite appropriate virological suppression with HAART and repeatedly negative mycobacterial cultures. Two patients were clinically symptomatic with oedemas, ascites, diarrhoea, asthenia, weight loss; but the other two were diagnosed with malabsorption as a result of laboratory findings, with hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia. Three of them were diagnosed by video capsule endoscopy. IL should be considered in HIV-1 infected patients who present with clinical or biochemical malabsorption parameters when there is no immunological recovery while on HAART. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Imunologia da hanseníase Immunology of leprosy

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Vanessa Amaral Mendonça

2008-08-01

Full Text Available A hanseníase é doença crônica infecciosa que se caracteriza por apresentar formas clínicas contrastantes, que são dependentes da interação do bacilo com a resposta imune do hospedeiro. O estudo dos processos imunológicos torna-se fundamental para o entendimento dos mecanismos envolvidos na apresentação e no desenvolvimento da doença. Neste artigo, é revisada a imunopatogênese da hanseníase.Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease characterized by contrasting clinical forms that are dependent on the interactions between the bacillus and the host immune response. Thus, the study of the immunological process is extremely relevant for the comprehension of the mechanisms involved in leprosy presentation and development. In this paper, the immunopathogenesis of leprosy is reviewed.

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology

Science.gov (United States)

... reasons to celebrate its journals. Learn More about the American Academy Of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Life Spectrum of Asthma Meeting School-based Asthma Management Program – (SAMPRO TM ) This central resource focuses on ...

Immunologic Response to Cryoablation of Breast Cancer

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sabel, Michael S

2003-01-01

.... While the project is ongoing several interesting findings were discovered. Murine studies, utilizing the MT-901 mammary adenocarcinoma cell line in BALB/c mice, demonstrated a Th1 cytokine response to cryoablation as compared...

Effects of dietary fat and calorie on immunologic function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barness, L.A.; Carver, J.D.; Friedman, H.; Hsu, K.H.L.

1986-01-01

The effect of dietary fat and calories on immunologic function in specific pathogen-free inbred DBA/2 and CBA/J mice was studied. Three diets were modified from control, the AIN-76 purified diet. The high saturated fat diet contained 22.5% coconut oil and 2.5% safflower oil. The high unsaturated fat diet contained 25% safflower oil. Fat was substituted isoclorically for carbohydrate in these two diets. The low calorie diet contained 40% less protein, carbohydrate and fat than control diet; fiber was substituted for these ingredients. Female weanling mice were on the diets for more than 35 days before testing. The natural killer (NK) activity of spleen cells was determined by in vitro cytolysis of 51 Cr-labeled YAC-1 cells. The spleen cells response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) or allogeneic tumor EL-4 cells was measured after immunizing the mice with SRBC or EL-4 cells for 4 or 11 days, respectively. The results showed no significant effect of the low calorie diet on NK activity, anti-SRBC or anti-EL-4 response compared to normal diet. Anti-SRBC plaque response was significantly enhanced (27% higher), while anti-EL-4 response was significantly suppressed (15% less) with high saturated fat diet. NK activity was normal. Mice on high unsaturated fat diet showed suppressed anti-SRBC response (16% less) and anti-EL-4 response (17% less), while NK activity was significantly enhanced (70% higher)

Introduction to basic immunological methods : Generalities, Principles, Protocols and Variants of basic protocols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mejri, Naceur

2013-01-01

This manuscript is dedicated to student of biological sciences. It provides the information necessary to perform practical works, the most commonly used in immunology. During my doctoral and post-doctoral periods, panoply of methods was employed in diverse subjects in my research. Technical means used in my investigations were diverse enough that i could extract a set of techniques that cover most the basic immunological methods. Each chapter of this manuscript contains a fairly complete description of immunological methods. In each topic the basic protocol and its variants were preceded by background information provided in paragraphs concerning the principle and generalities. The emphasis is placed on describing situations in which each method and its variants were used. These basic immunological methods are useful for students and even researchers studying the immune system of human, nice and other species. Different subjects showed not only detailed protocols but also photos or/and shemas used as support to illustrate some knowledge or practical knowledge. I hope that students will find this manual interesting, easy to use contains necessary information to acquire skills in immunological practice. (Author)

Adherent Human Alveolar Macrophages Exhibit a Transient Pro-Inflammatory Profile That Confounds Responses to Innate Immune Stimulation

Science.gov (United States)

Tomlinson, Gillian S.; Booth, Helen; Petit, Sarah J.; Potton, Elspeth; Towers, Greg J.; Miller, Robert F.; Chain, Benjamin M.; Noursadeghi, Mahdad

2012-01-01

Alveolar macrophages (AM) are thought to have a key role in the immunopathogenesis of respiratory diseases. We sought to test the hypothesis that human AM exhibit an anti-inflammatory bias by making genome-wide comparisons with monocyte derived macrophages (MDM). Adherent AM obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage of patients under investigation for haemoptysis, but found to have no respiratory pathology, were compared to MDM from healthy volunteers by whole genome transcriptional profiling before and after innate immune stimulation. We found that freshly isolated AM exhibited a marked pro-inflammatory transcriptional signature. High levels of basal pro-inflammatory gene expression gave the impression of attenuated responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the RNA analogue, poly IC, but in rested cells pro-inflammatory gene expression declined and transcriptional responsiveness to these stimuli was restored. In comparison to MDM, both freshly isolated and rested AM showed upregulation of MHC class II molecules. In most experimental paradigms ex vivo adherent AM are used immediately after isolation. Therefore, the confounding effects of their pro-inflammatory profile at baseline need careful consideration. Moreover, despite the prevailing view that AM have an anti-inflammatory bias, our data clearly show that they can adopt a striking pro-inflammatory phenotype, and may have greater capacity for presentation of exogenous antigens than MDM. PMID:22768282

Prevention of Allergy: From Immunology of Pregnancy To Infant Feeding in the First Months of Life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey E. Ukraintsev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The continued increase in the incidence of allergic diseases in children population generates reasonable interest of allergists. The article describes the basic mechanisms of immunological response in light of the allergy risk modulation in children. It discusses a new approach to the prescription of hypoallergenic diets for healthy pregnant and lactating women to prevent allergies in children. A separate section examines the influence of the infant feeding mode in the first months of life on the risk of formation of allergies as a child grows, as well as key mechanisms for the formation of the oral tolerance phenomenon. The results from the study of immunological processes that underlie the phenomenon of oral tolerance confirm the ability to reduce the risk of formation of cow's milk protein allergy in formula-fed infants by using formulas based on hydrolysed protein.

Immunologic contact urticaria--the human touch.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Christina Y; Maibach, Howard I

2013-06-01

To review immunologic contact urticaria (ICU) in the occupational and environmental context, and describe its continued relevance in light of the ever-increasing onslaught of new chemicals and products, as well as new technology placing novel interactions, such as nanoparticles, within reach of the population at home and work. Publications were searched via PubMed, using key words: Occupational, immunologic, contact urticaria, nanoparticle. ICU remains an important diagnosis to make and treat because it has widespread health and social morbidity, including job and income loss, persistent life-long allergies, and progression from self-limiting skin eruptions to multi-systemic, sometimes life-threatening, illnesses. There is no short supply of known ICU causing allergens, but it is equally important to be ever vigilant in recognizing, and even adding to, items in the constantly expanding list of novel allergenic agents provided to us by the advances of modern chemistry and technology, and by the changing social structure and lifestyle dynamics.

Immunologic competence in adults following thymic irradiation in infancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ammann, A.J.; Wara, W.M.; Wara, D.W.; Phillips, T.L.

1977-01-01

Removal of, or irradiation to, the thymus during the neonatal period in man has resulted in no reported adverse effects on cellular immunity, although thymectomy in neonatal experimental animals is known to produce profound immunological disturbances. Adverse effects in humans may not be recognized until several decades have passed. The immunological capabilities of 7 adults with histories of thymic irradiation as infants were evaluated; normal tests results indicated intact immune systems in all cases. The 3 women tested, however, had abnormal clinical histories, including 2 with multiple tumors and 1 with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis

Immunologic competence in adults following thymic irradiation in infancy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ammann, A.J.; Wara, W.M.; Wara, D.W.; Phillips, T.L.

1977-07-01

Removal of, or irradiation to, the thymus during the neonatal period in man has resulted in no reported adverse effects on cellular immunity, although thymectomy in neonatal experimental animals is known to produce profound immunological disturbances. Adverse effects in humans may not be recognized until several decades have passed. The immunological capabilities of 7 adults with histories of thymic irradiation as infants were evaluated; normal tests results indicated intact immune systems in all cases. The 3 women tested, however, had abnormal clinical histories, including 2 with multiple tumors and 1 with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis.

The immunological mechanisms that control pneumococcal carriage.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon P Jochems

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Colonization of the human nasopharynx by pneumococcus is extremely common and is both the primary reservoir for transmission and a prerequisite for disease. Current vaccines targeting the polysaccharide capsule effectively prevent colonization, conferring herd protection within vaccinated communities. However, these vaccines cover only a subset of all circulating pneumococcal strains, and serotype replacement has been observed. Given the success of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV in preventing colonization in unvaccinated adults within vaccinated communities, reducing nasopharyngeal colonization has become an outcome of interest for novel vaccines. Here, we discuss the immunological mechanisms that control nasopharyngeal colonization, with an emphasis on findings from human studies. Increased understanding of these immunological mechanisms is required to identify correlates of protection against colonization that will facilitate the early testing and design of novel vaccines.

Ameliorating Effects of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Zinc Supplementation on Physiological and Immunological Changes in Gamma-Irradiated Rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashry, O.; Soliman, M.; Mahmoud, N.; Abd Elnaby, Y.

2015-01-01

Purpose: The present study was carried out to determine the prophylactic impact of zinc sulphate administration to irradiated rats treated with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) as indicated by the hematological and immunologic response as well as oxidative stress. Material and methods: Rats were injected orally with zinc sulphate, 10 mg/kg body wt, daily for 2 weeks before whole body 5 Gy gamma irradiation and intravenous injection of bone marrow cells, one hour post irradiation. Results: The results revealed a significant decrease in red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), glutathione (GSH) and zinc superoxide dismutase (Zn/SOD), splenocyte count as well as bone marrow lymphocyte count and viability of irradiated rats. Regarding immunological data: tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF– ) and interleukin 2 (IL–2) recorded a significant decrease while interleukin 6 (IL–6) and lipid peroxidation product (MDA) in the serum and spleen were conversely elevated. Zn supplementation before irradiation and BMT and showed significant decrease of serum and tissue MDA compared to the irradiated group. Lymphocytes, bone marrow viability percentage, splenocytes percentage, IL–2, IL–6 and GSH were significantly elevated compared to irradiated group. Conclusion: Protection with Zn, enforcing significant innate response, could trigger and augment adaptive immune response by BMT which suggests its use to protect against radiation hazards. (author)

Inflammatory response in laparoscopic vs. open surgery for gastric cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Okholm, Cecilie; Goetze, Jens Peter; Svendsen, Lars Bo

2014-01-01

lead to an increased susceptibility to complications and morbidity. The aim of this review was to investigate if laparoscopic surgery reduces the immunological response compared to open surgery in gastric cancer. METHODS: We conducted a literature search identifying relevant studies comparing...... laparoscopy or laparoscopic-assisted surgery with open gastric surgery. The main outcome was postoperative immunological status defined as surgical stress parameters, including inflammatory cytokines and blood parameters. RESULTS: We identified seven studies that addressed the immunological status in patients...... laparotomy. Finally, most studies reported lower levels of white blood cell count in laparoscopic patients, although this result did not reach statistical significance in a small number of studies. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopy-assisted gastric surgery seems to attenuate the immune response compared to open...

21 CFR 866.5520 - Immunoglobulin G (Fab fragment specific) immunological test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Immunoglobulin G (Fab fragment specific... Test Systems § 866.5520 Immunoglobulin G (Fab fragment specific) immunological test system. (a) Identification. An immunoglobulin G (Fab fragment specific) immunological test system is a device that consists...

21 CFR 866.5540 - Immunoglobulin G (Fd fragment specific) immunological test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Immunoglobulin G (Fd fragment specific... Test Systems § 866.5540 Immunoglobulin G (Fd fragment specific) immunological test system. (a) Identification. An immunoglobulin G (Fd fragment specific) immunological test system is a device that consists of...

21 CFR 866.5530 - Immunoglobulin G (Fc fragment specific) immunological test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Immunoglobulin G (Fc fragment specific... Test Systems § 866.5530 Immunoglobulin G (Fc fragment specific) immunological test system. (a) Identification. An immunoglobulin G (Fc fragment specific) immunological test system is a device that consists of...

IP-I0 BASED IMMUNOLOGICAL MONITORING

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2008-01-01

The present invention relates to an immunological method and, more particularly, a method for measuring cell-mediated immune reactivity (CMI) in mammals based on the production of IP-10.The invention further discloses an assay and a kit for measuring CMI to an antigen using whole blood or other...

Immunological methods for the detection and determination of connective tissue proteoglycans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caterson, B; Baker, J R; Christner, J E

1982-01-01

In this paper we report the use of immunological methods for specifically detecting and determining proteoglycan in cartilage and other connective tissues. Antibodies (polyclonal and monoclonal) have been raised against specific components of cartilage proteoglycan aggregates (i.e., proteoglycan...... surrounding invaginating hair follicles. These immunological procedures are currently being used to complement conventional biochemical analyses of proteoglycans found in different connective tissue matrices....

Host Competence: An Organismal Trait to Integrate Immunology and Epidemiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Lynn B; Burgan, S C; Adelman, James S; Gervasi, Stephanie S

2016-12-01

The new fields of ecological immunology and disease ecology have begun to merge, and the classic fields of immunology and epidemiology are beginning to blend with them. This merger is occurring because the integrative study of host-parasite interactions is providing insights into disease in ways that traditional methods have not. With the advent of new tools, mathematical and technological, we could be on the verge of developing a unified theory of infectious disease, one that supersedes the barriers of jargon and tradition. Here we argue that a cornerstone of any such synthesis will be host competence, the propensity of an individual host to generate new infections in other susceptible hosts. In the last few years, the emergence of systems immunology has led to novel insight into how hosts control or eliminate pathogens. Most such efforts have stopped short of considering transmission and the requisite behaviors of infected individuals that mediate it, and few have explicitly incorporated ecological and evolutionary principles. Ultimately though, we expect that the use of a systems immunology perspective will help link suborganismal processes (i.e., health of hosts and selection on genes) to superorganismal outcomes (i.e., community-level disease dynamics and host-parasite coevolution). Recently, physiological regulatory networks (PRNs) were cast as whole-organism regulatory systems that mediate homeostasis and hence link suborganismal processes with the fitness of individuals. Here, we use the PRN construct to develop a roadmap for studying host competence, taking guidance from systems immunology and evolutionary ecology research. We argue that PRN variation underlies heterogeneity in individual host competence and hence host-parasite dynamics. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

IMMUNOLOGICAL REACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH UROLOGICAL PROFILE UNDER COMBINED THERAPY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Esipov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Prevention and treatment of postoperative purulent-inflammatory complications in urological practice remains a subject for study and improvement in all medical centers. The principle of evidence must be taken as a basis of effectiveness of therapy. In this study the quality criteria of demonstrated therapy are immunological parameters.The purpose of this study is to identify the effectiveness of using monooxidase (NO containing a gas stream replenishing the deficiency of endogenous NO in a group of patients; and to investigate immunological reactivity in patients under complex therapy included nitrogen monoxide and immunomodulators.Materials and methods. In this experimental study we determined the functioning of the main links of the patient’s immunological system. They were determined on the basis of the levels of general T-lymphocytes (T-total, T-helper (T-h, T-suppressor (T-s, natural killer (NK, B-lymphocyte and immunoglobulin G, M, A, circulating immune complexes (CIC.Results. Based on the obtained data, we concluded that the traditional treatment of patients with postoperative complications was less effective than the one proposed in our study. Immunological picture of patient’s condition come back to normal almost from the first day of treatment, and under traditional treatment it was only on the 7th day. Under using complex treatment with nitrogen monoxide, parameters of humoral immunity corresponded to the norm already on the 7–14th day from the beginning of treatment.Conclusion. NO-containing gas flow application in complex prevention of purulent-inflammatory complications made possible to eliminate wound infection in shorter terms and to shorten the period of patient’s hospitalization. The best results were obtained in terms of immunological reactivity in a clinical trial in patients who received complex therapy included nitrogen monoxide and lymphotropic administration of the immunomodulators.

What's so special about chicken immunology?

Science.gov (United States)

What’s so special about chickens? Firstly, chickens are not only an invaluable model for studying immunology, they also provide the world’s main source of meat and will be a key protein source needed to feed the growing human population into the future. Poultry meat production is highly efficient ...

Outcomes of allergy/immunology follow-up after an emergency department evaluation for anaphylaxis.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Ronna L; Park, Miguel A; Kueber, Michael A; Lee, Sangil; Hagan, John B

2015-01-01

Anaphylaxis guidelines currently recommend referring patients with anaphylaxis seen in the emergency department (ED) to an allergist for follow up. The objective of our study was to evaluate outcomes of allergy/immunology follow-up after an ED visit for anaphylaxis. A retrospective health records review was conducted from April 2008 to August 2012. Charts were reviewed independently by 2 allergists to determine outcomes. Descriptive statistics with corresponding 95% CIs were calculated. Among 573 patients seen in the ED who met anaphylaxis diagnostic criteria, 217 (38%) had a documented allergy/immunology follow-up. After allergy/immunology evaluation, 16 patients (7% [95% CI, 5%-12%]) had anaphylaxis ruled out. Among those with an unknown ED trigger (n = 74), 24 (32% [95% CI, 23%-44%]) had a trigger identified; and, among those who had a specific suspected ED trigger (n = 143), 9 (6% [95% CI, 3%-12%]) had a trigger identified in a category other than the one suspected in the ED, and 28 (20% [95% CI, 14%-27%]) had an unknown trigger. Thus, there were a total of 77 patients (35% [95% CI, 29%-42%]) who had an alteration in the diagnosis of anaphylaxis or trigger after allergy/immunology evaluation. Four patients (2% [95% CI, 0.7%-4.6%]) were diagnosed with a mast cell activation disorder, and 13 patients (6% [95% CI, 4%-10%]) underwent immunotherapy or desensitization. Overall, 35% of the patients with suspected anaphylaxis in the ED had an alteration in the diagnosis or suspected trigger after allergy/immunology evaluation. These results underscore the importance of allergy/immunology follow-up after an ED visit for anaphylaxis. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of immunological parameters during irradiation with combined chemotherapy in primary lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Yasuhiro; Kimura, Shuji

1980-01-01

Changes of several immunological parameters in 52 cases of primary lung cancer treated with radiation combined chemotherapy were studied in the present paper. During the treatment, decreasing of absolute lymphocyte counts, PHA skin test reactivity and lymphocyte blastoid transformation with PHA were recognized. The decreasing of immunological capacities tested in the present investigation did not depend on among clinical stages or histologic types. But irradiation to mediastinum affected to immunological abilities. The values in some immunological parameter tested at pre-treatment or at post-treatment suggested the correlation with tumor regression, namely in the cases showed high values in absolute lymphocyte counts and PPD skin test reactivity at the time of pre-treatment and in the cases showed high reactivity in PHA skin test at post-treatment, tumor regression was significantly demonstrated compared with the other cases. The patients showed high values in absolute lymphocyte counts and PHA skin test at pretreatment time or showed high values in lymphocyte blastoid transformation with PHA at post-treatment demonstrated longer survival time. As a result, the test of immunological abilities obtained at pre-treatment time was reliable to forecast tumor regression and survival time. (author)

Systemic immunological tolerance to ocular antigens is mediated by TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-expressing CD8+ T cells*

OpenAIRE

Griffith, Thomas S.; Brincks, Erik L.; Gurung, Prajwal; Kucaba, Tamara A.; Ferguson, Thomas A.

2010-01-01

Systemic immunological tolerance to Ag encountered in the eye restricts the formation of potentially damaging immune responses that would otherwise be initiated at other anatomical locations. We previously demonstrated that tolerance to Ag administered via the anterior chamber (AC) of the eye required FasL-mediated apoptotic death of inflammatory cells that enter the eye in response to the antigenic challenge. Moreover, the systemic tolerance induced after AC injection of Ag was mediated by C...

Different Immunological Phenotypes Associated with Preserved CD4+ T Cell Counts in HIV-Infected Controllers and Viremic Long Term Non-Progressors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaardbo, Julie Christine; Hartling, Hans J; Ronit, Andreas

2013-01-01

HIV-infected controllers control viral replication and maintain normal CD4+ T cell counts. Long Term Non-Progressors (LTNP) also maintain normal CD4+ T cell counts, but have on-going viral replication. We hypothesized that different immunological mechanisms are responsible for preserved CD4+ T cell...

Immunology taught by rats

OpenAIRE

Klenerman, P; Barnes, EJ

2017-01-01

Immunology may be best taught by viruses, and possibly by humans, but the rats of New York City surprisingly also have plenty to offer. A survey published in 2014 of the pathogens carried by rats trapped in houses and parks in Manhattan identified a huge burden of infectious agents in these animals, including several novel viruses. Among these are Norway rat hepaciviruses (NrHVs), which belong to the same family as hepatitis C virus (HCV). NrHVs were found in rat livers, raising the possibili...

Chapter 29: Unproved and controversial methods and theories in allergy-immunology.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Rachna; Greenberger, Paul A

2012-01-01

Unproved methods and controversial theories in the diagnosis and management of allergy-immunology are those that lack scientific credibility. Some definitions are provided for perspective because in chronic medical conditions, frequently, nonscientifically based treatments are developed that can have a very positive psychological effect on the patients in the absence of objective physical benefit. Standard practice can be described as "the methods of diagnosis and treatment used by reputable physicians in a particular subspecialty or primary care practice" with the understanding that diagnosis and treatment options are consistent with established mechanisms of conditions or diseases.(3) Conventional medicine (Western or allopathic medicine) is that which is practiced by the majority of MDs, DOs, psychologists, RNs, and physical therapists. Complementary medicine uses the practice of conventional medicine with complementary and alternative medicine such as using acupuncture for pain relief in addition to opioids. Alternative medicine implies use of complementary and alternative practices in place of conventional medicine. Unproved and controversial methods and theories do not have supporting data, validation, and sufficient scientific scrutiny, and they should not be used in the practice of allergy-immunology. Some examples of unproven theories about allergic immunologic conditions include allergic toxemia, idiopathic environmental intolerance, association with childhood vaccinations, and adrenal fatigue. Unconventional (unproved) diagnostic methods for allergic-immunologic conditions include cytotoxic tests, provocation-neutralization, electrodermal diagnosis, applied kinesiology assessments, and serum IgG or IgG(4) testing. Unproven treatments and intervention methods for allergic-immunologic conditions include acupuncture, homeopathy ("likes cure likes"), halotherapy, and autologous urine injections.

Growth performance and immunological responses of broiler ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was conducted to determine the growth performance and immune response of broiler chickens fed synbiotic and diet acidifier to Newcastle disease vaccinations. One hundred and forty four (144) day old broiler chickens were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments replicated thrice with 12 birds per replicate ...

Egyptian Journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Egyptian Journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (The). Journal Home · ABOUT · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 13, No 1 (2015) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

HPV Infection: Immunological Aspects and Their Utility in Future Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Efthimios Deligeoroglou

2013-01-01

Full Text Available High prevalence and mortality rates of cervical cancer create an imperative need to clarify the uniqueness of HPV (Human Papillomavirus infection, which serves as the key causative factor in cervical malignancies. Understanding the immunological details and the microenvironment of the infection can be a useful tool for the development of novel therapeutic interventions. Chronic infection and progression to carcinogenesis are sustained by immortalization potential of HPV, evasion techniques, and alterations in the microenvironment of the lesion. Inside the lesion, Toll-like receptors expression becomes irregular; Langerhans cells fail to present the antigens efficiently, tumor-associated macrophages aggregate resulting in an unsuccessful immune response by the host. HPV products also downregulate the expression of microenvironment components which are necessary for natural-killer cells response and antigen presentation to cytotoxic cells. Additionally HPV promotes T-helper cell 2 (Th2 and T-regulatory cell phenotypes and reduces Th1 phenotype, leading to suppression of cellular immunity and lesion progression to cancer. Humoral response after natural infection is inefficient, and neutralizing antibodies are not adequate in many women. Utilizing this knowledge, new endeavors, such as therapeutic vaccination, aim to stimulate cellular immune response against the virus and alter the milieu of the lesion.

Immunological comparison of basic encephalitogen and histone F2A1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bustin, M.; Teitelbaum, D.; Webb, C.

1975-01-01

The extent of immunological cross-reaction between basic encephalitogen and histone F2A1 on both the humoral antibody level and on the cellular level has been established. The extent of humoral cross-reaction was tested by direct complement fixation employing both anti-histone F2A1 and antisera to basic encephalitogen, by inhibition of complement fixation, by radioimmunoassay and by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. The data obtained failed to reveal immunological cross-reaction between the proteins on the humoral antibody level. The extent of cross-reaction at the cellular level was tested by the lymphocyte stimulation technique in rabbits and guinea pigs, by inhibition of lymphocyte stimulation and by delayed hypersensitivity skin reactions. It is concluded that the immunological studies provide limited evidence that the two proteins share antigenic determinants. (orig./GSE) [de

Principles of immunology and its nuances in the central nervous system.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Gavin P; Okada, Hideho

2015-11-01

Cancer immunotherapy represents the biggest change in the cancer treatment landscape in the last several years. Indeed, the clinical successes in several cancer types have generated widespread enthusiasm that immune-based treatments may influence the management of patients with malignant brain tumors as well. A number of promising clinical trials in this area are currently ongoing in neuro-oncology, and a wave of additional efforts are sure to follow. However, the basic immunology underlying immunotherapy-and the nuances unique to the immunobiology in the central nervous system-is often not in the daily lexicon of the practicing neuro-oncologist and neurosurgeon. To this end, here we provide a timely and working overview of key principles of fundamental immunology as a pragmatic context for understanding where therapeutic efforts may act in the cellular dynamics of the immune response. Moreover, we review the issues of lymphatic drainage, antigen presentation, and the blood-brain barrier as considerations that are germane to thinking about immunity to tumors arising in the brain. Together, these topics will provide a foundation for the exciting efforts in immune-based treatments that will hopefully provide real benefit to brain tumor patients. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Biosensors in immunology: the story so far

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pathak, S.S.; Savelkoul, H.F.J.

1997-01-01

Optical biosensors are finding a range of applications in immunology. They enable biomolecular interactions to be characterized in real time without the need to label reactants, and, because individual binding steps can be visualized, are particularly suited to complex assays

Clinical and Diagnostic Peculiarities of Immunological Adaptation in Children of the First Year of Life Suffering from Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.S. Oleynik

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to evaluate the immunological parameters in community-acquired pneumonia in infants born with very low birth weight. A comprehensive clinical, laboratory and instrumental examination had been carried out in children of the first year of life suffering from community-acquired pneumonia who were born with very low birth weight. In the vast majority of children the clinical pattern of community-acquired pneumonia manifested with respiratory syndrome, the symptoms of respiratory distress I–II degree, intoxication and the lack of temperature response. Due to immunological examination of infants born with very low birth weight disorders in cellular and humoral immune system, as well as reduced functional capacity of phagocytes had been detected.

Immunological Consequences of Antihelminthic Treatment in Preschool Children Exposed to Urogenital Schistosome Infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadine Rujeni

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Urogenital schistosomiasis, due to Schistosoma haematobium, is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Control is by targeted treatment with praziquantel but preschool age children are excluded from control programs. Immunological studies on the effect of treatment at this young age are scarce. In light of studies in older individuals showing that praziquantel alters antischistosome immune responses and responses to bystander antigens, this study aims to investigate how these responses would be affected by treatment at this young age. Antibody responses directed against schistosome antigens, Plasmodium falciparum crude and recombinant antigens, and the allergen house dust mite were measured in children aged 3 to 5 years before and 6 weeks after treatment. The change in serological recognition of schistosome proteins was also investigated. Treatment augmented antischistosome IgM and IgE responses. The increase in IgE responses directed against adult worm antigens was accompanied by enhanced antigen recognition by sera from the children. Antibody responses directed against Plasmodium antigens were not significantly affected by praziquantel treatment nor were levels of allergen specific responses. Overall, praziquantel treatment enhanced, quantitatively and qualitatively, the antiworm responses associated with protective immunity but did not alter Plasmodium-specific responses or allergen-specific responses which mediate pathology in allergic disease.

Clinical and Immunological Effects in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung-Cancer after Vaccination with Dendritic Cells Exposed to an Allogeneic Tumor Cell Lysate*

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engell-Noerregaard, Lotte; Kvistborg, Pia; Zocca, Mai-Britt

2013-01-01

Background: We evaluated the clinical and immunological effects of dendritic cell (DC) vaccination of patients with NSCLC. Autologous DCs were pulsed with a MAGE containing allogeneic melanoma cell lysate (MelCancerVac®, Dandrit Biotech, Copenhagen, Denmark). Imiquimod cream, proleukin and celeco......Background: We evaluated the clinical and immunological effects of dendritic cell (DC) vaccination of patients with NSCLC. Autologous DCs were pulsed with a MAGE containing allogeneic melanoma cell lysate (MelCancerVac®, Dandrit Biotech, Copenhagen, Denmark). Imiquimod cream, proleukin...... and celecoxib were used as adjuvants to the vaccines. The objective of the study was to evaluate specific T cell response in vitro by IFN EliSpot. Secondary objec- tives were overall survival, response and quality of life (QoL). Results: Twenty-two patients initiated the vaccination program consisting of ten...

JTM’s Tumor immunology goes broad: announcing the Immunobiology and Immunotherapy section

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bot Adrian

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract For the last four years the Journal of Translational Medicine (JTM has hosted the Section of Tumor Immunology and Biological Cancer Therapy. Under the editorial leadership of Dr. Pedro Romero and with the direct support of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC, this section enriched the communication between basic immunological sciences and the clinical investigation arena in oncology. We are re-launching this Section of JTM, now entitled Immunobiology and Immunotherapy, succeeding Tumor Immunology and Biological Cancer Therapy. While aiming to build on the editorial success and focus of its predecessor, this novel Section will have a broader scope, hosting translational immunology topics pertaining to immunotherapy beyond oncology, including disciplines such as inflammation, autoimmunity, transplantation, metabolic disorders and others. As the vision of this re-launched Section of JTM broadens up to serve a communication need for translational immunologists involved with immunotherapy irrespectively of the therapeutic area, a novel and focused journal entitled Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer (JITC has just been initiated, sponsored by the SITC.

Evaluation of Clinical and Immunological Responses: A 2-Year Follow-Up Study in Children with Allergic Rhinitis due to House Dust Mite

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moed, H.; van Wijk, R.G.; Hendriks, R.W.; van der Wouden, J.C.

2013-01-01

Background. Allergic rhinitis is a disease with polarization towards Thand a defect of regulatory T cells. Immunological changes have been reported after immunotherapy treatment. However, there is not much known about the natural course of allergic rhinitis with respect to clinical manifestation and

The reef-building coral Siderastrea siderea exhibits parabolic responses to ocean acidification and warming.

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo, Karl D; Ries, Justin B; Bruno, John F; Westfield, Isaac T

2014-12-22

Anthropogenic increases in atmospheric CO2 over this century are predicted to cause global average surface ocean pH to decline by 0.1-0.3 pH units and sea surface temperature to increase by 1-4°C. We conducted controlled laboratory experiments to investigate the impacts of CO2-induced ocean acidification (pCO2 = 324, 477, 604, 2553 µatm) and warming (25, 28, 32°C) on the calcification rate of the zooxanthellate scleractinian coral Siderastrea siderea, a widespread, abundant and keystone reef-builder in the Caribbean Sea. We show that both acidification and warming cause a parabolic response in the calcification rate within this coral species. Moderate increases in pCO2 and warming, relative to near-present-day values, enhanced coral calcification, with calcification rates declining under the highest pCO2 and thermal conditions. Equivalent responses to acidification and warming were exhibited by colonies across reef zones and the parabolic nature of the corals' response to these stressors was evident across all three of the experiment's 30-day observational intervals. Furthermore, the warming projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for the end of the twenty-first century caused a fivefold decrease in the rate of coral calcification, while the acidification projected for the same interval had no statistically significant impact on the calcification rate-suggesting that ocean warming poses a more immediate threat than acidification for this important coral species.

Mucosal immunology and virology

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Tyring, Stephen

2006-01-01

.... A third chapter focuses on the proximal end of the gastrointestinal tract (i.e. the oral cavity). The mucosal immunology and virology of the distal end of the gastrointestinal tract is covered in the chapter on the anogenital mucosa. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) plays a role in protection against all viral (and other) infections except those that enter the body via a bite (e.g. yellow fever or dengue from a mosquito or rabies from a dog) or an injection or transfusion (e.g. HIV, Hepatitis B). ...

The immunological response to syphilis differs by HIV status; a prospective observational cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kenyon, Chris; Osbak, Kara Krista; Crucitti, Tania; Kestens, Luc

2017-01-31

It is not known if there is a difference in the immune response to syphilis between HIV-infected and uninfected individuals. We prospectively recruited all patients with a new diagnosis of syphilis and tested their plasma for IFNα, IFNγ, IL-1β, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-17A at baseline pre-treatment and 6 months following therapy. A total of 79 HIV-infected [44 primary/secondary syphilis (PSS) and 35 latent syphilis (LS)] and 12 HIV-uninfected (10 PSS and 2 LS) cases of syphilis and 30 HIV-infected controls were included in the study. At the baseline visit, compared to the control group, concentrations of IL-10 were significantly elevated in the HIV-infected and uninfected groups. The level of IL-10 was significantly higher in the HIV-infected compared to the HIV-uninfected PSS group (25.3 pg/mL (IQR, 4.56-41.76) vs 2.73 pg/mL (IQR, 1.55-9.02), P = 0.0192). In the HIV-infected PSS group (but not the HIV-infected LS or HIV-uninfected PSS groups) the IP-10, MIP-1b, IL-6 and IL-8 were raised compared to the controls. IL-10 levels decreased but did not return to control baseline values by 6 months in HIV infected PSS and LS and HIV uninfected PSS. PSS and LS in HIV-infected individuals is characterized by an increase in inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10. The increase of IL-10 is greater in HIV-infected than uninfected individuals. Further work is required to ascertain if this is part of an immunological profile that correlates with adverse outcomes such as serofast syphilis and neurosyphilis, in HIV-infected individuals.

[Immunologic risk analysis of blood transfusion: 1991-1998].

Science.gov (United States)

Rouger, P; Le Pennec, P Y; Noizat-Pirenne, F

2000-02-01

The immunologic risk associated to erythrocyte transfusions is bound to the polymorphism of blood group systems and to the respect of blood transfusion regulations. The results of three studies are presented, which were carried out respectively by the French Society of Blood Transfusion, the National Institute of Blood Transfusion and the National Haemovigilance Network. Two hundred and twenty-seven cases of immunologic accidents are analysed using the Kaplan's interpretation model and the traditional method of process analysis. The results show three critical factors in the occurrence of this type of incident: the relevance of the clinical examinations prescribed, the way in which the biological results are taken into account, and the relationship/exchange of information between private and public hospitals, and blood transfusion centers.

Immunologic mapping of glycomes: implications for cancer diagnosis and therapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Dapeng; Levery, Steven B; Hsu, Fong-Fu

2011-01-01

Cancer associated glycoconjugates are important biomarkers, as exemplified by globo-H, CA125, CA15.3 and CA27.29. However, the exact chemical structures of many such biomarkers remain unknown because of technological limitations. In this article, we propose the "immunologic mapping" of cancer...... glycomes based on specific immune recognition of glycan structures, which can be hypothesized theoretically, produced chemically, and examined biologically by immuno-assays. Immunologic mapping of glycans not only provides a unique perspective on cancer glycomes, but also may lead to the invention...

Immunological Risk of Injectable Drug Delivery Systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jiskoot, W.; van Schie, R.M.F.; Carstens, M.G.; Schellekens, H.

2009-01-01

Injectable drug delivery systems (DDS) such as particulate carriers and water-soluble polymers are being used and developed for a wide variety of therapeutic applications. However, a number of immunological risks with serious clinical implications are associated with administration of DDS. These

Mosquito salivary gland protein preservation in the field for immunological and biochemical analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Almeras L

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Mosquito salivary proteins are involved in several biological processes that facilitate their blood feeding and have also been reported to elicit an IgG response in vertebrates. A growing number of studies have focused on this immunological response for its potential use as a biological marker of exposure to arthropod bites. As mosquito saliva collection is extremely laborious and inefficient, most research groups prefer to work on mosquito salivary glands (SGs. Thus, SG protein integrity is a critical factor in obtaining meaningful data from immunological and biochemical analysis. Current methodologies rely on an immediate freezing of SGs after their collection. However, the maintenance of samples in a frozen environment can be hard to achieve in field conditions. In this study, SG proteins from two mosquito species (Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae s.s. stored in different media for 5 days at either +4°C or room temperature (RT were evaluated at the quantitative (i.e., ELISA and qualitative (i.e., SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting levels. Our results indicated that PBS medium supplemented with an anti-protease cocktail seems to be the best buffer to preserve SG antigens for 5 days at +4°C for ELISA analysis. Conversely, cell-lysis buffer (Urea-Thiourea-CHAPS-Tris was best at preventing protein degradation both at +4°C and RT for further qualitative analysis. These convenient storage methods provide an alternative to freezing and are expected to be applicable to other biological samples collected in the field.

Cellular immune responses against CT7 (MAGE-C1) and humoral responses against other cancer-testis antigens in multiple myeloma patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lendvai, Nikoletta; Gnjatic, Sacha; Ritter, Erika; Mangone, Michael; Austin, Wayne; Reyner, Karina; Jayabalan, David; Niesvizky, Ruben; Jagannath, Sundar; Bhardwaj, Nina; Chen-Kiang, Selina; Old, Lloyd J; Cho, Hearn Jay

2010-01-29

The type I melanoma antigen gene (MAGE) proteins CT7 (MAGE-C1) and MAGE-A3 are commonly expressed in multiple myeloma (MM), and their expression correlates with increased plasma cell proliferation and poor clinical outcome. They belong to the cancer-testis antigen (CTAg) group of tumor-associated proteins, some of which elicit spontaneous immune responses in cancer patients. CT7 and MAGE-A3 are promising antigenic targets for therapeutic tumor vaccines in myeloma; therefore, it is critical to determine if they are immunogenic in MM patients. We analyzed cellular and humoral immune responses against CTAgs in patients with plasma cell dyscrasias: MM, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM). Bone marrow lymphocytes from two of four untreated MM patients exhibited CT7-specific cellular immune responses as measured by an autologous cellular immunity assay, the first such immune response to CT7 to be reported in cancer patients. Sera from 24 patients were screened by ELISA for humoral immune responses to CTAgs. Two patients with MM demonstrated positive titers, one for MAGE-A1 and the other for SSX1. These data demonstrate that CTAgs, particularly CT7, are immunogenic in MM patients and merit further exploration as targets of immunological therapy in MM.

Recommended Immunological Assays to Screen for Ricin-Containing Samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stéphanie Simon

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Ricin, a toxin from the plant Ricinus communis, is one of the most toxic biological agents known. Due to its availability, toxicity, ease of production and absence of curative treatments, ricin has been classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC as category B biological weapon and it is scheduled as a List 1 compound in the Chemical Weapons Convention. An international proficiency test (PT was conducted to evaluate detection and quantification capabilities of 17 expert laboratories. In this exercise one goal was to analyse the laboratories’ capacity to detect and differentiate ricin and the less toxic, but highly homologuous protein R. communis agglutinin (RCA120. Six analytical strategies are presented in this paper based on immunological assays (four immunoenzymatic assays and two immunochromatographic tests. Using these immunological methods “dangerous” samples containing ricin and/or RCA120 were successfully identified. Based on different antibodies used the detection and quantification of ricin and RCA120 was successful. The ricin PT highlighted the performance of different immunological approaches that are exemplarily recommended for highly sensitive and precise quantification of ricin.

A systems immunology approach to plasmacytoid dendritic cell function in cytopathic virus infections.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gennady Bocharov

Full Text Available Plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC-mediated protection against cytopathic virus infection involves various molecular, cellular, tissue-scale, and organism-scale events. In order to better understand such multiscale interactions, we have implemented a systems immunology approach focusing on the analysis of the structure, dynamics and operating principles of virus-host interactions which constrain the initial spread of the pathogen. Using high-resolution experimental data sets coming from the well-described mouse hepatitis virus (MHV model, we first calibrated basic modules including MHV infection of its primary target cells, i.e. pDCs and macrophages (Mphis. These basic building blocks were used to generate and validate an integrative mathematical model for in vivo infection dynamics. Parameter estimation for the system indicated that on a per capita basis, one infected pDC secretes sufficient type I IFN to protect 10(3 to 10(4 Mphis from cytopathic viral infection. This extremely high protective capacity of pDCs secures the spleen's capability to function as a 'sink' for the virus produced in peripheral organs such as the liver. Furthermore, our results suggest that the pDC population in spleen ensures a robust protection against virus variants which substantially down-modulate IFN secretion. However, the ability of pDCs to protect against severe disease caused by virus variants exhibiting an enhanced liver tropism and higher replication rates appears to be rather limited. Taken together, this systems immunology analysis suggests that antiviral therapy against cytopathic viruses should primarily limit viral replication within peripheral target organs.

A roadmap towards personalized immunology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Delhalle, Sylvie; Bode, Sebastian F N; Balling, Rudi

2018-01-01

Big data generation and computational processing will enable medicine to evolve from a "one-size-fits-all" approach to precise patient stratification and treatment. Significant achievements using "Omics" data have been made especially in personalized oncology. However, immune cells relative to tu......-communicable inflammatory diseases such as autoimmune diseases or allergies. We provide a roadmap and highlight experimental, clinical, computational analysis, data management, ethical and regulatory issues to accelerate the implementation of personalized immunology....

The 3rd international conference on reproductive immunology in Shanghai: September 27-29, 2013. Shanghai, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, MeiRong; Piao, HaiLan; Li, DaJin

2014-03-01

After the first and second international conferences on reproductive immunology held by Dr. DaJin Li in Shanghai, the related investigators all over the world hope to get together to share their latest findings with each other. Drs. DaJin Li and MeiRong Du sponsored and organized the third international conference on reproductive immunology at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital affiliated with Fudan University, Shanghai, China, in the autumn of 2013. This congress brought together more than 100 International and National investigators representing a wide range of scientific disciplines. All the investigators actively work on reproductive immunology using human or large and small animal models. A range of reproductive immunological topics including the maternal-fetal immune regulation, reproductive tract mucosal immunology, immunocontraception, and pregnancy complications were highlighted and discussed in this conference. This conference supplied a good platform for the international reproductive immunologists to exchange their latest study progression and discuss the development direction of reproductive immunology in the near future. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Simple Calculation Programs for Biology Immunological Methods

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Simple Calculation Programs for Biology Immunological Methods. Computation of Ab/Ag Concentration from EISA data. Graphical Method; Raghava et al., 1992, J. Immuno. Methods 153: 263. Determination of affinity of Monoclonal Antibody. Using non-competitive ...

, 971, 975, 983, 985, 994, 996, 998, 1006, 1014), decreasing potentially pathogenic gastro-intestinal microorganisms (ID 960, 967, 969, 971, 975, 983, 985, 994, 996, 998, 1006, 1014), and stimulation of immunological responses (ID 962, 968, 970, 972, 976, 984, 986, 995, 997, 999, 1007, 1015) (further, assessment) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tetens, Inge

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to provide a scientific opinion on health claims pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 in the framework of further assessment related to various microorganisms...... and changes in bowel function, and digestion and absorption of nutrients, decreasing potentially pathogenic gastro-intestinal microorganisms, and stimulation of immunological responses. The food constituents, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis THT 010801, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis THT 010201...... 030802, Lactobacillus salivarius THT 031001 and Streptococcus thermophilus THT 070102, are sufficiently characterised. The evidence provided did not establish that the proposed claimed effect, stimulation of immunological responses, is a beneficial physiological effect. The references provided...

Single blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study on the effects of ciclosporin on cutaneous barrier function and immunological response in atopic beagles.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Amelia G; Santoro, Domenico; Ahrens, Kim; Marsella, Rosanna

2018-03-01

Ciclosporin (CsA) is a common treatment for canine atopic dermatitis (cAD). cAD is a very common skin disease with a multifactorial pathogenesis due to complex interactions between the host and the environment. The purpose of this study was to describe the physical and immunological effects of CsA in cAD using a canine model of AD. Fourteen beagles were enrolled; seven received CsA orally every 24 h for 28 days, and seven received placebo. All dogs were exposed to relevant allergens, house dust mite solution, one day prior to treatment and once weekly thereafter for 28 consecutive days. Canine atopic dermatitis extent and severity index-03 (CADESI-03) and skin biopsies were performed on day 0, 14, and 28. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine levels of cutaneous cytokines and barrier function markers. Indirect immunofluorescence was used to determine protein expression and distribution of nuclear messengers, barrier function and inflammatory [thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP)] markers. The data were tested for normality and then the upaired two samples Student's t-test and the repeated measurements ANOVA, followed by the Dunnett's Multiple Comparison Test as post-hoc analysis, were performed. A P value of immunologic milieu or barrier markers despite evident improvement of physical signs in the treatment group. Although this study confirmed the usefulness of CsA for the treatment of cAD, a clear involvement of CsA on some of the currently known immunological alterations present in cAD was not determined. However, it is important to note that there was no measurable exacerbation of skin barrier dysfunction secondary to CsA administration in this model. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Virological and immunological failure of HAART and associated risk factors among adults and adolescents in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia.

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Hailu, Genet Gebrehiwet; Hagos, Dawit Gebregziabher; Hagos, Amlsha Kahsay; Wasihun, Araya Gebreyesus; Dejene, Tsehaye Asmelash

2018-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome associated morbidity and mortality has reduced significantly since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy. As a result of increasing access to highly active antiretroviral therapy, the survival and quality of life of the patients has significantly improved globally. Despite this promising result, regular monitoring of people on antiretroviral therapy is recommended to ensure whether there is an effective treatment response or not. This study was designed to assess virological and immunological failure of highly active antiretroviral therapy users among adults and adolescents in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia, where scanty data are available. A retrospective follow up study was conducted from September 1 to December 30, 2016 to assess the magnitude and factors associated with virological and immunological failure among 260 adults and adolescents highly active antiretroviral therapy users who started first line ART between January 1, 2008 to March 1, 2016. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical data. SPSS Version21 statistical software was used for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated to virological and immunological failure. Statistical association was declared significant if p-value was ≤ 0.05. A total of 30 (11.5%) and 17 (6.5%) participants experienced virological and immunological failure respectively in a median time of 36 months of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Virological failure was associated with non-adherence to medications, aged < 40 years old, having CD4+ T-cells count < 250 cells/μL and male gender. Similarly, immunological failure was associated with non-adherence, tuberculosis co-infection and Human immunodeficiency virus RNA ≥1000 copies/mL. The current result shows that immunological and virological failure is a problem in a setting

Utilizing social networks, blogging and YouTube in allergy and immunology practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimov, Ves; Eidelman, Frank

2015-01-01

Online social networks are used to connect with friends and family members, and increasingly, to stay up-to-date with the latest news and developments in allergy and immunology. As communication is a central part of healthcare delivery, the utilization of such networking channels in allergy and immunology will continue to grow. There are inherent risks to online social networks related to breaches of patient confidentiality, professionalism and privacy. Malpractice and liability risks should also be considered. There is a paucity of information in the literature on how social network interventions affect patient outcomes. The allergy and immunology community should direct future studies towards investigating how the use of social networks and other technology tools and services can improve patient care.

HIV-1 subtypes and response to combination antiretroviral therapy in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bannister, WP; Ruiz, L; Loveday, C

2006-01-01

Europe/North America on the basis of the most prevalent subtype, B. However, non-B subtypes are increasingly spreading worldwide. OBJECTIVE: To compare virological and immunological response to cART between patients infected with B and non-B subtypes across Europe. DESIGN: EuroSIDA prospective....../ml and immunological response as a CD4+ T-cell count increase of ³100 cells/mm^3. RESULTS: Forty-five percent of patients were antiretroviral naive at initiation of cART. Virological suppression was achieved by 58% of 689 subtype-B-infected patients and 66% of 102 non-B-infected patients (P=0.159). After adjustment...... for potential confounders, there was no significant difference in odds of achieving virological suppression (non-B compared with B; odds ratio [OR]: 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.58-1.93, P=0.866). An immunological response was achieved by 43% of 753 B-infected patients and 48% of 114 non...

The Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort)

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The ImmPort system serves as a long-term, sustainable archive of immunology research data generated by investigators mainly funded through the NIAID/DAIT. The core...

[Immune response of Hansen's disease. Review].

Science.gov (United States)

Rada, Elsa; Aranzazu, Nacarid; Convit, Jacinto

2009-12-01

Hansen's disease presents a wide spectrum of clinical and histopathological manifestations that reflect the nature of the immunological response of the host towards diverse Mycobacterium leprae components. The immunological system, composed by both innate and adaptive immunology, offers protection towards infections of various etiologies, among them bacterial. Bacteria, of course, have developed multiple strategies for evading host defenses, based on either very complex or simple mechanisms, but with a single purpose: to "resist" host attacks and to be able to survive. We have tried to summarize some recent studies in Hansen's disease, with more emphasis in the inmunology area. We think that in the future, all illnesses should also be very strongly related to other important aspects such as the social, environmental and economic, and whose development is not solved in a laboratory.

House dust extracts contain potent immunological adjuvants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beukelman, C.J.; Dijk, H. van; Aerts, P.C.; Rademaker, P.M.; Berrens, L.; Willers, J.M.N.

1987-01-01

A crude aqueous extract of house dust and two house dust subfractions were tested for adjuvant activity in a sensitivity assay performed in mice. Evidence is presented that house dust contains at least two potent immunological adjuvants. One of these, present in both subfractions, was probably

Élie Metchnikoff (1845-1916): celebrating 100 years of cellular immunology and beyond.

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Underhill, David M; Gordon, Siamon; Imhof, Beat A; Núñez, Gabriel; Bousso, Philippe

2016-10-01

The year 2016 marks 100 years since the death of Élie Metchnikoff (1845-1916), the Russian zoologist who pioneered the study of cellular immunology and who is widely credited with the discovery of phagocytosis, for which he was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1908. However, his long scientific career spanned many disciplines and has had far-reaching effects on modern immunology beyond the study of phagocytosis. In this Viewpoint article, five leading immunologists from the fields of phagocytosis, macrophage biology, leukocyte migration, the microbiota and intravital imaging tell Nature Reviews Immunology how Metchnikoff's work has influenced past, present and future research in their respective fields.

Modulation of human allogeneic and syngeneic pluripotent stem cells and immunological implications for transplantation.

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Sackett, S D; Brown, M E; Tremmel, D M; Ellis, T; Burlingham, W J; Odorico, J S

2016-04-01

Tissues derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a promising source of cells for building various regenerative medicine therapies; from simply transplanting cells to reseeding decellularized organs to reconstructing multicellular tissues. Although reprogramming strategies for producing iPSCs have improved, the clinical use of iPSCs is limited by the presence of unique human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, the main immunologic barrier to transplantation. In order to overcome the immunological hurdles associated with allogeneic tissues and organs, the generation of patient-histocompatible iPSCs (autologous or HLA-matched cells) provides an attractive platform for personalized medicine. However, concerns have been raised as to the fitness, safety and immunogenicity of iPSC derivatives because of variable differentiation potential of different lines and the identification of genetic and epigenetic aberrations that can occur during the reprogramming process. In addition, significant cost and regulatory barriers may deter commercialization of patient specific therapies in the short-term. Nonetheless, recent studies provide some evidence of immunological benefit for using autologous iPSCs. Yet, more studies are needed to evaluate the immunogenicity of various autologous and allogeneic human iPSC-derived cell types as well as test various methods to abrogate rejection. Here, we present perspectives of using allogeneic vs. autologous iPSCs for transplantation therapies and the advantages and disadvantages of each related to differentiation potential, immunogenicity, genetic stability and tumorigenicity. We also review the current literature on the immunogenicity of syngeneic iPSCs and discuss evidence that questions the feasibility of HLA-matched iPSC banks. Finally, we will discuss emerging methods of abrogating or reducing host immune responses to PSC derivatives. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Host response to biomaterials the impact of host response on biomaterial selection

CERN Document Server

Badylak, Stephen F

2015-01-01

Host Response to Biomaterials: The Impact of Host Response on Biomaterial Selection explains the various categories of biomaterials and their significance for clinical applications, focusing on the host response to each biomaterial. It is one of the first books to connect immunology and biomaterials with regard to host response. The text also explores the role of the immune system in host response, and covers the regulatory environment for biomaterials, along with the benefits of synthetic versus natural biomaterials, and the transition from simple to complex biomaterial solutions. Fiel

Resolving dynamics of cell signaling via real-time imaging of the immunological synapse.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stevens, Mark A.; Pfeiffer, Janet R. (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Wilson, Bridget S. (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Timlin, Jerilyn Ann; Thomas, James L. (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Lidke, Keith A. (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Spendier, Kathrin (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Oliver, Janet M. (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Carroll-Portillo, Amanda (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Aaron, Jesse S.; Mirijanian, Dina T.; Carson, Bryan D.; Burns, Alan Richard; Rebeil, Roberto

2009-10-01

This highly interdisciplinary team has developed dual-color, total internal reflection microscopy (TIRF-M) methods that enable us to optically detect and track in real time protein migration and clustering at membrane interfaces. By coupling TIRF-M with advanced analysis techniques (image correlation spectroscopy, single particle tracking) we have captured subtle changes in membrane organization that characterize immune responses. We have used this approach to elucidate the initial stages of cell activation in the IgE signaling network of mast cells and the Toll-like receptor (TLR-4) response in macrophages stimulated by bacteria. To help interpret these measurements, we have undertaken a computational modeling effort to connect the protein motion and lipid interactions. This work provides a deeper understanding of the initial stages of cellular response to external agents, including dynamics of interaction of key components in the signaling network at the 'immunological synapse,' the contact region of the cell and its adversary.

Immunological orchestration of zinc homeostasis: The battle between host mechanisms and pathogen defenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanian Vignesh, Kavitha; Deepe, George S

2016-12-01

The importance of Zn ions (Zn) in regulating development and functions of the immune system is well established. However, recent years have witnessed a surge in our knowledge of how immune cells choreograph Zn regulatory mechanisms to combat the persistence of pathogenic microbes. Myeloid and lymphoid populations manipulate intracellular and extracellular Zn metabolism via Zn binding proteins and transporters in response to immunological signals and infection. Rapid as well as delayed changes in readily exchangeable Zn, also known as free Zn and the Zn proteome are crucial in determining activation of immune cells, cytokine responses, signaling and nutritional immunity. Recent studies have unearthed distinctive Zn modulatory mechanisms employed by specialized immune cells and necessitate an understanding of the Zn handling behavior in immune responses to infection. The focus of this review, therefore, stems from novel revelations of Zn intoxication, sequestration and signaling roles deployed by different immune cells, with an emphasis on innate immunity, to challenge microbial parasitization and cope with pathogen insult. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Photoallergic responses to chemicals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kochievar, I E [Columbia Univ., New York (USA). Coll. of Physicians and Surgeons

1979-10-01

Photochemical and immunologic knowledge about photoallergy to chemicals is briefly summarized. Studies in in vitro systems have demonstrated that photoallergic compounds can covalently bond to proteins through a photochemical reaction. The immunologic nature of the photoallergic response is based mainly on clinical observations, induction of photoallergy in man and in guinea-pigs and on results of in vitro immunologic tests. Studies of the photoreactions of the photoallergic compound, 3,3',4',5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide (TCSA) with proteins are discussed. TSCA noncovalently bonds to human serum albumin prior to irradiation. Prior interaction is essential for formation of a photoaddition product indicating that a short-lived reactive species derived from TCSA is involved in the photoaddition and limiting the number of skin proteins which can participate in antigen formation. By fragmentation of the TCSA-albumin photoadduct with CNBr, it was determined that TCSA can bond to at least three sites on the albumin molecule. TCSA alone can sensitize the photooxidation of histidine in albumin.

Detection of spore coat protein of Bacillus subtilis by immunological method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchida, Aritsune; Kadota, Hajime

1976-01-01

The spore coat protein of Bacillus subtilis was separated, and the qualitative assay for the spore coat protein was made by use of the immunological technique. The immunological method was found to be useful for judging the maturation of spore coat in the course of sporulation. The spore coat protein antigen appeared at t 2 stage of sporulation. The addition of rifampicin at the earlier stages of sporulation inhibited the increase in content of the spore coat antigen. (auth.)

Immunomodulators in SLE: Clinical evidence and immunologic actions.

Science.gov (United States)

Durcan, L; Petri, M

2016-11-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a potentially fatal autoimmune disease. Current treatment strategies rely heavily on corticosteroids, which are in turn responsible for a significant burden of morbidity, and immunosuppressives which are limited by suboptimal efficacy, increased infections and malignancies. There are significant deficiencies in our immunosuppressive armamentarium, making immunomodulatory therapies crucial, offering the opportunity to prevent disease flare and the subsequent accrual of damage. Currently available immunomodulators include prasterone (synthetic dehydroeipandrosterone), vitamin D, hydroxychloroquine and belimumab. These therapies, acting via numerous cellular and cytokine pathways, have been shown to modify the aberrant immune responses associated with SLE without overt immunosuppression. Vitamin D is important in SLE and supplementation appears to have a positive impact on disease activity particularly proteinuria. Belimumab has specific immunomodulatory properties and is an effective therapy in those with specific serological and clinical characteristics predictive of response. Hydroxychloroquine is a crucial background medication in SLE with actions in many molecular pathways. It has disease specific effects in reducing flare, treating cutaneous disease and inflammatory arthralgias in addition to other effects such as reduced thrombosis, increased longevity, improved lipids, better glycemic control and blood pressure. Dehydroeipandrosterone is also an immunomodulator in SLE which can have positive effects on disease activity and has bone protective properties. This review outlines the immunologic actions of these drugs and the clinical evidence supporting their use. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead Exposure and Immunologic Function in Workers in Taiwan.

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Wu, Chin-Ching; Sung, Fung-Chang; Chen, Yi-Chun

2018-04-05

There has been growing concern over the impact of environmental exposure to heavy metals and other trace elements on immunologic functions. This study investigated men's arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) contents in hair samples and their associations with immunological indicators, including white blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte and monocyte counts, and the immunoglobulin (Ig) levels including IgA, IgG and IgE. We recruited 133 men from one antimony trioxide manufacturing plant, two glass manufacturing plants and two plastics manufacturing plants. The mean concentration of Cd [0.16 (SD = 0.03) ug/g] was lower than means of As [0.86 (SD = 0.16) ug/g] and Pb [0.91 (SD = 0.22) ug/g] in hair samples, exerting no relationship with immunologic functions for Cd. The Spearman's correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between monocyte counts and hair Pb levels, but negative relations between As and IgG and between As and IgE. In conclusion, findings from these industry workers suggest that As levels in hair may have a stronger relation with immunologic function than Cd and PB have. Further research is needed to confirm the negative relationship.

Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead Exposure and Immunologic Function in Workers in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chin-Ching Wu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available There has been growing concern over the impact of environmental exposure to heavy metals and other trace elements on immunologic functions. This study investigated men’s arsenic (As, cadmium (Cd and lead (Pb contents in hair samples and their associations with immunological indicators, including white blood cell (WBC, lymphocyte and monocyte counts, and the immunoglobulin (Ig levels including IgA, IgG and IgE. We recruited 133 men from one antimony trioxide manufacturing plant, two glass manufacturing plants and two plastics manufacturing plants. The mean concentration of Cd [0.16 (SD = 0.03 ug/g] was lower than means of As [0.86 (SD = 0.16 ug/g] and Pb [0.91 (SD = 0.22 ug/g] in hair samples, exerting no relationship with immunologic functions for Cd. The Spearman’s correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between monocyte counts and hair Pb levels, but negative relations between As and IgG and between As and IgE. In conclusion, findings from these industry workers suggest that As levels in hair may have a stronger relation with immunologic function than Cd and PB have. Further research is needed to confirm the negative relationship.

Bacillus megaterium strains derived from water and soil exhibit differential responses to the herbicide mesotrione.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrzanski, Tatiane; Gravina, Fernanda; Steckling, Bruna; Olchanheski, Luiz R; Sprenger, Ricardo F; Espírito Santo, Bruno C; Galvão, Carolina W; Reche, Péricles M; Prestes, Rosilene A; Pileggi, Sônia A V; Campos, Francinete R; Azevedo, Ricardo A; Sadowsky, Michael J; Beltrame, Flávio L; Pileggi, Marcos

2018-01-01

The intense use of herbicides for weed control in agriculture causes selection pressure on soil microbiota and water ecosystems, possibly resulting in changes to microbial processes, such as biogeochemical cycles. These xenobiotics may increase the production of reactive oxygen species and consequently affect the survival of microorganisms, which need to develop strategies to adapt to these conditions and maintain their ecological functionality. This study analyzed the adaptive responses of bacterial isolates belonging to the same species, originating from two different environments (water and soil), and subjected to selection pressure by herbicides. The effects of herbicide Callisto and its active ingredient, mesotrione, induced different adaptation strategies on the cellular, enzymatic, and structural systems of two Bacillus megaterium isolates obtained from these environments. The lipid saturation patterns observed may have affected membrane permeability in response to this herbicide. Moreover, this may have led to different levels of responses involving superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, and enzyme polymorphisms. Due to these response systems, the strain isolated from water exhibited higher growth rates than did the soil strain, in evaluations made in oligotrophic culture media, which would be more like that found in semi-pristine aquatic environments. The influence of the intracellular oxidizing environments, which changed the mode of degradation of mesotrione in our experimental model and produced different metabolites, can also be observed in soil and water at sites related to agriculture. Since the different metabolites may present different levels of toxicity, we suggest that this fact should be considered in studies on the fate of agrochemicals in different environments.

Comparison of selected immunological parameters in silver and polar foxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostro, K.; Woloszyn, S.

1996-01-01

The aim of the work was to compare selected nonspecific immunological parameters in silver and polar foxes. It was found that out of three mitogens (Con A, La and PWM) only Con A stimulated the strongest lymphocyte proliferation in both species of foxes. Mean stimulation indices and the absolute values of incorporated thymidine were significantly higher in polar foxes. The average percentages of phagocytes and the fatal indices of neutrophils were comparable in both species of foxes, while the mean value of the phagocyte index was much higher in the silver fox. However, in polar foxes a higher concentration of lysozyme in the blood serum was found. The differences in the parameters may influence the susceptibility of these foxes to some infections already at the level of nonspecific primary response. (author)

Immunological changes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals during HIV-specific protease inhibitor treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ullum, H; Katzenstein, T; Aladdin, H

1999-01-01

The present study examines the influence of effective anti-retroviral treatment on immune function, evaluated by a broad array of immunological tests. We followed 12 individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) for 6 months after initiation of combination anti-retroviral treatment...... including a protease inhibitor. Unstimulated and pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-, interleukin (IL)-2- and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated lymphocyte proliferative responses increased during follow-up reaching average levels from 1.3-fold (PHA) to 3.7-fold (PWM) above baseline values. The total CD4+ lymphocyte...

Molecular and immunological tools for the evaluation of the cellular immune response in the neotropical monkey Saimiri sciureus, a non-human primate model for malaria research.

Science.gov (United States)

Riccio, Evelyn K P; Pratt-Riccio, Lilian R; Bianco-Júnior, Cesare; Sanchez, Violette; Totino, Paulo R R; Carvalho, Leonardo J M; Daniel-Ribeiro, Cláudio Tadeu

2015-04-18

The neotropical, non-human primates (NHP) of the genus Saimiri and Aotus are recommended by the World Health Organization as experimental models for the study of human malaria because these animals can be infected with the same Plasmodium that cause malaria in humans. However, one limitation is the lack of immunological tools to assess the immune response in these models. The present study focuses on the development and comparative use of molecular and immunological methods to evaluate the cellular immune response in Saimiri sciureus. Blood samples were obtained from nineteen uninfected Saimiri. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from these animals and splenocytes from one splenectomized animal were cultured for 6, 12, 18, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hrs in the presence of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate and ionomycin. The cytokine levels in the supernatant were detected using human and NHP cytometric bead array Th1/Th2 cytokine kits, the Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine Th1/Th2 Assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, enzyme-linked immunospot assays and intracellular cytokine secretion assays. Cytokine gene expression was examined through TaqMan® Gene Expression Real-Time PCR using predesigned human gene-specific primers and probes or primers and probes designed based on published S. sciureus cytokine sequences. The use of five assays based on monoclonal antibodies specific for human cytokines facilitated the detection of IL-2, IL-4 and/or IFN-γ. TaqMan array plates facilitated the detection of 12 of the 28 cytokines assayed. However, only seven cytokines (IL-1A, IL-2, IL-10, IL-12B, IL-17, IFN-β, and TNF) presented relative expression levels of at least 70% of the gene expression observed in human PBMC. The use of primers and probes specific for S. sciureus cytokines facilitated the detection of transcripts that showed relative expression below the threshold of 70%. The most efficient evaluation of cytokine gene expression, in PBMC and splenocytes, was observed

Immunological response in cases of complicated and uncomplicated bartonellosis during pregnancy Respuesta inmunologica en casos de bartonelosis con y sin complicaciones durante el embarazo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erick Huarcaya

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Bartonellosis (Carrion's Disease during pregnancy is associated with high rates of maternal and perinatal mortality. We report the immunological patterns in two cases of human bartonellosis during pregnancy. One patient had an uncomplicated course while the second patient developed life threatening anasarca and cardiac tamponade. The patient with a complicated course had a Th1 response with a higher elevation of IL-10. This elevation has been associated with poor outcome pregnancies during bacterial infections.Bartonelosis (Enfermedad de Carrión durante el embarazo esta asociado a una alta tasa de mortalidad maternal y perinatal. Reportamos el perfil inmunológico de dos casos de Bartonelosis humana en el embarazo. Una paciente tuvo un curso sin complicaciones, mientras la segunda presento complicaciones severas de anasarca y tamponamiento cardiaco. La paciente con curso complicado tuvo un patrón de repuesta Th1, con una elevación de IL-10, que se ha asociado a mal pronóstico en infecciones durante embarazo.

Tumor Biology and Immunology | Center for Cancer Research

Science.gov (United States)

Tumor Biology and Immunology The Comparative Brain Tumor Consortium is collaborating with National Center for Advanced Translational Sciences to complete whole exome sequencing on canine meningioma samples. Results will be published and made publicly available.

The Role of PPARs in Placental Immunology: A Systematic Review of the Literature

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Stefan Hutter

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Pregnancy is a state of immunotolerance, and pregnancy outcome is strongly linked to the correct activation and balancing of the maternal immune system. Besides abortion as possible result of improper early pregnancy development, other pregnancy associated conditions like preeclampsia (PE, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR, preterm labour, or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM are linked to immunologic overactivation and dysregulation. Both the innate and the adaptive immune system, and therefore B and T lymphocytes, natural killer cells (NK, macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs are all involved in trophoblast invasion, pregnancy maintenance, and development of pregnancy disorders. Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs are nuclear transcription factors with three known isotypes: PPAR, PPARβ/δ, and PPARγ. They are expressed in most human organs and their function extends from regulating metabolism, homeostasis, and carcinogenesis to immune response. In the recent years, PPARs have been identified in most reproductive tissues and in all lines of immune cells. Only in few cases, the role of PPARs in reproductive immunology has been elucidated though the role of PPARs in immune answer and immunotolerance is evident. Within this paper we would like to give an update on today’s knowledge about PPARs and immune cells in reproduction and highlight interesting interferences in regard of future therapeutic targets.

Prevalence of biochemical and immunological abnormalities in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tile prevalence of biochemical and immunological abnormalities was studied in a group of 256 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (104 coloureds, 100 whites and 52 blacks). The most common biochemical abnormalities detected were a reduction in the serum creatinine value (43,4%), raised globulins (39,7%), raised serum ...

Counterconditioned Fear Responses Exhibit Greater Renewal than Extinguished Fear Responses

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, Nathan M.; Leung, Hiu T.; Westbrook, R. Frederick

2016-01-01

This series of experiments used rats to compare counterconditioning and extinction of conditioned fear responses (freezing) with respect to the effects of a context shift. In each experiment, a stimulus was paired with shock in context A, extinguished or counterconditioned through pairings with sucrose in context B, and then tested for renewal…

Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Human Amniotic Membrane and Umbilical Cord Can Diminish Immunological Response in an in vitro Allograft Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Dabrowski, Filip A; Burdzinska, Anna; Kulesza, Agnieszka; Chlebus, Marcin; Kaleta, Beata; Borysowski, Jan; Zolocinska, Aleksandra; Paczek, Leszek; Wielgos, Miroslaw

2017-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are gaining rising interest in gynecology and obstetrics. MSCs immunomodulatory properties are suitable enough to reduce perinatal morbidity caused by inflammation in premature neonates. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the ability to inhibit allo-activated lymphocytes proliferation by MSCs derived from different sources: amniotic membrane (AM), umbilical cord (UC) and adipose tissue (AT). MSCs were isolated from AM (n = 7) and UC (n = 6) and AT (n = 6) of healthy women. Cells were characterized by flow cytometry and differentiation assay. To evaluate the potential of fetal and adult MSCs to diminish immunological response, mixed lymphocytes reaction (MLR) was performed. Amnion and UC-derived cells displayed typical MSCs characteristics. Addition of MSCs to MLR significantly inhibited the proliferation of stimulated lymphocytes. The effect was observed regardless of the MSCs type used (p < 0.01 in all groups). Comparative analysis revealed no significant differences in this action between tested MSCs types. Additionally, no type of MSCs significantly stimulated allogeneic lymphocytes. The results prove the immunosuppressive capacities of fetal-derived MSCs in vitro. In the future, they may be potentially used to treat premature newborn as well as in immunomodulation in post-transplant therapy. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Immunological effects of irradiation: waiting for a model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doria, G.

1979-01-01

Decreased resistance to pathogens, is an effect of ionizing radiations, is largely mediated by impairment of the specific immune response. It has been established that the antibody response is depressed when the antigen is injected shortly before or immediately after irradiation. Recovery of the response in animals immunized after sublethal irradiation starts after about 1 week and may be complete 2 months after irradiation. If animals are immunized a few or several days before radiation exposure, some parameters of the antibody response are unaffected while others may display lower or higher values than normal, depending on the nature and physical form of the antigen. Recent studies have described the effects of whole-body irradiation on antibody ability. Since this antibody property affects the stability of immune complexes and, therefore, the antibody's ability to neutralize viruses and toxins, affinity was felt to be of importance to counteract infections in irradiated animals. Antibody affinity was found up to 20 times greater in irradiated than in control mice when antigen was injected 1 to 5 days before or 2 hr to 8 weeks after a sublethal dose of x-rays. Recovery profiles of mitotic responses of spleen cells to PHA, ConA, or LPS suggest that the enhancement of antibody affinity in irradiated mice could result from a relative lack of suppressor T cells. Dysfunctions of the immune system of irradiated animals can be attributed to alterations of the populations of immunologically competent cells. Unlike auxiliary cells, lymphocytes are extremely sensitive to ionizing radiations. Subpopulations of T and B lymphocytes appear to have different radiosensitivities and to develop with different efficiencies in irradiated animals. B cells seem to be more radiosensitive and to recover faster than T cells

Neurons in red nucleus and primary motor cortex exhibit similar responses to mechanical perturbations applied to the upper-limb during posture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)