A new approach to enhancing the effectiveness of vaccines is to deliver antigens selectively to dendritic cells (DC) in situ, via monoclonal antibodies specific for particular DC surface molecules. This can markedly enhance CTL responses and, via helper T cells, also enhance antibody responses. DC activation agents or adjuvants must also be administered for effective CTL responses, but in some cases good antibody responses can be obtained without adjuvants. Here we review the role of different DC subsets and different DC target molecules in obtaining enhanced immune responses.
Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology ; Antibody Formation ; Antigens/*administration & dosage/immunology ; Dendritic Cells/cytology/*immunology ; Humans ; Vaccines/*immunology

A new approach to enhancing the effectiveness of vaccines is to deliver antigens selectively to dendritic cells (DC) in situ, via monoclonal antibodies specific for particular DC surface molecules. This can markedly enhance CTL responses and, via helper T cells, also enhance antibody responses. DC activation agents or adjuvants must also be administered for effective CTL responses, but in some cases good antibody responses can be obtained without adjuvants. Here we review the role of different DC subsets and different DC target molecules in obtaining enhanced immune responses.
Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology ; Antibody Formation ; Antigens/*administration & dosage/immunology ; Dendritic Cells/cytology/*immunology ; Humans ; Vaccines/*immunology

The function of immune system degenerates in an aging-dependent manner and this results in immunosenescence. Human immune system includes two parts: genetic/innate immunity and adaptive immunity. The former is involved in monocytes, nature killer cells, and dendritic cells, the later is involved in acquired B and T lymphocytes. During the aging of immunity system, the both parts of immunity are damaged to some degree. Generally, innate immunity seems well-retained and the acquired immunity is degenerative seriously with aging. Immunocyte senescence is closely related to the elderly decreased ability to control infectious disease, cancer and to their generally poor response to vaccination. This review summarized the research progress on immunosenescence characteristics in aged phase.
Age Factors ; Aging ; immunology ; Antibody Formation ; immunology ; Cellular Senescence ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; immunology ; Lymphocyte Activation

The formation of antisperm antibodies (AsAb) results from the disruption of the blood-testis barrier by a variety of mechanisms, which leads to exposure of immunogenic sperm antigens to the immune system and initiates an immune response. AsAb can impair the fusion of sperm and egg and even the embryo development, resulting in infertility. The etiology of AsAb, effect of AsAb on assisted reproduction and treatment of AsAb in the literature are reviewed in this article.
Antibodies ; immunology ; Antibody Formation ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; etiology ; Male ; Reproductive Techniques ; Spermatozoa ; immunology

Antibody Formation ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; immunology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; immunology

Antibodies ; immunology ; Antibody Formation ; Complement C4b ; immunology ; pharmacology ; Diagnosis ; Graft Rejection ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; immunology ; Peptide Fragments ; immunology ; pharmacology ; Transplantation, Homologous ; immunology

The effects of dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum on growth performance and humoral immune response in Miichthys miiuy were evaluated. One hundred and fifty Miichthys miiuy weighing approximately 200-260 g were divided into five groups and reared in 15 tanks with closed circuiting culture system. The animals were fed 5 diets: basal diet only (control) or supplemented of the basal diet with C. butyricum at doses of 10(3) (CB1), 10(5) (CB2), 10(7) (CB3) or 10(9) (CB4) CFU/g. Compared with the control, the serum phenoloxidase activity was significantly increased by the supplementation (P<0.05), acid phosphatases activity was increased significantly (P<0.05) at the doses of 10(9) CFU/g. Serum lysozyme activity peaked at dose of 10(7) CFU/g and in the skin mucus at dose of 10(9) CFU/g. Immunoglobulin M level in the serum and skin mucus was increased except at dose of 10(3) CFU/g (P<0.05). The growth at the dose of 10(9) CFU/g was higher than that of the control (P<0.05). It is concluded that supplementation of C. butyricum can mediate the humoral immune responses and improve the growth performance in Miichthys miiuy.
Animal Feed ; microbiology ; Animals ; Antibody Formation ; physiology ; Clostridium butyricum ; immunology ; Dietary Supplements ; microbiology ; Fishes ; growth & development ; immunology ; Probiotics ; administration & dosage

BACKGROUNDAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by overproduction of beta-amyloid (Abeta), with the subsequent pathologic deposition of Abeta which is important for memory and cognition. Recent studies showed murine models of AD and AD patients inoculated with Abeta(1-42) peptide vaccine had a halted or delayed pathological progression of AD. Unfortunately, the clinical phase IIa trial of Abeta(1-42) peptide vaccine (AN1792) was halted prematurely because of episodes of menigoencephalitis in 18 of the vaccinated patients. The vaccination of BALB/c or Tg2576 transgenic mouse with Abeta(1-15) peptide vaccine is safe and the immune effects are satisfactory. This study further characterizes the specific humoral immune responses in adult rhesus monkeys induced by Abeta(1-15) peptide vaccine.

METHODSFive male adult rhesus monkeys were injected intramuscularly with Abeta(1-15) peptide vaccine at baseline and at weeks 2, 6, 10, 14, 18 and 22. The titers and IgG isotypes of the antibody against Abeta(1-42) in serum was measured by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The specificity of the antibody against Abeta(1-42) was determined by Western blot. The Abeta plaques in Tg2576 transgenic mouse brain were stained with the antiserum using immunohistochemistry method.

RESULTSAt the eighth week after the vaccination, antibody against Abeta(1-42) began to develop significantly in serum. The titers of the antibody increased following vaccine boosted and reached 1:3840 at the twenty-fourth week, then decreased after the termination of inoculation. The IgG1 was accounted for the highest level in the antiserum pool. The antibody against Abeta(1-42) showed high specificity. The Abeta plaques in Tg2576 transgenic mouse brain were labeled with the antiserum.

CONCLUSIONAbeta(1-15) vaccine can induce vigorously specific humoral immune responses in adult rhesus monkey.

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; immunology ; Animals ; Antibody Formation ; Antibody Specificity ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin Isotypes ; blood ; Macaca mulatta ; Male ; Peptide Fragments ; immunology ; Vaccination

OBJECTIVETo study the correlation of erythrocyte immune function between normal neonates and their mothers and the influence of various obstetric factors on neonatal erythrocyte immune function.

METHODSThe adherent rate of complement 3b-receptor on the surface of red blood cells (RBC-C3bRR) and the immune complex adherent rate of red blood cells (RBC-ICR) were detected using the erythrocyte saccharomyces rosette test in 104 normal neonates and their mothers. The correlation of erythrocyte immune function between neonates and their mothers was evaluated by the maternal-infant paired test.

RESULTSThe levels of RBC-C3bRR (16.80 +/- 1.56% vs 16.23 +/- 1.63%; P < 0.05) and RBC-ICR (5.72 +/- 1.63% vs 5.02 +/- 1.38%; P < 0.01) in neonates were significantly higher than those in their mothers. There was a significantly positive correlation in RBC-ICR levels between neonates and their mothers (r = 0.28, P < 0.05). No correlation was found in RBC-C3bRR levels between the two groups. Neither RBC-C3bRR nor RBC-ICR levels of neonates were associated with various obstetric factors such as amniotic fluid, placenta, umbilical cord, parturient patterns, and puerperal anemia and pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome.

CONCLUSIONSThe erythrocyte immune function in neonates has a relatively mature level and correlates with their mothers' erythrocyte immune function. Various obstetric factors have no influences on neonatal erythrocyte immune function.

Antigen-Antibody Complex ; immunology ; Erythrocytes ; immunology ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; immunology ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; immunology ; Linear Models ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Receptors, Complement 3b ; analysis ; Rosette Formation

OBJECTIVETo clone PIB gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and to construct a recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pCI-PIB and to understand the effects of pCI-PIB vaccination in mice to induce specific humoral and cellular immune responses.

METHODSThe entire PIB gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (960 bp) was amplified by using PCR. An eukaryotic eukaryotic vector pCI-PIB was then constructed. BALB/c mice (n = 65, 100 microg/time/mouse) were immunized with pCI-PIB by intramuscular injection. ABC assay was employed to examine the PIB expression in muscular cells of the pCI-PIB-immunized mice (n = 10). ELISA and MTT assays were used to measure the effects of humoral and cellular immune responses of the remaining pCI-PIB-immunized mice. By using slide agglutination test and complement bacteriolytic test, the serum anti-bacterial activity of the pCI-PIB immunized mice was determined.

RESULTSThe entire PIB gene amplification fragment of the expected size (960 bp) was successfully obtained by PCR. In comparison with the reported PIB gene sequence (GenBank No: AF090801), the homology of nucleotide sequence of the target inserted fragment in the recombinant plasmid pCI-PIB was as high as 99.28%. The muscular cells of the immunized mice could take in pCI-PIB and then express PIB. In the pCI-PIB immunized mice, the higher titer (1:4000) of specific serum IgG and the specific T lymphocyte response were found. The proliferation index (4.031) was significantly higher than that of the controls (1.127) (t = 71.71, P < 0.05). The sera and washings from the pCI-PIB immunized mice could agglutinate Neisseria gonorrhoeae and kill this microbe in presence of complements.

CONCLUSIONIn this study we successfully constructed a recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pCI-PIB. The mice inoculated with pCI-PIB might efficiently produce the specific humoral and cellular immune responses, suggesting that pCI-PIB should be potential service as a candidate of Neisseria gonorrhoeae DNA vaccines.

Animals ; Antibody Formation ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; DNA, Recombinant ; immunology ; Female ; Immunity, Cellular ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; genetics ; immunology ; Plasmids ; Vaccines, DNA ; immunology