O Antigens ; immunology ; Serotyping ; Shigella flexneri ; immunology

BACKGROUNDNon-invasive nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) screening usually involves serological testing for the presence of IgA antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) capsid antigen (VCA). The present meta-analysis determined the accuracy of VCA-IgA in the diagnosis of NPC.

METHODSA systematic review of studies was conducted and data on the accuracy of VCA-IgA concentrations in the diagnosis of NPC were pooled using random effects models. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to summarize the overall test performance.

RESULTSTwenty studies met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The summary estimates for VCA-IgA in the diagnosis of NPC were: sensitivity 0.91 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.90 - 0.92), specificity 0.92 (95%CI: 0.92 - 0.93), positive likelihood ratio 31.65 (95%CI: 10.99 - 91.15), negative likelihood ratio 0.10 (95%CI: 0.07 - 0.13) and diagnostic odds ratio 414.59 (95%CI: 174.96 - 982.42). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curves was 0.98.

CONCLUSIONThe sensitivity and the specificity of serum VCA-IgA are very high, suggesting that the presence of VCA-IgA in peripheral blood is a valuable predictor for NPC.

Antigens, Viral ; immunology ; Capsid Proteins ; immunology ; Carcinoma ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; immunology ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; immunology

CD28 family consists of CD28, ICOS, CTLA-4 and PD-1 molecules. The former two are activation receptors and the later two are inhibition receptors. They produce co-stimulatory signals combining with the relevant molecules in B7 family, which plays important role in T cell activation and homeostasis among T subsets. Although the mechanism of signaling by CD28 and CTLA-4 has been well studied, many questions still remain to be answered. Further investigations are required for substantiating the dual-signaling model.
Animals ; Antigens, CD ; Antigens, Differentiation ; immunology ; CD28 Antigens ; immunology ; CTLA-4 Antigen ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments ; immunology ; Signal Transduction

Adult ; Alternaria ; immunology ; Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic ; immunology ; Animals ; Antibodies ; immunology ; Antibodies, Bacterial ; immunology ; Antibodies, Fungal ; immunology ; Antigens ; immunology ; Antigens, Bacterial ; immunology ; Antigens, Fungal ; immunology ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; immunology ; Asymptomatic Diseases ; Candida albicans ; immunology ; Cladosporium ; immunology ; Columbidae ; immunology ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; immunology ; Male ; Melopsittacus ; immunology ; Middle Aged ; Mucor ; immunology ; Nocardia ; immunology ; Parrots ; immunology ; Penicillium chrysogenum ; immunology ; Stachybotrys ; immunology ; Thermoactinomyces ; immunology

Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; immunology ; Humans

Association of HLA antigens with certain diseases provide insights into genetically determined susceptibility to disease. Although nephrotic syndrome is one of the commonest diseases, it is poorly understood. A group of 57 patients suffering from a minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome (33 patients) and mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (24 patients) was studied for immunologic markers. The incidence of HLA-A w 24 is significantly greater in the minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome patients than in controls (18.7% in patients, 0% in controls, p < 0.01). This report fails to show a high incidence of specific HLA antigen in mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis patients. We believe that the high incidence of HLA-Aw 24 in minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome is indicative of a congenital predisposition to nephrotic syndrome.
Glomerulonephritis/immunology ; HLA Antigens/analysis* ; Human ; Nephrosis, Lipoid/immunology*

Hepatitis B e Antigens ; immunology ; Humans ; Immune Tolerance ; immunology

HLA Antigens ; immunology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; 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

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