OBJECTIVETo study the possible role of human β-defensins 1 (Hbd-1) and immunoglobulins A, G and M (IgA, IgG and IgM) in the development of recurrent pneumonia by measuring serum concentrations of the above indexes in infants with recurrent pneumonia and healthy infants.

METHODSSerum samples were obtained from 35 healthy children and 35 children aged from 2 to 24 months with recurrent pneumonia. Serum Hbd-1 concentration was measured using ELISA. Serum IgA, IgG and IgM concentrations were measured by immunonephelometry. The correlation of hBD-1 with IgA, IgG and IgM was evaluated.

RESULTSThe serum concentration of hBD-1 in infants with recurrent pneumonia (14±11 μg/mL) was significantly lower than in controls (18±11 μg/mL) (P<0.05), as was the serum concentration of IgA in infants with recurrent pneumonia (1.3±0.6 g/L vs 1.5±0.8 g/L; P<0.05). The serum concentration of IgG in infants with recurrent pneumonia was also significantly lower than in controls (9±3 g/L vs 13±5 g/L; P<0.05). There were no linear relationships between serum Hbd-1 and IgA, IgG and IgM (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe serum levels of hBD-1, IgA and IgG decrease in infants with recurrent pneumonia, suggesting disorders in the immune defensive function of the respiratory tract, and this may be one of the immunity related reasons for recurrent pneumonia in infants. It is of great clinical value to measure serum levels of Hbd-1, IgA, IgG and IgM in infants with recurrent pneumonia.

Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; blood ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Immunoglobulins ; blood ; Infant ; Male ; Pneumonia ; immunology ; Recurrence ; beta-Defensins ; blood

The changes in serum levels of immunoglobulins G, M and A of dairy and beef calves of well-managed herds were monitored from birth to 14 days post partum using single radial immunodiffusion. Serum levels of all three immunoglobulin classes reached its peak at 24 hours in both groups of calves after birth, at which time there were very high levels of each immunoglobulin present. The mean IgM and IgA levels of the two groups became same at 6 days and 8 days of age, respectively but the mean IgG level of beef calves was approximately twice that of dairy calves throughout the experiment.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cattle/*immunology ; Female ; Immunodiffusion/veterinary ; Immunoglobulin A/blood ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Immunoglobulins/*blood ; Male ; Pregnancy

AIMTo explore the role of humoral immunity in the pathophysiological process of freezing injury and the possible immune interference in the preventation and treatment of frostbite.

METHODSSevere experimental freezing injury model was made in Wistar rats( n = 20). The concentration of three types of immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA and IgM), two types of complement components (C3 and C4), and circulating immune complex (CIC) were measured respectively before and at 4h, 1d, 3d, and 5d after frostbite. At the same time, the tissue immune complex (TIC) in skeletal muscle and the contents of the red blood cell immune complex (RBC-IC) were also observed and then was the red blood cell immune adherence activity (RCIA).

RESULTSSerum IgG concentration decreased rapidly to the lowest level at 4 h after frostbite IgA concentration dropped to the nadir on 1 day after freezing. Decreases of both immunoglobulins were maintained during the 5 days after frostbite. The fate of both C3 and C4 were the same as those immunoglobulins. Freezing had rather less effect on IgM level. CIC concentration in serum, expressed as the percent of prefreezing increased rapidly and to the zenith on the 3 days post-freezing. By immunofluorescence microscopy, thin continuous linear pattern (IgG) was demonstrated along the SM on the first day post-freezing. Granular and nodular deposits (IgG) appeared along the SM as the time proceeded after frostbite. RBC-IC contents, expressed as the erythrocyte IC rosette rate, increased significantly and to the zenith on the 3 d post-freezing, while RCIA depressed to the nadir at the same time.

CONCLUSIONThe freezing frostbite is an immune complex related disease which have not been reported by others before.

Animals ; Antigen-Antibody Complex ; analysis ; immunology ; Frostbite ; blood ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin A ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin G ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin M ; immunology ; Immunoglobulins ; immunology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Plasmodium falciparum liver stage antigen-1 (PfLSA-1) is one of the few antigens expressed exclusively in liver stage parasites. In this study, we evaluated the antibody responses against recombinant PfLSA-1 in naturally infected individuals in Myanmar. High levels of antibody responses (70.7%) were detected in 82 serum samples from 116 infected individuals, and IgG responses to PfLSA-1 principally composed of responses of IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses. These results show that PfLSA-1 elicits effective antibody responses in individuals infected with P. falciparum, and thus it could be not only an attractive candidate protein for vaccine development, but also a useful antigen for serodiagnosis of the infection.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood/immunology ; Antigens, Protozoan/*immunology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Malaria, Falciparum/blood/epidemiology/*immunology ; Myanmar/epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo explore the immune response of silicotic rats to sheep red blood cells(SRBC).

METHODSSilicotic rats were immunized with SRBC by tracheal instillation(Group 1) or intraperitoneal injection (Group 2), and non-silicotic rats were immunized by tracheal instillation as normal control(Group 3). The levels of serum hemolytic index(HC50) were measured on 7, 12, 20, 25, and 32 days after primary immunization and 5, 12, 15 days after the second immunization. Special anti-SRBC IgG was measured with ELISA(A490 nm) on 12, 20, 25, 32 days and 5, 12, 15, 27 days respectively. Delayed-type hypersensitivity(DTH) to SRBC was measured 20 days after second immunization and DTH reaction was determined at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after administration. Total cell count and cell populations in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF), lung associated lymph node(LALN) and spleen weight, special IgG secreted from spleen cells were measured at the end of the experiment.

RESULTSThe HC50 of Group 1(47.4 +/- 1.0, 52.2 +/- 4.6, 31.1 +/- 11.9, 43.8 +/- 3.5, 33.6 +/- 16.8, 49.0 +/- 2.3, 92.9 +/- 20.2, 87.7 +/- 5.2) were statistically higher than those of Group 3(40.4 +/- 10.6, 2.8 +/- 2.5, 0.8 +/- 0.6, 6.6 +/- 5.8, 1.4 +/- 0.1, 36.5 +/- 16.5, 53.0 +/- 33.2, 2.6 +/- 2.2). The special anti-SRBC IgG response in Group 1(1.67 +/- 0.19, 1.98 +/- 0.36, 1.12 +/- 0.50, 1.38 +/- 0.30, 2.75 +/- 0.15, 2.60 +/- 0.28, 2.86 +/- 0.10, 2.50 +/- 0.20) were much stronger than those in Group 3 (0.59 +/- 0.30, 0.56 +/- 0.21, 0.21 +/- 0.16, 0.22 +/- 0.01, 0.81 +/- 0.25, 0.74 +/- 0.25, 0.69 +/- 0.26, 1.38 +/- 0.41). Furthermore, the results of DTH showed positive response and the ratios for diameter of skin rash > 5 mm at 24, 48, 72, 96 h were 16/16, 16/16, 16/16, 15/16 respectively in Group 1, while those in Group 3 were 8/15, 1/15, 1/15, 1/15 respectively. Total cell count in the BALF, LALN and spleen weight, and special IgG secreted from spleen cells in Group 1 were higher too. Group 2 expressed almost of the same but with mild immunologic responses as Group 1.

CONCLUSIONSilicosis-induced extremely strong DTH and over-response of humoral immunity to some antigens may contribute to the likelihood of silicosis complicated with tuberculosis.

Animals ; Erythrocytes ; immunology ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; etiology ; Immunization ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Rats ; Sheep ; Silicosis ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between the major allergens of 6 common allergic foods and IgA nephropathy.

METHODSA sensitive sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the serum levels of food-specific IgA1, IgG and IgE in 31 patients with IgA nephropathy and 80 healthy volunteers. All the patients were examined for a history of food allergy using a questionnaire.

RESULTSSerum levels of IgA1 and IgG against the major allergens of the 6 common allergic foods were significantly higher in patients with IgA nephropathy than in healthy volunteers (P<0.05). There was no detectable food-specific IgE antibodies in the two groups. No patients had a clear history of food allergy. All the patients with increased IgG levels specific to 4 or more foods simultaneously had proteinuria.

CONCLUSIONSSome foods especially the highly allergic ones may participate in the pathogenesis and progression of IgA nephropathy.

Adult ; Antibody Specificity ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Food Hypersensitivity ; classification ; immunology ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; blood ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; blood ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Male ; Young Adult

Acetaldehyde ; metabolism ; Alcoholics ; Alcoholism ; blood ; immunology ; Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin G ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin M ; immunology ; Protein Processing, Post-Translational

BACKGROUNDThe etiologic agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been confirmed to be a novel coronavirus (CoV), namely SARS-CoV. Developing safe and effective SARS-CoV vaccines is essential for us to prevent the possible reemergence of its epidemic. Previous experiences indicate that inactivated vaccine is conventional and more hopeful to be successfully developed. Immunogenicity evaluation of an experimental inactivated SARS-CoV vaccine in rabbits was conducted and reported in this paper.

METHODSThe large-scale cultured SARS-CoV F69 strain was inactivated with 0.4% formaldehyde and purified, then used as the immunogen combined with Freund's adjuvant. Eight adult New Zealand rabbits were immunized four times with this experimental inactivated vaccine. Twelve sets of rabbit serum were sampled from the third day to the seventy-fourth day after the first vaccination. The titers of specific anti-SARS-CoV IgG antibody were determined by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the neutralizing antibody titers were detected with micro-cytopathic effect neutralization test.

RESULTSRapid and potent humoral immune responses were induced by the inactivated SARS-CoV vaccine in all the eight test rabbits. Titers of both specific IgG antibody and neutralizing antibody peaked at about six weeks after first vaccination, with the maximum value of 1:81 920 and 1:20 480, respectively. After that, serum antibody levels remained at a plateau or had a slight decrease, though two boosters were given in the succedent 4 to 5 weeks. Cross neutralization response existed between SARS-CoV F69 strain and Z2-Y3 strain.

CONCLUSIONSThe inactivated SARS-CoV vaccine made from F69 strain owns strong immunogenicity, and the cross neutralization response between the two different SARS-CoV strains gives a hint of the similar neutralizing epitopes, which provide stable bases for the development of inactivated SARS-CoV vaccines.

Animals ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Neutralization Tests ; Rabbits ; SARS Virus ; immunology ; Vaccines, Inactivated ; immunology ; Viral Vaccines ; immunology

Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Betacoronavirus ; Coronavirus ; immunology ; Coronavirus Infections ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; immunology

BACKGROUND: Korea is an endemic area of scrub typhus and it is a common seasonal febrile illness. Although, various humoral immune responses to scrub typhus have been documented, no association between gammopathy and scrub typhus has ever been reported. We analyzed the incidences and types of monoclonal and biclonal gammopathies in scrub typhus for better coping with those gammopathies in scrub typhus. METHODS: Anti-Orientia tsutsugamushi antibody-positive sera identified by indirect immunofluorescence assay were acquired from 40 patients with confirmed scrub typhus. Monoclonal and biclonal gammopathies were screened by protein electrophoresis and were confirmed using immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE). Laboratory findings on admission of the patients with monoclonal or biclonal gammopathy were investigated retrospectively to characterize the gammopathies. RESULTS: Monoclonal or biclonal gammopathies were detected in 30% (12/40) of patients with scrub typhus (IgG-lambda, 40%; IgG-kappa, 30%; IgM-kappa, 10%; IgM-lambda, 10%; IgA-kappa, 5%; IgA-lambda, 5%). Concentrations of clonal immunoglobulin were less than 3 g/dL in all gammopathies, and hypercalcemia was not detected in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest possible association between gammopathies and scrub typhus. Further studies in larger series will be needed for exact incidence and clinical course of gammopathies in scrub typhus.
Adult ; Aged ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A/blood ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/blood ; Immunoglobulin Light Chains/blood ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Orientia tsutsugamushi/immunology ; Paraproteinemias/complications/*diagnosis/epidemiology/immunology ; Retrospective Studies ; Scrub Typhus/complications/*diagnosis/immunology