Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or glycolipid antigens of Leptospira interrogans have been candidates as serogroup or serotype specific antigen. In this study, therefore, we prepared the LPS and lipid antigens from L. interrogans serovars lai, icterohaemorrhagiae, copenhageni, canicola, pomona, grippotyphosa, and a Korean isolate 30R. The LPS antigens were analyzed by a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and lipid antigens by thin-layer chromatography, respectively. The seroreactivity of the antigens were also examined with homologous or heterologous antisera using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The LPS antigens from serovar lai and the strain 30R were closely related but different from serovar icterohaemorrhagiae. Particularly, the LPS antigens from serovars icterohaemorrhagiae and grippotyphosa were reactive only with the homologous antisera, thus indicating serovar specificity. However, the LPS antigens of the other serovars were reactive to the heterologous antisera. The lipid antigen of serovar icterohaemorrhagiae reacted only with the homologous antisera. In contrast, lipids of other serovars reacted broadly with heterologous antisera, particularly among serovars lai, copenhageni, canicola, pomona, and the strain 30R. The results thus indicated that the LPS and lipid antigens of L. interrogans may contain serovar-specific as well as cross-reactive epitopes.
Antigens, Bacterial/*analysis ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Comparative Study ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Leptospira interrogans/*chemistry/immunology ; Lipids/*analysis/immunology ; Lipopolysaccharides/*analysis/immunology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Pulmonary surfactant ( PS ) compromises lipids and surfactant proteins (SP) and lines on the alveolar air-liquid interface. It can reduce surface tension, prevent alveoli from collapse and reduce alveoli edema by disaturated dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine. It also modulates the pulmonary immunology by SP-A and SP-D. In this study,we established a rat model of immunocompromised host (ICH) with pulmonary infection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), then studied its pulmonary inflammatory reaction and analyzed the concentration of lipids and SP-A in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) during infection.
Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; chemistry ; microbiology ; Lipids ; analysis ; Lung ; microbiology ; Male ; Neutrophils ; physiology ; Pneumonia, Bacterial ; immunology ; metabolism ; Proteolipids ; analysis ; Pseudomonas Infections ; immunology ; metabolism ; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A ; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins ; Pulmonary Surfactants ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Familial hypercholesterolemia(FH) is a disease based on defects of low-density lipoprotein receptors(LDL-R). To interrupt and control the natural course of this disease, early identification of these patients is important. The routine lipid profile tests for hypercholesterolemia can not differentiate objectively FH from secondary hypercholesterolemia. The exact diagnosis of FH heterozygotes is especially essential because it is easier to develop premature coronary heart diseases compared with secondary hyper-cholesterolemia. A simplified rapid and precise method for the mass screening of FH patients and the differentiation between FH heterozygote and secondary hyperlipidemia was needed. For the test, lymphocytes were used as target cells in LDL-R assay. After a 5 day culture with anti-CD3 Ab as a mitogen, indirect immunofluorescence stain and flow cytometric analysis were applied. The results were as follows; 74 +/- 9% of the stimulated lymphoblasts from normal controls expressed LDL-R activity. Cultured, but unstimulated, lymphocytes of normal controls showed 27 +/- 8% positivity and total cultured lymphocytes showed positivity of 46 +/- 11% positivity. Lymphoblasts, unstimulated lymphocytes, and total cultured lymphocytes from hyper-cholesterolemia without FH showed 74 +/- 10%, 25 +/- 10% and 50 +/- 17%, respectively, which showed no significant differences from normal control groups. FH Heterozygotes showed LDL-R positivity, 21 +/- 11% in lymphoblasts, 11 +/- 6% in unstimulated lymphocytes and 18 +/- 7% in total cultured lymphocytes. These data imply that adequately stimulated lymphocytes might be used for detecting defects in LDL-R and used to differentiate FH from secondary hypercholesterolemia.
Adult ; Antibodies/*pharmacology ; Antigens, CD3/*immunology ; Female ; Human ; Hypercholesterolemia, Familial/*blood ; Lipids/blood ; Lymphocyte Activation/drug effects ; Lymphocytes/drug effects/*ultrastructure ; Male ; Middle Age ; Phytohemagglutinins/pharmacology ; Receptors, LDL/*analysis ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to observe the association between inflammation status/autoimmune antibodies and plasma lipid in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSA total of 402 RA patients were admitted into our hospital during January 2008 to March 2009 and 225 RA patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected to perform a full lipid profile examination including total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride (TG). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP), anti-keratin antibody (AKA), anti-perinuclear factor autoantibody (APF) and complement (C) were also evaluated. Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) was calculate by the formula Log (TG/HDL-C).

RESULTS(1) There were 12.9%, 10.2% and 14.2% patients with elevated TC, LDL-C and TC respectively, patients with reduced HDL-C accounted for 43.6%. (2) C(3) was higher in elevated TC group than normal TC group (P < 0.05). ESR and CRP were significantly higher in decreased HDL-C group than in normal HDL-C group (P < 0.05). CRP, C(3) and C(4) were significantly higher in elevated LDL-C group than in normal LDL-C group (P < 0.05). (3) Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that C(3) was positively correlated with TC (R(2) = 0.067, P < 0.05). Both ESR and CRP were negative correlated with HDL-C (R(2) = 0.202, P < 0.05). CRP and anti-CCP were positively correlated with LDL-C (R(2) = 0.129, P < 0.05). ESR and C(4) were positively correlated with AIP (R(2) = 0.046, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThis study showed that rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an abnormal lipid profile, especially in patients with increased inflammation markers and autoimmune antibodies. Moreover, ESR and C(4) were predictors of increased AIP in this cohort.

Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; blood ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Autoantibodies ; blood ; Autoimmunity ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Complement System Proteins ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lipids ; blood ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; blood ; Triglycerides ; blood