Animals ; Asthma ; immunology ; BCG Vaccine ; immunology ; Humans ; Mycobacterium bovis ; immunology ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology

There have been reported some important findings in immunology of psoriasis, such as lower than normal level of IgM, defective humoral immune, responsiveness to newly administered antigens during cytotoxic drug therapy, lower than normal incidence of active sensitization with DNCB, prolonged skin heterograft survival and presence of anti-IgG antibody in peripheral lymphocytes. These findings are strongly suggestive of some humoral as well as cellular immunne dysfunction in patients with psoriasis. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of BCG, a potent nonspecific immune stimulator, in patierts with psoriasis. Total 41 cases of more than 2 years' duration of illness and with widespread involvement and having had history of various previous treatment were slelcted at the Department of Dermatology, National Medical Center during October, 1973 and October, 1974, Liquid BCG(manufactured by NIH, Korea) was administered intradermally in a starting dose of 0.1 ml(0.01 mg in dry weight) weekly. The dosage of BCG was increased to 0.3 or 0.5ml after 3 or 5 injections and this dosage was maintained until some clinical changes were observed. The mean injection time to each patient was 20. 7.The results were as follows: 1. Eighteen cases showed no therapeutic response or aggravation of the lesions. 2. Six cases showed good therapeutic effect, resulting in only a few small lesions remained on elbows, knees or scalp areas. 3. Fourteen cases showed excellent therapeutic effect, that is complete disappearance of the lesions. During 2 to 6 months'follow up period, 7 cases showed relapse and the remainders are still under observation. The mechanism of influence of BCG on the clinical course of psoriatic patients is not determined, however, possible mechanism was discussed.
Allergy and Immunology ; Dermatology ; Dinitrochlorobenzene ; Drug Therapy ; Elbow ; Heterografts ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Incidence ; Knee ; Lymphocytes ; Mycobacterium bovis* ; Psoriasis* ; Recurrence ; Scalp ; Skin

Recent studies in man and animal models have demonstrated that TCR-gamma delta-bearing T cells (gamma delta T cells) are activated by mycobacteria and accumulate in the sites of mycobacterial infection. Although the function of gamma delta T cells remains unclear, some data suggest a potential role for these cells in the granulomatous immune response. To address the presence of gamma delta T cells within the BCG granulomas, we have characterized the TCR phenotype of T-lymphocytes present in the BCG granulomatous lesion immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody to TCR delta 1 and others. Fairly large numbers of gamma delta T cells were located at the periphery of the BCG granulomas without necrosis and most of them also expressed CD8. However, gamma delta T cells were rarely present in the granulomas with central caseous necrosis, calcification and fibrotic changes. With these results, it might be speculated that the CD8+ gamma delta T lymphocytes participate in the BCG granuloma formation mainly in the early stage.
Female ; Granuloma/immunology/*pathology ; Human ; Infant ; Lymph Nodes/pathology ; Male ; *Mycobacterium bovis ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/*analysis ; T-Lymphocytes/*immunology ; Tuberculosis/immunology/*pathology

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of bacillus Callmette-Guérin (BCG) on cytotxicity of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) from human peripheral blood of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) for killing HL-60 cells in vitro.

METHODSThe mononuclear cells were isolated from peripheral blood of ALL children and healthy children, and were cultured with RPMI1640, interleukin-2 (IL-2), phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and BCG.The growth of CTLs was observed by light microscopy. The proportions of CD3, CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ were determined by flow cytometry 10 days after culture. MTT method was performed to detect the cytotoxicity of CTLs for killing HL-60 cells.

RESULTSNeither the cell number nor the volume of CTLs changed significantly within 2 days of culture, but both began increasing on the 3rd day of culture and reached a peak on the 6-10th days. On the 10th day of culture, the cell number of CTLs in the BCG treatment group was much higher than in the group without BCG treatment. The CD3+CD8+ proportion in the leukemia group was much higher than in the control group. With the effect of BCG, the CD3+CD8+ proportion of the two groups became much higher. The cytotoxicity of CTLs for killing HL-60 cells in the leukemia group was weaker than in the control group.

CONCLUSIONSBCG along with IL-2 and PHA promotes the proliferation of CTLs and enhances the ability of CTLs in killing HL-60 cells.

Child, Preschool ; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic ; Female ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; pharmacology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; Male ; Mycobacterium bovis ; immunology ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology

This study was purposed to investigate the effect of bacillus calmette-guerin (BCG) on the expansion of human dendritic cells (DC) from peripheral blood of pediatric patients with leukemia in vitro. The experiment was divi-ded into two groups: the control and the test group, and the latter group was divided into 3 subgroups: BCG (only BCG), GTI (GM-CSF, TNF-α, IL-4) and GTIB (GM-CSF, TNF-α, IL-4 plus BCG). On day 9 of culture the DCs were counted in each groups, the phenotypes of DC were determined by flow cytometry and these DC were stained with Wright-Giemsa for observation and photography under microscopy. The results showed that the test groups all obtained a certain amount of typical DC; the number of DC in the BCG subgroup is lower than that in the GTI and GTIB subgroups (t=4.20; 6.36, p<0.01); there was no significant difference between the GTI and the GTIB subgroups (t=2.25; p>0.05). The rate of CD1a+ in the BCG subgroup was obviously higher than that in the control group (t=3.04, p<0.05), but was lower than that in the GTI and the GTIB subgroups (t=2.79, 6.41, p<0.05), there was no significant difference between the GTI and the GTIB subgroups (t=0.65, p>0.05). The rate of HLA-DR+, CD83+ in the BCG group was higher than that in the control group (t=4.77, 4.15; p<0.05), but lower than that in the GTI and the GTIB subgroups (t=6.65, 3.19; p<0.05). The rate of HLA-DR+, CD83+ in the GTI subgroup was lower than that in the GTIB subgroup (t=5.64, 2.98; p<0.05). It is concluded that BCG not only promotes the proliferation of DC derived from human peripheral blood of leukemia patients in vitro, but also cooperates with rhGM-CSF, rhTNF-α and rhIL-4 in promoting the maturation of DCs.
BCG Vaccine ; immunology ; pharmacology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Child ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Leukemia ; immunology ; Mycobacterium bovis ; immunology

This study was conducted to amplify the cfpl0-esat6 fusion gene by SOE and insert into the integrating shuttle plasmid pMV361 to form the recombinant plasmid. Then another recombinant plasmid was constructed by insertinga-A g signal sequence of BCG. The two recombinant plasmids were introduced into BCG and the induced products from recombinant BCG were analyzed. In conclusion,the successful construction of rBCG expressing the fusion protein CFP10-ESAT6 will be the base of the development of novel Mycobacterium tuberclosis vaccines.
Antigens, Bacterial ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Bacterial Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Mycobacterium bovis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; genetics ; Plasmids ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Tuberculosis Vaccines ; biosynthesis

Disseminated mycobacterial infection after bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)vaccination is a very rare disorder, occurring mostly in patients with immunologic deficiency. We report a case of disseminated BCG infection in a 16-month-old girl with severe combined immunodeficiency. Plain radiographs showed multiple osteolytic lesions in the femora, tibiae, humerus, and phalanges. Abdominal sonography and CT scanning revealed multiple nodules in the spleen, and porto-caval lymphadenopathy.
*BCG Vaccine ; Case Report ; Female ; Human ; Infant ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Severe Combined Immunodeficiency/*immunology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis/*immunology/radiography/ultrasonography

Disseminated mycobacterial infection after bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)vaccination is a very rare disorder, occurring mostly in patients with immunologic deficiency. We report a case of disseminated BCG infection in a 16-month-old girl with severe combined immunodeficiency. Plain radiographs showed multiple osteolytic lesions in the femora, tibiae, humerus, and phalanges. Abdominal sonography and CT scanning revealed multiple nodules in the spleen, and porto-caval lymphadenopathy.
*BCG Vaccine ; Case Report ; Female ; Human ; Infant ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Severe Combined Immunodeficiency/*immunology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis/*immunology/radiography/ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo research the maturation regulation of dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell soluble antigens.

METHODSBCG HSP 70 was purified by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and its biological activity was determined with ELISA. Phenotypes of DCs pulsed with antigens or with both antigens and BCG HSP 70 were analysed with flow cytometry. MTT assay was used to estimate the proliferation of self lymphocytes and the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) of BCG HSP 70 primed DCs.

RESULTSThe characteristics of DCs had changed after loaded with soluble antigens of HCC. There were about 10% DCs which had lost their specific markers. The expression levels of CD54, CD83, CD86 molecules and the stimulatory ability in allogeneic MLR decreased. However, after being activated by BCG HSP 70, the DCs pulsed with antigens could keep their special markers and the expression levels of CD54, CD83, CD86 molecules increased too. The stimulatory abilities in allogeneic MLR and proliferation of self lymphocytes also improved.

CONCLUSIONThis study shows that BCG HSP 70 can induce DCs pulsed with antigens maturation and improve their antigen-presenting ability, which may be a useful maturation inducer for dendritic cells.

Antigen Presentation ; Antigens, CD ; analysis ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; immunology ; B7-2 Antigen ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; immunology ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; analysis ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; analysis ; Liver Neoplasms ; immunology ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; analysis ; Mycobacterium bovis ; immunology

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a live vaccine and has the potential to cause local disease and systemic dissemination in immunocompromised hosts, including infants who are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through vertical transmission, and patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PID) such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), hyper-IgM syndrome, and defects of the IL12- IFNγ axis (Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases, MSMD). Disseminated BCG is extremely difficult to treat. The chance of complete eradication is low unless functional immune response is restored by haematopoietic stem cell transplant. Prolonged use of anti-mycobacterial drugs often causes organ toxicities and drug resistance. Inflammatory complications which develop upon immunoreconstitution post-transplant may necessitate immunosuppressive treatment, which adversely affect immune recovery and increases risks of opportunistic infections. Multiple BCG reactivations can occur in patients with CGD and MSMD, and BCG can remain latent until reactivations take place in adulthood and manifest as disease. It is important for neonatologists, general practitioners, primary care clinicians and nurses working in maternal and child care centres to be aware of BCG-related complications, which may be the first sign of an underlying immunodeficiency. As neonatal BCG is included in standard vaccination schedule in many countries, it is a challenge to identify and avoid administration of BCG to infants who potentially have PIDs. Deferring BCG vaccination is recently advocated to protect highly vulnerable populations, but the appropriate strategy is yet to be determined. Newborn screening for SCID offers a potential to avoid this complication, if an integrated system of screening and vaccination can be organised.
Adjuvants, Immunologic ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; BCG Vaccine ; adverse effects ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Infant, Newborn ; Mycobacterium Infections ; prevention & control ; Mycobacterium bovis ; drug effects ; Neonatal Screening ; methods ; Risk Assessment ; Vaccination ; adverse effects ; methods