Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to B Weil.
Cell-mediated immunity in lethally irradiated graft-versus-host mice can be restored after repopulation with syngeneic bone marrow cells and thymus grafting. The thymus is not only required for the maturation of T lymphocytes, but also for the inhibition of a radioresistant mechanism resulting in lymphoid cell rejection.
Secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) was determined by means of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (using as capture antibody an MoAb specific for secretory component) in saliva and serum from 46 patients with IgA mesangial nephritis (IgAGN), 36 with an idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), 30 with an idiopathic membranous nephropathy (MGN) and 40 healthy controls. Secretory IgA levels were elevated in both saliva and serum of patients with primary glomerulonephritis (P < 0.05; Mann-Whitney test) regardless of the histological type of the primary glomerulonephritis. Salivary IgA1 and IgA2 levels were increased in the saliva of patients with IgAGN, INS and MGN (P < 0.05; Mann-Whitney test). The monomeric/total IgA ratio, and interferon-gamma and soluble IL-2 receptor levels, in saliva did not differ between the patients and controls (P > 0.05; Mann-Whitney test). We conclude that the mucosal immune system is activated in forms of glomerulonephritis other than IgAGN.
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OBJECTIVES: The diagnosis of renal vein thrombosis (RVT), a frequent complication of adult nephrotic syndrome (NS), is generally made by means of invasive methods, i.e. renal venography, venous time of renal arteriography and, more recently, computed tomography (CT). We undertook a prospective study to evaluate the use of Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) and urinary fibrin-fibrinogen degradation products (FDPU) for the diagnosis of asymptomatic RVT. METHODS: Thirty-one adult NS with non proliferative glomerulonephritis were studied. Reference procedures [(selective renal arteriography (n = 18) and renal vein CT (n = 13)] were performed blindly within a few days (48 hours in 17 patients) of renal vein DUS (search for a lack of venous flow) and measurement of FDPU (5 micrograms/min) (in 24 patients). RESULTS: DUS was not interpretable in one patient and positive in nine. Of these 9 patients, RVT was detected by reference methods in only two (sensitivity: 1, specificity: 0.75; positive predictive value: 0.22; negative predictive value: 1). Increased FDPU was observed in 4 patients, 2 of whom had an RVT (sensitivity: 1, specificity: 0.9; positive predictive value: 0.5; negative predictive value: 1). CONCLUSION: We conclude that DUS and FDPU are helpful for screening of RVT in asymptomatic NS patients; their negativity allow further radiological investigations to be avoided while positive results must be confirmed by reference methods.
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Graft-versus-host reactions (GvHR) are initiated by T lymphocytes. In mice, the T cell subset involved depends on the incompatibility for minor or major histocompatibility antigens between donor and host. However, the correlation between phenotype and function is not absolute, and anti-host cytotoxic T cells can be detected in recipients without GvHR. We have presently investigated in a P----F1 model differing at the MHC, whether GvH associated immunosuppression was correlated with donor cytotoxic T cell activity. The immunodeficiency was tested by the ability of the F1 mice to generate a cytotoxic T cell response against TNP self or an alloantigen. F1 specific parental cytotoxic T cells generated in vitro induced less immunosuppression than naive parental spleen cells. Specific in vivo priming increased the cytotoxicity of parental spleen cells, but decreased their capacity to induce GvH associated immunosuppression. In contrast, non specific priming resulted the usual immunodeficiency. Spleens of the F1 mice injected with specific cytotoxic T cells were very enlarged, suggesting that these cells remained capable of inducing a GvHR without generating immunosuppression.
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Succinate is effectively taken up by washed cells of Corynebacterium glutamicum. The apparent Km value of uptake is about 150 microM and the Vmax 4-7 nmol (mg dry weight)-1 min-1 and uptake can be competetively inhibited by fumarate and oxaloacetate. The activation energy was determined to be 50 kJ/mol. The transport activity is clearly dependent on the presence of Na+ ions in the incubation medium and on the membrane potential and has a pH optimum around 8.5. It is concluded that succinate is taken up in C. glutamicum via a specific carrier by a secondary active, Na+ coupled mechanism.
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IgA specific for 7 food and 6 airborne antigens were sought in the serum of 30 adult patients with IgA mesangial nephropathy (IgA GN), 23 with membranous nephropathy (MGN), 20 with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), 11 with membranoproliferative GN (MPGN) and 22 healthy controls by means of an enzyme-linked immunoassay. The IgA subclass was determined using monoclonal antibodies. Increased levels of IgA specific for gliadin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), ovalbumin, lysozyme and alpha-lactalbumin were found in IgA GN, while increased levels of IgA to BSA, ovalbumin, lysozyme and alpha-lactalbumin were observed in MGN; IgA specific for alpha-lactalbumin were increased in INS, and MPGN patients had reduced levels of IgA to BSA and increased levels of IgA to beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin. These specific IgA to food antigens were restricted to the IgA1 subclass. Patients with IgA GN had significantly increased levels of IgA specific for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DP) and Dactil while the MGN group showed increased levels of IgA specific for DP, feathers, Dactil and mold. INS patients had increased levels of IgA specific for DP, feathers, Dactil, mold and dog hairs, while MPGN patients had increased levels of IgA specific for feathers, Dactil, dog hairs and mold. All these specific IgA to airborne antigens were restricted to the IgA1 subclass. Patients with the four types of primary glomerulonephritis had decreased IgA specific for cat hairs which were of both the IgA1 and IgA2 subclasses. We conclude that anomalies of the IgA repertoire to environmental antigens are also encountered in primary glomerulonephritis other than IgA GN.
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Salivary components (proteins, albumin, IgA1, IgA2, IgG, IgM, beta 2-microglobulin, neopterin and peroxidase) were investigated in 3 adult types of primary glomerulonephritis (PGN): IgA mesangial glomerulonephritis (IgAGN; n = 14); idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis (n = 8); idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS; n = 14), and a control group (n = 11). Salivary IgA1 levels were significantly increased in all these PGN whereas salivary IgA2 levels were only higher than controls in INS. Albumin and proteins did not differ between PGN and controls, while the IgA1 + IgA2/protein ratio was significantly increased in these 3 PGN. Salivary neopterin levels were enhanced in the 3 types of PGN, whereas beta 2-microglobulin levels were not. The other salivary components did not differ from controls. These results demonstrate the nonspecificity of the IgA increase at mucosal sites previously found in IgAGN and raise the hypothesis of an activation of mucosal immunity of PGN or of a disturbed isotypic network or lymphokine secretion in these diseases.
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An improved simple method for determination of selectivity index has been described. This new index (Creteil index) has been compared to Cameron index. The correlation between both indexes has been 0.949 (R-squared). Creteil index is a less expensive method because only two determinations are requisited in serum and urine: albumin and IgG. In Cameron index, transferrin and IgG are detected and albumin has to be measured in addition in the blood to appreciate the nephrotic syndrome.
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