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Biomedical subjects

C R Zeiss

Publications and source records attributed to C R Zeiss.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Further studies on the safety of polymerized antigens for immunotherapy.

Six patients receiving immunotherapy with standard aqueous extracts for the treatment of atopic disease were selected from the patient population of Northwestern University Allergy Clinics for continued immunotherapy with polymerized antigens. These six patients could not tolerate quantities of conventional aqueous extracts considered maintenance doses because of immediate-type local or systemic allergic reactions or both to immunotherapy. These six patients were treated with separate preparations of polymerized ragweed (PRW) and polymerized grass (PG), and each of the six patients was rapidly advanced to previously unobtainable maintenance doses of PRW and PG without local or systemic reactions. Treatment with other aeroallergen standard extracts was continued to maintenance dosage without further systemic reactions. In patients highly sensitive to ragweed and grass aqueous extracts, the substitution of these extracts with PRW and PG allows these patients to receive therapeutic immunotherapy injections with decreased risk of immediate-type local and systemic reactions.

Adult↗

Polymerized tree pollen antigens.

Aqueous extracts of tree pollen were partially purified and polymerized with methods previously established for preparation of ragweed and grass polymers. The polymerized tree preparations were antigenic as demonstrated by ability to elicit immediate-type skin reactivity in humans and to induce an immune response in rabbits. The polymerized tree antigen was 100- to 10,000-fold less skin reactive than monomer tree antigen in tree pollen-sensitive patients but both preparations had similar antigenicity in rabbits. These results demonstrate that polymerized tree antigens can be prepared and should have the therapeutic potential already demonstrated for polymerized ragweed preparations.

Animals↗

Factitious Hymenoptera allergic emergency: a report of a new variant of Munchausen's syndrome.

We report of the case of a young woman with three hospitalizations and six emergency room visits for treatment of bronchospasm and angioedema first thought to be the result of Hymenoptera venom allergic reactions. Because several features of her illness were not consistent with the usual course of Hymenoptera anaphylaxis and because of a known history of anaphylactic-type reactions following aspirin ingestion, a presumptive diagnosis of factitious anaphylaxis was considered, the medical staff was alerted to evaluate this possibility, and the diagnosis was established. Serologic testing supported the diagnosis. This variant of Munchausen's syndrome is a third type described as an allergic emergency. The others are peanut anaphylaxis and self-induced laryngeal stridor.

Adult↗

Skin testing in farmers' lung disease.

Intradermal skin tests with a culture filtrate antigen of Micropolyspora faeni grown on a synthetic medium were performed on patients with farmers' lung disease (FLD) and well farmers with and without antibodies to a panel of FLD antigens. Seventy-five percent of the FLD patients, 79% of the well farmers with M. faeni antibody, and 5% of well farmers without M. faeni antibody had a 2+ or greater intradermal immediate skin-test reaction. Prausnitz-Küstner (P-K) reactions were positive using serum of M. faeni immediate skin test-positive FLD patients. IgG-rich fractions from a staphylococcal protein A-Sepharose column of such serum contained the sensitizing factor whereas IgG-depleted fractions did not. M. faeni-specific IgE could not be detected in serum by a polystyrene radioimmunoassay. Positive late-onset (6-hr) skin tests occurred only in FLD patients and farmers with precipitating antibody. Biopsy specimens of the 6-hr reactions revealed a generalized dermal and perivascular polymorphonuclear infiltrate with deposits of immunoglobulin and complement about blood vessels. The skin-sensitizing factor noted in FLD patients and well farmers with antibody is not disease specific. This factor appears to be associated with the IgG-rich fraction of serum, and its role in the pathogenesis of FLD is unclear.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay↗

Occupational asthma secondary to inhalation of garlic dust.

An atopic patient in whom the inhalation of occupationally encountered garlic dust precipitated asthma is reported. Studies revealed the presence of immediate skin-test reactivity to garlic extract, and specific IgE anti-garlic antibodies were detected in the patient's serum by the polystyrene tube solid phase radioimmunoassay (PTRIA) technique. Bronchial challenge with garlic dust also resulted in an immediate asthmatic response typical for an IgE-induced mechanism.

Asthma↗

Clinical and immunologic correlations in trimellitic anhydride airway syndromes.

Twenty workers exposed to trimellitic anhydride (TMA) powder were evaluated to correlate respiratory symptoms with total antibody activity against trimellityl human serum albumin (TM-HSA). Further, specific IgG, IgA, and IgE against TM-HSA were compared to total specific antibody levels against that antigen. The workers were categorized clinically as having either the late respiratory systemic syndrome (LRSS), immediate rhinitis and asthma, or an irritant reaction. There were no histories compatible with the pulmonary disease--anemia syndrome. Total antibody and IgG antibody activity to TM-HSA correlated well (R8 = 0.75, p less than 0.05). Total antibody activity was found in almost all TMA-exposed workers, it did not discriminate the symptomatic workers from asymptomatic workers as well as did the IgG or total antibody determinations. IgE antibody activity against TM-HSA was elevated in one worker with immediate-type asthma. Previous studies correlated symptoms caused by TMA inhalation with antibody activity. This study indicates that clinical assessment plus total antibody determination or IgG antibody and IgE antibody determination should establish a means of diagnosis of the presence or absence of immunologic respiratory disease caused by TMA powder.

Adult↗

Phagocytosis and algicidal activity of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils against Prototheca wickerhamii.

Protothecosis is an uncommon infection due to Prototheca wickerhamii. Recently, a patient with progressive cutaneous protothecosis and an apparent defect in the ability of her polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) to kill P. wickerhamii was successfully treated. Therefore, the role of PMNs and serum opsonins in host defense against tissue invasion by this organism was evaluated. The results show that human PMNs ingested and kill P. wickerhamii. Ultrastructural studies revealed digestion of the organism by PMNs 60 min after ingestion. Optimal phagocytosis and killing of P. wickerhamii by PMNs required the presence of both specific IgG antibody and heat-labile opsonins.

Antibodies↗

Seasonal variation of IgE antibody specific for ragweed antigen E (IgE-a-AgE) from the basophil surface in patients with ragweed pollenosis.

Seasonal elevation in total serum IgE and IgE antibody specific for antigen E (IgE-a-AgE) are well recognized in patients with ragweed pollenosis. We found that the ratio of specific IgE-a-AgE to total IgE in plasma was the only measure predictive of the number of specific IgE-a-AgE molecules per basophil. Although both total and specific IgE rose with season, the ratio did not change, the number of IgE-a-AgE molecules per basophil did not change, and histamine release in response to AgE did not increase.

Antibody Specificity↗

Human antibodies against trimellityl proteins: comparison of specificities of IgG, IgA and IgE classes.

The specificities of antibodies of different Ig classes against trimellityl (TM)-human serum albumin were examined by a radioimmunoassay inhibition technique. The antisera were from workers exposed to trimellitic anhydride who had 4 differing respiratory diseases. The studies demonstrated similarities between reactivities of antibodies of different Ig classes in these workers in that inhibition of antibody to TM-HSA required markedly less TM-HSA on a molar basis than TM-ovalbumin (OA) or sodium trimellitate (NaTM), the hapten for the trimellityl group. The results appears best explained by formation of new antigenic determinants on altered HSA molecules with the TM group forming a component of some of the new antigenic determinants. NaTM in high concentration could not completely inhibit the IgG antibodies of 2 sera suggesting either very low affinity for the hapten or that some of the antibodies might possibly be directed against new antigenic determinants formed from the reaction of TMA with HSA but that the TM group might not be a part of the antigenic specificity. The results of some studies also suggested that there were similar antigenic specificities on TM-HSA and TM-OA but of lesser concentration or lower affinity on the latter molecules. Passive transfer studies using a serum containing IgE antibodies against TM-HSA demonstrated that these human IgE antibodies will passively sensitize rhesus monkey skin. Neutralization of the cutaneous IgE antibodies occurred with TM-HSA but not with a great molar excess of NaTM in analogy with the in vitro studies.

Antibodies↗

A double-antibody radioimmunoassay for specific IgE to ragweed antigen E.

A double-antibody radioimmunoassay has been developed for quantitating IgE-a-AgE in serum. The patient's IgE is complexed by rabbit anti-human IgE, which is then precipitated with GARG. Radiolabeled AgE is then added to the washed precipitate and is specifically bound by IgE-a-AgE. This assay is highly reproducible, and unlike specific IgE assays based on the RAST concept, it cannot be inhibited by specific antibody of other immunoglobulin classes (blocking antibody). In addition, the double-antibody method does not require the use of myeloma IgE, and its results correlate well with those of a previously developed polystyrene tube method.

Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic↗

A hypocomplementemic vasculitic urticarial syndrome. Report of four new cases and definition of the disease.

We describe four new patients with a unique syndrome of persistent urticaria, with leukoclastic angiitis, severe angioedema, occasional life-threatening laryngeal edema, arthritis, arthralgia, neurologic abnormalities and pronounced persistent hypocomplementemia. The complement abnormalities involved markedly reduced levels of the Clq subunit of the first component of complement (Cl) in the presence of near normal levels of Clr and Cls subunits of Cl; modest to marked depletion of the fourth component of complement (C4), the second component of complement (C2) and the third component of complement (C3); and normal levels of the fifth through ninth components of complement (C5 through C9) and properdin factors B and D. A striking serologic abnormality found in all patients was the presence of low molecular weight (7S) proteins which precipitated with Clq in agarose gels; these previously were shown to be comprised at least in part of immunoglobulin G. The present experience is offered to help to define the clinical, histopathologic and serologic characteristics of this entity, designated hypocomplementemic vasculitic urticarial syndrome, and to emphasize its distinctiveness and prevalence.

Adult↗

Polymerized insoluble bee venom.

Using a polymerization process previously used for ragweed allergens, honeybee venom was polymerized. Instead of soluble polymers, an insoluble precipitate, polymerized insoluble bee venom (PIBV), is the result. A major allergen of honeybee venom, 125I phospholipase A (PL-A) incorporated into PIBV, was shown to have decreased dissemination from subcutaneous injection sites. After thorough mixing, samples of PIBV can be withdrawn from a vial with a syringe with no more than 10% error. Approximately 90% of PL-A was incorporated with PIBV. The soluble PL-A was removed during subsequent washing of the PIBV and this soluble PL-A was shown to be polymerized mainly to high-molecular weight PL-AS. PIBV (20 mg) injected in each of six rabbits resulted in formation of precipitating antibody in all rabbits. The rabbit antisera bound 125I PL-A and reacted with PL-A in whole been venom. These physical and immunologic characteristics of PIBV suggest further study of its potential for human use.

Absorption↗