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Biomedical subjects

F Aiuti

Publications and source records attributed to F Aiuti.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Neutrophil chemotaxis defect in IgA deficiency evaluated by migration agarose method.

The chemotactic and random mobility functions of twelve selectively IgA-deficient patients were evaluated by a method using agarose gel. A severe polymorphonuclear cellular chemotactic defect was found in ten out of twelve patients, but only five of them also showed a marked associated impairment of random locomotory function. Furthermore, in one subject, levamisole therapy resulted in a dramatic improvement of both chemotactic and random mobility functions. These results are discussed in the paper with respect to the possible pathogenetic implications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Immune complexes in the sera and amniotic fluids of human pregnancy.

The polyethylene-glicol (P.E.G.) precipitation assay was used to examine the sera of 91 pregnant women, 30 with normal pregnancies, 16 with EPH-Gestosis, 20 with pregnancy complicated by diabetes and 25 with case histories of recurrent abortions, in order to find evidence of eventual circulating immune complexes (C.I.C.). We also examined 30 amniotic fluids from normal pregnant women and 6 from pregnant women with diabetes. Several sera and all amniotic fluids were also examined by rheumatoid factor (RF) - inhibition test. C.I.C. were not discovered in the normal pregnant women neither in their sera nor in their amniotic fluids, while they were found in the following cases: in 8 patients with EPH-Gestosis (50%), in 8 with diabetes (40%) and in 3 with anamnesis positive for recurrent abortions (12%). The 6 amniotic fluid samples from women with diabetes were all negative. We were only able to examine 11 of the 19 positive cases from 4 days to 5 months after delivery and C.I.C. were absent in the sera of all the patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Response to B and T cell mitogens and surface markers in human fetal lymphoid tissues.

We studied the responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and Staphylococcus aureus protein A (SpA), a B cell mitogen, and surface markers in the thymus, liver and spleen of 5 human fetuses ageing from 12 to 26 gestational wk and in cord blood lymhocytes of 9 newborns. Sheep rosette forming cells appeared in all 3 organs at 17 wk; mIgM+ cells were detected in liver and spleen at 24 and 17 wk respectively. SpA and PHA stimulated the cells of all the 5 liver and all the 3 spleen samples examined. Thymus cells responded to PHA as early as the 17th wk and showed a progressive increase in stimulation indexes. An unexpected observation was the response of the thymus cells of a 15-wk fetus to SpA; this finding is discussed in the text. Cord blood lymphocytes gave results comparable to those found in normal adults.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1979

Mouse rosette forming cells and surface immunoglobulins in human lymphoid cells.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal subjects were studied for mouse rosette-forming cells (MRFC) and their relationship to surface immunoglobulins (SIg). The majority of MRFC expressed both SIgM and SIgD, although some dissociation between population showing SIgM+/MRFC- and SIgM-/MRFC+ could be seen. A similar pattern of association was found in human derived cultured cells of B lineage, but no simple correlation and the number of SIgM+ cells could be established. Increased percentages of MRFC were detected in two foetal livers but greater dissociation of MRFC and SIgM was shown. This heterogeneity of MRFC may be explained by a selective expression of this surface marker in the early stages of B lymphocyte differentiation.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Immunologic and clinical investigation on a bovine thymic extract. Therapeutic applications in primary immunoedificiencies.

Thirteen patients with primary immunodeficiencies (eight with T-cell deficiency, one with Wiskott-Aldrich (W-A) syndrome, two with common variable agammaglobulinemia (CVA), and two with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) were treated with a calf thymus extract, called thymostimulin (TS). It has been shown that this extract causes in vitro differentiation of T-cell precursors in patients with T-cell defect. Five of eight patients with pure T-cell defect showed immunologic recovery and clinical remission lasting for several months after interruption of the therapy; one had only transient reconstitution, one had slight increase in T-cells (clinical conditions not yet estimated), and two patients soon died from severe infections after showing a slight increase of T-cells. Immune recovery was assess by an increase of the absolute number of E-rosettes forming cells, of human T-lymphocyte antigen positive cells and of PHA responsiveness in the peripheral blood, and by a positive delayed hypersensitivity reaction to antigens. In five patients, there was also B-cell increase after TS treatment. Clinical remission consisted of disappearance of infections, weight gain, and in improvement in general conditions. No effect was observed in one patient with W-A syndrome, in two with CVA, and in two with SCID. Several hypotheses on the mechanisms involved in immune reconstitution are discussed. It seems likely that TS acts on prethymic cells or on the epithelial cells of hypoplastic thymuses. TS was not effective, either in vitro or in vivo, in patients with SCID probably because of a defect in stem cells.

Agammaglobulinemia↗
PubMed1979

T and B lymphocytes in the liver and peripheral blood of subjects with acute and chronic hepatitis.

E and EAC rosette-forming cells in the peripheral blood and in the liver of subjects with acute and chronic hepatitis were studied. We found a highly significant reduction (P less than 0.01) of E rosette percentage in the lymphocytes isolated from the liver patients with chronic persistent, and chronic active, hepatitis. EAC rosette-forming cells were significantly increased in the liver of patients with chronic active hepatis (P less than 0.01). In this condition lymphocytes with Fc receptor were also found.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Protein A-positive staphylococci serve as a selective B cell mitogen for lymphocytes from primary immunodeficiency patients.

Staphylococcus aureus protein A-positive bacteria have recently been proposed as selective B lymphocyte mitogens. We have studied the lymphocyte response to such mitogens in bacteria in normal subjects and in patients with primary immunodeficiencies. Patients with primary T cell defects show a normal response to protein A-positive bacteria and impaired responses to PHA and Con A. In contrast, patients with Bruton agammaglobulinaemia respond normally to these T cell mitogens but not to the bacteria. Thus, protein A-positive bacteria fulfil the criteria for being a T cell-independent B cell mitogen for human peripheral blood cells.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Rosette formation with mouse erythrocytes by lymphocytes from normal donors and patients with various diseases.

Rosette formation of human lymphoid cells with mouse erythrocytes has recently been proposed as a marker for a subpopulation of B lymphocytes. In this work we studied the percentage of mouse rosette forming cells (MRFC) in normal and pathological conditions and compared them to the percentage of sheep rosette forming cells (SRFC) a marker for T lymphocytes. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from normal donors contained 6.2 +/- 1.1% (mean +/- 1 S.D.) MRFC. High percentages of MRFC were found in CLL patients, and a slight increase was observed in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. MRFC were absent in Bruton's type agammaglobulinaemia, but were normally present in patients with T cell defects. Cryopreservation of lymphocytes in 10% DMSO did not significantly affect the mean percentages of SRFC and MRFC, though a slight increase of the former and a small reduction of the latter was observed. Double binding experiments on peripheral blood lymphocytes showed a predominant association of MRFC with cells staining for surface IgM and/or IgD. In all samples tested, we also observed a small population of MRFC negative for sIgM or sIgD and a few sIgM or sIgD positive cells that did not rosette with mouse erythrocytes.

Agammaglobulinemia↗
PubMed1979

Circulating immune complexes in normal pregnant women and in some conditions complicating pregnancy.

The polyethylene-glycol (PEG) precipitation assay was used to examine the sera of sixty-nine pregnant women, thirty with normal pregnancies, ten with toxaemia of pregnancy, eleven with pregnancy complicated by diabetes and eighteen with case histories of recurrent abortions in order to find evidence of eventual circulating immune complexes (CIC). CIC were not seen in normal pregnancies, but were found in two of the toxaemic group, in two of those with recurrent abortions and in two of those with diabetes. After delivery, these six positive cases were all negative. The presence of CIC may have a determining role in the pathogenesis of some of the cases of the above conditions.

Abortion, Habitual↗
PubMed1978

Specific cellular unreactivity during cytomegalovirus infection in man.

The specific cellular immune response against Cytomegalovirus (CMV) was studied by the Leucocyte Inhibitory Factor (LIF) production test in three groups of subjects: 7 healthy individuals with no CMV antibodies, 4 with antibodies to CMV but without evidence of active infection, and 2 children with clinical CMV infection. Our results show that LIF production in presence of CMV is high in normal seropositive subjects, while it is strongly deficient in patients with active infection, despite a good humoral response to the virus. In one child with congenital infection, a low number of E rosette forming cells was also revealed. We suggest that CMV infection can induce, at least during infancy, a state of specific cellular unresponsiveness to the virus. When the infection is congenital, a generalized depression of the cellular immune system may develop.

Antibodies, Viral↗