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J C Morini

Publications and source records attributed to J C Morini.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

T lymphocyte subpopulations in leprosy patients and their relation with circulating immune complexes.

The possible relationship between circulating immune complexes (CIC) and peripheral T lymphocyte populations was studied in thirteen active multibacillary leprosy (10 lepromatous--LL--and 3 borderline lepromatous--BL--) and 19 matched controls. Theophylline-resistant T cells (The-R, a lymphocyte subpopulation displaying helper activity on B cells) and total T cells were assessed by means of the E rosette technique, with and without previous theophylline incubation, 1h 37 degrees C, respectively. CIC were quantified by 125I-C1q binding test. Although leprosy patients showed a statistical non significant light depression in total T cells the remarkable variability in circulating levels of The-R T cells enabled us to separate them into two well delineated groups (in relation to this variable p less than 0.001) with no difference in age, sex and bacteriologic state: a) leprosy patients with The-R T cells proportionally conserved (6LL and 2BL); b) leprosy patients with The-R T cells proportionally depressed (4LL and 1BL). Patients belonging to the latter group showed the highest statistically significant levels of CIC. Even though we do not discard an unknown factor being responsible for our findings, we believe that this inverse relationship between elevated CIC and depressed The-R circulating T cells might be representing a lower helper activity on antibody synthesis intending to reduce its excessive production.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Characterization of experimental infection with Mycobacterium lepraemurium in 2 strains of mice].

A model of experimental leprosy in two strains of mice, namely CBA/J and CBi, has been developed based on: 1) the histological examination of a granuloma in the hind foot pad 200 days after inoculation of 0.30 microliter of Mycobacterium lepraemurium (6 x 10(8) MLm/ml); 2) the assessment of T lymphocytes in the granuloma identified by the alpha-naphthyl acetate method for esterase, and c) dissemination of the infection. The histological findings in the low resistance CBA/J strain included positive acid fast bacilli vacuolated cells, without lymphocytic infiltration, scarce number of T lymphocytes and a generalized and important dissemination, similarly to the one observed in human lepromatous leprosy. The histological findings in the hind foot pad granuloma of 30-40 per cent of the medium to high resistance CBi strain, consisted of vacuolated cells and lymphocytic infiltration, a large number of T cells and a scarce dissemination, similar to the human borderline leprosy. Both strains present a different susceptibility to a unique challenge with the mycobacterium which could be useful to disentangle the immunogenetic components involved, by means of appropriate selection and crosses. Furthermore, it could be of interest to perform immunoprotection assays in CBi mice, which might have some bearing on the development of a vaccine in human leprosy.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of circulating immune complexes in leprosy.

Circulating immune complexes (CIC) were evaluated in leprosy by 4 methods: the 125I-C1q binding assay (C1q), the platelet aggregation test (PAT), the 3.5% polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation test and the 2.5% PEG precipitation assay. Serum samples belonged to lepromatous leprosy bacilloscopy positive (LL+), lepromatous leprosy bacilloscopy negative (LL-), tuberculoid (TT) and first grade contact group (Co). Studies performed by the 3 first methods showed higher CIC levels in LL+ group (p less than 0.01) and lower values in the 3 others, all of them when compared to normals. On the contrary, the 2.5% PEG precipitation test gave less discriminative results giving only p less than 0.01 in LL+. CIC values obtained in the contact group showed significant results compared to normals but similar to LL- and TT groups. The C1q binding assay and the PAT were the most discriminative methods giving r = 0.90; C1q versus 3.5% PEG, r = 0.36; C1q vs 2.5% PEG, r = 0.14. The PAT compared to 3.5% PEG, r = 0.48 and PAT vs. 2.5% PEG, r = 0.24. Therefore it may be concluded as follows: a) The radioiodinated C1q binding assay and the PAT are recommended for the study of CIC in leprosy; b) The 2.5% PEG precipitation assay offers less sensitivity since it gave similar value in LL-, TT, Co and controls; c) CIC levels observed in LL+ patients may be induced by the antigenic overload demonstrated by the positive bacilloscopy; d) The contacts have CIC levels significantly different from the normal population possibly caused by a subclinical infection.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of intratumor macrophages on the growth of a rat sarcoma].

The removal of active phagocytic cells (CFA) from suspensions of a rat sarcoma (S-E 100) caused a decrease in tumor development in "m" line rats; consequently, we postulated that the macrophage (M phi) population infiltrating the tumor might possess inhibitory functions. In the present paper we investigate whether the effect of CFA is a general one or whether it is dependent on the interaction between M phi infiltrating the tumor and the recipient. S-E 100 was inoculated in "m" line rats (S-E 100,m) and in "c" (S-E 100,c); CFA were depleted from both tumoral suspensions with carbonyl iron powder (FeC), inoculating the supernatant tumor sells denominated S.FeC-m and S.FeC-c, and the corresponding control suspensions, S Te-m and S Te-c. Inocula for both recipients were subcutaneous and contained 1 x 10(6) cells. The elimination of CFA induced a decrease in the development of the tumor in "m" recipients only when the inoculum was provided by S-E 100, m (Table 1). On the contrary no change in tumor growth was detected in the "C" recipients, whether the inoculum was provided by SE-100, m or by S-E 100, c (Table 1). An inhibitory effect on the immune response exerted by M phi infiltrating S-E 100, as a non general effect, is postulated. This effect was obtained only when intratumoral M phi were syngeneic with the recipient and specifically for "m" line.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Impaired in vitro T-cell responses in patients with community acquired pneumonia.

To evaluate the status of the cellular immune response of patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP), 8 CAP cases were studied for their in vitro T-cell responses to concanavalin A (Con A), tuberculin, and candidin, as well as levels of major T-cell populations in peripheral blood. Assessment on admission revealed that CAP patients had significantly decreased responses to both antigen and mitogen driven lymphocyte proliferation when compared to age and sex matched controls. Studies performed upon 1 week of antibiotic treatment made evident, in turn, that clinical improvement was accompanied by a reestablishment of the in vitro responses to tuberculin and candidin, whereas the lymphoproliferation induced by Con A remained decreased as in its first evaluation. Data from admission and day 7 of treatment showed no significant differences as to the levels of peripheral T-cell subsets when compared to those of healthy controls. Our results indicate that CAP coincides with reduced in vitro T-cell responses to antigen and mitogen stimulation.

Adult↗