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Biomedical subjects

L Berrens

Publications and source records attributed to L Berrens.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Delayed type hypersensitivity in atopic dermatitis.

Three different aspects of delayed type hypersensitivity in atopic dermatitis (A.D.) were studied. (a) Intradermal testing demonstrated that positive reactions to bacterial vaccines were distinctly lower in patients with A.D. (b) Patch testing in patients with A.D. compared to tests in patients with anal eczema showed a striking difference in results concerning the substances to which positive reactions were found. (c) Patients with A.D. (n = 18), atopics without A.D. (n = 10), patients with contact dermatitis (n = 10), and normal controls (n = 10), were patch tested with various human dander (H.D.) fractions after stripping the stratum corneum with skin tape. Only patients with A.D. showed positive reactions, the maximum response being at 24-48 hours. There was no difference in reaction pattern between partially purified H.D. subfractions. Histopathological examination revealed an eczema-reaction. Patch testing within the same patient groups with purified house dust mite allergen P1 demonstrated similar results. Although this finding argues against a specific role of H.D. allergen in A.D. it may at least be concluded that H.D. preparations have the capacity to provoke immediate as well as delayed type skin reactions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Allergy to egg yolk possibly induced by sensitization to bird serum antigens.

Hypersensitivity to ingested hen's egg yolk is described in a 65-year-old female patient. The patient's symptoms started in adult life and coincided with the acquisition of a parrot as a household pet. The bird's presence caused complaints of allergic rhinitis, while the ingestion of eggs caused urticaria and angioedema. Analysis of sequential blood serum samples revealed high levels of IgE antibodies to egg yolk and to various bird sera, but no precipitins. RAST-inhibition experiments indicated that the primary sensitization may have been to antigens from the parrot.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Detection of precipitating and complement consuming antibodies by enzyme linked immune sorbent assay in pigeon breeders' disease.

The sera of patients with pigeon breeders' disease usually contain both precipitating and complement-fixing antibodies to antigens in pigeon droppings or pigeon serum. These antibodies are not equivalent. Both types of antibody could be detected by means of an ELISA technique, using either pigeon serum or pigeon dropping antigens in the solid phase. The good correlation between the ELISA results and the complement consumption assay indicates that the ELISA technique may represent a one-step assay for assessing both precipitating and complement-consuming IgG-class antibodies, thereby identifying both symptomatic patients and breeders potentially at risk. IgM antibodies appeared to be of minor significance in the serology of pigeon breeders' disease.

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗
PubMed1983

RAST with animal dander, urine, saliva and serum.

Binding of specific IgE antibodies from the sera of patients allergic to animals was investigated by direct RAST, using the animal's dander, urine, saliva or blood serum as insolubilized allergens. In allergy to rat, mouse, guinea pig, dog, cat or horse, the RAST results with the excretions of a particular animal were mutually well correlated. RAST with the animal blood serum was positive less often, and only in cases of a positive dander RAST. It is concluded that a RAST with animal dander precludes the use of other animal products.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Complement consumption in eggwhite and fish sensitivity.

A case of eggwhite allergy and a case of fish allergy, where complement-fixation by thermostable IgG-class antibody was positive at extremely high antigen dilutions are described. The antibody in eggwhite allergy was of the precipitating variety and the C-fixation phenomenon was not related to the presence or absence of IgE antibody.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Complement consuming antibodies against a modified human serum protein in pigeon breeders' disease.

The sera of patients with pigeon breeders' disease contain precipitating and human complement consuming antibodies against pigeon dropping antigens. Cessation of antigen exposure results in a decrease of precipitins below the level of detection in immunodiffusion. Complement consuming antibodies remain present, however, despite antigen avoidance. A close correlation is observed between human complement consumption tests with pigeon dropping antigens PDF1-A or pigeon cropmilk IgA and a modified human serum gamma-globulin. Isolation of this protein is readily achieved by its non-specific adsorption onto activated Sepharose 4B and subsequent elution with 1 M acetic acid. This modified protein may act as an autoantigen in pigeon breeders' disease, maintaining human complement consuming antibodies for years in subjects with no further bird antigen contact.

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗
PubMed1979

A modified sandwich technique for the measurement of IgE.

The paper radioimmunosorbent test (PRIST) has been described as the method of choice for determining low serum IgE levels; the radioimmunosorbent test (RIST) as the method of choice for determining normal and elevated serum IgE levels. By replacing the 125I-labelled anti-IgE antibody used in the paper radioimmunosorbent test by the 125I-labelled anti-IgE reagent used in radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and by changing the serum dilution and the incubation time, this modified sandwich technique (MST) became comparable to the RIST in the normal and elevated IgE-region and showed results similar to the PRIST in the very low IgE-region. The affinity of the 125I-labelled anti-IgE of the RAST proved to be about 2.6 times higher than the antibody used in the PRIST, which explains the improved results in the normal and the good results in the very low IgE-region. The lowest serum IgE level measurable by this method was as low as 0.05 I.U./ml, as determined in 20 cord sera. The mean IgE level in cord sera was 0.45 I.U./ml (range 0.05--2.63 I.U./ml). The results of this study suggest replacement of the antiserum used in PRIST by the one available for RAST.

Asthma↗
PubMed1979

HLA-linked C2 deficiency in a Dutch patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A patient with systemic lupus erythematosus was studied whose blood serum on repeated occasions showed undetectable levels of haemolytic omplement (C). A detailed investigation of individual C components in the serum of the proposita and her family revealed the absence of functional C2 in the patient and half-normal values in the relatives. C4 levels in the family, but not in the patient, were above normal, whereas the levels of factor B were low in all cases. No abnormalities were noted in C3, C9, or C1INH. Tissue typing showed linkage of the C2-deficiency gene with the HLA-A10/B18 and A9/B18 haplotypes. No linkage with red cell antigens and no relationship with plasma kallikrein levels was found.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

IgE and IgG4 antibodies in specific human allergies.

In 90 sera from patients with specific allergies (i. e. to guinea pig dander, cat dander, horse dander, dog dander, human dander or ipecac) and with positive skin tests to the allergenic preparations, the presence of IgE and IgG4 antibodies was determined by radioallergosorbent test (RAST). A correlation between IgE RAST scores and IgG4 RAST scores to the individual allergens was established. In patients allergic to guinea pig dander, a high incidence of negative IgE RAST scores but positive IgG4 RAST scores was found. This was less often the case in the group with cat dander allergy. IgG RAST scores determined in 51 sera proved to have some predictive value with respect to IgG4 or other IgG subclasses involved in the allergic reactions. Because a high incidence of negative IgE RAST scores was found, IgE RAST inhibition does not seem to be the method of choice for the standardization of allergenic preparations in general.

Allergens↗
PubMed1979

Antibodies against purified pigeon IgA in pigeon breeders' disease.

It is demonstrated that previously described PDF1-A antigens from pigeon dropping extract contain pigeon IgA. The sera of patients with pigeon breeders' disease contain precipitating antibodies against pigeon IgA, in contrast to the sera of pigeon breeders suffering from unrelated forms of pulmonary dysfunction. The degree of complement consumption by PDF1A antigens, pigeon serum, and pigeon IgA turned out to be correlated. No correlation was found between precipitating anti-pigeon IgA antibodies and complement consumption by pigeon IgA in patients' sera.

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗
PubMed1979

Possible indirect binding of IgE in house dust RAST.

House dust subfractions obtained in the course of purification exhibit increasing skin reactivity in allergic patients, which runs parrallel to both complement-consuming and RAST-binding capacity. Working with highly purified house dust allergen in RAST, the correlation with clinical parameters for house dust allergy was found to remain poor. In a large group of sera a significant statistical correlation was found between total IgE and allergen-binding IgE. Ultracentrifugation experiments demonstrated that IgE binding to allergen in RAST occurs in complex with an unidentified serum protein. These results suggests that IgE binding in house dust RAST is indirect and is mediated by another serum factor.

Allergens↗