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Biomedical subjects

N Talal

Publications and source records attributed to N Talal.

356 records · Page 20Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Autoimmunity and the immunologic network.

Recent developments in autoimmunity suggest that there are three stages in the response to self, which can be called autorecognition, autoimmunity, and autoimmune disease. The first is physiologic and fundamental to a network theory of immunologic control that is based upon recognition of idiotypes and antigens related to the major histocompatibility complex. Many foreign antigens may be recognized immunologically only if they can be imposed upon an existing network of immunologic communication. The existence of anti-receptor autoimmune diseases (such as myasthenia gravis and Grave's disease) leads to the postulate that the immune network may normally function to help regulate hormone and other nonimmune cell surface receptors. Chronic autoimmune diseases may be caused either by genetically determined abnormalities in the immune network or by an antigenic perturbation of the network that results in unresponsiveness and tolerance of an offending agent.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Recent developments in autoimmunity.

Contemporary immunology has revolutionized our concepts of the immune system, bringing recognition of self into sharp focus as perhaps the major biological phenomenon upon which even recognition of foreignness may depend. The impact of this phenomenon on our understanding of autoimmune diseases is emphasized in this article. Autoimmune diseases are truly multifactorial. Genetic, viral and hormonal factors are extremely important in pathogenesis. Animal models for autoimmune diseases offer great promise for working out pathogenetic mechanisms and for devising new and more rational modes of therapy.

Animals↗
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Sjögren's syndrome.

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Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunologic and viral factors in Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjögren's syndrome is a multifactorial disease in which genetic and possibly viral factors play major roles. The recent development of an SS-like disease in patients infected with HIV-1 suggests a possible retrovirus.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Problems associated with the management of pregnancies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Eighty-three percent of 24 pregnancies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus studied retrospectively terminated in normal children. Fifty-four percent of patients had clinical and serological disease exacerbations during pregnancy or in the post-partum period, as contrasted with 4% in the 6 months prior to pregnancy. The presence of significant renal disease and SLE activity in the 6 months prior to pregnancy correlated with exacerbations. A distinction between pre-eclamptic toxemia and lupus exacerbation had to be made in 25% of our patients. There were 2 maternal deaths associated with uncontrolled lupus activity. No potentially viable infants died for reasons directly related to lupus activity.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pooled human immunoglobulins contain anti-idiotypes with reactivity against the SLE-associated 4B4 cross-reactive idiotype.

OBJECTIVE: To identify anti-idiotype antibody activity against a regulatory anti-Sm idiotype (4B4) in pooled human IgG (IVIG). METHODS: ELISA were used to determine anti-idiotype antibody activity in IVIG. RESULTS: Anti-idiotype antibody activity to 4B4 was detected in IVIG. The anti-idiotypic activity in IVIG could be inhibited by antigen, Sm, and rabbit anti-idiotypic antiserum. The idiotypic binding activity was predominately directed against the 4B4 VH region. CONCLUSION: IVIG contains antibodies against a lupus-associated crossreactive idiotype. These antibodies represent Ab2 beta type antibodies. The anti-idiotypic activity in IVIG may be relevant to the efficacious use of IVIG in treating rheumatic diseases.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inappropriate apoptosis of salivary and lacrimal gland epithelium of immunodeficient NOD-scid mice.

OBJECTIVE: The lesion is Sjögren's syndrome consists of lymphocytic infiltration and has a pathology characteristic of the potential apoptotic death of salivary gland secretory epithelial cells. To examine the role of the glandular epithelial cells in the pathogenesis of autoimmune exocrinopathy, we studied Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) expression and quantitated the levels of apoptosis in salivary and lacrimal glands from NOD and NOD-scid mice, an animal model that develops a Sjögren's syndrome-like pathology. METHODS: The parotid, submandibular and lacrimal tissues of NOD, NOD-scid, and BALB/c mice were evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis for the expression of Fas and FasL. Nuclear fragmentation of DNA from the epithelial cells of exocrine tissues was evaluated by the terminal UTP nucleotide end labeling method (TUNEL). Messenger RNA was isolated from 8 and 18 week old mice and was analyzed by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the expression of Fas and FasL. RESULTS: We found suggestive evidence that apoptosis of the secretory epithelial cells occurs in both NOD and NOD-scid mice despite the lack of T- and B-lymphocytes in the latter. FasL mRNA and cell surface protein were expressed in salivary and lacrimal gland epithelial cells from 8 and 18 week old NOD, NOD-scid, and BALB/c mice. Fas protein and mRNA were expressed only in the exocrine glands from 18 week old NOD and NOD-scid mice. Glandular secretory epithelial cell apoptosis was elevated in both NOD and NOD-scid mice, however; there was little evidence of apoptosis in the control strain of BALB/c mice. CONCLUSION: These results suggest a potential apoptotic process dependent on Fas:FasL interactions occurring in NOD-scid glandular secretory epithelial cells in the absence of lymphocytic infiltration.

Animals↗