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Biomedical subjects

S Avrameas

Publications and source records attributed to S Avrameas.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

The Epstein-Barr virus-induced production of IgE by human B cells.

B cells, isolated from the blood of healthy individuals and patients allergic to pollen, produced IgE when exposed to the human B-cell polyclonal activator, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in vitro and placed in culture. Secreted IgM and IgE were measured using immunoenzymatic assays. No difference was seen between healthy donors and allergic patients in the amount of IgE (or IgM) secreted. Cells were placed in limiting dilution cultures in order to determine the frequency of cells producing IgE or IgM (total and pollen specific) on exposure to EBV. Again, no significant differences in EBV-driven, B-cell precursor frequencies (PF) were seen between normal and allergic individuals. EBV-driven B-cell PF for total IgM and IgE, and pollen-specific IgM and IgE secretion, were 1/450, 1/6500, 1/83,000, and less than 1 per 2,500,000, respectively, for cells from healthy donors, and 1/140, 1/4000, 1/56,000 and less than or equal to 1 per 2,000,000, respectively, for cells from allergic patients. We propose that the increased IgE levels seen in atopic individuals result solely from regulatory defects, rather than an increase in the frequency of B cells committed to the secretion of IgE.

Allergens↗
PubMed1986

Quantitative evidence against inactivation of self-reactive B-cell clones.

The frequencies of murine B-cell precursors developing into clones secreting antibodies which bind to autologous (mouse) or heterologous (rabbit or human) forms of the same protein antigen (myosin and albumin) were determined in an attempt to directly test the hypothesis of higher decay rates of B lymphocytes exposed to self-antigens. The results exclude, on a quantitative basis, any form of inactivation or deletion of such cells.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

Murine natural monoclonal autoantibodies: a study of their polyspecificities and their affinities.

We have demonstrated that natural monoclonal antibodies (NmAbs) prepared from the spleens of either adult or neonatal non-immunized mice are polyspecific, i.e., they react with various self or non-self antigens. In the present study the polyspecificity of several NmAbs is analyzed in terms of dissociation constants (KDs) using a recently published sandwich-type immunoassay (Friguet et al. 1985). We calculated the NmAb KDs for various croos-reacting self (actin, myosin, tubulin, DNA) or non-self (spectrin, DNP-lysine, TNP-protein) antigens, and we compared the values obtained with those of experimentally-induced antibodies derived from immunized animals. The results show the NmAb KDs for macromolecule range between 10(-5) and 10(-10)M and, for a given antigen they are often of the same order of magnitude as those of induced monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies. On this basis, it appears that antibody specificity and affinity do not always correlate. In contrast to those of induced antibodies, the KDs for free hapten are high, whereas they are low when the same hapten is complexed to a macromolecule. Thus, it seems that although NmAbs and induced antibodies exhibit similar "functional affinities" for a macromolecule, they differ in their "intrinsic affinities" for a given epitope (hapten). Although the NmAbs examined exhibit similar broad reactivities for several antigens, their fine specificities for these antigens, as defined by the measurement of their KDs, are different. Thus, it appears that each NmAb can be considered unique.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Solid-phase sandwich enzyme immunoassays of human chorionic gonadotropin using monoclonal antibodies.

A two-site sandwich enzyme immunoassay for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) employing monoclonal antibodies directed against beta- and alpha-subunits is described. Monoclonal anti-beta-hCG antibody was used for coating microtitration plates and monoclonal anti-alpha-hCG antibody labelled with 1 of the 3 enzymes namely horseradish peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase or beta-galactosidase was used as tracer. The assay is able to detect up to 1 ng hCG/ml. No significant difference was observed with respect to sensitivity and range of assay with the 3 enzymes. The assay can be performed as a 'two-step' assay or reduced to a 'one-step' procedure with a linear relationship between absorbance and hormone concentration up to 31.25 ng hCG/ml. Beyond these concentrations an inflection of the dose curve was observed. This can, however, be avoided by increasing the concentration of antibody-enzyme conjugate. A higher sensitivity enabling detection up to 0.25 ng hCG/ml was attained in the sandwich enzyme immunoassay with the use of biotin-avidin interface. The hCG values obtained on 47 human urine samples either by the 'one-step' or 'two-step' procedure were similar with a correlation coefficient of 0.996. Results obtained by 'two-step' sandwich enzyme immunoassay on 22 human urine samples correlated well (r = 0.968) with the values obtained by radioimmunoassay.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1985

Quantitation of 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine incorporation into DNA: an enzyme immunoassay for the assessment of the lymphoid cell proliferative response.

As an alternative to the measurement of radiolabeled thymidine incorporated into DNA, a method is presented in which thymidine has been replaced by its analogue, 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BUdR). BUdR incorporated into DNA (BUdR-DNA) is measured by a sandwich-type enzyme immunoassay using a monoclonal anti-BUdR antibody. This method allows the quantitation of 4 ng of BUdR-DNA. Comparative experiments with myeloma cells and LPS stimulated spleen B-cells have shown that this technique is at least as sensitive as the traditional counting of [3H]thymidine.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Solid-phase competitive and sandwich-type erythro-immunoassays for human chorionic gonadotropin.

A simple '1-step' competitive erythro-immunoassay for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) employing V-shaped well microtitration plates coated with monoclonal anti-beta-hCG antibody has been described. hCG of the test sample competes with the antigen-coupled sheep erythrocytes for binding to the antibody on the solid surface. The assay is able to detect up to 31.25 ng hCG/ml. A higher sensitivity enabling detection up to 0.25 ng hCG/ml is attained by the sandwich erythro-immunoassay using a chimera antibody prepared by coupling monoclonal anti-alpha-hCG antibody to an affinity-purified polyclonal antibody specific for sheep erythrocytes. This assay is amenable to the qualitative as well as quantitative use as described. The urinary components do not interfere in the assay. Results obtained by this assay on 47 human urine samples correlated well with the values obtained by '2-step' sandwich enzyme immunoassay and radioimmunoassay.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

A high incidence of cross-reactive idiotypes among murine natural autoantibodies.

Anti-idiotypic (anti-Id) antibodies were produced in rabbits against two natural monoclonal IgM autoantibodies (NmAb), D23 and E7, which exhibited a broad reactivity and were derived from fusions of spleen cells from adult unprimed BALB/c mice and nonsecreting myeloma cell lines. They were used to test the reactivities of 12 NmAb obtained from adult and newborn unprimed mice. Both anti-Id recognized cross-reactive idiotopes frequently shared by NmAb; 8 out of the 12 NmAb reacted with anti-IdD23, while 5 of them also reacted with anti-IdE7. All of the Id-bearing antibodies possessed widespread reactivity with structurally dissimilar self and nonself antigens. In most cases, their cross-reactive Id determinants seemed to be located outside of their antigen-binding sites. Furthermore, the presence in normal mouse sera of significant levels of D23 and E7 idiotopes correlated with the presence of natural antibody activity and was mainly associated with IgM and IgG2b fractions. Finally, D23 idiotope(s) were also found on induced murine anti-myosin antibodies. The high incidence of cross-reactive idiotopes found among NmAb produced by clones derived from different mice and their presence in normal BALB/c mouse serum Ig fractions suggest that families of germ-line genes may encode for at least a part of them.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Presence of natural autoantibodies in hyperimmunized mice.

Mice were immunized with various antigens in complete Freund's adjuvant following various injection schedules. Hybridomas were produced from the spleens of these immunized mice and examined for production of antibodies directed against the antigen injected and against a panel of self (tubulin, actin, myosin, DNA) and non-self antigens (myoglobin, spectrin, peroxidase, trinitrobenzene). Two to five percent of the hybrids were found to secrete polyspecific antibodies able to react with two or more antigens of the panel. Several of these hybrids were subcloned and expanded into ascites. The monoclonal immunoglobulins they secreted were isolated and shown to be IgM (kappa) and to possess the polyspecific antibody function. Several hybrids were also found to secrete antibodies reacting with the immunizing antigen as well as one or more antigens of the panel. The antibody secreted by one subclone which reacts with both the immunizing antigen, prolactin and one of the panel antigens, TNP, has been isolated using a DNP-immunoadsorbent. The isolated antibody was found to be a monoclonal IgM (kappa) immunoglobulin and to react both with prolactin and TNP. The hypothesis is advanced that cells carrying polyspecific natural antibodies as receptors after a given antigenic stimulation proliferate into cells producing highly specific antibodies for epitopes of that given antigen; the cells with polyspecific receptors will be continuously replaced by new cells probably on bone-marrow origin.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

High frequency of natural autoantibodies in normal newborn mice.

Spleen cells from 6-day-old nonimmunized BALB/c and BALB.B10 mice were fused with the nonsecreting hybridoma cell line Sp2/0. Three hundred and eighty-four immunoglobulin-secreting hybrids were screened for antibody activity against mouse actin, tubulin, and myosin, and against TNP, peroxidase, renin, DNA, and neurofilaments. At least 24 hybridomas in the collection (6.25%) exhibited antibody activity against this panel of antigens. Ten of these hybrids were cloned, were propagated, and the corresponding monoclonal IgM protein was isolated from ascitic fluids and was further characterized. At least four groups of antibody specificities were identified: 1) one clone reacting with TNP only; 2) one clone reacting with both actin and tubulin; 3) two clones which bound to both TNP and actin; and 4) a fourth group, comprising the six other clones, which all exhibited widespread reactivity and bound to actin, tubulin, myosin, and TNP. These results indicate: 1) B cell clones directed against self antigens are activated in the internal environment and are recovered consequently by somatic cell hybridization; 2) the widespread antibody specificities found for these newborn mouse antibodies are very similar to those previously characterized with human natural antibodies and human monoclonal Ig; and 3) the frequency of B cells binding to cytoskeletal proteins and TNP is very high (at least 6.25%).

Animals↗
PubMed1984

An antibody chimera technique applied to enzyme immunoassay for human alpha-1-fetoprotein with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.

A 2-step enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for human alpha-1-fetoprotein (AFP) is proposed, which uses covalently coupled anti-AFP IgG and anti-horseradish peroxidase (HRP) IgG (antibody chimera) binding HRP as the marker enzyme immunologically. The use of polyclonal and monoclonal anti-AFP linked to anti-HRP antibodies was compared with a conventional 2-site binding EIA with HRP covalently bound to anti-AFP IgG. The sensitivity of the conventional EIA is increased by the use of an antibody chimera comprising a molar ratio of anti-AFP IgG: anti-HRP IgG of 1:8, especially if monoclonal antibodies are employed. This improved sensitivity may be achieved by a very simple coupling procedure without purification of conjugate and with very crude HRP preparations.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Enzyme/anti-enzyme monoclonal antibody soluble immune complexes (EMAC): their use in quantitative immunoenzymatic assays.

Enzyme/anti-enzyme antibody soluble immune complexes were prepared with monoclonal mouse antibodies (MA) which were directed against peroxidase (PO) and beta-galactosidase (GAL). These enzyme monoclonal antibody complexes (EMAC) functioned as markers to quantify mouse antibodies using an enzyme immunoassay which incorporated an anti-mouse Ig as the bridge between the EMAC and the specific antibody bound to an antigen immobilized on a polystyrene plate. EMAC prepared with PO (PO-MAC) or with GAL (GAL-MAC) were both effective in quantifying polyclonal as well as monoclonal mouse antibodies, and gave sensitivity equal or superior to that obtained with covalent enzyme/anti-mouse Ig conjugates. The smaller amount of antibodies detected with EMAC depended on the affinity of both the antibody tested and the monoclonal antibody used to prepare EMAC. This method is an improvement on the 'antibody bridge' method, because EMAC can be prepared easily by simply mixing the enzyme and the MA at the appropriate amounts 2 h prior to use. In addition, EMAC can be prepared using crude preparations of enzyme and unpurified ascitic fluids containing the MA, thus decreasing the cost of the test considerably.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1983

An amplification system using BSA-antibody conjugate for sensitive enzyme immunoassay.

A procedure is described for sensitive titration of antibodies, macromolecular antigens and haptens by enzyme immunoassay. It involves using first antigen or antibody labelled with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and then an anti-BSA antibody conjugated with an enzyme. The performance characteristics of this assay are indicated and compared with those for conventional enzyme immunoassay. The present procedure allowed fast sensitive titration of human IgE, rabbit type III anti-streptococcal antibody and cAMP.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗