Some immunophysiological features of sports activity under climatic and geographical conditions of the middle Ob region

This paper analyzes the cellular and humoral components of the immune system in athletes who were born, lived, and trained under the conditions of the middle Ob region (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug—Yugra, KhMAO–Yugra). The main group included young men and women, who were engaged in cross-country skiing (12 men and 10 women) and volleyball (11 men and 10 women). The control group (regional norm) included ten men and ten women, who were born and currently lived in KhMAO–Yugra and did not do any sports on a regular basis. The age of the subjects ranged from 19 to 22 years. It was found that the parameters of cellular and humoral immunity differed slightly with respect to the control group. A significant decrease in the total count of leukocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes was observed in men and women, who were born, lived, and trained under the conditions of the middle Ob region; in addition, a decrease in the parameters of humoral immunity (B cells and IgA) was also observed in male skiers. It was found that the total leukocyte count, the level of B cells, and the IgG concentration in men who live in the middle Ob region and do not do any sports is higher than that in women of the same group.     

Surveillance of antibody to rubella virus in Grampian: closing the immunity gap.

OBJECTIVES--To identify causes for the continuing deficit of rubella immunity in women of childbearing age with a view to further reducing the risk of the congenital rubella syndrome. DESIGN--A questionnaire was sent to the general practitioner and a laboratory follow up study conducted in a one year cohort of women found on screening to have inadequate protection against rubella. SETTING--Virus laboratory of the department of medical microbiology, Aberdeen, serving the health board areas of Grampian, Orkney, and Shetland. PATIENTS--239 women whose concentration of antibodies to rubella virus was either absent or below standard (15,000 IU/l) and whose general practitioner could be contacted to supply a history of infection, immunisation, pregnancy, and antibody testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Whether rubella vaccination was given and whether those vaccinated were tested for seroconversion. RESULTS--Only 122 (55%) of the women for whom information was available received the recommended vaccine; only 74 (61%) of these were tested for seroconversion. Oversight was the reason given for not vaccinating 64 (65%) of the women who remained at risk. Women who were pregnant when tested were significantly less likely to receive vaccine (odds ratio 3.36) than women who were not pregnant, and even if vaccinated were less likely to have a follow up antibody test (odds ratio 1.94). CONCLUSION--Once women are identified as being unprotected against rubella they are often overlooked and not vaccinated. Prompting mechanisms aimed at general practitioners, such as the one recently set up in Grampian, should reduce the immunity gap and help to eradicate rubella in pregnancy.     

Antibodies to spermatozoa. VII humoral and cellular aspects of sperm inmunity and infertility.

The occurrence of sperm antibody in serum and cervical mucus of women from intertile couples in the serum of their male partners, as well as cellular immunity to sperm, has been studied by agglutination and immobilization techniques. For a total of about 260 couples, the tests on serum showed that 18% of the women and 8% of the men were positive by the Kibrick technique and that 15% of the women and 4% of the men were positive by the F-D technique. The women who were positive in their cervical mucus were 8% of the group by the K-agg (Kibrick agglutination) technique, 2% by the MIS-agg. (Microscale agglutination) technique, and 40% by the MIS-imm. (Microscale immobilization) tecnique. In considering all three techniques. 42% of a group of 132 women were positive. Cellular immunity to sperm, by the Migration Inhibition method, was positive in 18% and zero per cent of infertile and fertile women, respectively.     

Mumps prophylaxis in the light of a new test for antibody.

A radial haemolysis test was used to investigate immunity to mumps. Antibody was found in 92 (42%) out of 220 children aged up to 5 years, 124 (78%) out of 159 children aged 6--10 years, 192 (86%) out of 222 children aged 11 years, 138 (92%) out of 150 children aged 15 years, and 280 (95%) out of 296 women attending an antenatal clinic. A group of 307 cadets aged 16--18 years were also tested and interviewed: 133 (95%) out of 140 who said that they had had mumps and 108 (87%) out of 124 who said that they had not had mumps were found to have antibody. The results suggest that tests for immunity to mumps by radial haemolysis would permit more rational use of mumps-specific immunoglobulin and attenuated mumps vaccine.     

Vaginal microbiome-hormonal contraceptive interactions associate with the mucosal proteome and HIV acquisition

Alterations to the mucosal environment of the female genital tract, such as genital inflammation, have been associated with increased HIV acquisition in women. As the microbiome and hormonal contraceptives can affect vaginal mucosal immunity, we hypothesized these components may interact in the context of HIV susceptibility. Using previously published microbiome data from 685 women in the CAPRISA-004 trial, we compared relative risk of HIV acquisition in this cohort who were using injectable depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), norethisterone enanthate (NET-EN), and combined oral contraceptives (COC). In women who were Lactobacillus-dominant, HIV acquisition was 3-fold higher in women using DMPA relative to women using NET-EN or COC (OR: 3.27; 95% CI: 1.24–11.24, P = 0.0305). This was not observed in non-Lactobacillus-dominant women (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.44–2.15, P = 0.895) (interaction P = 0.0686). Higher serum MPA levels associated with increased molecular pathways of inflammation in the vaginal mucosal fluid of Lactobacillus-dominant women, but no differences were seen in non-Lactobacillus dominant women. This study provides data suggesting an interaction between the microbiome, hormonal contraceptives, and HIV susceptibility.     

Effect of rubella vaccination programme in schools on rubella immunity in a general practice population.

Between November 1979 and January 1980 all patients aged 13-21 years who attended a general practice in Glasgow were tested for their immunity against rubella (single radial haemolysis test). All of the women in the sample should have been vaccinated at 13 as part of the rubella vaccination programme, which began in Glasgow in 1971. The programme excludes boys. Of the 77 females and 64 male patients studied, nine (11.7%) and 10 (15.6%), respectively, were susceptible to the infection. For only 34 women was evidence of vaccination documented in the practice records, and three of those either had failed to seroconvert or had antibody below detectable values. Overall there was no significant differences between the proportion of men and women who were susceptible to the disease. The rubella vaccination programme had clearly failed to reduce the number of susceptible women in this practice. Hence the immune state of all girls should be checked at about 15 years of age, so that as many as possible may be rendered immune before they leave school.     

Local immunity factors in the reproductive system of women with Chlamydia infection

A total of 50 healthy women and 184 women of reproductive age with Chlamidia infection, complicated by candidiasis, mycoplasmosis and bacterial vaginosis were under examination. The local infectious immunity indices of cervical mucous were detected. The investigation of cell-mediated and humoral factors of cervical secretions revealed the dysfunction of local infectious protection in women with Chlamydia infection.     

Suppression of cell mediated immunity to cytomegalovirus and tuberculin in pregnancy employing the leukocyte migration inhibition test

To clarify the mechanism of reactivation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in pregnancy, cell mediated immunity to CMV was investigated in 108 pregnant and 29 postpartal women employing the leukocyte migration inhibition technique. It was demonstrated that CMV-specific cell mediated immunity was suppressed as gestation progressed in 20% of the seropositive women during the first trimester, in 78% during the second trimester and in all at term. The suppression of cell mediated immunity during pregnancy ceased 8 weeks after parturition. The results suggested that reactivation of CMV in pregnancy was probably caused by the suppression of CMV-specific cell mediated immunity.     

Can we prevent an increase in the incidence of congenital rubella syndrome in the next decade?

The immunity to rubella of 115 girls aged 10 to 14 years was tested in 1978. The proportion of girls found to be immune was 80%, similar to rates in the prevaccination era. Nearly half of the immunity was from documented vaccination, and the other half was presumably from infection with wild rubella virus. The vaccination failure rate was 12%. Because of declining immunity to rubella of women of child-bearing age, detecting low levels of immunity in these women is becoming increasingly important. Immunization of 12- to 15-month-old children has not been effective. Vaccinating all girls 10 to 12 years old would likely be the most effective method of preventing an increase in the incidence of congenital rubella syndrome in the next decade.     

Persistence of naturally acquired cell-mediated immunity to rubella virus during the first trimester of pregnancy

We studied the persistence of naturally acquired cell-mediated immunity to rubella during early pregnancy. We compared lymphocyte transformation responses to phytohemagglutinin and rubella virus in 35 naturally immune women aged 17-37 years, in the first trimester of pregnancy, with 49 naturally immune age-matched nonpregnant controls. A significant lower lymphocyte transformation response to phytohemagglutinin was observed during the first trimester of pregnancy (P = 0.008), but lymphocyte transformation responses to rubella virus were not significantly different (P = 0.901). These data indicate that, in naturally immune women, cell-mediated immunity to rubella virus is not significantly altered by the physiological changes in early pregnancy.     

Dynamics of some characteristics of humoral immunity,vaginal interferon status in pregnant women with the relapse of chronic pyelonephritis

65 pregnant women with the exacerbation of chronic pyelonephritis in the III trimester of gestation and 34 healthy pregnant women were examined. The quantitative content of immunoglobulins, the activity of interferon in cervico = vaginal washings and the composition of the vaginal microflora were determined. All patients with the relapse of chronic pyelonephritis exhibited disturbances in the normal microbiocenosis of the genitals and the dysfunction of the local immunity of the genital system, accompanied with a decrease in serum and secretory IgA, an increase in the amount of IgG and IgM, increased interferon activity. Pregnant women with the relapse of chronic pyelonephritis received, in addition to traditional therapy, local treatment with Kipferon suppositories, an immunomodulating preparation. The study revealed that the use of this preparation normalized the characteristics of local immunity, the composition of the microflora' of the genitals and led to the disappearance of the clinical symptoms of the disease.     

Comparative sero-epidemiologic observations of rubella infection in pregnant women and female university students

Sera from 58 pregnant women and 34 female university students were tested by a haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) method to determine the levels of immunity to rubella and to assess factors important in its epidemiology. Ages of women ranged from 15 to 35 years. Pregnant women were from the lower socio-economic groups, whilst students came from middle and upper income families. In both groups immunity to rubella increased with age. Students were more susceptible to the infection than pregnant women (21% compared with 3% respectively) - p less than 0.05 and the geometric mean titre was significantly higher in pregnant women than in students. Since women were of the same ages and essentially from the same geographical location, it is suggested that differences in susceptibility rates to rubella were due to differences in the socio-economic status of the two groups.     

Cell-mediated immune responses to Chlamydia trachomatis in mothers and infants

Cell-mediated immunity to Chlamydia trachomatis was studied in pregnant women with chlamydial infection of the cervix, in infants born vaginally to these women, and in infants presenting with chlamydial conjunctivitis. Uninfected pregnant women and their infants were studied as controls. McCoy cell cultures were used to isolate C. trachomatis from clinical specimens. Cell-mediated immunity was measured by lymphocyte proliferative responses in vitro to stimulation by chlamydial antigens. Chlamydial IgG antibody in serum specimens was detected by a microenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. The mean lymphocyte proliferative responses to chlamydial antigens were greater in infected women than in uninfected women both during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Lymphocyte responsiveness in infected pregnant women, however, was less than in postpartum women. Despite failure to detect chlamydial infection in exposed infants, lymphocyte proliferative responses were greater in umbilical cord blood and later in peripheral blood samples from neonates born to infected mothers than in infants born to uninfected mothers. These responses were also greater in infants with chlamydial conjunctivitis than in infants of uninfected mothers. These data suggest that cellular immune responses to chlamydial antigens are increased in infected mothers and infants and that infants may acquire chlamydial cell-mediated immunity transplacentally.     

Thoughts on malaria in pregnancy with consideration of some factors which influence remedial strategies

There is evidence that pregnancy enhances the clinical severity of malaria, especially of P. falciparum infections. In pregnant women with little or no prior experience of the disease, P. falciparum causes severe clinical illness, substantial malaria mortality, increased rates of abortion and stillbirth and low birthweight of offspring; moreover, in such women, the clinical consequences seen unmodified by maternal parity. However, in pregnant women resident in highly endemic areas who have acquired considerable immunity through prolonged prior contact with malaria, parity appears to influence susceptibility to an important degree. Women who are pregnant for the first time are most affected, showing increased prevalence and density of parasitaemia, increased frequency of clinical illness (but not mortality) and significantly increased frequency of delivery of low birthweight children. In contrast, in multigravid women these clinical features are much less obvious and rarely attain statistical significance. The differences in susceptibility to malaria of pregnant women associated with parity and previous immunological experience require that protective strategies must be planned with full knowledge of the local epidemiology of malaria and be specifically targeted to the women who require them. Furthermore, the effectiveness of each strategy requires careful monitoring to permit such modifications as may be required by change in the immune status of the resident population.     

The local immunity of the genital system in pregnant women with a genital infection

In 101 healthy pregnant women and 132 pregnant women with genital infection (colpitis, endocervicitis, cervicitis) the characteristics of the anti-infectious protection of cervical mucus were studied. In pregnant women with inflammatory diseases of the vagina and cervix uteri disturbances in the local immunity of the sex system were detected. The study showed that in genital infections local immunodeficiency depended to a greater extent on the localization and spread of the process rather than on the etiological factor of the disease.     

Plasma Levels of Apoliporptoein A1 in Malaria-Exposed Primigravidae Are Associated with Severe Anemia

Background

Plasmodium falciparum placental malaria (PM) contributes to 10,000 maternal deaths due to severe anemia (SA) each year in Africa, primarily among primigravid women who are most susceptible. Increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines like TNF-α are associated with maternal anemia in first time mothers but not in other women. Here we aimed to identify additional changes in the plasma proteome associated with pregnancy malaria that may contribute to the development of malaria-related maternal anemia.

Principal Findings

A semi-quantitative mass spectrometry approach was used to compare the relative abundance of plasma proteins in anemic versus non-anemic women with PM. Levels of 24 proteins differed significantly between anemic and non-anemic primigravidae, including several lipid metabolism proteins and molecular transport proteins involved in the acute phase response signaling network. These differences were not observed in multigravid women who enjoy specific immunity that protect them from PM. In a confirmatory study of a larger cohort of primigravid women, levels of the lipid metabolism protein Apolipoprotein (Apo)-AI were significantly lower in PM+ women with SA.

Conclusions

Apo-AI levels are significantly lower in severely anemic primigravidae with PM, and ApoA1 levels positively correlate with hemoglobin levels in primigravid but not multigravid women. Apo-AI is known to have anti-inflammatory effects, and thus Apo-AI reductions may contribute to the inflammatory processes that result in SA.     

Testosterone and immune-reproductive tradeoffs in healthy women

Although testosterone (T) has been characterized as universally immunosuppressive across species and sexes, recent ecoimmunology research suggests that T's immunomodulatory effects (enhancing/suppressing) depend on the organism's reproductive context. Very little is known about the immune effects of T in healthy females, and even less about how reproductive effort modulates the immune effects of T in humans. We investigated how the interaction between endogenous T and sexual activity predicted menstrual cycle-related changes in several measures of immunity: inflammation (indexed by interleukin-6, IL-6), adaptive immunity (indexed by immunoglobulin A, IgA), and functional immunity (indexed by bactericidal assay). Thirty-two healthy women (sexually abstinent, N = 17; sexually active with one male partner, N = 15) provided saliva samples at four points in the menstrual cycle: menses, follicular, ovulation, and luteal phases. Among sexually abstinent women, T was positively associated with IL-6 across the cycle; for sexually active women, however, T was positively associated with IL-6 in the luteal phase only, and negatively associated with IL-6 at ovulation. High T predicted higher IgA among women who reported infrequent intercourse, but lower IgA among women who reported very frequent intercourse. Finally, across groups, T was positively associated with greater bacterial killing at menses, but negatively associated in the luteal phase. Overall, rather than being universally immunosuppressive, T appeared to signal immunomodulation relevant to reproduction (e.g., lowering inflammation at ovulation, potentially preventing immune interference with conception). Our findings support the hypothesis that the immunomodulatory effects of endogenous T in healthy females depend on sexual and reproductive context.     

支原体肺炎患儿细胞免疫功能及肺功能状态变化的临床研究

目的:研究支原体肺炎患儿细胞免疫及肺功能状态的变化情况。方法:选取2014年10月~2015年10月于本院进行诊治的68例支原体肺炎患儿为观察组,以同期68名体检健康儿童为对照组。观察并比较两组儿童的细胞免疫及肺功能,以及不同程度肺炎患儿的细胞免疫及肺功能指标。结果:观察组患儿细胞免疫指标及肺功能指标均低于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);观察组重度肺炎患儿的细胞免疫指标及肺功能指标均低于中度及轻度患儿,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);观察组中度肺炎患儿的细胞免疫指标及肺功能指标均低于轻度患儿,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:支原体肺炎患儿细胞免疫及肺功能呈异常状态,且不同严重程度肺炎患儿的差异明显。     

Pandemic influenza A H1N1 2009 infection versus vaccination: a cohort study comparing immune responses in pregnancy

Background

With the emergence of H1N1 pandemic (pH1N1) influenza, the CDC recommended that pregnant women be one of five initial target groups to receive the 2009 monovalent H1N1 vaccine, regardless of prior infection with this influenza strain. We sought to compare the immune response of pregnant women to H1N1 infection versus vaccination and to determine the extent of passive immunity conferred to the newborn.

Methods/Findings

During the 2009-2010 influenza season, we enrolled a cohort of women who either had confirmed pH1N1 infection during pregnancy, did not have pH1N1 during pregnancy but were vaccinated against pH1N1, or did not have illness or vaccination. Maternal and umbilical cord venous blood samples were collected at delivery. Hemagglutination inhibition assays (HAI) for pH1N1 were performed. Data were analyzed using linear regression analyses. HAIs were performed for matched maternal/cord blood pairs for 16 women with confirmed pH1N1 infection, 14 women vaccinated against pH1N1, and 10 women without infection or vaccination. We found that pH1N1 vaccination and wild-type infection during pregnancy did not differ with respect to (1) HAI titers at delivery, (2) HAI antibody decay slopes over time, and (3) HAI titers in the cord blood.

Conclusions

Vaccination against pH1N1 confers a similar HAI antibody response as compared to pH1N1 infection during pregnancy, both in quantity and quality. Illness or vaccination during pregnancy confers passive immunity to the newborn.     

Antimalarial dosing regimens and drug resistance

The contribution of underdosing to antimalarial treatment failure has been underappreciated. Most recommended dosage regimens are based on studies in non-pregnant adult patients. Young children and pregnant women, who bear the heaviest malaria burden, have the highest treatment failure rates. This has been attributed previously to lower immunity, although blood concentrations of many antimalarial drugs are significantly lower in pregnant women and young children than in non-pregnant adults. Nevertheless, there have been no studies of higher dosages. Sub-therapeutic concentrations will certainly contribute to poorer responses to treatment and will fuel the emergence and spread of antimalarial drug resistance. There is an urgent need for studies to optimise antimalarial dosage regimens in infants, young children and pregnant women, both to improve cure rates and to prolong the useful therapeutic lives of antimalarial drugs.