Serum immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM in patients with oral lichen ruber

The aim of this study was to determine level of serum IgA, IgG and IgM in patients with OLR as indicators of humoral immunity which might reflect cell-mediated immunity. This study was conducted on 30 patients (age 60.17 +/- 11.75) with clinically and histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of OLR and 30 healthy controls (age 56.16 +/- 11.82) Determination of serum IgA, IgG and IgM was performed by use of standard laser nephelometry in both patients and controls. Statistical analysis was done using Mann-Whitney U test and the level of significance was determined as p values lower than 0.05. Serum IgA and IgM in patients with OLR were significantly increased in comparison to the control group, while serum IgG levels were higher in patients with OLR but they did not reach significance. We might conclude that elevated levels of serum IgA and IgM show that humoral immunity is implicated in the pathogenesis of OLR.     

Serum IgA, IgG, IgM and salivary IgA in recurrent aphthous ulceration

Radial immunodiffusion technique was used to estimate salivary immunoglobulin A, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for estimation of serum IgA, IgG and IgM in 30 patients with acute recurrent aphthous ulceration (RAU) and during remission period compared to 30 healthy controls. Significantly elevated level of salivary IgA (p < 0.05) was found in patients with minor RAU when compared to the control group. Serum IgA level was elevated in patients with minor acute RAU when compared to the controls (p < 0.05). Serum immunoglobulin level of IgG and IgM showed no differences between patients with either minor or major recurrent aphthous ulceration and controls.     

IgG,IgA, and lysozyme in Martina Franca donkey jennies and their foals

Because immune transfer from jenny to donkey foal is mostly unknown, the aim of the present study was to evaluate, from 5 days before to 10 days after foaling, immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA, and lysozyme peripartal concentrations in serum and mammary secretions of 10 healthy, spontaneously foaling Martina Franca jennies and in serum of their mature, viable, healthy foals, in the first 10 days after birth. The results showed that, in jennies, mammary secretion of IgG levels (ranging between 16 and 75 mg/mL) and IgA (0.9–2 mg/mL), and IgG (6.8–13.5 mg/mL) and IgA (0.5–2.4 mg/mL) serum concentrations were not different along the time of study. Also, IgG concentrations in serum of foals did not show significant differences although a high level was observed at 12 hours after birth (8 mg/mL), and IgA concentrations in serum of foals did not show any significant difference, although a high level was observed at 12 hours after birth (1.2 mg/mL). Lysozyme increased significantly at Day 2 after parturition in mammary secretions of jennies (551.9 μg/mL) and at 12 hours in serum of foals (25.9 μg/mL). The study demonstrated that the pattern of passive immune transfer in donkey foals seems to be similar to that reported for the horse foal, with IgG predominating IgA in serum and mammary secretions of the jenny and also in serum of foals. The most significant early increase in foals' serum concerns lysozyme, which probably plays an important role in the innate immunity of the donkey foal in the first challenging hours after birth.     

Herpes Simplex Virus-Specific IgM,IgA and IgG Subclass Antibody Responses in Primary and Nonprimary Genital Herpes Patients

To clarify the humoral immunity in herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, HSV-specific IgM, IgA and IgG subclass antibody responses were studied in patients with genital herpes: 17 primary, 13 recurrent and 6 nonprimary first episode. A total of 181 serum samples serially collected from the patients, 5 per patient until 213 days after the onset of disease (on average), were analyzed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. IgGl, IgG3 and IgA were detected in all patients with primary and nonprimary infections, whereas IgG4 was detected in 74% of only those with nonprimary infections and IgG2 was detected in none. IgM was detected in 100% of the patients with primary infections, but also in 68% of those with nonprimary infections. IgA showed a peak similar to that of IgM in patients with primary infections. No significant difference was observed in the detection rate or pattern of antibody responses between the recurrent and nonprimary first episode infections, nor between the HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections. These findings may be useful to improve the diagnostic potential of HSV serology.     

Causal analysis of the variability of IgA, IgG, and IgM immunoglobulin levels

The interindividual variability of IgA, IgG, and IgM immunoglobulin levels was studied using path analysis in a northeastern Brazilian sample (nuclear families) to determine the genetic and/or environmental causes of their variation. The path analysis model decomposes the phenotype into genetic causes (autosomal and X-chromosome-linked genes) and environmental causes. A significant familial aggregation, mainly resulting from autosomal components, was detected for the 3 immunoglobulin levels. The values of genetic heritability were h2 = 0.410 +/- 0.030 for IgA, h2 = 0.617 +/- 0.020 for IgG, and h2 = 0.540 +/- 0.023 for IgM, and the values for environmental-cultural heritability were c2 = 0.085 +/- 0.034 for IgA, c2 = 0.084 +/- 0.027 for IgG, and c2 = 0.023 + 0.023 for IgM. Our results did not show a heritable component resulting from X-chromosome-linked genes on IgM levels, as suggested by some studies (Wood et al. 1969; Grundbacher 1972; Purtilo and Sullivan 1979). Some additional results were that (1) age and IgA concentration were positively correlated, with IgA level increasing gradually from childhood to adulthood (p < 0.001); (2) sex and the age X sex interaction act on IgG concentration (p < 0.01); (3) age and IgM concentration are correlated (with children presenting lower levels than adults, especially in males, p < 0.01); and (4) a significant association exists between sex and IgM level (with females presenting higher levels than males, p < 0.001).     

Serum IgG, IgM, and C3 levels in Schistosoma japonicum infected rabbits

New Zealand white rabbits were infected with 250 or 500 Schistosoma japonicum cercariae of Philippine-Leyte strain. Following the initial pre-infection bleed, blood was collected 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, and 32 weeks post-infection, and IgG, IgM, and C3 levels were assayed in the serum samples by single radial immunodiffusion. IgG and IgM achieved peak levels at 14 weeks post-infection and began to decrease in concentration by 26 weeks. At 32 weeks, some of the infected rabbits exhibited significantly reduced IgG and IgM levels which approached the concentrations assayed in the control animals. The infected animals demonstrated significantly elevated C3 levels (p less than or equal to 0.001) during the 6th to 26th weeks post-infection, with the exception of the 20th week.     

Generation and Characterization of Antibodies against Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) IgG,IgM, and IgA

Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) immunity is poorly characterized and understood. This gap in knowledge is particularly concerning as Asian elephants are an endangered species threatened by a newly discovered herpesvirus known as elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), which is the leading cause of death for captive Asian elephants born after 1980 in North America. While reliable diagnostic assays have been developed to detect EEHV DNA, serological assays to evaluate elephant anti-EEHV antibody responses are lacking and will be needed for surveillance and epidemiological studies and also for evaluating potential treatments or vaccines against lethal EEHV infection. Previous studies have shown that Asian elephants produce IgG in serum, but they failed to detect IgM and IgA, further hampering development of informative serological assays for this species. To begin to address this issue, we determined the constant region genomic sequence of Asian elephant IgM and obtained some limited protein sequence information for putative serum IgA. The information was used to generate or identify specific commercial antisera reactive against IgM and IgA isotypes. In addition, we generated a monoclonal antibody against Asian elephant IgG. These three reagents were used to demonstrate that all three immunoglobulin isotypes are found in Asian elephant serum and milk and to detect antibody responses following tetanus toxoid booster vaccination or antibodies against a putative EEHV structural protein. The results indicate that these new reagents will be useful for developing sensitive and specific assays to detect and characterize elephant antibody responses for any pathogen or vaccine, including EEHV.     

Quantitative Immunoglobulin Levels (IgG,IgA and IgM) in Children,Determined by the Hyland Immunoplate Technique

Quantitative immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgA and IgM) were determined in 200 infants and children ranging in age from 2 months to 15 years, using the Hyland “Immunoplate” technique. The mean values obtained ranged from 346 mg. % for IgG in the youngest age group to 814 mg. % in the oldest; for IgA the mean values ranged from 49 mg. % in the youngest age group to 114 mg. % in the oldest; for IgM the mean values ranged from 47 mg. % in the youngest age group to 97 mg. % in the oldest age group. The method used proved to be reproducible from day to day and was much more rapid than a previously used double-diffusion technique.     

南极食物链顶端海鸟卵中PCBs和OCPs积累水平及其全球意义

采用气相色谱-电子捕获检测器(GC-ECD)内标法定量测定了南极乔治王岛世袭栖息地海鸟(棕贼鸥、灰贼鸥、巨海燕、白眉企鹅)卵样中持久性有机氯污染物多氯联苯(PCBs)和有机氯农药(OCPs)残留量,研究探讨南极海洋食物链顶级生物体有机毒物积累水平探讨其环境意义。结果显示,卵样中有机毒物积累水平依次为:多氯联苯>滴滴涕>氯代苯>六六六。贼鸥卵样多氯联苯含量范围在91.9~515.5ng/g,滴滴涕56.6~304.4ng/g,氯代苯6.5~70.5ng/g,六六六<0.5~2.0ng/g;企鹅卵样多氯联苯含量范围在0.4~0.9ng/g,滴滴涕2.4~10.3ng/g,氯代苯6.0~10.2ng/g,六六六0.1~0.4ng/g;巨海燕卵样多氯联苯含量范围在38.1~81.7ng/g,滴滴涕12.7~53.7ng/g,氯代苯4.2~8.8ng/g,六六六0.5~1.5ng/g。研究结果还显示,不同种类海鸟卵样检出多氯联苯和有机氯农药均以七氯、六氯联苯、滴滴涕同系物(P,P′-DDE)和氯代苯化合物为主体。贼鸥、巨海燕卵样检出9种多氯联苯同系物(大小依次为PCB-180>PCB-153>PCB-194>PCB-138>PCB-118>PCB-170>PCB-101>PCB163>PCB-149)。贼鸥卵样七氯、六氯取代物的多氯联苯同系物含量在17.5~205.5ng/g占其总多氯联苯的62%;巨海燕卵样在14.5~30.5ng/g,占其总多氯联苯的69%;企鹅卵样检出5种多氯联苯同系物相对积蓄较低,其卵样之间变化相对稳定。对不同种类海鸟卵样的有机污染物数据进行统计分析,结果显示不同鸟种有机毒物积累水平的差异取决于不同鸟种的生态习性,如活动范围、迁徒距离、觅食习性以及巢址选择等,最主要是海鸟在海洋生态食物链中的位置,其食谱的宽窄,同时表明海鸟体内PCBs和OCPs积累通过食物链逐级加强的结果。有机毒物最高积累水平出现在棕贼鸥卵样中,灰贼鸥和巨海燕次之,企鹅最低。因为贼鸥不仅食性杂食谱宽,而且贼鸥与企鹅及其他小型海鸟之间存在着一定的捕食与被捕食的关系。南极海鸟卵样多氯联苯和有机氯农药的检出,是全球性有机氯污染又一新的重要证据。南极海鸟卵样中有机毒物的检出,揭示了人造有机污染物在南极鸟类代间转移的存在,它们在南大洋生态系统中的消除将会需要较长的时间过程,表明人类活动对南极生物圈与南极海洋环境的持久影响,南极是全球唯一无污染地区的价值正在丧失。     

Shifts in immunoglobulin (IgG,IgM and IgA) levels in the milk of southern elephant seals,at Potter Peninsula,King George Island,Antarctica

We quantified immunoglobulins (Ig) in mammary secretions of 12 female southern elephant seals ( Mirounga leonina) at King George Island, Antarctica, using single radial immunodiffusion on agarose plates. Seals were chemically immobilized for milk sample collection at four time points during the 3- to 4-week suckling period. All three major mammalian immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA) were detected in southern-elephant seal milk. Total immunoglobulin levels and the ratio of Ig subclasses varied throughout the suckling period. Total immunoglobulin levels were highest on the 1st day of lactation, when they represented over 57% of the mean total protein concentration of the milk, and declined steadily throughout lactation, representing approximately 40% of the mean total protein concentration at the end of the suckling period. IgG was the most abundant immunoglobulin class (85.93-93.78% of total milk immunoglobulins), followed by IgM (6.06-13.93%), and IgA (0.14-0.23%). There was no significant difference in IgA levels throughout the suckling period. IgG levels were significantly lower during the second stage (3-6 days post-parturition) than during the first, third or fourth stages (1, 13-15, and 19-25 days post-parturition, respectively). IgM levels were highest during the first stage of lactation; these values were significantly higher than levels measured during the second, third and fourth stages of lactation. Transfer of passive immunity from female to offspring in other mammalian species is correlated with the subclass of immunoglobulin secreted in the milk; species acquiring passive immunity in utero, via the placenta, secrete a preponderance of IgA, whereas species acquiring immunity post-partum, via lacteal secretions and gut resorption, secrete a preponderance of IgG. The Ig patterns and concentrations observed in our study of southern elephant seals are consistent with an important role of post-partum transmission of passive immunity during the pinniped lactation period.