Effect of levamisole on the cellular and humoral immunity indices in patients with chronic brucellosis

In chronic brucellosis patients receiving levamisole and placebo the dynamics of quantitative and functional characteristics of cell-mediated and humoral immunity have been studied. The immunomodulating effect of levamisole, manifested only in the process of treatment by a rise in the number of circulating lymphoid cells, their functional capacity, a decrease in the disproportion of immunoregulatory cells and the amount of circulating immune complexes, has been established. The positive dynamics of immunological characteristics have been found to improve both immediate and remote results of the clinical effectiveness of levamisole.     

Dynamics of the humoral immunity indices in patients with subacute brucellosis being treated with levamisole

The dynamics of the main characteristics of humoral immunity in patients with subacute brucellosis, receiving levamisole and placebo, has been studied. Levamisole produced an immunomodulating effect manifested by an increase in the number of B-lymphocytes and a drop in the level of circulating immune complexes. Levamisole did not essentially influence the content of serum immunoglobulins and specific antibodies.     

Cellular and humoral immunity indices in chickenpox, rubella, measles and epidemic parotitis in adults

Immunity characteristics at the height of the infectious process and at the period of convalescence were studied in 170 adult patients, aged 18-45 years, with chickenpox, rubella measles and epidemic parotitis. In chickenpox, rubella and measles a significant decrease, more pronounced in a severe course of the disease, in the number of T- and B-lymphocytes was observed, the immunosuppressive effect being more pronounced in measles. During convalescence the number of T- and B-lymphocytes in patients with the above-mentioned diseases approached the normal level with the exception of measles patients; in these patients the number of T-lymphocytes remained significantly below the normal level, while the content of IgG was increased. In the isolated form of epidemic parotitis no essential changes in immunity characteristics were detected, while in the disseminated forms, especially in those cases when the disease took a severe course, the tendency towards a decrease in the number of T-cells and a significant decrease in the levels of B-lymphocytes and IgG were observed. Prednisolone therapy used in such cases, though giving a good anti-inflammatory effect in parotitic orchitis, produced no immunosuppressive effect.     

Cellular and humoral aspects of innate immunity in the shark

Survival of many species depends, to a great extent, on their innate immunity. Innate immunity in the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum), a primitive elasmobranch, has been shown to consist of components, both humoral and cellular, which are in some respects similar to those found in mammals and other vertebrates. Innate immune factors present in the shark include complement (a complex system of serum proteins) and antibacterial proteins and enzymes, such as lysozyme. Shark complement, although opsonic and lytic in nature, differs from classical mammalian complement in the number of functionally distinct components involved in the activation sequence. Functional and structural analogues of several mammalian complement proteins have been isolated from the shark, and activation of shark serum by lipopolysaccharide or zymosan produces anaphylatoxin-like ligand(s) inducing mammalian smooth muscle contraction and chemotaxis of human leucocytes in vitro. Lysozyme activity has been recovered from shark leucocyte lysates, which also contain antibacterial peptides, distinct from lysozyme. The composition and antibacterial activity of shark leucocyte granules, the putative source of the activity, is under investigation. Cellular aspects of the inflammatory response which is an integral component of innate immunity, are leucocyte phagocytosis and chemotaxis. Both processes are functions of two distinct shark cell types, the granulocyte and the monocyte-macrophage. It should be noted that the innate resilience of the nurse shark is also augmented by a large pool of serum natural antibodies, which can account for as much as 45% of the total serum protein.     

Cellular and humoral immunity factors in salmonellosis and food toxinfections

The present work deals with the state of cell-mediated and humoral immunity in 129 patients with salmonellosis and 185 patients with alimentary toxicoinfections, determined from the data obtained in the leukocyte migration inhibition (LMI) test and the passive hemagglutination (PHA) test with cysteine, at different stages of the disease and depending on the severity of the infectious process. The results of these investigations showed that in adult salmonellosis patients the specific reaction of T- and B-lymphocytes developed as secondary immune response. The results of the LMI test proved to be unrelated to the severity of the infectious process, while antibody formation was found to be most intensive in the acute course of the disease. The investigations also revealed that the activity of reaction in the LMI est did not depend on the presence of humoral antibodies. In the patients with alimentary toxicoinfections changes in the results of the LMI test and the PHA test with cysteine showed the same regularities as in the salmonellosis patients. This permitted the authors to suggest that diseases of Salmonella etiology prevailed in the former group.     

Cellular and humoral immunity following Snow Mountain virus challenge

Little is known about the immune response to noroviruses. To elucidate the immunobiology of norovirus infection in humans, 15 volunteers were challenged with Snow Mountain virus (SMV), a genogroup 2 norovirus. We assessed the cellular and humoral immune response and infection by analyzing stool, serum, saliva, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) responses pre- and postchallenge. In contrast to Norwalk virus (NV), SMV infection was not dependent upon blood group secretor status. Nine of 15 volunteers were infected and showed a >/=4-fold increase over the prechallenge anti-SMV serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) titer, mostly subclass IgG1. Although serum IgG elicited by SMV infection was cross-reactive with Hawaii virus (HV), another genogroup 2 norovirus, salivary IgA was less cross-reactive. Neither SMV-elicited serum IgG nor salivary IgA cross-reacted with NV, a genogroup 1 norovirus. Significant increases in serum gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and IL-2, but not IL-6 or IL-10, were noted on day 2 postchallenge. For the majority of volunteers, both infected and uninfected, PBMCs stimulated with norovirus virus-like particles secreted IFN-gamma and other Th1 cytokines, suggesting previous norovirus exposure in most volunteers. Like the IgG antibodies, the SMV-activated T cells were cross-reactive with HV but not NV. IFN-gamma production was dependent upon CD4(+) cells, consistent with a predominant, but not exclusive, Th1 response. To our knowledge, this is the first report characterizing T-cell and cytokine responses following live norovirus challenge.     

Effect of retinoic acid on indices of humoral immunity

The influence of all-trans- and 13-cys-methylretinoate on antibacterial and antiviral immunity was studied in experiments on noninbred C57Bl/6 and (CBA X C57Bl/6) F1 mice. All-trans-methylretinoate was shown to stimulate the production of antibodies to E. coli antigens, with the effect being dose-dependent. At the same time both compounds inhibited the production of inhibitors, interferon and antibodies to influenza virus.     

Cellular and humoral immunity against vaccinia virus infection of mice

Despite the widespread use of vaccinia virus (VV) as a vector for other Ags and as the smallpox vaccine, there is little information available about the protective components of the immune response following VV infection. In this study, protection against wild-type VV was evaluated in mice with respect to the relative contributions of CD8(+) T cells vs that of CD4(+) T cells and Ab. C57BL/6 mice primed with the Western Reserve strain of VV mount significant IgM and IgG Ab responses, specific cytotoxic T cell responses, IFN-gamma responses in CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, and effectively clear the virus. This protection was abrogated by in vivo depletion of CD4(+) T cells or B cells in IgH(-/-) mice, but was not sensitive to CD8(+) T cell depletion alone. However, a role for CD8(+) T cells in primary protection was demonstrated in MHC class II(-/-) mice, where depleting CD8(+) T cells lead to increase severity of disease. Unlike control MHC class II(-/-) mice, the group depleted of CD8(+) T cells developed skin lesions on the tail and feet and had adrenal necrosis. Adoptive transfer experiments also show CD8(+) T cells can mediate protective memory. These results collectively show that both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell-mediated immunity can contribute to protection against VV infection. However, CD4(+) T cell-dependent anti-virus Ab production plays a more important role in clearing virus following acute infection, while in the absence of Ab, CD8(+) T cells can contribute to protection against disease.     

Cellular and humoral immunity factors as regulators of regenerative morphogenesis

The published and author's data concerning changes in the immune system during regeneration of various organs are summarized. During the first few hours after partial removal of organs possessing high regeneration capacity, lymphocytes stimulate proliferation of nonlymphoid cells of an organ identical to the operated one; the production of antibodies against thymus-dependent antigen also increases. At the following stages of regeneration, the lymphocytes suppress the cell proliferation and decrease the antigen production. The level of these changes correlates with the level of post operational deficiency of the organ being maximal after total removal of the organ. The functional properties of splenocytes at different stages of regeneration suggest that the high T-helper and T-suppressor activities correlate with stimulation and suppression of non-lymphoid cells proliferation respectively. Culture medium supernatant after cultivation of these lymphocytes also changes the proliferation of hepatocytes. The author considers the impairment of natural immune tolerance caused by deficiency of organ auto-antigens that normally suppress lymphocyte proliferation to be the cause of the changes in lymphocyte activity.     

Nonspecific indices of cellular and humoral immunity in viral hepatitis A and B patients

The article deals with the comparative study of the state of phagocytosis, as manifested by the ingestion of bacterial cells and by the results of the specific lupus erythematosus test, in 65 patients with acute viral hepatitis A and 45 patients with acute viral hepatitis B; these patients were also compared with respect to the presence of the markers of antigenemia and the state of their nonspecific immunity, determined by the level of serum immunoglobulins.     

Cellular and humoral immunity to hepatitis-B surface antigen in active chronic hepatitis.

The hepatitis-B surface antigen (HBsAG) may be persistently present in the serum in a few cases of active chronic hepatitis but the cause of the disease in most patients is unknown. In a study of 39 HBsAg-negative cases cell-mediated immunity to HBsAg was observed in 24 (62%), suggesting a high frequency of previous infection with the hepatitis-B virus. Hepatitis-B surface antibody was detectable by radioimmunoassay in six patients, in all of whom complexes of HBsAg were present in the serum on electron microscopy. Out of 12 patients with HBsAg-positive active chronic hepatitis who were also studied eight, including all those untreated at the time, showed a cellular response to the antigen. Evidence of sensitization to a liver-specific cell surface lipoprotein was found with similar frequency in the two groups. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that hepatitis-B virus infection is important in initiating the disease in many cases of active chronic hepatitis and that sensitization to the liver cell membrane antigen is the autoimmune process responsible for the perpetuation of the liver injury.     

Effects of kinins, kallikrein and its inhibitor on certain indices of cell-mediated immunity and humoral immunity in rabbits

The experiments were carried out on 54 rabbits in 9 groups of 6 animals each: group I -- controls, groups II, III, IV -- bradykinin i.v., groups V, VI, VII -- Depot-Kallikrein i.m. every other day for 3 weeks, groups VIII and IX -- Traskolan (trasylol) i.v. four times at intervals of 1 or 12 hours. The determined indices of cell-mediated and humoral immunity included: phagocytic activity of the reticuloendothelial system and peripheral blood leucocytes and their leukergic adhesiveness, haemagglutinin and haemolysin levels, serum complement titre, and the number of cells forming rosettes (RFC) or plaques (PFC) in the blood and spleen. These indices were determined 15 minutes, 3 and 24 hours after bradykinin administration, after 1, 2 and 3 weeks of kallikrein administration, and 1 or 12 hours after the last dose of Traskolan. Most determined indices showed always some fall. Only the phagocytic activity of the reticuloendothelial system was moderately increased in all groups, and in the bradykinin group leucocyte phagocytosis was increased slightly while their leukergic reaction was increased very strongly.     

Importance of humoral immunity indices in determining the Rickettsia prowazekii carrier state]

Experiments showed the possibility of making indirect conclusions concerning rickettsial carrier state by the method of determination of complement-fixing antibodies to R. prowazeki in the blood serum. Though not indicative of carrier state in individual animals, these antibodies, their dynamics and titers gave the evidence of group carrier state in cotton rats in respect of the causative agent of typhus. The number of animals carrying R. prowazeki increased with the rise of antibody titers. Negative seroconversion indicated the elimination of the causative agent from the body of the animal. The experimental results were confirmed by the data on the dynamics of the immunological structure of population, as well as by information contained in the literature on this problem.     

Immunocytochemical indices of the measles vaccinal process

To study the immune responsiveness of children in the measles vaccinal process, the cytochemical methods for the identification of immunocompetent cells have been used. The investigations have been made in children aged 1.5-4 years, immunized with live measles vaccine prepared from strain l-16. The results of these investigations indicate that the development of specific antiviral postvaccinal immunity is characterized by transitory changes in the populations of T-, B- and O-lymphocytes; such changes are accompanied by not only quantitative, but also qualitative changes of individual populations.     

Cellular and humoral immunity and nonspecific resistance factors in chronic opisthorchiasis patients during dispensary observation

In 116 patients with opisthorchiasis running a cholecystocholangitic variant of the disease course, the characteristics of nonspecific resistance (complement, lysozyme, properdin), cell-mediated and humoral immunity (T- and B-lymphocytes, T gamma-, T mu-, O-, D-, A-cells and auto-rosette-forming cells, IgG, IgA and IgM) have been studied. Essential changes in these characteristics before and after treatment, as well as at the remote periods of dispensary observation, have been established.     

Cell-mediated immunity in human brucellosis

Brucella can parasitize within human antigen-presenting cells modifying phagocytosis, phagolysosome fusion, antigen presentation, cytokine secretion, and apoptosis. Subversion of innate immune mechanisms by Brucella leads to defective Th1 immune responses and T-cell anergy in chronic brucellosis patients. This review summarizes the cellular immune responses in brucellosis, based on data derived exclusively from human cells or cell lines.