Suppression of antibody formation by bone marrow T-cells activated by histocompatibility antigens]

The suppressive effect of the bone marrow T-cells activated by histocompatibility antigens on antibody formation was studied. The bone marrow of CBA mice was found to contain the thymus-dependent lymphocytes which underwent hyperactivation after the repeated transfers to F1 recipients and acquired the capacity ot inhibit the development of cooperative immune response to sheep erythrocytes. Pretreatment of the bone marrow cells with antithymocyte globulin and complement prevented the suppression.     

Life in an unstable house: community dynamics in changing mussel beds

Mussels are ecosystem engineers, and fluctuations in their abundance and population structure could be important to the associated community. There is, however, little understanding of this connection. In the present study, based on quantitative monitoring (1997–2011) of three mussel beds in a fjord-like White Sea bay, two hypotheses were tested: (1) mussel assemblages are temporally unstable and local population fluctuates cyclically as a result of negative adult–juvenile interactions; and (2) oscillations in mussel size-structure are correlated with changes in the associated community structure. A negative correlation found between the abundance of small (length < 21 mm) and large (length > 20 mm) mussels suggests that adult mussels indeed suppress recruitment. Such interaction implies an auto-oscillatory pattern of population dynamics, with Large- and Small-dominated stages temporally replacing each other. This cyclic pattern was clearly revealed for one mussel bed only, but long-term replacement of the Large-dominated stage by the Small-dominated stage was revealed for the other two assemblages also. In general, temporal variations of mussel populations were significantly correlated with the dynamics of the associated community, although several abundant taxa (Tubificoides benedii, Littorina saxatilis, Macoma balthica, and Gammaridae) were insensitive to mussel changes. In contrast, filamentous algae and mud snails Hydrobia ulvae tended to be more abundant during the Large-dominated stage, whereas polychaetes Dipolydora quadrilobata were most abundant during the Small-dominated stage. Several other abundant “sensitive” taxa were obviously dependent on algal bloom. Thus, mussel beds are unstable systems, whose dynamics are shaped not only by the ecosystem engineer but also by the associated community.     

Natural killers and interleukin-2 in mice of the strain MRL/MpJ-lpr/lpr

The functional activity of natural killers (NK) in the spleen and lymph nodes and interleukin-2 (IL-2) production have been studied in MPL-MpJ-lpr/lpr (H-2k) mice with genetically predetermined autoimmune diseases and CBA (H-2k) mice. In MPL/l mice it has been shown that NK activity in the spleen was markedly depressed already in the first month of life, whereas in lymph nodes there is a substantial NK activity on days 7-10, which reaches its maximum by the second month and by the 6th months is practically intractable. IL-2 production in MPL/l mice was depressed at all stages of investigation.     

Production of alpha-, beta-, and lambda-interferons by epithelial and mononuclear cells during acute respiratory viral infection

Role of several types of cells (human broncho-epithelial cells, BEAS-2B cell line, and mononuclear cells as model of macrophages) in production of alpha-, beta- and lambda-interferons during acute respiratory viral infection was studied. Kits for detection of these interferons by quantitative PCR assay has been developed. In human broncho-epithelial cells respiratory viruses induced statistically significant expression of alpha-interferon mRNA at 8 hours after infection, beta-interferon mRNA--at 24 hours after infection, IL-29 mRNA (lambda-interferon) - at 24 hours after infection, IL-28 mRNA (lambda-interferon) - at 8 and 24 hours after infection. In BEAS-2B cell line induction of alpha-interferon mRNA expression was observed at 8 hours after infection, beta-interferon mRNA expression - at 24 hours after infection, IL-29 mRNA (lambda-interferon) expression - at 8 and 24 hours after viral challenge. Production of beta- and lambda-interferons by ELISA at 24 hours after infection has been detected. When polymorphonuclear cells were challenged, induction of alpha-, beta-, and lambda-interferons expression was observed at 8 hours after infection. Production of alpha-, beta- and lambda-interferons has been detected by ELISA at 24 hours after infection by rhinovirus 16.     

Regulatory role of bone marrow in immunogenesis. II. Analysis of various mechanisms of antibody genesis suppression by the bone marrow B cells in vitro]

The suppressive effect of the cells on the bone marrow of the B-lymphocytic series on the production of antibody-forming cells to sheep red blood cells, observed on their addition into the culture of the spleen cells after Mishell and Dutton, was mediated only by the live cells capable of proliferation, and was independent of the histocompatible differences between the bone marrow and the spleen cells and of the preliminary immunization of the bone marrow donors.     

Enhancement of the immune response to surface antigens of the influenza B virus as a result of their covalent binding with a synthetic polymer carrier

The primary immune response (the number of antibody-forming cells, AFC) and the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTHS) were studied in mice immunized either with isolated glycoproteins of influenza virus (hemagglutinin, HA and HA plus neuraminidase, HA plus NA) or with their conjugates with an acrylic acid copolymer (CP) and N-vinylpyrrolidone of equimolar composition. Immunization of mice with conjugates containing virus proteins (virogates-HA-CP or HA plus NA-CP--entailed a 50-100 increment of the number of IgM- and IgG-AFC, anti-HA as compared with analogous parameters during immunization of animals with isolated virus proteins. Immunization of mice with the virogate HA-CP gives rise to the development of a more pronounced DTHS to HA. The authors discuss the possibility of the use of this basically new approach to the design of highly immunogenous vaccine preparations, effective in the control of influenza and other virus diseases.     

An Anti-Human ICAM-1 Antibody Inhibits Rhinovirus-Induced Exacerbations of Lung Inflammation

Human rhinoviruses (HRV) cause the majority of common colds and acute exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Effective therapies are urgently needed, but no licensed treatments or vaccines currently exist. Of the 100 identified serotypes, ∼90% bind domain 1 of human intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) as their cellular receptor, making this an attractive target for development of therapies; however, ICAM-1 domain 1 is also required for host defence and regulation of cell trafficking, principally via its major ligand LFA-1. Using a mouse anti-human ICAM-1 antibody (14C11) that specifically binds domain 1 of human ICAM-1, we show that 14C11 administered topically or systemically prevented entry of two major groups of rhinoviruses, HRV16 and HRV14, and reduced cellular inflammation, pro-inflammatory cytokine induction and virus load in vivo. 14C11 also reduced cellular inflammation and Th2 cytokine/chemokine production in a model of major group HRV-induced asthma exacerbation. Interestingly, 14C11 did not prevent cell adhesion via human ICAM-1/LFA-1 interactions in vitro, suggesting the epitope targeted by 14C11 was specific for viral entry. Thus a human ICAM-1 domain-1-specific antibody can prevent major group HRV entry and induction of airway inflammation in vivo.