Molecular and serologic analysis of IgG1 deficiency caused by new forms of the constant region of the Ig H chain gene deletions

Selective IgG1 deficiency is a rare disease. We report a familial form of IgG1 deficiency, in which IgG1 was undetectable in a 5-yr-old girl with a history of asthma and respiratory tract infections. Her father had an IgG1 level that was one-third of the mean amount found in normal healthy controls. The defect in the proband was caused by a homozygous deletion of the structural gene for C gamma 1. A Southern blot analysis demonstrated that the maternal haplotype contained a deletion encompassing C gamma 1, C psi epsilon 1, C alpha 1, C psi gamma, and C gamma 2, whereas the deletion on the paternal haplotype was confined to the C gamma 1 gene. Neither of these deletions has previously been reported. IgG1 normally constitutes the dominant isotype for antibodies directed against protein Ag, including viral proteins. We have analyzed the immune response to a number of different protein and polysaccharide Ag in the patient and her parents. In the proband, antiviral antibodies were restricted to the IgG3 and IgG4 subclasses. However, the total amount of IgG directed against several viruses was below the concentration found in normal seropositive individuals. The father and the paternal grandfather, both with low serum IgG1 levels, also had asthma, thus indicating a possible causal relationship.     

Induction of lysis by T cell receptor gamma delta+/CD3+ T lymphocytes via CD2 requires triggering via the T11.1 epitope only

The requirements for activation of the lytic machinery through CD2 of TCR gamma delta+/CD3+ cells were examined, by utilizing bispecific heteroconjugates containing anti-CD2 mAb cross-linked to anti-DNP. Contrary to the CD2 activation requirements in TCR alpha beta+/CD3+ cells, cytotoxic activity in TCR gamma delta+/CD3+ clones and TCR-/CD3- NK cell clones can be induced by heteroconjugates containing a single anti-CD2 (OKT11.1) mAb. Activation of TCR gamma delta+/CD3+ cells via CD2 is independent of heteroconjugates binding to CD16 (Fc gamma RIII), because heteroconjugates prepared from Fab fragments induced equal levels of lysis. Moreover, anti-CD16 mAb did not inhibit triggering via CD2 in TCR gamma delta+/CD3+ cells. In TCR-/CD3- NK cells, however, induction of cytotoxicity via CD2 is co-dependent on interplay with CD16. Anti-CD3 mAb blocked the anti-CD2 x anti-DNP heteroconjugate-induced cytotoxicity of TCR gamma delta+/CD3+ cells, indicating a functional linkage between CD2 and CD3 on these cells. We conclude that induction of lysis via CD2 shows qualitatively different activation requirements in TCR gamma delta+/CD3+, TCR alpha beta+/CD3+ CTL and TCR-/CD3- NK cells.     

Cytologic and ultrastructural findings of a peculiar alteration in cervical cells from patients with human papillomavirus infections

Inclusion bodies were previously found in Papanicolaou smears of patients infected by the human papillomavirus (HPV). To ascertain their origin, 12 biopsies from patients with colposcopic evidence of papillomatous lesions were studied by cytology and electron microscopy. In several instances, koilocytotic atypias and electron-dense masses included within epithelial cells were observed. Some of these epithelial cells appeared to be surrounded by other cells in a sort of concentric arrangement. The electron-dense masses were composed of intermediate filaments, vacuoles and electron-dense material. They seemed to be dyskeratotic cells. They can be compared with apoptotic bodies and may be related to a disturbance of the involucrin expression caused by the HPV infection.     

Survival of patients with malignancy-associated effusions

For a better understanding of the prognosis after the onset of a malignancy-associated effusion in patients known or subsequently shown to have cancer, survival time was compared with the findings and the date of the first cytologic diagnosis of an effusion. The number of patients studied was 254; 171 had a pleural and 83 a peritoneal effusion. The average survival time was 25.5 weeks, which was about equal for both sites of effusions. After two years, only 6% of all patients were alive. When the cytologic diagnosis of the effusion was "malignant," only 4% survived after two years; when the cytologic diagnosis was "suspicious for malignancy" and "nonmalignant," these figures were 5% and 7%, respectively. This indicates that a cytologic diagnosis of benign or nonmalignant is not a good indicator of a better prognosis in cancer patients for whom benign causes of the effusion have been excluded. There appeared to be a prognostic relationship between the length of the interval from the initial diagnosis of cancer to the time of examination of the first sample of the effusion: a longer interval was correlated with a better survival. When survival time was viewed in relation to therapy, patients whose pleural effusions were only treated by aspiration were found to have a particularly short average survival (13.9 weeks).     

Catabolite repression of the synthesis of inducible polygalacturonase and pectinesterase byAspergillus niger sp.

Several recent reports have described large numbers of monoclonal antibodies that cross-react with toxins A and B ofClostridium difficile; this suggests that the toxins share major epitopes. Our results show that monoclonal antibodies (MAb) against other antigens bind nonspecifically to both toxins. Therefore, we believe that the cross-reacting MAb bind by this manner and not by a true immune reaction.     

Interferon inhibits the accumulation of glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA in oligodendrocytes and C6 cells

We investigated the effect of rat interferon-/ (IFN) on the expression of glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (E.C.1.1.1.8; GPDH), in both C6 cells and pure cultures of oligodendrocytes. IFNs are naturally produced inhibitors of cell growth that can also affect differentiated cell functions. GPDH is a biochemical marker for oligodendrocytes and is known to be developmentally regulated and steroid inducible. GPDH activity is induced by hydrocortisone (HC) 3.5 fold in C6 cells and 5 fold in oligodendrocytes compared to untreated cultures. A pretreatment of these cells with 75 U/ml of rat IFN-/ resulted in an inhibition of the HC induction of GPDH enzymatic activity by 50% and 40% in C6 cells and oligodendrocytes respectively. We also found that IFN impaired the accumulation of GPDH mRNA in both cell types. These results demonstrate that IFNs are capable of modifying the cellular response to hormones in cells of neuroepithelial origin, and suggest the possibility that IFNs may be able to influence the development and function of the brain.Special issue dedicated to Dr. Paola S. Timiras     

Structure of the bovine eye lens gamma s-crystallin gene (formerly beta s)

The organization of a number of crystallin genes has already been resolved. One of the remaining genes of which the structure was hitherto unknown is the gamma s gene (formerly beta s). We determined the complete sequence of the bovine gamma s-crystallin-coding gene, apart from the middle region of the first intron. Since it contains three exons and two introns, we conclude that the former beta s, also at the gene level is gamma-crystallin-like. However, it is located on chromosome 3, in contrast to other gamma genes which occur in tandem on the human chromosome 2.