Practical evaluation of methods for detection and specificity of autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigens.

Detection and specificity of autoantibodies against extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) play a critical role in the diagnosis and management of autoimmune disease. Historically, the detection of these antibodies has employed double immunodiffusion (DID). Autoantibody specificity was correlated with diagnoses by this technique.

24. Clinical and laboratory assessment of immunity.

Clinicians order specific laboratory tests and interpret laboratory data that will be useful in establishing a diagnosis of immunodeficiency, either inherited (primary) immunodeficiencies or acquired (secondary) immunodeficiencies. The clinical immunologic evaluation of patients for immunodeficiency proceeds in an orderly fashion, from screening tests to sophisticated tests. The medical history and physical examination of the patient frequently provide clues guiding the level of entry into this testing program.

Progression to AIDS, a clinical AIDS condition and mortality: psychosocial and physiological predictors.

Background: The primary aim of this study is to examine prospectively the association of stressful life events, social support, depressive symptoms, anger, serum cortisol and lymphocyte subsets with changes in multiple measures of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease progression.

Methods: Ninety-six HIV-infected gay men without symptoms or anti-retroviral medication use at baseline were studied every 6 months for up to 9 years. Disease progression was defined in three ways using the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) classifications (e.

Comparison of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)--mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells and G-CSF--stimulated bone marrow as a source of stem cells in HLA-matched sibling transplantation.

HLA-identical bone marrow or stem cell transplantation from a sibling is the preferred treatment for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia, bone marrow failure syndromes, relapsed acute leukemia, and specific inborn errors of metabolism. Several groups have shown that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)--mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) obtained from HLA-matched siblings are effective in reconstitution of marrow function after marrow ablative conditioning therapy. To evaluate whether G-CSF treatment before bone marrow harvest leads to enhanced recovery of PBPC counts and recovery from limited graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), we assessed the outcome of a sequential cohort of patients treated identically and then given either G-CSF--mobilized PBPCs or G-CSF--stimulated bone marrow from HLA-identical siblings.

Impact of stressful life events, depression, social support, coping, and cortisol on progression to AIDS.

Objective: This study examined prospectively the effects of stressful events, depressive symptoms, social support, coping methods, and cortisol levels on progression of HIV-1 infection.

Method: Eighty-two homosexual men with HIV type-1 infection without AIDS or symptoms at baseline were studied every 6 months for up to 7. 5 years.