Enterovirus infections in young infants: are children still protected by maternal antibodies?

Enterovirus infections are frequent in childhood and may be involved in development of several chronic diseases including type 1 diabetes. Maternal antibodies have a protective effect in young infants. It has been proposed that this protection is now vanishing due to decreasing circulation of enteroviruses in Western countries.

Higher FoxP3 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of GAD65 or IA-2 autoantibody-positive compared with autoantibody-negative persons.

The role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in type 1 diabetes has been studied extensively. The most prevalent way to define Tregs has been by their surface expression of CD4 and CD25. As currently the transcription factor FoxP3 and the low expression of CD127 are regarded to be the most specific markers of Tregs, we analysed the number of Tregs defined by these molecules in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of diabetic patients and healthy controls.

Putative predictors of antibodies against follicle-stimulating hormone in female infertility: a study based on in vitro fertilization patients.

Problem: We have previously demonstrated the presence of naturally occurring antibodies against follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in patients with endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Here, we investigated the parameters associated with anti-FSH antibodies in in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients.

Methods Of Study: The following parameters were studied in 135 patients: peripheral FSH levels, FSH beta-subunit gene (FSHB) haplotypes, history of previous IVF, and susceptibility to autoimmune reactions in general [seven common autoantibodies (against nuclear antigens on human and rodent substrates, smooth muscle, gastric parietal cells, beta2-glycoprotein I, cardiolipin, and thyroid peroxidase) and HLA-DQB1 alleles].

Demonstration of high prevalence of SS-A antibodies in a general population: association with HLA-DR and enterovirus antibodies.

Autoantibodies are helpful markers for diagnosing autoimmune diseases and there is a link between HLA-DR3 and the prevalence of SS-A antibodies in clinical groups. We aimed to study this association at the level of general adult population and to verify whether these antibodies are more common in persons with antibodies against enteroviruses as possible associates of Sjögren syndrome. The studied material included sera from 200 persons, randomly selected from a general population sample.