Modified vaccinia virus Ankara for delivery of human tyrosinase as melanoma-associated antigen: induction of tyrosinase- and melanoma-specific human leukocyte antigen A*0201-restricted cytotoxic T cells in vitro and in vivo.

Vaccination with tumor-associated antigens is a promising approach for cancer immunotherapy. Because the majority of these antigens are normal self antigens, they may require suitable delivery systems to promote their immunogenicity. A recombinant vector based on the modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) was used for expression of human tyrosinase, a melanoma-specific differentiation antigen, and evaluated for its efficacy as an antitumor vaccine.

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis impairs T lymphocyte selection in the peritoneum.

Peritoneal lymphocytes (PCL) of 45 healthy individuals, four uremic patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and 25 long-term continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients were characterized by flow cytometry to investigate whether CAPD alters the phenotype of PCL. B lineage cells constitute a minority of PCL (2.5% of cells).

T lymphocytes from normal human peritoneum are phenotypically different from their counterparts in peripheral blood and CD3- lymphocyte subsets contain mRNA for the recombination activating gene RAG-1.

The surface antigens of peritoneal lymphocytes of healthy human individuals were studied. B lineage cells comprised 2.3% of the total peritoneal lymphocyte population.

[Sensible diagnosis in suspected immune deficiency].

Patients reporting a marked proclivity for developing infections often present the care-providing physician with a diagnostic problem. If the available diagnostic possibilities are to be used rationally and with proper understanding, a thorough knowledge of the nature of an immune reaction is essential. The present paper contains a step-by-step scheme that may serve as an aid for the diagnostic approach.

Prevention of graft-versus-host disease in DLA-haplotype mismatched dogs and hemopoietic engraftment of CD6-depleted marrow with and without cG-CSF treatment after transplantation.

Prevention of graft-versus-host disease by depletion of CD6-positive T cells was studied in the dog. Donors were DLA-homozygous, recipients DLA-heterozygous with one DLA haplotype identical to the donor. Seven control dogs received untreated marrow and died of GvHD after full hemopoietic recovery within 28 days of transplantation.