[Study of cellular inflammatory response with bronchoalveolar lavage in allergic asthma, aspirin asthma and in extrinsic infiltrating alveolitis].

The asthmatic inflammatory responses present different type of cells involved in this process, such as: Lymphocytes and Eosinophils. In experienced hands the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a well-tolerated and valuable tool for investigation of basic mechanisms in asthma and other immunological respiratory diseases. The purpose of this work was to study the different cells involved in asthmatic inflammatory responses in allergic and aspirin sensitivity patients and compared with Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis patients (EAA) by BAL procedure.

[The importance of IgG auto-antibodies, anti-collagen type II specific in Menière's disease and progressive hearing loss].

Unlabelled: The Meniere's Disease and Progressive Hearing Loss were considered idiopathic. Both entities were produced by endo lymphatic hydrops and disruption of the membrane which contain type II collagen. The inner ear presented widely expression of type II collagen.

The importance of specific IgG and IgE autoantibodies to retinal S antigen, total serum IgE, and sCD23 levels in autoimmune and infectious uveitis.

Autoimmunity plays an important role in the development of uveitis. The uveitis are linked to Th1 or Th2 lymphocyte activation. We studied 41 patients with uveitis, divided into autoimmune uveitis (n = 32) and infectious uveitis (n = 9), 30 normal controls, and 20 asthmatic atopic without ocular diseases.

Administration of interferon-g to pregnant rats reverses the depressed adjuvant-induced arthritis of their chronically Trypanosoma cruzi-infected offspring.

We demonstrated that administration of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) to the inbred "I" strain of pregnant rats conferred partial resistance on their offspring to challenge with Trypanosoma cruzi. We now examine if this intervention also modifies the reportedly immunodepressed cellular responses which occur during chronic infection. Offspring were born to mothers undergoing one of the following procedures during gestation: subcutaneous injections of recombinant rat IFN-gamma, 50,000 IU/rat, five times/week for 3 weeks, which was started on the day of mating (IFN-Mo); infection with 10(6) trypomastigotes of T.

Inflammatory arthritic process, iridocyclitis and immune response to articular and ocular antigens in Wistar rats injected with T. gondii trophozoites.

The present study deals with the potential role of T. gondii in inducing an arthritic inflammatory process. Wistar rats were injected subcutaneously (sc) into the right footpad with viable T.

Chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the rat: cyclophosphamide-induced recovery of adjuvant arthritis correlates with changes in the levels of lymph node T-lymphocytes and class II+ cells.

We have previously reported that treatment with cyclophosphamide (Cy) reversed the partial resistance of chronically Trypanosoma cruzi-infected rats to adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) and caused a slight enhancement of arthritis in controls, when given 48 h before induction. To ascertain whether this Cy effect could be associated with regional changes of immunocompetent cells, popliteal lymph nodes were studied for their T-cell subsets and cells carrying class II major histocompatibility (MHC) antigens (1-A and 1-E molecules). Analysis at the time of arthritis induction revealed that infected rats receiving Cy 48 h earlier appeared to have recovered from the inverse balance of major T-cell subsets and showed 1-E+ cells lowered to normal, whereas values from control rats remained unchanged by Cy treatment.

Acute and chronic experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the rat. Response to systemic treatment with recombinant rat interferon-gamma.

We examined the effects of recombinant rat interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) injections on the parasitologic, serologic, immunologic and histopathologic features of acute and chronic experimental Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) infections in "l" rats. Upon infection at weaning, two rat groups were allocated to receive a 20-day cycle of IFN-gamma injections, 20,000 IU/rat each, which started at 1, and 7 days post-infection (pi).

Effect of aging on autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands: young, but not aged, antigen-presenting cells efficiently induce suppression in aged rats.

The present report analyzes the suppressor cell system of aged rats in an experimental model of autoimmunity to rat male accessory glands (RAG). A state of specific suppression to RAG was induced when young rats are pretreated with peritoneal cells (PC) obtained from syngeneic young rats i.p.

Effects of thymus supernatants on the phenotype of different subsets of peritoneum antigen-presenting cells.

Peritoneal cells (PC) obtained 2 h subsequent to intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of low doses (200 micrograms) of a purified fraction of rat male accessory glands (FI-RAG) are phenotypically and functionally different from those obtained 24 h after i.

Enhanced myocardial lesions in chronically Trypanosoma cruzi-infected rats subjected to adult thymectomy.

Control animals and rats infected 90 days earlier, by inoculation of 1 x 10(6) trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi at weaning, were subjected to adult thymectomy (ATx) or sham operation (S-ATx) and assessed 3 months later for the presence of myocardial lesions and levels of lymph node and spleen T-cell populations. Chronic focal myocarditis (CFM) developed in 78% and 84% of S-ATx or ATx infected rats, respectively. While the two groups of infected rats did not differ as to the occurrence of myocardial lesions, large foci of CFM were more prevalent in ATx infected rats.

Effect of gangliosides in the autoimmune response induced by liposome-associated antigens.

A model of autoimmunity to rat male accessory glands (RAG) was recently developed by intraperitoneal administration of three doses of native RAG associated with liposomes. In this work we analysed the effects of gangliosides in the cellular response to RAG when they were intraperitoneally administrated prior to the second dose of liposome-associated RAG. Results show that the ganglioside treatment could modify an established DTH response.

Effect of aging on the autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands: deficit of I-E-positive peritoneal cells capable of inducing suppression.

The present report analyzes the ability to induce suppression to rat male accessory gland (RAG) autoantigens and the characteristics of T suppressor (Ts)-inducer peritoneal cells (PC) in old rats which show increased autoimmune responses. The injection of young rats with a purified fraction (FI) of RAG 10 and 3 days prior to immunization with chemically modified RAG (MRAG) markedly reduced the immune response to RAG autoantigens when compared with young rats which had only been immunized (controls), while the pretreatment of old rats did not block the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to MRAG when compared with control old rats. The study of cell surface markers on PC from rats injected i.

Antigen-induced inhibition of autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands: distinct characteristics of I-A- and I-E-positive peritoneal cells.

The present report describes different aspects of two populations of peritoneal cells (PC) obtained from rats injected i.p. 2 h or 24 h previously with a suppressor dose of a purified fraction (FI) of rat male accessory glands (RAG) (FI-PC2h and FI-PC24h, respectively).

Antigen induced inhibition of autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands: role of thymocytes on the efferent phase of the suppression.

In the present study, we report that Cy-sensitive, MRAG-adherent spleen mononuclear (SpM) inductor-phase T suppressor (Ts) cells obtained from rats pretreated with low doses of a purified fraction (FI) of rat male accessory gland antigens (RAG) are mainly OX19+ and W3/25+. Furthermore, thymocytes from rats pretreated with FI of RAG restore the suppression of the autoimmune response to RAG autoantigens in irradiated recipients of SpM inductor-phase Ts cells. In contrast, thymocytes from rats pretreated with rat heart saline extract (unrelated antigen) did not recuperate the suppression of the autoimmune response detected by macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and delayed-type hypersensitivity.

Antigen-induced inhibition of autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands: distinct role of I-A and I-E-positive peritoneal cells.

The present report describes the structural and functional characteristics of the population of peritoneal cells (PC) from rats injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) 2 h or 24 h previously with a suppressor dose of a purified fraction (FI) of rat male accessory glands (RAG: FI-PC2h and FI-PC24h, respectively).

Potentiation of autoimmune response in rats infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Inhibition of suppressor system and impairment of thymic cellular populations.

In the present work we studied the influence that an infection with Toxoplasma gondii in thymus proximity produces on the suppression of autoimmune response to autoantigen of rat male accessory glands (RAG). The suppression was achieved injecting syngeneic animals with low doses of autoantigen of RAG previous to the immunization with chemically modified rat male accessory glands (MRAG). Rats were infected in thymus proximity with 3 x 10(3) trophozoites of T.

Antigen-induced inhibition of autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands. Role of macrophages in the induction of suppressor cells.

The present paper describes a mechanism responsible for the induction of inducer-phase suppressor cells effective to suppress the autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands (RAG). In fact, we reported here that marked suppression of delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction and humoral response to chemically modified rat male accessory glands (MRAG) can be obtained when previously to be immunized with MRAG in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) syngeneic rats were pretreated with peritoneal cells (PC) coupled with a purified fraction of RAG (containing the autoantigen). The involvement of MRAG-specific inducer-phase suppressor cells was demonstrated by adoptive transfer experiments of spleen mononuclear cells from unresponsive donors to normal syngeneic rats 24 h prior to immunization of the recipients with MRAG-CFA.

[Regulation of the autoimmune response against antigens of male accessory glands of rats].

Rats immunized with chemically modified rat male accessory glands (MRAG) elicit organ and species specific autoimmune response. We have developed suppression of autoimmunity to MRAG injecting syngeneic rats, previous to immunization with MRAG-CFA, with low doses of the same antigen. The unresponsiveness was mediated, by inducer phase, cyclophosphamide (Cy)-sensitive, antigen specific, T suppressor lymphocytes and effector phase, Cy and irradiation sensitive T lymphocytes.

Potentiation of autoimmune response in rats infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Effect of the infection route.

The aim of this report is to describe the influence of the way of infection with 3 X 10(3) trophozoites of Toxoplasma gondii on the auto- and heteroimmune responses of rats immunized with chemically modified rat male accessory glands (MRAG) and human serum albumin (HSA) 6 and 36 days after infection. The delayed hypersensitivity (DTH) response to MRAG was potentiated in rats infected in thymus proximity (p less than 0.02) when compared with rats only immunized.

Potentiation of autoimmune response in rats infected with Toxoplasma gondii.

The influence that an infection with Toxoplasma gondii in thymus proximity produces on the autoimmune response was studied. Rats infected with 3 X 10(3) trophozoites of T. gondii in thymus proximity were immunized with 5 mg/ml of chemically modified rat male accessory glands saline extract (MRAG) and/or human serum albumin (HSA) emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) at 6 days after infection.

Secretory IgA and secretory component in women affected by recidivant vaginal candidiasis.

Local immunity was evaluated in 47 patients affected by recidivant vaginal candidiasis and 33 control women. IgG, IgA, IgM and secretory component (SC) were determined by single radial immunodiffusion in samples of cervicovaginal secretion. IgG in dosable levels was detected in 17/47 samples (36.

A simple two-step method for purification of secretory IgA from human colostrum.

This paper describes an extremely simple method for the purification of secretory IgA in two steps from a colostrum pool. The first step of this technique utilizes the agar transparency effect produced by high concentrations of secretory IgA contained in colostrum pool when it is subjected to electrophoresis in this support. The secretory IgA is obtained by extraction and elution of the transparent zone adjacent to the well.

A simple method for quantifying IgM of low molecular weight.

A new and simple method for quantitation of IgM of low molecular weight in sera by radial immunodiffusion in 7% agar gel is described. The test is easy to perform and permits exact determination of low molecular weight IgM concentration down to very small quantities (1 mg%). Results obtained with the method described agree with previously used assay procedures and offer the advantage of convenience and rapidity.