No description available.

Methods for detection and control of cancer encompass a large area of today's research. Recent use of granulomas as a model for such detection and control may be a promising field, especially for monitoring tumor antigens and immune responses. These granuloma systems are increasingly becoming vehicles in the study of tumor immunology. Although granulomas may be induced naturally by means of foreign bodies i.e. viral, fungal, or bacterial agents, new methods are being established to produce artificial granuloma systems. These systems include chemical or foreign body implantations followed by tumor vaccine challenges.The research presented here involved the use of a golf ball-induced granuloma for the purpose of establishment of a detection system for immune responses. The use of a golf ball-induced granuloma provided a closed system for monitoring cell-mediated and humoral responses to tumor antigens. Immune responses were monitored by means of hematocrits (packed blood cell counts), white blood cell differential counts, and electrophoretic results.Hematocrit results indicated no great immune response to the closed vaccine injected granuloma systems. Observations made on differential white blood cell counts indicated decreasing neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios for cellular immune responses. Electrophoretic results for granuloma fluids indicated decreases in albumin levels concurrent with increases in peak two, and complete loss of peak three following vaccination. Responses to tumor specific antigens in the form of cell-mediated immune responses are indicated by the results presented in this research. Utilization of the golf ball-induced granuloma system provided a means of separating the cell-mediated and humoral immune responses.Tumor specific antigens elicited various immune responses and provide hope for future identification of tumors by this method. Future development and utilization of the golf ball-induced granuloma system may be potential means of monitoring cell-mediated immune responses to tumor malignancies.

No description available.

The aim of this study was to examine the maternal immune response to paternal antigens expressed by the fetus and identify the antigen inducing the response. Sera removed from responder female mice were tested for activity against paternal target cells using a cellular ELISA. Avtivity was first detectable at day 10 of a first pregnancy. The antibody detected in this way was shown to be non-cytotoxic, consisting of the IgGl subclass, directed against a class I antigen that could not be found on target erythrocytes. Sera removed at different stages of pregnancy exhibited varying degrees of cross-reactivity. To provide a source of pregnancy-induced antibody spleens from mice were removed during pregnancy and fused with rat or mouse myelomas. Antibody-secreting hybridomas were sought by means of CELISA with paternal cells as targets. Four hybridomas were isolated, producing antibody of the IgGl subclass, directed against a class I antigen and with limited cross-reactivity. The target antigen for both pregnancy sea and monoclonal antibody was examined for H-2 linkage, using the Lod score. The results obtained were unusual. Combination of the scores for four separate sera suggested an MHC-linked target. Individual scores suggested that two sera were directed against a linked and two against an unlinked antigen. Three of the monoclonal antidbodies were directed against H-2-linked antigens. Both sera and monoclonal antibody were immunoblotted against paternal, maternal and control cells. Pregnancy sera was seen to blot a 45-kD antigen present on paternal strain cells and cells from a mouse sharing the maternal haplotype. Only one hybridoma could be successfully blotted, revealing a 45-kD target. Immunisation with third-party lymphocytes has been used to treat recurrent spontaneous abortion. In twenty two couples treated in this way immunisation proved to be beneficial but there was no evidence for importance of an immune response or HLA sharing.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Στην παρούσα εργασία μελετάται η κυτταρική ανοσοαπόκριση σε ασθενείς με ιδιοπαθή θρομβοπενική πορφύρα. Αναλυτικότερα εξετάζονται οι επιμέρους υποπληθυσμοί λεμφοκυττάρων και οι κυτταροκινές που αυτά εκκρίνουν με την τεχνολογία της κυτταρομετρίας ροής. Ιδιαίτερη έμφαση έχει δοθεί στον υποπληθυσμό των ρυθμιστικών των λεμφοκυττάρων / In the present study we examine the immune response in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purrura. Using flow cytometry we examined the subpopulation of lymphocytes and cytokines they produce. We also examined the subpopulation of regulatory the cells who seems to play a crucial role in autoimmunity.

No description available.

Convincing molecular evidence for the existence of both cytokines and their receptors in teleost fish is presented. TGF-β is present in <I>O. mykiss</I> encoding a 112 amino acid mature peptide. An integrin binding site (RGD) and a characteristic tetrabasic cleavage site (RKKR) are present, as is the TGF-β superfamily motif. The mature peptide has 9 conserved cysteine residues (8 of which occur in pairs) as well as two additional conserved TGF-β superfamily residues (Pro₃₆ and Gly₄₆). TGF-β exhibits a wide range tissue distribution including head-kidney macrophages, PBL, brain, gill and spleen tissue, and is encoded by a 2.5Kb mRNA. The trout TGF-β gene is spread over 7 exons, with an additional intron in exon 7 when compared to mammalian and avian models. Isolation of a partial sequence also reveals the presence of TGF-β in a cyprinid species. Phylogenetic analysis suggests trout TGF-β to cluster with mammalian TGF-β1 isoforms, and the avian (TGF-β4) and amphibian (TGF-β5) homologs. Neither TNF-α or TNF receptors were detected in <I>O. mykiss</I> at either the cellular or molecular level. The use of degenerate primers in PCR lead to the isolation of a partial sequence for <I>O. mykiss</I> MHC class I. A full length CXC-R gene of 1.6Kb isolated from <I>O. mykiss</I> displays approximately 65% identity to mammalian CXC-R4 receptors, exhibits the seven-transmembrane domain structure of the G-protein coupled receptors and a tissue-specific distribution. Characteristic superfamily motifs and a putative glycosylation site are present in the sequence. Along with the major features of the adaptive immune response such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), T-cell receptor (TCR) and immunoglobulin (Ig), cytokines are now shown to be present at the level of teleost fish.