By using multidisciplinary analysis of CA inclusions in prostate glands of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, we have revealed that their major components are the amyloid forms of S100A8 and S100A9 proteins associated with numerous inflammatory conditions and types of cancer. We have demonstrated that material closely resembling CA can be produced from S100A8/A9 in vitro and shows the characters of amyloids. This process is facilitated by calcium or zinc, both of which are abundant in ex vivo inclusions. These observations were supported by computational analysis of the S100A8/A9 calcium-dependent aggregation propensity profiles. We have found DNA and proteins from Escherichia coli in CA bodies, suggesting that their formation is likely to be associated with bacterial infection. CA inclusions were also accompanied by the activation of macrophages and by an increase in the concentration of S100A8/A9 in the surrounding tissues, indicating inflammatory reactions. These findings, taken together, suggest a link between bacterial infection, inflammation and amyloid deposition of pro-inflammatory proteins S100A8/A9 in the prostate gland, such that a self-perpetuating cycle can be triggered and may increase the risk of malignancy in the ageing prostate. We evaluated the autoimmune reactions to endocrine (insulin) and astrocytical (S100B) biomarkers in the blood sera of PD patients compared with healthy controls. Peripheral immune responses can be sensitive indicators of disease pathology. We found a statistically significant increase of the autoimmune responses to both antigens in patients compared with controls. Heterogeneity of the immune responses observed in patients may reflect the modulating effect of multiple variables associated with neurodegeneration and also changes in the basic mechanisms of individual autoimmune reactivity. We did not detect any pronounced immune reactions towards insulin amyloid fibrils and oligomers in patients, indicating that an amyloid-specific conformational epitope is not involved in immune recognition of this amyloid type. Immune reactions towards S100B and insulin may reflect the neurodegenerative brain damaging processes and impaired insulin homeostasis occurring in PD. Generated auto-antibodies towards the major amyloidogenic protein involved in PD Lewy bodies - a-synuclein and its amyloid oligomers and fibrils were measured in the blood sera of early and late PD patients and controls by using ELISA, Western blot and Biacore surface plasmon resonance analyses. We found significantly higher antibody levels towards monomeric a-synuclein in the blood sera of PD patients compared to controls, though the responses decreased with PD progression. There were no noticeable immune responses towards amyloid oligomers, but substantially increased levels of IgGs towards a-synuclein amyloid fibrils both in PD patients and controls, which subsided with the disease progression. Pooled IgGs from PD patients and controls interacted also with amyloid fibrils of Ab (1-40) and hen lysozyme, however the latter were recognized with lower affinity. This suggests that IgGs bind to amyloid conformational epitope, though displaying higher specificity towards human amyloid species associated with neurodegeneration. The findings suggest the protective role of autoimmunity in PD and therefore immune reactions towards PD major amyloid protein - a-synuclein can be used in treatment strategies and in diagnostics, especially in identifying early disease.

Psychoneuroimmunology is an interdisciplinary area that examines the interaction between behavior, the central nervous system, and the immune system. Many investigations have utilized a taste aversion paradigm to examine the effects of classical conditioning on an immune response. The procedure generally consists of an animal ingesting a novel flavor, and then being made ill and immunosuppressed by injection of a pharmacological agent. The animal is provided access to that flavor at a later time. The rejection of the novel flavor on the test day is called taste aversion and the depressed antibody titer has been labeled conditioned immunosuppression. The present research was designed condition a secondary immune response and expand the evaluation of such conditioning to include both antibody titer and affinity. The Enzyme Linked Immunoassay was also introduced as the procedure of choice to quantify immune reactivity. A depression in antibody titer and affinity was found following exposure to three of four test trials. Taste aversion did not correlate with the immune response as increased consumption of the novel flavor was exhibited on the third and fourth test trial. In the second experiment, the dosage of cyclophosphamide was increased. A depression in antibody affinity was found after the third and fourth test trials, which was consistent with the results of the first experiment. Unlike the first experiment, a depression in antibody titer was not attained on test days. Although taste aversion was observed in the treatment group on three of the four test trials, it had extinguished by test four. The results support the concept of conditioned suppression of an antigen specific immune response by exposure to the taste aversion paradigm. An important contribution of the present research was the use and modification of a precise and sensitive assay for quantification of titer and affinity; the demonstration of conditioned suppression in both antibody titer and affinity; and the demonstration of conditioned immunosuppression with a single component CS.