Clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology
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Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. · Dec 2005
Longitudinal analysis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-specific antibody in SARS patients.
The serum antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus of 18 SARS patients were checked at 1 month and every 3 months after disease onset. All of them except one, who missed blood sampling at 1 month, tested positive for the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody at 1 month. ⋯ The serum IgM antibody of most patients became undetectable within 6 months after the onset of SARS. The IgG antibody of all 17 patients, whose serum was checked 1 year after disease onset, remained positive.
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Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. · Jun 2005
Demonstration of components of antigen 85 complex in cerebrospinal fluid of tuberculous meningitis patients.
Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most common form of chronic infection of the central nervous system. Despite the magnitude of the problem, the general diagnostic outlook is discouraging. Specifically, there is no generally accepted early confirmative diagnosis protocol available for TBM. ⋯ This protein was earlier reported to be present in the blood of patients with extra-central nervous system tuberculosis. Therefore, this finding suggests that this protein can be used as a molecular marker for any type of tuberculous infection. It also provides a more sensitive immunoassay option for the early and confirmatory diagnosis of TBM.
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Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. · Jan 2005
Comparative StudyInduction of mucosal B-cell memory by intranasal immunization of mice with respiratory syncytial virus.
The capacity of live or inactivated respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to induce B-cell memory in respiratory-associated lymphoid tissues of mice was examined. Eight weeks after primary inoculation with either live or inactivated RSV, adult BALB/c mice were challenged with 4x10(5) PFU of RSV. Protection from viral shedding and mucosal production of RSV-specific antibodies were examined at various time points after challenge. ⋯ Secondary mucosal IgA responses were characterized by (i) the early production of mucosal IgA by B cells that reside in organized nasal-associated lymphoid tissues, cervical lymph nodes, and bronchial lymph nodes, and (ii) the subsequent production of RSV-specific IgA by mucosal effector tissues, such as the tracheal lamina propria and lung. These findings suggest that primary infection of mice with live RSV might induce mucosal IgA-committed memory B cells. A greater understanding of the characteristics of RSA-specific mucosal memory B cells may facilitate the development of an RSV vaccine.
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Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. · Sep 2004
Leukotriene B4 receptor (BLT-1) modulates neutrophil influx into the peritoneum but not the lung and liver during surgically induced bacterial peritonitis in mice.
Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) is a rapidly synthesized, early neutrophil chemoattractant that signals via its cell surface receptor, BLT-1, to attract and activate neutrophils during peritonitis. BLT-1-deficient (BLT-1(-/-)) mice were used to determine the effects of LTB4 on neutrophil migration and activation, bacterial levels, and survival after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Male BLT-1(-/-) or wild-type (WT) BALB/c mice underwent CLP. ⋯ Thus, LTB4 modulates neutrophil migration into the mouse peritoneum, but not the lung or liver, after CLP. Despite higher bacterial and PMN levels at remote sites, there was increased survival in BLT-1(-/-) mice compared to WT mice. Decreased PMN activation may result in less remote organ dysfunction and improved survival.
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Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. · Jul 2004
Comparative StudyLongitudinal profile of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA antibodies against the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus nucleocapsid protein in patients with pneumonia due to the SARS coronavirus.
By using a recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) nucleocapsid protein-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and serum specimens serially collected (from day 0 to day 240 after symptom onset) from patients with pneumonia due to SARS-CoV, we analyzed the longitudinal profiles of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA antibodies against the SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein in patients with pneumonia due to SARS-CoV. For IgG, the median optical density at 450 nm (OD450) turned positive at day 17 and a biphasic response was observed. At day 240, all patients were still positive for anti-nucleocapsid protein IgG antibody. ⋯ The median times of seroconversion for IgG, IgM, and IgA detected by the indirect immunofluorescence assay were 17 days (17 days by ELISA), 16.5 days (20.5 days by ELISA), and 17.5 days (17 days by ELISA), respectively, after disease onset. One, four, and one of the six patients who died did not produce any IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies against the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV, respectively, although these antibodies were detected in all six patients by the indirect immunofluorescence assay. Further studies should be performed to see whether SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein antibody positivity has any prognostic significance.