Determination Of Specific IgG Antibodies Research Articles

Sensitization to avian and fungal proteins in different work environments

IntroductionHypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is usually caused by the inhalation of avian and fungal proteins. The present study assesses a cohort of Urban Pest Surveillance and Control Service (UPSCS) workers with high exposure to avian and fungal antigens, in order to identify their degree of sensitization and the potential risk of developing HP.MethodsWorkers were divided according to their work activity into Nest pruners (Group 1) and Others (Group 2). All individuals underwent a medical interview, pulmonary function tests and the determination of specific IgG antibodies. Antigenic proteins of pigeon sera were analysed using two-dimensional immunoblotting. Proteins of interest were sequenced by liquid-chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS).Results101 workers were recruited (76 men, average age: 42 yrs); (Group 1 = 41, Group 2 = 60). Up to 30% of the study population exhibited increased levels of IgGs to pigeon, small parrot and parrot, and up to 60% showed high levels of Aspergillus and Penicillium IgGs. In Group 1, specific parakeet and Mucor IgGs were higher (p = 0.044 and 0.003 respectively) while DLCO/VA% were lower (p = 0.008) than in Group 2. Two-dimensional immunoblotting showed protein bands of 20–30 KDa recognized by HP patients but not by workers. LC–MS analysis identified Ig Lambda chain and Apolipoprotein A-I as candidate proteins for distinguishing HP patients from exposed workers.ConclusionsTwo pigeon proteins were identified that may play a role in the development of pathological differences between HP patients and exposed workers. DLCO/VA may have a predictive value in the development of HP disease.

Study of eosinophil cationic protein serum levels in patients with toxocariasis

Introduction: Toxocariasis is a zoonotic helminth infection with difficult diagnosis. Determination of specific IgG antibodies alone does not allow to establish the disease stage and to evaluate the treatment efficacy. Therefore it is necessary to identify additional markers that will assist the diagnosis. The purpose of our study was to identify and monitor eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels in patients with toxocariasis confirmed by serology and to compare our data with the literature to determine the relevance of this protein as an indicator for recent infection and the effectiveness of the therapy. Material and methods: ELISA (CUSABIO) commercial kit was used for determination of ECP concentration. Sixty serum samples were studied from individuals previously tested and confirmed for toxocariasis by the presence of specific anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies in ELISA (Toxocara IgG Rbiopharm) and the presence of specific bands in Western blot as confirmatory test (LD BIO). Twenty serum samples from clinically healthy blood donors were used as a control group. Results: The mean concentration of serum ECP in the patients with toxocariasis was significantly higher than in clinically healthy subjects. Seventy-two percent of patients affected by toxicariasis showed increased serum concentration of ECP. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in terms of age (p = 0.451) and sex (p = 0.682) of the patients or clinical form of the disease. ECP levels among patients with visceral toxocariasis were relatively higher (mean 22.99 ng / ml ± 13.16 SD) in comparison to those with ocular involvement (15.60 ng/ml ± 9.92 SD). Correlation between the presence of peripheral eosinophilia and the concentration of serum ECP was not also established. Conclusion: Data from our study give us reason to believe that serum levels of ECP could serve as an additional marker indicating recent infection, especially in patients without marked increase in the blood eosinophils.

Comparison of Three Diagnostic Methods for the Detection of Cytomegalovirus and <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> IgG Antibodies at Prenatal Screening

<i>Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii)</i> and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections are typically asymptomatic infections, but they can have serious consequences mainly in newborns and immunocompromised patients. In many parts of the world, these infections are routinely screened during pregnancy (toxoplasmosis) and, in others, high-risk individuals are tested using fully automated screening assays. In this study, we investigated the performance of the three fully automated immunoassays, LIAISON^® XL DiaSorin, Abbott Architect and Roche Cobas^®, for the determination of specific IgG antibodies to Cytomegalovirus and <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> in human serum or plasma samples in terms of prevalence of CMV and Toxo IgG detected, and both sensitivity and specificity. Performance of the LIAISON^® assays was investigated compared to two other assays, ARCHITECT (CMV IgG and Toxo IgG assays) and Cobas^® (CMV IgG and Toxo IgG assays). Discrepant anti CMV IgG and anti Toxoplasma IgG samples were tested for IgM to CMV and Toxoplasma to exclude early acute infection where IgG could be detected differently by the methods. Overall, for both CMV IgG and Toxo IgG, the LIAISON^® assay was better than both the Cobas^® and ARCHITECT assays in terms of CMV and Toxo IgG detected, and both diagnostic sensitivity and specificity performance although the difference is statistically significant only compared to Cobas^®.

Farmer's lung disease: Analysis of 75 cases

IntroductionFarmer's lung disease (FLD) is a common form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis possibly underdiagnosed in our midst. The aim of this study was to describe clinical characteristics, evolution and factors that influence the prognosis of patients with FLD. Patients and methodsA retrospective study that included all patients diagnosed with FLD presenting an environmental exposure risk, a clinic, lung function and a compatible radiology, in which antigen sensitization was demonstrated and/or a concordant pathology. ResultsWe selected 75 patients with FLD, 50 with acute or subacute form (ASF) and 25 with chronic form (CF). Forty-four percent of patients (n=33) were diagnosed during the months of March and April, especially those with ASF compared to CF (52 vs. 28%; p=0.0018). In the ASF group, DLco showed an improvement during follow-up (p=0.047). The determination of specific IgG antibodies was positive in 39 patients (78%) with ASF (44% of them against Aspergillus) and CF 12 (48%). The realization of antigenic avoidance (OR 9.26, 95% CI 1.3–66.7, p=0.026) and the administration of immunosuppressive therapy (OR 16.13, 95% CI 1.26–200, p=0.033) were predictors of better disease progression. ConclusionsFLD is predominantly seasonal in our environment. CF usually has a negative specific IgG antibodies unlike ASF, where antibodies against Aspergillus are the most common. The realization of antigenic avoidance and immunosuppressive treatment are possible predictors of better disease progression.

Enfermedad del pulmón del granjero: análisis de 75 casos

IntroductionFarmer's lung disease (FLD) is a common form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis possibly underdiagnosed in our midst. The aim of this study was to describe clinical characteristics, evolution and factors that influence the prognosis of patients with FLD. Patients and methodsA retrospective study that included all patients diagnosed with FLD presenting an environmental exposure risk, a clinic, lung function and a compatible radiology, in which antigen sensitisation was demonstrated and/or a concordant pathology. ResultsWe selected 75 patients with FLD, 50 with acute or subacute form (ASF) and 25 with chronic form (CF). Forty-four percent of patients (n=33) were diagnosed during the months of March and April, especially those with ASF compared to CF (52 vs. 28%; P=.0018). In the ASF group, DLco showed an improvement during follow-up (P=.047). The determination of specific IgG antibodies was positive in 39 patients (78%) with ASF (44% of them against Aspergillus) and CF 12 (48%). The realisation of antigenic avoidance (OR 9.26, 95% CI 1.3-66.7, P=.026) and the administration of immunosuppressive therapy (OR 16.13, 95% CI 1.26-200, P=.033) were predictors of better disease progression. ConclusionsFLD is predominantly seasonal in our environment. CF usually has a negative specific IgG antibodies unlike ASF, where antibodies against Aspergillus are the most common. The realisation of antigenic avoidance and immunosuppressive treatment are possible predictors of better disease progression.

Molecular (ticks) and serological (humans) study of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in the Iberian Peninsula, 2013–2015

IntroductionCrimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral disease, mainly transmitted through tick bite, of great importance in Public Health. In Spain, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) was detected for the first time in 2010 in Hyalomma lusitanicum ticks collected from deer in Cáceres. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of CCHFV in ticks from Cáceres, and from other Spanish areas, and to evaluate the presence of antibodies against the virus in individuals exposed to tick bites. MethodsA total of 2053 ticks (1333 Hyalomma marginatum, 680 H. lusitanicum and 40 Rhipicephalus bursa) were analyzed using molecular biology techniques (PCR) for CCHFV detection. The determination of specific IgG antibodies against CCHFV in 228 serum samples from humans with regular contact with ticks (at risk of acquiring the infection) was performed by indirect immunofluorescence assay. ResultsThe CCHFV was not amplified in ticks, nor were antibodies against the virus found in the serum samples analyzed. ConclusionThe absence of the CCHFV in the ticks studied and the lack of antibodies against the virus in individuals exposed to tick bites would seem to suggest a low risk of acquisition of human infection by CCHFV in Spain.

Molecular (ticks) and serological (humans) study of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in the Iberian Peninsula, 2013–2015

IntroductionCrimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral disease, mainly transmitted through tick bite, of great importance in Public Health. In Spain, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) was detected for the first time in 2010 in Hyalomma lusitanicum ticks collected from deer in Cáceres. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of CCHFV in ticks from Cáceres, and from other Spanish areas, and to evaluate the presence of antibodies against the virus in individuals exposed to tick bites. MethodsA total of 2053 ticks (1333 Hyalomma marginatum, 680 H. lusitanicum and 40 Rhipicephalus bursa) were analyzed using molecular biology techniques (PCR) for CCHFV detection. The determination of specific IgG antibodies against CCHFV in 228 serum samples from humans with regular contact with ticks (at risk of acquiring the infection) was performed by indirect immunofluorescence assay. ResultsThe CCHFV was not amplified in ticks, nor were antibodies against the virus found in the serum samples analyzed. ConclusionThe absence of the CCHFV in the ticks studied and the lack of antibodies against the virus in individuals exposed to tick bites would seem to suggest a low risk of acquisition of human infection by CCHFV in Spain.

English

Chronic infection may promote arterial inflammation, thereby contributing to the initiation or progression of atherosclerosis.&nbsp;Chlamydophila pneumoniae&nbsp;is an obligate intracellular human respiratory pathogen. It has been suggested that coronary atherosclerosis may be an autoimmune process triggered by an infectious agent, most likely&nbsp;C. pneumoniae. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of coronary artery bypass surgery on&nbsp;C. pneumoniae&nbsp;IgG detection in blood samples taken from coronary sinus. Forty-two patients (aged 39 to 83 years) who were consecutive candidates of elective coronary artery bypass surgery for&nbsp;de novo&nbsp;lesions (coronary angiography showing &ge;70% lumen diameter stenosis in at least one epicardial coronary artery) were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were drawn from an antecubital vein immediately before the operation and from the coronary sinus during coronary artery bypass surgery for determination of specific IgG antibodies against&nbsp;C. pneumoniae.&nbsp;C. pneumoniae&nbsp;IgG was negative in all blood samples obtained immediately before coronary artery bypass surgery. In terms of blood samples drawn from the coronary sinus during coronary artery bypass surgery, there were no statistically significant differences between&nbsp;C. pneumoniae&nbsp;IgG negative and positive groups with respect to age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and smoking (p&nbsp;&gt; 0.05 is true form for all variables). Furthermore, the two groups were not significantly different with regard to the coronary arteries grafted during coronary artery bypass surgery (P&nbsp;&gt; 0.05 for all variables). The detection of&nbsp;C. pneumoniae&nbsp;IgG positivity underlines the importance of the association between coronary artery disease and&nbsp;C. pneumoniae. &nbsp; Key words:&nbsp;Chlamydophila pneumonia, atherosclerosis, coronary artery bypass surgery.

Laser-induced fluorescence integrated in a microfluidic immunosensor for quantification of human serum IgG antibodies to Helicobacter pylori

A portable immunosensor coupled to laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection system has been successfully developed. It was applied to the quantitative determination of specific IgG antibodies against Helicobacter pylori present in human serum samples. This system is a relevant alternative tool for the diagnostic of peptic ulcer and gastritis diseases produced by H. pylori, which are recognized risk factors for the development of gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma and gastric adenocarcinoma. More than 50% of the population has been affected by H. pylori, one of the most widespread infections around the world.Our proposed system combines the LIF detection, which offers great sensibility with the specificity of the immunological reactions and the microfluidic technology. The device has a central channel (CC) with packed H. pylori antigen immobilized on 3-aminopropyl-modified controlled pore glass (AP-CPG). Antibodies in serum samples reacted immunologically with the immobilized antigen and then, they were determined using alkaline phosphatase (AP) enzyme-labeled second antibodies specific to human IgG. The 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (4-MUP), employed as enzymatic substrate, was converted to soluble fluorescent methylumbelliferone by AP, and this fluorescent product was finally quantified by LIF detection system. The calculated detection limits for LIF detection and the ELISA procedure were 0.17 and 2.1UmL−1, respectively, and the within- and between-assay coefficients of variation were below 5.1%.

Suberosis: Clinical Study and New Etiologic Agents in a Series of Eight Patients

Penicillium frequentans is considered to be the causal agent of suberosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to cork dust inhalation. Nevertheless, other fungi can colonize cork during its storage period in humid conditions. The aims of the study were to assess the etiologic role of several fungi and cork itself in the genesis of suberosis, and to review the clinical characteristics of patients with this disease. Eight patients with suberosis were studied. Chest radiography, high-resolution chest CT, pulmonary function testing, bronchofibroscopy with BAL and transbronchial biopsy, and delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity tests were performed. Fungal and suberin (cork that is culture negative for fungi) antigens were used for serum determination of specific IgG antibodies, immediate hypersensitivity specific skin tests, and specific bronchial challenge tests. Serum specific IgG antibody determinations and specific skin tests against Aspergillus fumigatus and suberin demonstrated the capacity of both these antigenic extracts to induce an immunologic response. Positive specific bronchial challenge tests performed not only with P frequentans but also with A fumigatus, and cork itself were recorded in some patients for the first time in this disease. Dyspnea and cough were the most frequent symptoms. Clinical and functional improvement occurred after antigen avoidance. In addition to P frequentans, A fumigatus and cork dust itself may contribute to the development of suberosis.

Neumonitis por hipersensibilidad en los yeseros de la construcción (espartosis): estudio de 20 casos

Background and objectiveEspartosis is a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis which frequently affects construction workers handling esparto fibres used as support material inside gypsum plaster. Exactly which agents produce this disease remains under discussion. The aims of this study were: a) to assess the possible etiologic role of the fungi colonizing esparto grass fibres and esparto itself in the genesis of this disease, and b) to describe the clinical characteristics of this disease in a large series of patients. Patients and methodTwenty patients diagnosed of hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to esparto grass exposure were studied. Mycologic cultures of the esparto grass fibre samples provided by each patient were performed. Fungi and/or esparto were used for determination of specific IgG antibodies, specific skin tests and specific bronchial challenge tests. ResultsMost frequently isolated fungi in causal esparto samples were Aspergillus sp. (60%) and Mucor sp. (47%). Specific IgG antibody determinations and/or specific bronchial challenge tests showed antigenicity not only for Aspergillus sp. but also for non-fungi-contaminated esparto grass and other fungi such as Penicillium sp. or Mucor sp. These results were helpful for establishing a new etiologic approach to the diagnosis of this disease. ConclusionsAspergillus fumigatus is recognized as a causal agent in hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to esparto grass exposure; however, other antigenic sources such as Penicillium frequentans and other fungi, as well as esparto grass fibres, also appear to play a role in the genesis of this disease.

Objektivierung des Therapieerfolges einer spezifischen Immuntherapie bei Gräserpollenallergie*

So far it has not been possible to clearly objectify the success of a specific immunotherapy. The aim of the study is to determine which immunological parameters and which clinically biological observations can be used in order to verify a therapeutic success. In four different groups of patients suffering from grass pollen allergy, different specific immunotherapies were carried out pre-seasonally. Continuous observations of patients symptoms together with continuous measurements of the concentration of pollen in the air, of the usual whereabouts of the respective patients, as well as the determination of specific IgE and IgG antibodies before and after the immunotherapy, and the observation of the IgD titre were used as basis of assessment of the efficacy of the specific immunotherapy. Statistical evaluation showed that only the pollen-exposure measurement as compared to the complaints of the individual patients can yield exact information on the therapeutic success. The immunological parameters, in particular the determination of the specific IgG antibodies, are not statistically related to the actual therapeutic efficacy.