Immunological Procedures Research Articles

A new bicornuate model of rat uterus transplantation.

Uterus transplantation has revolutionized reproductive medicine for women with absolute uterine factor infertility, resulting in more than 40 reported successful live births worldwide to date. Small animal models are pivotal to refine this surgical and immunological challenging procedure aiming to enhance safety for both the mother and the child. We established a syngeneic bicornuate uterus transplantation model in young female Lewis rats. All surgical procedures were conducted by an experienced and skilled microsurgeon who organized the learning process into multiple structured steps. Animals underwent meticulous preoperative preparation and postoperative care. Transplant success was monitored by sequential biopsies, monitoring graft viability and documenting histological changes long-term. Bicornuate uterus transplantation were successfully established achieving an over 70% graft survival rate with the passage of time. The bicornuate model demonstrated safety and feasibility, yielding outcomes comparable to the unicornuate model in terms of ischemia times and complications. Longitudinal biopsies were well-tolerated, enabling comprehensive monitoring throughout the study. Our novel bicornuate rat uterus transplantation model provides a distinctive opportunity for sequential biopsies at various intervals after transplantation and, therefore, comprehensive monitoring of graft health, viability, and identification of potential signs of rejection. Furthermore, this model allows for different interventions in each horn for comparative studies without interobserver differences contrary to the established unicornuate model. By closely replicating the clinical setting, this model stands as a valuable tool for ongoing research in the field of uterus transplantation, promoting further innovation and deeper insights into the intricacies of the uterus transplant procedure.

Cathepsin S Is More Abundant in Serum of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis-Infected Dairy Cows.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causative agent of bovine paratuberculosis, a chronic granulomatous enteritis leading to economic losses and posing a risk to human health due to its zoonotic potential. The pathogen cannot reliably be detected by standard methods, and immunological procedures during the infection are not well understood. Therefore, the aim of our study was to explore host-pathogen interactions in MAP-infected dairy cows and to improve diagnostic tests. Serum proteomics analysis using quantitative label-free LC-MS/MS revealed 60 differentially abundant proteins in MAP-infected dairy cows compared to healthy controls from the same infected herd and 90 differentially abundant proteins in comparison to another control group from an uninfected herd. Pathway enrichment analysis provided new insights into the immune response to MAP and susceptibility to the infection. Furthermore, we found a higher abundance of Cathepsin S (CTSS) in the serum of MAP-infected dairy cows, which is involved in multiple enriched pathways associated with the immune system. Confirmed with Western blotting, we identified CTSS as a potential biomarker for bovine paratuberculosis. This study enabled a better understanding of procedures in the host-pathogen response to MAP and improved detection of paratuberculosis-diseased cattle.

Production and immunological characterization of the novel single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies against the epitopes on Opisthorchis viverrini cathepsin F (OvCatF)

BackgroundOpisthorchis viverrini infection is a significant health problem in several countries, especially Southeast Asia. The infection causes acute gastro-hepatic symptoms and also long-term infection leading to carcinogenesis of an aggressive bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma; CCA). Hence, the early diagnosis of O. viverrini infection could be the way out of this situation. Still, stool examination by microscopic-based methods, the current diagnostic procedure is restricted by low parasite egg numbers in the specimen and unprofessional laboratorians. The immunological procedure provides a better chance for diagnosis of the infection. Hence, this study aims to produce single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies for use as a diagnostic tool for O. viverrini infection. MethodsThis study uses phage display technologies to develop the scFv antibodies against O. viverrini cathepsin F (OvCatF). The OvCatF-deduced amino acid sequence was analyzed and predicted for B-cell epitopes used for short peptide synthesis. The synthetic peptides were used to screen the phage library simultaneously with OvCatF recombinant protein (rOvCatF). The potentiated phages were collected, rescued, and reassembled in XL1-blue Escherichia coli (E. coli) as a propagative host. The positive clones of phagemids were isolated, and the single-chain variable (scFv) fragments were sequenced, computationally predicted, and molecular docked. The complete scFv fragments were digested from the phagemid, subcloned into the pOPE101 expression vector, and expressed in XL1-blue E. coli. Indirect ELISA and Western analysis were used to verify the detection efficiency. ResultsThe scFv phages specific to OvCatF were successfully isolated, subcloned, and produced as a recombinant protein. The recombinant scFv antibodies were purified and refolded to make functional scFv. The evaluation of specific recognition of the particular epitopes and detection limit results by both computational and laboratory performances demonstrated that all three recombinant scFv antibodies against OvCatF could bind specifically to rOvCatF, and the lowest detection concentration in this study was only one hundred nanograms. ConclusionOur produced scFv antibodies will be the potential candidates for developing a practical diagnostic procedure for O. viverrini infection in humans in the future.

H-Scan Discrimination for Tumor Microenvironmental Heterogeneity in Melanoma

Melanoma is a form of malignant skin cancer that exhibits significant inter-tumoral differences in the tumor microenvironment (TME) secondary to genetic mutations. The heterogeneity may be subtle but can complicate the treatment of metastatic melanoma, contributing to a high mortality rate. Therefore, developing an accurate and non-invasive procedure to discriminate microenvironmental heterogeneity to facilitate therapy selection is an important goal. In vivo murine melanoma models that recapitulate human disease using synchronous implanted YUMM 1.7 (Yale University Mouse Melanoma) and YUMMER 1.7 (Yale University Mouse Melanoma Exposed to Radiation) murine melanoma lines were investigated. Mice were treated with antibodies to modulate the immune response and longitudinally scanned with ultrasound (US). US radiofrequency data were processed using the H-scan analysis, attenuation estimation and B-mode processing to extract five US features. The measures were used to compare different TMEs (YUMMER vs. YUMM) and responses to immunomodulatory therapies with CD8 depletion or programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibition. Multiparametric analysis produced a combined H-scan parameter, resolving significant differences (i) between untreated YUMMER and YUMM and (ii) between untreated, PD-1-treated and CD8-treated YUMMER. However, more importantly, the B-mode and attenuation measures failed to differentiate YUMMER and YUMM and to monitor treatment responses, indicating that H-scan is required to differentiate subtle differences within the TME. We anticipate that the H-scan analysis could discriminate heterogeneous melanoma metastases and guide diagnosis and treatment selection, potentially reducing the need for invasive biopsies or immunologic procedures.

Recent Progress of Metal-Organic Framework-Assisted Sensing System for Point-of-Care Antibiotics Detection in Food Industry; a Mini Review

Antibiotics (ANBs) are essential for animal health and are used for treatment, prevention, and growth promotion. However, ANB use in animals can lead to antibiotic residue in food products, which can cause various side effects. These include the transfer of ANB-resistant bacteria to humans, immunopathological effects, allergies, and even carcinogenicity. The most significant adverse effect is the transfer of ANB-resistant bacteria to humans due to the mobile properties of resistance. Therefore, timely detection is the best approach to prevent the spread of downsides of these compounds. Various methods exist for measuring ANB concentrations, such as LC-MS, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, thin-layer chromatography, and enzyme-linked immunoassay. However, complicated sample preparation processes and expensive equipment are often considered obstacles to their prevalent usage. Emerging technologies like Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) offer a simpler, quicker, and more cost-effective solution for detecting veterinary drugs in animal-derived food samples. This investigation first reviews some conventional methods for ANB recognition, including microbiological, immunological, and laboratory-based procedures. Then, Sensor-based analytical methods and their advantages and disadvantages were discussed. Finally, the recent progress in ANB detection approaches using MOF-based sensors in food products was investigated. MOFs have become a topic of great interest due to their remarkable properties. These include high surface areas that can be easily modified, defined porosity, lightweight, adjustable pore sizes, ordered structures, and impressive mechanical strength. The performance of MOFs is superior to traditional chemosensory materials due to their ability to adjust properties. Various sensing systems based on MOFs have been reported, including photoelectrochemical, electrochemiluminescence, electrochemical, and quartz crystal microbalance. As discussed in this review, sensors based on MOFs have emerged as reliable alternatives for fast and routine detection in clinical and environmental analysis and food safety control. Various MOF-based materials have been used for detecting antibiotics, and their advantages and limitations have been critically evaluated for future applications in diagnosing antibiotics in food products.

Immunological Exploring of ACTH Levels in the Serum of Patients with Histologically Verified Microcellular Lung Cancer

It is already known in the science that the cells of microcellular lung cancer can produce ACTH. By following the levels of ACTH producing, in the serum of microcellular lung cancer patients, we could make some statistical conclusions how significant these levels would be in eventual future early diagnostic procedures, besides already existing tumormarkers etc. This work would connect the Pulmology, Oncology, Endocrinology, Chemistry and Immunology fields containing very interesting immunological procedures, hormonal theories and statistical estimates.

Telocytes/CD34+ Stromal Cells in the Normal, Hyperplastic, and Adenomatous Human Parathyroid Glands.

Telocytes/CD34+ stromal cells (TCs/CD34+ SCs) have been studied in numerous organs and tissues, but their presence and characteristics in the parathyroid glands have not been explored. Using immunological and ultrastructural procedures, we assess the location, arrangement, and behavior of TCs/CD34+ SCs in normal human parathyroids, during their development and in their most frequent pathologic conditions. In normal parathyroids, TCs/CD34+ SCs show a small somatic body and long thin processes with a moniliform aspect, form labyrinthine systems, connect other neighboring TCs/CD34+ SCs, vessels, adipocytes, and parenchymal cells directly or by extracellular vesicles, and associate with collagen I. TCs/CD34+ SCs and collagen I are absent around vessels and adipocytes within parenchymal clusters. In developing parathyroids, TCs/CD34+ SC surround small parenchymal nests and adipocytes. In hyperplastic parathyroids, TCs/CD34+ SCs are prominent in some thickened internodular septa and surround small extraglandular parenchymal cell nests. TCs/CD34+ SCs are present in delimiting regions with compressed parathyroids and their capsule in adenomas but absent in most adenomatous tissue. In conclusion, TCs/CD34+ SCs are an important cellular component in the human parathyroid stroma, except around vessels within parenchymal nests. They show typical characteristics, including those of connecting cells, are present in developing parathyroids, and participate in the most frequent parathyroid pathology, including hyperplastic and adenomatous parathyroids.

Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis Infection in Dogs in Maiduguri, Borno State

Dirofilaria immitis infection is a major potential life threatening disease of dogs with worldwide distribution and of zoonotic importance. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of D. immitis. A total of 250 blood samples were randomly collected from dogs in the study area. The examination for D. immitis infection was carried out based on the conventional and immunological procedures using wet mount and Buffy coat methods. The total prevalence of D. immitis was 100 (40.00%). The prevalence of D. immitis in the adult dogs was 62 (24.80%) while, in the young dogs was 38 (15.20%). The prevalence of D. immitis in the male dogs was 54 (21.60%) while, 46 (18.40%) was the prevalence of the female dogs. The prevalence of outdoor dogs was 64 (25.60%) while, that of the indoor dogs was 36 (14.40%). The dogs with thin body condition scores had a prevalence of 80 (32.00%) while, the overweight (obesed) dogs were 20 (8.00%). However, the prevalence of D. immitis is higher in the adult, male and outdoor dogs compared to the young, female and indoor dogs. Therefore, the present study revealed a high prevalence of D. immitis infection in the study area.

Immunology of simultaneous liver and kidney transplants with identification and prevention of rejection.

Simultaneous liver and kidney (SLK) transplantation is considered the best treatment modality among selected patients with both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Since the first SLK transplant in 1983, the number of SLK transplants has increased worldwide, and particularly in the United States since the implementation of the MELD system in 2002. SLK transplants are considered a relatively low immunological risk procedure evidenced by multiple studies displaying the immunomodulatory properties of the liver on the immune system of SLK recipients. SLK recipients demonstrate lower rates of both cellular and antibody-mediated rejection on the kidney allograft when compared to kidney transplant-alone recipients. Therefore, SLK transplants in the setting of preformed donor-specific HLA antibodies (DSA) are a common practice, at many centers. Acceptance and transplantation of SLKs are based solely on ABO compatibility without much consideration of crossmatch results or DSA levels. However, some studies suggest an increased risk for rejection for SLK recipients transplanted across high levels of pre-formed HLA DSA. Despite this, there is no consensus regarding acceptable levels of pre-formed DSA, the role of pre-transplant desensitization, splenectomy, or immunosuppressive management in this unique population. Also, the impact of post-transplant DSA monitoring on long-term outcomes is not well-studied in SLK recipients. In this article, we review recent and relevant past articles in this field with a focus on the immunological risk factors among SLK recipients, and strategies to mitigate the negative outcomes among them.

Analytical Methods for Determination of Aflatoxin B1 in Animal Feeds and Feedstuffs

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is an Aspergillus spp. produced mycotoxins which is identified as one of the key contaminant of feeds and toxic to some degree to all species tested to date. Because of its hepatocarcinogenic nature, AFB1 has obtained significant attention in past few years. A number of analytical, diagnostic and immunological procedures are available for assessment and estimation of AFB1 in different feeds such as enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), thin layer chromatography (TLC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and electrochemical immunosensors (ECI). All available analytical methods for determination of AFB1 principally included the same steps like, sampling, sample preparation, detection, confirmation, and finally risk assessment. HPLC approaches are most commonly used nowadays because of their high accuracy, precision and sensitivity. Since late 20th century, many countries including Turkey has imposed strict rules and regulations regarding AFB1 in food and animal feed related industry to protect the consumer from the detrimental effects of the toxin. In this article, a number of analytical techniques for determination of AFB1 in feeds and feedstuffs starting from sampling to risk assessment and international regulations are reviewed.

Treatment-associated outcomes of patients with primary ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma after accurate diagnosis.

Differentiation between primary ocular adnexal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (POA-MALT) lymphoma and reactive lymphoid hyperplasias sometimes may be difficult. We have examined the treatment-associated mortality of POA-MALT lymphoma after confirmed diagnosis and evaluated their proper treatments. From 1991 through 2016, cases of POA-MALT lymphoma were retrospectively analyzed based on their pathological and molecular/immunological diagnoses. A total of 78 cases with POA-MALT lymphoma with a median age of 66years were analyzed over median/mean observations of 6.4/7.1years. Forty-four patients (56%) were diagnosed with IgH gene clonality and 10 patients (13%) were diagnosed with flow cytometric analysis in addition to the pathological decision. The rest (24 patients, 31%) were diagnosed employing pathological decisions of hemato-pathologists and clinical decisions. All patients, except cases of watchful waiting, achieved complete remission. After initial treatment, 68 patients (87%) presented disease-free during the observation period. As treatment, a radiotherapy-based strategy was followed with 15 patients (19%, group A). Immuno-chemotherapy was administered to 24 patients (31%, B). Surgical extraction only was selected for 36 patients (46%, C). Watchful waiting was selected with three patients (4%). Recurrence after the initial treatment was found in one patient (7%) out of A, in three patients (13%) out of B, and in six patients (17%) out of C, respectively. Progression-free survivals at 5 and 10years were 100 and 100% in A, 95 and 75% in B, and 88 and 81% in C, respectively. The recurrence rates between the patients who were diagnosed with only pathological decision (n = 24) and the patients who were diagnosed with molecular and immunological procedures (n = 54) did not show any statistical differences. Our results indicate that radiotherapy-based treatment strategies for patients with POA-MALT lymphoma show a low rate of recurrence and may improve their prognosis even after the accurate diagnosis. However, contamination of the cases with reactive (polyclonal) lymphoid hyperplasia into those with MALT lymphoma should be carefully removed to avoid unnecessary treatment for malignancies that do not exist.

Practical approach to diagnosis and management of primary immunodeficiency diseases

The occurrence of primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) is low compared to that of immune-mediated disorders of autoimmune or atopic origin. However, progress in basic and clinical immunology over the past 3–4 decades has facilitated not only improved detection of PIDs, but has also created an awareness of an expanding spectrum of these conditions. Given that those who suffer from the most severe types of PID experience life-threatening microbial and viral infections usually from an early age, prompt recognition and definitive diagnosis enable implementation of appropriate prophylaxis and therapy, and, most importantly, corrective, immunorestoration using allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The purpose of the current review is therefore to alert family physicians to the presentation and types of PID that they may encounter in clinical practice, as well as to immunological screening procedures that can be undertaken to confirm or exclude the existence of the most common types of PID. This is followed by a consideration of prophylactic and therapeutic options and, finally, by a brief overview of gene therapy and gene-editing strategies that may offer alternatives to, or eventually replace, stem cell therapy.

O círculo mágico e a arte de deixar-se repetir na infância: exercitação e aprendizagem nas esferas

Modern anxiety about human formation has been articulated around crucial questions for exercises, behaviors, routines, habits that are triggered to give children a certain shape, modeling the future of infans through repeated and regulated activities, at the same time in which the autoplastic forces that interact in the configuration of all life are tame. Not coincidentally, Peter Sloterdijk apprehends modernity as a form of secularization and collectivization of the life of the exercise, displacing the asceses transmitted from Antiquity from its respective spiritual contexts and dissolving them in the foamy fluid of the present biopolitical communities dedicated to the training and the industralism of the subjectivity. Based on his asceticism, it is possible to see how childhood education is at the center of a long historical chain of training through an art driven by immunological procedures and selective antropotechnique turned to the production of innumerable childhood farewells that aim to wrest the subject from their communities insuflated, hardening them and manufacturing them as "state athletes" or "domestic enterprises". In this direction, this essay intends to explore from the spherological drama described by Sloterdijk, which means to think of childhood when one has to pay the price for the absence of protective layers, that is, when the magic circles explode, the bubbles of soap blown by the eyes the child.

A microwell-based near-infrared fluorescence assay of DNA methylation

Background: DNA methylation is one of the most common epigenetic modifications, and has profound effects on the mammalian genome. The epigenetic silencing of a variety of genes by hypermethylation of promoter-associated CpG islands is often associated with diseases. This paper describes a method for the detection of DNA methylation. Methods: This method realized methylation detection in two steps, including capturing the sheared genomic DNA (gDNA) on probe-coupled microplate and detecting methylation by using a simple immunological procedure based on near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF). Results: This method was validated by detecting the methylation of synthesized oligonucleotides and nine genomic loci in the promoters of three genes, KIR3DL1, p14 ARF and TP53BP2 in three cell lines. The detection results of the gDNA were verified by the bisulfite sequencing polymerase chain reaction (BSP) performed in this study. This study also demonstrated that the detected methylation of these promoters reduced the transcriptions of these genes in the detected cells. Conclusions: This study provides a method for DNA methylation detection that is independent of bisulfite treatment, PCR amplification and immunoprecipitation.

Advanced nanomaterials for use in electrochemical and optical immunoassays of carcinoembryonic antigen. A review

This review (with 196 refs.) covers the state of the art in electrochemical and optical immunoassays for the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). In essence, it has sections on (a) frequently applied principles and types of CEA immunoassays; (b) aspects of sensor fabrication including immunological and immobilization procedures and the proper choice of nanomaterials; (c) electrochemical immunoassays, with subsections on assays based on the use of nanoparticles and other nanomaterials (such as conducting polymers and graphenes); (d) optical immunoassays based on the use of nanoparticles such as quantum dots, gold nanoparticles, upconversion nanoparticles, graphenes and their derivatives; (d) lateral flow and lab-on-a-chip (microfluidic) immunoassays; and (e) on multiplexed electrochemical and optical immunoassays with and without labels. Examples for applications to real samples are given. A final section discusses current limitations and trends in terms of sensing schemes and nanomaterials.

Promising new strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer death worldwide. It usually arises based on a background of chronic liver diseases, defined as the hypercarcinogenic state. The current treatment options for HCC ranging from locoregional treatments to chemotherapies, including sorafenib, effectively regulate the limited sizes and numbers of the nodules. However, these treatments remain unsatisfactory because they have insufficient antitumor effects on the large and numerous nodules associated with HCC and because of a high recurrence rate in the surrounding inflamed liver. To develop novel and promising therapies with higher antitumor effects, recent progress in identifying molecular targets and developing immunological procedures for HCC are reviewed. The molecular targets discussed include the intracellular signaling pathways of protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin and RAS/RAF/mitogen-activated protein kinase, Wnt/β-catenin and glutamine synthetase, insulin-like growth factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, nuclear factor-κB and telomerase reverse transcriptase, and c-MET. Immunological studies have focused mainly on target identification, T cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, natural killer T cells, and vaccine development.

Analysis of two monoclonal antibodies reactive with envelope proteins of murine retroviruses: One pan specific antibody and one specific for Moloney leukemia virus

Many monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reactive with various proteins of murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs) have been developed. In this report two additional MAbs with differing and unusual specificities are described. MAb 573 is reactive with the envelope protein of all MuLVs tested including viruses in the ecotropic, xenotropic, polytropic and amphotropic classes. Notably, MAb 573 is one of only two reported MAbs that react with the envelope protein of amphotropic MuLVs. This MAb appears to recognize a conformational epitope within the envelope protein, as it reacts strongly with live virus and live infected cells, but does not react with formalin-fixed or alcohol-fixed infected cells or denatured viral envelope protein in immunoblots. In contrast, Mab 538 reacts only with an epitope unique to the envelope protein of the Moloney (Mo-) strain of MuLV, a prototypic ecotropic MuLV that is the basis for many retroviral tools used in molecular biology. MAb 538 can react with live cells and viruses, or detergent denatured or fixed envelope protein. The derivation of these antibodies as well as their characterization with regard to their isotype, range of reactivity with different MuLVs and utility in different immunological procedures are described in this study.

Perspectives for Developing New Tuberculosis Vaccines Derived from the Pathogenesis of Tuberculosis: I. Basic Principles, II. Preclinical Testing, and III. Clinical Testing.

Part I. Basic Principles. TB vaccines cannot prevent establishment of the infection. They can only prevent an early pulmonary tubercle from developing into clinical disease. A more effective new vaccine should optimize both cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) better than any existing vaccine. The rabbit is the only laboratory animal in which all aspects of the human disease can be reproduced: namely, the prevention of most primary tubercles, the arrestment of most primary tubercles, the formation of the tubercle’s solid caseous center, the liquefaction of this center, the formation of cavities and the bronchial spread of the disease. In liquefied caseum, virulent tubercle bacilli can multiply extracellularly, especially in the liquefied caseum next to the inner wall of a cavity where oxygen is plentiful. The bacilli in liquefied caseum cannot be reached by the increased number of activated macrophages produced by TB vaccines. Therefore, new TB vaccines will have little or no effect on the extracellular bacillary growth within liquefied caseum. TB vaccines can only increase the host’s ability to stop the development of new TB lesions that arise from the bronchial spread of tubercle bacilli from the cavity to other parts of the lung. Therefore, effective TB vaccines do not prevent the reactivation of latent TB. Such vaccines only control (or reduce) the number of metastatic lesions that result after the primary TB lesion was reactivated by the liquefaction process. (Note: the large number of tubercle bacilli growing extracellularly in liquefied caseum gives rise to mutations that enable antimicrobial resistance—which is a major reason why TB still exists today). Part II. Preclinical Testing. The counting of grossly visible tubercles in the lungs of rabbits after the inhalation of virulent human-type tubercle bacilli is the most pertinent preclinical method to assess the efficacy of new TB vaccines (because an effective vaccine will stop the growth of developing tubercles before while they are still microscopic in size). Unfortunately, rabbits are rarely used in preclinical vaccine trials, despite their relative ease of handling and human-like response to this infection. Mice do not generate an effective DTH response, and guinea pigs do not generate an effective CMI response. Only the rabbits and most humans can establish the proper amount of DTH and CMI that is necessary to contain this infection. Therefore, rabbits should be included in all pre-clinical testing of new TB vaccines. New drugs (and/or immunological procedures) to reduce liquefaction and cavity formation are urgently needed. A simple intradermal way to select such drugs or procedures is described herein. Part III. Clinical Testing. Vaccine trials would be much more precise if the variations in human populations (listed herein) were taken into consideration. BCG and successful new TB vaccines should always increase host resistance to TB in naive subjects. This is a basic immunological principle. The efficacies of new and old TB vaccines are often not recognized, because these variations were not identified in the populations evaluated.

Contemporary Clinical Immunology and Serology Rittenhouse-Olson, De Nardin Pearson, 2013

This text contains 23, well-written and nicely organized chapters. One of the outstanding features includes the large, colorful, appropriate, and effective pictures, charts, and visual aids—which all contribute greatly to the learning objectives.Thechapterobjectivesinclude 2levels,which isidealfortheeducator needing to teach to differing levels of mastery. The intra-chapter “Checkpoint!” and case-studies are wonderful assessment tools. Teaching to students in a clinical discipline, I appreciated the inclusion of various immunological and serological test procedures, interpretations, and explanations. The text is very contemporary in its content, and has an entire chapter devoted to the frontier of laboratory testing in molecular techniques.

Presynaptic membrane receptor in human brain.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease that results from antibody mediated damage of Acetylcholine receptor (AChR) at the neuromuscular junction. The autoimmune character of MG and pathogenic role of AChR antibodies have been established by several workers i.e., the demonstration of anti-AChR antibodies in about 90% of MG patients. It has been demonstrated that patients with MG also have antibodies against a second protein named presynaptic membrane receptor (PsmR), which is identified by utilizing β-Bgtx, a ligand which binds to PsmR. Using β-Bgtx Sepharose 4B affinity matrix, the PsmR was purified from different regions of human cadaver brain by affinity chromatography. Purified receptor was characterized both by biochemical and immunological procedures. PsmR purified from different regions of the brain shows a specific activity of 0.37±0.01, 0.39±0.02 and 0.43±0.005nM/μg of protein in Parietal lobe, Occipital lobe and Frontal lobe respectively. The affinity purified PsmR from the brain of 87 and 68kd (parietal lobe, occipital lobe and frontal lobe) shows immunoreactivity with myasthenic sera. These findings suggest that PsmR from brain is another antigen against which autoantibodies are developed in Myasthenia gravis patients. Upon treatment with various enzymes we concluded that PsmR from brain is a glycoprotein in which the immunoreactivity resides in the carbohydrate as well as the peptide epitopes. In conclusion the PsmR is another antigen against which autoantibodies are formed in different regions of brain. These can be used as a diagnostic tool for detecting antibodies in the sera or cerebrospinal fluid of MG patients.