Hemagglutinin Levels Research Articles

Rabbit erythrocyte hemagglutinins in schizophrenia.

THERE are numerous reports of the presence of abnormal levels of various serum proteins in psychotic patients.^1-4Serum globulins have been examined for antibody to brain tissue and to other antigens.^5-7Presumably, these antibodies appear in the serum as a result of autoimmunization or from stimulation by foreign antigens. Elevated γglobulin levels may result also from an increase in antibodies that are normally present in human sera. Elevated titers of various hemagglutinins occur in certain diseases and have been an aid in diagnosis.⁸About 98% of normal individuals have low levels of sheep hemagglutinins in their sera. As a result of serum sickness, Hodgkin's disease, leukemia, infectious mononucleosis, and a number of other illnesses, hemagglutinin levels may increase considerably. Cold hemagglutinins have been found in 95% of normal sera in low titer, and high titers are occasionally associated with primary atypical

Specific inhibition of immunocompetence.

IN intact animals there is a period of depressed direct haemolytic plaque-forming cell (DPFC) response, below that of the primary response, in primed animals challenged 1 to 9 weeks after the initial immunization1. This depressed DPFC response, during a period when the total haemagglutinin levels are maximum, is difficult to interpret in terms of antibody-mediated immune suppression2,3. During this interval of the primary response to sheep erythrocytes in mice, the haemagglutinin which persists is primarily IgG, which has been demonstrated to exert an inhibitory effect on IgM (DPFC) production. Byers and Sercarz4 have suggested that this depression represents an “exhaustion” of both the immune progenitor (X cells) and the sensitized (Y cells) cell compartments and that the IgM memory is short-lived.

Serologic responses to heterologous escherichia serogroups in women with pyelonephritis.

Hemagglutinating antibody levels to 11 heterologous escherichia serogroups (01, 04, 06, 07, 014, 018, 025, 075, 077, 086 and 0119) measured in 61 women with pyelonephritis and 48 control women, showed significantly higher mean levels to 04, 06 and 086 in those with pyelonephritis. Individual levels to 04 and 06 often exceeded 1:100 in them. No escherichia organisms were recovered from the urine of a third of the persons with pyelonephritis, and yet in half of these elevated (1:100 or higher) levels to serogroup 04 or 06 were present. Elevated levels to 06 in particular, and to multiple escherichia serogroups in general, occurred primarily in younger women (under 50 years old) with pyelonephritis. Escherichia antibody patterns could not be attributed to nosocomial infection. It is concluded that elevated hemagglutinin levels to heterologous escherichia serogroups constitute an indicator of pyelonephritis that may be particularly useful in the study of asymptomatic conditions and in infections partially treated by antimicrobial therapy.

Immunosuppression during Acute Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection

Summary Murine cytomegalovirus was found to exert a suppressive effect on several components of the primary immune response during acute sublethal infection of 4-week-old mice. Neutralizing antibody against MCMV was delayed in appearance, with only minimal titers as late as 14 days after infection. Primary response to i.p. sheep erythrocytes was profoundly suppressed when antigen was administered during the acute stage of MCMV infection. This suppression affected both serum hemagglutinin levels and 19 S and 7 S hemolytic antibody-forming spleen cells. No splenic cell destruction or deletion could be detected at the dosage of virus used. Maximum suppression of hemolytic plaque formation correlated with peak viral concentration in the spleens of these mice; in the case of serum hemagglutinin, suppression persisted well beyond the time when MCMV had been effectively eliminated from the spleen. Evidence was also obtained to show that delay in processing of antigen could not fully account for the immunosuppression. Thus a nonlethal virus-induced alteration in immune cell competence is postulated. This change may relate antibody and interferon production, inasmuch as both functions are suppressed over the same interval in acute MCMV infection.

Enhancement of lung adenoma formation by neonatal thymectomy in mice treated with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene or urethan.

AbstractThe influence of neonatal thymectomy on lung adenoma formation in mice was investigated. SWR and Swiss mice thymectomized at 3 days of age and given a single dose of 7,12‐dimethylbenz (a) anthracene (DMBA) or urethan showed significantly higher incidences of tumors than did intact controls, when examined at various intervals after the carcinogenic treatment. These differences in the yield of tumors were manifested as early as 10 weeks after urethan administration. Levels of hemolysins and hemagglutinins in response to sheep erythrocytes were decreased in thymectomized mice as compared with normal animals.The probable relationship between enhanced susceptibility to chemical carcinogens and immunological deficit of neonatally thymectomized mice is discussed.

Preparation and Properties of Antibody Directed Specifically Against the Neuraminidase of Influenza Virus

Summary Antiserum was prepared against a recombinant influenza virus possessing A0 (NWS strain) type hemagglutinin and A2 (RI/5+) type neuraminidase. This antiserum was absorbed sequentially with NWS and A2 viruses and antibody directed against A2 type neuraminidase was then dissociated from the A2 virus. This antibody had no activity against the hemagglutinin activity of A0, A1 and A2 influenza viruses or against the infectivity of A0 and A1 viruses. It neutralized the enzyme activity of A2 but not A0 or A1 type influenza viruses. Anti-enzyme antibody caused apparent neutralization of the infectivity of influenza viruses possessing A2 type neuraminidase providing that the antibody was allowed to remain in contact with the cells during the test period. This antibody did not prevent infection of susceptible cells but apparently prevented the release of detectable levels of hemagglutinin. It had no effect on the infectivity of an A2 type recombinant virus that lacked neuraminidase activity.

Antibody, Lysozyme and Complement Levels in Animals Chemically Protected against X-Irradiation

Abstract Various chemicals have been found to protect animals against the lethal effects of x-rays when administered before irradiation. Substances creating anoxia and chemicals containing sulfhydryl (-SH) groups are among those discovered to be capable of protecting against doses of the LD50 to LD100 range (2). The effect of x-rays on the immune mechanism of mice given a protective chemical containing -SH groups was studied by Makinodan et al. (3) who found that the rate of recovery of the antibody forming mechanism in animals given 950 r and protected with 2-mercaptoethylguanidine hydrobromide (MEG) was approximately equivalent to the rate for mice given 475 r without protection. Their results indicated that -SH compounds such as MEG do not specifically protect antibody forming cells but aid the animal by acting as “dose reducing” agents. Irradiation has been shown also to cause a decline in levels of natural hemagglutinins (4), natural hemolytic antibodies (5), and bactericidal constituents of serum (6, 7).

Hemagglutination and hemadsorption of measles virus.

Evidence has been presented to show that concentrated measles virus in presence of monkey red blood cells will demonstrate the phenomenon of hemagglutination. Baboon kidney propagated measles virus yielded higher levels of hemagglutinin than measles virus grown in other primate tissue. Chick tissue propagated measles virus did not demonstrate hemagglutination. Specific inhibition of hemagglutination was demonstrated by rabbit and guinea pig antisera prepared against measles virus in our laboratory and in another laboratory, by naturally occurring simian measles antisera, by human gamma globulin and by human convalescent measles antisera. Inhibition was not observed when measles CF negative simian sera, measles acute human sera and a number of viral antisera were tested.