[The structure of carbohydrate chains of human IgG4-paraproteins differing in the ability to bind cell receptors]. / Struktura uglevodnykh tsepei IgG4-paraproteinov cheloveka, razlichaiushchikhsiia po sposobnosti sviazyvat'sia s kletochnymi retseptorami.

Comparative oligosaccharide analysis by HPLC revealed structural differences in the carbohydrate chains of human IgG4 paraproteins, varying in ability to induce the rhesus monkey's passive skin anaphylaxis. An atypical IgG4 paraprotein, which is inactive in this reaction and also does not bind the IgG4-subclass specific monoclonal antibody IH2, has a much higher proportion of the carbohydrate chains lacking terminal galactose residues than two typical IgG4 paraproteins. This structural feature may be one of the reasons for the atypical IgG4 not to bind by the mast cell Fc gamma receptor.

[A simple method of isolating monoclonal immunoglobulin M, possessing rheumatoid activity]. / Prostoi metod vydeleniia monoklonal'nogo immunobloulina M, obladaiushchego revmatoidnoi aktivnost'iu.

A simple procedure for obtaining highly purified preparations of native monoclonal (Waldenström's disease) immunoglobulin M possessing a rheumatoid activity (IgM-RF) has been developed. The method is based on the use of affinity chromatography with a new readily available adsorbent (immunoglobulin G-porous glass) and 3 M LiCl in Tris-buffer pH 8.3-8.4 able to induce the dissociation of the IgM-RF-IgG complex. The IgM-RF preparation thus obtained was characterized in terms of amino acid composition (relative to conventional monoclonal IgM), carbohydrate composition and structure of oligosaccharide moieties of a complex type. It was shown that some dissociation conditions for the IgM-RF-IgG complex routinely used to isolate IgM-RF provoke irreversible denaturation of IgM-RF when applied to a preliminarily purified complex.

[The determination in saliva of IgA antibodies to Shigella ribosomes for the diagnosis of dysentery]. / Opredelenie v sliune IgA-antitel k ribosomam shigell dlia diagnostiki dizenterii.

The levels of antiribosomal antibodies to Shigella ribosomes in serum and saliva samples from 38 dysentery patients (15 S. sonnei cases and 23 S. flexneri cases), 14 patients with salmonellosis and 136 healthy adults were determined in ELISA with ribosomes from S. sonnei R-mutant used as solid-phase antigen. High levels of "normal" antiribosomal IgA, IgG and IgM antibodies were revealed in the sera of healthy persons while the level of salivary IgA antibodies was very low. In dysentery infection no increase in the levels of serum IgG and IgM antibodies and only a slight increase in the level of IgA antibodies were revealed. Local immune response was manifested by the early (on days 2-4 from the onset of infection) and significant augmentation (12- to 16-fold) of salivary antiribosomal IgA antibodies. An increase in the level of these antibodies was registered in 95-100% of dysentery patients but not in patients with salmonellosis, which made it possible to recommend the method for diagnosing shigellosis. Immune response to Shigella ribosomal antigens, in contrast to the response induced by Shigella O-antigen, is almost exclusively local.

[IgG4 antibodies to the allergens of grass and tree pollens in pollinosis patients: their diagnostic and prognostic significance]. / IgG4-antitela k allergenam pyl'tsy zlakov i pyl'tsy derev'ev u bol'nykh pollinozom: diagnosticheskoe i prognosticheskoe znachenie.

Total IgE, IgE and IgG4 antibodies to offending allergens were studied in 118 hay fever patients with allergy to tree pollen or to grass pollen. No difference in the level of total IgE and IgE antibodies was found between these groups of patients while the IgG4 antibody level was significantly higher in tree pollen-allergic patients. It has been established that in tree pollen allergy, the determination of IgG4 antibodies is of no less diagnostic value than the assay of IgE antibodies. The authors discuss the problems of the prognostic value of IgG4 antibody increase during the hyposensitization therapy and of a possible relationship between IgG4 antibodies and allergy to vegetable food often associated with tree pollen allergy.

[Monoclonal immunoglobulinopathy in chronic active hepatitis and liver cirrhosis]. / Monoklonal'naia immunoglobulinopatiia pri khronicheskom aktivnom gepatite i tsirroze pecheni.

The clinico-laboratory and morphological studies were performed to examine and characterize 15 patients with chronic active hepatitis and liver cirrhosis mainly of viral etiology, going in association with monoclonal immunoglobulinopathy. The diagnostic difficulties determined by the syndrome of monoclonal immunoglobulinopathy are demonstrated. The results of a long follow-up (up to 17 years) of the indicated patients' group are provided. A possible role is discussed of hepatitis B virus as a source of long antigenic stimulation in the origin of monoclonal immunoglobulinopathy in chronic diffuse diseases of the liver.

[Local immunity in pathology of the IgA system (IgA subclasses in the saliva of patients with A-paraproteinemia)]. / Sostoianie mestnogo immuniteta pri patologii IgA-sistemy (subklassy IgA v sliune bol'nykh A-paraproteinemiei).

In 39 patients with A-paraproteinemia, the local immunity status was estimated according to the level of IgA subclasses in the saliva and antibody activity of secretory IgA to E. coli and S. Sonnei. Local production of normal IgA was undisturbed only in 12 patients with A-paraproteinemia, since in the saliva of those patients, there was a normal correlation of IgA subclasses and the level of antimicrobial IgA antibodies was the same as in healthy persons. The overwhelming majority of the patients with A-paraproteinemia and all the patients suffering from heavy alpha-chain disease manifested deficiency of local production of normal IgA, which consisted in the impairment of the normal correlation of IgA subclasses in the saliva and in the reduction of sIgA function. A-paraprotein was detected in many samples of the saliva using agar electrophoresis followed by immunoblotting. Secretion was shown to be mainly penetrated by the polymeric forms of A-paraprotein.

IgG4 antibodies in hay fever patients. Difference in IgG4 response to tree pollen and grass pollen allergens.

Total IgE and IgE and IgG4 antibodies to offending allergens were studied in 118 hay fever patients allergic to tree pollen and grass pollen allergens. No difference in the level of total IgE and IgE antibodies was found between these two groups while the IgG4 antibody level was significantly higher in tree pollen allergic patients. It is suggested that the IgG4 antibodies to tree pollen allergens can be stimulated by structurally related allergens of vegetable food and are probably involved in tree pollen-associated food hypersensitivity.

Protective milk O antibodies induced in guinea pigs by parenteral Shigella ribosomal vaccine.

IgG and IgA O antibodies were studied in milk and sera of guinea pigs subcutaneously immunized at various stages of pregnancy with Shigella ribosomal vaccines (SRV) from Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri. Both vaccines induced O antibodies in milk, the level of IgA antibodies being significantly higher than that of IgG antibodies. The immune milk provided a clear-cut protection against experimental Shigella-induced keratoconjunctivitis. These results are consistent with the previously shown ability of parenteral SRV to stimulate gut-associated lymphoid tissue and confirm the involvement of secretory IgA O antibodies in the protection induced by the parenteral SRV. The high level of milk antibodies in vaccinated guinea pigs suggests the possibility to use the parenteral SRV for developing lactogenic immunity.

[Immunoenzyme test system with monoclonal antibodies to human IgG4 in the determination of allergen-specific antibodies in pollinosis]. / Immunofermentnaia test-sistema s monoklonal'nymi antitelami k IgG4 cheloveka dlia vyiavleniia allergenspetsificheskikh antitel pri pollinoze.

ELISA for determination of allergen-specific IgG4 antibodies was developed with the help of monoclonal anti-IgG4 antibodies obtained by classic hybridoma technique. Subclass specificity of antibodies were studied in sera of 108 patients suffering from pollinosis. Antibodies of this isotype were found in the majority of patients with tree pollen allergy but not in patients with grass pollen allergy. The level of IgG4 antibodies correlated with the severity of the disease but not with the intensity of skin tests. Specific hyposensitization resulted in significant increase of IgG4 antibody level in patients with tree pollen allergy. Determination of IgG4 antibodies is proved to be useful to reveal tree pollen allergy and to monitor hyposensitization therapy.

[Isotypic characteristics of serum and secretory O antibodies and local immunological memory in the parenteral immunization of guinea pigs with a ribosomal Shigella vaccine]. / Izotipicheskaia kharakteristika syvorotochnykh i sekretornykh O-antitel i mestnaia immunologicheskaia pamiat' pri parenteral'noi immunizatsii morskikh svinok ribosomal'noi shigelleznoi vaktsinoi.

Guinea pigs were immunized subcutaneously with ribosomal vaccine prepared from S. sonnei and their systemic and local humoral response was studied by means of ELISA techniques with the use of monospecific antisera to guinea pig IgA and IgG. Injection of the ribosomal vaccine leads to a significant rise in the levels of IgA O-antibodies in tears, IgG and IgA O-antibodies in the serum. The presence of IgA O-antibodies in tears was seemingly the result of their local synthesis rather than the seepage of serum IgA. The stimulation of the local and systemic anti-O response was more pronounced after parenteral immunization with the ribosomal vaccine than after immunization with the corresponding dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Parenteral immunization with the ribosomal vaccine induced the development of both systemic and local memory. The priming effect produced by relatively small doses of this vaccine (40 micrograms), administered parenterally, was similar to the effect of prolonged and intensive stimulation ensured by 10-day feeding with LPS (the total dose being 5,000 micrograms).

Parenteral immunization with Shigella ribosomal vaccine elicits local IgA response and primes for mucosal memory.

The parenteral Shigella ribosomal vaccine (SRV), which previously was shown to protect guinea pigs and monkeys, has been compared with lypopolysaccharide (LPS) for its ability to induce a systemic and a local immune response. Injection of SRV caused a significant rise of the serum O antibodies of different classes and the appearance of IgA O antibodies in tears of guinea pigs and saliva and bile of monkeys. In guinea pigs, the local IgA response to parenteral SRV was much more intensive than that to feeding of high doses of LPS, while in monkeys it was nearly as high as that to challenge with a high dose of live pathogen. These data provide an immunological basis for the protective effect of SRV and are in disagreement with the widely accepted view of the inefficiency of parenteral antigens in stimulating mucosal immunity. The results are interpreted from the viewpoint of the role of ribosomes as a delivery system for the Shigella O antigen which provides high potency of SRV in stimulating local lymphoid tissue and makes it a good vaccine candidate.

[Preparation of monospecific antisera to IgA in laboratory animals using cascade immunization without preliminary isolation of the antigen]. / Poluchenie monospetsificheskikh antisyvorotok k IgA laboratornykh zhivotnykh metodom kaskadnoi immunizatsii bez predvaritel'nogo vydeleniia antigena.

The proposed method of "cascade" immunization for the preparation of monospecific antisera to IgA of the experimental animals (mice, rats, guinea-pigs) requires no isolation and purification of an antigen, since it is based on using precipitation lines containing IgA. The subsequent steps of the method are the following: 1) preparation of a polyspecific antiserum against one of the secretions or IgA-containing serum fraction; 2) preparation of precipitation lines using this antiserum and some other secretions; 3) immunization of other rabbits with these precipitation lines to obtain monospecific anti-IgA antiserum. The antisera obtained do not require any additional absorption except for the removal of anti-IgA antibodies. The method can be used for the preparation of monospecific antisera to any other serum or secretion proteins.

[Alpha 1-protease inhibitor: characteristics of its biochemical and biological properties and its level in various diseases (review of the literature and personal observations)]. / Alpha 1-ingibitor proteaz: kharakteristika biokhimicheskikh i biologicheskikh svoistv i opredelenie urovnia pri razlichnykh zabolevaniiakh (obzor literatury, sobstvennye nabliudeniia).

The authors review biological and biochemical properties and the clinical importance of the serum proteases alpha 1-inhibitor with broad-range antiproteolytic activity. Congenital deficiency of this protein is a frequent enough condition linked with predisposition to some diseases of the lungs and liver. Early determination of the deficiency of alpha 1-Pi is fairly urgent, since it permits the early administration of the preventive measures and substitution therapy. The immunochemical technique makes it possible to determine all the varieties of alpha 1-Pi, as they are antigenically similar. Sera from 267 patients with different diseases were examined. The content of alpha 1-Pi was found to be elevated in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, chronic active hepatitis and liver cirrhosis and to be lowered in bronchial asthma. In multiple myeloma and pollinoses, no alterations in the alpha 1-Pi content were recorded.