Expression and Clinical Significance of Non B Cell-Derived Immunoglobulins in the Urinary System and Male Reproductive System.

The urinary system comprises kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra with its primary function being excretion, referring to the physiological process of transporting substances that are harmful or surplus out of the body. The male reproductive system consists of gonads (testis), vas deferens, and accessory glands such as the prostate. According to classical immunology theory, the tissues and organs mentioned above are not thought to produce immunoglobulins (Igs), and any Ig present in the relevant tissues under physiological and pathological conditions is believed to be derived from B cells. For instance, most renal diseases are associated with uncontrolled inflammation caused by pathogenic Ig deposited in the kidney. Generally, these pathological Igs are presumed to be produced by B cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that renal parenchymal cells can produce and secrete Igs, including IgA and IgG. Glomerular mesangial cells can express and secrete IgA, which is associated with cell survival and adhesion. Likewise, human podocytes demonstrate the ability to produce and secrete IgG, which is related to cell survival and adhesion. Furthermore, renal tubular epithelial cells also express IgG, potentially involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). More significantly, renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer have been revealed to express high levels of IgG, which promotes tumour progression. Given the widespread Ig expression in the urinary and male reproductive systems, continued efforts to elucidate the roles of Igs in renal physiological and pathological processes are necessary.

Effects of female bone marrow transplantation on male reproductive organs.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), an adverse effect after bone marrow transplantation (BMT), may affect male reproductive function. It is hypothesized that a sex-mismatched BMT induces GVHD in male reproductive organs because female immune cells are not immunologically tolerant to specific antigens of the male organs. However, this hypothesis has not been experimentally verified using male (M) recipient animals following BMT from the female (F) donors. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to examine whether the female BMT to males (F→M group) induces some GVHD reactions in the testis and the other male reproductive organs. The results showed that no inflammation was found in recipients of the male BMT to males (M→M group), whereas significant inflammatory cell responses lasting for at least 4 months were induced in testis, epididymis, prostate and preputial gland in some mice of F→M group. The most severe lesion was found in the preputial gland, in which lymphocytic inflammation was accompanied by loss of glandular acini, thickening of the interstitum and increased cytokines such as TNF-α and IFN-γ. Western blot analyses revealed that sera from the F→M group reacted with various antigens of the male reproductive organs. These results indicate that transplanted female immune cells may recognize the male reproductive organs as immunologically foreign ones and induce chronic GVHD, which may affect male reproductive function.

Cells involved in the regulation of the autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands

1. The immunization of Wistar rats with 5 mg of chemically modified rat male accessory glands saline extract (MRAG) incorporated into complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced a delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to rate male accessory glands (RAG). Pretreatment with peritoneal cells (PC) obtained from rats 2 h after an intraperitoneal (ip) injection of a partially purified fraction (FI) of RAG (FI-PC2h) suppressed the DTH response to MRAG after immunization with MRAG-CFA, while pretreatment with PC obtained 24 h after an ip injection of FI-RAG (FI-PC24h) induced potentiation of the DTH response to MRAG. 2. The injection of spleen mononuclear cells (SpM), obtained from rats rendered unresponsive to MRAG by pretreatment with FI-PC2h, into normal syngeneic recipients markedly prevented the DTH reaction to MRAG. The transfer of SpM cells from animals injected with FI-PC24h (potentiated animals) to suppressed recipients (recipients of FI-PC2h on days -10 and -3, prior to immunization with MRAG-CFA) showed that SpM cells did not eliminate the suppression state in these recipients, but when they were transferred to normal recipients, they were able to induce a positive response to RAG (P<0.005). 3. The study of the phenotypic characteristics of the SpM cells prior to transfer showed similar numbers of CD4 and IL-2R SpM cells in both potentiated and normal animals. However, the number of CD8 cells was significantly reduced in SpM cells from potentiated animals compared to that observed in SpM cells from normal animals (P<0.05)

Factores involucrados en la facilitación de la respuesta autoinmune de animales envejecidos / Factors involved in the enhancement of the autoinmune response in aging rats

Se demostró que el envejecimiento facilita la inducción de respuesta autoinmune contra glándulas accesorias sexuales masculinas de ratas (GA) y, además, que las células de bazo de animales de 12 meses fueron capaces de transferir el fenómeno a animales de 3 meses. En este trabajo se analizó el tipo celular involucrado en la mayor respuesta como así también la influencia del medio interno. Los estudios se realizaron mediante experimentos de transferencia de células y posterior inmunización de los receptores con autoantígenos (GA químicamente modificado) y heteroantígeno (albumina sérica humana ASH) incorporado en coadyuvante de Freund completo. la respuesta de DTH nivel de anticuerpo contra GA demostraron que las células monocleares de bazo están comprometidas en la facilitación de la respuesta. Estas células separadas en poblaciones enriquecidas en linfocitos T o B pierden esa capacidad. En cambio, la población enriquecida en macrófago transfirió un nível significativo de respuesta autoinmune, lográndose la transferencia total sólo con los tres tipos celulares juntos. La transferencia de células a ratas previamente irradiadas aportó evidencias del compromiso del medio interno del animal de 12 meses isoinmunizado a ASH no mostró diferencias entre los distintos grupos experimentales