Immunomodulatory and clinical effects of Viscum album (Iscador M and Iscador P) in children with recurrent respiratory infections as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Ninety-two children 5 to 14 years of age living in areas exposed to the radioactive fallout from Chernobyl with recurrent respiratory infections (RRIs) were treated after randomization with either Viscum album praeparatum mali or pini (Iscador M or P). The dosage was two subcutaneous injections a week for 5 weeks with individual doses of 0.001 mg to 1.0 mg. Both Viscum album preparations were effective in significantly reducing clinical symptoms. One year after a single treatment course, the frequency of RRI relapses decreased by 78% and 73%, respectively. Immunomodulatory effects were assessed by investigation of lymphocyte subsets, natural killer (NK) cell activity, phagocytic and oxidative activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and antiviral activity of serum before and 1 week after treatment. Viscum album therapy resulted in normalization of initial immune indices either below or above the normal ranges. High levels of antiviral activity before treatment were significantly decreased by Viscum album mali. Viscum album treatment should be studied further in children with RRI.

Differential expression of CD45RA and CD45RO molecules on human decidual and peripheral blood lymphocytes at early stage of pregnancy.

PROBLEM: The use of monoclonal antibodies for CD45RA and CD45RO antigens is important in defining maturational and functional stages on lymphocytes. METHOD: To characterize distribution of two isoforms of CD45 antigen CD45RA and CD45RO on CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD56+ lymphocyte subsets from first trimester human decidua, two-color flow cytometry were used. RESULTS: In decidua, there were much higher levels of CD45RO+ and much lower levels of CD45RA+ cells among CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells as compared with peripheral blood samples of the same pregnant women. Only approximately 40% of CD56+ cells in decidua expressed CD45RA. Unlike peripheral blood, approximately 30% of decidual natural killer (NK) cells weakly stained with anti-CD45RO antibodies. Double-negative CD45RA- CD45RO- NK cells were also present in decidua. CONCLUSIONS: The significantly raised percentage of intradecidual T cells expressing CD45RO suggest decidual accumulation of antigen-committed memory cells. The patterns of CD45 isoforms expression on decidual CD56+ cells are consistent with hypothesis that uterine CD56+ lymphocytes are terminally differentiated cells of NK lineage.

Differential expression of adhesion and homing molecules by human decidual and peripheral blood lymphocytes in early pregnancy.

Decidual and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were studied for their expression of CD44, L-selectin (Leu-8), CD54, and CD11b cell adhesion molecules (CAM). Most CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD56+ cells in decidua were L-selectin- and CD44+, i.e., had a phenotype consistent with mucosa-homing preference of decidual lymphocytes (DL). We observed trimodal staining of decidual and peripheral blood CD56+ and CD8+ cells with anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody; negative, weakly positive, and brightly positive subpopulations were evident. Relatively high levels of CD44-negative CD56+ and CD8+ cells were found in decidua. Most decidual T and natural killer (NK) cells expressed high amounts of the CD54 molecule. Substantially higher numbers of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells in decidua bore CD11b, whereas the percentage of CD11b-positive NK cells was significantly lower in decidua, compared with that seen in peripheral blood. As opposed to peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulation of decidual NK cells elicited a rapid increase in the numbers of CD11b-positive cells but not increased fluorescence intensity of CD11b on the stained cells. The CD54 molecule was also up-regulated on decidual and peripheral blood NK cells but only after 15 hr of stimulation with PMA. In contrast to peripheral blood cells, activation of decidual mononuclear cells by K562 did not lead to an augmentation of the CD11b and CD54 expression on NK lymphocytes. These findings suggest that expression of CAM on DL is regulated in a manner different from that of PBL, and CAM expression may be adapted to accommodate placentation in human beings. The interaction of lymphocytes by means of antigen-independent cell-cell adhesion could be essential for the development of the placenta and the regulation of the local maternal immune response to the genetically foreign fetus.

Extracellular diaphorase-like activity as a marker of cytolytic damage to cells.

A new variant of the enzyme release colorimetric method for NK/LAK cytotoxicity is described. Kinetic determination of diaphorase released from damaged target cells (TC) provided an exact measurement of the lytic activity of effector cells (EC). A polyenzyme testing system permitted the use of a wide spectrum of TC. The percentage cytotoxicity and the kinetics of the process coincide, within experimental error, with data from staining with Trypan blue. The method is simple and convenient and can be applied to study cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC).