RESUMO
Chlamydia antigen analysis enables understanding of disease pathogenesis, facilitates development of diagnostic immunoassays and is essential to the design of a subunit Chlamydia trachomatis vaccine. Using an autobiographical narrative, I review over three decades of antigen analysis research findings coming from my research laboratory and provide an outlook to the broader field of Chlamydia seroepidemiology and vaccinology. Based on the experiences of my scientific career I conclude with thoughts for young scientists newly entering the Chlamydia research field.
Assuntos
Antígenos de Bactérias/história , Infecções por Chlamydia/história , Chlamydia trachomatis/imunologia , Animais , Anticorpos Antibacterianos/imunologia , Anticorpos Monoclonais/imunologia , Antígenos de Bactérias/imunologia , Proteínas da Membrana Bacteriana Externa/história , Proteínas da Membrana Bacteriana Externa/imunologia , Vacinas Bacterianas/imunologia , Infecções por Chlamydia/imunologia , Infecções por Chlamydia/patologia , Infecções por Chlamydia/prevenção & controle , Feminino , História do Século XX , Humanos , Camundongos , Vacinas de Subunidades Antigênicas/imunologiaRESUMO
Reviewing recent pages on social studies of science, the authors found several articles dealing with Dr. Ludwik Fleck's philosophical work. Fleck's interest was even more intensive in medical science. Apart from the typhus serology; he worked extensively in the field of microbiology and described the "Leukergy" phenomenon. A modest contribution was recently added to this list, dealing with Fleck's scientific legacy, namely his contribution to the early diagnosis of infectious diseases. Presented as "Fleck's hypothesis", an outline was given on antigens in the urine of patients with typhus exanthematicus, a disease that needed an early diagnosis or a preventative vaccination. The urine antigen discovery by Fleck is generally unknown to today's practitioner making the diagnosis of infectious agents with sophisticated methodology. We present the widespread use of a simple urine-drop test for antigen detection, feasible even in peripheral community environment. This clinical application is attributed to L. Fleck.
Assuntos
Antígenos de Bactérias/história , Antígenos de Bactérias/urina , Doenças Transmissíveis/história , Microbiologia/história , Filosofia Médica/história , Tifo Epidêmico Transmitido por Piolhos/história , Urinálise/história , História do Século XIX , História do Século XX , Humanos , PolôniaAssuntos
Anticorpos Antibacterianos/história , Especificidade de Anticorpos , Antígenos de Bactérias/história , Linfonodos/citologia , Linfonodos/imunologia , Animais , Anticorpos Antibacterianos/biossíntese , Antígenos de Bactérias/imunologia , Técnicas de Cultura de Células/história , História do Século XX , Linfonodos/metabolismo , Ratos , Salmonella typhi/imunologiaAssuntos
Teste Tuberculínico/história , Tuberculina/história , Tuberculose/história , Antígenos de Bactérias/genética , Antígenos de Bactérias/história , História do Século XIX , História do Século XX , Humanos , Mycobacterium bovis/classificação , Mycobacterium bovis/genética , Mycobacterium bovis/metabolismo , Tuberculina/biossíntese , Tuberculina/genética , Tuberculose/diagnósticoRESUMO
In this paper I have reviewed my early studies, between 1966 and 1976, on the phenomenon of immune deviation. Initially summarized are experiments with different forms of the flagellin antigen from Salmonella adelaide which established the inverse relationship between delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and antibody formation. Based on the flagellin studies, many of the key factors which determine whether an antigen will induce either DTH or antibody formation were delineated. These factors are just as relevant today as they were 25 years ago. Subsequent analyses at the cellular level demonstrated that different T cell subsets mediate DTH and T cell help and maintain immune deviation by suppressor mechanisms. A number of fundamental questions raised by this early work remain unanswered and are discussed. These include the nature of the primary signalling events which initiate immune deviation, the role of B cells in the deviating process and the mechanism by which CD8+T cells suppress antibody production.