Colostrum from cows immunized with a vaccine associated with bovine neonatal pancytopenia contains allo-antibodies that cross-react with human MHC-I molecules.

In 2006, a new haemorrhagic syndrome affecting newborn calves, Bovine Neonatal Pancytopenia (BNP), was reported in southern Germany. It is characterized by severe bleeding, destruction of the red bone marrow, and a high case fatality rate. The syndrome is caused by alloreactive, maternal antibodies that are ingested by the calf with colostrum and result from a dam vaccination with one particular vaccine against Bovine-Viral-Diarrhoea-Virus. Because bovine colostrum is increasingly gaining interest as a dietary supplement for human consumption, the current study was initiated to elucidate whether BNP alloantibodies from BNP dams (i.e. animals that gave birth to a BNP-affected calf) cross-react with human cells, which could pose a health hazard for human consumers of colostral products. The present study clearly demonstrates that BNP alloantibodies cross-react with human lymphocytes in vitro. In agreement with previous reports on BNP, the cross-reactive antibodies are specific for MHC-I molecules, and sensitize opsonised human cells for in vitro complement lysis. Cross-reactive antibodies are present in serum and colostrum of individual BNP dams. They can be traced in commercial colostrum powder manufactured from cows immunized with the vaccine associated with BNP, but are absent from commercial powder manufactured from colostrum excluding such vaccinated cows. In humans alloreactive, MHC-I specific antibodies are generally not believed to cause severe symptoms. However, to minimize any theoretical risk for human consumers, manufacturers of bovine colostrum for human consumption should consider using only colostrum from animals that have not been exposed to the vaccine associated with BNP.

[Acupuncture for chronic pelvic pain syndromes (CPPS) and its effect on cytokines in prostatic fluid].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of acupuncture on chronic pelvic pain syndromes (CPPS), and its therapeutic mechanism. METHODS: Fourty-seven cases of CPPS were treated with electroacupuncture on Zhongji (CV 3), Guilai (ST 29), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Shuidao(ST 28), Xuehai (SP 10) and Taichong (LR 3) as main acupoints. Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (CPSI) was adopted to grade the severity of pain or discomforts. Additionally, the levels of Interleukin-8 (IL-8), Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in prostate fluid were detected and the correlation between those changes and pain score was analyzed. RESULTS: After treatment, pain or discomfort score in CPSI decreased remarkably as compared with that before treatment (P < 0.01). The levels of IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-alpha were lower than those before treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The positive correlation was obtained between IL-10 level and pain score (P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 89.4% (42/47). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture has significant efficacy on CPPS through reducing IL-10 level to ease pain, and reducing the levels of IL-8 and TNF-alpha to relieve inflammatory reaction.

[A technique for investigating the component of cantharidin blisters by flow cytometry].

OBJECTIVE: Cantharidimide cause blister. The effect of blister on immunoregulation was investigated. METHODS: Cantharidimide was placed on the skin, 48h later, the blister was analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The blister contained 1 x 10(6) - 1 x 10(7) cells per ml, most of which were neutrophils, macrophages, dendritic cells (DC), and IL-12 secreted by Thl cells. CONCLUSION: There are high concent of DC in the blister, which is differential and induce the secretion of Th1, the activation of T cell. The blister modulate the biological response of patients and is helpful for treatment with infective disease.

Topical flunisolide treatment of perennial rhinitis: clinical and immunological effects.

We studied the clinical and immunological effects of three months' treatment with intranasal flunisolide (100 micrograms daily) in 18 allergic patients with perennial rhinitis. 17 were hypersensitive to house dust mite and one to Parietaria pollen only. We found no significant changes in white blood cell count, serum levels of IgE and nasal IgA. However the treatment induced a marked improvement of clinical symptoms in all cases, and we observed a significant reduction of total IgE in nasal secretion. Flunisolide seems to exert this effect through its antiinflammatory action on the nasal mucosa.

Local humoral immunity in patients with pollen allergy.

All classes of immunoglobulins and albumin have been studied in different phases of disease, both in blood and in the nasal secretions of 75 patients with pollen allergy. There were 20 healthy persons in the test group. Total correlational analysis was done to determine interdependence of the researched indexes. The percentage of local synthesis of immunoglobulins in the nasal secretion was calculated with the help of Donovan's formula. The results obtained allowed us to find out that the local origin was responsible for 74% of total IgE, 97% of IgA and 10% of IgG in the nasal secretion in patients with pollen allergy. While comparing the results of skin tests with RAST, both in blood and in the nasal secretion, a positive coincidence was found considering the results of skin tests and RAST in serum in 93.8% cases, and in the nasal secretion in 91% of the cases. Coincidence between negative skin tests and the results of RAST in serum was as high as 89% of the cases. In some cases with negative skin test, specific IgE to the corresponding pollen allergens was found in the nasal secretion. In most of the cases there was correlation between allergen specific IgE in blood and in the nasal secretion in the phase of remission (88% of cases) and in the phase of exacerbation (100%). Total and allergen specific IgE in the nasal secretion can be widely used to diagnose allergy "in vitro".

A localized vaginal allergic response in women with recurrent vaginitis.

In women with recurring vaginitis, treatment of a vaginal Candida infection is not always accompanied by an alleviation of symptoms, and infection frequently reappears after termination of the chemotherapeutic agent. To determine whether an allergic reaction might be involved in symptom prolongation and susceptibility to reinfection, sera and vaginal washes from patients were examined for specific IgE antibodies. With RAST modified to ELISA, anti-Candida albicans IgE was identified in 18.8% of saline vaginal washes, but in only 6.1% of sera, obtained from 64 patients. Similarly, 25% of 16 patients were positive for vaginal fluid IgE, but only 6.3% had serum IgE to their partners' seminal fluid. The detection of specific IgE antibodies vaginally but not in the peripheral circulation suggested the occurrence of a localized vaginal hypersensitivity response. Vaginal fluid-derived IgE antibodies reactive with contraceptive spermicides or present in the particulate fraction of saline vaginal washes were also identified. Vaginal fluids with IgE antibodies also contained detectable levels of prostaglandin E2. A vaginal allergic response can predispose to recurrent Candida infection by inducing prostaglandin E2 synthesis that suppresses cell-mediated immune responses.

Sheep serum complement sensitisation of sheep erythrocyte-rabbit antibody complexes for haemolysis by guinea-pig complement plus EDTA or Mg2+-EGTA.

Sheep erythrocyte (E)-rabbit antibody (A) complexes incubated with sheep serum diluted up to 1:5120 or 1:20480 and washed can be haemolysed by guinea-pig (g-p) serum (complement, C) containing EDTA or Mg2+-EGTA respectively as haemolytic finishing reagents. Sheep E carrying a high dose of rabbit A were necessary for this reaction, particularly with g-p C-EDTA. G-p serum (stored by freezing) was active as a haemolytic finishing reagent with both EDTA and Mg2+-EGTA. Reconstituted freeze-dried g-p serum (also stored by freezing) was haemolytically active with Mg2+-EGTA only. G-p serum preserved by Richardson's method did not function as a finishing reagent with EDTA or Mg2+-EGTA. A non-haemolytic prozone occurred with sheep E-rabbit A treated with dilutions of sheep serum or body fluid up to 1:160, particularly when g-p C (frozen)-EDTA was used as the finishing reagent. Sheep E-rabbit A were sensitized by serum, foetal lamb serum, pericardiac-, synovial- or ovarian follicle-fluids colostrum or milk for haemolysis by g-p C (frozen)-EDTA or -Mg2+-EGTA. With the C3 inhibitors cobra venom factor or salicylaldoxime, serum sensitisation of sheep E-rabbit A for haemolysis by g-p C (frozen)-EDTA or -Mg2+-EGTA was not blocked. Sensitisation by serum heated at 50 degrees C for 30 min (partial inactivation of C2) was incomplete. Inhibitors of C1 (antrypol, chelators of Ca2+ or heating serum at 56 degrees C for 30 min) partially or fully blocked sensitisation for haemolysis by both g-p C (frozen)-EDTA or -Mg2+-EGTA. These results show that at a minimum, components C1, C4 and C2 are present and functionally active in serum and some body fluids of sheep.

Anticytotoxin activity of bovine sera and body fluids against Pasteurella haemolytica A1 cytotoxin.

Toxin neutralizing activity of bovine sera and body fluids against Pasteurella haemolytica type A1 cytotoxin was evaluated by 51Cr release assay using bovine peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes as the target cells. Sera collected from precolostral calves did not exert anticytotoxin activity at 10(-1) or higher dilutions, whereas randomly selected complement fixing antibody-negative sera neutralized on average over 90% of cytotoxin activity at the 10(-1) dilution and less than 50% of the toxin activity at 10(-2) or higher serum dilutions. Nasal secretions and lung washings of some of the cattle tested also contained cytotoxin neutralizing activity. The antibody nature of the cytotoxin neutralizing activity was demonstrated by its neutralization with bovine immunoglobulin G2 purified from pooled seropositive sera. Sera from a group of cattle which were vaccinated with a potassium thiocyanate extract of P. haemolytica, but which subsequently developed fibrinous pneumonia after aerosol challenge with bovine herpesvirus 1 and P. haemolytica, had significantly lower anticytotoxin activity than sera from another group of cattle which did not develop the disease after similar vaccination and challenge. Cattle which survived a natural outbreak of shipping fever had higher anticytotoxin activity than those having fibrinous pneumonia in the aforementioned experimental group, although there was no statistical difference between them and a randomly selected CF seronegative group. It is probable that this cytotoxin neutralizing antibody exerts a beneficial effect in protection of cattle against pneumonic pasteurellosis.

Subpopulations of T lymphocytes in human extravascular fluids.

Surface markers of lymphocytes from various human extravascular fluids (cerebrospinal fluid, aqueous humour, colostrum, breast and ovary cyst fluids, peritoneal and pleural transudates) are compared with those of lymphocytes from peripheral blood. Significantly higher percentages of T cells are found in all extravascular fluids: the great majority of extravascular T lymphocytes show high E rosette-forming ability and bear IgG Fc receptors (T Fc+ cells). Functional implications of the shown high predominance of T Fc+ cells in extravascular fluids are discussed on the basis of presently available information on the immunological role of such cells (cytotoxic? suppressor? amplifier?).

Immunoglobulin concentrations in ovine body fluids.

Ovine IgG, IgM and IgA and antisera specific for these immunoglobulins were prepared. The specific antisera were used to estimate the immunoglobulin concentrations in certain sheep body fluids. IgA was shown to be the major immunoglobulin in saliva, lung and lachrymal fluid, tracheobronchial and nasal secretions while IgG was the predominant immunoglobulin in colostrum, milk, bile and serum.