Comparison of HPV type distribution in high-grade cervical lesions and cervical cancer: a meta-analysis.

Particular types of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may preferentially progress from high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) to squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCC). We performed a meta-analysis of published data to compare HPV type distribution in HSIL and SCC. HPV16, 18 and 45 were each more prevalent in SCC than HSIL, whereas the reverse was true for other oncogenic types including HPV31, 33, 52 and 58. These data suggest that HSILs infected with HPV16, 18 and 45 preferentially progress to SCC. This may have implications for follow-up protocols of future HPV-based cervical cancer screening programmes and for HPV vaccine trials.

Characterization of host CD4+ T lymphocytes in mice neonatally tolerized to alloantigens.

BALB/c mice injected at birth with semi-allogeneic F1 spleen cells become tolerant to alloantigens as shown by their CTL unresponsiveness to the corresponding alloantigen and the persistence of donor F1 cells into the BALB/c host. Moreover, these mice develop a transient systemic lupus erythematosis-like autoimmune syndrome characterized by splenomegaly, glomerulonephritis, thrombocytopenia and abnormal serological findings, such as several autoantibodies and IgG1 hypergammaglobulinemia. Recent studies done in our laboratory have shown that donor F1 B cells persisting in the host are responsible for the production of autoantibodies and must be activated in vivo by the host CD4+ T lymphocytes in a MHC class II-restricted fashion. In the present work, we have focused our attention on the ability of splenic CD4+ T cells recovered at different periods from BALB/c mice injected at birth with (CBA/Ca x BALB.Ighb) F1 spleen cells to interact with and activate F1 semi-allogeneic spleen cells in vitro. We show that (i) only CD4+ T cells from 2- and 3-week-old tolerant BALB/c mice preferentially produce IL-4 and IL-5 in response to a F1 semi-allogeneic in vitro stimulation, (ii) CD4+ T cells purified from 3-week-old tolerant BALB/c mice are able to induce in vitro IgG and IgM production by F1 B cells. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that host CD4+ T cells, belonging to the TH2 subset progressively lose their reactivity towards the F1 semi-allogeneic persistent B cells, reaching a state of unresponsiveness that correlates with the disappearance of serum autoantibodies and autoimmune pathology.

Anti-Ia treatment prevents lupus-like autoimmune syndrome in mice neonatally tolerized to alloantigens.

Neonatal injection of semi-allogeneic F1 spleen cells into newborn parental mice results in induction of tolerance to the corresponding class I alloantigen and chimerism. This state of tolerance is associated with the development of a transient lupus-like autoimmune syndrome. Previous experiments performed in our laboratories have shown that host CD4+ T lymphocytes and donor B cells persist in the host and are essential in triggering the autoimmune syndrome observed in neonatally tolerized mice. In this study, we show that early treatment of tolerized mice with anti-donor MHC class II mAb totally prevents the lupus-like syndrome. Moreover, delayed treatment significantly decreases, but to a lesser extent, autoimmune pathological features in tolerized mice. Taken together, these results show that lupus-like autoimmune syndrome developed by neonatally tolerized mice is efficiently prevented by anti-Ia treatment without interfering with the induction of tolerance.

Effect of autologous and homologous serum and circulating immune complexes on monocyte functions of patients with solid tumours.

Some functions of monocytes (phagocytosis, bactericidal capacity, handling of endocytosed 51Cr-SRBC and chemotaxis) were studied in fifty patients with solid tumours and in fifty controls. In the presence of autologous serum, the catabolism of endocytosed 51Cr-SRBC and the phagocytic capacity were similar in tumour and control monocytes, while the bactericidal capacity of tumour monocytes was increased. In the presence of pooled AB sera the catabolism and the bactericidal capacity were decreased in tumour monocytes as compared with autologous serum. Tumour sera did not enhance the functions of normal monocytes. Inactivation of pooled tumour or AB sera resulted in decrease of bactericidal capacity in tumour and control monocytes. Using the Clq-binding test, we detected circulating immune complexes in 36% of sera. The presence or absence and the quantity of such complexes did not correlate with the different functions studied in either tumour or normal monocytes. Finally, the chemotactic activity of monocytes was studied using the migration under agarose technique. No difference was found between tumour and control monocytes. On the other hand, the presence of a chemotactic inhibitor was not revealed in tumour sera. These observations suggest that monocytes from tumour patients require factor(s) present in autologous serum as well as autologous cellular component(s) to achieve normal functions.

[Demonstration of soluble parasite antigens, the corresponding antibodies and immune complexes in acute malaria]. / Démonstration d'antigènes parasitaires solubles, d'anticorps correspondants et de complexes immuns lors de malaria aiguë.

Serum levels of malaria antigens, antimalaria antibodies, immune complexes and complement components have been followed up in 23 patients suffering from acute malaria infection and recovering under therapy. Malarial antigens in serum were detected by counterimmunoelectrophoresis: the peak was observed before therapy started and their levels rapidly decreased. Specific antimalarial antibodies became detectable 5--7 days after starting treatment in patients with a first infection. Immune complexes were detected in 21 of 23 sera with a peak level between days 5 and 9. A marked decrease of C4 and C3 was observed in the presence of normal levels of factor B.