Association analysis of polymorphisms in the interleukin-4 receptor (alpha) gene with atopic asthma in patients from western Mexico.

We undertook an association analysis between the ile50val, glu375ala, cys406arg, and ser761pro polymorphisms of the IL-4Ralpha gene and atopic asthma, total IgE levels and IL-4 serum levels in a population from western Mexico. We found that the ser761pro polymorphism was monomorphic for ser761, while there was no association between any of the other polymorphisms and the three phenotypes analysed.

Enhanced functional capacity of the peritoneal macrophages as antigen presenting cells after aclacinomycin treatment in mice.

Aclacinomycin (ACM) is an oncostatic of the anthracycline family, largely used in patients and experimentally in mice. ACM has been reported to enhance phagocytosis, secretion of free oxygen radicals and of interleukin 1. Its injection is also followed by an increase of the cytotoxic and cytostatic activity of murine peritoneal macrophages. In the present work we investigated whether ACM modifies the antigen-presenting cell capacity of murine peritoneal macrophages. Purified T lymphocytes were cultured with peritoneal macrophages from either normal or ACM treated mice (4 mg/kg day -4) which were previously incubated with phytohemagglutinin. The T cell proliferative response was greater in cultures with normal macrophages, indicating that macrophages from ACM-treated mice had a better antigen presenting activity than normal untreated macrophages.

Increased phagocytic activity of peripheral blood monocytes after intravenous injection of phospholipase A2 to monkeys.

One of the expressions of the activity of phagocytic cells such as monocytes or macrophages is a burst of increased oxidative activity on stimulation. The free oxygen radicals liberated, mainly O2- and H2O2, lead to chemoluminescence, which is thus a measure of activation. Chemoluminescence also depends on arachidonic acid metabolism, and this depends on phospholipase A2 (PLA2). We modified monocyte activity in monkeys by injecting them i.v. with this enzyme and observed that 30 min after injection, the phagocytic activity of peripheral blood monocytes and the chemoluminescence they emitted was greater than that of controls. We suggest that PLA2 may act as an in vivo immunomodulator in mammals.

[Formation of E-rosettes in homozygous nude mice (nu/nu) and heterozygotes (nu/+)]. / Formación de rosetas-E en ratones desnudos homocigotos (nu/nu) y heterocigotos (nu/+).

Nude homozygote nu/nu mice show a deficiency in their cellular immune response, due to the fact that their thymic tissue is very scarce. The purpose of this paper has been to determine whether nu/nu mice, in the presence of T lymphocytes, have the capacity of forming E rosettes with sheep erythrocytes. These mice do present them, although in significantly lower quantities when compared to the nu/+ and normal ones of Balb/c strain. This result confirms previous information which point towards the existence of other types of markers on the surface of T lymphocytes in nu/nu mice.

[Phagocytic activity in PMN leukocytes and macrophages of athymic nu/nu mice]. / Actividad fagocítica en leucocitos PMN y macrófagos de ratones atímicos nu/nu.

The athymic nu/nu mice represent a natural model for studying defense mechanisms. This study had the object of evaluating the phagocytic activity of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) and peritoneal macrophages (PM) in congenitally athymic homozygotic nu/nu mice. The results showed that the chemotaxis, random mobility, ingestion of latex particles and reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium were all normal. Nevertheless, the enzyme myeloperoxidase in the PMN was significantly diminished when compared with Balb/c mice. These results suggest a partial decrease in the oxidative metabolism of the PMN in nu/nu mice.

Increased adenosine deaminase activity in a patient with cartilage-hair hypoplasia.

A boy aged 9 years presenting short stature and recurrent respiratory-tract infections was studied. The clinical and roentgenological pictures allowed the diagnosis of cartilage-hair hypoplasia (metaphyseal chondrodysplasia, McKusick type). Biochemical studies disclosed a four-fold increase in adenosine deaminase activity, but without evidence of anemia. Immunological evaluation showed abnormal cellular but normal humoral immunity.

[Evaluation of immune response in experimental sporotrichosis using T and B lymphocyte count]. / Evaluación de la respuesta inmune en la esporotricosis experimental por el cuanteo de linfocitos T y B.

The effector cells of the immune response are involved in the clinical course of bacterial, viral and mycotic infections. Previous publications have reported that some mycotic infections, including sporotrichosis, can produce a negative modulation of the immune response unfavorable for the host. In this work T and B lymphocytes capable to form direct and indirect rosettes respectively with sheep erythrocytes in gerbils with experimental sporotrichosis, were measured. It was found a significant rise in the number to T and B lymphocytes which means normal immunological reactivity. These results are not in accordance with the idea that sporotrichosis can depress the immune response of the host.

[Leukocyte phagocytic activity in gerbils with experimental sporotrichosis treated with potassium iodide]. / Estudio de la actividad fagocítica de los leucocitos de gerbiles con esporotricosis experimental tratados con ioduro de potasio.

One effective treatment against sporotrichosis is the oral administration of potassium iodide (KI). It is not known how it works, and also it is not known if this substance has some effect on the microbicidal activity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and macrophages. In this work the phagocytic activity of gerbils treated with KI was studied. Gerbils cured within 62 days of treatment with KI, their PMN and macrophages showed an increased ability for reducing nitroblue-tetrazolium (NBT); myeloperoxidase activity was decreased in PMN. These results were the expected in any chronic infection and demonstrates that KI effectiveness on the experimental sporotrichosis works by an independent mechanism of phagocytosis.

Metabolic activity of phagocytes in experimental sporotrichosis.

Phagocytosis plays an important role as a protective mechanism against infections, since polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and macrophages are the first cellular lines opposed to aggressive microorganisms. In patients with sporotrichosis a diminished capability of killing engulfed yeast by their PMN has been described, but the origin of this deficiency remains unknown. In this work, partial aspects of the oxidative metabolism of PMN leukocytes and peritoneal macrophages of mongolian gerbils experimentally infected with sporotrichosis were studied. For this purpose the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) test as described by Baehner and Nathan (1) and myeloperoxidase activity measured according to Kaplow's method were utilized. The PMN and macrophages of mongolian gerbils infected with sporotrichosis showed increased reduction of NBT when compared with the phagocytic cells of normal ones, as is usually observed in most infections. Myeloperoxidase activity was diminished in both PMN and macrophages, but this diminution was statistically significant only in PMN leukocytes. These results show that part of the oxidative mechanisms of phagocytic cells can be impaired in experimental sporotrichosis, and could be correlated with the diminished fungicidal activity of PMN leukocytes obtained from patients infected with sporotrichosis.

Bloom syndrome in a Mexican mestizo girl.

A 3-year-old girl with Bloom syndrome is described. She exhibited stunted growth of prenatal onset and defective immunity, but the typical skin manifestations were absent. Cytogenetic analysis revealed a 46,XX complement, 12.2% of metaphases with at least a structural aberration, and a ten-fold increase in the sister-chromatid exchange rate. Leukocyte beta-glucuronidase activity was reduced to about 1/3; the significance of this finding is not clear. The present observation demonstrates the variable expression of the disorder probably depending on ethnic and constitutional factors.

Depressive effect of plasma on lymphocyte transformation in nodular lepromatous leprosy.

Lymphocytes from 20 patients with NLL were cultured stimulated with PHA in presence of autologous and homologous plasma; the same procedure was carried out with lymphocytes from 20 healthy people, utilized as controls. A diminished capacity of transformation was noticed when lymphocytes, both from patients and controls, were cultured in plasma from NLL patients, this suggesting the presence of a plasmatic inhibitor factor. This effect was particularly noticeable in 8 cases (40%) of the studied patients. Regarding the nature of the plasmatic factor, the concentration of C reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, alpha, beta and gamma globulins, did not show any correlation with the presence of the depressive activity. It seems that at least in some cases, the impaired lymphocyte transformation observed in NLL patients, can be due to an immune complex present as a plasma factor, rather to an intrinsic defect in lymphocytes.

[Immunologic profile of a patient with lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis]. / Perfil inmunológico del paciente con esporotricosis linfocutánea.

Sporotrichosis is characterized by a wide range of clinical manifestations from mild fixed cutaneous forms to systemic dissemination of the disease, despite an apparent regular pattern of virulence of the etiological agent, S. schenckii. These facts suggest that immunological mechanisms of the host could play an important role on the pathogenesis of the mycosis. On this basis, an immunologic survey was carried out in patients with lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis. Cell-mediated immunity was evaluated by means of lymphocyte transformation stimulated with phytohaemagglutinin and the response to several intradermal reaction antigens. Lymphocyte blastic transformation was normal as compared with a control group. All patients were positive at least against one of the antigens tested. These results indicate that this group of patients did not show any cell-mediated immunity deficiency. Serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA), and C3 measured to evaluate humoral immunity, were also within normality. Since many cases of sporotrichosis cure with the administration of potassium iodine, whose mechanisms of therapeutic activity are unknown, a possible impairment in the management of iodine was investigated, with the premise that iodine enhances the host defenses rather than acting against the fungus. Thyroid function tests performed in all patients to support this hypothesis, gave normal results. These data permit to conclude that susceptibility to sporotrichosis in the affected patients does not depend on gross abnormal humoral and/or cell-mediated immunity, and their response to potassium iodine is not related to deficient thyroid function.

Influencia del suero de ternera fetal en la formacion de rosetas E activas y totales. / Influence of fetal calf serum on the formation of active and total E-rosettes

La prueba de formacion de rosetas E entre linfocitos humanos y eritrocitos de carnero se ha aceptado como un metodo para valorar la poblacion de linfocitos T. Esta prueba requiere del control de muchas variables que influyen notablemente en los resultados. Este estudio tuvo por objeto valorar la influencia del suero fetal de ternera en la formacion de las rosetas E activas, tardias y totales en 25 donadores de banco de sangre (p<0,001) cuando se compararon los valores obtenidos con el empleo del suero fetal de ternera y sin este. Es importante tener en cuenta el hallazgo mencionado, en virtud de ser esta una de las pruebas por las que se controla la reaccion inmunitaria celular de pacientes con deficiencias inmunologicas producidas por diversas causas

[Phagocytosis of Candida albicans by polymorphonuclear leucocytes from patients with nodular lepromatous leprosy]. / Phagocytose de Candida albicans par des leucocytes polynucléaires obtenus de malades atteints de lèpre lépromateuse nodulaire.

Patients suffering from nodular lepromatous leprosy are deficient in cellular immunity but may not be more susceptible to other infections. Therefore it is possible that other defense mechanisms are operational in dealing with other infectious agents these patients may be exposed to. In this report, the phagocytic and fungicidal activity of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells against Candida albicans was examined using PMN from 20 nodular lepromatous patients and from 20 healthy subjects (controls). The method used was that of PMN adherence to glass. The phagocytic activity was evaluated after 15 mn and 45 mn. We observed that there was phagocytized by 94 % of the PMN from patients and by 95 % of the PMN from the controls. The phagocytic index of the yeasts ingested by the PMN were 4.47 and 4.10 for, respectively, patients and controls. The frequencies of yeasts killed by PMN from patients and controls were, respectively, 29.6 and 29.4 %. The results indicated that PMN from patients and healthy controls had the same capacity to phagocytize and to destroy yeasts of C. albicans.

Perfil inmunologico del enfermo con lepra lepromatosa nodular. Revision del tema y estudio de 70 pacientes del Instituto Dermatologico de Guadalajara. / Immunological profile of the patient with nodular lepromatous leprosy. Review of the subject and study of the 70 patients of the Instituto Dermatologico de Guadalajara

Se estudiaron diversas constantes inmunologicas en dos grupos de pacientes con lepra lepromatosa nodular del Instituto Dermatologico de Guadalajara. El grupo I consto de 50 pacientes y el grupo II de 20 pacientes. Al primer grupo se le estudio la inmunidad humoral por medio de la valoracion de las inmunoglobulinas G, A, M, D, E y el componente C3 del complemento; se investigaron ademas proteinas anormales por electroforesis y proteina G-reactiva (PCR). Al grupo II se le valoro la inmunidad celular por medio de la respuesta de los linfocitos T al estimularse con fitohemaglutinina. En 70% de los pacientes del grupo I presentaron hipergammaglobulinemia de tipo IgG, IgA o IgM. El 34% de los pacientes del grupo II presentaron factores plasmaticos depresores de la transformacion blastoide, tanto de los linfocitos propios como de los alogenicos

Deficient cell immunity and mild intermittent hyperaminoacidemia in a patient with the Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome.

A boy aged 2 years 8 months presenting the Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome (RTS) and a history of recurrent gastrointestinal and respiratory infections was studied. Partial deficient cell immunity and intermittent hyperaminoacidemia and aminoaciduria were ascertained. These findings were interpreted as evidence of phenotypic and probably genetic heterogeneity of RTS.