Tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6 in critical illness polyneuromyopathy.

Critical illness polyneuromyopathy (CIPN) occurs in critically ill patients on artificial respiration. The pathophysiology of this disease is unknown. Because of the strong association with sepsis, the levels of cytokines, TNF and IL-6 were measured several times daily in patients having CIPN and in a control group of critically ill patients without CIPN. The diagnosis of CIPN was made on clinical criteria. Patients with CIPN had no significantly elevated levels of TNF or IL-6 as compared to controls.

Characterization of anti-core glycolipid monoclonal antibodies with chemically defined lipopolysaccharides.

Five anti-core glycolipid monoclonal antibodies (MAb) (four against Escherichia coli J5 lipopolysaccharide [LPS] and one against the Re core glycolipid of Salmonella typhimurium) were characterized using LPS from several rough and smooth strains and derivatives of E. coli J5 LPS, obtained by N acetylation and hydrolysis. The MAb against E. coli J5 were not only weakly cross-reactive with clinical isolates, whereas the anti-Re MAb was highly cross-reactive. The MAb differed in their reaction pattern with E. coli J5 LPS. MAb 4-7B5 (immunoglobulin M) and MAb 4-6A1 (immunoglobulin G1) cross-reacted with LPS of Salmonella minnesota R5 and S. typhimurium Ra and Rc and little with Re and lipid A. The dominant binding site of these MAb was located in the glucose-heptose-heptose region and was independent of phosphate substitution. The MAb 4-9A1 reacted with the terminal part of the core region (glucose-heptose) and was dependent on phosphate substitution of the LPS. The MAb BA7 (immunoglobulin G3) was E. coli J5 LPS specific and reacted with the glucosaminyl-heptose disaccharide. Antibody 8-2C1 was directed against the common parts of LPS, 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid, and lipid A, which are not (or only weakly) recognized by the four anti-J5 LPS MAb. Thus, MAb that are not cross-reactive can be directed against at least three different antigenic determinants present on the core oligosaccharide of E. coli J5 LPS.

Isolation and chemical analysis of 7-O-(2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)-L-glycero-D-manno-heptose as a constituent of the lipopolysaccharides of the UDP-galactose epimerase-less mutant J-5 of Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae.

Methyl 7-O-(2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)-L-glycero-D-manno-hepto+ ++ pyranoside (1) was released from the lipopolysaccharide of the UDP-galactose epimerase-less mutant J-5 of Escherichia coli by methanolysis and isolated by high-voltage paper electrophoresis. Its chemical structure was determined by chemical analysis, deamination with nitrous acid, g.1.c.-m.s., and 1H- and 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy performed on its acetylated derivative. The disaccharide moiety of 1 was also detected in lipopolysaccharides of Vibrio cholerae.

Cross-reactivity of monoclonal antibodies against lipopolysaccharides of gram-negative bacteria.

Monoclonal antibodies were produced against Escherichia coli O111, Escherichia coli J5, and the rough (R) mutant of Salmonella typhimurium M206, and tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay against lipopolysaccharides of several gram-negative strains. The monoclonal antibodies were also identified with an immunoblotting assay. Anti-Escherichia coli O111 monoclonal antibodies reacted only with homologous O antigens. Anti-J5 monoclonal antibodies cross-reacted with core lipopolysaccharide, especially with Rc lipopolysaccharide. IgM anti-J5 monoclonal antibodies showed more extensive cross-reactivity than IgG3 monoclonal antibodies. Anti-Re monoclonal antibodies cross-reacted weakly with all rough lipopolysaccharide tested. Thus, the varying specificity of these monoclonal antibodies seems to indicate that the core regions in the lipopolysaccharides of various gram-negative bacteria are not similar.

Detection of antibodies against lipopolysaccharides of Escherichia coli and Salmonella R and S strains by immunoblotting.

Antisera raised against several smooth and rough strains of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium were tested against lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of homologous and heterologous strains. The LPS were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose paper, and overlaid with antisera. The results showed that antisera raised against smooth strains reacted with high- as well as low-molecular-weight bands of their corresponding LPS and showed very few cross-reactions. Anti-E. coli J5 antiserum cross-reacted with few strains in the core region. But, anti-S. typhimurium Ra antiserum cross-reacted with many more strains. When these sera were absorbed with either the homologous- or a heterologous-positive strain, reactions were abolished. It appears that reactions of anti-E. coli J5 antiserum and anti-S. typhimurium Ra antiserum with homologous and heterologous strains were not due to the same antibody. This immunoblotting technique proved to be a useful method to distinguish different antibodies in antiserum raised against LPS of gram-negative bacteria.