Lamellar pro-inflammatory cytokine expression patterns in laminitis at the developmental stage and at the onset of lameness: innate vs. adaptive immune response.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Recent research has indicated that inflammation plays a role in the early stages of laminitis and that, similar to organ failure in human sepsis, early inflammatory mechanisms may lead to downstream events resulting in lamellar failure. Characterisation of the type of immune response (i.e. innate vs. adaptive) is essential in order to develop therapeutic strategies to counteract these deleterious events. OBJECTIVES: To quantitate gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines known to be important in the innate and adaptive immune response during the early stages of laminitis, using both the black walnut extract (BWE) and oligofructose (OF) models of laminitis. METHODS: Real-time qPCR was used to assess lamellar mRNA expression of interleukins-1beta, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 18, and tumour necrosis factor alpha and interferon gamma at the developmental stage and at the onset of lameness. RESULTS: Significantly increased lamellar mRNA expression of cytokines important in the innate immune response were present at the developmental stage of the BWE model, and at the onset of acute lameness in both the BWE model and OF model. Of the cytokines characteristic of the Th1 and Th2 arms of the adaptive immune response, a mixed response was noted at the onset of acute lameness in the BWE model, whereas the response was skewed towards a Th1 response at the onset of lameness in the OF model. CONCLUSIONS: Lamellar inflammation is characterised by strong innate immune response in the developmental stages of laminitis; and a mixture of innate and adaptive immune responses at the onset of lameness. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: These results indicate that anti-inflammatory treatment of early stage laminitis (and the horse at risk of laminitis) should include not only therapeutic drugs that address prostanoid activity, but should also address the marked increases in lamellar cytokine expression.

Mixed IgA-IgG aggregates as a model of immune complexes in IgA nephropathy.

Patients with IgA nephropathy have circulating immune complexes containing IgA, IgG, and C3. We have mixed human IgG and IgA1 and heated them to form mixed aggregate. On sucrose density gradients IgG aggregates were 11 to 19S whereas IgA aggregates were either 11S or greater than 19S. Mixed aggregates had both an 19 and 11 S peak. The isoelectric point of aggregates with only IgG was 7 to 9 and of only IgA 4.5 to 5.5. The isoelectric point of mixed aggregates decreased as the percent IgA increased. IgG aggregates mixed with normal human serum caused 30% C3 activation (20 min, 37 degrees C) whereas IgA aggregates causes no activation. There was a linear decrease in C3 activation as the percent IgA increased. Mixed aggregates that contained either radiolabeled IgG or IgA were mixed with normal human serum (1 h, 37 degrees C) and then solubilized, reduced, and separated by 10% SDS-PAGE. Heavy m.w. bands, consistent with covalent bonding of C3b and C3bi to Ig H chain were only seen in lanes with labeled IgG. This was confirmed by Western blot analysis. A human dimeric IgA1 myeloma protein with rheumatoid factor activity was also studied. It caused 15% alternative pathway C3 activation but did not fix C3 to its H chain. Binding of aggregates (+/- C3) to E was tested. Aggregates with IgG C3 bound but IgA (+/- C3) did not. Addition of greater than 10% IgA to an IgG-C3 aggregate inhibited E binding. We conclude that IgG in mixed aggregates is the site of C3 fixation. In contrast, IgA does not fix C3 but instead lowers the isoelectric point, increases the size and inhibits binding to E. These properties would inhibit clearance and promote mesangial deposition and local C activation.

Delayed permanent tooth emergence in chronically malnourished children - abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between anthropometric indicators of malnutrition and tooth eruption status of 6-year-old children. The 100 subjects from the Kingston area were placed into groups, as per Waterlow's classification of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), according to height-for-age (H/A) and weight-for-height (W/H) and number of emerged teeth noted (table included). Statistical analysis (ANOVA - Duncan's test) indicates a significant decrease (p<0.01) in the number of erupted permanent teeth emerged in the Stunted and the Stunted Wasted (p<0.05) as compared to the Normal children (AU)

Systemic immune response to oral polio immunization in patients with IgA nephropathy.

The systemic immune response to a booster dose of attenuated polio vaccine has been studied in a group of patients with IgA nephropathy, their parents and healthy unrelated controls. The serum IgA and IgG antibody response and the antibody response in cultured lymphocyte supernatants was quantitated by a sensitive radio-immunoassay. Three of eight patients and two of their parents had elevated serum IgA antibody to polio pre-immunization. There was no significant rise in serum IgA or IgG antibody to polio post-immunization in any group. However, the five subjects with elevated pre-immunization levels fell into the normal range post-immunization, suggesting IgA specific suppression. Total and antigen specific IgA rose post-immunization in culture supernatants in all groups. The rise did not differ among the groups. The patients and parents with high serum antibody also had high culture supernatant levels and these fell post-immunization. There was an increased antigen non-specific IgG response in four patients and three of their parents. The data provide additional in vivo evidence of an upregulated IgA immune response in patients with IgA nephropathy. In addition, the data provide the first in vivo evidence of aberrant immune responses in the first degree relatives of patients with IgA nephropathy. This appears to be one of perhaps several inherited traits which may predispose an individual to develop this common and progressive nephropathy.

Cytotoxicity to isolated rabbit hepatocytes by lymphocytes from children with liver disease.

A test of lymphocyte cytotoxicity for isolated adult rabbit hepatocytes has been performed using lymphocytes from 40 children with acute or chronic liver disease. Positive cytotoxicity was not observed in 26 children without liver disease and rarely in 13 children with disease affecting primarily the biliary tract. Temporarily positive tests were found in those with acute hepatocellular disease, but tests remained positive in patients with chronic active hepatitis, while liver function tests remained abnormal. Persistently positive test occurred in those with liver disease associated with alpha-antitrypsin deficiency. Such altered immunoresponsiveness could be an important pathogenic mechanism leading to chronic liver disease in childhood.