Parenting children with neurodevelopmental disorders and/or behaviour problems.

BACKGROUND: Parenting behaviours influence child well-being and development. However, much of the research on parenting behaviours and their correlates has focused on caregivers of healthy, typically developing children. Relatively less is known about the parenting behaviours of caregivers of children with chronic health conditions. OBJECTIVE: To examine and compare three parenting behaviours (positive interactions, consistency and ineffective parenting) among caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders and/or externalizing behaviour problems, before and after accounting for child and family socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS: Participants (n= 14 226) were drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, a long-term study of Canadian children that follows their development and well-being from birth to early adulthood. Children (and their caregivers) were divided into four groups according to the presence of a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD; n= 815), the presence of an externalizing behaviour problem (EBP; n= 1322), the presence of both conditions (BOTH; n= 452) or neither of these conditions (NEITHER; n= 11 376). RESULTS: Caregivers of children in the NEITHER group reported significantly higher positive interaction scores and lower ineffective parenting behaviours than caregivers of children in any of the other three groups. Caregivers of children in the EBP and BOTH groups reported similar levels of consistency, but significantly lower levels than caregivers of NDD or NEITHER children. These associations largely remained after accounting for child and family socio-demographic characteristics, with two exceptions: caregivers' reports of positive interactions were no longer significantly associated with child's NDD and BOTH conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Parenting children with multiple health conditions can be associated with less positive, less consistent and more ineffective parenting behaviours. Understanding the factors that are associated with the challenges of caring for these children may require additional research attention.

Changes in splenic macrophage Mac antigen expression during tumor growth: a kinetic study of accessory cell function and antigen-defined phenotypes.

Three monoclonal antibodies, anti-Mac-1, -2, and -3, were used to modify accessory cell activity of whole spleen cell (WSC) or splenic adherent cell (SAC) preparations from normal or tumor-bearing hosts (TBH). Ligand activation by anti-Mac-1, -2 and -3 modified normal and TBH WSC lectin responses differentially; the most pronounced effect was with anti-Mac 1, which augmented normal WSC responsiveness, whereas anti-Mac-2 and -3 augmented TBH WSC mitogenesis. Ligand interaction with Mac-2 epitopes resulted in significantly suppressed normal host WSC responsiveness. With complement, anti-Mac-1 and -3 each reduced normal and TBH WSC proliferation. Reconstitution of blastogenesis was obtained by combining Mac-2-depleted with Mac-3-depleted normal host WSC or by combining Mac-1-depleted with Mac-2-depleted TBH WSC. To evaluate the role of different types of splenic adherent cells in T cell lectin responsiveness, adherent cells were collected and depleted by antibody plus complement treatment and added back to normal T cells. Removal of TBH SAC indicated the number of Mac-1+ SAC susceptible to lysis increased during tumor growth, whereas those susceptible to anti-Mac-2 and -3 treatment decreased. Removal of Mac-1+ normal host SAC stimulated the supportive accessory function of the remaining SAC. Enhancing accessory cell function diminished after removal of Mac-2+ or Mac-1+ normal and TBH SAC, respectively. T cell responsiveness was increased by adding back combinations of normal host SAC, Mac-1-depleted with Mac-3-depleted SAC or Mac-1-depleted with Mac-2-depleted SAC but not by Mac-2-depleted with Mac-3-depleted SAC. In contrast, none of the TBH SAC combinations were completely restored in accessory activity. In summary, SAC from normal host demonstrated an accessory cell function corresponding to a Mac-1- phenotype, which was either replaced or obscured by the predominance of a Mac-1+ phenotype in TBH.

Variations in macrophage antigen phenotype: a correlation between Ia antigen reduction and immune dysfunction during tumor growth.

Variable Ia antigen expression by macrophages (M phi) was examined during tumor growth by measuring: Ia antigen masking and immunofluorescence by anti-Ia antibody, accessory cell function in concanavalin A (Con A) and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR)-induced T cell proliferation, and M phi stimulatory function in the MLR. Tumor-induced progressive loss of Ia antigen expression was shown by immunofluorescence and corroborated by anti-Ia blockade of MLR stimulatory activity of normal but not tumor-bearing hosts (TBH) splenic M phi. The TBH splenic M phi supported Con A-induced proliferation of syngeneic T cells (Ia antigen-independent) but did not support syngeneic T cell proliferation in the MLR (Ia antigen-dependent). Irrespective of tissue source, normal and TBH M phi differed in their MLR stimulatory capabilities. In general, splenic M phi preparations were better stimulators of allogeneic T cell blastogenesis in the MLR than thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal M phi. Kinetic studies with TBH M phi showed a significant progressive loss in MLR stimulatory activity, which was especially pronounced with peritoneal M phi. Expression of Ia antigens by normal but not TBH M phi were diminished by 24-h in vivo plating of the peritoneal M phi. Indomethacin treatment showed Prostaglandin E2 was not a direct in vitro factor in Ia antigen-mediated reduction of splenic M phi MLR stimulatory activity. Taken together, these data delineate a loss of M phi Ia antigen expression, resulting in a decrease in Ia antigen-mediated functional activities during tumor growth.

Secretion of TNF-alpha by alveolar macrophages in response to Candida albicans mannan.

Resident alveolar macrophages (AM phi) were tested for their ability to respond to Candida albicans mannan. AM phi were found to produce tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in vitro in response to mannan stimulation. TNF-alpha secretion was measured using ELISA and L929B cellular cytotoxicity assays. Cytotoxicity was neutralized in parallel L929B cell cultures by the addition of rabbit anti-TNF-alpha antibody. Mannan preparations were found to be free of contaminating LPS by Limulus assay. When AM phi were cultivated for 18 h at 37 degrees C, 67 micrograms of mannan stimulated the secretion of approximately 207 U/ml of TNF-alpha. By comparison, AM phi treated with 6.7 micrograms of LPS secreted approximately 257 U/ml of TNF-alpha. Optimal TNF-alpha production occurred between 9 and 18 h after mannan stimulation. Disparate mechanisms for stimulation of TNF-alpha secretion were suggested by differential sugar blockade of LPS- and mannan-induced TNF-alpha secretion. The addition of 2% D-mannose or 2% alpha-methyl-D-mannoside to AM phi cultures blocked mannan- but not LPS-stimulated TNF-alpha secretion. Furthermore, the addition of rabbit anti-mannan antibody to mannan-coated plastic culture dishes prevented TNF-alpha secretion by the mannan-sensitive RAW 264.7 cell line. Moreover, the data suggest that C. albicans mannan stimulated AM phi to secrete TNF-alpha by an LPS-independent receptor mechanism which may also function as a mannose receptor.

Nonspecific and Candida-specific immune responses in mice suppressed by chronic administration of anti-mu.

CBA/J mice were immunosuppressed by repeated administration of goat antibody specific for mu chain of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and tested for nonspecific and Candida albicans-specific immune responses. Immunosuppression was demonstrated by a dramatic reduction in the number of antibody-forming cells in the spleens of anti-mu-treated mice when immunized with sheep erythrocytes, by greatly reduced in vitro responsiveness of both spleen and lymph node lymphocytes from anti-mu-treated mice to lipopolysaccharide, and by a large reduction in the number of splenic IgM-positive cells. T cell function, on the other hand, appeared to be relatively unaltered in anti-mu-treated animals, in the cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity against an allogeneic target was similar in splenocyte cultures from anti-mu- and mock-treated animals, and splenic and lymph node lymphocytes proliferated in response to concanavalin A in a lymphocyte stimulation assay. Moreover, Candida-specific delayed hypersensitivity to two different Candida antigens, one cell wall-derived (GP) and the other cell membrane-derived (BEX), was of comparable intensity in immunosuppressed and normal animals. When anti-mu- and mock-treated mice were immunized by the cutaneous inoculation of viable C. albicans blastospores and then challenged intravenously to assess the development of protective immunity, only mock-treated animals, male and female, had significant (p less than or equal to 0.05) protective responses demonstrable by reduction in the number of colony-forming units cultured from their kidneys 28 days after intravenous challenge. If consideration was given to the number of animals which had cleared Candida completely from the kidney, however, there appeared to be protective responses operative in the female anti-mu-treated animals as well. Neither anti-mu-treated males nor females, when immunized and challenged with C. albicans, produced Candida-specific antibody detectable by counterimmunoelectrophoresis, whereas all immunized and challenged mock-treated animals produced antibody. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that anti-mu treatment has little effect on multiple cellular immune functions, including those specific for C. albicans, and the combination of antibody, cell-mediated immunity and innate defenses are responsible for solid systemic defense against the fungus.

Prostaglandin E2 production by Mac-2+ macrophages: tumor-induced population shift.

Tumor growth induced a shift in the phenotype of macrophages (M luminal diameter) responsible for factor-mediated suppression of allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR), and the suppression by tumor-bearing host (TBH) Mac-2+ M luminal diameter was in part due to production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal M luminal diameter from normal and TBH BALB/c mice were modulated with anti-Mac-1, -2, or -3 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) or depleted with mAb plus complement and cultured in the presence or absence of indomethacin. Culture supernatants derived from mAb plus complement-depleted M luminal diameter were added to the MLR at time of initiation and showed that the suppressor phenotype shifted from Mac-3+ in the normal host to Mac-2+ in the TBH. Mac-1+ M luminal diameter also appeared to be involved in suppression by normal host, but not TBH, M luminal diameter. Loss of MLR suppression (increase in MLR reactivity) correlated with an increase in protein content of the culture supernatants. In an effort to explain both this relationship and the mechanism of MLR suppression, PGE2 levels of culture supernatants were determined by radioimmunoassay. Mac-1+ M luminal diameter were involved in the regulation of PGE2 production in normal hosts, as both activation and depletion caused an increase in PGE2 production. Depletion caused a more dramatic increase in PGE2 production than did activation, suggesting that Mac-1+ M luminal diameter had a dampening effect on PGE2 production. In contrast, no Mac-1+ M luminal diameter-mediated regulatory function occurred in the TBH. Mac-3+ M luminal diameter were involved in the regulation of PGE2 production in both normal and TBH. Mac-2+ M luminal diameter were the primary producers of PGE2 in the TBH, but not in the normal host, as their depletion in the TBH caused a significant loss of PGE2 production. Thus, immunosuppression in the TBH was at least partly due to the inability of Mac-1+ and/or Mac-3+ M luminal diameter to control production of PGE2 by Mac-2+ M luminal diameter.

Immunocytochemical labeling of chitin in the cell walls of zoopathogenic fungi.

Chitin is a complex polysaccharide composed of repeating units of beta-1,4-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. It is found in many invertebrates, in some algae, in the cyst form of several protozoans and in the cell walls of most fungi. Chitin, however, is not expressed in vertebrate tissues. We used a polyclonal rabbit antiserum against macromolecular chitin to label and stain by immunoperoxidase technique in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues a variety of zoopathogenic fungi. The antiserum bound to the cell walls of the microorganisms, but not to (mammalian) host tissue elements.

Contextual influences of parenting behaviors for children with neurodevelopmental disorders: results from a Canadian national survey.

PURPOSE: This population-based study examined correlates of three parenting behaviors (positive interactions, consistency, and ineffective parenting) that have been shown to differ in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), with and without externalizing behavior problems (EBPs), as compared to children with neither condition. METHOD: The sample of children aged 4-11 (N = 14,226) was drawn from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). Analyses examined the associations of child, parental, and social context factors with parenting behaviors, and whether they differed by child health group. RESULTS: Child age, family functioning, and social support variables were significant predictors of all three parenting behaviors. Significant interaction effects highlight the importance of the child's sex, birth order, and support received from community or social service professionals, and that these factors have differential impacts on parenting behaviors depending on the child's health group. CONCLUSIONS: Other Child, parent, and social context factors are associated with parenting behaviors but these associations vary by the child's health group. Parenting behaviors differ for children with NDDs with and without EBPs. These findings offer important implications for practice and research and point to the importance of considering multiple contexts of influence, as well as their interactions, in understanding differences in parenting behaviors.

Lack of effect of Candida albicans mannan on development of protective immune responses in experimental murine candidiasis.

Candida albicans mannoprotein (MAN) administered to mice before or during immunization with viable C. albicans downregulates MAN-specific delayed hypersensitivity. In the experiments reported here we determined the effect of MAN downregulation on protective immunity in minimally immunized mice, i.e., mice exposed to C. albicans either intradermally or intragastrically, and in maximally immunized mice, i.e., mice immunized by a combination of intradermal and intragastric exposure, in experimental systemic candidiasis. MAN suppression did not induce statistically significant alterations in the protective responses in experimental candidiasis, although 8 of 12 groups of mice treated with MAN had fewer CFU of C. albicans in their kidneys than their non-MAN-treated counterparts. The results emphasize the lack of correlation of delayed hypersensitivity with protection in candidiasis and suggest that MAN may contain epitopes involved in the protective response.

Immunomodulation in response to Candida.

Candidiasis may either precede or follow severe modulations in the immune system of the host. The focus of this review has been to survey the data and current interpretations for potential factors responsible for these events of immunomodulation. The mere fact that Candida infections persist is evidence of some underlying abnormality, often associated with, but not exclusively restricted to, the cell-mediated immune system. In some instances, however, the cause and effect relationship is not clear, i.e., did infection with Candida initiate the immunosuppression, or did the underlying condition result in immunosuppression allowing for Candida to initiate disease? It is possible, however, that candidal infections may begin during minor immunosuppressive events, e.g., stress, pregnancy, or selected other primary infections, but then persist beyond these events because of an intrinsic or innate immunomodulatory defect. Under such circumstances, the initial imbalance of immune function should be corrected by normal homeostatic mechanisms, unless persistent colonization with Candida perpetuates the imbalance through the production or release of immunomodulatory factors. One important target for research in this area, then, is the identification and purification of immunomodulatory factors produced or released during disease. To date, only preliminary data are available showing that the immunoregulatory potential of Candida resides in various candidal extracts, especially in the cell wall. Although the relevance of the data gathered in the experimental models might initially appear questionable, the fact that mannan, or molecules containing mannan, are known to circulate during disease (Weiner and Yount, 1976; Kerkering et al., 1979; Lehmann and Reiss, 1980) lends credence to the hypothesis. A second important target for future research is the identification of the cellular target within the immune system that responds to the Candida-derived immunomodulators. The success of these studies may well depend upon the degree of purification of the responsible factors. In fact, much of the variability observed to date in modulatory events may result from the heterogeneity of the modulator, including the possibility that antagonistic or synergistic interactions of the individual components occur. The variability observed in certain clinical settings could result from basic flaws in the normal immunoregulatory pathways in the host also, and if a link could be established between the basic flaws, the candidal extracts, and the target cell of the candidal extracts, it may be possible to manipulate the system through immunotherapy. Finally, the characterization of the candidal substances may provide yet another clinical tool for use as an immunomodulator in such disorders as cancer, inheritable immunodeficiencies, and AIDS.

Intravenous injection of Candida-derived mannan results in elevated tumor necrosis factor alpha levels in serum.

Intravenous injection of Candida albicans into mice produced elevated serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) levels. We hypothesized that immunostimulants released in vivo from C. albicans during fungal sepsis might contribute to the elevated levels of TNF-alpha in serum. We tested this hypothesis in mice with C. albicans mannan (CAM). Increased serum TNF-alpha levels were observed following intravenous and intraperitoneal injections of CAM. Injection of CAM into mice resulted in increased serum TNF-alpha concentrations that reached 1,200 pg/ml of blood, compared with 2,400 microg/ml of blood following injection of 10 microg of endotoxin. The response to CAM was concentration dependent, requiring a minimum dose of 20 microg of CAM per g of body weight. Sera from mice were tested 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after intravenous injections with CAM. TNF-alpha concentrations were minimal 30 and 120 min after intravenous injection and maximal 60 and 90 min after CAM injection. The relative distribution of CAM in vivo in decreasing order was determined to be as follows: blood > liver > lung > spleen, 90 min following injection of a single 5-mg dose of CAM. CAM was confirmed as the stimulating substance by utilizing anti-CAM antibodies in vivo to block the response. Rabbit anti-mannan antibodies administered by intraperitoneal injection 24 h before CAM injection significantly suppressed (P < 0.05) the accumulation of TNF-alpha in the sera. Dexamethasone administered to mice before intravenous injection of mannan significantly reduced (40 to 90% reduction; P < 0.05) the concentrations of TNF-alpha in the sera of treated mice. Thus, when in vivo CAM clearance mechanisms are exceeded, sufficient CAM may become available to stimulate TNF-alpha production, making CAM an important part of pathogenesis in Candida sepsis.

Murine Pneumocystis carinii adherence to vertical monolayers of cultured mink lung cells (MiCl1).

We describe a method for adherence and culture of murine Pneumocystis carinii in mink lung cells (MiCl1) grown on vertical supports. The vertical cultures were infected with P. carinii; the surrounding medium and inoculum were stirred to ensure circulation and contact with MiCl1 cells. When compared with conventional horizontal culture, the vertical method offers a more suitable system for assessing P. carinii adherence. This approach has proved suitable for quantitative evaluation of P. carinii adherence to MiCl1 cells in the presence of inhibitors.

Immunocytochemical detection of chitin in Pneumocystis carinii.

Polyclonal antisera against chitin and chitin oligomers were used to stain Pneumocystis carinii by the immunoperoxidase technique in Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of four human lung biopsies and in alcohol-fixed, paraffin-embedded cell blocks of two bronchioloalveolar lavage specimens from infected human patients. In all cases, the antisera bound P. carinii but did not bind the host tissue elements. Moreover, the antisera bound not only to the cyst forms of P. carinii but also to the intracystic bodies and to the trophic forms. Preadsorption of the anti-chitin antiserum with purified chitin abolished all staining of P. carinii. Our results indicate that P. carinii produces chitin at more than one stage of its life cycle in the infected human host.

Morphologic and biochemical studies of chitin expression in Pneumocystis carinii.

Tomato lectin, which binds oligosaccharides of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and an antiserum against macromolecular chitin were used to probe sections of human and murine lungs infected with Pneumocystis carinii. By light, fluorescence and electron microscopy, lectin and antiserum binding patterns indicated that both human and murine strains of P. carinii express chitin at all identifiable stages of their life cycles. Light microscopic autoradiographs of murine P. carinii cultured in vitro with 3H-glucosamine revealed dense incorporation of the radiolabel into the cell walls in a pattern analogous to those of the antiserum and lectin binding studies. These investigations offer further evidence that chitin is an integral part of the cell wall of P. carinii trophozoites and cysts.

Effect of lectins on hepatic clearance and killing of Candida albicans by the isolated perfused mouse liver.

The isolated perfused mouse liver model was used to study the effects of various lectins on hepatic trapping and killing of Candida albicans. After mouse livers were washed with 20 to 30 ml of perfusion buffer, 10(6) C. albicans CFU were infused into the livers. At the time of recovery, 63% +/- 2% (mean +/- standard error of the mean) of the infused C. albicans CFU were recovered from the liver and 14% +/- 1% were recovered from the effluent for a total recovery of 77% +/- 2%. This indicated that 86% +/- 9% of the original inoculum was trapped by the liver and that 23% +/- 2% was killed within the liver. When included in both preperfusion and postperfusion buffers (0.2 mg of lectin per ml), Ulex europeaus lectin (binding specificity for fucose) decreased hepatic trapping of C. albicans by 37% and eluted trapped C. albicans from the liver only when included in postperfusion buffer. By comparison, treatment of C. albicans with U. europeaus lectin before infusion had no effect on the trapping or killing of yeast cells. When Lens culinaris lectin (binding specificity for mannose) was included in the perfusion buffers, hepatic killing of C. albicans increased by 16% with no significant effect on hepatic killing when yeast cells were treated with L. culinaris lectin before infusion. Forty to 55% of the infused C. albicans were killed when concanavalin A (binding specificities for mannose and glucose), Glycine max (binding specificity for N-acetylgalactosamine), or Arachis hypogea (binding specificity for galactose) lectin was included in the perfusion buffer or when yeast cells were treated with these lectins before their infusion. When C. albicans was treated with concanavalin A at a concentration of less than 0.02 mg/ml, hepatic killing of yeast cells was not significantly increased. The data suggest that a fucose-containing receptor on the surface of either sinusoidal endothelial cells or Kupffer cells is involved in the trapping of C. albicans by the perfused mouse liver. Moreover, lectins with binding specificities for mannose, N-acetylgalactosamine, and galactose increased hepatic killing of C. albicans.

Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptides alter hepatic killing of Candida albicans in the isolated perfused mouse liver model.

The isolated perfused mouse liver model was used to study the effect of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-containing peptides on hepatic trapping and killing of Candida albicans. After extensive washing, 10(6) C. albicans CFU were infused into mouse livers. At the time of recovery, 63% +/- 2% (mean +/- standard error of the mean) of the infused C. albicans CFU were recovered from the liver and 14% +/- 1% were recovered from the effluent for a total recovery of 77% +/- 2%. This indicates that 86% +/- 9% of the original inoculum was trapped by the liver and that 23% +/- 2% was killed within the liver. Prior to their infusion into livers, 10(7) CFU of C. albicans were incubated at 37 degrees C for 30 min in the presence of various RGD peptides (0.1 mg/ml). Repeatedly, more than 90% of the infused RGD-treated C. albicans was trapped by the perfused liver. In comparison with the 23% killing rate observed in control livers, perfused livers killed approximately 40 to 50% of the infused C. albicans treated either with fibronectin, PepTite 2000, RGD, or RGDS. Hepatic killing of C. albicans treated with PepTite 2000 or fibronectin was dose dependent. Treatment of C. albicans with GRGDTP, GRGDSP, GRADSP, or GRGESP did not alter the ability of the perfused liver to kill C. albicans, suggesting that a degree of specificity for RGD peptides is associated with an increased ability of liver to kill RGD-treated C. albicans. Together, the data suggest that RGD peptides bind to a receptor on the surface of C. albicans, thereby increasing hepatic, and presumably Kupffer cell, killing of C. albicans. Natural or synthetic RGD peptides may serve as opsonins promoting C. albicans killing by Kupffer cells.

Mannan as an antigen in cell-mediated immunity (CMI) assays and as a modulator of mannan-specific CMI.

Mannan (MAN) extracted from Candida albicans 20A was investigated for its potential as an antigen in the detection of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) in vivo and in vitro and for its ability to modulate CMI when administered intravenously (i.v.). CBA/J mice were either immunized as adults by the cutaneous inoculation of 10(6) viable blastoconidia or colonized as infants (primed) and then boosted cutaneously as adults. When immunized animals were footpad tested with MAN, highly significant delayed-type hypersensitivity (DH) responses were detected. The DH responses to MAN were of a greater magnitude than those noted with the same quantity of cell wall glycoprotein (GP), an ethylenediamine extract of the cell wall which contains both glucan and MAN. In contrast, GP was a better antigen for the detection of CMI responses in an in vitro lymphoproliferative assay with either spleen or lymph node cell suspensions. Mice treated with MAN i.v. prior to the initiation of immunization or between priming and secondary inoculations developed significantly suppressed DH reactions when tested with either MAN or GP. The lowest effective dose of MAN was 250 micrograms, maximum suppression occurred with 500 micrograms, and either dose given 1 week prior to immunization was suppressive. The suppression by MAN was specific for MAN or the MAN-containing GP. Responses to another unrelated candidal antigen, a membrane extract designated BEX, were relatively unaffected. MAN, therefore, was an effective antigen for the detection of CMI in vivo, and its administration i.v. created what appeared to be a MAN-specific suppression since it could be detected with both MAN and a MAN-containing extract from the cell wall. Caution must be exercised in the interpretation of these data, however, since the protein component of each of these extracts has not been characterized with respect to its potential role in the phenomena observed.

Normal and tumor-bearing host macrophage factor-mediated modulation of mixed-lymphocyte reaction responsiveness: separation of T-lymphocyte subset susceptibility to enhancing and inhibitory factors.

The mixed-lymphocyte reaction reactivity of normal and tumor-bearing host (TBH) T-cell subsets was examined in response to normal and TBH macrophage (M phi) supernatants. Both inhibiting and enhancing activities were identified in normal and TBH M phi supernatants. The present data suggest that TBH M phi supernatants contained more inhibitory activity than normal host M phi supernatants and that enhancing activity of M phi supernatants was restricted to the Lyt 2,3+ population of cells. TBH Lyt 2,3+ cells were more responsive to the enhancing molecule(s) than their normal counterparts. These data were consistent with studies which implicate M phi as being partially responsible for the immune dysfunction seen in TBH, and extends previous findings on the ability of M phi to regulate the immune response in an attempt to achieve homeostasis.

In vivo assessment of tumor-induced nonspecific suppression of contact sensitivity. II. Regulation by cytokines and T cells via adoptive transfer.

Normal BALB/c mice were assessed for 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced contact sensitivity following adoptive transfer of macrophages (Mo). T cells, or their derived products, from normal or tumor-bearing hosts (TBH). Contact sensitivity (CS) was measured by a quantitative radioisotopic ear assay, a total in vivo system based on localization of IP-injected iodinated human serum albumin [( 125I]HSA) in the DNFB-challenged ear. Adoptive transfer of low or high doses of TBH T cells or their derived supernatants into normal recipients suppressed their responsiveness, while Mo supernatants enhanced it. Moreover, in all cases adoptive transfer of TBH cells or supernatants resulted in a lower CS response than did their normal counterparts. These results further corroborate our previous in vitro data indicating that T cells, or Mo and T cell soluble products, possess immunoregulatory capabilities in vivo.

Characterization of Candida albicans mannan-induced, mannan-specific delayed hypersensitivity suppressor cells.

We have shown previously that CBA/J mice immunized with Candida albicans developed delayed hypersensitivity (DH) demonstrable with mannan (MAN) extracted from the same organism and that the intravenous (i.v.) injection of MAN prior to or during the immunization phase resulted in the suppression of the MAN-specific DH response. In this study, we demonstrate that MAN-induced suppression of DH is a T-lymphocyte-mediated phenomenon. Suppressor cells induced in vivo by the i.v. injection of MAN into naive mice 1 to 7 days prior to harvest were passaged through nylon wool, treated with various surface-specific antibodies and complement, and then injected i.v. into immunized syngeneic recipients. Enrichment of splenic T cells by passage over nylon wool and transfer of the nylon-wool-nonadherent populations to immunized recipient mice suppressed DH in a dose-dependent manner. Depletion of Thy+ or Lyt-2+ cells from nylon-wool-nonadherent populations regularly ablated the ability of such suspensions to transfer suppression. Treatment of the same transfer suspensions with anti-Lyt-1 had variable effects, suggesting that the surface density of the Lyt-1 antigen was not as constant from population to population as was the Lyt-2 antigen. In addition, C. albicans MAN-induced suppressor cells were able to suppress DH demonstrable with Candida tropicalis MAN in animals immunized with C. tropicalis. Suppression of DH by MAN in this model, therefore, is mediated by Thy+ Lyt-2+ lymphocytes.