Cervical secretions from 157 women were examined for antibody against Neisseria gonorrhoeae by an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. Antigonococcal antibody was detected in 73 (97%) of 75 infected women, being of the IgG class in 73 (97%), of the IgA class in 71 (95%), and of the IgM class in 29 (39%). IgM antibody was nearly always associated with infections of less than 15 days' durati...

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) membrane fusion is promoted by the formation of a trimer-of-hairpins structure that brings the amino- and carboxyl-terminal regions of the gp41 envelope glycoprotein ectodomain into close proximity. Peptides derived from the carboxyl-terminal region (called C-peptides) potently inhibit HIV-1 entry by binding to the gp41 amino-terminal region. To test ...

Quantitative studies have demonstrated that a purified lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) derived from the O-901 strain of Salmonella typhosa markedly enhanced the antibody response of rabbits when given separately or in conjunction with protein antigens. The augmentation of antibody levels varied from 2- to 40-fold with the number of injections, the dosage of antigen and endotoxin, and the route o...

Previously it had been shown that native lysozyme has three discontinuous antigenic sites (comprising spatially adjacent residues that may be distant in sequence) that were mimicked by surface-simulation synthetic peptides that had the capacity to bind the bulk (97-99%) of the antibody response against native lysozyme. In the present work these three surface-simulation synthetic peptides were c...

The production of protective neutralizing antibodies occurs quickly in some viral infections but very slowly in others. In a new study, surface glycoproteins (the targets of neutralization) of 2 different viruses were genetically switched. Analysis of the neutralizing antibody response to each of the 2 parent and recombinant viruses in infected mice revealed that the speed of neutralizing antib...

We have introduced a mouse Thy-1.1 gene into the germline of Thy-1.2 mice. The introduced gene was shown to be expressed at very high levels in thymocytes when compared with the endogenous gene. Transgenic thymocytes were shown to evoke a higher than normal primary anti-Thy-1.1 antibody response in plaque-forming cell (PFC) assays. This result suggests that a direct quantitative interaction of ...

we recorded a markedly enhanced immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody response in the two youngest and most seriously ill test animals. In these, the elimination of L. monocytogenes from the gastrointestinal tract occurred simultaneously with the development of the highest antibody levels at 14 to 15 days postinoculation. In the case of the oldest test animal, a preexisting, persistent IgG antibody r...

An ELISA for molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) was used to determine the antibody status of 35 adults with clinical infections and known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serology and of 357 persons (ages, 1 week-69 years) considered representative of the Australian population. MCV antibody was identified in 77% of persons with molluscum lesions: in 17 of 24 HIV-1-negative persons and in 10 of...

There is some evidence that early-life exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other persistent environmental chemicals can alter the developing immune system and may be associated with diminished effectiveness for certain vaccines.1,2 This could have serious implications for parts of the world where diseases that are preventable with vaccines remain a major public health threat. In t...