Several aspects of the dynamics of Coxiella burnetii that are relevant for the implementation of control strategies in ruminant herds with endemic Q fever are unknown. We designed a longitudinal study to monitor the dynamics of exposure to C. burnetii in a red deer herd with endemic infection in order to allow the design of Q fever-specific control approaches. Other relevant aspects of the dyna...

1. Quantitative studies of the skin-sensitizing antibodies, blocking antibodies, and hemagglutinins in sera of allergic human beings have been made. 2. A comparison of 12 maternal and the 12 corresponding cord sera by the method of passive transfer showed the human placenta to be impermeable to skin-sensitizing antibodies. 3. Direct skin tests and passive transfer studies of 6 infants at the ag...

Maternal immunity is the main early defense against infectious agents in newborns. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is indispensable for immune defense against infectious agents. IgG is transported through either the colostrum or the placenta. Immunoglobulins are antibodies, and the five different classes of these antibodies are IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD and IgE. Through their biological function of binding ant...

BACKGROUND Maternal immune responses and brain-reactive antibodies have been proposed as possible causal mechanisms for schizophrenia and some child psychiatric disorders. According to this hypothesis maternal antibodies may cross the placenta and interact with the developing CNS of the fetus causing future neurodevelopmental disorders. Therefore, we investigated if children of mothers with can...

Vaccination of young broilers with inactivated vaccines against experimental Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale challenge was found to be effective, but the results of vaccination were influenced, in a negative way, by the presence of maternal antibodies. The use of a strong adjuvant, such as mineral oil, in a bacterin was necessary to obtain good protection when maternal antibodies were present. ...

Maternal antibodies against the envelope glycoprotein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) have previously been suggested to be important in influencing the rate of vertical transmission. In this study, serum antibody responses in mothers who did or did not transmit HIV-1 infection to their children were measured against the carboxy region of the transmembrane envelope glycoprotein gp...

Human parechovirus type 3 (HPeV3) is an emerging pathogen that causes sepsis and meningoencephalitis in young infants. To test the hypothesis that maternal antibodies can protect this population, we measured neutralizing antibody titers (NATs) to HPeV3 and other genotypes (HPeV1 and HPeV6) in 175 cord blood samples in Japan. The seropositivity rate (≥1:32) for HPeV3 was 61%, similar to that for...

Placental transfer of maternal IgG antibodies to the fetus is an important mechanism that provides protection to the infant while his/her humoral response is inefficient. IgG is the only antibody class that significantly crosses the human placenta. This crossing is mediated by FcRn expressed on syncytiotrophoblast cells. There is evidence that IgG transfer depends on the following: (i) maternal...

BACKGROUND Autoimmune fetal congenital heart block (CHB) is the most severe manifestation of neonatal lupus, and it is seen when maternal autoimmune antibodies cross the placenta and damage the AV node of the fetus. CHB is mainly associated with maternal SLE with anti-Ro/SSA- and anti-La/SSB-positive status, and incidence of CHB increases when both the antibodies are present. This study was con...

To determine the effects of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) maternal antibodies on and response to experimental PCV2 infection, 24 piglets were divided into four groups on the basis of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers of PCV2 maternal antibodies: group A (n = 6; sample/positive [S/P] ratio, <0.2), group B (n = 5; S/P ratio, >0.2 to <0.5), and groups C (n = 8) and D (n = 5) (S/P rat...