The levels of immune complex-like material in serum from 18 patients in connection with skin eruptions appearing during penicillin therapy were determined with a modified ELISA. Immune complex-like material could only be shown in the serum of 3 out of the 17 patients. However, according to ELISA results, the complexes appeared without the simultaneous presence of penicilloyl-specific antibodies...

Immune mechanisms active against Brucella were studied under conditions of oxygen deficiency. B. melitensis grew in rabbit serum-Tyrode medium flooded with N(2) and CO(2) gas mixtures. Immune sera from rabbits injected with B. melitensis strain Rev I possessed growth-inhibitory activity that operated in anaerobic environments against Rev I and virulent strain 6015. When mixed with macrophages, ...

The immune system of teleost fish has mechanisms responsible for the defense against bacteria through protective proteins in several tissues. The protein action can be evaluated by serum bactericidal activity and this is an important tool to analyze the immune system. Pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, is one of the most important fish in national aquaculture. However there is a lack of studies on ...

The aim of present study was to establish the relationship between level blood serum cytokines and indexes pulmonary function as well identify markers evolving dysfunction small airways in obese patients with partially controlled mild bronchial asthma. We have examined 53 asthma clinical course complicated obesity (I-II degree). control group consisted 25 healthy volunteers. All participants un...

The relation between fibronectin and immune complexes in rheumatic disease was examined in a series of linked studies. Fibronectin was present in immune complexes formed in vitro in the absence of C1q. Gel filtration chromatography showed complexed fibronectin was present in the serum of a patient with rheumatoid vasculitis, but not in normal serum; the complexed fibronectin coeluted with IgA a...

Social status can influence an animal's immune and reproductive functions, eventually leading to alterations in immunocompetence and reproductive success. Here, we report that rank assessed in a food competition test, considered as an index of social status, has significant influences on humoral immune functions in male Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) living in a group. Our data reveal a...

Background: Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is one of the best characterized genetic regions controlling immune responses against vaccines. Identifying the association between MHC haplotypes and improved immune responses would be useful in genetic breeding strategies in animals. OBJECTIVES: MHC class II B genetic diversity and its association with humoral immune responses against Newcast...

Recent ideas suggest that current immunocompetence may act as a constraint on behavioural and physiological decisions, where these risk imposing an additional burden on immune function. We tested this in the context of time budgeting and the secretion of the potentially immunodepressive hormones testosterone and corticosterone, by treating adult male CFLP laboratory mice with antithymocyte seru...

The ability of antigranulocyte antibody to fix the third component of complement (C3) to the granulocyte surface was investigated by an assay that quantitates the binding of monoclonal anti-C3 antibody to paraformaldehyde-fixed cells preincubated with Felty's syndrome serum in the presence of human complement. The sera from 7 of 13 patients with Felty's syndrome bound two to three times as much...

Electron micrographs indicate, in harmony with previous findings, that the pneumococcal capsule is a gel of low density outside of and closely applied to the bacterial cell wall. Interaction with homologous immune rabbit serum greatly increases the thickness and density of this capsular gel; the increase in thickness of the specifically swollen pneumococcal capsule may exceed by 25-fold the thi...