BACKGROUND Hepatitis delta frequently leads to liver cirrhosis and hepatic decompensation. As treatment options are limited, there is a need for biomarkers to determine disease activity and to predict the risk of disease progression. We hypothesized that anti-HDV IgM could represent such a marker. METHODS Samples of 120 HDV-infected patients recruited in an international multicenter treatment...

IgM antibody against hepatitis C virus (IgM anti-HCV) was measured in serial samples from 15 transfusion recipients in whom posttransfusion chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) developed and three plasmapheresis donors during acute HCV infection using recombinant proteins derived from three immunodominant regions: core, NS-3, and NS-4 (c100). IgM anti-HCV core was detected in 13 of 15 posttra...

Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) were determined in 41 cases of acute viral hepatitis. In sera positive for anti-HBc or anti-HAV, IgM was separated from IgG by reorienting sucrose gradient high-speed centrifugation, and the IgG- and IgM-containing serum fractions were tested for the presence of specific antibody by ra...

The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in 832 pregnant women in Miracema, Rio de Janeiro, was determined and 75.1% (625) and 2.0% (17) were anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM positive, respectively. Out of the 17 IgM positive pregnant women, only one had low avidity IgG corresponding to the acute phase of the infection. All the other women presented with high avidity IgG and also presented with re...

A patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia was found to have B cells with surface immunoglobulin (Ig)M manifesting anti-sheep erythrocyte (SRBC) specificity together with a high titer serum monoclonal anti-SRBC IgM antibody. By immunizing a sheep with the monoclonal IgM antibody, followed by multiple absorptions against normal human IgM, an anti-idiotype (Id) antibody was obtained. The serum I...

We have reported that PEGylated liposomes lose their long-circulating properties when they are administered repeatedly at certain intervals to the same animal. This unexpected phenomenon is referred to as the accelerated blood clearance (ABC) phenomenon. We recently showed that the ABC phenomenon is triggered via the abundant secretion of anti-PEG IgM in response to the first dose of PEGylated ...

OBJECTIVES Leprosy household contacts represent a group at high risk of developing the disease. The aim of this study was to detect Mycobacterium leprae subclinical infection in this group through serological and molecular parameters. METHODS Serum anti-PGL1 IgG/IgM and salivary anti-PGL1 IgA/IgM was investigated using an ELISA, and nasal carriage of M. leprae DNA was detected by PCR, in lepr...

Both extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) have been implicated in mediating the signaling events that precede apoptosis. We studied the activation of these kinases during apoptosis of WEHI 231 B cells. Surface IgM ligation induces apoptosis of WEHI 231 cells. This effect is augmented by simultaneous engagement of CD95 and is inhibited by costimulation ...