Serum and nasal wash specimens from 13 human volunteers undergoing experimental secondary infection with influenza A/Peking/2/79 (H3N2) wild-type virus were examined for the molecular form and subclass distribution of immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies to the viral hemagglutinin (HA). Nasal IgA antibodies were polymeric and did not bind radiolabeled secretory component, indicating that they were...

BACKGROUND In the pathogenesis of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), the IgA1 subclass is more important than the IgA2 subclass. In healthy men, the prevalence of mesangial IgA deposition has been previously investigated. However, it remains unknown whether the presence of urinary abnormalities depends on the subclass of IgA deposition. MATERIALS AND METHODS We researched the subclasses of ...

Bats comprise 20% of all mammals, yet little is known about their immune system and virtually nothing about their immunoglobulin genes. We show that four different bat species transcribe genes encoding IgM, IgE, IgA and IgG subclasses, the latter which have diversified after speciation; the canonical pattern for eutherian mammals. IgD transcripts were only recovered from insectivorous bats and ...

BACKGROUND An enhanced release of metals in the mouth due to galvanic cell formation is considered to be one of the causes of oral discomfort. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of galvanic cell on salivary immune defense factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS The levels of IgA1, IgA2, sIgA, lysozyme and antiIgA/HSP60 were evaluated in representative samples from 159 patients with ...

Rubella contracted in early pregnancy is associated with a high frequency of congenital anomalies in the infant. Viral transmission occurs in overt as well as occult maternal illness with or without a rise in maternal rubella antibody titres. It is thus both difficult and important to determine whether the fetus has become infected in utero. One approach is to isolate rubella virus from amnioti...

M cells represent the primary route by which mucosal Ags are transported across the intestinal epithelium and delivered to underlying gut-associated lymphoid tissues. In rodents and rabbits, Peyer's patch M cells selectively bind and endocytose secretory IgA (SIgA) Abs. Neither the nature of the M cell IgR nor the domains of SIgA involved in this interaction are known. Using a mouse ligated ile...

BACKGROUND A link between IgA nephropathy and Crohn's disease has recently been reported. Other researchers hypothesize that intestine-derived IgA complexes deposit in glomerular mesangial cells, eliciting IgA nephropathy. Intestinal mucosal plasma cells mainly secrete IgA2. Nevertheless, IgA1 deposition is strongly implicated as being the primary cause of IgA nephropathy. CASE PRESENTATION A...