Eliciting a broadly neutralizing polyclonal antibody response against HIV-1 remains a major challenge. One approach to vaccine development is prevention of HIV-1 entry into cells by blocking the fusion of viral and cell membranes. More specifically, our goal is to elicit neutralizing antibodies that target a transient viral entry intermediate (the prehairpin intermediate) formed by the HIV-1 gp...

The IgM antibody response to Type III pneumococcal polysaccharide (SSS-III) was assessed in F(1), F(2), and backcross progeny derived from high (BALB/cAnN) and extremely low (CBA/HN) responding parental strains of inbred mice. The results of these studies indicated that a major component involved in the antibody response is X-linked, i.e., carried on the X chromosome; this component determines ...

An effective antibody response can assist drug treatment to contribute to better parasite clearance in malaria patients. To examine this, sera were obtained from two groups of adult patients with acute falciparum malaria, prior to drug treatment: patients who (1) have subsequent recrudescent infection, or (2) were cured by Day 28 following treatment. Using a Plasmodium falciparum antigen librar...

Background: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease which is characterized by B-cell abnormality and auto-antibody generation. Since bacterial infections are the most important causes of mortality in these patients, pneumococcal vaccination is recommended for children with SLE. Objective: To investigate humoral immunity and specific-antibody formation in response to a...

BACKGROUND Achieving the level of population immunity required for measles elimination may be difficult in regions of high human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) prevalence, because HIV-1-infected children may be less likely to respond to or maintain protective antibody levels after vaccination. METHODS We conducted a prospective study of the immunogenicity of standard-titer measles vacc...

BACKGROUND The aims of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of canine ehrlichiosis and risk factors of this disease in companion dogs' population of Mashhad, North East of Iran. Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis (CME) is a zoonotic disease transmitted by ticks, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and caused by an obligate intracellular bacterium, Ehrlichia canis. METHODS During September 2009 un...

Prospective cohort studies indicate that 13-45% of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected pregnant women transmit the virus to their infants. Although factors that influence perinatal transmission are not well understood, drug and immunotherapy trials to interrupt transmission are underway. The identification of women most at risk is essential for prevention, counselling, and medi...

Antisera produced in rabbits to 37 rhinovirus (RV) types have been examined for antibody to the 36 corresponding heterologous types. Reciprocal neutralization was noted between RV types 2 and 49 and RV types 13 and 41. Five additional monotypic rhinoviral rabbit antisera neutralized one heterologous rhinovirus. Neutralizing antibody titers against heterologous RV serotypes were similar to those...

BACKGROUND Immune responses are complex traits influenced by genetic and environmental factors. We previously reported that genetic factors control early antibody responses to vaccines in Gambian infants. For the present study, we evaluated the determinants of the memory phase of immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses. METHODS Antibody responses to tetanus toxoid (TT), measles vaccines, and environ...

OBJECTIVES In long-term botulinum neurotoxin treatment, loss of therapeutic efficacy may occur due to neutralising antibody formation. Preliminary results with incobotulinumtoxinA, a preparation free of complexing/accessory proteins, have indicated a low antigenicity. We hypothesised that continuous treatment with this botulinum neurotoxin preparation would not result in an increase in neutrali...