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Biomedical subjects

B Pirofsky

Publications and source records attributed to B Pirofsky.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

Clinical studies on the significance of DNA:anti-DNA complexes in the systemic circulation and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Evidence has gradually accumulated that DNA antibodies play a pathogenic role in SLE in combination with DNA, as DNA: anti-DNA complexes, but until recently there was no direct assay for such complexes. By measuring DNA binding before and after DN'ase digestion, an indication of the amount of DNA complexes in biological fluids was obtained. This assay was used to examine sera from patients with SLE or non-SLE nephritis. DNA:anti-DNA complexes were detectable only in the circulation of patients with SLE, almost invariably with active nephritis. When a large series (50) of SLE patients were serially examined, similar results were found. Significant amounts of DNA:anti-DNA complexes were found in the circulation only during active CNS and/or renal lupus. Persistence of the complexes was associated with treatment resistance and increased morbidity and mortality. In addition, DNA:anti-DNA complexes were found in the CSF of a patient with CNS lupus.

Adult↗
PubMed1972

The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Results of transfer factor therapy.

12 patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome were treated with therapeutic doses of transfer factor in an attempt to induce cellular immunity. Clinical improvement was noted after transfer factor therapy in 7 of the 12 patients treated. Because this disease has a variable course and temporary spontaneous improvement can occur, the observed improvement cannot necessarily be attributed to the transfer factor. However, in two patients repeated remissions consistently followed transfer factor administration on repeated occasions. This included freedom from infections, regression of splenomegaly, and clearing of eczema. An unexpected finding was a decrease in bleeding in 3 of the 10 patients who had bleeding. Conversion of skin reactivity was obtained in all seven patients who clinically seemed to respond to transfer factor. In vitro studies performed after the administration of transfer factor demonstrated that the lymphocytes of the patients now produced migration inhibitory factor in response to appropriate test antigens, but did not undergo increased radioactive thymidine incorporation in response to the same antigens. A defect in the monocyte IgG receptors has been found in certain patients with the disease, and the current study shows that all patients with defective monocyte IgG receptors responded to transfer factor, whereas only one patient with normal receptors showed any response. This test may thus prove to be useful in predicting the results of transfer factor therapy in patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, although evaluation of a larger series of patients will be necessary to confirm this point. We conclude that cellular immunity can be induced, that there appears to be clinical benefit in certain patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome by the use of transfer factor, and that this mode of therapy warrents trial in these patients and others with defects of cellular immunity.

Cell Migration Inhibition↗
PubMed1971

Immunoglobulins on the surface of lymphocytes. IV. Distribution in hypogammaglobulinemia, cellular immune deficiency, and chronic lymphatic leukemia.

The distribution of peripheral blood lymphocytes that contain surface Ig has been studied by means of immunofluorescence in humans. Normal individuals, individuals with sex-linked and acquired agammaglobulinemia, selective IgA deficiency, cellular immune deficiencies, and individuals with chronic lymphatic leukemia (CLL) were studied. Approximately 28% of the peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal individuals contained surface Ig. On an average 15% contained IgG, 6%, IgA, and 8%, IgM; and the kappa: lambda ratio was 2:1. Lymphocytes from patients with CLL appeared to be "monoclonal" in that the cells from a given individual had a single Ig associated with them (e.g., kappa IgM). In three-quarters of the cases the H chain class was IgM; in the remaining one-quarter no H chain could be detected on the cell surface. The L chain class was kappa in 12 cases and lambda in 8. Four patients with sex-linked agammaglobulinemia and one with "acquired" agammaglobulinemia had markedly decreased numbers of cells with surface Ig (0-4%). In contrast, the three patients with selective IgA deficiency and no detectable serum IgA contained normal numbers of cells (6-8%) with surface IgA. Five patients with cellular deficiency states, including two with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, contained a normal or low percentage of cells with surface Ig.

Adolescent↗