Reply to: Hasman A and Holm S. Nicotine conjugate vaccine: is there a right to a smoking future?
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Antibodies↗
Biomedical subjects
E H Cerny
Publications and source records attributed to E H Cerny.
Preclinical development of a vaccine 'against smoking'.
BACKGROUND: Nicotine is the main culprit for dependence on tobacco-containing products, which in turn are a major etiologic factor for cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This publication describes a vaccine, which elicits antibodies against nicotine. The antibodies in the blood stream intercept the nicotine molecule on its way to its receptors and greatly diminish the nicotine influx to the brain shortly after smoking. METHODS: The nicotine molecule is chemically linked to cholera toxin B as a carrier protein in order to induce antibodies. The potential to elicit antibodies after subcutaneous as well as intranasal immunization is evaluated. In order to simulate realistic conditions, nicotine pumps delivering the nicotine equivalent of 5 packages of cigarettes for 4 weeks are implanted into the mice 1 week prior to vaccination. The protective effect of the vaccine is measured 5 weeks after vaccination by comparing the influx of radiolabeled nicotine in the brains of vaccinated and non-vaccinated animals 5 min after challenge with the nicotine equivalent of 2 cigarettes. RESULTS: The polyclonal antibodies induced by the vaccine show a mean avidity of 1.8 x 10(7) l/Mol. Subcutaneous immunization elicits high antibody levels of the IgG class, and significant IgA antibody levels in the saliva of vaccinated mice can be found after intranasal vaccination. The protective effect also in the animals with implanted nicotine pumps is significant: less than 10% of radiolabeled nicotine found in the brains of non-vaccinated animals can be found in the brains of vaccinated animals. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide credible evidence that a vaccine can break the vicious circle between smoking and instant gratification by intercepting the nicotine molecule. Astonishingly, there is no sign of exhaustion of specific antibodies even under extreme conditions, which makes it highly unlikely that a smoker can overcome the protective effect of the vaccine by smoking more. Finally, the high titers of specific antibodies after 1 year let us hope that booster vaccinations are probably only necessary in intervals of years.
Administration, Intranasal↗
Diagnosis and differentiation of HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection by enzyme immunoassays using synthetic peptides.
Synthetic peptides from the major envelope protein of HTLV-I (ENV-I, amino acid 177-213) and HTLV-II (ENV-II, amino acid 173-209) and a conserved region of the transmembrane protein (TM, amino acid 378-402) were used as antigens in microtiter plate enzyme immunoassays (EIA) to detect and discriminate antibodies to HTLV-I and II. The ENV-I and ENV-II peptide EIAs were able to correctly discriminate HTLV-I and II infections in 17 of 18 subjects whose infections were determined by a gene amplification method. Sera from 100 of 107 subjects with serologically confirmed infection with HTLV-I/II and 0 of 218 seronegative controls reacted with one or more of the peptides (sensitivity, 93.5%; specificity, 100%). Ninety-six of the 100 peptide positive sera reacted exclusively with either the ENV-I or the ENV-II peptide, thereby differentiating the two viral infections. The pattern of reactivity to the ENV peptides was distinct in different populations. Patients attending an Emergency Department, who had a history of drug abuse, and male inmate entering a correctional facility only had antibody reactivity to the ENV-II peptide. Subjects from Haiti and patients with HTLV-associated neurological disease only had antibody reactivity to the ENV-I peptide. Peptide-based enzyme immunoassays that distinguish antibodies to HTLV-I and HTLV-II will facilitate studies of the epidemiology of HTLV.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Adenovirus ELISA for the evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid in patients with suspected neurosyphilis.
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detecting antibodies against the adenovirus group antigen was used to examine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of suspected neurosyphilis patients for serum contamination or blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage. Adenovirus antibodies are ubiquitous, produce high antibody titers, and rarely cause central nervous system (CNS) infections. Of 52 normal adult sera tested with this ELISA, only one lacked antibodies. CSF from 48 healthy individuals did not present a detectable amount of anti-adenovirus antibodies. CSF from 33 suspected neurosyphilis patients with positive results in the fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption (FTA-ABS)-CSF test were examined. Eighteen showed anti-adenovirus antibodies indicating contamination of the CSF with peripheral blood or damaged BBB by syphilis or other disease, resulting in questionable CSF treponemal results. The remaining 15 of these patients appeared to be producing their anti-treponemal antibodies in the CNS. This procedure may prove to be of considerable help in excluding false positive FTA-ABS results in CSF samples.
Adenoviridae↗
Rheumatoid factor in syphilis.
Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies directed against IgG antibodies (rheumatoid factor [RF]) are known to occur often in patients with syphilis and to interfere with serological tests measuring specific antibodies of the IgM class. In this study we examined the occurrence and specificity of the RF and demonstrated a simple method to detect and eliminate the RF for a specific Treponema pallidum IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We measured the occurrence of the RF with a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and found that it increased with the duration of syphilitic disease: 1 of 13 primary syphilis serum specimens, 3 of 13 secondary syphilis serum specimens, and 10 of 27 latent syphilis serum specimens were reactive in this RF test. Those sera containing IgM RF were immunoprecipitated with anti-human gamma chain antibodies and 2% polyethylene glycol until the RF was removed. One serum specimen from a patient in the secondary stage of syphilis and eight serum specimens from patients with latent disease still presented the RF after immunoprecipitation. Removal of the IgG antibodies also improved the sensitivity of the treponemal IgM test, indicating competition of these antibodies for binding sites of the antigen. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for detection of RF and antitreponemal IgM antibodies are performed on the same plate. Theoretically, only sera positive for both tests have to be immunoprecipitated. But our findings indicated an increase in sensitivity of the IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after removal of IgG antibodies responsible for competition at the binding sites.
Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic↗
Double-conjugate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for immunoglobulins G and M against Treponema pallidum.
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the simultaneous measurement of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM was developed to detect antibodies to Treponema pallidum. Wells of polystyrene microtiter plates were coated with T. pallidum antigen, diluted patient serum was added, and IgG and IgM which bound to the T. pallidum antigen were measured by the simultaneous addition of alkaline phosphatase-labeled anti-human IgG and horseradish peroxidase-labeled anti-human IgM. Bound IgG was detected first, followed by bound IgM. After development of the procedure, 145 categorized sera were evaluated: 60 from individuals without syphilis; 62 from patients with syphilis, including 22 with primary, 20 with secondary, and 20 with latent phases of syphilis; and 23 from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Of the 60 sera from individuals without syphilis, 100% were nonreactive for IgG antibody and 16% were reactive for IgM. Of the 23 sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 3 were reactive for IgG and 3 were nonreactive for IgM. Of the 62 sera from patients with syphilis, 61 (98%) were reactive for IgG antibody with increased titers as the stage of syphilis increased, whereas IgM reactivity decreased. This enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay appears to be a simple method for the simultaneous measurement of antibodies under equal assay conditions.
Antibodies, Bacterial↗