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Biomedical subjects

H Permin

Publications and source records attributed to H Permin.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Opsonic activity of serum in the acute phase of meningitis.

The present study was designed to determine the opsonic activity of serum obtained from meningitis patients in the acute stage of their illness. This study was part of a Danish multicentre prospective study on various aspects of meningitis for a 12-month period. The opsonic activity of serum was determined by a phagocytosis and a chemiluminescence assay using human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The mean chemiluminescence and phagocytosis indices determined in the sera of 58 patients suffering from various forms of bacterial or non-bacterial meningitis did not differ significantly from that of control sera. Although sera of 4 patients with pneumococcal, 3 with meningococcal, and 1 with streptococcal meningitis exhibited lower opsonic activity than the control sera in the chemiluminescence assay, their values in the phagocytosis assay were similar to control value. It is concluded that serum opsonic activity in meningitis patients is normal and similar to that of healthy individuals.

Acute Disease

Immunohistological skin investigations in patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Twenty-one male patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), 6 male patients with AIDS-related complex (ARC) and 23 controls' had a punch biopsy taken from clinically unaffected skin of the buttock. Vertical skin sections were examined by immunofluorescence for in vivo deposits of immunoglobulins (Ig) and other plasma proteins, as well as for morphology and distribution of Langerhans cells (LC). Deposits of IgM in the dermo-epidermal junction zone (DEJ) were found in one patient with ARC. Apart from this single finding, no in vivo deposits of IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, IgE, complement C1q and C3, fibrinogen or albumin were demonstrated in epidermis, DEJ or dermal vessel walls, either in patients or in controls. Epidermal LC were more superficially situated in patients as compared to controls. No differences in number and localisation of dermal LC were seen. We concluded that it was not possible to confirm a recent report of in vivo Ig deposits in the epidermis of patients with AIDS. The abnormalities observed in epidermal LC should be interpreted together with the recent finding of reduced numbers of epidermal LC; they thus support the hypothesis that LC are involved in the pathological processes in AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Serum amyloid protein A (SAA): an indicator of inflammation in AIDS and AIDS-related complex (ARC).

The acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in a group of 30 homo- and bisexual males with AIDS, 31 males with AIDS-related complex (ARC) and 23 healthy male homosexual controls (HC) in Copenhagen. The mean values of SAA and CRP were significantly higher in the AIDS group compared to the two other groups. SAA was elevated also in the ARC group, whereas the mean CRP value was normal. No increase in SAA and CRP was found in the HC group. The AIDS patients with Pneumocystis carinii infections had the highest SAA values, those with Kaposi's sarcoma the lowest. The elevations in SAA and CRP preceded episodes of acute opportunistic infections often by several days before the infectious agents were identified. We conclude that patients with AIDS are able to establish an acute phase response as reflected by elevated SAA and CRP, and that measurement of these proteins may be of diagnostic and prognostic value.

AIDS-Related Complex

Circulating immune complexes, insulin antibodies, and deposits of immunoglobulins in the skin in diabetes.

Sixty-five insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients at the Steno-Memorial Hospital entered the present study. Of these, 43.1 percent had one or more late diabetic complication, 19.3 percent had circulating immune complexes (CIC)--there was a tendency for CIC to be related to late diabetic complications (P = 0.1) - and 16.9 percent had elevated total S-IgG. Elevated S-IgG values were related neither to CIC, to complications, nor to IgG deposits in the skin. Three patients had elevated total S-IgM, IgD and, IgE, respectively. No patients had elevated total S-IgA. Insulin antibodies were present in 41.9 percent. They were related to neither CIC nor clinical complications. No patients had rheumatoid factors (RF) or granulocyte-specific antinuclear antibodies (ANA). 12.3 percent had a low titre of organ non-specific ANA. No relationship could be established between ANA and complications or CIC. As regards skin deposits IgG was present at the dermo-epidermal junction zone (DEJ) and/or in the dermal vessels in 75.4 percent of the patients; IgA was present in 35.4 percent; and IgM in 32.3 percent. IgD and IgE were absent in all patients. Fibrinogen deposits were found in 80 percent and complement C3 in 32.3 percent. No correlation was found between skin deposits and CIC, on one hand, or clinical complications, on the other. From the present work, we conclude that humorally mediated immunological processes are active in IDDM. However, the exact role of this activity still remains to be defined.

Adolescent

High prevalence of anti-mitochondrial antibodies among patients with some well-defined connective tissue diseases.

A sensitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for determination of low levels of anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) has been developed. With this method, sera from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and patients with different connective tissue diseases were investigated. Ninety percent of PBC sera were found to harbour high levels of AMA and a high proportion of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but also other patients with connective tissue diseases were found to have low affinity or low concentrations of AMA in their sera. AMA positive sera were further investigated with sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting technique. PBC showed reactivity to 70, 50 and 45 kD mitochondrial polypeptides. SLE sera showed reactivity to 70 and 45 kD polypeptides and furthermore to a 65 kD polypeptide. Many of the AMA positive sera from patients with connective tissue diseases reacted to a 65 kD polypeptide.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid

Autoantibodies against neutrophils and monocytes: tool for diagnosis and marker of disease activity in Wegener's granulomatosis.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies against extranuclear components of polymorphonuclear granulocytes were detected in 25 of 27 serum samples from patients with active Wegener's granulomatosis and in only 4 of 32 samples from patients without signs of disease activity. In a prospective study of 19 patients these antibodies proved to be better markers of disease activity than several other laboratory measurements used previously. The autoantibodies were disease specific and the titres were related to the results of an in-vitro granulocyte phagocytosis test, in which 7S IgG antibodies were internalised after specific binding to the cell, resulting in gradual formation of ring-like cytoplasmic structures. This autoantibody may have a pathogenetic role in Wegener's granulomatosis. The detection of this antibody is valuable for diagnosis and estimation of disease activity.

Adult

Clinical and immunological aspects of a case of monoclonal hyper-IgE. Isolation of IgE-protein, estimation of basophil cell bound IgE and histamine release.

A case of monoclonal IgE type lambda with IgE levels about 1 mg/ml has been followed for 6 years. Except for a slight asthma no signs of malignancies, parasitic infestations or other known diseases compatible with hyper-IgE have been found. By the combination of fractional ammonium sulphate precipitation, gel filtration, chromatofocusing, and subtraction affinity chromatography the IgE protein was isolated in an immunochemically pure and homogeneous form. Immunofluorescence of bone marrow cells showed about 1% IgE plasma cells. The amount of basophil bound IgE was 42 ng/10(6) cells, and histamine release from basophils challenged with anti-IgE was not different from that in atopic control persons, indicating a within-allergic-patients normal amount of IgE receptors. The protein-A reactivity was 0.4% equivalent to well-known IgE myeloma proteins. No antigen specificity of the IgE protein was found. Only a few cases of asymptomatic hyper-IgE are known, and it cannot be ruled out that this represents a premyeloma condition, since a similar case terminated in a malignant lymphoma.

Aged

Inhibitory effect of cyclosporin A on histamine release from human leukocytes and rat mast cells.

The influence of cyclosporin A (CyA) on human basophil histamine release induced in vitro by specific antigen, anti-IgE, calcium ionophore A23187, or concanavalin A (Con A) was studied. CyA inhibited the release induced by these four stimulators. It is suggested that the drug acts directly on the target cell, since similar effect was obtained with isolated peritoneal rat mast cells. The basophil histamine release was not changed by a non-immunosuppressive cyclosporin derivate.

Animals

Complexed autoantibodies in patients with juvenile connective tissue diseases, isolated by rate-zonal ultracentrifugation.

Selected sera from one patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, two with mixed connective tissue disease, one with dermatomyositis, one with progressive systemic sclerosis and one with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis were investigated for autoantibodies after fractionation by computerized rate-zonal ultracentrifugation. Anti-Smith antibodies sedimented in an area from 6-11 S and anti-ribonucleoprotein from 6-13 S. IgG anti-IgG and IgG antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were present in free or complexed form in the 6-13 S area. IgM ANA occurred as 7 S IgM in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and mixed connective tissue disease, whereas IgM ANA sedimented in the 19 S area in patients with dermatomyositis and progressive systemic sclerosis. Complexes containing IgG anti-IgG and ANA, positioned in the 6-13 S area are likely to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus and mixed connective tissue disease.

Adolescent

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for determination of anti-mitochondrial antibodies.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed for the detection of human auto antibodies to mitochondria (AMA). The ELISA was compared to the previous routine method - indirect immunofluorescence technique (IIF)--and optimized for the specific detection of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Sera from 72 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, 10 sera positive for anti-cardiolipin antibodies from patients with syphilis, 9 patients with drug-induced pseudolupus erythematosus, 19 patients with non-alcoholic chronic active hepatitis, 14 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 100 healthy blood-donors were examined for AMA by both methods. The nosological sensitivity for the ELISA method was comparable to the IIF. The ELISA method was accurate, precise, inexpensive and well-suited as a diagnostic screening method for AMA when primary biliary cirrhosis is suspected. Furthermore, ELISA methods require less experience of the observer than IIF.

Animals

Autoantibodies in chronic pancreatitis.

In 60 consecutive patients clinically suspected of having chronic pancreatitis the serum concentration of the immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM), the IgG- and IgA-type non-organ-specific autoantibodies against nuclear material (ANA), smooth and striated muscle, mitochondria, basal membrane, and reticulin, and the IgG- and IgA-type pancreas-specific antibodies against islet cells, acinus cells, and ductal cells (DA) were estimated blindly. In 23 of the patients chronic pancreatitis was verified, whereas chronic pancreatitis was rejected in 37 patients (control group). IgG and IgA were found in significantly higher concentrations in the patients with chronic pancreatitis than in the control group but within the normal range. ANA and DA occurred very frequently in both groups but with no statistical difference. Other autoantibodies only occurred sporadically. The findings of this study do not support the view of an immunological pathogenesis in chronic pancreatitis.

Adult

Immunoglobulins, anti-IgG antibodies and antinuclear antibodies in paired serum and synovial fluid samples. A comparison between juvenile and adult rheumatoid arthritis.

Paired samples of serum and synovial fluid (SF) from 13 patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and 10 patients with adult rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were examined regarding the level of immunoglobulins and the occurrence and titres of anti-IgG antibodies and antinuclear antibodies (ANA). The levels of immunoglobulins were lower in SF than in serum. In JRA the SF/serum ratio of IgG was equal to that of albumin, pointing to a local production of IgG. The SF/serum ratio of IgM was equal to that of alpha 2-macroglobulin. In JRA the SF/serum ratios of immunoglobulins tended to be lower than in RA, the difference being significant for IgM. IgD autoantibodies and IgA anti-IgG were not found in JRA. IgE autoantibodies occurred in some cases, but in RA in more than 60%. In JRA the SF titres of anti-IgG and ANA were most often lower than the serum titres. In RA the SF titres were often higher than the serum titres. In 9 of 10 paired SF samples from patients with RA the SF/serum ratios were mutually different with regard to one or several immunoglobulins. Evidence of synovial production of anti-IgG antibodies of classes other than IgG distinguished RA from JRA. Otherwise the differences were quantitative.

Adolescent

Lectin-mediated reactions in histamine release caused by bacteria.

The bacteria-induced release of histamine was studied in human basophil leukocytes and in isolated rat mast cells. Whole bacteria of Staph. aureus caused release in a 98% pure population of peritoneal mast cells from germ-free rats, indicating a non-immunological mechanism and a direct interaction between the bacteria and the target cells. Probably the bacterial cell wall interacts with the cell membrane, since a preparation of the bacterial cell wall caused a dose-dependent release of histamine from basophil leukocytes similar to that induced by whole bacteria, and repeated washing of whole bacteria did not change the release. Inhibition studies by lectin-binding sugars indicate that aminosugars on the bacterial surface of Staph. aureus interact with lectins on the basophil cell membrane leading to histamine release.

Adult

Basal cyclic AMP levels in human blood mononuclear cells.

Basal cyclic AMP levels in blood mononuclear cells from healthy human donors has been studied. A great variation in cyclic AMP content ranging from below 2 to 20 pmol 10(-6) cells was seen. Incubation of the cells at 37 degrees C mostly showed a time-dependent decrease in basal cyclic AMP, levelling off after 16 h. When treated synchronously, cells from blood from the first sample of blood sampling contained more cyclic AMP than that of later samples. Presence of adenosine deaminase, theophylline or indomethacin influenced cyclic AMP concentrations in a non-consistent manner. Variations in cyclic AMP content may in some individuals be ascribed to early increase of cyclic AMP, in others to a progressive reduction in basal cyclic AMP during blood sampling, cell preparation and incubation.

Adenosine

Type I allergy to normal cellular constituents in chronic inflammatory bowel disease? Results from basophil histamine release test compared with total IgE and antinuclear antibodies.

The possibility of autoimmune type I reactions to cellular constituents was investigated in 22 patients with ulcerative colitis, 12 with Crohn's disease, and in 22 healthy volunteers. Nuclear components and colon mucosa fragments were tested as potential antigens by the basophil histamine release technique. One of 12 patients with ulcerative colitis responded to sonicated leukocyte nuclei and one of 12 patients with Crohn's disease responded to both nuclei and RNA. Increased serum levels of total IgE and antinuclear antibodies of IgE class were found in one and three of the 24 patients, respectively. Histamine release caused by colon mucosa fragments was not observed in a separate study consisting of 10 ulcerative colitis patients and 10 healthy volunteers. Autoimmune type I allergy to cellular constituents does not seem to be of significance for chronic inflammatory bowel disease and thus could not explain the involvement of tissue mast cells and eosinophils in this condition.

Adult

Antibodies against nuclear components in schistosomiasis. Results compared to values in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and osteoarthrosis.

Occurrence of autoantibodies against nuclear material was compared in groups of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA n = 22), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE n = 24), osteoarthrosis (OA n = 25), and chronic schistosomiasis mansoni (CSM n = 28). Anti-ds DNA antibody was detected by an ammonium sulphate precipitation radioimmunoassay antibodies against extractable nuclear antigen (ENA) were detected and differentiated in RNAse-resistant and RNAse-sensitive components (Sm and RNP antigens) with an ELISA technique. IgG organ-non-specific and granulocyte-specific antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were detected by immunofluorescence technique with quantitative titration of positive reactions and determination of complement-fixing properties. The results in groups of patients with SLE, RA and OA were of confirmative nature and supported that the different methods detect different systems of autoantibodies and nuclear autoantigens. In CSM it was demonstrated that 23 of 28 cases had positive reactions to the RNAse-resistant part of ENA (the Sm-antigen), a significant difference from the three other groups of patients (P less than 0.001). The antibody was in all cases of IgM class, in seven cases also of IgA class. Antibodies against nuclear material in CSM are probably a consequence of heavy disturbance of the immune system in this chronic infection with great permanent antigen load. It is a matter of discussion, whether production of these antibodies is induced by nuclear material from the host or from the parasite.

Adolescent