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Biomedical subjects

L Nespoli

Publications and source records attributed to L Nespoli.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Concanavalin A induces a T-cell dependent activation of human tonsil B cells in vitro.

Tonsillar lymphocytes cultured for 7 days in serum-supplemented RPMI-1640 medium were stimulated with Con A or PWM. IgM production was assessed by a hemagglutination inhibition assay. IgM was produced after Con A as well as PWM stimulation. Our data show that T-cell irradiation and/or addition of small numbers of T cells to the responding B-cell population facilitate(s) IgM synthesis. In particular in Con A-stimulated cultures the T-cell number is critical in regulating the appearance of suppressor effects. The results are discussed in terms of the various subpopulations possibly involved in the response to these mitogens.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1979

A rapid unfavorable outcome of Wegener's granulomatosis in early childhood.

Wegener's Granulomatosis was suspected in a 27-month-old female with a nodular, necrotizing lesion of the nose, diffuse subcutaneous nodules, and erythematous desquamation of the entire body. From 20 months of age on she had a purulent nasal discharge, recurrent infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract, a Coombs positive anemia, and enlargement of the spleen and liver. Treatment with azathioprine and corticosteroids produced transient improvement but three months later a dramatic relapse occurred. Cyclophosphamide was substituted for azathioprine but 10 days later the patient died and the autopsy confirmed the diagnosis of Wegener's Granulomatosis. The early age of onset of the disease may explain the unfavorable outcome, despite treatment with cytotoxic agents.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1979

Plaque assay with protein A-coated erythrocytes for the evaluation of human immunoglobulin-secreting cells induced by pokeweed mitogen.

Cells secreting IgM, IgG and IgA were evaluated in cultures of human peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated in vitro with pokeweed mitogen by a haemolytic plaque assay using protein A-coated erythrocytes in the presence of class-specific antisera. Kinetic study revealed that immunoglobulin-secreting cells appeared after 3 days of culture and peaked between days 5 and 7. IgM-secreting cells predominated throughout the culture period. This plaque assay is a useful and sensitive in vitro test for the evaluation of polyclonal B-cell activation in humans and may provide a good approach to the study of disturbances in the synthesis of the various classes of immunoglobulins.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Disorders of candidacidal activity and other neutrophil functions in three cases of chronic candidiasis.

Three unrelated cases of recurrent and untreatable candidiasis have been followed for about one year. A persistent in vitro defect of neutrophil candidacidal activity characterized the three cases, while other neutrophil functions were shown to be only transiently impaired during the period of observation. None of the three cases could be identified with previously described granulocytopathies.

Candidiasis↗
PubMed1978

Atopy as a minimal immunodeficiency?

Despite impressive recent advances in the understanding of the chemical and cellular bases of the reaginic response, the pathogenesis of atopic diseases still remains a matter of speculation. The frequent finding of atopic diseases in some primary immunodeficiencies such as selective IgA deficiency and the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome offers a unique opportunity for studying the immune mechanisms underlying the genesis of atopy. Recent studies in subjects with selective IgA deficiency have challenged the well known hypothesis that atopy is the result of defective "immune exclusion" by the secretory immune system. A number of immunological features found in the primary immunodeficiencies associated with atopic disorders suggest that defective homeostatic mechanisms regulating reaginic responses may play a major role in the pathogenesis of atopy. A thorough analysis of these disease combinations may help to generate new working hypotheses concerning the immune pathogenesis of atopic diseases.

Dysgammaglobulinemia↗
PubMed1978

Polyclonal activation of human B lymphocytes in vitro by pokeweed mitogen: a simple technique for the simultaneous assessment of cell proliferation, generation of plasma cells, plaque-forming cells and immunoglobulin production.

A simple technique has been worked out for the simultaneous assessment of cell proliferation, generation of plasma cells, plaque-forming cells and immunoglobulin production from single cultures of 1 X 10(6) human peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Kinetic studies showed that number of cells, thymidine incorporation rate, number of plaque-forming cells against fluorescein-isothiocyanate-haptenated sheep erythrocytes and concentration of IgM and IgG in the supernatant peaked on the average between day 5 and 7 of culture. This technique is particularly suitable for the analysis of hypogammaglobulinaemias in infancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Human T lymphocyte subset identification according to avidity for sheep erythrocytes and rosetting capacity with allogeneic red blood cells.

Peripheral blood T lymphocytes of healthy adults were separated in appropriate Ficoll-Hypaque mixtures according to their avidity for sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and re-rosetted with both SRBC and human red blood cells (HRBC). The results showed that separation procedures causing relative depletion of lymphocytes with high avidity for SRBC led to a parallel increase in the percentage of cells forming rosettes with HRBC. Separation procedures leading to almost complete depletion of cells forming rosettes with SRBC also almost completely eliminated cells forming rosettes with HRBC. The overall data suggest that circulating T cells of healthy adults can be divided into two subsets according to their avidity for SRBC. T lymphocytes with low avidity for SRBC preferentially express receptors for HRBC. These data are presented as further evidence of T lymphocyte heterogeneity.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Experimental conditions for obtaining suppressor and helper effects on the primary in vitro immune response by lymphocytes activated by polyclonal T-cell activators.

The effect of the polyclonal T-cell activators (PTA) Con A and PHA on the specific immune response to sheep red blood cells (SRC) was studied. Addition of PTA either enhanced or suppressed the anti-SRC response, and two variables were found to affect the results: time of addition of the PTA and the strength of the response in control cultures not given PTA. If the response was high, even suboptimal PTA concentrations induced suppressive effects, but if the control response was low, due to deficient batches of sera or because of the absence of serum, the addition of PTA increased the response or restored it to normal levels. Suppression could be obtained if the PTA were added before or at the same time as the antigen and required high (optimal) PTA concentrations. If addition was delayed for 12-24 h the suppressive effects disappeared and previously suppressive concentrations of the PTA now caused an enhanced response. Analogous results were obtained if preactivated lymphocytes were added to the cultures instead of soluble PTA. Neither Con A, PHA, or lymphocytes preactivated by these PTA suppressed the polyclonal response induced by LPS or PPD. Irrespective of the time of addition and the culture conditions, enhancement of the anti-SRC response occurred at lower PTA concentrations than suppression. It was concluded that suppressor T cells, if they exist, do not act on B cells, but rather on helper cells needed for induction of thymus-dependent responses. The findings in this system are not compatible with the existence of a specific subset of suppressor T cells, but rather with the notion that suppression is caused by too much help.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Mechanism of action of suppressor cells. In vivo concanavalin-A-activated suppressor cells do not directly affect B cells.

The addition of a small proportion (10%) of in vivo concanavalin-A (Con-A)-activated spleen cells to normal spleen cell cultures suppressed the primary immune response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) but had no effect on the thymus-independent primary immune response to 3,5-dinitro-4-hydroxy-phenacetyl-conjugated lipopolysaccharide. When Con-A-activated cells were added after 24 h, there was no suppression of the anti-SRBC response but rather an enhanced response when few cells were admixed. Con-A-activated cells did not influence activation of normal cells by polyclonal T- and B-cell activators. It is concluded that Con-A-induced suppressor cells do not act on B cells but rather on helper cells (T cells or macrophages) at a very early stage of the immune response to thymus-dependent antigens.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Derangements of immunoglobulin levels, phytohemagglutinin responsiveness and T and B cell markers in Down's syndrome at different ages.

Immunologic studies were performed in 83 patients with Down's Syndrome (DS) in ages ranging from a few months to 30 years and 76 karyotypically normal age-matched controls. The results show that both thymus-dependent and independent functions were impaired in DS with a characteristic age sequence. Serum immunoglobulin levels were normal in children with DS less then 5 years old; after 6 years of age a definite hyperglobulinemia of the IgG and IgA type was observed. A slight decrease in IgM was observed between 16 and 25 years of age. In subjects with DS lymphocyte phytohemagglutinin responsiveness was in the normal range during the first decade but it decreased thereafter progressively; the percentage and absolute number of peripheral blood lymphocytes forming "spontaneous rosettes" with sheep erythrocytes were abnormally low at all ages including infancy; the number of circulating lymphocytes with a high density of surface immunoglobulins was always in the normal range.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prophylactic co-trimoxazole versus norfloxacin in neutropenic children--perspective randomized study.

Co-trimoxazole or norfloxacin were randomly administered to 44 granulocytopenic children with malignancies in order to prevent bacterial infections. Although more patients in the co-trimoxazole group had febrile episodes (p less than 0.01), the mean of febrile days and the mean of days with systemic antibiotics did not differ significantly in the two groups. Five patients in the co-trimoxazole group had a microbiologically documented infection (four with septicemia) due to Escherichia coli (n = 2), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus sp. There were four septicemic episodes in the norfloxacin group due to P. aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus faecalis. Compliance was good during administration of both drugs. No signs or symptoms of arthropathy were seen in the norfloxacin group. The number of gram-negative bacilli resistant to co-trimoxazole isolated from stools significantly increased during prophylaxis with co-trimoxazole (p less than 0.001). Norfloxacin did not select resistant strains and was very active in eradicating gram-negative bacilli from stools (27.5% of positive cultures).

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

From a historical outline of transplants to the concept of biological ego.

A chronology of the biological preliminaries of human transplantation science is proposed together with a chronological listing of the applications which transplants have had in clinical medicine in general and in pediatrics in particular. The most significantly immunological elements which surface from this assortment of experiences (in which those of pediatric interest have a considerable role) contribute easily to a more deeply perceived culture of man's biological individuality.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Spontaneous pneumothorax caused by lung metastasis of sarcoma of the thigh].

Relapsing spontaneous pneumothorax can be the first manifestation of pulmonary metastases of soft tissues sarcomas. Standard imaging techniques and computed tomography may not be able to detect small malignant cystic lesion or to distinguish between them and benign bollous lesions. We report the case of a 33 year-old male who, in the past, underwent surgical treatment for a synovial sarcoma of the inferior limb. The patient was admitted to our hospital because of right spontaneous pneumothorax; both chest x-ray and CT scan didn't detect any metastatic pulmonary lesion. A few days after the discharge the patient was readmitted because of relapsed pneumothorax; high-definition CT of the chest revealed a pulmonary cystic lesion that was resected thoracoscopically. Histological examination revealed a pulmonary metastases of synovial sarcoma.

Adult↗