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Biomedical subjects

M A Firer

Publications and source records attributed to M A Firer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Intracellular chemiluminescence activates targeted photodynamic destruction of leukaemic cells.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves a two-stage process. A light-absorbing photosensitiser (Ps) is endocytosed and then stimulated by light, inducing transfer of energy to a cytoplasmic acceptor molecule and the generation of reactive oxygen species that initiate damage to cellular membrane components and cytolysis. The expanded use of PDT in the clinic is hindered by the lack of Ps target-cell specificity and the limited tissue penetration by external light radiation. This study demonstrates that bioconjugates composed of transferrin and haematoporphyrin (Tf-Hp), significantly improve the specificity and efficiency of PDT for erythroleukemic cells by a factor of almost seven-fold. Fluorescence microscopy showed that the conjugates accumulate in intracellular vesicles whereas free Hp was mostly membrane bound. Experiments with cells deliberately exposed to Tf-Hp at <LD(100) doses showed that surviving cells did not develop resistance to subsequent treatments with the conjugate. Furthermore, we show that the compound luminol induces intracellular chemiluminescence. This strategy was then used to obviate the use of external radiation for Ps activation by incubating the cells with luminol either before or together with Tf-Hp. This novel chemical means of PDT activation induced cytotoxicity in 95% of cells. These combined approaches provide an opportunity to develop broader and more effective applications of PDT.

Cell Line, Tumor↗
PubMed2001

Efficient elution of functional proteins in affinity chromatography.

Many elution buffers are in use for the retrieval of proteins from affinity columns. While the aim of these buffers is to dissociate the various chemical bonds that make up protein-protein interactions and return the target protein to the mobile phase in active form, there is considerable difference of opinion as to which buffer is more suitable for particular applications. This review examines the chemical effect of various elution buffers on protein-protein interactions in the context of affinity chromatography and examines strategies that may be used for selection of an appropriate buffer.

Buffers↗
PubMed2001

The solid phase in affinity chromatography: strategies for antibody attachment.

Antibodies (Ab) are commonly used in affinity chromatography (AC) as a versatile and specific means of isolating target molecules from complex mixtures. A number of procedures have been developed to immobilize antibodies on the solid matrix. Some of these methods couple the antibody via chemical groups that may be important for specific recognition of antigen, resulting in loss of functionality in a proportion of the antibodies. In other methods, the outcome of immobilization is coupling via unique sites in the Fc region of the antibody molecule, ensuring orientation of the antibody combining sites (Fab) towards the mobile phase. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods available for immobilization and outlines protocols for site-directed, covalent coupling of the antibody to the solid phase that essentially retains the activity of the antibody.

Antibodies↗
PubMed2000

Immobilization of antibodies onto glass wool.

The immobilization of antibodies onto solid phases in an efficient and activity-retaining form is an important goal for both research and industry. Methods have been developed for the site-directed attachment of antibodies to agarose by oxidation of the carbohydrate moieties in their Fc region. Similar attachment to silianized supports have not been as successful. Here we describe a novel combination protocol for the site-directed attachment of periodate oxidized, goat polyclonal antibodies to glass wool fibers activated with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The study demonstrates that this procedure results in effective immobilization of polyclonal antibodies that retain their antigen-binding capacity. This protocol should prove useful in the development of more efficient and effective glass-based immunosupports.

Antibodies↗
PubMed2000

Antigen of erythroblast (Ag-Eb): a membrane protein that may be an erythroid-specific transferrin receptor.

Only a limited number of erythroid cell surface markers have been described in the literature. Ag-Eb was originally described as an erythroid-specific cell surface glycoprotein and could be used as an erythroid differentiation marker, but more recent studies suggest this localization is more widespread. From the data summarized in this review, it is hypothesized that Ag-Eb is a member of a subset of the transferrin receptor family and that it functions together with these receptors in the uptake and metabolism of iron, particularly at histo-hematic barriers.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Autoantibodies to DNA in multicase families with schizophrenia.

In an attempt to define the autoimmune status of members of multicase families with schizophrenia, sera of both patients and healthy relatives from 28 such cases were tested for antinuclear antibodies, anti-double-stranded DNA, and anti-single-stranded DNA autoantibodies. These autoantibodies were significantly more frequent in both schizophrenic patients and healthy relatives than in normal subjects. Immunoglobulin (Ig) M anti-DNA antibodies were more common in patients, whereas in healthy relatives, IgG anti-DNA antibodies were more common. No significant differences were found between schizophrenic patients and their healthy relatives. The data indicate that an autoimmune process may be involved in the etiology of a subset of patients with schizophrenia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Natural history of cows' milk allergy in children: immunological outcome over 2 years.

In this investigation 98 children (median age 24 months) with cows' milk allergy (CMA) were studied over a median period of 2 years to see whether acquisition of clinical tolerance to cows' milk was associated with the changes in levels of IgG and IgE anti-cows' milk antibodies, and skin test reactivity to a cows' milk extract. Two groups of CMA patients were examined. The first were IgE sensitized and responded rapidly to small volumes of cows' milk with urticaria, and/or exacerbations of eczema, and/or wheeze, and/or vomiting (n = 69). The second, a late reacting group (n = 29) demonstrated coughing, diarrhoea, eczematoid rashes, and/or a combination of these which developed more than 20 hr after commencing normal volumes of cows' milk. Significant immunological changes were confined to the 69 IgE sensitized immediate-reacting-group of patients. Of these, there were 15 children who achieved clinical tolerance to cows' milk and they showed a significant fall in the levels of skin test reactivity to cows' milk over the study period (P < 0.01). In addition, these 15 children had lower serum IgE antibodies to cows' milk proteins both at the outset and the final follow-up compared with the 54 patients whose CMA persisted. No consistent change in the IgG antibody responses to cows' milk proteins was seen in either group of patients over the study period. The findings suggest patients with immediate type hypersensitivity to cows' milk proteins whose disease persists for more than 2 years have a more severe dysregulation of IgE synthesis to cows' milk proteins from the outset.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

The effects of incubation temperature and coating procedure on the measurement of antibodies to cardiolipin.

Many laboratories have established ELISAs for the the routine detection of anti-cardiolipin antibodies (ACA). Earlier studies had indicated that assay incubation at 37 degrees C may interfere with the antigen binding capacity of these antibodies. We have reexamined this phenomenon by comparing ACA titers obtained when incubations are performed at either 37 degrees C or at room temperature (RT). In addition, the effect of coating antigen in aqueous or organic solution was compared. The sera tested included a set of recognized ACA standards and samples from 19 patients with SLE, two with primary anti-phospholipid syndrome, 71 patients with a variety of autoimmune and non-autoimmune disorders and 210 blood bank controls. The results show that while some sera do perform better under either incubation temperature there was no correlation between ACA titers and incubation temperature on a population basis either for IgG or IgM isotypes. This was seen both for positive standards and patient sera. For IgG ACA a similar phenomenon was seen if the microplates were coated with cardiolipin either in sodium carbonate or ethanol. For IgM ACA there was a significant increase in ACA titers at RT when cardiolipin was coated in ethanol. The data suggest that for most sera neither the antigen coating medium nor the assay incubation temperature are important variables in the determination of IgG ACA. Factors contributing to the influence of either variable in individual sera could not be identified.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1989

Recovery from milk allergy in early childhood: antibody studies.

We assessed the relationships of clinical symptoms and serum antibody levels during follow-up of 47 patients, aged 3 to 66 months, who were shown by formal milk challenge to have cow milk allergy. Three groups of patients were identified. Group 1 patients (n = 15) were sensitized to IgE and responded rapidly to small volumes of milk with urticaria, an exacerbation of eczema, wheeze, or vomiting. In the second group (n = 24), symptoms of milk enteropathy (vomiting and diarrhea) developed between 1 and 20 hours after milk ingestion. In the group 3 patients (n = 8), coughing, diarrhea, eczematoid rashes, or a combination of these developed more than 20 hours after normal volumes of milk were given. Serum levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, and IgE and of milk-specific anti-cow milk antibodies of these isotypes were measured initially and then at a median follow-up time of 16 months (range 6 to 39 months). In this investigation, changes in these immunologic measures during the study period were related to whether or not clinical tolerance to cow milk was achieved. At follow-up, six patients from group 1, ten from group 2, and two from group 3 were milk tolerant. No consistent change in any of the immunologic measurements was associated with remission of the disease. These findings raise the question of whether acquisition of clinical tolerance to cow milk in cow milk allergy can be attributed solely to immunologic events.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Possible role for rotavirus in the development of cows' milk enteropathy in infants.

In order to test the hypothesis that rotavirus infection leads to IgE hypersensitivity to cows' milk, evidence of past rotavirus infection, as reflected by the presence of antibodies, was sought in two groups of children with cows' milk allergy. The groups were defined according to the time to react to milk challenge. In group I there were fifteen children with an adverse reaction within 40 min of milk challenge. The twenty-one children in group II had gastrointestinal reactions between 1 hr and 24 hr after milk challenge. The results showed a higher incidence of antibodies to rotavirus in group II than group I (P less than 0.05). Although group I patients had significantly higher levels of total and milk-specific IgE antibodies to cows' milk than those in group II, both patient groups had lower levels of serum IgG, IgA and IgM than a control population. No association between the presence of rotavirus antibodies and IgE hypersensitivity to cows' milk was found. However, an association between non-IgE milk enteropathy and previous rotavirus antibodies was demonstrated.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Humoral immune response to cow's milk in children with cow's milk allergy. Relationship to the time of clinical response to cow's milk challenge.

In 47 infants and children aged 4-66 months with clinically proven cow's milk allergy and in a group of age-matched controls, serum IgG, IgA and IgM cow's milk-specific antibodies were determined with ELISA assays while IgE cow's milk-specific antibodies were measured with Pharmacia RAST. The patients were divided into three separate groups according to the time of clinical response to a standardized cow's milk challenge protocol. Immediate reactions (less than 45 min after challenge), which were mainly accompanied by urticarial skin eruptions, were associated with elevated IgE milk-specific antibody levels, indicating the involvement of an immediate hypersensitivity mechanism. Alternatively, intermediate reactions (1-20 h after challenge), which were mainly accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, were not IgE-mediated. In the late reactions (greater than 20 h after challenge) both eczematous and gastrointestinal reactions were seen. Patients with eczematous eruptions also showed elevated IgE milk-specific antibody levels. IgG milk-specific antibody levels were similar in each of the patient groups but all groups were significantly lower than in the controls. Levels of IgA and IgM milk-specific antibodies were similar in patients and controls. The results indicate that different immunopathogenic mechanisms are operative in these subgroups of patients with cow's milk allergy.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

T cell derived IgE binding factors inhibit IgE-specific rosettes on basophilic leukaemic cells and lymphocytes.

T cell derived IgE-binding factors inhibited the formation of IgE-specific rosettes on both rat basophilic leukaemic cells and lymphocytes. This was demonstrated by IgE-binding factors released from either IgE-pulsed T cells or adherent cells as well as from IgE-binding factor producing hybridomas. The different binding factors inhibited the IgE-rosettes to a different degree when tested on basophils and lymphocytes, most likely due to the higher affinity for IgE of the former cell type. The results indicate that rat basophils and mouse T cells may recognize common epitopes on the Fc portion of IgE.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Manifestations of milk allergy in infancy: clinical and immunologic findings.

In a study of the manifestations of cow milk allergy in 100 young children (mean age 16 months), 30 items of historical data and information relating to the effects of a standardized milk challenge were entered into a computer data base. Three clusters of patients were derived using a K-means algorithm. In group 1 were 27 patients with predominantly urticarial and angioedematous eruptions, which developed within 45 minutes of ingesting cow milk. They had positive skin test reactions to milk and elevated total and milk specific IgE serum antibody levels. In group 2, 53 patients had pallor, vomiting, or diarrhea between 45 minutes and 20 hours after milk ingestion. These children were relatively IgA deficient. The 20 patients in group 3 had eczematous or bronchitic or diarrheal symptoms; in 17 symptoms developed more than 20 hours after commencing milk ingestion. Of the patients in group 3, only those with eczema had a positive skin test reaction and elevated IgE antibodies to milk. The patients in group 3 were the most difficult to identify clinically; they had a history of chronic ill health, and symptoms developed many hours or days after commencing milk ingestion in the challenge situation. In view of the heterogeneous clinical and immunologic findings in our patients, it is unlikely that a single laboratory test will identify cow milk allergy in all susceptible patients.

Angioedema↗
PubMed1986

Induction of Fc epsilon receptors on normal murine T cells and IgE binding factor(s) by cross-linked IgE or IgE-pulsed adherent cells.

This study aimed to compare the efficiency and extent of induction by monomeric versus cross-linked IgE of specific receptors for IgE on normal murine splenic T cells (Fc epsilon R-T), and to study the ability of IgE-pulsed splenic adherent cells to induce receptors for IgE on T cells. Chemically cross-linked IgE was found to be both more effective and more efficient than monomeric IgE in inducing Fc epsilon R-T as measured by the ability of IgE-pulsed T cells to form specific rosettes with IgE-sensitized trinitrophenylated sheep red blood cells (TNP-SRBC). This phenomenon was dependent on both DNA and protein synthesis, suggesting that induction caused the production of new IgE receptors. It was also found that cross-linked but not monomeric IgE-pulsed normal murine adherent cells as well as their cell-free products could actively induce significant levels of specific Fc epsilon R-T. Both cross-linked IgE-pulsed T cells and adherent cells released IgE binding factor(s). These materials were capable of specifically inhibiting the binding of IgE to rat basophilic leukaemic cells (RBL) in vitro and to rat tissue mast cells in vivo. Collectively, these data provide further evidence to suggest that polymerized forms of IgE and adherent cells play important roles in the regulation of IgE responses.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Cow's milk allergy and eczema: patterns of the antibody response to cow's milk in allergic skin disease.

The pattern of the humoral-immune response to cow's milk was examined in children with eczema and in children who had acute urticarial and/or angioedematous reactions to cow's milk. Each patient group was compared to a group of age-matched controls. Whereas the eczematous patients had significantly elevated IgG, IgA and IgE milk-antibodies, patients, allergic to cow's milk, had elevated IgE milk-antibodies. These differences in the pattern of antibody response to cow's milk suggests that these two patient groups constitute separate allergic populations, and that different pathogenic mechanisms may be operative in these two skin diseases associated with elevated levels of IgE antibodies to cow's milk.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Effect of antigen load on development of milk antibodies in infants allergic to milk.

The phenomenon that large amounts of antigen, such as are absorbed during the neonatal period, suppress the IgE response while low-dose exposure enhances it was investigated by analysing the antibody responses of infants allergic to milk according to their degree of exposure to cows'-milk protein. IgG, IgA, and IgM milk-specific antibodies in these infants and in age-matched controls were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Milk-specific IgE and total IgE were also measured. Children allergic to milk who were breast fed and had had minimal exposure to cows' milk had decreased titres of IgG, IgA, and IgM milk antibodies compared with infants allergic to milk who, before diagnosis, had been fed substantial volumes of cows' milk. Conversely, the infants with minimal exposure to cows' milk showed vastly increased total and milk-specific IgE antibodies compared with the milk-fed infants. These results support recent experimental evidence that appreciable amounts of allergen suppress rather than stimulate IgE production. These data may have important implications for dietary regimens in at-risk infants. The results also lend support for the role of IgE in immediate-type allergic reactions and suggest that various non-IgE immune mechanisms play a part in the aetiology of intolerance to cows'-milk protein in some children.

Animals↗