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P Bigazzi

Publications and source records attributed to P Bigazzi.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1981

Immunologic effects of vasectomy in men and experimental animals.

Vasectomy is a widely accepted surgical procedure for male sterilization, with the unique characteristic of eliciting immune responses to self-antigens. Persistent humoral autoimmune responses to spermatozoa and transient responses to other antigens have been demonstrated in vasectomized men. Little information is available on delayed hypersensitivity reactions to spermatozoa, as well as histopathology and immunohistopathology of the testes and other organs in vasectomized individuals. Overall, the data obtained in men do not point to any immediate cause for concern and seem to justify the optimistic view that vasectomy is a safe procedure. A review of the studies performed in experimental animals similarly shows that vasectomy is followed by humoral and/or cell-mediated immune responses to spermatozoal antigens. In some species, such as rabbits and guinea pigs, it is also followed by testicular lesions, mediated by in situ immune complexes and/or delayed hypersensitivity reactions. Other sequelae may be glomerulonephritis and an increased severity of atherosclerotic lesions. Therefore, the rather encouraging picture emerging from the human studies is to a certain extent offset by the findings in experimental animals. Additional research on the effects of vasectomy is obviously necessary, as well as caution in advising this procedure to individuals who may be genetically predisposed to autoimmune disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Correlation of sperm granulomas and sperm autoantibodies in inbred rats.

The relationship between sperm granulomas and antisperm antibodies is speculative. Some investigators believe that sperm granulomas are the result of humoral sensitization, whereas others doubt that they represent an immunologic phenomenon at all. We performed transabdominal bilateral vasectomies by ligation or transection in Brown Norway, Lewis, Fischer, and Sprague-Dawley rats. These strains are known to differ in incidence of antisperm antibody formation following vasectomy. Serum was obtained monthly for determination of antibodies by indirect immunofluroescence. Animals were killed at 6 months and examined for the presence of antisperm antibodies and sperm granulomas. Both antibodies and granulomas were found in 71% of Brown Norway rats. Granulomas were found in all rats of other strains, whereas the incidence of antibodies ranged from 25% to 50%. Thus a specific immunologic relationship between sperm granulomas and antisperm antibodies has not been confirmed.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Biologic and antigenic similarity of virus-induced migration inhibition factor to conventional, lymphocyte-derived migration inhibition factor.

Macrophage migration inhibition factor (MIF) is one of a class of lymphocyte-derived mediator substances (lymphokines) which plays a role in the mechanism of cellular immunity. A variety of other soluble factors produced by non-lymphoid cells have been shown to have effects on macrophage mobility similar to that of MIF. In the present study we demonstrate that one such factor, (MIFV) derived from simian virus 40-infected kidney cells in culture, has several other properties in common with lymphocyte-derived MIF (MIFL), MIFV can be adsorbed on Sepharose bead columns conjugated with an antiserum prepared against MIFL, demonstrating at least some antigenic similarity. Moreover, MIFV can substitute for MIFL in an in vivo system involving the suppression of cutaneous manifestations of cellular immunity by intravenous injection of the lymphokine. These observations, taken in conjunction with the similarity of the in vitro effect of MIFV and MIFL, and their similar chromatographic behavior, suggest that MIFV and MIFL may be identical molecular species.

Animals↗