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S Adelstein

Publications and source records attributed to S Adelstein.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A comparison of 13 guinea pig and human anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody ELISA kits.

AIMS: Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is a major autoantigen recognised by IgA anti-endomysial antibodies (IgA EMA). Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (IgA tTG) have therefore been developed as an alternative serological screening test to IgA EMA for coeliac disease (CD). The use of human tTG (h-tTG), as opposed to guinea pig liver tTG (gpl-tTG), in these assays has been reported to produce superior results. This study compared 13 commercial IgA tTG ELISA kits to ascertain their performance characteristics in the diagnosis of CD in patients with biopsy confirmed disease compared with controls. All patients and controls were adults aged 21 years or older. METHODS: Sera from the following groups of patients were tested in each kit: (1) 49 patients with CD confirmed on small bowel biopsies (all IgA EMA positive); (2) 34 patients with small bowel biopsies that were not consistent with CD; and (3) 30 patients with biopsy confirmed inflammatory bowel disease. All controls were negative for IgA EMA and were not IgA deficient. Sensitivities and specificities were determined using both the manufacturers' recommended cut off points and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis derived decision thresholds. The area under the curve (AUC) for each ROC plot was also calculated and compared between kits. RESULTS: In general, the h-tTG based IgA tTG ELISA kits demonstrated superior performance (especially specificity) compared with the gpl-tTG based kits, although 100% sensitivity and specificity (comparable to the IgA EMA assay) was obtained in only one recombinant h-tTG based kit. CONCLUSIONS: The use of h-tTG in IgA tTG ELISA kits is generally, but not universally, associated with superior performance. Factors other than antigen source are important in determining kit performance.

Adult↗

High-quality, cost-effective strategy for detection of autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigens.

We evaluated methods for the detection of autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENAs) to determine the strategy that yielded the most cost effective and clinically meaningful result. We prospectively compared counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) with and without serum prediffusion (SPD) and found that SPD significantly improved the quality of precipitation lines. This resulted in a decreased requirement for repeat testing and, consequently, was associated with a significant decrease in reagent costs and specimen turnaround time. We also retrospectively compared reactivity by CIEP, CIEP plus SPD, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and line immunoassay (LIA) of 52 serum samples that were previously determined to be positive for ENAs, and we correlated the results with clinical diagnoses. There was significant agreement among CIEP, CIEP plus SPD, ELISA, and LIA for the detection of anti-SS-A, anti-SS-B and anti-RNP. In general, CIEP, CIEP plus SPD, and LIA correlated better with the clinical diagnoses than ELISA, even though ELISA detected anti-ENAs more often than the other methods. CIEP plus SPD is therefore the most cost effective method for the identification of clinically meaningful ENAs. Based on our experience, we now screen for ENAs by CIEP, and positive samples are then typed by CIEP plus SPD. Samples that are difficult to interpret are then further assessed by an alternative method.

Antigens, Nuclear↗

Toxic epidermal necrolysis in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome treated with intravenous gammaglobulin.

A 31-year-old man with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome who developed toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) was successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin. He presented with a widespread, blistering skin rash, extensive mucosal ulceration, high-grade fever and pancytopaenia. Nevirapine, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, was suspected as the culprit drug, although the patient had been taking this medication for 6 months. The patient also demonstrated an increased number of gamma/delta (gamma delta) T cells that decreased concomitantly with his clinical improvement. This correlation has not been described in TEN previously and may be of pathophysiological significance.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Managing HIV. Part 2. Phases of disease. 2.3 HIV and intermediate immune deficiency.

Intermediate immune deficiency is defined by a CD4 cell count between 500/microL and 200/microL. This phase is one of increasing therapeutic intervention, mostly for minor infections of skin and mucous membranes and mostly manageable within general practice. Most people with HIV begin antiretroviral therapy during this phase. Regular monitoring of CD4 cell count is essential for making appropriate therapeutic decisions and for determining prognosis.

Adult↗

Immunization of a rabbit with beta 2-glycoprotein I induces charge-dependent crossreactive antibodies that bind anionic phospholipids and have similar reactivity as autoimmune anti-phospholipid antibodies.

A rabbit immunized with beta 2-glycoprotein I (beta 2-GPI) produced Abs that bind to negatively charged phospholipids and to beta 2-GPI. After affinity purification of the Abs to beta 2-GPI, the dual reactivity could still be detected. Adsorption studies with a phosphatidylserine affinity column depleted phospholipid-reactive Abs, but beta 2-GPI reactivity was retained. The same pattern of reactivity was found with culture supernatants from rabbit anti-beta 2-GPI splenocytes fused with an immortalized rabbit cell line. The reactivity to negatively charged phospholipids is likely to involve ionic interactions, as high ionic strength buffers eliminated binding to anionic phospholipids, but not to beta 2-GPI. Affinity-purified anti-phospholipid (aPL) Abs from four of seven autoimmune patients bound anionic phospholipids in the absence of beta 2-GPI. However, in high ionic strength buffer, this binding was abolished in three patients and significantly reduced in the fourth. In contrast, affinity-purified aPL Abs from seven autoimmune patients bound to beta 2-GPI-coated plates, and binding in high ionic strength buffer was reduced only moderately in three patients. Therefore, autoimmune-type aPL Abs display anti-beta 2-GPI reactivity and charge-dependent binding to anionic phospholipids similar to affinity-purified rabbit anti-beta 2-GPI Abs.

Animals↗

Conditioned media from a cell strain derived from a patient with mastocytosis induces preferential development of cells that possess high affinity IgE receptors and the granule protease phenotype of mature cutaneous mast cells.

We have demonstrated for the first time that a conditioned medium from a human cell strain can induce morphologically mature mast cells that express Fc epsilon RI and three mast cell-specific proteases from normal bone marrow progenitor cells. In contrast, recombinant human Kit ligand induced the differentiation of mast cells that were tryptase-positive but negative for chymase, carboxypeptidase, and Fc epsilon RI. This data indicates that factors other than Kit ligand are critical for inducing the differentiation and maturation of mast cells in the human. The HBM-M cell was originally derived from a patient with mastocytosis. As mastocytosis is thought to represent a reactive hyperplasia rather than a mast cell malignancy, the factor secreted by the HBM-M cell strain could well be responsible for the mast cell hyperplasia seen in some patients with mastocytosis.

Base Sequence↗

Heterodimerization of the IL-2 receptor beta- and gamma-chain cytoplasmic domains is required for signalling.

The interaction of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-2 receptors critically regulates the T-cell immune response following antigen activation. IL-2 can signal through high or intermediate affinity receptors which contain IL-2R alpha (refs 3, 4) +beta (refs 5-8) +gamma (ref. 9) or beta+gamma chains, respectively. IL-2R gamma is a common gamma chain, gamma c, also shared by the IL-7 (ref. 10) and IL-4 (refs 11, 12) receptors, which when mutated results in X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency. Using chimaeric receptor constructs together with monoclonal or bispecific antibodies we demonstrate here that IL-2 signalling requires ligand-induced extracellular-domain-mediated heterodimerization of the beta- and gamma c-chain cytoplasmic domains. Anti-IL-2R alpha monoclonal antibodies trigger proliferation of cells transfected with chimaeric constructs in which the extracellular domains of IL-2R beta and gamma c are replaced by that of IL-2R alpha. Other experiments using chimaeric constructs indicated that IL-2 binds monomerically and monovalently to IL-2R alpha and that the beta-transmembrane domain is not required for receptor chain interactions. Finally, we provide a method for mapping residues in the gamma c cytoplasmic domain even in cells that constitutively express gamma c.

Animals↗

Characterization of the human interleukin-2 receptor gamma chain gene.

The interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor gamma chain is an essential component of high and intermediate affinity IL-2 receptors (IL-2Rs), playing critical roles for ligand binding and internalization. We report here the isolation and characterization of the genomic locus for human IL-2R gamma, which, like IL-2R beta, is a member of the cytokine receptor superfamily. The IL-2R gamma gene is composed of eight exons and seven introns and spans approximately 4.2 kilobases. Analogous to the IL-2R beta gene, the two pairs of conserved cysteines typical of cytokine receptor superfamily proteins are located in adjacent exons, and the conserved WSXWS motif is located in the exon preceding the one that encodes the transmembrane domain and a small part of the cytoplasmic domain. In each gene, the remainder of the cytoplasmic domain is encoded by the final two exons. Southern blot analysis suggests that IL-2R gamma is encoded by a single copy gene. Cross-hybridizing sequences were detected in DNA derived from a number of other mammalian species but not from yeast. Primer extension analysis and ribonuclease protection assays revealed that there are three principal transcription initiation sites located 32-38 nucleotides 5' to the translation initiation AUG codon. These sites are upstream of the 5' end of the published IL-2R gamma cDNA sequence. The region 5' to the transcription initiation sites exhibited promoter activity when cloned upstream of the luciferase reporter gene. With this study, the organization of the genes encoding all three chains (alpha, beta, and gamma) of the IL-2 receptor has been determined and promoters for each identified.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Interleukin-2 receptor gamma chain mutation results in X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency in humans.

The interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor gamma chain (IL-2R gamma) is a component of high and intermediate affinity IL-2 receptors that is required to achieve full ligand binding affinity and internalization. We have localized the IL-2R gamma gene to human chromosome Xq13. Genetic linkage analysis indicates that the IL-2R gamma gene and the locus for X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (XSCID) appear to be at the same position. Moreover, we demonstrate that each of three unrelated patients with XSCID has a different mutation in his IL-2R gamma gene resulting in a different premature stop codon and predicted C-terminal truncation. These data establish that XSCID is associated with mutations of the IL-2R gamma gene product. Since XSCID is characterized by absent or markedly reduced numbers of T cells, our findings imply that IL-2R gamma plays a vital role in thymic maturation of T cells. These results also have important implications for prenatal and postnatal diagnosis, carrier female detection, and gene therapy for XSCID.

Base Sequence↗

Treatment of recurrent spontaneous abortion by immunization with paternal lymphocytes: results of a controlled trial.

PROBLEM: It remains unclear whether maternal immunization with paternal lymphocytes prior to conception improves the reproductive outcome in women with recurrent abortion in whom all secondary causes have been excluded. METHOD: A double-blind placebo controlled trial was instituted in women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion, comparing immunization with 400 million paternal to 400 million maternal (autologous) lymphocytes. The groups were compared in a paired sequential trials chart, by logistic regression, and, in addition, a meta-analysis of this and other published trials was carried out. RESULTS: The live birth rate among pregnancies in paired couples with paternal lymphocyte immunization was 68% compared to 47% in the women who received their own cells. The results bordered on, but did not achieve, statistical significance. The women in each group were thoroughly investigated to exclude known causes of recurrent pregnancy loss and appeared to have been well matched in all variables. Women with lymphocytotoxic antibodies against paternal lymphocytes were excluded. Unlike our previous study there was not association between the time to conception and the chance of a successful outcome. Indeed, the time to conception was relatively short, 12 wk in all groups. The meta-analysis supported an overall modest favorable experience with paternal cells. CONCLUSION: The study is consistent with a general trend favoring paternal over maternal lymphocyte immunization but reinforces the need for larger multicenter controlled trials as well as more detailed biological study in humans to understand the nature of the maternal-fetal interface and its breakdown.

Abortion, Habitual↗

Induction of self-tolerance in T cells but not B cells of transgenic mice expressing little self antigen.

Self-tolerance to a transgene-encoded protein, hen egg lysozyme, was examined in the T and B cell repertoires of a series of lines of transgenic mice that expressed different serum concentrations of soluble lysozyme. T cells were tolerant in all lines in which lysozyme was expressed irrespective of the antigen concentration, whereas B cell tolerance did not occur when the serum lysozyme concentration was less than 1.5 nanograms per milliliter (0.1 nM). Induction of elevated transgene expression could restore B cell tolerance. These findings support the hypothesis that autoimmune disease may in some instances arise through a bypass of T cell tolerance.

Animals↗