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PubMed1985

Differential effects of thyroxine on immune development and autoimmune thyroiditis in the obese strain chicken.

The effects of dietary thyroxine (T4) supplementation for specific periods on the early development of the primary lymphoid organs and spontaneous autoimmune thyroiditis (SAT) was examined in the Obese (OS) strain of chicken. Effects of the treatments on concentrations of serum growth hormone (GH) and testosterone were also determined. All treatment groups were examined at 6 weeks. T4 supplementation did not affect serum testosterone or GH concentrations. However T4 given for the first three weeks resulted in significantly increased bursa weights, no change in thymic weights, significantly decreased lymphoid infiltration of the thyroid and reduced thyroglobulin autoantibody levels (TgAAb). T4 supplementation for the full six weeks resulted in no change in bursal weight, significantly increased thymic weight, significantly decreased lymphoid infiltration of the thyroid, and reduced TgAAb. These results suggest that the effects of T4 supplementation on SAT and immune development are dependent on the interval during which it is administered and that testosterone and GH probably do not mediate these effects.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Effect of in utero exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane on the developing immune system of mice.

Gestational exposure to 10 and 100 mg/kg body weight (m.b.w.) hexachlorocyclohexane throughout the gestation period was done to Swiss albino mice. HCH (alpha, beta and gamma isomers) residue analysis in pups showed a higher contamination in the lymphoid organs (Spleen, Thymus and Kidney) than liver in dose dependent manner. Immune functions of the offsprings of these dams along with the offsprings of vehicle treated or untreated control dams were assessed using selected parameters of both the cellular and humoral immune responses. The delayed hypersensitivity (DTH) response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in pups of the dams exposed to 10 mg/kg b.w. HCH and significantly impaired in pups of the dams exposed to 100 mg/kg m.b.w. HCH as compared to controls. Mitogenic responsiveness of the spleen cells in response to Concanavalin A (Con A) and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was almost two fold and eight fold higher respectively and antibody response to SRBC, as measured by plaque forming cells (PFC) assay was two fold higher (p less than 0.001) in pups exposed to 10 mg/kg HCH. However, 100 mg/kg m.b.w. HCH did not affect either mitogenic response or PFC response of the pups. The results, therefore, suggest that lower dose of HCH is capable of modulating the development and function of developing immune system possibly by modulating the functional organization of the T-cell populations.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Effects of antibiotics on the developing immune system.

A combination of penicillin and cloxacillin (Ampiclox, Beecham Research Laboratories) is indicated for prophylaxis and treatment of bacterial infections in premature babies or neonates. We studied the functional development of the immune system in the offspring of female ICR mice administered Ampiclox on days 13-16 of pregnancy in clinically relevant doses. Immune functions were assayed after immunization with sheep red blood cells in the 5th and 10th postnatal week. Changes of hemagglutinin antibodies, delayed-type hypersensitivity and proliferative responses of spleen lymphocytes and thymocytes were observed. Ampiclox influenced humoral immunity also when administered directly to rat young on postnatal days 9-11 or 14-16. Although the clinical relevance of our experimental data remains to be established an increased sensitivity of the developing immune system to immunomodulatory effects should be considered also in the context of antimicrobial therapy. (Fig. 6, Ref. 27.)

Ampicillin↗
PubMed1995

Effects of growth hormone and prolactin immune development and function.

Growth hormone and prolactin are neuroendocrine hormones that exert numerous effects on immune system function and development. Several fundamental questions are addressed in this review. Do neuroendocrine hormones affect specific immune cell types? What is the physiological significance of these effects? Can these effects be exploited clinically? While it is clear that there are indeed significant interactions between the neuroendocrine and immune systems, there are relatively few examples with demonstrated physiological significance. Present studies indicate that growth hormone and prolactin may exert markedly different effects on immune cell types depending on their stage in differentiation. Recent emphasis has also been focussed on the use of these hormones or their antagonists clinically in the treatment of AIDS, cancer, and autoimmune disease states due to their pleiotropic effects and low toxicity after systemic administration. However, we do not yet have a clear picture of how the influence of neuroendocrine hormones may be used to favorably alter pathophysiologic processes affecting immune function and development.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Stimulation of the developing immune system can prevent autoimmunity.

Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of autoimmunity. Animals and humans exposed to natural infections have a reduced rate of autoimmune diseases. There is increasing evidence that immune stimulation prevents autoimmune diseases. Our hypothesis is that the process of the development of pathogenic cells involved in autoimmunity can be modulated by early stimulation of the immune system in autoimmunity prone individuals This allows for the upregulation of cytokines and growth factors that influence the generation of regulatory cells involved in autoimmunity. As we live in a 'cleaner environment' the decreasing chances of natural infection in the general population may contribute to the induction of autoimmunity because the developing immune system is not exposed to stimulation that may be necessary to generate regulatory cells involved in the modulation and prevention of autoimmunity. Immunization with certain vaccines may provide an alternative approach to stimulate the immune system to modulate or prevent the generation of pathogenic cells involved in autoimmunity by induction of regulatory cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Evaluation of the effects of probiotic supplementation from the neonatal period on innate immune development in infancy.

BACKGROUND: Activation of the innate immune system by microbial stimulation is believed to be critical for normal immune maturation, and there has been speculation that these pathways are important for inhibiting allergic-immune responses. OBJECTIVE: To assess innate immune function following a 6-month supplementation with probiotic bacteria. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-one allergic, pregnant women were recruited into a randomized, controlled trial. The infants received either a probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus LAVRI-A1; Probiomics) or placebo (maltodextrin alone) daily for the first 6 months of life. Mononuclear cell samples were available from 118 infants. Functional responses to toll-like receptor (TLR) were assessed using ligands for TLR2 (Pansorbin) and TLR4/CD14 [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] and measuring cytokine responses in the supernatants. Antigen-presenting cell function, as well as capacity for cytokine production (IL-12p70 and IL-10) was assessed. RESULTS: Infants in the probiotic group did not demonstrate differences in innate immune function compared with those in the control group. No differences were seen when cytokine responses were examined following stimulation with Pansorbin (TLR2) or LPS (TLR4). Similarly, no differences were seen in the antigen-presenting capacity of these infants. The mean fluorescence intensities of human leucocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) on monocytes, B cells and dendritic cells (DC) subsets were not affected, nor were the percentage of circulating DC subsets affected by a 6-month supplementation with L. acidophilus LAVRI-A1. CONCLUSIONS: Probiotic supplementation with L. acidophilus for the first 6 months of life did not alter early innate immune responses in this population at high risk of developing allergic disease.

Antigen-Presenting Cells↗
PubMed2026

Oxygen-responsive bacterial glycosphingolipid links symbiont fitness and immune development in neonatal host.

Symbiotic gut bacteria must re-establish themselves in every host generation, yet the molecular strategies enabling this inheritance remain poorly understood. Here, we show that Bacteroides fragilis uses a membrane glycolipid, alpha-galactosylceramide (BfaGC), to colonize the neonatal gut. Genome-wide fitness profiling revealed that BfaGC biosynthesis is selectively required during early life, when transient oxygenation creates a physiological bottleneck for strict anaerobes. Mechanistically, BfaGC reduces membrane proton permeability, sustaining the proton-motive force that supports aerobic respiration. This oxygen-responsive adaptation simultaneously generates a host-facing immunomodulatory signal that calibrates neonatal natural killer T (NKT) cell development, linking bacterial fitness to immune maturation through a single metabolite. The same mechanism also enables niche expansion by enterotoxigenic strains, revealing context-dependent consequences. Notably, this strategy is distinct among gut Bacteroidales: other prominent members synthesize a different sphingolipid subclass supporting broader fitness, implying divergent evolutionary strategies. Our findings provide time-resolved insight into how bacterial metabolites shape host-microbiota symbiosis across development.

Bacteroides fragilis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The order of lymphatic organs involvement in developing immune system of human fetus and its significance in perinatal pathology].

The liver, thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, palatine and pharyngeal tonsils, appendix and Peyer's patch were studied by morphological and immune methods in more than 100 human embryos of 3 to 34 weeks of development. The order of some organs development in the immune system is established. Key periods in the development of the thymus (5-12 weeks) and 18 weeks when peripheral organs enter the immune system are specified. Inherited perinatal pathology in abnormal lymphocytic composition in the organ is illustrated by the appendix.

Embryonic and Fetal Development↗
PubMed2000

Essential roles of carbohydrate signals in development, immune response and tissue functions, as revealed by gene targeting.

Knockout mice lacking glycosyltransferases or sulfotransferases provide unequivocal evidence that the carbohydrate moieties of glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans play essential roles in various biological phenomena such as development, the immune response, and tissue functions. Examples of abnormalities of null mutants include arrest of embryogenesis due to deletion of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I or glucosylceramide synthase, failure of kidney formation in heparan sulfate 2-O-sulfotransferase deficiency, suppressed antibody production in alpha-2, 6-sialyltransferase deficiency, male sterility in GM2/GD2 synthase deficiency, and abnormalities in the function and stability of myelin in galactosylceramide deficiency.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1997

Immunity development against Ostertagia ostertagi and other gastrointestinal nematodes in cattle.

The immunological response to gastrointestinal nematodes is complex and it will take time and financial support to dissect the different components of protective immunity in ruminants. The present review briefly summarises different aspects and manifestations of protective immunity in cattle against gastrointestinal nematodes, especially Ostertagia ostertagi, and the factors that may interact with the development of this immunity.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Sex-related differences in immune development and the expression of atopy in early childhood.

BACKGROUND: Sex and age are known to influence the clinical expression of asthma and allergic diseases. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate whether immune response profiles also vary by sex and age. METHODS: We performed a prospective birth cohort study (Childhood Origins of Asthma) designed to evaluate interactions among age, sex, immune responses, and virus infections on the development of asthma and allergic diseases. Two hundred eighty-nine subjects were enrolled at birth, and 275 maintained prospective follow-up for 3 years. Cytokine response profiles at birth, 1, and 3 years of age; rates of wheezing, atopic dermatitis, and viral illnesses; and biomarkers of atopy, including total and specific IgE levels and peripheral eosinophil counts, were evaluated. RESULTS: PHA-induced IFN-gamma responses were higher in boys at 1 year of age (median, 35 vs 19 pg/mL; P < .001) and at 3 years of age (median, 282 vs 181 pg/mL; P = .07). Among children who wheezed during the third year of life, boys had increased IFN-gamma, IL-5, and IL-13 responses at age 3 years (P < .001, P = .008, and P = .01, respectively). Boys also demonstrated increased rates of sensitization (P = .05 at year 1), total IgE levels (P = .03 at year 1 and P = .006 at year 3), and peripheral eosinophil counts (2.62 vs 1.85; P = .05 at year 3). CONCLUSION: Sex-specific differences in immune responses develop during early childhood; some of these differences developmentally proceed, whereas others occur in parallel to the clinical expression of various atopic phenotypes. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The differential expression of atopic diseases between boys and girls in early childhood is accompanied by sex-specific differences in immune response profiles.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1984

Enhanced growth and immune development in dwarf chickens treated with mammalian growth hormone and thyroxine.

The effects of growth hormone and/or thyroxine treatments on antibody production, primary lymphoid organ development, and general body growth were examined in two dwarf strains (sex-linked dwarf--SLD, and autosomal dwarf--ADW) and in a normal-growing strain (K) of White Leghorn chickens. One-day-old male chicks were assigned to experimental groups and were treated either with thyroxine (T4) feed supplements or daily mammalian growth hormone (GH) injections or a combination of these treatments (T4/GH). Within the SLD strain, GH treatments resulted in a significant enhancement (P less than 0.005) of humoral immune responsiveness and bursal growth while T4 treatments significantly (P less than 0.05) stimulated thymic growth. Overall growth in the SLD was also stimulated by T4 treatments. GH and/or T4 treatments had no specific effects on primary lymphoid organ growth in the ADW strain but either treatment separately resulted in a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in overall body size. None of the treatments significantly (P greater than 0.05) affected any of these parameters in the K-strain controls. Supplementation with T4 significantly elevated serum T4 levels within all strains. There were, however, no significant differences in the serum levels of T4 between strains within any of the treatment groups. Serum triiodothyronine (T3) levels were significantly lower in all treatment groups of the SLD as compared to the K-strain control. ADW serum T3 levels were significantly lower than the K-strain only in the T4-treated group. No differences (P greater than 0.05) were found between the dwarf and control strains in endogeneous GH levels, although mammalian GH treatments did produce significant changes in serum T3 and T4 levels within the K-strain. These results provide evidence that hormonal manipulations can significantly affect body growth, primary lymphoid organ development, and immune function in the dwarf strains studied and suggest these strains may be useful models for future studies on hormonal interactions and immune function.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Diet and the developing immune system.

Undernutrition during fetal life is known to have programming effects upon tissue morphology and function. This generally promotes poor health in adult life, with increased risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular mortality noted among individuals whose growth was constrained in utero. Undernutrition in early life impacts upon the development of the immune organs and appears to diminish cellular immunity and increase the risk of atopic disorders during childhood. A limited body of evidence implicates fetal programming in the development of autoimmune disorders. This area represents an interesting target for further research and preventive medicine.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Far-reaching consequences of high level air pollution on the developing immune system.

The town of Dimitrovgrad in Bulgaria has a highly industrialized region with a developing chemical industry, cement and asbestos-cement production, as well as energy production. For over four decades, the main ecological problem was air pollution, but after 1989 a great economic crisis led to an abrupt decline in the level of air pollutants. The aim of the present study was to investigate the present state of humoral immunity in teenage children from Dimitrovgrad who lived under conditions of massive air pollution during their intrauterine development and first few years of childhood. Immunoglobulins IgA, IgM, and IgG were measured in 106 clinically healthy children (average age 12.68 +/- 0.56 y) from 3 schools in Dimitrovgrad and in 41 control subjects (average age 12.35 +/- 0.22 y) from the town of Nova Mahala, an area lacking massive sources of air pollution. Immunoglobulin concentration was determined by turbidimetry using an Optima (KONE) chemical analyzer. The average IgA, IgM, and IgG levels in children from Dimitrovgrad did not differ significantly from those of the control group.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2003

Measles and mumps vaccination as a model to investigate the developing immune system: passive and active immunity during the first year of life.

Evaluations of neutralizing antibody responses in 6-, 9- and 12-month-old infants given measles or mumps vaccine indicated that 6-month-old infants had diminished humoral immune responses associated with passive antibody effects, but also had an intrinsic deficiency in antiviral antibody production, which was independent of passive antibody effects. In contrast, lower neutralizing antibody titers in 9-month-olds were related only to passive antibody effects. Measles and mumps-specific T-cell proliferation and interferon-gamma (IFNgamma) production were induced by vaccination at 6, 9 or 12 months, regardless of passive neutralizing antibodies or age. These observations suggest a need to refine concepts about passive antibody interference and primary vaccine failure, taking into account the sensitization of antiviral T-cells, which occurs in the presence of passive antibodies and is observed in infants who do not develop active humoral immunity. A second dose of measles vaccine given at 12-15 months enhanced antiviral T-cell responses to measles in infants who were vaccinated at 6 or 9 months, and produced higher seroconversion rates. Since T-cell immunity is elicited under the cover of passive antibodies, the youngest infants benefit from the synergistic protection mediated by maternal antibodies and their own capacity to develop sensitized antiviral T-cells, which prime for subsequent exposures to the viral antigens. Conceptually, maternal immunization approaches with vaccines that can be given to women of child-bearing age before pregnancy, or that are safe for administration during pregnancy, should enhance passive antibody protection. Rather than being detrimental to infant adaptive immune responses, maternal vaccination can be coupled effectively with vaccine regimens that elicit priming of antiviral immune responses in infants during the first year of life.

Aging↗
PubMed2006

Glutamine supplementation influences immune development in the newly weaned piglet.

A study was conducted to determine changes that occur in immune function during the early post-weaning period and the effect of supplementing glutamine (gln, 4% w/w) to the weaning diet of piglets. Dutch-Landrace piglets (n=10/group) were killed prior to weaning (21 d) or randomized to one of two nutritionally complete weaning diets with or without gln. With age there was an increased ability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) cells to proliferate (rate of (3)H-thymidine uptake) to T cell mitogens (P<0.05). PBMC from older piglets produced less of a Th-1 type response after stimulation (P<0.05). Adding gln to the weaning diet significantly (P<0.05) modified immune cells in the MLN, in a potentially beneficial manner (with respect to mucosal infections) by preventing an increase in antigen naïve CD4+ cells, increasing the proliferative response to pokeweed mitogen and supporting a Th-1 type cytokine response after T cell (phytohemagglutinin) stimulation.

Animals↗