STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS INHIBITS CONTACT SENSITIVITY TO OXAZOLONE BY ACTIVATING SUPPRESSOR B-CELLS IN MICE

Killed Staphylococcus aureus strain Cowan I cells inhibit contact sensitivity to oxazolone in mice, when given intravenously 24-72 h before sensitization. With transfer experiments it was found that the cells responsible for the suppression are antigen-specific, nylon-adherent, resistant to antitheta serum + C, and sensitive to anti-mouse Ig serum + C. These suppressor B cells bear anti-oxazolone immunoglobulins and appear to exert their suppressive activity by preventing the contact sensitizer from reaching the specific reactive T cells

T-SUPPRESSOR CELLS AS WELL AS ANTI-HAPTEN AND ANTI-IDIOTYPE LYMPHOCYTES-B REGULATE CONTACT SENSITIVITY TO OXAZOLONE IN MICE INJECTED WITH PURIFIED PROTEIN DERIVATIVE FROM MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS

Purified protein derivative from Mycobacterium tuberculosis inhibits contact sensitivity to oxazolone in mice when given intravenously 24 to 72 h before the antigen. Transfer experiments showed that various types of suppressor cells occurred in the lymph nodes draining the site of sensitization: (i) anti-oxazolone idiotype + B lymphocytes, found at day 3 after sensitization, transferred suppression to syngeneic recipients at the moment of their sensitization; (ii) anti-idiotype B lymphocytes, found at day 3 after sensitization, transferred suppression to syngeneic recipients when sensitization of these animals had been performed 3 days before cell transfer; (iii) T lymphocytes, found only at day 6 after sensitization, inhibited the passive transfer of contact sensitivity, indicating that they were effective on the efferent phase of the immune response. These results indicate that purified protein derivative from M. tuberculosis interferes with contact sensitivity by activating a complex and multiple immunoregulatory circuit

Carbohydrate-glycolipid conjugate vaccines

The present invention relates to the field of synthesizing and biologically evaluating of a novel class of carbohydrate-based vaccines. The new vaccines consist of a multi-modular structure wherein a carbohydrate antigen is covalently bound to a glycolipid adjuvant. This method allows preparing vaccines against all pathogens expressing immunogenic carbohydrate antigens. As conjugation of antigenic carbohydrates to proteins is not required the conjugate vaccine is particularly heat stable. No refrigeration is required, a major drawback of protein-based vaccines

ENHANCEMENT OF THE SPONTANEOUS DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOREACTIVE-B CELLS BY PPD IN MOUSE PERITONEAL CELL-CULTURES

The effect of tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) on the development of plaque-forming cells (PFC) against bromelain-treated syngeneic mouse red blood cells (Br-MRBC) was studied in peritoneal cell cultures. The finding that PPD enhances the development of PFC to Br-MRBC, even under conditions where cell division is blocked by mitomycin C treatment, suggests that cell proliferation does not represent a necessary prerequisite for differentiation of precursor cells into autoantibody-forming cells

STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS-INDUCED SUPPRESSION OF CONTACT SENSITIVITY IN MICE - SUPPRESSOR CELLS ELICITED BY POLYCLONAL B-CELL ACTIVATION ARE REGULATED BY IDIOTYPE ANTI-IDIOTYPE INTERACTIONS

Staphylococcus aureus strain Cowan I, a strong polyclonal B-cell activator (PBA), inhibited contact sensitivity to oxazolone in mice when administered 24 hr before sensitization. This suppression was mediated by idiotype-positive (Id+) B lymphocytes, which arose very early during the sensitization process and induced anti-Id B cells. These cells were found at Day 3 of the sensitization process and exerted their effect by activating antigen-specific suppressor T lymphocytes, which affected the efferent phase of the immune response. S. aureus strain Wood 46, which lacks of the ability to act as a PBA, was unable to inhibit contact sensitivity. These results indicate that PBA may play an important role in the regulation of cell-mediated immune reactions

THE SUPPRESSIVE ACTIVITY OF LYMPHOCYTES-T AND SERUM FACTORS IN BURNED PATIENTS

This study was performed to investigate the cell-mediated immune response in burned patients with no septic episodes. The results show that burned patients with percentage body burn higher than 20 had an impaired lymphocyte reactivity to phytohaemagglutinin and conconavalin A. This hyporesponsiveness appeared on day 3-4 and in all cases reached its maximum on day 7-8 post burn, while recovery occurred between day 11 and 29 depending on the severity of the injury. The serum from immunodepressed patients was able to inhibit the response to phytohaemagglutinin and conconavalin A of normal lymphocytes. This immunosuppressive activity was present very early after injury (on day 1-2) and before the onset of lymphocyte hyporesponsiveness to mitogens and was no longer detectable on day 7-8 post burn, when patient lymphocytes showed the greatest hyporesponsiveness to mitogens. This late depression was due to T suppressor cells