Correlation between parity and concentration of immunoglobulins A, G and M in human colostrum

Objective: To study the relationship between parity andimmunoglobulin concentrations in human colostrum. Methods:82 puerperas aged 21-41 years were selected, with gestationalage ≥ 37 weeks, up to the fourth parity, good nutritional status andno gestational or puerperal diseases. The inclusion criteria for thenewborn were: weight > 2,500 g, Apgar score > 7 in the firstminute and exclusive maternal breastfeeding until discharge fromthe nursery. The mothers were divided into 2 groups: A -primiparous, B - multiparous. Colostrum was collected manuallyfrom 48 to 72 hours after delivery and the immunoglobulins weremeasured by ELISA technique. Results: No differences wereobserved regarding timing to collect colostrum; the earliercolostrum was collected, the higher the concentration of immunoglobulinA; primiparous women showed higher concentrations of IgA andIgM in their colostrum than multiparous women; there were nodifferences regarding IgG concentrations in the two groups.Conclusion: Primiparous women presented higher concentrationsof IgA and IgM in their colostrum than multiparous women

Protective activity of the antilipopolysaccharide antibodies from human cord serum

We evaluated the ability of human maternal and cord serum antibodies to protect mice challenged with live Escherichia coli serotype O6:K2ac (E. coli O6). Mice received paired maternal or cord serum pools before a challenge with E. coli O6 to evaluate the mortality rate. All the pools were able to protect the animals challenged with bacteria except the test group from paired maternal and cord sera from preterm neonates containing less than 1.0 mg L-1 immunoglobulin G antibody levels. in liver, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes from the control group (phosphate-buffered saline), more than 10(2) CFU mL(-1) bacteria were found at 30 min and more than 10(5) CFU mL(-1) after 120 min. the test group showed lower bacterial counts in the organs, and no bacteria in the mesenteric lymph nodes during the evaluated period. Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6 were undetectable in serum from animals pretreated with paired maternal and cord serum pools from full-term neonates and pools from preterm neonates containing high antibody and avidity levels. Our findings suggest that placental transfer of antilipopolysaccharide O6 immunoglobulin G antibodies to neonates has a high capacity to prevent lethal infection with E. coli O6 in a mouse protection model and that the degree of protection is determined by the concentration and avidity of these IgG antibodies.Univ São Paulo, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Lab Imunol Mucosas, Dept Immunol, BR-05508900 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Dept Parasitol, Inst Biomed Sci, BR-05508900 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Pediat, BR-05508900 São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Ceara, Dept Clin Anal & Toxicol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Implementation of a penicillin allergy skin test

O teste cutâneo para alergia imediata a penicilina é o único teste validado internacionalmente, sendo que sua grande utilidade reside na avaliação de pacientes com história positiva de alergia a penicilina. O teste positivo para determinantes principais e secundários da penicilina apresenta um valor preditivo positivo de 50% e valor preditivo negativo de 99%. Em nosso meio, o Ministério de Saúde disponibiliza um protocolo para o preparo dos reagentes, uma vez que os mesmos não estão disponíveis comercialmente. Como o referido protocolo não apresenta maiores detalhes sobre o cuidado relativo às etapas de preparo das soluções, bem como faltam algumas considerações no que tange a realização do teste, propusemo-nos no presente trabalho operacionalizar o teste, avaliando de forma crítica e minuciosa cada etapa, de forma que outros profissionais possam reproduzi-lo de maneira mais segura e eficaz.The penicillin allergy skin testing is the only accurate and reliable test for penicillin hypersensitivity mediated by IgE. It is useful for identifying patients with doubtful history of allergy. Positive test for major and minor determinants presents a positive predictive value of 50% and negative predictive value of 99%. In Brazil, the Ministry of Health suggests a protocol for in house made reagents, since they are not commercially available. As the referred protocol does not mention some important details about the test procedures, we propose in the present work to implement them, critically evaluating each step in order to allow the protocol establishment at any health service, with quality and safety

Response to polysaccharide antigens in patients with ataxia-telangiectasia

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the production of antibodies to polysaccharide antigens in patients with ataxia-telangiectasia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used the ELISA technique to measure the levels of IgG antibodies to serotypes 1, 3, 5, 6B, 9V and 14 of Streptococcus pneumoniae in 14 patients with ataxia-telangiectasia before and after immunization with 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine. Adequate response to individual polysaccharide can be defined as a postimmunization antibody titer equal to or greater than 1.3 µg/ml or as a minimum fourfold increase over the baseline (preimmunization) value. RESULTS: Six (43%) patients showed an absent response to all serotypes analyzed. Four patients showed adequate response to only one serotype, one patient to two serotypes, two patients to three serotypes and only one patient to four out of six serotypes analyzed. No patient had adequate response to all serotypes tested. Postimmunization pneumococcus IgG levels were higher than preimmunization levels to all serotypes analyzed, except for serotype 3. In spite of this, the mean postimmunization levels were lower than 1.3 µg/ml in all serotypes, except for serotype 14. Mean increment was less than four in all serotypes analyzed. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that patients with ataxia-telangiectasia are at a high risk of having an impaired response to pneumococcus, which may be one of the causes of recurrent sinopulmonary infections in these patients.OBJETIVO: Estudar a produção de anticorpos a antígenos polissacarídicos em pacientes com ataxia-telangiectasia CASUÍSTICA E MÉTODO: Utilizando a técnica de ELISA, determinamos os níveis de IgG aos sorotipos 1, 3, 5, 6B, 9V e 14 do pneumococo em 14 pacientes com ataxia-telangiectasia, antes e após a imunização com a vacina pneumocócica 23-valente. Resposta adequada a cada sorotipo foi definida como IgG > 1,3 µg/ml ou o incremento de quatro vezes dos níveis pós em relação aos pré-imunização. RESULTADOS: Seis pacientes (43%) não responderam a todos os sorotipos analisados, quatro a apenas um sorotipo, um paciente a dois, dois a três e apenas um paciente a quatro dos seis sorotipos analisados. Nenhum paciente apresentou resposta adequada a todos os sorotipos testados. Os níveis de IgG ao pneumococo pós-imunização foram superiores aos pré-imunização para todos os sorotipos testados, exceto o 3. Apesar disso, os valores médios pós-imunização foram inferiores a 1,3 µg/ml para todos os sorotipos analisados, exceto o 14. A média de incremento da resposta foi inferior a quatro para todos os sorotipos analisados. CONCLUSÃO: Nossos resultados sugerem que pacientes com ataxia-telangiectasia têm grande risco de apresentar resposta inadequada ao pneumococo, o que pode ser uma das causas das infecções sinopulmonares de repetição.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESP Departamento de PediatriaHospital Albert EinsteinUniversidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de PediatriaUniv. de São Paulo Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Laboratório de Imunologia de MucosasUniversidade Federal do Ceará Faculdade de Farmácia Departamento de Análises Clínicas e ToxicológicasUNIFESP, Depto. de PediatriaSciEL

Antibody response to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine in Down syndrome patients

The majority of children with Down syndrome (DS) tend to have frequent bacterial infections including recurrent respiratory infections. Our objective was to evaluate the production of antibodies to pneumococcal polysaccharide antigens after active immunization in DS subjects. IgG antibodies to pneumococcal serotypes (1, 3, 6B, 9V, and 14) were measured before and 6 weeks after immunization with a 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine (Pneumo23®, Pasteur-Merrieux) in 6- to 13-year-old DS children (N = 17) and in aged-matched normal controls (N = 30). An adequate response was defined as a 4-fold increase over baseline or a post-immunization level of specific pneumococcal serotype antibody> or = 1.3 µg/mL. After immunization, all DS children had an increase in post-immunization levels against all serotypes analyzed. A 4-fold or more increase was observed in all DS children concerning serotypes 1 and 14, in 90% of subjects for serotypes 3 and 9V, and in 65% for serotype 6B. Regarding this increase, 8 of the 17 DS children had an adequate response to all serotypes analyzed, 8/17 patients to 4 serotypes and 1/17 to 3 serotypes. However, when we compared post-immunization levels between DS children and controls, we observed lower levels in the former group (P < 0.05) for all serotypes except serotype 3. We conclude that pneumococcal polysaccharide immunization could be beneficial for these DS children.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de PediatriaUniversidade Federal do Ceará Departamento de Toxicologia e Análises ClínicasUniversidade de São Paulo Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Departamento de ImunologiaUniversidade de São Paulo LIM 36 Faculdade de MedicinaLouisiana State University Health Science Center Department of PediatricsUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de PediatriaSciEL

Anti-PGL1 salivary IgA/IgM, serum IgG/IgM, and nasal Mycobacterium leprae DNA in individuals with household contact with leprosy

Objectives: Leprosy household contacts represent a group at high risk of developing the disease. the aim of this study was to detect Mycobacterium leprae subclinical infection in this group through serological and molecular parameters.Methods: Serum anti-PGL1 IgG/IgM and salivary anti-PGL1 IgA/IgM was investigated using an ELISA, and nasal carriage of M. leprae DNA was detected by PCR, in leprosy household contacts of paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) household leprosy patients (n = 135), their index cases (n = 30), and in persons living in a low endemic city (n = 17).Results: Salivary anti-PGL1 IgA and IgM and serum anti-PGL1 IgG showed good correlation comparing contacts and index cases (p 0.05). A high frequency of anti-PGL1 IgM positivity was found in IgG-negative samples (p < 0.0001). for IgG-positive samples, IgM antibodies were also positive in most of the samples. None of the 17 volunteers living in a low endemic city presented seropositivity for IgG; however, two of them showed positivity for anti-PGL1 IgM. M. leprae DNA was found in the nasal swabs of nine out of the 85 MB household leprosy contacts (10.6%) and in three out of the 50 PB household leprosy contacts (6.0%).Conclusion: We strongly suggest that serum IgG/IgM and salivary anti-PGL1 IgA/IgM measurements are used to follow leprosy household contacts. (C) 2013 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ Fed Ceara, Fac Pharm, Dept Clin Anal & Toxicol, BR-60430370 Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilUniv Fed Ceara, Fac Pharm, Dept Pharm, BR-60430370 Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Pediat Infect Dis, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Ceara, Fac Med, Dept Pathol, BR-60430370 Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Pediat Infect Dis, São Paulo, BrazilCNPq: 472.471/2007-4Web of Scienc

Desenvolvimento de métodos imunoradiométricos e imunoenzimáticos para dosagem de IgA secretória e componente secretório no soro humano

BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertaçõe

Desenvolvimento e método imunoenzimático para dosagem de IgA secretória em saliva, urina e fezes: estudo em crianças vivendo em diferentes condições de saneamento ambiental e em crianças com deficiência sérica de IgA

BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertaçõe

Salivary anti-PGL-1 IgM may indicate active transmission of Mycobacterium leprae among young people under 16 years of age

Considering that the main route of Mycobacterium leprae transmission is the upper respiratory tract, detection of salivary antibodies can be a useful tool for diagnosing early infection. The study aimed to analyze salivary anti-PGL-1 IgA and IgM antibodies in 169 children aged 4–16 years old, who lived nearby or inside the house of multibacillary or paucibacillary leprosy patients in two endemic cities in Alagoas State – Brazil. Salivary anti-PGL-1 antibodies were quantified by modified ELISA method. The frequency of contact and clinical form of the index case were significantly associated with salivary antibody levels. High frequency of IgM positivity strongly suggests active transmission of M. leprae in these communities. We suggest in the present work that salivary anti-PGL IgA and IgM are important biomarkers to be used for identifying communities with probable active transmission of M. leprae. Keywords: Leprosy, Salivary antibodies, Phenolic glycolipid-1 antigen, Mycobacterium lepra