The five classes of immunoglobulins in normal C3H and BALB/c mice

The five major classes of mouse immunoglobulin have been purified and, by appropriate immunization of goats, monospecific antisera have been obtained. With these antisera the five classes of mouse immunoglobulin have been quantitated in the serum of normal C3H and BALB/c mice from birth to the end of the first year of life. Newborn mice of both strains have shown no IgA or IgM in their serum by the method used. Except for IgM, all immunoglobulins have shown a rapid increase a few days after birth, followed by a decline to lower levels at approximately 20–30 days of age. These changes have been observed by others and attributed to transfer of IgG1, IgG2 and IgA by colostrum and milk, but changes in the lymphoreticular apparatus are also occurring at this time which could contribute or account for some of these fluctuations. After the age of 60–80 days BALB/c mice are very often hyperglobulinaemic. This hyperglobulinaemia can be attributed to the increase in IgG1, IgM and partly IgG2b

Genital papillomavirus in Greek women with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical carcinoma

Fifty biopsies from high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HG-SIL) and 14 cervical carcinoma biopsies from Greek women were screened for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA sequences by Southern blot hybridization and by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of different HPV types. In high-grade SIL, HPV DNA sequences were detected in 44 of 50 biopsies with the following distribution: 36% HPV 16, 12% HPV 18, 6% HPV 31, 6% HPV 33, 4% HPV 51, and 24% unclassified HPV types. In cervical carcinoma biopsies, 13 of 14 specimens were positive for HPV DNA sequences. Six biopsies were positive for HPV 16, three were positive for HPV 18, and four contained unclassified HPV types. Overall, of the total 64 biopsies, 57 (89%) were positive for HPV DNA sequences. Of these, Southern blot hybridization alone detected HPV DNA sequences in 39 cases, whereas by PCR 18 additional specimens were found to be positive for HPV. Among the HPV 16-positive biopsies, two samples produced a Pstl banding pattern very similar but not identical to that of HPV 16 prototype and were referred to as HPV 16 isolates. One HPV 16 isolate appears to carry a mutation within the carboxy-terminal half of the L2 gene that results in the loss of a Pstl site. The other HPV 16 isolate had a similar Pstl banding pattern to that previously reported as HPV 16 'variant' found in Cape Town [Williamson et al., 1989, Journal of Medical Virology 28:146-149, 1994, Journal of Medical Virology 43:231-237.] and in Italy [Li Vigni et al., 1994, 2nd international Congress of Papillomavirus in Human Pathology (Abstracts), p 100.]