Immune Functions of Former Poison Gas Workers I. Mitogenic response of lymphocytes and serum factors

The relation of depressed immune function to carcinogenesis has been estimated in the living body. The authors have measured the immunological parameters in former poison gas workers, a group having a high risk of carcinogenesis, for comparison with age matched normal controls and the following results were obtained. 1) With regard to serum factors, no significant difference could be demonstrated between normal controls and poison gas workers in such immunoglobulins as IgG, IgA, and IgM, in acute phase reactants such as α1-AT, α1-AG, α2-HS and C3 and in such tumor markers as CEA, ferritin, and β2-microglobulin. Furthermore, no difference could be observed in the positive rate of immune complex and in complement activity. 2) No difference could be observed between the two groups with regard to tuberculin skin reaction and number of lymphocytes, but the longer the duration of work at the poison gas factory, the more significant was the increase in those who showed negative tuberculin skin reaction. 3) In comparison with normal controls, mitogenic response to PHA showed a significant decrease in poison gas workers, but no significant difference could be seen in mitogenic response to Con A and PPD and in mixed lymphocyte reaction. 4) No significant difference could be demonstrated between the two groups in the inhibitory effects of serum on mitogenic response to PHA and Con A and on mixed lymphocyte reaction

Comparison of Various Serum Protein Values in the Japanese and the Japanese-Americans Resident in the United States

Measurements were made of various types of proteins, that is α1-antitrypsin, α1-acid glycoprotein, α2-HS glycoprotein, haptoglobin, α2-macroglobulin, transferrin, C3, IgG, IgA and lgM, in the serum of the Japanese-Americans living in Hawaii and the Japanese-Americans living in Los Angeles who are assumed to be genetically almost identical to the Japanese in Hiroshima Prefecture but are known to have a higher intake of animal fats but a lower intake of complex carbohydrates. These were compared with those of the Japanese in Hiroshima Prefecture. α2-macroglobulin values in serum of the male Japanese-Americans living in Hawaii of ages 30-39 years, 40-49 years, and 50-59 years were significantly lower than those of the residents in Hiroshima Prefecture, but no significant difference in these values could be observed between the Japanese-Americans living in Los Angeles and the Japanese in Hiroshima Prefecture. No significant difference could be observed in the values of other serum proteins in all age groups. These findings indicate that the difference in intake volume of animal fats and complex carbohydrates did not affect these serum protein values

Immunoglobulin Production by Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in IgA Nephropathy Patients and their Relatives

Immunoglobulin production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 27 patients of IgA nephropathy and 11 relatives was determined. In comparison with 15 healthy controls, no significant difference could be observed in both IgA nephropathy patients and relatives of the group not stimulated with PWM, but in the group stimulated with PWM a significant elevation in the production of IgA, IgG and IgM was seen in IgA nephropathy patients, while in the relatives a significant elevation in production of IgA and IgG was observed. It is speculated that immune complexes mainly IgA are the chief cause of development and progression of IgA nephropathy and that IgG and IgM are also involved. In also relatives, the presence of immunological abnormalities similar to those of IgA nephropathy patients is suggested

Cellular Immunity of Patients with Lung Cancer and Other Lung Diseases II. Analysis of interleukin-2 production

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) production by stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from patients with lung cancer and noncancerous respiratory diseases was determined. The results are as follows: 1) Neither sex nor age difference was observed for IL-2 production among healthy people. 2) IL-2 production showed a positive correlation with the Leu-3a/Leu-2a ratio and a negative correlation with the percentage of HLA-DR+ cells. 3) IL-2 production of patients with lung cancer and noncancerous respiratory diseases did not differ from that of healthy persons. 4) No difference in IL-2 production was found in relation to the clinical stage of lung cancer, but subjects with low IL-2 production were mostly observed in the advanced stage group (Stage IV)

Reactivity of the Serum from A-Bomb Survivors with the Tissues of Stomach, Liver and Kidney of Normal Rats

In order to evaluate delayed effects of radiation on pathological immune response an attempt was made to detect antibodies in the serum of atomic bomb survivors against kidney, liver, and parietal cells from rats. The following results were observed. Analysis of changes in antibody detection frequencies by age and exposure dose without considering sex showed that the rates for those exposed to 100 + rad showed a trend to increase with age for all three organs (P<0.01). However, in the 0 rad group, a significant trend to increase with age was noted for anti-kidney and antiliver antibodies only (P<0.01 for both). Analysis of changes in antibody detection frequencies by sex, age, and exposure dose showed that the detection frequencies increased significantly with age for all three organs in males exposed to 100 + rad (P < 0.05), but only the anti-liver antibody frequency increased significantly with age in males in the O rad exposure group. Females failed to shown any statistical changes in any exposure group

Expression of a 21KD Molecule on Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells

A monoclonal antibody (MoAb) K15 (IgG3) was obtained by fusion between SP2/0, mouse myeloma cell line and spleen cells from BC3Fl mice immunized with K562. a chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) blastic crisis cell line. MoAb Kl5 precipitated a 21 kilodalton (KD) polypeptide in reduced condition. It stained lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophiles and small bone marrow cells, but not neutrophiles, platelets, red blood cells (REC) and large bone marrow cells. Depletion of K15+ cells abolished both colony-forming units-granulocyte/monocyte (CFU-GM) and burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-E). Thus MoAb Kl5 identifies antigens expressed on hematopoietic progenitor cells. The selective retention of this antigen by certain cell lineages may suggest some functional role of this antigen

p26 : A Cell Surface Antigen Expressed Selectively by Hematopoietic Cells

A monoclonal antibody (MoAb) H5 (IgG2b) was obtained by fusion between SP2/0, mouse myeloma cell line and spleen cells from BC3Fl mice immunized with HEL, a erythroleukemia cell line. MoAb H5 precipitated a 26 kilodalton (KD) polypeptide in reduced condition. It reacted with platelets, monocytes, eosinophiles, 13% of lymphocytes, thymocytes and colony-forming units-granulocyte/monocyte (CFU-GM), but not with neutrophiles, red blood cells (RBC) and burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-E). It also stained T-lymphoid leukemia cell lines but not B cell lines. Thus this antigen was expressed selectively by both myeloid and lymphoid lineages

加令によるヒトリンパ球の mitogen による lgG 産生の増強 : 特に T 細胞の効果について

When in vitro IgG production by mitogen-stimulated peripheral lymphocytes from healthy aged (70-93 year old) and young (20-29 year old) subjects was compared, it was found that the level of IgG production was elevated in the aged subjects. Co-culture studies were performed to determine whether the increase was clue to changes in T or non-T cells. IgG production was significantly higher when reference non-T cells from normal young adults were mixed with T cells from aged subjects than with T cells from young adults. In contrast, no significant difference in IgG production was observed when reference T cells from normal young adults were mixed with non-T cells from either young or aged subjects. The suppressor activity of Tγ cells and helper activity of non-Tγ T cells of young and aged subjects were then determined. The results revealed that the suppressor activity of Tγ cells of aged individuals was significantly lower than that of young adults, but the helper activity of non-Tγ T cells of young and aged subjects was comparable. These results indicate that the increase in production of IgG by the peripheral lymphocytes of aged individuals is due in part to changes in the T cells which are related to a decrease in suppressor activity of Tγ cells