The immune status of ovarian cancer patients receiving anti-CA125 murine monoclonal antibody B43.13 was evaluated by measuring antiidiotypic antibodies (Ab2), antiantiidiotypic antibodies (Ab3), antiisotypic human antimouse antibodies (HAMA), interferon-gamma, and CA125 levels in the serum. A specific assay was developed for the determination of Ab2 antibodies using chimeric MAb B43.13. Of the 50 patients studied, 26 had elevated levels of Ab2. Eleven of these 26 patients also had high titer of antiantiidiotypic (Ab3) antibodies. Eight of the 22 patients analyzed had increased interferon-gamma levels. A tentative correlation was found between survival of these patients' antiidiotype induction.
We determined the protein composition and antigenic content of saliva from Amblyomma hebraeum female ticks of different weight classes. The mean protein concentration of saliva of small partially fed ticks (< 100 mg) was 333 +/- 83 micrograms/ml and that of large partially fed ticks (150-420 mg) was 59 +/- 14 micrograms/ml. The reduction in concentration mostly was caused by the significantly higher fluid volume per minute secreted by large ticks. Polypeptide analysis of saliva indicated the presence of a protein (14 kilodaltons [kD]) only in ticks weighing < 60 mg. Other saliva proteins of 21 and 26 kD were present only in ticks weighing < 150 mg, whereas 68-kD protein was absent or very faint in ticks > 100 mg. Immunoblot analysis indicated that sera from rabbits infested with ticks recognized 13 saliva antigens ranging in size from 23 to 200 kD. The antigens were present in detectable quantities in the saliva of small ticks only. In contrast, the sera from rabbits immunized with tick saliva recognized only four antigens from 63 to 200 kD. The 63-kD antigen was not present in the saliva of large ticks. These data indicate that the saliva of A. hebraeum from small ticks is antigenically more complex than that of large ticks and that the route of immunization influences the humoral immune response of the host to the saliva antigens.
The activities of immune serum and trophozoite-specific MoAb were examined in vitro and in vivo. Immune serum and anti-Giardia muris MoAb caused immobilization of the trophozoites in vitro and were cytotoxic for trophozoites in the presence of exogenous complement. Both immune serum obtained from experimentally infected mice and anti-G. muris MoAb administered directly into the duodenum of mice significantly reduced the number of trophozoites in the small intestine during the acute phase of the infection. These results suggest that serum antibodies play a central role in the elimination of the primary Giardia infection.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.