Search results for "Immunity"
showing 10 items of 1537 documents
Data from: Microbiome symbionts and diet diversity incur costs on the immune system of insect larvae
2017
Communities of symbiotic microorganisms that colonize the gastrointestinal tract play an important role in food digestion and protection against opportunistic microbes. Diet diversity increases the number of symbionts in the intestines, a benefit that is considered to impose no cost for the host organism. However, less is known about the possible immunological investments that hosts have to make in order to control the infections caused by symbiont populations that increase due to diet diversity. By using taxonomical composition analysis of the 16S rRNA V3 region, we show that Enterococci are the dominating group of bacteria in the midgut of the larvae of the greater wax moth (Galleria mell…
Identification and characterization of autoantibodies against catalase and α-enolase in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis
1998
SUMMARY Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease of unknown aetiology. Recent studies have shown that genetic factors and both cellular and humoral immunological abnormalities are important in the pathogenesis of PSC. The most prominent autoantibodies in PSC are anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). The autoepitopes of ANCA in PSC are not well defined. The aim of this study was to identify corresponding ANCA autoantigens in patients with PSC. A biochemical approach with enrichment and partial purification of soluble neutrophil proteins, detection of autoantibodies by Western blot and partial amino acid sequencing were used. Two new autoantigen/aut…
Autoimmune thyroid disease: new models of cell death in autoimmunity
2002
Autoimmunity to thyroid antigens leads to two distinct pathogenic processes with opposing clinical outcomes: hypothyroidism in Hashimoto's thyroiditis and hyperthyroidism in Graves' disease. The high frequency of these diseases and easy accessibility of the thyroid gland has allowed the identification of key pathogenic mechanisms in organ-specific autoimmune diseases. In early investigations, antibody- and T-cell-mediated death mechanisms were proposed as being responsible for autoimmune thyrocyte depletion. Later, studies on apoptosis have provided new insights into autoimmune target destruction, indicating the involvement of death receptors and cytokine-regulated apoptotic pathways in the…
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Receptor Antibodies in Thyroid Eye Disease-Methodology and Clinical Applications.
2018
Background Thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibodies (TSHR-Ab) cause autoimmune hyperthyroidism and are prevalent in patients with related thyroid eye disease (TED). Purpose To provide a historical perspective on TSHR-Ab and to present evidence-based recommendations for clinical contemporary use. Methods The authors review the recent literature pertaining to TSHR-Ab in patients with TED and describe the various immunoassays currently used for detecting TSHR-Ab and their clinical applications. Results We provide a historical summary and description of the various methods used to detect TSHR-Ab, foremost, the functional TSHR-Ab. Increasing experimental and clinical data demonstrate the …
Personality types in individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes
2020
Objective The Type A personality, characterized by impatience, strong career ambition and competitiveness, is associated with greater sensitivity to external stress. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an auto-immune disease, which is potentially influenced by stress, unlike type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of this study was to assess whether individuals with T1D and T2D exhibited significant differences on the Type A personality scale. We also assessed personality in patients with thyroid auto-immune diseases to validate potential links between auto-immune disease and Type A personality. Design and methods The Bortner questionnaire was used to assess Type A personality in 188 patients with T1D, 430 pa…
The Inflammatory Feed-Forward Loop Triggered by the Complement Component C3 as a Potential Target in Endometriosis
2021
Copyright © 2021 Agostinis, Zorzet, Balduit, Zito, Mangogna, Macor, Romano, Toffoli, Belmonte, Morello, Martorana, Borelli, Ricci, Kishore and Bulla. The complement system is a major component of humoral innate immunity, acting as a first line of defense against microbes via opsonization and lysis of pathogens. However, novel roles of the complement system in inflammatory and immunological processes, including in cancer, are emerging. Endometriosis (EM), a benign disease characterized by ectopic endometrial implants, shows certain unique features of cancer, such as the capacity to invade surrounding tissues, and in severe cases, metastatic properties. A defective immune surveillance against…
Exosome release by crustacean hyaline haemocytes in vitro
2010
Exosomes are small microvesicles (40–100 nm) that are formed from the endosome to generate multi-vesicular bodies (MBVs). In mammals, exosomes play a significant role in cellular communication. Exosomes have also been reported for salmon and fruit fly but have not previously been studied in crustaceans. Therefore we undertook to study them in decapods. We chose the hyaline haemocytes of brachyuran crabs, Carcinus maenas and Hyas araneus, because these cells are abundant in haemolymph, are phagocytic and can be cultured on glass or plastic surfaces. Furthermore these cells have been observed to contain MVB-like structures that bear some resemblance to those in mammals that produce exosomes. …
Maternal antibody transmission and breeding densities in the Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
2004
1. The offspring of avian species, especially those of colonial breeders, are exposed to a number of pathogens immediately after birth. The chick's immune system is, at that early stage still immature and inefficient. As a consequence, diseases can have a strong impact on chick survival.2. The ability of mothers to transmit passive immunity in terms of antibodies of their own acquired immunity to their chicks is probably an essential pathway to enhance the chick survival. Since the production of antibodies is costly, females are expected to adjust the transmission of passive immunity to the local disease environment.3. We found that in Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus L.) yolk antibody …
Transgenerational immunity in a bird-ectoparasite system: do maternally transferred antibodies affect parasite fecundity or the offspring's susceptib…
2009
During egg formation, female birds deposit antibodies against parasites and pathogens they were exposed to before egg laying into the yolk. In captive bird species, it has been shown that these maternal immunoglobulins (maternal yolk IgGs) can protect newly hatched offspring against infection. However, direct evidence for such benefits in wild birds is hitherto lacking. We investigated (1) if nestling Great Tits Parus major originating from eggs with naturally high levels of maternal yolk IgG are less susceptible to a common, nest-based ectoparasite, (2) if maternal yolk IgGs influence nestling development and in particular, their own immune defence, and (3) if there is a negative correlati…
Antibody injection in the egg yolk: maternal antibodies affect humoral immune response of the offspring
2010
Summary 1. In vertebrate species, maternal antibodies specific for the pathogens to which mothers have been exposed can be transmitted to offspring before birth. This is assumed to be adaptive as these antibodies can be essential in protecting offspring early in life before their own immune system is fully developed. However, fitness consequences in natural conditions and the long-term effects of these mechanisms have yet to be fully examined. 2. Exploring the ecological and evolutionary implications of such maternal effects requires experimental manipulations to avoid potential confounding maternal effects. In birds, maternal antibodies are transmitted via the egg yolk – a self contained e…