Search

Provides information on the 8th Annual Red Cross Scientific Symposium in Washington, D.C. on Mat 12-13, 1976. Topics of invited papers.

Several studies have highlighted the importance of murine natural killer (NK) cells in the control of influenza virus infection, notably through the natural cytotoxicity receptor NKp46. However, little is known about the involvement of NK cells in human influenza infection. Here, we show that upon in vitro exposure to influenza, NKp46 expression on NK cells decreases, whereas expression of 2B4, an activating receptor that can enhance natural cytotoxicity in synergy with NKp46, is up-regulated. Consistent with these observations, NKp46 and 2B4 NK cells had a higher functional activity in response to influenza than NK cells expressing high levels of NKp46 or low levels of 2B4, respectively. Importantly, we assessed whether the expression of these receptors was also modified in vivo in response to influenza antigens and showed that an increase in 2B4-expressing NK cells and a decrease in NKp46 NK cells occurred following intramuscular influenza vaccination. Altogether, our results further suggest that NKp46 may play an important role in the innate immune response to human influenza and reveal that exposure to influenza antigens is associated with a previously unrecognized increase in 2B4 expression that can impact NK cell activity against the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several immunological responses of the spontaneously diabetic BB rat colony in Edinburgh designated (BB/E) have been studied. The proliferative responses to Con A and LPS, ability to make IL-2 and to show NK activity have been studied using diabetic and non-diabetic BB/E rats and normal Wistar rats. Our data suggest that the diabetic animals in the BB/E colony do not have marked deficiencies in any of these parameters. Lymphopenia and depressed T-cell responses do not appear to be a prerequisite for the development of diabetes in the BB/E colony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports about the fourth biennial course on Current Methods of Immunologic Research and Diagnosis, offered by the Center for Immunology of the State University of New York, held at Buffalo, New York, in July, 1975. It also reports about the fifth International Congress of Lymphology, held at Buenos Aires, Argentina and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between March 23 and 29, 1975. Some of the sessions that have been presented are, lymphomas; lymphatic dissemination of cancer; lymphoedema and chylous refluxes; medical and surgical treatment; and basic lymphology.