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This paper describes the course of infection and certain pathological changes in thymus-deprived and normal CBA mice after oral infection with Trichinella spiralis. Greater morbidity was found among deprived mice and deaths due to trichiniasis occurred solely in this group. The local inflammatory response in the gut and skeletal muscles was defective in deprived animals: compared to normal mice it was slower to develop, contained fewer cells and was inadequately sustained. There was a striking paucity of tissue eosinophils and this was correlated with failure of deprived mice to develop a blood eosinophilia. The parasites appeared to persist longer in the gut of deprived animals and progressively more parasites were recovered from the carcasses of these mice at later stages of the infection. The present findings indicate that thymus-dependent cell populations are implicated in the host response to T. spiralis; and some possible modes of action of T cells are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the new journal "Allergologia et Immunopathologia," published in Madrid, Spain. Editors of the journal; Retail price; Features of the journal.

In 5 of 6 cases of the Senear-Usher syndrome, in skin specimens from erythematous facial lesions, the immunofluorescence method demonstrated immunoglobulins and in vivo-fixed complement in the dermoepidermal junction, which is a finding characteristic of lupus erythematosus. Antibodies against nuclei were also present in all but one case, and in one there was coexistent systemic lupus erythematosus with positive LE phenomenon. In all 6 cases of the SU syndrome the presence of IgG as well as C'3a, C'4 was demonstrated in the intercellular spaces of the epidermis; this is a finding characteristic of pemphigus. In 6 cases of pemphigus vulgaris, which served as controls, neither immunoglobulins nor in vivo-fixed complement could be demonstrated in the dermoepidermal junction. These investigations suggest that the SU syndrome could, at least in the vast majority of cases, result from the coexistence of pemphigus and lupus erythematosus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments are described using the reactive lysis system on phospho-lipid dispersions to study the terminal phases of complement lysis. It has been found that, both on lecithin and on sphingomyelin-cholesterol liposomes, marker release and characteristic EM lesions can be found upon the sequential activity of C567 and C8 and C9 and that for both these parameters of lysis the action of C8 and C9 as well as of C567, are required. Lysis of liposomes is accompanied by the appearance of traces of the products of phospholipase activity in the supernate but it is believed that these represent the activity of contaminating enzymes and are the consequence and not the cause of lysis. However the possibility that lysis could be due to lipolytic activity cannot be totally excluded because of the negligible hydrolysis theoretically needed to form lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of lymph nodes lie in close proximity to the thymus of mice and rats. In mice, the parathymic nodes are found in the capsule, whereas in rats, the nodes lie on the capsule. The total weight of parathymic nodes in any one animal is one-tenth to one-twentieth that of the thymus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of different immunoglobulin classes of mouse antibodies to dinitrophenol 9DNP) has been qualitatively determined by biological assays which discriminate between some immunoglobulin classes. Antibody responses to two other antigens were compared in five mouse strains. Mice of different strains immunized with DNP-haemocyanin (DNP-Hcy) in complete Freund's adjuvant made both γG1 and γG2a antibodies. The amounts of antibody are less in DBA and C57 mice and at 80 days after primary immunization a 2-mercaptoethanol sensitive (2MES) antibody is still present in this strains (but not in A, AKR, and C3H). When DNP-Hcy is given in Al(OH)3 very little γG2a is produced in any strain, although γG1 antibodies are produced as in mice given DNP-Hcy in complete Freund's adjuvant. Possible interpretations of these observations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various rabbit tissues such as liver, spleen, peritoneal macrophages and kidney, were cultured in vitro at 37° for periods of up to 72 hours. The combined content, of C′6 .in tissue and culture medium was determined at the end of the incubation period. Production of C′6 activity was found in liver cultures and possibly in spleen and macrophage cultures. The rate of inactivation of serum C′6 at 37° in culture medium was also determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study in which two rhesus monkeys were injected with monkey thyroid extract plus complete Freund adjuvant, and the immunopathological changes were followed for over a year. In one monkey the level of antibody to thyroglobulin. as measured by tanned cell haemagglutination, increased gradually over the period. Antibodies to constituents of the ihyroid epithelial cells themselves were demonstrated by complement fixation and cytotoxic reactions. The second monkey produced the highest titre of tanned cell haemagglutinating antibody early in immunization, followed by gradual decrease. Examinations revealed regression and regeneration so that 18 months after initiation of the experiment, the thyroid gland was nearly normal in appearance.

The range of relative affinity of antibody to HSA in mice from ten strains is presented. Previously reported high and low affinity strains are not exceptional. Age, sex, dose and time after immunization have little effect on relative affinity of antibody to HSA and HST. Antibodies, raised by injecting DNP-HSA or DNP-RSA, and tested by HeDNP L-lysine, show similar interstrain differences of affinity. This excludes recognition of only a limited proportion of the diverse antigenic sites on complex protein antigens as the sole explanation of this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rate of elimination of soluble protein antigen injected intravenously difl"ers in different inbred strains of mice previously immunized to the antigen. This difference is apparently related to the affinity of the antibody they produce. Animals producing high affinity antibody eliminate antigen more effectively than those producing low affinity antibody. Passive transfer of antibody shows that the difference of antigen elimination is a property of the antibody, rather than the cellular mechanisms involved. The immunopathological significance of these findings is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serum IgE concentrations of children with varying grades of asthma were determined. The mean serum IgE level in each grade corresponded with the severity of asthma in that grade, there being a significantly increased mean serum IgE level in children in the most severely affected grades. Several individuals with pronounced asthma had anomalously low serum IgE levels and conversely a few subjects with no, or minimal clinical evidence of asthma had disproportionately high levels of IgE. An immunopathological interpretation of these findings is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]