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Clinicians are increasingly utilizing noninvasive serologic tests for the diagnosis and screening of celiac disease (CD). The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the diagnostic performance of serologic tests for the diagnosis and screening of CD. Standard systematic review methodology was used. A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE (1966 to October 2003) and EMBASE (1974 to December 2003) databases. A weighted mean of the sensitivity and specificity along with 95% confidence intervals and summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated. The pooled specificity of endomyseal antibody (EMA)-monkey esophagus (ME) or EMA-human umbilical cord (HU) was close to 100% in adults and children. The pooled specificity of transglutaminase antibody (tTG)-guinea pig (GP) and tTG-human recombinant (HR) were between 95% and 99%. IgA-EMA-ME demonstrated sensitivities of 96% and 97% in children and adults, respectively. EMA-HU demonstrated a similar sensitivity of 97% in children but 90% in adults. The pooled sensitivity of tTG-GP in adults and children was 90% and 93%, respectively. The sensitivity of tTG-HR was 98% and 96%, respectively. The performance of antigliadin antibody was inferior to that of EMA and tTG. EMA and tTG offer high sensitivity and specificity. The sensitivity of these tests appears to be lower than reported when milder histologic grades are used to define CD (below 90%). If true, the nearly perfect negative predictive value of these tests would drop. The positive predictive value of these tests is likely lower than reported when the tests are applied in low-prevalence populations.

We compared the effects of neurotropic and neurospecific substances and their antibodies on conditioned activity of rats. Single treatment produced the positive effect on the latency and number of conditioned responses. Repeated treatment with test compounds in the same dose improved conditioned activity of animals.

We studied the effect of potentiated antibodies to morphine (10(-100) wt %) on self-stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus and behavioral reactions reflecting the severity of withdrawal syndrome in rats with morphine dependence. Repeated treatment with potentiated antibodies to morphine increased the rate of self-stimulation, suppressed active avoidance response, promoted freezing behavior after acoustic stimulation, and decreased tail-flick latency in rats after morphine withdrawal. Distilled water did not produce these changes.

Antibodies against S100 protein in ultralow doses specifically affected catecholamine metabolism in rats withdrawn from chronic ethanol exposure. The contents of tryptophan, tyrosine, and norepinephrine in brain structures returned to normal. The concentrations of dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine in the peripheral blood decreased. Modulation of monoamine content in the peripheral blood suggests that antibodies against S100 protein possess stress-protective activity during ethanol withdrawal.

The efficiency of potentiated antibodies against morphine was studied on the model of chronic morphine intoxication. Test antibodies stimulated catecholamine metabolism in the hypothalamus (i.e., prevented initiation of catecholamine- and histaminergic peripheral reactions) and normalized lipid peroxidation.

We studied the effects of ethanol, morphine, S100 protein, and antibodies to morphine, S100 protein, and opiate -receptors in ultralow doses on self-stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus. The reaction underwent similar changes after single administration of test preparations. Tenfold treatment produced the stimulatory and stabilizing effect, which was related to ambivalent properties of preparations in ultralow doses. Tenfold administration of water did not produce changes in control animals.

Thirty-three pigs in three groups of nineteen, ten, and four pigs were infected with three different African swine fever (ASF) virus isolates, respectively. All virus isolates were attenuated to varying degrees by passaging in cell cultures, and they retained sufficiently low virulence to produce subacute and chronic infections in pigs. Sera collected at various intervals were tested for antibody activity by the immunoelectroosmophoresis, agar gel diffusion precipitin, and complement-fixation tests using a modified Kolmer technique. Results clearly indicated that the immunoelectroosmophoresis test is a rapid (30 minute) and accurate method with extreme sensitivity and superior to the complement-fixation and agar gel diffusion precipitin tests in detecting antibody against ASF virus. Possible use of this method in detecting ASF virus infection is suggested.