Chemiluminescence during monocyte phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: effect of treatment

The phagocytic activity of the peripheral blood monocytes from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [NHL] patients was studied by chemiluminescence. The chemiluminescence index [CI] for phagocytic activity of 15 NHL patients and another 15 healthy individuals of matched age and sex were determined. The selected patients represented various clinical stages and different pathological grades. There was a statistical decrease in the CI [P<0.001] in untreated NHL patients, regardless of their clinical stage or pathological grade, as compared to the control group. There was a remarkable decrease in the CI determined for the patients of the clinical stages HI and IV [P<0.001] in comparison to those at stages I and II. The CI showed a decreasing trend with the advancement of the pathological grade. The results of chemo-or radio-therapy treatment were noticeable in improving the CI of the patients at stages IJI and low grade lymphoma. In view of the obtained results of the present study, it is suggested that the CI can be used as a useful marker in determining the effect ofchemo- or radio-therapy in NHL patients

Praziquantel effect on eosinophil cytotoxicity and humoral immune response in murine schistosomiasis mansoni

Praziquante [PZQ] is a highly effective antihelmintic drug against all S. mansoni development stages especially cercariae adult worms. Recent reports have indicated that there is a synergy between PZQ treatment and both humoral and cell mediated immune responses in experimental animal models of schistosomiasis. Therefore, this work was carried out to study the effect of PZQ on some immunological aspects of murine S. mansoni infections after in vivo PZQ treatment. The in vivo study was performed on 4 different groups of male CDI mice, including normal mice as a control group, normal mice given PZQ, infected mice and finally infected mice given PZQ 7 weeks post infection. Immunological studies revealed a significant enhancement of splenocyte antibody forminy capacity as well as raised specific anti S. mansoni antibody tite, 7 days post PZQ administration. In addition, the enhanced antibody dependent eosinophil cytotoxicity against S. mansoni schistosomula due to infection was retained after PZQ treatment

Effects of immunological modulations induced by schistosoma mansoni or echinostome caproni on trichinella spinals infection

The present study revealed the effects of E. caproni [group I] and S. mansoni [group II] primary infection on Tr. spiralis challenge in Swiss albino mice. The immunological studies included splenocyte antibody forming capacities [PFC], specific antibody titer against Tr. spiralis larvae, neutrophil phagocytic activity and serum levels of circulating immune complexes. The data was compared with normal and single Tr. spiralis infected controls. The immunosuppressive effect of Tr. spiralis infection on PFC was augmented by S. mansoni [group II] while E. caproni [group I] had enhanced it due to the stimulatory effect of the immunological parameters of E. caproni. E. caproni and S. mansoni primary infection had produced significant decrease of both worm and larval counts of Tr. spiralis challenge, this may be due to sharing common antigens. These results were parallel to histopathological picture of small intestine, mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen of the experimental groups

Human fascioliasis: T cell subsets in liver before and after bithionol treatment

Liver biopsies from 5 patients with established fascioliasis, before and after bithionol treatment were studied by immunoalkaline phosphatase technique for relative distribution of T cells and their subpopulations. T cell and its subsets are defined for OKT3[+] [pan T], OKT4[+] [helper/inducer] and OKT8[+] [suppressor/cytotoxic] cells by using mouse monoclonal antibodies. Before bithionol treatment, lymphocytic infiltration in all hepatic lesions were predominantly of OKT3[+] [pan T] lymphocytes. The distribution of OKT8[+] cells was moderate to severe in comparison to the few OKT4[+] cells presentation. After bithionol a noticable regression of the OKT3[+] lymphocytic in all liver sections. The majority of the lymphocytic infiltration was of the OKT8[+] cells, in comparison to the absence of the OKT[4]+ ones. This may indicate that suppressor/cytotoxic lymphocytes may have a role in the immune regulation of the disease and the mode of action of bithionol is by the accentuation of this immunoregulartory effect