Frequency of autoantibodies and serum complement levels in patients with visceral or cutaneous leishmaniasis / Frequência de autoanticorpos e dosagem de complemento sérico em pacientes com diagnóstico de leishmaniose cutânea ou visceral

INTRODUÇÃO: A leishmaniose é uma doença infecciosa crônica que pode variar de um espectro que inclui o acometimento cutâneo isolado com manifestação oligossintomática até o acometimento sistêmico com manifestações clínicas importantes. O desenvolvimento de infecção em cada tipo de leishmaniose (visceral ou tegumentar) depende da interação complexa e intrigante entre os fatores de virulência do patógeno e a resposta imunológica do hospedeiro. Análises de soros de pacientes infectados por Leishmania demonstraram a existência de autoanticorpos contra componentes celulares e humorais, além de imunocomplexos circulantes e anticorpos contra a imunoglobulina G (fator reumatoide). Pacientes com leishmaniose visceral podem apresentar sintomas que mimetizam o quadro clínico encontrado em pacientes com diagnóstico de Lúpus Eritematoso Sistêmico (LES), dificultando o diagnóstico precoce e tratamento. OBJETIVOS: Identificar o perfil de autoanticorpos e a dosagem de complemento em pacientes com diagnóstico de leishmaniose visceral ou tegumentar e correlacionar o quadro clínico destes pacientes com o de pacientes com diagnóstico de LES. MÉTODOS: Pesquisou-se a ocorrência de autoanticorpos e dosagem de complemento no soro de 90 pacientes, sendo 45 deles com leishmaniose visceral e 45 com a forma tegumentar. RESULTADOS: Os autoanticorpos estatisticamente significativos presentes nos pacientes com leishmaniose visceral foram: Fator Antinuclear (FAN) positivo (4,4 por cento) ou em baixa titulação (8,9 por cento) e anticorpo anticardiolipina do tipo IgG positivo (17,8 por cento) ou indeterminado (8,9 por cento). Encontrou-se, ainda, diminuição do complemento sérico C3 em 17,8 por cento dos pacientes e anticorpo anti-Leishmania positivo > 1/80 em todos os pacientes com leishmaniose visceral. CONCLUSÕES: A forma visceral da leishmaniose pode correlacionar-se positivamente com a presença de autoanticorpos, possivelmente pelo desencadeamento de uma resposta de uma resposta sistêmica...

INTRODUCTION: Leishmaniasis is a chronic infectious disease whose spectrum can vary from isolate cutaneous involvement with oligosymptomatic manifestations to systemic involvement with clinically important manifestations. The development of the infection of each type of leishmaniasis (visceral or cutaneous) depends on a complex and intriguing interaction between virulence factors of the pathogen and the immune response of the host. Analysis of sera of with Leishmania infection demonstrates the presence of autoantibodies against cellular and humoral components, besides circulating immune complexes and anti-IgG antibodies (rheumatoid factor). Patients with visceral leishmaniasis can present symptoms that mimic Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), hindering early diagnosis and treatment. OBJECTIVES: To identify the profile of autoantibodies and complement levels of patients with visceral or cutaneous leishmaniasis and to correlate their clinical presentation to those of patients with SLE. METHODS: The presence of autoantibodies and complement levels of 90 patients, 45 with visceral leishmaniasis and 45 with cutaneous leishmaniasis, was determined. Results: The presence of statistically significant autoantibodies in patients with visceral leishmaniasis included: antinuclear antibody (ANA), positive (4.4 percent) or in low titers (8.9 percent), and IgG anticardiolipin antibody, positive (17.8 percent) or undetermined (8.9 percent). A reduction in C3 levels was also seen in 17.8 percent of the patients and anti-Leishmania antibodies > 1/80 in all patients with visceral leishmaniasis. CONCLUSIONS: Visceral leishmaniasis can have a positive correlation with the presence of autoantibodies, possibly by triggering a predominantly humoral, systemic, type Th2 response, representing an obligatory differential diagnosis with SLE, especially in endemic areas.

Serum complement levels in human cancer

1. Complement levels were studied in 41 normal adults and 40 cancer cases2. Complement levels measured by the two mehtods, CIA50 and CH50 units, showed statistically higher levels among cancer cases as compared with normal adults. Mean titers were 31o7 CIA50 units per 0.5 ml. and 35.7 CH50 units per ml. for normal adults and 4385 CIA50 units per 0.5 ml. and 51.8 CH50 units per ml. for cancer cases3. There was a tendency towards correlation in the two measurements so that a high level of CIA50 units was accompanied by a similar increase in CH50 units4. The significnce of the high complement levels among cancer cases and its relationship to resistance is discussed. (Conclusions)

Effect of training on physical exersice-induced changes in non-specific humoral immunity / 体力科学

Although it is generally thought that habitual exercise protects an individual from infections, few careful scientific studies have been conducted. To clarify the influences of physical training on non-specific humoral immunity, both serum opsonic activity, which is a more direct indicator for the strength of non-specific humoral immunity to infections, and serum immunoglobulin and complement levels of 18 healthy male volunteers were assayed before and after a 10-week of training as indices of immuno defense.<BR>The serum levels of three immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and 1gM) and one complement (C3) were compared prior to and immediately after exercise both before and after training. Paired t-test revealed that before training exercise-induced increases in IgG and C 3 were significant and after training increases in IgG, IgA, IgM and C 3 were significant. But baseline (prior to exercise) levels of these immunoglobulins and complement were significantly suppressed during the training period.<BR>Serum opsonic activity was compared with each other in the same way as serum protein levels. The noutrophilic chemiluminescence Peak Height (PH), which is one of the indicators of serum opsonic activity, was significantly decreased immediately after exercise at the beginning stage of the training. After the training period, serum opsonic activity showed no noteworthy exercise-induced variations and baseline levels were slightly increased during the training period.<BR>These findings suggest that resistance and reactivity to the physical stress are improved and the non-specific humoral immunity, self-defense ability against infections, is considered to be improved by the training.