Serum IgG and IgA Levels in Polio and Non-polio Acute Flaccid Paralysis Cases in Western Uttar Pradesh, India.

Objective: IgG and IgA immunocompetence of children with wild poliovirus poliomyelitis and non-polio acute flaccid paralysis. Methods: 932 cases of acute flaccid paralysis, reported in 2008-2009, were tested for presence of polio and non-polio enteroviruses according to the WHO standards. Serum IgA and IgG levels were determined by sandwich ELISA. Results: Mean (SD) IgA levels [0.87 (0.62)g/L; n=28] of virologically confirmed poliomyelitis cases were lower than those of virus negative [1.21 (0.83)g/L; n=612] and non-polio Enterovirus positive [1.22 (0.79)g/L; n=240] cases of acute flaccid paralysis. No significant difference was observed in the concentration of IgG among these groups. Conclusion: IgA plays an important role in protection against poliomyelitis.

Evaluation of circulating immune complexes and serum immunoglobulins in oral cancer patients - A follow up study.

Background: High serum immunoglobulins and circulating immune complexes (IgG, IgM, IgA and CIC) values in patients with cancer have been used as tumor markers. Hence, the aim of the study was to estimate these immunological markers in pre- and post-treatment phases with a follow-up of 3-24 months and to understand the prognostic significance of the same in patients with oral cancer. Materials and Methods: The malignancy group consisted of 56 patients with different stages (AJCC TNM) of oral cancer and 20 healthy control group. Samples were selected at random and subjected for sequential analysis of serum biochemical markers (IgG, IgA, IgM and CIC-circulating immune complexes levels) in the pre- and post-treatment period. Statistical method employed was the paired t test. Results: We observed significant elevated levels of all the immunological markers ( P < 0.01) when compared with the control group. Sequential analysis of these markers revealed significant reduction in immunological markers in stage I and II patients. On the contrary, stage III and IV patients showed remarkably elevated levels of IgA and CIC one year after initial treatment. Conclusions : All these immunological markers are indicative of tumor burden and Serum levels of CIC and IgA might be employed as prognostic indicators in oral cancer.

Differences in the serum immunoglobulin concentrations between dairy and beef calves from birth to 14 days of age

The changes in serum levels of immunoglobulins G, M and A of dairy and beef calves of well-managed herds were monitored from birth to 14 days post partum using single radial immunodiffusion. Serum levels of all three immunoglobulin classes reached its peak at 24 hours in both groups of calves after birth, at which time there were very high levels of each immunoglobulin present. The mean IgM and IgA levels of the two groups became same at 6 days and 8 days of age, respectively but the mean IgG level of beef calves was approximately twice that of dairy calves throughout the experiment.

A Clinical and Pathological Study on the Treatment and Course of Purpura Nephritis in Chidren

Purpura nephritis, one of the commonly known complications of allergic purpura has variable symptoms ranging from mild transient hematuria to severe nephrotic syndrome leading to renal failure and death. This paper reports on the treatment and course of purpura nephritis with special reference to serum immunoglobulins and immunopathology. These cases were selected among pediatric patients with purpura nephritis admitted to the pediatric department of Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine from Jan., 1978 to Apr., 1980. The results are as follows: 1. Among 18 patients with purpura nephritis whose serum immunoglobulin level had been checked at least once in the course of the disease, 14 cases were male and 4 female. The age distribution was from 3 years and 5 months to 15 years of age, and the peak incidence occurred at 7 years of age in 5 cases. 2. Clinical classifications were made according to clinical symptoms and laboratory results. These classifications were as follows: nephrotic syndrome 5 cases, acute nephritis 5 cases, persistent hematuria and proteinuria 3 cases, and persistent proteinuria, recurrent hematuria, recurrent hematuria and proteinuria, transient hematuria and others, 1 case each. 3. Remission occurred in 5 cases which were all male and their clinical classifications were acute nephritis 3 cases, transient hematuria 1 case and recurrent hematuria 1 case. All of these showed mild renal involvement and none had nephrotic syndrome. 4. Remission occurred in 3 cases among 7 with prednisolone therapy, whereas only 1 case showed remission among 8 cases of combined therapy with immunosuppressant. Remission occurred in 1 case without any therapy. But no therapy was specifically "effective." 5. Nine out of 18 cases(50%) developed signs of renal involvement within 15 days of onset of purpura, and almost all cases(90%) within 2 months. Nephritis preceded purpura in 2 cases by 14 days and 4 months respectively and in another case, nephritis appeared 4 years after purpura. With such variation in duration, no correlation existed between the time interval from nephritis to purpura and the course of the disease. 6. Renal biopsies revealed 14 cages of focal proliferative glomerulonephritis and 1 case of diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis, but none showed significant crescent formation in the glomeruli. Immunofluorescent microscopic examination revealed granular deposits of Ig(G, A, M), C3/C4, fibrinogen in 8 cases, IgM was absent in 6 cases and IgG absent in 1 case. There wag no correlation with the course of the disease. Sites of deposits were mainly in the mesangium. 7. Serum levels of immunoglobulin and complement were checked in all cases. IgG was elevated in 1 case and IgA was elevated at least once in the course of the disease in 9 cases among 18(50%). IgM mas within normal limits in all. Elevation of C3 was noticed in 2 cases but levels of C4 were normal in all. 8. Among 9 casas with elevated serum IgA in the acute phase, 6 cases showed a drop in the serum IgA level to normal, mostly within 6 months; but this factor was not related to the course and prognosis of the disease since 9 other cases which showed no elevation of serum IgA were not otherwise significantly different.