Long-term ethanol intoxication reduces inflammatory responses in rats

The anti-inflammatory effects of long-term ethanol intoxication were determined during ethanol treatment and withdrawal on the basis of neutrophil and eosinophil migration, hind paw edema and mast cell degranulation. Male Wistar rats (180-200 g, around 2 months of age) were exposed to increasing concentrations of ethanol vapor over a 10-day period. One group was evaluated immediately after exposure (treated group - intoxicated), and another was studied 7 h later (withdrawal group). Ethanol inhalation treatment significantly inhibited carrageenan- (62 percent for the intoxicated group, N = 5, and 35 percent for the withdrawal group, N = 6) and dextran-induced paw edema (32 percent for intoxicated rats and 26 percent for withdrawal rats, N = 5 per group). Ethanol inhalation significantly reduced carrageenan-induced neutrophil migration (95 percent for intoxicated rats and 41 percent for withdrawn rats, N = 6 per group) into a subcutaneous 6-day-old air pouch, and Sephadex-induced eosinophil migration to the rat peritoneal cavity (100 percent for intoxicated rats and 64 percent for withdrawn rats, N = 6 per group). A significant decrease of mast cell degranulation was also demonstrated (control, 82 percent; intoxicated, 49 percent; withdrawn, 51 percent, N = 6, 6 and 8, respectively). Total leukocyte and neutrophil counts in venous blood increased significantly during the 10 days of ethanol inhalation (leukocytes, 13, 27 and 40 percent; neutrophils, 42, 238 and 252 percent, respectively, on days 5, 9 and 10, N = 7, 6 and 6). The cell counts decreased during withdrawal, but were still significantly elevated (leukocytes, 10 percent; neutrophils, 246 percent, N = 6). These findings indicate that both the cellular and vascular components of the inflammatory response are compromised by long-term ethanol intoxication and remain reduced during the withdrawal period.

Role of IgG, IgA, and IgE Antibodies in Nasal Polyp Tissue: Their Relationships with Eosinophilic Infiltration and Degranulation

To confirm local production of IgE, and evaluate role of immunoglobulins on eosinophil activation in nasal polyp (NP) tissue, we measured IgG, IgA, secretory IgA(sIgA), total (tIgE) and specific IgE (sIgE) to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus(DP) by ELISA in NP tissue homogenates from 51 subjects. They were classified according to skin reactivity to DP: group I, 15 highly atopic subjects; group II, 18 weakly atopic subjects; and group III, 18 non-atopic subjects. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) level was measured by CAP system. Highest level of DP-sIgE was noted in group I, followed by group II and III (p<0.05). Nine (60%) of group I and 4 (22%) of group II subjects had detectable level of DP-sIgE with no significant differences in IgA, sIgA, and IgG. All of NP tissue had eosinophilic infiltration with no significant difference in activated eosinophil count or ECP level among 3 groups. A significant correlation was noted between EG2+ cell count and tIgE (r=0.55, p<0.05), and DP-sIgE level (r=0.60, p<0.05). A significant correlation was also noted between ECP and IgG (r=0.51, p<0.05) and DP-sIgE level (r=0.47, p<0.05) with no significant correlation with IgA or sIgA. These results suggest that DP-sIgE was detectable in NP tissue from weakly atopic subjects as well as highly atopic subjects. IgG and sIgE may have potential roles in eosinophil degranulation in NP tissue.

Efecto de la desgranulación de basófilos sobre la funcionalidad celular en lactantes alérgicos / Effect of the desgranulation of basophil the cellular functioning in allergic lactant

Los niños alérgicos pueden presentar menor número de LT que los sanos, como consecuencia de su disminución y de la mengua en la funcionalidad celular expresada por el menor grado de respuesta a mitógenos y antígenos. Como han señalado algunos autores, los mediadores vasoactivos liberados en el proceso de desgranulación, principalmente la histamina, podrían inhibir los efectos de PHA y Con A al estimular en los monocitos la producción de Pg supresoras.Estudiamos 33 niños alérgicos a la leche bovina, 6 reaccinaban también a trigo y huevo. En todos los casos se investigó la desgranulación de basófilos antígeno-específica y sin antígeno, la funcionalidad de los LT, por su capacidad blastogénica luego de 72 h de cultivo y los niveles de IgE total e IgE antígeno-específica mediante técnicas inmunoenzimáticas en sueros y en sobrenadantes de cultivos adicionados con PHA o no, luego de 192 h de incubación. En todos los casos la respuesta linfoblástica a la PHA estuvo incrementada respecto de la respuesta espontánea y dentro de los valores normales. En sobrenadantes de cultivos sin adición de antígeno y provenientes de pacientes que ingerían el alérgeno, la IgE total alcanzó niveles más altos que en los correspondientes que evitaban el alimento (pz<0.05/prueba no paramétrica de Mc Ne,mar). Esta diferencia fue mayor en el grupo de lactantes que nunca habían ingerido leche materna. La IgE total y la IgE específica alcanzaron diferentes valores en sueros y en sobrenadantes con PHA y sin ella (t de Student). Entre las respuestas de basófilos y los niveles de IgE hubo una correlación negativa: para leche r=0.69; trigo r=0.78 y huevo r=-0.86. Existiría una relación recíproca entre el nivel de IgE en suero y la función inmune celular. La histamina y otros mediadores de la anafilaxia podrían actuar como inhibidores de la transformación y proliferación de los LT relacionados con células productoras de IgE