Subject(s)
Antibodies/analysis , Cardiomyopathies/metabolism , Desmin/immunology , Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism , Vinculin/immunology , Animals , Biomarkers/metabolism , Biopsy , Cardiomyopathies/pathology , Cardiomyopathies/surgery , Cattle , Desmin/metabolism , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Heart Transplantation , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Myocytes, Cardiac/immunology , Myocytes, Cardiac/pathology , Rats , Transplantation, Homologous , Vinculin/metabolismABSTRACT
Analysis of planned endomyocardial biopsy specimens of heart allotransplants from 22 recipients revealed signs of humoral type rejection (slight, medium, and severe) presenting as fixation of IgG, IgM, and complement components (C3, C4d) in 61 of 63 sections. Permanent presence of rejection signs attests to rheumatoid course of this process.
Subject(s)
Graft Rejection/immunology , Heart Transplantation/immunology , Adult , Biopsy , Capillaries/chemistry , Capillaries/immunology , Complement C3/immunology , Complement C4b/immunology , Coronary Vessels/chemistry , Coronary Vessels/immunology , Female , Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate , Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct , Fluorescent Dyes , Graft Rejection/pathology , Heart Transplantation/pathology , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/immunology , Immunoglobulin M/immunology , Immunohistochemistry , Male , Myocardium/immunology , Peptide Fragments/immunology , Transplantation, HomologousABSTRACT
Immunofluorescence microscopy of endomyocardial biopsy specimens from heart allograft recipients identified immunopathologic changes in three of 17 patients. These changes included immunoglobulin G and complement C3 deposition in tissue structures such as capillary endothelium and basal membranes, cardiomyocyte sarcolemma, and interstitial tissue. Moreover, the immunopathologic changes could be correlated with acute cellular rejection episodes evidenced by endomyocardial biopsy criteria.
Subject(s)
Complement C3/analysis , Endocardium/immunology , Graft Rejection/immunology , Heart Transplantation/immunology , Immunoglobulin G/analysis , Myocardium/immunology , Biopsy , Endocardium/pathology , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Graft Rejection/pathology , Heart Transplantation/pathology , Humans , Immunosuppression Therapy , Myocardium/pathologyABSTRACT
The use of sera containing antibodies to tissue-specific antigens of highly specialized organs (skeletal muscles, heart, skin, excretory glands) enabled us to detect, by immunofluorescence, cells capable of synthesizing analogous antigens (i.e. hetero-organic thymus antigens) in human and animal thymus. Detection of hetero-organic antigens in the thymus is the basis for the hypothesis that natural immunological tolerance to tissue self antigens is formed within the thymus in the course of T-lymphocyte maturation, with thymus antigens taking part in the process.
Subject(s)
Thymus Gland/immunology , Adult , Animals , Child , Cytoplasm/immunology , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Humans , Immune Tolerance , Lactoferrin/immunology , Myasthenia Gravis/immunology , Pemphigus/immunology , Rheumatic Fever/immunology , Species Specificity , Tissue DistributionABSTRACT
Using pemphigus sera containing high titres (1:1000) of non-species-specific antibodies to tissue-specific intercellular substance (ICS) antigen(s) of cover stratified epithelia (skin, oesophagus, vagina and so forth), we detected analogous antigen(s) by immunofluorescence in the ICS of the epithelium of Hassall's corpuscles of human and animal thymus. The results obtained, together with well-known data from histological and embryological studies, confirm the histogenetic relationship of the epithelium of thymus corpuscles and cover epithelia of ectodermal origin. ICS antigen(s) is related to the series of hetero-organic antigens, which probably take part in the natural immunological tolerance formation to the antigens of the organism's own tissues.
Subject(s)
Antigens/immunology , Epithelium/immunology , Thymus Gland/immunology , Adult , Animals , Antibody Specificity , Antigen-Antibody Reactions , Esophagus/immunology , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Guinea Pigs , Humans , Organ Specificity , Rabbits , Skin/immunology , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
Investigation of antibodies to the specific determinant of streptococcal group A polysaccharide in indirect immunofluorescence experiments has revealed the existence of a cross-reactive antigen in the epithelial cells of the thymus and skin. This CR antigen is contained by the epithelial cells of man and animals of different species. It has been demonstrated in all the individuals studied including animals producing antibodies to the polysaccharide of Group A streptococci. The principal cause of autoimmune thymitis characteristic of rheumatic fever and other autoimmune processes is probably damage done to the thymus by autoantibodies resulting from immunization with microbial cross-reactive antigens shared by the thymus. Reaction of the autoantibodies with thymic antigens may affect the immunosuppressive function of the thymus and the maturation process of suppressor T cells. These events probably constitute the basic stage in the development of an autoimmune process.
Subject(s)
Antigens , Cross Reactions , Polysaccharides, Bacterial/immunology , Skin/immunology , Streptococcus pyogenes/immunology , Thymus Gland/immunology , Animals , Epithelial Cells , Epithelium/immunology , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , HumansABSTRACT
Immunofluorescence studies show that thymus epithelial cells react with antibodies to group A streptococcal polysaccharide.