ABSTRACT
Depressed natural killer (NK) cell activity has been showed in family members of patients with different types of cancer. The present work aimed to evaluate T cell subsets and NK cell cytotoxic activity in 15 members of a family with high incidence of tumors, such as glioblastoma, gastric, pancreas and colon rectal carcinoma, chronic myelocitic leukemia, melanoma and osteoblastoma. As controls, 19 healthy subjects with the age range equivalent were studied. The enumeration of CD3+ lymphocytes and their CD4+ and CD8+ subsets were defined by monoclonal antibodies and NK cell cytotoxicity towards K562 target cells were evaluated by single cell-assay. The results showed in family members low percentage of total T cells (CD3+), and their CD4+ subset and impairment of CD4/CD8 ratio in relation to control group. All family members presented percentage of NK-target cell conjugate formation below the minimum value observed in control group. Thirteen people were examined and followed up during five years, in order to assure that there was no undiagnosed or unsuspected disease at the moment of evaluation. One of them developed osteoblastoma and other malignant melanoma. Two cancer patients, with glioblastoma and chronic myelocytic leukemia were studied during illness. All the corresponding values were comparable. The persistence of low percentage of conjugate formation may be related to a defect on adhesion molecules expression in the surface of NK cells that was probably responsible for the low activity of these cells presented by the family group. Thus, the inheritance mechanism of low adherence of NK cells should have a prognostic value in determining the risk of developing tumors.
Subject(s)
Cytotoxicity, Immunologic , Killer Cells, Natural/immunology , Neoplasms/immunology , T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/immunology , Adolescent , Adult , Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology , CD4-CD8 Ratio , Case-Control Studies , Cell Adhesion Molecules/genetics , Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic , Female , Glioblastoma/genetics , Glioblastoma/immunology , Humans , Immunity, Cellular , Lymphocyte Subsets , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasms/genetics , Pedigree , Statistics, NonparametricABSTRACT
Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in immune surveillance against tumors. The present work aimed to study the cytotoxic activity of NK cells and T cell subsets in peripheral blood of 13 patients with primary tumors in central nervous system (CNS). As controls 29 healthy subjects with the age range equivalent to the patients were studied. The methods employed were: a) determination of cytotoxic activity of NK cells towards K562 target cells, evaluated by single cell-assay; b) enumeration of CD3+ lymphocytes and their CD4+ and CD8+ subsets defined by monoclonal antibodies; c) the identification of tumors were done by histologic and immunochemistry studies. The results indicated that adults and children with tumor in CNS display reduced percentage of total T cells, helper/inducer subset and low helper/suppressor ratio. The cytotoxic activity of NK cells was decreased in patients with CNS tumors due mainly to a decrease in the proportion of target-binding lymphocytes. These results suggest that cytotoxic activity of NK cells may be affected by the immunoregulatory disturbances observed in patients with primary tumors in CNS.
Subject(s)
Central Nervous System Neoplasms/immunology , Killer Cells, Natural/immunology , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology , Adolescent , Adult , Central Nervous System Neoplasms/blood , Child , Child, Preschool , Cytotoxicity, Immunologic , Female , Humans , Immunity, Cellular , Male , Middle Aged , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/chemistryABSTRACT
The aim of the present investigation was to study the distribution of T-cell subsets in peripheral blood defined by monoclonal antibodies and by the lymphocyte proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in 30 children with febrile seizures and in 14 age-matched control subjects. Frequent respiratory, urinary and dermatologic infections were observed in 22 patients. The immunologic parameters showed that 64% of the patients presented an increased number of CD8+ cells and a low helper/suppressor ratio was observed in 60% of the patients. In addition, the proliferative response of lymphocytes to PHA was impaired in the patients. It was observed the presence of inhibitory activity on lymphocyte function in the plasma of 33% of children with febrile seizures. These results suggest that patients with febrile seizures have an impairment of cellular immunity that may be connected with this epileptic syndrome and explain the infections observed.
Subject(s)
Seizures, Febrile/blood , Seizures, Febrile/immunology , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology , CD4-CD8 Ratio , Child, Preschool , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Immunoglobulin G , Infant , Male , Phytohemagglutinins , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
We investigated humoral and cellular immune response to brain tissues in 15 patients with West syndrome, in 9 patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and in 20 healthy children. High levels of a precipitating antibody to a saline extract of brain tissue were detected in all patients; leucocyte migration inhibition test with the same antigen was found to be positive in most of them. The role of this autoimmune response in the pathogenesis of West and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes remains to the elucidated.
Subject(s)
Antibodies/immunology , Brain/immunology , Epilepsy/immunology , Spasms, Infantile/immunology , Tissue Extracts/immunology , Adolescent , Antibody Formation , Child , Child, Preschool , Epilepsy/complications , Female , Hemiplegia/complications , Hemiplegia/immunology , Humans , Immunity, Cellular , Infant , Male , SyndromeABSTRACT
Cell-mediated and humoral immunity were investigated in 18 patients with West syndrome, 12 with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and 19 healthy controls. The study included determination of T and B peripheral blood lymphocytes, serum levels of IgG, IgA and IgM, skin sensibilization with DNCB, intracutaneous PHA, leucocyte migration inhibition test and lymphocyte blastic transformation in the presence of PHA. Cell-mediated deficiency was detected in 28 children whereas low levels of immunoglobulins were observed only in 6 children. Immunological disturbances were more prominent in children with West syndrome.
Subject(s)
Epilepsy/immunology , Spasms, Infantile/immunology , Adolescent , Cell Migration Inhibition , Child , Child, Preschool , Dinitrochlorobenzene , Female , Hemiplegia/complications , Hemiplegia/immunology , Humans , Immunity, Cellular , Immunoglobulins/analysis , Infant , Intradermal Tests , Leukocytes/immunology , Lymphocyte Activation , Male , SyndromeABSTRACT
Investigamos a resposta imunologica celular e humoral frente extrato salino e tecido cerebral em 9 pacientes com sindrome de Lennox-Gastaut, 15 pacientes com sindrome de West e 20 criancas normais. A tecnica de imunodifusao dupla em gel de agar (Ouchterlony) evidenciou em todos os pacientes, altos niveis de um anticorpo precipitante contra o extrato salino de tecido cerebral.O teste de inibicao de migracao de leucocitos com o mesmo antigeno mostrou-se positivo na maioria dos pacientes. O possivel papel destas respostas autoimunes na patogenia das sindromes de West e de Lennox-Gastaut e discutido
Subject(s)
Infant , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Humans , Male , Female , Antibodies , Cerebrum , Epilepsy, Absence , Tissue ExtractsABSTRACT
Investigamos a imunidade humoral e celular em 18 pacientes com sindrome de West, 12 com sindrome de Lennox-Gastaut e 19 controles. Os exames realizados foram os seguintes: percentagem de linfocitos T e B no sangue periferico, niveis sericos de IgG, IgA e IgM, sensibilizacao cutanea com o DNCB, PHA intra dermica, teste de inibicao e migracao de leucocitos e transformacao blastica de linfocitos em presenca de PHA. Detectamos deficiencia de imunidade celular em 28 criancas (18 com sindrome de West e 10 com sindrome de Lennox-Gastaut) e baixos niveis de imunoglobulinas em apenas 6. A depressao imunitaria mostrou-se mais intensa nas criancas que apresentam sindrome de West.nas 6. A depressao imunitaria mostrou-s
Subject(s)
Infant , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Humans , Male , Female , Epilepsy, Absence , Immunity, Cellular , Spasms, Infantile , Intradermal TestsABSTRACT
The immunological status of five children with West syndrome consequent to previous cerebral lesions was investigated. Three children had West syndrome and two were in transition from West to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. All of them showed cellular immunological deficiencies in the following tests: sensitization to DNCB, intracutaneous reaction to PHA, inhibition of leucocyte migration, blastic transformation of lymphocytes, T and B lymphocytes in peripheric blood and levels of serum immunoglobulins. These immunological deficiencies, of different degrees of severity, were associated to frequent infections in these children. A possible association between the immunological deficiencies and autoimmunity is discussed.
Subject(s)
Antibody Formation , Immunity, Cellular , Spasms, Infantile/immunology , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Immunoglobulins/analysis , Infant , Lymphocyte Activation , Male , Skin Tests , SyndromeABSTRACT
Realizamos avaliacoes de imunidade celular e humoral em 5 criancas com sindrome de West secundarias a lesoes cerebrais. Todas apresentaram deficiencia de imunidade celular, detectada pelas seguintes provas: sensibilizacao ao DNCB, reacao intracutanea a PHA, inibicao da migracao de leucocitos, transformacao blastica de linfocitos, determinacao de linfocitos T e B no sangue periferico e dosagem de imunoglobulinas sericas. Estes exames foram realizados durante a sindrome de West em tres criancas e durante evolucao de sindrome de West para sindrome de Lennox-Gastaut em duas. Estas alteracoes imunitarias, de graus variaveis associan-se a infeccoes frequentes nessas criancas. Discute-se uma possivel associacao desses defeitos imunitarios com auto-imunidade
