Treponema-specific and antilipoidal 19S(IgM) antibodies in penicillin-treated and untreated rabbits after infection with Treponema pallidum.

The titres of treponema-specific and antilipoidal 19S(IgG) antibodies were determined in rabbits infected intratesticularly with Treponema pallidum. One group of rabbits was treated with penicillin the other served as control. Using different serological tests it was shown that 19S(IgM) antibodies were still detectable eight months after infection at about the same titres in both groups. In contrast, 19S(IgM) antibody titres in patients with syphilis became undetectable within three to six months after penicillin treatment. It is suggested therefore that the rabbit is not a reliable model for studying the effect of penicillin in human T pallidum infections.

Identification of a low moleculr weight IgM antibody with treponema pallidum specificity in sera of patients with chronic syphilis.

A low-molecular (8S) treponema-specific IgM antibody was isolated by means of Sephadex 200 G gel filtration and/or sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation in 78 of 4,120 sera of patients who had been identified to have had syphilis. The IgM specificity can be shown by indirect immunofluorescence using a mu-chain specific antiserum. The low molecular IgM (LMW-IgM) antibodies are not identical with the 19S-IgM as demonstrated in studies with gel filtration and sucrose gradient methods. They are not identical neither with 7S IgG or IgA. Neither the presence of antinuclear nor rheumatic factor could be shown in the LMW-IgM fraction. In most of the patients with LMW-IgM antibody, there existed a treponema infection of late latency.

[Antibodies in rhesus-monkeys after experimental infection with African lung-worms (Paragonimus uterobilateralis and P. africanus) (author's transl)]. / Antikörperverlaufsstudie bei Rhesusaffen nach experimenteller Infektion mit afrikanischen Lungenegeln (Paragonimus uterobilateralis und P. africanus).

The following publication gives a report about serological studies on experimentally infected Macaca mulatta with Paragonimus uterobilateralis and P. africanus supplied by parasitological findings and chest X-ray experiments from other authors. It was shown that at first in the chronological sequence serological changes were noticed in the animals followed by X-ray changes of the lungs. Somewhat later the monkeys started with the excretion of worm-eggs. Egg production did not take place in all monkeys and was also very irregular from monkey to monkey. The passive haemagglutination and complement fixation test were suitable serological methods to indicate a Paragonimus infection in monkeys. It was shown that in older infections the complement fixation test is not as suitable as the passive haemagglutination since the complement fixing antibodies loose most of their activity within six to eight months. Antigenic relationship between the two African Paragonismus species could be demonstrated by cross-reactions with the passive haemagglutination, complement fixation and double gel diffusion test. Nevertheless by disc-electrophoretic experiment it could be proved that there were two taxonomically different Paragonimus-species in Africa.

[Antibodies and immunoglobulin levels in sera from patients with African paragonimiasis (author's transl)]. / Antikörper- und Immunglobulinbestimmungen bei Patienten mit afrikanischer Paragonimiasis

96% of the P. uterobilateralis patients and 86.5% of the P. africanus patients showed a positive reaction with the homologous antigen in the passive haemagglutination test (PA). Common antigens of the two species were demonstrated by cross reactions. About 75% of the Paragonimus sera reacted also with the heterologous antigen with titres greater than or equal to 1:160. The PA test can be useful in the evaluation of the efficacy of treatment and is well suited for seroepidemiologic purposes. The complement fixation (CF) test was not suitable for serodiagnostic or seroepidemiologic studies nor for the assessment of the cure of African Paragonimiasis since antibodies persisted for at least one year after treatment. Comparative studies on levels of IgA, IgE, IgG and IgM seems to be of no diagnostic value in African paragonimiasis because no significant correlation between immunoglobulin concentration and paragonimiasis could be recognized. Very high IgE levels--up to 100 times higher than in Europeans--were found in nearly all sera. Shipment of filter papers blood specimens collected from P. africanus patient resulted in a significant decrease of antibody reactivity in all sera, the loss being about 30% in the parasitologically proven patients.

[Immunodiagnostic tests for bilharziasis. IV. Demonstration of antibody in blood and serum eluates collected on filter paper discs (author's transl)]. / Immundiagnostische Untersuchungen bei der Bilharziose. IV. Antikörpernachweis aus Eluaten von Blut- und Serum-Filterpapierplättchen

Serum and blood samples dried on filter paper discs and normal sera were collected from 142 Liberians with proven schistosomiasis and 25 Liberians without schistosomiasis. These samples were tested by the indirect hemagglutination test (IHA) employing lyophilized sheep erythrocytes sensitized with either cercarial or adult Schistosoma mansoni antigens. The following results were obtained: Out of the 142 sera collected from the schistosomiasis patients 130 (91.5%) reacted with the cercarial antigen and only 89 (62.6%) reacted with the adult S. mansoni antigen. None of the 25 sera from persons free of schistosomiasis reacted with either antigen. The sensitized lyophilized erythrocytes showed no loss of antibody activity after laboratory storage at 4 degrees C for 4 months which was interrupted twice for 16 hours each during shipment. Filter paper serum and blood samples were stored at -25 degrees C up to 84 days with 16 hours interruption during shipment. 77.6% of the eluates from blood showed the same antibody titer levels as in normal serum; 10% showed lower antibody titers and 11.5% had negative results compared with normal serum. Results obtained with eluates from dried serum were somewhat better. An additional storage of the dried blood specimens for ten days at room temperature resulted in a rise of the proportion of negative titers from 11.5% to 34.1%. This loss of antibody activity was found in two thirds of the samples with low antibody titers. The results indicate that blood and serum samples dried on filter paper platelets should be stored at low temperatures (-25 degrees C) to preserve the antibody response.