[Secondary immunopathology in patients with an acute streptococcal infection]. / Vtorichnaia immunopatologiia u bol'nykh s ostroi streptokokkovoi infektsiei.

The authors studied the activity of complement, nonspecific adaptive reactions of the body, the presence of antibodies to cross-reacting antigens of Streptococcus, the concentration of circulating immune complexes, some cellular characteristics of the immunogram in patients with different forms of streptococcal infection. The changes revealed allow a conclusion about the presence of autoimmune processes, most pronounced in chronic and recurrent forms of diseases. In the formation of streptococcal infection relapses, of the role is pathology of the complement system in combination with disorders in other components of nonspecific anti-infection resistance.

[Preparation of monoclonal antibodies to nuclear DNA of mammalian cells by immunization with group A streptococcal polysaccharide conjugated with synthetic polyelectrolytes]. / Poluchenie monoklonal'nykh antitel k iadernoi DNK kletok mlekopitaiushchikh pri immunizatsii polisakharidom streptokokka gruppy A, kon"iugirovannym s sinteticheskimi poliélektrolitami.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAb) were obtained by hybridization of spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunized with streptococcal group A polysaccharide (A-PS) conjugated with synthetic polyelectrolytes (PEL). These MAb reacted with nuclei from human and mouse cells. MAb reacting with nuclei were obtained after prolonged immunization with conjugates and were not formed by hybridization of spleen cells from non-immunized mice or by the immunization with PEL. The investigation of Mab (B1/2 and A5/2) reacting with nuclei has shown that these Mab are directed against DNA and do not react with other tissue substances. No cross-reactions of Mab with A-PS used for immunization have been revealed. Mab B1/2 and A5/2 belong to autoantibodies.

[Antibodies reacting with thymus and skin epithelium and antibodies to cell nuclei in immunization with streptococcal group A polysaccharide conjugated with synthetic polyelectrolytes]. / Antitela, reagiruiushchie s épiteliem timusa i kozhi, i antitela k iadram kletok pri immunizatsii polisakharidom streptokokka gruppy A, kon''iugirovannymi s sinteticheskimi poliélektrolitami.

The antibodies to streptococcal group A polysaccharide (A-PS) have been obtained upon immunization of BALB/c mice with A-PS conjugated with synthetic polyelectrolytes (PEL). Prolonged immunization in the majority of cases revealed antibodies to cross-reactive determinant of A-PS reacting with human and mouse epithelium of the thymus and basal skin layer. These antibodies belong to autoantibodies. Later on, after the beginning of immunization some animals produced antibodies reacting with cellular nuclei. The formation of autoantibodies to nuclei is not related to crossreactions with A-PS, because A-PS do not inhibit these reactions. No antibodies reacting with the epithelial cells or with cellular nuclei have been observed upon immunization with A-PS in Freund adjuvant or with PEL alone. The production of autoantibodies to cellular nuclei is probably a result of immunoregulatory disorders associated with the damage of thymus epithelium by autoantibodies during immunization with A-PS conjugated with PEL.

[Autoantibodies to the thymus and skin epithelium in NZB/N mice and (NZBxNZW)F1 hybrids]. / Autoantitela k épitelial'noi tkani timusa i kozhi u myshei linii NZB/N i u gibridov (NZBxNZW)F1.

Antibodies reacting with thymus and skin epithelial cells were revealed by indirect immunofluorescence in sera of NZB/N mice and (NZB X NZW)F1 hybrids (B/W) 1-2 and 4-5 months of age. Similar antibodies were not found in sera of BALB/c mice. The inhibition experiments with DNA have shown that antibodies reacting with the thymus and skin epithelium differ from those reacting with the cellular nucleus. Positive reactions with the epithelium were obtained in all thymus and skin tissue samples of humans, guinea-pigs and NZB/N, B/W and BALB/c mice, including autologous tissues of NZB/N and B/W mice. Thus, antibodies reacting with thymus and skin epithelial tissues belong to autoantibodies. These autoantibodies are revealed during the first month of life before the onset of autoimmune processes. The role of these autoantibodies in the damage of thymus epithelium and the development of immunoregulatory disturbances, typical of autoimmune processes, needs further study.

[Monoclonal antibodies to different antigens of skin epithelium obtained by immunizing mice with streptococcus group A antigens]. / Monoklonal'nye antitel k razlichnym antigenam épiteliia kozhi, poluchennye pri immunizatsii myshei antigenami streptokokka gruppy A.

Monoclonal antibodies (MCA) were obtained by immunization of BALB/c mice with streptococcal group A protein antigens of the cellular wall, or with whole microbial cells. In immunofluorescence test, MCA react with different skin epithelial structures (basal, suprabasal or all the epidermal layers). The majority of MCA belong to autoantibodies. The same MCA revealed no cross-reactions with streptococcal antigens in immunoenzyme and inhibition tests. MCA reacting with epithelial cells are, apparently, obtained as a result of polyclonal activation of the autoreactive clones by streptococcal antigens.