ABSTRACT
In patients with chronic paracoccidioidomycosis (n = 10), levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-10, and interleukin-2 in serum, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (in picograms per milliliter, as mean +/- standard error of the mean), were higher than in normal controls (n = 8): 186 +/- 40 versus 40 +/- 7 (P < 0.05), 203 +/- 95 versus 20 +/- 8 (P = 0.001), and 96.3 +/- 78.57 versus 1.19 +/- 1.19 (P = 0.045), respectively. Gamma interferon and interleukin-4 levels were similar in patients and controls.
Subject(s)
Interleukin-10/blood , Paracoccidioidomycosis/immunology , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism , Adult , Aged , Animals , Chronic Disease , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Paracoccidioidomycosis/bloodABSTRACT
We developed a new method for the detection of large von Willebrand factor (vWf) multimers binding to collagen and for the determination of vWf antigen (vWf:Ag) using flow cytometry. Collagen is coated on to polystyrene beads, allowing detection of found large vWf multimers. In addition, rabbit antibody against vWf is coated on to the beads allowing detection of all vWf:Ag. In plasma samples from healthy persons and patients (with type 1, 2A, 2N, or severe von Willebrand disease or hemophilia), 4 different assays were performed: vWf:Ag by immunoelectrophoresis; vWf ristocetin cofactor (vWf:RCof); CBA; and vWf:Ag based on an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using polystyrene beads. We assayed the flow cytometric method using 2 bead sizes. The optimal bead size was 3.136 microns. The results of CBA and vWf:Ag closely correlated with those of vWf:RCof and vWf:Ag (immunoelectrophoresis), respectively, and showed a low limit of detection. Interassay variance of cytometric methods was lower than interassay variance of traditional assays. In addition, we used the new assays to monitor desmopressin therapy.