Effect of dietary supplementation with sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) seed and pulp oils on the fatty acid composition of skin glycerophospholipids of patients with atopic dermatitis.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) seed and pulp oils have traditionally been used for treating skin diseases in China and Russia, but are not widely used in other countries. A placebo-controlled, parallel study was carried out to investigate the effects of these oils on the fatty acid composition of skin glycerophospholipids of patients with atopic dermatitis. Sixteen patients ate 5 g of sea buckthorn seed oil, pulp oil, or paraffin oil daily for 4 months. Skin fatty acids were analyzed with gas chromatography before and after treatment. The seed oil slightly increased the proportion of docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3) and decreased the proportion of palmitic acid (16:0) in skin glycerophospholipids (0.05 < P < 0.1). The levels of the other fatty acids remained stable. The results show that the fatty acid composition of skin glycerophospholipids is well buffered against short-term dietary modification.

Effects of dietary supplementation with sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides) seed and pulp oils on atopic dermatitis.

A placebo-controlled, double-blind study was conducted to investigate the effects of seed and pulp oils of sea buckthorn (Hipphophae rhamnoides) on atopic dermatitis. Linoleic (34%), alpha-linolenic (25%), and oleic (19%) acids were the major fatty acids in the seed oil, whereas palmitic (33%), oleic (26%), and palmitoleic (25%) acids were the major fatty acids in the pulp oil. The study group included 49 atopic dermatitis patients who took 5 g (10 capsules) of seed oil, pulp oil, or paraffin oil daily for 4 months. During follow-up dermatitis improved significantly in the pulp oil (P < 0.01) and paraffin oil (P < 0.001) groups, but improvement in the seed oil group was not significant (P = 0.11). Supplementation of seed oil increased the proportion of alpha-linolenic acid in plasma neutral lipids (P < 0.01), and increases of linoleic, alpha-linolenic, and eicosapentaenoic acids in plasma phospholipids were close to significant (0.05 < P < 0.1). Pulp oil treatment increased the proportion of palmitoleic acid (P < 0.05) and lowered the percentage of pentadecanoic acid (P < 0.01) in both plasma phospholipids and neutral lipids. In the seed oil group, after 1 month of supplementation, positive correlations were found between symptom improvement and the increase in proportions of alpha-linolenic acid in plasma phospholipids (Rs = 0.84; P = 0.001) and neutral lipids (Rs = 0.68; P = 0.02). No changes in the levels of triacylglycerols, serum total, or specific immunoglobulin E were detected. In the pulp oil group, a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, from 1.38 to 1.53 mmol/L was observed.

Failure of oral inosiplex treatment of recurrent herpes simplex virus infections.

A compound, a mixture of acedoben, dimepranol, and inosine (inosiplex) was used to treat recurrent local herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study. Altogether, 58 patients with a history of frequently recurrent HSV infections were examined. Eighteen selected patients participated in the drug trial. Ten patients received both inosiplex and placebo, three received only inosiplex, and five received only the placebo. Three patients received both placebo and inosiplex twice. No substantial differences between the treatments with inosiplex or placebo could be seen in the frequency of occurrence or healing of the local lesions, nor in the results of these patients' immunologic studies. An evident placebo effect was observed, since only 15 (26%) of the 58 subjects examined continued to have an often relapsing form of the disease when followed up regularly.

Cell-mediated immunity against herpes simplex virus envelope, capsid, excreted, and crude antigens.

Cell-mediated immunity to herpes simplex virus envelope, capsid, excreted, and crude antigens was studied by in vitro lymphocyte stimulation tests during 198 recurrent attacks in 69 patients. Excreted antigen caused no blast transformation. Envelope and capsid antigen-induced lymphocyte stimulation was at the maximum 7 to 14 days postinfection, declining thereafter to a rather constant level in 1 to 2 months. The lowest levels were measured just a few days before a new attack. In persons with frequent relapses, the fluctuation was more rapid and stimulation index levels stayed higher, although no protective level seemed to exist. Cultures stimulated with the crude antigen in autologous serum showed rapid increases and declines in the stimulation index values, contrary to those grown in agamma serum, in which the stimulation level stayed rather constant up to 1 year postinfection.

Herpes simplex virus subunit antibodies in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Serum IgG antibodies against herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 capsid, envelope, and excreted antigens in 52 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, and in their age- and sex-matched controls, were assayed with a solid-phase radioimmunoassay. When compared with the controls, patients with Parkinson's disease were found to have a substantially increased antibody response against each of the HSV subunit antigens tested. The increased antibody response in patients with Parkinson's disease was not associated with the occurrence of recurrent HSV infections, since the difference in antibody levels was most evident when comparing patients without recurrent HSV infections with their respective control group. Consequently, the increased HSV antibody response in patient with Parkinson's disease might depend on some antigenic stimulation other than ordinary recurrent HSV infections, or alternatively, on the generally enhanced immunological reaction of the patients against HSV.

Scanning electron microscopic appearance of viral-antigen-coated polystyrene balls.

A radioimmunoassay (RIA) was recently developed for the detection of antiviral IgG and IgM class-specific antibodies using antigen-coated polystyrene balls as the RIA solid-phase. In this communication the attachment and distribution of herpes simplex virus (HSV) capsid and envelope antigens and rubella viruses on the surface of the balls was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In SEM the surface of the untreated 'clear frosted' polystyrene balls appeared very uneven with innumerable pits and grooves. The viral particles were haphazardly distributed both in the grooves and on the exposed surface of the balls. The strength of adsorption of the viral antigens onto the balls seemed to be remarkably resistant to outside mechanical forces. HSV antigens frequently appeared in clusters, whereas rubella viruses were mostly found as single particles.

Radioimmunoassay of herpes-simplex and measles virus antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients without infectious or demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system.

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay was used to detect IgG antibodies against herpes-simplex virus antigens (capsid, envelope and excreted) and against measles virus antigen in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens of 61 patients with no evidence of infectious or demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Quantitative determinations of IgG and albumin in serum and CSF were also performed. Of the 61 serum and 61 CSF samples tested, 57 and 56 respectively contained antibodies against subunit antigens of herpes simplex virus. Antibody against measles virus was found in 59 serum and 47 CSF specimens. A positive correlation (P less than 0-001) was found between each of the four serum to CSF antibody ratios and the serum to CSF total IgG ratios. This indicated that the distribution of antiviral IgG antibodies in serum and CSF normally follows the distribution of total IgG. The ratios between viral antibody in serum and CSF were also correlated with albumin ratios (P less than 0-05). An inverse relation (P less than 0-001) was found between the age of the patients and their serum to CSF albumin ratios, but not their IgG ratios, suggesting that the albumin ratio is a useful indicator of a blood brain barrier lesion and that the IgG ratio should be used in evaluating disturbed antibody ratios.

Antibodies against herpes simplex virus type 1 subunit antigens in patients with trigeminal neuralgia and controls.

Serum IgG antibody levels against herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 subunit (capsid, envelope, and excreted) antigens detected with radioimmunoassay were compared in 25 patients with trigeminal neuralgia and their age- and sex-matched controls. No significant differences were found between the patients and controls, either in the distribution of the antibody titers or in the mean titers against any of the subunit antigens tested. In 6 patients HSV antibody titers were tested before and after trigeminal root section; no significant changes were observed.

Indirect immunofluorescence detection of human IgM and IgG antibodies against herpes simplex virus type 1 induced cell surface antigens.

An indirect immunofluorescence method, based on the use of infected Hela cell coverslip cultures was developed to demonstrate human IgM and IgG class antibodies against herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 induced cell surface antigens. A total of 35 specimens from 20 patients have been tested; including patients with a clinical diagnosis of HSV type 1 or type 2 primary infection, patients with recurrent HSV infections, patients without any HSV infections, and patients with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infections. In each patient with a primary HSV infection both IgM and IgG antibody response was observed, while the patients with recurrent HSV infections showed only IgG antibodies. The direct serological typing of HSV infections was not possible because of cross-reacting antibodies both in the IgG and IgM test. No cross-reactivity was found in this test with HSV and VZV antibodies. The HSV fluorescent IgG and IgM antibody titers were found to parallel the highly sensitive HSV radioimmunoassay antibody titers very closely though at a markedly lower level.

Solid-phase radioimmunoassay of human immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G antibodies against herpes simplex virus type 1 capsid, envelope, and excreted antigens.

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay developed in our laboratory for detection of human viral immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies was applied to demonstrate human class-specific antibody response against capsid, envelope, and excreted antigens of herpes simplex virus type 1. In primary infections, a clear IgM and IgG antibody response was found predominantly against the envelope components, whereas the IgM and IgG antibodies to the capsid antigen appeared more slowly. Increasing IgG antibody titers to the excreted antigen were also found in primary infections, though appearing more slowly than antibodies to the other subunit antigens. The antibody response against capsid and envelope antigens was not type specific, whereas in primary infections IgG class antibodies against the excreted antigen showed distinct type specificity. In recurrent infections, no significant level of IgM class antibodies was demonstrated, but in the patients with a severe secondary herpes simplex virus infection a definite IgM class antibody response was found against the envelope antigen. In addition, during severe secondary infections the antibody response against the excreted antigen was enhanced. The host IgG antibody response in recurrent infections was directed against the envelope and excreted antigens, whereas the level of the capsid antibodies was relatively stable.

Solid-phase radioimmunoassay of herpes simplex virus IgG and IgM antibodies.

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay for detection of herpes simplex virus-specific IgG and IgM antibodies in human serum specimens is presented. Virus antigen is adsorbed on polystyrene balls and antibodies which attach to the antigen are detected by 125I-labeled antihuman-gamma or antihuman-mu immunoglobulins. A total of 76 specimens have been tested. The appearance of virus-specific IgG and IgM antibodies in primary herpetic infections was readily demonstrated. When serum samples from patients with past exposure to herpes simplex virus were tested, endpoint titers of virus-specific IgG antibodies were found to be 8 to 2048 times higher than titers determined by a complement fixation test. Apparent cross reactivity with varicella-zoster virus was observed in the present radioimmunoassay.

Solid-phase radioimmunoassay of rubella virus immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M antibodies.

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay method has been developed for the detection of rubella virus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies in human serum specimens. Purified rubella virus was adsorbed onto polystyrene balls, and antibodies that attached to the virus-treated balls were detected by subsequent binding of 125I-labeled anti-human gamma or anti-human mu immunoglobulins. A total of 77 serum specimens were tested. Binding ratios between positive and negative sera were as high as 22 in the IgG assay but rarely exceeded 3 in the IgM assay. The sensitivity of the IgG assay was found to be 16 to 256 times higher than that of the rubella virus hemagglutination inhibition test. The IgG radioimmunoassay can be readily adopted for routine diagnostic use. The IgM radioimmunoassay, however, due to its lower sensitivity, must be modified before being routinely applied.