The present invention discloses the use of bacterial IgA1 proteases to treat IgA1 deposition in tissue and organs. Bacterial IgA1 proteases specifically cleave IgA1 molecules and thus ...

Indirect evidence suggests that immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) proteases may be factors in the pathogenesis of certain infectious diseases, including meningitis, gonorrhoea, and destructive periodontitis. Bacterial IgA1 proteases are ...

Immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) proteases from Haemophilus influenzae are extracellular proteases that specifically cleave the hinge region of human IgA1, the predominant class of immunoglobulin present on mucosal membranes. The IgA1 ...

Immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) protease, an enzyme that selectively cleaves human IgA1, may be a virulence factor for pathogenic organisms such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Host protection from the effects of IgA1 protease includes ...

To understand more about the factors influencing the cleavage of immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) by microbial IgA1 proteases, a recombinant human IgA2/IgA1 hybrid molecule was generated. In the hybrid, termed ...

The immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) proteases of Neisseria gonorrhoeae have been defined as having human IgA1 as their single permissive substrate. However, in recent years there have been reports of other proteins which are susceptible to the proteolytic ...

By comparing the initial colonization of cleaned teeth in immunoglobulin A (IgA)-deficient, IgM-compensating individuals with that in normal individuals, no significant difference in the proportion of IgA1 protease-producing streptococci was found. Thus, as one of several bacterial means of immune evasion, the ability to cleave secretory ...

Attention has recently been focused on bacterial proteases with the capacity to cleave immunoglobulin A (IgA proteases) as possible pathogenic factors in bacterial meningitis, gonorrhoea, and destructive periodontal disease. Here, we describe a method for the rapid purification of a specific IgA1 ...

The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence and nature of immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) protease activity in members of the genus Gemella and related taxa. Among a total of 22 Gemella strains belonging to the four species Gemella haemolysans, Gemella morbillorum, Gemella sanguinis, and ...

The pneumococcus expresses a protease that hydrolyzes human immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1). A gene for IgA1 protease was identified from a plasmid library of pneumococcal DNA because of the effect of its overexpression on the colony morphology of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The ...

Respiratory pathogens, such as Neisseria meningitidis, secrete site-specific proteases able to cleave human immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1), the first line of defense at mucosal membranes. Bacterial isolates show wide variability in IgA1 protease activity, and those isolated from ...

Bacteroides and Capnocytophaga species have been implicated as periodontal pathogens. Some of these species possess immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) proteases that are capable of cleaving the human IgA1 molecule in the hinge region, leaving intact Fc alpha and ...

Using a panel of 143 strains classified according to a novel taxonomic system for oral viridans-type streptococci, we reexamined the ability of oral streptococci to attack human immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) molecules with IgA1 protease or glycosidases. IgA1 ...

Using a panel of 143 strains classified according to a novel taxonomic system for oral viridans-type streptococci, we reexamined the ability of oral streptococci to attack human immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) molecules with IgA1 protease or glycosidases. IgA1 ...

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) proteases are extracellular enzymes elaborated by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, N. meningitidis, and Streptococcus sanguis. These enzymes each cleave human IgA1 at a critically situated prolyl-threonly peptide bond to yield Factor B Alpha ...

Proteus mirabilis strains associated with human urinary tract infections have previously been shown to secrete an extracellular metalloproteinase which cleaves serum immunoglobulin A (IgA). The enzyme has now been purified to apparent homogeneity from culture supernatants of P. mirabilis 64676. The protease activity is associated with a 50-kilodalton (kDa) protein. Unlike that ...

BackgroundThe IgA1 protease of Streptococcus pneumoniae is a proteolytic enzyme that specifically cleaves the hinge regions of human IgA1, which dominates most mucosal surfaces and is the major IgA isotype in serum. This protease is expressed in all of the known ...

IgA, the major class of Ig in secretions, classically functions by interfering with microbial attachment to host tissues. Many mucosal pathogens, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, express an IgA1 protease that may circumvent the protective effects of this Ig subclass. Because these proteases are specific for human ...

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common glomerular disease and it is characterized by deposition of IgA1 molecules in mesangium. Recent studies had demonstrated that serum and mesangial IgA1 in IgAN were deglycosylated and IgA1 could bind to human mesangial cells (HMC) through a novel receptor. The aim of the current study is to investigate and compare ...

Attention has recently been focused on immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) protease production as a possible virulence factor of bacteria implicated in meningitis and gonorrhea. This report demonstrates that suspected principal etiological agents in destructive periodontal disease include bacteria capable ...

Attention has recently been focused on immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) protease production as a possible virulence factor of bacteria implicated in meningitis and gonorrhea. This report demonstrates that suspected principal etiological agents in destructive periodontal disease include bacteria capable ...

All of 14 serotype standards and 34 of 35 wild-type strains of Ureaplasma urealyticum isolated from humans demonstrated an immunoglobulin A (IgA) protease activity. This activity degraded radiolabeled human IgA including IgA1 but not IgG or azocasein. The IgA fragments were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel ...

Many bacteria which establish infections after invasion at human mucosal surfaces produce enzymes which cleave immunoglobulin A (IgA), the primary immunoglobulin involved with protection at these sites. Bacterial species such as Haemophilus influenzae which produce IgA1 proteases secrete this enzyme into their environment. However, ...

The ability of specific secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) antibodies to inhibit bacterial colonization of mucosal surfaces may be neutralized by the activity of bacterial IgA1 proteases. Because of the resistance of the IgA2 subclass to these enzymes, the biological effect of IgA1 proteases in vivo may depend on ...

In contrast to antigen-antibody complexes containing native human IgA, solid-phase-deposited IgA activates the alternative complement pathway and binds C3b. To investigate the role of carbohydrate chains in this, various human IgA preparations were treated with neuraminidase alone or together with N-glycanase or O-glycanase, or with mixed glycosidases from the oral bacterium, Streptococcus mitis. ...

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a major swine pathogen and emerging zoonotic agent. However, the current understanding of the S. suis pathogenesis of infection remains limited. In the present study, the contribution to the pathogenesis of S. suis was evaluated on IgA1 protease (or iga gene), which has been regarded as a virulence factor of gram-negative pathogenic bacteria and ...

The mechanisms by which immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) protease activity may enable bacteria to evade the effect of specific secretory IgA (S-IgA) antibodies are not clear. A possibility which has received indirect experimental support is that bacteria, as a consequence of the ...

The effect of human secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) and serum antibodies to surface protein antigen (Ag) I/II on the adherence of Ag I/II-bearing Streptococcus mutans and of free Ag I/II to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite (SHA) was investigated. The inhibition by S-IgA of binding of both S. mutans and free Ag I/II to SHA was dependent on antibody to Ag I/II. Essentially no difference was found ...

Because immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the predominant immunoglobulin at mucosal surfaces, IgA proteases produced by pathogenic bacteria are considered potential virulence factors for organisms that cause disease or gain entry at mucous membranes. To determine the role of IgA protease in the pathogenicity of mycoplasmal disease, a variety of human and animal ...

IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the most common glomerulonephritis, is characterized by mesangial IgA1-containing immunodeposits, proliferation of mesangial cells, and matrix expansion. Clinical onset is frequently heralded by synpharyngitic hematuria, macroscopic hematuria during an upper-respiratory tract infection. Clinical and laboratory data support a ...

Haemophilus parasuis, the bacterium responsible for Gl�sser's disease, is a pathogen of significant concern in modern high-health swine production systems but there is little information regarding the identity or function of its virulence factors. Several important human mucosal pathogens, including the closely related bacterium Haemophilus influenzae, utilize IgA proteases ...

This study was performed to isolate and investigate the IgA1 that could accumulate in glomeruli (glomerulophilic IgA1). IgA1 was fractionated by the electric charge and the reactivity to Jacalin. Serum IgA1 of IgA nephropathy patients was separated and fractionated using a ...

In IgA nephropathy (IgAN), serum IgA1 with abnormal O-glycosylation deposits in the glomerular mesangium. The underlying mechanism of this IgA1 O-glycosylation abnormality is poorly understood, but recent evidence argues against a generic defect in B cell glycosyltransferases, suggesting that only a subpopulation of IgA1-committed B cells are affected. For ...

Human isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae tested by traditional immunochemical methods produce a protease that cleaves human immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) into Fab and Fc fragments. The protease may be an important virulence factor, but studies of its pathogenetic significance ...

SUMMARYObjectiveThe purpose of the study was to explore the physiological and antigenic diversity of a large number of S. mitis biovar 1 isolates in order to begin to determine whether these properties contribute to species persistence.DesignS. mitis biovar 1 was collected from four infants from birth to one year of age. At each of 8�9 visits 60 isolates each were obtained from the cheeks, ...

This paper describes an IgA related protein Vla which occurred in the serum and urine of a patient with multiple myeloma. The protein was isolated from urine; it had a molecular mass of 70,000 daltons. It was shown to be a two chain IgA half molecule, consisting of a deleted alpha heavy chain, with a molecular mass of 42,000 daltons, which was disulphide linked to a normal kappa type light chain. ...

In celiac disease, gluten ingestion provokes small-bowel mucosal injury and production of IgA autoantibodies against transglutaminase 2 (TG2). It has been suggested that in celiac patients IgA could mediate the transepithelial passage of gluten peptides in a mechanism involving the transferrin receptor. As IgA1 with galactose-deficient O-linked glycans has elevated affinity for the transferrin ...

In the present study we have investigated whether bovine erythrocytes (Eb) specifically sensitized with human polyclonal IgA1 (Eb-IgA1) are able to bind to resident adherent rat peritoneal cells (PM phi). Rat PM phi formed rosettes with Eb-IgA1 at room temperature and at 37 degrees. The formation of these rosettes ...

In the present study we have investigated whether bovine erythrocytes (Eb) specifically sensitized with human polyclonal IgA1 (Eb-IgA1) are able to bind to resident adherent rat peritoneal cells (PM phi). Rat PM phi formed rosettes with Eb-IgA1 at room temperature and at 37 degrees. The formation of these rosettes ...

Secretory IgA (SIgA) is the most prevalent human antibody and is central to mucosal immunity. It exists as two subclasses, SIgA1 and SIgA2, where SIgA2 has a shorter hinge joining the Fab and Fc regions. Both forms of SIgA are predominantly dimeric and contain an additional protein called the secretory component (SC) that is attached during the secretory ...

Secreted proteins of pathogenic bacteria are often essential virulence factors. They are involved, for example, in the adherence of the bacteria to host cells or required to suppress the host's defence mechanisms. Until recently, only IgA1 protease had been studied in detail in the NeisseriaceaeNeisseria meningitidis and Neisseria ...

Experimental infection of male volunteers with Neisseria gonorrhoeae is safe and reproduces the clinical features of naturally acquired gonococcal urethritis. Human inoculation studies have helped define the natural history of experimental infection with two well-characterized strains of N. gonorrhoeae, FA1090 and MS11mkC. The human model has proved useful for testing the importance of putative ...

SummaryBackground and objectives We assessed the activation of the oxidative stress pathway in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), while evaluating the classic marker of the disease (galactose-deficient serum IgA1). Design, setting, participants, & measurements Sera from 292 patients and 69 healthy controls from Italy and the United States were ...

Human immunoglobulin (Ig)A exists in blood as two isotypes, IgA1 and IgA2, with IgA2 present as three allotypes: IgA2m(1), IgA2m(2), and IgA2m(n). We now demonstrate that recombinant, chimeric IgA1 and IgA2 differ in their pharmacokinetic properties. The major pathway for the clearance of all IgA2 allotypes is the ...

Aberrant glycosylation of IgA1 plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy. This abnormality is manifested by a deficiency of galactose in the hinge-region O-linked glycans of IgA1. Biosynthesis of these glycans occurs in a stepwise fashion beginning with the addition of N-acetylgalactosamine by the enzyme N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 2 and continuing with the addition of ...

Recently published taxonomic studies of viridans streptococci have resulted in several changes in the nomenclature and definition of oral streptococcal species. With this background, the ecology of streptococci in the oropharyngeal cavities was reinvestigated. The results based on the examination of 1426 streptococcal isolates confirmed and extended earlier findings. Apart from mature ...

Heat or chemically aggregated IgA or IgG stimulated degranulation of neutrophils with comparable efficiency. The same aggregates induced a neutrophil respiratory burst which could be measured by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence. Serum IgA1 or IgA2 coated onto microtitre plates were both capable of inducing a respiratory burst in neutrophils, as was ...

Differential deglycosylation was introduced as an effective technique to characterize glycosylation in glycoprotein containing both N-linked and O-linked glycans at both protein and peptide levels. Human IgA1 was used as a model glycoprotein to demonstrate this technique. The glycans attached to Human IgA1 were ...

Predominant or codominant immunoglobulin (Ig) A deposition in the glomerular mesangium characterizes IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Accumulated glomerular IgA is limited to the IgA1 subclass and usually galactose-deficient. This underglycosylated IgA may play an important role in the pathogenesis of IgAN. Recently, antibodies against galactose-deficient IgA1 were ...

New data from Kiryluk et al. show the importance of genetic factors in determining the profile of serum IgA1 O-glycoforms in IgA nephropathy and Henoch-Sch�nlein purpura nephritis. Elevated serum levels of poorly galactosylated IgA1 O-glycoforms do not, however, appear sufficient in themselves to cause nephritis ...

The biological functions of immunoglobulin (Ig)A antibodies depend primarily on their interaction with cell surface receptors. Four IgA receptors are presently characterized. The Fc?RI (CD89) expressed by myeloid cells selectively binds IgA1 and IgA2 antibodies, whereas the poly-IgR, Fc?/?R, and asialoglycoprotein receptors bind other ligands in addition ...

The IgA isotype of human antibodies triggers inflammatory responses via the IgA-specific receptor Fc?RI (CD89). Structural studies have suggested that IgA1 N-glycans could modulate the interaction with Fc?RI. We have carried out detailed biophysical analyses of three IgA1 samples purified from human serum and recombinant ...

Although secretory IgA is the most abundantly produced Ig isotype, the mechanisms underlying the differential distribution of IgA subclasses in various body fluids remain unclear. To explore these mechanisms, we examined the distribution of IgA subclasses, the influence of the nature and sites of encounters with antigens, and the correlation between IgA subclass distribution and homing potentials ...

Although secretory IgA is the most abundantly produced Ig isotype, the mechanisms underlying the differential distribution of IgA subclasses in various body fluids remain unclear. To explore these mechanisms, we examined the distribution of IgA subclasses, the influence of the nature and sites of encounters with antigens, and the correlation between IgA subclass distribution and homing potentials ...

Abnormalities of IgA arise in alcoholic cirrhosis, including mesangial IgA deposits with possible development of secondary IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Since little is known about circulating immune complexes in cases of secondary IgAN, we analyzed IgA-associated parameters in the serum of 32 patients with compensated or advanced alcoholic cirrhosis. Galactose deficiency and decreased sialylation of ...

Presently, several pneumococcal proteins are being evaluated as potential vaccine candidates. Here, we gather novel insights in the immunogenicity of PLY, PsaA, PspA, PspC, NanA, Hyl, PpmA, SlrA, Eno, IgA1-protease, PdBD, BVH-3, SP1003, SP1633, SP1651, SP0189 and SP0376. We developed a multiplex bead-based immunoassay (xMAP(�) ...

Ureaplasma urealyticum strains of all serotypes express a specific human immunoglobulin A1 protease that cleaves immunoglobulin A1 to produce intact Fab and Fc fragments. The use of a variety of inhibitors suggests that the enzyme is a serine protease. N-terminal sequencing ...

Serum and nasal wash specimens from 13 human volunteers undergoing experimental secondary infection with influenza A/Peking/2/79 (H3N2) wild-type virus were examined for the molecular form and subclass distribution of immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies to the viral hemagglutinin (HA). Nasal IgA antibodies were polymeric and did not bind radiolabeled secretory component, indicating that they were ...

BACKGROUND: Circulating immune complexes (CIC) containing galactose (Gal)-deficient IgA1 from adults with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) induce proliferation of cultured mesangial cells, but activities of CIC from pediatric patients with the disease have not been studied. METHODS: CIC of different sizes were isolated from sera of pediatric and adult IgAN patients ...

Fc receptor for human IgA was detected on rabbit, sheep and human ORh- red blood cells. This Fc alpha receptor was able to bind human secretory or myeloma IgA, IgA1 or IgA2 and alpha chains. The ligand binding was detected by complement mediated lysis and agglutination with specific anti-IgA serum. Blocking experiments showed the inability of Fab(IgA) ...

S � IgE M NB M S � IgA W NB W S M IgA1 W NB W S M IgA2 W NB W S M Fab W W W S M ScFv W NB W S M Mouse, and five IgG-binding sites are included, resulting in a mass of 44.6 kDa.Some researchers believe weakly to Fab fragments.1 Native Protein G contains two immunoglobulin-binding sites, as well as albumin

Lectins are proteins with specificity of binding to certain monosaccharides or oligosaccharides. They can detect abnormal glycosylation patterns on immunoglobulins in patients with various chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and IgA nephropathy (IgAN). However, lectins exhibit binding heterogeneity, depending on their source and methods of isolation. To characterize ...

Lectins are proteins with specificity of binding to certain monosaccharides or oligosaccharides. They can detect abnormal glycosylation patterns on immunoglobulins in patients with various chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and IgA nephropathy (IgAN). However, lectins exhibit binding heterogeneity, depending on their source and methods of isolation. To characterize ...

Since its first description more than 40 years ago, IgA nephropathy has become the most common pattern of primary glomerulonephritis identified in all areas of the world where renal biopsy is routinely performed. This review discusses advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy, principally focusing on work published in the past 5 years. It has been recognized for some ...

The subclass distribution of IgA producing cells was determined by paired immunofluorescence staining in colonic specimens from 10 patients with ulcerative colitis and eight with Crohn's disease. Compared with normal colonic mucosa, the percentage of IgA1 immunocytes showed a striking increase in both disorders. The proportion of mucosal IgA1 cells was ...

A study was made of the gliadin antibodies containing secretory piece (SP) found in 73 sera samples obtained from 38 children with coeliac disease (CD); simultaneously an intestinal biopsy was carried out. In 32 cases the mucosa was flat and the remaining 41, following a gluten-free diet, had a normal intestinal histology. Thirty chronic non-coeliac gastrointestinal patients and 22 normal children ...

To trace the emergence of modern IgA isotypes during vertebrate evolution we have studied the immunoglobulin repertoire of a model monotreme, the platypus. Two highly divergent IgA-like isotypes (IgA1 and IgA2) were identified and their primary structures were determined from full-length cDNAs. A comparative analysis of the amino acid sequences for IgA ...

Serum galactose-deficient immunoglobulin A1 (Gd-IgA1) is an inherited risk factor for adult IgA nephropathy (IgAN). In this paper, we determined the heritability of serum Gd-IgA1 levels in children with IgAN and Henoch-Sch�nlein purpura nephritis (HSPN), two disorders ...

BackgroundGenital mucosae play a key role in protection from STD and HIV infection, due to their involvement in both horizontal and vertical disease transmission. High variability of published observations concerning IgA isolation and quantification underlies the strong requirement of specific methods able to maximize investigation on HIV-specific IgA.MethodologyGenital fluids from 109 subjects, ...

IgA deposition in glomerular mesangium and the interaction with mesangial cells may well be the final common pathway to IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Altered hinge-region O-glycosylation of IgA1 from patients with IgAN may predispose to mesangial deposition and activation of the mesangial cell (MC) by IgA1, via a novel IgA1 receptor, and may be a key event in ...

A receptor which binds secretory IgA (sIgA) is expressed on human T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Behcet's syndrome and IgA nephropathy and on normal T cells following phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation. The specificity of this receptor was initially probed with a panel of normal serum immunoglobulins in competitive inhibition assays with sIgA ...

As the initial phase of the determination of the complete covalent structure of a human immunoglobulin A, 52 chymotryptic peptides, ranging in length from 2 to 37 residues, were isolated and characterized from the reduced and carboxymethylated alpha1 heavy chain of the myeloma IgA protein Bur. The peptides were subjected to sequence analysis by the dansylation technique, manual and automatic Edman ...

BackgroundMucosal antibodies have been suggested to have a role in defence against pneumococcal infections. We investigated here the ability of a seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, PncOMPC, to induce mucosal immune response.MethodsHealthy Finnish children (n = 111), a subcohort of the Finnish Otitis Media Vaccine Trial, were recruited and 56 of them were immunised with the PncOMPC at the ...

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which the colonic mucosa is infiltrated with plasma cells producing IgG autoantibodies. It is not known whether this represents a local mucosal response which has switched to IgG or a peripheral response which may have been initiated by peripheral antigen which homed to the colonic mucosa. The clonal distribution of IgG ...

Background. Henoch-Sch�nlein purpura (HSP) and IgA nephropathy (IgAN) are characterized by mesangial deposition of polyclonal IgA eventually showing aberrant glycosylation, affinity for mesangial cells and/or co-precipitation with antigen, bacterial peptides, autoantibodies or soluble receptors. IgA were also suggested to be negatively charged and predominantly of ? type but rarely in a ...

IgA is the most abundantly produced Ab isotype in humans, but its potential as immunotherapeutic reagent has hardly been explored. In this study, we describe anti-tumor mechanisms of mouse/human chimeric IgA Abs against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R). EGF-R Abs of IgG isotype are currently approved for the treatment of colon or head and neck cancers. As expected, the human IgG1, ...

In order to determine the glycosylation pattern for IgD, and to examine whether there are changes in the pattern of IgD and IgA1 O-glycosylation in patients with hyperimmunoglobulinaemia D and periodic fever syndrome (HIDS) during acute febrile attacks and during periods of quiescence, serum was obtained from 20 patients with HIDS and 20 control subjects. In the HIDS group, serum was obtained ...

Abs have been shown to be protective in passive immunotherapy of tuberculous infection using mouse experimental models. In this study, we report on the properties of a novel human IgA1, constructed using a single-chain variable fragment clone (2E9), selected from an Ab phage library. The purified Ab monomer revealed high binding affinities for the ...

Recombinant proteins face major constraints along the plant cell secretory pathway, including proteolytic processing compromising their structural integrity. Here, we demonstrate the potential of protease inhibitors as in situ stabilizing agents for recombinant proteins migrating towards the leaf apoplast. Genomic data for Arabidopsis, rice and Nicotiana spp. were assessed to ...

The primary structures of the N-linked oligosaccharides from normal human serum IgA1 were determined by a combination of sequential exoglycosidase digestion, Bio-Gel P-4 chromatography, anion-exchange chromatography and one-dimensional n.m.r. spectroscopy. Three major N-linked disialylated biantennary-complex-type structures were found (55%). The remaining ...

HtrA1 belongs to a family of serine proteases found in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. Bacterial HtrA1 (DegP) is a heat shock-induced protein that behaves as a chaperone at low temperature and as a protease at high temperature to help remove unfolded proteins ...

Fructosyl peptide oxidase is a flavoenzyme that catalyzes the oxidative deglycation of N-(1-deoxyfructosyl)-Val-His, a model compound of hemoglobin (Hb)A(1C). To develop an enzymatic method for the measurement of HbA(1C), we screened for a proper protease using N-(1-deoxyfructosyl)-hexapeptide as a substrate. Several ...

Henoch-Sch�nlein purpura (HSP) is a systemic disorder characterized by leukocytoclastic vasculitis involving the capillaries and the deposition of IgA immune complexes. Renal involvement is the principal cause of morbidity and mortality in children with HSP. Thus, it is important to clarify the onset mechanism of Henoch-Sch�nlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) and to identify the most appropriate ...

The IgG and IgA subclass distribution of specific antibodies as well as the distribution of total and specific IgE in 15 patients with schistosomiasis was determined in consecutive samples before and after initiation of treatment. An adult worm antigen preparation and a soluble egg antigen preparation were used as antigens in the ELISA assays. After initiation of treatment a rise was noted in ...

Although impaired immune regulation along the mucosa-bone marrow axis has been postulated to play an important role, the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is unknown; thus, no disease-specific therapy for this disease exists. The therapeutic efficacy of tonsillectomy or tonsillectomy in combination with steroid pulse therapy for IgAN has been discussed. Although randomized control trials for ...

The two clinical phenotypes of gluten enteropathy, coeliac disease (CD) and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), were characterized for numbers and homing profiles of circulating final effector B cells, plasmablasts, identified as immunoglobulin (Ig)-secreting cells (ISC). In CD, the numbers of ISC were approximately 50% lower than in DH or controls. ISC expressed peripheral lymph node homing receptor ...

The two clinical phenotypes of gluten enteropathy, coeliac disease (CD) and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), were characterized for numbers and homing profiles of circulating final effector B cells, plasmablasts, identified as immunoglobulin (Ig)-secreting cells (ISC). In CD, the numbers of ISC were ?50% lower than in DH or controls. ISC expressed peripheral lymph node homing receptor (HR), ...

Immunoglobulin A (IgA), the predominant immunoglobulin class in mucosal secretions, has been found in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study we examined the infiltration of clonally expanded IgA plasma cells in lesions of MS brains. Sequences of complementarity-determining region 3 of IgA variable heavy chain (V(H)) genes demonstrated the clonal expansion ...

Comparative studies of the N-linked carbohydrate chains of human myeloma proteins of the IgA1 and IgA2 subclasses were performed. The N-linked carbohydrate chains were released by hydrazinolysis from the polypeptide backbone, converted to radioactive oligosaccharides by sodium borotritide reduction after N-acetylation and separated into one neutral and two acidic fractions by paper ...

It has been reported that glomerulosclerosis with IgA deposition is likely to be complicated with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. On the other hand, it is said that complications of nephrotic syndrome or rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) are relatively rare. We experienced two patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis complicated with RPGN syndrome who had obtained favorable outcomes through ...

The emergence of cells that produce IgG and IgA subclass antibodies to Bacteroides gingivalis (Porphyromonas gingivalis) fimbriae and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigens was examined in mononuclear cells isolated from inflamed gingiva of different stages (slight, moderate or advanced) of adult periodontitis (AP). Antigen-specific IgM, IgG (including IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4) and IgA (including ...

The high-temperature requirement A (HtrA) family of serine proteases has been shown to play an important role in the environmental and cellular stress damage control system in Escherichia coli. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has three putative HtrA-like proteases, HtrA1, HtrA2, and HtrA3. The deletion of htrA2 ...

Proteolytic degradation of extracellular matrix components has been suggested to play an essential role in the occurrence of ovulation. Recent studies in our laboratory have indicated that the plasminogen activator and matrix metalloproteinase systems, which were previously believed to be crucial for ovulation, are not required in this process. In this study we have used a microarray approach to ...

A keratinolytic enzyme (KerA1) secreted by a newly isolated Bacillus pumilus strain A1 cultivated in medium containing chicken feather meal was purified and characterized, and the gene was isolated and sequenced. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 34,000 Da by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) ...