Dominique L. Delacroix

Selective Transport of Polymeric Immunoglobulin-a in Bile - Quantitative Relationships of Monomeric and Polymeric Immunoglobulin-a, Immunoglobulin-m, and Other Proteins in Serum, Bile, and Saliva

In 17 adults, serum, hepatic bile, and saliva samples were analyzed for their sedimentation profile of IgA and secretory component (SC), and for their concentrations of albumin, orosomucoid, transferrin, IgG, IgA, alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M), IgM, and SC. Polymeric IgA(p-IgA) averaged 13% (50-700 micrograms/ml) of total IgA in serum, 70% (43-88%) in bile, and 93% (74-98%) in saliva. Most of the p-IgA in bile sedimented with SC, which also occurred free (8-44%), and with IgM. In bile, albumin (155-1,485 micrograms/ml) was the predominant protein, followed by IgG (32-480 micrograms/ml), and total IgA (37-209 micrograms/ml). In saliva, p-IgA (72-902 micrograms/ml) predominated, followed by albumin (16-385 micrograms/ml) and IgG (9-178 micrograms/ml). Secretion-to-serum albumin-relative concentration ratios (S/S-ARCR = 1 for albumin) in bile averaged 22 for p-IgA, 1.91 for IgM, 1.28 for monomeric IgA (m-IgA), 0.70 for IgG, and 0.57 for alpha 2M, indicating for p-IgA, IgM, and to a lesser extent for m-IgA, a selective excretion into bile. In saliva, a 16-fold greater selective excretion of p-IgA (mean S/S-ARCR = 354) was found. Labeled m- and p-IgA were injected intravenously into five patients. Specific activities indicated that for p-IgA 50% was serum derived in bile, as compared with 2% in saliva, and to 85% for m-IgA in bile. In the patient with the highest excretion of 125I-p-IgA in bile, only 2.8% of the injected dose was recovered in bile within 24 h after injection. Compared with rats and rabbits, the serum-to-bile transport of p-IgA in humans is much smaller.

Changes in size, subclass, and metabolic properties of serum immunoglobulin A in liver diseases and in other diseases with high serum immunoglobulin A.

We have studied the relative contributions of monomeric (m-) and polymeric IgA (p-IgA) and of IgA1 and IgA2 to total serum IgA in healthy adults and patients with liver disease (LD) or with other diseases and high serum IgA. Serum concentration of total secretory component (SC) was also determined. In addition, fractional catabolic rates (FCR) and synthetic rates for both m- and p-IgA were measured in nine controls and nine cirrhotics. Our results support four main conclusions: (a) In healthy adults, intravascular p-IgA contributes to only 4-22% (mean 12%) of serum IgA, because its FCR and synthetic rate are approximately two times higher and four times smaller, respectively, than those of intravascular m-IgA. (b) in LD, biliary obstruction does not result in a significant increase in serum p-IgA unlike in rats and rabbits, indicating that in humans the SC-dependent biliary transport of p-IgA plays a much less significant role in selective removal of p-IgA from plasma than in rats and rabbits. (c) In contrast to biliary obstruction, parenchymal LD results in a significant and preferential increase in serum p-IgA, which in cirrhotics correlates with a selective reduction of the p-IgA-FCR. This supports a role for the human liver in selective removal of p-IgA from plasma, but another mechanism than the SC-dependent biliary transport should be considered. (d) Total SC, p-IgA, and IgA2 in serum are unlinked parameters, not necessarily reflecting mucosal events. A marked increase in serum SC occurs almost selectively in LD. Although a shift to IgA2 is suggested in Crohns disease and alcoholic cirrhosis, a shift to IgA1 frequently associated to a shift to p-IgA occurs in chronic active LD, primary Sicca, and connective tissue diseases.

Secretion of immunoglobulins and plasma proteins from the jejunal mucosa. Transport rate and origin of polymeric immunoglobulin A.

Parameters of secretion of IgA and several other plasma proteins from the jejunal mucosa were investigated in 11 individuals who had a normal distribution of Ig-containing cells in the lamina propria and in one patient who was totally deficient in jejunal IgA and IgM plasmacytes. Jejunal samples were collected during segmental gut perfusion. The following results were obtained: (a) The secretion of polymeric IgA (p-IgA, mean equals 217 micrograms/40 cm per min) exceeded those of albumin (132 micrograms), IgG (35 micrograms), and monomeric IgA (m-IgA, 15 micrograms, or 6.4% of total IgA). About 35% of IgA was IgA2 in the jejunal secretion, compared with approximately 23% in serum. This closely corresponds to the 35 and 24% of IgA2 plasmocytes in jejunal mucosa and peripheral lymph nodes, respectively. (b) For each protein, a relative coefficient of excretion (RCE) was calculated (jejunum to serum concentration ratio expressed relative to that of albumin). RCEs of 1.41 for orosomucoid, 1.0 for albumin, 0.83 for IgG, and 0.74 for IgE and, in the deficient patient, of 0.64 for m-IgA and 0.016 for IgM were obtained. This was inversely related to the molecular weight of these proteins and indicated their predominantly passive transport into the jejunum. However, in normal individuals, the RCE of transferrin (approximately 1.11 greater than 1, P greater than 0.05), alpha 2-macro globulin (approximately 0.77), m-IgA (approximately 1.98), and p-IgA (approximately 218) exceeded the value expected from simple seepage from plasma, thus pointing to an additional role of either local gut synthesis and/or active transepithelial transport. (c) Approximately 98% of p-IgA, approximately 99% of IgM, and approximately 68% of m-IgA in jejunal secretions were derived from local production in the gut wall, as determined by 125I-p-IgA specific activities and/or by comparison between the RCE values of the deficient patient to the values of controls. Therefore, the jejunal production of p-IgA (approximately 312 mg/d per 40 cm vs. approximately 54 mg/d from bile) contributes the majority of upper intestinal IgA in humans. The active transport of plasma p-IgA across the intestinal mucosa (approximately 0.08 mg/40 cm per kg per d) contributes less than 2% of the total amount of p-IgA (4.5 mg/kg per d) that is cleared daily from plasma.

Phytosterol analysis and characterization in spelt (Triticum aestivum ssp spelta L.) and wheat (T aestivum L.) lipids by LC/APCI-MS

Spelt is still a minor cereal crop, mainly grown in Belgium. It is said to have a better nutritive value than winter wheat. Moreover, interesting functional properties have traditionally been attributed to spelt, such as a cholesterol-lowering effect. However, such properties are not substantiated by scientific evidence. Considering their physiological effects, phytosterols could partly account for spelts properties and have never been studied in this cereal. Phytosterols were analysed by LC/APCI-MS in spelt and winter wheat fine bran, a lipid and fibre-rich milling by-product. Sample preparation was suitable for the determination of glycosylated and free sterols, combined to their released counterparts after saponification. Chromatographic retention times, full mass spectra and MS2 spectra of 12 reference sterols allowed the characterization of phytosterols present in cereal samples.

Influence of molecular size of IgA on its immunoassay by various techniques. II. Solid-phase radioimmunoassays

Homogeneous, polymeric (P), monoclonal (MC) and polyclonal (PC) samples of purified IgA, as well as of secretory IgA (sIgA), were compared to their corresponding monomeric (M) forms with regard to their respective behaviour in both a solid-phase double antibody (AB) immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) and a solid-phase competition radioimmunoassay (CRIA). On an identical weight basis, both assays underestimated the P forms. Correction factors (CF), i.e., optical density (OD) versus radiometric concentration ratios, were calculated for both methods for all P forms, using M as standards. IRMA CF were respectively 1.50 for dimer, 1.98 for secretory IgA and 2.40 for tetramers, very similar to those obtained in radial immunodiffusion (RID). With optimally coated beads, these CF were stable along a wide range of concentrations. In contrast, CRIA-CF were 3-4 times larger and displayed much variation along their standard range of concentrations, preventing the use of a constant CF along the standard curve. Our present IRMA, with its CF, should be of value for a more accurate quantitation of small amounts of IgA of various known sizes.

A Solid-phase, Direct Competition, Radioimmunoassay for Quantitation of Secretory Iga in Human-serum

A solid phase radioimmunoassay is described for measurement of secretory IgA (sIgA) in human serum. The assay is based on direct competition between sIgA in serum and purified labelled milk sIgA for anti-secretory-component antibodies coated on disposable plastic cups. The assay is relatively rapid, reproducible and of adequate sensitivity. A wide range of sIgA concentrations (5--120 microgram/ml) can be tested with the same dilution of human serum. The arithmetic mean +/- S.D. of the serum sIgA levels of 120 random blood donors (both sexes) was 10.9 +/- 4.6 microgram/ml. Compared to previously published methods and results of quantitation of sIgA in human sera, the present assay is an improvement which should yield interesting data in human hepatic physiopathology.

Immunoglobulins in Rabbit Hepatic Bile - Selective Secretion of Iga and Igm and Active Plasma-to-bile Transfer of Polymeric Iga

Proteins in hepatic bile from cannulated rabbits were analysed by gel filtration, electrophoresis, density gradient ultracentrifugation, and immunochemical methods. Bile‐to‐serum concentration ratios (no.=8) demonstrated that IgA and free secretory component (SC) were major constituents of rabbit bile. Relative concentration ratios, obtained by dividing the bile to serum level ratio tor each protein by the corresponding ratio for albumin, were 310, 1.6, 1.0, 0.82, and 0.54 for IgA, IgM, albumin, transferrin, and IgG respectively, suggesting that both IgA and IgM are selectively secreted into bile. Ligation of the bile duct (no.= 5) led to a selective increase of the serum levels of IgA and SC, the latter as secretory IgA. After intravenous injection (no.= 4) of human polymeric IgA, 37‐69% of the injected dose was recovered in bile after 3 h, in contrast lo 4–5% for human monomeric IgA. The active transfer of both rabbit and human polymeric IgA into rabbit bile occurs via the same hepatic SC‐mediated transport process as that described for the rat.

Influence of molecular size of IgA on its immunoassay by various techniques--I. Direct and reversed single radial immunodiffusion.

Immunochemically pure samples of monoclonal and polyclonal IgA were prepared from human sera and milk. Samples of various homogeneous molecular sizes were further obtained by preparative ultracentrifugations. The different behaviour of each preparation (monomer, dimer, trimer, tetramer and secretory IgA) were studied in direct (DRID) and reversed (RRID) single radial immunodiffusion using three different anti-alpha-chain antisera and IgA samples of various monoclonal and polyclonal origins. In DRID, all polymer concentrations were underestimated when using monomers as standards, on an equal weight (OD) basis. Correction factors (CFs) were calculated from monomer to polymer DRID slope ratios. The means +/- SDs of these CFs were 1.55 +/- 0.18 for serum dimers, 1.85 +/- 0.10 for trimers, 2.63 +/- 0.26 for tetramers and 2.24 +/- 0.15 for secretory IgA (84% 11S, 16% 15S). These results were confirmed by RRID.

Study of IgA in the cerebrospinal fluid of neurological patients with special reference to size, subclass and local production.

IgA was assayed by particle counting immunoassay in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from non-neurological and neurological patients. Reference values had a logarithmic normal distribution with a mean of 1.54 mg/l and an upper limit of 5 mg/l. To estimate the possible intra-blood-brain barrier (BBB) production of IgA we have calculated an IgA index: CSF-IgA/serum-IgA: CSF-albumin/serum-albumin. Values higher than the upper reference limit of 0.41 were found in 12 out of 67 patients with multiple sclerosis (18%), in 5 out of 11 with aseptic meningitis, in 7 out of 8 with herpetic encephalitis, in 1 out of 8 with Guillain-Barré syndrome and in 2 cases of tuberculous meningitis. However, this index does not take into account the relative proportions of monomeric and polymeric IgA in CSF and serum. We therefore ultracentrifuged 17 paired CSF and serum samples and determined the relative proportions of monomeric and dimeric IgA and calculated the indices for monomeric and dimeric IgA. In controls the proportion of dimeric IgA in CSF was below 5% of total IgA whereas this proportion was increased up to 53.9% in the case of intra-BBB production of IgA, which is thus characterized by a very high dimeric IgA index. In all cases IgA1 remained the predominant subclass. These results had to be compared with those observed in cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes, which secrete about equal proportions of monomeric and polymeric IgA pertaining to the IgA1 subclass.

High serum levels of secretory IgA in liver disease

Patients with liver disease frequently display unexplained elevations of serum secretory IgA (sIgA). The sIgA levels in various liver diseases were compared to various biochemical or clinical parameters. Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, biliary tract obstruction, or acute hepatitis displayed highest sIgA levels. In chronic parenchymal liver disease sIgA levels correlated strongly with serum alkaline phosphatase (r=0.79), leucine aminopeptidase (r=0.83), and direct bilirubin levels (r=0.63), but not with prothrombin time, aminopyrine breath test, or presence of portacaval shunting. In acute hepatitis sIgA correlated best with serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (r=0.69) but not with bilirubin; in four patients with fulminant hepatitis, sIgA fell rapidly together with all liver enzymes and prothrombin time; it rose quickly again in one patient when parenchymal regeneration occurred. These results suggest a hepatobiliary origin of the serum sIgA in liver disease. In acute hepatitis the persistence of hepatocytes seems necessary for maintaining high serum sIgA levels, suggesting a possible hepatocyte origin of the secretory component.