Grażyna Adler

Fibrinogen Fractions in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy and in Puerperium

The concentration of fibrinogen, its fractions, and the concentration of C-reactive protein were determined in 45 healthy pregnant women before and after vaginal (27) or caesarean section 18 delivery. The control group consisted of 33 blood donors. In pregnancy, increased concentration of total fibrinogen and its fractions and a normal concentration of C-reactive protein were noted. Three days after vaginal delivery the concentration of total and high molecular weight fibrinogen fraction decreased slightly and the ratio of high to low molecular weight fibrinogen increased. After caesarean section both total and high molecular weight fibrinogen and the ratio of high to low molecular weight fibrinogen increased. The C-reactive protein concentration increased after either type of delivery. The degree of augmentation, however, was ten times as strong after caesarean section. In all women at the end of puerperium the concentrations of the compounds studied returned to normal values. The results suggest that the mechanisms leading to the increase of fibrinogen during pregnancy and after delivery are different. The increase of all fibrinogen fractions in pregnancy may depend first of all on hormones, whereas the increased proportion of high molecular weight to low molecular weight fibrinogen after delivery depends on the acute phase reaction. The degree of this reaction depends on the type of delivery.

Ganglioside reactive antibodies of IgG and IgM class in sera of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer

We searched for the presence of ganglioside reactive antibodies in sera of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Sera were screened by ELISA with plates coated with GM3(NeuAc), GM3(NeuGc), GM2, GM1, FucGM1, GD3, GD1a or GD1b gangliosides. Ganglioside reactive antibodies were detected more frequently in sera of patients with DTC than in sera of healthy persons, in keeping with the possibility of autoimmunization during carcinogenesis. Antibodies of IgM and IgG classes reactive with FucGM1 occurred most often. However, the infrequent occurrence of ganglioside reactive antibodies, their low titer and lack of correlation between their presence and clinical condition of the patients indicate that determination of these antibodies has no diagnostic value in DTC.

Small cell lung cancer is not associated with the presence of anti-fucosyl-GM1 ganglioside autoantibodies reactive in immunoenzymatic test

The characteristic feature of small cell lung cancer carcinoma (SCLC) is the aberrant expression and abundant presentation of fucosyl-GM1 ganglioside (FucGM1). In the present study we searched for the presence of anti-FucGM1 ganglioside, as well as anti-GM1, GM2 and GD3 ganglioside autoantibodies in the sera of patients with SCLC and as a control, in sera of patients with renal cell cancer (RC) and healthy blood donors. The autoantibodies against FucGM1 were present at low titer in only three of 36 SCLC patients, and with similar titer in two of 36 RC patients and four of 36 healthy controls. Likewise, the autoantibodies against GM2 and GM3 gangliosides were found only sporadically and with the same titer and frequency in cancer patients as in healthy persons. Anti-GD3 autoantibodies could not be detected in any of the screened sera.

Phosducin and monomeric β-actin have common epitope recognized by anti-phosducin antibodies.

Phosducin family proteins are regulators of cytoplasmic processes. The main function ascribed to phosducin is the binding and sequestration of the β subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins. Phosducin-like protein 1, longer than phosducin by 37 amino-acids, is involved in chaperoning of newly synthesized proteins. β-Actin, a component of the cytoskeleton, participates in cell movement. There is no apparent evolutionary relationship between phosducin and β-actin nor structure similarity. Nevertheless we obtained the polyclonal antibodies named ap33, originally directed against a phosducin-derived peptide (SQSLEEDFEGQATHTGPK), that also recognized β-actin. The epitope on the β-actin molecule was characterized. It is a conformational epitope grouping some of the L-D-F-E-Q-A-T-K amino-acids found in the peptide originally used to obtain the antibodies. The main part of the epitope is localized on the actin-actin interface of polymerized actin, so it is accessible only on monomeric actin. The existence of a common epitope on the molecules of phosducin and β-actin may reflect a topological similarity of a small region of their surfaces.

Autoantibodies of IgM and IgG Class Against Eye Muscle Antigens in Patients with Graves Ophthalmopathy

The presence of autoantibodies /aab/ reacting with microsomal membrane1 or plasma membrane /AEMA/2 eye muscle antigens have been recently reported in Graves ophthalmophathy /GO/.The significance of humoral mediated immunity in GO was further supported by studies in which correlation between presence and development of ophthalmopathy and titer of anti membrane autoantibodies were established.3,4

Humoral Immunity in Graves Ophthalmopathy

There is a growing evidence that several autoantibodies might be generated in Graves ophthalmopathy (1–7) and result in diversiform clinical picture and course of the disease.