L. Å. Hanson

VARIABLE ADHERENCE TO NORMAL HUMAN URINARY-TRACT EPITHELIAL CELLS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI STRAINS ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS FORMS OF URINARY-TRACT INFECTION

The ability to become attached to normal epithelial cells from the urinary tract was much greater in Escherichia coli bacteria isolated from the urine of patients with acute symptomatic pyelonephritis or cystitis than in those isolated from the urine of patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria. Attachment of the bacteria could be prevented by incubation in urine containing antibodies against the strain tested. The ability to attach to uroepithelial cells might be a virulence factor for E. coli strains which cause symptomatic urinary-tract infection.

Breast feeding and protection against neonatal sepsis in a high risk population.

Protection against neonatal sepsis by breast feeding was investigated in a developing community. A case-control study was carried out with 42 cases from a hospital and 270 controls, matched for age and socioeconomic conditions from the community. Exclusive breast feeding was extremely rare, most babies being partially breast fed and a few being given formula feed or animal milk. A highly significant odds ratio of 18 was obtained, showing that even partial breast feeding protects against neonatal sepsis in such a population.

Adhesion to normal human uroepithelial cells of Escherichia coli from children with various forms of urinary tract infection

The ability to adhere to normal human uroepithelial cells was compared for Escherichia coli strains isolated from the urine of girls with acute pyelonephritis, acute cystitis, or asymptomatic bacteriuria, and from the stools of school children without bacteriuria. Strains from those with acute pyelonephritis had high adhesive ability, whereas strains from those with acute cystitis had intermediate and strains from girls with asymptomatic bacteriuria or from normal feces had low adhesive ability. Strains of serogroup O4K12 had good adherence regardless of origin. E. coli of the eight O groups commonly found in patients with acute pyelonephritis adhered more than did strains of other O groups. Spontaneously agglutinating strains had less adhesive ability than did the O-typable ones.

Appearance of secretory IgM and IgA antibodies to Escherichia coli in saliva during early infancy and childhood

Unstimulated whole saliva was collected from 203 uninfected individuals at various ages from birth until adulthood. Levels of specific antibodies against Escherichia coli O antigens of secretory IgA, secretory IgM and IgG, as well as total amounts of SIgA, were determined using ELISA. Levels of SIgA antibodies found in adults were approached by the age of 12 months, but high levels could be attained earlier, presumably in response to antigenic exposure at the mucosal level. During the first few months of life, secretory IgM antibodies appeared in the saliva, possibly compensating for the relative lack of IgA.

NEW KNOWLEDGE IN HUMAN MILK IMMUNOGLOBULIN

ABSTRACT. One of the anti‐infection principles of maternal milk is the predominant milk immunoglobulin, secretory IgA. This immunoglobulin contains antibodies against many pathogens and potential pathogens, viruses as well as bacteria, including several members of Enterobacteriacae, The antigenic stimuli for these milk antibodies seem to take place in the Peyers patches of the intestine. Lymphoid cells leaving the patches after antigenic exposure seem to home to the mammary glands via the lymph and blood circulation. As a result, the milk contains secretory IgA antibodies against, among other things, the intestinal bacteria of the mother. These milk antibodies might reflect the spectrum of bacteria and viruses in the community and may be important for the protection of the breast‐fed baby. Via the same homing mechanism the maternal milk obtains antibodies against dietary antigens, including cows milk proteins. Studies of infants on mixed feeding suggest that the secretory IgA antibodies against the bovine proteins diminish the antigenic exposure, indicating the possibility of an anti‐allergic mechanism.

AUTOANTIBODIES TO TAMM-HORSFALL PROTEIN, A TOOL FOR DIAGNOSING THE LEVEL OF URINARY-TRACT INFECTION

In sera from ten girls with acute pyelonephritis, antibodies of the IgG-class to Tamm-Horsfall protein were found in significantly increased titres; in contrast, titres in sera from six girls with acute cystitis did not differ from those of healthy controls. The results suggest that determination of Tamm-Horsfall antibodies may prove useful for differentiating between upper and lower urinary-tract infection.

Secretory IgA Antibodies Against Cow’s Milk Proteins in Human Milk and Their Possible Effect in Mixed Feeding

Antibodies of the secretory IgA type against cows milk proteins were consistently found in human milk. With the assumption that such antibodies can help to prevent or at least diminish the contact between native cows milk proteins and the lymphoid system of babies on mixed feeding, the levels of antibodies of various immunoglobulin classes against bovine milk proteins were measured in different groups of babies. Those on artificial feeds who had been on mixed feeding of human milk and cows milk for less than 1 week had significantly higher levels of IgG antibodies to cows milk proteins than those who had been on mixed feeding for a period longer than 3 weeks.

Detection of Soy Protein in Soy Lecithin, Margarine and, Occasionally, Soy Oil

Samples of soy lecithin, soy oil and margarine were tested for the presence of soy proteins by an inhibition technique using ELISA. All but one of the soy lecithin samples contained soy protein, as did some of the soy oil and margarine samples. The positive margarines contained only about 25% as much soy protein as the soy lecithin preparations. The presence of soy proteins in these soy products might account for hitherto unrecognized exposure to soy proteins in various foods.

Specific antibodies in infants with gastrointestinal intolerance to cow's milk protein.

Antibodies of various immunoglobulin classes against cows milk proteins were studied in infants and children with cows milk protein intolerance, gluten-sensitive enteropathy and acute gastroenteritis. Their IgE, IgG, IgM and IgA antibody levels determined with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the IgE antibodies also determined with RAST, were compared with reference groups of children and adults. IgE, IgT or IgA antibodies against unseparated cows milk proteins, alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-casein and beta-casein were present in many of the studied samples, but did not discriminate between the individuals with and without intolerance symptoms. As a group, the infants with late reactions to cows milk showed increased levels of IgE and IgG antibodies detected with the ELISA, while patients with gluten-sensitive enteropathy had significantly increased levels of IgG and IgA antibodies of cows milk proteins compared to the reference group. By combining the findings of antibody increases in various immunoglobulin classes, an individual discrimination could be reached. Thus, 8 of 9 of the patients with late reactions to cows milk had increased levels of IgE or IgG + IgA antibodies as compared to 3 of 22 in the reference group. Serodiagnosis with the ELISA may, therefore, be of some use in patients with a suspicion of cows milk protein intolerance.

Growth Disturbance in an Urban Area of Lahore, Pakistan Related to Feeding Patterns, Infections and Age, Sex, Socio-Economic Factors and Seasons

ABSTRACT. Infantile growth in 910 longitudinally‐followed infants in a poor urban population of Lahore, Pakistan was followed from birth to two years of age and correlated to various socio‐economic variables, infections, and feeding‐practices. Attained body size was correlated with the number of episodes of diarrhoea and with family educational level and also, to some extent, with housing standards. The influence of environmental factors on growth was greatest during the hot and warm seasons, for children at an age of 6–9 months and in this culture especially for girls. Children living under the same conditions showed great individual variations in resistance to environmental factors as measured by growth parameters.