Roger Drew

A quantitative study of the distribution of IgG sub-classes in a group of normal human sera.

The radial immunodiffusion method of Mancini has been applied to quantitative study of IgG subclasses in a normal population. The method was assessed in terms of both reproducibility and antiserum consumption. The distribution of IgG subclasses in a group of normal individuals was studied, and compared with their incidence in a series of monoclonal proteins investigated by previous workers and particularly with other quantitative studies on groups of normal individuals sera.

Studies on the expression of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase in human tissues during development

The developmental expression of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase in human lung and erythrocytes has been studied using activity measurements, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Enzyme activity in erythrocytes increased significantly during gestation but no developmental trend was seen in lung. Immunoblotting identified a single enzyme form that was present in a variety of tissues and immunohistochemistry showed the enzyme to have widespread distribution in lung tissue. These data indicate that Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase is consistently expressed during human development and that, unlike in other species, no late-fetal surge in expression occurs.

The application of cellulose carbonate to the preparation of water-insoluble immunoadsorbents used in the purification of antibodies to immunoglobulins

Abstract A new form of cellulose-derived immunoadsorbent has been developed which utilises cyclic trans-carbonate groups generated in the matrix to bring about covalent coupling of protein antigens. The production of ground material, the chemical coupling of immunoglobulin antigens and the characteristics of the immunoadsorbents for two systems, namely rabbit IgG and human IgM and their respective sheep antisera, is described. The adsorbents are relatively simple to prepare from the cyclic carbonate and in the systems described antigen coupling occurs under mild reaction conditions to produce insoluble reagents which are stable, highly specific to antibody and possess very high antibody binding capacities with respect to the amound of antigen coupled. Purified antibody can be eluted from the immunoadsorbent columns either by acid buffer or 3 M KCNS. Up to 86% of the adsorbed antibody can be recovered in purified form. This yield is sufficient to allow repeated use of columns for the large scale purification of antibodies, and far exceeds recovery of antiglobulins in most other published systems. Furthermore, since antibody binds to antigen in ratios which approach those in free solution, eluted antibodies differ little, if at all, from those in whole antiserum with respect to heterogeneity in specificity and affinity. In this latter property the cellulose carbonate-IgG adsorbent, in particular, was found to be more efficient than equivalent Sepharose cyclic imidocarbonate preparations.

Studies on the developmental expression of glutathione S-transferase isoenzymes in human heart and diaphragm.

The developmental expression of the basic, near-neutral and acidic isoenzymes of glutathione S-transferase (RX:glutathione R-transferase, EC 2.5.1.18) has been studied in heart and diaphragm. Neither these enzymes nor the putative muscle-specific GST4 isoenzyme demonstrated any developmental trends in expression. In vitro hybridisation and SDS-discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used to show that the GST4 isoenzyme is a homodimer composed of monomers that have a slightly larger molecular weight than the near-neutral isoenzyme. The sensitivity of GST4 to inhibitors also appeared similar to that of the GST1 2 isoenzyme. Immunodiffusion and immunoblotting techniques were used to show that the acidic enzyme in muscle is immunologically identical to that in other tissues.

Phagocyte dysfunction in common variable immune deficiency

ZusammenfassungEs wird über einen 13jährigen Jungen berichtet, der seit der späten Säuglingszeit an häufig wiederkehrenden bakteriellen, enteroviralen und protozoalen Infekten erkrankte. Neben der Erniedrigung der IgG2- IgG3- sowie IgA-Serumspiegel wurden eine Neutropathie und eine partielle Störung der zellulären Infektabwehr gefunden. Ein Folsäuremangel führte zur Panzytopenie und erhöhte damit noch die Infektanfälligkeit. Erst die kombinierte Substitution von Gammaglobulinen und Folsäure vermochte den Circulus vitiosus zu durchbrechen.SummaryThe history of a 13-year old boy is reported who suffered from frequent bacterial, enteroviral, and protozoal infections since late infancy. A decrease in the serum levels of IgG2, IgG3, IgA, a neutrophil dysfunction, and a partial cellular immune deficiency could be demonstrated. A deficiency of folic acid produced a pancytopenia which enhanced the patients susceptibility to infections. The combined substitution of gammaglobulins and folic acid only was able to break this vicious cycle.