Cystic fibrosis factor activity (CFFA), assayed as the ability to stop oyster ciliary movement, was present in serum-free medium from actively growing cystic fibrosis skin fibroblast cultures. CFFA was associated with a low molecular weight, negatively charged molecule that contained no uronic acid and was heat and pH labile. When CFFA-positive media were mixed with human IgG1, the CFFA was chr...

In B-cell development, expression of immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable-region (VH) gene repertoires is determined by genetic mechanisms that favor rearrangement of the most D-proximal genes, resulting in overutilization of the VH7183 gene family early in ontogeny and in differentiating B cells of the adult bone marrow. Maturation of the immune system is accompanied by a decreased expression o...

Plasma cell disorders are important in the differential diagnosis of acute kidney injury and of renal impairment with proteinuria. One or more of several mechanisms can be involved, such as cast nephropathy, deposition of monoclonal immunoglobulins, formation of amyloid fibrils, hypercalcaemia, hyperuricaemia and a variety of tubular syndromes. Various tests, such as serum electrophoresis and i...

BACKGROUND Infertility is one of the common problems seen in couples of reproductive age. Presence of antisperm antibodies in semen and serum are amongst the causes of immunoinfertility. This study was performed to determine antisperm antibodies in cervicovaginal secretions and serum of infertile women and also measure serum levels of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM and IgA). METHODS The study cons...

Antibodies are serum immunoglobulins with binding specificity for particular antigens. Although antibodies can be identified in the serum of individuals or patients that have been exposed to particular pathogens, the usual methods for eliciting antibodies involve immunization with purified or partially purified antigen preparations. Antigens used are most commonly proteins or peptides, but carb...

Carswell, F., and Ferguson, A. (1972). Archives of Disease in Childhood, 47, 594. Food antibodies in serum-a screening test for coeliac disease. Food antibody tests were performed on the sera of 52 children undergoing investigation for suspected coeliac disease. 30 of these were subsequently shown to have coeliac disease. The food antibody tests were at least as effective a screening test for c...