Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0153470 (Spleen)
 4,015 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Chemically induced autoimmunity is a recently recognized environmental hazard that may affect individuals genetically predisposed to autoimmune disease and chronically exposed to certain chemicals. For example, moderate concentrations of mercury may lead to renal autoimmune disease in a small but significant percentage of the exposed population. Mercury also induces autoimmune glomerulonephritis in susceptible Brown Norway (BN) and MAXX inbred strain rats. Autoimmune responses, directed to epitopes of the renal glomerular basement membrane (GBM), are rapid in onset and have a self-limiting course in mercury-treated rats. Both regulatory T cells and idiotype-anti-idiotype network have been implicated in the resolution of this autoimmune process. In our investigations of immune regulation of mercury-induced autoimmune glomerulonephritis, we have used flow cytometry to quantitate lymphocyte subpopulations in the spleen and lymph nodes of mercury-treated and control BN rats. Of particular interest was the RT6+ T cell subset, that appears to have important immunoregulatory properties in a rat model of autoimmune insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Spleen and lymph nodes from control BN rats contained 22 and 52%, respectively, RT6+ cells. Spleens from mercury-treated animals contained 21% RT6+ cells on Day 10 of treatment, 13% on Day 17, 16% on Day 24 and 20% on Day 30. Lymph nodes from the same rats had 36% RT6+ cells on Day 10, 23% on Day 17, 29% on Day 24, and 28% on Day 30. The decrease in RT6+ cells correlated inversely with autoimmune responses to GBM, which peaked on Days 17-24 and declined by Day 30. Moreover, autoimmune responses were also associated with elevated RT6-:RT6+ T cell ratios. Similar results were obtained in two additional groups of BN rats, comprising both younger and older animals, sacrificed at Day 18 of mercury treatment. Analysis of other lymphocyte subpopulations demonstrated a decrease of CD4+ and CD5+ cells, whereas B cells as well as CD8+, IL-2 receptor+, and MHC class II+ subsets showed no consistent correlation with the onset or resolution of the autoimmune process. These findings suggest that mercury-induced changes in RT6+ T lymphocytes may be related to the development of renal autoimmune disease in genetically predisposed BN rats.
 ...
PMID:Reduction of the RT6.2+ subset of T lymphocytes in brown Norway rats with mercury-induced renal autoimmunity. 201 77

Various organs--lung, trachea, liver, kidney, heart, adrenal gland, skin, spleen, thymus, lymph node, gut, thyroid, spinal cord and brain--were removed from 43 seals at dissections performed on the German North sea coast. The specimens were fixed in formalin and routinely processed for light microscopy. The major pathological findings were Lung: acute congestion with interstitial and intra-alveolar oedema; intra-alveolar haemorrhage; suppurative bronchitis and bronchopneumonia; larvae and adult forms of Parafilaroides gymnurus. Liver: acute congestion; granulomatous lesions and infiltrates of eosinophils; intravascular nematodes. Spleen: varying degrees of atrophy of the white pulp; haemosiderosis; acute congestion of the red pulp. Lymph nodes: varying degrees of atrophy of the lymphatic tissue; long-standing sinus histiocytosis with partial fibrotic obliteration of the lumina; parasitic infiltration, sometimes with the Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon; germinal centre hyperplasia. Thymus: pronounced atrophy of the lymphatic tissue, particularly in the cortical areas. Thyroid: marked reduction in colloid content. The other organs studied were normal or showed only minor histopathological changes. The morphological findings do not allow definite conclusions to be made about the aetiology and pathogenesis of the illness and death of the seals. However, evidence has been published that the seals' illness is probably due to canine distemper virus. The atrophy of the lymphoreticular tissues is consistent with infection by this virus.
 ...
PMID:Histopathological findings in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) found dead on the German North sea coast. 236 46

Immunity against Brucella, a facultative intracellular bacteria, can be induced in mice by live or by killed-whole-cell or fraction vaccine. This immunity can be adoptively transferred from live vaccinated donor to recipient mice, or passively with immune serum raised against bacterial fractions. A protein-bound peptidoglycan fraction (PG) was used to immunize DBA/2 donor mice intravenously or subcutaneously in the hind footpads. Splenic or popliteal lymph nodes cells were transferred to recipients that were intravenously challenged with a B abortus virulent strain. Brucella spleen counts, and in some cases liver counts, were done 15 days later or at successive times. Spleen cells depleted from macrophages and lymph nodes cells conferred immunity to recipients. This immunity increased after transfer for about 21 days. Lymph nodes cells were more efficient to transfer immunity than spleen cells. This immunity was abated but not abrogated by treatment of cells by anti-Thy serum and was transferred by both nylon wool non adherent (T enriched) or adherent (B enriched) cells. Comparative transfer experiments with DBA/2 versus CBA mice, live vaccine versus PG fraction vaccine, virulent versus avirulent (vaccinal) challenge evidenced that the three factors were involved in induction and/or expression of immunity. DBA/2 mice responded better to fraction vaccine and virulent challenge whereas CBA responded better to live vaccine and to avirulent challenge strain. In contrast DBA/2 X CBA F1 responded equally well against the virulent challenge to transfer of cells from live vaccine or PG fraction vaccinated donor mice. Two cell-mediated immune mechanisms may thus be involved in transferred immunity the expression of which may be genetically determined.
 ...
PMID:Anti-Brucella cell-mediated immunity in mice vaccinated with a cell-wall fraction. 345 87

The mechanism of fever in patients with Hodgkin's disease was investigated by examining endogenous pyrogen production by blood, spleen, and lymph node cells incubated in vitro. Blood leucocytes from febrile or afebrile patients with Hodgkin's disease did not produce pyrogen spontaneously. Spleen cells, however, frequently released pyrogen during initial incubations, unlike spleen cells from patients with non-malignant diseases. Pyrogen production occurred from spleens without observed pathologic infiltrates of Hodgkin's disease. Lymph nodes involved with Hodgkin's disease produced pyrogen more frequently than did nodes involved with other diseases. Pyrogen production by tissue cells was prolonged, required protein synthesis, and in some cases was due to mononuclear cells; it did not correlate with fever in the patient. These studies demonstrate spontaneous production of endogenous pyrogen in vitro by lymphoid tissue cells from patients with Hodgkin's disease.
 ...
PMID:Pyrogen release in vitro by lymphoid tissues from patients with Hodgkin's disease. 461 Oct 62

Freshly isolated, mature dendritic cells (DC) from mouse lymphoid organs were analyzed by immunofluorescent labeling and flow cytometry to determine the number of discrete subpopulations and to assess possible lineage markers. The permanence of surface markers was then determined by overnight culture of the DC. Three DC subtypes were discerned, CD8alpha- DEC-205-, CD8alpha+ DEC-205+, and CD8alpha- DEC-205+, with different tissue distributions. The majority of DC expressed high levels of class II MHC, expressed CD11c, and expressed the costimulator molecules CD80, CD86, and CD40; CD80 and CD40 were further up-regulated on culture. DC also expressed low levels of L-selectin that were up-regulated on culture. Thymus contained predominantly CD8alpha+ DEC205+ CD11b- DC, resembling a major subpopulation of DC in other tissues but unique in expressing BP-1. Spleen contained predominantly two DC populations in equal proportions: one CD8alpha+ DEC-205+ CD11b- as in the thymus, and the other CD8alpha- DEC-205- CD11b+. Lymph nodes contained the same two DC populations as in spleen, but in addition a third population of CD8alpha- DEC-205+ CD11b- DC. The CD8alpha expression of splenic DC subpopulations did not change on culture. Although DEC-205 was up-regulated on culture so all DC became positive, the difference in the level between subpopulations was maintained. However, CD11b was up-regulated on culture, so all subpopulations became positive and finally expressed equivalent levels. Some aspects of this complex, but discrete, pattern of surface marker expression can be correlated with differences in lineage origin and functional activity of the DC.
 ...
PMID:Dendritic cell subtypes in mouse lymphoid organs: cross-correlation of surface markers, changes with incubation, and differences among thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes. 921 70

The relation between serum antibody and resistance to tumor homografts in the mouse has been investigated. Production of serum antibody in response to homografts of a transplantable sarcoma (Sarcoma 1) was demonstrated, by cytotoxic action on the cells of the tumor, and also by a hemagglutinin test. The simpler and more repeatable hemagglutinin test was further investigated. Peak hemagglutinin titres were reached after the immunizing homografts underwent breakdown. Following transfer of lymph node cells from immunized mice into hosts of the same strain, hemagglutinin could be detected in the host serum. The course of its production showed that this secondary antibody was not elicited by transferred antigen, nor could it be due to transfer of preformed antibody. The cells developed the capacity to transfer hemagglutinin production later than the power to transfer heightened graft resistance. Spleen cells also transferred hemagglutinin production, at a later stage after immunization and to a lesser extent than cells from the regional lymph nodes. Implantation of the sarcoma in mice pretreated with certain preparations of lyophilized or frozen tissue stimulated hemagglutinin production, although the tumor grew progressively. The regional lymph nodes participated in the response: they could transfer hemagglutinin production into secondary hosts, but not graft resistance, and indeed appeared to diminish resistance. Lymph node cells from immunized donors conferred protection against the tumor on pretreated mice. Lymph nodes from normal donors also appeared in some experiments to confer protection although the effect was obscured by the rapidity with which the growing tumor became immunologically invulnerable. The fate of lymph node cells stained with acriflavine was followed after transfer. No effect of the staining on the power of the cells to confer immunity could be detected. Cells transferred to the peritoneal cavity passed into various host tissues, but were not found in test homografts. The conclusion is drawn that the hemagglutinating antibody is distinct from the antibody effective in combating homografts. The similarity in this respect between the homograft reaction and sensitization is emphasized in discussion.
 ...
PMID:Studies on the immunological response to foreign tumor transplants in the mouse. II. The relation between hemagglutinating antibody and graft resistance in the normal mouse and mice pretreated with tissue preparations. 1324 42