concanavalin-a and Rhinitis

A group of 48 patients with asthma and rhinitis, sensitive to house dust allergen, underwent immunotherapy with an extract of crude house dust for a period of 6-12 months. The clinical results of the therapy, as evaluated by symptom medication scores, demonstrated the significant clinical improvement of the patients treated by crude dust extract (CDE) compared to those treated by placebo. A significant (p < 0.001) reduction of specific IgE and elevation (p < 0.001) of specific IgG in the post-therapeutic patient sera was demonstrated by serological tests. A good correlation was observed between the changes in specific IgE and IgG levels.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Asthma; Chromatography, Affinity; Chromatography, Gel; Concanavalin A; Desensitization, Immunologic; Dust; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin E; Immunoglobulin G; Injections, Subcutaneous; Male; Middle Aged; Rhinitis; Skin Tests

Concanavalin-A (Con-A)-induced suppressor activity against the proliferative response of autologous lymphocytes to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) was examined in the peripheral-blood lymphocytes from fourteen patients with bronchial asthma, ten patients with allergic rhinitis and eleven patients with atopic dermatitis and compared with eleven simultaneously studied healthy normals. Eight of fourteen patients (57%) with bronchial asthma, eight of ten patients (80%) with allergic rhinitis and five of eleven patients (45%) with atopic dermatitis demonstrated deficient Con-A-induced suppressor function. Abnormal suppressor-cell functions could play an important role in the pathogenesis of atopic states.

Topics: Asthma; Concanavalin A; Dermatitis, Atopic; Humans; Immunoglobulin E; In Vitro Techniques; Lymphocyte Activation; Phytohemagglutinins; Rhinitis; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

The effect of Fanetizole mesylate or CP-48,810, a new immunostimulating drug, on suppressor cell function and IgE synthesis in vitro was evaluated in atopic patients with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma and eczema. In the absence of the drug, histamine (10(-3)M) stimulated blood mononuclear cells from 23 atopic patients suppressed concanavalin A-induced lymphocyte proliferation by a mean (+/- S.E.M.) of 9.3% +/- 3.5 (compared to 25.1% +/- 2.7 for histamine stimulated mononuclear cells from non-atopic controls). The addition of the drug (2.5 X 10(-4)M) in vitro significantly increased histamine suppressor cell activity of atopic patients to 26.6% +/- 3.9 (compared to 24.7% +/- 2.8 for control cells in the presence of the drug). In order to determine a possible mechanism through which CP-48,810 might enhance histamine-induced suppressor activity, we examined the effects of the drug on the production of histamine-induced suppressor factor (HSF) by lymphocytes and the production of prostaglandin E2 by blood monocytes in the presence of HSF. Supernatants generated from histamine (10(-4)M) stimulated patient lymphocytes caused a 9.0% +/- 1.8 suppression of concanavalin A-induced lymphocyte proliferation (compared to 25.0% +/- 3.1 caused by supernatants from normal subjects). If the drug (2.5 X 10(-4)M) was added at the beginning of culture, HSF activity in supernatants derived from atopic lymphocytes increased significantly to 20.2% +/- 1.8 (compared to 23.3% +/- 3.9 for drug treated control supernatants). Prostaglandin E2 production by atopic monocytes exposed to HSF was less than that of normal monocytes in the absence of the drug.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Adolescent; Adult; Asthma; Cells, Cultured; Child; Concanavalin A; Dermatitis, Atopic; Dinoprostone; Eczema; Female; Histamine; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Immunoglobulin E; Immunoglobulin G; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Middle Aged; Monocytes; Prostaglandins E; Rhinitis; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; Thiazoles

The jackbean lectin concanavalin A caused hypersecretion of mucus in the human nose and the rat jejunum, and histology of the latter demonstrated increased emptying of goblet cells. This "mucotractive" effect has implications for the fibre hypothesis and might be therapeutically useful in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Topics: Animals; Colic; Concanavalin A; Female; Flatulence; Humans; Intestinal Diseases; Intestinal Mucosa; Jejunum; Male; Mucus; Nasal Mucosa; Rats; Rhinitis; Stimulation, Chemical