Covalent modification of protein by drugs may disrupt self-tolerance, leading to lymphocyte activation. Until now, determination of the threshold required for this process has not been possible. Therefore, we performed quantitative mass spectrometric analyses to define the epitopes formed in tolerant and hypersensitive patients taking the β-lactam antibiotic piperacillin and the threshold required for T cell activation. A hydrolyzed piperacillin hapten was detected on four lysine residues of human serum albumin (HSA) isolated from tolerant patients. The level of modified Lys541 ranged from 2.6 to 4.8%. Analysis of plasma from hypersensitive patients revealed the same pattern and levels of modification 1–10 d after the commencement of therapy. Piperacillin-responsive skin-homing CD4+ clones expressing an array of Vβ receptors were activated in a dose-, time-, and processing-dependent manner; analysis of incubation medium revealed that 2.6% of Lys541 in HSA was modified when T cells were activated. Piperacillin–HSA conjugates that had levels and epitopes identical to those detected in patients were shown to selectively stimulate additional CD4+ clones, which expressed a more restricted Vβ repertoire. To conclude, the levels of piperacillin–HSA modification that activated T cells are equivalent to the ones formed in hypersensitive and tolerant patients, which indicates that threshold levels of drug Ag are formed in all patients. Thus, the propensity to develop hypersensitivity is dependent on other factors, such as the presence of T cells within an individual’s repertoire that can be activated with the β-lactam hapten and/or an imbalance in immune regulation.
The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of fungi Gigaspora margarita and Glomus desriticola in stimulating the resistance of the capsicum annuum L. towards the chromium and lead after 60 days, planting and using the pots in the glass house. The highest concentration of chromium and lead in the root was found in the presence of the mycorrhizal mixture (194.93, 150.40) μg / g, respectively, compared to the lowest concentration (90.69, 79.37) μg / g respectively, while the highest concentration of chromium and lead in the shoot was found in the presence of the mycorrhizal mixture (94.63, 79.33) μg / g respectively, compared with the lowest concentration in the control treatment (72.58, 60.70) μg / g respectively. The results
... Show MoreAmino and fatty acids in the liver tissue of Uromastyx aegyptius microlepis during the periods of hibernation (December) and activity (May) were estimate by a high performance liquid chromatography, liver of a lizard during the activity and hibernation seasons, contained 18 amino acids, which include, 10 essential amino acids and 8 non-essential amino acids, and the liver in the male lizard contained five fatty acids during each season, the concentration rates of all the amino acids during the activity season were higher than their counterparts during the hibernation season, the total concentrations of essential and non-essential amino acids during the activity season were 19434.8 µg/ml, which was greater than the total concentrations leve
... Show MoreObjective: This experiment was conducted to study the effects of ionized water on certain egg quality traits and the levels of proteins and enzymes in the blood of the Japanese quail Coturnix japonica . Materials and Methods: One hundred 42-day-old quail were randomly distributed among five treatment groups with four replicates for each group. The following treatments were used: T1 (control): The birds were provided normal water, T2: The birds were provided alkaline water (pH = 8), T3: The birds were provided alkaline water (pH = 9), T4: The birds were provided acidic water (pH = 6) and T5: The birds were provided acidic water (pH = 5). A Complete Randomized Design (CRD) was used to investigate the effects of the studied treatments on diffe
... Show MoreObjectives: The study aims at:
1- Measuring the level of lead in workers’ saliva and blood in the factory.
2- Studying the correlation between the saliva lead level and the infection that caused by microorganisms, isolation and
identification.
3-Studying the influence of high blood lead level on the total white blood cells.
Methodology: This study has been conducted for the period from March 15th, 2010 to May, 20th
, 2010. A total of (60)
saliva and blood samples were collected from workers in batteries industry factory in Baghdad and another (20) samples
were collected as a control group. Lead level had been measured in blood and saliva samples, then microorganisms were
isolated the from the saliva samples.
Plumbago (Plumbaginaceae) is a genus of 10-20 species of flowering plants used in traditional Indian medicine, native to warm temperature to tropical regions of the world. The roots of Plumbago europaea, the Iraqi species of Plumbago, have been used for the treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and dysmenorrhea. The main active constituents from dried powdered leaves and roots of Plumbago europaea were extracted by Soxhlet apparatus using ethyl acetate, the main active constituent was characterized by spectroscopic analysis (IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR) as plumbagin. Quantitative and qualitative study of plumbagin in the roots and leaves extracts was carried out by HP
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