Antilymphocyte serum

In an excellent review of the immunopathogenesis of schistosomiasis, Warren (W3) reported that the egg of the schistosome parasite was the prime factor responsible for the hepatosplenomegaly in the mouse furthermore, that neonatal thymectomy and antilymphocyte serum had marked immunosuppression on the granuloma formation around schistosome eggs injected into the lungs of mice, implying that cell-mediated immunity must play some role in the protection of the host against schistosome infection. 

Antiserum can be raised againsf lymphocyfes or fhymo-cyfes by fhe repealed injection of human cells into an appropriate recipient, usually a horse. The use of such antiserum or the immune globulin fraction derived from it has been used to produce immunosuppression. Although antilymphocytic serum can suppress cellular and often humoral immunity against a variety of tissue graft systems, the responses are variable, particularly from one batch of serum to another. 

Levine, Gibson and Megel19 studied the depletion of the lymphocyte population caused by tilorone hydrochloride given orally or subcutaneously to rats and mice in spleen, lymph nodes and Peyer s patches. Although the thymus itself was not affected, thymus-dependent areas were affected similarly to that caused by neonatal thymectomy, thymic aplasia, or antilymphocytic serum. The effects of tilorone were not dependent on the presence of adrenal, thymus or spleen, and the depleted tissues were rapidly repopulated. The previously sensitive areas were resistant to further doses of the same drug. 

IV. Immune recognition Renewed exposure of sensitized lymphocytes to specific antigen, antilymphocytic serum, mixture of genetically dissimilar lymphocytes... 

Mathe G, Amiel JL, Schwarzenberg L, et al. Bone marrow graft in man after conditioning by antilymphocytic serum. BMJ 1970 2 131-136. 

Deutsch AA, Arensman R, Levey R, Folkman J. The effect of antilymphocyte serum on fetal rat intestine transplanted as free subcutaneous homografts. J. Pediatr. Surg. 1974 9 29-34. 

ALS the acronym of antilymphocyte serum. The latter has largely been replac by monoclonal antibodies specific for cell-surface determinants of particular types of lymphocytes, such as T-cells, B[Pg.26]

Antilymphocyte serum, ALS an immune serum with an opsonizing (see Opsonization) and cytotoxic effect on lymphocytes. It was used for immune suppression before Monoclonal antibodies (see) to specific classes of lymphocytes became widely available. The antibodies were raised in other species of animals by injection of human lymphocytes from blood, thymus, spleen or the thoracic duct. To avoid undesired side effects, the A.s. was purified and administered primarily as antilymphocyte globulin (ALG). Treatment with ALG affects mainly cellular immunity, particularly that provided by long-lived circulating lymphocytes. 

Neonatal thymectomy Antilymphocyte serum Helper T cell function Generation of cytotoxic T cells Suppressor T-cell function NK-cell activity... 

Allison, A.C., L.D. Berman, and R.H. Levey. 1967. Increased tumor induction by adenovirus type 12 in thymectomized mice and mice treated with antilymphocyte serum. Va-... 

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