Humoral immunity affected

Warren, T., Mitchell, K., and Lawrence, B.P., Exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p dioxin suppresses the cell-mediated and humoral immune response to influenza A vims without affecting cytolytic activity in the lung., Toxicol. Sci., 56, 114, 2000. 

Sheridan, I.F. et al.., Restraint stress differentially affects anti-viral cellular and humoral immune responses in mice, J. Neuroimmunol., 31, 245, 1991. 

The clinical manifestations of PIDs vary with the aspect of the immune system affected. In general, because of the role of antibodies in protection against bacterial infections, individuals with deficiencies in humoral immunity are particularly prone to infections from Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. These individuals are also prone to infections of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary tracts because of the protective role of IgA in secretions. 

D. The boy has significantly reduced serum antibody levels and a reduced ability to mount an antibody response to childhood vaccinations. The most probably cause is a primary immunodeficiency disease affecting humoral immunity. 

Glucocorticoids inhibit acquired or cell-mediated immunity. Their effects are mediated via inhibition of genes that code for various cytokines. The cytokines inhibited by glucocorticoids include IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8 and IFN-y. IL-2 inhibition by corticosteroids is the most crucial effect in immunosuppression, which results in the inhibition of T-cell proliferation and activation of cytolytic T cells. Glucocorticoids also slightly affect humoral immunity by inhibiting B-cell clonal expansion and antibody synthesis, and these effects are mediated via their ability to inhibit B cells ability to express IL-2 and IL-2 receptors. 

Eisenbraun, M.D., Fuller, D.H. and Haynes, J.R. (1993) Examination parameters affecting the elicitation of humoral immune responses by particle bombardment mediated genetic immunization. DNA Cell Biol., 12, 791-797. 

In conclusion, the immunological system was a sensitive target of CDD toxicity under experimental conditions in animals. Effects on all types of mediated immunity were seen at doses of 2,3,7,8-TCDD as low as 0.01 g/kg. Doses of 2,3,7,8-TCDD that were well below the lethal dose affect humoral immunity. Thymic atrophy occurs as single or multiple doses approach those that may increase lethality. Neonates and young animals are much more sensitive than adults to most of the immunological responses. 

The potential modulation of immune system responses by GMP is also discussed in the article by Brody (2000). A number of studies have shown that GMP stimulates the proliferation of normal human B-lymphocytes, but not of T-lymphocytes. This would indicate that GMP upregulates the humoral immune system with a subsequent increase in the production of IgA antibodies, in particular. Moreover, GMP appears to specifically affect the production of various cytokines. It is clear that further research is required in this field so as to elucidate the significance of GMP for the immune system. 

Over the past decade there has, as result of experimental studies, been a growing appreciation that mercury may exert an effect on the immune system. As summarized by Silbergeld and Devine [72], mercury has at least two types of effects on the immune system. First, mercury induces autoimmunity to renal basement membrane proteins, causing mercury-induced glomerulonephritis in certain strains of mice and rats. Secondly, mercury exposure impairs cell-mediated and humoral immunity by affecting Thl and Th2 responses, which in turn impairs the body s ability to effectively... 

Cannabinoids are able to cause different effects at the level of various systems and/or organs the most important effects occur on the central nervous system and on the cardiovascular system. In fact, they are able to affect mood, memory, motor coordination and cognition, and they increase heart rate and variate the systemic arterial pressure. Furthermore, it is well known the capability of cannabinoids to reduce intraocular pressure and to affect the respiratory and endocrine systems (L. E. Hollister, Health Aspects of Cannabis, Pharmacological Reviews, 38,1-20,1986). More recently, it was found that they suppress the cellular and humoral immune response and have antiinflammatory properties (A. W. Wirth et al.. Antiinflammatory Properties of Cannabichromene, Life Science, 26,1991-1995,1980). 

Carcinogenic PAHs have been suggested to have an effect on immune function (Luster and Rosenthal 1993 Saboori and Newcombe 1992), thereby allowing the induction of carcinogenesis, while noncarcinogenic PAHs do not affect immue function (see Section 2.4). The effects of dermally applied benzo[a]pyrene alone or following dermal pretreatment with the prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, indomethacin, on contact hypersensitivity (cell-mediated immunity), production of antibodies to DNP (humoral immunity), and the induction of skin tumors was studied in male BALBc... 

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