Immunological behavior

Two recombinant allergens from olive pollen (Ole e 3 and Ole e 8) were produced in Arabidopsis and their relative biological activities assessed to be positive via calcium-binding assays. The immunological behavior of these recombinant allergens was equivalent to natural allergens, as demonstrated by their ability to bind to allergen-specific rabbit IgG antiserum and IgE from sensitized patients (Ledesma et al., 2006). 

A detailed structural study should provide invaluable information concerning the nature of the biologically active groupings of these polysaccharides prior to 1945 no such structural investigations had been carried out. It is probable that the many polysaccharide fractions isolated are constituent parts of one or more main polysaccharide complexes, which have fundamental roles in the immunological behavior of M, tuberculosis. An immense field of work is open to carbohydrate chemists. 

Arnaud and Littledyke (A5) and Hargis et al. (HI) overcame the problem of antigenicity by conjugating relatively pure porcine thyro-calcitonin to rabbit albumin before injection, and claim that the antisera obtained were specific to thyrocalcitonin, judged by gel diffusion and immunoelectrophoresis results. The former workers have briefly described the use of this antiserum in a radioimmunoassay procedure similar to that devised by Berson et al. for parathormone (B4). They claim that the technique will detect 0.5 ng of thyrocalcitonin/ml of serum. These workers found no difference in the immunological behavior of human and porcine hormone, and quote a normal range of 30-85 ng/ml in human plasma. In animal studies, elevated values were found in older animals and in response to hypercalcemia. 

The immunological behavior of penicillin preparations may be markedly influenced by the presence of dimers, oligomers, and polymers in the penicillin preparations. It should be distinguished whether we are dealing with polymerization by internal rearrangement of the molecule or interaction between penicillin molecules carrying a free amino group, such as ampicillin. 

One of the most difficult aspects of studying regulatory mechanisms such as those involved with the cell membranes is the inability to examine all of the necessary components of the system involved. There is no doubt, however, that the minor carbohydrate components of cell membranes play major roles in immunologic behavior, electrical potentials, and transmembrane movement. 

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