Anti-Idiotypic Antibodies in Patients with Different Clinical Forms of Paracoccidioidomycosis

In Silico Prediction of Peptides Binding to Multiple HLA-DR Molecules Accurately Identifies Immunodominant Epitopes from gp43 of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Frequently Recognized in Primary Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Responses from Sensitized Individuals

“…The entire sequence of P. brasiliensis gp43 (416 residues) was scanned by the TEPITOPE algorithm at 3% threshold, which led to the identification of regions predicted to bind with high affinity to several different HLA-DR molecules (TEPITOPE promiscuous region scanning profile for gp43 in Figure 2). Peptides predicted to bind to the largest number of HLA molecules at the highest threshold (1%) in addition to displaying binding to an increased number of distinct HLA-DR molecules (3% threshold) were selected (see Table 1 Binding assays of these peptides with the 9 most prevalent HLA-DR molecules in the general population, showed that gp43(180-194) bound to 100% (9/9) of the HLA-DR molecules followed by gp43(283-298), gp43(94-108), gp43 (45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54)(55)(56)(57)(58)(59), and gp43(106-120) that bound to 89% (8/9), 56% (5/9), 33% (3/9), and 22% (2/9) of the tested molecules, respectively (Table 2).…”

“…Cellular immunity seems to be the major defense mechanism in both experimental and human PCM (39,40). Patients with active disease have high levels of anti-P. brasiliensis antibodies (41)(42)(43)(44)(45) as well as transient antigen-specific cell-mediated immunosupression (43), whereas conversion to positive delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin test and reduction in the antibody levels are useful parameters for successful chemotherapy and cure.…”

A Highly Conserved Interspecies V H in the Human Genome

“…7 -10 In sera of patients with different forms of clinical paracoccidioidomycosis, antiidiotypic antibodies were found that recognize both human and monoclonal murine antibodies specific to parasite glycoprotein gp43. 10 Analysis of the autoimmune response in thromobocytopenic patients has demonstrated the presence of antiidiotypic antibodies produced against crossreactive idiotypes shared by human and mouse anti-platelet antibodies. 9 These findings underlie the role of shared idiotypes in idiotypic modulation and may imply that specific antibody responses are associated with immunoglobulin variable-region genes that are highly conserved during evolution.…”

Utilização de peptídeo sintético (P10) associado ao tratamento com drogas antifúngicas no controle da paracoccidioidomicose experimental

“…Alguns pesquisadores, entretanto, relataram a presença da doença em trabalhadores da indústria, comércio e em crianças de áreas urbanas (GREER et al, 1977;EMANUEL et al, 1983;BITTENCOURT et al, 1986 (FAVA-NETTO et al, 1961;RESTREPO, 1985;GOLDANI et al, 1994;SOUZA et al, 2000;SEMIGHINI et al, 2002).…”