Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex, often lifelong allergic disease affecting around 10 % of both dogs and humans. The hallmark symptom is severe pruritus, causing a lowered quality of life. Mast cells (MCs) are known to play an important part of the immunopathogenesis, promoting a faulty T helper cell type 2 (Th-2) response which follows by a production of specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies towards environmental allergens (Ag). To further investigate the role of MCs and its mediators in the progression of AD, a low-calcemic vitamin D3 analog (MC903) was used to induce AD-like symptoms locally on the ears of two different knock-out (KO) mouse strains. The first strain was Wsh-/- mice deficient in MCs.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a feline viral disease with high mortality. There is no cure or any effective vaccine available today. Many questions are yet to be answered about this disease and the immune response in affected cats. The aim of the study is to evaluate two different techniques for the study of Cytokine profiles in cats vaccinated with a vaccine concept against FIPV. More information about the immune response in these cats could give valuable information to better understand the pathogenesis of the disease and the development of an effective vaccine.

ABSTRACTA defect implantation process is the major reason for unexplained infertility. Estrogen andprogesterone are steroid hormones preparing the endometrium for implantation. They mediatetheir effect through their receptors: estrogen receptor alpha and beta and progesteronereceptor A and B, respectively. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), which is also important forimplantation, mediates its effect through LIF receptor and the coreceptor, gp130, and is downregulated by suppressors of Cytokine signaling 1. The aim of the study was to compare thelevels of the steroid hormone receptors and LIF related factors in the endometrium of twogroups of women with the diagnosis unexplained infertility: one that became pregnant afterassisted reproduction and one that did not become pregnant.

Immune stimulating complex (iscom) matrix is a formulation that is used as anadjuvant within research. The capability of the iscom matrix to elicit an immuneresponse when not present together with an antigen has not been extensivelyinvestigated. One way to evaluate the status of the immune system is to measure theamount of Cytokines that usually are produced by various cell types during an immuneresponse. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the early immune responses inporcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) after stimulation in vitro with theiscom matrix, AbISCO®-100. The immune response was evaluated by measuring themRNA expression for various Cytokines, a chemokine receptor (CXCR4) andregulator of G-protein signaling (RGS16) in porcine PBMC after stimulation withAbISCO®-100 or other inducers like a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a CpGoligodeoxynucleotide (ODN 2216) used as controls.

Teblad innehåller en mängd substanser som på olika sätt kan påverka biologiska processer i människan. I föreliggande arbete har en sammanställning gjorts utifrån vetenskapliga artiklar över teets antagna effekter på människans immunsystem .Främst har den mest studerade komponenten i te, epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG, undersökts. De variabler som studerats i immunförsvaret är neutrofiler, tumörnekrosfaktor-?, interferon-?, interleukin-1?, interleukin-2, interleukin-5, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10 ,interleukin-12, interleukin-13, eikosanoidmetabolismen, lymfocyter, makrofager, dendritiskaceller och T-cellsdifferentiering. Sammafattningsvis föreföll te hämma följande: Neutrofilaktiviteten, TNF-?-bildningen, IFN-?-aktiviteten, stimuli-inducerad IL-?-bildning, IL-8-aktivering och IL-10-bildning.

Atopisk dermatit hos hund (CAD) är en kliande hudsjukdom med komplex patogenes som involverar felreglering av immunförsvaret, allergisk sensibilisering, defekter i hudbarriären, mikrobiell kolonisation samt olika miljöfaktorer. Dock är den inbördes relationen mellan dessa faktorer inte klargjord. En ökad förståelse för sjukdomens patogenes, bland annat den immunologiska bakgrunden inklusive vilken T-cells- och cytokinprofil som kännetecknar sjukdomen, skulle kunna öka drabbade hundars livskvalitet genom förbättrade behandlingsmetoder. Studier har undersökt cellinfiltrat och visat att både CD4+ och CD8+ T-celler förekommer i ökade mängder i huden hos AD-hundar, och således att det finns Th-celler samt CTLs och/eller suppressoriska T-celler i denna hud. Dessa studier hittade också förhöjda CD4/CD8-kvoter, vilket visar på en ökad lymfocytreaktivitet.

Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) is a respiratory disorder that most commonly affects young horses performing at a high level. The clinical signs are often mild but the disorder can cause a marked decrease in performance to a point where the horse has to be taken of training and competing. The aetiology underlying IAD is not yet fully understood. One current theory is that a type I-hypersensitivity reaction due to allergens in the environment is the cause in some horses. The most reliable diagnostic method is a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) since it reflects the inflammatory status in the most distal parts of the lungs, which are affected in IAD.