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Prostaglandins, mainly those of the E series (PGE), are modulators of immune responses. Indeed PGE2 inhibits T cell activation and the transcription of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene, the major T cell growth factor. We observed that PGE2 inhibits IL-2 promoter transcription activity by interfering with signals activating the (-96 to -66 bp) octamer motif. This motif binds Oct-1 and Oct-2 as well as the phorbol ester and calcium ionophore-inducible jun and fos AP-1 factors. The PGE2-dependent down-modulation is observed in the presence of either the endogenous transacting factor Oct-1 or the exogenously expressed Oct-2. PGE2 does not regulate octamer function by influencing the jun and fos mRNA or Oct-1 protein levels or their DNA-binding abilities. Functional dissection of the octamer motif, through mutations of either the AP-1 or the octamer sites, revealed that the AP-1 site is dispensable for PGE2-dependent inhibition which instead may occur through the interference with the Oct-mediated transactivation of the octamer element. Our data suggest that the Oct-octamer interaction is a novel target of the PGE2-induced down-regulation of the IL-2 promoter.

Levels and correlates of parental support, peer support, partner support, and/or spiritual support among African American and Caucasian youth were examined in three contexts: adolescent pregnancy (Study 1), first year of college (Study 2), and adolescence and young adulthood (age 15-29; Study 3). Partially consistent with a cultural specificity perspective, in different contexts different support sources were higher in level and/or more strongly related to adjustment for one ethnic group than the other. Among pregnant adolescents, levels of spiritual support were higher for African Americans than Caucasians; additionally, peer support was positively related to well-being only for African Americans whereas partner support was positively related to well-being only for Caucasians. Among college freshmen, family support was more strongly related to institutional and goal commitment for African Americans than Caucasians; conversely, peer support was more strongly related to institutional and goal commitment among Caucasians. Among 15 to 29-year-olds, levels of parental support and spiritual support were higher among African Americans than Caucasians; additionally, spiritual support was positively related to self-esteem for African Americans but not for Caucasians. Implications and limitations of the research are discussed.

The present study examined preschool-age firstborns' adjustment to siblinghood, as indexed by security of firstborn-mother attachment, in a sample of 194 2-Parent families. Security of firstborn attachment decreased significantly after a secondborn's birth, but the size of the decrease was smaller among firstborns under 24 months relative to 2-5-year-olds. Mothers' marital harmony and affective involvement with firstborns predicted firstborn security before and after the baby's birth, whereas mothers' psychiatric symptoms predicted firstborn security only after the birth. Post-hoc analyses of select subgroups revealed that mothers of firstborns with high security scores before the newborn's birth, regardless of whether scores remained high or dropped after the birth, showed higher levels of psychosocial and behavioral functioning than did mothers of firstborns with consistently low security scores at both time points. However, substantial drops in firstborn security after a secondborn's birth were associated with higher maternal psychiatric symptom scores both prior to and following the birth. Results suggest that quality of firstborn adjustment to siblinghood can be predicted from both structural and familial aspects of the firstborn environment.

The Attachment Q-Set (AQS) has emerged as a psychometrically sound method for assessing young children's secure base behavior in the home. However, considerable disagreement exists about whether mothers versus trained observers should be used as AQS sorters. The present study examined associations between mothers' and trained observers' AQS sorts for preschoolers, and assessed mother-observer concordance in relation to observers' confidence about how representative the behavioral samples they witnessed were of the domain of AQS items. Mothers with careful training and supervision on the AQS system completed AQS sorts with regard to their children's current behavior, and the same children were assessed with the AQS during a 2-3 hour visit 1-2 weeks later by trained, "blind" observers. Trained observers provided a confidence rating regarding the degree to which the samples of behavior observed were representative of the universe of AQS items. Mothers' and observers' sorts were significantly intercorrelated; however, observer sorts converged with mother sorts as observers' confidence ratings increased. Results are discussed in relation to circumstances that affect mother-observer reliability with the AQS and to factors that should be weighed when considering whether to use mothers versus trained observers as sorters.

Prostaglandins (PGs) are generally known to exert inhibitory as well as some enhancing effects on the immune system. This study was performed to assess the influence of the exogenous PGs and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-elevating agents on cytokine production by PWM-stimulated human T lymphocytes. Peripheral blood T lymphocytes from healthy donors were pretreated for 30 min at 25 degrees C with PGE2 (10(-4) to 10(-7) M) PGF1 alpha, IBMX or Forskolin (10(-4) to 10(-5) M) and cultured for 7 days in the presence of Pokeweed Mitogen (PWM), PGE2, IBMX and Forskolin, but not PGF1 alpha, significantly increased IL-6 production while inhibited IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and GM-CSF production. Our data indicate that cAMP-elevating agents can profoundly affect cytokine secretion by T cells in PWM-driven cultures and that this effect is dose-dependent. The results reported here are compatible with the existence of separate pathways of gene induction for IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and GM-CSF on the one hand and IL-6 on the other one.

This study examined the connection between maternal working models, marital adjustment, and the parent-child relationship. Subjects were 45 mothers who were observed in problem-solving interactions with their 16-62-month-old children (M = 33 months). Mothers also completed the Attachment Q-set, the Adult Attachment Interview, and a marital adjustment scale. As predicted, maternal working models were related to the quality of mother-child interactions and child security, and there was a significant relation between marital adjustment and child security. Maternal working models and marital adjustment were also associated interactively with child behavior and child security. Among children of insecure mothers, child security scores were higher when mothers reported high (vs. low) marital adjustment. No relation between child security scores and mothers' marital adjustment was found among children of secure mothers. These results suggest that maternal working models influence parenting and child adjustment well beyond infancy, to which period the few existing studies of adult attachment have been restricted. The results also suggest that interactions between maternal working models and the marital adjustment on child behavior and attachment security need to be more closely examined.

The effects of prostaglandins on superoxide generation by neutrophils were investigated, since these arachidonic acid metabolites are both involved in the early phase of the inflammatory process and during later stages of neutrophil function. Preincubation of these cells for five minutes with concentrations of PGE2 ranging from 10(-7) to 10(-4) M was able to significantly reduce superoxide production in PMA-stimulated neutrophils. Other pro-inflammatory PGs tested, such as PGE1, PGF1 alpha, PGF2 alpha, inhibited the respiratory burst. The PGE2-induced inhibition was compared to that exerted by staurosporine, a PKC inhibitor. The effects of the two drugs were not additive, since the combinations of PGE2 and staurosporine reduced O2- production to the same extent as staurosporine alone. Possible interferences between PKA- and PKC-mediated transduction signals are discussed.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) appears to have an immunosuppressive role in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Therefore, the effect was studied of PGE2 pretreatment of T lymphocytes from patients with lymphadenopathy associated syndrome (LAS) on the expression of CD25 and CD71 as well as plaque forming cell (PFC) generation in pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-driven cultures. The PGE2-treated or untreated T lymphocytes were cultured with B cells and monocytes in the presence of PWM. Both CD25 and CD71 expression were assessed with an immunofluorescence technique; PFC generation was tested by hemolysis. Before exposure to PWM, LAS lymphocytes showed activation as evidenced by high CD25 and CD71 expression and PFC generation. Pretreatment by PGE2 did not inhibit expression of activation markers and PFC generation in LAS cultures, in contrast to what happened in control cultures. Thus, LAS lymphocytes are activated in vivo and are less sensitive to PGE2 inhibition than normal lymphocytes.

In this study we have investigated the role of PGE2 in the activation of human T lymphocytes by PWM. A preincubation of these cells with molar concentrations of the prostaglandin ranging from 10(-9) M to 10(-4) M is able to reduce the expression of IL-2R and CD71 on T lymphocyte membrane during the first days of culture, while the DR molecule which is expressed later in the same experimental conditions is not affected by the treatment of T lymphocytes with PGE2. The PGE2-induced inhibition of IL-2R and CD71 well correlates with the reduction of 3H-thymidine incorporation by T cells, indicating that a preincubation of T lymphocytes with PGE2 profoundly affects the proliferative apparatus of these cells when they are stimulated by PWM.

This study tests the idea that mothers' self-efficacy beliefs mediate the effects on parenting behavior of variables such as depression, perceptions of infant temperamental difficulty, and social-marital supports. Subjects were 48 clinically depressed and 38 nondepressed mothers observed in interaction with their 3-13-month-old infants (M = 7.35 months). As predicted, maternal self-efficacy beliefs related significantly to maternal behavioral competence independent of the effects of other variables. When the effects of self-efficacy were controlled, parenting competence no longer related significantly to social-marital supports or maternal depression. In addition, maternal self-efficacy correlated significantly with perceptions of infant difficulty after controlling for family demographic variables. These results suggest that maternal self-efficacy mediates relations between maternal competence and other psychosocial variables and may play a crucial role in determining parenting behavior and infant psychosocial risk.

The outcome of an early intervention program for low-birthweight (LBW) infants was examined in this study. The intervention consisted of 11 sessions, beginning during the final week of hospitalization and extending into the home over a 3-month period. The program aimed to facilitate maternal adjustment to the care of a LBW infant, and, indirectly, to enhance the child's development. Neonates weighing less than 2,200 grams and under 37 weeks gestational age were randomly assigned to experimental or control conditions. A full-term, normal birthweight (NBW) group served as a second control. 6-month analyses of dyads who completed all assessments over a 4-year period (N's = 25 LBW experimental, 29 LBW control, and 28 NBW infant-mother dyads) showed that the experimental group mothers reported significantly greater self-confidence and satisfaction with mothering, as well as more favorable perception of infant temperament than LBW control group mothers. A progressive divergence between the LBW experimental and LBW control children on cognitive scores culminated in significant group differences on the McCarthy GCI at ages 36 and 48 months, when the LBW experimental group caught up to the NBW group. Possible explanations for the observed delay in the emergence of intervention effects on cognitive development and the mediating role of favorable mother-infant transactional patterns are discussed in light of recent evidence from the literature.

A tissue-culture system to stimulate human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) has been employed in which IgM plaque-forming cell (IgM PFC) generation in response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) is dependent on macrophages and T suppressor and helper lymphocytes. In this system PBMC from normal subjects give IgM PFC responses ranging from 26 to 938 PFC/culture. Heat-aggregated human IgG or immune complexes present for the duration of culture induce a significant depression of PFC. Unaggregated IgG has no effect on the response or only a moderate stimulatory effect at the highest dose. The results of these experiments are compatible with previous results in a murine system, which indicated that Fc gamma receptor-positive (Fc gamma R+) cells in the suppressor subset are the target for aggregated IgG and induce depression of the PFC response. A similar mechanism may be operating in the human system described here, although the target cell has not been identified. These results may reflect a mechanism of immunomodulation dependent on interaction of Fc receptor (FcR) ligands with FcR, which may play a role in the pathogenesis of immune complex disorders.

We have reported a marked decrease of lymphocyte sensitivity to prostaglandins (PGs) in patients with untreated cervical carcinoma and other solid neoplasias. Particularly, Ea and ME rosette formation was inhibited only slightly by PGs in all cancer patients studied, as compared with the high inhibition values observed in normal individuals (Clin Immunol Immunopathol, 1981). In the present work, the PG-induced inhibition of Ea and ME rosette formation has been studied in patients with stage 0 cervical carcinoma up to 180 days after hysterectomy. It has been found that in these patients the PG sensitivity increased gradually up to or higher than the levels seen in normal control subjects. However, the PG sensitivity of Ea is restored earlier after surgery, while ME show a delayed recovery. Since the PG sensitivities correlate well with the clinical status of patients, it is suggested that such sensitivity may represent a useful test for following patients with cervical carcinoma.

A short preincubation of human T and B lymphocyte subpopulations with physiologic or pharmacologic concentrations of PGs E2 and F1 alpha, but not with E1 and F2 alpha, markedly depresses the cell ability to bind immune complexes, through FcR-IgG. This effect appears to be relatively temperature-independent. These observations indicate that PG treatment of human lymphocytes may be useful to distinguish the subclasses of FcR-IgG-bearing T and B cells, which are sensible to the modulating effect of PGs.

Previous work has shown that Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and other cyclic AMP elevating agents increase the expression of Fc receptors for IgG (FcR) on the murine pre-B cell lymphoma ABE-8 (Burchiel and Warner, 1980). We have investigated here the effect of Prostaglandins E1, E2, F1alpha, F2alpha on FcR expression of normal mouse lymphocytes. FcR were detected by an indirect fluorescent technique on B lymphocytes. The results show that Prostaglandins in culture did not induced any significant change of FcR + lymphocytes. The results are discussed in terms of the role of FcR in the ontogeny and functions of B lymphocytes.

Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells when cultured for the short term (11 days) produce an optimal IgM plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to sheep erythrocytes, which is dependent on macrophages and T suppressor and helper lymphocytes. With this system we have investigated the PFC response of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis and compared this to the response of normal sex- and age-matched controls and of patients with osteoarthritis. The response of rheumatoid arthritis patients was significantly lower than that of subjects in the other two categories.

Mouse spleen cells treated with the Fc receptor ligands mouse IgG2b and human IgG, followed or not by a second antibody, exhibit different patterns of redistribution. In the work reported here we have examined the redistribution of Fc receptors (FcR) after binding of aggregated mouse IgG2b (Alg) or of Alg followed by anti-lg. We were particularly interested in learning whether binding of isologous Alg to FcR is followed by significant redistribution and shedding of Alg-FcR complexes. Mouse IgG2b alone will not induce capping even after 60 min at 37 degrees C. Human IgG induces some capping with minor shedding of complexes. Human IgG followed by anti-IgG readily induces capping by 15 min on 70% of the cells. This treatment also induces capping by 60 min at 20 degrees C on about 80% of the cells with a moderate degree of shedding of complexes. This is in agreement with the concept that the crosslinking required for FcR capping can be best induced with a second antibody. It is of interest, however, that heterologous IgG, unlike isologous, can induce a modest degree of capping and slight shedding even without the second antibody, suggesting that some crosslinking occurs with heterologous IgG.

This paper describes the isolation and purification of a dialyzable mouse erythrocyte rosette-promoting factor (MERF) contained in fetal calf serum (FCS). All rosette-promoting activity of FCS appears to be due to a low molecular weight, ribonuclease-sensitive material with biological activity promoting the expression of mouse erythrocyte receptors on a subset of human B lymphocytes.