The host innate immune response to viral infections often involves the activation of parallel pattern recognition receptor (PRR) pathways that converge on the induction of type I interferons (IFNs). Several viruses have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to attenuate antiviral host signaling by directly interfering with the activation and/or downstream signaling events ...

Tributyltin chloride (TBTC), a characteristic organotin compound, is widely used as an agricultural pesticide, as a stabiliser for polyvinyl-chloride plastics and in antifouling paints for ship hulls. Organotin compounds are known to produce toxicity in the immune system, but the mechanism underlying this immunotoxicity remains unclear. In this study, we ...

The innate signaling pathways for Th2 immunity activated by inhaled antigens are not well defined. We previously identified Dectin-2 as a receptor for glycans in allergen extracts from the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) that mediates cysteinyl leukotriene (cys-LT) generation from pulmonary CD11c+ cells and from GM-CSF-cultured bone marrow ...

This review examines the multiple levels of pre-existing immunity in the upper and lower female reproductive tract. In addition, we highlight the need for further research of innate and adaptive immune protection of mucosal surfaces in the female reproductive tract. Innate mechanisms include the mucus lining, a tight epithelial barrier ...

Aims Overexpression of therapeutic genes with potential disease-limiting effects, specifically at the site of inflammation, remains a major clinical challenge. In this study, we investigate the potential of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-9-mediated cardiac expression of the anti-inflammatory mediators interleukin (IL)-10 and a dominant-negative inhibitor of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1-7ND) on prevention ...

Toll-like receptors are innate immunity receptors that activate inflammation and adaptive immunity. Our objectives were to analyze the association between TLR3, 7, 8 and 9 expressions and clinical outcome in patients with ischemic stroke and the expression of inflammatory molecules. One hundred-ten patients with ischemic stroke were included within 12h ...

Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) bacteria play a key role in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. Although our previous studies have demonstrated that vaccines targeting a surface sialidase or bacterial particles exhibit a preventive effect against P. acnes, the lack of therapeutic activities and incapability of neutralizing secretory virulence factors motivate ...

Many successful vaccines induce persistent antibody responses that can last a lifetime. The mechanisms by which they do so remain unclear, but emerging evidence indicates that they activate dendritic cells via Toll-like receptors (TLRs). For example, the yellow fever vaccine YF-17D, one of the most successful empiric vaccines ever developed, ...

Based on clinical data revealing a promising immunomodulatory effect of clarithromycin in sepsis due to ventilator-associated pneumonia, the efficacy of clarithromycin in experimental peritonitis and sepsis was assessed with particular emphasis on immune function. Cecal puncture and ligation was performed in rabbits assigned to the following groups: Group A, controls ...

Rapid detection and elimination of pathogens invasive to intestinal tissue is essential to avoid prolonged gut inflammation, or systemic sepsis. The discovery of transmembrane or intracytoplasmic pattern recognition receptors that detect the presence of conserved microbial macromolecular structures has significantly advanced the understanding of how metazoans respond to and eliminate ...

Kiwifruit is a good source of several vitamins and minerals and dietary fibre, and contains a number of phytochemicals; so kiwifruit potentially provides health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Consumption of green kiwifruit can have positive effects on cardiovascular health through antioxidant activity, inhibition of platelet aggregation and lowered TAG levels, ...

PURPOSE: Metastatic cancer patients exhibit systemic dysregulation of immune polarity and are biased toward Th-2 immune responses. This is due, at least in part, to effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on antigen presenting cell (APC) function. We therefore compared immune polarity changes in mouse models of cancer with ...

Larvae of Galleria mellonella are widely used to evaluate microbial virulence and to assess the in vivo efficacy of antimicrobial agents. The aim of this work was to examine the ability of an Aspergillus fumigatus toxin, fumagillin, to suppress the immune response of larvae. Administration of fumagillin to larvae increased ...

Recent discoveries of IgD in ancient vertebrates suggest that IgD has been preserved in evolution from fish to human for important immunological functions. A non-canonical form of class switching from IgM to IgD occurs in the human upper respiratory mucosa to generate IgD-secreting B cells that bind respiratory bacteria and ...

Catecholamines have been suggested to modulate innate immune responses in experimental settings. The significance hereof in the treatment of human septic shock is unknown. We therefore sought if and how vasopressor/inotropic doses relate to pro-inflammatory mediators during treatment of septic shock. We prospectively studied 20 consecutive septic shock patients. For ...

In men, the penile urethra is a primary infection site for sexually transmitted pathogens. Research on the immunology of this mucosal site has been limited in part due to sampling challenges, but available evidence indicates that the urethra contains a rich contingent of immunological mediators that can mount vigorous innate ...

Regulatory T cells (Treg) and dendritic cells (DC) play an important role in tumor immunity and immune escape. However, their interplay and the effects of anti-cancer therapy on the human immune system are largely unknown. For DC generation, CD14⊃+ monocytes were enriched by immunomagnetic selection from peripheral blood of advanced ...

Pathogens may induce different immune responses in hosts contingent on pathogen characteristics, host characteristics, or interactions between the two. We investigated whether the broadly effective acute phase response (APR), a whole-body immune response that occurs in response to constitutive immune receptor activation and includes fever, secretion of immune peptides, and ...

The idea that an inflammatory process is involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) was proposed already hundred years ago but only the past twenty years inflammation-related proteins have been identified within plaques. A number of acute-phase proteins colocalize with the extracellular amyloid fibrils, the so called Aβ-associated proteins. Activated microglia and ...

Ginsenoside, the most important component isolated from Panax ginseng, exhibits a variety of biological activities. Particularly, ginsenoside Rg1 is known to have immune-modulating activities such as increase of immune activity of T helper (Th) cells. In the present study, we evaluated the immunomodulatory potentials of the Rg1 at three dose ...

Bacteria in the genus Providencia are pathogens of many organisms, including humans and insects. We and colleagues have isolated five different strains belonging to four distinct Providencia species as natural infections of Drosophila melanogaster captured in the wild. We found that these isolates vary considerably in pathology to infected D. ...

Macrophages are fundamental cells of the innate immune system. Their activation is essential for such distinct immune functions as inflammation (pathogen-killing) and tissue repair (wound healing). An open question has been the functional stability of an individual macrophage cell: whether it can change its functional profile between different immune responses ...

PORIA COCOS (Polyporaceae) is a saprophytic fungus that grows in diverse species of PINUS. Its sclerotium, called FU-LING or HOELEN, is used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine for its diuretic, sedative, and tonic effects. Various studies of this fungus have demonstrated its marked anti-inflammatory activity in different experimental models ...

The aim of this work was to determine the possible occurrence of damage to the immune system during the course of chronic ingestion of (137)Cs. BALB/C mice were used, with (137)Cs intake via drinking water at a concentration of 20 kBq l( - 1). Adults received (137)Cs before mating and offspring were ...

Renal ischemia followed by reperfusion results in kidney injury which in turn produces and releases destructive inflammatory cytokines into the circulation causing subsequent distant organ injury. Little data suggest the immune mechanism of curcumin on protection against ischemia/reperfusion induced injury. We investigated the immunomodulatory and anti-apoptotic effects of curcumin on ...

In this study, we summarized the major phenotypic/functional aspects of circulating leukocytes following canine immunization with Leishvaccine and Leishmune(®). Our findings showed that Leishvaccine triggered early changes in the innate immunity (neutrophils and eosinophils) with late alterations on monocytes. Conversely, Leishmune(®) induced early phenotypic changes in both, neutrophils and monocytes. ...

Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC, thrush) is an opportunistic infection caused by the commensal fungus Candida albicans. An understanding of immunity to Candida has recently begun to unfold with the identification of fungal pattern-recognition receptors such as C-type lectin receptors, which trigger protective T-helper (Th)17 responses in the mucosa. Hyper-IgE syndrome (HIES/Job's ...

BACKGROUND:: Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is one of the critical inhibitory regulators of early stages of T cell activation and proliferation which opposes the actions of CD28-mediated co-stimulation. Anti-CTLA-4 therapy has been effective clinically in enhancing immunity and improving survival in patients with metastatic cancer. Sepsis is a lethal condition ...

The vagus nerve can reflexively attenuate the innate immune response via binding of the vagal neurotransmitter acetylcholine to the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). We recently reported potent anti-inflammatory effects of the α7nAChR agonist GTS-21 in human leukocytes. In the present work we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of GTS-21 on ...

Innate antiviral immunity, particularly at mucosal surfaces, has a critical role in early control of viral infections. Both type I interferons (IFNs) and interleukin-15 (IL-15) are essential components of innate antiviral immunity. It has been shown that toll-like receptor (TLR) ligand-induced innate antiviral immunity requires IFN-α/β and -λ receptor signaling. ...

Citrobacter rodentium infection of mice induces cell-mediated immune responses associated with crypt hyperplasia and epithelial β-catenin signaling. Recent data suggest that phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling cooperates with Wnt to activate β-catenin in intestinal stem and progenitor cells through phosphorylation at Ser552 (P-β-catenin(552)). Our aim was to determine whether epithelial PI3K/Akt activation ...

It is hypothesis that ATF3 is a downstream component of BMP10. The possible function of ATF3 on immune response is partially regulated by BMP10 via Smad dependent pathway. BMP10 is highly expressed in blood cells during embryonic development based on our in situ hybridization. The expression of ATF3 is enhanced ...

Innate immune responses to pathogens are governed by the nervous system. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying innate immunity in Caenorhabditis elegans against Escherichia coli OP50, a standard laboratory C. elegans food. Longevity was compared in worms fed live or UV-killed OP50 at low or high density food condition (HDF). ...

Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) is located in the endosomal compartment of immune cells. Signaling through TLR7, mediated by the adaptor protein MyD88, stimulates the innate immune system and shapes adaptive immune responses. Previously, we characterized TLR7 ligands conjugated to protein, lipid, or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Among the TLR7 ligand conjugates, ...

OBJECTS: This study aimed to investigate the immunoprotection of the recombinant Eg.myophilin (rEg.myophilin) and tentatively analyze mechanism of this protection. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Three groups of female mice were immunized subcutaneously with rEg.myophilin and contrasts, after two boosters, mice were challenged with Eg protoscoleces (PSCs) intraperitoneally, and then analyzed the ...

Hypoxia is a condition of low oxygen tension that characterizes virtually every site of inflammation, tissue damage, and neoplasia. Hypoxic environment attracts infiltrating immune cells that move against oxygen gradients and respond to these demanding conditions by switching to anaerobic metabolism to maintain their energy requirements. Several lines of evidence ...

Estrogens and estrogen receptors (ERs) are potent regulators of the immune response. Disruption of ERα or modulation of its function by selective ligands during experimental autoimmune conditions changes the course of disease by influencing specific humoral and cellular responses. However, it is not known whether fluctuation in the ERα level ...

Stimulation of almost all mammalian cell types leads to the release of cellular ATP and autocrine feedback through a diverse array of purinergic receptors. Depending on the types of purinergic receptors that are involved, autocrine signalling can promote or inhibit cell activation and fine-tune functional responses. Recent work has shown ...

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide, despite the widespread use of antiviral drugs. Its ability to evade the immune system and establish a latent infection has made it difficult to develop an effective vaccine. Our understanding of the immune response against HSV-2 remains complex and ...

Cypermethrin (CYP) is widely used for control of indoor and field pests. As a result, CYP is one of the most common contaminants in freshwater aquatic systems. In the present study, we investigated the effects of CYP exposure on the induction of apoptosis and immunotoxicity in zebrafish during the embryo ...

BACKGROUND: Immunosuppressive agents, used commonly to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are associated with an increased risk of infections, including those preventable by immunization. This study aimed to describe physician and patient values and knowledge regarding immunization and immunization histories. METHODS: In all, 167 IBD patients and 43 gastroenterologists completed ...

To escape expulsion by their host's immune system, pathogenic nematodes exploit regulatory pathways that are intrinsic parts of the mammalian immune system, such as regulatory T cells (Tregs). Using depletion of Treg mice, we showed that Foxp3(+) Treg numbers increased rapidly during infection with the nematode Strongyloides ratti. Transient depletion ...

Toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling must be tightly regulated to avoid excessive inflammation and to allow for tissue repair and the return to homeostasis after infection and tissue injury. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important controllers of TLR signalling. Several miRNAs are induced by TLR activation in innate immune cells and ...

The response to exogenous pathogens leads to activation of innate immunity through the release of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and their binding to pattern recognition receptors. A classic example is septic shock where Toll receptor 4 recognizes PAMPs. Although well accepted, this concept does not explain the activation of innate ...

DNA viruses are a significant contributor to human morbidity and mortality. The immune system protects against viral infections through coordinated innate and adaptive immune responses. While the antigen-specific adaptive mechanisms have been extensively studied, the critical contributions of innate immunity to anti-viral defenses have only been revealed in the very ...

Orthopoxviruses encode multiple proteins that modulate host immune responses. We determined whether cowpox virus (CPXV), a representative orthopoxvirus, modulated innate and acquired immune functions of human primary myeloid DCs and plasmacytoid DCs and monocyte-derived DCs (MDDCs). A CPXV infection of DCs at a multiplicity of infection of 10 was nonproductive, ...

The human polyoma viruses JCV and BKV establish asymptomatic persistent infection in 65%-90% of humans but can cause severe illness under immunosuppressive conditions. The mechanisms by which these viruses evade immune recognition are unknown. Here we show that a viral miRNA identical in sequence between JCV and BKV targets the ...

A strain was isolated from a soil sample collected from Weihe river in Shaanxi province (108° 03' E 34°14' N), which was identified as Alcaligenes faecalis. by 16S rRNA analysis. A compound M showing potent immune activity was isolated from secondary metabolites of the strain through bioassay-guided isolation techniques. The ...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Viruses target innate immune pathways to evade host antiviral responses. Recent studies demonstrate a relationship between hepatitis B disease states and the host's innate immune response, although the mechanism of immunomodulation is unknown. In humans, the innate immune system recognizes pathogens via pattern recognition receptors such as ...

Background  The immune-suppressive effects of sunlight play a central role in skin carcinogenesis. Ultraviolet (UV) B radiation is highly immunosuppressive even at suberythemal doses, and longwave UVA is now also recognized to cause immunosuppression in humans. The relative contributions of UVA and UVB to immunosuppression by incidental daily sun exposure ...