Adaptive immunity detects non-self through the recognition of peptide antigens using receptors expressed on the surface of B and T cells, however that how innate immune system recognizes non-self has been remained unclear. Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) is a critical adaptor molecule shared by toll-like receptors (TLRs), and has ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Th17 cells play a role in inflammation. Interleukin (IL)-10 is a potent anti-inflammatory cytokine. However, it is poorly understood whether and how endogenous IL-10 impacts the development of Th17 cells in human pathologies. Materials and methods We examined the relationship between IL-10 and Th17 cells in patients with ...

Disease epizootics are increasing with climatic shifts, yet within each system only a subset of species are identified as the most vulnerable. Understanding ecological immunology patterns as well as environmental influences on immune defenses will provide insight into the persistence of a functional system through adverse conditions. Amongst the most ...

Oncolytic viruses (OV) are promising treatments for cancer, with several currently undergoing testing in randomised clinical trials. Measles virus (MV) has not yet been tested in models of human melanoma. This study demonstrates the efficacy of MV against human melanoma. It is increasingly recognised that an essential component of therapy ...

UV radiation targets the skin and is a primary cause of skin cancer (both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer). Exposure to UV radiation also suppresses the immune response, and UV-induced immune suppression is a major risk factor for skin cancer induction. The efforts of dermatologists and cancer biologists to understand ...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of setting higher targets, in a primary care pay-for-performance scheme, on rates of influenza immunization and exception reporting. STUDY SETTING: The U.K. Quality and Outcomes Framework links financial rewards for family practices to four separate influenza immunization rates for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), ...

Over-expression of anti-apoptotic BCL2 has been reported in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), but targeting BCL2 alone did not yield appreciable clinical results. However, it was demonstrated that BCL2 inhibitors enhanced the clinical efficacy of chemo and immunotherapeutics. Lenalidomide, an immunomodulator, is clinically effective in CLL and can enhance the anti-CLL ...

Genistein modulates inflammatory responses in part by reducing the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-12, TNF-α and nitric oxide (NO), by activated macrophages in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulus. Previous studies have shown that synthetic lipophilic genistein glycosides were significantly more active than hydrophilic glycosides. The aim of this study ...

BACKGROUND: Ceruloplasmin is a positive acute-phase protein with both anti- and pro-oxidant activities, thus having still unclear physiological functions in inflammatory processes. Importantly, ceruloplasmin has been implicated in iron metabolism due to its ferroxidase activity, assisting ferroportin on cellular iron efflux. Ceruloplasmin can be expressed as a secreted or as ...

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and/or neonatal low birth weight are often associated with increased intima/media thickness of the abdominal aortic wall (aIMT). Several studies in children suggested that aIMT might be related to inflammation, probably indicating an early stage of adulthood diseases, such as atherosclerosis. Our previous study performed on ...

Recent studies have highlighted the fundamental role of commensal microbes in the maintenance of host homeostasis. For instance, commensals can play a major role in the control of host defense, metabolism and tissue development. Over the past few years, abundant experimental data also support their central role in the induction ...

ABSTRACT: The soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) has been suggested as a biomarker that reflects immune cell activation. In critically ill patients, several independent investigations have reported elevated suPAR in conditions of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), bacteriemia, sepsis, and septic shock, in which high circulating suPAR levels indicated ...

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are characterized as type I interferon-producing cells that engage endosomal toll-like receptors (TLRs) and exclusively express sialic acid binding Ig-like lectin (Siglec)-H. However, their role in vivo remains unclear. Here we report a critical role for pDCs in the regulation of inflammation and T cell immunity ...

It is known that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the main cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in young children. RSV infection often leads to severe acute lung immunopathology, but the underlying immune mechanisms are less elucidated. Here, we found that RSV infection induced severe acute lung immune injury and promoted ...

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are long-lived cells that suppress immune responses in vivo in a dominant and antigen-specific manner. Therefore, therapeutic application of Tregs to control unwanted immune responses is an active area of investigation. Tregs can confer long-term protection against auto-inflammatory diseases in mouse models. They have also been ...

TLR2 recognizes components of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and initiates APC activities that influence both innate and adaptive immunity. M. tuberculosis lipoproteins are an important class of TLR2 ligands. In this study, we focused on recombinant MPT83 (rMPT83) to determine its effects on mouse macrophages. We demonstrated that rMPT83 induced the production ...

β-Defensins are antimicrobial peptides of the innate immune system produced in the skin by various stimuli, including proinflammatory cytokines, bacterial infection, and exposure to UV radiation (UVR). In this study we demonstrate that the UVR-inducible antimicrobial peptide murine β-defensin-14 (mBD-14) switches CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells into a regulatory phenotype by inducing ...

PGD(2) exerts a number of proinflammatory responses through a high-affinity interaction with chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells (CRTH2) and has been detected at high concentrations at sites of allergic inflammation. Because cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLTs) are also produced during the allergic response, we investigated the possibility that cysLTs may ...

R-Ras is a member of the RAS superfamily of small GTP-binding proteins. The physiological function of R-Ras has not been fully elucidated. We found that R-Ras is expressed by lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues and drastically upregulated when bone marrow progenitors are induced to differentiate into dendritic cells (DCs). To address ...

Inflammatory myopathies (IMs) are systemic diseases characterized by a T helper (Th) 1 type inflammatory response and cell infiltrates within skeletal muscles. The mainstay of treatment is drugs aimed at suppressing the immune system - corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. About 25% of patients are non-responders. Skeletal muscle cells seem actively involved ...

Corynebacterium pyruviciproducens (C. pyruviciproducens), a newly discovered Corynebacterium, is gram-positive, non-flagellate, non-spore-forming lipophilic rod. No known pathogenic components of Corynebacteria have been found in this new bacterium, such as diphtheria toxin and tuberculostearic acid. In the present study, referring to Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), a well-known bacterial adjuvant, the stimulation ...

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) expressing the nuclear receptor RORγt are essential for gut immunity presumably through production of interleukin-22 (IL-22). The molecular mechanism underlying the development of RORγt(+) ILCs is poorly understood. Here, we have shown that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) plays an essential role in RORγt(+) ILC maintenance ...

VI-16, a newly synthesized flavonoid, has a hydroxy substitution at C5 position, a methoxyl substitution at C5 position, and a piperazine substitution at C7 position. Here, we firstly investigated the potential antitumor effect of VI-16 in HepG2 human hepatocarcinoma cells. The MTT assay showed that VI-16 inhibited HepG2 cell growth ...

Melatonin has been reported to play a fundamental role in T-cell immunoregulation. Control of Trypanosoma cruzi parasitism during the acute phase of infection is considered to be critically dependent on direct macrophage activation by cytokines. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of exogenous melatonin treatment and ...

B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric hematologic malignancy. Although patient cure has reached an excellent rate, a minority of cases relapse and need novel therapies. IL-12, IL-23 and IL-27 belong to the IL-12 superfamily and exert immunological and anti-tumor functions. The latter can be mediated by ...

The specific functions of intrinsic regulators of OL differentiation are poorly understood. Sema4D, originally found as a negative regulator of axon guidance, is mainly expressed by oligodendrocytes in the postnatal brain, and our previous study revealed that the lack of Sema4D induced an increase in the number of oligodendrocytes in ...

The αE integrin chain CD103 identifies a subset of migratory dendritic cells (DCs) in the gut, lung, and skin. To gain further understanding of the function of CD103(+) DCs in regulating adaptive immunity in vivo, we coupled ovalbumin (OVA) to the CD103 antibody M290 (M290.OVA). Intraperitoneal injection of M290.OVA induced ...

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) causes a spectrum of disease, including herpes labialis, herpes keratitis, and herpes encephalitis, which can be lethal. Viral recognition by pattern recognition receptors plays a central role in cytokine production and in the generation of antiviral immunity. The relative contributions of different Toll-like receptors (TLRs) ...

Systemic lupus erythematosus commonly known as lupus is an intricate disorder with multiple organ involvement characterized primarily by inflammation caused due to deposition of immune-complexes formed by production of autoantibodies against nuclear, nucleolar as well as cytoplasmic self-antigens. Lack of availability of suitable treatments or treatments that are only symptomatic ...

Obesity and related type 2 diabetes are increasing at epidemic proportions globally. It is now recognized that inflammatory responses mediated within the adipose tissue in obesity are central to the development of disease. Once initiated, chronic inflammation associated with obesity leads to the modulation of immune cell function. This review ...

In recent years, it has become clear that there is an extensive cross-talk between the nervous and the immune system. Somewhat surprisingly, the immune cells themselves do express components of the neuronal neurotransmitters systems. What role the neurotransmitters, their ion channels, receptors and transporters have in immune function and regulation ...

Brain and immune system are linked by bidirectional pathways so that changes of the central nervous system may influence various immune functions. The olfactory system may be involved in this interaction. In most odor studies subjects are aware of an odor exposure, using frequently high odor concentrations or long-term exposures ...

Abstract The interplay between dendritic cells (DCs) and natural killer (NK) cells directs adaptive immune responses. The molecular basis of the crosstalk is largely undefined. Here, we provide evidence for a contribution of CD30(TNFRSF8) and its ligand CD30L(TNFSF8) expressed on NK cells and DCs, respectively. We demonstrate that CD30-mediated engagement ...

(3R,6R)-bassiatin(1) was isolated from the endogenous fungus Fusarium oxysporum J8-1-2. Our previous studies show that (3R,6R)-bassiatin(1) is a novel antiestrogen agent which is cytotoxic to estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer MCF-7 cells via cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis. (3R,6R)-Bassiatin(1) could suppress the protein and mRNA expression of estrogen ...

The microsporidia are emerging agents of infectious disease in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent mammals. Recently, there has been an increased interest in studying the immunobiology of microsporidiosis. This paper discusses the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to Encephalitozoon spp. The T-cell-mediated responses appear to be most important in conferring resistance. ...

Nanotechnology permits the design of therapeutic devices with defined structure and molecular composition. Modular designs employing surface-bound ligands provide specific homing devices for loaded cargo, and biocompatible and biodegradable constructs provide surrogate temporary microenvironments. We first present a case for developing 'smart' modular constructs as immunogenic vaccines to prime immune ...

Complex immune responses have evolved to protect multicellular organisms against the invasion of pathogens. This has exerted strong developmental pressure for specialized functions that can also limit damage to self-tissue. Two arms of immunity, the innate and adaptive immune system, have evolved for quick, non-specific immune responses to pathogens and ...

Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from the uterus of a thoroughbred mare with bacterial endometritis was used to evaluate the effect of progesterone (P(4)) on the immune response of mares. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 10 non-pregnant clinically-healthy adult mares (range, 4-12 years) during diestrus, four thoroughbreds, ...

Sexual dimorphism in human immune systems is most apparent in the female predominance of certain autoimmune diseases (ADs) like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Epidemiologic, observational and experimental evidence strongly suggest sex steroids are important modulators of genetic risk in human AD. In this regard, the roles of progesterone (Pg), an ...

Aim of the Study. Citrus species is used in traditional medicine as medicinal herb in several Asian countries including Korea. Flavonioids became known as various properties, such as anti-oxidants, anti-inflammation and anti-cancer, and so forth. The present study, the anti-cancer effect of flavonioids isolated from Citrus aurantium L. in human ...

Neuro-immune interactions are widely manifested in animal physiology. Since immunity competes for energy with other physiological functions, it is subject to a circadian trade-off between other energy-demanding processes, such as neural activity, locomotion and thermoregulation. When immunity is challenged, this trade-off is tilted to an adaptive energy protecting and reallocation ...

Aim:To explore the mechanisms underlying the oridonin-induced apoptosis and autophagy in human multiple myeloma cells in vitro.Methods:Human multiple myeloma RPMI8266 cells were used. The cell viability was assessed using MTT assay. Morphological changes of apoptosis and autophagy were observed under transmission electron microscope. TUNEL and annexin V-FITC/PI dual staining assays ...

This study was designed to investigate the association between immune inflammation and androgen receptor (AR) expression in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We retrospectively analyzed 105 prostatectomy specimens. An immune inflammation score for each specimen was defined by combining three immunohistochemical markers (CD4, CD8 and CD20). The immunohistochemical markers were CD4 ...

The release of cytokines by T cells defines a significant part of their functional activity in vivo, and their ability to produce multiple cytokines has been associated with beneficial immune responses. To date, time-integrated end-point measurements have obscured whether these polyfunctional states arise from the simultaneous or successive release of ...

The outcome of infection depends on multiple layers of immune regulation with innate immunity playing a decisive role in shaping protection or pathogenic sequelae of acquired immunity. The contribution of pattern recognition receptors and adaptor molecules in immunity to malaria remains poorly understood. Here we interrogate the role of the ...

Liver fibrosis and its end-stage consequence, cirrhosis, represent the final common pathway of virtually all chronic liver diseases. Research into hepatic stellate cell activation, imbalance of the extracellular matrix synthesis and degradation and the contribution of cytokines and chemokines has further elucidated the mechanisms underlying fibrosis. Furthermore, clarification of changes ...

Microbial adjuvants in vaccines activate key transcription factors, including NF-κB and interferon response factors (IRFs). However, the individual role of these transcription factor pathways in promoting adaptive immunity by adjuvants is not clear. It is widely believed that induction of a strong inflammatory response potentiates an adaptive immune response. In ...

The involvement of macrophages in Th17-cell responses is still poorly understood. While neutrophils are thought to be the predominant effector of Th17-cell responses, IL-17 is also known to induce myelotropic chemokines and growth factors. Other T cell-derived cytokines induce nonclassical functions, suggesting that IL-17 signaling may similarly elicit unique macrophage ...

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and TNF receptor superfamilies (TNFSF and TNFRSF) consist of approximately 50 membrane and soluble proteins that can modulate cellular function. Most of these molecules are expressed by or can target cells of the immune system, and they have a wide range of actions including promoting ...

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown cause associated with impaired T-lymphocyte function and impaired cell-mediated immunity. Decreased cell-mediated immunity predisposes one to intracellular pathogens (eg, cryptococci).