Clinical and experimental immunology最新文献

The effect of beta-adrenergic stimulation on human labial minor salivary gland epithelial cells (LMSGEC) on IL-6 production and its dependency on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress were investigated. Primary LMSGEC from Sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients and controls in culture were stimulated with epinephrine and IL-6 expression was evaluated by qPCR and ELISA. The expression of β-ARs in cultured LMSGEC was tested by qPCR, while adrenoceptors and cAMP levels were examined in LMSGs by immunofluorescence. ER evaluation was performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ER stress by western blot. Epinephrine-induced IL-6 production by cultured LMSGEC was evaluated after alleviation of the ER stress by applying tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) and silencing of PKR-like ER kinase (PERK) and activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) RNAs. Expression of IL-6 by LMSGEC was upregulated after β-adrenergic stimulation, while the silencing of adrenoreceptors downregulated IL-6. The amelioration of ER stress, as well as the silencing of PERK/ATF4, prevented epinephrine-induced upregulation of IL-6. Adrenergic stimulation led to higher and sustained IL-6 levels secreted by LMSGEC of SS patients compared to controls. Adrenergic signaling was endogenously enhanced in LMSGEC of SS patients (expression of β-ARs in situ, intracellular cAMP in cultured LMSGEC). In parallel, SS-LMSGEC expressed dilated ER (TEM) and higher levels of GRP78/BiP. PERK/ATF4 pathway of the ER stress emerged as a considerable mediator of adrenergic stimulation for IL-6 production by the LMSGEC. An enhanced endogenous adrenergic activation and a stressed ER observed in SS-LMSGEC may contribute to a sustained IL-6 production by these cells after adrenergic stimulation.

The clinical spectrum of Down syndrome (DS) ranges from congenital malformations to premature aging and early-onset senescence. Excessive immunoreactivity and oxidative stress are thought to accelerate the pace of aging in DS patients; however, the immunological profile remains elusive. We investigated whether peripheral blood monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) in DS patients respond to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) distinctly from non-DS control MoDCs. Eighteen DS patients (age 2-47 years, 12 males) and 22 controls (age 4-40 years, 15 males) were enrolled. CD14-positive monocytes were immunopurified and cultured for 7 days in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and IL-4, yielding MoDCs in vitro. After the LPS-stimulation for 48 hours from days 7 to 9, culture supernatant cytokines were measured by multiplex cytokine bead assays, and bulk-prepared RNA from the cells was used for transcriptomic analyses. MoDCs from DS patients produced cytokines/chemokines (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, MCP-1, and IP-10) at significantly higher levels than those from controls in response to LPS. RNA sequencing revealed that DS-derived MoDCs differentially expressed 137 genes (74 upregulated and 63 downregulated) compared with controls. A gene enrichment analysis identified 5 genes associated with Toll-like receptor signaling (KEGG: hsa04620, P = 0.00731) and oxidative phosphorylation (hsa00190, P = 0.0173) pathways. MoDCs obtained from DS patients showed higher cytokine or chemokine responses to LPS than did control MoDCs. Gene expression profiles suggest that hyperactive Toll-like receptor and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathways configure the immunoreactive signature of MoDCs in DS patients.

Serum B-cell maturation antigen (sBCMA) levels can serve as a sensitive biomarker in multiple myeloma (MM). In the research setting, sBCMA levels can be accurately detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), but the approach has not been approved for clinical use. Here, we used a novel chemiluminescence method to assess sBCMA levels in 759 serum samples from 17 healthy donors and 443 patients with plasma cell (PC) diseases including AL amyloidosis, POEMS syndrome, and MM. Serum BCMA levels were elevated 16.1-fold in patients with newly diagnosed MM compared to healthy donors and rare PC diseases patients. Specifically, the sBCMA levels in patients with progressive disease were 64.6-fold higher than those who showed partial response or above to treatment. The sBCMA level also correlated negatively with the response depth of MM patients. In newly diagnosed and relapsed MM patients, survival was significantly longer among those subjects whose sBCMA levels are below the median levels compared with those above the median value. We optimized the accuracy of the survival prediction further by integrating sBCMA level into the Second Revised International Staging System (R2-ISS). Our findings provide evidence that the novel chemiluminescence method is sensitive and practical for measuring sBCMA levels in clinical samples and confirm that sBCMA might serve as an independent prognostic biomarker for MM.

The gut-skin axis has recently been widely recognized, and both the gut and skin have been found to affect each other through a bidirectional connection; however, the precise mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of chronic skin damage (CSD) on mouse intestines. Following the CSD model, 4% sodium dodecyl sulfate was applied to the back-shaved murine skin six times for 2 weeks after tape stripping. The small and large intestines were analyzed histologically and immunologically, respectively. Intestinal permeability was measured using fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated-dextran. The role of interleukin-13 (IL-13) in the ileum was investigated using an anti-IL-13 antibody. Apoptotic intestinal cells were analyzed using TUNEL staining. Villus atrophy was observed in the small intestine in the CSD model, along with increased permeability. Mast cells, but not T cells, eosinophils, or innate lymph cell-2, were increased in the intestinal mucosa. However, no significant changes were observed in the large intestine. mRNA expression of IL-13 was increased only in the ileum of the CSD model. Apoptotic intestinal epithelial cells were significantly increased in the ileum of the CSD model. Administration of an anti-IL-13 antibody ameliorated the intestinal damage caused by CSD, along with decreased apoptotic cells and mast cell infiltration. Skin damage causes morphological changes in the small intestine, accompanied by increased intestinal permeability, possibly through the IL-13-induced apoptosis of mast cells in the epithelium. Surfactant-mediated mechanical skin damage can cause a leaky gut.

Smooth muscle antibodies (SMA) with anti-microfilament actin (MF-SMA) specificity are regarded as highly specific markers of type 1 autoimmune hepatitis (AIH-1) but their recognition relying on immunofluorescence of vessel, glomeruli, and tubules (SMA-VGT pattern) in rodent kidney tissue, is restricted by operator-dependent interpretation. A gold standard method for their identification is not available. We assessed and compared the diagnostic accuracy for AIH-1 of an embryonal aorta vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cell line-based assay with those of the rodent tissue-based assay for the detection of MF-SMA pattern in AIH-1 patients and controls. Sera from 138 AIH-1 patients and 295 controls (105 primary biliary cholangitis, 40 primary sclerosing cholangitis, 50 chronic viral hepatitis, 20 alcohol-related liver disease, 40 steatotic liver disease, and 40 healthy controls) were assayed for MF-SMA and SMA-VGT using VSM-based and rodent tissue-based assays, respectively. MF-SMA and SMA-VGT were found in 96 (70%) and 87 (63%) AIH-1 patients, and 2 controls (P < 0.0001). Compared with SMA-VGT, MF-SMA showed similar specificity (99%), higher sensitivity (70% vs 63%, P = ns) and likelihood ratio for a positive test (70 vs 65). Nine (7%) AIH-1 patients were MF-SMA positive despite being SMA-VGT negative. Overall agreement between SMA-VGT and MF-SMA was 87% (kappa coefficient 0.870, [0.789-0.952]). MF-SMA were associated with higher serum γ-globulin [26 (12-55) vs 20 g/l (13-34), P < 0.005] and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels [3155 (1296-7344) vs 2050 mg/dl (1377-3357), P < 0.002]. The easily recognizable IFL MF-SMA pattern on VSM cells strongly correlated with SMA-VGT and has an equally high specificity for AIH-1. Confirmation of these results in other laboratories would support the clinical application of the VSM cell-based assay for reliable detection of AIH-specific SMA.

This paper aims to compare the cellular immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine of pediatric patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease (pAIIRD) and healthy controls. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted between April 2021 and December 2022 at the Tel Aviv Medical Center. Children <18 years, with pediatric-onset AIIRD and healthy controls, who have received at least two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine, were included. Humoral response was evaluated by serum levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain antibodies. Cellular response was evaluated by flow cytometry, measuring IFNγ and TNFα production by CD4+ T cells following stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 Spike peptide mix. The study included 20 pAIIRD patients and 11 controls. The mean age of participants was 12.6 ± 2.94 years, with 58.1% females. The cellular response to the BNT162b2 vaccine was statistically similar in both groups. However, the humoral response was statistically lower in pAIIRD compared with the healthy control group. There was no statistically significant correlation between the humoral response and cellular response. During the study period, 43.75% of AIIRD children and 72.7% of controls had a breakthrough COVID-19 infection (P = 0.48). Bivariate models examining the effect of the cellular response and presence of an AIIRD on breakthrough infections found no effect. Compared with healthy controls, pAIIRD demonstrated similar cellular responses. Patients showed reduced humoral response compared with healthy adolescents, but similar breakthrough infection rates. These findings may support the importance of the cellular response in protecting against COVID-19 infections.

Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a granulomatous vasculitis that affects large arteries. T cells are important in TAK pathophysiology as these cells orchestrate granulomatous infiltration in arteries. This study aims to evaluate effector CD4+ T cells in the peripheral blood and the aortic wall of TAK patients and to analyze associations with disease activity and therapy. We performed a longitudinal study including 30 TAK patients and 30 controls. CD3+ T cells, CD3+CD4- T cells, CD4+ T cells, and Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells were evaluated in peripheral blood by flow cytometry, and the expression of CD4, CD8, Tbet, GATA-3, and RORγT was analyzed in the aorta of six patients by immunohistochemistry. TAK patients presented lower CD3+ T cells and CD4+ T cells (P = 0.031 and P = 0.039, respectively) than controls. Patients with active disease and those in remission had higher proportions of Th17 cells than controls (P = 0.016 and P = 0.004, respectively). Therapy for TAK did not result in significant differences concerning CD4+ effector T-cell subpopulations. Disease duration correlated with the number and percentage of Th2 cells (rho = -0.610 and rho = -0.463, respectively) and with Th17 cells (rho = -0.365 and rho = -0.568). In the aorta, the expression of CD8 was higher than CD4, whereas GATA-3, Tbet, and RORγT were expressed in this order of frequency. In conclusion, TAK patients present an increased Th17 response in the peripheral blood regardless of disease activity, whereas in the aortic tissue CD8 cells and the Th2 response were predominant.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) immunophenotyping is crucial in tracking activation, disease state, and response to therapy in human subjects. Many studies require the shipping of blood from clinical sites to a laboratory for processing to PBMC, which can lead to delays that impact sample quality. We used an extensive cytometry by time-of-flight (CyTOF) immunophenotyping panel to analyze the impacts of delays to processing and distinct storage conditions on cell composition and quality of PBMC from seven adults across a range of ages, including two with rheumatoid arthritis. Two or more days of delay to processing resulted in extensive red blood cell contamination and increased variability of cell counts. While total memory and naïve B- and T-cell populations were maintained, 4-day delays reduced the frequencies of monocytes. Variation across all immune subsets increased with delays of up to 7 days in processing. Unbiased clustering analysis to define more granular subsets confirmed changes in PBMC composition, including decreases of classical and non-classical monocytes, basophils, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and follicular helper T cells, with each subset impacted at a distinct time of delay. Expression of activation markers and chemokine receptors changed by Day 2, with differential impacts across subsets and markers. Our data support existing recommendations to process PBMC within 36 h of collection but provide guidance on appropriate immunophenotyping experiments with longer delays.