Imiquimod-induced changes in T cell immune function of mice with psoriasis and the relationship between sex / 中国药理学通报

Aim To research the effect of gender on immune function and keratinocyte damage in imiquimod(IMQ)induced psoriasis mice.Methods IMQ-induced psoriasis mice were freely divided into female and male model groups, and female and male normal groups were set up smeared with an equal amount of petroleum.PASI score and HE staining were used to evaluate skin lesion and pathology; Western blot and immunity fluorescence were used to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA), Ki67, keratin 1(K1), keratin 10(K10), and involucrin in skin lesions; spleen index of mice was calculated; immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of CD4, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17 in skin and spleen; flow cytometry was used to detect the changes of Th1 and Th17 cell subsets in spleen.Results Compared with female and male normal groups, PASI score of female and male model groups increased, skin lesions were abnormally thickened and differentiated, the level of PCNA and Ki67, the spleen index, the Th1 and Th17 cell subsets in the spleen both increased, K1, K10, and involucrin decreased, the levels of CD4, IFN-γ, IL-17 in skin lesions and spleen were elevated, but the level of IL-4 showed the opposite trend.There was no statistical difference in the above indicators between the female and male model groups.Conclusion Gender has no effect on the abnormal activation of T cell immune function and the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes in psoriasis-like mice induced by IMQ.

Effect of electro-acupuncture at Zusanli acupoint on postoperative T cell immune function in rats / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To study the effect of electro- acupuncture at Zusanli acupoint in regulating perioperative cell immune functions in rats.@*METHODS@#Forty-two SD rats were divided into blank control group (=6), model group (=18), and electroacupuncture group (=18). The rats in the latter two groups underwent thigh incision and femoral dissection under anesthesia; the rats in electro-acupuncture group received electro-acupuncture at bilateral Zusanli acupoint for 15 min before anesthesia and 1 h after the surgery. The rats in the model group and electro-acupuncture group were sacrificed at 6 h, 24 h, and 72 h after the operation and blood samples were taken from the ventricle for analyzing CD3, CD4, and CD8 T cell subpopulations and calculation of CD4/CD8 using flow cytometry. ELISA was used to detect the levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-6.@*RESULTS@#The CD3 T cell subpopulation was significantly lower in the model group and electro-acupuncture group than in the blank group at 6 h and 24 h after the operation. At 72 h after the operation, CD3 subpopulation levels still remained low in the model group, but recovered the control level in electro-acupuncture group. At each time point of measurement, CD3 level was significantly lower in the model group than in the electro-acupuncture group. CD4 level in the model group was significantly lowered at 6 h and 24 h after the operation, and recovered the control level at 72 h. In the electro-acupuncture group, CD4 level was significantly lowered at 6 h after the operation, but recovered the control level at 24 h. At 24 h and 72 h, the levels of CD4 were significantly lower in the model group than in the electro-acupuncture group. CD8 level underwent no significant changes after the operation in either the model group or electro-acupuncture group. CD4/CD8 was significantly lowered at 24 h and 72 h after the operation in the model group but showed no significant variation in the electro-acupuncture group. Compared with that in the control group, IL-1 level was significantly lowered in both the model group and electroacupuncture group at 6 h, 24 h, and 72 h after the operation, and was significantly lower in the model group than in the electroacupuncture group at these time points. IL-6 level increased significantly in the model group and the electro- acupuncture group at 6 h and 24 h. at 72 h, IL-6 level was obviously lowered in the electro-acupuncture group but remained elevated in the model group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Electro-acupuncture alleviates postoperative immune suppression and promotes recovery of the immune function in rats, suggesting a protective effect of electro-acupuncture at Zusanli acupoint on cellular immune function after surgery.

Regulation of T cell immunity by cellular metabolism / 医学前沿

T cells are an important adaptive immune response arm that mediates cell-mediated immunity. T cell metabolism plays a central role in T cell activation, proliferation, differentiation, and effector function. Specific metabolic programs are tightly controlled to mediate T cell immune responses, and alterations in T cell metabolism may result in many immunological disorders. In this review, we will summarize the main T cell metabolic pathways and the important factors participating in T cell metabolic programming during T cell homeostasis, differentiation, and function.

Clinical Usefulness of Monitoring Cytomegalovirus-Specific Immunity by Quantiferon-CMV in Pediatric Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Recipients

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a well-established cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). CD8⁺ T-cells are important for controlling CMV infection. We conducted a prospective pilot study to investigate the clinical utility of measuring the CMV-specific T-cell immune response using the QuantiFERON-CMV assay (QF-CMV) in pediatric allo-HSCT recipients. Overall, 16 of 25 (64%) patients developed CMV infection. QF-CMV was evaluated in these 16 patients during the early and late phases of the first CMV infection post allo-HSCT. Whereas the initial QF-CMV results during the early phase of CMV infection did not correlate with the course of the corresponding infection, the QF-CMV results post resolution of the first CMV infection correlated with the recurrence of CMV infection until 12 months post allo-HSCT; no recurrent infections occurred in the four QF-CMV-positive patients, while recurrent infections manifested in five of eight QF-CMV-negative (62.5%) and all three QF-CMV-indeterminate patients (P=0.019). In spite of the small number of patients examined, this study supports the potential application of monitoring CMV-specific T-cell immunity using the QF-CMV assay to predict the recurrence of CMV infection in pediatric allo-HSCT recipients.

New vaccines against influenza virus

Vaccination is one of the most effective and cost-benefit interventions that prevent the mortality and reduce morbidity from infectious pathogens. However, the licensed influenza vaccine induces strain-specific immunity and must be updated annually based on predicted strains that will circulate in the upcoming season. Influenza virus still causes significant health problems worldwide due to the low vaccine efficacy from unexpected outbreaks of next epidemic strains or the emergence of pandemic viruses. Current influenza vaccines are based on immunity to the hemagglutinin antigen that is highly variable among different influenza viruses circulating in humans and animals. Several scientific advances have been endeavored to develop universal vaccines that will induce broad protection. Universal vaccines have been focused on regions of viral proteins that are highly conserved across different virus subtypes. The strategies of universal vaccines include the matrix 2 protein, the hemagglutinin HA2 stalk domain, and T cell-based multivalent antigens. Supplemented and/or adjuvanted vaccination in combination with universal target antigenic vaccines would have much promise. This review summarizes encouraging scientific advances in the field with a focus on novel vaccine designs.

Influence of cryosurgery on T cellular immunity in patients with malignancies / 介入放射学杂志

Cryosurgery has already become one of the main means to treat advanced malignancies.Not only can the cryosurgery kill the tumor cells directly, it can make the human body to activate T cellular immunity as well.The purpose of this article is to summarize the achievements in the research related to the influence of cryosurgery on T cellular immunity in patients with malignancies and also to make a prospect of cryosurgery therapy in near future.