Prognostic value of FOXP3 and TGF-beta expression in both peripheral blood and lymph nodes in patients with B-Non Hodgkin's lymphoma

Foxp3 has been studied as a biomarker of Treg cells in many solid malignant diseases, although its role as an immunomodulator in B-NHL remain poorly understood and the effect of traditional chemotherapy on its expression remains unclear. In this study the role of circulating and intra-tumoral Treg and TGF-beta in patients with B-NHL before and after chemotherapy was evaluated. Enumeration of Treg cells was carried out by flow cytometric staining of their cell surface markers CD4 and CD25 as well as by molecular analysis of its signature transcription factor FoxP3. Expression of FoxP3 was done using quantitative real-time PCR while TGF-beta mRNA expression was semi-quantitatively assayed by the conventional reverse transcription-PCR. In addition, spontaneous versus mitogen-induced release of TGF-beta by PBMCs was assessed by a short term cell culture followed by ELISA. This was done before and after six cycles of CHOP chemotherapy. The results were evaluated in relation to the clinicopathological data. A significant increase in mRNA transcripts of both Fox P3 and TGF-beta as well as the percentage of CD4[+] /CD25[+] in B-NHL patients before receiving the chemotherapy were recorded, when compared either to healthy controls or to patients after completion the treatment regimen. Interestingly 6 cycles of CHOP treatment caused significant reduction in all parameters under study

Immunological aspects of workers exposed to silica in Egyptian cement industry

The effect of cement dust exposure for different durations on cellular [T-lymphocytes: count and function, B-lymphocyte count and monocyte function] and humoral [serum level of IgA, IgG and IgM, total hemolytic complement activity, level of circulating immune complexes and serum antinuclear antibody] immunities was studied in 45 subjects exposed to cement dust for less than three years [group 1, 15 subjects], five to ten years [group 2, 15 subjects] and more than ten years [group 3, 15 subjects] and in 15 normal subjects as controls. The obtained results were presented in details

Clinical importance of surface markers in childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia

Peripheral blood lymphocytes [PBL] from 20 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia [ALL] were examined for their surface markers by direct immunofluorescence and E rosette as B and T surface markers respectively. None of ten cases studied in active stage expressed any surface immunoglobulin markers and only 30% possessed T-surface marker. The later group had certain clinical features which characterized them from other patients. In contrast all children with ALL during remission gave the same picture of normal lymphocyte surface markers. In cases with incomplete remission no surface markers could be detected on either T or B cells