Interleukin 27, like interferons, activates JAK-STAT signaling and promotes pro-inflammatory and antiviral states that interfere with dengue and chikungunya viruses replication in human macrophages.

Interferons (IFNs) are a family of cytokines that activate the JAK-STAT signaling pathway to induce an antiviral state in cells. Interleukin 27 (IL-27) is a member of the IL-6 and/or IL-12 family that elicits both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses. Recent studies have reported that IL-27 also induces a robust antiviral response against diverse viruses, both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that IFNs and IL-27 share many similarities at the functional level. However, it is still unknown how similar or different IFN- and IL-27-dependent signaling pathways are. To address this question, we conducted a comparative analysis of the transcriptomic profiles of human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) exposed to IL-27 and those exposed to recombinant human IFN-α, IFN-γ, and IFN-λ. We utilized bioinformatics approaches to identify common differentially expressed genes between the different transcriptomes. To verify the accuracy of this approach, we used RT-qPCR, ELISA, flow cytometry, and microarrays data. We found that IFNs and IL-27 induce transcriptional changes in several genes, including those involved in JAK-STAT signaling, and induce shared pro-inflammatory and antiviral pathways in MDMs, leading to the common and unique expression of inflammatory factors and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs)Importantly, the ability of IL-27 to induce those responses is independent of IFN induction and cellular lineage. Additionally, functional analysis demonstrated that like IFNs, IL-27-mediated response reduced chikungunya and dengue viruses replication in MDMs. In summary, IL-27 exhibits properties similar to those of all three types of human IFN, including the ability to stimulate a protective antiviral response. Given this similarity, we propose that IL-27 could be classified as a distinct type of IFN, possibly categorized as IFN-pi (IFN-π), the type V IFN (IFN-V).

Biological sex and age-related differences shape the antiviral response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

For the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, clinical manifestations are broad and highly heterogeneous for both sexes. We aimed to determine how biological sex and age impact immune gene expression, particularly influencing the humoral neutralizing antibody (NAb) response and the cytokine production in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) subjects. The immune gene expression, according to biological sex and age, was assessed using the genome wide expression profile of blood proteins from healthy individuals using the Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. Moreover, anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titers and cytokine levels were determined in blood samples from 141 COVID-19 individuals from Medellín, Colombia. Among subjects with COVID-19, males had statistically significantly higher median NAb titers and serum concentrations of interleukin-6 and CC chemokine ligand 3 than females. Overall, our findings point out a more robust innate immune response in women that could help recognize and restrain the virus faster than in men.

Aproximación al desempeño operativo de un modelo de redes neuronales en el diagnóstico de la infertilidad masculina / Approach to operational performance of a neuronal network model in the diagnosis of male infertility

Objetivo: realizar una aproximación a la capacidad de las redes neuronales supervisadas para clasificar lizando los parámetros seminales convencionales. Materiales y métodos: estudio de corte transversal ensamblado sobre la base de datos del Grupo Reproducción de la Universidad de Antioquia, en el que se escogieron hombres con problemas re-productivos en los doce meses previos y hombres con antecedente de haber tenido hijos. Muestreo por conveniencia. Se tomaron en cuenta: la edad, el tiempo de abstinencia sexual, el volumen del eyaculado, el pH, los porcentajes de movilidad y de viabilidad, y la concentración espermática. Mediante una red neuronal supervisada se desarrolló un modelo de entrenamiento y un modelo de validación. Resultados: se incluyeron 204 hombres. Para el modelo de entrenamiento 129 hombres, 35 para la validación, 40 para probar el modelo y 25 para la validación externa. En el modelo de la red neuronal clasificó adecuadamente el 90% de los sujetos con problemas reproductivos y el 91% de los sujetos cuadamente el 40% de los sujetos con problemas reproductivos y el 100% de los sujetos fértiles. Conclusión: las redes neuronales surgen como una tecnología que podría ser valiosa para el estudio de la infertilidad masculina. Se requieren evaluaciones más rigurosas para definir su real utilidad en el estudio de la pareja infértil

Objective: To determine the ability of supervised neuronal networks at making the appropriate classification of fertile and infertile men using conventional seminal parameters. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study assembled on the database of the Universidad de Antioquia Reproduction Group, with a selection of men experiencing reproductive problems within the previous 12 months, and men with a history of having had children. Convenience sampling. The data considered were age, time of sexual abstinence, ejaculate volume, pH, percentage of sperm motility, viability and concentration. Using a supervised neuronal network, a training model and a validation model were created. Results: Overall, 204 men were included, 129 for the training model, 35 for validation, 40 for testing the model and 25 for external validation. The neuronal network model made the correct classification of 90% of the subjects with reproductive problems, and 91% of the fertile subjects. In the validation model, the neuronal network made the correct classification of 40% of the subjects with reproductive problems, and 100% of the fertile subjects. Conclusion: Neuronal networks emerge as a technology that may prove to be valuable for the study of male infertility. More rigorous evaluations are required in order to determine their true usefulness in the study of infertile couples