Engaging My Gen Z Class: Teaching with Memes.

Fostering engagement in a traditional setting with Generation Z learners was difficult enough; to do so online, while most educators are battling with technology, poses an even harder challenge amid the pandemic. In an unconventional assignment, students were asked to create an Internet meme to explain any immunology class themes.

O-glycosylation of NnTreg lymphocytes recognized by the Amaranthus leucocarpus lectin.

O-glycosidically-linked glycans have been involved in development, maturation, homing, and immune regulation in T cells. Previous reports indicate that Amaranthus leucocarpus lectin (ALL), specific for glycans containing galactose-N-acetylgalactosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine, recognizes human naïve CD27(+)CD25(+)CD4(+) T cells. Our aim was to evaluate the phenotype of CD4(+) T cells recognized by ALL in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from healthy volunteers. CD4(+) T cells were isolated by negative selection using magnetic beads-labeled monoclonal antibodies; the expression of T regulatory cell phenotypic markers was assessed on ALL-recognized cells. In addition, IL-4, IL-10, IFN-γ, and TGF-ß intracellular production in ALL (+) cells was also evaluated. The analyses of phenotypic markers and intracellular cytokines were performed through flow cytometry. ALL-recognized CD4(+) T cells were mainly CD45RA(+), CCR7(+) cells. Although 52 ± 10% CD25(+)Foxp3(+) cells were positive to ALL, only 34 ± 4% of ALL (+) cells corresponded to CD25(+)Foxp3(-) cells. Intracellular cytokines in freshly obtained ALL (+)CD4(+) T cells exhibited 8% of IL-4, 15% of IL-10, 2% of IFN-γ, and 15% of TGF-ß, whereas ALL (-)CD4(+) T cells depicted 1% of IL-4, 2% of IL-10, <1% of IFN-γ, and 6% of TGF-ß. Our results show that galactose-N-acetylgalactosamine and N-galactosamine-bearing CD4(+) T cells expressed phenotypic markers of NnTreg cells.

Pathogenic CCR6+ dendritic cells in the skin lesions of discoid lupus patients: a role for damage-associated molecular patterns.

BACKGROUND: Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a cutaneous autoimmune inflammatory disease in which the role of conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) in skin damage has not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the involvement of cDCs in DLE pathogenesis. MATERIAL & METHODS: Skin biopsies from 42 patients with DLE were embedded in paraffin or placed in culture. The dermis was separated and cell suspensions were characterized by flow cytometry. RESULTS: We found an increase in cDCs with inflammatory characteristics in the skin of DLE patients, compared with control skins. Interestingly, cDCs from the DLE patients expressed low levels of the inhibitory molecule PD-L1 and showed a high expression of CCR6, which correlated with disease activity. Increased cellular death was observed in the skin of DLE patients compared with control skin and remarkably we found that damage-associated molecular patterns could be responsible for CCR6 expression on cDCs in the skin. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate the presence of pathogenic CCR6+ cDCs in the skin lesions of DLE patients, which could result from in situ phenotypic changes.