INTRODUCTION

Parotid lymphoma is a rare occurrence, let alone a diagnosis of nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL). Salivary gland tumors commonly affect the parotid gland, although a primary malignant lesion rarely occurs, with an incidence of 0.5 to 3.0/100,000 population/year worldwide. This case report describes the presentation of this rare lymphoma. This also demonstrates the efficacy of standard of care chemotherapy with doxorubicin, vincristine, bleomycin, and dacarbazine with an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, rituximab (R-ABVD).

This is a case of a 44-year-old male with a gradually enlarging right preauricular mass. Biopsy and immunohistochemical staining confirmed a diagnosis of NLPHL Stage IIA. A total of six cycles of chemotherapy with R-ABVD was given. Follow-up PET CT showed resolution of FDG avid nodes localized near the surgically removed parotid gland, confirming complete remission.

Parotid malignancy only accounts for 5% of all head and neck tumors. NLPHL is even more rare, with an incidence of 1.5/1,000,000 population per year. The rarity of the case limits clinical trials for its treatment. Because of this, R-ABVD has been employed as a treatment of choice for intermediate-staged NLPHL. Overall response showed an 85% five-year progression-free survival and 99% overall survival.

This case report highlights the significance of early lymphoma detection despite its rarity among parotid tumors and prompt initiation of chemotherapy.

γδ T cells are a kind of innate immune T cell. They have not attracted sufficient attention because they account for only a small proportion of all immune cells, and many basic factors related to these cells remain unclear. However, in recent years, with the rapid development of tumor immunotherapy, γδ T cells have attracted increasing attention because of their ability to exert cytotoxic effects on most tumor cells without major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction. An increasing number of basic studies have focused on the development, antigen recognition, activation, and antitumor immune response of γδ T cells. Additionally, γδ T cell-based immunotherapeutic strategies are being developed, and the number of clinical trials investigating such strategies is increasing. This review mainly summarizes the progress of basic research and the clinical application of γδ T cells in tumor immunotherapy to provide a theoretical basis for further the development of γδ T cell-based strategies in the future.
Humans ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta ; Immunotherapy, Adoptive ; T-Lymphocytes ; Immunotherapy ; Neoplasms/therapy*

Objective To observe the expression of adhesion molecule CD226 on the small intestinal group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) in mice. Methods The bioinformatics was used to analyze the expression of CD226 on murine ILCs. Small intestinal mucosal lamina propria lymphocytes (LPL) were isolated from wild-type C57BL/6J mice, and the expression of CD226 on ILC1 and ILC3 was detected by flow cytometry. A mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis was constructed to observe the changes in the expression of CD226 on ILC3. Results Both ILC1 and ILC3 in the mice small intestine expressed CD226 molecules; the proportion of ILC3 was reduced, while the expression level of CD226 on ILC3 was increased in the colitis model. Conclusion CD226 is expressed on the small intestines of mice, and although the proportion of ILC3 decreases in the DSS-induced colitis, the expression of CD226 on ILC3 increases.
Animals ; Mice ; Colitis/chemically induced* ; Immunity, Innate ; Intestine, Small ; Lymphocytes ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Objective To explore the phenotypic conversion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the lungs of mice with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)-affected mice. Methods A total of 20 newborn C57BL/6 mice were divided into air group and hyperoxia group, with 10 mice in each group. The BPD model was established by exposing the newborn mice to hyperoxia. Lung tissues from five mice in each group were collected on postnatal days 7 and 14, respectively. Histopathological changes of the lung tissues was detected by HE staining. The expression level of surfactant protein C (SP-C) in the lung tissues was examined by Western blot analysis. Flow cytometry was performed to assess the proportion of FOXP3⁺ Tregs and RORγt⁺FOXP3⁺ Tregs in CD4⁺ lymphocytes. The concentrations of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and IL-6 in lung homogenate were measured by using ELISA. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between FOXP3⁺Treg and the expression of SP-C and the correlation between RORγt⁺FOXP3⁺ Tregs and the content of IL-17A and IL-6. Results The hyperoxia group exhibited significantly decreased levels of SP-C and radical alveolar counts in comparison to the control group. The proportion of FOXP3⁺Tregs was reduced and that of RORγt⁺FOXP3⁺Tregs was increased. IL-17A and IL-6 concentrations were significantly increased. SP-C was positively correlated with the expression level of RORγt⁺FOXP3⁺ Tregs. RORγt⁺FOXP3⁺ Tregs and IL-17A and IL-6 concentrations were also positively correlated. Conclusion The number of FOXP3⁺ Tregs in lung tissue of BPD mice is decreased and converted to RORγt⁺ FOXP3⁺ Tregs, which may be involved in hyperoxy-induced lung injury.
Animals ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Interleukin-17 ; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 ; Hyperoxia ; Interleukin-6 ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; Lung

In the tumor microenvironment, metabolic reprogramming can impact metabolic characteristics of T cells, thus inducing immunosuppression to promote tumor immune escape. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway plays an important role in regulating diverse functions of various immune cells. This review mainly focuses on the molecular mechanism of mTOR signaling in regulating cellular energy metabolism process, and the activation status of mTOR signaling under different nutritional environments. In addition, it also summarizes the role of the mTOR signaling in regulatory T cell (Tregs) metabolism and function in current studies, and evaluates the potential of mTOR as a clinical immunotherapeutic target and its current application challenges.
Immunosuppression Therapy ; Metabolic Reprogramming ; Signal Transduction ; Sirolimus ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ; Humans

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory demyelinating disease, mediated by pathogenic T helper 17 (Th17) cells. However, the therapeutic effect is accompanied by the fluctuation of the proportion and function of Th17 cells, which prompted us to find the key regulator of Th17 differentiation in MS. Here, we demonstrated that the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM-2), a modulator of pattern recognition receptors on innate immune cells, was highly expressed on pathogenic CD4-positive T lymphocyte (CD4⁺ T) cells in both patients with MS and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse models. Conditional knockout of Trem-2 in CD4⁺ T cells significantly alleviated the disease activity and reduced Th17 cell infiltration, activation, differentiation, and inflammatory cytokine production and secretion in EAE mice. Furthermore, with Trem-2 knockout in vivo experiments and in vitro inhibitor assays, the TREM-2/zeta-chain associated protein kinase 70 (ZAP70)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signal axis was essential for Th17 activation and differentiation in EAE progression. In conclusion, TREM-2 is a key regulator of pathogenic Th17 in EAE mice, and this sheds new light on the potential of this therapeutic target for MS.
Animals ; Humans ; Mice ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/pathology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Th1 Cells/pathology*

Objective: To determine the ability of the ratio of platelet to lymphocyte (PLR) for predicting extubation failure in septic patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Methods: The retrospective cohort study was conducted in ICU at Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Shijingshan District, Capital Medical University in China from January, 2010 to December, 2019, including patients with sepsis who received IMV. 180 patients were enrolled in the study, including 111 male and 69 female, with the age range of 23-93 years and the median age of 76 years, and with an average age of 71.22 years. The medical records were reviewed, such as age, sex, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHEII), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) outcome, weaning outcome, complete blood count before SBT. According to weaning outcome, patients were divided into weaning failure and weaning success group. The difference of PLR, white blood cell(WBC), C-reaction protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) were compared between weaning failure and success group. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves and multivariate logistical regression analysis were employed to analyze the performance of these inflammatory markers for predicting weaning failure in patients with sepsis. Results: 180 patients with sepsis were included in the study and 37 patients (20.5%) experienced weaning failure (31 SBT failure and 6 extubation failure after successful SBT). PLR was higher in weaning failure group than that in weaning success group (Z=-5.793,P<0.001). Other inflammation biomarkers such as WBC, CRP and PCT were also higher in weaning failure group than that in weaning success group(Z=-4.356, -3.118 and -2.743, P<0.001, 0.002 and 0.006, respectively). According to ROC curves, PLR has a better predictive ability for weaning failure (AUC=0.809,95%CI 0.733-0.885) when compared to WBC (AUC=0.773,95%CI 0.648-0.817), CRP (AUC=0.666,95%CI 0.577-0.755) and PCT (AUC=0.603,95%CI 0.508-0.698). The cutoff value of PLR for predicting weaning failure was 257.69 with sensitivity 78.38%, specificity 76.22%, and diagnostic accuracy 71.66%. According to multivariate logistic regression analyses, PLR>257.69 was an independent risk factor for predicting weaning failure in patients with sepsis. Conclusions: PLR may be a valuable biomarker for predicting weaning failure in septic patients receiving IMV, and the patients with higher PLR should be handled with caution since they are at higher risk of weaning failure, and some more effective treatment should be in consideration after extubation.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis/diagnosis* ; Procalcitonin ; C-Reactive Protein ; Biomarkers ; ROC Curve ; Lymphocytes

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy between the combined therapy of fire needling and cupping, and western medication on herpes zoster of acute stage, as well as the effects on Th17 and Treg cells and inflammatory factors, i.e. IL-10 and IL-17 in the peripheral blood. METHODS: Eighty patients with herpes zoster of acute stage were randomly divided into a combined therapy (fire needling plus cupping) group and a western medication group, 40 cases in each one. In the combined therapy group, the pricking and scattering techniques with fire needle were used at ashi points and Jiaji (EX-B 2) corresponding to the affected spinal segments; afterwards, cupping therapy was delivered. The combined treatment was given once daily. In the western medication group, valaciclovir hydrochloride tablet and vitamin B₁ tablet were administered orally. The duration of treatment in each group was 10 days. Before each treatment from day 1 to day 10 and on day 11 , the score of symptoms and physical signs was observed in the two groups separately. Before each treatment from day 1 to day 10 and on day 11, 30, 60, the score of visual analogue scale (VAS) and skin lesion indexes were observed in the two groups. On day 60, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia was recorded in the two groups. The levels of Th17 and Treg cells, Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 were detected before and after treatment in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: From day 6 to day 10 during treatment and on day 11, the scores of symptoms and physical signs in the combined therapy group were lower than those of the western medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On day 3, day 6 to day 10 during treatment and day 11, day 30, VAS scores in the combined therapy group were lower than those of the western medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On day 60, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia in the combined therapy group was lower compared with that in the western medication group (P<0.05). The blister arresting time and scabbing time in the combined therapy group were shorter than those of the western medication group (P<0.05). After treatment, the level of Th17, and Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 were all lower in comparison with those in the western medication group (P<0.05). The curative and remarkably effective rate was 82.5% (33/40) in the combined therapy group, higher than 62.5% (25/40) in the western medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The early application of fire needling combined with cupping therapy can effectively treat herpes zoster of acute stage, relieve pain, and reduce the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia, which may be related to reducing the levels of Th17 and Treg cells, and Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 so that the cellular immune balance is modulated.
Humans ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-17 ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Cupping Therapy ; Th17 Cells ; Herpes Zoster/therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Tablets

Humans ; Cytomegalovirus ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; Antigens, Viral ; Immunity ; Autoimmune Diseases ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of pancreatitis activity scoring system (PASS) combined with Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) for infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). METHODS: Clinical data of SAP patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively collected, including basic information, vital signs at admission, first laboratory indexes within 48 hours of admission. The PASS scores at admission and 24, 48 and 72 hours after admission were calculated. According to the diagnostic criteria of IPN, the patients were divided into the non-IPN group and the IPN group, and the independent risk factors of SAP complicating IPN were determined by using univariate analysis and multifactorial Logistic regression. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of NLR, CRP, and PASS score, alone and in combination for IPN in patients with SAP. RESULTS: A total of 149 SAP patients were enrolled, including 102 in the non-IPN group and 47 in the IPN group. The differences in PASS score at each time point, NLR, CRP, procalcitonin (PCT), blood urea nitrogen, blood chloride, and days of hospitalization between the two groups were statistically significant. Multifactorial Logistic regression analysis showed that 72 hours admission PASS score [odds ratio (OR) = 1.034, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.005-1.065, P = 0.022], NLR (OR = 1.284, 95%CI was 1.139-1.447, P = 0.000), and CRP (OR = 1.015, 95%CI was 1.006-1.023, P = 0.001) were independent risk factors for IPN in patients with SAP. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the PASS score at 72 hours of admission, NLR, and CRP alone in predicting IPN in SAP patients were 0.828, 0.771, and 0.701, respectively. The AUC of NLR combined with CRP, PASS combined with NLR, and PASS combined with CRP were 0.818, 0.895, and 0.874, respectively. The combination of PASS score at 72 hours after admission, NLR, and CRP had a better predictive ability for IPN in patients with SAP (AUC = 0.922, 95%CI was 0.877-0.967), and the sensitivity was 72.3% when the cut-off value was 0.539. CONCLUSIONS The predictive value of the PASS score at 72 hours after admission, NLR and CRP in combination for IPN in SAP patients is better than that of the combination of each two and individual detection and has better test efficacy.
Humans ; Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing/diagnosis* ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism* ; Acute Disease ; Neutrophils/metabolism* ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Lymphocytes ; Prognosis