OBJECTIVE: To analyze the preservation effect and related influencing factors of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells under serum-free condition at 4 ℃. METHODS: Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by density gradient centrifugation, and stored at 4 ℃ under different cell concentrations, supplemented with human serum albumin, and glucose. The cell viability, total cell number, viable cell number and cell phenotype were detected during preservation of 72 h. RESULTS: With the prolongation of storage time, the number of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells gradually decreased(r=0.982). Compared with the cell concentration of (5-6)×10⁶ cells/ml, the cell number decreased more slowly when the cell storage concentration was (1-2)×10⁶ cells/ml; Adding human serum albumin and glucose can effectively improve the survival rate of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, among which 2% human serum albumin has a better preservation effect; Compared with the blank control group, the analysis results of cell subsets showed that the downward trends of NK cells and T cells were significantly slowed after adding albumin and glucose. CONCLUSION The cell density of (1-2)×10⁶/ml and 2% human serum albumin are more suitable for the preservation of PBMC, and 5% glucose can improve the preservation effect of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells at 4 ℃.
Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear

OBJECTIVETo establish a method for isolation, cryopreservation and recovery of the highly viable human peripheral blood monomuclear cells (PBMNCs) so as to achieve the long-term preservation of PBMNCs.

METHODSA total of 80-100 ml peripheral blood were collected from the healthy volumteers aged over 50 years old. The PBMNCs were isolated by the Ficoll density gradient technique and cryopreserved gradually by program control method in liquid nitrogen freezer of -196 °C. The serum-free medium and autoloqous plasma medium were test for preservation of PBMNCs. The cell viability was assessed at time point of 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 months after thawing. Finally, the proliferation ability, purity and cytotoxicity were compared between the autologous immune lymphocytes (AIL) induced from cryopreserved PBMNCs and AIL as control from fresh PBMNCs.

RESULTSAfter separating, the cell viability was 99.6%±0.4%, and the recovery rate of lymphocytes was 58.4%±6.52%. The cell recovery rate of lymphocyte was 89.7%±3.82% at 24 months. The quality assurance program was reliable within 2 years of running. The AIL cells induced with cryopreserved PBMNCs were not significantly different from those induced from fresh PBMNCs in terms of proliferative action, purity and cytotoxicity(CD3(+)CD8(+) ≥45%,CD3(+)CD56(+) NKT≥10%,CD4(+)CD25(+) NKT≤10%).

CONCLUSIONManual separation of lymphocytes in vitro can get enough high-quality PBMNCs. The long-term cryopreserved PBMNC still maintain their high viability. The reinfusion of the clinical autologous immune cells would be advantageous for early tumor immunotherapy. Human AIL induced from cryopreserved PBMNC maintain their anti-tumor ability. These findings have the important implications for the application of these cells to adoptive cellular therapy.

Cytokines ; metabolism ; Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; immunology ; secretion ; Ubiquitin ; blood

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of saliva of patients with chronic periodontitis (CPD) on the differentiation, activation, and secretion of osteoclast-maturing mediators of macrophages. METHODS: A total of 40 saliva samples were collected from healthy donors (n=20) and severe periodontitis patients (n=20). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and THP-1 monocyte line cells were challenged with 15% saliva for 5 days. The phenotype, surface marker, and phagocytosis of macrophages were analyzed by flow cytometry and microscopy. Osteoclast-maturing mediators were assayed by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. RESULTS: When PBMCs were treated with CPD saliva for 5 days, 61.25%±11.33% of cells were transformed into large granular cells; 86.78%±13.69% of large granular cells were identified as CD14⁺⁺CD16⁺ macrophages. When THP-1 cells were treated with CPD saliva, most cells attached to the bottom of cell culture plates, thereby exhibiting macrophage morphology and releasing additional osteoclast-maturing mediators. Furthermore, the phagocytosis of THP-1 cells considerably increased in the presence of CPD saliva (66.35%±9.67%) compared with medium control (33.33%±7.52%), or healthy saliva (40.71%±3.52%). CONCLUSIONS Saliva from patients with CPD can induce macrophage differentiation, activate phagocytose microorganisms, and secrete osteoclast-maturing mediators.
Cell Differentiation ; Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; Macrophages ; Monocytes ; Periodontitis ; immunology ; Saliva

Johne's disease is a condition that refers to chronic granulomatous enteritis in ruminants. It is believed that survival and replication of Mycobacterium (M.) paratuberculosis in mononuclear phagocytes plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Johne's disease. However, it is not clear how M. paratuberculosis survives for long time periods in mononuclear phagocytes, nor is it clear which factors trigger multiplication of these bacilli and result in the development of Johne's disease. Investigating the intracellular fate of M. paratuberculosis is challenging because of its very slow growth (more than two months to form visible colonies on media). Existing animal models also have limitations. Despite those obstacles, there has been progress in understanding the intracellular survival tactics of M. paratuberculosis and the host response against them. In this review, we compare known aspects of the intracellular survival tactics of M. paratuberculosis with those of other mycobacterial species, and consider possible mycobactericidal mechanisms of mononuclear phagocytes.
Animals ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/*microbiology ; Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis/*physiology ; Phagocytes/*microbiology

OBJECTIVETo study on effects of different manipulation methods of acupuncture on the binding ability of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT5) in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with DNA.

METHODSThirty healthy volunteers were randomly divided into 3 groups; reinforcing method group, reducing method group, normal control group, 10 cases in each group. The expression of STAT5 mRNA and the activation of STAT5 in the human PBMC were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA).

RESULTSIn the reinforcing method group, the basic transcription level of STATS mRNA in human PBMC and the binding ability of STAT5 with DNA significantly increased (P<0.01), but in the reducing method group, they did not significantly change as compared with those in the normal control group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONCytokines and JAK/STAT signal transduction pathway are in volved in immunoregulative actions of acupuncture of the reinforcing method, but the reasons of influencing the transcription level of STAT5 mRNA and the binding ability of STAT5 with DNA are unclear.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of immunologic thrombocytopenia(ITP) pathogenesis with the abnormal expression of IL-21, and to explore the association of high-dose dexamethasone (HD-DEX) treatment with the IL-21 expression.

METHODS26 newly diagnosed ITP patients and 24 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The mononuclear cells and serum were obtain from density gradient centrifugation in the newly diagnosed ITP patients before HD-DXM treatment, and the samples of healthy controls were also used for assays. The protein and mRNA expression of IL-21 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells(MNC) were determined by flow cytometry and real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Plasma levels of IL-21, IFN-γ and IL-4 were determined by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSIL-21 expression on mononuclear cells was significantly higher in ITP patients (13.07%) than that in normal controls (8.2%), the ratio of IL-21/GAPDH mRNA expression on MNC was significantly higher in ITP patients (9.524±0.97) than that in normal controls (3.701±0.60, P<0.01). After HD-DXM therapy, the ratio of IL-21/GAPDH mRNA decreased significantly (5.87±1.21) as compared with the level before treatment. Significantly high levels of serum IL-21, IFN-γ and lower IL-4 were found in ITP patients, as compared with healthy controls. Serum IL-21 and IFN-γ levels in ITP patients decreased significantly after HD-DXM administration (P<0.01), while post-treatment levels of IL-4 were increased significantly, compared with the levels before treatment (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONTherapeutic effect of DXM on ITP associates with down-regalation of IL-21 expression. The increased expression of IL-21 involves in the pathogenesis of ITP.

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether the exosomes derived from Tca8113 could induce production of tumor-specific T cells when pulsed onto dendritic cells.

METHODSTca8113 cell was cultured with RPIM1640, isolated and purified the tumor-derived exosomes from the culture supernatants by ultrafiltration with Millipore centrifual filter devices; frozen and thawed Tca8113 cells to get frozen tumor antigens (FTA). The exosomes and FTA was pulsed onto DC generated from normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) in vitro. The DC pulsed with FAP or exosomes cocultured with the peripheral blood lymphocytes to transform T cell into specific CTL. To observe the killing and wounding activity of CTL, the CTL and Tca8113 cells were mixed at a ratio of 20 to 1, SPCA-1 cells and 95-D cells was evaluated as control group.

RESULTSThe CTL induced by DC pulsed with FAP or exosomes had significant activity killing Tca8113 (P < 0.01); Moreover the CTL induced by DC pulsed with exosomes could also kill SPCA-1 cells (P < 0.05), but the CTL induced by DC pulsed with FTA had not this function.

CONCLUSIONExosomes derived from tumour accumulate in culture supernatants. Exosomes are a natural and new source of tumour-rejection antigens, opening up new avenues for immunotherapy against oral cancers. The exosome-specific CTL could kill another kind of tumor, so tumor-derived exosomes may contain shared tumor-rejection antigens.

OBJECTIVETo detect the B cell activating factor (BAFF) and explore its significance in patients with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (WAIHA).

METHODSThe levels of serum soluble BAFF (sBAFF) and BAFF mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in 30 healthy volunteers (control group) and 43 patients with WAIHA were measured by ELISA and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) respectively.

RESULTSThe levels of serum sBAFF and BAFF mRNA in PBMCs in pretreatment group \[2311 (825 approximately 6523) ng/L and 884 (463 approximately 2346) ng/L\] was significanly higher than those in posttreatment group\[1205(358 approximately 5014) ng/L and 446(138 approximately 2699) ng/L\] and control group\[1128 (590 approximately 3201) ng/L and 341 (102 approximately 965) ng/L\] (both P < 0.01), the difference between the posttreatment group and control group was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference between therapy responsive and nonresponsive groups before treatment. There was a significant difference between the pre- and post-treatment resuets in responsive group (P < 0.01), but not in nonresponsive group (P > 0.05). The serum levels of sBAFF was positively correlated with the levels of the BAFF mRNA in PBMCs both in pre- and post therapy group (both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe levels of serum sBAFF and BAFF mRNA in PBMCs are increased in patients with WAIHA, their dynamic alterations may contribute to the development of WAIHA.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of miR-21 and miR-30b in multiple myeloma (MM).

METHODSPeripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with MM were cultured at 2.5 x 10(6) cells/ml in alpha-MEM supplemented with 10% of fetal bovine serum, antibiotics, RANKL (50 ng/ml), and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (25 ng/ml) for 10 to 14 days to obtain osteoclasts with bone-resorbing activity. Primary myeloma cells were purified from 12 MM patients. Of them, 8 samples were cocultured with osteoclasts and 4 as noncocultured control. The expression of miR-21 and miR-30b was detected by real-time PCR.

RESULTSThe viability of MM cells recovered from cocultures was higher than those of noncocultured control. After cocultured with osteoclasts, primary myeloma cells from eight patients exhibited a 1.3- 5.9-fold increase in miR-21 expression and 1.38- 4.32-fold decrease in miR-30b expression compared with controls. In highly purified plasma cells from 3 healthy subjects, 12 MM patients and 11 MM cell lines, the expression of miR-21 was 1.9 +/- 0.8, 6.5 +/- 4.9 and 35.1 +/- 36.2, respectively; the expression of miR-30b was 13.6 +/- 1.8, 7.2 +/- 6.3 and 4.5 +/- 1.9, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSmiR-21 acts as an oncogene and miR-30b a tumor suppressor gene in MM.