Child ; Complement C3 ; metabolism ; Cytokinins ; analysis ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin G ; immunology ; Interferon-gamma ; immunology ; Interleukin-12 ; analysis ; immunology ; Interleukin-2 ; analysis ; immunology ; Male ; Peptide Fragments ; immunology ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; epidemiology ; immunology ; virology ; Secondary Prevention ; Tuberculin ; analysis

Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dendritic Cells ; drug effects ; immunology ; physiology ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Interleukin-10 ; pharmacology ; Interleukin-12 ; genetics ; secretion ; Interleukin-12 Subunit p35 ; Interleukin-12 Subunit p40 ; Protein Subunits ; genetics ; secretion ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis

Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; immunology ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-12 ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo study the changes of IL-12 produced by dendritic cells in peripheral blood in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), and to explore its influence on TH1/TH2 balance in order to elucidate its significance in the pathogenesis of HSP.

METHODSThe levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in plasma were determined by ELISA in 60 HSP children (HSP group) and 21 healthy children (Control group). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 22 HSP patients and 21 healthy children were cultured in vitro and then were transformed into dendritic cells. The levels of IL-12 in the supernatant were detected by ELISA and the positive expression rate of CD1a(+) was detected by indirect immunofluorescence procedure.

RESULTS1) The levels of IFN-gamma and the ratio of IFN-gamma/IL-4 in plasma of the HSP group were lower than those of the Control group (IFN-gamma 30.59 +/- 11.27 pg/mL vs 43.38 +/- 19.19 pg/mL; IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratio 0.70 +/- 0.28 vs 1.33 +/- 0.57) (P < 0.01). The levels of IL-12 in the HSP group were also lower than those of the Control group (153.95 +/- 91.88 pg/mL vs 323.06 +/- 162.34 pg/mL; P < 0.01). In contrast, the levels of IL-4 were higher than those of the Control group (45.08 +/- 9.19 pg/mL vs 32.95 +/- 7.10 pg/mL; P < 0.01). The plasma levels of IL-12 positively correlated with the IFN-gamma levels (r=0.52, P < 0.01) and the ratio of IFN-gamma/IL-4 (r=0.43, P < 0.01) in the HSP group. 2) The IL-12 levels in the supernatant of the HSP group were lower than those of the Control group (357.06 +/- 153.56 pg/mL vs 489.80 +/- 213.45 pg/mL; P < 0.05), and had a positive correlation with the plasma IL-12 levels (r=0.74, P < 0.01). 3) The positive expression rate of CD1a(+) of the HSP group was lower than that of the Control group [(27.42 +/- 10.75)% vs (35.68 +/- 12.18)%; P < 0.05], and positively correlated with the IL-12 levels in the supernatants (r=0.57, P < 0.01) and in plasma (r=0.68, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThere was an imbalance of TH1/TH2 in HSP children. The decrease of TH1 function had a positive correlation with the low levels of IL-12 in plasma, while the latter correlated closely with decreased number and / or function of dendritic cells, suggesting that the decreased number and / or function of dendritic cells in peripheral blood resulted in the imbalance of TH1/TH2 indirectly.

Adolescent ; Antigens, CD1 ; analysis ; Cells, Cultured ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Female ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-12 ; biosynthesis ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Male ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; immunology ; Th1 Cells ; immunology ; Th2 Cells ; immunology

The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical and immunological responses to Demodex on the ocular surface. Thirteen eyes in 10 patients with Demodex blepharitis and chronic ocular surface disorders were included in this study and treated by lid scrubbing with tea tree oil for the eradication of Demodex. We evaluated ocular surface manifestations and Demodex counts, and analyzed IL-1beta, IL-5, IL-7, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1beta in tear samples before and after the treatment. All patients exhibited ocular surface manifestations including corneal nodular opacity, peripheral corneal vascularization, refractory corneal erosion and infiltration, or chronic conjunctival inflammatory signs before treatment. After treatment, Demodex was nearly eradicated, tear concentrations of IL-1beta and IL-17 were significantly reduced and substantial clinical improvement was observed in all patients. In conclusion, we believe that Demodex plays an aggravating role in inflammatory ocular surface disorders.
Acari/drug effects/physiology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Blepharitis/drug therapy/*immunology/parasitology ; Chemokine CCL4/analysis ; Female ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor/analysis ; Humans ; Interleukin-12/analysis ; Interleukin-13/analysis ; Interleukin-17/analysis ; Interleukin-1beta/analysis ; Interleukin-5/analysis ; Interleukin-7/analysis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tea Tree Oil/therapeutic use ; Tears/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of mobile phone 1800 MHz electromagnetic fields (EMF) on the surface markers and the functions of human dendritic cells (DC).

METHODSHuman DCs were exposed to intermittent 5 min on/10 min off EMF with specific absorption rates (SAR) 4 W/kg for 0 h, 1 h, 12 h or 24 h, respectively. FACS analysis was used to detect the positive percentage of DC surface markers including HLA-DR and co-stimulatory molecules such as CD80, CD86, CD40 and CD11c. CCK-8 kit was adopted to examine the function of allo-mixed lymphocyte reaction (allo-MLR) of DC, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to identify the levels of IL-12p70 and TNF-alpha secreted by DC.

RESULTCompared with the sham radiation group, after exposure to the electromagnetic fields for 1 h, 12 h, or 24 h, HLA-DR, CD80,CD86 and CD40 were all declined except CD11c. The ability of DC allo-MLR in each exposure group was decreased significantly (P<0.05), especially in the 24 h exposure group. However, the secreted levels of IL-12p70 and TNF-alpha of DC in each exposure group remained no changed.

CONCLUSIONThe study showed that EMF exposure could down-regulate the surface molecules and stimulation ability of human DC.

B7-1 Antigen ; B7-2 Antigen ; immunology ; Biomarkers ; analysis ; CD11c Antigen ; immunology ; Cell Phone ; Cells, Cultured ; Dendrites ; pathology ; Dendritic Cells ; metabolism ; physiology ; radiation effects ; Electromagnetic Fields ; HLA-DR Antigens ; analysis ; Humans ; Interleukin-12 ; immunology

OBJECTIVEIt is well known that vitamin A can improve mucosal immunity and anti-infection immunity. But the mechanisms thereof remain to be clarified. Previous studies on the role of vitamin A in immune regulation focused on lymphocytes, whereas little had been done about dendritic cells, which play very important roles in immune response. The objective of this study was to understand the effects of retinoic acid (RA), the metabolic product of vitamin A in vivo,on the differentiation, maturation and functions of dendritic cells from cord blood.

METHODSCord blood samples were collected from nine well-nourished full-term neonates. Mononuclear cells were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation and cultured in the presence of 1000 u/ml GM-CSF, 500 u/ml IL-4 for 6 days, then TNF-alpha 20 ng/ml was added into the medium and cultured for another 3 days. The cells were incubated with or without 1 x 10(-6) MRA. Expression of surface molecules, CD1a, CD83, HLA-DR on DC was measured by flow cytometry. The ability of DC derived from the culture to induce proliferation of T cells in the mixed lymphocyte reaction (allo-MLR) was used for the evaluation of their function. IL-12, IFN-gamma, IL-4 and IL-10 were detected at mRNA levels by RT-PCR to understand the roles of DC treated with RA in regulation of Th1/Th2 balance.

RESULTSOn the sixth day of cell culture, the percentage of DC incubated with RA (57.28 +/- 9.22) was much lower than that without RA (79.57 +/- 11.85) (P < 0.001), but on the ninth day, there were no differences between the presence or absence of RA (76.18 +/- 10.27 vs. 73.72 +/- 15.58). When RA was added to the medium and the culture was continued for nine days, the percent of immature DC (CD1a + HLA-DR+) was much higher than that of the control (absence of RA) (58.93 +/- 4.70 vs. 45.80 +/- 7.88, t = 6.575, P < 0.001); whereas, mature DC (CD83 + HLA-DR+) percentage was markedly lower than that of the control (17.25 +/- 8.49 vs. 27.92 +/- 13.94, t = 4.435, P = 0.002). The T lymphocytes proliferation induced by the DC treated with RA was reduced from 16 857 +/- 3 643 to 11 924 +/- 2 576 cpm (t = 5.598, P < 0.001) in allo-MLR. Expression of mRNA for IL-12p35, IL-12p40, IFN-gamma in the cells that had been incubated with RA declined, but IL-10, IL-4 increased significantly.

CONCLUSIONVitamin A inhibited the differentiation and maturation of cord blood DC, reduced it's ability to stimulate allo-T lymphocytes proliferation, and down-regulated Th1 cytokines, up-regulated Th2 cytokines, consequently made immune response inclined to Th2.

Antigens, CD ; Antigens, CD1 ; analysis ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; genetics ; immunology ; Cytokines ; genetics ; Dendritic Cells ; drug effects ; immunology ; metabolism ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; immunology ; Flow Cytometry ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; HLA-DR Antigens ; analysis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; analysis ; Interferon-gamma ; genetics ; Interleukin-10 ; genetics ; Interleukin-12 ; genetics ; Interleukin-4 ; genetics ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; analysis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vitamin A ; pharmacology

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes a Th1 cellular immunity. Our previous study showed that T. gondii lysate antigen (TLA) treatment in S180 tumor-bearing mice resulted in tumor reduction by suppressing CD31 expression, a marker of angiogenesis. In the present study, to investigate tumor suppressive effect of TLA under the absence of T lymphocytes, athymic nude mice were compared with euthymic mice in the anti-tumorigenic effect triggered by TLA in CT26 tumors. According to the results, intratumorally injected TLA reduced tumor growth and TIMP-1 level, a metastatic marker, in both euthymic and athymic mice. TLA treatment led to a sharp increase in IL-12 expression in serum cytokine profiling of athymic mice, and increased MyD88 signals in macrophages derived from the bone marrow, implying the activation of innate immunity. The selective induction of IL-12 by TLA treatment had an anti-tumorigenic effect.
Animals ; Antigens, Protozoan/*immunology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Immunity, Innate ; Immunotherapy/*methods ; Interleukin-12/*blood ; Macrophages/immunology ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/analysis ; Neoplasms/pathology/*therapy ; Toxoplasma/*immunology ; Treatment Outcome

We investigated the immunostimulatory effects of a novel beta-glucan purified from Paenibacillus (P.) polymyxa JB115 on bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs), a type of potent antigen-presenting cells. beta-glucan isolated from P. polymyxa JB115 enhanced the viability and induced the maturation of DCs. beta-glucan markedly increased the cytokine production of DCs and surface expression of DC markers. In addition, DCs treated with beta-glucan showed a higher capacity to stimulate allogeneic spleen cell proliferation compared to those treated with medium alone. These results demonstrate the effect of beta-glucan on DC maturation and may increase the use of beta-glucan.
Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells/cytology/*drug effects/*immunology ; Cell Survival/drug effects/*immunology ; Dendritic Cells/cytology/*drug effects/*immunology ; Flow Cytometry ; Immunophenotyping/methods ; Interleukin-12/analysis/immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Nitric Oxide/analysis/immunology ; Paenibacillus/*chemistry ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/analysis/immunology ; beta-Glucans/isolation & purification/*pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the immunoregulatory effects of the Lonicera water extract in the ovalbulmin (OVA)-sensitized BALB/c mice and to explore feasibility of treating food allergy with the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

METHODSForty female BALB/c mice aged 6 weeks fed with ovalbulmin-free feed, were randomly divided into 5 groups with 8 mice in each. Four groups were sensitized with OVA intraperitoneally two times and challenged intragastrically four times. Groups H, M and L were treated respectively with high (100 mg/100 ml), medium (50 mg/100ml) and low (25 mg/100 ml) concentration of the Lonicera water extract at a dose of 0.3 ml/10 g body weight just 4 hours after the first challenge and then twice daily for 10 consecutive days. The mice in group Ch were used as positive control and were sensitized intraperitoneally and treated with normal saline solution intragastrically daily. The mice in NS group were used as negative control without sensitization and challenge. Just 1 hour after the last challenge, the mice in each group were sacrificed and specimens of jejunum were taken. Histological examinations on the jejunum specimens were performed after either HE or toluidine blue staining, the levels of histamine in gut of the mice were assayed with a fluorescent method; the IFN-gamma and IL-4 production in peripheral lymph node mononuclear cell (PLNMC) and the OVA-specific IgE levels in serum were measured by using ELISA; the mRNA expression of IL-12p40 in PLNMC of the mice was evaluated by RT-PCR; the footpad swelling reactions were assessed for the OVA-induced delayed hypersensitivity.

RESULTS(1) The inflammatory reactions were significantly inhibited in the mice of group H and M; the accumulated and degranulated mast cells in lamina propria were significantly reduced in the mice by gavage with 100% or 50% of the Lonicera extract, concomitant with the increased percentage of the intact mast cells. (2) The release of histamine in gut in the mice of group H and M was significantly reduced. (3) Either the IL-4 production and the ratio of IL-4/IFN-gamma in PLNMC or the IFN-gamma generation was significantly reduced in group H and M. (4) IL-12p40 mRNA expression in PLNMC was significantly reduced in group H and M. (5) The levels of OVA-specific IgE in serum were reduced in the mice of group H and M. (6) The footpad swelling reactions induced in the allergic mice were significantly inhibited after giving the Lonicera extract of the three different concentrations.

CONCLUSIONThe Lonicera extract showed significant immunoregulatory effects in OVA-induced allergic mice model in this study. Lonicera extract may be of potential research value in treatment of both IgE and none IgE mediated food allergy.

Animals ; Female ; Food Hypersensitivity ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Histamine ; analysis ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; Interleukin-12 Subunit p40 ; analysis ; Interleukin-4 ; metabolism ; Jejunum ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lonicera ; chemistry ; Mast Cells ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Ovalbumin ; administration & dosage ; Plant Extracts ; immunology ; pharmacology