OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of hypoxia on the peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets and co-stimulatory molecules in rats so as to provide the basis for studying the intervention measure.

METHODSBefore hypoxia and during hypoxia at 8 000 m for 8 h, 3 d, 6 d and 10 d the change of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets and co-stimulatory molecules in rats were detected by flowcytometer with three-color immunofluorescence label.

RESULTSRats were exposed to hypoxia at 8 000 m for 8 hours, and CD3+, CD8+, CD8+ CD28- lymphocyte percentages were significantly decreased (P < 0.01) compared with that before hypoxia. After 3 days of hypoxia, besides aforesaid change, CD4+ CD28+ lymphocyte percentage also prominently decreased (P < 0.01) and CD4+ CD28- prominently increased (P < 0.01). After 6 and 10 days of hypoxia, CD3+, CD4+ lymphocyte percentages were further decreased, while CD8+ CD28+ lymphocyte percentage significantly increased (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAfter exposed to hypoxia at 8 000 m for 8 hours and 3 days, activation of CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocyte was prominently decreased, while with the prolong of exposed time activation of CD8+ T lymphocyte was significantly increased.

Altitude ; Altitude Sickness ; physiopathology ; Animals ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; physiology ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; physiology ; Hypoxia ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; physiology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; T-Lymphocytes ; physiology

Humans ; Pleural Effusion ; etiology ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo explore the prognostic value of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and M2 macrophages in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) tissues.

METHODSThe expression of CD163 and Foxp3 was detected by immunohistochemistry in 92 cases of DLBCL, and it was statistically analyzed whether their expressions correlate with clinical data and prognosis in patients with DLBCL.

RESULTSThe density of M2 macrophage and regulatory T cells in DLBCL tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in the adjacent tissues (P = 0.02, P = 0.04). The expression of M2 macrophages was significantly positively correlated with regulatory T cells expression (r = 2.012, P < 0.05). High density of M2 or Tregs had a relationship with extranodal involvement (P < 0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that the expressions of CD163 and Foxp3 were independent prognostic factors of DLBCL (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCombined detection of the expression of CD163 and Foxp3 proteins and then evaluation of the amount of M2 macrophages and Tregs can be used to more closely predict the prognosis for DLBCL patients.

Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; diagnosis ; Macrophages ; physiology ; Prognosis ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; physiology

Alternations of lymphocyte in biophysical properties (e.g., morphology and viscoelasticity) are related to the human health, disease diagnosis and treatment. Here, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to characterize the morphology and mechanical properties of normal lymphocyte and Jurkat. The AFM images revealed that their cell shapes appeared similar. The mechanical properties of the two groups were tracked with AFM-based force spectroscopy. The normal lymphocyte cells had a high adhesion force distribution in (796.7 +/- 248.5) pN, whereas the Jurkat cells had a low force distribution in (158.5 +/- 37.5) pN. The adhesion force revealed that the Young's modulus of normal lymphocyte cells (0.471 kPa +/- 0.081 kPa) was nearly four times higher than that of Jurkat cells (0.0964 kPa +/- 0.0229 kPa) at the same loading rate. The stiffness of normal lymphocyte cells was (2.278 +/- 0.488) mN/m and that of Jurkat cells was (4.322 +/- 0.382) mN/m. The differences in mechanical properties of normal and cancerous cells were obvious that healthy and diseased states could be clearly distinguished. These results may be applied to the clinic disease diagnosis for distinguishing the normal cells from the cancer ones even when they show similar shapes.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Humans ; Jurkat Cells ; physiology ; ultrastructure ; Lymphocytes ; physiology ; ultrastructure ; Microscopy, Atomic Force ; methods

OBJECTIVETo observe the immune reaction in the mixed culture of host lymphocytes with allogenic and host endothelial cells.

METHODSThe host epithelial cells and lymphocytes from burn patients and allogenic epithelial cells were mix-cultured in different ratios, so as to simulate the local immune micro-environment of host skin island in intermingled skin grafting. In addition, the cells from normal human subjects were also mix-cultured as control. The lymphocyte cpm values were detected by (3)H-TdR and HLA molecules and T cell subgroup were determined by immunohistological technique.

RESULTS(1) The lymphocyte proliferation reaction could be effectively inhibited by the epithelial cells from burn patients but not from normal control. (2) The inhibition of host lymphocyte proliferation could not be mediated by the HLA-DQ molecules of epithelium from burn patients. (3) The positive expression rate of HLA-DR of epithelia from burn patients was evidently higher that that from normal control (P < 0.05), (4) The CD8 expression of lymphocyte in burn patients was significantly higher than that in normal control (P < 0.01), while the CD4 expression in burn patients was lower than that in normal control (P < 0.01). But there was no obvious difference of the CD3 expression between patients and normal subjects (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe lymphocyte proliferation reaction could be obviously inhibited by the host epithelium, which might be related to the specific immune state of the host lymphocytes and epithelium of burn patients.

Cell Communication ; immunology ; physiology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Division ; Epithelial Cells ; immunology ; physiology ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; immunology ; physiology ; Skin Transplantation ; immunology

Animals ; Cytokines ; physiology ; Humans ; Immune System ; drug effects ; physiology ; Melatonin ; pharmacology ; Opioid Peptides ; physiology ; Receptors, Melatonin ; physiology ; Stress, Physiological ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; physiology

It has been well known that catecholamines (CAs) in the body, including norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E) and dopamine (DA), are synthesized and secreted by neurons and endocrine cells and mainly modulate visceral activities such as cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive functions. The studies over the past nearly 30 years have shown that CAs can also regulate immune function. The immunomodulation of CAs is generally considered as a role mediating the regulation of nervous and endocrine systems. However, recent studies reveal that immune cells can also synthesize CAs, which is an update of traditional concept. A classical metabolic pathway of CAs shared by the nervous and endocrine systems is present in the immune cells, i.e., the immunocytes have the enzymes for synthesis of CAs [e.g. tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)] and the enzymes for degradation of CAs [e.g. monoamine oxidase (MAO) and catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT)]. The endogenous CAs synthesized by immune cells can regulate many immune functions, including cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and cytokine production. These roles of the endogenous CAs may be mediated by an autocrine/paracrine pathway via relevant receptors on the immunocytes and intracellular cAMP. Intracellular oxidative mechanism may also be involved in immunoregulation of endogenous CAs in immune cells. In addition, some metabolic abnormalities of CAs in the immune cells probably induce some autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis. These findings not only provide evidence for the new concept that the immune system is possible to become the third CA system other than the nervous and endocrine systems, but also extend our comprehension on functional significance of the endogenous CAs synthesized by immune cells.
Animals ; Autoimmune Diseases ; immunology ; Catecholamines ; physiology ; Humans ; Immune System ; physiology ; Lymphocytes ; immunology ; metabolism ; Monoamine Oxidase ; physiology ; Neuroimmunomodulation ; physiology ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; physiology

Current therapies for autoimmune diseases are not cures but merely palliatives, aimed at reducing symptoms. For the most part, these treatments provide nonspecific suppression of the immune system and thus do not distinguish between a pathogenic autoimmune response and a protective immune response. Recently emerging evidence not only has indicated the involvement of members of the TNF receptor/ligand superfamilies but also has revealed exciting innovative strategies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and other chronic inflammatory diseases without depressing the immune response in general. In this review, we will discuss the regulatory mechanisms of TNF receptor/ligand family members, such as HVEM/ LIGHT, 4-1BB/4-1BBL, and GITR/GITRL that regulate T and B cell functions and participate in the process of inflammatory diseases. We will also discuss how intervening in the costimulatory pathways mediated by these molecules might have some potential as a therapeutic approach to immune disorders.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Autoimmune Diseases/immunology/metabolism/pathology ; B-Lymphocytes/immunology/physiology ; Dendritic Cells/physiology ; Human ; Inflammation/*immunology ; Lymphocyte Activation/immunology ; Models, Biological ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor/*physiology ; T-Lymphocytes/immunology/physiology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor/immunology/*physiology

OBJECTIVETo develop chromosome abnormal karyotype quality control cell and to explore the external quality assessment (EQA) method for chromosome karyotype analysis.

METHODSThe chromosome abnormal karyotype quality control cells were prepared by EB virus (EBV) transfection of human B lymphocyte strain establishment and were distributed to participating labs for EQA test of chromosome karyotype analysis project at appointed time. The evaluation results were obtained through 4 grades scoring.

RESULTSSix kinds of chromosome abnormal karyotype quality control cells were initially developed, the karyotypes of which were 46,X, t(Y;5)(q12;q21), 46, XY, 15p +, 46, XX, t(13;18)(q12;q21), 46, X, r(Xp), 46,X,t(Y;Y), 46,XX,t(9;20)(p13;p13) respectively. In the external quality assessment, feedbacks from the participating labs on the sequencing results of the six kinds of quality control cells showed that the wholly overlapping rate were 82.1%, 92.0%, 84.6%, 80.8%, 86.2%, 74.1% and the wholly deviation rate were 10.7%, 8.0%, 11.5%, 19.2%, 13.8%, 18.5%. The overall wholly overlapping rate, partial overlapping rate, partial deviation rate and wholly deviation rate turned out to be 83.2%, 0.6%, 2.5% and 13.7% respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe misdiagnose rate of chromosome karyotype analysis is rather high and regular external quality assessment is necessary to achieve dynamic information and improve diagnosis quality.

B-Lymphocytes ; virology ; Cell Line ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosome Painting ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; physiology ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; methods ; Lymphocytes ; virology

Exocytosis is a vital function of many cell types including neuron, endocrine cell and immunocyte. Secretion in immunocytes involves a complex process of signal transduction, in which many factors still remain unknown. In the last 10 years, this area has become an international hot spot of investigation, resulting in many break-through progresses. This progress was made possible by combined efforts in molecular biology, cell biology and biophysics. This review focuses on notable new knowledge and some new techniques in functional study of secretion in immunocytes.
Exocytosis ; physiology ; Humans ; Ion Channels ; physiology ; Lymphocytes ; immunology ; secretion ; Mast Cells ; immunology ; secretion ; Membrane Proteins ; physiology ; Neutrophils ; immunology ; secretion ; SNARE Proteins ; Signal Transduction ; physiology ; Vesicular Transport Proteins