Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. A growing body of evidence indicates that inflammation is closely associated with the initiation, progression, and metastasis of many tumors, including those of gastric cancer. In addition, approximately 60% of the world's population is colonized by Helicobacter pylori, which accounts for more than 50% of gastric cancers. While the role of inflammation in intestinal and colonic cancers is relatively well defined, its role in stomach neoplasia is still unclear because of the limited access of pathogens to the acidic environment and the technical difficulties isolating and characterizing immune cells in the stomach, especially in animal models. In this review, we will provide recent updates addressing how inflammation is involved in gastric malignancies, and what immune characteristics regulate the pathogenesis of stomach cancer. Also, we will discuss potential therapeutics that target the immune system for the efficient treatment of gastric cancer.
Adaptive Immunity/*immunology ; B-Lymphocytes/immunology ; Cytokines/immunology ; Gastritis/immunology ; Helicobacter Infections/immunology ; Helicobacter pylori/immunology ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate/*immunology ; Immunotherapy/methods ; Receptors, Cytokine/immunology ; Stomach Neoplasms/diagnosis/*immunology/therapy ; T-Lymphocytes/immunology ; Tumor Microenvironment/*immunology

The immune hypothesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) fits well with the supposed interaction between genetic and environmental factors in disorders with a complicated etiopathogenesis. It has been suggested that infectious diseases are associated with MDD in that cytokines may play a critical role as a key modulator in the transition between infection and the development of MDD. It has been also suggested that antidepressants have immunomodulatory effects on some cytokines and cytokine receptors, although the exact mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated. Among cytokines, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is especially well known and has attracted considerable interest owing to its immunomodulatory functions. MCP-1 is expressed in highly regionalized neuronal areas in the brain, leading to kind of modulation of neuronal activity and neuroendocrine functions commonly seen in patients with MDD. Additionally, it is involved in the control of other cytokines that have been consistently proposed as associated with the development of MDD. It also has a possible role in the neurodegenerative process of a number of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Hence, this paper draws from the perspective of immunology to offer several suggestions about the role of MPC-1 in the development of MDD.
Allergy and Immunology ; Antidepressive Agents ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Chemokine CCL2* ; Communicable Diseases ; Cytokines ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major* ; Humans ; Neurons ; Receptors, Cytokine

The immune hypothesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) fits well with the supposed interaction between genetic and environmental factors in disorders with a complicated etiopathogenesis. It has been suggested that infectious diseases are associated with MDD in that cytokines may play a critical role as a key modulator in the transition between infection and the development of MDD. It has been also suggested that antidepressants have immunomodulatory effects on some cytokines and cytokine receptors, although the exact mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated. Among cytokines, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is especially well known and has attracted considerable interest owing to its immunomodulatory functions. MCP-1 is expressed in highly regionalized neuronal areas in the brain, leading to kind of modulation of neuronal activity and neuroendocrine functions commonly seen in patients with MDD. Additionally, it is involved in the control of other cytokines that have been consistently proposed as associated with the development of MDD. It also has a possible role in the neurodegenerative process of a number of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Hence, this paper draws from the perspective of immunology to offer several suggestions about the role of MPC-1 in the development of MDD.
Allergy and Immunology ; Antidepressive Agents ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Chemokine CCL2* ; Communicable Diseases ; Cytokines ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major* ; Humans ; Neurons ; Receptors, Cytokine

OBJECTIVETo investigate the specific anti-breast cancer immune response induced by dendritic cells (DC) loaded with trastuzumab and apoptotic Her-2+ breast cancer cells.

METHODSDCs were generated from healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the presence of recombinant cytokines GM-CSF, IL-4 and TNF-alpha. Mature DCs were harvested after 7 days' co-culture of PBMCs and trastuzumab-treated apoptotic SKBr3 cells. The morphologic characteristics and ultrastructure of the DC were observed under the inverted phase-contrast microscope and transmission electron microscope (TEM), respectively. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to check the expression of several DC specific markers: CD14, CD1a, CD64, CD80, CD83, CD86, HLA-ABC and HLA-DR. DC-cytokine induced killer (DC-CIK) cells were prepared by co-culture of DCs and peripheral blood lymphocytes in the presence of anti-CD3 antibodies and human IL-2 at an appropriate concentration. The number of antigen-specific T cells was analyzed by human interferon gamma enzyme linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. MTT assay was employed to assess the lysis of breast cancer cell line induced by DC-CIK cells.

RESULTS5 minutes after the adding of DCs to SKBr3 cells pretreated with trastuzumab, the apoptotic SKBr3 cells were found to be circled by DCs. 48 hours later, many membrane-wrapped organelles of the apoptotic target cells in the cytoplasm of DCs were found by TEM. The majority of the organelles were degraded. Fewer organelles from the apoptotic cells were found in DCs without Herceptin. More than 60% in every group of DCs expressed a high-affinity receptor for IgG (FcgammaRI or CD64). CD14 expression on the mature DCs were comparatively lower, and HLA-DR and HLA-ABC expressions were higher in the trastuzumab group. The expression of CD1a, CD80, CD83 and CD86 in trastuzumab group were higher than those in immature DCs group (P < 0.05). ELISPOT assay suggests that the spot number of antigen-specific T cells were higher in trastuzumab group than that in the antigen unloaded DCs group (P < 0.05). The lysis of SKBr3 cells induced by the SKBr3 antigen loaded DC-CIK cells were 1.7 times higher than that of CIK.

CONCLUSIONThe lysis of SKBr3 cells induced by DC-CIK was increased after that DCs were combined with trastuzumab to capture antigen from SKBr3 cells. These findings support further investigation into the use of combination immunotherapy of the humanized monoclonal antibody, DC vaccines and immunological effector cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal ; pharmacology ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Apoptosis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Coculture Techniques ; Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells ; immunology ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic ; immunology ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Humans ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; metabolism ; Receptors, IgG ; metabolism ; Trastuzumab

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of fractalkine (FKN) and its receptor CX3CR1 in cardiac allografts and the effect of Cyclosporin A (CsA).

METHODSThree groups of rats underwent heterotopic cardiac transplantation, 45 cases in each group and 5 cases in control group: SD to SD regarded as isograft group (group A), Wistar to SD divided into CsA untreated allograft group (group B) and CsA treated allograft group (group C), normal SD rats as control group. The FKN mRNA expression was detected by one-step RT-PCR method and the expression of FKN and CX3CR1 protein was detected by standard ABC immunohistochemical technique.

RESULTSThe expression of FKN mRNA and protein was weak in both isografts and normal heart specimens. The changes of FKN mRNA expression were correlated with the process of acute allograft rejection. The peak of FKN mRNA expression (0.8 +/- 0.26) appeared on the seventh day after transplantation, which could be down-regulated by CsA significantly (t = 2.390, P < 0.05). FKN protein was located in endothelia cells and its receptor CX3CR1 was located in infiltrating mononuclear cells in allografts.

CONCLUSIONSUpregulation of FKN and its receptor was significantly correlated with the trafficking of mononuclear cells which play an important role in acute allograft rejection. It may be one of the important mechanisms of CsA to intervene the acute rejection by inhibiting the activation of the FKN-CX3CR1 pathway.

Acute Disease ; Animals ; CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1 ; Chemokine CX3CL1 ; Chemokines, CX3C ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cyclosporine ; pharmacology ; Graft Rejection ; immunology ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Heart Transplantation ; immunology ; pathology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Cytokine ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptors, HIV ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transplantation, Homologous

The effect of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) on macrophage-derived foam cell formation and the underlying mechanism were studied. Macrophages isolated from C57BL/6 mice were co-cultured in vitro with different concentrations of TSLP or TSLPR-antibody in the presence of oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). The effects of TSLP on macrophage-derived foam cell formation were observed by using oil red O staining and intracellular lipid determination. The expression levels of foam cell scavenger receptors (CD36 and SRA) as well as ABCA1 and TSLPR were detected by using RT-PCR and Western blotting. As compared with the control group, TSLP treatment significantly promoted lipid accumulation in macrophages, significantly increased protein expression of CD36 and TSLPR in a dose-dependent manner, and significantly reduced the expression of ABCA1 protein in a dose-dependent manner. No significant differences were noted between the TSLPR-antibody group and the control group. TSLP may down-regulate the expression of cholesterol efflux receptor ABCA1 and up-regulate scavenger receptor expression via the TSLPR signaling pathway, thereby promoting macrophage-derived foam cell formation.
ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Antibodies ; immunology ; pharmacology ; Blotting, Western ; CD36 Antigens ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Cholesterol ; metabolism ; Cholesterol Esters ; metabolism ; Cytokines ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Foam Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Immunoglobulins ; immunology ; metabolism ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; pharmacology ; Macrophages ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Receptors, Cytokine ; immunology ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Scavenger Receptors, Class A ; genetics ; metabolism

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEThe CIK cell is one of the most important means of the adoptive cellular immunotherapy, and it is a hotspot of which to simplify its culture procedure and to promote its inhibition rate. The aim of this study is to observe the biological function of the CIK cells cultivated by the recombinant human fibronectin (RN) and to establish an effective and simple way of cells expansion.

METHODSWe separated the mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in 50 mL peripheral blood from 10 healthy persons with density gradient centrifugation in the lymphocyte-separating medium, and the PBMCs were divided into two groups, of which were cultivated by RN-introduced and conventional method separately. Then we estimated the proliferation ability, and analyzed the immunologic type, IFN-gamma, IL-4, perforin and granzyme B of them with flow cytometry. Besides that, we tested the inhibition rate of CIKs cells to four kinds of human lung cancer cell lines in vitro by MTT assay.

RESULTSThe RN-induced group had a higher proliferation rate that was 2.0-3.5 times of the conventional group, and there was an obvious statistical difference between the two (P < 0.05). The proliferation rates of CD3+CD16+CD56+T cells in each group were 3 778 and 2 068 times of the initial number, respectively. There was also a higher percentage of CD3+CD8+ T cells in RN-induced group (P < 0.05), while the percentage of CD3+CD4+T cells had no significant statistical difference (P > 0.05). We found a similar inhibition rate of the CIK cells to all this human lung cancer cell lines (P > 0.05). The cells which secreted IFN-gamma increased, while the cells which secreted IL-4 did not. The cells which secreted granzyme B and perforin were positive.

CONCLUSIONIt is an effective and simple way to cultivate the CIK cells with RN, which should be adopted.

CD3 Complex ; metabolism ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; CD56 Antigen ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Fibronectins ; genetics ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunotherapy, Adoptive ; methods ; Interleukin-4 ; metabolism ; Lung Neoplasms ; therapy ; Receptors, IgG ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology