Infection of schistosomiasis japonica may eventually lead to liver fibrosis, and no effective antifibrotic therapies are available but liver transplantation. Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway has been involved in the process and is a promising target for treating liver fibrosis. This study aimed to explore the effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) on liver fibrosis induced by schistosoma japonicum infection by inhibiting the HH signaling pathway. Phorbol12-myristate13-acetate (PMA) was used to induce human acute mononuclear leukemia cells THP-1 to differentiate into macrophages. The THP-1-derived macrophages were stimulated by soluble egg antigen (SEA), and the culture supernatants were collected for detection of activation of macrophages. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect the cytotoxicity of the culture supernatant and PTX on the LX-2 cells. The LX-2 cells were administered with activated culture supernatant from macrophages and(or) PTX to detect the transforming growth factor-β gene expression. The mRNA expression of shh and gli-1, key parts in HH signaling pathway, was detected. The mRNA expression of shh and gli-1 was increased in LX-2 cells treated with activated macrophages-derived culture supernatant, suggesting HH signaling pathway may play a key role in the activation process of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). The expression of these genes decreased in LX-2 cells co-cultured with both activated macrophages-derived culture supernatant and PTX, indicating PTX could suppress the activation process of HSCs. In conclusion, these data provide evidence that PTX prevents liver fibrogenesis in vitro by the suppression of HH signaling pathway.
Animals ; Antigens, Helminth ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Hedgehog Proteins ; agonists ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; metabolism ; parasitology ; prevention & control ; Macrophage Activation ; drug effects ; Macrophages ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology ; Models, Biological ; Monocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Pentoxifylline ; pharmacology ; Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; immunology ; Schistosoma japonicum ; chemistry ; Signal Transduction ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate ; pharmacology ; Zinc Finger Protein GLI1 ; genetics ; immunology ; Zygote ; chemistry

Analysis of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of innate CD4+ T cells selected by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-dependent thymocyte-thymocyte (T-T) interaction (T-T CD4+ T cells) is essential for predicting the characteristics of the antigens that bind to these T cells and for distinguishing T-T CD4+ T cells from other types of innate T cells. Using the TCRmini Tg mouse model, we show that the repertoire of TCRalpha chains in T-T CD4+ T cells was extremely diverse, in contrast to the repertoires previously described for other types of innate T cells. The TCRalpha chain sequences significantly overlapped between T-T CD4+ T cells and conventional CD4+ T cells in the thymus and spleen. However, the diversity of the TCRalpha repertoire of T-T CD4+ T cells seemed to be restricted compared with that of conventional CD4+ T cells. Interestingly, the frequency of the parental OT-II TCRalpha chains was significantly reduced in the process of T-T interaction. This diverse and shifted repertoire in T-T CD4+ T cells has biological relevance in terms of defense against diverse pathogens and a possible regulatory role during peripheral T-T interaction.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Antigens, Surface/metabolism ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/cytology/*immunology/*metabolism ; Cell Communication ; Cell Differentiation/genetics/immunology ; Clonal Evolution ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II/*immunology ; *Immunity, Innate ; Immunophenotyping ; Lymphocyte Count ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Mice, Transgenic ; Peptide Fragments/chemistry ; Phenotype ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/chemistry/genetics ; Spleen/cytology ; Thymocytes/cytology/immunology/metabolism

Differentiated HL-60 is an effector cell widely used for the opsonophagocytic-killing assay (OPKA) to measure efficacy of pneumococcal vaccines. We investigated the correlation between phenotypic expression of immunoreceptors and phagocytic ability of HL-60 cells differentiated with N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), or 1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VitD3) for 5 days. Phenotypic change was examined by flow cytometry with specific antibodies to CD11c, CD14, CD18, CD32, and CD64. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry using 7-aminoactinomycin D. Function was evaluated by a standard OPKA against serotype 19F and chemiluminescence-based respiratory burst assay. The expression of CD11c and CD14 gradually increased upon exposure to all three agents, while CD14 expression increased abruptly after VitD3. The expression of CD18, CD32, and CD64 increased during differentiation with all three agents. Apoptosis remained less than 10% until day 3 but increased after differentiation by DMF or ATRA. Differentiation with ATRA or VitD3 increased the respiratory burst after day 4. DMF differentiation showed a high OPKA titer at day 1 which sustained thereafter while ATRA or VitD3-differentiated cells gradually increased. Pearson analysis between the phenotypic changes and OPKA titers suggests that CD11c might be a useful differentiation marker for HL-60 cells for use in pneumococcal OPKA.
Antibodies, Bacterial/immunology ; Antigens, CD11c/metabolism ; Antigens, CD14/metabolism ; Antigens, CD18/metabolism ; Apoptosis/*immunology ; Biological Assay ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cholecalciferol/pharmacology ; Dimethylformamide/pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Phagocytosis/*immunology ; Pneumococcal Vaccines/*immunology ; Receptors, IgG/metabolism ; Receptors, Immunologic/*biosynthesis ; Respiratory Burst/immunology ; Streptococcus pneumoniae/*immunology ; Tretinoin/pharmacology

Differentiated HL-60 is an effector cell widely used for the opsonophagocytic-killing assay (OPKA) to measure efficacy of pneumococcal vaccines. We investigated the correlation between phenotypic expression of immunoreceptors and phagocytic ability of HL-60 cells differentiated with N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), or 1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VitD3) for 5 days. Phenotypic change was examined by flow cytometry with specific antibodies to CD11c, CD14, CD18, CD32, and CD64. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry using 7-aminoactinomycin D. Function was evaluated by a standard OPKA against serotype 19F and chemiluminescence-based respiratory burst assay. The expression of CD11c and CD14 gradually increased upon exposure to all three agents, while CD14 expression increased abruptly after VitD3. The expression of CD18, CD32, and CD64 increased during differentiation with all three agents. Apoptosis remained less than 10% until day 3 but increased after differentiation by DMF or ATRA. Differentiation with ATRA or VitD3 increased the respiratory burst after day 4. DMF differentiation showed a high OPKA titer at day 1 which sustained thereafter while ATRA or VitD3-differentiated cells gradually increased. Pearson analysis between the phenotypic changes and OPKA titers suggests that CD11c might be a useful differentiation marker for HL-60 cells for use in pneumococcal OPKA.
Antibodies, Bacterial/immunology ; Antigens, CD11c/metabolism ; Antigens, CD14/metabolism ; Antigens, CD18/metabolism ; Apoptosis/*immunology ; Biological Assay ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cholecalciferol/pharmacology ; Dimethylformamide/pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Phagocytosis/*immunology ; Pneumococcal Vaccines/*immunology ; Receptors, IgG/metabolism ; Receptors, Immunologic/*biosynthesis ; Respiratory Burst/immunology ; Streptococcus pneumoniae/*immunology ; Tretinoin/pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical significance of CD163 in the diagnosis and the evaluation of severity and prognosis of childhood hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).

METHODSNinety-four children were classified into Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive (n=55) and EBV-negative groups (n=39; control group). The EBV-positive group was subgrouped into infectious mononucleosis (IM; n=47) and HLH (n=8). Serum levels of soluble CD163 were measured using ELISA. Expression of CD163 on mononuclear cells was detected by flow cytometry.

RESULTSThe serum levels of soluble CD163 were>10 000 ng/mL in all eight HLH patients (>30 000 ng/mL in 3 cases). The mean serum levels of soluble CD163 in the HLH group were significantly higher than in the control and IM groups (P<0.05). The serum levels of soluble CD163 in EBV-positive children were positively correlated with EBV-DNA copies and serum levels of ferritin and LDH, but were negatively correlated with white blood cell count, neutrophil count, hemoglobin and platelet count. The follow-up after treatment for three HLH patients showed that serum levels of soluble CD163 were significantly reduced, but the soluble CD163 levels rebounded in one patient who was complicated by fungal pneumonia infection.

CONCLUSIONSThe levels of serum soluble CD163 may be related to the severity in children with HLH. The EBV-positive children with soluble CD163 levels >10 000 ng/mL should be considered the possibility of HLH.

Adolescent ; Antigens, CD ; analysis ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; analysis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; immunology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; analysis

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

Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte ; metabolism ; CD3 Complex ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Kinetics ; Lectins, C-Type ; metabolism ; Lymphocyte Activation ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects ; immunology ; metabolism

This study investigated the effect of arctigenin (Arc) on the cell activation, cytokines expression, proliferation, and cell-cycle distribution of mouse T lymphocytes. Mouse lymphocytes were prepared from lymph node and treated with Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)/Ionimycin (Ion) and/or Arc. CD69, CD25, cytokines, proliferation and cell cycle were assayed by flow cytometry. The results showed that, at concentrations of less than 1.00 micromol x L(-1), Arc expressed non-obvious cell damage to cultured lymphocytes, however, it could significantly down-regulate the expression of CD69 and CD25, as well as TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 on PMA/Ion stimulated lymphocytes. At the same time, Arc could also inhibit the proliferation of PMA/Ion-activated lymphocytes and exhibited lymphocyte G 0/G1 phase cycle arrest. These results suggest that Arc possesses significant anti-inflammatory effects that may be mediated through the regulation of cell activation, cytokines expression and cell proliferation.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte ; metabolism ; Arctium ; chemistry ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Female ; Furans ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; Interleukin-10 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-2 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Interleukin-4 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Ionomycin ; pharmacology ; Lectins, C-Type ; metabolism ; Lignans ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; T-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate ; pharmacology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of myeloid antigen expression on hematopoietic reconstitution and disease prognosis in acute lymphocytic leukemia patients post-allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Clinical data of 20 patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia in Department of Hematology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from 2008 January to 2014 April were retrospectively analyzed, in which 5 cases were with myeloid antigen (My(+) ALL), while 15 patients were without myeloid antigen expression (My(-) ALL). Differences in prognosis and hematopoietic reconstitution post-allo-HSCT were observed in My(+) ALL and My(-) ALL patients. The results showed that the poor platelet engraftment in patients with My(+) ALL was found more than that in My(-)ALL patients. Three My(+) ALL patients experienced skin chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) including local in 2 cases and extensive in one case, and 3 My(-) ALL patients developed grade I-II acute GVHD, while five patients of My(-) ALL experienced cGVHD including local in 3 cases, extensive in 2 cases. One and two year overall survival rate of My(+) ALL and My(-) ALL patients was 80% and 85.7%, 53% and 69.8% respectively, one and two year progress-free survival rate was 53.3% and 54.7%, 26% and 27.4%, respectively. And there was no significant statistical difference between two groups (P > 0.05). It is concluded that the myeloid antigen expression may impact the platelet engraftment post-transplantation. There is no significant difference between one and two year overall survival rate and progress-free survival rate of My(+) ALL and My(-) ALL patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; immunology ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; immunology ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinicopathologic features, immunophenotype, differential diagnosis and gene mutation status of the Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD).

METHODSClinical and pathologic findings of 3 ECD cases were examined by gross, microscopic, immunohistochemical methods and BRAF V600E mutation. Related literatures were reviewed.

RESULTSTwo male patients and one female patient presented clinically with multiple skin nodules, bone pain and bony lesions by imaging study. Microscopically, the lesions were composed of spindle-shaped fibroblasts, foamy histiocytes and scattered Touton-type giant cells embedded in reactive fibrous tissue. Lymphocytes, plasma cells, and multinucleated giant cells were also found. Immunohistochemically, all histiocytes were positive for CD68, none of which expressed CD1a, although 2 cases focally expressed weak S-100 stain. In 2 cases,BRAF V600E mutation was detected.

CONCLUSIONSECD is a rare disease of xanthogranulomatous histiocytosis.Its diagnosis relies on pathological and immunohistochemical findings, but correlation with clinical information, especially radiographic findings should be performed.No effective treatment of the disease is currently available.

Antigens, CD ; analysis ; Antigens, CD1 ; analysis ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; analysis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Erdheim-Chester Disease ; genetics ; immunology ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; S100 Proteins ; analysis ; Treatment Outcome