Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction,which is caused by the body's uncontrolled immune response to infection.Tissue masts cells(MC),derived from blood mast cell progenitors,are one of the classical effector cells in inflammatory response.MC plays an important role in sepsis via secreting a variety of inflammatory mediators and cytokines.Here,we summarized the potential roles of MC in sepsis,which is expected to provide novel ideas for the future research on the novel mechanisms of MC in sepsis.

Objective:To investigate the expression of IL-18, IL-18-binding protein a(IL-18BPa) and IL-18 receptor α(IL-18Rα) by peripheral blood CD4 + Th17 cells of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and the effects of allergens on their expression. Methods:This study enrolled 45 outpatients with AR and 23 healthy control subjects receiving physical examination in the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University from October 2019 to September 2020. According to the results of skin prick test, the 45 patients were divided into two groups: AR group with positive results (24 cases) and nAR group with negative results (21 cases). Blood samples of them were collected. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the effects of allergens on the expression of IL-18, IL-18BPa and IL-18Rα at protein level by peripheral blood CD4 + Th17 cells. The level of IL-17A in plasma was measured by Bioplex system, and its correlation with the percentage of IL-18 + Th17 cells was analyzed. Results:Compared with the healthy control group, the AR group showed increased ratios of CD4 + Th17 and IL-18 + Th17 cells ( P<0.01), decreased ratio of IL-18BPa + Th17 cells ( P<0.01), enhanced mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of IL-18BPa ( P<0.01) and reduced MFI of IL-18Rα ( P<0.01); the nAR group showed enhanced MFI of IL-18BPa ( P<0.000 1) and reduced MFI of IL-18Rα ( P<0.000 1). The ratio of IL-18 + Th17 cells and the MFI of IL-18Rα in the AR group were higher than those in the nAR group ( P<0.05, P<0.01). House dust mite extract and Platanus pollen extract induced the expression of IL-18 and IL-18BPa by CD4 + Th17 cells of AR patients ( P<0.05). Moreover, house dust mite extract directly induced the CD4 + Th17 cells isolated from the healthy control subjects to express IL-18 and IL-18R ( P<0.05). Compared with healthy control subjects, AR patients had higher level of IL-17A in plasma and it was moderately correlated with the ratio of IL-18 + Th17 cells ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Allergens may be involved in the pathogenesis of AR by inducing blood CD4 + Th17 cells to express IL-18 and IL-18Rα.

【Objective】 To investigate the expression of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) in B cells in the peripheral blood of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), allergic asthma (AA), AR combined with AA (ARA) and the blood or lung tissue of sensitized mice, as well as the effect of allergens on its expression. 【Methods】 A total of 100 volunteers from The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University were recruited for outpatient and acute inpatient attacks, consisting of 19 healthy people (HC) with negative prick test result, 40 AR patients, 26 AA patients, and 15 ARA patients with positive prick test result. The expression of TLR9 in the peripheral blood B cells of the patients before and after stimulation by house dust mite allergen extract (HDME), Artemisia sieversiana wild allergen extract (ASWE), and Platanus pollen allergen extract (PPE) was detected by flow cytometry. AR and AA sensitization models were established in WT mice and FcεRI-KO mice to detect the effects of allergens and FcεRI on the expression of TLR9 in B cells. 【Results】 The expression and mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of TLR9 in peripheral blood B cells of unstimulated AR, AA and ARA patients were higher than those of HC. After allergen stimulation, the expression of TLR9 and its MFI in blood B cells of AR and AA patients increased (P<0.05). In WT mice and FcεRI-KO mice, compared with NS control mice, MFI was increased in almost each group. Compared with the NS control group, there was no significant difference in the expression of TLR9⁺ in B cells in the lung tissues of AA mice with FcεRI-KO after allergen challenge, but their MFI increased. FcεRI-KO mice had lower TLR9⁺ MFI in B cells after allergen challenge compared with WT mice. 【Conclusion】 TLR9 in B cells may be involved in the occurrence of AR and AA, and detecting the expression of TLR9 in B cells may be a new direction for the diagnosis of AR and AA.

Objective:To detect the expression of Toll-like receptor 7(TLR7)in blood neutrophils of patients with allergic rhi-nitis(AR),allergic asthma(AA)and allergic rhinitis combined with allergic asthma(ARA)before and after allergen challenge.Methods:A total of 44 AR,36 AA,19 ARA patients and 19 healthy control(HC)were recruited,the extracts of Artemisia siever-siana wild allergen(ASWE),house dust mite allergen(HDME)and Platanus pollen allergen(PPAE)were used to challenge periph-eral blood of HC as well as the patients,the expression of TLR7 in neutrophils was detected by flow cytometry.Results:In a resting state,compared with HC,upregulated expression of TLR7 in neutrophils in patients with airway allergy:the percentage of TLR7+neu-trophils in AR,AA,ARA patients increased 6 times,3.18 times and 6.15 times,respectively,and the mean fluorescence intensity(MFI)of TLR7 expression in neutrophil in ARA was enhanced by 24%.The results of allergen challenge tests showed that the expres-sion of neutrophils TLR7 did not change in HC subjects after the allergen challenge,whereas the expression of TLR7 in neutrophils of patients with airway allergy was upregulated after the allergens challenge.After HDME and PPAE challenge,the percentage of TLR7+neutrophils in peripheral of AR patients increased by 8.40%and 33.03%,respectively,and the MFI of TLR7 enhanced by 29.62%and 35.72%,respectively.After ASWE and PPAE challenge.The percentage of TLR7+neutrophils in peripheral of AA pa-tients increased by 59.18%and 1.06 times,respectively,and the MFI of TLR7 enhanced by 68.93%and 47.33%,respectively.How-ever,after HDME stimulation only enhanced the MFI of neutrophil TLR7 in AA patients by 66.14%;after HDME challenge,the per-centage of TLR7 and MFI in peripheral blood neutrophils of patients with ARA increased by 21.05%and 35.61%,respectively,while after PPAE challenge,the percentage of TLR7+cells in patients with ARA increased by 20.07%.Conclusion:The expression of TLR7 in blood neutrophils is increased in patients with allergic airway diseases after allergen stimulation,suggesting that allergens may be involved in the occurrence and development of allergic airway diseases by inducing TLR7 expression changes in neutrophils.

The prevalence of allergic airway diseases has been increasing in recent years. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) plays an imperative role in allergic airway diseases by binding to IL-18Rα, thereby initiating the downstream proinflammatory pathway. IL-18 also binds to IL-18BP, thus inhibiting its binding to IL-18Rα. Therefore, further understanding of the role of IL-18 and its action mechanisms in allergic airway diseases is important for the treatment of allergic airway diseases, and for the development of IL-18-related biological agents.

Objective:To optimize the BALB/c mouse rhinitis model sensitized by Artemisia annua pollen allergen, and explore the humoral and cellular immune indicators that can be used for the evaluation of allergic reactions. Methods:Using BALB/c mice as experimental animals, using Artemisia annua pollen allergen extract as sensitizing protein, through different content of the main allergen Art a1 and different sensitization times, different immunization programs were set to immunize mice subcutaneously, One week and five weeks after the last immunization, Artemisia annua pollen allergen extract containing 50 μg/ml and 500 μg/ml Art a1 was used for nasal stimulation, once a day, for 1 week each time.Observe the allergic reaction of mice, detect the pathological changes of nasal tissues, determine the levels and dynamic changes of antigen-specific IgE, IgG1, IgG2a and other antibodies in the serum of each group of mice. and detect the changes in the number of antigen-specific IL-4, IL-5, IL-2, IFN-γ and other lymphocytes in the spleen of mice. Results:Sensitized mice showed obvious scratching and sneezing reactions after being stimulated by antigen; obvious allergic inflammation appeared in nasal tissue; The increase in serum level of Artemisia annua pollen-specific IgE antibody was significantly correlated with the challenge antigen; The antigen-specific IL-4 lymphocytes in the spleen of the sensitized mice were significantly increased, but the IFN-γ-specific lymphocytes did not change significantly. Conclusions:The successful establishment of a mouse model of Artemisia annua pollen allergen allergy is the first domestic use of ELISPOT technology to detect an increase in the number of antigen-specific IL-4 lymphocytes in Artemisia annua allergy mice, laying a foundation for the subsequent evaluation of the efficacy of preparations for desensitization treatment basis.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a global health problem that causes major illnesses and disabilities worldwide. Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of AR has increased progressively over the last few decades in more developed countries and currently affects up to 40% of the population worldwide. Likewise, a rising trend of AR has also been observed over the last 2–3 decades in developing countries including China, with the prevalence of AR varying widely in these countries. A survey of self-reported AR over a 6-year period in the general Chinese adult population reported that the standardized prevalence of adult AR increased from 11.1% in 2005 to 17.6% in 2011. An increasing number of original articles and imporclinical trials on the epidemiology, pathophysiologic mechanisms, diagnosis, management and comorbidities of AR in Chinese subjects have been published in international peer-reviewed journals over the past 2 decades, and substantially added to our understanding of this disease as a global problem. Although guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of AR in Chinese subjects have also been published, they have not been translated into English and therefore not generally accessible for reference to non-Chinese speaking international medical communities. Moreover, methods for the diagnosis and treatment of AR in China have not been standardized entirely and some patients are still treated according to regional preferences. Thus, the present guidelines have been developed by the Chinese Society of Allergy to be accessible to both national and international medical communities involved in the management of AR patients. These guidelines have been prepared in line with existing international guidelines to provide evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of AR in China.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; China ; Comorbidity ; Developed Countries ; Developing Countries ; Diagnosis* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology ; Global Health ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis, Allergic*

Objective To investigate the effects of human IL-18 gene combined with diterpenoid alkaloids in inhibiting the proliferation and inducing the apoptosis of tongue squamous carcinoma cells Tscca.Methods We constructed recombinant plasmid pEGFPN3-IL-18 and tranfected it into tongue squamous carcinoma cells Tscca.The transduction efficiency of the target cells was detected by fluorescent microscopy,cytotoxic effect of IL-18 gene with diterpenoid alkaloids on Tscca was detected by MTT assay,and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Western blot was employed to examine the expression level of cellular signal-regulated kinase Akt/p-Akt.Results The tongue squamous cells Tscca which transfected pEGFPN3-IL-18 had significantly increased apoptosis compared with non-transfected cells (P<0 .05 ).Tongue carcinoma squamous cells cultured with diterpenoid alkaloids at the concentrations of 0 .2 ,0 .4 and 0 .6 mg/mL had significantly increased apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05).Human IL-18 gene combined with diterpenoid alkaloids for 48 hours inhibited significantly Tscca in a concentration-dependent manner compared with diterpenoid alkaloids alone (P<0 .05 ).The two in combination could also decrease the protein level of p-Akt dose-dependently.Conclusion The combination of pEGFPN3-IL-18 and diterpenoid alkaloids has a synergistic effect in inhibiting the growth of tongue squamous carcinoma cells Tscca.

Objective:To isolate,identify and purify the Artemisia sieversiana pollen ,the mostly widespread pollen among the Artemisia pollens in China.Methods: Artemisia sieversiana extract was precipitated by saturated ammonium sulfate and then electrophoresed by SDS-PAGE.The molecular mass of each protein band was determined by gel media system.The primary allergen proteins were identified by Western blot.Allergen proteins were purified and identified by DEAE-cellulose DE-52 ion exchange chroma-tography ( IEC) and Western blot.Results: We isolated more than twenty protein bands from Artemisia sieversiana pollen extract , including the most abundant six bands whose Mr were 62 kD,57 kD,38 kD,29 kD,25 kD,14 kD espectively.The protein bands with Mr were 62 kD and 16 kD had the highest binding capacity with the specific IgE from Artemisia pollen allergic patients.The DEAE-cellulose DE-32 IEC was used to purify the primary allergen proteins with Mr 62 kD and 16 kD.Conclusion:The primary allergens of Artemisia sieversiana include the allergen proteins whose Mr are 62 kD,16 kD and the allergen of Mr 62 kD and 16 kD can be purified by chromatography.

Objective:To investigate the modulatory effect of IL-29 on trypsin-induced protease activated receptors (PARs) ex-pression on P815 mast cell.Methods:After P815 mast cells were challenged with different concentrations of IL-29 alone or combined with trypsin for 2 h, 6 h and 16 h, the challenged cells were collected and analysed by flow cytometry to detect the protein expression of PARs on P815 cells, and analysed by real time RT-PCR to detect the mRNA expression of PARs on P 815 cells.Results:Compared with the corresponding control , IL-29 induced significantly decreased expression of PAR-1 at protein and mRNA level on P815 cells, and upregulated PAR-3, PAR-4 mRNA level on P815 cells, whereas IL-29 did little effect on the expressions of PAR-2,3,4 at protein level on P815 cells accordingly.Preincubation of mast cell with IL-29 did not alter trypsin-induced PAR-1 expression on P815 cells, whereas up-regulated expression of PAR-2, 3, 4 were detected when P815 cell were pre-treated with IL-29 before being challenged with trypsin compared with the corresponding control .Conclusion: IL-29 can upregulate trypsin-induced PARs expression on mast cells through which participated in mast cell related inflammation .