CD40L Deficiency Protects Against Aneurysm Formation.

Objective: The mechanisms underlying formation of arterial aneurysms remain incompletely understood. Because inflammation is a common feature during the progressive degeneration of the aortic wall, we studied the role of the costimulatory molecule CD40L, a major driver of inflammation, in aneurysm formation.

Approach And Results: Transcriptomics data obtained from human abdominal aortic aneurysms and normal aortas revealed increased abundance of both CD40L and CD40 in media of thrombus-free and thrombus-covered human abdominal aortic aneurysms samples.

Histopathological and Inflammatory Features of Chronically Discharging Open Mastoid Cavities: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Many patients with an open radical mastoid cavity experience therapy-resistant otorrhea. Little is known about the underlying histopathological substrate of unstable cavities and the correlation with treatment failure.

Objective: To study the histopathological and inflammatory features of chronically discharging open radical mastoid cavities and the influence of different treatments.

Circulating classical monocytes are associated with CD11c macrophages in human visceral adipose tissue.

Immune cell accumulation in adipose tissue (AT) is associated with the development of AT inflammation, resulting in metabolic dysfunction. Circulating immune cell patterns may reflect immune cell accumulation in expanding AT. However, data linking human leukocytes in blood and AT is lacking.

Endothelial progenitor cells are differentially impaired in ANCA-associated vasculitis compared to healthy controls.

Background: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) are of major importance in vascular repair under healthy circumstances. Vascular injury in need of repair occurs frequently in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). A specialized T cell subset enhancing EPC function and differentiation has recently been described.

Monocytes, but not T cells, respond to insulin with Akt(S473) phosphorylation independent of the donor glucometabolic state.

Background: Obesity is associated with insulin resistance and chronic low-grade inflammation. Insulin has been described to have anti-inflammatory effects in immune cells. Therefore, insulin resistance in immune cells can be expected to have important consequences for immune function.