The recommended immunosuppressive treatment after kidney transplantation consists of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and low-dose corticosteroids. Drug concentrations are monitored using therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), which does not necessarily correlate with pharmacodynamic activity. To find the balance between optimal efficacy and minimal toxicity, it might be more informative to monitor patients' immunological status rather than drug concentrations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmunol Res
August 2024
The gut microbiome can modulate systemic inflammation and is therefore target for immunomodulation. Immunomodulating effects of EDP1815, a bacterial commensal strain of Prevotella histicola, were studied in healthy participants. Effects on adaptive immunity were evaluated by a neo-antigen challenge with keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH), while effects on innate immunity were evaluated by topical toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist imiquimod.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is part of the standard immunosuppressive treatment after transplantation and usually given as "one-dose-fits-all" together with a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI). Although drug concentrations are frequently monitored, there is still a group of patients who experience side effects related to excessive or insufficient immune suppression. We therefore aimed to identify biomarkers that reflect the overall immune status of the patient and might support individualized dosing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmunol Res
August 2023
Based on its wide range of immunosuppressive properties, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is used for the treatment of several autoimmune diseases. Limited literature is available on the relationship between HCQ concentration and its immunosuppressive effect. To gain insight in this relationship, we performed in vitro experiments in human PBMCs and explored the effect of HCQ on T and B cell proliferation and Toll-like receptor (TLR)3/TLR7/TLR9/RIG-I-induced cytokine production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTherapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of calcineurin inhibitors (i.e., tacrolimus and cyclosporin A) is standard of care after solid organ transplantation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Hydroxychloroquine has been suggested as possible treatment for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2. Studies reported an increased risk of QTcF-prolongation after treatment with hydroxychloroquine. The aim of this study was to analyse the concentration-dependent effects of hydroxychloroquine on the ventricular repolarization, including QTcF-duration and T-wave morphology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemotaxis and lysosomal function are closely intertwined processes essential for the inflammatory response and clearance of intracellular bacteria. We used the zebrafish model to examine the link between chemotactic signaling and lysosome physiology in macrophages during mycobacterial infection and wound-induced inflammation in vivo. Macrophages from zebrafish larvae carrying a mutation in a chemokine receptor of the Cxcr3 family display upregulated expression of vesicle trafficking and lysosomal genes and possess enlarged lysosomes that enhance intracellular bacterial clearance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe main basis for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) treatment in COVID-19 is the compound's ability to inhibit viral replication . HCQ also suppresses immunity, mainly by interference in TLR signalling, but reliable clinical data on the extent and nature of HCQ-induced immunosuppression are lacking. Here, we discuss the mechanistic basis for the use of HCQ against SARS-CoV-2 in a prophylactic setting and in a therapeutic setting, at different stages of the disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTherapeutic drug monitoring is routinely performed to maintain optimal tacrolimus concentrations in kidney transplant recipients. Nonetheless, toxicity and rejection still occur within an acceptable concentration-range. To have a better understanding of the relationship between tacrolimus dose, tacrolimus concentration, and its effect on the target cell, we developed functional immune tests for the quantification of the tacrolimus effect.
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