Publications by authors named "Esmee K Van Der Ploeg"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the differences in innate lymphoid cell (ILC) populations, specifically ILC1s and ILC2s, between patients with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), asthma, and control groups.
- Results show significantly higher levels of inflammatory CD4 ILC1s and lower levels of CD117 ILC2s in COPD patients compared to asthma patients, highlighting distinct inflammatory profiles.
- These findings could help in understanding the mechanisms of COPD and asthma, potentially aiding in better patient classification and treatment strategies.
Article Synopsis
- CD4 T helper 2 (Th2) cells and group 2 innate lymphoid cells are known for driving chronic airway inflammation in allergic asthma, but CD8 cytotoxic T (Tc) cells, specifically Tc2 cells, also play a role by producing type-2 cytokines.
- Research shows that severe asthma patients have an increased number of Tc2 cells, especially during flare-ups, suggesting that these cells may originate from standard IFNγ-producing Tc cells through a process called plasticity.
- Mouse studies align with human findings, revealing that type-2 skewing of lung Tc cells is influenced by conventional type-1 dendritic cells and IFNγ, with the alarmin interleukin-33 (IL
Article Synopsis
- Asthma attacks in adults can be triggered by respiratory infections, and there's interest in using bacterial lysates to help manage these attacks.
- A study was conducted with 75 adults with severe asthma, where they received either a bacterial lysate (OM-85) or a placebo over six months to see if it would reduce asthma exacerbations and improve lung function.
- Results showed no significant difference in asthma attack frequency between the two groups after 18 months, but there was an improvement in lung function and a lower detection rate of viruses during infections in the OM-85 group.
Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) orchestrate protective type 2 immunity and have been implicated in various immune disorders. In the mouse, circulatory inflammatory ILC2s (iILC2s) were identified as a major source of type 2 cytokines. The human equivalent of the iILC2 subset remains unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Systemic mastocytosis is a hematological disease in which aberrant mast cells accumulate because of gain-of-function mutations in the KIT receptor. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are effector cells of type 2 immune responses that also express KIT and colocalize with mast cells at barrier tissue sites. In mouse models, mast cell-ILC2 crosstalk can drive local inflammation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent studies using animal models have generated profound insight into the functions of various subsets of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). The group 2 ILC subset (ILC2) has been implicated in tissue homeostasis, defense responses against parasites, tissue repair, and immunopathology associated with type-2 immunity. In addition, progress has also been made in translating these findings from animal studies into a context of human immunity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) is an intracellular signaling molecule first identified as the molecule affected in X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) patients, who almost completely lack peripheral B cells and serum immunoglobulins. BTK is crucial for B cell development and various B cell functions, including cytokine and natural antibody production. Importantly, it is also expressed in numerous other cells, including monocytes, macrophages, granulocytes, dendritic cells, and osteoclasts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Tec tyrosine kinase is expressed in many cell types, including hematopoietic cells, and is a member of the Tec kinase family that also includes Btk. Although the role of Btk in B cells has been extensively studied, the role of Tec kinase in B cells remains largely unclear. It was previously shown that Tec kinase has the ability to partly compensate for loss of Btk activity in B cell differentiation, although the underlying mechanism is unknown.
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