Publications by authors named "Eva V Acosta-Rodriguez"

Introduction: Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome or Chronic Prostatitis (CPPS/CP) is the most prevalent urologic affliction among young adult men. It is a challenging condition to treat, which significantly decreases patient quality of life, mostly because of its still uncertain aetiology. In that regard, an autoimmune origin is a prominent supported theory.

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An imbalance between suppressor and effector immune responses may preclude cure in chronic parasitic diseases. In the case of Trypanosoma cruzi infection, specialized regulatory Foxp3+ T (Treg) cells suppress protective type-1 effector responses. Herein, we investigated the kinetics and underlying mechanisms behind the regulation of protective parasite-specific CD8+ T cell immunity during acute T.

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Article Synopsis
  • Conventional CD4 T lymphocytes, particularly those expressing CD39, play a critical, yet not fully understood, role in fighting tumors, showing distinct characteristics in cancer environments.
  • In mouse cancer models, these CD39 Tconv cells displayed traits of exhaustion, high cytotoxic potential, and specific protein expressions, differentiating them from their counterparts in lymphoid organs.
  • In breast cancer patients, CD39 Tconv cells were less common in non-tumoral tissues and linked to improved survival rates, highlighting CD39 as a potential biomarker for assessing immune responses in tumors.
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  • The study investigates cellular immunity responses against SARS-CoV-2 among patients in Córdoba, Argentina, during two distinct waves of the pandemic that featured different viral variants and social behavior.
  • Findings reveal a disruption in lymphocyte populations, specifically noting an increase in B cells and a decrease in CD3 T cells compared to healthy donors, with a more significant reduction in Tregs among severe cases.
  • Results suggest a potential new biomarker, the CD8/CD8 index, for predicting disease progression, as it correlated with increased severity while also showing altered effector cytokine production in T cell populations.
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IL-17 immune responses in cancer are controversial, with both tumor-promoting and tumor-repressing effects observed. To clarify the role of IL-17 signaling in cancer progression, we used syngeneic tumor models from different tissue origins. We found that deficiencies in host IL-17RA or IL-17A/F expression had varying effects on the growth of different solid tumors including melanoma, sarcoma, lymphoma, and leukemia.

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An imbalance between suppressor and effector immune responses may preclude cure in chronic parasitic diseases. In the case of infection, specialized regulatory Foxp3+ T (Treg) cells suppress protective type-1 effector responses. Herein, we investigated the kinetics and underlying mechanisms behind the regulation of protective parasite-specific CD8+ T cell immunity during acute infection.

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Unraveling the immune signatures in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving various treatment regimens can aid in comprehending the immune mechanisms' role in treatment efficacy and side effects. Given the critical role of cellular immunity in RA pathogenesis, we sought to identify T-cell profiles characterizing RA patients under specific treatments. We compared 75 immunophenotypic and biochemical variables in healthy donors (HD) and RA patients, including those receiving different treatments as well as treatment-free patients.

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The range of vaccines developed against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) provides a unique opportunity to study immunization across different platforms. In a single-center cohort, we analyzed the humoral and cellular immune compartments following five coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines spanning three technologies (adenoviral, mRNA and inactivated virus) administered in 16 combinations. For adenoviral and inactivated-virus vaccines, heterologous combinations were generally more immunogenic compared to homologous regimens.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the effects of cytokine storms in COVID-19 patients from Córdoba, Argentina, comparing data from the first two waves of the pandemic to understand links between demographics, comorbidities, and disease outcomes.
  • Results showed that patients during the second wave were younger and had fewer comorbidities, with distinct cytokine and chemokine profiles, while pre-existing conditions did not significantly impact cytokine levels.
  • The research identified specific inflammatory markers, such as IL-6 and C-reactive protein, that could help predict patient outcomes, particularly differentiating between mortality and recovery during the first wave of infections.
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B cells, follicular helper T (Tfh) cells and follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells are part of a circuit that may play a role in the development or progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). With the aim of providing further insight into this topic, here we evaluated the frequency of different subsets of Tfh and Tfr in untreated and long-term treated RA patients from a cohort of Argentina, and their potential association with particular human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class-II variants and disease activity. We observed that the frequency of total Tfh cells as well as of particular Tfh subsets and Tfr cells were increased in seropositive untreated RA patients.

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During infections with protozoan parasites or some viruses, T cell immunosuppression is generated simultaneously with a high B cell activation. It has been described that, as well as producing antibodies, plasmablasts, the differentiation product of activated B cells, can condition the development of protective immunity in infections. Here, we show that, in infection, all the plasmablasts detected during the acute phase of the infection had higher surface expression of PD-L1 than other mononuclear cells.

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Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a highly aggressive type of thyroid cancer (TC). Currently, no effective target treatments are available that can improve overall survival, with ATC representing a major clinical challenge because of its remarkable lethality. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the most evident cells in ATCs, and their high density is correlated with a poor prognosis.

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Senescent T cells have been described during aging, chronic infections, and cancer; however, a comprehensive study of the phenotype, function, and transcriptional program of this T cell population in breast cancer (BC) patients is missing. Compared to healthy donors (HDs), BC patients exhibit an accumulation of KLRG-1CD57 CD4 and CD8 T cells in peripheral blood. These T cells infiltrate tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes.

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Treatment with anti-CD20, used in many diseases in which B cells play a pathogenic role, has been associated with susceptibility to intracellular infections. Here, we studied the effect of anti-CD20 injection on CD8 T cell immunity using an experimental model of infection, in which CD8 T cells play a pivotal role. C57BL/6 mice were treated with anti-CD20 for B cell depletion prior to infection.

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Host resistance during infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, and other protozoans, is dependent on a balanced immune response. Robust immunity against these pathogens requires of the concerted action of many innate and adaptive cell populations including macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, CD4, and CD8 T cells and B cells among others. Indeed, during most protozoan infections only a balanced production of inflammatory (T1) and anti-inflammatory (T2/regulatory) cytokines will allow the control of parasite spreading without compromising host tissue integrity.

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The protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas' disease, endemic in Latin America but present worldwide. Research efforts have focused on the examination of immune mechanisms that mediate host protection as well as immunopathology during this parasitic infection. The study of CD8 T cell immunity emerges as a key aspect given the critical importance of parasite-specific CD8 T cells for host resistance throughout the infection.

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While it is now acknowledged that CD4 T cells expressing CD25 and Foxp3 (Treg cells) regulate immune responses and, consequently, influence the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, the regulatory response mediated by Treg cells upon infection by was still poorly characterized. In order to understand the role of Treg cells during infection by this protozoan parasite, we determined in time and space the magnitude of the regulatory response and the phenotypic, functional and transcriptional features of the Treg cell population in infected mice. Contrary to the accumulation of Treg cells reported in most chronic infections in mice and humans, experimental infection was characterized by sustained numbers but decreased relative frequency of Treg cells.

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The IL-17 family contributes to host defense against many intracellular pathogens by mechanisms that are not fully understood. CD8+ T lymphocytes are key elements against intracellular microbes, and their survival and ability to mount cytotoxic responses are orchestrated by several cytokines. Here, we demonstrated that IL-17RA-signaling cytokines sustain pathogen-specific CD8+ T cell immunity.

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B cells play an important role in the development and maintenance of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although IL-10-producing B cells represent a major subset of regulatory B cells (Bregs) able to suppress autoimmune and inflammatory responses, recent reports showed that B cell-mediated immune suppression may also occur independent of IL-10. For instance, B cells can modulate T cell immune responses through the expression of regulatory molecules such as PD-L1.

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Germinal centers (GC) are important sites for high-affinity and long-lived antibody induction. Tight regulation of GC responses is critical for maintaining self-tolerance. Here, we show that Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is involved in GC development.

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Objective: Inhibitory receptors are essential for the regulation of effector immune responses and may play critical roles in autoimmune diseases. We evaluated whether inhibitory receptor expression on T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were correlated with immune activation, disease activity, and response to treatment, as well as whether inhibitory receptor-mediated pathways were functional.

Methods: Using flow cytometry, we performed extensive phenotypic and functional evaluation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from the blood and synovial fluid (SF) of RA patients ex vivo and after culture.

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Chagas disease, caused by the parasite , is endemic in Latin America but has become a global public health concern by migration of infected people. It has been reported that parasite persistence as well as the intensity of the inflammatory immune response are determinants of the clinical manifestations of the disease. Even though inflammation is indispensable for host defense, when deregulated, it can contribute to tissue injury and organ dysfunction.

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The term regulatory B cells (B regs) is ascribed to a heterogeneous population of B cells with the function of suppressing inflammatory responses. They have been described mainly during the last decade in the context of different immune-mediated diseases. Most of the work on B regs has been focused on IL-10-producing B cells.

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