Publications by authors named "Hermelijn H Smits"

Background: SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with a higher proportion of asymptomatic infections and lower mortality in sub-Saharan Africa than high-income countries. However, there is currently a lack of data on cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in people living in Africa compared with people in high-income regions of the world. We aimed to assess geographical variation in peripheral and mucosal immune responses.

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  • Preterm-born babies, especially those born a little early, often get more sick with lung infections and wheezing than babies born on time.
  • It's really important to help these babies stay healthy to improve their lives now and reduce problems like asthma later.
  • The review talks about ways to help these babies by looking at things like how their immune system develops, what they eat, and their living environment, and suggests strategies like using good bacteria and helping their immune system work better.
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Chronic infection with Schistosoma mansoni parasites is associated with reduced allergic sensitization in humans, while schistosome eggs protects against allergic airway inflammation (AAI) in mice. One of the main secretory/excretory molecules from schistosome eggs is the glycosylated T2-RNAse Omega-1 (ω1). We hypothesized that ω1 induces protection against AAI during infection.

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  • B-cells are essential for immune responses, acting as antigen presenters, modulating immunity, and creating immune memory and antibodies.
  • The study examined B-cell distributions in people from Indonesia and Ghana, comparing them to those in the Netherlands using advanced mass cytometry.
  • Results showed that individuals from rural tropical areas have higher levels of certain memory B-cells and lower naïve B-cells, especially in children, suggesting that greater exposure to microbes enhances the development of memory B-cells which tends to stabilize as they age.
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Respiratory viral infections frequently lead to severe respiratory disease, particularly in vulnerable populations such as young children, individuals with chronic lung conditions and older adults, resulting in hospitalisation and, in some cases, fatalities. The innate immune system plays a crucial role in monitoring for, and initiating responses to, viruses, maintaining a state of preparedness through the constant expression of antimicrobial defence molecules. Throughout the course of infection, innate immunity remains actively involved, contributing to viral clearance and damage control, with pivotal contributions from airway epithelial cells and resident and newly recruited immune cells.

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  • - A new controlled human infection model for schistosomiasis (CHI-S) using female-only Schistosoma mansoni cercariae was developed to improve vaccine research and understand early immune responses.
  • - Thirteen healthy participants were exposed to either 10 or 20 female cercariae, resulting in most experiencing rash or mild symptoms, with some showing detectable infection despite receiving praziquantel treatment.
  • - The study found that female infections display similar symptoms and immune responses as male infections but show greater resistance to praziquantel, suggesting challenges for future research and disease control efforts.
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Vaccination is one of medicine's greatest achievements; however, its full potential is hampered by considerable variation in efficacy across populations and geographical regions. For example, attenuated malaria vaccines in high-income countries confer almost 100% protection, whereas in low-income regions these same vaccines achieve only 20-50% protection. This trend is also observed for other vaccines, such as bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), rotavirus and yellow fever vaccines, in terms of either immunogenicity or efficacy.

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Innate mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) cells preserve mucosal immune homeostasis. We investigated their role at nasal mucosa following allergen challenge with house dust mite. We combined single-cell proteome and transcriptome profiling on nasal immune cells from nasal biopsies cells from 30 allergic rhinitis and 27 non-allergic subjects before and after repeated nasal allergen challenge.

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During chronic schistosome infections, a complex regulatory network is induced to regulate the host immune system, in which IL-10-producing regulatory B (Breg) cells play a significant role. Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigens (SEA) are bound and internalized by B cells and induce both human and mouse IL-10 producing Breg cells. To identify Breg-inducing proteins in SEA, we fractionated SEA by size exclusion chromatography and found 6 fractions able to induce IL-10 production by B cells (out of 18) in the high, medium and low molecular weight (MW) range.

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Article Synopsis
  • Schistosomes can live for years in mammalian hosts by releasing products that alter the host's immune response, with these products largely being glycosylated molecules that engage specific host cell receptors called C-type lectin receptors (CLRs).
  • The study focused on extracellular vesicles (EVs) from adult schistosomes, revealing that their main glycan type is LacDiNAc, while EVs from the juvenile stage (schistosomula) are highly fucosylated and primarily interact with the DC-SIGN receptor.
  • The research highlights that adult worm EVs primarily bind to macrophage galactose-type lectin (MGL), indicating different glycosylation profiles and suggesting that each life stage of
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  • Research on extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their role in cross-species communication has gained momentum, particularly with the influence of parasitic helminths on host immune responses.
  • Helminth-derived EVs are recognized as key players in these interactions, but the study of these vesicles faces unique challenges not found in mammalian models.
  • To address these challenges, the authors propose best practices and a set of guidelines for the helminth research community, aiming to complement existing frameworks like MISEV and enhance understanding in the field.
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Schistosomiasis is a disease of global significance, with severity and pathology directly related to how the host responds to infection. The immunological narrative of schistosomiasis has been constructed through decades of study, with researchers often focussing on isolated time points, cell types and tissue sites of interest. However, the field currently lacks a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of the immune trajectory of schistosomiasis over infection and across multiple tissue sites.

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Background: The parasitic trematode evades host immune defenses through secretion of various immunomodulatory molecules. Fatty Acid Binding Proteins (FABPs) are among the main excreted/secreted proteins and have been shown to display anti-inflammatory properties. However, little is currently known regarding their impact on dendritic cells (DCs) and their subsequent capacity to prime specific CD4 T cell subsets.

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  • Interest in helminth-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) has surged due to their impact on how parasites interact with their hosts, but obtaining these EVs is challenging due to limited availability and culturing options.
  • The study focused on improving the purity, concentration, and yield of EVs isolated from schistosomula and adult worms using small iodixanol density gradients, which proved more effective than larger gradients.
  • Results indicated that iodixanol not only allowed for faster separation of EVs from contaminants but also achieved higher yields, making it a better choice for isolating EVs from helminths and other difficult sources.
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  • - The study examined immune cell dynamics in the nasal and systemic immune systems of COVID-19 patients, finding distinct changes in nasal immune cell populations during acute illness compared to healthy individuals.
  • - There was an increase in specific immune cells like granulocytes, monocytes, and CD4 T effector cells in the noses of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, but no overall decrease in lymphocytes was observed in the nasal mucosa.
  • - After recovery, most nasal immune cells returned to normal levels, but certain memory T cells and SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells persisted, suggesting lasting changes in immune response in the upper respiratory tract post-COVID-19.
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Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are potent producers of type I IFN (IFN-I) during viral infection and respond to IFN-I in a positive feedback loop that promotes their function. IFN-I shapes dendritic cell responses during helminth infection, impacting their ability to support Th2 responses. However, the role of pDCs in type 2 inflammation is unclear.

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Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which constitute key components in the recognition of pathogens, thereby initiating innate immune responses and promoting adaptive immune responses. In B cells, TLR ligation is important for their activation and, together with CD40, for their differentiation. TLR ligands are also strong promoters of regulatory B (Breg)-cell development, by enhancing the production of IL-10 and their capacity to induce tolerance.

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