Leukocyte phosphodiesterase expression after lipopolysaccharide and during sepsis and its relationship with HLA-DR expression.

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) may modulate inflammatory pathways, but PDE expression is poorly documented in humans with sepsis. Using quantitative PCR on whole blood leukocytes, we characterized PDE mRNA expression in healthy volunteers ( = 20), healthy volunteers given lipopolysaccharide (LPS; = 18), and critically ill patients with ( = 20) and without ( = 20) sepsis. PDE4B protein expression was also studied in magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS)-isolated CD15 neutrophils (from 7 healthy volunteers, 5 patients without and 5 with sepsis).

Apolipoprotein L Expression Correlates with Neutrophil Cell Death in Critically Ill Patients.

Delayed neutrophil apoptosis has been demonstrated in sepsis and may contribute to organ damage. It has recently been proposed that apolipoprotein L (ApoL) may be involved in programmed cell death, but the expression and functions of ApoLs in leukocytes (especially neutrophils) during sepsis and other inflammatory conditions are currently unknown. In this prospective observational study in a 36-bed university hospital medicosurgical intensive care unit (ICU), we included 78 adult ICU patients with (n = 41) or without (n = 37) sepsis and 47 healthy volunteers.

NFAT-1, Sp-1, Sp-3, and miR-21: New regulators of chemokine C receptor 7 expression in mature human dendritic cells.

The chemokine C receptor 7 (CCR7) is a G-protein-coupled heptahelical receptor (GPCR) that is expressed on a wide variety of cells including memory T cells, B cells, mature dendritic cells, and cancer cells. Activated by its ligands CCL19 or CCL21, CCR7 plays a major role in metastasis of cancer cells. Recent studies demonstrated the role of NF-κB and AP-1 transcription factors in addition to let-7 microRNA in CCR7 expression.