The Effect of Lung Resection for NSCLC on Circulating Immune Cells: A Pilot Study.

This pilot study sought to evaluate the circulating levels of immune cells, particularly regulatory T-cell (Treg) subsets, before and after lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer. Twenty-five patients consented and had specimens collected. Initially, peripheral blood of 21 patients was collected for circulating immune cell studies.

Safety and Immune Effects of Blocking CD40 Ligand in Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: Costimulation by CD40 and its ligand CD40L (CD154) is important for the functional differentiation of T cells. Preclinical studies have recognized the importance of this costimulatory interaction in the pathogenesis of experimental models of multiple sclerosis (MS). To determine safety, pharmacokinetics, and immune effect of a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) against CD40 ligand (toralizumab/IDEC-131) in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

Urine Arsenic and Arsenic Metabolites in U.S. Adults and Biomarkers of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Endothelial Dysfunction: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Arsenic (As) exposure has been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and with biomarkers of potential CVD risk and inflammatory processes. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of As on such biomarkers in U.S.

Dietary B Vitamin Intake Is Associated with Lower Urinary Monomethyl Arsenic and Oxidative Stress Marker 15-F-Isoprostane among New Hampshire Adults.

Arsenic exposure has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Growing evidence suggests that B vitamins facilitate arsenic metabolism and may protect against arsenic toxicity. However, to our knowledge, few studies have evaluated this in US populations.

Alteration of CD39+Foxp3+ CD4 T cell and cytokine levels in EAE/MS following anti-CD52 treatment.

While examining the therapeutic value of anti-CD52 antibody against EAE/MS, we identified a unique subset of CD39+ Tregs in repopulating GALT tissues, a major lymphoid reservoir, which was accompanied by amelioration of disease. Furthermore, anti-CD52 treatment leads to increased expression of BDNF, IL-10, and SMAD3 in the brains of EAE mice. This condition is associated with suppression of IL-17, a critical inflammatory factor in EAE/MS progression.

The natural killer-activating receptor, NKG2D, on CD3+CD8+ T cells plays a critical role in identifying and killing autologous myeloma cells.

Background: The NKG2D receptor, one of the natural killer (NK) cell-activating receptors, is expressed on the surface of CD3+CD8+ T cells, γδ+ T cells, NK cells, NKT cells, and a few CD4+ T cells. We show, for the first time, a critical role for the NKG2D receptor on CD3+CD8+ T cells isolated from myeloma patients, in identifying and killing autologous myeloma cells isolated from the same patients' marrow. We also show that blocking NKG2D using anti-NKG2D reverses the cytotoxicity while blocking HLA-I using antibodies does not have the same effect, showing that the autologous cytotoxicity is NKG2D dependent and major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I independent.

A randomized trial of ex vivo CD40L activation of a dendritic cell vaccine in colorectal cancer patients: tumor-specific immune responses are associated with improved survival.

Purpose: To determine whether an autologous dendritic cell (DC) vaccine could induce antitumor immune responses in patients after resection of colorectal cancer metastases and whether these responses could be enhanced by activating DCs with CD40L.

Experimental Design: Twenty-six patients who had undergone resection of colorectal metastases were treated with intranodal injections of an autologous tumor lysate- and control protein [keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)]-pulsed DC vaccine. Patients were randomized to receive DCs that had been either activated or not activated with CD40L.

Corr4A and VRT325 do not reduce the inflammatory response to P. aeruginosa in human cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells.

Background: P. aeruginosa chronically colonizes the lung in CF patients and elicits a proinflammatory response. Excessive secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 by CF airway cells in response to P.

The effects of ethidium bromide induced loss of mitochondrial DNA on mitochondrial phenotype and ultrastructure in a human leukemia T-cell line (MOLT-4 cells).

Mitochondrial DNA-deficient (rho(0)) cells were generated following a 26-day incubation of MOLT-4 lymphoblastoid T cells in ethidium bromide (3,8-diamino-5-ethyl-6-phenylphenanthridinium bromide). The absence of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the resultant MOLT-4 rho(0) cells was confirmed by Southern analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). MOLT-4 rho(0) cells proliferated more slowly than parental cells (wild type) and produced significantly more lactate (approximately fourfold increase; P < 0.

Toxoplasma gondii induces granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor secretion by human fibroblasts: implications for neutrophil apoptosis.

Human neutrophils are rescued from apoptosis following incubation with once-washed, fibroblast-derived Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. Both infected and uninfected neutrophils are rescued, implicating a soluble mediator. In this study we investigated the origin and identity of this soluble mediator.