Expanded CD8CD38 T Cell Population in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Is Linked to Increased Infection Rates: A Prospective Study.

Objective: One of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is infections. The expression of the ectonucleotidase CD38 on the surface of CD8 T cells has been linked to compromised cytotoxic function. The aim of this prospective study was to assess whether the presence of CD8CD38 in the peripheral blood of patients with SLE can serve as a biomarker for infectious complications.

The CD38/NAD/SIRTUIN1/EZH2 Axis Mitigates Cytotoxic CD8 T Cell Function and Identifies Patients with SLE Prone to Infections.

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) suffer frequent infections that account for significant morbidity and mortality. T cell cytotoxic responses are decreased in patients with SLE, yet the responsible molecular events are largely unknown. We find an expanded CD8CD38 T cell subset in a subgroup of patients with increased rates of infections.

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase lipid metabolites are significant second messengers in the resolution of choroidal neovascularization.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness for individuals age 50 and above in the developed world. Abnormal growth of choroidal blood vessels, or choroidal neovascularization (CNV), is a hallmark of the neovascular (wet) form of advanced AMD and leads to significant vision loss. A growing body of evidence supports a strong link between neovascular disease and inflammation.

Galectin-8 Ameliorates Murine Autoimmune Ocular Pathology and Promotes a Regulatory T Cell Response.

Galectins have emerged as potent immunoregulatory agents that control chronic inflammation through distinct mechanisms. Here, we report that treatment with Galectin-8 (Gal-8), a tandem-repeat member of the galectin family, reduces retinal pathology and prevents photoreceptor cell damage in a murine model of experimental autoimmune uveitis. Gal-8 treatment increased the number of regulatory T cells (Treg) in both the draining lymph node (dLN) and the inflamed retina.

Assessing leukocyte-endothelial interactions under flow conditions in an ex vivo autoperfused microflow chamber assay.

Leukocyte-endothelial interactions are early and critical events in acute and chronic inflammation and can, when dysregulated, mediate tissue injury leading to permanent pathological damage. Existing conventional assays allow the analysis of leukocyte adhesion molecules only after the extraction of leukocytes from the blood. This requires the blood to undergo several steps before peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) can be ready for analysis, which in turn can stimulate PBLs influencing the research findings.

Cytochrome P450-generated metabolites derived from ω-3 fatty acids attenuate neovascularization.

Ocular neovascularization, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a primary cause of blindness in individuals of industrialized countries. With a projected increase in the prevalence of these blinding neovascular diseases, there is an urgent need for new pharmacological interventions for their treatment or prevention. Increasing evidence has implicated eicosanoid-like metabolites of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) in the regulation of neovascular disease.