Distal Immunization and Systemic Cytokines Establish a Transient Immune Alert State in the Intestine.

Conventionally, immune responses are studied in the context of inflamed tissues and their corresponding draining lymph nodes (LNs). However, little is known about the effects of systemic inflammatory signals generated during local inflammation on distal tissues and nondraining LNs. Using a mouse model of cutaneous immunization, we found that systemic inflammatory stimuli triggered a rapid and selective distal response in the small intestine and the mesenteric LN (mesLN).

Behind the monocyte's mystique: uncovering their developmental trajectories and fates.

Monocytes are circulating myeloid cells that are derived from dedicated progenitors in the bone marrow. Originally thought of as mere precursors for the replacement of tissue macrophages, it is increasingly clear that monocytes execute distinct effector functions and may give rise to monocyte-derived cells with unique properties from tissue-resident macrophages. Recently, the advent of novel experimental approaches such as single-cell analysis and fate-mapping tools has uncovered an astonishing display of monocyte plasticity and heterogeneity, which we believe has emerged as a key theme in the field of monocyte biology in the last decade.

Transitional premonocytes emerge in the periphery for host defense against bacterial infections.

Circulating Ly6C monocytes often undergo cellular death upon exhaustion of their antibacterial effector functions, which limits their capacity for subsequent macrophage differentiation. This shrouds the understanding on how the host replaces the tissue-resident macrophage niche effectively during bacterial invasion to avert infection morbidity. Here, we show that proliferating transitional premonocytes (TpMos), an immediate precursor of mature Ly6C monocytes (MatMos), were mobilized into the periphery in response to acute bacterial infection and sepsis.

EMIT cyclosporine assay: development of an application protocol for Technicon AXON System.

Monitoring parent drug cyclosporine (CsA) concentrations in whole blood has been facilitated by the introduction of automated nonisotopic immunoassays [fluorescence polarization monoclonal whole blood assay (FPIA), EMIT Cyclosporine Assay]. The latter assay currently has a defined application only for Cobas Mira Chemistry Systems. The purpose of our work was to develop an application for this assay on the Technicon AXON.