Background: Common butterbur ( L.) is a traditional medicinal plant with numerous therapeutic properties among which is its recently uncovered anti-tumor activity. The present study aims to examine the activity of a standardized Bulgarian L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMaternal immunity regulates tolerance to the semi-allogeneic fetus during pregnancy via modulation of immune regulatory factors. The serum factor CD83 is known to undergo changes during gestation in mice. Here we characterize serum levels of CD83 in women for the first time, revealing a consistent decline as pregnancy progresses and recovery to non-pregnant levels in miscarriage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Endometriosis is a chronic and debilitating gynecologic disorder, driven by endocrine and immune dysfunctions, which lead to poor endometrial differentiation and attenuated fertility. Escape from immune surveillance and involvement of inflammatory mechanisms appear to be factors in disease progression. Current diagnostic guidelines for endometriosis still lack an efficient biomarker.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: CD90 is a glycoprotein involved in leukocyte relocation and cell differentiation. CD90 is expressed in endothelial and stromal cells in human endometrium; however, its role in the remodeling of the decidual tissue during pregnancy is poorly understood. Here, we investigate how CD90 expression in decidual stromal cells (DSCs) is regulated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe human decidua is a specialized tissue characterized by embryo-receptive properties. It is formed during the secretory phase of menstrual cycle from uterine mucosa termed endometrium. The decidua is composed of glands, immune cells, blood and lymph vessels, and decidual stromal cells (DSCs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAccording to the minimal criteria of the International Society of Cellular Therapy, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a population of undifferentiated cells defined by their ability to adhere to plastic surfaces when cultured under standard conditions, express a certain panel of phenotypic markers and can differentiate into osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic lineages when cultured in specific inducing media. In parallel with their major role as undifferentiated cell reserves, MSCs have immunomodulatory functions which are exerted by direct cell-to-cell contacts, secretion of cytokines and/or by a combination of both mechanisms. There are no convincing data about a principal difference in the profile of cytokines secreted by MSCs isolated from different tissue sources, although some papers report some quantitative but not qualitative differences in cytokine secretion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEmbryo implantation and formation of a functional placenta are complex processes that require a plethora of regulatory mechanisms involving both mother and embryo cells. Recently, an important role in this complicated cells and factors network was assigned to the decidual stromal cells (DSC) and trophoblast cells. Decidualization includes biochemical changes that trigger DSC to produce a number of factors required for the implantation and induction of immunotolerance in maternal immune system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAbsence of β₂ integrins (CD11/CD18) leads to leukocyte-adhesion deficiency-1 (LAD1), a rare primary immunodeficiency syndrome. Although extensive in vitro work has established an essential function of β₂ integrins in adhesive and signaling properties for cells of the innate and adaptive immune system, their respective participation in an altered adaptive immunity in LAD1 patients are complex and only partly understood in vivo. Therefore, we investigated adaptive immune responses towards different T-dependent antigens in a murine LAD1 model of β₂ integrin-deficiency (CD18⁻/⁻).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExpressed on leucocytes, beta(2) integrins (CD11/CD18) are specifically involved in leucocyte function. Using a CD18-deficient (CD18(-/-)) mouse model, we here report on their physiological role in lymphocyte differentiation and trafficking. CD18(-/-) mice present with a defect in the distribution of lymphocytes with highly reduced numbers of naïve B and T lymphocytes in inguinal and axillary lymph nodes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeregulation of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) resulting in either too high or too low concentrations are commonly recognized to be at least in part responsible for many changes associated with aging. This article reviews ROI-dependent mechanisms critically contributing to the decline of immune function during physiologic - or premature - aging. While ROI serve important effector functions in cellular metabolism, signalling and host defence, their fine-tuned generation declines over time, and ROI-mediated damage to several cellular components and/or signalling deviations become increasingly prevalent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVav proteins are guanine-nucleotide exchange factors implicated in leukocyte functions by relaying signals from immune response receptors and integrins to Rho-GTPases. We here provide first evidence for a role of Vav3 for beta(2)-integrins-mediated macrophage functions during wound healing. Vav3(-/-) and Vav1(-/-)/Vav3(-/-) mice revealed significantly delayed healing of full-thickness excisional wounds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDysfunctional Tregs have been identified in individuals with psoriasis. However, their role in the pathogenesis of the disease remains unclear. Here we explored the effect of diminished CD18 (beta2 integrin) expression on the function of CD4+CD25+CD127(-) Tregs using the Cd18 hypomorphic (Cd18hypo) PL/J mouse model of psoriasis that closely resembles the human disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Investig Dermatol Symp Proc
September 2006
The beta 2 integrin family (CD11/CD18) of leukocyte adhesion molecules plays a key role in inflammation. Absence of the common chain (CD18) leads to leukocyte adhesion deficiency-1 (LAD1) in humans. We here summarize data of two genetically defined mice models of beta 2 integrin deficiency, one with a CD18 null mutation (CD18-/-), and the other one with a hypomorphic CD18 mutation (CD18hypo).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe CD18 hypomorphic (CD18hypo) PL/J mouse model clinically resembling human psoriasis is characterized by reduced expression of the common chain of beta2 integrins (CD11/CD18) to only 2-16% of WT levels. Previously we found that this chronic psoriasiform skin inflammation also depends on the presence of CD4+ T cells. Herein we investigated the role of macrophages in this CD18hypo mouse model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAbsence of the common beta chain (CD18) of beta(2) integrins leads to leukocyte-adhesion deficiency type-1 (LAD1) in humans. Mice with a CD18 null mutation suffer from recurrent bacterial infections, impaired wound healing, and skin ulcers, closely resembling human LAD1. Previous findings in CD18(-/-) mice demonstrated a skewed terminal B cell differentiation with plasmacytosis and elevated serum immunoglobulin G (IgG).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe studied the mechanisms underlying the severely impaired wound healing associated with human leukocyte-adhesion deficiency syndrome-1 (LAD1) using a murine disease model. In CD18(-/-) mice, healing of full-thickness wounds was severely delayed during granulation-tissue contraction, a phase where myofibroblasts play a major role. Interestingly, expression levels of myofibroblast markers alpha-smooth muscle actin and ED-A fibronectin were substantially reduced in wounds of CD18(-/-) mice, suggesting an impaired myofibroblast differentiation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has been shown to be a key regulator of intestinal epithelial functions such as mucus and chloride secretion, paracellular permeability, and cell proliferation. However, its regulatory role in intestinal epithelial chemokine production remains unknown. The aim of this study was (1) to determine whether VIP can modulate intestinal epithelial interleukin-8 (IL-8) production and (2) to identify intracellular mediators responsible for this effect.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol
November 2003
This study investigated whether toxin B of Clostridium difficile can activate human submucosal neurons and the involved pathways. Isolated segments of human colon were placed in organ culture for 3 h in the presence of toxin B or IL-1beta. Whole mounts of internal submucosal plexus were stained with antibodies against c-Fos, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), and substance P (SP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Morphological and functional changes in the enteric nervous system (ENS) have been reported in inflammatory bowel diseases but it is still uncertain whether neurochemical coding of myenteric neurones is altered in ulcerative colitis (UC).
Aims: In this study we investigated transmitter co-localisation in myenteric neurones of normal colon and the colon of patients with UC.
Methods: Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), neurone specific enolase (NSE), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and substance P (SP) were detected by immunohistochemical methods in whole mounts of colonic myenteric plexus of UC patients (n=10) and controls (n=8).