Video-Assisted Thoracoscopy for Vertebral Body Tethering of Juvenile and Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: Tips and Tricks of Surgical Multidisciplinary Management.

VATS (video assisted thoracoscopic surgery) is routinely and successfully performed in minor and major complex thoracic procedures. This technique has been recently introduced for the treatment of severe forms of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) with the aim to repair the deformity, reduce morbidity and to prevent its progression in patients with skeletal immaturity. This study aims to present VATS in anterior vertebral body tethering (AVBT) approach to support the pediatric orthopedic surgeons during vertebral body fixation.

Stat 6-dependent induction of myeloid derived suppressor cells after physical injury regulates nitric oxide response to endotoxin.

Objective: To delineate the role of T-helper 2 (Th2) cytokines in the induction of trauma induced myeloid suppressor cells (TIMSC) and the regulation of nitric oxide production.

Background: Trauma induces myeloid cells that express CD11b+/Gr1+ and arginase 1 and exhibit an immune suppressing activity. This article explores the mechanisms that induce TIMSC and the effects on nitric oxide production in response to endotoxin.

Nature of myeloid cells expressing arginase 1 in peripheral blood after trauma.

Background: Myeloid cells that express arginase 1 are upregulated by different stimuli, including trauma, and are capable of depleting arginine from the surrounding environment. Through arginine depletion, myeloid cells are capable of regulating T-cell function. We have previously reported increased arginase 1 expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after injury.

Effect of citrulline and glutamine on nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells in an arginine-depleted environment.

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is a highly reactive free radical essential for antimicrobial and tumor immunity as well as endothelial function. Arginine is a limiting factor in NO synthesis. Citrulline can be converted to arginine and might restore NO production when arginine availability is limited, while glutamine may competitively inhibit citrulline availability.

High mobility group box I (HMGB1) release from tumor cells after treatment: implications for development of targeted chemoimmunotherapy.

We have recently demonstrated that cytolysis of human melanoma cells by immune effectors (both NK and T cells) is associated with release of the nuclear chromatin protein, high mobility group box I (HMGB1). Extracellular HMGB1 mediates a number of important functions including endothelial cell activation, stromagenesis, recruitment and activation of innate immune cells, and also dendritic cell maturation that, in the setting of cancer, lead to a chronic inflammatory response. This reparative inflammatory response promotes tumor cell survival, expansion, and metastases.

Arginine and immunity.

For many years, dietary arginine supplementation, often combined with other substances, has been used as a mechanism to boost the immune system. Considerable controversy, however, exists as to the benefits and indications of dietary arginine due in part to a poor understanding of the role played by this amino acid in maintaining immune function. Emerging knowledge promises to clear this controversy and allow for arginine's safe use.

High mobility group B1 protein suppresses the human plasmacytoid dendritic cell response to TLR9 agonists.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC) are innate immune effector cells that are recruited to sites of chronic inflammation, where they modify the quality and nature of the adaptive immune response. PDCs modulate adaptive immunity in response to signals delivered within the local inflammatory milieu by pathogen- or damage-associated molecular pattern, molecules, and activated immune cells (including NK, T, and myeloid dendritic cells). High mobility group B1 (HMGB1) is a recently identified damage-associated molecular pattern that is released during necrotic cell death and also secreted from activated macrophages, NK cells, and mature myeloid dendritic cells.

The enhanced tumor selectivity of an oncolytic vaccinia lacking the host range and antiapoptosis genes SPI-1 and SPI-2.

The ability of cancer cells to evade apoptosis may permit survival of a recombinant vaccinia lacking antiapoptotic genes in cancer cells compared with normal cells. We have explored the deletion of two vaccinia virus host range/antiapoptosis genes, SPI-1 and SPI-2, for their effects on the viral replication and their ability to induce cell death in infected normal and transformed cells in vitro. Indeed, in three paired normal and transformed cell types, the SPI-1 and SPI-2 gene-deleted virus (vSP) preferentially replicates in transformed cells or p53-null cells when compared with their normal counterparts.

R-MC46 monoclonal antibody stimulates adhesion and phagocytosis by rat macrophages.

Background: In our previous experiments it was shown that R-MC46 monoclonal antibody (mAb), produced at our Institute, stimulated homotypic aggregation of rat granulocytes and production ofproinflammatory cytokines. The aim of this study was to examine antigen expression and function, recognized by R-MC46 mAb on macrophages.

Methods: The expression of R-MC46 antigen on thymic and peritoneal macrophages was investigated using immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry methods.

Dendritic cells and natural killer cells interact via multiple TNF family molecules.

Dendritic cells (DC) and natural killer (NK) cells are essential components of the innate immune system, which rapidly sense and eliminate invading pathogens and transformed cells, mediate inflammation, and initiate adaptive immune responses. During the early immune events, DC and NK cells interact and regulate each other. The cellular "cross talk" and its molecular mediators are believed to be critical to the quality and magnitude of innate and adaptive immune responses.

Differentiation of human dendritic cells from monocytes in vitro using granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor and low concentration of interleukin-4.

Several laboratories have developed culture systems that allow the generation of large numbers of human dendritic cells (DC) from monocytes using granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and interleukin-4 (IL-4). In this work we provided evidence that GM-CSF (100 ng/ml) in combination with a low concentration of IL-4 (5 ng/ml) was efficient in the generation of immature, non-adherent, monocyte-derived DC as the same concentration of GM-CSF, and ten times higher concentration of IL-4 (50 ng/ml). This conclusion was based on the similar phenotype profile of DC, such as the expression of CD1a, CD80, CD86, and HLA-DR, down-regulation of CD14, and the absence of CD83, as well as on their similar allostimulatory activity for T cells.

Different roles of a rat cortical thymic epithelial cell line in vitro on thymocytes and thymocyte hybridoma cells: phagocytosis, induction of apoptosis, nursing and growth promoting activities.

In this work, the interaction between a rat cortical thymic epithelial cell (TEC) line (R-TNC.1) with nursing activity and thymocytes as well as BWRT 8 thymocyte hybridoma (TH) cells has been studied. The R-TNC.