High-dimensional intravital microscopy reveals major changes in splenic immune system during postnatal development.

Spleen is a key organ for immunologic surveillance, acting as a firewall for antigens and parasites that spread through the blood. However, how spleen leukocytes evolve across the developmental phase, and how they spatially organize and interact is still poorly understood. Using a novel combination of selected antibodies and fluorophores to image in vivo the spleen immune environment, we described for the first time the dynamics of immune development across postnatal period.

Generation of a triple-fluorescent mouse strain allows a dynamic and spatial visualization of different liver phagocytes in vivo.

Resident and circulating immune cells have been extensively studied due to their almost ubiquitous role in cell biology. Despite their classification under the "immune cell department", it is becoming increasingly clear that these cells are involved in many different non-immune related phenomena, including fetus development, vascular formation, memory, social behavior and many other phenotypes. There is a huge potential in combining high-throughput assays - including flow cytometry and gene analysis - with in vivo imaging.

The inverted CD4:CD8 ratio is associated with cytomegalovirus, poor cognitive and functional states in older adults.

Background: Some premature features of immunosenescence have been associated with persistent viral infections and altered populations of T cells. In particular, the inverted T CD4:CD8 ratio has been correlated with increased morbidity and mortality across different age groups.

Objective: Here, we investigated the role of persistent viral infections, cognitive and functional states as predictors of inverted CD4:CD8 ratio of older adults in a developing country.

Reduced regulatory T cells are associated with higher levels of Th1/TH17 cytokines and activated MAPK in type 1 bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder (BD) has been associated with an immunologic imbalance shown by increased peripheral inflammatory markers. The underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon may include changes in circulating cells and differential activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Twenty-seven euthymic female subjects with BD type I (all medicated) and 24 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited in this study.

Neuroimmunoendocrine interactions in patients with recurrent major depression, increased early life stress and long-standing posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Background: Traumatic events experienced in childhood may lead to psychiatric diseases in adult life, including major depressive disorder (MDD). It remains obscure to what extent early life stress (ELS) is associated with biologically relevant changes in MDD.

Objective: We investigated both neuroendocrine and immunological correlates in recurrent MDD with ELS and current posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Low plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor and childhood physical neglect are associated with verbal memory impairment in major depression--a preliminary report.

Background: Early life stress has been suggested to mediate vulnerability to affective disorders. Animal models of repeated maternal separation have shown reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in specific brain regions implicated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and memory formation. In addition, BDNF levels are also reduced in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder.

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate enhances IgG and Interferon-gamma production during immunization to tuberculosis in young but not aged mice.

Ageing of the endocrine system (endocrinosenescence) has been closely related to immunosenescence. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), a steroid hormone produced by the adrenals with reported enhancing immunomodulatory properties, consistently decline during ageing in parallel to detrimental increase in peripheral glucocorticoids. We investigated here the adjuvant effects of DHEAS during intraperitoneal immunization to Mycobacterium tuberculosis heat shock protein 70 (mycHSP70) in old (24 months) as well as young (3 months) BALB/c mice.