Spanish HCMV Seroprevalence in the 21st Century.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is linked to age-related diseases like cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative conditions, and cancer. It can also cause congenital defects and severe illness in immunocompromised individuals. Accurate HCMV seroprevalence assessment is essential for public health planning and identifying at-risk individuals.

Enhanced expression of natural cytotoxicity receptors on cytokine-induced memory-like natural killer cells correlates with effector function.

Introduction: Natural killer (NK) cells are a key component of the innate immune system, involved in defending the host against virus-infected cells and tumor immunosurveillance. Under culture conditions, IL-12/15/18 can induce a memory-like phenotype in NK cells. These cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML) NK cells possess desirable characteristics for immunotherapies, including a longer lifespan and increased cytotoxicity.

Accelerated T-Cell Immunosenescence in Cytomegalovirus-Seropositive Individuals After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a major driver of accelerated immunosenescence related to CD28null T cell expansion. CMV infection and these proatherogenic T cells have been independently associated with cardiovascular disease and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. We investigated the potential contribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to immunosenescence and its relationship with CMV.

A Straightforward Cytometry-Based Protocol for the Comprehensive Analysis of the Inflammatory Valve Infiltrate in Aortic Stenosis.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is a frequent cardiac disease in old individuals, characterized by valvular calcification, fibrosis, and inflammation. Recent studies suggest that AS is an active inflammatory atherosclerotic-like process. Particularly, it has been suggested that several immune cell types, present in the valve infiltrate, contribute to its degeneration and to the progression toward stenosis.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Vaccine Improvements: Current Status and New Approaches.

In recent years, the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in combination with approved or experimental vaccines has proven to be a promising approach to improve vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy. This strategy seeks to overcome the immunosuppressive mechanisms associated with the vaccine response, thereby achieving increased immunogenicity and efficacy. Most of the information on the use of ICIs combined with vaccines derives from studies on certain anti-tumor vaccines combined with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against either cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1).

Functional Changes of T-Cell Subsets with Age and CMV Infection.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) latent infection and aging contribute to alterations in the function and phenotype of the T-cell pool. We have demonstrated that CMV-seropositivity is associated with the expansion of polyfunctional CD57+ T-cells in young and middle-aged individuals in response to different stimuli. Here, we expand our results on the effects of age and CMV infection on T-cell functionality in a cohort of healthy middle-aged and older individuals stratified by CMV serostatus.

Regulatory T cells and vaccine effectiveness in older adults. Challenges and prospects.

Since the discovery of lymphocytes with immunosuppressive activity, increasing interest has arisen in their possible influence on the immune response induced by vaccines. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential for maintaining peripheral tolerance, preventing autoimmune diseases, and limiting chronic inflammatory diseases. However, they also limit beneficial immune responses by suppressing anti-infectious and anti-tumor immunity.

Impact of Cytomegalovirus and Age on T-Cell Subsets Defined by CD161, CD300a, and/or CD57 Expression in Healthy Andalusians.

Immunosenescence affects innate and adaptive immunity impairing the response to pathogens and vaccines. Chronic infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been shown to drive "early immunosenescence" and can considerably affect both the function and phenotype of immune cells, especially T cells. We have previously shown that the expression of CD57, CD300a, and CD161 was differentially affected by age and chronic CMV infection, indicating that these markers are a hallmark of CMV infection and T-cell aging.

Characterization of the DNAM-1, TIGIT and TACTILE Axis on Circulating NK, NKT-Like and T Cell Subsets in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains a major clinical challenge due to poor overall survival, which is even more dramatic in elderly patients. TIGIT, an inhibitory receptor that interacts with CD155 and CD112 molecules, is considered as a checkpoint in T and NK cell activation. This receptor shares ligands with the co-stimulatory receptor DNAM-1 and with TACTILE.

Current progress in NK cell biology and NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy.

A better understanding of the complex interactions between the immune system and tumour cells from different origins has opened the possibility to design novel procedures of antitumoral immunotherapy. One of these novel approaches is based on the use of autologous or allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells to treat cancer. In the last decade, different strategies to activate NK cells and their use in adoptive NK cell-based therapy have been established.

NKT-Like (CD3+CD56+) Cells in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Treated With Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

Therapy with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKI) aiming stable deep molecular response is the gold standard to treat Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). NKT-like cells (CD3CD56) combine characteristics of T and NK cells. The physiopathological role of these cells remains unknown although the literature refers their association with inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.

Characterization of the C1q-Binding Ability and the IgG1-4 Subclass Profile of Preformed Anti-HLA Antibodies by Solid-Phase Assays.

Humoral alloimmunity, particularly that triggered by preformed antibodies against human leukocyte antigens (HLA), is associated with an increased prevalence of rejection and reduced transplant survival. The high sensitivity of solid phase assays, based on microbeads coated with single antigens (SAB), consolidated them as the gold-standard method to characterize anti-HLA antibodies, ensuring a successful allograft allocation. Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) provided by SAB is regularly used to stratify the immunological risk, assuming it as a reliable estimation of the antibody-level, but it is often limited by artifacts.

DNAM-1 and the TIGIT/PVRIG/TACTILE Axis: Novel Immune Checkpoints for Natural Killer Cell-Based Cancer Immunotherapy.

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immune response characterized by their role in the destruction of tumor cells. Activation of NK cells depend on a fine balance between activating and inhibitory signals mediated by different receptors. In recent years, a family of paired receptors that interact with ligands of the Nectin/Nectin-like (Necl) family has attracted great interest.

Modulation of NK cells with checkpoint inhibitors in the context of cancer immunotherapy.

The incidence of some types of tumours has increased progressively in recent years and is expected to continue growing in the coming years due in part to the aging of the population. The design of new therapies based on natural killer (NK) cells opens new possibilities especially for the treatment of elderly patients who are particularly susceptible to the toxicity of conventional chemotherapy treatments. In recent years, the potential use of NK cells in cancer immunotherapy has been of great interest thanks to advances in the study of NK cell biology.

Immunosenescence of Natural Killer Cells, Inflammation, and Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. AD is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Although the aetiology of AD is not clear, both environmental factors and heritable predisposition may contribute to disease occurrence.

Effect of Age on NK Cell Compartment in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Treated With Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

Natural killer (NK) cells are a very important component of the innate immune response involved in the lysis of virus infected and tumor cells. Aging has a profound impact in the frequency, phenotype and function of NK cells. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is caused by the BCR-ABL gene formation encoding aberrant oncoprotein tyrosine kinase.

Impact of Preformed Donor-Specific Anti-Human Leukocyte Antigen Antibody C1q-Binding Ability on Kidney Allograft Outcome.

The consolidation of single antigen beads (SAB-panIgG) assay in the detection of preformed anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies has improved transplantation success. However, its high sensitivity has limited the allograft allocation for sensitized patients, increasing their waiting time. A modification of the standard SAB-panIgG assay allows the detection of that subset of antibodies capable of binding C1q (SAB-C1q assay).

Culture with Interleukin-15 Leads to Expression of Activating Receptors and Recovery of Natural Killer Cell Function in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients.

Despite recent progress in the therapeutic approach of malignant hemopathies, their prognoses remain frequently poor. Immunotherapy could open a new window of great interest in this setting. Natural killer (NK) cells constitute an important area of research for hematologic malignancies, because this subpopulation is able to kill target cells spontaneously without previous sensitization, representing a novel tool in the treatment of them.

Effect of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Ageing on T-Bet and Eomes Expression on T-Cell Subsets.

The differential impact of ageing and cytomegalovirus (CMV) latent infection on human T-cell subsets remains to some extent controversial. The purpose of this study was to analyse the expression of the transcription factors T-bet and Eomes and CD57 on CD4+, CD4CD8 and CD8+ T-cell subsets in healthy individuals, stratified by age and CMV serostatus. The percentage of CD4+ T-cells expressing T-bet or Eomes was very low, in particular in CD4+ T-cells from young CMV-seronegative individuals, and were higher in CMV-seropositive older individuals, in both CD57- and CD57+ CD4+ T-cells.

Differential Effect of Cytomegalovirus Infection with Age on the Expression of CD57, CD300a, and CD161 on T-Cell Subpopulations.

Immunosenescence is a progressive deterioration of the immune system with aging. It affects both innate and adaptive immunity limiting the response to pathogens and to vaccines. As chronic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is probably one of the major driving forces of immunosenescence, and its persistent infection results in functional and phenotypic changes to the T-cell repertoire, the aim of this study was to analyze the effect of CMV-seropositivity and aging on the expression of CD300a and CD161 inhibitory receptors, along with the expression of CD57 marker on CD4, CD8, CD8CD56 (NKT-Like) and CD4CD8 (DN) T-cell subsets.

Impact of age and cytomegalovirus on CD8 T-cell compartment remodeling after solid organ transplantation: A one-year follow-up study.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a member of the β-herpesvirus family, is a major complicating infection in transplant patients. CMV latency has a long-term impact on CD8 T-cell differentiation. It is unclear, however, whether this effect can be detected in one-year period.

Adaptive Memory of Human NK-like CD8 T-Cells to Aging, and Viral and Tumor Antigens.

Human natural killer (NK)-like CD8 T-cells are singular T-cells that express both T and NK cell markers such as CD56; their frequencies depend on their differentiation and activation during their lifetime. There is evidence of the presence of these innate CD8 T-cells in the human umbilical cord, highlighting the necessity of investigating whether the NK-like CD8 T-cells arise in the early stages of life (gestation). Based on the presence of cell surface markers, these cells have also been referred to as CD8KIR T-cells, innate CD8 T-cells, CD8CD28KIR T-cells or NKT-like CD8CD56 cells.

Effect of CMV and Aging on the Differential Expression of CD300a, CD161, T-bet, and Eomes on NK Cell Subsets.

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells involved in the defense against virus-infected cells and tumor cells. NK cell phenotype and function is affected with age and cytomegalovirus (CMV) latent infection. Aging affects the frequency and phenotype of NK cells, and CMV infection also contributes to these alterations.

CMV induces expansion of highly polyfunctional CD4+ T cell subset coexpressing CD57 and CD154.

CD4 T cells are essential for human CMV infection control. CMV-specific CD4 T cells possess antiviral functions and participate in anti-CMV humoral/cellular responses. In the elderly, CMV infection impairs immunity to other viruses and has been traditionally associated with T cell senescence; however, recent results suggest that, in younger people, CMV confers immune protection against other pathogens (heterologous immunity).