Azithromycin Reduces Markers of Vascular Damage in Pediatric Patients With Sickle Cell Disease.

Background: Immunomodulatory effects of macrolides in chronic inflammation are well known. In this study, we tested our hypothesis that azithromycin (AZT) can decrease inflammation in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).

Methods: The use of AZT as an anti-inflammatory agent was evaluated in double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study for 8 weeks of treatment with 8 weeks of washout.

Targeting of reactive isolevuglandins in mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation.

Inflammation is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Western societies. Despite use of multiple drugs, both chronic and acute inflammation still represent major health burdens. Inflammation produces highly reactive dicarbonyl lipid peroxidation products such as isolevuglandins which covalently modify and cross-link proteins via lysine residues.

The cannabinoid receptor 2 agonist, β-caryophyllene, improves working memory and reduces circulating levels of specific proinflammatory cytokines in aged male mice.

Age-related cognitive decline has been associated with proinflammatory cytokines, yet the precise relationship between cognitive decline and cytokine load remains to be elucidated. β-caryophyllene (BCP) is a cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB) agonist with established anti-inflammatory effects that is known to improve memory and increase lifespan. It is of interest to explore the potential of BCP to reduce age-related cognitive decline and proinflammatory cytokine load.

Five-year disease-free survival among stage II-IV breast cancer patients receiving FAC and AC chemotherapy in phase II clinical trials of Panagen.

Background: We report on the results of a phase II clinical trial of Panagen (tablet form of fragmented human DNA preparation) in breast cancer patients (placebo group n = 23, Panagen n = 57). Panagen was administered as an adjuvant leukoprotective agent in FAC and AC chemotherapy regimens. Pre-clinical studies clearly indicate that Panagen acts by activating dendritic cells and induces the development of adaptive anticancer immune response.

Results of multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial of Panagen preparation to evaluate its leukostimulatory activity and formation of the adaptive immune response in patients with stage II-IV breast cancer.

Background: We performed a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase II clinical trial of human dsDNA-based preparation Panagen in a tablet form. In total, 80 female patients with stage II-IV breast cancer were recruited.

Methods: Patients received three consecutive FAC (5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide) or AC (doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide) adjuvant chemotherapies (3 weeks per course) and 6 tablets of 5 mg Panagen or placebo daily (one tablet every 2-3 hours, 30 mg/day) for 18 days during each chemotherapy course.

Plasma cytokine concentrations indicate that in vivo hormonal regulation of immunity is altered during long-duration spaceflight.

Aspects of immune system dysregulation associated with long-duration spaceflight have yet to be fully characterized and may represent a clinical risk to crewmembers during deep space missions. Plasma cytokine concentration may serve as an indicator of in vivo physiological changes or immune system mobilization. The plasma concentrations of 22 cytokines were monitored in 28 astronauts during long-duration spaceflight onboard the International Space Station.

Immune system dysregulation occurs during short duration spaceflight on board the space shuttle.

Background: Post-flight data suggests immunity is dysregulated immediately following spaceflight, however this data may be influenced by the stress effects of high-G entry and readaptation to terrestrial gravity. It is unknown if immunity is altered during spaceflight.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from 19 US Astronauts onboard the Space Shuttle ~24 h prior to landing and returned for terrestrial analysis.

Characterization of extended co-culture of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae with primary human respiratory tissues.

Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) are human-adapted Gram-negative bacteria that comprise part of the normal flora of the human upper airway, but are also responsible for a number of mucosal infections such as otitis media and bronchitis. These infections often recur and can become chronic. To characterize the effect of long-term co-culture of NTHi with human tissues, we infected primary respiratory epithelial cells grown at the air-liquid interface with three NTHi strains over a range of 1-10 days.

Fatigue in medical residents leads to reactivation of herpes virus latency.

The main objective of this study was to detect fatigue-induced clinical symptoms of immune suppression in medical residents. Samples were collected from the subjects at rest, following the first night (low-stress), and the last night (high-stress) of night float. Computerized reaction tests, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Wellness Profile questionnaires were used to quantify fatigue level.

[Antiviral activity of immunomodulator Selank in experimental influenza infection].

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the antiviral properties of the glyproline Selank in both in vitro and in vivo against the influenza virus strain A/Aichi 2/68 (H3N2). The pronounced antiviral effect of the agent was detected in both systems. Selank added to the cell culture 24 hours before inoculation (a preventive use scheme) showed the highest efficiency, by completely suppressing viral reproduction.

[Immunomodulatory effects of selank in patients with anxiety-asthenic disorders].

The purpose of this article was to study the immunotropic effects of the new neurotrophic heptapeptide selank. The experiments in vitro revealed that the drug in concentration 10-7 M completely suppressed gene expression by peripheral blood IL-6 of patients with depression but not of the healthy controls. At the same time, the significant increase (p<0,05) of IL-6 concentration was observed in the cell culture of peripheral blood of patients in the presence of selank.

[Neuroendocrine immunomodulation].

Close interaction between the immune and nervous systems is well documented. The ability of immunocompetent cells to express receptors to neuroendocrine mediators as well as secrete many of them is proved. The current literature suggests that the hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonodal axes play the most significant role in the regulation of immune responsiveness.

Cytokine secretion and latent herpes virus reactivation with 28 days of horizontal hypokinesia.

Introduction: Hypokinesia is associated with spaceflight and prolonged illnesses and may lead to secondary immune deficiency.

Methods: The distribution of immunocytes in whole blood, mitogen-induced cytokine secretion in vitro, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation, and plasma cortisol levels were studied in 13 healthy volunteers subjected to a horizontal bed rest (BR) regime for 28 d. Samples were collected before the study, weekly during BR, and then 3-5 d after the regime ended.

[The endogenous regulation of the cytokine disbalance in humans subjected to simulated spaceflight environment].

Confinement is one of the stress-inducing factors which humans face in such terrestrial environments as those in polar winter-over expeditions, submarines, and is inevitable in space flights. Confinement regime (CR) itself includes a number of stress factors (e.g.

Adult-derived stem cells and their potential for use in tissue repair and molecular medicine.

This report reviews three categories of precursor cells present within adults. The first category of precursor cell, the epiblast-like stem cell, has the potential of forming cells from all three embryonic germ layer lineages, e.g.

Type 1 vs. type 2 cytokine secretion in vitro and its regulation by hydrocortisone in humans subjected to 120-day anti-orthostatic bed-rest regime.

Head-Down Bed-Rest (HDBR) mimics some of the physiological stress effects of microgravity. Six healthy volunteers were subjected to bed-rest for 120 days. Blood samples were collected one month before (PRE), on day 110 of HDBR (DAY 110), and on the 7th day after bed-rest regime ends (POST).

Space flight nutrition research: platforms and analogs.

Conducting research during actual or simulated weightlessness is a challenging endeavor, where even the simplest activities may present significant challenges. This article reviews some of the potential obstacles associated with performing research during space flight and offers brief descriptions of current and previous space research platforms and ground-based analogs, including those for human, animal, and cell-based research. This review is intended to highlight the main issues of space flight research analogs and leave the specifics for each physiologic system for the other papers in this section.

Insulin secretion and sensitivity in space flight: diabetogenic effects.

Nearly three decades of space flight research have suggested that there are subclinical diabetogenic changes that occur in microgravity. Alterations in insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, and metabolism of protein and amino acids support the hypothesis that insulin plays an essential role in the maintenance of muscle mass in extended-duration space flight. Experiments in flight and after flight and ground-based bedrest studies have associated microgravity and its experimental paradigms with manifestations similar to those of diabetes, physical inactivity, and aging.

Immune responsiveness following academic stress in first-year medical students.

Many studies illustrate that physical or psychologic stressors can alter human immune function, which might predispose one to an increased susceptibility to infections. In the present study, we monitored immune responsiveness in 16 first-year medical students (age 23.8 +/- 2.

Effects of the 120 days of head-down bed rest on cytokine secretion and its in vitro modulation by glucocorticoids.

Antiorthostatic hypokinesia or head-down bed rest (HDBR), is a ground-based model system used to simulate some of the physioloical responses observed during space flight. Several studies involving humans and animals have demonstrated the effects of HDBR on different physioloical systems. HDBR produced a large thoracic fluid shift similar to that reported for space flight.