Interferon-alpha2b restores the impaired chemotactic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients by modulating CXC receptor ligand interaction.

We have studied the immunomodulatory effects of interferon-alpha2b (IFN-alpha2b) in rectification of the dysregulated IFN-gamma-dependent chemokines and their receptor CXCR3 splice variants in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma-peripheral blood mononuclear cells (HNSCC-PBMC). CXCR3 expression was upregulated in HNSCC-PBMC, with the demonstration of poor chemotactic function. CXCR3 upregulation possibly represents the increased synthesis of CXCR3B splice variant, without significant change in CXCR3A.

Neem leaf glycoprotein restores the impaired chemotactic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients by maintaining CXCR3/CXCL10 balance.

Interaction between CXCL10 and CXCR3 is dysregulated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and hampers chemotaxis of cytotoxic cells at tumor site. In continuation of the demonstration of significant immunomodulatory effects of neem leaf preparation (NLP), the active ingredient of NLP is characterized as a glycoprotein (NLGP). NLGP is responsible for in vivo immunomodulation to restrict the growth of mice tumors.

Tumor associated release of interleukin-10 alters the prolactin receptor and down-regulates prolactin responsiveness of immature cortical thymocytes.

The soluble factors produced either by Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma (EAC) or thymic adherent cells (TAC) of tumor-bearing mice comprising of CD11b(+) and CD11c(+) antigen-presenting cells caused a sharp decrease in prolactin (PRL)-induced ConA-mediated effect on survival of PNA(+) thymocytes. Similar suppression of PRL-induced effect was observed when the cells were cocultured with TAC of EAC-bearing mice. Anti-IL-10 antibody could reverse the PRL inability to induce ConA-mediated effect on PNA(+) thymocyte survival, indicating the presence of IL-10 in EAC culture supernatant (EAC sup) and thymic microenvironment.

Neem leaf preparation enhances Th1 type immune response and anti-tumor immunity against breast tumor associated antigen.

An 85-kDa breast tumor associated antigen (BTAA) has been identified and partially characterized from human breast tumors. As BTAA is poorly immunogenic, enhancement of the anti-tumor immunity induced by BTAA is required to obtain an objective clinical response. The potent immune activation by an aqueous preparation of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf (NLP) suggests its possible utility for enhancing immune responses to tumor vaccines.

Cervical screening by visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is well accepted by women--results from a community-based study in rural India.

Objective: Among the low cost alternative screening tests Visual Inspection after Acetic Acid Application (VIA) has been found to be most promising. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the safety and acceptability of VIA done by health workers among rural Indian women. We also evaluated the level of women's satisfaction with the screening program.

Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)1alpha and MIP1beta differentially regulate release of inflammatory cytokines and generation of tumoricidal monocytes in malignancy.

The C-C chemokines, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)1alpha and MIP1beta are potent chemoattractants for the monocytes, which form an important component of the stroma of tumor tissue and may regulate tumor growth and associated inflammation. We examined the role of MIP1alpha and MIP1beta in inducing the release of inflammatory cytokines and the generation of tumoricidal monocytes from the peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) of healthy women and patients with carcinoma of breast (CaBr). Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha release by the PBM was markedly stimulated by MIP1alpha in CaBr patients, but only marginally so in healthy women.

Prolactin induced reversal of glucocorticoid mediated apoptosis of immature cortical thymocytes is abrogated by induction of tumor.

Glucocorticoid (GC) and prolactin (PRL) are the two neuroendocrines that regulate thymocyte differentiation and maintain the immune homeostasis during stress. We found that dexamethasone (Dex), a synthetic GC, induced apoptosis in normal immature cortical thymocytes which remained unaltered in the presence of Elrich's ascitic carcinoma (EAC). PRL protected the normal CD4+ CD8+ cortical thymocytes from Dex-induced apoptosis but failed to alter the effect of Dex in tumor-bearing mice.

Immunostimulatory neem leaf preparation acts as an adjuvant to enhance the efficacy of poorly immunogenic B16 melanoma surface antigen vaccine.

Immunogenecity of the poorly immunogenic B16 melanoma cell surface antigen (B16MelSAg) was enhanced by combining B16MelSAg with NLP in C57BL/6 mice, as evidenced by ELISA and flow cytometry. NLP was as effective as Freund's complete and incomplete adjuvant to generate antibodies recognizing the B16MelSAg. The NLP generated antibody was a gamma globulin with a subtype of IgG1.

Neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf mediated immune activation causes prophylactic growth inhibition of murine Ehrlich carcinoma and B16 melanoma.

Conditional growth inhibition of murine Ehrlich carcinoma (EC) and B16 melanoma (B16Mel) was observed, following treatment of mice (Swiss and C57BL/6) with aqueous extract of neem (Azadirachta indica) (1 unit/mice/week for 4 weeks) either before or after inoculation of 1 x 10(6) tumor cells. Tumor inoculation after weekly injections for 4 weeks with neem leaf preparation (NLP) induced significant reduction of tumor growth (both EC and B16Mel) and increased survivability of mice. On the other hand, NLP treatment after tumor inoculation demonstrated no tumor growth inhibition in the NLP treated group in comparison to the PBS treated control.

Detection and purification of a novel 72 kDa glycoprotein male breast tumor associated antigen.

A male breast tumor associated antigen (MBTAA) was purified and partially characterized from human male breast tumor. Three protein peaks were obtained by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography of a crude extract of human male breast tumor tissues. Circulating antibodies against one of these peaks, MF1, which contained MBTAA, were observed in male breast cancer patients but not in normal male or male patients with carcinoma of other organs (stomach, colon, lung).

Prolactin regulates antitumor immune response through induction of tumoricidal macrophages and release of IL-12.

The involvement of PRL in regulating monocyte/macrophage functions is suggested by the presence of PRL-Rs in these cells. Here, we show that PRL, though it failed to activate mouse peritoneal resident macrophages (RMs), acted as a second signal and activated mouse peritoneal inflammatory macrophages (EMs) to a tumoricidal state. The cytotoxicity of mouse tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) isolated at day 1 of tumor (Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, EAC) growth was enhanced by PRL.