Role of TGFβ-producing regulatory T cells in scleroderma and end-stage organ failure.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are crucial immune cells that initiate a tolerable immune response. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) is a key cytokine produced by Tregs and plays a significant role in stimulating tissue fibrosis. Systemic sclerosis, an autoimmune disease characterized by organ fibrosis, is associated with an overrepresentation of regulatory T cells.

Types of cell death and their relations to host immunological pathways.

Various immune pathways have been identified in the host, including TH1, TH2, TH3, TH9, TH17, TH22, TH1-like, and THαβ immune reactions. While TH2 and TH9 responses primarily target multicellular parasites, host immune pathways directed against viruses, intracellular microorganisms (such as bacteria, protozoa, and fungi), and extracellular microorganisms can employ programmed cell death mechanisms to initiate immune responses or execute effective strategies for pathogen elimination. The types of programmed cell death involved include apoptosis, autophagy, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, and NETosis.

COVID-19 Vaccination Reporting and Adverse Event Analysis in Taiwan.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an urgent global response in vaccine deployment, achieving over 70.6% global vaccination coverage with at least one dose. This study focuses on Taiwan's vaccine administration and adverse event reporting, set against a global backdrop.

Potential role of molecular hydrogen therapy on oxidative stress and redox signaling in chronic kidney disease.

Oxidative stress plays a key role in chronic kidney disease (CKD) development and progression, inducing kidney cell damage, inflammation, and fibrosis. However, effective therapeutic interventions to slow down CKD advancement are currently lacking. The multifaceted pharmacological effects of molecular hydrogen (H) have made it a promising therapeutic avenue.

Overexpression of malic enzyme is involved in breast cancer growth and is correlated with poor prognosis.

Malic enzyme (ME) genes are key functional metabolic enzymes playing a crucial role in carcinogenesis. However, the detailed effects of ME gene expression on breast cancer progression remain unclear. Here, our results revealed ME1 expression was significantly upregulated in breast cancer, especially in patients with oestrogen receptor/progesterone receptor-negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer.

Interplay of Chemokines Receptors, Toll-like Receptors, and Host Immunological Pathways.

A comprehensive framework has been established for understanding immunological pathways, which can be categorized into eradicated and tolerable immune responses. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are associated with specific immune responses. TH1 immunity is related to TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9, while TH2 immunity is associated with TLR1, TLR2, and TLR6.

An important call: Suggestion of using IL-10 as therapeutic agent for COVID-19 with ARDS and other complications.

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has a detrimental impact on public health. COVID-19 usually manifests as pneumonia, which can progress into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) related to uncontrolled TH17 immune reaction. Currently, there is no effective therapeutic agent to manage COVID-19 with complications.

Immunothrombosis biomarkers as potential predictive factors of acute respiratory distress syndrome in moderate-to-critical COVID-19: A single-center, retrospective cohort study.

Background: Immunothrombosis, a process of inflammation and coagulation, is involved in sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome formation (ARDS). However, the clinical correlation between immunothrombosis biomarkers (including tissue factor [TF] and von Willebrand factor [vWF]) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related ARDS is unknown. This study investigated ARDS development following moderate-to-critical COVID-19 and examined immunothrombosis biomarkers as ARDS predictors.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Elderly Patients with COVID-19: Potential of Melatonin Treatment.

Aging processes, including immunosenescence, inflammation, inflammasome formation, genomic instability, telomeric attrition, and altered autophagy, are involved in viral infections and they may contribute to increased pathophysiological responses to the SARS-CoV-2 infection in the elderly; this poses additional risks of accelerated aging, which could be found even after recovery. Aging is associated with oxidative damage. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 infections may increase the production of reactive oxygen species and such infections will disturb the Ca balance via an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated unfolded protein response.

Cancer as a Dysfunctional Immune Disorder: Pro-Tumor TH1-like Immune Response and Anti-Tumor THαβ Immune Response Based on the Complete Updated Framework of Host Immunological Pathways.

Host immunological pathways are delicate to cope with different types of pathogens. In this article, we divide immunological pathways into two groups: Immunoglobulin G-related eradicable immunities and Immunoglobulin A-related tolerable immunities. Once immune cells encounter an antigen, they can become anergic or trigger immune reactions.

The Perspective of Vitamin D on suPAR-Related AKI in COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has claimed the lives of millions of people around the world. Severe vitamin D deficiency can increase the risk of death in people with COVID-19. There is growing evidence that acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in COVID-19 patients and is associated with poorer clinical outcomes.

The emerging role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of COVID-19: Protective effects of nutraceutical polyphenolic compounds against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can cause immunosuppression and cytokine storm, leading to lung damage and death. The clinical efficacy of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs in preventing viral entry into host cells and suppressing viral replication remains inadequate. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial to the immune response to and pathogenesis of coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-2.

THαβ Immunological Pathway as Protective Immune Response against Prion Diseases: An Insight for Prion Infection Therapy.

Prion diseases, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, are mediated by transmissible proteinaceous pathogens. Pathological changes indicative of neuro-degeneration have been observed in the brains of affected patients. Simultaneously, microglial activation, along with the upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1 or TNF-α, have also been observed in brain tissue of these patients.

The Framework for Human Host Immune Responses to Four Types of Parasitic Infections and Relevant Key JAK/STAT Signaling.

The human host immune responses to parasitic infections are complex. They can be categorized into four immunological pathways mounted against four types of parasitic infections. For intracellular protozoa, the eradicable host immunological pathway is TH1 immunity involving macrophages (M1), interferon gamma (IFNγ) CD4 T cells, innate lymphoid cells 1 (NKp44+ ILC1), CD8 T cells (Effector-Memory4, EM4), invariant natural killer T cells 1 (iNKT1) cells, and immunoglobulin G3 (IgG3) B cells.

Resveratrol as an Adjunctive Therapy for Excessive Oxidative Stress in Aging COVID-19 Patients.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to burden healthcare systems worldwide. COVID-19 symptoms are highly heterogeneous, and the patient may be asymptomatic or may present with mild to severe or fatal symptoms. Factors, such as age, sex, and comorbidities, are key determinants of illness severity and progression.

Putative Role of Vitamin D for COVID-19 Vaccination.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a new, highly pathogenic virus that has recently elicited a global pandemic called the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). COVID-19 is characterized by significant immune dysfunction, which is caused by strong but unregulated innate immunity with depressed adaptive immunity. Reduced and delayed responses to interferons (IFN-I/IFN-III) can increase the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines and extensive immune cell infiltration into the airways, leading to pulmonary disease.

The Central THαβ Immunity Associated Cytokine: IL-10 Has a Strong Anti-Tumor Ability Toward Established Cancer Models and Toward Cancer Cells .

Immunotherapy is a promising new approach for cancer treatment. In this study, I propose to use the THαβ-mediated immune response for cancer treatment. The THαβ-mediated immune response is activated by IL-10 and IL-15.

Study on Yang-Xu Using Body Constitution Questionnaire and Blood Variables in Healthy Volunteers.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulates treatment according to body constitution (BC) differentiation. Different constitutions have specific metabolic characteristics and different susceptibility to certain diseases. This study aimed to assess the Yang-Xu constitution using a body constitution questionnaire (BCQ) and clinical blood variables.

Microarray analysis of PBMC after Plasmodium falciparum infection: Molecular insights into disease pathogenesis.

Objective: To find out host gene expression profiles after malarial infection.

Methods: Further time-course microarray analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells focusing on malaria pathogenesis was performed.

Results: Up-regulation of coagulation-related genes, heat shock proteins, glycolytic enzymes, glucose transporters, and vacuolar H(+)-ATPases was found in acute febrile malaria.

Human immune responses to Plasmodium falciparum infection: molecular evidence for a suboptimal THαβ and TH17 bias over ideal and effective traditional TH1 immune response.

Background: Using microarray analysis, this study showed up-regulation of toll-like receptors 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, NF-κB, TNF, p38-MAPK, and MHC molecules in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells following infection with Plasmodium falciparum.

Methods: This analysis reports herein further studies based on time-course microarray analysis with focus on malaria-induced host immune response.

Results: The results show that in early malaria, selected immune response-related genes were up-regulated including α β and γ interferon-related genes, as well as genes of IL-15, CD36, chemokines (CXCL10, CCL2, S100A8/9, CXCL9, and CXCL11), TRAIL and IgG Fc receptors.

Common and divergent immune response signaling pathways discovered in peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression patterns in presymptomatic and clinically apparent malaria.

Using genome-wide expression profiles from persons either experimentally challenged with malaria-infected mosquitoes or naturally infected with Plasmodium falciparum malaria, we present details of the transcriptional changes that occur with infection and that either are commonly shared between subjects with presymptomatic and clinically apparent malaria or distinguish these two groups. Toll-like receptor signaling through NF-kappaB pathways was significantly upregulated in both groups, as were downstream genes that function in phagocytosis and inflammation, including the cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha, gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta). The molecular program derived from these signatures illuminates the closely orchestrated interactions that regulate gene expression by transcription factors such as IRF-1 in the IFN-gamma signal transduction pathway.