B cells from glatiramer acetate-treated mice suppress experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) thought to be primarily mediated by T cells. However, emerging evidence supports an important role for B cells in the pathogenesis and inhibition of MS. Glatiramer acetate (GA), a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for the treatment of MS, has a good safety profile.

Nicotine and inflammatory neurological disorders.

Cigarette smoke is a major health risk factor which significantly increases the incidence of diseases including lung cancer and respiratory infections. However, there is increasing evidence that smokers have a lower incidence of some inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Nicotine is the main immunosuppressive constituent of cigarette smoke, which inhibits both the innate and adaptive immune responses.

Nicotinic attenuation of central nervous system inflammation and autoimmunity.

The expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by neurons, microglia, and astrocytes suggests possibly diverse mechanisms by which natural nicotinic cholinergic signaling and exposure to nicotine could modulate immune responses within the CNS. In this study, we show that nicotine exposure significantly delays and attenuates inflammatory and autoimmune responses to myelin Ags in the mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model. In the periphery, nicotine exposure inhibits the proliferation of autoreactive T cells and alters the cytokine profile of helper T cells.

Therapeutic effect of anthracene-based anticancer agent ethonafide in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.

The side effects of cancer chemotherapeutic agents such as mitoxantrone (MIT) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients justify the search for less toxic drugs. Ethonafide is an anthracene-based antineoplastic drug similar to MIT. With reference to MIT, we examined the effect of ethonafide on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in C57BL/6 mice, an animal model of human MS.

[Dynamic expression of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA in 2.2.15 cell].

Background: To determine the presence of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), and to investigate the expression kinetics of HBV DNA, HBsAg and HBeAg in 2.2.15 cell.

[The effect of stimulation of dendritic cell on HBV-epitopic cytotoxic T-lymphocyte].

Objective: To observe the enhancement of cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in patients with chronic hepatitis B following vaccination with dendritic cell stimulated by Poly (I:C) in vitro.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from whole blood by density gradient centrifugation on Ficoll-Hypaque, the adherent cells were cultured in the medium AIM-V contained recombinant human IL-4 and recombinant human GM-CSF. On day 7, one part of wells were added with Poly (I:C).

[Study of phenotypes and functions of cord blood dendritic cells from fetuses whose mothers had chronic hepatitis B].

Objective: To investigate the phenotypes and functions of cord blood dendritic cells of fetuses whose mothers are patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Methods: Peripheral blood and cord blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from whole blood by density gradient centrifugation with Ficoll-Hypaque. The adherent cells were cultured in AIM-V medium containing recombinant human IL-4, TNF-alpha and GM-CSF.

[Construction of HLA-A2-peptide tetramer and application in HBV/HCV infection].

Objective: To construct HBV and HCV-specific HLA-A2-peptide tetramers, and to direct clinical therapy.

Methods: Recombinant class I HLA-A2 heavy chains and beta-2 M were produced in Escherichia coli cells transformed with pBV220 vectors. Only the extracellular domain of class I heavy chain was expressed, following modification by replacement of the C-terminal domain with a substrate sequence for BirA biotinylation.

Cloning, expression, and purification of HLA-A2-BSP and beta-2m in Escherichia coli.

Tetramer analysis is a novel technique in immunological research that has dramatically changed our knowledge of the immune response to pathogens, tumors and autoimmune disease. Through the formation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-peptide tetrameric complexes, it can provide accurate counts of antigen-specific T-cells and it allows their phenotypical and functional analysis. The tetramer is composed of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) heavy chain, beta-2 microglobulin (beta-2m), the nominal peptide, and streptavidin.