Approaches for Performance Verification Toward Standardization of Peripheral Blood Regulatory T-Cell Detection by Flow Cytometry.

Context.—: Regulatory T-cell (Treg) detection in peripheral blood, based on flow cytometry, is invaluable for diagnosis and treatment of immune-mediated diseases. However, there is a lack of reliable methods to verify the performance, which is pivotal toward standardization of the Tregs assay.

Altered lipid metabolites accelerate early dysfunction of T cells in HIV-infected rapid progressors by impairing mitochondrial function.

The complex mechanism of immune-system damage in HIV infection is incompletely understood. HIV-infected "rapid progressors" (RPs) have severe damage to the immune system early in HIV infection, which provides a "magnified" opportunity to study the interaction between HIV and the immune system. In this study, forty-four early HIV-infected patients (documented HIV acquisition within the previous 6 months) were enrolled.

Alterations in levels of cytokine following treatment to predict outcome of sepsis: A meta-analysis.

Background: The mortality rate of patients with sepsis has been increasing in recent years. Alterations of biomarkers levels during treatment are important in evaluating treatment efficacy and predicting outcomes in sepsis. This meta-analysis investigated the relationship between changes in cytokine levels after treatment compared with those on hospital admission, and their relationship with the prognosis of patients with sepsis.

Downregulation of TCF1 in HIV Infection Impairs T-cell Proliferative Capacity by Disrupting Mitochondrial Function.

Background: Despite the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people with HIV, T-cell dysfunction cannot be fully restored. Metabolic dysregulation is associated with dysfunction of HIV-1-specific T-cells. Exploration of the factors regulating metabolic fitness can help reverse T-cell dysfunction and provide new insights into the underlying mechanism.

Plasma MicroRNA Signature Panel Predicts the Immune Response After Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Infected Patients.

Background: Approximately 10-40% of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are unable to obtain successful improvements in immune function after antiretroviral therapy (ART). These patients are at greater risk of developing non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related conditions, with the accompanying increased morbidity and mortality. Discovering predictive biomarkers can help to identify patients with a poor immune response earlier and provide new insights into the mechanisms of this condition.

Prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in China: lessons from the past three decades.

In the past 37 years, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) has undergone various major transmission routes in China, with the world most complex co-circulating HIV-1 subtypes, even the prevalence is still low. In response to the first epidemic outbreak of HIV in injecting drug users and the second one by illegal commercial blood collection, China issued the Anti-Drug Law and launched the Blood Donation Act and nationwide nucleic acid testing, which has avoided 98,232 to 211,200 estimated infections and almost ended the blood product-related infection. China has been providing free antiretroviral therapy (ART) since 2003, which covered >80% of the identified patients and achieved a viral suppression rate of 91%.

The effects of binge alcohol exposure on tooth movement and associated root resorption in rats.

Background: Considering the increasing prevalence of alcohol use and the growing number of orthodontic patients, some orthodontic patients might engage in binge drinking during treatment. Nevertheless, little is known about the effect of alcohol use on orthodontic treatment.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into ethanol and control groups (n = 32).

Corrigendum: Increased Expression of sST2 in Early HIV Infected Patients Attenuated the IL-33 Induced T Cell Responses.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.

Transcriptional insights into the CD8 T cell response in mono-HIV and HCV infection.

Background: Disease progression in the absence of therapy varies significantly in mono-HIV and HCV infected individuals. Virus-specific CD8 T cells play an important role in restricting lentiviral replication and determining the rate of disease progression during HIV and HCV mono- and co-infection. Thus, understanding the similarities in the characteristics of CD8 T cells in mono-HIV and HCV infection at the transcriptomic level contributes to the development of antiviral therapy.

CD4CD38 central memory T cells contribute to HIV persistence in HIV-infected individuals on long-term ART.

Background: Despite the effective antiretroviral treatment (ART) of HIV-infected individuals, HIV persists in a small pool. Central memory CD4 T cells (Tcm) make a major contribution to HIV persistence. We found that unlike HLA-DR, CD38 is highly expressed on the Tcm of HIV-infected subjects receiving ART for > 5 years.

Decreased CD4CD8 T cells in early HIV infection are associated with rapid disease progression.

Background: HIV rapid progressors (RPs) present with a rapid decline of CD4 T cells within a few years of infection. Determining the underlying mechanisms throughout this decline is important to identify prognostic biomarkers and intervention strategies. Determining the numbers of CD4 and CD8 T cells is essential for monitoring the immune status of HIV infected patients.

Reduced eIF3d accelerates HIV disease progression by attenuating CD8+ T cell function.

Background: In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, 10-15% of individuals exhibit a rapid decline in CD4+ T cells and become rapid progressors (RPs). Overall, understanding the factors affecting rapid disease progression in early HIV infection (EHI) can aid in treatment initiation. Recent studies show that eIF3s, classic scaffold proteins during the translation initiation process, can directly promote or inhibit the translation of mRNA, therefore participating in the regulation of cell function.

Elevated Expression of miR-19b Enhances CD8 T Cell Function by Targeting PTEN in HIV Infected Long Term Non-progressors With Sustained Viral Suppression.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected long-term non-progressors (LTNPs) are of particular importance because of their unique disease progression characteristics. Defined by the maintenance of normal CD4T cells after more than 8 years of infection, these LTNPs are heterogeneous. Some LTNPs exhibit ongoing viral production, while others do not and are able to control viral production.

Increased Expression of sST2 in Early HIV Infected Patients Attenuated the IL-33 Induced T Cell Responses.

T cell responses were less functional and persisted in an exhausted state in chronic HIV infection. Even in early phase of HIV infection, the dysfunction of HIV-specific T cells can be observed in rapid progressors, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Cytokines play a central role in regulating T cell function.

MicroRNA-206 Downregulates Connexin43 in Cardiomyocytes to Induce Cardiac Arrhythmias in a Transgenic Mouse Model.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical modulators of various physiological and pathological processes, but their role in cardiac arrhythmias remains yet to be completely understood. Connexin43 (Cx43) is an important cardiac gap junction protein and a potential target of miR-206, and downregulation of Cx43 induces ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Methods: We investigated the effects of miR-206 overexpression on the adult mouse heart and in cardiac arrhythmias.

Transcriptomic meta-analysis identifies gene expression characteristics in various samples of HIV-infected patients with nonprogressive disease.

Background: A small proportion of HIV-infected patients remain clinically and/or immunologically stable for years, including elite controllers (ECs) who have undetectable viremia (<50 copies/ml) and long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs) who maintain normal CD4 T cell counts for prolonged periods (>10 years). However, the mechanism of nonprogression needs to be further resolved. In this study, a transcriptome meta-analysis was performed on nonprogressor and progressor microarray data to identify differential transcriptome pathways and potential biomarkers.

Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Associated With Disease Progression in Primary HIV Infection: PD-L1 Blockade Attenuates Inhibition.

Objective: Events occurring during the initial phase of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are intriguing because of their dramatic impact on the subsequent course of the disease. In particular, the relationship between myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and HIV pathogenesis in primary infection remains unknown and the mechanism of MDSCs in HIV infection are incompletely defined.

Methods: The frequency of MDSC expression in patients with primary HIV infection (PHI) and chronic HIV infection was measured, and the association with disease progression was studied.

CD4IL-21T cells are correlated with regulatory T cells and IL-21 promotes regulatory T cells survival during HIV infection.

Introduction: IL-21 enhances T and natural killer cells survival and antiviral functions without promoting T cell activation during HIV infection, which makes it a better adjuvant in anti-HIV immunotherapy. Due to the pleiotropy and redundancy of cytokines, it is vital to have a comprehensive knowledge of the role of IL-21 in the regulation of immune responses. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in immune regulation and are a determinant of immune therapeutic efficacy in certain circumstances.

Elevation of Tim-3 and PD-1 expression on T cells appears early in HIV infection, and differential Tim-3 and PD-1 expression patterns can be induced by common γ -chain cytokines.

Purpose: To explore the association between differential Tim-3 and PD-1 expression patterns and HIV disease progression, and to investigate the impact of common γ-chain cytokines on Tim-3 and PD-1 expression patterns on T cells.

Methods: Tim-3/PD-1 expression on the T cells of patients with early and chronic HIV infections was detected. The expression levels and functional profiles of T cells with differential Tim-3 and PD-1 expression patterns induced by γ-chain cytokines were studied.

Transcriptomic analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in rapid progressors in early HIV infection identifies a signature closely correlated with disease progression.

Background: A substantial percentage (10%-15%) of HIV-infected individuals experience a sharp decline in CD4(+) T-cell counts and progress to AIDS quickly after primary infection. Identification of biomarkers distinguishing rapid progressors (RPs) vs chronic progressors (CPs) is critical for early clinical intervention and could provide novel strategies to facilitate vaccine design and immune therapy.

Methods: mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of RPs and CPs were investigated at 111 (22) days [mean (SD)] of HIV infection.