Mitochondria-targeted reactive oxygen species blockor SS-31 blocks hepatic stellate cell activation and alleviates hepatic fibrosis by regulating NLRP3 inflammasomes.

This study aimed to elucidate the effect of mitochondria-targeted reactive oxygen species (ROS) blockor SS-31 on hepatic stellate cells (HSC) activation during liver fibrosis. TGF-β1 was employed to induce HSC activation, while MitoSOX Red was utilized to assess the presence of mitochondrial ROS. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was measured using the JC-1 probe, and the ATP level was determined using a specific kit.

MicroRNA-19b-3p suppresses gastric cancer development by negatively regulating neuropilin-1.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) remains one of the most common digestive malignancies worldwide and ranked third causes of cancer-related death. Mounting evidence has revealed that miRNAs exert critical regulatory roles in GC development.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot assay were performed to determine the protein expression levels of neuropilin-1 (NRP1) and mRNA levels were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) in GC tissues.

Regulatory T cells with a defect in inhibition on co-stimulation deteriorated primary biliary cholangitis.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an indispensable role in the progression of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Although Tregs could normalize costimulation in and models, it is obscure whether and how Tregs mediate these effects in PBC. Herein we focused on the quantitative and functional characteristics of Tregs in PBC.

Cetuximab Enhanced the Cytotoxic Activity of Immune Cells during Treatment of Colorectal Cancer.

Background/aims: Cetuximab is a chimeric IgG1 monoclonal antibody which targets the extracellular domain of epidermal growth factor receptor. This antibody is widely used for colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment but its influence on the immune system is incompletely understood.

Methods: The immune influence of cetuximab therapy in CRC patients was investigated by analyzing peripheral blood mononuclear cells using flow cytometry.

Expression Profiling of Cellular MicroRNA in Asymptomatic HBsAg Carriers and Chronic Hepatitis B Patients.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may serve as potential molecular markers to predict liver injury resulting from chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In the present study, we want to study the expression profile and clinical significance of miRNAs at different stages of CHB virus infection.

Methods: Using miRNA microarray, we investigated the global expression profiles of cellular miRNA in asymptomatic hepatitis B antigen carriers (ASCs) and CHB patients, compared with healthy controls (HCs).

Detection of AMA-M2 in human saliva: Potentials in diagnosis and monitoring of primary biliary cholangitis.

Serum anti-mitochondrial antibody type 2 (AMA-M2) is considered as a pivotal biomarker for the diagnosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, serological tests have many limitations, including inconvenience, invasiveness, and infection risks. Thus, a less invasive approach to detect AMA-M2 titer is desirable.

High salt diet stimulates gut Th17 response and exacerbates TNBS-induced colitis in mice.

This study focuses on characterizing the effect of a high salt diet (HSD) on intestinal immunity and the risk of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). We found that mice on a HSD had an increased frequency of IL-17A producing cells in the intestinal lamina propria (LP) compared to mice on a normal diet (ND). Furthermore, most intestinal IL-17A producing cells were CD4+TCRβ+ cells.

Enterogenous bacterial glycolipids are required for the generation of natural killer T cells mediated liver injury.

Glycolipids are potent activator of natural killer T (NKT) cells. The relationship between NKT cells and intestinal bacterial glycolipids in liver disorders remained unclear. We found that, in sharp contrast to specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice, germ-free (GF) mice are resistant to Concanavalin A (ConA)-induced liver injury.

Severe Infection With Avian Influenza A Virus is Associated With Delayed Immune Recovery in Survivors.

Human infection with avian influenza A virus (H7N9) is a concern because of the mortality rate. Previously, we characterized immunological responses during active infection with it and reported evidence of impaired antigen-presenting capability, particularly in severely affected individuals. Here we describe an investigation of immunological responses during a 1-year follow-up of survivors of H7N9 infection.

Decreased Osteopontin Expression as a Reliable Prognostic Indicator of Improvement in Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Impact of the Level of Interferon-gamma-Inducible Protein 10.

Background/aims: Osteopontin (OPN) expression is increased during the course of various chronic inflammatory diseases, including tuberculosis (TB). However, its prognostic value in TB management remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether OPN could associate with other cytokines serving as a reliable biomarker for evaluating the effectiveness of early anti-TB treatments.

Regular Exercise Enhances the Immune Response Against Microbial Antigens Through Up-Regulation of Toll-like Receptor Signaling Pathways.

Background/aims: Regular physical exercise can enhance resistance to many microbial infections. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying the changes in the immune system induced by regular exercise.

Methods: We recruited members of a university badminton club as the regular exercise (RE) group and healthy sedentary students as the sedentary control (SC) group.

Osteopontin promotes dendritic cell maturation and function in response to HBV antigens.

Purpose: Dendritic cells (DCs) play critical roles in promoting innate and adaptive immunity in microbial infection. Functional impairment of DCs may mediate the suppression of viral-specific T-cell immune response in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Osteopontin (OPN) is involved in several liver diseases and infectious diseases.

Osteopontin Exacerbates Pulmonary Damage in Influenza-Induced Lung Injury.

The level of osteopontin (OPN) increases during bacterial lung infection. However, the OPN level in virus-induced lung injury is unclear, and the relationship between the hyer-production of OPN and lung injury remains to be thoroughly understood. Therefore, we sought to determine whether a relationship exists between OPN and pulmonary damage.

Natural killer T cells play a necessary role in modulating of immune-mediated liver injury by gut microbiota.

Gut microbiota are implicated in many liver diseases. Concanavalin A (ConA)-induced hepatitis is a well-characterized murine model of fulminant immunological hepatic injury. Oral administration of pathogenic bacteria or gentamycin to the mice before ConA injection, liver injury and lymphocyte distribution in liver and intestine were assessed.

A possible role for NKT-like cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B during telbivudine treatment.

Natural killer T-like (NKT-like) cells are a source of different pro-inflammatory cytokines and therefore may be involved in inflammatory processes. However, little is known about NKT-like cells during antiviral therapy. In this study, we observed significantly higher numbers of CD3(+)CD56(+) cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) than healthy controls.

Severe H7N9 infection is associated with decreased antigen-presenting capacity of CD14+ cells.

The outbreak of H7N9 human infection has caused concern worldwide, but the immunological characteristics of infected patients and the determinants of diverse outcomes remain to be thoroughly understood. In this study, twenty-three patients with H7N9 infections were classified into severe and mild cases. We found that severe patients were commonly lymphopenic with significantly lower levels of T cells, monocytes and related cytokine levels compared to the mild cases.

MicroRNAs may solve the mystery of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health problem that causes persistent liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. A large amount of people die annually from HBV infection. However, the pathogenesises of the HBV-related diseases are ill defined and the therapeutic strategies for the diseases are less than optimum.