Toll-like receptor 3 and 4 signalling through the TRIF and TRAM adaptors in haematopoietic cells promotes atherosclerosis.

Aims: Members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family initiate innate immune responses and were recently shown to play a role in atherosclerosis. However, the mechanisms that link TLR ligation to vascular inflammation and atherogenesis remain unclear. To identify which signalling pathways downstream of TLRs in immune cells are pro-atherogenic, we analysed the role of the TLR-specific adaptors MyD88 adaptor-like (MAL), TRIF-related adaptor molecule (TRAM), and TIR-domain-containing adaptor-inducing interferon-β (TRIF) in atherosclerosis.

Immunotherapy with tolerogenic apolipoprotein B-100-loaded dendritic cells attenuates atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic mice.

Background: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by a massive intimal accumulation of low-density lipoprotein that triggers chronic vascular inflammation with an autoimmune response to low-density lipoprotein components.

Methods And Results: To dampen the inflammatory component of atherosclerosis, we injected hypercholesterolemic huB100(tg) × Ldlr(-/-) mice (mice transgenic for human apolipoprotein B100 [ApoB100] and deficient for the low-density lipoprotein receptor) intravenously with dendritic cells (DCs) that had been pulsed with the low-density lipoprotein protein ApoB100 in combination with the immunosuppressive cytokine interleukin-10. DCs treated with ApoB100 and interleukin-10 reduced proliferation of effector T cells, inhibited production of interferon-γ, and increased de novo generation of regulatory T cells in vitro.

Activation of VPAC1 receptors aggravates early atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Objective: Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a 28-amino acid peptide widely expressed in the body and binding three types of receptors: VPAC(1)-R, VPAC(2)-R and PAC(1)-R. Based on beneficial effects of VIP and VPAC(1)-R agonists in mouse models of several chronic inflammatory disorders, we hypothesized that activation of VIP receptors would prevent atherosclerosis development in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Methods And Results: Contrary to our hypothesis, administration of a VPAC(1)-R agonist, (Ala(11,22,28))-VIP aggravated atherosclerotic lesion development in the aortic root of these mice compared to control mice.

FOXP3 expression in blood, synovial fluid and synovial tissue during inflammatory arthritis and intra-articular corticosteroid treatment.

Objective: To analyse the distribution of FOXP3+CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Treg) in peripheral blood, synovial fluid and tissue of patients with rheumatic disease during relapse and after local treatment.

Methods: FOXP3 expression was assessed by flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The functional suppressive capacity of Treg was analysed after co-culture with effector CD4+CD25- T cells through assessment of proliferation and cytokine secretion.

FOXP3 identifies regulatory CD25bright CD4+ T cells in rheumatic joints.

Regulatory T cells have recently been implicated in a number of human diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. To investigate whether the presence of CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells is a general finding in arthritic joints, synovial fluid of patients with different rheumatic diseases such as undifferentiated arthritides, systemic rheumatic diseases and reactive arthritis were investigated for the presence of such cells. In 95% of the patients, a higher frequency of CD25(bright)CD4+ T cells was found in synovial fluid as compared with peripheral blood.

Relation between bronchial responsiveness to inhaled leukotriene D4 and markers of leukotriene biosynthesis.

Background: While clinical trials with antileukotrienes have shown overall beneficial effects in asthma, the factors that determine leukotriene dependent asthma are still unclear. A study was undertaken to determine whether or not leukotriene responsiveness in the airways correlates with endogenous leukotriene biosynthesis.

Methods: Bronchial responsiveness to leukotriene (LT) D4 was assessed as PD20FEV1 in 20 subjects with mild asthma and 10 healthy controls, and compared with bronchial responsiveness to methacholine and two global measures of leukotriene production-urinary LTE4 and ex vivo production of LTB4 in whole blood.

The A-1087IL-10 allele is associated with cardiovascular disease in SLE.

The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in SLE patients is very high. It is therefore surprising that IL-10 has been discussed both as pathogenic in SLE and as an atheroprotective cytokine. In contrast, TNF is believed to be atherogenic and we recently reported that raised activity in the TNF-system is implicated in SLE-related CVD.