Inflammatory response of tracheobronchial epithelial cells to endotoxin.

Respiratory epithelial cells play a crucial role in the inflammatory response in endotoxin-induced lung injury, an experimental model for acute lung injury. To determine the role of epithelial cells in the upper respiratory compartment in the inflammatory response to endotoxin, we exposed tracheobronchial epithelial cells (TBEC) to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Expression of inflammatory mediators was analyzed, and the biological implications were assessed using chemotaxis and adherence assays.

Serological immunomarkers in cutaneous T cell lymphoma.

Introduction: As serological immunomarkers like neopterin, beta2-microglobulin, soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and IL-6 have been described to be elevated in various malignancies, the aim of this study was to investigate whether they would be of diagnostic and prognostic value for leukemic and non-leukemic cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL).

Patients And Methods: Forty-one CTCL patients from the lymphoma clinics of the Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, were tested for the serum levels of the above-mentioned immunomarkers at several time points, and clinical status and clinical outcome were recorded. Thirty-nine patients with CBCL and T cell inflammatory diseases served as controls.

Functional expression of the eotaxin receptor CCR3 in CD30+ cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Little is known about mechanisms involved in skin-specific homing of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Chemokine/chemokine receptor interactions have been implicated in the homing of lymphoma cells to various tissue sites. We investigated tissue samples and tumor cell suspensions of patients with CD30(+) CTCL (n = 8) and CD30(-) CTCL (mycosis fungoides, n = 6; Sézary syndrome, n = 6) for expression of the chemokine receptors CCR3, CCR4, and CCR8 and the CCR3 ligands eotaxin/CCL11, monocyte chemoattractant protein 3 (MCP-3)/CCL7, and RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T expressed and secreted)/CCL5.

A case of Sézary's syndrome associated with granulomatous lesions, myelodysplastic syndrome and transformation into CD30-positive large-cell pleomorphic lymphoma.

Sézary's syndrome (SS) is a leukaemic variant of mycosis fungoides, a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma showing distinct clinical, histological, immunological, and genotypic features. We report a 10-year follow-up of a patient with SS exhibiting unusual features such as granulomatous skin lesions, transformation to a CD30-positive large-cell pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma, and development of myelodysplastic syndrome and review the cases of SS reported in the literature with these unusual and rare complications.

Role of alveolar epithelial ICAM-1 in lipopolysaccharide-induced lung inflammation.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is known to play a central role in lung inflammation. Limited information, however, is available regarding the expression and biological function of ICAM-1 in the alveolar epithelial compartment. The current report analyses the expression pattern of ICAM-1 in primary cultures of rat alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) and in the rat lung following instillation of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) in order to better define the role of alveolar epithelial ICAM-1.

Primary subcutaneous follicular centre cell lymphoma with involvement of the galea: a case report and short review of the literature.

Primary cutaneous follicular centre cell lymphoma (FCCL) is a distinct subtype of cutaneous lymphoma that originates from germinal centre cells. Histologically, the disease is typified by a bottom-heavy infiltrate with a diffuse or follicular growth pattern situated in the mid or deep dermis. In some cases, the neoplastic infiltrate may involve the underlying subcutaneous tissue, but so far primary subcutaneous FCCL has not been reported.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas: prognosis and quality-of-life issues.

Cutaneous lymphomas (CL) include lymphocytic malignancies derived from B cells, T cells, or other cell types such as natural killer cells. Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are the most common CL, especially mycosis fungoides, Sézary syndrome, and the spectrum of large-cell CD30(+) lymphoproliferative disorders. It is important to understand that these diseases have a much better prognosis than their nodal counterparts; therefore, treatment has to be stage adapted and palliative.

Cd1d is expressed on dermal dendritic cells and monocyte-derived dendritic cells.

CD1 proteins are a family of cell surface molecules that present lipid antigens to T cells. We investigated skin dendritic cells and monocyte-derived dendritic cells for expression of CD1 molecules using a panel of 10 different monoclonal antibodies focusing on the recently described CD1d molecule. By immunohistochemical analysis, CD1d expression in normal human skin was restricted to dendritic appearing cells in the papillary dermis mainly located in a perivascular localization.

Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome as a clue for the diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis.

A 60-year-old Swiss woman presented with a 1-year history of periorbital hemorrhagic papules, a tendency to develop hematoma due to minor trauma and shortness of breath. The personal medical history included surgery for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) 2 years ago. Clinical and laboratory findings included macroglossia, Bence-Jones proteinuria, reticular lung infiltrates, thickening of the ventricular walls in echocardiography and increase in atypical plasma cells in the bone marrow.

Dendritic cells: On the move from bench to bedside.

As dendritic cells increasingly become the adjuvant of choice in new approaches to cancer immunotherapy, a degree of protocol standardization is required to aid future large-scale clinical trials.

Dendritic cell vaccination for cancer therapy.

A growing list of defined tumor-antigens opens the way to antigen specific immunotherapy of cancer. However current approaches are often limited in their potential to induce an effective anti-tumor response. Dendritic cells (DC) are natural adjuvants for the induction of antigen specific T cell response.

Antigen-pulsed dendritic cell approach to melanoma.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells (1) with wide tissue distribution. They are classified based primarily on their localization: as Langerhans cells when present in the epidermis and as dermal DCs when found in the dermis. DCs exhibit several common features: an irregular shape with elongated dendritic processes, a distinctive cell-surface phenotype, low buoyant density, active motility, and the ability to stimulate vigorous proliferation of unprimed T-cells.

Generation of blood-derived human dendritic cells for antitumor immunotherapy.

Dendritic cells (DC) are a family of bone-marrow-derived professional antigen presenting cells (APC) with sparse, but wide, tissue distribution (1). They are classified primarily based on their localization: as interdigitating reticulum cells when present in lymphoid organs, as veiled cells when present in afferent lymph, as Langerhans cells when present in the epidermis, and as dermal dendritic cells when found in the dermis. Although DC are widely dispersed throughout the body, they exhibit many common features: an irregular shape with elongated dendritic processes, a distinctive cell-surface phenotype, low buoyant density, active motility, and the ability to stimulate vigorous proliferation of unprimed T cells.

Pathogenesis of cutaneous lymphomas.

Cutaneous lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative disorders derived from T cells, B cells and, in rare cases, natural killer cells. The precise mechanisms of the lymphomagenesis are still obscure. However, there are various factors involved.

Genotypic, phenotypic and functional analysis of CD4+CD7+ and CD4+CD7- T lymphocyte subsets in Sézary syndrome.

The expansion of CD4+CD7- T cells in the peripheral blood of Sézary syndrome (SS) is well known. It remains unclear whether this population contains the dominant T cell clone. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of five SS patients were sorted by fluorescence-activated cell sorting into CD4+CD7- and CD4+CD7+ populations.

IL-12 directly up-regulates the expression of HLA class I, HLA class II and ICAM-1 on human melanoma cells: a mechanism for its antitumor activity?

IL-12 enhances cytolytic activity and proliferation of NK and T cells, and induces cytokines such as IFN-gamma. No direct effects on non-hematopoietic cells have been shown. This study investigates the effects of IL-12 on melanoma cells in vitro.

Dendritic cells: role in skin diseases and therapeutic applications.

Dendritic cells have entered the centre stage of applied immunological research. Dermatologists knew for quite some time about the extraordinary capacity of these cells to induce immune responses. Recent progress in using these cells as potent adjuvant for the treatment of human cancer has inaugurated an unprecedented wave of publications about the role of these cells for the pathogenesis and treatment of various types of cancers and infectious diseases.

Immune stimulatory potential of B7.1 and B7.2 retrovirally transduced melanoma cells: suppression by interleukin 10.

The immunostimulatory capacities of B7.1-and B7.2- expressing melanoma cells were investigated.

Sézary syndrome, T-helper 2 cytokines and accessory factor-1 (AF-1).

Mycosis fungoides and the Sézary Syndrome are characterized by clonal accumulation of well differentiated T-helper memory cells in the skin and, in the case of the Sézary Syndrome, also in the blood and lymph nodes. Well known immunological abnormalities in patients with MF and SS include reduced delayed type hypersensitivity, decreased proliferation upon stimulation with mitogens of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells, elevated IgE or IgA serum levels and eosinophilia. These abnormalities can be explained by the predominance of T-helper 2 cytokines.

Human dermal dendritic cells process and present soluble protein antigens.

Recently, a novel type of dendritic antigen-presenting cell has been identified in the dermis of normal human and mouse skin. These dermal dendritic cells (DDC) occur in higher numbers than epidermal Langerhans cells, represent a distinct differentiation pathway of dendritic cells, and are as potent as Langerhans cells in the activation of superantigen specific T cells. As yet, nothing is known about their capacity to take up, process, and present soluble protein antigens.

Streptococcal cell wall-induced arthritis: requirements for IL-4, IL-10, IFN-gamma, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1.

Intra-articular injection of streptococcal cell wall Ag followed by i.v. challenge ("reactivation") results in a destructive lymphocyte-dependent monoarticular arthritis.

Long-term follow-up after finger and upper-limb replantation: clinical, angiologic, and lymphographic studies.

This 10-year follow-up study evaluates 25 patients with a total of 57 successfully replanted fingers and six successfully replanted upper limbs. The global functional loss, including loss of range of motion, sensibility, and strength of the hand, was determined using the "Millesi score." The hemodynamic parameters of replanted and control fingers under resting and stress conditions were measured using a laser Doppler flowmeter.

Vaccination of melanoma patients with peptide- or tumor lysate-pulsed dendritic cells.

Melanoma is the main cause of death in patients with skin cancer. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) attack melanoma cells in an HLA-restricted and tumor antigen-specific manner. Several melanoma-associated tumor antigens have been identified.