Ficoll Gradient Centrifugation Research Articles

Downregulated Expression of TRPV2 in Peripheral Blood Cells following Acute Myocardial Infarction Is Inversely Correlated with Serum Levels of CRP and Troponin I

Objectives: We have recently shown that the transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) channel is exclusively upregulated in rat/murine peri-infarct monocytes/macrophages following an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and that this overexpression might be detrimental for cardiac recovery. We aimed to characterize the expression levels of TRPV2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of AMI patients relative to individuals with normal coronaries, and to analyze potential associations with inflammatory and cardiac ischemic markers. Methods: Patients who underwent coronary angiography due to AMI or chest pain were prospectively included. PBMCs were isolated from whole blood by Ficoll gradient centrifugation. TRPV2 expression was analyzed by real-time PCR. C-reactive protein (CRP) and troponin I (TpI) levels were determined at the central chemistry laboratory; interleukin 6 and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 levels were tested by ELISA. Results: Following AMI, the number of TRPV2-expressing PBMCs was reduced when compared to in patients with normal coronaries. An inverse correlation was documented between the numbers of circulating macrophages and TRPV2 expression. Additionally, TRPV2 expression was inversely correlated with CRP and TpI and directly correlated with serum IGF-1. Conclusions: We assume that peripheral TRPV2 downregulation occurs concomitantly with the accumulation of TRPV2-white blood cells in the peri-infarct zone. TRPV2 may thus represent a novel target for treatment in the acute phase after MI.

Isolation of Intact Vacuoles from Petunia Petals and Extraction of Sequestered Glycosylated Phenylpropanoid Compounds.

Plant vacuoles are the largest compartment in plant cells, occupying more than 80% of the cell volume. A variety of proteins, sugars, pigments and other metabolites are stored in these organelles ( Paris et al., 1996 ; Olbrich et al., 2007 ). Flowers produce a variety of specialized metabolites, some of which are unique to this organ, such as components of pollination syndromes, i.e., scent volatiles and flavonoids ( Hoballah et al., 2007; Cna'ani et al., 2015). To study the compounds stored in floral vacuoles, this compartment must be separated from the rest of the cell. To enable isolation of vacuoles, protoplasts were first generated by incubating pierced corollas with cellulase and macrozyme enzymes. After filtering and several centrifugation steps, protoplasts were separated from the debris and damaged/burst protoplasts, as revealed by microscopic observation. Concentrated protoplasts were lysed, and vacuoles were extracted by Ficoll-gradient centrifugation. Vacuoles were used for quantitative GC-MS analyses of sequestered metabolites. This method allowed us to identify vacuoles as the subcellular accumulation site of glycosylated volatile phenylpropanoids and to hypothesize that conjugated scent compounds are sequestered in the vacuoles en route to the headspace (Cna'ani et al., 2017).

14 Composition of Semen Extenders and Varying Seminal Plasma Concentrations Affects Formation of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in the Bovine System

Neutrophils are recruited into the female reproductive tract following insemination to eliminate excess spermatozoa and bacteria introduced by the breeding process. In natural breeding, bovine semen is deposited in the vagina and sperm migrate into the uterus, leaving the bulk of seminal plasma (SP) behind. Current artificial insemination protocols introduce variable amounts of SP and semen extender into the uterus. Beside phagozytosis and secretion of immune modulators, polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) are able to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) extruding their DNA into the extracellular environment and ensnare pathogens including sperm cells. Recently, a time-dependent increase in bovine NETs formation has been reported. In the absence of SP and extender only a low degree of NETs formation by the sperm cells alone was detected (Fichtner et al. 2017 Reprod. Domest. Anim. 52(S1), 16). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of different semen extenders with various supplements or varying SP concentrations on NETs formation. Bovine PMN were isolated via Ficoll gradient centrifugation from peripheral blood. Semen extenders, purchased from 2 companies, were supplemented either with no animal protein or fresh egg yolk or “egg yolk-like substances” (gamma-irradiated sterile egg yolk or phospholipids as liposomes). The SP collected from ejaculates of eight 5-year-old bulls was added to the incubation medium in concentrations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20%. For NETs induction, PMN and semen extenders or SP concentrations were co-cultured for 60 min; PMN and incubation medium alone served as negative controls. After incubation, the samples were treated with micrococcal nuclease and stained with PicoGreen. Quantification was performed by spectrofluorometric analyses using an automated plate monochrome reader (Varioscan Flash; Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). Relative fluorescence intensities (FI in arbitrary units, AU) were calculated by subtracting the values of the negative controls from the ones obtained from the different samples. For statistical analyses, a one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test was used. Experiments were repeated at least 9 times. No significant differences in the relative FI were detected between the 2 animal protein-free extenders. A significantly higher FI was observed in one of the extenders supplemented with egg yolk compared with the other. The same held true for one extender completed with an egg yolk-like substance. Relative FI significantly increased from 1 to 5% SP, stayed constant up to 10%, followed by a slight decrease up to a concentration of 20%. These data indicate that formation of NETs in vitro depends on the composition of the extender itself and the protein source used by different companies. Furthermore, formation of NETs is also dependent on the dose of SP. From these results, it could be speculated that semen extenders plus additives and SP may affect fertility. The financial support of the Förderverein Bioökonomieforschung e.V. (FBF) is gratefully acknowledged.

Characterization of Occult Hepatitis C Virus (Hcv) Infection among Hemodialysis Patient

Introduction: The existence of new entity called occult hepatitis C virus (HCV) has become a raising and escalating concern among healthcare professionals worldwide. It is defined by the presence of viral RNA in liver and/or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) within non HCV-infected patients. Previous study had shown the occult HCV is infectious and capable of transmitting the virus to another host. Till today, HCV infection remains common among hemodialysis patients despite having the best preventive plans. Because of this, there is a significant concern about the source of viral transmission. The aim of the study was to identify and characterize occult HCV infection in PBMC sample of hemodialysis patients. This was an observational and cross sectional study. Materials and method: PBMCs were isolated from the whole blood using Ficoll-gradient centrifugation technique. The PBMCs were then subjected for cell counting and stored in -70O C until further used. HCV RNA were extracted from these cells and viral RNA were subjected for molecular assays, immune cells analysis and cells culture. Results: PBMCs were isolated from eleven (11) study patients and five (5) anti-HCV positive (control) patients. By using automated flow cytometry, PBMCs of each sample were counted and the average number of cells obtained range from 2x104 to 5x106 cells/ ml. Viral RNAs were extracted and quantitatively measured by using NanoDrop Spectrophotometers. The viral RNAs concentration obtained were between 24.7 and 258.9 ng/ml. The RNAs would be subjected for purification (ethanol precipitation) and further assays. Conclusion: The final findings might contribute to the clinical management of dialysis patients.

Effects of Viral Peptide Presentation on CD4+ T Cell Responses to MHC Class II-Restricted Tumor Peptides

Background: Designing a vaccine against a defined tumor is a promising but complicated process that can be used as tumor immunotherapy. The presence of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) has been proved in about 85% of tumors; therefore, this enzyme is a promising vaccine target. Most studies in tumor immunotherapy have focused on induction and reinforcement of CD8+ T cell responses against tumor antigens, but some evidence indicates that CD4+ T cell responses are important for induction of CD8+ T cell response and memory. Therefore, in this in vitro study, we combined an hTERT peptide with HIV peptides restricted to HLA-DRB1*11:03/04, the most common MHC class II molecule in Iran, to induce CD4+ T cell responses in healthy individuals and lung cancer patients. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated by Ficoll gradient centrifugation from nine healthy individuals and six lung cancer patients who were HLA-DRB1*11:03/04 positive. PBMCs were incubated with the tumoral and viral peptides for five days and then exposed to A549 cells to evaluate specific proliferative responses. The proliferation of PBMCs was examined by the MTT assay. Then, levels of secreted interferon-γ in culture media were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Proliferation of PBMCs was significantly greater in the presence of the tumoral peptide than in controls (P = 0.001). In addition, PBMC proliferation was greater when the viral peptides were added than with the tumoral peptide alone (P = 0.000). The IFN-γ secretion assay results supported the MTT assay (P = 0.000). Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrated that the hTERT-derived peptide induced CD4+ T cell proliferation in healthy individuals and patients with lung cancer. Both PBMC proliferation and IFN-γ secretion were further induced by the addition of tumor and viral peptides in combination.

Detection of phosphoglucomutase-3 deficiency by lectin-based flow cytometry

Detection of phosphoglucomutase-3 deficiency by lectin-based flow cytometry

RNA Sequencing of Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) of Healthy Young, Healthy Old and Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) Reveals Transcriptomic Changes upon Aging of the Niche and Onset of MDS

Introduction: Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) can occur in young people but it is mainly a disease of the elderly with a dramatic increase of incidence in the decades above 60 years. Accordingly, the factor age may be an important gateway to the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of MDS. Insights into the molecular changes of aging hematopoiesis in healthy organisms have found molecular changes, which often parallel the observations in MDS such as increase of clonality with age, change of epigenetic profiles, skewed lineage commitment toward the myeloid compartment and reduced regenerative capacity after stress. The development of MDS is often suggestive of an accelerated extrapolation of molecular changes, which also occur in normal aging hematopoiesis. Beyond this, increasing evidence is suggesting that MDS hematopoiesis is highly dependent on support of the bone marrow (BM) stroma, which has been shown to display aberrant transcriptomic profiles as compared to healthy BM stroma. To this end, we aimed to test the hypothesis whether the emergence of MDS may be associated with a continuity of molecular changes in BM stroma cells during aging. Therefore, we performed explorative RNA sequencing in a set of MSCs collected from healthy young, healthy old and patients with MDS with a highly standardized pre-analytical work-up algorithm.Methods: We collected BM samples from voluntary healthy young adults (age = 24 - 25 years, female n=3, male n=3), healthy old adults (age 66 - 79 years, female n=3, male n=3) and patients with very low - intermediate risk MDS (age 51 - 87 years, female n=3, male n=3). After isolation of BM mononuclear cells by Ficoll gradient centrifugation, 5x106 mononuclear BM cells were seeded into 25cm² flasks and cultured using StemMACS human MSC Expansion Media (Miltenyi Biotec) with weekly media exchange to select for MSCs. These were expanded and harvested in passage 2. Absence of residual hematopoietic cells was controlled by FACS with anti CD45, CD31, and CD146. Whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing on all samples was carried out from 150ng of high quality RNA using the TruSeq stranded total RNA protocol and 100bp paired end sequencing (Illumina). The bio-informatical pipeline consisted of mapping using hisat2 and cufflinks for calculation of differentially expressed genes.Results: RNA-sequencing generated a mean of 94 million reads per sample. Between the groups "healthy young" and "healthy old" 331 differentially regulated genes were identified. Between "healthy old" and "MDS" 514 genes were differentially regulated (fold change > 1.5, false discovery rate, FDR < 0.05). Among these, 197 genes were differently expressed between all three groups. With these parameters, a total of 17 genes showed a continuous and significant increase of expression from healthy young over healthy old toward MDS. Among these were Kit ligand (KITLG) but also a cluster of membrane based cell adhesion molecules such as Cadherin-6 (CDH6), Laminin Subunit Alpha 2 (LAMA2) and Laminin Subunit Gamma 2 (LAMC2) and others. Conversely, 5 genes showed a continuous and significant decrease of expression from healthy young over healthy old toward MDS, among these Leukocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1), a gene implicated in regulation of T-cell migration. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that MDS MSCs exhibited a significant depletion of genes involved in early adipogenic differentiation and enrichment of gene sets associated with extracellular matrix remodeling (FDR < 0.05, normalized enrichment score > 1.7). Although cells were cultured under normoxic conditions, MDS-MSCs displayed marked intrinsic feature of hypoxia.Conclusion: By integrating transcriptomic data from BM stroma cells from healthy individuals during aging and comparison to BM stroma cells from MDS patients we have identified gene sets that are significantly differentially expressed per continuitatem. On the background of the hypothesis that molecular changes in the microenvironment of MDS are an exacerbation of changes also taking place during normal aging in the bone marrow, these genes, which are accumulated in the context of extracellular matrix and cell adhesion are promising candidates to further elucidate a BM stroma based pathogenesis of MDS. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Production of fertile sperm from in vitro propagating enriched spermatogonial stem cells of farmed catfish, Clarias batrachus.

Spermatogenesis is a highly co-ordinated and complex process. In vitro propagation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) could provide an avenue in which to undertake in vivo studies of spermatogenesis. Very little information is known about the SSC biology of teleosts. In this study, collagenase-treated testicular cells of farmed catfish (Clarias batrachus, popularly known as magur) were purified by Ficoll gradient centrifugation followed by magnetic activated cell sorting using Thy1.2 (CD90.2) antibody to enrich for the spermatogonial cell population. The sorted spermatogonial cells were counted and gave ~3 × 106 cells from 6 × 106 pre-sorted cells. The purified cells were cultured in vitro for >2 months in L-15 medium containing fetal bovine serum (10%), carp serum (1%) and other supplements. Microscopic observations depicted typical morphological SSC features, bearing a larger nuclear compartment (with visible perinuclear bodies) within a thin rim of cytoplasm. Cells proliferated in vitro forming clumps/colonies. mRNA expression profiling by qPCR documented that proliferating cells were Plzf + and Pou2+, indicative of stem cells. From 60 days onwards of cultivation, the self-renewing population differentiated to produce spermatids (~6 × 107 on day 75). In vitro-produced sperm (2260 sperm/SSC) were free swimming in medium and hence motile (non-progressive) in nature. Of those, 2% were capable of fertilizing and generated healthy diploid fingerlings. Our documented evidence provides the basis for producing fertile magur sperm in vitro from cultured magur SSCs. Our established techniques of SSC propagation and in vitro sperm production together should trigger future in vivo experiments towards basic and applied biology research.

Benzene Induces Hematotoxicity Via Acetyltransferase p300 Inhibition-Mediated Autophagy

Objective: Chronic exposure to benzene is known to be associated with hematotoxicity and is involved in the development of aplastic anemia and leukemia. However, the mechanism of benzene-induced hematotoxicity has not been well understood. Accumulating studies have reported that benzene metabolite hydroquinone (HQ) and analogous chemicals formaldehyde can induce autophagic cell death. So it is meaningful to investigate the role of autophagy and the underlying mechanisms in the benzene-induced hematotoxicity.Materials and Methods: Human mononuclear cells were isolated from the heparinized bone marrow of healthy donors or patients with chronic benzene exposure using Ficoll gradient centrifugation, mainly consisted of progenitor and stem cells, and were measured for the levels of autophagy and the expression of p300. Totally five patients, 2 female and 3 male, all were shoe workers and had experience of contact with benzene for at least 6 months, diagnosed as occupational benzene poisoning. Five age-matched healthy donors were enrolled as controls. Besides, bone marrow mononuclear cells isolated from healthy donors were incubated with HQ 20 μM for 12 hours to determine the levels of autophagy and the expression of p300. Furthermore, thirty mice weighting 23 - 25 g were randomized into benzene group (benzene 1 ml/kg; corn oil 1 ml/kg; n=15) and corn oil group (2 ml/kg; n=15). After subcutaneous injected 12 times, three times a week, the mice executed to study the hemototoxicity of benzene with the blood cell counts, bone marrow aspiration and the pathology of the femurs. Similarly, the bone marrow mononuclear cells isolated from mice were determined for the levels of autophagy and acetylation and the expression of p300.Results: All five enrolled patients with chronic benzene exposure had hematotoxicity. Increased autophagy, deacetylation of autophagic components and histone H3 occurred in patients with chronic benzene exposure. Furthermore, both the expression of P300 mRNA and protein were decreased significantly in patients with chronic benzene exposure compared with those in healthy donors, which arouses our interest to investigate whether in vitro exposure to benzene metabolite HQ promotes autophagy. Interesting, HQ induced cell autophagic cell death without apoptosis, which could be reversed by autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine and exaggerated by autophagy activator rapamycin. HQ caused deacetylation, especially decreased the acetylation of autophagy components including ATG7 and LC3. HQ also significantly decreased the acetyltransferase activity of p300 demonstrated by reduced acetylation of histone H3 and the expression of p300 mRNA and protein. HQ treatment decreased the physical interaction between p300 and autophagy components including ATG7, LC3, and ATG3. Both C646, a 'specific' antagonist of p300, and knockdown of p300 induced cell autophagy and deacetylation, similar with HQ, further identifying that p300 was a major endogenous repressor of autophagy. However, the deacetylation effect could be completely inhibited by the addition of acetyl-CoA at a concentration of 100 μM. Taken together, these data suggest that HQ promotes autophagy by inhibiting the activity of P300. We next investigate whether modulation of P300 expression regulates the autophagic flux induced by HQ. Intriguingly, Momordica Antiviral Protein 30 Kd (MAP30), a ribosome-inactivating protein isolated from dietary bitter melon, could increase p300 expression and attenuate autophagy and cell death induced by HQ. The mouse model of benzene-induced hematotoxicity was injected subcutaneously with benzene and corn oil. The levels of hemoglobin, and the numbers of white blood cells and platelets decreased significantly in benzene-treated mice compared with the vehicle mice, and the benzene-induced hematotoxicity was further verified by the bone marrow aspiration and the pathology of the femur. Similarly, the increased autophagic flux and p300 inhibition occurred in the benzene-treated mice.Conclusion: We have demonstrated that benzene and its metabolite HQ induced autophagy by inhibiting p300, which may be a main cause of benzene-induced hematotoxicity. MAP30 can restore decreased p300 expression induced by HQ and attenuate autophagic cell death. Therefore, MAP30 may be a therapeutic drug for patients with chronic benzene exposure. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Detection of Chromosomal Aberrations in Acute Myeloid Leukemia By Copy Number Alteration Analysis of Exome Sequencing Data

Exome sequencing is widely used and established to detect tumor-specific sequence variants such as point mutations and small insertions/deletions. Beyond single nucleotide resolution, sequencing data can also be used to identify changes in sequence coverage between samples enabling the detection of copy number alterations (CNAs). Somatic CNAs represent gain or loss of genomic material in tumor cells like aneuploidies (e.g. monosomies and trisomies), duplications, or deletions. In order to test the feasibility of somatic CNA detection from exome data, we analyzed 13 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with known cytogenetic alterations detected at diagnosis (n=8) and/or at relapse (n=11). Corresponding remission exomes from all patients were available as germline controls resulting in 19 comparisons of paired leukemia and remission exome data sets.Exome sequencing was performed on a HiSeq 2500 instrument (Illumina) with mean target coverage of >100x. Exons with divergent coverage were detected using a linear regression model on mean exon coverage, and CNAs were called by an exact segmentation algorithm (Rigaill et al. 2012, Bioinformatics). For all samples, cytogenetic information was available either form routine chromosomal analysis or fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Blast count were known for all but one AML sample (n=19). Copy number-neutral cytogenetic alterations such as balanced translocations were excluded from the comparative analysis.By CNA-analysis of exomes we were able to detect chromosomal aberrations consistent with routine cytogenetics in 18 out of 19 (95%) AML samples. In particular, we confirmed 2 out of 2 monosomies (both -7), and 9 out of 10 trisomies (+4, n=1; +8, n=8; +21, n=1), e.g. trisomy 8 in figure 1A. Partial amplifications or deletions of chromosomes were confirmed in 10 out of 10 AML samples (dup(1q), n=3; dup(8q), n=1; del(5q), n=3; del(17p), n=1; del(20q), n=2), e.g. del(5q) in figure 1B. In the one case with inconsistent findings of chromosomal aberrations between exome and cytogenetic data there was a small subclone harboring the alteration described in only 4 out of 21 metaphases (19%).To assess the specificity of our CNA approach, we analyzed the exomes of 44 cytogenetically normal (CN) AML samples. Here we did not detect any CNAs larger than 5 Mb in the vast majority of these samples (43/44, 98%), only one large CNA was detected indicating a trisomy 8.Estimates of the clone size were highly correlated between CNA-analysis of exomes and the parameters from cytogenetics and cytomorphology (p=0.0076, Fisher's exact test, Figure 1C). In CNA-analysis of exomes, we defined the clone size based on the coverage ratio: . Clone size estimation by cytogenetics and cytomorphology was performed by calculating the mean of blast count and abnormal metaphase/interphase count. Of note, clones estimated by CNA-analysis of exomes tended to be slightly larger. This may result from purification by Ficoll gradient centrifugation prior to DNA extraction for sequencing and/or the fact that the fraction of cells analyzed by cytogenetics does not represent the true size of the malignant clone accurately because of differences in the mitotic index between normal and malignant cells.Overall, there was a high correlation between our CNA analysis of exome sequencing data and routine cytogenetics including limitations in the detection of small subclones. Our results confirm that high throughput sequencing is a versatile, valuable, and robust method to detect chromosomal changes resulting in copy number alterations in AML with high specificity and sensitivity (98% and 95%, respectively). [Display omitted] [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells in human peripheral blood: Optimized quantification in healthy donors and patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Induction of myeloid-derived suppressor cells is an important mechanism leading to tolerance against tumors. Phenotypic characterization of MDSC has been established and heterogeneous populations with monocytic or granulocytic features have been characterized. Increased levels of MDSC have been described in metastatic renal cell carcinoma and seem to correlate with an adverse outcome. As MDSC constitute only small populations in peripheral blood of cancer patients, it is highly important to achieve technically optimized conditions for quantification. Different cell preparation techniques – besides freezing and thawing – are potential sources of substantial variation. Our study was focused on an optimized quantification of MDSC in pB of healthy donors and patients with mRCC, in whom major technical sources of variation were analyzed.Whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used for the flow cytometric quantification of MDSC in the pB of mRCC patients and healthy donors. We compared (1) analysis in whole blood vs. PBMC after Ficoll gradient centrifugation and (2) immediate analysis after blood drawing vs. analysis one day later. Finally, in order to evaluate our optimized technical approach, pB of 15 patients with histologically confirmed mRCC under treatment with either sunitinib or sorafenib was analyzed.No difference in the number of MDSC was observed after analysis in whole blood vs. PBMC. In contrast, the time point of analysis was a source of substantial variation (one day later vs. immediate analysis after blood drawing).In conclusion, for optimal analysis of MDSC, immediate analysis of whole blood after blood drawing rather than one day later seems to be most appropriate under the aspect of practical feasibility and reliability. Using this method, we were able to confirm both (a) increased numbers of MDSC in patients with mRCC and (b) a decrease of MDSC under sunitinib therapy.

DC Maturation: A Brief Comparison between Three Different Processes

Dendritic cell (DC) maturation approved to be a pivotal process for initiating immunity. Many protocols were established in order the isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors to mature into dendritic cells (DCs). The purpose of this study was to present an effective and reliable DC maturation procedure by comparing three different protocols (Interleukin-4/Tumor Necrosis Factor-appha (IL-4/TNFa) DC protocol, Interferon alpha (IFNa) DC protocol and FAST DC protocol). Whole blood was collected from six healthy donors and PBMCs were isolated by Ficoll gradient centrifugation. The counted cells were incubated with the addition of three different cocktails of supplements for appropriate time period. The final mature DC population was examined either by its phenotypic characteristics under light microscope or by measuring the expression of antigen presenting molecules such as CD80 and CD86 by flow cytometry. It was found that the mature DCs, generated from the IL-4/TNFa DC protocol, expressed higher levels of CD80 and CD86. Furthermore, they sharply exhibited their phenotypic hallmarks.

Induksi Ekspresi Gen Sitokin/Kemokin pada Sel Makrofag Manusia yang Dipapar Virus Dengue Isolat Indonesia

Dengue is one of the world's most important arbovirus disease. Dengue pathogenesis has not been yet fully understood. It has been reported that there is involvement of the host immune factors and viral factors. Several studies have shown that concentrations of cytokines/chemokines on blood are significantly increased during infection and viral factors are also involved in disease severity. Therefore, characterization of host gene expression profiles in response to dengue virus infection of different serotypes could provide input for understanding the pathogenesis of dengue. The purpose of this research was to determine expression profiles of the genes (mRNA) of cytokines/chemokines as immune response that are released by monocyte derived macrophages (MDM) cells (host gene) exposed dengue viruses. Four dengue serotypes of Indonesia isolate were used in this study. Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) were isolated from blood cells of healthy donors by Ficoll gradient centrifugation techniques and then differentiated into MDM cells. Quantitative real time RT-PCR was used to quantify expression levels of cytokine/chemokine-encoding genes from MDM cells infected dengue. Four cytokine/chemokine-encoding genes i.e IP-10, MCP-1, IL-10, and MIP-1β known involved in dengue pathogenesis. Measurement of the expression levels of cytokines/ chemokines showed that the dengue virus of serotypes DENV-1 and DENV-3 caused an increase in the expression of genes encoding cytokine IL-10 and chemokine IP-10 is higher than other serotypes. Further research is needed to better determine the pathogenesis of dengue disease.

Activating Mutations Observed in De Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia Are Also Present in a Subset of Philadelphia Chromosome (Ph)-Positive Leukemia Patients with BCR-ABL1-Independent Resistance to ABL1 Kinase Inhibitors

Activating Mutations Observed in De Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia Are Also Present in a Subset of Philadelphia Chromosome (Ph)-Positive Leukemia Patients with BCR-ABL1-Independent Resistance to ABL1 Kinase Inhibitors

Production of functional dendritic cells from mouse bone marrow

Currently, immune cell-based therapies, particularly those that utilize dendritic cells (DCs), are a promising therapy approach for cancer treatment. Therefore, DC therapy is the focus of many studies in many laboratories worldwide that are developing novel cancer therapies. This study aimed to develop a reproducible procedure to produce functional DCs from mouse bone marrow for DC therapy research. Bone marrow was collected from mouse femur bones by flushing with buffered saline. These cells were used to isolate mononuclear cells (MNCs) by Ficoll gradient centrifugation. MNCs were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 20 ng/mL of IL-4 and 20 ng/mL of GMCSF to induce maturation of immature DCs. The results showed that this procedure induced cells exhibiting the DC phenotypes, such as the expression of CD40, CD80, and CD86, high phagocytic capacity, strong production of IL-12, and efficient stimulation of T-CD4 lymphocytes. These results suggest that this procedure can be used to produce functional DCs in future studies that use DCs for immune therapy.

Rapid isolation and purification of mitochondria for transplantation by tissue dissociation and differential filtration.

Previously described mitochondrial isolation methods using differential centrifugation and/or Ficoll gradient centrifugation require 60 to 100 min to complete. We describe a method for the rapid isolation of mitochondria from mammalian biopsies using a commercial tissue dissociator and differential filtration. In this protocol, manual homogenization is replaced with the tissue dissociator's standardized homogenization cycle. This allows for uniform and consistent homogenization of tissue that is not easily achieved with manual homogenization. Following tissue dissociation, the homogenate is filtered through nylon mesh filters, which eliminate repetitive centrifugation steps. As a result, mitochondrial isolation can be performed in less than 30 min. This isolation protocol yields approximately 2 x 10(10) viable and respiration competent mitochondria from 0.18 ± 0.04 g (wet weight) tissue sample.

Proliferative and phenotypical characteristics of human adipose tissue–derived stem cells: comparison of Ficoll gradient centrifugation and red blood cell lysis buffer treatment purification methods

Background aimsAdult human subcutaneous adipose tissue harbors a multipotent stem cell population, the so-called human adipose tissue–derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AT-MSCs). These cells are able to differentiate in vitro into various cell types and possess immunomodulatory features. Yet procedures to obtain AT-MSCs can vary significantly. The two most extensively used AT-MSC purification techniques are (i) density gradient centrifugation using Ficoll and (ii) red blood cell (RBC) lysis buffer treatment of the stromal vascular fraction. In the context of potential clinical cell therapy, the stem cell yield after purification and upon consecutive passages, as well as the purity of the obtained cell population, are of utmost importance. MethodsWe investigated the expansion capacity and purity of AT-MSCs purified by both procedures immediately after isolation and upon consecutive passages. We also investigated possible purification-dependent differences in their expression of immune-inhibitory factors and cell adhesion molecules. ResultsWe found that RBC lysis buffer treatment is a more robust and easier method to purify AT-MSCs than density gradient fractionation. However, the resulting AT-MSC-RBC population contains a significantly higher number of CD34+ cells, particularly during the first passages after plating. From passage 4 onward, no significant differences could be observed between both populations with respect to the immunophenotype, expansion capacity and expression of immune inhibitory factors and cell adhesion molecules. ConclusionsOur data show that RBC lysis buffer treatment may be a good alternative to density fractionation, providing a faster, more robust and easier method to purify AT-MSCs with biologically preserved characteristics.

A119: Deep Sequencing Analysis of the T Regulatory and T Effector Repertoire in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Background/Purpose:T regulatory (Treg) function has been shown to be impaired in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) as synovial fluid (SF) Tregs are unable to suppress T effector cells (Teffs) found in the joint. The cause of this breach in immunologic tolerance is not fully understood, meriting the further study of Tregs and Teffs in JIA. The T cell receptor (TCR) endows T lymphocytes with antigen specificity and mediates interactions between T cells and their environment. Yet, little is known about the comparative specificities, clonality, and diversity of Tregs and Teffs in JIA. Further, the Treg repertoire has not been studied in adult or pediatric inflammatory arthritis. Therefore, we endeavored to characterize these TCR repertoires in JIA through deep sequencing technology.Methods:Mononuclear cells were isolated by Ficoll gradient centrifugation from paired peripheral blood (PB) and SF samples. Tregs (CD4+CD25+CD127low) and Teffs (CD4+CD25−) were sorted by flow cytometry. The TCRβ chain was amplified by multiplex PCR with genomic DNA serving as the template and then deep sequenced (ImmunoSEQ™). Sequences were aligned to the reference International ImMunoGeneTics information system. Further analysis utilizing Immunoglobulin Analysis Tool software was done to assess clonality, diversity, and variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) usage. Statistical analysis was completed with paired/unpaired Wilcoxon signed‐rank and Kruskal‐Wallis tests.Results:Three girls and 2 boys with oligoarticular (n = 2), extended oligoarticular (n = 2), and psoriatic (n = 1) arthritis were studied. Patients were similar in age (7–12 yrs) and ANA status (negative n = 4). Treatment consisted of NSAIDs (n = 2), methotrexate (n = 1), leflunomide (n = 1), and leflunomide with etanercept (n = 1). Tregs, measured as % of CD4+ cells, were enriched in the SF compared to PB (mean ± SEM: SF Tregs 13.2 ± 1.8; PB Tregs 5.1 ± 0.6). SF Teff repertoire was less diverse (p = 0.008) and more clonal (p = 0.008) than PB Teffs. In SF Teffs, a single complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) was shared across all patients, though different V and J genes were used to create this CDR3, suggesting antigen selection. SF Tregs had the largest clonal expansions compared to PB Tregs (p = 0.016), PB Teffs (p = 0.008) and SF Teffs (p = 0.032). The degree of SF Treg clonality correlated with the active joint count. V gene usage, particularly Vβ29, in unique clonotypes was skewed in SF Tregs compared to PB Teffs, PB Tregs, and SF Teffs (p = 0.022); Vβ29 gene overuse was most prominent in patients with more active joints.Conclusion:We report on the first deep sequencing analysis of T cells in JIA. An antigen‐driven process was suggested by the clonality and shared CDR3 clonotypes in SF Teffs. This study is the first to demonstrate abnormalities in the Treg repertoire in inflammatory arthritis. The SF Treg repertoire had the most pronounced clonality and skewing of V gene usage, and these abnormalities correlated with disease severity. These results suggest that Treg insufficiency in JIA may be partially due to an aberrant Treg repertoire in the arthritic joint. Studies of additional patients with functional correlates are needed to augment these findings.

Lymphocyte-Platelet Crosstalk in Graves’ Disease

ObjectivePlatelets can modulate lymphocytes’ role in the pathophysiology of thyroid autoimmune diseases. The present study was performed to clarify the status of platelet-lymphocyte subpopulations aggregation in circulating blood in patients with Graves’ disease (GD). MethodsOne hundred and fifty patients with GD (GD group) and 45 hyperthyroid patients with toxic multinodular goiter (TMG group) were recruited in the study. Control group consisted 150 healthy subjects. Immunophenotyping of lymphocytes was performed by flow cytometry. Detection of lymphocyte-platelet aggregates (LPAs) was done using light microscope after Ficoll-gradient centrifugation. ResultsThe group of GD patients exhibited reduced CD8 lymphocyte and higher CD19 cell counts compared with TMG group and healthy controls. A greater number of activated CD3+, HLA-DR+ lymphocytes were observed in GD than in TMG group and control group. GD group was characterized by lower blood platelet count (232 ± 89 × 103 cells/μL) than TMG group (251 ± 97 × 103 cells/μL; P < 0.05) and control group (262 ± 95 × 103 cells/μL; P < 0.05). In GD group, more platelet-bound lymphocytes (332 ± 91 /μL) were found than that in TMG group (116 ± 67/μL, P < 0.005) and control group (104 ± 58 /μL; P < 0.001). ConclusionsGD is associated with higher levels of activated lymphocytes and lymphocyte-platelet aggregates.

A sensitive LC–MS/MS method for quantifying clofarabine triphosphate concentrations in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Clofarabine triphosphate is an intracellular active metabolite of clofarabine. In the present study, we developed and validated a rapid, sensitive, and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-MS/MS) for quantifying clofarabine triphosphate concentrations in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). PBMCs were isolated from blood using the Ficoll gradient centrifugation method. Chromatographic separation was performed on a CN column using an isocratic mobile phase comprising acetonitrile/5mM ammonium acetate with 0.001% ammonium hydroxide (20/80, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.60 mL/min. Detection was carried out by MS/MS in the multiple reaction monitoring mode using a negative electrospray ionization interface. The method was validated in concentration ranges of 1.25-100 ng/10(7) cells with acceptable accuracy and precision using 50 μL of cell extract. Clofarabine triphosphate was stable in a series of stability studies with bench-top, auto-sampler, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles. The validated method was successfully used to measure the concentrations of clofarabine triphosphate in PBMCs from cancer patients treated with clofarabine.