Isolated Blood Cells Research Articles

Epigenomic profiling of isolated blood cell types reveals highly specific B cell smoking signatures and links to disease risk

BackgroundTobacco smoking alters the DNA methylation profiles of immune cells which may underpin some of the pathogenesis of smoking-associated diseases. To link smoking-driven epigenetic effects in specific immune cell types with disease risk, we isolated six leukocyte subtypes, CD14+ monocytes, CD15+ granulocytes, CD19+ B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and CD56+ natural killer cells, from whole blood of 67 healthy adult smokers and 74 nonsmokers for epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) using Illumina 450k and EPIC methylation arrays.ResultsNumbers of smoking-associated differentially methylated sites (smCpGs) at genome-wide significance (p < 1.2 × 10−7) varied widely across cell types, from 5 smCpGs in CD8+ T cells to 111 smCpGs in CD19+ B cells. We found unique smoking effects in each cell type, some of which were not apparent in whole blood. Methylation-based deconvolution to estimate B cell subtypes revealed that smokers had 7.2% (p = 0.033) less naïve B cells. Adjusting for naïve and memory B cell proportions in EWAS and RNA-seq allowed the identification of genes enriched for B cell activation-related cytokine signaling pathways, Th1/Th2 responses, and hematopoietic cancers. Integrating with large-scale public datasets, 62 smCpGs were among CpGs associated with health-relevant EWASs. Furthermore, 74 smCpGs had reproducible methylation quantitative trait loci single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were in complete linkage disequilibrium with genome-wide association study SNPs, associating with lung function, disease risks, and other traits.ConclusionsWe observed blood cell-type-specific smCpGs, a naïve-to-memory shift among B cells, and by integrating genome-wide datasets, we identified their potential links to disease risks and health traits.

The European Guidelines on Diagnosis and Management of Neutropenia in Adults and Children: A Consensus Between the European Hematology Association and the EuNet-INNOCHRON COST Action.

Neutropenia, as an isolated blood cell deficiency, is a feature of a wide spectrum of acquired or congenital, benign or premalignant disorders with a predisposition to develop myelodysplastic neoplasms/acute myeloid leukemia that may arise at any age. In recent years, advances in diagnostic methodologies, particularly in the field of genomics, have revealed novel genes and mechanisms responsible for etiology and disease evolution and opened new perspectives for tailored treatment. Despite the research and diagnostic advances in the field, real world evidence, arising from international neutropenia patient registries and scientific networks, has shown that the diagnosis and management of neutropenic patients is mostly based on the physicians' experience and local practices. Therefore, experts participating in the European Network for the Innovative Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Neutropenias have collaborated under the auspices of the European Hematology Association to produce recommendations for the diagnosis and management of patients across the whole spectrum of chronic neutropenias. In the present article, we describe evidence- and consensus-based guidelines for the definition and classification, diagnosis, and follow-up of patients with chronic neutropenias including special entities such as pregnancy and the neonatal period. We particularly emphasize the importance of combining the clinical findings with classical and novel laboratory testing, and advanced germline and/or somatic mutational analyses, for the characterization, risk stratification, and monitoring of the entire spectrum of neutropenia patients. We believe that the wide clinical use of these practical recommendations will be particularly beneficial for patients, families, and treating physicians.

A whole blood approach improves speed and accuracy when measuring mitochondrial respiration in intact avian blood cells.

Understanding mitochondrial biology and pathology is key to understanding the evolution of animal form and function. However, mitochondrial measurement often involves invasive, or even terminal, sampling, which can be difficult to reconcile in wild models or longitudinal studies. Non-mammal vertebrates contain mitochondria in their red blood cells, which can be exploited for minimally invasive mitochondrial measurement. Several recent bird studies have measured mitochondrial function using isolated blood cells. Isolation adds time in the laboratory and might be associated with physiological complications. We developed and validated a protocol to measure mitochondrial respiration in bird whole blood. Endogenous respiration was comparable between isolated blood cells and whole blood. However, respiration towards oxidative phosphorylation was higher in whole blood, and whole blood mitochondria were better coupled and had higher maximum working capacity. Whole blood measurement was also more reproducible than measurement on isolated cells for all traits considered. Measurements were feasible over a 10-fold range of sample volumes, although both small and large volumes were associated with changes to respiratory traits. The protocol was compatible with long-term storage: after 24 h at 5°C without agitation, all respiration traits but maximum working capacity remained unchanged, the latter decreasing by 14%. Our study suggests that whole blood measurement provides faster, more reproducible, and more biologically and physiologically relevant (mitochondrial integrity) assessment of mitochondrial respiration. We recommend future studies to take a whole blood approach unless specific circumstances require the use of isolated blood cells.

Abstract 2600: AsiDNA® treatment protects healthy cells from anticancer treatment toxicity

Abstract Purpose: Conventional cytotoxic therapies are still the standard of care for the treatment of many cancers. However, the associated severe side effects, especially damage to normal proliferating cells like stem and progenitor cells, often lead to drug dose reduction, which limits treatment success. Indeed, chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression is manifested by neutropenia, lymphopenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Although growth factors ameliorate this myelosuppression, their efficacy is still suboptimal and lineage specific. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown that AsiDNA, a double-stranded (DS) DNA molecule that mimics DS DNA breaks to interfere with DNA repair by over-activating a false DNA damage signaling through DNA-PK and PARP enzymes (decoy agonist), is extremely well tolerated in standalone in mammals. These observations led us to assess the potential of AsiDNA to protect healthy cells from toxicities of several anti-cancer treatments. Experimental design: In vivo, we analyzed the safety profile of AsiDNA during a recent clinical trial (DRIIV-1b/NCT03579628) in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy. In vitro, we used isolated blood cells from healthy donors, and epithelial and fibroblast cells as models to study if AsiDNA could protect healthy cells to chemo- and radiotherapy-induced toxicity. We monitored cell survival, DNA damage (comet assays) and repair (53BP1 and Rad51 foci), DNA-PK (HSP90 and H2AX phosphorylation) and PARP (PARylation) activation, cell cycle modulation and p53 dependency to identify mechanisms underlying the effects of AsiDNA on healthy cells. Results: In vivo, long-term treatment of several patients with carboplatine+/-paclitaxel + AsiDNA showed no increase of chemotherapies toxicities allowing longer periods of disease control and suggesting a protective effect of AsiDNA. In the in vitro models, we showed that AsiDNA enters non dividing and dividing healthy cells as revealed by intracellular PARylation but induces its nuclear target engagement (H2AX and HSP90 phosphorylation) only in dividing cells. Association of AsiDNA to antitumor treatments increased survival of healthy proliferative cells. Interestingly, AsiDNA displayed two distinct mechanisms of protection depending on the origin of the cells: p53-dependent G1/S cell cycle arrest in fibroblasts and epithelial cells, and DNA repair “doping” in hematological cells revealed by higher recruitment of Rad51 and 53BP1 at damage sites in those cells. Enzymatic inhibition and gene editing revealed that hyperactivation of DNA-PK/p53 pathway by AsiDNA might be required for healthy cells preservation. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the combination of AsiDNA with anticancer treatments should provide a means to attenuate therapy-induced toxicity, while showing the well-documented synergy in tumor cells, thus providing an opportunity to increase the therapeutic window. Citation Format: Wael Jdey, Anouk Sesink, Agathe Cohendet, Juliette Rieu, Chloe Doizelet, Vincent Hayes, Pierre-Marie Girard, Marie Dutreix, Judith Greciet. AsiDNA® treatment protects healthy cells from anticancer treatment toxicity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2600.

Coenzyme Q10 protects isolated human blood cells from TiO2 nanoparticles induced oxidative/antioxidative imbalance, hemolysis, cytotoxicity, DNA damage and mitochondrial impairment.

TiO2 NPs have been investigated for their toxic potential and studies have reported their toxicity is due to generation of oxidative stress. In the present study, we investigated the toxicity of TiO2 NPs and explored the potential of well-known antioxidant coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in counteracting the NP-induced toxicity in isolated human blood cells. When the isolated blood cells were treated with varying concentrations of TiO2 NPs (25-100μg/ml), only 50μg/ml dose induced statistically significant hemolysis in erythrocytes and cytotoxicity in lymphocytes (p < 0.05). None of the concentrations induced any significant increase in platelet aggregation. To investigate the protective effect of CoQ10, we incubated the isolated blood cells with 50μg/ml of TiO2 NPs in the presence and absence of 25μM of CoQ10 for 3h. Hemolysis, oxidative stress, LDH leakage and ATPase enzyme activity were studied in erythrocytes; cytotoxic and DNA damaging potential of NPs were determined in lymphocytes, along with mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ADP/ATP ratio. Hemolysis, generation of oxidative stress, LDH leakage and reduced ATPase activity were observed in the erythrocytes treated with NPs alone (50μg/ml), the results were statistically significant at p < 0.05. Oxidative stress was evident by increased levels of malonaldehyde, indicating lipid peroxidation and generation of reactive oxygen species including hydrogen peroxide, together with statistically significant decrease in the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione levels. In the lymphocytes treated with NPs alone (50μg/ml), cytotoxicity in MTT assay and DNA damage in comet assay were observed; in addition, mitochondrial membrane potential collapsed and ADP/ATP ratio increased indicating mitochondrial function impairment. However, in the presence of CoQ10, hemolysis, oxidative stress and LDH leakage in the erythrocytes and lymphocyte cytotoxicity and DNA damage were drastically reduced, enzyme activities, MMP and ADP/ATP ratio were restored towards normal levels. TiO2 NPs induce cytotoxicity, damage DNA in lymphocytes, and induce oxidative/anti-oxidative imbalance in erythrocytes. Antioxidant CoQ10 protects erythrocytes and lymphocytes from toxicity induced by TiO2 NPs.

An optimized comet-based in vitro DNA repair assay to assess base and nucleotide excision repair activity.

This optimized protocol (including links to instruction videos) describes a comet-based in vitro DNA repair assay that is relatively simple, versatile, and inexpensive, enabling the detection of base and nucleotide excision repair activity. Protein extracts from samples are incubated with agarose-embedded substrate nucleoids ('naked' supercoiled DNA) containing specifically induced DNA lesions (e.g., resulting from oxidation, UVC radiation or benzo[a]pyrene-diol epoxide treatment). DNA incisions produced during the incubation reaction are quantified as strand breaks after electrophoresis, reflecting the extract's incision activity. The method has been applied in cell culture model systems, human biomonitoring and clinical investigations, and animal studies, using isolated blood cells and various solid tissues. Once extracts and substrates are prepared, the assay can be completed within 2 d.

A Strong Correlation of the HIF1a mRNA Expression Level with the Total Expression of JAK2, As Well As a Decrease in Their Level Is Observed in Leukocytes of Patients with MPN and Lymphoproliferative Cancer

Background. The hypoxia inducible factor 1a (HIF1a) is an important transcription factor regulating gene expression for an adaptive response to low oxygen level in human cells. Earlier, we observed a decrease of HIF1a and CALR mRNA, but not MPL expression in whole blood samples of patients with Ph-negative myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) compared with healthy volunteers (Gorbenko A., et al., Haematologica, 2017; Gorbenko A., et al., Blood, 2016). Recent transcriptome studies in granulocytes and CD34+ blood cells from MPN patients confirmed a decrease of mRNA CALR, but also revealed an increase of the relative mRNA level of HIF1a and JAK2 (Cokic VP, et al., PLoS ONE, 2015). These changes in the regulation of number genes expression may depend on the mutation JAK2V617F as was also shown (Berkofsky-Fessler W, et al., Clin Cancer Res. 2010). But some studies demonstrated transcriptomes data of the isolated blood cells from patients with lymphoproliferative disease did not find significant changes in the expression of these genes (Liao W, et al., BMC Cancer, 2015). Aims. Investigate HIF1a, CALR and JAK2 mRNA expression in patients with lymphoproliferative and myeloproliferative cancer. Methods. 10 healthy volunteers (average age 42 years, range 20-63 years, 80% of men) and 80 (average age 54 years, range 30-83 years, 46% of man), patients with MPN, also 36 (average age 62 years, range 28-79 years, 78% of man) patients with lymphoproliferative cancer after signing an informed consent were included in this study. In our study, we investigated the expression level of mRNA genes in whole blood samples obtained in test tubes with an RNA stabilizer (LTD "Formula of gene", Russia) in order to exclude the factors of preanalytical cell hypoxia. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to determine the levels of HIF1a, CALR and JAK2 mRNA transcripts using TaqMan probes on the CFX96 (Bio-Rad). The results were calculated by ΔCt method in the software package of "R". The threshold cycles (Ct) genes and housekeeping genes (TBP, GUS, ABL) was determined using Cy0 method. The results were normalized by these reference genes. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to evaluate significance of differences between the groups, the degree of correlation (r) was assessed using Spearman test. Results. We observed that HIF1a and JAK2 mRNA expression was significantly lower in whole blood samples of all patients with MPN and lymphoproliferative cancer compared with a group of healthy volunteers (p&lt;0,001) (Figure). We discovered a strong correlation between JAK2 and HIF1a expression in all myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative neoplasms (r=0.83 and r=0.93 respectively, p&lt;0,001) (Figure). It should be noted that the correlation in the blood samples of patients with MPN was observed only when the total expression of wild and mutated transcripts JAK2 (JAK2+JAK2 V617F) was assessed. No correlation was found between the level of mRNA expression and the cellular number of granulocytes or lymphocytes. The expression level of CALR mRNA also decreases in the blood cells of MPN and lymphoproliferative cancer patients (p&lt;0.05), but we did not observe its correlation with HIF1a or JAK2 mRNA. Conclusion. We assume that the studied gene expression changes reflect the regulated metabolic processes in the cancer stem cells. Probably, the activation of the associated signaling pathways HIF1a and JAK2/STAT in the white blood cells of patients with chronic blood cancer leads to the adoptive enhancement of autophagy, causing a chronic course of the disease. The assume that the opposite shifts of HIF1a and JAK2 in the microarray research (Cokic VP, et al., PLoS ONE, 2015) can be associated with the procedure of blood cells isolation and the absence of a group of healthy people as a control. Reduced expression of CALR mRNA in patient blood cells requires further investigation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Different epigenetic clocks reflect distinct pathophysiological features of multiple sclerosis.

Aim: Accumulating evidence links epigenetic age to diseases and age-related conditions, but little is known about its association with multiple sclerosis (MS). Materials & methods: We estimated epigenetic age acceleration measures using DNA methylation from blood or sorted cells of MS patients and controls. Results: In blood, sex (p=4.39E-05) and MS (p=2.99E-03) explained the variation in age acceleration, and isolated blood cell types showed different epigenetic age. Intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration and extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration were only associated with sex (p=2.52E-03 and p=1.58E-04, respectively), while PhenoAge Acceleration displayed positive association with MS (p=3.40E-02). Conclusion: Different age acceleration measures are distinctly influenced by phenotypic factors, and they might measure separate pathophysiological aspects of MS. Data deposition: DNA methylation data can be accessed at Gene Expression Omnibus database under accession number GSE35069, GSE43976, GSE106648, GSE130029, GSE130030.

Immune Cell Gene Signatures for Profiling the Microenvironment of Solid Tumors.

The immune composition of the tumor microenvironment regulates processes including angiogenesis, metastasis, and the response to drugs or immunotherapy. To facilitate the characterization of the immune component of tumors from transcriptomics data, a number of immune cell transcriptome signatures have been reported that are made up of lists of marker genes indicative of the presence a given immune cell population. The majority of these gene signatures have been defined through analysis of isolated blood cells. However, blood cells do not reflect the differentiation or activation state of similar cells within tissues, including tumors, and consequently markers derived from blood cells do not necessarily transfer well to tissues. To address this issue, we generated a set of immune gene signatures derived directly from tissue transcriptomics data using a network-based deconvolution approach. We define markers for seven immune cell types, collectively named ImSig, and demonstrate how these markers can be used for the quantitative estimation of the immune cell content of tumor and nontumor tissue samples. The utility of ImSig is demonstrated through the stratification of melanoma patients into subgroups of prognostic significance and the identification of immune cells with the use of single-cell RNA-sequencing data derived from tumors. Use of ImSig is facilitated by an R package (imsig). Cancer Immunol Res; 6(11); 1388-400. ©2018 AACR.

HEAVY METAL POLLUTANT-INDUCED CYTOTOXICITY INVOLVES PERTURBATIONS OF MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION

Abstract BACKGROUND Environmental pollutants like heavy metals pose a tremendous risk to both animal and human health though the mechanisms underlying their cytotoxic actions at the cellular level remain largely unknown. The freshwater mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis carries hemocynin as its oxygen carrier whereby iron is replaced with copper. As such, this species is highly sensitive to its environmental copper contents and has been used as an important indicator of water quality. Studies have shown that miniscule levels of heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Cu, Co) dissolved in aqueous environments lead to detrimental effects on many of the Lymanea’s vital functions – including respiration and cardiac functions. OBJECTIVES The objective was to determine how heavy metal pulliutants target the cell and its vital functions and if the detirioration of cell motility and viability is a result of the reduced functioning and potential of the cells mitochondria. DESIGN/METHODS We tested the effects of Cu (EC20 as low as 1.8 ug L-1) on isolated blood cells (hemocytes) and neurons from Lymnaea. We sought to determine whether Cu2+ affected cellular viability, motility and neuronal growth cone movements involving cytoskeletal proteins such as actin and tubulin. Cells from the brain were harvested and plated on sigma coated dishes and left to incubate for 3 days to adjust to the environement. They were then stained with mitortracker dyes for mitochondrial potential and movement. The results were captured through live cell imaging and were later analyzed using neurite tracer. We demonstrate the effects of Cu on single mitochondrial movements, structure and function. RESULTS This study provides the first direct evidence that heavy metals such as Cu are indeed cytotoxic and that its detrimental effects on animal health likely involve perturbations of mitochondrial structure and function. Mitochondrial accumulation within the cell started detirioraiting within the first hour of live cell imaging. The mitochondria within the tested cells also started chainging how they cluster within an expanding growth cone. Mitochondrial density decreased substantially and clustered mitohochondira became more fragmeneted which is a positive indication of mitochndrial malfunction. The mitochondrial potential dropped substantially too, indicating that the mitochondria were unable to produce energy like they are suppose to in normal conditions. Finally, this also allowed us to show why heavy metal use in the dentistry profession and other medical professions where heavy metals are used can be linked to cell apoptosis and mitochondrial degradation. CONCLUSION Heavy metals indeed cause malfunction within the cells mitochondria and the reduced functioning disables the cells from fulfilling their associated functions. This was observed through the reduction of breathing, mastication, movement, and neuronal firing of the Lymnaea, which shows a direct realtionship to degraded mitochondria within these cells. Similar results were seen within the hemocytes, which demonstrates that their function of circulating and delivering oxygen was also impaired due to faulty mitochondria.

Phosphatidylserine-exposing cells contribute to the hypercoagulable state in patients with multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by an increased incidence of thromboembolic events, particularly when treated with immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) in combination with dexamethasone. The optimal prophylactic strategy to prevent the hypercoagulable state of patients with MM is still debated. The aim of the current study was to investigate the definitive role of phosphatidylserine (PS) in supporting procoagulant activity (PCA) in patients with MM. Patients with MM (n=20) and healthy subjects (n=15) were recruited for the present study. PS analyses were performed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. The PCA was evaluated by clotting time, purified coagulation complex assays and fibrin production assays. The percentage of PS+blood cells was significantly higher in patients with MM than in healthy subjects. Additionally, the patient serum induced more PS exposure on endothelial cells (ECs) in vitro than serum from healthy subjects. Isolated blood cells from patients with MM and ECs cultured with patient serum in vitro demonstrated significantly shortened coagulation time, greatly intrinsic/extrinsic factorXa generation and increased thrombin formation. In addition, the levels of PS+erythrocytes, platelets, leukocytes, and ECs incubated with IMiDs and dexamethasone were higher than with IMiDs alone. The findings support the hypothesis that increased PS exposure on blood cells and ECs participates in the hypercoagulable state in patients with MM. Thus, blocking PS may be a novel therapeutic target for the prevention of thrombosis in these patients.

Detection of human disease conditions by single-cell morpho-rheological phenotyping of blood.

Blood is arguably the most important bodily fluid and its analysis provides crucial health status information. A first routine measure to narrow down diagnosis in clinical practice is the differential blood count, determining the frequency of all major blood cells. What is lacking to advance initial blood diagnostics is an unbiased and quick functional assessment of blood that can narrow down the diagnosis and generate specific hypotheses. To address this need, we introduce the continuous, cell-by-cell morpho-rheological (MORE) analysis of diluted whole blood, without labeling, enrichment or separation, at rates of 1000 cells/sec. In a drop of blood we can identify all major blood cells and characterize their pathological changes in several disease conditions in vitro and in patient samples. This approach takes previous results of mechanical studies on specifically isolated blood cells to the level of application directly in blood and adds a functional dimension to conventional blood analysis.

Effect of Pregnancy and Stage of Lactation on Energy Processes in Isolated Blood Cells of Dairy Cows.

IntroductionThe transition period is the most challenging time for dairy cattle, which is characterised not only by negative energy balance but also by fatty tissue mobilisation.Material and MethodsThe efficiency of energy pathways, β-oxidation in WBC and glycolysis in RBC (based on deoxyglucose transmembrane transport) were estimated. Insulin in blood plasma was determined using ELISA.ResultsAfter calving and up to one month after delivery, a significant drop in blood plasma level was noticed, simultaneously with a rise in β-oxidation from 18.93 ±3.64 to 30.32 ±5.28 pmol/min/mg protein in WBC. A strong negative correlation between these two indices (r = -0.68) was found. During the period of transition to lactation an increase in glucose cross-membrane transportation from 41.44 ±4.92 to 50.49 ±6.41 μmol/h/g Hb was observed. A strong positive correlation between glucose transportation in RBC and β-oxidation in WBC (r = 0.71) was noticed. These data are in agreement with results of studies on dairy cows using liver slices from dairy cows in late pregnancy and different stages of lactation, in which changes in gene expression were analysed.ConclusionIt seems that measuring fatty acids oxidation and glycolysis using isolated blood cells may be an adequate and relatively simple method for energy state analysis to estimate the state of dairy cow metabolism and animal health.

Vitamin D modulates the expression of HLA-DR and CD38 after in vitro activation of T-cells.

Vitamin D (VitD) is an anti-inflammatory hormone; however, some evidence shows that VitD may induce the expression of activation markers, such as CD38 and HLA-DR. We explored its effect on the expression of these markers on CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in vitro, and their potential correlations in vivo. CD38 and HLA-DR expression was measured by flow cytometry in PHA/IL-2-activated mononuclear cells cultured under VitD precursors: three cholecalciferol (10-11M, 10-9M, 10-7M; n=11) and two calcidiol (40 ng/mL, 80 ng/mL; n=9) concentrations. The correlation between the expression of these markers in freshly isolated blood cells and serum levels of calcidiol was also explored (n=10). Cholecalciferol at 10-7M increased the proportion of CD4+ CD38+ and CD8+ CD38+ cells, and decreased CD8+HLA-DR+ cells. As co-expression, it increased the CD38+HLA-DR- and decreased CD38-HLA-DR+ subpopulations in both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells, and decreased CD4+CD38-HLA-DR- and CD8+ CD38+HLA-DR+; whereas both calcidiol concentrations decreased the proliferation of CD38-HLA-DR- and CD38-HLA-DR+ subpopulations. Both forms of VitD increased the number of CD38 molecules per cell. In contrast, there was a positive but non-significant correlation between serum calcidiol levels and the expression of CD38 and HLA-DR in CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Although no significant correlations were observed in vivo in healthy subjects, VitD treatment in vitro modulated immune activation by increasing the expression of CD38 and decreasing the proliferation of HLA-DR+ and resting cells, which may correlate with improved effector and decreased proliferative capabilities. These results highlight the potential use of VitD as therapeutic strategy in immune disorders.

Lin− CD34hi CD117int/hi FcεRI+ cells in human blood constitute a rare population of mast cell progenitors

AbstractMast cells are rare tissue-resident immune cells that are involved in allergic reactions, and their numbers are increased in the lungs of asthmatics. Murine lung mast cells arise from committed bone marrow–derived progenitors that enter the blood circulation, migrate through the pulmonary endothelium, and mature in the tissue. In humans, mast cells can be cultured from multipotent CD34+ progenitor cells. However, a population of distinct precursor cells that give rise to mast cells has remained undiscovered. To our knowledge, this is the first report of human lineage-negative (Lin−) CD34hi CD117int/hi FcεRI+ progenitor cells, which represented only 0.0053% of the isolated blood cells in healthy individuals. These cells expressed integrin β7 and developed a mast cell–like phenotype, although with a slow cell division capacity in vitro. Isolated Lin− CD34hi CD117int/hi FcεRI+ blood cells had an immature mast cell–like appearance and expressed high levels of many mast cell–related genes as compared with human blood basophils in whole-transcriptome microarray analyses. Furthermore, serglycin, tryptase, and carboxypeptidase A messenger RNA transcripts were detected by quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. Altogether, we propose that the Lin− CD34hi CD117int/hi FcεRI+ blood cells are closely related to human tissue mast cells and likely constitute an immediate precursor population, which can give rise to predominantly mast cells. Furthermore, asthmatics with reduced lung function had a higher frequency of Lin− CD34hi CD117int/hi FcεRI+ blood mast cell progenitors than asthmatics with normal lung function.

MINERAL'NAYa PLOTNOST' KOSTI I SOSTOYaNIE SOSUDISTOY STENKI V ZAVISIMOSTI OT STATUSA REPLIKATIVNOGO KLETOChNOGO STARENIYa U ZhENShchIN V POSTMENOPAUZAL'NOM PERIODE

Objective: to examine the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD), the parameters of vascular stiffness and biomarkers of cellular aging in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study107 patients were included: women at the age range of 45 to 82 years who were observed outpatient and signed a written informed consent. Assessment of BMD was performed using DXA (Delphi W, Hologic, USA). The intima-media thickness (IMT), the presence and quantity of atherosclerotic plaques (AP), and the degree of carotid stenosis were examined by duplex scanning. The pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (Aix) were measured by applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor).To determine telomere length (DT) in leukocytes the method of real-time PCR was used. This was done by measuring the relative telomere length in the genomic DNA. Determination of telomerase activity (Aix) was carried out on pure monocyte fraction of isolated blood cells on the basis of telomerase polymerase reaction.Statistical analysis was performed using the software application Statistical Analysis System (USA). Results: With the increase in duration of menopause a gradual increase in the stiffness rate (PWV, AI), IMT and decrease of BMD was noticed in all examined parts of the skeleton. The maximal values of vascular stiffness, minimal values of BMD and the shortest telomeres were found in patients with 10+ years of menopause. The risk of bone mass loss and osteoporosis increased by 3 times in patients with high values of PWV ≥10 m/sec[OP-3,1, 95%CI, 1,13-9,89 (p&lt;0,05)], by more than 4 times in patients with AI≥ 20% [OP-4,35, 95%CI, 1,02-11,0 (p&lt;0,05)]and the IMT &gt;0,9 mm by 2,45 times in patients with presence of AP in the carotid arteries and with the shortest telomeres [OP-2,45, 95%CI, 1,05-6,08 (p&lt;0,05)]. During multivariate regression analysis after adjusting for age and menopause duration the negative relationship between IA, IMT and BMD remained highly significant, while in relation to PWV, AP presence and telomere length, such a correlation was not confirmed. Conclusion: In postmenopausal women low BMD is associated with high rates of Aix and the thickness of the IMT. The independent relationship of BMD with Aix, rather than with PWV, apparently could be explained by the involvement of small vessels -arterioles. Short telomeres are 2.45 times more frequent in patients with low bone mass, but the relationship has not been confirmed in the regression analysis, which excludes the independent nature of this aging marker with BMD.

PTX3 is up-regulated in epithelial mammary cells during S. aureus intramammary infection in goat

Pentraxins are a superfamily of conserved molecules with immune functions such as complement activation and opsonization. PTX3 is the prototypic long pentraxin and is produced by different cell populations after pro-inflammatory stimuli. Different studies have demonstrated the up-regulation of PTX3 during ruminant mastitis, but its role is still unknown. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of PTX3 in the immune response to S. aureus intra-mammary infection (IMI). Given that no data are available on PTX3 expression in goat tissues, we first studied its pattern of expression in goat normal tissues. Then we investigated the role of PTX3 during mammary infection, comparing its expression in healthy and infected blood, milk and tissues. Six healthy goats were infused with PBS in the right udder and with S. aureus in the left udder. Mammary biopsies from udders were collected 30h post infection, formalin fixed and routinely processed for microscopic evaluation or immediately stored in RNAlater. Tissue samples were collected at the slaughterhouse from healthy goats and were immediately stored in RNAlater. Blood and milk were collected from healthy and infected goats; cells from blood and milk were isolated and processed for RNA extraction or for cytospins; milk fat globules were obtained through milk centrifugation and immediately processed for RNA extraction. Total RNA from different organs, blood or milk cells, milk fat globules and mammary tissues was extracted and used as template in qPCR for PTX3. PTX3 expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry on formalin fixed paraffin embedded mammary tissue samples and on cytospins of isolated goat blood and milk cells. PTX3 mRNA was expressed with very high levels in bone marrow, mammary gland, aorta, pancreas, skin and lung. Given the high expression in the mammary gland, we investigated which cell population expressed PTX3. PTX3 was mainly expressed in the apical cytoplasmic portion of mammary gland epithelial cells, and in macrophages. During S. aureus infection PTX3 was up-regulated by epithelial cells. Macrophages and mammary secretum didn’t show PTX3 modulation, but PMNs recruited during infection were variably intensely positive. PTX3 mRNA expression was low in healthy organs and tissues of goats as has been reported indeed the molecules commonly induced after pro-inflammatory stimulation. As expected, PTX3 was constitutively expressed in bone marrow, rich in PMNs and monocytes, in aorta covered by endothelium and in the skin. PTX3 was up-regulated in epithelial mammary cells and in milk cells after S. aureus infection, demonstrating that it represents a first line of immune defense in goat udder. No modulation was observed in macrophages, in the secretum and in the ductal epithelial cells. Further experiments are needed to elucidate the role of PTX3 in the pathogenesis of S. aureus infection.

Candida albicans effects the tissue factor activity of blood cells in Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Disorders of hemostatic mechanism play a role in the development of diabetic complications and cardiovascular events. C. albicans infection is frequently found in diabetic individuals compared to nondiabetic individuals. In this study, the in vitro effect of Candida albicans on the tissue factor activity of the PMNS, MNS and platelet cells, that were isolated from the blood samples of healthy and diabetic individuals, was determined. The isolated blood cells were counted after the viability test has been checked. C.albicans suspension was added to one part of the cells. An equal volume phosphate buffer was added to other part of the cells instead of C.albicans suspension. Tissue factor activity of all blood cells was determined by the method of Quick. Tissue factor activity of these cells was found to be significantly changed in the presence of C.albicans. The presence of diabetes was also significantly changed tissue factor activity of the PMNs, MNs and platelet cells when compared to the healthy individuals. The findings of this study will contribute to the treatment of diabetic patients with or without candida infection in terms of tissue factor activity. Keywords: Tissue factor activity, diabetes, Candida albicans, leukocyte, platelet

Methods to Measure Target Site Penetration of Antibiotics in Critically Ill Patients

While several tools are necessary to repair a car, the engineer knows exactly which instrument he has to utilize at different parts of the broken machine. Likewise, depending on the information we are interested in, we have to choose different tools to investigate and consecutively understand the multiple aspects that are involved in pharmacokinetics of antimicrobial agents in critically ill patients. Some techniques, like blood sampling, microdialysis or positrons emission tomography (PET) will allow for obtaining continues concentration time profiles while others like bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), biopsy or surgical tissue samples can only be used a limited number of times per subject. PET and methods based on tissue homogenization will deliver an average of the actual concentrations in intra - and extracellular compartments while investigations in isolated blood cells or microdialysis allow for more distinguished allocation of a concentration to a defined compartment. The present review aims at discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods used for assessing pharmacokinetics in critically ill patients with regard to specific aspects of pharmacokinetic research and further reviews data of selected antibiotics as examples for applications of the individual techniques.

Viability of Human Blood Leukocytes Compared with Their Respective Cell Lines after Plasma Treatment

Non-thermal plasma application has become a promising field of investigation in chronic wound healing research over the past few decades. In addition to its well-characterized antibacterial effects, plasma potentially promotes the growth of eukaryotic cells. To date, mainly epithelial skin cells have been examined regarding the impact of plasma treatment on chronic wound healing. However, immune cells also are involved in wound healing as well as the removal of pathogens. Therefore, we compared the survival behavior of 2 human leukocyte cell lines (a monocyte and a CD4+ T helper cell line) and their respective human blood counterparts after exposure to plasma. Measurements of early and late apoptotic cells demonstrate that freshly isolated blood cells were more susceptible to apoptosis induction than the cell lines. Furthermore, blood and cell line monocytes tolerated longer plasma exposure compared with blood and cell line CD4+ T helper cells.