Unstimulated Cultures Research Articles

T (1;12) (p31; q13) cytogenetic abnormality in a patient of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome: A case report

Hypereosinophic syndrome (HES) is a heterogenous group of disorders comprising various etiology. Idiopathic HES is diagnosis of exclusion after morphological, radiological and molecular investigations. Cytogenetic analysis remains an important diagnostic test available in HES. The patient reported here presented with hyper eosinophilia with cardiac, gastrointestinal and pulmonary organ involvement. Chromosomal abnormality of t (1;12) (p31; q13) was found in conventional karyotyping (unstimulated culture, GTG banding) on bone marrow sample. Patient improved after short course of corticosteroid and imatinib mesylate a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).

Cytokine responses of CD4+ T cells and NKT cells to periodontitis-associated bacteria in individuals with or without periodontitis.

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease driven by opportunistic bacteria including Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, where T-cell and NKT-cell responses to these bacteria in patients with periodontitis grade B or C are not fully elucidated. The objective is to determine if exaggerated proinflammatory Th-cell responses to periodontitis-associated bacteria, but not commensal bacteria, is a characteristic of increased periodontitis grade. Mononuclear cells from patients with periodontitis grade C (n = 26) or grade B (n = 33) and healthy controls (HCs; n = 26) were stimulated with P. gingivalis, F. nucleatum or the commensal bacteria, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cutibacterium acnes. Cytokine production by different T-cell populations and FOXP3-expression by regulatory T cells were assessed by flow cytometry. Compared to HCs, grade C patients had decreased frequencies of interleukin (IL)-10-producing CD4+ T cells before stimulation (p = .02) and increased frequencies of IFN-y-producing CD4+ T cells after stimulation with P. gingivalis (p = .0019). Grade B patients had decreased frequencies of FOXP3+ CD4+ T cells before (p = .030) before and after stimulation with anti-CD2/anti-CD3/anti-CD28-loaded beads (p = .047), P.gingivalis (p = .013) and S. epidermidis (p = .018). Clinical attachment loss correlated with the frequencies of IFN-y-producing Th1 cells in P. gingivalis- and F. nucleatum-stimulated cultures in grade B patients (p = .023 and p = .048, respectively) and with the frequencies of Th17 cells in P. gingivalis-stimulated cultures (p = .0062) in grade C patients. Patients with periodontitis grade C or grade B showed lower frequencies of IL-10-producing NKT cells than HCs in unstimulated cultures (p = .0043 and p = .027 respectively). Both periodontitis groups showed decreased frequencies of immunoregulatory T-cell and NKT cell subsets at baseline. Clinical attachment loss correlated with P. gingivalis-induced Th17-responses in grade C patients and with Th1-responses in grade B patients when cells were stimulated with P. gingivalis, supporting that dysregulated pro-inflammatory T-cell responses to periodontitis-associated bacteria contribute to the pathogenesis of periodontitis.

The Glycan Ectodomain of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Modulates Cytokine Production and Expression of CD206 Mannose Receptor in PBMC Cultures of Pre-COVID-19 Healthy Subjects.

The ability of recombinant, SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein to modulate the production of two COVID-19 relevant, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IFN-γ) in PBMC cultures of healthy, pre-COVID-19 subjects was investigated. We observed that cytokine production was largely and diversely modulated by the S protein depending on antigen or mitogen stimulation, as well as on the protein source, insect (S-in) or human (S-hu) cells. While both proteins co-stimulated cytokine production by polyclonally CD3-activated T cells, PBMC activation by the mitogenic lectin Concanavalin A (Con A) was up-modulated by S-hu protein and down-modulated by S-in protein. These modulatory effects were likely mediated by the S glycans, as demonstrated by direct Con A-S binding experiments and use of yeast mannan as Con A binder. While being ineffective in modulating memory antigenic T cell responses, the S proteins and mannan were able to induce IL-6 production in unstimulated PBMC cultures and upregulate the expression of the mannose receptor (CD206), a marker of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage. Our data point to a relevant role of N-glycans, particularly N-mannosidic chains, decorating the S protein in the immunomodulatory effects here reported. These novel biological activities of the S glycan ectodomain may add to the comprehension of COVID-19 pathology and immunity to SARS-CoV-2.

Electric field temporal interference stimulation of neurons in vitro.

Electrical stimulation (ES) techniques, such as deep brain and transcranial electrical stimulation, have shown promise in alleviating the symptoms of depression and other neurological disorders in vivo. A new noninvasive ES method called temporal interference stimulation (TIS), possesses great potential as it can be used to steer the stimulation and possibly selectively modulate different brain regions. To study TIS in a controlled environment, we successfully established an in vitro 'TIS on a chip' setup using rat cortical neurons on microelectrode arrays (MEAs) in combination with a current stimulator. We validated the developed TIS system and demonstrated the spatial steerability of the stimulation by direct electric field measurements in the chip setup. We stimulated cultures of rat cortical neurons at 28 days in vitro (DIV) by two-channel stimulation delivering 1) TIS at 653 Hz and 643 Hz, resulting in a 10 Hz frequency envelope, 2) low-frequency stimulation (LFS) at 10 Hz and 3) high-frequency stimulation (HFS) at 653 Hz. Unstimulated cultures were used as control/sham. We observed the differences in the electric field strengths during TIS, HFS, and LFS. Moreover, HFS and LFS had the smallest effects on neuronal activity. Instead, TIS elicited neuronal electrophysiological responses, especially 24 hours after stimulation. Our 'TIS on a chip' approach eludicates the applicability of TIS as a method to modulate neuronal electrophysiological activity. The TIS on a chip approach provides spatially steerable stimuli while mitigating the effects of high stimulus fields near the stimulation electrodes. Thus, the approach opens new avenues for stimulation on a chip applications, allowing the study of neuronal responses to gain insights into the potential clinical applications of TIS in treating various brain disorders.

Chromosome-1 abnormalities in Childhood B-Lymphoblastic Leukemia - An analysis with reference to clinical variables and survival outcome.

Chromosome-1 abnormalities (C1As) are common genetic aberrations in hematological malignancies. We sought to evaluate significance of these abnormalities with reference to clinical characteristics and survival outcome in a pediatric B-Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) cohort. This is a retrospective study conducted in cytogenetic section of Indus Hospital and Health Network. Data was retrieved from October 2020 to July 2022 for childhood B-ALL cases exhibiting C1As. Chromosome analysis was performed on Cytovision MB8 using G-banded metaphases derived from unstimulated bone marrow culture. Results were recorded according to the International System for Human Cytogenetic Nomenclature (ISCN-2020). Data analyzed using SPSS, version 24.0. C1As were observed in 60/450 (13.3%) cases of B-ALL. Among C1As, 29 (48%) cases had t(1;19). There were 13 (45%) balanced and 16 (55%) unbalanced translocations. The aberrations without t(1;19) were seen in 31 (52%) cases including 1q duplication with hyperdiploidy in 14 (45%) cases. The median age for C1As with and without t(1;19) was eight years and six years while the median leukocyte count was 32 x 109/L vs. 17 x 109/L. Event-free survival (EFS) for cases with and without t(1;19) was 69% and 74.2% respectively. Despite the fact that the t(1;19) positive group had a higher median age, a higher white cell count and more CNS positives, the difference in EFS is statistically insignificant when compared to the t(1;19) negative cases. Furthermore, we found a survival difference between balanced and unbalanced t(1;19) groups, which is statistically insignificant but warrants large-scale prospective studies for further understanding.

STIM/Orai-mediated calcium entry elicits spontaneous TSLP overproduction in epidermal cells of atopic dermatitis mice

Aim: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a pruritic, chronic inflammatory skin disease. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is highly expressed in the epidermis of patients with AD and induces T helper 2 (Th2) immune responses and itching. Although the mechanism underlying the stimulus-induced TSLP production in normal keratinocytes has been intensively studied, whether the production capability of TSLP is naturally enhanced in epidermal cells in AD conditions remains unclear. Previous studies demonstrated that a deficiency of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) causes AD-like pruritic skin inflammation in special diet-fed hairless mice. The aim of the study was to examine the TSLP production capability of epidermal cells isolated from diet-induced AD mouse model and its mechanism. Methods: Epidermal cells were isolated from normal and AD mice and incubated under unstimulated culture conditions to assess spontaneous TSLP production. Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein levels of TSLP were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Results: TSLP level was markedly increased in the skin of AD mice. When epidermal cells were isolated from AD mice and cultured without stimulation, Tslp gene expression was upregulated, and a large amount of TSLP protein was extracellularly released. Such TSLP overproduction was not observed in the epidermal cells of normal mice. TSLP overproduction in AD epidermal cells was almost completely inhibited by extracellular calcium chelation, interference with plasma membrane interaction of stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), blockade of the calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channels Orai1 and Orai2, or treatment with a PUFA γ-linolenic acid (GLA). Conclusions: Epidermal cells isolated from AD mice can spontaneously produce TSLP through STIM/Orai-mediated calcium entry, and GLA may negatively regulate this TSLP production.

Effect of endomorphins on humoral immune response, Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokine production and CD4<sup>+</sup>, CD8<sup>+</sup> lymphocyte apoptosis <i>in vivo</i>

Endogenous opioid peptides are a large group of physiologically active compounds with a pronounced affinity for opioid-type receptors, capable of showing pronounced analgesic activity, as well as having additional effects on the periphery, due to their wide distribution on the cells of many organs and tissues. Little studied representatives of this group are endomorphins, which due to their structure and properties, are capable of producing a strong antinociceptive effect after central administration, which means that, in the future, they can be considered as potential substitutes for low molecular weight opiates. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of endomorphins on the humoral immune response, the production of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines and apoptosis of CD4+, CD8+ lymphocytes in vivo. The splenocytes of Swiss white mice were used as the object of the study. The number of antibody-forming cells in the spleen was assessed using the method of local hemolysis in agarose gel according to Jerne. Quantitative determination of cytokines was carried out by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using kits (R&D, USA) according to the method proposed by the manufacturer. Apoptosis was assessed using Annexin V-FITC/7-AAD kit reagents (Beckman Coulter, USA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions by flow cytometry on a CytoFLEX S flow cytometer (Beckman Coulter, USA). In the course of the study, it was found that endomorphins enhance the antibody genesis of the spleen, and the preliminary blockade of opiate receptors with naloxone led to the cancellation of the stimulating effect of peptides. Endomorphins didn’t affect splenocyte production of IL-2, IL-4, and IFNg, however, the introduction of endomorphin-2 naloxone-independent enhanced the induced production of IL-17. Evaluation of the effect of endomorphins on apoptosis of splenocytes in 24-h cultures showed that endomorphin-2 in unstimulated cultures of naloxone-dependently increased the percentage of late apoptosis of CD8+ lymphocytes, however, in stimulated cultures, both endomorphins increased the apoptotic activity of CD8+ lymphocytes, regardless of the preliminary blockade of opioid receptors. In summary, we can say that in the in vivo system, endomorphins have a wide range of multidirectional immunomodulatory effects, which may be of interest for practical use in the future.

Effect of somatic antigens of Dirofilaria repens adult worms on angiogenesis, cell proliferation and migration and pseudo-capillary formation in human endothelial cells

BackgroundAngiogenesis is defined as the formation of new vessels by sprouting of endothelial cells from pre-existing vessels in response to stimuli, such as hypoxia or inflammation. Subcutaneous dirofilariasis, caused by Dirofilaria repens, is a zoonotic disease characterized by the formation of subcutaneous nodules with the presence of at least one encapsulated worm, showing perivascular vascularization around it. The aim of this study is to analyze whether the somatic antigen of adult D. repens worms interacts with and modulates the angiogenic mechanism, cell proliferation and migration, and formation of pseudo-capillaries.MethodsThe expression of VEGF-A, VEGFR-1/sFlt, VEGFR-2, mEnd and sEnd in cultures of human vascular endothelial cells stimulated with somatic antigen of adult worms of D. repens (DrSA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and DrSA + VEGF were evaluated by using ELISA commercial kits. Cellular viability was analyzed by live cell count, cytotoxicity assays by using a commercial kit, cell proliferation by MTT-based assay, cell migration by wound-healing assay carried out by scratching wounds and capacity of formation of pseudo-capillaries analyzing cell connections and cell groups in Matrigel cell cultures. In all cases unstimulated cultures were used as controls.ResultsDrSA + VEGF significantly increased the expression of VEGF-A, VEGFR-2 and mEndoglin compared to other groups and unstimulated cultures. Moreover, DrSA + VEGF produced cell proliferation and migration and increased the formation of pseudo-capillaries.ConclusionsSomatic antigen of adult D. repens worms activated the proangiogenic mechanism, cell proliferation and cell migration as well as formation of pseudo-capillaries in this in vitro human endothelial cell model. These processes could be related to the survival of adult D. repens in subcutaneous nodules in infected hosts.Graphical

IFN-γ stimulated murine and human neurons mount anti-parasitic defenses against the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii

Dogma holds that Toxoplasma gondii persists in neurons because neurons cannot clear intracellular parasites, even with IFN-γ stimulation. As several recent studies questioned this idea, here we use primary murine neuronal cultures from wild type and transgenic mice in combination with IFN-γ stimulation and parental and transgenic parasites to reassess IFN-γ dependent neuronal clearance of intracellular parasites. We find that neurons respond to IFN-γ and that a subset of neurons clear intracellular parasites via immunity regulated GTPases. Whole neuron reconstructions from mice infected with parasites that trigger neuron GFP expression only after full invasion reveal that ~50% of these T. gondii-invaded neurons no longer harbor parasites. Finally, IFN-γ stimulated human pluripotent stem cell derived neurons show an ~50% decrease in parasite infection rate when compared to unstimulated cultures. This work highlights the capability of human and murine neurons to mount cytokine-dependent anti-T. gondii defense mechanisms in vitro and in vivo.

Impact of a phage cocktail targeting Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis as members of a gut bacterial consortium in vitro and in vivo.

Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis have been implicated as important players in human gut health that have been associated with the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Bacteriophage (phage) therapy has been used for decades to target pathogens as an alternative to antibiotics, but the ability of phage to shape complex bacterial consortia in the lower gastrointestinal tract is not clearly understood. We administered a cocktail of six phages (either viable or heat-inactivated) targeting pro-inflammatory Escherichia coli LF82 and Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF as members of a defined community in both a continuous fermenter and a murine colitis model. The two target strains were members of a six species simplified human microbiome consortium (SIHUMI-6). In a 72-h continuous fermentation, the phage cocktail caused a 1.1 and 1.5 log (log10 genome copies/mL) reduction in E. faecalis and E. coli numbers, respectively. This interaction was accompanied by changes in the numbers of other SIHUMI-6 members, with an increase of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (1.7 log) and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (1.8 log). However, in germ-free mice colonized by the same bacterial consortium, the same phage cocktail administered twice a week over nine weeks did not cause a significant reduction of the target strains. Mice treated with active or inactive phage had similar levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-y/IL12p40) in unstimulated colorectal colonic strip cultures. However, histology scores of the murine lower GIT (cecum and distal colon) were lower in the viable phage-treated mice, suggesting that the phage cocktail did influence the functionality of the SIHUMI-6 consortium. For this study, we conclude that the observed potential of phages to reduce host populations in in vitro models did not translate to a similar outcome in an in vivo setting, with this effect likely brought about by the reduction of phage numbers during transit of the mouse GIT.

Examining the Effect of Consuming C8 Medium-Chain Triglyceride Oil for 14 Days on Markers of NLRP3 Activation in Healthy Humans

Chronic, low-grade inflammation is associated with the development of numerous diseases and is mediated in part by overactivation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. The ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) suppresses the NLRP3 inflammasome and alters intracellular signalling pathways in vitro and in animal models; however, this effect has not yet been shown in vivo in humans. The purpose of this single-arm pilot trial was to determine if consuming 15 mL of C8 medium-chain triglyceride (trioctanoin; MCT) oil, which induces mild elevation of βHB, twice daily (30 mL total) for 14 days would suppress markers of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in young, healthy humans while following their habitual diet. Consuming a single dose of 15 mL of C8 MCT oil significantly raised blood βHB from fasting at 60 minutes and 120 minutes post ingestion (both P < 0.05). However, consumption of C8 MCT oil for 14 days did not impact markers of monocyte NLRP3 inflammasome activation compared to baseline. Specifically, caspase-1 activation and secretion of its downstream product interleukin (IL)-1β were unchanged following 14 days of C8 MCT oil supplementation when measured in unstimulated and LPS-stimulated whole blood cultures (all P > 0.05). Acetylation of histone H3 on the lysine residue 9 was unchanged (P < 0.05) and acetylation of lysine residue 14 was decreased (P < 0.05) following 14 days of supplementation. Thus, adding twice daily C8 MCT oil supplementation to the habitual diet of young, healthy humans does not appear to suppress NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Оценка факторов риска в течении ревматоидного артрита и анкилозирующего спондилита

The purpose — to study individual risk factors and their influence on the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Material and methods. Patients with RA and AS took part in the research; the group of comparison was practically healthy people. We evaluated clinical condition and laboratory indicators (the level of cytokines, lymphocyte subpopulation, rheumatoid factor, antibodies to the cyclic citrullinated peptide, S-reactive protein, proinflammatory cytokines, monocyte-macrophage protein, vascular endothelial factor, and cell cycle analysis). The obtained data were processed with Statistics 7.0 software. The results were considered to be statistically reliable at р &lt; 0.05. Results. Hyper production of proinflammatory cytokines was marked in sick patients compared with healthy ones. The analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients showed their excess in comparison to healthy people. The assessment of lymphocytes ability for blast transformation defined the lymphocytes activation with the growth of cells at apoptosis stage (G1-phase); with the decrease in the proportion of resting cells (GO-phase) in patients, the activation coefficient was significantly growing. More apoptosis activation markers were found in the group of RA patients. Changes in apoptosis were revealed with the decreased proportion of lymphocytes in unstimulated cultures of patients; at the same time, the amount of cells in apoptosis increased four times in the examined patients compared to the healthy ones. Conclusions. In patients with RA and AS, changes of the factors of the immune system wee noted as the amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL—1β, IL-6, TNF—α and the concentration of MSR-1, VEGF, SPB, RF increased. The enhancement of cellular apoptosis is due to the increase of the apoptosis inducer — CD95+9(FaS) lymphocytes, TNF- α, the growth of cells at pre-synthetic stage of apoptosis G1-phase and the activation coefficient.

Corrigendum: Immunological Changes During Space Travel: A Ground-Based Evaluation of the Impact of Neutron Dose Rate on Plasma Cytokine Levels in Human Whole Blood Cultures

A better understanding of the combined impact of different space stressors on human health is urgently warranted, considering the upcoming long-duration missions beyond lower Earth orbit. Therefore, a growing number of particle accelerator facilities implement ground-based set-ups to study the effect of simulated space radiation with simulated psychological or physical stressors. The immune system is highly sensitive to these types of stressors and limited information is currently available on the impact of the complex space radiation environment on the astronauts’ immune function. This pilot study presents a first step in the implementation of a ground-based set-up with neutron irradiation, which is considered to be an important secondary component in space radiation fields. The effect of dose rate on immune alterations was studied using the in vitro cytokine release assay. Whole blood samples (n=8) were exposed to 0.125 or 1Gy of neutron irradiation (fluence-weighted average energy: 29.8 MeV) at a lower dose rate (LDR) of 0.015Gy/min and a higher dose rate (HDR) of 0.400Gy/min. Immediately post-irradiation, blood samples were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), heat-killed Listeria monocytogenes (HKLM) or lectin pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and incubated for 24 hours. Cell-mediated immunity was examined by analysing interleukin­-2 (IL­-2), interferon-gamma (IFN­-γ), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF­-α), and interleukin­-10 (IL­-10) plasma levels. Stimulants significantly increased all cytokine levels except IL­-2, where only PWM induced a significant increase. In general, no statically significant changes were observed in IL­-2, IFN­-γ and TNF­-α concentrations at different neutron doses and dose rates when compared to their stimulated, sham-irradiated controls. After PWM-stimulation, IL­-10 levels were significantly increased at 0.125Gy HDR and 1Gy LDR. In a pooled analysis, the HDR significantly increased IL­-2 titres (under PWM-stimulation) and IFN­-γ titres (with all stimulants), but significantly decreased TNF­-α secretion in unstimulated cultures. Due to the limited sample number, no strong conclusions could be made in this pilot study on the effect of neutron radiation as a single stressor on cytokine secretion in response to different stimuli. However, some interesting trends and dose rate effects were observed, which pave the way for future investigations on the synergistic effects of multiple space stressors on immune cell function.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis-stimulated whole blood culture to detect host biosignatures for tuberculosis treatment response

Host markers to monitor the response to tuberculosis (TB) therapy hold some promise. We evaluated the changes in concentration of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb)-induced soluble biomarkers during early treatment for predicting short- and long-term treatment outcomes. Whole blood samples from 30 cured and 12 relapsed TB patients from diagnosis, week 1, 2, and 4 of treatment were cultured in the presence of live M.tb for seven days and patients followed up for 24 weeks after the end of treatment. 57 markers were measured in unstimulated and antigen-stimulated culture supernatants using Luminex assays. Top performing multi-variable models at diagnosis using unstimulated values predicted outcome at 24 months after treatment completion with a sensitivity of 75.0% (95% CI, 42.8–94.5%) and specificity of 72.4% (95% CI, 52.8–87.3%) in leave-one-out cross validation. Month two treatment responder classification was correctly predicted with a sensitivity of 79.2% (95% CI, 57.8–92.9%) and specificity of 92.3% (95% CI, 64.0–99.8%). This study provides evidence of the early M.tb-specific treatment response in TB patients but shows that the observed unstimulated marker models are not outperformed by stimulated marker models. Performance of unstimulated predictive host marker signatures is promising and requires validation in larger studies.

Vitamin D signaling increases nitric oxide and antioxidant defenses of bovine monocytes

Vitamin D contributes to multiple aspects of bovine immunity and is reported to decrease the effects of mastitis and metritis in dairy cows. We hypothesized that vitamin D signaling in bovine monocytes increases antioxidant responses as part of its immunomodulatory actions. Our objectives were to assess the effects of vitamin D on oxidant and antioxidant responses of bovine monocytes. Monocytes from peripheral blood of nonpregnant, lactating Holstein cows between 90 and 300 d in milk were used for in vitro cell culture experiments. To test the effects of vitamin D on reactive oxygen metabolites (dROM) and antioxidant potential (AOP), monocytes from 14 cows were cultured in replicates for 16 h with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3, 0 or 75 ng/mL] in a factorial arrangement with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 ng/mL) or interferon-γ (IFN-γ, 10 ng/mL) or with no stimulation. Data were analyzed by ANOVA for main effects of 25(OH)D3, stimulant, and interactions between 25(OH)D3 and stimulant. Significant interactions between 25(OH)D3 and stimulant were observed for dROM and AOP of culture supernatants. In unstimulated cultures, 25(OH)D3 tended to increase dROM, but the opposite was observed in stimulated cultures. In contrast, LPS and IFN-γ treatments alone decreased AOP of culture supernatants, but 25(OH)D3 counteracted the decrease in AOP caused by IFN-γ. Abundances of transcripts of genes encoding antioxidant-related proteins were measured by quantitative PCR using RNA from monocytes from 4 cows treated with 25(OH)D3 (0 or 75 ng/mL) in a factorial arrangement with increasing concentrations of LPS (0 to 1,000 ng/mL) or IFN-γ (0 to 10 ng/mL). Treatment with 25(OH)D3 increased transcripts of genes encoding metallothionein 1A and metallothionein 2A in the presence of IFN-γ but not LPS. Furthermore, 25(OH)D3 increased transcripts of genes encoding thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase, but the effect of 25(OH)D3 did not depend on IFN-γ or LPS stimulation. In conclusion, 25(OH)D3 increased antioxidant capacity of IFN-γ–stimulated bovine monocytes, potentially by increasing metallothionein and thioredoxin activities in monocytes.

Immunoregulatory effects of paroxetine in healthy volunteers: An in vitro investigation

Background: Paroxetine has been a commonly prescribed antidepressant for treatment of major depression and various anxiety disorders for almost 30 years due to its fewer side effects and toxicity compared with its counterparts. Despite several investigations performed, the paroxetine immunoregulatory effect in healthy subjects is still controversial. In this study, the paroxetine effect on the cell proliferation along with IL-4 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) secretion in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of physically and mentally healthy subjects is investigated. Materials and Methods: Blood was drawn from 20 healthy subjects and PBMCs were isolated. Cells were treated with paroxetine and/or phytohemagglutinin (PHA) for 72 h. IL-4 and IFN-γ concentrations were assessed in the supernatant using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The BrdU cell proliferation assay was also performed to evaluate the paroxetine effect on PBMCs in the absence or presence of PHA. Results: Paroxetine (25 μM) significantly inhibited the production of IL-4 and IFN-γ in PHA-stimulated human PBMC cultures. Surprisingly, paroxetine suppressed cell proliferation in the unstimulated culture in a dose-independent manner. Paroxetine also attenuated cell proliferation in the PHA-stimulated culture, especially at 25 μM concentration. Conclusion: The obtained results suggest that paroxetine can be a potent therapeutic option in inflammatory diseases by balancing immune responses.

A Unique Constitutional Robertsonian Translocation t(13;14) Associated with Severe Aplastic Anaemia

Aplastic anaemia is characterised by cytopenias and hypocellular bone marrow without any evidence of marrow fibrosis or marrow infiltration. There is no specific cytogenetic abnormality associated with aplastic anaemia. Most common abnormalities are trisomies of chromosome 6, 8 and loss of 7. A 17-year-old female, presented with generalised weakness, exertional breathlessness and menorrhagia for last six months. She also gave a history of 12 units Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBC) transfusion, at the rate of 2-3 units per month in the last five months. Routine haematology showed severe pancytopenia with reticulocytopenia. Bone marrow evaluation revealed hypoplastic marrow with 15% bone marrow cellularity suggesting aplastic anaemia. Karyotyping using Giemsa (GTG) banding of unstimulated culture showed a very unique constitutional Robertsonian Translocation (RT) karyotype 45+XX, der(13;14)(q10;q10). Patient responded partially to treatment with cyclosporine and anabolic steroids. The final diagnosis was severe aplastic anaemia associated with constitutional RT t(13;14) karyotype. Although cytogenetic abnormalities are neither common nor specific in aplastic anaemia, some of them can have diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

Immunological Changes During Space Travel: A Ground-Based Evaluation of the Impact of Neutron Dose Rate on Plasma Cytokine Levels in Human Whole Blood Cultures

A better understanding of the combined impact of different space stressors on human health is urgently warranted, considering the upcoming long-duration missions beyond lower Earth orbit. Therefore, a growing number of particle accelerator facilities implement ground-based set-ups to study the effect of simulated space radiation with simulated psychological or physical stressors. The immune system is highly sensitive to these types of stressors and limited information is currently available on the impact of the complex space radiation environment on the astronauts' immune function. This pilot study presents a first step in the implementation of a ground-based set-up with neutron irradiation, which is considered to be an important secondary component in space radiation fields. The effect of dose rate on immune alterations was studied using the in vitro cytokine release assay. Whole blood samples (n = 8) were exposed to 0.125 or 1 Gy of neutron irradiation (fluence-weighted average energy: 29.8 MeV) at a lower dose rate (LDR) of 0.015 Gy/min and a higher dose rate (HDR) of 0.400 Gy/min. Immediately post-irradiation, blood samples were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), heat-killed Listeria monocytogenes (HKLM) or lectin pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and incubated for 24 h. Cell-mediated immunity was examined by analysing interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) plasma levels. Stimulants significantly increased all cytokine levels except IL-2, where only PWM induced a significant increase. In general, no statistically significant changes were observed in IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α concentrations at different neutron doses and dose rates when compared to their stimulated, sham-irradiated controls. After PWM-stimulation, IL-10 levels were significantly increased at 0.125 Gy HDR and 1 Gy LDR. In a pooled analysis, the HDR significantly increased IL-2 titres (under PWM-stimulation) and IFN-γ titres (with all stimulants), but significantly decreased TNF-α secretion in unstimulated cultures. Due to the limited sample number, no strong conclusions could be made in this pilot study on the effect of neutron radiation as a single stressor on cytokine secretion in response to different stimuli. However, some interesting trends and dose rate effects were observed, which pave the way for future investigations on the synergistic effects of multiple space stressors on immune cell function.

Abstract 4482: Monitoring T cell reactivity to allogeneic placental cell products using multiple lymphocyte reaction and TCR sequencing approaches

Abstract Introduction: Allogeneic stem cell-derived therapies offer patients a readily accessible source of off-the-shelf product. However, allogeneic cells may be recognized by the recipient's immune system thus negatively affecting persistence and efficacy. Among people, allelic differences in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex genes are the major source of alloantigen which can elicit immunity. While there are established assays for measuring alloantibodies, monitoring T cell alloreactivity is more challenging. Unique clonal populations vary between individuals and functional assays are difficult to scale and standardize if alloreactive populations are rare/infrequent. Here, we evaluate how alloreactive T cells from patients may be identified using multiple lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Next generation sequencing of the TCR locus permits the subsequent identification and monitoring of allogeneic T cell clones in a patient over time. Methods: Placental leukocytes depleted of CD34 cells or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were enriched for monocytes using magnetic-bead isolation followed by dendritic cell (DC) maturation in the presence of GM-CSF and IL-4 for 5 days. DC were activated with lipopolysaccharide for 16 hours then cultured in the presence of CD3+ T cells isolated from healthy 3rd party PBMC for 5 days in the presence of IL-2. Proliferating alloantigen-specific T cells were observed by flow cytometry. TCR locus sequencing was performed on DNA libraries generated from unstimulated and post-MLR cultures using the Illumina platform. Results: In contrast to monocyte derived DCs from PBMC, monocyte derived DCs from placenta required higher levels of cytokine and lipopolysaccharide stimulation to achieve similar level of maturation. Co-culture of placental-derived DCs with unrelated T cells over 5 days resulted in the outgrowth of T cell colonies visible by brightfield microscopy. Flow cytometry confirmed clonal expansion of CD4 and CD8 T cell populations based upon the expression of Ki-67, CD25, and CD69 on cells with a higher forward scatter. To assess feasibility of performing TCR sequencing in unstimulated and post-MLR T cells, one T cell responder was evaluated in response to 3 different DC donors. For each DC donor, a single T cell clone representing 0.35% of the starting repertoire expanded to become the dominant clone at 44%, 61%, and 66% following MLR with the next most frequent clones represented 4%, 3%, and 2% among total T cells, respectively. Our data demonstrate the feasibility of identifying alloreactive T cell clones for translational research monitoring in patients. This approach could inform correlations with cell persistence and help optimize allogeneic cell delivery and dosage strategies in the context of disease state and lymphodepletion. Citation Format: Bhavani Stout, Tanel Mahlakoiv, Robert Hariri, Xiaokui Zhang, William van der Touw. Monitoring T cell reactivity to allogeneic placental cell products using multiple lymphocyte reaction and TCR sequencing approaches [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4482.

Clozapine Prevents Poly (I:C) Induced Inflammation by Modulating NLRP3 Pathway in Microglial Cells.

Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder that exhibits an interconnection between the immune system and the brain. Experimental and clinical studies have suggested the presence of neuroinflammation in schizophrenia. In the present study, the effect of antipsychotic drugs, including clozapine, risperidone, and haloperidol (10, 20 and 20 μM, respectively), on the production of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, IL-18, INF-γ, and TNF-α was investigated in the unstimulated and polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid [poly (I:C)]-stimulated primary microglial cell cultures. In the unstimulated cultures, clozapine, risperidone, and haloperidol did not influence the cytokine levels. Nevertheless, in cell cultures under strong inflammatory activation by poly (I:C), clozapine reduced the levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-17. Risperidone and haloperidol both reduced the levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-17, and increased the levels of IL-6, IL-10, INF-γ, and TNF-α. Based on the results that were obtained with the antipsychotic drugs and observing that clozapine presented with a more significant anti-inflammatory effect, clozapine was selected for the subsequent experiments. We compared the profile of cytokine suppression obtained with the use of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, CRID3 to that obtained with clozapine, to test our hypothesis that clozapine inhibits the NLRP3 inflammasome. Clozapine and CRID3 both reduced the IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-17 levels. Clozapine reduced the level of poly (I:C)-activated NLRP3 expression by 57%, which was higher than the reduction thay was seen with CRID3 treatment (45%). These results suggest that clozapine might exhibit anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome and this activity is not typical with the use of other antipsychotic drugs under the conditions of strong microglial activation.