Objective. The aim of this study was to characterize the subsets of circulating CD56+ NK cells in pSS patients and their potential value in the diagnosis and/or prediction of prognosis in patients with pSS. Methods. We included 52 pSS patients fulfilling the 2002 AECG criteria or 2012 ACR criteria and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers. The frequency and absolute number of NK cells and CD56

Nasal polyposis often is characterized by a persistent inflammation of the sinonasal mucosa, disease recurrence after medical or surgical intervention, and asthma comorbidity. Dysregulated complement activation may contribute to immunologic alterations and disease. To date, there is only scattered knowledge on the source and regulation of the central complement factors in the pathogenesis of nasal

Objective. To investigate clinical features, independent associated factors, treatment, and outcome of patients with peripheral neuropathy (PN) in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). Methods. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 110 EGPA patients from 2007 to 2019 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The independent factors associated with PN in EGPA were analyzed with

Background. IgG4-related disease is a new disease entity, but little attention was drawn to urinary system involvement besides nephritis or nephropathy. Here, we described clinical, radiological, and pathological manifestations of IgG4-related urinary disease (IgG4-RUD) and assess its treatment responses. Methods. We conducted a retrospective study enrolling 65 IgG4-RUD patients from an IgG4-related

Purpose. To observe the effect of low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) pretreatment on the expression of CSF-1 and LRR-1 in rats with endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU), and to explore the possible role of TLR4. Method. EIU was induced by a single subcutaneous injection of 200 μg LPS. For the endotoxin tolerance group, the induction of EIU was preceded by a daily subcutaneous injection of 0.1 mg/kg LPS

Neutrophils or PolyMorphonuclear Neutrophils (PMNs) are key effector cells of the innate immune system and thanks to their remarkable plasticity, establish a cross talk with T cells modulating their survival and effector functions. During Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), the advanced form of hepatic steatosis or NAFL, PMNs infiltrate liver tissue, becoming a histological feature of NASH. Our aim

Melanoma is one of the most immunologic malignancies based on its higher prevalence in immune-compromised patients, the evidence of brisk lymphocytic infiltrates in both primary tumors and metastases, the documented recognition of melanoma antigens by tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes and, most important, evidence that melanoma responds to immunotherapy. The use of immunotherapy in the treatment of

Interleukin- (IL-) 17 is increased in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and plays a key role in inflammatory diseases through its involvement in the activation of leukocytes. Here, we describe for the first time the effect of IL-17 in the migration and activation of monocyte subsets in patients during ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and post-STEMI. We analyzed the circulating levels

Background. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) could be an ideal tool for a large-scale HBV screening in settings with high endemicity but limited infrastructure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnosis performance of such RDTs for screening HBV infection in Ivory Coast. Methods

This study was to identify functions of ILC2, a newly found innate lymphoid cell which mainly locates in mucosa organs like lungs and intestines, in IBD. We injected rIL-33 protein to C57/BL6 mouse to explore how IL-33 induces ILC2 proliferation. The results showed that ILC2 reached a proliferation peak at day 5 and expressed multiple surface markers like CD127, C-kit, CD69, CD44, ST2, CD27, DR3, MHCII

microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as promising molecular biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and responsive therapeutic targets in different types of cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we evaluated the expression levels of 84 cancer-associated miRNAs in a cohort of 39 human samples comprising 13 peritumoral and 26 tumoral tissues from surgical specimens of CRC patients.

Despite the shared pattern of surface antigens, neoplastic cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are highly heterogeneous in CD5 expression, a marker linked to a proliferative pool of neoplastic cells. To further characterize CD5high and CD5low neoplastic cells, we assessed the chemokine receptors (CCR5, CCR7, CCR10, CXCR3, CXCR4, CXCR5) and adhesion molecules (CD54, CD62L, CD49d) on the CD5high

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune effectors with potent antitumor activity. However, tumor cells can create an immunosuppressive microenvironment to escape immune surveillance. Although accumulating evidence indicates that microenvironmental hypoxia plays an important role in favoring tumor development and immune evasion, it remains unclear by what means hypoxia directly impairs NK cell antitumor

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that interleukin-10 (IL-10) polymorphisms may be associated with the development of Behcet’s disease (BD). However, the published results were inconsistent. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to derive a more precise relationship between IL-10 polymorphisms and BD susceptibility. Online databases (PubMed, Embase, Science Citation Index (SCI), CNKI

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major public health problem worldwide and spreads to human via the bite of sand flies during blood meal. Following its inoculation, the promastigotes are immediately taken up by phagocytic cells and these leishmania-infected host cells produce proinflammatory cytokines that activate other immune cells and these infected host cells produce more cytokines and reactive

Background. The role of miR-223-3p in dendritic cells (DCs) is unknown. This study is aimed at investigating the effect of miR-223-3p on the antigen uptake and presentation capacities of DCs and the underlying molecular mechanism. Methods. FITC-OVA antigen uptake and cell surface markers in bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) were analyzed by flow cytometry. BMDCs were transfected with the miR-223-3p mimic

Background. The implication of the immune system in the physiopathology of pregnancy complicated by diabetes has been reported. Here, we investigated the effects of insulin treatment on the frequencies of immune cell subpopulations as well as T cell-derived cytokines in type 2 diabetic (T2D) pregnancy compared to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods. Fifteen (15) women with GDM, twenty (20)

BCG vaccination protects not only against tuberculosis but also against heterologous infections. This effect differs between individuals, yet the factors responsible for this variation are unknown. BCG-induced nonspecific protection is, at least partially, mediated by innate immune reprogramming (trained immunity), which can be induced by the muramyl dipeptide (MDP) component of peptidoglycans. We

A macrophage is an important component of innate immunity which can be activated by infection. A series of inflammatory cytokines are produced and released to eliminate pathogens. CpG DNA is an immune stimulator recognized by TLR9, subsequently inducing inflammatory responses in macrophages. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is a novel class of noncoding RNA, whose length is more than 200 nt, but without

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogenous population of cells that have been implicated in the development of an immunosuppressive environment, which promotes tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Numerous studies have reported expansion of MDSCs in circulation and the tumor microenvironment (TME) of cancer patients. However, due to the heterogenic nature of MDSCs and the different

This study was conducted to explore hippocampal structural changes and their possible associations with clinical characteristics, emotional status, and treatment regimens in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without major neuropsychiatric manifestations (non-NPSLE). Eighty-five non-NPSLE patients with normal conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and seventy-seven matched healthy

Among potent dietary supplements, Momordica charantia, commonly called bitter melon, has various biological effects, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and improves energy metabolism and fatigue recovery. However, it is unknown whether Momordica charantia extract (MCE) induces antifatigue effects during exercise training in high-temperature environments. This study aimed at investigating

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory disease that can involve the skin, joints, or both. The abnormalities of innate immunity play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in the circulation. Emerging evidences have demonstrated that neutrophils may play a role in autoimmune diseases. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the activity of neutrophils

Wogonin (5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone) is an ingredient of the extracts from Scutellaria baicalensis, which has documented a wide spectrum of anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities, including inhibiting regulatory T cells, regulating effector T cell functions, and mediating macrophage immunity. However, the potential effect of Wogonin on B cells has not been fully understood. Here, our results

Background. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease characterized by apoptotic clearance deficiency provoking autoimmune responses and leading to multiple organ damage. PPAR-δ, encoded by the PPARD gene, was induced in macrophages promoting the timely disposal of apoptotic cells. Biological studies had provided solid foundation of PPARD involvement in SLE; it is worthwhile

The main aim of the paper was to simulate the drug release by a multifractal theoretical model, as a valuable method to assess the drug release mechanism. To do this, drug delivery films were prepared by mixing poly(vinyl alcohol boric acid) (PVAB) and diclofenac (DCF) sodium salt drug in different mass ratios from 90/10 to 70/30, in order to obtain drug delivery systems with different releasing rates

Burn patients with multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections commonly suffer from high morbidity and mortality, which present a major challenge to healthcare systems throughout the world. Outer membrane protein F (OprF), as a main outer membrane porin, is required for full virulence expression of P. aeruginosa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective efficacy of egg yolk-specific

Chlorogenic acid (CA) is a phenolic compound commonly found in human plant-based diets. CA is the main component of many traditional Chinese medicine preparations, and in recent years, it has been found to have hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other pharmacological properties. Specifically, CA relieves the effects of, and prevents, diabetes mellitus (DM). In addition

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most commonly diagnosed malignant tumor and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in men in the world. The most common types of tumors are adenocarcinomas. Prostate cancer is a slow-growing cancer. The incidence increases with age. Evaluation of proinflammatory factors such as IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-17RA, and IL-17RC expression makes it possible to assess the impact

Dendritic cells (DC) are key phagocytic cells that play crucial roles in both the innate and adaptive immune responses against the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). By processing and presenting pathogen-derived antigens, dendritic cells initiate a directed response against infected cells. They activate the adaptive immune system upon recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns

Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Decoction (MFXD), a Chinese traditional herbal formulation, has been used to treat allergic rhinitis (AR) in China for centuries. However, the mechanism underlying its effect on AR is unclear. This study investigated the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of MFXD on AR. Ovalbumin-induced AR rat models were established, which were then treated with MFXD for 14 days. Symptom

Tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) are involved in cancer development, metastasis, and disease progression. They can modulate angiogenesis to elevate the malignant degree of tumor cells. TEX carry immunosuppressive factors affecting the antitumor activities of immune cells. Tumor cells as well as immune cells secrete immunologically active exosomes which affect intercellular communication, antigen presentation

This study was aimed at investigating the clinical significance of serum galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) levels measured by a novel lectin-independent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using an anti-Gd-IgA1 monoclonal antibody (KM55) as a disease-specific biomarker for IgA nephropathy (IgAN) in children. Thirty-three children with IgAN, 40 with non-IgA glomerular diseases, and 38 age-matched

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth leading cause of tumor-related deaths worldwide. In this study, we explored the in vivo effects of quercetin, a plant flavonol from the flavonoid group of polyphenols with antioxidant effects, on colon carcinogenesis induced by azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS). Thirty mice were randomly assigned into three groups: the control group, the AOM/DSS group

Aim. Cirrhosis is rare in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with a poor prognosis. This study is aimed at retrospectively analyzing our single-center experience to explore the characteristics of cirrhosis in SLE patients. Methods. SLE patients with cirrhosis from 2012 to 2019 were enrolled. SLE diagnosis was rigorously confirmed by a medical record review according to the revised 1997 American

Background. Psoriasis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease associated with a wide range of comorbidities, including metabolic syndrome (MetS). Serum calprotectin, ANGPTL8, and oxidative damage to nucleic acids might be associated with both diseases. The presented study describes the influence of psoriasis and MetS on the serum levels of markers of systemic inflammation (calprotectin and ANGPTL8)

The study aimed to clarify the potential immune-related targets and mechanisms of Qingyihuaji Formula (QYHJ) against pancreatic cancer (PC) through network pharmacology and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Active ingredients of herbs in QYHJ were identified by the TCMSP database. Then, the putative targets of active ingredients were predicted with SwissTargetPrediction and the

Duck enteritis virus (DEV) can successfully evade the host innate immune responses and establish a lifelong latent infection in the infected host. However, the study about how DEV escapes host innate immunity is still deficient up to now. In this study, for the first time, we identified a viral protein VP16 by which DEV can obviously downregulate the production of IFN-β in duck embryo fibroblast (DEF)

Chronic HIV-infected children suffer from premature aging and aging-related diseases. Viral replication induces an ongoing inflammation process, with the release of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), the activation of the immune system, and the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Although combined highly active antiretroviral therapy

Acute aortic dissection (AAD) is one of the most common fatal diseases noted in vascular surgery. Human monocytes circulate in dynamic equilibrium and display a considerable heterogeneity. However, the role of monocytes in AAD remains elusive. In our recent study, we firstly obtained blood samples from 22 patients with Stanford type B AAD and 44 age-, sex-, and comorbidity-matched control subjects

Background. Recent clinical trials using regulatory T cells (Treg) support the therapeutic potential of Treg-based therapy in transplantation and autoinflammatory diseases. Despite these clinical successes, the effect of Treg on inflamed tissues, as well as their impact on immune effector function in vivo, is poorly understood. Therefore, we here evaluated the effect of human Treg injection on cutaneous

Background. The drug resistance and the immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment are important factors affecting tumor progression. Reversing drug resistance and changing tumor suppression microenvironment are ideal ways to inhibit tumor progression. Objective. The aim of the study is to verify antitumor immune response of probiotics in patients with colorectal carcinoma and to explore its

Nephroblastoma overexpressed protein (NOV/CCN3), the early discovered member of the CCN family, has recently been suggested to be involved in a number of inflammatory processes, including wound healing, alveolar epithelial cell inflammation, cancer metastasis, and macrophage foam cell formation. However, the role of CCN3 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a classic autoimmune and inflammatory disease, remains

Body fluids often contain freely circulating nucleic acids, many of which can be exploited as noninvasive tools for the diagnosis of cancer as well as for clinical prognostication. Identifying microRNAs (miRNAs) in subjects’ blood with various malignancies means that they can serve as novel biomarkers for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis. This study analyzed serum-circulating miRNAs as a noninvasive

Introduction. TRPVs are a group of receptors with a channel activity predominantly permeable to Ca2+. This subfamily is involved in the development of gastrointestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of the study was to characterize the gene and protein expression of the TRPV subfamily in UC patients and controls. Methods. We determined by quantitative PCR the gene expression of TRPV2

Type I interferons (IFN-I) are a group of related proteins that help regulate the activity of the immune system and play a key role in host defense against viral infections. Upon infection, the IFN-I are rapidly secreted and induce a wide range of effects that not only act upon innate immune cells but also modulate the adaptive immune system. While IFN-I and many IFN stimulated genes are well-known

An increased level of microbial translocation has been observed in HIV-infected individuals. The host response to microbial translocation is compromised in HIV-infected progressors but remains unknown in HIV-infected long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs). To evaluate microbial translocation in HIV, we assessed lipopolysaccharide (LPS) immunohistochemistry staining in lymph nodes. We found enriched bacterial

Chagas disease is a chronic and potentially lethal disorder caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, and an effective treatment has not been developed for chronic Chagas disease. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a therapeutic DNA vaccine containing T. cruzi genes in dogs with experimentally induced Chagas disease through clinical, pathological, and immunological analyses

Background. Immune-related pancytopenia (IRP) is a kind of autoimmune disease mediated by autoantibodies in bone marrow. T helper 9 (Th9) cell is a new subset of T cell discovered recently, which mainly expresses cytokine interleukin-9 (IL-9) to exert immune function. Th9 cells are associated with a variety of inflammatory diseases, but the role of Th9 cells in IRP remains unclear. Methods. Fifty patients

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious chronic kidney diseases and the major cause of end-stage renal failure worldwide. The underlying mechanisms of DN are complex and required to be further investigated. Both innate immunity and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) play critical roles in the pathogenesis of DN. Except for traditional functions, abnormally regulated RAS has been proved to

hScrib and hDlg belong to the PDZ family of proteins. Since the identification of these highly phylogenetically conserved scaffolds, an increasing amount of experiments has elucidated the roles of hScrib and hDlg in a variety of cell functions. Remarkably, their participation during the establishment of polarity in epithelial cells is well documented. Although the role of both proteins in the immune

Reprogramming of the tumor immune microenvironment is a salient feature during metastasis in LUAD. miR-24-3p and KLF8, which are key regulators of the tumor immune microenvironment, had been proved to show metastasis-promoting property in LUAD. However, whether miR-24-3p could regulate LUAD metastasis by targeting KLF8 remains unclear. This study explored the functions and mechanisms of miR-24-3p/KLF8

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an advanced autoimmune disease described by joint involvement. The special properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) introduced them as a potential therapeutic candidate for RA. In this study, a single dose of autologous MSCs isolated from bone marrow (autologous BM-MSCs, 1 × 106 per kg) was injected intravenously into 13 patients suffering from refractory RA who were

Mast cells (MCs) are engaged in the processes of host defense, primarily via the presence of receptors responsible for the detection of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Since BDs are exclusively host defense molecules, and MCs can elicit the antimicrobial response, this study is aimed at determining whether BDs might be involved in MC pathogen defense. We found that defensin BD-2 significantly

C-type lectin domain family 5-member A (CLEC5A) associates with adaptor DAP12 (DNAX activation protein 12) to form receptor complexes involved in inflammatory responses. We postulated a potential role of CLEC5A in the pathogenesis of adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) and aimed to investigate CLEC5A expression and its association with activity parameters and disease course. In 34 AOSD patients and

T cells are an important part of the adaptive immune system and play critical roles in the elimination of various pathogens. T cells could differentiate into distinct cellular subsets under different extracellular signals and then play different roles in maintaining host homeostasis and defense. The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a conserved intracellular serine/threonine kinase which belongs

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease affecting the joints and surrounding tissue. Identification of novel proteins associated with the progression of a disease is a prerequisite for understanding the pathogenesis of RA. The present study was undertaken to identify the potential biomarkers from a less explored biological sample such as synovial fluid (SF) cells which

Background Nipah belongs to the genus Henipavirus and the Paramyxoviridae family. It is an endemic most commonly found at South Asia and has first emerged in Malaysia in 1998. Bats are found to be the main reservoir for this virus, causing disease in both humans and animals. The last outbreak has occurred in May 2018 in Kerala. It is characterized by high pathogenicity and fatality rates which varies

Background Immune parameters (IP) have been extensively studied to distinguish between latent tuberculosis (LTBI) and active tuberculosis (TB). Objective To determine the IP associated with LTBI, compared to active TB and individuals not infected by M. tuberculosis published in literature. Methods We conducted a systematic search using Google Scholar and PubMed databases, combining the MeSH terms latent

Background We previously reported attenuation of serum OVA-specific IgE levels and of lymphocyte-derived IL-4, both nominal markers of allergic immunity, following injection of a combination of homologous (mouse) polyclonal anti-idiotypic immunoglobulin (Ig) and immune Ig in BALB/c mice. We predicted this might generalize to other species and using heterologous mixtures of Igs. This was assessed in