To investigate the expression of inflammatory markers HLA-DR in impression cytology specimens from patients receiving topical antiglaucoma monotherapy.
Impression cytology specimens were obtained ...from patients taking no topical medication (n = 13) and from primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertensive patients taking one topical medication for at least 3 months (latanoprost n = 14; betaxolol n = 12; timolol n = 14). None of the patients had any signs of ocular surface inflammation as detected by slit-lamp examination, a normal Schirmer's test and tear breakup time. The expression of HLA-DR on epithelial cells and T lymphocytes was analysed by flow cytometry.
A significant increase in HLA-DR on epithelial cells in patients on monotherapy was detected (latanoprost p < 0.05; betaxolol p < 0.01; timolol p < 0.01). Although the duration of treatment differed significantly between individual groups, there was no significant correlation between the length of monotherapy and the expression of inflammatory markers by epithelial cells and T lymphocytes. In the latanoprost group, the increased expression of HLA-DR was associated with a shorter duration of treatment.
The flow-cytometric results indicate that administration of a single topical medication preserved with benzalkonium chloride, irrespective of type, for 3 months or more induced a significant degree of subclinical inflammation detected as increased expression of HLA-DR on conjunctival epithelial cells.
To evaluate the acute inflammatory response and cardiac output in children after surgery for ventricular septal defect.
Prospective, observational study in a level III multidisciplinary neonatal and ...pediatric intensive care unit.
Ten children undergoing open-heart surgery for ventricular septal defect.
All children received methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg) in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) prime.
Before and after cardiopulmonary bypass, plasma interleukin-10 and tumor necrosis factor alpha were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood by flow cytometry. Relative values (post-/pre-CPB) of interleukin-10 and tumor necrosis factor alpha were calculated. The cardiac index (CI) was measured continuously beat-to-beat by a pulse contour analysis (PiCCO). Children above the cutoff value (median cardiac index value 3.0 l min(-1) m(-2)) were designated as the normal CI group and those below this value as the low CI group. In the normal CI group the relative values of interleukin-10 remained almost seven times higher than pre-CPB values at 24 h while in the low CI group they decreased almost to pre-CPB values. Furthermore, the normal CI group, but not the low CI group, exhibited more than threefold decrease in T-lymphocytes (lymphocyte T-cells, T-helper cells, and cytotoxic T-cells) 24 h after CPB.
Children operated on for ventricular septal defect developed either a normal or low CI. The higher relative values of interleukin-10 and lower counts of lymphocyte T-cells, T-helper and cytotoxic T-cells differentiated the normal CI group from the low CI group at 24 h after cardiopulmonary bypass.
Infliximab is an effective treatment for Crohn's disease, yet about 30% of patients have a weak or no response. The aim of the study was to determine if the likelihood of a patient achieving complete ...remission 3 months after treatment with infliximab can be predicted from immunological parameters measured in peripheral blood and inflamed intestinal mucosa before the treatment.
25 patients with Crohn's disease resistant to conventional therapy underwent treatment with infliximab. Samples of peripheral blood and inflamed intestinal mucosa were analyzed by flow-cytometry before infliximab administration. The clinical response was evaluated after 3 months.
At 3 months post-treatment, 11 (44%) patients were in complete remission, while 14 (56%) had no remission. Logistic regression analysis revealed that 50% of patients having 2.29% of CD19+ cells in inflamed intestinal mucosa may be expected to achieve complete remission. If the proportion of CD19+ cells in the inflamed mucosa is 5%, the probability of the patient achieving complete remission following treatment rises to 85%.
This is the first study which found that a high percentage of CD19+ cells in the inflamed intestinal mucosa of a patient with Crohn's disease may predict long remission after infliximnab therapy.
Abstract
Cytotoxic CD8
+
T cells have been suggested to be key players in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We wanted to investigate the phenotype of lung tissue T ...lymphocytes (LTL) and tumour‐infiltrating T lymphocytes (TIL) in smokers with peripheral non‐small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) with moderate/severe versus mild COPD. Lung tissue and tumour samples were obtained from patients with moderate/severe stage of COPD (
n
= 10) and from patients with mild stage of COPD (
n
= 7) at lung resection for a solitary peripheral NSCLC, processed and analysed by flow cytometry. The flow‐cytometric results showed that lung tissue T cells, regardless of the severity of COPD, were mostly of the activated phenotype, expressed the CXCR3 chemokine receptor characteristic of type 1 T cells, and did neither significantly differ in the expression of activation markers (CD69, CD25 and HLA‐DR), differentiation markers (CD27 and CD28) and chemokine receptors (CXCR3 and CCR4) between the selected groups, nor showed any significant correlation with lung function measured as forced expiratory volume in 1 s (
FEV
1
) or TLCO. Compared with LTL, a significantly greater proportion of TIL expressed the activation markers CD69 and CD25, but a lower proportion showed a fully differentiated CD27
−
28
−
phenotype. We conclude that lung LTL patterns are similar in NSCLC patients with moderate/severe or mild stages of COPD, and are not significantly related to lung function. LTL and TIL possess different phenotype characteristics. The majority of tumour tissue T cells are activated, but it seems that their process of differentiation is incomplete.
Cytotoxic CD8+ T cells have been suggested to be key players in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We wanted to investigate the phenotype of lung tissue T lymphocytes ...(LTL) and tumour‐infiltrating T lymphocytes (TIL) in smokers with peripheral non‐small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) with moderate/severe versus mild COPD. Lung tissue and tumour samples were obtained from patients with moderate/severe stage of COPD (n = 10) and from patients with mild stage of COPD (n = 7) at lung resection for a solitary peripheral NSCLC, processed and analysed by flow cytometry. The flow‐cytometric results showed that lung tissue T cells, regardless of the severity of COPD, were mostly of the activated phenotype, expressed the CXCR3 chemokine receptor characteristic of type 1 T cells, and did neither significantly differ in the expression of activation markers (CD69, CD25 and HLA‐DR), differentiation markers (CD27 and CD28) and chemokine receptors (CXCR3 and CCR4) between the selected groups, nor showed any significant correlation with lung function measured as forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) or TLCO. Compared with LTL, a significantly greater proportion of TIL expressed the activation markers CD69 and CD25, but a lower proportion showed a fully differentiated CD27−28− phenotype. We conclude that lung LTL patterns are similar in NSCLC patients with moderate/severe or mild stages of COPD, and are not significantly related to lung function. LTL and TIL possess different phenotype characteristics. The majority of tumour tissue T cells are activated, but it seems that their process of differentiation is incomplete.
Understanding of immunological processes at the molecular level in the cancer-bearing organism is the prerequisite for development of specific tumor vaccines. Most of these vaccines are aimed at ...enhancing the immunogenicity of the antigens presented by the tumor cells. Since dendritic cells (DC) are potent antigen presenting cells (APC) in the organism, they are considered as a powerful tool to deliver the signals essential for the activation of immune system. In an attempt to clarify the functional importance of DC in the process of anti-tumor vaccination, we characterized the effect of DC activated with a classical tumor vaccine (mixture of irradiated B16F1 tumor cells and MVE-2) on the activation of T lymphocytes. The T lymphocyte activation was assessed by determination of expression of CD25, CD69, and intracellular IFNγ and IL4 production. Activated DC significantly increased the proportion of CD25+ and CD69+ cells as well as IFNγ+ and IL4+ cells among CD3+ T lymphocytes. On the other hand, the direct effect of the tumor vaccine on T lymphocytes was just an increment in the proportion of IL4+ T lymphocytes. With the results of in vivo experiments, the phagocytic cells (including DC) were proved to be essential for establishing an active protection against tumor cells (tumor development), but more importantly, also for formation of the memory cell pool. These data indicate that DC loaded with tumor antigens are required for effective stimulation of T lymphocytes, and that the phagocytic cells (including DC) are essential for the anti-tumor immunity triggered by this kind of vaccine.
Gynogenesis of four onion cultivars was induced, starting from ovules and ovaries, using a 2-step culture procedure. The induction frequency was much higher from ovaries and was strongly affected by ...genotype. Thidiazuron (2 mg/l) had a positive effect on regeneration and subsequent in vitro culture of regenerants. Esterase isozyme analysis showed that 59% of regenerants were homozygous. Chromosome counting of root tip cells and flow cytometry of leaf tissue showed haploid, doubled haploid and mixoploid structures. Within cloned plants, some showed segregation of the ploidy level with a tendency towards endoreduplication. Analysis of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles of homozygous regenerants revealed several missing bands compared with donor plants, but micropropagated clones of different ploidy level were identical among each other. Gametoclonal variation was detected by the appearance of a novel RAPD band, present in two out of 12 regenerants and not in the donor plants.
We analyzed by flow cytometry the expression of IL-2 receptors (alpha subunit-CD25) and ICAM-1 adhesion molecules (CD54) on T cells and subsets (CD4, CD8) isolated from nasal polyp tissue in allergic ...and non-allergic patients. We found a significant increase in IL-2 receptor and ICAM-1 molecule expression on T cells isolated from nasal polyp tissue compared to peripheral blood lymphocytes. We also found a significantly increased expression of ICAM-1 molecules on CD8+ cells in non-allergic compared to allergic patients. The latter may reflect a difference in cytotoxic immune response between allergic and non-allergic patients, but the result should be confirmed in a more extensive study including cytokine and immunoglobulin analysis. We hope that it would enable us to obtain a deeper insight into the local immune events and further to clarify the etiology and pathogenesis of nasal polyps and their relation to allergy.
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