Search results for "Lymphocytes"
showing 10 items of 1818 documents
Changes in lymphocyte subsets after cardiac surgery in children.
2001
Children undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) operations have an increased risk of developing severe infections. Impairment of the immune system may contribute to the development of sequelae such as capillary leaks, pulmonary dysfunction and auto-immune reactions. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of cardiac surgery with CPB on the immune system of infants and young children. We conducted a prospective study to investigate the changes in circulating lymphocyte subpopulations in a sample of 21 consecutive infants and young children undergoing cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease. The following statistically significant (P<0.05) results were obtained: leucoc…
Exacerbation of ulcerative colitis after rituximab salvage therapy
2007
Background: B-cells are considered to play a pathogenic role in human ulcerative colitis (UC) by producing autoantibodies that cause epithelial cell damage. Here we report on a patient with intractable UC who suffered from a severe exacerbation of UC after salvage therapy with rituximab, a B-cell-depleting anti-CD20-antibody. Methods: A 58-year-old patient with active long-standing UC and unresponsiveness or adverse events to mesalamine, corticosteroids, azathioprine, methotrexate, infliximab, leukapheresis, mycophenolate mofetil, and adalimumab received 375 mg/m2 rituximab. Results: A severe exacerbation of UC activity was noted upon therapy that required hospitalization. Subsequent studie…
Distinct subsets of regulatory T cells during pregnancy: is the imbalance of these subsets involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia?
2008
Abstract Regulatory T cells (CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + -Treg cells) are important regulators of tolerance induction during pregnancy. We now found that the number of CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + -Treg cells decreases during normal course of pregnancy and even more so in women affected by preeclampsia. The functional activity of these CD4 + CD25 + -Treg cells was significantly reduced in comparison to those of healthy pregnants. Further analysis revealed two Treg subsets that differed with regard to the FoxP3 and CD25 expression. The percentage of both, CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 high+ -Treg and CD4 + CD25 high+ FoxP3 + , was maximal in the first and second trimenon, but declined severely in the third trimenon. …
Effects of Mancozeb and Metribuzin on in vitro proliferative responses and oxidative stress of human and rat spleen lymphocytes stimulated by mitogens
2011
Pesticides have been shown to possess marked immunotropic activity. The aim of this work was to study the in vitro effects of different concentrations (1-100 µM) of Mancozeb (fungicide) and Metribuzin (herbicide), on the proliferative responses of human and rat spleen lymphocytes stimulated by concanavalin A (ConA, mitogen), the Th1- (IL-2, INFγ) and Th2- (IL-4) cytokine secretion and on the intracellular oxidative status. The results showed that Mancozeb significantly reduced ConA lymphocyte proliferation in a dose-dependent manner in both humans and rats. It also decreased IL-2, INFγ and IL-4 secretion with a a shift away to Th1 phenotype. Metribuzin at low concentrations (1-10 µM) result…
Neurological impairment in experimental antiphospholipid syndrome is associated with increased ligand binding to hippocampal and cortical serotonergi…
2013
The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease where the presence of high titers of circulating autoantibodies causes thrombosis with consecutive infarcts. In experimental APS (eAPS), a mouse model of APS, behavioral abnormalities develop in the absence of vessel occlusion or infarcts. Using brain hemispheres of control and eAPS mice with documented neurological and cognitive deficits, we checked for lymphocytic infiltration, activation of glia and macrophages, as well as alterations of ligand binding densities of various neurotransmitter receptors to unravel the molecular basis of this abnormal behavior. Lymphocytic infiltrates were immunohistochemically characterized using a…
Small for gestational age (SGA) neonates show reduced suppressive activity of their regulatory T cells
2009
Little information exists concerning the role of fetal regulatory T cells (Tregs) during intrauterine development. We examined whether complications such as reduced birth weight or the occurrence of preterm labor were associated with deficiencies in the number or in the immunosuppressive activity of Tregs in the fetal circulation. Their total number did not change during normal or complicated pregnancy. In contrast, their level of FoxP3 expression decreased continuously with gestational age and was significantly reduced in the presence of spontaneous term, but not preterm labor. In small for gestational age (SGA) neonates, FoxP3 expression was constantly decreased when compared to age match…
Leukocyte chemotactic activity in cultures of unstimulated human lymphocytes.
2009
We have shown earlier that unstimulated human lymphocytes in in vitro cultures produce migration inhibitory factor into the supernatant. The evidence of spontaneous lymphokine synthesis is strengthened further by this study, which demonstrates leukocyte chemotactic activity in these culture supernatants. The factor has a molecular weight of more than 5000 daltons, it resisted heating for 15 min at 100 degrees C, and showed maximum activity at dilution 1:4-1:8 of the supernatants.
A girl with an atypical form of ataxia telangiectasia and an additional de novo 3.14Mb microduplication in region 19q12
2011
A 9-year-old girl born to healthy parents showed manifestations suggestive of ataxia telangiectasia (AT), such as short stature, sudden short bouts of horizontal and rotary nystagmus, a weak and dysarthric voice, rolling gait, unstable posture, and atactic movements. She did not show several cardinal features typical of AT such as frequent, severe infections of the respiratory tract. In contrast, she showed symptoms not generally related to AT, including microcephaly, profound motor and mental retardation, small hands and feet, severely and progressively reduced muscle tone with slackly protruding abdomen and undue drooling, excess fat on her upper arms, and severe oligoarthritis. A cranial…
The neuro-B cell link of peptidergic innervation in the Bursa Fabricii
1991
The Bursa Fabricii, restricted to birds, specifically provides the microenvironment for B-cell maturation. The presence of nerve fibers containing immunopotent neuropeptides in immune organs opens interesting perspectives on the understanding of neuroimmune communication. As an organ for the development of only B-lymphocytes is not known in mammals, the contribution of a peptidergic innervation to the microenvironment of B-cells is not known. Therefore, we studied the peptidergic innervation of the Bursa Fabricii as an organ of B-cell maturation. Four different neuropeptides were found in nerve fibers of the Bursa Fabricii: tachykinins (TK), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), galanin (GAL…
n-3 Fatty Acids Modulate T-Cell Calcium Signaling in Obese Macrosomic Rats
2004
Objective: We investigated the effects of a diet containing EPAX-7010, rich in PUFAs such as eicosapentaenoic acid [20:5(n-3)] and docosahexaenoic acid [22:6(n-3)], i.e., a PUFA/EPAX regimen, on T-cell activation in diabetic pregnant rats and their obese pups. Research Methods and Procedures: Mild hyperglycemia in pregnant rats was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin on Day 5 of gestation. T-cell blastogenesis was assayed by using 3H-thymidine, whereas intracellular free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) were measured by using Fura-2 in diabetic pregnant rats and their obese offspring. Results: Concavalin-A-stimulated T-cell proliferation was decreased in both pregnant dia…