Biomedical subjects

Susan John

Publications and source records attributed to Susan John.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Lack of suppressive CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ T cells in advanced stages of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Mycosis fungoides and its leukemic variant, Sezary syndrome, are the most common primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs). In an ex vivo study, we investigated the percentage, phenotype, and suppressive function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) from peripheral blood of CTCL patients. The percentage of Tregs did not differ significantly between patients and controls. Functional assays demonstrated a dichotomy in Treg function: in four out of 10 patients CD4+CD25+ T cells were incapable of suppressing autologous CD4+CD25- T-cell proliferation, whereas suppressive function was intact in the other six patients. Suppressive activity of Tregs inversely correlated with the peripheral blood tumor burden. T-plastin gene expression, used as a Sezary cell marker, confirmed that Sezary cells were heterogeneous for CD25 expression. Mixed lymphocyte reactions demonstrated that CD4+CD25- T cells from patients who lacked functional Tregs were susceptible to suppression by Tregs from healthy controls, and had not become suppressive themselves. Furthermore, we found reduced expression of Foxp3 in the CD4+CD25+ Tregs of these patients relative to the other six CTCL patients and controls. Our findings thus indicate a dysfunction of peripheral Tregs in certain CTCL patients, which correlates with tumor burden.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Tracheal agenesis: two case reports.

Tracheal agenesis is a rare and uniformly lethal congenital malformation. It presents with severe respiratory distress at birth. In this anomaly there is a congenital absence of the trachea and the bronchus communicates with the esophagus. The diagnosis should be suspected in newborn infant with respiratory distress whose intubation is impossible. This report describes our experience in two such cases.

Fatal Outcome↗

PubMed2005

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signalling and T-cell lymphomas.

Interaction of cytokines with their cognate receptors leads to the activation of latent transcription factors - the signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) proteins - whose biological activities ultimately regulate many critical aspects of cell growth, survival and differentiation. Dysregulation of the JAK-STAT pathway is frequently observed in many primary human tumours, reflecting the importance of this pathway in the maintenance of cellular integrity. Here we review the current progress in STAT structure and function, and the contribution of STAT signalling to the pathogenesis of T-cell lymphomas.

Cytokines↗

PubMed2004

A single residue modulates tyrosine dephosphorylation, oligomerization, and nuclear accumulation of stat transcription factors.

The NH(2) terminus of Stat proteins forms a versatile protein interaction domain that is believed to use discrete surfaces to mediate oligomerization and tyrosine dephosphorylation of Stat dimers. Here we show for Stat1 and Stat5a/b that these interfaces overlap and need to be reassigned to an unrelated region of the N-domain. Unexpectedly, our study showed for Stat1 that defective oligomerization of DNA-bound dimers was associated with prolonged interferon-induced nuclear accumulation. This uncoupling of DNA binding and nuclear retention was explained by the concomitant dephosphorylation deficiency that both Stat1 and Stat5a/b have in common and that for Stat1 was due to defective dephosphorylation by the phosphatase TC45. Furthermore, diminished N-domain-mediated oligomerization affected transcriptional activation by both Stat1 and Stat5a/b in a promoter-specific manner. DNA binding analysis indicated that oligomerization of Stats on DNA may be common, irrespective of the presence of multiple canonical binding sites. Accordingly, also transcription from promoters with only a single discernable gamma-activated sequence site was negatively effected by reduced tetramerization. Thus, these results indicate that defective oligomerization cannot generally be compensated for by enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation and prolonged nuclear accumulation. In addition, these data clarify the role of DNA binding in nuclear retention of Stat1.

Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed2004

Regulation of STAT signalling by proteolytic processing.

Interaction of cytokines with their cognate receptors leads to the activation of latent transcription factors, the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins. Numerous studies have identified the critical roles played by STAT proteins in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. Consequently, the activity of STAT proteins is negatively regulated by a variety of different mechanisms, which include alternative splicing, covalent modifications, protein-protein interactions with negative regulatory proteins and proteolytic processing by proteases. Cleavage of STAT proteins by proteases results in the generation of C-terminally truncated proteins, called STATgamma, which lack the transactivation domain and behave as functional dominant-negative proteins. Currently, STATgamma isoforms have been identified for Stat3, Stat5a, Stat5b and Stat6 in different cellular contexts and biological processes. Evidence is mounting for the role of as yet unidentified serine proteases in the proteolytic processing of STAT proteins, although at least one cysteine protease, calpain is also known to cleave these STATs in platelets and mast cells. Recently, studies of acute myeloid leukaemia and cutaneous T cell lymphoma patients have revealed important roles for the aberrant expression of Stat3gamma and Stat5gamma proteins in the pathology of these diseases. Together, these findings indicate that proteolytic processing is an important mechanism in the regulation of STAT protein biological activity and provides a fertile area for future studies.

Disease↗

PubMed2003

Dysregulated expression of COOH-terminally truncated Stat5 and loss of IL2-inducible Stat5-dependent gene expression in Sezary Syndrome.

Sezary Syndrome (SzS) is a leukemic variant of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma characterized by the accumulation of clonal neoplastic CD4+ T cells. The signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) family members, Stat5a and Stat5b, play an important role in regulating T-cell activation. Recent studies have shown that inappropriate activation of STATs occurs frequently in a wide variety of human cancers. Here we examine the functional status of Stat5 proteins in SzS as compared with healthy donors. Western blotting demonstrates that in cytoplasmic extracts of unstimulated T cells from healthy controls two isoforms of Stat5, full-length and a COOH-terminal truncated isoform, termed Stat5(t), are present. However, bandshift assays demonstrate that only Stat5(t) translocates to the nucleus and binds DNA on IL-2 stimulation. In contrast, preactivated T cells express only full-length Stat5, which is functionally activated on IL-2 stimulation. Analysis of Stat5 protein isoforms from five of five SzS patients revealed predominant aberrant expression of Stat5(t) in preactivated peripheral blood mononuclear cell. Furthermore, patients showed preferential IL-2-induced DNA binding of Stat5(t). Consistent with the inappropriate activation of Stat5(t) in SzS patients, real-time PCR revealed that IL-2-induced mRNA expression of the Stat5 target genes, Bcl-2, PIM-1, and CISH were markedly reduced. These data indicate that functional Stat5 isoform expression is regulated by T-cell activation status and that dysregulated expression of Stat5(t) in malignant T cells in SzS can suppress Stat5-dependent gene expression. Thus, aberrant expression of Stat5(t) may be one mechanism that contributes to the cellular transformation of T cells in this disease.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Primary angiitis of the central nervous system: MRI features and clinical presentation.

We report the MRI features in a series of four patients with primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS). Based on MRI features, clinical presentation, paraclinical investigations and laboratory tests, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, various differentials were considered. In two patients with MRI findings of cortical, subcortical and deep white matter lesions, lack of mass effect, focal areas of bleed and heterogeneous parenchymal, leptomeningeal or pial enhancement and a normal magnetic resonance angiography, a differential diagnosis of primary angiitis of the CNS was also considered. In all patients, an open brain biopsy was advised to establish a definitive diagnosis of PACNS. Here, we briefly discuss the MRI features, correlation with clinical presentation and paraclinical parameters for the diagnosis of this entity. We also briefly review the literature.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

IL-2 receptor blockade inhibits late, but not early, IFN-gamma and CD40 ligand expression in human T cells: disruption of both IL-12-dependent and -independent pathways of IFN-gamma production.

mAbs directed against the alpha-chain (Tac/CD25) of the IL-2R are an emerging therapy in both transplantation and autoimmune disease. However, the mechanisms underlying their therapeutic efficacy have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, we examined the effect of IL-2R blockade on Th1 and Th2 cytokine production from human PBMC. Addition of a humanized anti-Tac Ab (HAT) to activated PBMC cultures inhibited IFN-gamma production from CD4 and CD8 T cells by 80-90%. HAT partially inhibited production of TNF-alpha and completely inhibited production of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10. Furthermore, IL-12, a central regulatory cytokine that induces IFN-gamma, was undetectable in treated cultures. As T cell-dependent induction of IL-12 is regulated via CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) interactions, we examined the effect of HAT on CD40L expression. We found CD40L expression to be biphasic with an early (6 h) peak that is CD28/IL-2-independent, but a later peak (48 h) being CD28/IL-2-dependent and inhibited by HAT. Similarly, IFN-gamma production at 6 h was CD28/IL-2-independent but CD28/IL-2-dependent and inhibited by HAT at 48 h. Nonetheless, addition of rCD40L or exogenous IL-12 to HAT-treated cultures could not restore IFN-gamma production. The IFN-gamma deficit in such cultures appears to be due to a direct inhibition by HAT of IL-12-independent IFN-gamma production from T cells rather than altered expression of either the IL-12Rbeta1 or IL-12Rbeta2 chains. These data demonstrate that IL-2 plays a critical role in the regulation of Th1 and Th2 responses and impacts both IL-12-dependent and -independent IFN-gamma production.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗