PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “immune modulation”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 505 records · Page 28Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Broad modulation of tissue responses (immune activation) by celacade may favorably influence pathologic processes associated with heart failure progression.

Immune activation and inflammation contribute to the progression of chronic heart failure (CHF), but therapeutic approaches directed against these processes have been largely unsuccessful. This clinical study evaluated a novel, nonpharmacologic immune modulation therapy, shown experimentally to reduce inflammatory and increase anti-inflammatory cytokines. A total of 75 patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV CHF were randomized to receive either Celacade (immune modulation therapy) or placebo (n = 38 and n = 37, respectively) in a double-blind trial for 6 months, during which standard therapy for CHF was maintained. Patients were evaluated using the 6-minute walk test, changes in NYHA class, cardiac function, and quality-of-life assessments, and were observed for the occurrence of death and hospitalization. There was no between-treatment difference in the 6-minute walk test results, but 15 Celacade-treated patients (compared with 9 placebo-treated patients) improved NYHA classification by > or = 1 class (p = 0.140). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that Celacade significantly reduced the risk of death (p = 0.022) and hospitalization (p = 0.008). Analysis of a clinical composite score demonstrated a significant between-group difference (p = 0.006). There was no difference in left ventricular ejection fraction between groups, but there was a trend toward improved quality of life favoring the Celacade-treated group (p = 0.110). These preliminary findings are consistent with the hypothesis that immune activation is important in the pathogenesis of CHF, and they establish the basis for a phase 3 trial to define the benefit of Celacade in CHF.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Modulation of antitumor immune responses by hematopoietic cytokines.

BACKGROUND: Advances in immunotherapy for the treatment of patients with malignant disease have led to increasingly successful use of these methods in the clinical setting. This review presents findings from recent studies that have explored improved methods for the presentation of tumor-associated antigens and for the restoration of tumor specific immune responses using cytokine therapy. METHODS: A review of human clinical trial research on immune cytokines from 1995 (MEDLINE) to the present was conducted. Particular attention was focused on articles that reported results from Phase II or later clinical studies in patients with malignant disease. RESULTS: The defects in cellular immunity commonly seen in patients with malignancies often are expressed as tumor specific anergy. Reversing patient tolerance to tumor antigens may be accomplished by treatment with immunoregulatory cytokines, such as Flt-3 and granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor, that mature and activate dendritic cells. Published clinical studies indicate that granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor stimulates antigen-presenting cells and has promising antitumor activity as an adjunct or as stand-alone therapy for patients with malignant disease, including leukemia, melanoma, breast carcinoma, prostate carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Immune-modulating cytokines may be used alone or in combination with other treatments to help restore immune function, improve response to tumor-associated antigens, and reduce the toxic effects of standard antitumor therapies. The evolving understanding of how dendritic cells regulate immune responses and promising results from published studies of immune-enhancing cytokines in the treatment of patients with malignant disease support the conduct of randomized clinical trials to confirm the clinical benefit of these immunotherapeutic strategies.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMed2004

Modulation of adaptive immune responses by sphingosine-1-phosphate.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has long been recognized as a mediator of a variety of cell functions. A growing body of evidence has accumulated demonstrating its role in cell migration and as a mediator of growth factor-induced events. In recent years, it has become apparent that S1P also mediates many cytokine and chemokine functions. Cells of the immune system function and migrate in response to a complex network of cytokines and chemokines, and the outcome is determined by the interplay of the effects of these molecules on the target cell. S1P may be a bona fide component of these networks and influence the responses of cells to these immune modulators.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Modulation of Immune Functions by Foods.

Evidence is rapidly accumulating as to the beneficial effects of foods. However, it is not always clear whether the information is based on data evaluated impartially in a scientific fashion. Human research into whether foods modulate immune functions in either intervention studies or randomized controlled trials can be classified into three categories according to the physical state of subjects enrolled for investigation: (i) studies examining the effect of foods in healthy individuals; (ii) studies analyzing the effect of foods on patients with hypersensitivity; and (iii) studies checking the effect of foods on immunocompromized subjects, including patients who had undergone surgical resection of cancer and newborns. The systematization of reported studies has made it reasonable to conclude that foods are able to modulate immune functions manifesting as either innate immunity (phagocytic activity, NK cell activity) or acquired immunity (T cell response, antibody production). Moreover, improvement of immune functions by foods can normalize the physical state of allergic patients or cancer patients, and may reduce the risk of diseases in healthy individuals. Therefore, it is valuable to assess the immune-modulating abilities of foods by measuring at least one parameter of either innate or acquired immunity.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Natural health products, modulation of immune function and prevention of chronic diseases.

The immune system is increasingly found to be involved in the development of several chronic illnesses, for which allopathic medicine has provided limited tools for treatment and especially prevention. In that context, it appears worthwhile to target the immune system in order to modulate the risk of certain chronic illnesses. Meanwhile, natural health products (NHPs) are generating renewed interest, particularly in the prevention and treatment of several chronic diseases. Over 20 scientists from fields related to immune function and NHPs were thus convened to establish the state of knowledge on these subjects and to explore future research directions. This review summarizes the result of discussions held during the symposium. It thus seeks to be thought provoking rather than to comprehensively cover such broad areas of research. Notably, a brief overview of the immune system is presented, including potentially useful targets and strategies to keep it in an equilibrated state, in order to prevent certain disorders. The pertinence and limitations of targeting the immune system to prevent chronic diseases is also discussed. The paper then discusses the usefulness and limitations of current experimental tools available to study the immune modulating effects of NHPs. Finally, a concise review of some of the most studied NHPs showing promising immunomodulatory activity is given, and avenues for future research are described.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

VIP modulation of immune cell functions.

Neuropeptides have recently been shown to modulate the immune response. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) released from nerve endings and from immune cells modulates the mobility and adherence of lymphocytes and macrophages, phagocytic cell functions (phagocytosis and free radical production), the lymphocyte proliferative response, lymphokine and immunoglobulin production and the natural killer cell activity, with opposite effects in vitro on these immune cell functions. The VIP receptor heterogeneity and the different action mechanisms of VIP-mediated immunoregulation could explain, at least in part, the different VIP effects observed on lymphoid and phagocytic cells. The evidence supports the theory that VIP acts not as an inhibitor, but as a modulator of immune functions, as previously thought, and that this neuropeptide may play a relevant role in vivo.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1986

The effects of derivatives of histamine on natural suppressor cells.

Histamine is an impressive modulator of immune functions at least via its effects on lymphoid cells. Its in vivo effects will not be used practically as long as they produce the profound cardiovascular and pulmonary effects for which the drug is known. A series of 13 congener derivatives and conjugates of histamine was constructed and was tested to investigate whether chemical alterations would result in pharmacologic actions on leukocytes that were more potent and effect specific than histamine. The new compounds, which contained spacer groups of varying lengths between ligand and carrier and with various aromatic modifying groups, showed potencies widely different from histamine when tested in natural suppressor cells. Some compounds showed selective effects on natural suppressor cells in that they were inactive on myocardial tissue, whereas other compounds were selectively active on the myocardium. Some compounds augmented the suppressive capacity of natural suppressor cells in mixed leukocyte reactions via H1 receptors. Our scheme might be more widely extrapolated to other low m.w. immune modulators in an attempt to make them lymphocyte specific. The data also encourage the in vivo testing of selected histamine analogues as selective modulators of immunity. Some of these modulators might be experimentally useful in vivo because they may lack actions in other tissues.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed2006

The endogenous immune response modulates the course of IgA-immune complex mediated nephropathy.

In animal models of IgA nephropathy, the inevitable endogenous immune response to passively administered antigens alone or in complex with specific IgA mask the exact role each might play in pathogenesis. To delineate the role the immune response might play, we have developed a passive model with exclusive IgA-immune complex-mediated nephropathy in B-cell-deficient (BCD) mice. Glomerular IgA immune deposits were induced by administration of purified IgA antiphosphorylcholine and the specific pneumococcal C-polysaccharide (PnC) antigen daily for 2 weeks into BCD and wild-type (WT) mice. In BCD mice IgA+PnC deposits induced severe glomerular injury and renal dysfunction. In contrast, WT mice developed intense glomerular IgG and IgM and C3 co-deposits of the IgA+PnC with significantly less renal injury. Cytofluorometric analysis revealed that PnC induced in BCD, but not in WT, a rapid and dramatic increase in number of activated CD3(+)/CD69(+) T-cell population. The nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) transcription factor was activated early and progressively increased in response to glomerular IgA+PnC deposits. These results suggest that nephritogenic IgA+PnC immune deposits induce glomerular and renal dysfunction through activation of the NF-kappaB. This inflammatory pathway is modulated by the endogenous cellular and antibody response to the antigen affecting the course of IgA nephropathy progression.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Modulation of CpG oligodeoxynucleotide-mediated immune stimulation by locked nucleic acid (LNA).

Locked nucleic acid (LNA) is an RNA derivative that when introduced into oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN), mediates high efficacy and stability. CpG ODNs are potent immune stimulators and are recognized by toll-like receptor-9 (TLR9). Some phosphorothioate antisense ODNs bearing CpG dinucleotides have been shown to possess immune modulatory capacities. We investigated the effects of LNA substitutions on immune stimulation mediated by antisense ODN G3139 or CpG ODN 2006. LNA ODNs were tested for their ability to stimulate cytokine secretion from human immune cells or TLR9-dependent signaling. Phosphorothioate chimeric LNA/DNA antisense ODNs with phosphodiester-linked LNA nucleobases at both ends showed a marked decrease of immune modulation with an increasing number of 3' and 5' LNA bases. In addition, guanosine-LNA and cytosine-LNA or simply cytosine-LNA substitutions in the CpG dinucleotides of ODN 2006 led to strong decrease or near complete loss of immune modulation. TLR9-mediated signaling was similarly affected. These data indicate that increasing amounts of LNA residues in the flanks or substitutions of CpG nucleobases with LNA reduce or eliminate the immune stimulatory effects of CpG-containing phosphorothioate ODN.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1999

The primary immunity determinant in modulating the lysogenic immunity of the filamentous bacteriophage cf.

Bacteriophage cf is the first single-stranded DNA phage that has been shown to set up a stable lysogenic state with its genome integrated into the host chromosome. From the isolation and characterization of a virulent mutant, cf-tv2, we report the first investigation into the mechanisms of the immunity established by the filamentous bacteriophage. The mutation in cf-tv2 enables the phage to produce plaques on lawns of cf lysogenic cells. The mutation was defined as a 49-nucleotide deletion located in a 0.59 kb NcoI/KpnI fragment of cf replicative form DNA. Two messages, cM1 and cM2, transcribed from the immunity region of wild-type cf but in opposite directions, were detected. In cf-tv2, the 49-nucleotide deletion abolishes cM2 transcription. The primer extension assay suggests a possible RNA-RNA interaction directed by base-pairing of the cM1 and cM2 RNAs. A frameshift mutation of the open reading frame ORF 165, encoded by cM2, resulted in a 10(5) plating efficiency on the cf lysogen. These observations suggest that both RNA-RNA interaction and repressor protein inhibition are involved in the mechanism of cf immunity. A model is proposed for the regulation of cf immunity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

C-reactive protein: an activator of innate immunity and a modulator of adaptive immunity.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase serum protein and a member of the pentraxin protein family. Its host defense functions predate the adaptive immune system by millions of years. Our current understanding of CRP interactions with complement and with Fcgamma receptors (FcgammaR) have led to an increased appreciation of the regulatory role of CRP in inflammation and autoimmunity. This review outlines the role of CRP in infection, inflammation, and autoimmune disease. We provide a description of recent studies, which suggest that CRP acts through FcgammaR to reduce inflammation and protect from certain autoimmune diseases. A general description of the proposed function of CRP is provided as a framework for future investigation.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2002

Relevance of dietary lipids as modulators of immune functions in cells infected with Listeria monocytogenes.

Nutritional status may have significant importance for the immune system, and particularly, unsaturated fatty acids may serve as modulators of immune functions. Clinical and epidemiological studies have demonstrated that fatty acids are involved in the reduction of the inflammatory processes that occur in diseases characterized by an overactivation of the immune system. At the same time, an increase in susceptibility to infection has also been reported. The importance of immune system modulation by dietary lipids in the presence of an intracellular bacterial pathogen, such as Listeria monocytogenes, was evaluated in the present study. BALB/c mice were divided into four groups which were each fed a low-fat (2.5% by weight) diet, an olive oil (OO; 20% by weight) diet, a fish oil (FO; 20% by weight) diet, or a hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO; 20% by weight) diet for 4 weeks. In each group, lymphocye proliferation was measured, and a reduction in the stimulation index was observed in the FO and HCO groups. Cytotoxicity exerted by L. monocytogenes was increased in the groups fed diets containing OO and FO after 6 h of incubation with the bacterium. An important increase in the production of reactive oxygen species was found in the groups fed the HCO diet after 12 h of incubation with L. monocytogenes. Finally, invasion and adhesion factors were not modified substantially by the action of dietary lipids, although these factors were reduced in cells from mice fed an FO diet. These results underline the importance of several dietary lipids as biological modulators of immune functions and their crucial role in the alteration of host natural resistance.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

[Mechanism of tonifying kidney and removing blood stasis recipe in modulation of immune senescence].

This experiment was from 3 aspects to study the relationship between modulating immune senescence and the improvement of free radical metabolism by the recipe of Baweidankun decoction (BWDKD). The results showed that the production of IL-2 decreased, the content of LPO increased and the activity of catalase (CAT) declined in old mice. After medication of BWDKD the above-mentioned indices were modulated. The ozone inhaled mice revealed similar changes of aging in the above indices. After BWDKD administration, the content of LPO decreased, meanwhile, the activity of CAT and IL-2 were strengthened and showed linear correlation. It was discovered that the production of IL-2 decreased significantly after adding H2O2 into the culture of splenic lymphocytes, but when BWDKD was added simultaneously, the IL-2 production was restored to the level of control group, in which no H2O2 was added. The results suggested that the modulating effect of BWDKD on immune senescence was closely related with the improvement of free radical metabolism, and it provided a partial evidence for the viewpoint of "Vitality deficiency with blood stasis is the principal mechanism of senescence".

Aging↗
PubMed2006

Modulation of the infant immune responses by the first pertussis vaccine administrations.

Many efforts are currently made to prepare combined vaccines against most infectious pathogens, that may be administered early in life to protect infants against infectious diseases as early as possible. However, little is known about the general immune modulation induced by early vaccination. Here, we have analyzed the cytokine secretion profiles of two groups of 6-month-old infants having received as primary immunization either a whole-cell (Pw) or an acellular (Pa) pertussis vaccine in a tetravalent formulation of pertussis-tetanus-diphtheria-poliomyelitis vaccines. Both groups of infants secreted IFN-gamma in response to the Bordetella pertussis antigens filamentous haemagglutinin and pertussis toxin, and this response was correlated with antigen-specific IL-12p70 secretion, indicating that both pertussis vaccines induced Th1 cytokines. However, Pa recipients also developed a strong Th2-type cytokine response to the B. pertussis antigens, as noted previously. In addition, they induced Th2-type cytokines to the co-administrated antigen tetanus toxoïd, as well as to the food antigen beta-lactoglobulin. Furthermore, the general cytokine profile of the Pa recipients was strongly Th2-skewed at 6 months, as indicated by the cytokines induced by the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin. These data demonstrate that the cytokine profile of 6-month-old infants is influenced by the type of formulation of the pertussis vaccine they received at 2, 3 and 4 months of life. Large prospective studies would be warranted to evaluate the possible long-term consequences of this early modulation of the cytokine responses in infants.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗
PubMed2001

Composite effects of group drumming music therapy on modulation of neuroendocrine-immune parameters in normal subjects.

CONTEXT: Drum circles have been part of healing rituals in many cultures throughout the world since antiquity. Although drum circles are gaining increased interest as a complementary therapeutic strategy in the traditional medical arena, limited scientific data documenting biological benefits associated with percussion activities exist. OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of group-drumming music therapy as a composite activity with potential for alteration of stress-related hormones and enhancement of specific immunologic measures associated with natural killer cell activity and cell-mediated immunity. DESIGN: A single trial experimental intervention with control groups. SETTING: The Mind-Body Wellness Center, an outpatient medical facility in Meadville, Pa. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 111 age- and sex-matched volunteer subjects (55 men and 56 women, with a mean age of 30.4 years) were recruited. INTERVENTION: Six preliminary supervised groups were studied using various control and experimental paradigms designed to separate drumming components for the ultimate determination of a single experimental model, including 2 control groups (resting and listening) as well as 4 group-drumming experimental models (basic, impact, shamanic, and composite). The composite drumming group using a music therapy protocol was selected based on preliminary statistical analysis, which demonstrated immune modulation in a direction opposite to that expected with the classical stress response. The final experimental design included the original composite drumming group plus 50 additional age- and sex-matched volunteer subjects who were randomly assigned to participate in group drumming or control sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pre- and postintervention measurements of plasma cortisol, plasma dehydroepiandrosterone, plasma dehydroepiandrosterone-to-cortisol ratio, natural killer cell activity, lymphokine-activated killer cell activity, plasma interleukin-2, plasma interferon-gamma, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory II. RESULTS: Group drumming resulted in increased dehydroepiandrosterone-to-cortisol ratios, increased natural killer cell activity, and increased lymphokine-activated killer cell activity without alteration in plasma interleukin 2 or interferon-gamma, or in the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory II. CONCLUSIONS: Drumming is a complex composite intervention with the potential to modulate specific neuroendocrine and neuroimmune parameters in a direction opposite to that expected with the classic stress response.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Modulation of immune responses in Balb/c mice vaccinated with Brucella abortus Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase synthetic peptide vaccine.

Three peptides, peptide 1 (GGDNYSDKPEPLGG), peptide 2 (LAEIKQRSLMVHGG) and peptide 3 (GGAPGEKDGKIVPAG), were synthesized based on the amino acid sequence of Brucella abortus Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase. These peptides were selected on the basis of their predicted hydrophilicity, flexibility and antigenicity profiles. The three peptides, singly or in combination, with or without the adjuvant monophosphoryl lipid A were administered to Balb/c mice as vaccines for brucellosis. The protective and immune responses induced by the peptide vaccines after challenge exposure to virulent B. abortus strain 2308 were compared to those obtained with salt-extractable proteins (BCSP) vaccine prepared from B. abortus strain 19, recombinant B. abortus Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (rSOD) vaccine and non-vaccinated mice. Mice vaccinated with 30 micrograms of peptide 3 plus 50 micrograms monophosphoryl lipid A afforded two logs of protection (reduction in log10 colony-forming units compared with control mice) and one log of protection when given without monophosphoryl lipid A, whereas 5 micrograms of the salt-extractable proteins afforded three logs of protection. The rSOD and peptides 1 and 2 given with or without monophosphoryl lipid A afforded no protection. Superoxide dismutase-specific IgG antibody was present in postchallenge sera only if BCSP was present in the vaccine. Peptide-specific IgG antibodies were present in postchallenge sera of mice, and antibody concentrations were generally enhanced when monophosphoryl lipid A was included in the vaccine. The overall results with the peptide vaccines suggest that peptide 3 probably contains a specific sequence preferentially recognized by the cellular immune system leading to modulation of immune response mechanisms responsible for decreasing splenic infection.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Modulating specific priming of immune effector functions by DNA-based vaccination strategies.

We have used the hepatitis B virus system in mice to investigate under which conditions the different DNA delivery techniques used in DNA vaccination introduce a T2 or T1 bias into the responses they elicit. Priming mice by an intramuscular injection of 100 microg plasmid DNA stimulated long-lasting T1 immune responses that included specific activation of potent MHC-1-restricted CTL responses. In contrast, priming mice with an intradermal injection of a low dose of plasmid DNA (0.1-1 microg/mouse) stimulated long-lasting T2 immune responses but no CTL responses. This polarization (spectrum of immune effector specificities) of immune responses elicited by plasmid DNA vaccines is determined by different factors, e.g. (i) the vaccination technique used; (ii) the age of the immunized animal; (iii) the condition of the local tissue environment to which DNA is delivered; (iv) the co delivery of immune-modulating factors; and (v) the type of antigen encoded by the plasmid DNA vaccine. DNA vaccination offers the possibility of constructing endogenous, chimaeric antigens with enhanced, hsp-facilitated expression, enhanced immunogenicity for B cells, and alternative, TAP-independent processing for MHC-1 restricted peptide presentation.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗