PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Immune cell subtypes”

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 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Roles of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in adjuvant activity of diesel exhaust particles in mice.

Through an imbalance in Th1 and Th2 cytokine profiles, diesel exhaust particles (DEP) are thought to induce Th2-dominated IgE and IgG1 production. However, the roles of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subtypes in the increased immune responses to antigen in mice exposed to DEP are unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether treatment with anti-CD4 or anti-CD8 mAb abrogated the adjuvant activity of DEP. On day -1 and day 1, each group of mice was injected intraperitoneally with anti-CD4, anti-CD8, or rat IgG (vehicle). On day 0, the mice were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) or OVA plus DEP. After 3 weeks, each mouse was boosted with 10 microg of OVA alone. On day 7 after the first injection with OVA+DEP or OVA alone, the numbers of total, IA+, CD80+/IA+ and CD86+/IA+ cells in peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) were higher in OVA+DEP-immunized mice than in OVA-immunized mice. Depletion of CD8+ cells resulted in a modulation of the production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-12 and PGE(2) in peritoneal exudate fluid from OVA+DEP-immunized mice. On day 28, DEP injection markedly increased IL-4 production in the culture supernatants of spleen cells from CD4+ or CD8+-depleted mice. Depletion of CD8+ cells in OVA+DEP-immunized mice resulted in a decrease in IFN-gamma production compared with that in OVA-immunized mice. Adjuvant activity of DEP was observed in anti-OVA IgE, anti-OVA IgG1, anti-OVA IgG3, and total IgE production. Depletion of CD4+ T cells abrogated the adjuvant effect of DEP on anti-OVA IgE, and anti-OVA IgG1 production in plasma. However, depletion of CD8+ T cell inhibited the upregulated anti-OVA IgG3 production. These findings suggest that DEP injection may affect not only the function of CD4+ cells but also that of CD8+ T-cell subsets to modulate the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokine in PEC and type-1 and type-2 cytokine production in spleens.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Recovery from a viral respiratory tract infection. IV. Specificity of protection by cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Immune spleen cells enhanced for influenza-specific cytotoxic activity after exposure to virus-infected stimulator cells in vitro effect recovery when transferred to nude and immunocompetent mice with influenza pneumonia (5). This protective effect correlated with the virus-specific cytotoxic activity of the transferred lymphocytes and is removed by treatment with anti-0 serum and complement. The experiments presented here indicate that spleen cells taken directly from mice undergoing a primary or secondary infection are less protective than immune spleen cells that are restimulated in vitro before transfer. This decreased ability to clear pulmonary virus and effect survival correlated with their relatively lower levels of influenza-specific cytotoxicity. Protection did not correlate with the level of natural killer cell activity of transferred cells. The results also indicate the immune spleen cells that are protective are influenza A subtype cross-reactive and are H-2-restricted; H-2d immune spleen cells effected recovery of H-2d but not H-2k challenged mice.

Animals↗

A regulatory role for interleukin 4 in differential inflammatory responses in the lung following infection of mice primed with Th1- or Th2-inducing pertussis vaccines.

Protection against infectious pathogens at mucosal surfaces is dependent on local antibody responses, production of inflammatory mediators, and recruitment of immune effector cells to the site of infection. Since Th1 and Th2 cells produce cytokines with pro- and anti-inflammatory activities, immunization with vaccines that induce these T-cell subtypes may regulate the subsequent inflammatory response to infection. We have demonstrated that immunization of mice with pertussis whole-cell or acellular vaccines (Pw or Pa) selectively induces Th1 and Th2 cells, respectively. In this study we have used a murine respiratory-infection model to demonstrate that priming with a Th1- or Th2-inducing pertussis vaccine can influence the local inflammatory response and immune effector cells in the lung following aerosol challenge with Bordetella pertussis. Analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid taken during the course of B. pertussis infection of naïve mice or mice immunized with Pw revealed an early influx of neutrophils and local production of interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) in the lungs. In contrast, neutrophil infiltration and IL-1beta production were not observed following challenge of mice immunized with the Th2-inducing Pa. Conversely, during infection local production of IL-6 and IL-1ra was significantly greater in mice immunized with Pa than in those immunized with Pw. Studies of knockout mice revealed neutrophil and lymphocyte infiltration in the lungs following B. pertussis infection of IL-4-defective (IL-4(-/-)) mice but not in wild-type mice immunized with Pa. Furthermore, the levels of IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-1ra in Pa-immunized IL-4(-/-) mice were comparable to those in mice immunized with Pw. These results demonstrate distinct influences of Th1- and Th2-inducing vaccines on the protective inflammatory responses in the lungs following challenge with B. pertussis and implicate IL-4 as an important regulator of inflammatory-cell recruitment.

Animals↗

Molecular aspects of cannabinoid receptors.

Two cannabinoid receptors are reviewed with regard to their primary structure, ligand-binding properties, and signal transduction systems. Both receptors have been cloned; therefore, the expression of their genes and the functional domains within the proteins can be examined. Binding of tritiated agonists has localized these receptors to the central nervous and immune systems. The CBI receptor is predominantly expressed in brain tissues and is found in both glial elements and neurons; subcellular localization to axons and terminals is evident. This receptor is found in motor, limbic, associative, cognitive, sensory, and autonomic brain structures. CBI receptors modulate the activities of calcium and potassium channels. The CB2 receptor is predominantly expressed in the immune system and is found in spleen, tonsils, thymus, mast cells, and blood cells. Although receptors appear to be involved in cannabimimetic-induced modulation of immune cell function, the receptor subtype that is principally involved in specific effects is difficult to determine because both receptors are often coexpressed in the same cells. Cannabimimetic-induced effects on mast cells and B cells appear, however, to be mediated by CB2 receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Neuropeptide mimetics and antagonists in the treatment of inflammatory disease: focus on VIP and PACAP.

Corticosteroids are the mainstay treatment for most severe inflammatory disorders. Due to the considerable toxicity associated with their long-term use, there is a great need for alternative treatments. Recently, two closely related neuropeptides with potent neuromodulatory activities, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylyl cyclase activating peptide (PACAP) have emerged as candidate molecules for the treatment of such pathologies. These peptides act primarily on three high affinity receptor subtypes expressed on multiple immune cell types, and orchestrate a cytokine response that is primarily anti-inflammatory. In this regard, systemic treatment with these peptides has been shown to greatly reduce the clinical symptoms and alter the pathogenic and cytokine profiles in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, septic shock, and multiple sclerosis. Likewise, VIP and PACAP receptor knockout and overexpressing mice show altered immune responses in different models. We review here data demonstrating the potential effectiveness of these peptides in immune disorders, discuss receptor pharmacology and signaling pathways, describe the development of receptor specific agonists and antagonists, and discuss pharmaceutical considerations relevant to the specific delivery of analogs to the appropriate targets.

Animals↗

Pathology with clinical correlations of primary central nervous system non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The Massachusetts General Hospital experience 1958-1989.

BACKGROUND: Primary central nervous system non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL-CNS) is an enigmatic disease of uncertain origin. At the Massachusetts General Hospital, 104 patients with NHL-CNS were seen from 1958 through 1989. An impression of changes in the frequency of diagnosis, character of the tumors, and therapy for this disease prompted this study of the pathologic features, clinical data, and natural history of this tumor in these 104 patients. METHODS: Histologic slides (neurosurgical specimens and autopsy tissues) were available for 99 patients. The tumors were classified by the Working Formulation classification. Immunostaining data and all clinical data were retrieved from the relevant offices and hospital charts. RESULTS: Primary central nervous system non-Hodgkin's lymphoma tripled in frequency (5.66 cases per year in 1978-89 versus 1.75 cases per year in 1958-77) and now represents 6.6% of all primary brain neoplasms (versus 3.3% before 1978; chi 2 = 17.52, P < 0.01). For the 99 tumors histologically classified, 89% were high grade. Intermediate grade lymphomas, once the second most common subtype, have disappeared since 1983. All tumors had diffuse architecture; 77% (including all 11 patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome) were large cell subtypes. Two cases were intravascular lymphoma. With one exception, all of the 41 tumors evaluated were B-cell types; 32 of 40 had monotypic surface immunoglobulin. There was 1 T-cell lymphoma. Of 64 tumor recurrences, 29 were at the initially defined site; 12 were in the leptomeninges, 29 were in other sites in the neuraxis, and 8 were in systemic sites. Systemic metastases have not occurred since 1984. Median survival for the 68 patients who survived after diagnostic surgery and for whom follow-up information could be obtained was 19 months; 9 months for those with high grade tumors and 30.5 months for those with intermediate grade tumors. This difference was not significant (P = 0.13). A separate set of seven patients had focal tumorlike lymphoid infiltrates composed of benign-appearing lymphocytes, which were associated with good long term survival. The differential histologic diagnosis of NHL-CNS was occasionally difficult, and the spectrum of this differential was broader than generally stated. CONCLUSIONS: Primary central nervous system non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has increased in frequency even in nonimunocompromised patient populations. This increase has been accompanied by the disappearance of intermediate grade histologic types, suggesting a fundamental shift in the biology of the neoplasms. The introduction of chemotherapeutic regimens appears to have altered the natural history such that systemic metastases outside the central nervous system no longer occur, and there are now some long term survivors of this formerly uniformly fatal disease.

Brain Neoplasms↗

Integrative evidence-knowledge marker selection enhances LLM-based cell type annotation in single-cell RNA-seq analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cell type annotation is essential for gaining biological insight from single-cell RNA sequencing data, yet manual labeling remains time-consuming and difficult to reproduce. Various computational approaches have been developed to automate this process, and recent studies suggest that large language models can infer cell types with promising accuracy in single-cell analysis. However, most workflows still rely on cluster-specific markers derived from gene expression alone or manual curation. As a result, marker selection can be sensitive to statistical criteria and dataset-dependent bias, which may lead to the selection of less informative genes or missing important markers, while providing limited biological context. RESULTS: To address this limitation, we introduce CELLIA, an LLM-based workflow for automated and robust cell type annotation. CELLIA employs an integrative evidence-knowledge marker selection strategy that combines statistical differential expression criteria with curated tissue-specific marker resources to identify informative marker genes. In benchmarking analyses of 102 cell types, this approach improved agreement with manual annotations. In addition, CELLIA achieved higher agreement in subtype-level analyses of closely related immune populations and was further evaluated in a non-immune stromal subtype setting, covering 25 cell types in total. CONCLUSION: By integrating evidence-knowledge from gene expression with curated biological prior knowledge, CELLIA provides a more stable marker selection and improves the reliability of LLM-cell type annotation.

Cell type annotation↗

Renal-cell carcinoma: tumour markers, T-cell epitopes, and potential for new therapies.

Advanced renal-cell carcinoma is a very difficult tumour to treat, and response rates to biological therapies are less than 20%. The identification of various molecular and cellular markers has led to the development of novel therapies. Despite evaluation of their association with histological subtype, immune infiltration, molecular markers of cell proliferation, p53 mutation, and growth-factor-receptor expression, none of these markers has proved better predictive factors than tumour stage and histological grade. The identification of tumour-associated antigens and the specificity of cellular immune responses have led to the development of targeted immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, radioimmunotherapy, and T-cell therapies. In this review, we evaluate a range of markers associated with renal-cell carcinoma and new treatment approaches based on tumour-associated antigens and, in particular, T-cell epitopes.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗

Receptor regulation in neuroendocrine-immune communication: current knowledge and future perspectives.

Immune cells express receptors for every hormone or neurotransmitter we know so far. The neuroendocrine system signals to the immune system via the release of hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate cellular activity via these receptors. Much attention has been focused on the effect of glucocorticoids and catecholamines on the immune system. Glucocorticoids communicate with immune cells via glucocorticoid receptors of which the activity itself changes during immune activation. Many neuroendocrine mediators are ligands for G-protein coupled receptors on immune cells. Cytokines, oxygen-radicals, and catecholamines can influence the responsiveness of G-protein coupled receptors via decreasing the intracellular level of so-called G-protein coupled receptor kinases, of which the subtype GRK2 is highly expressed in immune cells. Therefore, changes in only one kinase can modulate the sensitivity of many receptors. We describe here that sensitivity of neuroendocrine receptors on immune cells is constantly regulated by inflammatory processes or chronic stress, which implies that not only the activity of the neuroendocrine system determines communication but that the sensitivity of receptors is a major factor in determining the final immune response. Finally, consequences of alterations in GRK2 during (neuro)-inflammatory diseases are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Association between virus-specific T-cell responses and plasma viral load in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtype C infection.

Virus-specific T-cell immune responses are important in restraint of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication and control of disease. Plasma viral load is a key determinant of disease progression and infectiousness in HIV infection. Although HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C) is the predominant virus in the AIDS epidemic worldwide, the relationship between HIV-1C-specific T-cell immune responses and plasma viral load has not been elucidated. In the present study we address (i) the association between the level of plasma viral load and virus-specific immune responses to different HIV-1C proteins and their subregions and (ii) the specifics of correlation between plasma viral load and T-cell responses within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I HLA supertypes. Virus-specific immune responses in the natural course of HIV-1C infection were analyzed in the gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-enzyme-linked immunospot assay by using synthetic overlapping peptides corresponding to the HIV-1C consensus sequence. For Gag p24, a correlation was seen between better T-cell responses and lower plasma viral load. For Nef, an opposite trend was observed where a higher T-cell response was more likely to be associated with a higher viral load. At the level of the HLA supertypes, a lower viral load was associated with higher T-cell responses to Gag p24 within the HLA A2, A24, B27, and B58 supertypes, in contrast to the absence of such a correlation within the HLA B44 supertype. The present study demonstrated differential correlations (or trends to correlation) in various HIV-1C proteins, suggesting (i) an important role of the HIV-1C Gag p24-specific immune responses in control of viremia and (ii) more rapid viral escape from immune responses to Nef with no restraint of plasma viral load. Correlations between the level of IFN-gamma-secreting T cells and viral load within the MHC class I HLA supertypes should be considered in HIV vaccine design and efficacy trials.

Gene Products, env↗

Neural-immune interface in the rat area postrema.

The area postrema functions as one interface between the immune system and the brain. Immune cells within the area postrema express immunoreactivity for the pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1beta following challenge with immune stimulants, including lipopolysaccharide (from bacterial cell walls). As a circumventricular organ, the area postrema accesses circulating immune-derived mediators, but also receives direct primary viscerosensory signals via the vagus nerve. Neurons in the area postrema contribute to central autonomic network neurocircuitry implicated in brain-mediated host defense responses. These experiments were directed toward clarifying relationships between immune cells and neurons in the area postrema, with a view toward potential mechanisms by which they may communicate. We used antisera directed toward markers indicating microglia (CR3/CD11b; OX-42), resident macrophages (CD163; ED-2), or dendritic cell-like phenotypes (major histocompability complex class II; OX-6), in area postrema sections from lipopolysaccharide-treated rats processed for light, laser scanning confocal, and electron microscopy. Lipopolysaccharide treatment induced interleukin-1beta-like immunoreactivity in immune cells that either associated with the vasculature (perivascular cells, a subtype of macrophage) or associated with neuronal elements (dendritic-like, and unknown phenotype). Electron microscopic analysis revealed that some immune cells, including interleukin-1beta-positive cells, evinced membrane apposition with neuronal elements, including dendrites and terminals, that could derive from inputs to the area postrema such as vagal sensory fibers, or intrinsic area postrema neurons. This arrangement provides an anatomical substrate by which immune cells could directly and specifically influence individual neurons in the area postrema, that may support the induction and/or maintenance of brain responses to inflammation.

Animals↗

Quantitation of group-specific a antigen in hepatitis B vaccines by anti-HBs/a monoclonal antibody.

Balb/c mice were immunized with aluminium hydroxide [alum, Al (OH)3]-adjuvanted hepatitis B (HB) vaccines of subtypes adr, ayw or adw. Spleen cells from the immune animals were fused with SP2/O cells. Eight hybridoma clones producing antibodies specific for HB surface antigen (HBsAg) were selected. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) of four clones were specific for group-specific antigen/a, and the other of four clones were specific for subtype antigen/d, y, r, or w. The anti-HBs/a mAbs were classified into three non-competitive groups. Quantitation of group-specific determinant a of HBsAg (HBsAg/a) was performed by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in which a solid phase of anti-HBs guinea-pig polyclonal antibodies (pAb), the HBsAg for testing, anti-HBs/a mouse mAb and horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated anti-mouse IgG were used. The unadsorbed HBsAg was used to establish the standard curve of HBsAg/a. The lower detection limits were 0.5 to 1 ng/ml of HBsAg. Methods of solubilization of alum were investigated to quantify HBsAg/a in adsorbed HB vaccines. The recovery rate was more than 60% if vaccines were prediluted. The recovery of HBsAg/a in HB vaccines produced by the same manufacturer showed the similar recovery rate, and the contents of HBsAg/a in adsorbed HB vaccines could be estimated by the recovery rate determined for adsorbed HB vaccines.

Animals↗

So-called inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour: a proliferative lesion of fibroblastic reticulum cells?

The term inflammatory pseudotumour was originally used in a generic fashion for any lesion which simulated a neoplastic condition at a clinical, macroscopic and microscopic level but which was thought to have an inflammatory/reactive pathogenesis. In more recent times, the term has been employed in a more restrictive sense for a mass lesion characterized microscopically by the proliferation of a spindle cell component against a heavy inflammatory infiltrate of mixed composition but usually with a predominance of mature lymphocyte and plasma cells. The spindle cell component has generally been regarded as being of mesenchymal nature and having morphological and phenotypical features consistent with fibroblasts or myofibroblasts, the latter cell being clearly preferred over the former in the more resent reports. The term inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMFT) is the one currently favoured, which proposes the myofibroblastic nature of the process. It is the purpose of this review to bring forth some evidence that the neoplastic spindle cell component of IMFT may be instead derived from the subtype of cells of the accessory immune system that have been variously called fibroblastic reticulum cells, myoid cells, and dictyocytes.

Antigen-Presenting Cells↗

Differential expression of type I adrenal steroid receptors in immune tissues is associated with tissue-specific regulation of type II receptors by aldosterone.

We examined the influence of the type I adrenal steroid receptor agonist, aldosterone, on type II adrenal steroid receptor binding in the rat spleen and thymus after adrenalectomy. In the spleen, adrenalectomy was associated with a significant up-regulation of type II receptors, which was blocked by the concurrent administration of aldosterone (1 microgram/h) via sc osmotic minipumps. Neither adrenalectomy nor aldosterone treatment altered type II receptor binding in the thymus. Despite high doses of aldosterone (10 micrograms/h), which resulted in supra-physiological blood concentrations of this hormone, there was no evidence of type II receptor decreases in spleen or thymus below receptor levels found in sham-adrenalectomized rats. The effect of aldosterone on type II receptor binding appeared to be mediated by the type I receptor, since there was no aldosterone effect on the thymus, which did not exhibit detectable levels of type I receptor binding. Moreover, there was no evidence that aldosterone competed for the type II receptor in vivo or in vitro as determined by measurements of the type II receptor dissociation constant in the spleen of adrenalectomized, aldosterone-treated animals. Since selective activation of the type I receptor occurs in the spleen under physiological conditions, these results indicate that type I receptors may play a tonic inhibitory role in type II receptor expression in immune cells which express both receptor subtypes and reside in this tissue. Furthermore, the findings suggest that there may be different mechanisms involved in the up-regulation vs. the down-regulation of type II adrenal steroid receptors, and effects mediated solely via the type I adrenal steroid receptor appear only to influence the former process.

Adrenalectomy↗

Integrative subtyping by bile acid metabolism identifies CLCA1/UGT2A3/ZG16 as markers of immune dysfunction and poor prognosis in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the primary driver of cancer-related death and illness across the world. Despite the full-scale shift of the treatment approach for some colorectal cancer patients due to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), primary resistance still poses a huge challenge to clinicians. Bile acid metabolism is involved in the pathogenesis of CRC. However, its particular function in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and its effect on prognosis and immune treatment response remain unclear. METHODS: Based on the transcriptome and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas-Colon Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-COAD) cohort, we performed unsupervised consensus clustering and classified patients into different molecular subtypes according to bile acid metabolism. We subsequently compared overall survival (OS), immune cell infiltration levels, and differentially expressed genes among the subtypes. In addition, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to identify key hub genes. Finally, the expression of these crucial hub genes was validated in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohort and independent clinical patients. RESULTS: The bile-low group showed a significant reduction in OS time (p = 0.0049). The infiltration levels of CD8+ T cells (p < 0.05) and M1 macrophages (p < 0.01) were significantly higher in the bile-low group than in the bile-high group. We identified three key genes-CLCA1, UGT2A3, and ZG16-and found that they all were downregulated in tumor tissues across the TCGA-COAD and GEO datasets, as well as in independent clinical samples. Survival analysis showed that high CLCA1 expression was significantly associated with favorable overall survival (p < 0.001), whereas UGT2A3 (p = 0.23) and ZG16 (p = 0.17) did not reach statistical significance. The three hub genes were negatively correlated with the (TIDE) score (CLCA1: R = - 0.24, p < 0.001; UGT2A3: R = - 0.15, p = 0.0022; ZG16: R = - 0.14, p = 0.0039). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that bile acid metabolism could shape the TIME via key genes CLCA1, UGT2A3, and ZG16, and subsequently modify CRC prognosis and immunotherapy responses. These genes may serve as potential prognostic indicators and mechanistic mediators linking bile acid metabolism to T-cell dysfunction, offering insights for future combination strategies targeting the metabolism-barrier-immunity axis.

CLCA1↗

Gamma delta T cell-deficient mice have a down-regulated CD8+ T cell immune response against Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection.

Gamma(delta) T cells have been reported to play an essential effector role during the early immune response against a wide variety of infectious agents. Recent studies have suggested that the gamma(delta) T cell subtype may also be important for the induction of adaptive immune response against certain microbial pathogens. In the present study, an early increase of gamma(delta) T cells during murine infection with Encephalitozoon cuniculi, an intracellular parasite, was observed. The role of gamma(delta) T cells against E. cuniculi infection was further evaluated by using gene-knockout mice. Mice lacking gamma(delta) T cells were susceptible to E. cuniculi infection at high challenge doses. The reduced resistance of delta(-/-) mice was attributed to a down-regulated CD8+ immune response. Compared with parental wild-type animals, suboptimal Ag-specific CD8+ T cell immunity against E. cuniculi infection was noted in delta(-/-) mice. The splenocytes from infected knockout mice exhibited a lower frequency of Ag-specific CD8+ T cells. Moreover, adoptive transfer of immune TCR(alpha)beta+ CD8+ cells from the delta(-/-) mice failed to protect naive CD8(-/-) mice against a lethal E. cuniculi challenge. Our studies suggest that gamma(delta) T cells, due to their ability to produce cytokines, are important for the optimal priming of CD8+ T cell immunity against E. cuniculi infection. This is the first evidence of a parasitic infection in which down-regulation of CD8+ T cell immune response in the absence of gamma(delta) T cells has been demonstrated.

Adoptive Transfer↗

Oral vaccination against tetanus: comparison of the immunogenicities of Salmonella strains expressing fragment C from the nirB and htrA promoters.

We have found the in vivo-regulated nirB promoter (PnirB) to be effective for directing expression of a number of antigens in salmonella in vivo. We wished to determine if other in vivo-regulated promoters have utility for antigen expression in salmonella and to compare the effectiveness of these promoters with that of PnirB. To this end, we have devised a scheme that allows the promoter element of the PnirB-fragment C plasmid pTETnir15 to be swapped with other promoters of interest. We demonstrate the usefulness of this system by replacing PnirB with PhtrA to create plasmid pTEThtrA1. htrA is a stress response gene that is required for virulence of salmonella in mice and survival within macrophages. Expression of fragment C in Salmonella typhimurium BRD509 (aroA aroD) harboring pTEThtrA1 (strain BRD937) correlated with growth temperature in vitro. A comparison was made of the immune responses to fragment C elicited in mice immunized orally with BRD937 or BRD847 (BRD509/pTETnir15) or subcutaneously with purified fragment C plus alhydrogel. High levels of anti-fragment C antibodies that persisted for at least 12 weeks were present in all groups of mice. Vaccination with BRD937 was the most effective means of immunization: the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and IgM anti-fragment C titers were higher in the BRD937-immunized mice throughout the duration of the study than in mice in the other groups. The kinetics of the serum anti-fragment C responses were different in different groups. The response was most rapid in the BRD937 group, with the titers almost at peak levels at 2 weeks postimmunization. Only the mice immunized with BRD937 or BRD847 developed an intestinal IgA response to fragment C. Again, the response was superior in the BRD937 group. The peak of the intestinal response was delayed with respect to the serum response. Analysis of the IgG subtype response to fragment C revealed a dominant IgG2a response in the salmonella-immunized mice, indicating a type 1 helper T-cell response to fragment C, whereas the major subtype in the group parenterally immunized with fragment C plus alhydrogel was IgG1. The IgG1/IgG2a ratio was much higher in sera of BRD937-immunized mice than in sera of BRD847-immunized mice. At 15 to 20 weeks after immunization, the mice immunized with BRD937 or BRD847 were solidly immune to tetanus toxin and salmonella. The immune responses to fragment C seen in mice immunized with BRD937 are the strongest we have observed and indicate that the htrA promoter may be very useful for expressing foreign antigens in salmonella vaccine strains.

Administration, Oral↗

Distinct spatial immune microenvironment features of different EGFR mutation subtypes in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are common in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), yet their influence on the spatial tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in early-stage disease remains unclear. We characterized the spatial TIME in 144 treatment-na&#xef;ve, early-stage LUADs using integrated genomic sequencing and multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC). Although EGFR-mutant tumors overall displayed reduced CD8&#xa0;+&#xa0;T-cell infiltration compared with EGFR-wild-type tumors, substantial heterogeneity was observed among EGFR subtypes. Specifically, L858R and rare-variant subtypes exhibited higher tumor mutational burden, greater CD8&#xa0;+&#xa0;T-cell density, and enrichment of T-cell-dominant cellular neighborhoods relative to 19del subtype, consistent with a comparatively immune-infiltrated phenotype. In contrast, 19del tumors showed lower T-cell infiltration. TP53 co-mutation was also associated with enhanced CD8&#xa0;+&#xa0;T-cell infiltration. These cross-sectional findings identify hypothesis-generating spatial immune phenotypes across EGFR-mutant LUAD subtypes; their potential relevance to perioperative treatment selection requires prospective validation in outcome-annotated treatment cohorts.

Humans↗