再循环T细胞昼夜节律现象的数学模型

根据人体和小鼠免疫细胞昼夜节律实验结果,提出皮质类激素对淋巴结和脾脏中T细胞再循环产生不同作用的假设,建立了皮质类激素作用下的T细胞在不同外周淋巴器官（淋巴结、脾脏）与血液之间再循环过程的数学模型,讨论了皮质类激素作用的强度、有关参量的取值范围和模型对参数的依赖性. 模型能够解释参与再循环的T细胞在淋巴结、脾脏与血液中的稳定振荡行为,得到的数值模拟结果与免疫系统生物节律实验结果一致.     

皮肤免疫系统功能性研究进展

皮肤作为人体最大的器官,也是人体免疫屏障的第一道防线。近期研究表明,皮肤并不是一个被动的免疫器官,它具有主动的免疫防御、免疫监视及免疫自稳功能,为皮肤免疫系统。皮肤共生微生物数量以万亿计,皮肤中T淋巴细胞数量是人体循环T细胞总量的2倍,皮肤相关疾病有1 000种以上,而皮肤中细胞成分与体液成分的互作机制十分复杂。现针对皮肤免疫系统功能进行研究成果的概述与待解问题的展望。     

淋巴细胞与免疫的关系

与免疫关系最密切的细胞,有淋巴细胞、浆细胞、单核-吞噬细胞、中性粒细胞、嗜碱粒细胞-肥大细胞和嗜酸粒细胞等,然而参与机体特异性免疫的细胞主要是淋巴细胞和吞噬细胞。本文只简单介绍淋巴细胞与免疫的关系。淋巴细胞主要存在于人体血液和淋巴器官脾、淋巴结和胸腺中。六十年代前,曾把小淋巴     

免疫功能的进化

免疫系统是由淋巴器官、淋巴细胞以及与淋巴细胞的生长、发育、分化和功能有关的各种细胞和免疫分子组成。成人的免疫器官包括骨髓、胸腺、脾、淋巴结和淋巴管等,其总量不到1公斤,但组成免疫系统的细胞数为神经系统的100倍,约一万亿(10~(12))个淋巴细胞。免疫系统实质上是一个典型的识别系统。免疫作用最基本的能力就是必须具备认识和区别异物和异体的能力。     

Notch 信号通路与淋巴细胞发育

Notch 信号通路为一广泛应用且高度保守的信号转导途径,决定多能祖细胞的分化方向,其中在共同淋巴祖细胞向 T 淋巴细胞或 B 淋巴细胞分化选择中具有决定性作用 . Notch 信号通路参与淋巴细胞的发育过程,促进 Tαβ细胞的形成、诱导处女型 T 细胞变为调节型 T 细胞、阻止 CD4+T 细胞向 Th1 类型分化,以及增加外周免疫器官边缘区 B 细胞的数量 . 在分析 Notch 蛋白结构的基础上,综合最新进展,系统阐明了 Notch 信号通路的组成、作用机制、参与的淋巴细胞发育过程以及所起的作用 .     

Notch信号通路在先天免疫和炎症中的作用

Notch信号通路是高度保守的信号传导途径,在无脊椎动物和有脊椎动物中均有表达,并在发育过程中起着至关重要的作用。在免疫系统中,Notch信号通路在中枢和外周淋巴器官调节T和B细胞的发育。已有研究报道了其在淋巴细胞发育中的作用,但在髓系的发育和功能中作用鲜为人知,尤其在急、慢性炎症中。文章将描述Notch信号通路在先天免疫和炎症反应中起关键调节作用,探讨其在炎症性疾病发病机制和治疗中的潜在作用。     

海蛇乙醇浸出物对小鼠免疫系统的影响

目的 探讨海蛇乙醇浸出物（AEBFSS）在小鼠体内、体外对免疫系统的影响。方法 体外试验：采用AEBFSS与小鼠脾细胞共孵育72h,测定T、B淋巴细胞转化功能;体内试验：采用每天灌胃给予小鼠1次AEBFSS,共6天。测定脾脏中T淋巴细胞转化功能和溶血素抗体生成水平。结果 在体外条件下低浓度AEBFSS促进T、B淋巴细胞增殖,高浓度时则作用相反;在体内条件下低浓度AEBFSS能增加B细胞生成溶血素抗体,对T细胞增殖无明显影响,高浓度则抑制T、B细胞功能。结论 AEBFSS对小鼠免疫系统有一定的双向调节作用。     

下丘脑的免疫调节作用

下丘脑与免疫系统之间有双向作用。下丘脑有免疫反应的兴奋区和抑制区。支配淋巴器官的神经纤维的一个重要功能是免疫调节,淋巴细胞表面的神经介质与激素受体是这个调节环路中的感受器与效应器。通过神经内分泌系统和自主神经系统,下丘脑在调控免疫反应的同时接受免疫系统上行的反馈信号。这表明下丘脑是免疫反应神经体液调节的中枢。     

骨髓间充质干细胞对器官移植中记忆性T细胞的影响

探讨骨髓间充质干细胞在器官移植中记忆性T淋巴细胞功能的影响。通过同种异基因皮肤移植的方法诱导CD8~+记忆性T淋巴细胞的产生,在体外应用混合淋巴增殖实验观察骨髓间充质干细胞对经过刺激后的T细胞增殖情况的影响;另一方面,通过同种异基因小鼠心脏移植模型的建立,在体内验证和观察骨髓间充质干细胞对小鼠移植器官生存寿命的影响。骨髓间充质干细胞在混合淋巴增殖实验中,可以有效抑制CD8~+记忆性T淋巴细胞的增殖能力,实验组淋巴细胞增殖指数明显低于对照组(t=4.575,p0.05);在小鼠心脏移植模型中,输注骨髓间充质干细胞后移植心脏的生存寿命明显增加,差异有统计学意义(p0.05)。骨髓间充质干细胞能够有效抑制器官移植中CD8~+记忆性T淋巴细胞的增殖,诱导免疫耐受,延长异体器官存活时间。     

人类免疫缺陷病毒感染与特异性细胞毒性T淋巴细胞反应

特异性细胞毒性T淋巴细胞是一种能直接杀伤病毒及抗细胞内感染的效应细胞,大多数细胞毒性T淋巴细胞为CD8细胞,其反应是控制人类免疫缺陷病毒感染的重要免疫反应,但细胞毒性T淋巴细胞不能完全清除人类免疫缺陷病毒,这与病毒在体内的高度变异及病毒攻击人体免疫系统导致免疫功能改变有关。     

Circadian and seasonal changes of the inducer:suppressor ratio (OKT4+:OKT8+) in venous blood of healthy adults

Circadian and seasonal variations in the T helper: T suppressor-cytotoxic ratio were investigated in peripheral blood from five healthy young men. Mononuclear cells were isolated on Ficoll-Paque gradient, then incubated with OKT4 and OKT8 monoclonal antibodies. Plasma cortisol was determined in four of these seven time series. Large interindividual differences were documented and statistically validated for the 24-hr.-means of total lymphocytes, OKT4+:OKT8+ ratio, and of plasma cortisol (both total and free). For a pooled data, a circadian rhythm was demonstrated by cosinor (p less than 0.001) for total lymphocytes (acrophase at 1.00 hr.), total plasma cortisol (acrophase at 10.30 hrs.) and free plasma cortisol (acrophase at 9.50 hrs.), but not for OKT4+:OKT8+ ratio. This index however exhibited a statistically significant circadian rhythm in April and August, but not in November. Its double-amplitude exceeded 80% of the 24-hour-mean and its acrophase was localized at 6.40 hrs. in April and at 22.30 hrs. in August. Its 24-hr-mean was higher in August as compared to April and November. The circadian rhythm in the OKT4+:OKT8+ ratio did not seem to be related to that of plasma cortisol. Both circadian and seasonal variations need to be taken into account when investigating the regulations of immune variables such as T helper: T suppressor-cytotoxic ratio.     

Alteration of circadian rhythmicity of CD3+CD4+ lymphocyte subpopulation in healthy aging

The CD4+ T helper/inducer and the CD8+ T suppressor/cytotoxic are major lymphocyte subsets that play a key role in cell-mediated immunity. Aging-related changes of immune function have been demonstrated. The purpose of this study is to analyze the dynamics of variation of these specific lymphocyte subsets in the elderly. In our study cortisol and melatonin serum levels were measured and lymphocyte subpopulation analyses were performed on blood samples collected every four hours for 24 hours from fifteen healthy young middle-aged subjects (age range 36-55 years) and fifteen healthy elderly male subjects (age range 67-79 years). A clear circadian rhythm was validated for the time-qualified changes of CD3+ and CD4+ cells with acrophase at night and for the time-qualified changes of CD8+ cells with acrophase at noon in young middle-aged subjects and for the time-qualified changes of CD3+ cells with acrophase at night and for the time-qualified changes of CD8+ cells with acrophase at noon in elderly subjects. No clear circadian rhythm was validated for the time-qualified changes of CD4+ cells in elderly subjects. No statistically significant correlation among lymphocyte subsets was found in elderly subjects. In elderly subjects CD3+ lymphocyte percentage was higher in the photoperiod and in the scotoperiod and cortisol serum level were higher in the scotoperiod in respect to young middle-aged subjects. In the elderly there is an alteration of circadian rhythmicity of T helper/inducer lymphocytes and this phenomenon might contribute to the aging-related changes of immune responses.     

Assessing Mathematical Models of Influenza Infections Using Features of the Immune Response

The role of the host immune response in determining the severity and duration of an influenza infection is still unclear. In order to identify severity factors and more accurately predict the course of an influenza infection within a human host, an understanding of the impact of host factors on the infection process is required. Despite the lack of sufficiently diverse experimental data describing the time course of the various immune response components, published mathematical models were constructed from limited human or animal data using various strategies and simplifying assumptions. To assess the validity of these models, we assemble previously published experimental data of the dynamics and role of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, antibodies, and interferon and determined qualitative key features of their effect that should be captured by mathematical models. We test these existing models by confronting them with experimental data and find that no single model agrees completely with the variety of influenza viral kinetics responses observed experimentally when various immune response components are suppressed. Our analysis highlights the strong and weak points of each mathematical model and highlights areas where additional experimental data could elucidate specific mechanisms, constrain model design, and complete our understanding of the immune response to influenza.     

Recognition of EBV plasma membrane protein expressed on murine cells after gene transfer

The immune response to B lymphocytes infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) prevents their overgrowth in normal humans. A murine model is now described for analyzing the T cell immune response to Epstein-Barr virus genes expressed in murine lymphoblasts by gene transfer. In mice, a 60,000 dalton virus-encoded protein characteristically found in the plasma membrane of latently infected human lymphocytes readily induces both proliferative and cytolytic T lymphocytes specific for both the EBV protein and murine major histocompatibility proteins. Longterm cultures of L3T4+ cells, some of which were cytolytic, were found to be restricted by H-2I-Ed and the latent membrane protein. Similarly, Lyt-2+ cells were cytolytic and were restricted by H-2Ld and the lymphocyte membrane protein gene product. The similarity in murine and human effector cell responses suggests that this is a useful experimental model, and the EBV latent infection membrane protein may be an important antigen in the immune restriction of growth transformed latently infected lymphocytes.     

A stochastic model for CD8(+)T cell dynamics in human immunosenescence: implications for survival and longevity.

We propose here a stochastic model for the CD 8(+)T lymphocyte dynamics on the long time-scale of the human lifespan. Our purpose has been to test the hypothesis, recently proposed on the basis of our experimental data (Fagnoni et al., 2000), that the depletion of virgin CD8(+)T lymphocytes can be considered a reliable biomarker related to the risk of death. This hypothesis is embedded in a more general theory of immunosenescence according to which the accumulation of antigen experienced (AE) T cells and the concomitant exhaustion of antigen non-experienced (ANE) T cells with age, mostly due to the chronic lifelong exposure to antigens, is a major characteristic of the remodeling of the human immune system with age. In our model we considered a deterministic balance of ANE and AE T cell concentrations plus a stochastic forcing, which describes the chronic antigenic stress fluctuations, assuming a mean genetically determined capability of individuals to respond to antigens. The major results of our model is the validation of the above-mentioned hypothesis, since the model is capable of fitting the experimental data concerning the changes of ANE T cell concentration over age, and at the same time to reproduce survival curves similar to the demographic ones. Furthermore, the stochastic process results in being responsible for the peculiar shape of the survival curves.     

Apoptosis in fatal Ebola infection. Does the virus toll the bell for immune system?

In fatal Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever massive intravascular apoptosis develops rapidly following infection and progressing relentlessly until death. While data suggest that T lymphocytes are mainly deleted by apoptosis in PBMC of human fatal cases, experimental Ebola infection in animal models have shown some evidence of destruction of lymphocytes in spleen and lymph nodes probably involving both T and B cells. Nevertheless, we are able to conclude from the accumulated evidence that early interactions between Ebola virus and the immune system, probably via macrophages, main targets for viral replication, lead to massive destruction of immune cells in fatal cases.     

Effects of sleep deprivation on human immune functions

The effect of 40 h of wakefulness on a variety of immunological parameters in the peripheral blood from 10 normal male subjects was studied. Sleep deprivation led to enhanced nocturnal plasma interleukin 1-like and interleukin 2-like activities. The rise in nocturnal response of lymphocytes to pokeweed mitogen stimulation during a normal 24 h sleep-wake cycle was delayed by sleep deprivation, but the response to the phytohemagglutinin mitogen was unaffected. With resumed nocturnal sleep, there was a prolonged decline in natural killer cell activity (measured as spontaneous cytolytic activity for human tumor cells) and return of an increased response to pokeweed mitogen. The altered patterns in immune functions occurred independently of the cortisol circadian rhythm, which remained unchanged.     

Effects of weight, temperature and behaviour on the circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol in growing pigs

In farm animals, salivary cortisol has become a widely used parameter for measuring stress responses. However, only few studies have dealt with basal levels of concentration of cortisol in pigs and its circadian rhythm. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of ambient temperature and thermoregulatory behaviour on the circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol levels in fattening pigs. Subjects were 30 fattening pigs of different weight (60 to 100 kg), kept in six groups in an uninsulated building in pens with partly slatted floors. Saliva samples were taken every 2 h over periods of 24 h at different ambient temperatures at two times in winter and four times in summer. Thermoregulatory behaviour was recorded in the same 24-h time periods. The effect of time of day, body weight, ambient temperature and behaviour on the cortisol level was analysed using a mixed-effects model. Two peaks of cortisol levels per day were found. This circadian pattern became more pronounced with increasing weight and on days where thermoregulatory behaviour was shown. Mean cortisol levels per day were affected by weight but not by thermoregulatory behaviour. From our data, we conclude that long-term variations in cortisol concentration may be influenced by increasing age and weight more than by the respective experimental situation. In assessing animal welfare, it seems more reliable to consider the circadian pattern of cortisol concentration instead of only one value per day.     

Comparisons of the variability of three markers of the human circadian pacemaker

A circadian pacemaker within the central nervous system regulates the approximately 24-h physiologic rhythms in sleep cycles, hormone secretion, and other physiologic functions. Because the pacemaker cannot be examined directly in humans, markers of pacemaker function must be used to study the pacemaker and its response to environmental stimuli. Core body temperature (CBT), plasma cortisol, and plasma melatonin are three marker variables frequently used to estimate the phase of the human pacemaker. Measurements of circadian phase using markers can contain variability due to the circadian pacemaker itself, the intrinsic variability of the marker relative to the pacemaker, the method of analysis of the marker, and the marker assay. For this report, we compared the mathematical variability of a number of methods of identifying circadian phase from CBT, plasma cortisol, and plasma melatonin data collected in a protocol in which pacemaker variability was minimized using low light levels and regular timing of both the light pattern and the rest/activity schedule. We hoped to assess the relative variabilities of the different physiological markers and the analysis methods. Methods were based on the crossing of an absolute threshold, on the crossing of a relative threshold, or on fitting a curve to all data points. All methods of calculating circadian phase from plasma melatonin data were less variable than those calculated using CBT or cortisol data. The standard deviation for the phase estimates using CBT data was 0.78 h, using cortisol data was 0.65 h, and for the eight analysis methods using melatonin data was 0.23 to 0.35 h. While the variability for these markers might be different for other subject populations and/or less stringent study conditions, assessment of the intrinsic variability of the different calculations of circadian phase can be applied to allow inference of the statistical significance of phase and phase shift calculations, as well as estimation of sample size or statistical power for the number of subjects within an experimental protocol.