Profile of total IgG, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 levels in sera of patients with paracoccidioidomycosis: treatment follow-up using Mexo and rPb27 as antigens in an ELISA

The levels of total of IgG, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 were evaluated in 54 patients with chronic paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) before, during and after treatment using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with Mexo and recombinant Pb27 (rPb27) as the antigens. Mexo was effective in distinguishing PCM patients from individuals in the negative control group (NC) based on total IgG and rPb27 performed worse than Mexo when these two groups were compared. IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 could not be used to clearly distinguish PCM patients from those in the NC group using either antigen. There was no clear relationship between antibody levels and the period of treatment. The majority of patients presented with decreased antibody levels during treatment, with no statistically significant differences among the different periods of treatment. Only IgG4 presented a negative correlation between its levels and clinical improvement during treatment. In total, 65% of untreated PCM patients showed reactivity against IgG4 when the Mexo antigen was used and this reactivity decreased over the course of treatment. There was a tendency towards decreasing antibody levels during treatment, but these antibody levels did not necessarily clear after the treatment was stopped. Mexo was useful for PCM diagnosis using total IgG; however, more studies are necessary before this antigen can be used in measuring the levels of total IgG and its subclasses for monitoring patients during treatment.     

Involvement of intestinal inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the early stages of murine salmonellosis

Local induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and apoptosis was examined in the intestine of mice infected with virulent Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis 5694 (S. enteritidis) and its attenuated derivative mutant E/1/3. Both, intestinal iNOS mRNA expression and iNOS activity showed a peak at 4 h only in animals receiving the virulent S. enteritidis. Aminoguanidine treatment abrogated intestinal epithelial damage produced by virulent S. enteritidis and diminished apoptosis at the tips of the villi. Unlike the virulent strain, mutant E/1/3 induced massive iNOS expression in Peyer's patches, these findings may be related to its protective capacity. Our results suggest that intestinal iNOS participates in the early response to intestinal infection and that the final effect depends on the nature of the insult.     

Effect of microfragmented adipose tissue on osteoarthritic synovial macrophage factors

Cell-based therapies using adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADMSCs) have shown promising results for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). In fact, ADMSCs are now indicated as one of the most powerful cell sources through their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities. Recently, an innovative one-step closed device was developed to obtain microfragmented adipose tissue (MF) to avoid the need for good manufacturing practices for ADMSCs expansion while maintaining their regenerative potential. The aim of this study was to assess the mechanisms of action of MF and ADMSCs from MF (MF-ADMSCs) on an inflammatory cell model of OA synoviocytes. We found that MF produced low levels of inflammatory factors such as interleukin 6 (IL-6), CC-chemokine ligand 5/receptor-activated normal T-cell expressed and secreted (CCL5/RANTES), CC-chemokine ligand 2/monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (CCL2/MCP-1), and CC-chemokine ligand 3/macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (CCL3/MIP-1α), and a higher level only of CXC-chemokine ligand 8/interleukin 8 compared with MF-ADMSCs. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) degradative factor but released a lower level of its inhibitor tissue inhibitor of the metalloproteinase (TIMP-1). MF in coculture with synoviocytes significantly induced both the metabolic activity and the release of IL-6. In contrast, MF, not MF-ADMSCs, partially decreased CCL5/RANTES. Moreover, MF reduced the release of both macrophage-specific chemokines (CCL2/MCP-1 and CCL3/MIP-1α) and degradative marker MMP-9. Interestingly, MF increased TIMP-1 (the MMP-9 inhibitor) and down-modulated toll-like receptor (TLR4) receptor and key molecules of NFκB pathways. These data evidenced different effects of MF versus MF-ADMSCs on inflamed synoviocytes. MF reduced typical macrophages markers and its potentiality by switching off macrophages activity was strictly dependent on TLR4 and NFκB signaling.     

Crithidia guilhermei: gelatin- and haemoglobin-degrading extracellular metalloproteinases

The extracellular metalloproteinases of the insect trypanosomatid Crithidia guilhermei were characterized through the incorporation of different protein substrates (gelatin, casein, haemoglobin, and bovine serum albumin) into SDS-PAGE. Two gelatinases (60 and 80 kDa) showed ability to degrade casein as well and a 67-kDa enzyme presented the broadest specificity since it was also able to degrade casein and haemoglobin. Besides the 67-kDa extracellular proteinases detected on haemoglobin-SDS-PAGE, a 43-kDa haemoglobinase was only observed with this substrate. All C. guilhermei proteinases were incapable of using bovine serum albumin. C. guilhermei was also grown in four different culture media and the best proteinase production was reached using yeast extract-peptone medium containing glucose as the major carbon source. The results point to the importance of the use of distinct culture media and proteinaceous substrates on the characterization of extracellular proteolytic activities in trypanosomatids, since alterations in growth conditions and methods of detection could lead to distinct proteolytic profiles.     

The Dendritic Cell Major Histocompatibility Complex II (MHC II) Peptidome Derives from a Variety of Processing Pathways and Includes Peptides with a Broad Spectrum of HLA-DM Sensitivity

The repertoire of peptides displayed in vivo by MHC II molecules derives from a wide spectrum of proteins produced by different cell types. Although intracellular endosomal processing in dendritic cells and B cells has been characterized for a few antigens, the overall range of processing pathways responsible for generating the MHC II peptidome are currently unclear. To determine the contribution of non-endosomal processing pathways, we eluted and sequenced over 3000 HLA-DR1-bound peptides presented in vivo by dendritic cells. The processing enzymes were identified by reference to a database of experimentally determined cleavage sites and experimentally validated for four epitopes derived from complement 3, collagen II, thymosin β4, and gelsolin. We determined that self-antigens processed by tissue-specific proteases, including complement, matrix metalloproteases, caspases, and granzymes, and carried by lymph, contribute significantly to the MHC II self-peptidome presented by conventional dendritic cells in vivo. Additionally, the presented peptides exhibited a wide spectrum of binding affinity and HLA-DM susceptibility. The results indicate that the HLA-DR1-restricted self-peptidome presented under physiological conditions derives from a variety of processing pathways. Non-endosomal processing enzymes add to the number of epitopes cleaved by cathepsins, altogether generating a wider peptide repertoire. Taken together with HLA-DM-dependent and-independent loading pathways, this ensures that a broad self-peptidome is presented by dendritic cells. This work brings attention to the role of “self-recognition” as a dynamic interaction between dendritic cells and the metabolic/catabolic activities ongoing in every parenchymal organ as part of tissue growth, remodeling, and physiological apoptosis.     

Reliable and Accurate CD4+ T Cell Count and Percent by the Portable Flow Cytometer CyFlow MiniPOC and “CD4 Easy Count Kit-Dry”, as Revealed by the Comparison with the Gold Standard Dual Platform Technology

Background

An accurate and affordable CD4+ T cells count is an essential tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Flow cytometry (FCM) is the “gold standard” for counting such cells, but this technique is expensive and requires sophisticated equipment, temperature-sensitive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and trained personnel. The lack of access to technical support and quality assurance programs thus limits the use of FCM in resource-constrained countries. We have tested the accuracy, the precision and the carry-over contamination of Partec CyFlow MiniPOC, a portable and economically affordable flow cytometer designed for CD4+ count and percentage, used along with the “CD4% Count Kit-Dry”.

Materials and Methods

Venous blood from 59 adult HIV+ patients (age: 25–58 years; 43 males and 16 females) was collected and stained with the “MiniPOC CD4% Count Kit-Dry”. CD4+ count and percentage were then determined in triplicate by the CyFlow MiniPOC. In parallel, CD4 count was performed using mAbs and a CyFlow Counter, or by a dual platform system (from Beckman Coulter) based upon Cytomic FC500 (“Cytostat tetrachrome kit” for mAbs) and Coulter HmX Hematology Analyzer (for absolute cell count).

Results

The accuracy of CyFlow MiniPOC against Cytomic FC500 showed a correlation coefficient (CC) of 0.98 and 0.97 for CD4+ count and percentage, respectively. The accuracy of CyFlow MiniPOC against CyFlow Counter showed a CC of 0.99 and 0.99 for CD4 T cell count and percentage, respectively. CyFlow MiniPOC showed an excellent repeatability: CD4+ cell count and percentage were analyzed on two instruments, with an intra-assay precision below ±5% deviation. Finally, there was no carry-over contamination for samples at all CD4 values, regardless of their position in the sequence of analysis.

Conclusion

The cost-effective CyFlow MiniPOC produces rapid, reliable and accurate results that are fully comparable with those from highly expensive dual platform systems.     

Role of the hindbrain in patterning the otic vesicle: a study of the zebrafish vhnf1 mutant

The vertebrate inner ear develops from an ectodermal placode adjacent to rhombomeres 4 to 6 of the segmented hindbrain. The placode then transforms into a vesicle and becomes regionalised along its anteroposterior, dorsoventral and mediolateral axes. To investigate the role of hindbrain signals in instructing otic vesicle regionalisation, we analysed ear development in zebrafish mutants for vhnf1, a gene expressed in the caudal hindbrain during otic induction and regionalisation. We show that, in vhnf1 homozygous embryos, the patterning of the otic vesicle is affected along both the anteroposterior and dorsoventral axes. First, anterior gene expression domains are either expanded along the whole anteroposterior axis of the vesicle or duplicated in the posterior region. Second, the dorsal domain is severely reduced, and cell groups normally located ventrally are shifted dorsally, sometimes forming a single dorsal patch along the whole AP extent of the otic vesicle. Third, and probably as a consequence, the size and organization of the sensory and neurogenic epithelia are disturbed. These results demonstrate that, in zebrafish, signals from the hindbrain control the patterning of the otic vesicle, not only along the anteroposterior axis, but also, as in amniotes, along the dorsoventral axis. They suggest that, despite the evolution of inner ear structure and function, some of the mechanisms underlying the regionalisation of the otic vesicle in fish and amniotes have been conserved.