Quantifying CD4 receptor protein in two human CD4+ lymphocyte preparations for quantitative flow cytometry

Background

In our previous study that characterized different human CD4+ lymphocyte preparations, it was found that both commercially available cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and a commercially available lyophilized PBMC (Cyto-Trol™) preparation fulfilled a set of criteria for serving as biological calibrators for quantitative flow cytometry. However, the biomarker CD4 protein expression level measured for T helper cells from Cyto-Trol was about 16% lower than those for cryopreserved PBMC and fresh whole blood using flow cytometry and mass cytometry. A primary reason was hypothesized to be due to steric interference in anti- CD4 antibody binding to the smaller sized lyophilized control cells.

Method

Targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry (MS) is used to quantify the copy number of CD4 receptor protein per CD4+ lymphocyte. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is utilized to assist searching the underlying reasons for the observed difference in CD4 receptor copy number per cell determined by MRM MS and CD4 expression measured previously by flow cytometry.

Results

The copy number of CD4 receptor proteins on the surface of the CD4+ lymphocyte in cryopreserved PBMCs and in lyophilized control cells is determined to be (1.45 ± 0.09) × 10⁵ and (0.85 ± 0.11) × 10⁵, respectively, averaged over four signature peptides using MRM MS. In comparison with cryopreserved PBMCs, there are more variations in the CD4 copy number in lyophilized control cells determined based on each signature peptide. SEM images of CD4+ lymphocytes from lyophilized control cells are very different when compared to the CD4+ T cells from whole blood and cryopreserved PBMC.

Conclusion

Because of the lyophilization process applied to Cyto-Trol control cells, a lower CD4 density value, defined as the copy number of CD4 receptors per CD4+ lymphocyte, averaged over three different production lots is most likely explained by the loss of the CD4 receptors on damaged and/or broken microvilli where CD4 receptors reside. Steric hindrance of antibody binding and the association of CD4 receptors with other biomolecules likely contribute significantly to the nearly 50% lower CD4 receptor density value for cryopreserved PBMC determined from flow cytometry compared to the value obtained from MRM MS.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1559-0275-11-43) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Gr‐1+CD11b+ myeloid cells efficiently home to site of injury after intravenous administration and enhance diabetic wound healing by neoangiogenesis

Vascularization is an important factor that affects diabetic wound healing. There is increasing evidence that myeloid cell lineages play a role in neovascularization. In this study, the efficiency of Gr‐1+CD11b+ myeloid cells to home to the site of injury and enhance diabetic wound healing by neoangiogenesis after intravenous administration was investigated. Gr‐1+CD11b+ myeloid cells were injected into tail vein after establishment of dorsal window chamber, hindlimb ischaemia and ear‐punch injury in diabetic or non‐diabetic mice. The Gr‐1+CD11b+ myeloid cells efficiently homed to the site of injury after intravenous administration and increased neoangiogenesis. The chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) is robustly expressed by Gr‐1+CD11b+ myeloid cells. Inhibition of CXCR4 decreases the homing ability of Gr‐1+CD11b+ myeloid cells to the site of injury, which indicates that the CXCR4/SDF‐1 axis plays an important role in the homing of Gr‐1+CD11b+ myeloid cells to the site of injury. In addition, Gr‐1+CD11b+ myeloid cells were found to improve blood flow recovery of ischaemic limb and enhance wound healing in diabetic mice by neoangiogenesis after intravenous administration. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that Gr‐1+CD11b+ myeloid cells may serve as a potential cell therapy for diabetic wound healing.     

NDRG2通过调控CD24影响肝癌细胞侵袭能力的研究

目的：阐明NDRG2（N-Myc downstream-regulated gene2）在肝癌细胞中对CD24的调控及其对乳腺癌细胞侵袭能力的影响。方法：Western blot检测低转移性的肝癌细胞Huh7、高转移性的肝癌细胞系MHCC97h及正常人肝细胞系L-02中NDRG2和CD24的表达;通过腺病毒载体上调MHCC97h细胞中NDRG2的水平,或利用siRNA下调Huh7细胞中NDRG2的表达,检测CD24的变化以及细胞侵袭能力的改变。结果：MHCC97h细胞中NDRG2基因和蛋白的表达水平低于Huh7细胞,而CD24的表达水平高于Huh7细胞;在MHCC97h细胞中上调NDRG2可以抑制CD24的表达并抑制其侵袭能力,而在Huh7细胞中下调NDRG2的表达可以提高CD24的水平及细胞的侵袭能力。结论：NDRG2可能通过影响CD24参与调控肝癌细胞的侵袭能力。     

血清可溶性CD147的含量与冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病发病风险的关联分析

目的：探讨血清可溶性CD147（sCD147）的含量与冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病（CAHD）发病风险的关系并初步探讨其临床应用价值。方法：收集130例CAHD（包括50例稳定性心绞痛（SAP）、46例不稳定性心绞痛（UAP）、34例急性心肌梗死（AMI））和130例年龄、性别与冠心病患者相匹配的健康志愿者的外周血样本,应用双抗体夹心ELISA检测各组血清sCD147的表达水平,比较分析血清sCD147水平与CAHD的临床相关性,并绘制研究对象工作特征（ROC）曲线。结果：CAHD患者血清sCD147含量（AMI、UAP及SAP组中位数分别为3.35μg·L-1、2.72μg·L-1和2.66μg·L-1）显著高于对照组（中位数为1.64μg·L-1,P〈0.001）,其中AMI组明显高于UAP及SAP组（P值分别为0.008、0.006）。血清sCD147含量与CAHD患者TG、LDL-C及AIP显著正相关（P值分别为0.021、0.035及0.039）。以健康对照为参照,与sCD147含量低的个体相比,sCD147含量高的个体CAHD发病风险显著上升（校正比值比为2.18;95%可信区间为1.49-2.96）,且高的sCD147含量与CAHD发病风险之间存在显著的剂量依赖关系（P〈0.001）。用血清sCD147含量绘制ROC曲线,曲线下面积为0.761（95%可信区间为0.702-0.82）。以血清sCD147含量≥2.71μg·L-1为临界值,用血清sCD147含量诊断CAHD的敏感度为73.1%,特异度为76.9%。结论：血清sCD147含量与CAHD发病风险显著正相关,可作为CAHD发病监测及CAHD早期诊断的检测指标。     

匹多莫德对反复呼吸道感染患儿外周血T淋巴细胞亚群变化的影响及其临床疗效

目的:研究匹多莫德治疗反复呼吸道感染患儿的临床疗效,并探讨其对患儿外周血T淋巴细胞亚群变化的影响。方法:选择我院收治的160例反复呼吸道感染患儿,根据临床治疗方法将其分成研究组(80例)与对照组(80例),对照组采用抗生素或抗病毒、退热、止咳、平喘与化痰等对症治疗,研究组则在对照组的基础上再加用匹多莫德口服。比较两组患儿外周血T淋巴细胞亚群变化并分析其临床疗效。结果:研究组治疗总有效率显著优于对照组(P0.05)。研究组治疗后CD3+、CD4+、CD4+/CD8+水平,与治疗前比较明显升高(P0.05),与对照组同期比较具有明显的差异(P0.05)。研究组患儿治疗后白细胞计数及中性粒细胞水平,与治疗前比较无明显差异(P0.05),与对照组同期比较无明显差异(P0.05);对照组治疗前后白细胞计数及中性粒细胞水平无明显差异(P0.05)。研究组患儿咳嗽、发热、喘息、肺部啰音消失时间以及抗生素使用时间均明显少于对照组(P0.01)。研究组与对照组患儿治疗过程中均未发生明显的药物不良反应。结论:匹多莫德治疗反复呼吸道感染患儿疗效确切,能有效改善T淋巴细胞的免疫功能,值得临床推广与应用。     

肿瘤干细胞标记物CD_(133)与miR-429在大肠癌组织中的表达及其相关性研究

目的:检测CD133不同亚群大肠癌细胞HT-29的miR-429表达情况,探讨miR-429及CD133的表达与肿瘤的发生发展之间的关系。方法:采用荧光活化细胞分选法(FACS)分选出CD133不同亚群细胞,实时荧光定量PCR分别检测两组细胞miR-429的表达,合成miR-429寡核苷酸和阴性对照miRNA并分别转染CD133+和CD133-两个亚群细胞。再将细胞种植于非肥胖糖尿病/严重联合免疫缺陷(NOD/SCID)小鼠体内构建移植瘤模型,不同时间测量肿瘤体积和重量,RT-PCR及蛋白质印迹检测CD133+和CD133-两组肿瘤CD133mRNA和蛋白质表达。结果:血清检出CD133+细胞为67.9%,miR-429的表达量是CD133+细胞的(1.83±0.91)倍(P0.05),CD133+比例与miR-429表达呈负相关(r=0.591,P0.05);miR-429+/CD133+组的移植瘤体积及重量与对照组比较有统计学差异(P0.05),且miR-429+/CD133+组成瘤时间较对照组晚约2周,但miR-429+/CD133+组的移植瘤CD133表达量低,与阴性对照组比较无明显差异(P0.05)。结论:miR-429可能作为CD133的负性调控因子,具有抑制肿瘤生长的作用,但miR-429与CD133在肿瘤发生、发展过程中的作用机制有待进一步研究阐明。     

棕榈酸促进肝癌细胞侵袭转移的分子机制

目的:探讨棕榈酸(Palmiticacid,PA)对人肝癌细胞系SMMC-7721侵袭转移能力的影响,并通过检测肝癌细胞系中CD147-MMPs信号通路在PA影响下的变化,初探PA影响肝癌细胞侵袭转移的分子机制。方法:PA(0、20、50、100μM)作用SMMC-7721细胞后(8、16、24h),MTT法检测细胞增殖,划痕及Transwell实验评价细胞迁移侵袭能力,Western-blot及real-time PCR检测CD147蛋白及其mRNA的水平,ELISA检测基质金属蛋白酶(MMP-2,MMP-9)的水平。结果:与对照组相比,PA作用SMMC-7721细胞后,细胞存活率无显著差异(P0.05);细胞迁移和侵袭能力显著增高(P0.05);CD147蛋白及其mRNA的表达显著增高(P0.05);培养上清中MMP-9的浓度显著增高(P0.05),MMP-2的水平则无变化。不同的梯度组之间相比较,细胞迁移和侵袭能力、CD147的表达水平(蛋白及其mRNA)以及培养上清中MMP-9的浓度均随PA作用时间和作用剂量的增大而产生更显著的增高。结论:PA通过活化CD147-MMPs信号通路促进SMMC-7721细胞的迁移侵袭。     

Properties of apolipoprotein E derived peptide modulate their lipid-binding capacity and influence their anti-inflammatory function

Apolipoprotein-derived peptides are promising candidates for the treatment of various inflammatory conditions. The beneficial effects of these peptides are based on multiple mechanisms; prominent among them being high-affinity binding to pro-inflammatory oxidized phospholipids (Ox-PLs) and facilitating their sequestration/metabolism/clearance in the body. This indicates that peptides which can bind exclusively to Ox-PLs without recognizing normal, non-oxidized phospholipids (non-Ox-PLs) will be more potent anti-inflammatory agent than that of the peptides that bind to both Ox-PLs and non-Ox-PLs. In order to develop such Ox-PL-specific peptides, the knowledge about the properties (molecular determinants) of peptides that govern their Ox-PL preference is a must. In this study we have synthesized eleven peptides corresponding to the conserved regions of human apolipoprotein E and compared their biochemical properties, lipid-binding specificities, and anti-inflammatory properties. Our results show that these peptides exhibit considerably different specificities towards non-Ox-PL and different species of Ox-PLs. Some of these peptides bind exclusively to the Ox-PLs and inhibit the pro-inflammatory function of Ox-PLs in human blood. Biochemical characterization revealed that the peptides possess substantially different properties. Our results suggest that physicochemical properties of peptides play an important role in their lipid-binding specificity.