Induction of immune response against NY-ESO-1 by CHP-NY-ESO-1 vaccination and immune regulation in a melanoma patient

BACKGROUND: NY-ESO-1 is a cancer/testis antigen highly immunogenic in cancer patients. Cholesterol-bearing hydrophobized pullulan (CHP) is a nanoparticle-forming antigen-delivery vehicle and CHP complexed with NY-ESO-1 protein (CHP-NY-ESO-1) efficiently activates CD4 and CD8 T cells in vitro. AIM: In this study we report on a 50-year-old male melanoma patient with multiple skin and organ metastases (T4N3M1c) who was vaccinated with CHP-NY-ESO-1 at biweekly intervals and who had an unusual disease course. We characterized in this patient humoral and cellular immune responses, immune regulatory cells, and cytokine profiles in the peripheral blood and at local tumor sites. RESULTS: Ten days after the second CHP-NY-ESO-1 vaccination (day 25), blisters appeared on the skin at the metastatic lesions associated with inflammatory changes. A skin biopsy showed the presence of many NY-ESO-1-expressing apoptotic melanoma cells as determined by a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) test. However, the tumors continued to grow, and the patient died of pulmonary failure due to multiple metastases on day 48. Serum antibody responses were detected after the second CHP-NY-ESO-1 vaccination and antibody titer increased with subsequent vaccinations. Th1 dependent IgG1 was the predominant immunoglobulin subtype. Both, NY-ESO-1-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell responses were detected in PBMC by IFN-gamma secretion assays. After CHP-NY-ESO-1 vaccination a slight decrease in CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Tregs was observed in PBMC but significantly increased numbers of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Tregs and CD68(+) immunoregulatory macrophages were detected at the local tumor sites. CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Tregs were also increased in the blister fluid. Cytokines in the serum suggested a polarization towards a Th1 pattern in the PBMC and those in the blister fluid suggested a Th2-type response at the tumor site. CONCLUSIONS: Our observations indicate induction of specific humoral and cellular immune responses against NY-ESO-1 after CHP-NY-ESO-1 vaccination in a melanoma patient. The concomitant appearance of regulatory T cells and of immune regulatory macrophages and cytokines at the local tumor sites in this patient may explain immune escape.     

Effects of natural and field-simulated blooms of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum upon hemocytes of eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, from two different populations

Oysters, Crassostrea virginica, from two populations, one from a coastal pond experiencing repeated dinoflagellate blooms (native), and the other from another site where blooms have not been observed (non-native), were analyzed for cellular immune system profiles before and during natural and simulated (by adding cultured algae to natural plankton) blooms of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum. Significant differences in hemocytes between the two oyster populations, before and after the blooms, were found with ANOVA, principal components analysis (PCA) and ANOVA applied to PCA components. Stress associated with blooms of P. minimum included an increase in hemocyte number, especially granulocytes and small granulocytes, and an increase in phagocytosis associated with a decrease in aggregation and mortality of the hemocytes, as compared with oysters in pre-bloom analyses. Non-native oysters constitutively had a hemocyte profile more similar to that induced by P. minimum than that of native oysters, but this profile did not impart increased resistance. The effect of P. minimum on respiratory burst was different according to the origin of the oysters, with the dinoflagellate causing a 35% increase in the respiratory burst of the native oysters but having no effect on that of the non-native oysters. Increased respiratory burst in hemocytes of native oysters exposed to P. minimum in both simulated and natural blooms may represent an adaptation to annual blooms whereby surviving native oysters protect themselves against tissue damage from ingested P. minimum.     

Mycobacterium avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis in the Inflamed Gut Tissues of Patients with Crohn’s Disease in China and its Potential Relationship to the Consumption of Cow’s Milk: A Preliminary Study

Summary Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection in domestic livestock is widespread in many countries throughout the world. Studies in Europe and the USA show that M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis can be cultured from retail pasteurized cow’s milk and that these organisms are being transmitted to humans by this route. Most people with chronic inflammation of the intestine of the Crohn’s disease type are infected with these chronic enteric pathogens. The production and consumption of cow’s milk has increased in China and so also has the incidence of Crohn’s disease. The present preliminary investigation was carried out to determine whether M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis is present in the intestinal tissues of Chinese patients with Crohn’s disease who have never left China. Archival paraffin-embedded surgical pathology blocks from patients having surgery for Crohn’s disease (CD) or for cancer (nIBD) in China were studied. M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis was detected by nested IS900 PCR with Southern blotting and amplicon sequencing. The intestinal tissues of 9 of 13 (69.2%) CD patients and 2 of 14 (14.3%) nIBD patients were IS900 PCR positive (P = 0.0063; odds ratio = 13.5). These initial studies suggest that people in China are exposed to M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis and that as in other countries, the infection is significantly associated with Crohn’s disease. M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis in dairy herds and retail milk in China needs to be investigated.     

Lactoferrin and host defence: an overview of its immuno-modulating and anti-inflammatory properties

Lactoferrin is a member of the transferrin family of iron-binding glycoproteins that is abundantly expressed and secreted from glandular epithelial cells. In secretions, such as milk and fluids of the intestinal tract, lactoferrin is an important component of the first line of host defence. During the inflammatory process, lactoferrin, a prominent component of the secondary granules of neutrophils (PMNs), is released in infected tissues and in blood and then it is rapidly cleared by the liver. In addition to the antimicrobial properties of lactoferrin, a set of studies has focused on its ability to modulate the inflammatory process and the overall immune response. Though many in vitro and in vivo studies report clear regulation of the immune response and protective effect against infection and septic shock by lactoferrin, elucidation of all the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action is far from being achieved. At the cellular level, lactoferrin modulates the migration, maturation and function of immune cells. At the molecular level and in addition to iron binding, interactions of lactoferrin with a plethora of compounds, either soluble or membrane molecules, account for its modulatory properties. This paper reviews our current understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that explain the regulatory properties of lactoferrin in host defence.     

Protection against infections by oral lactoferrin: Evaluation in animal models

It has been reported previously that oral administration of lactoferrin (LF) provides some host-protective effects against infections, cancers, and inflammations. In this review, we focus on the effect of oral LF on various infectious diseases and discuss the mechanism as elucidated in animal models. In the case of infections occurring at sites other than the digestive canal, it is unclear whether oral LF is absorbed from the intestine and exerts its protective effect at the site of infection. In preterm human infants, neonatal pigs, and rats with colitis, it was reported that LF is detectable in various body fluids after oral administration. We could not detect the transport of oral bovine LF into the blood of adult rats without gastrointestinal illness using several techniques, suggesting that there is an extremely low level of transport of LF, if any. Orally administered LF may act at the oro-gastro-intestinal mucosa and aid the defense system against infections through a network of mucosal immunity and systemic immunity. Indeed, it is reported that oral LF increases the number of cells in the leukocyte subset and cytokine (IFN-gamma and IL-18) production in the intestinal mucosa of mice. Regarding systemic immunity, we have observed an increase of leukocyte number, cytokine (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-12, and IL-18) production, and effector activity of macrophages in response to LF administration in several animal models. These enhanced immune responses may contribute to eradication of the pathogen, resolution of the symptoms, and maintenance of the homeostasis during infectious diseases.     

Lipid-free NisI: interaction with nisin and contribution to nisin immunity via secretion

Nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis cells protect their own cytoplasmic membrane by specific immunity proteins, NisF/E/G and NisI, a transporter complex and a lipoprotein, respectively. A portion of NisI is secreted to the medium in a lipid-free form (LF-NisI). Here, kinetics of the interaction between nisin and LF-NisI was examined by surface plasmon resonance analysis. The affinity constant K_D for the interaction was calculated to be in the micromolar range. Contribution of the secreted LF-NisI to nisin immunity was studied by replacing the lipoprotein specific nisI signal sequence with a secretion signal of non-lipoprotein origin. Secretion of LF-NisI in NisF/E/G-expressing L. lactis strain NZ9840 increased significantly its nisin tolerance suggesting that the lipid-free form of NisI could have a supportive role in nisin immunity.     

男性泌尿生殖道感染标本葡萄球菌分离及抗菌谱分析

目的了解男性尿生殖道感染患者尿道分泌物和前列腺液葡萄球菌的分离及时抗菌药物的敏感情况.方法用法国生物梅里埃VITEK32型细菌鉴定分析鉴定分离自尿道分泌物和前列腺液的葡萄球菌及药敏试验,计算6种葡萄球以及耐甲氧西林(MRS)和甲氧西林敏感葡萄球菌(MSS)的分离率及构成比,以x2检验统计分析其差异.结果尿道分泌物葡萄球菌分离率(7.17%)明显低于前列腺液(22.16%)(P＜0.005).二者无论以溶血性葡萄球菌的分离率和构成比最高,其次为表皮葡萄球菌、金黄色葡萄球菌等4种葡萄球菌分离率及构成比较低,其分离情况也存在差异.2种标本各型MRS都有很高的阳性率,各种葡萄球菌对万古霉素100%敏感,MRS对多种抗菌药敏感率明显低于MSS(P＜0.005);各型MRS除万古霉素、呋喃妥因、利福平和林可霉素,对其余药物敏感率(S I)%较低;与总MRS比较,对利福平、复方新诺明、庆大霉素和呋喃妥因中1种或3种药物的敏感率(S I)%,耐甲氧西林的金黄色葡萄球菌、溶血葡萄球菌、模仿葡萄球菌或赛氏葡萄球菌差异有显著性(P＜0.025);其余差异无显著性(P＞0.05).结论凝固酶阴性的MRS为泌尿生殖道感染的重要病原菌,对多种抗菌药物敏感性显著降低且不同种存在差异,应重视各种MRS的分离和药敏试验,有助于指导临床合理用药,达到满意的疗效.     

高半胱氨酸膳食对小鼠生长和免疫力的影响

探讨了高半胱氨酸膳食对小鼠生长及对外来抗原刺激产生抗体的免疫力的影响。实验取小白鼠32只,随机分为高半胱氮酸组(H)和对照组(C)各16只。H组每天给予含半胱氨酸质量分数为3％的饲料,分别在1、4、8周对其腹腔注射牛血清白蛋白,在第9周处死动物,取血测量血清抗体效价。结果显示实验组生长缓慢,血清抗体效价显著高于对照组,表明高半胱氨酸膳食可提高小鼠血清抗体效价,但高含量的半胱氨酸对小鼠生长有抑制作用。