A spectrum of biophysical interaction modes between T cells and different antigen-presenting cells during priming in 3-D collagen and in vivo

For activation T cells engage antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in lymphatic tissues. The contact duration and kinetics (static versus dynamic) vary considerably in different model systems; however, it is unclear whether T cells, APCs, or the environment are responsible for the observed discrepancies. Using 3-D collagen matrices as structural scaffold, we directly compared the kinetics of T-cell engagement and activation by functionally major APC types, ie, dendritic cells (DCs) and resting or activated B cells. Resting B cells engaged T cells in long-lived (several hours), adhesive, and leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1)-dependent conjugates in 3-D collagen as well as in intact lymph nodes in vivo. DCs and preactivated B cells, however, supported predominantly dynamic, short-lived (minutes), and sequential contacts to T cells that were dependent on high cytoskeletal activity of the APCs but could not be inhibited by anti-LFA-1 treatment. Naive T cells were most strongly activated by DCs and activated B cells, whereas resting B cells were 100-fold less efficient to induce T-cell proliferation. Thus, in the same 3-D environment, naive T cells respond with a spectrum of different interaction modes dependent on the type and activation state of the APCs. Thereby, more dynamic interaction kinetics is positively correlated with higher T-cell priming efficiency.     

Phosphorylation of human cardiac troponin I G203S and K206Q linked to familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects actomyosin interaction in different ways

cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA)-dependent phosphorylation of the two serine residues in the amino terminal region unique to cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is known to cause two effects: (i) decrease of the maximum Ca2+-controlled thin filament-activated myosin S1-ATPase (actoS1-ATPase) activity and mean sliding velocity of reconstituted thin filaments; (ii) rightward shift of the Ca2+ activation curves of actoS1-ATPase activity, filament sliding velocity, and force generation. We have studied the influence of phosphorylation of human wild-type cTnI and of two mutant cTnI (G203S and K206Q) causing familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (fHCM) on the secondary structure by circular dichroism spectroscopy and on the Ca2+ regulation of actin-myosin interaction using actoS1-ATPase activity and in vitro motility assays. Both mutations slightly influence the backbone structure of cTnI but only the secondary structure of cTnI-G203S is also affected by bis-phosphorylation of cTnI. In functional studies, cTnI-G203S behaves similarly to wild-type cTnI, i.e. the mutation itself has no measurable effect and bis-phosphorylation alters the actoS1-ATPase activity and the in vitro thin filament motility in the same way as does bis-phosphorylation of wild-type cTnI. In contrast, the mutation K206Q leads to a considerable increase in the maximum actoS1-ATPase activity as well as filament motility compared to wild-type cTnI. Bis-phosphorylation of this mutant cTnI still suppresses the maximum actoS1-ATPase activity and filament sliding velocity but does no longer affect the Ca2+ sensitivity of these processes. Thus, these two fHCM-linked cTnI mutations, although reflecting similar pathological situations, exert different effects on the actomyosin system per se and in response to bis-phosphorylation of cTnI.     

Rapid Response to Cyclosporin A and Favorable Renal Outcome in Nongenetic Versus Genetic Steroid–Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome

Background and objectives

Treatment of congenital nephrotic syndrome (CNS) and steroid–resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is demanding, and renal prognosis is poor. Numerous causative gene mutations have been identified in SRNS that affect the renal podocyte. In the era of high–throughput sequencing techniques, patients with nongenetic SRNS frequently escape the scientific interest. We here present the long-term data of the German CNS/SRNS Follow-Up Study, focusing on the response to cyclosporin A (CsA) in patients with nongenetic versus genetic disease.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

Cross–sectional and longitudinal clinical data were collected from 231 patients with CNS/SRNS treated at eight university pediatric nephrology units with a median observation time of 113 months (interquartile range, 50–178). Genotyping was performed systematically in all patients.

Results

The overall mutation detection rate was high at 57% (97% in CNS and 41% in SRNS); 85% of all mutations were identified by the analysis of three single genes only (NPHS1, NPHS2, and WT1), accounting for 92% of all mutations in patients with CNS and 79% of all mutations in patients with SRNS. Remission of the disease in nongenetic SRNS was observed in 78% of patients after a median treatment period of 2.5 months; 82% of nongenetic patients responded within 6 months of therapy, and 98% of patients with nongenetic SRNS and CsA–induced complete remission (normalbuminemia and no proteinuria) maintained a normal renal function. Genetic SRNS, on the contrary, is associated with a high rate of ESRD in 66% of patients. Only 3% of patients with genetic SRNS experienced a complete remission and 16% of patients with genetic SRNS experienced a partial remission after CsA therapy.

Conclusions

The efficacy of CsA is high in nonhereditary SRNS, with an excellent prognosis of renal function in the large majority of patients. CsA should be given for a minimum period of 6 months in these patients with nongenetic SRNS. In genetic SRNS, response to CsA was low and restricted to exceptional patients.     

Ebola viral load at diagnosis associates with patient outcome and outbreak evolution

BACKGROUND. Ebola virus (EBOV) causes periodic outbreaks of life-threatening EBOV disease in Africa. Historically, these outbreaks have been relatively small and geographically contained; however, the magnitude of the EBOV outbreak that began in 2014 in West Africa has been unprecedented. The aim of this study was to describe the viral kinetics of EBOV during this outbreak and identify factors that contribute to outbreak progression.METHODS. From July to December 2014, one laboratory in Sierra Leone processed over 2,700 patient samples for EBOV detection by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Viremia was measured following patient admission. Age, sex, and approximate time of symptom onset were also recorded for each patient. The data was analyzed using various mathematical models to find trends of potential interest.RESULTS. The analysis revealed a significant difference (P = 2.7 × 10^–77) between the initial viremia of survivors (4.02 log₁₀ genome equivalents [GEQ]/ml) and nonsurvivors (6.18 log₁₀ GEQ/ml). At the population level, patient viral loads were higher on average in July than in November, even when accounting for outcome and time since onset of symptoms. This decrease in viral loads temporally correlated with an increase in circulating EBOV-specific IgG antibodies among individuals who were suspected of being infected but shown to be negative for the virus by PCR.CONCLUSIONS. Our results indicate that initial viremia is associated with outcome of the individual and outbreak duration; therefore, care must be taken in planning clinical trials and interventions. Additional research in virus adaptation and the impacts of host factors on EBOV transmission and pathogenesis is needed.     

Use of cardiac magnetic resonance to assess viability

The accurate differentiation of viable and nonviable myocardium is crucial for therapy planning in patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction. Traditional techniques such as echocardiography, positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, and dobutamine echocardiography have established roles. Cardiac MRI (CMR) is a rapidly emerging new modality that is used at an increasing number of medical centers in Europe and the United States. This review describes the role of CMR for the assessment of myocardial viability in the setting of acute and chronic ischemic ventricular dysfunction.     

Frequent methylation-associated silencing of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 gene in pancreatic endocrine tumors

Molecular mechanisms contributing to the tumorigenesis of pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs) are still not well understood. Allelic deletions at chromosome 22q12.3 were detected in about 30-60% of PETs, suggesting that inactivation of one or more tumor suppressor genes on this chromosomal arm is important for their pathogenesis. Because the putative tumor suppressor gene tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3) has been located at 22q12.3, we undertook a genetic analysis of TIMP-3 to determine its role in the tumorigenesis of PETs. Single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis, methylation-specific PCR, RNA expression analysis, and immunohistochemistry of TIMP-3 were performed in 21 sporadic PETs. Thirteen of 21 PETs (62%) revealed TIMP-3 alterations, including promoter hypermethylation and homozygous deletion. The predominant TIMP-3 alteration was promoter hypermethylation, identified in 8 of 18 (44%) PETs. It was tumor-specific and corresponded to loss or strong reduction of TIMP-3 protein expression. Notably, 11 of 14 (79%) PETs with metastases had TIMP-3 alterations, compared with only 1 of 7 (14%) PETs without metastases (P < 0.02). These data suggest a possibly important role of TIMP-3 in the tumorigenesis of human PETs, especially in the development of metastases, which has to be further evaluated in large-scale studies.