African Horse Sickness Virus Serotype 1 on Horse Farm,Thailand, 2020

To investigate an outbreak of African horse sickness (AHS) on a horse farm in northeastern Thailand, we used whole-genome sequencing to detect and characterize the virus. The viruses belonged to serotype 1 and contained unique amino acids (95V,166S, 660I in virus capsid protein 2), suggesting a single virus introduction to Thailand.     

Dendritic Cells Pulsed with Total Tumor RNA for Activation NK-like T Cells Against Glioblastoma Multiforme

Summary Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen presenting cells and play critical role in T cell-mediated immunity. DCs have been shown to induce strong anti-tumor responses both in vitro and in vivo. Their efficacies in tumor therapy are being investigated in clinical trials. Previous evidence has shown that these DCs enhance the cytotoxicity of NK cells. We generated NK-like T cells (CD3⁺CD56⁺), a novel type of effector cells differentiated from normal lymphocyte, which is now being used for adoptive immunotherapy in clinical trials. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of NK-like T cells after co-culturing with DCs against tumor cells. The result revealed that tumor-derived RNA-pulsed DCs can enhance the immune responses of NK-like T cells against glioblastoma multiforme cell line but these effector cells did not appear to have the cytotoxic effect against normal cells (human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and fibroblasts) in vitro. This study may be beneficial for the development of new immunologic effector cells for using in adoptive immunotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme in the future.     

Endometritis in gilts: reproductive data, bacterial culture, histopathology, and infiltration of immune cells in the endometrium

The aim of the present study was to quantify the number of immune cells infiltrated in the endometrium of endometritis gilts. Based on gross morphology, a selected 28 genital organs of endometritis gilts were investigated. The gilts were classified according to the ovarian appearance into three groups, i.e. follicular, luteal, and ovarian quiescent phases. Historical data, reason for culling, histopathology, bacterial identification, and number and type of immune cells in different layers of the endometrium were examined. The gilts were culled at 336 ± 63 days of age at a body weight of 142 ± 20 kg. The culling reasons included abnormal vaginal discharge (n = 10), repeat breeding (n = 6), anestrus (n = 6), abortion (n = 4), and not pregnant (n = 2). Bacteria identified from pus exudates included Escherichia coli (33.3%), Staphylococcus sp. (17.5%), α-hemolytic Streptococcus sp. (14.3%), and β-hemolytic Streptococcus sp. (9.5%). Neutrophils were the most common immune cells in the epithelial and subepithelial tissue layers of the endometrium, while lymphocytes were the most common immune cells in the glandular layer. Neutrophils in the epithelial and subepithelial layers of the endometrium in the luteal phase were lower than in the follicular and ovarian quiescent phase. During the acute stage, neutrophils were the most common immune cells in the endometrium, while during the chronic stages, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and eosinophils were the dominant immune cells. In conclusion, the number and type of immune cells in the endometrium of the endometritis gilts varied according to both the reproductive cycles and the stage of endometritis. Neutrophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and eosinophils indicate stages and the severity of endometritis.     

Generation of CD3<Superscript>+</Superscript>CD56<Superscript>+</Superscript> Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells and Their In Vitro Cytotoxicity against Pediatric Cancer Cells

A certain number of pediatric cancer patients still succumb to relapse following conventional treatment of their malignancies. One of the mechanisms of relapse is escape from immunity. Adoptive cellular immunotherapy with effector cells has the potential to overcome this escape. In adults, the CD3+ CD56+ cell, a cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell, appears to be a promising effector cell type with the greatest cytotoxicity. This effector cell type may work in children as well. No similar studies with children have been published. We speculated that expanded CD3+ CD56+ cells obtained from pediatric cancer patients during remission would act similarly against various pediatric tumor cell lines; therefore, we undertook the present study to find support for our speculation. This study was undertaken to generate and expand CD3+ CD56+ CIK cells from normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBL) obtained from 6 children with cancer (2 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 2 with large cell lymphoma, and 2 with osteosarcoma) in remission after intensive chemotherapy and to study the cytotoxic activities of these cells against chronic myeloid leukemia cell line K562 t(9;22), 4 pediatric tumor cell lines [infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia RS4 t(4;11), TEL/AML acute lymphoblastic leukemia REH t(12;21), alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma Rh-Cr t(2;13), and Ewing sarcoma EW-Le t(11;22)], and 2 pediatric glioblastoma multiforme cultured cell lines (G74 and G77). CIK cells were generated and expanded in culture medium to which interferon gamma, monoclonal antibody against CD3, and interleukin 2 were added at appropriate times. Cells were counted by flow cytometry. Net lactate dehydrogenase release from target cells incubated with CIK cells was used as an index of CIK cell cytotoxicity against various pediatric tumor cell lines. The results show that after 21 days in culture CD3+ CD56+ CIK cells derived from the 6 pediatric patients accounted for a median of 28.3% of the entire culture (range, 10.7%-36.4%). Before expansion no such cells were found in any of the 6 children. Median lytic activity rates of CIK cells were 45.5% to 64.5%, rates that contrasted drastically to the lytic activity rates of PBL, which were only 8% to 12%. The findings of the present study are encouraging. They provide information for developing adoptive immunotherapy for future clinical trials with pediatric cancer patients, particularly those patients with minimal residual disease after intensive chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation (especially nonmyeloablative transplantation procedures).     

Application of smart phone in Better Border Healthcare Program: A module for mother and child care

Background  

To assess the application of cell phone integrating into the healthcare system to improve antenatal care (ANC) and expanded programme on immunization (EPI) services for the under-served population in border area.