醋酸曲安奈德局部注射对变应性鼻炎患者血清白介素4和γ干扰素的影响

目的：评价醋酸曲安奈德局部注射对变应性鼻炎患者血清白介素4（interleukin-4,IL-4）和Y干扰素（interferon-γ,INF-γ）表达水平的影响.方法：60例变应性鼻炎患者随机分成观察组和对照组各30例,对照组予盐酸西替利嗪片10 mg,po,qd,观察组患者双侧中、下鼻甲黏膜下局部注射醋酸曲安奈德治疗.治疗4周后,检测两组患者血清IL-4、IFN-γ水平,比较两组疗效和药品不良反应.结果：观察组总有效率为93.33％,高于对照组的73.33％,但差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）.治疗4周后,观察组IL-4浓度低于对照组（P＜0.01）,IFN-γ浓度高于对照组（P＜0.01）.两组均未发现不能耐受的不良反应或严重不良反应.结论：醋酸曲安奈德局部注射治疗变应性鼻炎疗效较佳,能够降低患者血清IL-4水平,并提高血清IFN-γ水平.     

Evaluation of CD3+ T Cell Percentage,Function and its Relationship with Serum Vitamin D Levels in Women with Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion and Recurrent Implantation Failure

Background: Women afflicted with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) and repeated implantation failure (RIF) may have immune abnormalities. The role of vitamin D has been demonstrated in the function of the immune system. Objective: To assess the percentage and function of CD3+ T cells and their relationship with the level of the serum vitamin D or 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (the active form of the vitamin) in women with RSA and RIF. Methods: In this case-control study, peripheral blood was obtained from the patient and the healthy control groups. The ratio of CD3+T cell and activated CD3+ CD69+T cell was investigated using flow cytometry. The serum levels of Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and vitamin D were measured by ELISA. Results: The mean proportion of CD3+T cells in women with RSA increased significantly compared with the healthy control group (p<0.04). However, no significant difference was observed in RIF women compared with the control group. There was no significant difference in the ratio of activated CD3+CD69+T cells between the patient and the healthy control groups. Serum IFN-γ levels in women with RSA showed a significant increase compared to the control group (p<0.031); however, no significant difference was observed between women with RIF and the control group. Serum levels of vitamin D showed a significant reduction in both RSA (p<0.01) and RIF (p<0.04) groups in comparison with the control. Conclusion: An increase in the percentage and inflammatory function of T cells was associated with RSA. Decreased vitamin D levels may contribute to immune dysfunction and pregnancy loss.     

Patterns of intermediate filaments, VLA integrins and HLA antigens in a new human biliary epithelial cell line sensitive to interferon-γ

Background/Aims: Intra-hepatic bile ducts are the primary site of damage in several immunologically mediated liver diseaes. However, immunological processes underlying biliary epithelial cell recognition by T lymphocytes are poorly understood. Therefore, a convenient in vitro model that could mimic these immunologic disorders would be of great interest.Methods: A human cell line (HuGB) was established from a metastasis of gallbladder adenocarcinoma in the liver. Intermediate filament expression was analysed by immunostaining, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and albumin secretion were measured. VLA integrin expression pattern, expression of HLA class I and II antigens and ICAM-1 protein were analysed by flow cytometry and their modulation by interferon-γ was quantitated using a QIFIKIT commercial kit.Results: Histological analysis showed high similarity between the initial gallbladder adenocarcinoma and the established cell line. Cytokeratins 8 and 19 and vimentin showed strong positive staining in the established cell line. Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase was secreted by these cells while albumin expression was negative. HuGB cells also expressed VLA-α2, VLA-α3, VLA-α6, VLA-β1, but not VLA-α1, VLA-α4 and NCAM, a pattern of adhesion molecule expression compatible with the biliary epithelium. Also, similar to the biliary epithelium found in normal liver, HuGB cells expressed abundant HLA class I but few HLA class II antigens. We found that the expression of HLA antigens and ICAM-1 protein were increased during interferon-γ treatment of HuGB cell line.Conclusions: Both phenotypic and morphological characteristics of HuGB cells suggested their biliary origin. Sensitivity of HuGB cells to interferon-γ suggests that this new cell line could represent a suitable model to investigate the up-regulation of membrane antigens occurring in immune diseases involving biliary epithelial cells.     

Quercetin protects cardiomyocytes against doxorubicin-induced toxicity by suppressing oxidative stress and improving mitochondrial function via 14-3-3γ

Cardiotoxicity limits the clinical applications of doxorubicin (Dox), which mechanism might be excess generation of intracellular ROS. Quercetin (Que) is a flavonoid that possesses anti-oxidative activities, exerts myocardial protection. We hypothesized that the cardioprotection against Dox injury of Que involved 14-3-3γ, and mitochondria. To investigate the hypothesis, we treated primary cardiomyocytes with Dox and determined the effects of Que pretreatment with or without 14-3-3γ knockdown. We analyzed various cellular and molecular indexes. Our data showed that Que attenuated Dox-induced toxicity in cardiomyocytes by upregulating 14-3-3γ expression. Que pretreatment increased cell viability, SOD, catalase, and GPx activities, GSH levels, MMP and the GSH/GSSG ratio; decreased LDH and caspase-3 activities, MDA and ROS levels, mPTP opening and the percentage of apoptotic cells. However, Que’s cardioprotection were attenuated by knocking down 14-3-3γ expression using pAD/14-3-3γ-shRNA. In conclusion, Que protects cardiomyocytes against Dox injury by suppressing oxidative stress and improving mitochondrial function via 14-3-3γ.     

Reshaping of T-lymphocyte compartment in adult prepubertaly ovariectomised rats: A putative role for progesterone deficiency

This study explores the role of ovarian hormones in the phenotypic shaping of peripheral T-cell pool over the reproductive lifespan of rats. For this purpose, 2-month-old prepubertally ovariectomised (Ox) rats, showing oestrogen and progesterone deficiency, and 11-month-old Ox rats, exhibiting only progesterone deficiency, were examined for thymus output, and cellularity and composition of major TCRαβ+ peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) and splenocyte subsets. Although ovariectomy increased thymic output in both 2- and 11-month-old rats, the count of both CD4+ and CD8+ PBLs and splenocytes increased only in the former. In the blood and spleen of 11-month-old Ox rats only the count of CD8+ cells increased. Although ovariectomy affected the total CD4+ count in none of the examined compartments from the 11-month-old rats, it increased CD4+FoxP3+ PBL and splenocyte relative proportions over those in the age-matched controls. The age-related differences in the cellularity and the major subset composition in Ox rats were linked to the differences in the ovarian steroid hormone levels registered in 2- and 11-month-old rats. The administration of progesterone to Ox rats during the seven days before the sacrificing confirmed contribution of this hormone deficiency to the ovariectomy-induced changes in the TCRαβ+ PBL and splenocyte pool from 11-month-old rats. The expansion of the CD8+ splenocyte subset in the 11-month-old Ox rats reflected increases in cellularity of memory and, particularly, naïve cells. This was due to greater thymic output of CD8+ cells and homeostatic proliferation than apoptosis in 11-month-old Ox rats when compared with age-matched sham-Ox control rats. The homeostatic changes within CD8+ splenocyte pool from 11-month-old Ox rats, most likely, reflected the enhanced splenic IL-7 and TGF-β mRNA expression. Overall, in adult female rats, circulating oestrogen and progesterone provide maintenance of T-cell counts, a diversity of T-cell repertoire, and the main T-cell subset composition in the periphery. Progesterone deficiency affects mainly the CD8+ lymphocyte compartment through increasing thymic CD8+ cell export and upsetting homeostatic regulation within the CD8+ splenocyte pool. These alterations were reversible through progesterone supplementation.