Circulating Interleukin-8 Dynamics Parallels Disease Course and Is Linked to Clinical Outcomes in Severe COVID-19

Severe COVID-19 frequently features a systemic deluge of cytokines. Circulating cytokines that can stratify risks are useful for more effective triage and management. Here, we ran a machine-learning algorithm on a dataset of 36 plasma cytokines in a cohort of severe COVID-19 to identify cytokine/s useful for describing the dynamic clinical state in multiple regression analysis. We performed RNA-sequencing of circulating blood cells collected at different time-points. From a Bayesian Information Criterion analysis, a combination of interleukin-8 (IL-8), Eotaxin, and Interferon-γ (IFNγ) was found to be significantly linked to blood oxygenation over seven days. Individually testing the cytokines in receiver operator characteristics analyses identified IL-8 as a strong stratifier for clinical outcomes. Circulating IL-8 dynamics paralleled disease course. We also revealed key transitions in immune transcriptome in patients stratified for circulating IL-8 at three time-points. The study identifies plasma IL-8 as a key pathogenic cytokine linking systemic hyper-inflammation to the clinical outcomes in COVID-19.

CMTM3 protects the gastric epithelial cells from apoptosis and promotes IL-8 by stabilizing NEMO during Helicobacter pylori infection

BACKGROUND

CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing 3 (CMTM3) plays an important role in cancer development. Although Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a main cause of gastric cancer, the function of CMTM3 during H. pylori infection remains unclear. CMTM3 expression levels in tissues from H. pylori-infected patients and cells co-cultured with H. pylori were analyzed. qRT-PCR and ELISA were used to investigate the effects of CMTM3 on interleukin 8 (IL-8) expression. Annexin V/propidium iodide staining was performed to evaluate the function of CMTM3 in the apoptosis of gastric epithelial cells. Proteomic analysis was performed to explore the underlying mechanism of CMTM3 during H. pylori infection. The interaction between CMTM3 and NEMO was determined via co-immunoprecipitation, HA-ubiquitin pull-down assay, and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

H. pylori induced a significant increase in CMTM3 expression. CMTM3 inhibited gastric mucosal epithelial cells from apoptosis and increased the expression level of IL-8 during H. pylori infection. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that differentially expressed proteins were involved in epithelial cell signaling in H. pylori infection. CMTM3 directly interacted with NEMO, which promoted protein stabilization by down-regulation of its ubiquitylation.

CONCLUSIONS

CMTM3 reduces apoptosis and promotes IL-8 expression in the gastric epithelial cells by stabilizing NEMO during H. pylori infection. These findings characterize a new role for CMTM3 in host-pathogen interactions and provide novel insight into the molecular regulation of NEMO.

CD142 promotes trophoblast cell migration by inhibiting BCL2-related autophagic degradation of IL-8

The maintenance of migration of trophoblast cells is beneficial to pregnancy, and its weakening can lead to preeclampsia (PE). CD142 is considered as a classical motility-promoting factor. Our research aimed to explore the role of CD142 in trophoblast cell migration and potential mechanism. Through fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and gene transduction assays, CD142 expression levels of mouse trophoblast cell lines were upregulated and downregulated respectively. Then, the migratory level was detected through Transwell assays in different groups of trophoblast cells. The corresponding chemokines were screened by ELISA in different sorted trophoblast cells. Based on gene overexpression and knockdown assays, the production mode of identified valuable chemokine was analyzed by detecting gene and protein expression in trophoblast cells. Finally, the contribution of autophagy response to specific chemokine regulated by CD142 was explored by combining different groups of cells and autophagy regulators. Our results showed that both CD142 positive sorting and CD142 overexpression promoted the migratory ability of trophoblast cells, and trophoblast cells with the highest level of CD142 had the strongest migratory ability. In addition, CD142+ cells contained the highest level of IL-8. Consistently, CD142 overexpression promoted IL-8 protein expression in trophoblast cells while CD142 silencing was contrary. However, both CD142 overexpression and CD142 silencing did not affect IL-8 mRNA expression. Moreover, both CD142+ and CD142-overexpressed cells showed higher BCL2 protein expression and poorer autophagic activity. Importantly, autophagy activation with TAT-Beclin1 recovered the increased IL-8 protein expression in CD142+ cells. Obviously, the migratory ability of CD142+ cells inhibited by TAT-Beclin1 was recovered by the addition of IL-8 recombinant factor. In conclusion, CD142 inhibits the degradation of IL-8 through the inhibition of BCL2-Beclin1-autophagy signal transduction, thereby promoting the migration of trophoblast cells.

The effect of acute acid exposure on immunomodulatory protein secretion, cell survival, and cell cycle progression in tumour cell lines

Cancer develops when multiple systems fail to suppress uncontrolled cell proliferation. Breast cancers and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are common cancers prone to genetic instability. They typically occur in acidic microenvironments which impacts on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and their influence on surrounding cells to support tumour growth and immune evasion. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the acidic tumour microenvironment on the production of pro-tumorigenic and immunomodulatory factors in cancer cell lines. Multiple factors that may mediate immune evasion were secreted including IL-6, IL-8, G-CSF, IP-10, GDF-15, Lipocalin-2, sICAM-1, and myoglobin. Others, such as VEGF, FGF, and EGF that are essential for tumour cell survival were also detected. Treatment with moderate acidity did not significantly affect secretion of most proteins, whereas very low pH did. Distinct differences in apoptosis were noted between the cell lines, with WHCO6 being better adapted to survive at moderate acid levels. Conditioned medium from acid-treated cells stimulated increased cell viability and proliferation in WHCO6, but increased cell death in MCF-7. This study highlights the importance of acidic tumour microenvironment in controlling apoptosis, cell proliferation, and immune evasion which may be different at different anatomical sites. Immunomodulatory molecules and growth factors provide therapeutic targets to improve the prognosis of individuals with cancer.

Altered cytokine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of adult patients with autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND

Despite intensive research, the etiological causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain elusive. Immunological mechanisms have recently been studied more frequently in the context of maternal autoantibodies and infections, as well as altered cytokine profiles. For the detection of immunological processes in the central nervous system, analyses of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are advantageous due to its proximity to the brain. However, cytokine studies in the CSF of ASD patients are sparse.

METHODS

CSF was collected from a patient sample of 24 adults (m = 16, f = 8, age: 30.3 ± 11.6 years) with ASD and compared to a previously published mentally healthy control sample of 39 neurological patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. A magnetic bead multiplexing immunoassay was used to measure multiple cytokines in CSF.

RESULTS

Significantly decreased interferon-γ-induced protein-10 (p = 0.001) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (p = 0.041) levels as well as significantly higher interleukin-8 levels (p = 0.041) were detected in patients with ASD compared with the control group.

CONCLUSION

The main finding of this study is an altered cytokine profile in adult patients with ASD compared to the control group. This may indicate immune dysregulation in a subgroup of adult ASD patients. Further studies in larger cohorts that examine a broader spectrum of chemokines and cytokines in general are needed to detect possible specific immune signatures in ASD.

The COPD-Associated Polymorphism Impairs the CFTR Function to Suppress Excessive IL-8 Production upon Environmental Pathogen Exposure

COPD is a lifestyle-related disease resulting from irreversible damage to respiratory tissues mostly due to chronic exposure to environmental pollutants, including cigarette smoke. Environmental pathogens and pollutants induce the acquired dysfunction of the CFTR Cl^- channel, which is invoked in COPD. Despite the increased incidence of CFTR polymorphism R75Q or M470V in COPD patients, the mechanism of how the CFTR variant affects COPD pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we investigated the impact of CFTR polymorphisms (R75Q, M470V) on the CFTR function in airway epithelial cell models. While wild-type (WT) CFTR suppressed the proinflammatory cytokine production induced by COPD-related pathogens including pyocyanin (PYO), R75Q- or M470V-CFTR failed. Mechanistically, the R75Q- or M470V-CFTR fractional PM activity (FPMA) was significantly lower than WT-CFTR in the presence of PYO. Notably, the CF drug Trikafta corrected the PM expression of R75Q- or M470V-CFTR even upon PYO exposure and consequently suppressed the excessive IL-8 production. These results suggest that R75Q or M470V polymorphism impairs the CFTR function to suppress the excessive proinflammatory response to environmental pathogens associated with COPD. Moreover, Trikafta may be useful to prevent the COPD pathogenesis associated with acquired CFTR dysfunction.

Chemokine Dysregulation and Neuroinflammation in Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review

Chemokines are known to be immunoregulatory proteins involved not only in lymphocyte chemotaxis to the site of inflammation, but also in neuromodulation, neurogenesis, and neurotransmission. Multiple lines of evidence suggest a peripheral proinflammatory state and neuroinflammation in at least a third of patients with schizophrenia. Therefore, chemokines can be active players in these processes. In this systematic review, we analyzed the available data on chemokine dysregulation in schizophrenia and the association of chemokines with neuroinflammation. It has been shown that there is a genetic association of chemokine and chemokine receptor gene polymorphisms in schizophrenia. Besides, the most reliable data confirmed by the results of meta-analyses showed an increase in CXCL8/IL-8, CCL2/MCP-1, CCL4/MIP-1β, CCL11/eotaxin-1 in the blood of patients with schizophrenia. An increase in CXCL8 has been found in cerebrospinal fluid, but other chemokines have been less well studied. Increased/decreased expression of genes of chemokine and their receptors have been found in different areas of the brain and peripheral immune cells. The peripheral proinflammatory state may influence the expression of chemokines since their expression is regulated by pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Mouse models have shown an association of schizophrenia with dysregulation of the CX3CL1-CX3CR1 and CXCL12-CXCR4 axes. Altogether, dysregulation in chemokine expression may contribute to neuroinflammation in schizophrenia. In conclusion, this evidence indicates the involvement of chemokines in the neurobiological processes associated with schizophrenia.

Predictive markers related to local and systemic inflammation in severe COVID-19-associated ARDS: a prospective single-center analysis

BACKGROUND

As the COVID-19 pandemic strains healthcare systems worldwide, finding predictive markers of severe courses remains urgent. Most research so far was limited to selective questions hindering general assumptions for short- and long-term outcome.

METHODS

In this prospective single-center biomarker study, 47 blood- and 21 bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples were collected from 47 COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) patients upon admission. Expression of inflammatory markers toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, leukocyte counts, procalcitonin (PCT) and carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) was compared to clinical course. Clinical assessment comprised acute local organ damage, acute systemic damage, mortality and outcome after 6 months.

RESULTS

PCT correlated with acute systemic damage and was the best predictor for quality of life (QoL) after 6 months (r = - 0.4647, p = 0.0338). Systemic TLR3 negatively correlated with impaired lung function (ECMO/ECLS: r = - 0.3810, p = 0.0107) and neurological short- (RASS mean: r = 0.4474, p = 0.0023) and long-term outcome (mRS after 6 m: r = - 0.3184, p = 0.0352). Systemic IL-8 correlated with impaired lung function (ECMO/ECLS: r = 0.3784, p = 0.0161) and neurological involvement (RASS mean: r = - 0.5132, p = 0.0007). IL-6 in BAL correlated better to the clinical course than systemic IL-6. Using three multivariate regression models, we describe prediction models for local and systemic damage as well as QoL. CO-Hb mean and max were associated with higher mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Our predictive models using the combination of Charlson Comorbidity Index, sex, procalcitonin, systemic TLR3 expression and IL-6 and IL-8 in BAL were able to describe a broad range of clinically relevant outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19-associated ARDS. Using these models might proof useful in risk stratification and predicting disease course in the future. Trial registration The trial was registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (Trial-ID DRKS00021522, registered 22/04/2020).

Pro-Inflammatory and Cytotoxic Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Human and Murine Intestinal Cell Lines

Plastic is a polymer extremely resistant to degradation that can remain for up to hundreds or thousands of years, leading to the accumulation of massive amounts of plastic waste throughout the planet's ecosystems. Due to exposure to various environmental factors, plastic breaks down into smaller particles named microplastics (1-5000 μm) and nanoplastics (<1 μm). Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous pollutants but, still, little is known about their effects on human and animal health. Herein, our aim is to investigate cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation and correlated gene modulation following exposure to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) in HRT-18 and CMT-93 epithelial cell lines. After 6, 24 and 48 h PS-MPs treatment, cell viability (MTT) and oxidative stress (SOD) assays were performed; subsequently, expression changes and cytokines release were investigated by Real-Time PCR and Magnetic-beads panel Multiplex Assay, respectively. For each exposure time, a significantly increased cytotoxicity was observed in both cell lines, whereas SOD activity increased only in CMT-93 cells. Furthermore, Magnetic-beads Multiplex Assay revealed an increased release of IL-8 in HRT-18 cells' medium, also confirmed by gene expression analysis. Results obtained suggest the presence of a pro-inflammatory pattern induced by PS-MPs treatment that could be related to the observed increase in cytotoxicity.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Cannabigerol in Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovial Fibroblasts and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Cultures Are Partly Mediated by TRPA1

Since its medical legalization, cannabis preparations containing the major phytocannabinoids (cannabidiol (CBD) and δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)) have been used by patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to alleviate pain and inflammation. However, minor cannabinoids such as cannabigerol (CBG) also demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties, but due to the lack of studies, they are not widely used. CBG binds several cellular target proteins such as cannabinoid and α2-adrenergic receptors, but it also ligates several members of the transient potential receptor (TRP) family with TRPA1 being the main target. TRPA1 is not only involved in nnociception, but it also protects cells from apoptosis under oxidative stress conditions. Therefore, modulation of TRPA1 signaling by CBG might be used to modulate disease activity in RA as this autoimmune disease is accompanied by oxidative stress and subsequent activation of pro-inflammatory pathways. Rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts (RASF) were stimulated or not with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) for 72 h to induce TRPA1 protein. CBG increased intracellular calcium levels in TNF-stimulated RASF but not unstimulated RASF in a TRPA1-dependent manner. In addition, PoPo3 uptake, a surrogate marker for drug uptake, was enhanced by CBG. RASF cell viability, IL-6 and IL-8 production were decreased by CBG. In peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures (PBMC) alone or together with RASF, CBG-modulated interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, TNF and immunoglobulin M and G production which was dependent on activation stimulus (T cell-dependent or independent). However, effects on PBMCs were only partially mediated by TRPA1 as the antagonist A967079 did inhibit some but not all effects of CBG on cytokine production. In contrast, TRPA1 antagonism even enhanced the inhibitory effects of CBG on immunoglobulin production. CBG showed broad anti-inflammatory effects in isolated RASF, PBMC and PBMC/RASF co-cultures. As CBG is non-psychotropic, it might be used as add-on therapy in RA to reduce IL-6 and autoantibody levels.

Serum cytokine and chemokine profiles and disease prognosis in hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure

Background

Hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) has significant morbidity and mortality and is associated with the induction of cytokines/chemokines, which might contribute to the pathogenesis of liver injury. This study aimed to explore the cytokine/chemokine profiles of patients with HBV-ACLF and develop a composite clinical prognostic model.

Methods

We prospectively collected blood samples and the clinical data of 107 patients with HBV-ACLF admitted to the Beijing Ditan Hospital. The concentrations of 40-plex cytokines/chemokines were measured in 86 survivors and 21 non-survivors using the Luminex assay. Discrimination between the cytokine/chemokine profiles in different prognosis groups was analyzed using the multivariate statistical techniques of principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). An immune-clinical prognostic model was obtained using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

The PCA and PLS-DA indicated that cytokine/chemokine profiling could clearly distinguish patients with different prognoses. A total of 14 cytokines, namely, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL9, CXCL13, CX3CL1, GM-SCF, CCL21, and CCL23, were significantly correlated with disease prognosis. Multivariate analysis identified CXCL2, IL-8, total bilirubin, and age as independent risk factors that constituted the immune-clinical prognostic model, which showed the strongest predictive value of 0.938 compared with those of the Chronic Liver Failure Consortium (CLIF-C) ACLF (0.785), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) (0.669), and MELD-Na (0.723) scores (p < 0.05 for all).

Conclusion

The serum cytokine/chemokine profiles correlated with the 90-day prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF. The proposed composite immune-clinical prognostic model resulted in more accurate prognostic estimates than those of the CLIF-C ACLF, MELD, and MELD-Na scores.

Calcipotriol abrogates cancer-associated fibroblast-derived IL-8-mediated oxaliplatin resistance in gastric cancer cells via blocking PI3K/Akt signaling

Activation of vitamin D receptor (VDR) in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) has been implicated in hesitating tumor progression and chemoresistance of several human malignancies. Yet, the role of VDR in CAF-induced chemotherapy resistance of gastric cancer (GC) cells remains elusive. In this study we first conducted immunohistochemistry analysis on tissue microarrays including 88 pairs of GC and normal mucosa samples, and provided clinical evidence that VDR was mainly expressed in gastric mucous cells but almost invisible in CAFs, and VDR expression was negatively correlated with malignant clinical phenotype and advanced stages, low VDR expression confers to poor overall survival rate of patients with GC. In a co-culture system of primary CAFs and cancer cells, we showed that treatment of HGC-27 and AGS GC cells with VDR ligand calcipotriol (Cal, 500 nM) significantly inhibited CAF-induced oxaliplatin resistance. By using RNA-sequencing and Human Cytokine Antibody Array, we demonstrated that IL-8 secretion from CAFs induced oxaliplatin resistance via activating the PI3K/AKT pathway in GC, whereas Cal treatment greatly attenuated the tumor-supportive effect of CAF-derived IL-8 on GC cells. Taken together, this study verifies the specific localization of VDR in GC tissues and demonstrates that activation of VDR abrogates CAF-derived IL-8-mediated oxaliplatin resistance in GC via blocking PI3K/Akt signaling, suggesting vitamin D supplementation as a potential strategy of enhancing the anti-tumor effect of chemotherapy in GC.

Serum Cytokine Biomarkers for Use in Diagnosing Pulmonary Tuberculosis versus Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis

Background

Aspergillus fumigatus-induced chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA), the most common pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) sequela, tends to occur after pulmonary infection with the intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Timely and accurate detection of A. fumigatus infection of pulmonary TB patients would undoubtedly greatly improve patient prognosis. Currently, the galactomannan (GM) antigen test is commonly used to detect A. fumigatus infection but has poor sensitivity that renders this assay inadequate for use in clinical practice.

Design or Methods

Given the fact CPA and TB induce different host immune responses, we evaluated serum cytokine level profiles of CPA, TB patients and patients with both diseases (CPA-TB) for multiple cytokines and cytokine combinations.

Results

The results revealed significantly higher serum levels of numerous proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p70, IFN-α, IFN-γ and TNF-α, in peripheral blood of CPA-TB patients versus that of TB patients. IL-8 levels alone provided the best discriminatory performance for distinguishing between TB and either CPA-TB patients (AUC = 0.949) or CPA patients (AUC = 0.964). Moreover, both IL-8 and TNF-α (AUC = 0.996) levels could be used to distinguish between TB and CPA-TB patients. Likewise, IL-8, TNF-α and IL-6 levels together could be used to distinguish between CPA-TB and TB patients.

Conclusion

In this study, multiple cytokines were identified that may serve as potential biomarkers for use in detecting TB patients with CPA. Furthermore, our results should enhance understanding of how immune system dysfunctions influence susceptibility to Mtb and/or A. fumigatus infections.

Evaluation of salivary IL-8 and calcium levels in postmenopausal females with and without periodontitis-A comparative study

Background and Objective

Menopause is a normal developmental stage in a woman's life marking the permanent cessation of menstruation. Calcium is predominant in intracellular signalling and its intracellular increase can affect the cell's proliferation, phagocytosis and cytokine secretion. IL-8 expression in various cells such as neutrophils and osteoblasts was reported to involve a calcium signalling pathway. Well-known functions of IL-8 includes help in angiogenesis, role in tumour progression, tissue remodelling, etc., Hence, the aim of this study was to establish the relationship between calcium-dependent IL-8 and periodontal disease in postmenopausal females.

Method

The study population included 52 postmenopausal women aged 45-57 years. The patients were divided into two groups in which group I included postmenopausal women without periodontitis and group II with periodontitis. Unstimulated salivary samples were collected from all the participants to evaluate IL-8 and calcium levels.

Results

There was a statistically significant difference in salivary IL-8 levels between the two groups (P < 0.001), but there was no statistical difference in salivary calcium levels between the two groups (P = 0.730). A weak negative correlation between salivary IL-8 and calcium was found in group I, while a weak positive correlation was found between the same in group II.

Conclusion

Analysis of salivary IL-8 from the present study was in accordance with several previous studies. It can be concluded that saliva can also be used as a reliable oral diagnostic fluid for IL-8 and calcium detection in periodontitis.

Serum inflammatory cytokines levels and the correlation analyses in Parkinson's disease

Objective: To investigate the serum levels of inflammatory cytokines and the correlations with Parkinson's disease (PD) clinical symptoms. Methods: Serum levels of the cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, were measured in 273 PD patients and 91 healthy controls (HCs). The clinical manifestations of PD were assessed with nine different scales to evaluate the cognitive function, non-motor symptoms, motor symptoms, and disease severity. The differences in these inflammatory indicators were examined between PD patients and HCs, and the correlations of these inflammatory indicators with clinical variables were analyzed in PD patients. Results: Serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in PD patients were higher than those in HCs, but serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) level was not significantly different from that in HCs. In PD patients, serum IL-6 level was positively correlated with age of onset, the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), and the Non-Motor Symptom Scale (NMSS), UPDRS part I, part II, and part III, but it was inversely correlated with the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. Serum TNF-α level was positively correlated with age of onset and H&Y stage in PD patients (p = .037), but negatively correlated with FAB scores in PD patients (p = .010). However, no associations were found between all the clinical variables and the serum IL-8 level. The forward binary logistic regression model revealed that serum IL-6 level was associated with MoCA (p = .023) and UPDRS I scores (p = .023), but no associations was found with the remaining factors. The ROC curve of TNF-α for the diagnosis of PD showed the area under the curve (AUC) was .719 (p < .05, 95% CI: .655-.784), and the critical value of TNF-α was 5.380 pg/ml, with a diagnostic sensitivity of 76.0% and a specificity of 59.3%. Conclusion: Our results suggest increased serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in PD, we further found that IL-6 level was associated with non-motor symptoms and cognitive dysfunction, and IL-6 may play a role in the pathophysiology of non-motor symptoms in PD. At the same time, we also propose that TNF-α has a good diagnostic value for PD despite its irrelevance to clinical symptoms.

Exosomal IL-8 derived from Lung Cancer and Colon Cancer cells induced adipocyte atrophy via NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Cytokines secreted in the tumor microenvironment function in cancer cachexia (CC), a common clinicopathological syndrome associated with adipocyte wasting and skeletal muscle atrophy. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by cancer cells actively engage in inter-tissue communication; EVs and enclosed cytokines are largely undefined in CC adipocytes wasting.

METHODS

EVs derived from Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) and colorectal cancer C26 cells were extracted and characterized. Conditioned medium and EVs from cancer cells were applied to 3 T3-L1 adipocytes. Recombinant IL-8, IL-8 neutralizing antibody, CXCR2 and NF-κB inhibitor were examined in functional assays. Lipolysis of adipocytes was monitored by Western blots, Oil red O staining and glycerol assays. Furthermore, LLC and C26 cell lines were established as cachexia model to explore the relevance of IL-8 and NF-κB signaling in CC adipose wasting. Adipose tissues were collected for histology analyses.

RESULTS

LLC and C26 cell-derived EVs induced lipolysis of 3 T3-L1 adipocytes. Specially, Dil-labeled EVs were effectively taken up by 3 T3-L1 adipocytes, which were motivated by the delivered IL-8 to elicit the NF-κB pathway. In comparison, special IL-8 neutralizing antibody relieved that lipolysis of 3 T3-L1 adipocytes induced by EVs together with conditioned medium of LLC and C26 cells, respectively. Consistently, both CXCR2 and NF-κB inhibitors would lessen the phenotype of lipolysis in 3 T3-L1 adipocytes. In the in vivo settings, both LLC and C26-tumor bearing mice had higher serum IL-8 levels as compared to the control groups. Two typical lipolysis markers, PGC1α and UCP1, were also up-regulated in the adipose tissues of LLC and C26-tumor mice groups, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

EVs secreted by LLC and C26 tumor cells would induce adipocyte wasting via extracellular IL-8-mediated NF-κB signaling. Our study pointed out the physiological and therapeutic values of exosomal IL-8 in CC lipolysis.

Analysis of SNHG14: A Long Non-Coding RNA Hosting SNORD116, Whose Loss Contributes to Prader-Willi Syndrome Etiology

The Small Nucleolar Host Gene 14 (SNHG14) is a host gene for small non-coding RNAs, including the SNORD116 small nucleolar C/D box RNA encoding locus. Large deletions of the SNHG14 locus, as well as microdeletions of the SNORD116 locus, lead to the neurodevelopmental genetic disorder Prader-Willi syndrome. This review will focus on the SNHG14 gene, its expression patterns, its role in human cancer, and the possibility that single nucleotide variants within the locus contribute to human phenotypes in the general population. This review will also include new in silico data analyses of the SNHG14 locus and new in situ RNA expression patterns of the Snhg14 RNA in mouse midbrain and hindbrain regions.

Changes in T-Cell Subpopulations and Cytokine Levels in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression-A Preliminary Study

Although there is some evidence for the involvement of cytokines and T cells in the pathophysiology of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), the nature of this relationship is not entirely clear. Therefore, we compared T-cell subpopulations and serum cytokine levels in TRD patients to find relationships between their immunological profiles, clinical presentation, and episode severity. Blood samples from TRD patients (n = 20) and healthy people (n = 13) were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry. We analyzed the percentages of helper and cytotoxic T cells according to the expression of selected activation markers, including CD28, CD69, CD25, CD95, and HLA-DR. The serum levels of inflammatory cytokines IL12p70, TNF-α, IL-10, IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-8 were also determined. TRD patients had a lower percentage of CD3⁺CD4⁺CD25⁺ and CD3⁺CD8⁺CD95⁺ cells than healthy people. They also had lower serum levels of IL-12p70 and TNF-α, whereas IL-8 levels were significantly higher. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that serum IL-8 values above 19.55 pg/mL were associated with a 10.26 likelihood ratio of developing TRD. No connections were found between the MADRS score and immunological parameters. These results show that TRD patients have reduced percentages of T cells expressing activation antigens (CD25 and CD95) and higher serum concentrations of proinflammatory and chemotactic IL-8. These changes may indicate reduced activity of the immune system and the important role of IL-8 in maintaining chronic inflammation in the course of depression.

Cytokine Profiles Differentiate Symptomatic from Asymptomatic PTSD in Service Members and Veterans with Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are commonly observed comorbid occurrences among military service members and veterans (SMVs). In this cross-sectional study, SMVs with a history of TBI were stratified into symptomatic and asymptomatic PTSD groups based on posttraumatic stress checklist-civilian (PCL-C) total scores. Blood-based biomarkers were assessed, and significant differential markers were associated with scores from multiple neurobehavioral self-report assessments. PCL-C cutoffs were total scores >50 (PTSD symptomatic) and <25 (asymptomatic). Cytokines IL6, IL8, TNFα, and IL10 were significantly elevated (p < 0.05−0.001) in the TBI+/PTSD symptomatic group compared to the TBI+/asymptomatic group. Cytokine levels of IL8, TNFα, and IL10 were strongly associated with PCL-C scores (0.356 < r > 0.624 for all, p < 0.01 for all), while TNFα and IL10 were additionally associated with NSI totals (r = 0.285 and r = 0.270, p < 0.05, respectively). This is the first study focused on PTSD symptom severity to report levels of circulating pro-inflammatory IL8, specifically in SMVs with TBI. These data suggest that within the military TBI population, there are unique cytokine profiles that relate to neurobehavioral outcomes associated with TBI and PTSD.

Bovine neutrophil chemotaxis to Listeria monocytogenes in neurolisteriosis depends on microglia-released rather than bacterial factors

BACKGROUND

Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a bacterial pathogen of major concern for humans and ruminants due to its neuroinvasive potential and its ability to cause deadly encephalitis (neurolisteriosis). On one hand, polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) are key players in the defense against Lm, but on the other hand intracerebral infiltration with PMN is associated with significant neural tissue damage. Lm-PMN interactions in neurolisteriosis are poorly investigated, and factors inducing PMN chemotaxis to infectious foci containing Lm in the central nervous system (CNS) remain unidentified.

METHODS

In this study, we assessed bovine PMN chemotaxis towards Lm and supernatants of infected endogenous brain cell populations in ex vivo chemotaxis assays, to identify chemotactic stimuli for PMN chemotaxis towards Lm in the brain. In addition, microglial secretion of IL-8 was assessed both ex vivo and in situ.

RESULTS

Our data show that neither Lm cell wall components nor intact bacteria elicit chemotaxis of bovine PMN ex vivo. Moreover, astrocytes and neural cells fail to induce bovine PMN chemotaxis upon infection. In contrast, supernatant from Lm infected microglia readily induced chemotaxis of bovine PMN. Microglial expression and secretion of IL-8 was identified during early Lm infection in vitro and in situ, although IL-8 blocking with a specific antibody could not abrogate PMN chemotaxis towards Lm infected microglial supernatant.

CONCLUSIONS

These data provide evidence that host-derived rather than bacterial factors trigger PMN chemotaxis to bacterial foci in the CNS, that microglia have a primary role as initiators of bovine PMN chemotaxis into the brain during neurolisteriosis and that blockade of these factors could be a therapeutic target to limit intrathecal PMN chemotaxis and PMN associated damage in neurolisteriosis.

Effects of Helicobacter pylori and Nitrate-Reducing Bacteria Coculture on Cells

Helicobacter pylori infection is an important risk factor for developing gastric cancer. However, only a few H. pylori-infected people develop gastric cancer. Thus, other risk factors aside from H. pylori infection may be involved in gastric cancer development. This study aimed to investigate whether the nitrate-reducing bacteria isolated from patients with atrophic gastritis caused by H. pylori infection are risk factors for developing atrophic gastritis and gastric neoplasia. Nitrate-reducing bacteria were isolated from patients with atrophic gastritis caused by H. pylori infection. Among the isolated bacteria, Actinomyces oris, Actinomyces odontolyticus, Rothia dentocariosa, and Rothia mucilaginosa were used in the subsequent experiments. Cytokine inducibility was evaluated in monocytic cells, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity and cell cycle were assessed in the gastric epithelial cells. The cytotoxicities and neutrophil-inducing abilities of the Actinomyces and Rothia species were enhanced when cocultured with H. pylori. Th1/Th2-related cytokines were also expressed, but their expression levels differed depending on the bacterial species. Moreover, H. pylori and Actinomyces activated MAPK (ERK and p38) and affected cell cycle progression. Some nitrate-reducing bacteria cocultured with H. pylori may promote inflammation and atrophy by inducing cytokine production. In addition, the MAPK activation and cell cycle progression caused by these bacteria can contribute to gastric cancer development.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-A pilot study investigating early inflammatory and fibrotic biomarkers of NAFLD with alcoholic liver disease

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition where excess fat accumulates in the liver (hepatic steatosis) and there is no history of alcohol abuse or other secondary causes of chronic liver disease. NAFLD is a very common disorder, occurring in 25% of the global population. NAFLD is now the most common chronic liver disorder in Western countries. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for NAFLD diagnosis and staging; however, this is invasive, costly and not without risk. Biomarkers that could diagnose and stage disease would reduce the need for biopsy and allow stratification of patients at risk of progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Methods: One hundred and thirty-five patients were involved in the study [N = 135: n = 34 controls; n = 26 simple steatosis; n = 61 NAFLD/NASH, and n = 14 alcoholic liver disease (ALD)]. Clinically diagnosed (ICD-10) patient serum samples were obtained from Discovery Life Sciences (US) along with clinical history. Samples were run in duplicate using high-sensitivity cytokine array I, immunoassays and ELISAs. In total, n = 20 individual biomarkers were investigated in this pilot study. Results: Thirteen/20 (65%) biomarkers were identified as significantly different between groups; IFNγ, EGF, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNFα, FABP-1, PIIINP, ST2/IL-33R, albumin, AST and ALT. Five/20 (25%) biomarker candidates were identified for further investigation; namely, three biomarkers of inflammation, IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα, and two biomarkers of fibrosis, PIIINP and ST2/IL-33R. Discussion: Single biomarkers are unlikely to be diagnostic or predictive at staging NAFLD due to the complex heterogeneity of the disease. However, biomarker combinations may help stratify risk and stage disease where patients are averse to biopsy. Further studies comparing the 5 biomarkers identified in this study with current diagnostic tests and fibrotic deposition in liver tissue are warranted.

Clozapine Suppresses the Gene Expression and the Production of Cytokines and Up-Regulates Cyclooxygenase 2 mRNA in Human Astroglial Cells

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic neurodevelopmental psychotic disorder. The immune system and neuroinflammation seem to play a central role in the pathophysiology of SCZ. Clozapine is an effective atypical antipsychotic used for treatment-resistant SCZ. Life-threatening side effects, such as myocarditis, limit its use. We investigated the immunomodulatory effects of clozapine in an astroglial model of neuroinflammation. We thus assessed the effect of clozapine on the production of inflammatory mediators in human-derived astroglial (A172) cells, stimulated with a cytokine mix (TNFα, IL-1β, IFNγ). RT-PCR and ELISA analyses demonstrated that clozapine suppressed gene expression and production of TNFα, IL-1β and IL-8 and increased COX2 mRNA 24 h after stimulation. Clozapine inhibited Akt phosphorylation induced by the cytokine mix at 10 min and 40 min, as assessed by Western blot analysis with anti-pT308Akt antibody. Pretreatment with the Akt inhibitor MK-2206 increased COX2 gene expression in cytokine-stimulated cells, suggesting that Akt inhibition may be involved in COX2 gene expression upregulation. Clozapine may possess dual beneficial effects: inhibiting astroglial production of proinflammatory cytokines, thus attenuating neuroinflammation, and upregulating COX2 expression that may be relevant to improvement of neural functioning while accounting for some of its detrimental effects. Patients with TRS and neuroinflammatory markers may benefit particularly from clozapine treatment.

Maternal Inflammatory Biomarkers during Pregnancy and Early Life Neurodevelopment in Offspring: Results from the VDAART Study

Maternal infection and stress during the prenatal period have been associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring, suggesting that biomarkers of increased inflammation in the mothers may associate with poorer developmental outcomes. In 491 mother-child pairs from the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial (VDAART), we investigated the association between maternal levels of two inflammatory biomarkers; interleukin-8 (IL-8) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) during early (10-18 wks) and late (32-38 wks) pregnancy with offspring scores in the five domains of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, a validated screening tool for assessing early life development. We identified a robust association between early pregnancy IL-8 levels and decreased fine-motor (β: -0.919, 95%CI: -1.425, -0.414, p = 3.9 × 10^-4) and problem-solving skills at age two (β: -1.221, 95%CI: -1.904, -0.414, p = 4.9 × 10^-4). Associations between IL-8 with other domains of development and those for CRP did not survive correction for multiple testing. Similarly, while there was some evidence that the detrimental effects of early pregnancy IL-8 were strongest in boys and in those who were not breastfed, these interactions were not robust to correction for multiple testing. However, further research is required to determine if other maternal inflammatory biomarkers associate with offspring neurodevelopment and work should continue to focus on the management of factors leading to increases in IL-8 levels in pregnant women.

Chlamydia psittaci inhibits apoptosis of human neutrophils by activating P2X7 receptor expression

This study tested the hypothesis that Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci) survives and multiplies in human neutrophils by activating P2X7, a nonselective cationic channel receptor expressed constitutively on the surface of these cells. Findings illustrated that P2X7 receptor expression was enhanced in C. psittaci-infected neutrophils. C. psittaci was able to inhibite spontaneous apoptosis of neutrophils through mitochondrial-induced ATP release and IL-8 production. Importantly, inhibiting ATP activation of the P2X7 receptor with AZ10606120 promotes apoptosis, while stimulating P2X7 receptor expression with BzATP delayed spontaneous apoptosis of human neutrophils, suggesting that C. psittaci inhibits apoptosis of human neutrophils by activating P2X7 receptor. This study reveals new insights into the survival advantages of the latent persistent state of C. psittaci and the mechanism by which it evades the innate immune response.