The paradigm of cytokine networks in allergic airway inflammation

Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis with Acupuncture Based on Pathophysiological

Allergic rhinitis is a prevalent allergic diseases and has a profound impact on physical well-being. In recent years, more and more people have changed to allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, allergic dermatitis and so on. In the incidence of allergic rhinitis, covering all ages. The common clinical treatment of allergic rhinitis are drugs and immunotherapy, but these therapies have certain limitations. Therefore, an effective and economical treatment for AR is urgently needed. Acupuncture are widely used in the clinical treatment of various diseases, but the effect of acupuncture in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) is significant, and the mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of AR is also a hot spot. Acupuncture is one of the traditional treatment methods of traditional Chinese medicine, which achieves therapeutic effect by pressing a needle or other means at a specific location on the skin to produce a special sensation. Among them, acupuncture, as a popular treatment method, has attracted more and more attention. In this review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of acupuncture and AR, as well as current studies investigating the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for AR.

Advances in Gluten Hypersensitivity: Novel Dietary-Based Therapeutics in Research and Development

Gluten hypersensitivity is characterized by the production of IgE antibodies against specific wheat proteins (allergens) and a myriad of clinical allergic symptoms including life-threatening anaphylaxis. Currently, the only recommended treatment for gluten hypersensitivity is the complete avoidance of gluten. There have been extensive efforts to develop dietary-based novel therapeutics for combating this disorder. There were four objectives for this study: (i) to compile the current understanding of the mechanism of gluten hypersensitivity; (ii) to critically evaluate the outcome from preclinical testing of novel therapeutics in animal models; (iii) to determine the potential of novel dietary-based therapeutic approaches under development in humans; and (iv) to synthesize the outcomes from these studies and identify the gaps in research to inform future translational research. We used Google Scholar and PubMed databases with appropriate keywords to retrieve published papers. All material was thoroughly checked to obtain the relevant data to address the objectives. Our findings collectively demonstrate that there are at least five promising dietary-based therapeutic approaches for mitigating gluten hypersensitivity in development. Of these, two have advanced to a limited human clinical trial, and the others are at the preclinical testing level. Further translational research is expected to offer novel dietary-based therapeutic options for patients with gluten hypersensitivity in the future.

Preparation and in vivo evaluation of nano sized cubosomal dispersion loaded with Ruta graveolens extracts as a novel approach to reduce asthma-mediated lung inflammation

Asthma is a chronic disease affecting people of all ages. Asthma medications are associated with adverse effects restricting their long-term usage, demanding newer alternative therapies. This study aimed to investigate the anti-asthmatic properties of Ruta graveolens extract and its prepared nano-cubosomal dispersion (Ruta-ND). Firstly, the R. graveolens methanolic extract exhibited higher anti-inflammatory activity on Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated BEAS-2B cells. To ensure best bioavailability and hence best cellular uptake, R. graveolens extract was loaded in nano-cubosomal dispersion (ND). Then, the anti-asthmatic effects of Ruta extract and ND were simultaneously evaluated in rats' model with ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma. R. graveolens extract and Ruta-ND subsided asthma score and improved lung function by restoring FEV1/FVC ratio to the expected values in control rats. Also, it showed strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities manifested by lowering levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), IL-4, IL-7, TGF-β, and Ig-E, and increasing levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and INF-γ in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Our research findings also indicate autophagy induction and apoptosis inhibition by Ruta extract and Ruta-ND. Finally, the HPLC MS/MS phytochemical profiling of R. graveolens extract evident production of various alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, and other phenolics with reported pharmacological properties corresponding to/emphasize our study findings. In conclusion, R. graveolens exhibited promise in managing Ova-induced allergic asthma and could be developed as an alternative anti-allergic asthma drug.

The Role and Clinical Relevance of Osteopontin in Allergic Airway Diseases

The airway epithelium is exposed to numerous external irritants including infectious agents, environmental allergens, and atmospheric pollutants, releasing epithelial cytokines including thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), IL-33, and IL-25 and initiating downstream type 2 (IL-4, IL-13, and IL-5) and IgE-driven pathways. These pathways trigger the initiation and progression of allergic airway diseases, including chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), allergic rhinitis (AR), and allergic asthma. However, the use of biological agents that target downstream cytokines, such as IL-5, IL-4, and IL-13 receptors and IgE, might not be sufficient to manage some patients successfully. Instead of blocking downstream cytokines, targeting upstream epithelial cytokines has been proposed to address the complex immunologic networks associated with allergic airway diseases. Osteopontin (OPN), an extracellular matrix glyco-phosphoprotein, is a key mediator involved in Th1-related diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Emerging evidence, including ours, indicates that epithelial-cell-derived OPN also plays an essential role in Th2-skewed airway diseases, including CRSwNP, AR, and allergic asthma involving the Th17 response. Therefore, we reviewed the current knowledge of epithelial-cell-derived OPN in the pathogenesis of three type-2-biased airway diseases and provided a direction for its future investigation and clinical relevance.

Allergic rhinitis behavioral changes after Indonesian house dust mites allergenic extract administration as immunotherapy

Background: Allergy is a hypersensitivity reaction that is generally mediated by Immunoglobulin E (IgE). More than 25% of the world’s population is suspected of having these various diseases, and the prevalence and progression of these diseases have continued to increase significantly in recent years. Among these allergy-related diseases, allergic rhinitis and food allergy are the types of allergies with the highest prevalence. Clinical manifestations of allergic rhinitis include sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal itching, and nasal congestion. Objective: This study aimed to determine the behavioral changes of allergic rhinitis after Indonesian House Dust Mites (IHDM) allergenic extract administration as an immunotherapy. Methods: Eight male BALB/c mice aged 6-8 weeks in each group were treated for seven groups. The sensitization phase is given intraperitoneal, the desensitization phase is given by subcutaneous, and the challenge phase is given intranasal. The allergic parameters were observed, such as nose rubbing and sneezing. The parameters were observed for 15 minutes after the challenge administration. Results: The results showed that the administration of Indonesian House Dust Mites as immunotherapy decreased the frequency of nose rubbing and sneezing after the administration of immunotherapy compared to the allergic rhinitis model. Conclusions: The administration of the Indonesia House Dust Mites as immunotherapy decreased the allergic rhinitis immune response by altering the behavioral parameter.

The anti-asthmatic potential of Rho-kinase inhibitor hydroxyfasudil in the model of experimentally induced allergic airway inflammation

OBJECTIVE

This experimental study evaluated the anti-asthmatic potential of the Rho-kinase inhibitor hydroxyfasudil in the settings of allergen-induced allergen-induced experimental asthma.

METHODS

Chronic allergic airway inflammation was caused by 28 days-sensitisation of guinea pigs with ovalbumin (OVA). Hydroxyfasudil was administered intraperitoneally in two doses for the last two weeks (1 mg/kg b.w.; 10 mg/kg b.w.). The degree of allergic inflammation was determined based on concentrations of inflammatory Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13), Th1 cytokines (TNF-α and IFN-γ) in the lung homogenate and leukocyte count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The markers of remodelling and fibrosis, the growth factors (TGF-β1, EGF), EGF receptor, collagen type III and V were estimated in lung homogenate. The changes in specific airway resistance (sRaw) were used as an in vivo bronchial hyperreactivity parameter.

RESULTS

Hydroxyfasudil administration at both doses significantly reduced sRaw after a week of therapy. We observed a decline of IL-13, TNF-α and IFN-γ in lung homogenate and a lower presence of lymphocytes in BALF after 14 days of hydroxyfasudil administration at both tested doses. Hydroxyfasudil 14 days-treatment at both doses effectively reduced the concentrations of TGF-β1, EGF receptors, collagen type III and V in BALF and modulated EGF levels.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that RhoA/Rho-kinase is involved in the pathophysiology of allergic airway inflammation and suggest that Rho-kinase inhibitor hydroxyfasudil has therapeutic potential for asthma management.

Characterization of sex-related differences in allergen house dust mite-challenged airway inflammation, in two different strains of mice

Biological sex impacts disease prevalence, severity and response to therapy in asthma, however preclinical studies often use only one sex in murine models. Here, we detail sex-related differences in immune responses using a house dust mite (HDM)-challenge model of acute airway inflammation, in adult mice of two different strains (BALB/c and C57BL/6NJ). Female and male mice were challenged (intranasally) with HDM extract (~ 25 μg) for 2 weeks (N = 10 per group). Increase in serum HDM-specific IgE showed a female bias, which was statistically significant in BALB/c mice. We compared naïve and HDM-challenged mice to define immune responses in the lungs by assessing leukocyte accumulation in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and profiling the abundance of 29 different cytokines in BALF and lung tissue lysates. Our results demonstrate specific sex-related and strain-dependent differences in airway inflammation. For example, HDM-driven accumulation of neutrophils, eosinophils and macrophages were significantly higher in females compared to males, in BALB/c mice. In contrast, HDM-mediated eosinophil accumulation was higher in males compared to females, in C57BL/6NJ mice. Differences in lung cytokine profiles indicated that HDM drives a T-helper (Th)17-biased response with higher IL-17 levels in female BALB/c mice compared to males, whereas female C57BL/6NJ mice elicit a mixed Th1/Th2-skewed response. Male mice of both strains showed higher levels of specific Th2-skewed cytokines, such as IL-21, IL-25 and IL-9, in response to HDM. Overall, this study details sex dimorphism in HDM-mediated airway inflammation in mice, which will be a valuable resource for preclinical studies in allergic airway inflammation and asthma.

Effectiveness of Indonesian house dust mite allergenic extract in triggering allergic rhinitis sensitivity in a mouse model: A preliminary study

Background and Aim:

Perennial allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic upper respiratory disease, with inflammation mediated by immunoglobulin E in the nasal mucosa caused by house dust mites. Recently, allergen immunotherapy showed promising allergic healing in patients with a definite history of sensitization. Based on this finding, a product was developed using Indonesian house dust mite (IHDM). This study aimed to optimize the allergenic rhinitis mouse model that was generated using IHDM to test the in vivo sensitivity and safety of this product.

Materials and Methods:

Seven groups of mice were used for effectiveness testing – normal, negative control with IHDM challenge, positive control with 0.1% histamine challenge, and AR group by both IHDM-induced sensitization at 12.5, 50, 250, or 500 μg and IHDM challenge. Mice were sensitized by intraperitoneal administration of IHDM once a week for 3 consecutive weeks. Thereafter, the challenge was given intranasally 5 times on alternate days. The number of nose rubbing and sneezing was noted. Eosinophil infiltration was assessed histologically using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression of interleukin-5 (IL-5) mRNA in the nasal mucosa was determined using semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

The induction of AR with IHDM significantly increased the number of nose rubbing and sneezing in the mouse model. Eosinophil infiltration was observed in the nasal mucosa; however, no significant change occurred in the expression of IL-5 mRNA.

Conclusion:

Overall, these data indicate that IHDM allergenic extract could be an effective sensitizing agent in a mouse model of AR. Although the use of IHDM is a limitation of this study because other sources of house dust mites might have different effects, this study provides a proper model for immunotherapy effectivity testing for in vivo pre-clinical studies.

Cigarette Smoke and Morphine Promote Treg Plasticity to Th17 via Enhancing Trained Immunity

CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) respond to environmental cues to permit or suppress inflammation, and atherosclerosis weakens Treg suppression and promotes plasticity. However, the effects of smoking plus morphine (SM + M) on Treg plasticity remain unknown. To determine whether SM + M promotes Treg plasticity to T helper 17 (Th17) cells, we analyzed the RNA sequencing data from SM, M, and SM + M treated Tregs and performed knowledge-based and IPA analysis. We demonstrated that (1) SM + M, M, and SM upregulated the transcripts of cytokines, chemokines, and clusters of differentiation (CDs) and modulated the transcripts of kinases and phosphatases in Tregs; (2) SM + M, M, and SM upregulated the transcripts of immunometabolism genes, trained immunity genes, and histone modification enzymes; (3) SM + M increased the transcripts of Th17 transcription factor (TF) RORC and Tfh factor CXCR5 in Tregs; M increased the transcripts of T helper cell 1 (Th1) TF RUNX3 and Th1-Th9 receptor CXCR3; and SM inhibited Treg TGIF1 transcript; (4) six genes upregulated in SM + M Tregs were matched with the top-ranked Th17 pathogenic genes; and 57, 39 genes upregulated in SM + M Tregs were matched with groups II and group III Th17 pathogenic genes, respectively; (5) SM + M upregulated the transcripts of 70 IPA-TFs, 11 iTregs-specific TFs, and 4 iTregs-Th17 shared TFs; and (6) SM + M, M, and SM downregulated Treg suppression TF Rel (c-Rel); and 35 SM + M downregulated genes were overlapped with Rel-/- Treg downregulated genes. These results provide novel insights on the roles of SM + M in reprogramming Treg transcriptomes and Treg plasticity to Th17 cells and novel targets for future therapeutic interventions involving immunosuppression in atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, transplantation, and cancers.

IL-9 and IL-9 receptor expression in lymphocytes from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with interstitial lung disease

INTRODUCTION

IL-9, mainly produced by T helper 9 (Th9) cells, promotes allergic airway inflammation and remodeling through the interaction with its receptor (IL-9R). Th9 cells and IL-9 have also been implicated in tissue fibrosis and autoimmunity pathways. However, the role of IL-9/IL-9R in the pathogenesis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is unknown.

AIM

To evaluate IL-9/IL-9R expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) lymphocytes of patients with various ILDs.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with ILD, who underwent BAL for diagnostic purposes, were studied. As control group, consecutive patients without evidence of ILD were included. Immunocytochemical staining of BALF lymphocytes for IL-9 and IL-9R was performed and evaluated by two independent readers.

RESULTS

45 patients, of them 8 had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 12 nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), 10 sarcoidosis, 9 hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), 6 cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP), and 24 controls were studied. In the ILD group, the highest BALF lymphocyte count was seen in HP followed by NSIP, COP, sarcoidosis, and IPF (p < 0.05 for HP vs IPF). The highest percentages of IL-9 and IL-9R positive lymphocytes were seen in COP. Conversely, NSIP showed the lowest rate of IL-9, and sarcoidosis the lowest rate of IL-9R positive lymphocytes. Only in NSIP, a direct correlation between IL and 9 and IL-9R positive lymphocytes was seen (r = 0.639, p = 0.025).

CONCLUSION

BALF lymphocytes IL-9 and IL-9R expression differs between various ILDs and could reflect different pathogenetic mechanisms.

Sex Steroids Effects on Asthma: A Network Perspective of Immune and Airway Cells

A multitude of evidence has suggested the differential incidence, prevalence and severity of asthma between males and females. A compilation of recent literature recognized sex differences as a significant non-modifiable risk factor in asthma pathogenesis. Understanding the cellular and mechanistic basis of sex differences remains complex and the pivotal point of this ever elusive quest, which remains to be clarified in the current scenario. Sex steroids are an integral part of human development and evolution while also playing a critical role in the conditioning of the immune system and thereby influencing the function of peripheral organs. Classical perspectives suggest a pre-defined effect of sex steroids, generalizing estrogens popularly under the “estrogen paradox” due to conflicting reports associating estrogen with a pro- and anti-inflammatory role. On the other hand, androgens are classified as “anti-inflammatory,” serving a protective role in mitigating inflammation. Although considered mainstream and simplistic, this observation remains valid for numerous reasons, as elaborated in the current review. Women appear immune-favored with stronger and more responsive immune elements than men. However, the remarkable female predominance of diverse autoimmune and allergic diseases contradicts this observation suggesting that hormonal differences between the sexes might modulate the normal and dysfunctional regulation of the immune system. This review illustrates the potential relationship between key elements of the immune cell system and their interplay with sex steroids, relevant to structural cells in the pathophysiology of asthma and many other lung diseases. Here, we discuss established and emerging paradigms in the clarification of observed sex differences in asthma in the context of the immune system, which will deepen our understanding of asthma etiopathology.

In Vitro Cellular and Molecular Interplay between Human Foreskin-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells and the Th17 Cell Pathway

Foreskin, considered a biological waste material, has been shown to be a reservoir of therapeutic cells. The immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) from the foreskin (FSK-MSCs) are being evaluated in cell-based therapy for degenerative, inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Within the injured/inflamed tissue, proinflammatory lymphocytes such as IL-17-producing T helper cells (Th17) may interact with the stromal microenvironment, including MSCs. In this context, MSCs may encounter different levels of T cells as well as specific inflammatory signals. Uncovering the cellular and molecular changes during this interplay is central for developing an efficient and safe immunotherapeutic tool. To this end, an in vitro human model of cocultures of FSK-MSCs and T cells was established. These cocultures were performed at different cell ratios in the presence of an inflammatory setting. After confirming that FSK-MSCs respond to ISCT criteria by showing a typical phenotype and multilineage potential, we evaluated by flow cytometry the expression of Th17 cell markers IL-17A, IL23 receptor and RORγt within the lymphocyte population. We also measured 15 human Th17 pathway-related cytokines. Regardless of the T cell/MSC ratio, we observed a significant increase in IL-17A expression associated with an increase in IL-23 receptor expression. Furthermore, we observed substantial modulation of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-25, IL-31, IL-33, INF-γ, sCD40, and TNF-α secretion. These findings suggest that FSK-MSCs are receptive to their environment and modulate the T cell response accordingly. The changes within the secretome of the stromal and immune environment are likely relevant for the therapeutic effect of MSCs. FSK-MSCs represent a valuable cellular product for immunotherapeutic purposes that needs to be further clarified and developed.

Adult allergic rhinitis sufferers have unique nasal mucosal and peripheral blood immune gene expression profiles: A case-control study

Background

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a complex disease involving both mucosal and systemic immune compartments. Greater understanding of the immune networks underpinning AR pathophysiology may assist with further refining disease‐specific biomarkers.

Objective

To compare immune gene expression profiles in nasal mucosa and peripheral blood samples between adults with AR and controls without AR.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study included 45 adults with moderate‐severe and persistent AR (37.6 ± 12.8 years; mean ± SD) and 24 adults without AR (36.6 ± 10.2). Gene expression analysis was performed using the NanoString nCounter PanCancer Immune profiling panel (n = 730 immune genes) in combination with the panel plus probe set (n = 30 allergy‐related genes) with purified RNA from peripheral blood and cell lysates prepared from combined nasal lavage and nasal brushing.

Results

One hundred and thirteen genes were significantly differentially expressed in peripheral blood samples between groups (p < .05). In contrast, 14 genes were differentially expressed in nasal lysate samples between groups (p < .05). Upregulation of allergy‐related genes in nasal mucosa samples in the AR group was observed. Namely, chemokines CCL17 and CCL26 are involved in the chemotaxis of key effector cells and TPSAB1 encodes tryptase, an inflammatory mediator released from activated mast cells and basophils. Six differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were in common between the nasal mucosa and blood samples. In addition, counts of specific DEGs in nasal mucosa samples were positively correlated with eosinophil and dust mite‐specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) counts in blood.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Distinct gene expression profiles in blood and nasal mucosa samples were observed between AR sufferers and controls. The results of this study also provide evidence for a close interaction between the local site and systemic immunity. The genes identified in this study contribute to the current knowledge of AR pathophysiology and may serve as biomarkers to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment regimens, or as targets for drug discovery.

Inflammation in Asthma Pathogenesis: Role of T cells, Macrophages, Epithelial Cells and Type 2 Inflammation

Asthma is a chronic disease with abnormal inflammatory and immunological responses. The disease initiated by antigens in subjects with genetic susceptibility. However, environmental factors play a role in the initiation and exacerbation of asthma attack. Asthma is T helper 2 (Th2)-cell-mediated disease. Recent studies indicated that asthma is not a single disease entity, but it is with multiple phenotypes and endotypes. The pathophysiological changes in asthma included a series of subsequent continuous vicious circle of cellular activation contributed to induction of chemokines and cytokines that potentiate inflammation. The heterogeneity of asthma influenced the treatment response. The asthma pathogenesis driven by varied set of cells such as eosinophils, basophils, neutrophils, mast cells, macrophages, epithelial cells and T cells. In this review the role of T cells, macrophage, and epithelial cells are discussed.

Canonical Secretomes, Innate Immune Caspase-1-, 4/11-Gasdermin D Non-Canonical Secretomes and Exosomes May Contribute to Maintain Treg-Ness for Treg Immunosuppression, Tissue Repair and Modulate Anti-Tumor Immunity via ROS Pathways

We performed a transcriptomic analyses using the strategies we pioneered and made the following findings: 1) Normal lymphoid Tregs, diseased kidney Tregs, splenic Tregs from mice with injured muscle have 3, 17 and 3 specific (S-) pathways, respectively; 2) Tumor splenic Tregs share 12 pathways with tumor Tregs; tumor splenic Tregs and tumor Tregs have 11 and 8 S-pathways, respectively; 3) Normal and non-tumor disease Tregs upregulate some of novel 2641 canonical secretomic genes (SGs) with 24 pathways, and tumor Tregs upregulate canonical secretomes with 17 pathways; 4) Normal and non-tumor disease tissue Tregs upregulate some of novel 6560 exosome SGs with 56 exosome SG pathways (ESP), tumor Treg ESP are more focused than other Tregs; 5) Normal, non-tumor diseased Treg and tumor Tregs upregulate some of novel 961 innate immune caspase-1 SGs and 1223 innate immune caspase-4 SGs to fulfill their tissue/SG-specific and shared functions; 6) Most tissue Treg transcriptomes are controlled by Foxp3; and Tumor Tregs had increased Foxp3 non-collaboration genes with ROS and 17 other pathways; 7) Immune checkpoint receptor PD-1 does, but CTLA-4 does not, play significant roles in promoting Treg upregulated genes in normal and non-tumor disease tissue Tregs; and tumor splenic and tumor Tregs have certain CTLA-4-, and PD-1-, non-collaboration transcriptomic changes with innate immune dominant pathways; 8) Tumor Tregs downregulate more immunometabolic and innate immune memory (trained immunity) genes than Tregs from other groups; and 11) ROS significantly regulate Treg transcriptomes; and ROS-suppressed genes are downregulated more in tumor Tregs than Tregs from other groups. Our results have provided novel insights on the roles of Tregs in normal, injuries, regeneration, tumor conditions and some of canonical and innate immune non-canonical secretomes via ROS-regulatory mechanisms and new therapeutic targets for immunosuppression, tissue repair, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, autoimmune diseases, transplantation, and cancers.

Childhood asthma: Novel endotyping by cytokines, validated through sensitization profiles and clinical characteristics

BACKGROUND

Specific allergy sensitization pattern, using "component-resolved diagnosis" (CRD), is a central component of allergy and asthma in childhood. Besides this, allergic asthma has been characterized by a Th2-shifted endotype with elevation of classical Th2 cytokines. Recently, other endotypes with distinct mechanisms focusing on cytokine regulation evolved, yet those pathways are still not well understood.

OBJECTIVE

(a) To define reproducible immunological endotypes using cytokine expression in an asthma cohort and (b) to characterize their sensitization profile and clinical phenotype.

METHODS

Supernatants from PBMCs of 234 children (median age 10 years) of an asthma cohort were analysed for cytokine expressions. The children were split into a training (n = 49) and validation (n = 185) group. The training group was used to identify immunological endotypes by clustering cytokine expressions, which were then assessed regarding clinical characteristics and specific IgE of recombinant allergen components. Next, our findings were validated in the validation group.

RESULTS

We identified novel endotypes based on primarily unstimulated cytokine expression. One endotype showed an IFN-γ/Interleukin (IL)-17/IL-5 predominance, a different sensitization pattern (high in birch/apple; p < .01), and inferior lung function (p < .01). A second endotype grouped young children with food allergy and reduced lung function. Our findings were reproducible in the validation group.

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

We identified two novel clinical asthma endotypes via cytokine expression pattern with distinct sensitization patterns. These novel findings are critical for clinical guidance and open avenues for identifying underlying mechanisms and more patient-specific therapies.

Tissue Treg Secretomes and Transcription Factors Shared With Stem Cells Contribute to a Treg Niche to Maintain Treg-Ness With 80% Innate Immune Pathways, and Functions of Immunosuppression and Tissue Repair

We used functional -omics angles and examined transcriptomic heterogeneity in CD4⁺Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells (Treg) from spleen (s-Treg), lymph nodes (LN-Treg), intestine (int-Treg), and visceral adipose tissue (VAT-Treg), and made significant findings: 1) Five new shared Treg genes including NIBAN, TNFRSF1b, DUSP4,VAV2, and KLRG1, and 68 new signatures are identified. Among 27 signaling pathways shared in four tissue Treg, 22 pathways are innate immune pathways (81.5%); 2) s-Treg, LN-Treg, int-Treg, and VAT-Treg have zero, 49, 45, and 116 upregulated pathways, respectively; 3) 12, 7, and 15 out of 373 CD markers are identified as specific for LN-Treg, int-Treg, and VAT-Treg, respectively, which may initiate innate immune signaling; 4) 7, 49, 44, and 79 increased cytokines out of 1176 cytokines are identified for four Treg, respectively, suggesting that Treg have much more secretory proteins/cytokines than IL-10, TGF-β, and IL-35; 5) LN-Treg, int-Treg, and VAT-Treg have 13 additional secretory functions more than s-Treg, found by analyzing 1,706 secretomic genes; 6) 2, 20, 25, and 43 increased transcription factors (TFs) out of 1,496 TFs are identified four Treg, respectively; 7) LN-Treg and int-Treg have increased pyroptosis regulators but VAT-Treg have increased apoptosis regulators; 8) 1, 15, 19, and 31 increased kinases out of 661 kinome are identified for s-Treg, LN-Treg, int-Treg, and VAT-Treg, respectively; 9) comparing with that of s-Treg, LN-Treg, int-Treg, and VAT-Treg increase activated cluster (clusters 1–3) markers; and decrease resting cluster (clusters 4–6) markers; and 10) Treg promote tissue repair by sharing secretomes and TFs AHR, ETV5, EGR1, and KLF4 with stem cells, which partially promote upregulation of all the groups of Treg genes. These results suggest that stem cell-shared master genes make tissue Treg as the first T cell type using a Treg niche to maintain their Treg-ness with 80% innate immune pathways, and triple functions of immunosuppression, tissue repair, and homeostasis maintenance. Our results have provided novel insights on the roles of innate immune pathways on Treg heterogeneity and new therapeutic targets for immunosuppression, tissue repair, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, autoimmune diseases, transplantation, and cancers.

Sophoricoside from Sophora japonica ameliorates allergic asthma by preventing mast cell activation and CD4+ T cell differentiation in ovalbumin-induced mice

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disorder with continuously increasing prevalence worldwide. Novel strategies are needed to prevent or improve asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sophoricoside from Sophora japonica on allergic asthma. The mature seeds of S. japonica contain a large amount of sophoricoside. Sophoricoside reduced allergic and asthmatic symptoms by suppressing airway inflammation and antibody-antigen reaction in mouse models. In particular, sophoricoside suppressed immune cell recruitment into the airway lumens of the lungs and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced mice. It also decreased the amounts of histamine and arachidonic acid metabolites released in OVA-induced mice and antibody-antigen stimulated mast cells. In addition, sophoricoside decreased differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells into T helper type 1 (Th1), Th2, and Th17 cells. Overall, we demonstrated that sophoricoside improved allergic asthma by suppressing mast cell activation and CD4+ T cell differentiation.

The Role of T Cells and Macrophages in Asthma Pathogenesis: A New Perspective on Mutual Crosstalk

Asthma is associated with innate and adaptive immunity mediated by immune cells. T cell or macrophage dysfunction plays a particularly significant role in asthma pathogenesis. Furthermore, crosstalk between them continuously transmits proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory signals, causing the immune cell activation or repression in the immune response. Consequently, the imbalanced immune microenvironment is the major cause of the exacerbation of asthma. Here, we discuss the role of T cells, macrophages, and their interactions in asthma pathogenesis.

A significant increase in expression of FOXP3 and IL-17 genes in patients with allergic rhinitis underwent accelerated rush immunotherapy

Objective(s):

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common hypersensitivity disease worldwide. Immunotherapy has been performed as the best treatment for years. This study aimed to study the gene expression pattern of immune system cells following an accelerated rush immunotherapy protocol (ARIT) in patients with AR.

Materials and Methods:

Fifteen patients with AR (15–55 years old) resident in Mashhad, Iran, with positive prick test to regional aeroallergens (weed mix, grass mix, tree mix, and Salsola) enrolled in this study. All patients were treated for three months with 3-day ARIT protocol between July 2015 and August 2016. Clinical symptoms and quality of life were recorded by two questioners. The expression levels of FOXP3, TGF-β, IL-10, IL-17, IL-4, and IFN-γ genes in patient’s peripheral blood mononuclear cells were evaluated by SYBR Green real-time RT-PCR technique.

Results:

The severity of disease and quality of life showed significant improvement following ARIT (P-value<0.05). Gene expression of IFN-γ and IL-10 was increased whereas TGF-β and IL-4 down-regulated, following ARIT, but these changes were not significant. However, gene expression of FOXP3 and IL-17 was significantly increased after intervention when compared with the baseline (P-value< 0.002).

Conclusion:

Significant up-regulation of FOXP3 and IL-17 genes, additionally, a significant improvement in the clinical signs following ARIT might be related to increases in HLA-DR- and FOXP3+ Treg population at the initiation phase of ARIT. Employing the flow cytometry technique to study the phenotype of these cells is suggested for future studies.

Host Components Contributing to Respiratory Syncytial Virus Pathogenesis

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most prevalent viral etiological agent of acute respiratory tract infection. Although RSV affects people of all ages, the disease is more severe in infants and causes significant morbidity and hospitalization in young children and in the elderly. Host factors, including an immature immune system in infants, low lymphocyte levels in patients under 5 years old, and low levels of RSV-specific neutralizing antibodies in the blood of adults over 65 years of age, can explain the high susceptibility to RSV infection in these populations. Other host factors that correlate with severe RSV disease include high concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukins (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and thymic stromal lymphopoitein (TSLP), which are produced in the respiratory tract of RSV-infected individuals, accompanied by a strong neutrophil response. In addition, data from studies of RSV infections in humans and in animal models revealed that this virus suppresses adaptive immune responses that could eliminate it from the respiratory tract. Here, we examine host factors that contribute to RSV pathogenesis based on an exhaustive review of in vitro infection in humans and in animal models to provide insights into the design of vaccines and therapeutic tools that could prevent diseases caused by RSV.

Glucocorticoids-All-Rounders Tackling the Versatile Players of the Immune System

Glucocorticoids regulate fundamental processes of the human body and control cellular functions such as cell metabolism, growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Moreover, endogenous glucocorticoids link the endocrine and immune system and ensure the correct function of inflammatory events during tissue repair, regeneration, and pathogen elimination via genomic and rapid non-genomic pathways. Due to their strong immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects on immune cells, tissues and organs, glucocorticoids significantly improve the quality of life of many patients suffering from diseases caused by a dysregulated immune system. Despite the multitude and seriousness of glucocorticoid-related adverse events including diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis and infections, these agents remain indispensable, representing the most powerful, and cost-effective drugs in the treatment of a wide range of rheumatic diseases. These include rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, and connective tissue diseases, as well as many other pathological conditions of the immune system. Depending on the therapeutically affected cell type, glucocorticoid actions strongly vary among different diseases. While immune responses always represent complex reactions involving different cells and cellular processes, specific immune cell populations with key responsibilities driving the pathological mechanisms can be identified for certain autoimmune diseases. In this review, we will focus on the mechanisms of action of glucocorticoids on various leukocyte populations, exemplarily portraying different autoimmune diseases as heterogeneous targets of glucocorticoid actions: (i) Abnormalities in the innate immune response play a crucial role in the initiation and perpetuation of giant cell arteritis (GCA). (ii) Specific types of CD4+ T helper (Th) lymphocytes, namely Th1 and Th17 cells, represent important players in the establishment and course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), whereas (iii) B cells have emerged as central players in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). (iv) Allergic reactions are mainly triggered by several different cytokines released by activated Th2 lymphocytes. Using these examples, we aim to illustrate the versatile modulating effects of glucocorticoids on the immune system. In contrast, in the treatment of lymphoproliferative disorders the pro-apoptotic action of glucocorticoids prevails, but their mechanisms differ depending on the type of cancer. Therefore, we will also give a brief insight into the current knowledge of the mode of glucocorticoid action in oncological treatment focusing on leukemia.

A significant decrease in the gene expression of interleukin-17 following the administration of synbiotic in patients with allergic rhinitis who underwent immunotherapy: A placebo-controlled clinical trial

Background:

Allergic Rhinitis (AR) is the most common allergic disease worldwide. The present study, evaluated effects of synbiotic on gene expression of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-17 (IL-17), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), and forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) in AR patients who received concomitant immunotherapy in a placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Materials and Methods:

Twenty AR patients were randomized in synbiotic and placebo groups and received cluster immunotherapy for 2 months. RNA was extracted from peripheral PBMCs, then the cDNA synthesized. Subsequently, SYBR Green real-time Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technique was employed for studying the expression of mentioned genes. In addition, SNOT-22 and mini-Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire questionnaires were completed by patients. Data were analyzed before and also 2 and 6 months after intervention.

Results:

Clinical symptoms and quality of life were improved with immunotherapy, but there was no significant difference between the placebo and synbiotic groups. Gene expression of IFN-γ, TGF-β, and FoxP3 was increased whereas the gene expression of IL-4 and IL-10 decreased, but not significant. Interestingly, the gene expression of IL-17 in the synbiotic group was significantly decreased versus placebo after 2 months (P = 0.001) and also at the end of intervention (P = 0.0001) comparing with the time zero.

Conclusion:

Significant reduction in the IL-17 gene expression following administration of synbiotic versus placebo shows the importance of synbiotic in control of the immunopathogenesis of AR. Further studies with more samples are recommended. In addition, evaluating the effects of synbiotic in patients who do not undergo immunotherapy is suggested to get a better conclusion.

CXCL10 production induced by high levels of IKKε in nasal airway epithelial cells in the setting of chronic inflammation

The airway is the major entry route of pathogens due to continuous gas exchange with the environment. In particular, the nasal epithelial layer is the common site of airborne mucotropic virus infections. The inflammatory response to such infections must be tightly controlled due to its non-specific nature. Unrestrained inflammation breaks down the physiological mucosal defense system and leads to secondary bacterial or fungal infections. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a prevalent inflammatory disease that compromises quality of life. In spite of its importance in the initiation of inflammation, the role of interferon signaling in nasal airway epithelial cells is largely unknown. We analyzed the expression of interferon signaling genes using clinical lavage specimens and nasal airway epithelial cells collected from CRS patients and controls. Basal expression of IFNAs, IKBKE, STAT1, and some CXC chemokines was elevated in samples from CRS patients. In subsequent in vitro studies, we found IKKε to be the key molecule and augmented CXCL10 secretion. Based on our findings and review of the literature, we hypothesized that high levels of IKKε might induce intractable inflammation via CXCL10. We tested the hypothesis in an animal model and found not only that IKKε induced severe eosinophilic inflammation with CXCL10 over-production, but also that inhibition of IKKε resolved the inflammation.

A Fungal Protease Model to Interrogate Allergic Lung Immunity

Allergic airway diseases (asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis) are among the most common of all human diseases in heavily industrialized societies. Animal models of asthma have provided remarkable insight into allergic disease pathogenesis and will continue to drive the discovery of new therapeutic insights. We provide in this chapter a detailed protocol for inducing allergic immunity in the lungs of mice using a purified fungal protease and include related protocols for assessing immune endpoints.

Multiple Cytokine Profiling: A New Model to Predict Response to Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonists in Ulcerative Colitis Patients

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease, and antibodies against tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) are used for treatment. Many patients are refractory or lose response to anti-TNF, and predicting response would be an extremely valuable clinical tool. Unlike most biomarkers, cytokines directly mediate inflammation, and their measurement may predict the likelihood of response or no response.

METHODS

Serum samples were obtained from 49 UC patients before infliximab infusions, and levels of 17 cytokines were measured using a multiplex assay. The Fisher linear discriminant analysis (FLDA) was applied to the cytokine values to predict which patients would respond to infliximab. "Response" was defined as clinical remission after the third infusion, and "no response" was defined as lack of remission after the third infusion.

RESULTS

The Fisher linear discriminant analysis model identified a subset of seven predictor cytokines: TNF-α, IL-12, IL-8, IL-2, IL-5, IL1-β, and IFN-γ. The obtained canonical coefficients enabled to calculate discriminant scores as linear combinations of the cytokines; model classified thepatients as responders and nonresponders with a sensitivity of 84.2% and a specificity of 93.3%. Overall, the yield of the FLDA model was 89.8% of the total 49 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

An unbiased, statistically derived, predictive model based on measurement of serum cytokines before therapy may predict a positive or negative outcome from the administration of anti-TNF to UC patients. Because accurately measuring cytokines is simple and inexpensive, the model may be a valuable new tool to complement other laboratory parameters used in the management of IBD patients.

Effectiveness of Hypertonic Saline Nasal Irrigation for Alleviating Allergic Rhinitis in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

We aimed to explore the efficacy of hypertonic saline nasal irritation (HSNI) for improving nasal symptoms and quality of life, and for decreasing oral antihistamine consumption in children with allergic rhinitis (AR). We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, Chinese Electronic Periodicals Service, and Cochrane Library of Controlled Trials databases for prospective randomized, controlled trials assessing HSNI effects in children with AR and published before December 2017. Two authors independently assessed each trial's quality and extracted data for a meta-analysis. We included four trails comprising 351 patients. HSNI improved patients' nasal symptom scores (mean difference 1.82 points after treatment; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.35⁻3.30; I² = 64%; p = 0.02) and a significantly lower rescue antihistamine use rate (risk ratio (RR), 0.68; 95% CI, 0.48⁻0.95; I² = 28%; p = 0.02). Analyses comparing HSNI with isotonic saline nasal irrigation (ISNI) showed better nasal symptom scores (mean difference, 1.22 points; 95% CI, 1.01⁻1.44; I² = 0%; p < 0.001) in patients in the HSNI group, although the antihistamine use (RR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.64⁻1.10; I² = 0%; p = 0.2) and adverse effect rates were similar between groups. Compared with ISNI, HSNI may be a reasonable adjunctive treatment for children with AR.

MTOR-Mediated Autophagy Is Involved in the Protective Effect of Ketamine on Allergic Airway Inflammation

Unresolved inflammation underpins the pathogenesis of allergic airway diseases, such as asthma. Ketamine, accepted as a promising therapy for resistant asthma, has been demonstrated to attenuate allergic airway inflammation. However, the anti-inflammatory mechanism by ketamine in this setting is largely unknown. We aimed to investigate whether autophagy was involved in the protective effect of ketamine on allergic airway inflammation. Female C57BL/6 mice were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) and treated with ketamine at 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg prior to OVA challenge. In this model, the pulmonary morphological findings and airway inflammation were significantly inhibited at 50 mg/kg but not at 25 or 100 mg/kg. Moreover, 50 mg/kg ketamine abrogated the increased concentrations of inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of allergic mice, as well as activated the expression of phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-MTOR) and inhibited autophagy in allergic mice. To confirm whether the effect of 50 mg/kg ketamine on asthma was mediated by inhibiting autophagy, rapamycin was administered to mice sensitized to OVA and exposed to 50 mg/kg ketamine. All of the effect of 50 mg/kg ketamine was reversed by rapamycin treatment, including increased p-MTOR and decreased autophagy. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that 50 mg/kg ketamine inhibits allergic airway inflammation by suppressed autophagy, and this effect is mediated by the activation of MTOR in the lungs of allergic mice.

Regulatory T Cells and Acute Lung Injury: Cytokines, Uncontrolled Inflammation, and Therapeutic Implications

Acute respiratory distress syndrome/acute lung injury (ALI) was described in 1967. The uncontrolled inflammation is a central issue of the syndrome. The regulatory T cells (Tregs), formerly known as suppressor T cells, are a subpopulation of T cells. Tregs indirectly limits immune inflammation-inflicted tissue damage by employing multiple mechanisms and creating the appropriate immune environment for successful tissue repair. And it plays a central role in the resolution of ALI. Accordingly, for this review, we will focus on Treg populations which are critical for inflammatory immunity of ALI, and the effect of interaction between Treg subsets and cytokines on ALI. And then explore the possibility of cytokines as beneficial factors in inflammation resolution of ALI.

Mitochondrial ROS activate interleukin-1β expression in allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the most common cause of inflammation of the nasal mucosa. It is also the most common form of non-infectious rhinitis associated with an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated immune response against allergens. Previous studies have indicated that interleukin-1β (IL-1β) has a pathological role in the development of allergic asthma. The present study was designed to assess whether IL-1β participates in the pathogenesis of AR. A total of 45 patients with AR were enrolled in the present study and were identified to have increased IL-1β expression expressed by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and NLRP3 are required for IL-1β synthesis in monocytes/macrophages and PBMCs from patients with AR. The levels of IL-1β and interleukin-17 (IL-17) were increased in patients with AR and were positively correlated with each other. The results of the present study suggested that patients with AR have raised mitochondrial ROS levels, which may upregulate the expression of IL-1β, affecting IL-17-production and serving a role in the pathogenesis of AR.

GATA3, HDAC6, and BCL6 Regulate FOXP3+ Treg Plasticity and Determine Treg Conversion into Either Novel Antigen-Presenting Cell-Like Treg or Th1-Treg

We conducted an experimental database analysis to determine the expression of 61 CD4+ Th subset regulators in human and murine tissues, cells, and in T-regulatory cells (Treg) in physiological and pathological conditions. We made the following significant findings: (1) adipose tissues of diabetic patients with insulin resistance upregulated various Th effector subset regulators; (2) in skin biopsy from patients with psoriasis, and in blood cells from patients with lupus, effector Th subset regulators were more upregulated than downregulated; (3) in rosiglitazone induced failing hearts in ApoE-deficient (KO) mice, various Th subset regulators were upregulated rather than downregulated; (4) aortic endothelial cells activated by proatherogenic stimuli secrete several Th subset-promoting cytokines; (5) in Treg from follicular Th (Tfh)-transcription factor (TF) Bcl6 KO mice, various Th subset regulators were upregulated; whereas in Treg from Th2-TF GATA3 KO mice and HDAC6 KO mice, various Th subset regulators were downregulated, suggesting that Bcl6 inhibits, GATA3 and HDAC6 promote, Treg plasticity; and (6) GATA3 KO, and Bcl6 KO Treg upregulated MHC II molecules and T cell co-stimulation receptors, suggesting that GATA3 and BCL6 inhibit Treg from becoming novel APC-Treg. Our data implies that while HDAC6 and Bcl6 are important regulators of Treg plasticity, GATA3 determine the fate of plastic Tregby controlling whether it will convert in to either Th1-Treg or APC-T-reg. Our results have provided novel insights on Treg plasticity into APC-Treg and Th1-Treg, and new therapeutic targets in metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases, and inflammatory disorders.

Dupilumab for the treatment of asthma

INTRODUCTION

Dupilumab is a fully human IgG4 monoclonal antibody directed against the α subunit of the interleukin (IL)-4 receptor (IL-4Rα). Since the activation of IL-4Rα is utilized by both IL-4 and IL-13 to mediate their pathophysiological effects, dupilumab behaves as a dual antagonist of these two sister cytokines, which blocks IL-4/IL-13-dependent signal transduction. Areas covered: Herein, the authors review the cellular and molecular pathways activated by IL-4 and IL-13, which are relevant to asthma pathobiology. They also review: the mechanism of action of dupilumab, the phase I, II and III studies evaluating the pharmacokinetics as well as the safety, tolerability and clinical efficacy of dupilumab in asthma therapy. Expert opinion: Supported by a strategic mechanism of action, as well as by convincing preliminary clinical results, dupilumab currently appears to be a very promising biological drug for the treatment of severe uncontrolled asthma. It also may have benefits to comorbidities of asthma including atopic dermatitis, chronic sinusitis and nasal polyposis.

IL-7 plays a critical role for the homeostasis of allergen-specific memory CD4 T cells in the lung and airways

Memory T cells respond rapidly to repeated antigen exposure and can maintain their population for extended periods through self-renewal. These characteristics of memory T cells have mainly been studied during viral infections, whereas their existence and functions in allergic diseases have been studied incompletely. Since allergic patients can suffer repeated relapses caused by intermittent allergen exposure, we hypothesized that allergen- specific memory Th2 cells are present and the factors necessary for the maintenance of these cells are provided by the lung and airways. Using a murine model of airway inflammation, we found that allergen-specific CD4 T cells survived longer than 70 days in the lung and airways in an IL-7 dependent fashion. These T cells showing homeostatic proliferation were largely found in the mediastinal lymph node (mLN), rather than the airways; however, cells residing in the lung and airways developed recall responses successfully. We also found that CD4 T cells exhibited differential phenotypes in the mLN and in the lung. Altogether, we believe that allergen-specific memory T cells reside and function in the lung and airways, while their numbers are replenished through homeostatic turnover in the mLNs. Furthermore, we determined that IL-7 signaling is important for the homeostasis of these cells.

Long-term treatment in pediatric asthma: an update on chemical pharmacotherapy

INTRODUCTION

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood, affecting approximately 10% of all children, and is the leading cause of hospitalization in developed countries. In this paper we aimed to review the evidence on chemical pharmacotherapy for long-term treatment of pediatric asthma, according to the latest updates. Area covered: Long-term treatment, essential for controlling symptoms and reducing future risks including exacerbations and decline in lung function, includes control agents such as inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists, and leukotriene modifiers. More recent strategies based on the use of a biological drug such as omalizumab, which is a monoclonal antibody directed against immunoglobulin E (IgE), can be considered in selected patients with severe asthma. Expert opinion: In the near future, the challenge of childhood asthma treatment will be to improve the chemical drugs that already exist as well as to carefully characterize the several different asthma subtypes, with special regard to children with severe disease. A better definition of patient features, made possible by the current advanced knowledge of the pathobiology of severe asthma, can ultimately allow the identification of specific phenotypes and endotypes of severe asthma, aimed to personalize pharmacological treatment.

Stability of pro- and anti-inflammatory immune biomarkers for human cohort studies

BACKGROUND

Although discovery research has identified the importance of dozens of pro- and anti-inflammatory immune mediators in the pathogenesis, maintenance, exacerbation and resolution of inflammatory diseases, most human cohort studies have incorporated few or no immunological intermediate phenotypes in their analyses. Significant hindrances have been (1) the limited panel of biomarkers known to be readily detected in healthy human populations and (2) the stability, hence utility, of such biomarkers to repeated analysis.

METHODS

The frequency and stability of 14 plasma biomarkers linked to in vivo immune regulation of allergic and autoimmune inflammatory disorders was determined in 140 healthy pediatric and adult participants. The impact of initial and multiple subsequent freeze/thaw cycles on pro-inflammatory (CCL2, CXCL10, IL-18, TNFα, IL-6), anti-inflammatory (IL-10, sTNF-RII, IL-1Ra), acute phase proteins (CRP, PTX3) and other biomarkers (sST2, IL-1RAcP) was subsequently quantified.

RESULTS

Multiple biomarkers capable of providing an innate immune signature of inflammation were readily detected directly ex vivo in healthy individuals. These biomarker levels were unaffected when comparing paired data sets from freshly obtained, never frozen plasma or serum and matched aliquots despite extensive freeze/thaw cycles. Neither age nor sex affected stability. Similarly, no quantitative differences were found following repetitive analysis of inflammatory biomarkers in culture samples obtained following in vitro stimulation with TLR and RLR ligands.

CONCLUSIONS

A broad panel of in vivo and ex vivo cytokine, chemokine and acute phase protein biomarkers that have been linked to human chronic inflammatory disorders are readily detected in vivo and remain stable for analysis despite multiple freeze thaw cycles. These data provide the foundation and confidence for large scale analyses of panels of inflammatory biomarkers to provide better understanding of immunological mechanisms underlying health versus disease.

CXCL10/IP-10 Neutralization Can Ameliorate Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Rats

The role of C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10), a pro-inflammatory factor, in the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains unclear. In this study, we explored the role of CXCL10 and the effect of CXCL10 neutralization in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ARDS in rats. The expression of CXCL10 and its receptor chemokine receptor 3(CXCR3) increased after LPS induction. Moreover, neutralization of CXCL10 ameliorated the severity of ARDS by reducing pulmonary edema, inhibiting the release of inflammatory mediators (IFN-γ, IL-6 and ICAM-1) and limiting inflammatory cells (neutrophils, macrophages, CD8+ T cells) influx into the lung, with a reduction in CXCR3 expression in neutrophils and macrophages. Therefore, CXCL10 could be a potential therapeutic target in LPS-induced ARDS.

Anti-Interleukin-9 Antibody Increases the Effect of Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy in Murine Allergic Rhinitis

Purpose

Interleukin (IL)-9 induces allergic responses; however, the roles of anti-IL-9 antibody in the induction of tolerance remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of anti-IL-9 antibody on oral tolerance (OT) in a mouse model of allergic rhinitis (AR).

Methods

BALB/c mice were divided into 4 groups: the control, AR, OT, and OT with anti-IL-9 antibody (OT+IL9AB) groups. Ovalbumin (OVA) was used for sensitization and challenge. Mice in the OT and OT+IL9AB groups were fed OVA for immunotherapy. During immunotherapy, OT+IL9AB mice were injected with anti-IL-9 antibody. Allergic symptoms, tissue eosinophil counts, and serum OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) were measured. The mRNA expressions of cytokines and transcription factors of T cells of nasal mucosa were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The protein levels of GATA3, ROR-γt, and Foxp3 in nasal mucosa were determined by Western blot. CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ T cells in the spleen were analyzed by flow cytometry.

Results

Administration of anti-IL-9 antibody decreased allergic symptoms, OVA-specific IgE levels, and eosinophil counts. In addition, it inhibited T-helper (Th) 2 responses, but had no effect on Th1 responses. Protein levels of ROR-γt and mRNA levels of PU.1 and ROR-γt were reduced by anti-IL-9 antibody. Anti-IL-9 antibody increased Foxp3 and IL-10 mRNA expression, Foxp3 protein, and induction of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ T cells.

Conclusions

Anti-IL-9 antibody decreased allergic inflammation through suppression of Th2 and Th17 cells. Anti-IL-9 antibody enhanced the tolerogenic effects of regulatory T cells. These results suggest that anti-IL-9 antibody might represent a potential therapeutic agent for allergen immunotherapy in patients with uncontrolled allergic airway disease.

Impaired anti-inflammatory action of glucocorticoid in neutrophil from patients with steroid-resistant asthma

BACKGROUND

Steroid resistant (SR) asthma is characterized by persistent airway inflammation that fails to resolve despite treatment with high doses of corticosteroids. Furthermore, SR patient airways show increased numbers neutrophils, which are less responsive to glucocorticoid. The present study seeks to determine whether dexamethasone (DEX) has different effect on neutrophils from steroid sensitive (SS) asthmatics compared to SR asthmatics.

METHODS

Adults with asthma (n = 38) were classified as SR or SS based on changes in lung FEV1% following a one-month inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) treatment. Blood samples were collected from all patients during their first visit of the study. Neutrophils isolated from the blood were cultured with dexamethasone and/or atopic asthmatic serum for 18 h. The mRNA expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1), a glucocorticoid transactivation target, and glucocorticoid-induced transcript 1 (GLCCI1), an early marker of glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis whose expression was associated with the response to inhaled glucocorticoids in asthma , was determined by real-time PCR, and ELISA was used to assess the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8 levels in the supernatant. Constitutive neutrophil apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

DEX significantly induced MKP-1 expression in both patients with SS and SR patients in a concentration-dependent manner, but greater induction was observed for SS patients at a low concentration (10^-6 M). Asthmatic serum alone showed no MKP-1expression, and there was impaired induction of MKP-1 by DEX in SR asthma patients. The expression of GLCCI1 was not induced in neutrophils with DEX or DEX/atopic asthmatic serum combination. Greater inhibition of IL-8 production was observed in neutrophils from patients with SS asthma treated with DEX/atopic asthmatic serum combination compared with SR asthma patients, though DEX alone showed the same effect on neutrophils from SS and SR asthma patients. Meanwhile, DEX dependent inhibition of constitutive neutrophil apoptosis was similar between SS asthma and SR asthma patients.

CONCLUSIONS

DEX exerted different effects on neutrophils from patients with SS asthma and SR asthma, which may contribute to glucocorticoid insensitivity.

Early effects of continuous positive airway pressure in a rodent model of allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most commonly used treatment in obstructive sleep apnea. In a previous rat model study, we demonstrated that nasal CPAP induces early rhinitis expressed by nasal neutrophil extravasation. Here we hypothesized that nasal CPAP would worsen nasal inflammation on a previously inflamed mucosa. The objective of this study was to evaluate the early nasal CPAP effects of allergic rhinitis (AR) in a rodent model.

METHODS

Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were sensitized with intraperitoneal ovalbumin (OVA). Nasal inflammation was induced by the administration of intranasal OVA during consecutive days. The same procedure was performed in 20 control rats treated with saline solution. The allergic (AR) and non-allergic (NAR) rats were then randomized to nasal CPAP at 10 cm H₂O for five hours or to sham CPAP. The degree of nasal inflammation was assessed by evaluating the percentage of neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and lymphocytes in the nasal mucosa. An unpaired Mann-Whitney test was used to analyze differences between groups.

RESULTS

The greatest inflammation was observed in the group of AR without CPAP (1.24% ± 0.94%), followed by NAR with CPAP (0.64% ± 0.30%), AR with CPAP (0.64% ± 0.40%), and NAR without CPAP (0.21% ± 0.29%).

CONCLUSIONS

Administration of nasal CPAP or allergy sensitization can produce, individually, neutrophil extravasation on the nasal mucosa of a rat model. The application of both stimuli is not responsible for increased inflammation. Therefore, this study suggests that rhinitis is not a major limitation for CPAP administration.

Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of budesonide in asthma

Inhaled glucocorticoids are the mainstay of asthma treatment. Indeed, such therapeutic agents effectively interfere with many pathogenic circuits underpinning asthma. Among these drugs, during the last decades budesonide has been probably the most used molecule in both experimental studies and clinical practice. Therefore, a large body of evidence clearly shows that budesonide, either alone or in combination with long-acting bronchodilators, provides a successful control of asthma in many patients ranging throughout the overall spectrum of disease severity. These excellent therapeutic properties of budesonide basically depend on its molecular mechanisms of action, capable of inhibiting within the airways the activity of multiple immune-inflammatory and structural cells involved in asthma pathobiology.

Adalimumab ameliorates OVA-induced airway inflammation in mice: Role of CD4(+) CD25(+) FOXP3(+) regulatory T-cells

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory heterogeneous disorder initiated by a dysregulated immune response which drives disease development in susceptible individuals. Though T helper 2 (TH2) biased responses are usually linked to eosinophilic asthma, other Th cell subsets induce neutrophilic airway inflammation which provokes the most severe asthmatic phenotypes. A growing evidence highlights the role of T regulatory (Treg) cells in damping abnormal Th responses and thus inhibiting allergy and asthma. Therefore, strategies to induce or augment Treg cells hold promise for treatment and prevention of allergic airway inflammation. Recently, the link between Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and Treg has been uncovered, and TNF-α antagonists are increasingly used in many autoimmune diseases. Yet, their benefits in allergic airway inflammation is not clarified. We investigated the effect of Adalimumab, a TNF-α antagonist, on Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic airway inflammation in CD1 mice and explored its impact on Treg cells. Our results showed that Adalimumab treatment attenuated the OVA-induced increase in serum IgE, TH2 and TH1 derived inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IFN-γ, respectively) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, suppressed recruitment of inflammatory cells in BAL fluid and lung, and inhibited BAL fluid neutrophilia. It also ameliorated goblet cell metaplasia and bronchial fibrosis. Splenocytes flow cytometry revealed increased percentage of CD4(+) CD25(+) FOXP3(+) Treg cells by Adalimumab that was associated with increase in their suppressive activity as shown by elevated BAL fluid IL-10. We conclude that the beneficial effects of Adalimumab in this CD1 neutrophilic model of allergic airway inflammation are attributed to augmentation of Treg cell number and activity.

Hyperoxia promotes polarization of the immune response in ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation, leading to a TH17 cell phenotype

Previous studies have demonstrated that hyperoxia-induced stress and oxidative damage to the lungs of mice lead to an increase in IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β expression. Together, IL-6 and TGF-β have been known to direct T cell differentiation toward the TH17 phenotype. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that hyperoxia promotes the polarization of T cells to the TH17 cell phenotype in response to ovalbumin-induced acute airway inflammation. Airway inflammation was induced in female BALB/c mice by intraperitoneal sensitization and intranasal introduction of ovalbumin, followed by challenge methacholine. After the methacholine challenge, animals were exposed to hyperoxic conditions in an inhalation chamber for 24 h. The controls were subjected to normoxia or aluminum hydroxide dissolved in phosphate buffered saline. After 24 h of hyperoxia, the number of macrophages and lymphocytes decreased in animals with ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation, whereas the number of neutrophils increased after ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation. The results showed that expression of Nrf2, iNOS, T-bet and IL-17 increased after 24 of hyperoxia in both alveolar macrophages and in lung epithelial cells, compared with both animals that remained in room air, and animals with ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation. Hyperoxia alone without the induction of airway inflammation lead to increased levels of TNF-α and CCL5, whereas hyperoxia after inflammation lead to decreased CCL2 levels. Histological evidence of extravasation of inflammatory cells into the perivascular and peribronchial regions of the lungs was observed after pulmonary inflammation and hyperoxia. Hyperoxia promotes polarization of the immune response toward the TH17 phenotype, resulting in tissue damage associated with oxidative stress, and the migration of neutrophils to the lung and airways. Elucidating the effect of hyperoxia on ovalbumin-induced acute airway inflammation is relevant to preventing or treating asthmatic patients that require oxygen supplementation to reverse the hypoxemia.

Dual Transcriptomic Profiling of Host and Microbiota during Health and Disease in Pediatric Asthma

BACKGROUND

High-throughput sequencing (HTS) analysis of microbial communities from the respiratory airways has heavily relied on the 16S rRNA gene. Given the intrinsic limitations of this approach, airway microbiome research has focused on assessing bacterial composition during health and disease, and its variation in relation to clinical and environmental factors, or other microbiomes. Consequently, very little effort has been dedicated to describing the functional characteristics of the airway microbiota and even less to explore the microbe-host interactions. Here we present a simultaneous assessment of microbiome and host functional diversity and host-microbe interactions from the same RNA-seq experiment, while accounting for variation in clinical metadata.

METHODS

Transcriptomic (host) and metatranscriptomic (microbiota) sequences from the nasal epithelium of 8 asthmatics and 6 healthy controls were separated in silico and mapped to available human and NCBI-NR protein reference databases. Human genes differentially expressed in asthmatics and controls were then used to infer upstream regulators involved in immune and inflammatory responses. Concomitantly, microbial genes were mapped to metabolic databases (COG, SEED, and KEGG) to infer microbial functions differentially expressed in asthmatics and controls. Finally, multivariate analysis was applied to find associations between microbiome characteristics and host upstream regulators while accounting for clinical variation.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Our study showed significant differences in the metabolism of microbiomes from asthmatic and non-asthmatic children for up to 25% of the functional properties tested. Enrichment analysis of 499 differentially expressed host genes for inflammatory and immune responses revealed 43 upstream regulators differentially activated in asthma. Microbial adhesion (virulence) and Proteobacteria abundance were significantly associated with variation in the expression of the upstream regulator IL1A; suggesting that microbiome characteristics modulate host inflammatory and immune systems during asthma.

Cellular mechanisms underlying eosinophilic and neutrophilic airway inflammation in asthma

Asthma is a phenotypically heterogeneous chronic disease of the airways, characterized by either predominant eosinophilic or neutrophilic, or even mixed eosinophilic/neutrophilic inflammatory patterns. Eosinophilic inflammation can be associated with the whole spectrum of asthma severity, ranging from mild-to-moderate to severe uncontrolled disease, whereas neutrophilic inflammation occurs mostly in more severe asthma. Eosinophilic asthma includes either allergic or nonallergic phenotypes underlying immune responses mediated by T helper (Th)2 cell-derived cytokines, whilst neutrophilic asthma is mostly dependent on Th17 cell-induced mechanisms. These immune-inflammatory profiles develop as a consequence of a functional impairment of T regulatory (Treg) lymphocytes, which promotes the activation of dendritic cells directing the differentiation of distinct Th cell subsets. The recent advances in the knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying asthmatic inflammation are contributing to the identification of novel therapeutic targets, potentially suitable for the implementation of future improvements in antiasthma pharmacologic treatments.