Effects of hydrocortisone on the differentiation of human T helper 2 cells

Cyclophilin A Plays Potential Roles in a Rat Model of Asthma and Suppression of Immune Response

Purpose

Cyclophilin A (CypA) inhibits CD4⁺ T cell signal transduction via interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase (Itk), a tyrosine kinase required for T helper (Th) 2 cells function. Furthermore, mice with CypA silencing developed allergic diseases associated with increased Th2 cytokines production. CD4⁺ T cells with a Th2-cytokine pattern have been demonstrated to have a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of asthma. However, the effects of CypA in regulating immunity in asthma and in relieving asthmatic symptoms in vivo are entirely unknown.

Methods

Recombinant CypA protein (rCypA) was generated and purified. Ovalbumin (OVA)-challenged asthmatic rats model and acetylcholine chloride (ACh)-induced contraction of tracheal spirals were established. The pulmonary resistance (RL) value of asthmatic rats in vivo and the isometric tension of tracheal spirals ex vivo were recorded by MFLab 3.01 software. The levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines and the quantities of immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, IgM and IgE) in the supernatants of rat spleen lymphocytes were detected and analysed by bio-plex Suspension Array System and ELISA, respectively. CD4⁺ T cells were separated by MicroBeads, and the levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were detected by ELISA.

Results

rCypA (10 ng/kg) significantly reduced RL within 2–7 min in OVA-challenged asthmatic rats in vivo, and there were no significant differences compared with terbutaline (TB) and hydrocortisone (HC). Furthermore, rCypA (10 ng/mL) significantly reduced the isometric tension in the ACh-induced contraction of the tracheal spiral ex vivo, and the effect of rCypA was better than that of TB. Additionally, rCypA suppressed the secretion of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines, and the suppressive effects of rCypA were stronger than those of HC, especially on Th2 cytokines.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that CypA may serve as a potential novel therapeutic strategy for asthma.

Immune Effects of Corticosteroids in Sepsis

Sepsis, a life-threatening organ dysfunction, results from a dysregulated host response to invading pathogens that may be characterized by overwhelming systemic inflammation or some sort of immune paralysis. Sepsis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Treatment is nonspecific and relies on source control and organ support. Septic shock, the most severe form of sepsis is associated with the highest rate of mortality. Two large multicentre trials, undertaken 15 years apart, found that the combination of hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone significantly reduces mortality in septic shock. The corticosteroids family is composed of several molecules that are usually characterized according to their glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid power, relative to hydrocortisone. While the immune effects of glucocorticoids whether mediated or not by the intracellular glucocorticoid receptor have been investigated for several decades, it is only very recently that potential immune effects of mineralocorticoids via non-renal mineralocorticoid receptors have gained popularity. We reviewed the respective role of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids in counteracting sepsis-associated dysregulated immune systems.

A neuro-immune, neuro-oxidative and neuro-nitrosative model of prenatal and postpartum depression

A large body of evidence indicates that major affective disorders are accompanied by activated neuro-immune, neuro-oxidative and neuro-nitrosative stress (IO&NS) pathways. Postpartum depression is predicted by end of term prenatal depressive symptoms whilst a lifetime history of mood disorders appears to increase the risk for both prenatal and postpartum depression. This review provides a critical appraisal of available evidence linking IO&NS pathways to prenatal and postpartum depression. The electronic databases Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus were sources for this narrative review focusing on keywords, including perinatal depression, (auto)immune, inflammation, oxidative, nitric oxide, nitrosative, tryptophan catabolites (TRYCATs), kynurenine, leaky gut and microbiome. Prenatal depressive symptoms are associated with exaggerated pregnancy-specific changes in IO&NS pathways, including increased C-reactive protein, advanced oxidation protein products and nitric oxide metabolites, lowered antioxidant levels, such as zinc, as well as lowered regulatory IgM-mediated autoimmune responses. The latter pathways coupled with lowered levels of endogenous anti-inflammatory compounds, including ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, may also underpin the pathophysiology of postpartum depression. Although increased bacterial translocation, lipid peroxidation and TRYCAT pathway activation play a role in mood disorders, similar changes do not appear to be relevant in perinatal depression. Some IO&NS biomarker characteristics of mood disorders are found in prenatal depression indicating that these pathways partly contribute to the association of a lifetime history of mood disorders and perinatal depression. However, available evidence suggests that some IO&NS pathways differ significantly between perinatal depression and mood disorders in general. This review provides a new IO&NS model of prenatal and postpartum depression.

Relationships among prenatal depression, plasma cortisol, and inflammatory cytokines

A secondary pilot study was carried out as part of a larger parent study of thyroid function in pregnancy and postpartum. All women in the parent study (N = 631) had blood samples, demographic data, and measures of perceived stress and dysphoric moods collected between 16 and 26 weeks' gestation. The current study was completed with a subset of 105 pregnant women to examine the relationships among perceived stress, depression, plasma cortisol, and cytokines during the second trimester of pregnancy. Stress was measured using Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale and dysphoric moods using the Profile of Mood States Depression/Dejection Scale. Cytokines were measured by a 12-plex analysis on a Luminex-200, and cortisol was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on stored plasma samples. Stress and depression scores were highly correlated, and depressive symptoms were inversely correlated with 3 of the 12 cytokines: interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-7. Cortisol was inversely correlated with proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13). These data support the new conceptualizations of normal pregnancy as an inflammatory state that is carefully regulated, as both excessive and inadequate inflammation are potentially hazardous to the health of the pregnancy and fetus.

Is T-helper type 2 shift schizophrenia-specific? Primary results from a comparison of related psychiatric disorders and healthy controls

AIM

An imbalance between T-helper type 1 (Th1) and type 2 (Th2) cytokines has been implicated in schizophrenia, although empirical evidence is rare. The aim of this study was to examine if a Th1/Th2 imbalance occurs in schizophrenia and schizophrenia-related disorder.

METHODS

Twenty-six subjects with schizophrenia, 26 subjects with schizophrenia-related disorders, and 26 healthy controls were recruited. The Human Th1/Th2 Cytokine Cytometric Bead Array Kit-II was utilized to assess serum Th1/Th2 cytokines and ratios simultaneously. MANOVA was used to detect differences among the three diagnostic groups in distinct Th1/Th2 cytokines/ratios. Pearson/Spearman correlations were used to examine the relationships between distinct Th1/Th2 cytokines/ratios and clinical/psychopathological data in schizophrenia.

RESULTS

Interferon (IFN)-γ/interleukin (IL)-4, IFN-γ/IL-10, IL-2/IL-4, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α/IL-4 ratios were significantly decreased in schizophrenia, but not in schizophrenia-related disorders compared to healthy controls. IFN-γ/IL-4 and IFN-γ/IL-10 in schizophrenia subjects positively correlated with age, but not in schizophrenia-related disorder subjects or in healthy controls.

CONCLUSION

A clear Th2 shift was observed in schizophrenia, but not in schizophrenia-related disorders. The Th2 shift in schizophrenia appeared to be an aberrant developmental phenomenon.