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Sandstedt M, Chung RWS, Skoglund C, Lundberg AK, Östgren CJ, Ernerudh J, Jonasson L. Complete fatty degeneration of thymus associates with male sex, obesity and loss of circulating naïve CD8 + T cells in a Swedish middle-aged population. Immun Ageing 2023; 20:45. [PMID: 37653480 PMCID: PMC10470174 DOI: 10.1186/s12979-023-00371-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fatty degeneration of thymus (or thymus involution) has long been considered a normal ageing process. However, there is emerging evidence that thymic involution is linked to T cell aging, chronic inflammation and increased morbidity. Other factors, aside from chronological age, have been proposed to affect the involution rate. In the present study, we investigated the imaging characteristics of thymus on computed tomography (CT) in a Swedish middle-aged population. The major aims were to establish the prevalence of fatty degeneration of thymus and to determine its associations with demographic, lifestyle and clinical factors, as well as inflammation, T cell differentiation and thymic output. RESULTS In total, 1 048 randomly invited individuals (aged 50-64 years, 49% females) were included and thoroughly characterized. CT evaluation of thymus included measurements of attenuation, size and a 4-point scoring system, with scale 0-3 based on the ratio of fat and soft tissue. A majority, 615 (59%) showed complete fatty degeneration, 259 (25%) predominantly fatty attenuation, 105 (10%) half fatty and half soft-tissue attenuation, while 69 (6.6%) presented with a solid thymic gland with predominantly soft-tissue attenuation. Age, male sex, high BMI, abdominal obesity and low dietary intake of fiber were independently associated with complete fatty degeneration of thymus. Also, fatty degeneration of thymus as well as low CT attenuation values were independently related to lower proportion of naïve CD8+ T cells, which in turn was related to lower thymic output, assessed by T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) levels. CONCLUSION Among Swedish middle-aged subjects, nearly two-thirds showed complete fatty degeneration of thymus on CT. This was linked to depletion of naïve CD8+ T cells indicating that CT scans of thymus might be used to estimate immunological aging. Furthermore, our findings support the intriguing concept that obesity as well as low fiber intake contribute to immunological aging, thereby raising the possibility of preventive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mårten Sandstedt
- Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Radiology and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Rosanna W S Chung
- Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Camilla Skoglund
- Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anna K Lundberg
- Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Carl Johan Östgren
- Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jan Ernerudh
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lena Jonasson
- Department of Cardiology and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
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2
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Murata O, Suzuki K, Takeuchi T. Thymus variants on imaging of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and polymyositis/dermatomyositis: clinical and immunological significance. Immunol Med 2023; 46:25-31. [PMID: 36200743 DOI: 10.1080/25785826.2022.2129371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the presence of radiographic thymus variants using a scoring system and examined their association with clinical and immunological features in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) patients. Cases of 72 patients with pSS and 47 with PM/DM were randomly selected from all visitors to our department who received chest CT scanning, excluding those with thymoma or thymic cyst, or age <30 years. We quantitatively interpreted and assessed thymus size and attenuation score in axial CT images. Thymic enlargement was identified in 16 (22.2%) pSS and 14 (29.8%) PM/DM patients. A thymus attenuation score ≥ 2 was seen in 11 (15.3%) pSS and 9 (19.1%) PM/DM patients. Thymic enlargement showed a significant association with the titre of rheumatoid factor in PM/DM patients. Thymic enlargement and score showed a significant association with body weight in pSS patients. Radiographic thymus variants are often observed in pSS and PM/DM patients, particularly in cases of PM/DM, and may suggest the role of an abnormal immune response in their pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Okinori Murata
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Allergy and Rheumatology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan
| | - Katsuya Suzuki
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Takeuchi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Cheremokhin DA, Shinwari K, Deryabina SS, Bolkov MA, Tuzankina IA, Kudlay DA. Analysis of the TREC and KREC Levels in the Dried Blood Spots of Healthy Newborns with Different Gestational Ages and Weights. Acta Naturae 2022; 14:101-108. [PMID: 35441044 PMCID: PMC9013433 DOI: 10.32607/actanaturae.11501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Inborn errors of immunity can be detected by evaluating circular DNA (cDNA)
fragments of T- and B-cell receptors (TREC and KREC) resulting from the
receptor gene rearrangement in T and B cells. Maturation and activation of the
fetal immune system is known to proceed gradually according to the gestational
age, which highlights the importance of the immune status in premature infants
at different gestational ages. In this article, we evaluated TREC and KREC
levels in infants of various gestational ages by real-time PCR with taking into
account the newborn’s weight and sex. The 95% confidence intervals for
TREC and KREC levels (expressed in the number of cDNA copies per 105 cells)
were established for different gestational groups. The importance of studying
immune system development in newborns is informed by the discovered dependence
of the level of naive markers on the gestational stage in the early neonatal
period.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. A. Cheremokhin
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, 620049 Russia
- Medical Center “Healthcare of mother and child”, Yekaterinburg, 620041 Russia
| | - K. Shinwari
- Department of Immunochemistry, Institute of Chemical Engineering of the Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, 620083 Russia
| | - S. S. Deryabina
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, 620049 Russia
- Medical Center “Healthcare of mother and child”, Yekaterinburg, 620041 Russia
- Department of Immunochemistry, Institute of Chemical Engineering of the Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, 620083 Russia
| | - M. A. Bolkov
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, 620049 Russia
- Department of Immunochemistry, Institute of Chemical Engineering of the Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, 620083 Russia
| | - I. A. Tuzankina
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, 620049 Russia
- Department of Immunochemistry, Institute of Chemical Engineering of the Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, 620083 Russia
| | - D. A. Kudlay
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, 119991 Russia
- National Research Center, Institute of Immunology Federal Medical-Biological Agency of Russia, Moscow, 115522 Russia
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4
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Cardinale A, De Luca CD, Locatelli F, Velardi E. Thymic Function and T-Cell Receptor Repertoire Diversity: Implications for Patient Response to Checkpoint Blockade Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:752042. [PMID: 34899700 PMCID: PMC8652142 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.752042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The capacity of T cells to recognize and mount an immune response against tumor antigens depends on the large diversity of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire generated in the thymus during the process of T-cell development. However, this process is dramatically impaired by immunological insults, such as that caused by cytoreductive cancer therapies and infections, and by the physiological decline of thymic function with age. Defective thymic function and a skewed TCR repertoire can have significant clinical consequences. The presence of an adequate pool of T cells capable of recognizing specific tumor antigens is a prerequisite for the success of cancer immunotherapy using checkpoint blockade therapy. However, while this approach has improved the chances of survival of patients with different types of cancer, a large proportion of them do not respond. The limited response rate to checkpoint blockade therapy may be linked to a suboptimal TCR repertoire in cancer patients prior to therapy. Here, we focus on the role of the thymus in shaping the T-cell pool in health and disease, discuss how the TCR repertoire influences patients’ response to checkpoint blockade therapy and highlight approaches able to manipulate thymic function to enhance anti-tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Cardinale
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | | | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.,Department of Maternal and Child Health, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Velardi
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
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5
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Garrido-Rodríguez V, Herrero-Fernández I, Castro MJ, Castillo A, Rosado-Sánchez I, Galvá MI, Ramos R, Olivas-Martínez I, Bulnes-Ramos Á, Cañizares J, Leal M, Pacheco YM. Immunological features beyond CD4/CD8 ratio values in older individuals. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:13443-13459. [PMID: 34038386 PMCID: PMC8202849 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio is emerging as a relevant marker of evolution for many pathologies and therapies. We aimed to explore immunological features beyond CD4/CD8 ratio values in older subjects (>65 years old) who were classified as having lower (<1.4), intermediate (1.4-2), or higher (>2) ratio values. The lower group showed a lower thymic output (sj/β-TREC ratio) and frequency of naïve T-cells, concomitant with increased mature T-cells. In these subjects, the CD4 T-cell subset was enriched in CD95+ but depleted of CD98+ cells. The regulatory T-cell (Treg) compartment was enriched in CTLA-4+ cells. The CD8 T-cell pool exhibited increased frequencies of CD95+ cells but decreased frequencies of integrin-β7+ cells. Interestingly, in the intermediate group, the CD4 pool showed greater differences than the CD8 pool, mostly for cellular senescence. Regarding inflammation, only hsCRP was elevated in the lower group; however, negative correlations between the CD4/CD8 ratio and β2-microglobulin and sCD163 were detected. These subjects displayed trends of more comorbidities and less independence in daily activities. Altogether, our data reveal different thymic output and immune profiles for T-cells across CD4/CD8 ratio values that can define immune capabilities, affecting health status in older individuals. Thus, the CD4/CD8 ratio may be used as an integrative marker of biological age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanesa Garrido-Rodríguez
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (HUVR)/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Inés Herrero-Fernández
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (HUVR)/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - María José Castro
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (HUVR)/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Ana Castillo
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (HUVR)/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Isaac Rosado-Sánchez
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (HUVR)/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | | | | | - Israel Olivas-Martínez
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (HUVR)/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Ángel Bulnes-Ramos
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (HUVR)/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Leal
- Immunovirology Unit, Internal Medicine Service, Viamed Hospital, Santa Ángela de la Cruz, Seville, Spain
| | - Yolanda María Pacheco
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (HUVR)/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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Nakashima E. Modification of GEE1 and linear mixed-effects models for heteroscedastic longitudinal Gaussian data. COMMUN STAT-THEOR M 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/03610926.2016.1260737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eiji Nakashima
- Department of Statistics, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
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7
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Fujimoto E, Imai A, Utsuyama M, Sato K. Effects of in vitro heat shock on immune cells in diet-induced obese mice. J Therm Biol 2017; 69:124-131. [PMID: 29037372 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Obesity has been associated with impaired immune responses and inflammation. The mechanisms underlying these immune disturbances in obesity are not yet clarified. This study investigated the effects of in vitro heat shock (HS) on immune cells from the point of view of thymocyte apoptosis and T-cell mitogen-stimulated splenocyte cytokine production as well as the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) protein levels in diet-induced obese mice to explore a possible association between the disturbance of T cell immunity and HS response in obesity. Obese mice had increased apoptotic and necrotic thymocytes populations and increased splenocyte cytokine production of both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines compared with lean mice. The in vitro HS at 42°C decreased the rate of live cells in thymocytes, and the degree of the decrease was larger in obese mice compared with lean mice. The in vitro HS increased the intracellular and extracellular HSP70 protein levels in thymocytes and splenocytes, while the effects of obesity on the HSP70 protein levels were not obvious. The in vitro HS prior to T cell mitogen stimulation decreased IFN-γ and IL-10 production by mitogen-stimulated splenocytes. This change in cytokine production due to HS was not affected by obesity. The obvious alteration of the HSP70 protein levels and association between cytokine production and the HS response in obesity were not found in this obesity model; however, our results indicate an association between the viability of thymocytes and an altered HS response in obesity and provide evidence that the increase in thymocyte apoptosis and acceleration of thymus involution in obesity could be, in part, due to the alteration of the HS response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eka Fujimoto
- Division of Human Development, Graduate School of Human Life Science, Japan Women's University, 2-8-1 Mejirodai, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsuko Imai
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, Japan Women's University, 2-8-1 Mejirodai, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masanori Utsuyama
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, Japan Women's University, 2-8-1 Mejirodai, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuto Sato
- Division of Human Development, Graduate School of Human Life Science, Japan Women's University, 2-8-1 Mejirodai, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, Japan Women's University, 2-8-1 Mejirodai, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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8
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Yoshida K, Misumi M, Kubo Y, Yamaoka M, Kyoizumi S, Ohishi W, Hayashi T, Kusunoki Y. Long-Term Effects of Radiation Exposure and Metabolic Status on Telomere Length of Peripheral Blood T Cells in Atomic Bomb Survivors. Radiat Res 2016; 186:367-376. [DOI: 10.1667/rr14389.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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9
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Yoshida K, Nakashima E, Kyoizumi S, Hakoda M, Hayashi T, Hida A, Ohishi W, Kusunoki Y. Metabolic Profile as a Potential Modifier of Long-Term Radiation Effects on Peripheral Lymphocyte Subsets in Atomic Bomb Survivors. Radiat Res 2016; 186:275-82. [PMID: 27541825 DOI: 10.1667/rr14336.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Immune system impairments reflected by the composition and function of circulating lymphocytes are still observed in atomic bomb survivors, and metabolic abnormalities including altered blood triglyceride and cholesterol levels have also been detected in such survivors. Based on closely related features of immune and metabolic profiles of individuals, we investigated the hypothesis that long-term effects of radiation exposure on lymphocyte subsets might be modified by metabolic profiles in 3,113 atomic bomb survivors who participated in health examinations at the Radiation Effect Research Foundation, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in 2000-2002. The lymphocyte subsets analyzed involved T-, B- and NK-cell subsets, and their percentages in the lymphocyte fraction were assessed using flow cytometry. Health examinations included metabolic indicators, body mass index, serum levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein and hemoglobin A1c, as well as diabetes and fatty liver diagnoses. Standard regression analyses indicated that several metabolic indicators of obesity/related disease, particularly high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, were positively associated with type-1 helper T- and B-cell percentages but were inversely associated with naïve CD4 T and NK cells. A regression analysis adjusted for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol revealed a radiation dose relationship with increasing NK-cell percentage. Additionally, an interaction effect was suggested between radiation dose and C-reactive protein on B-cell percentage with a negative coefficient of the interaction term. Collectively, these findings suggest that radiation exposure and subsequent metabolic profile changes, potentially in relationship to obesity-related inflammation, lead to such long-term alterations in lymphocyte subset composition. Because this study is based on cross-sectional and exploratory analyses, the implications regarding radiation exposure, metabolic profiles and circulating lymphocytes warrant future longitudinal and molecular mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Masayuki Hakoda
- e Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, Yasuda Women's University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | | | - Ayumi Hida
- d Department of Clinical Studies, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Nagasaki, Japan; and
| | - Waka Ohishi
- c Clinical Studies, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
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10
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Qu BG. Inflammatory and immune changes and treatment in patients with fatty liver disease. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2016; 24:2931-2942. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v24.i19.2931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fatty liver disease (FLD) is a common chronic inflammatory and immune disease. Current research suggests that it is associated with a variety of clinical metabolic diseases, however, its etiology is very complex, and its exact mechanism is not fully clear. Enormous studies have found that inflammation and immunity play roles in the pathogenesis of FLD, via mechanisms involving inflammatory mediators or inflammatory factors, neutrophil infiltration, inflammasomes, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), gut microbes-related inflammation, immune cells, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and its downstream signal transduction pathways, gut microbe-related immune response, immunocytes, oxidative stress, other new markers of immune response and so on. In order to provide a reliable basis for accurate diagnosis and treatment of FLD, studies on the prevention, early diagnosis and prospective intervention of FLD should be strengthened. In addition, according to different pathogenesis, corresponding measures should be taken to reduce the risk of FLD and its related diseases.
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Feinstein L, Ferrando-Martínez S, Leal M, Zhou X, Sempowski GD, Wildman DE, Uddin M, Aiello AE. Population Distributions of Thymic Function in Adults: Variation by Sociodemographic Characteristics and Health Status. BIODEMOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL BIOLOGY 2016; 62:208-221. [PMID: 27337555 PMCID: PMC4995111 DOI: 10.1080/19485565.2016.1172199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The thymus is critical for mounting an effective immune response and maintaining health. However, epidemiologic studies characterizing thymic function in the population setting are lacking. Using data from 263 adults in the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study, we examined thymic function as measured by the number of signal joint T-cell receptor excision circles (sjTREC) and assessed associations with established indicators of physiological health. Overall, increasing age and male gender were significantly associated with reduced thymic function. Adjusting for covariates, individuals with elevated levels of the pro-inflammatory biomarkers C-reactive protein (β: -0.50 [95% CI: -0.82, -0.18] for moderate elevation, β: -0.29 [95% CI: -0.59, 0.00] for high elevation) and interleukin-6 (β: -0.60 [95% CI: -0.92, -0.28] for moderate elevation, β: -0.43 [95% CI: -0.77, -0.08] for severe elevation) also had lower thymic function. Compared to individuals with a BMI < 25, individuals who were overweight (β: 0.36 [95% CI: 0.07, 0.64]) or obese (β: 0.27 [95% CI: -0.03, 0.56]) had higher thymic function. Differences by self-rated health were not statistically significant. Our findings underscore demographic- and health-related gradients in thymic function among adult residents of Detroit, suggesting thymic function may be an important biomarker of health status in adults at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Feinstein
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health and Carolina Population Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA;
| | - Sara Ferrando-Martínez
- Laboratory of Immunovirology, Clinic Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, IBiS, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Sevilla, Spain;
| | - Manuel Leal
- Laboratory of Immunovirology, Clinic Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, IBiS, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Sevilla, Spain;
| | - Xuan Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA;
| | - Gregory D Sempowski
- Duke University Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA;
| | - Derek E Wildman
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA;
| | - Monica Uddin
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA;
| | - Allison E Aiello
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health and Carolina Population Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA;
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Kyoizumi S, Kubo Y, Misumi M, Kajimura J, Yoshida K, Hayashi T, Imai K, Ohishi W, Nakachi K, Young LF, Shieh JH, Moore MA, van den Brink MRM, Kusunoki Y. Circulating Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells in Aging Atomic Bomb Survivors. Radiat Res 2016; 185:69-76. [PMID: 26720799 PMCID: PMC5015444 DOI: 10.1667/rr14209.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
It is not yet known whether hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are compromised in the aging population of atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors after their exposure nearly 70 years ago. To address this, we evaluated age- and radiation-related changes in different subtypes of circulating HSPCs among the CD34-positive/lineage marker-negative (CD34(+)Lin(-)) cell population in 231 Hiroshima A-bomb survivors. We enumerated functional HSPC subtypes, including: cobblestone area-forming cells; long-term culture-initiating cells; erythroid burst-forming units; granulocyte and macrophage colony-forming units; and T-cell and natural killer cell progenitors using cell culture. We obtained the count of each HSPC subtype per unit volume of blood and the proportion of each HSPC subtype in CD34(+)Lin(-) cells to represent the lineage commitment trend. Multivariate analyses, using sex, age and radiation dose as variables, showed significantly decreased counts with age in the total CD34(+)Lin(-) cell population and all HSPC subtypes. As for the proportion, only T-cell progenitors decreased significantly with age, suggesting that the commitment to the T-cell lineage in HSPCs continuously declines with age throughout the lifetime. However, neither the CD34(+)Lin(-) cell population, nor HSPC subtypes showed significant radiation-induced dose-dependent changes in counts or proportions. Moreover, the correlations of the proportions among HSPC subtypes in the survivors properly revealed the hierarchy of lineage commitments. Taken together, our findings suggest that many years after exposure to radiation and with advancing age, the number and function of HSPCs in living survivors as a whole may have recovered to normal levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seishi Kyoizumi
- Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Kubo
- Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Munechika Misumi
- Department of Statistics, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Junko Kajimura
- Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kengo Yoshida
- Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tomonori Hayashi
- Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazue Imai
- Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Waka Ohishi
- Department of Clinical Studies, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kei Nakachi
- Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Lauren F. Young
- Department of Medicine and Immunology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Jae-Hung Shieh
- Cell Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Malcolm A. Moore
- Cell Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | | | - Yoichiro Kusunoki
- Department of Radiobiology/Molecular Epidemiology, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
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Araki T, Nishino M, Gao W, Dupuis J, Hunninghake GM, Murakami T, Washko GR, O'Connor GT, Hatabu H. Normal thymus in adults: appearance on CT and associations with age, sex, BMI and smoking. Eur Radiol 2016; 26:15-24. [PMID: 25925358 PMCID: PMC4847950 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-015-3796-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate CT appearance and size of the thymus in association with participant characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS 2540 supposedly healthy participants (mean age 58.9 years, 51 % female) were evaluated for the CT appearance of thymic glands with four-point scores (according to the ratio of fat and soft tissue), size and morphology. These were correlated with participants' age, sex, BMI and smoking history. RESULTS Of 2540 participants, 1869 (74 %) showed complete fatty replacement of the thymus (Score 0), 463 (18 %) predominantly fatty attenuation (Score 1), 172 (7 %) half fatty and half soft-tissue attenuation (Score 2) and 36 (1 %) solid thymic gland with predominantly soft-tissue attenuation (Score 3). Female participants showed less fatty degeneration of the thymus with higher thymic scores within age 40-69 years (P < 0.001). Participants with lower thymic scores showed higher BMI (P < 0.001) and were more likely to be former smokers (P < 0.001) with higher pack-years (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Visual assessment with four-point thymic scores revealed a sex difference in the fatty degeneration of the thymus with age. Women show significantly higher thymic scores, suggesting less fat content of the thymus, during age 40-69 years. Cigarette smoking and high BMI are associated with advanced fatty replacement of the thymus. KEY POINTS 74% of participants (mean age 58.9 years) demonstrated complete fatty thymus. Women show less fatty thymus compared to men at ages 40-69 years. Smoking and high BMI are associated with advanced fatty degeneration in thymus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuro Araki
- Department of Radiology, Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan.
| | - Mizuki Nishino
- Department of Radiology, Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Josée Dupuis
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA
| | - Gary M Hunninghake
- The Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Takamichi Murakami
- Department of Radiology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - George R Washko
- The Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - George T O'Connor
- The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, USA
- Pulmonary Center and Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hiroto Hatabu
- Department of Radiology, Center for Pulmonary Functional Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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14
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Zhou Y, Yu X, Chen H, Sjöberg S, Roux J, Zhang L, Ivoulsou AH, Bensaid F, Liu CL, Liu J, Tordjman J, Clement K, Lee CH, Hotamisligil GS, Libby P, Shi GP. Leptin Deficiency Shifts Mast Cells toward Anti-Inflammatory Actions and Protects Mice from Obesity and Diabetes by Polarizing M2 Macrophages. Cell Metab 2015; 22:1045-58. [PMID: 26481668 PMCID: PMC4670585 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mast cells (MCs) contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes. This study demonstrates that leptin deficiency slants MCs toward anti-inflammatory functions. MCs in the white adipose tissue (WAT) of lean humans and mice express negligible leptin. Adoptive transfer of leptin-deficient MCs expanded ex vivo mitigates diet-induced and pre-established obesity and diabetes in mice. Mechanistic studies show that leptin-deficient MCs polarize macrophages from M1 to M2 functions because of impaired cell signaling and an altered balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, but do not affect T cell differentiation. Rampant body weight gain in ob/ob mice, a strain that lacks leptin, associates with reduced MC content in WAT. In ob/ob mice, genetic depletion of MCs exacerbates obesity and diabetes, and repopulation of ex vivo expanded ob/ob MCs ameliorates these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhou
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Nephrology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xueqing Yu
- Department of Nephrology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
| | - Huimei Chen
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Research Institute of Nephrology, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China
| | - Sara Sjöberg
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joséphine Roux
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lijun Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Al-Habib Ivoulsou
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Farid Bensaid
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Cong-Lin Liu
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, School of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Joan Tordjman
- INSERM, U 872, Paris, F-75006 France, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris6, UMRS 872, Paris, F-75006 France; Université Paris Descartes, UMRS 872, Paris, F-75006 France
| | - Karine Clement
- INSERM, U 872, Paris, F-75006 France, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris6, UMRS 872, Paris, F-75006 France; Université Paris Descartes, UMRS 872, Paris, F-75006 France
| | - Chih-Hao Lee
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gokhan S Hotamisligil
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Peter Libby
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Guo-Ping Shi
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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15
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Misra RS, Johnston CJ, Groves AM, DeDiego ML, St Martin J, Reed C, Hernady E, Miller JN, Love T, Finkelstein JN, Williams JP. Examining the Effects of External or Internal Radiation Exposure of Juvenile Mice on Late Morbidity after Infection with Influenza A. Radiat Res 2015; 184:3-13. [PMID: 26114328 DOI: 10.1667/rr13917.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A number of investigators have suggested that exposure to low-dose radiation may pose a potentially serious health risk. However, the majority of these studies have focused on the short-term rather than long-term effects of exposure to fixed source radiation, and few have examined the effects of internal contamination. Additionally, very few studies have focused on exposure in juveniles, when organs are still developing and could be more sensitive to the toxic effects of radiation. To specifically address whether early-life radiation injury may affect long-term immune competence, we studied 14-day-old juvenile pups that were either 5 Gy total-body irradiated or injected internally with 50 μCi soluble (137)Cs, then infected with influenza A virus at 26 weeks after exposure. After influenza infection, all groups demonstrated immediate weight loss. We found that externally irradiated, infected animals failed to recover weight relative to age-matched infected controls, but internally (137)Cs contaminated and infected animals had a weight recovery with a similar rate and degree as controls. Externally and internally irradiated mice demonstrated reduced levels of club cell secretory protein (CCSP) message in their lungs after influenza infection. The externally irradiated group did not recover CCSP expression even at the two-week time point after infection. Although the antibody response and viral titers did not appear to be affected by either radiation modality, there was a slight increase in monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 expression in the lungs of externally irradiated animals 14 days after influenza infection, with increased cellular infiltration present. Notably, an increase in the number of regulatory T cells was seen in the mediastinal lymph nodes of irradiated mice relative to uninfected mice. These data confirm the hypothesis that early-life irradiation may have long-term consequences on the immune system, leading to an altered antiviral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi S Misra
- a Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Carl J Johnston
- a Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642.,b Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Angela M Groves
- b Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Marta L DeDiego
- c Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Joe St Martin
- d Department of Environmental Health and Safety: Radiation Safety Unit, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Christina Reed
- b Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Eric Hernady
- b Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Jen-Nie Miller
- b Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Tanzy Love
- e Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Jacob N Finkelstein
- a Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642.,b Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Jacqueline P Williams
- b Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
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