Allergen-induced interleukin-9 production in vitro: correlation with atopy in human adults and comparison with interleukin-5 and interleukin-13

BACKGROUND

The contribution of IL-9 to human atopy is supported by genetic studies. However, IL-9 production in response to allergen in vitro has been reported only in children.

OBJECTIVE

Study IL-9 induction by allergen in adults, compare it with IL-5 and IL-13 and evaluate its association with atopy.

METHODS

Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) from control adults and from atopic patients were cultured with various allergens or phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and secreted IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13 were measured by ELISA.

RESULTS

IL-9 was produced in response to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) by PBMC from Der p-hypersensitive adults at levels equivalent to those induced by PHA but with slower kinetics. The induction of IL-9 was allergen specific, reflecting donor RAST profile. In Der p-triggered reactions of non-atopic and atopic subjects, IL-9 showed the highest selectivity for atopics, IL-5 and IL-13 being produced more frequently in non-atopic donors. Significant correlations with specific IgE titres were found for IL-9 with all allergens tested (Der p and two peptides of Bet v 1 birch allergen). For IL-5 and IL-13, they were in the same range for Der p but more variable for birch allergens. Patterns of cytokine production by individual patients in response to allergen reflected these differences: for Der p, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13 productions were strongly correlated but for birch IL-5 differed from the latter two. The in vitro production of IL-9 reflected clinical hypersensitivity profiles and was higher in individuals with asthma than in those with disease limited to rhinitis and/or conjunctivitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Allergen-triggered IL-9 production in vitro is an excellent marker for atopy in adults given its virtual absence in allergen-stimulated PBMC from non-atopic individuals and its correlation with allergen-specific IgE and asthma.

[Intracarpal ligament injuries associated with wrist fractures: a prospective radioclinical study of 40 patients]

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

We performed a prospective study to search for arthrographic signs in favor of intracarpal ligament lesions occurring concomitantly with wrist fractures. We looked for a relationship between type of fracture and displacement and examined their impact on early functional outcome.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The series included 40 patients treated over a 1-year period. All 40 patients had a displaced wrist fracture requiring surgical treatment. A three-phase arthrography was performed during the initial operation in order to search for injuries involving the scapho-lunate, luno-pyramidal or triangular complex ligaments. A second arthrography was performed at the time the osteosynthesis material was removed. All patients were followed one year postperatively. Functional outcome was recorded at one year.

RESULTS

Abnormal images were found in 57% of the patients at the first arthrography. Injury to the triangular complex predominated, followed by combined injuries. There was no statistical correlation between type of fracture, degree of displacement, and presence of ligament lesions (p > 0.05). Lesions of the triangular fibrocartilaginous complex (TFCC) were significantly increased (p = 0.04) in the event of intra-articular fracture. Age and gender did not influence ligament injury. At one year, the functional outcome was statistically comparable between patients with and without ligament injury. At the second arthrography, we observed only five cases where cure of the luno-pyramidal ligament had been achieved.

DISCUSSION

Intracarpal ligament injuries associated with wrist fractures are frequent. Age had no effect on occurrence of ligament injury in our series, similar to findings reported by others. Likewise, the type of fracture had no effect. Data in the literature show that intra-articular fractures and highly-displaced fractures aggravate ligament injury. Our functional results at one year did not demonstrate any significant difference in patients with and without ligament injury. A 3 or 5-year follow-up might provide further insight. Nevertheless, neglected scapho-lunate lesions still have a bad reputation in the literature, leading us to search for such lesions and to provide adapted treatment in all patients aged less than 50 years presenting a displaced fracture of the wrist.

Arthroplastie totale semicontrainte pour ankylose sévère post-traumatique du coude : à propos d'un cas

Post traumatic stiffness in young subjects has been long considered a bad indication for total elbow arthroplasty. We present the case of a 48 year old woman with an elbow fracture, operated in childhood who developed progressive painful stiffness. After treatment with a cemented semi constrained Coonrad-Morrey total arthroplasty, we have obtained a good result at over 4 years follow-up. The gain of ROM is 40 degrees, the analogue scale for pain is 2.5/10 and the Mayo Clinic Performance Index for the Elbow is 80/100. The subjective impression is excellent and there were no complications.

Limited effects of placental and pituitary growth hormone on cytokine expression in vitro

The hypothesis that growth hormone (GH) can affect immune responses in man has been evaluated by monitoring cytokine expression in cultures from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and ribonuclease protection assay, and in tonsillar cells by ELISA. In addition to pituitary GH (GH-N), the placental form (GH-V), differing from pituitary GH by 13 amino acids has also been tested. Only few effects reached statistical significance and were in no case greater than 15%. Pituitary GH slightly reduced IL-5 production and stimulated IFN-gamma production. The latter effect was also observed with prolactin and could thus be induced through the prolactin receptor. It is proposed that GH has no strong effects on the parameters investigated, possibly as a result of redundancy in the cytokine network. Alternatively, effects on leukocytes are mediated by other tissues such as the liver or are clear only in response to stronger challenges.

Effects of selected herbicides on cytokine production in vitro

To evaluate possible deleterious effects of commonly used herbicides on leukocytes, cytokine production was selected as a sensitive indicator. After in vitro exposure of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells from normal donors, the production of all 3 cytokines tested--interferon-gamma (a type 1 cytokine), interleukin-5 (a type 2 cytokine) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (an inflammatory cytokine)--was impaired by up to 70, 50 and 70% respectively in a concentration-dependent manner in cultures exposed to atrazine (0.03-3 microM in 1% dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO). The effect paralleled that seen with dexamethasone, a known immunosuppressive agent. Other pesticides also dissolved in DMSO--mecoprop, simazine or MCPA (each up to 1 microM)--or dissolved in phosphate-buffered saline--diuron (up to 1 microM), isoproturon (up to 3 microM), metoxuron (up to 8 microM) or metamitron (up to 80 microM)--showed no concentration-related effects on cytokine production. There was, however, an inhibition of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production by simazine, metoxuron and mecoprop and of all three cytokines tested by diuron. MCPA (0.01 and 0.1 microM) stimulated the production of TNF-alpha. Thus, exposure to herbicides leading to plasma levels in the micromolar range induces imbalance in cytokine production.

Retrovirally transduced bone marrow-derived dendritic cells require CD4+ T cell help to elicit protective and therapeutic antitumor immunity

It has been extensively documented that murine dendritic cells loaded with tumor-associated Ag (TAA)-derived peptides or protein can prime Ag-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in vivo and can elicit Ag-specific immunity. Optimal presentation of TAA might be achieved by retroviral transduction of DCs allowing long term and stable expression of the TAA-peptides as well as the presentation of multiple epitopes in the context of MHC class I and/or class II molecules. Here we show that retroviral transduction of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) with chicken OVA cDNA or the reporter gene green fluorescent protein retained their potent stimulatory capacity and that the transduced DCs could process and present the endogenously expressed OVA protein. The DCs transduced with cDNA encoding native OVA protein presented OVA-derived peptides in the context of MHC class I as well as MHC class II and induced a strong Ag-specific CTL response. DCs expressing a cytosolic form of OVA presented OVA peptides only in the context of MHC class I and failed to induce an OVA-specific CTL response in vivo when they had been cultured in the absence of exogenous protein. Immunization with retrovirally transduced DCs resulted in an Ag-specific immunity and rejection of a tumor cell challenge and a significant survival advantage in tumor-bearing mice. These results obtained in this rapidly lethal tumor model suggest that DCs transduced with TAA may be useful for tumor immunotherapy and underscore the importance of the simultaneous delivery of T cell help in the development of Ag-specific cytotoxic T-cells.

Costimulation regulates the kinetics of interleukin-2 response to bacterial superantigens

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which B7-related costimulatory molecules (CD80, CD86) increase T-cell responsiveness to extracellular ligands. As a model study, the in vitro response of purified splenic CD4+ T cells to a bacterial superantigen, SEB, was characterized. Previous analysis of this experimental model led us to conclude that expression of B7-related molecules is strictly required in order to activate CD4+ T cells in the presence of bacterial superantigens. In the present report, we demonstrate that antigen-presenting cell-derived costimulatory signals regulate the kinetics of interleukin-2 (IL-2) production by SEB-activated splenic CD4+ T cells. Indeed, experiments performed with purified subpopulations of antigen-presenting cells and using B7-transfected cell lines indicated that increased levels of CD80 and/or CD86 cell surface expression is associated with a faster kinetics of IL-2 production in response to SEB. Accordingly, blocking of CD80 or CD86-derived signals by specific monoclonal antibodies led to a slower kinetics of IL-2 production in response to SEB. Thus these data demonstrate that similar strength of signal through the T-cell receptor can lead to immune responses displaying distinct kinetics depending on the level of costimulatory ligands on APC.

Reduction mammaplasty combined with pectoralis major muscle flaps for median sternotomy wound closure

Sternal wound infection can be a problem in patients who undergo coronary artery bypass graft surgery and is usually treated with local flaps. Severe macromastia can cause a large wound dehiscence by inferolateral tension on the skin sutures. Chest wall reconstruction can be achieved by combining muscle flap coverage with reduction mammaplasty. Two musculoglandulocutaneous flaps can be designed, using two superiorly based pectoralis muscle flaps vascularising the medial portion of the glandular breast tissue. The flaps are advanced medially to the sternectomy site and the breast reduction is then completed by adjusting the lateral breast pillar to the medial breast pillar. A case in which this technique was successfully used is reported.

HCV viremia in hemodialysis patients: detection by a DNA enzyme immunoassay for amplified HCV sequences

The aim of this study was the detection of HCV viremia in both anti-HCV antibody positive and negative hemodialysis patients. Sera from 75 patients on extracorporeal blood purification in the same dialysis unit were analyzed. Anti-HCV antibodies were detected using a 2nd-generation ELISA assay and in all positive cases a RIBA 3rd-generation test was performed. HCV-RNA was tested by a reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay with primers located in the 5' region. PCR products were analyzed by a nonradioactive hybridation assay. The presence of anti-HCV antibodies was detected in 30 (40%) patients by means of ELISA II test; 28 of them were RIBA III positive and two indeterminate. Twenty-four of the 30 HCV Ab ELISA II positive patients (80%) were HCV-RNA positive (23 RIBA III positive and 1 indeterminate). Six anti-HCV Ab ELISA II positive patients tested negative for HCV-RNA (20%); 5 of these patients were also positive for anti-HCV antibodies with a RIBA III test and 1 was indeterminate. None of the anti-HCV negative patients was HCR-RNA positive. In two cases we documented the disappearance of viremia after an acute HCV infection, with the persistence of antibody reactivity. In conclusion, anti-HCV antibody positive hemodialysis patients should be considered as potentially infectious.

Expression of B7-1 by highly metastatic mouse T lymphomas induces optimal natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity

The interaction between B7-1 and CD28 provides costimulatory signals not only for T cells but also for natural killer (NK) cells. Highly metastatic mouse T lymphoma cells (BW-Li) can escape from NK cell-mediated killing by expressing H-2Dk molecules that negatively regulate NK lytic activity. We have analyzed whether B7-1:CD28 overrules the MHC class I-mediated inactivation of NK cells by transfecting BW-Li with the gene coding for B7-1. Expression of B7-1 rendered BW-Li cells sensitive toward NK cells. The experimental metastatic capacity of the B7-1 transfectants was drastically reduced in both syngeneic AKR and SCID mice but could be restored in SCID-bg mice. These results provide direct evidence that B7-1 expression leads to NK-mediated elimination of metastasizing, NK-resistant tumor cells.

Metabolic and toxicological studies on cobalt

In this study, the following in vitro and in vivo experiments were carried out: (a) Rats were exposed to the radionuclide 57Co2+ ions in single intraperitoneal or intravenous doses (from 10 ng to 1 mg Co/rat) or to 50 ng Co/rat/day through drinking water for 109 days. The target tissue for cobalt depended on the dosage and route of administration (e.g. lung, kidney or bone). Excretion took place mainly through urine (i.p. and i.v. administration) or feces. At 24 h, testis of rats i.v. injected with 10 ng Co/rat contained 0.056% of the dose, with approximately 0.036% in the epididymus, and 0.08% in the deferens. No radioactivity was found in the germinal cells. (b) In vitro incorporation of cobalt in rat sperm. Cobalt enters the germinal cells suggesting that in vivo barriers against the incorporation of the element in sperms may occur. (c) Dose-effect relationships in BALB/3T3 cell cultures exposed to concentrations of cobalt from 1000 to 1 microM of Co2+. Cobalt induced a dose dependent cytotoxic response. At 10 microM, cell growth was reduced to about 30%. No inhibition was found at 1 microM. Morphological transformation assays gave negative results when the cells were exposed to 1000 microM of cobalt.

The intensity of vanadium(V)-induced cytotoxicity and morphological transformation in BALB/3T3 cells is dependent on glutathione-mediated bioreduction to vanadium(IV)

Cytotoxicity and morphological transformation has been studied in BALB/3T3 Cl A31-1-1 mouse embryo cells for ammonium vanadate [vanadium(V)] and vanadyl sulphate [vanadium(IV)] alone or in combination with diethylmaleate (DEM), a cellular glutathione (GSH)-depleting agent. Cells exposed for 24 h to 10(-5) M vanadium(V) alone or in combination with 3 x 10(-6) M DEM showed the characteristic hyperfine EPR signal of vanadium(IV), which was more obvious in the case of exposure to vanadium(V) alone. This suggests that the amount of vanadium(V) reduced to vanadium(IV) decreased in GSH-depleted cells. While vanadium(IV) at concentrations of 3 x 10(-6) M and 10(-5) M was not transforming in the cells, vanadium(V) showed neoplastic transforming activity (P < 0.025 and P < 0.001 for the two doses, respectively) in comparison to controls (vanadium unexposed cells). Cytotoxicity and morphological transformation in cells exposed to vanadium(V) in combination with 3 x 10(-6) M DEM were significantly more intensive (P < 0.005 and P < 0.01 for the two doses of vanadate tested) compared to the corresponding values observed in cells exposed to vanadium(V) alone. This suggests that the final transforming activity response is dependent on the intracellular GSH-mediated mechanism of reduction of vanadium(V) to vanadium(IV): (i) the extent to which vanadium(V) should be bioreduced to less toxic vanadium(IV) via intracellular GSH is a key point in determining the intensity of the observed neoplastic action; (ii) the carcinogenic potential of vanadium(V) should be strictly dependent on its intracellular persistence which could lead to changes in normal metabolic patterns of vanadium(V) in the oxidized form due to lack of GSH-mediated reduction.