Polymeric immunoglobulin receptor and galectin-3-binding protein are raised in biliary atresia: Reveals a proteomic-based study

To identify and evaluate differentially expressed plasma proteins in biliary atresia (BA), we performed plasma proteome profiling using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in 20 patients with BA and 10 control children. Serological assays validated the most significant and highly upregulated proteins in a cohort of 45 patients and 15 controls. Bioinformatics tools were used for functional classification and protein-protein interactions of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Of 405 proteins detected in patients and 360 in controls, 242 proteins, each with ≥2 unique peptides (total of 3230 peptides), were common in both groups. Compared to controls, 90 proteins in patients were differentially expressed and were dysregulated. Twenty-five were significantly upregulated with polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIgR), galectin-3-binding protein (Gal-3BP), complement C2, the most prominent, and 15 had low expression. The bioinformatic analysis revealed functional interaction between DEPs and their role in an inflammatory immune response. Enzyme immunoassay for PIgR and Gal-3BP in patients' plasma showed their levels raised significantly (p = 0.0021 and p = 0.0369, respectively). The PIgR and Gal-3BP are novel proteins upregulated in BA and may be tested further for their utility as potential circulating disease biomarker(s). SIGNIFICANCE: The study shows that plasma PIgR and GAL-3BP levels are significantly raised in infants with BA within the first 3 months of life. If tested in a larger cohort, these proteins may be found to have their diagnostic potential and utility as disease biomarkers. The study also provides valuable information on the involvement of several DEPs in innate immune response, chronic inflammation, and fibrosis. This strengthens the hypothesis that the immune-mediated inflammatory processes are responsible for the progressive nature of BA.

Intermittent fasting favored the resolution of Salmonella typhimurium infection in middle-aged BALB/c mice

Intermittent fasting (IF) reportedly increases resistance and intestinal IgA response to Salmonella typhimurium infection in mature mice. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of aging on the aforementioned improved immune response found with IF. Middle-aged male BALB/c mice were submitted to IF or ad libitum (AL) feeding for 40 weeks and then orally infected with S. typhimurium. Thereafter, infected animals were all fed AL (to maximize their viability) until sacrifice on day 7 or 14 post-infection. We evaluated body weight, bacterial load (in feces, Peyer's patches, spleen and liver), total and specific intestinal IgA, lamina propria IgA+ plasma cells, plasma corticosterone, and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of α-chain, J-chain, and the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) in liver and intestinal mucosa. In comparison with the infected AL counterpart, the infected IF group (long-term IF followed by post-infection AL feeding) generally had lower intestinal and systemic bacterial loads as well as higher total IgA on both post-infection days. Both infected groups showed no differences in corticosterone levels, body weight, or food and caloric intake. The increase in intestinal IgA was associated with enhanced pIgR mRNA expression in the intestine (day 7) and liver. Thus, to maintain body weight and caloric intake, IF elicited metabolic signals that possibly induced the increased hepatic and intestinal pIgR mRNA expression found. The increase in IgA probably resulted from intestinal IgA transcytosis via pIgR. This IgA response along with phagocyte-induced killing of bacteria in systemic organs (not measured) may explain the resolution of the S. typhimurium infection.

Multiple functions of immunoglobulin A in mucosal defense against viruses: an in vitro measles virus model

Three defense functions of immunoglobulin A (IgA), immune exclusion, intracellular neutralization, and virus excretion, were assessed in a measles virus model using polarized epithelial cells expressing the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor and monoclonal antibodies against the viral H and F envelope proteins and the internal N protein. Anti-H IgA was the most effective antibody at preventing infection via the apical surface, i.e., immune exclusion. This IgA was also the most effective at intraepithelial cell neutralization after infection at the apical surface and endocytosis of IgA at the basolateral surface, although an antibody against the internal N protein was also effective. In the intracellular neutralization experiments, confocal immunofluorescence microscopy showed prominent colocalization of anti-H IgA and H protein inside virus-infected cells, whereas colocalization of anti-F and F protein and of anti-N and N protein was much less, in agreement with the neutralization results. Combinations of IgA anti-H, anti-F, and anti-N showed no synergistic effects in intracellular neutralization. In the immune excretion experiments, virus immune complexes with either anti-H or anti-F IgA placed beneath polarized epithelial cells could be transported to the apical supernatant. Anti-F IgA, which was relatively poor at immune exclusion and intracellular neutralization, was the most robust at virus excretion. Thus, the studies collectively demonstrated three different antiviral functions of IgA in relation to epithelium and also suggested that the particular viral component with which a given IgA antibody reacts is an important determinant of the magnitude of the antiviral effect.

Immunologic responses to gene transfer into mice via the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor

The respiratory epithelium is the primary target tissue for gene therapy of cystic fibrosis, and several methods of gene transfer permit the introduction of the gene encoding the normal cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator into cells of the respiratory tract in animals. DNA complexes based on Fab antibodies to secretory component have been used to mediate the delivery and uptake of expression plasmids into the respiratory tract via the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor both in vitro and in vivo. We evaluated the efficacy of gene transfer after several administrations of the DNA complexes, and examined the immunogenicity and toxicity of repetitive administration of anti-secretory component Fab-based complexes. Mice received single or multiple injections of the DNA complexes containing the plasmid pGL2 every 21 days after the initial treatment, and lysates from the lung and liver were assayed for luciferase expression. Luciferase activity was detected in the lungs of mice that received a single injection of the DNA complexes, whereas transgene expression was significantly lower in the mice that received three injections of the DNA complexes (17338 +/- 5469 integrated light units/mg and 3771 +/- 1778 integrated light units/mg, respectively). Serum samples from animals that underwent single or multiple injections were analyzed for a serologic response against the conjugate-DNA complexes by ELISA. No anticomplex antibodies were detected in the mice after a single injection. An escalating antibody response was noted with increasing number of treatments with the conjugate-DNA complexes. This serologic response was directed exclusively against the rabbit-derived, anti-secretory component (anti-SC) Fab antibody, and not against either the plasmid DNA or poly-L-lysine. Single injection of the conjugate-DNA complexes did not result in the consumption of circulating complement. Using direct immunofluorescence, perivascular deposits of immunoglobulin G were found in the liver of animals that received three treatments; no such deposition was detected in the lungs or kidneys. No increase in inflammatory cell infiltrates was observed in tissues after single and repeated injections of the DNA complexes. Thus, we conclude that repeated injections of the anti-SC Fab-based complexes evoked a humoral immune response against the heterologous Fab portion of the complex that was associated with reduced efficiency of gene transfer.

[Molecular aspects of secretory IgA (S-IgA) in gut-associated lymphoid tissues]

Secretory IgA, which plays an important role in the defense of the exocrine tissue, is composed of a polymeric IgA, joining (J) chain and secretory component (SC). Polymeric IgA and J chain are produced by plasma cells and SC by glandular epithelial cells. We here described the molecular aspects of J chain and SC. Study of the J chain has been confined to vertebrates which produce immunoglobulin (Ig) because the function of J chain is considered to be a polymerization of Ig. Recent molecular studies indicate that the role of J chain has been questioned. The J chain is expressed in invertebrates, as well as, representative species of vertebrates and that J chain is a primitive polypeptide that arose before the evolution of Ig molecules. SC is a 80 kDa glycoprotein functioning as a receptor for J chain-containing polymeric Ig. The expression of SC is regulated by various inflammatory cytokines such as, IL-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, suggesting SC upregulation in vivo in inflammatory conditions. The human SC cDNA analysis reveals that it consisted of 11 exons with no functional TATA-box or CCAAT-box in the putative promoter region. Further upstream, there are several interesting motifs such as NF-kB and IFN-gamma response element, suggesting possible regulation of SC by cytokines through cellular signal transduction pathways.