Discrimination of agonist and antagonist forms of CXCL10 in biological samples

The ready access to commercially available multiplex assays and the importance of inflammation in disease pathogenesis has resulted in an abundance of studies aimed at identifying surrogate biomarkers for different clinically important questions. Establishing a link between a biomarker and disease pathogenesis, however, is quite complex, and in some instances this complexity is compounded by post-translational modifications and the use of immunoassays that do not always discriminate between the different forms of the same protein. Herein, we provide a detailed description of an assay system that has been established to discriminate the agonist form of CXCL10 from the NH(2) -terminal truncated form of the molecule generated by dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPP4) cleavage. We demonstrate the utility of this assay system for monitoring agonist and antagonist forms of CXCL10 in culture supernatant, patient plasma and urine samples. Given the important role of CXCL10 in chronic inflammatory diseases and its suggested role as a predictive marker in managing patients with chronic hepatitis C, asthma, atopic dermatitis, transplantation, tuberculosis, kidney injury, cancer and other diseases, we believe that our method will be of general interest to the research and medical community.

Validation of a new highly standardised, lab-independent whole-blood leukocyte function assay for clinical trials (ILCS)

Physical stress induced in healthy volunteers by the Loughborough intermittent shuttle test (LIST) was used to validate a newly developed whole-blood cell culture system (Instant leukocyte culture system (ILCS). Exercise induced immune modulation was investigated through measurement of cytokine levels after activating leukocytes in peripheral blood ex vivo using the physiologic stimulant lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS induced production of three different cytokines, interferon gamma (IFNgamma), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-10 (IL-10). IFNgamma levels were significantly decreased (P = 0.02 and P = 0.001 ) and IL-10 levels significantly increased (P= 0.04 and 0.03) after exercise. LPS induced IL-6 production was only marginally further increased by exercise. In conclusion, the ILCS system provided a reliable ex vivo method, showing common as well as subject specific features in the time course of the immune modulation caused by the LIST protocol. This system will be useful for studies of the elderly, where cytokine standardisation is notoriously difficult.

Enhanced resistance to Sendai virus infection in DBA/2J mice with a botanical drug combination (Sinupret)

It was investigated whether the botanical drug combination Sinupret is able to modulate the resistance of mice to a respiratory tract infection with Sendai virus (Parainfluenza viridae) if given prophylactically to the animals. Three doses of Sinupret drops (SD) and Sinupret tablets (ST, p.o.), and two active controls, the chemical secretolytic ambroxol (p.o.) and the immunomodulator Muramyldipeptide (MDP, i.v.) were used. Test and reference substances were applied at days - 3 and -1 before infection, except MDP, which was given once on day--before infection. CD4+ and CD8 + lymphocyte subpopulations were measured after infection as indicators of immunological treatment response. Groups of 20 mice each were infected by intranasal application of Sendai virus under anaesthesia. We found that the 1 x and 5 x human doses of Sinupret drops significantly prolonged the survival times (p < 0.05) compared to placebo. Additionally, ambroxol and MDP were comparably less effective. In all groups, changes in CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocyte subpopulations of the peripheral blood were observed, but no clear relationship to the treatment results was seen. It was concluded that Sinupret increases the resistance to an experimentally induced respiratory tract infection in mice. Moreover, the effect of Sinupret was superior to that of an immunostimulant (MDP) and of a synthetic secretagogue (ambroxolhydrochloride).

Immunoregulation via 'bystander suppression' needs minute amounts of substances--a basis for homeopathic therapy?

One of the main characteristics of homeopathic drugs is the low concentration of substances they contain. In most discussions this serves as the predominant argument against homeopathic treatments. The small amount of ingredients is in most instances considered not to be able to induce significant changes in classical pharmacological models. A few years ago researchers at the Harvard Medical School in Boston observed that the auto-reactivity ofT-cells is managed by the immune system in at least two different ways that obviously were dependent upon the concentration of the antigen they encounter: If they see high concentrations of a self-antigen they are deleted (killed), but when given low doses they undergo a special kind of active inhibition (called 'bystander suppression'). We feel that this type of regulation induced by very low substance concentrations could serve as a model to explain the way in which at least some homeopathic pharmaceuticals mediate their therapeutic effects.