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One of the factors in the development of uterine fibroids is a genetic predisposition to its occurrence in some women, but the real molecular genetic mechanisms of this phenomenon remain unknown. Aim of the study was the distribution analysis of gene polymorphism of cytokines TNFα, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, factors of angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF) and remodeling of extracellular matrix (metalloproteinases MMP2, MMP3, MMP9), which are associated with their levels. Material and methods. Genotyping was performed by real-time PCR using commercial test systems SYBR GreenI (Litech, Russia) and TaqMan (Syntol, Russia) in accordance with the instructions of the developer. Cytokine content in blood serum was determined by flow cytometry using microspheres coated with monoclonal antibodies to cytokines (Bio-Plex ProTM Human Cytokine 27-plex Assay), according to the instructions for Bio-Plex 200 (Bio-Rad Laboratories, USA).To evaluate the results obtained, in addition to the generally accepted methods of statistical processing for case – control studies, computational methods of bioinformatics were used for comparative analysis of the diagnostic value of various combined genetic traits. Results. It was shown that the maximum odds ratio value of uterine fibroids development are combined genetic traits that include representatives of all four regulatory factors: cytokines with pro-inflammatory activity, cytokines with anti-inflammatory activity, vascular endothelial growth factors and metalloproteinases (p = 0.002). Conclusions. The presented data reveal the real mechanisms of manifestation of the genetic predisposition of individual women to the uterine fibroids development, associated with the presence of polymorphism of certain genes in their genome, which provide features of the structure of cytokine networks with the predominance of certain activities in the regulation of tissue processes in the uterus. In addition to purely scientific interest, these results indicate the real possibility of their clinical application in the form of prognostic criteria with a certain level of prognostic significance.

Abstract Background Variation in host immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 is regulated by multiple genes involved in innate viral response and cytokine storm emergence like IL-10 and TNFa gene polymorphisms. We hypothesize that IL-10; -592 C > A and − 1082 A > G and TNFa-308 G > A are associated with the risk of SARS-COV2 infections and clinical outcome. Methods Genotyping, laboratory and radiological investigations were done to 110 COVID-19 patients and 110 healthy subjects, in Ismailia, Egypt. Results A significant association between the − 592 A allele, A containing genotypes under all models (p

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TE) is the most common form of focal epilepsy in adults with a high rate of drug-resistant course. In the Russian Federation studies of the contribution of the carriage of single nucleotide variants of genes (SNGs) encoding proteins of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration to the development of TE have not been previously carried out.Objective: to study the association of SNGs rs16944 and rs1143634 of the IL-1β gene, rs1800629 of the TNFA gene, rs6265 of the BDNF gene, rs3780645 of the NTRK-2 gene with the risk of development, clinical and neuroimaging features of TE.Patients and methods. The study included 166 patients with TE and 203 healthy volunteers living in the Siberian Federal District. The study included clinical, neurophysiological, neuroradiological, and laboratory work-up. Investigation of the carriage of SNGs rs16944 (-511T/C) and rs1143634 (+3954C/T) of the IL-1β gene, rs1800629 (G-308A) of the TNFA gene, rs6265 (G/A) of the BDNF gene, rs3780645 (C/T) and rs2289656 (C/T) of the NTRK-2 gene was carried out by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results and discussion. The prognostically unfavorable role of carriage of the A allele and the GA rs1800629 genotype of the TNFA gene in the development of TE, the GA rs6265 genotype of the BDNF gene in the development of TE with hippocampal sclerosis was established. Carrying the genotype AA rs1800629 of the TNFA gene in patients with TE reduces the risk of polytherapy with antiepileptic drugs.Conclusion. The study of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration processes is important both from a physiological point of view and from the point of view of searching for the TE development markers, which make it possible to predict and evaluate the rate of disease progression, help to determine the tactics of treatment, and evaluate its effectiveness. In this regard, at present, the identification of potential genetic markers remains a task of high priority.

Abstract Background Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA) is an important cytokine that influences multiple biological processes. It is one of the key mediators of acute and chronic systemic inflammatory reactions and plays a central role in several autoimmune diseases. A number of approved monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are widely used to subside these autoimmune diseases. However, there is a high rate of non-responsiveness to treatments with these mAbs. Therefore, it is important to be able to predict responses of the patients in an individualistic manner to these therapeutic antibodies before administration. In the present study, we used in silico tools to explore the effects of missense variants in the respective epitopes of four therapeutic anti-TNFA mAbs—adalimumab (ADA), certolizumab pegol (CZP), golimumab (GLM), and infliximab (IFX)—on their interactions with TNFA. Results The binding affinities of CZP and ADA to corresponding epitopes appear to be reduced by four (TNFAR131Q, TNFAE135G, TNFAR138Q, and TNFAR138W) and two (TNFAG66C and TNFAG66S) variants, respectively. The binding of GLM and IFX appears to be affected by TNFAR141S and TNFAR138W, respectively. TNFAG66C and TNFAG66S may be associated with autoimmune diseases, whereas TNFAE135G, TNFAR138W, and TNFAR141S may be pathogenic per se. Conclusion These variants may contribute to the observed inter-individual variability in response to anti-TNFA mAbs treatments and be used as markers to predict responses, and thus optimize therapeutic benefits to the patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This virus does not only lead to pulmonary infection but can also infect other organs such as the gut, the kidney, or the liver. Recent studies confirmed that severe cases of COVID-19 are often associated with liver damage and liver failure, as well as the systemic upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα). However, the impact these immune mediators in the liver have on patient survival during SARS-CoV-2 infection is currently unknown. Here, by performing a post-mortem analysis of 45 patients that died from a SARS-CoV-2 infection, we find that an increased expression of TNFA in the liver is associated with elevated mortality. Using publicly available single-cell sequencing datasets, we determined that Kupffer cells and monocytes are the main sources of this TNFα production. Further analysis revealed that TNFα signaling led to the upregulation of pro-inflammatory genes that are associated with an unfavorable outcome. Moreover, high levels of TNFA in the liver were associated with lower levels of interferon alpha and interferon beta. Thus, TNFα signaling in the infected SARS-CoV-2 liver correlates with reduced interferon levels and overall survival time.

A higher Th17-immune response characterises obesity and obesity-related asthma phenotype. Nevertheless, obesity-related asthma has a more significant Th17-immune response than obesity alone. Retinoid-related orphan receptor C (RORC) is the essential transcription factor for Th17 polarisation. Previous studies have found that adolescents with obesity-related asthma presented upregulation of RORC, IL17A, and TNFA. However, the mechanisms that cause these higher mRNA expression levels in this asthmatic phenotype are poorly understood. Methylation directly regulates gene expression by adding a methyl group to carbon 5 of dinucleotide CpG cytosine. Thus, we evaluated the relationship between RORC, IL17A, and TNFA methylation status and mRNA expression levels to investigate a possible epigenetic regulation. A total of 102 adolescents (11–18 years) were studied in the following four groups: 1) healthy participants (HP), 2) allergic asthmatic participants (AAP), 3) obese participants without asthma (OP), and 4) non-allergic obesity-related asthma participants (OAP). Real-time qPCR assessed the methylation status and gene expression levels in peripheral blood leukocytes. Remarkably, the OAP and AAP groups have lower promoter methylation patterns of RORC, IL17A, and TNFA than the HP group. Notably, the OAP group presents lower RORC promoter methylation status than the OP group. Interestingly, RORC promoter methylation status was moderately negatively associated with gene expression of RORC (rs = −0.39, p < 0.001) and IL17A (rs = −0.37, p < 0.01), respectively. Similarly, the promoter methylation pattern of IL17A was moderately negatively correlated with IL17A gene expression (rs = −0.3, p < 0.01). There is also a moderate inverse relationship between TNFA promoter methylation status and TNFA gene expression (rs = −0.3, p < 0.01). The present study suggests an association between lower RORC, IL17A, and TNFA gene promoter methylation status with obesity-related asthma and allergic asthma. RORC, IL17A, and TNFA gene promoter methylation patterns are moderately inversely correlated with their respective mRNA expression levels. Therefore, DNA methylation may regulate RORC, IL17A, and TNF gene expression in both asthmatic phenotypes.

Intratumoral immunotherapies are entering clinical use but concerns remain regarding their effects on non-injected tumors. Here, we studied the impact of local treatment with an adenovirus coding for TNFa and IL-2 on systemic antitumor response in animals receiving aPD-1 (anti-programmed cell death protein 1) therapy. Using bilateral murine melanoma models, we tested systemic tumor response to combined therapy with anti-PD-1 and an adenovirus coding for TNFa and IL-2 (“virus”). Virus was given intratumorally (to one of the two tumors only) and aPD-1 monoclonal antibody systemically. We evaluated both tumors’ response to treatment, overall survival, metastasis development, and immunological mechanisms involved with response. Consistent tumor control was observed in both injected and non-injected tumors, including complete response in all treated animals receiving aPD-1+ virus therapy. Mechanistically, virus injections enabled potent effector lymphocyte response locally, with systemic effects in non-injected tumors facilitated by aPD-1 treatment. Moreover, adenovirus therapy demonstrated immunological memory formation. Virus therapy was effective in preventing metastasis development. Local treatment with TNFa and IL-2 coding adenovirus enhanced systemic response to aPD-1 therapy, by re-shaping the microenvironment of both injected and non-injected tumors. Therefore, our pre-clinical data support the rationale for a trial utilizing a combination of aPD-1 plus virus for the treatment of human cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have provided significant improvement in clinical outcomes for some patients with solid tumors. However, for patients with head and neck cancer, the response rate to ICI monotherapy remains low, leading to the exploration of combinatorial treatment strategies. In this preclinical study, we use an oncolytic adenovirus (Ad5/3) encoding hTNFα and hIL-2 and non-replicate adenoviruses (Ad5) encoding mTNFα and mIL-2 with ICI to achieve superior tumor growth control and improved survival outcomes. The in vitro effect of Ad5/3-E2F-D24-hTNFa-IRES-hIL-2 was characterized through analyses of virus replication, transgene expression and lytic activity using head and neck cancer patient derived cell lines. Mouse models of ICI naïve and refractory oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma were established to evaluate the local and systemic anti-tumor immune response upon ICI treatment with or without the non-replicative adenovirus encoding mTNFα and mIL-2. We delineated the mechanism of action by measuring the metabolic activity and effector function of CD3+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and transcriptomic profile of the CD45+ tumor immune compartment. Ad5/3-E2F-D24-hTNFa-IRES-hIL-2 demonstrated robust replicative capability in vitro across all head and neck cell lines screened through potent lytic activity, E1a and transgene expression. In vivo, in both ICI naïve and refractory models, we observed improvement to tumor growth control and long-term survival when combining anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 with the non-replicative adenovirus encoding mTNFα and mIL-2 compared to monotherapies. This observation was verified by striking CD3+ TIL derived mGranzyme b and interferon gamma production complemented by increased T cell bioenergetics. Notably, interrogation of the tumor immune transcriptome revealed the upregulation of a gene signature distinctive of tertiary lymphoid structure formation upon treatment of murine anti-PD-L1 refractory tumors with non-replicative adenovirus encoding mTNFα and mIL-2. In addition, we detected an increase in anti-tumor antibody production and expansion of the memory T cell compartment in the secondary lymphoid organs. In summary, a non-replicative adenovirus encoding mTNFα and mIL-2 potentiates ICI therapy, demonstrated by improved tumor growth control and survival in head and neck tumor-bearing mice. Moreover, the data reveals a potential approach for inducing tertiary lymphoid structure formation. Altogether our results support the clinical potential of combining this adenovirotherapy with anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1.

The transcription factor NF-κB plays an important role in modulation of inflammatory pathways, which are associated with inflammatory diseases, neurodegeneration, apoptosis, immune responses, and cancer. Increasing evidence indicates that TRIM proteins are crucial role in the regulation of NF-κB signaling pathways. In this study, we identified TRIM67 as a negative regulator of TNFα-triggered NF-κB activation. Ectopic expression of TRIM67 significantly represses TNFα-induced NF-κB activation and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-6. In contrast, Trim67 depletion promotes TNFα-induced expression of TNFα, IL-6, and Mcp-1 in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Mechanistically, we found that TRIM67 competitively binding β-transducin repeat-containing protein (β-TrCP) to IκBα results inhibition of β-TrCP-mediated degradation of IκBα, which finally caused inhibition of TNFα-triggered NF-κB activation. In summary, our findings revealed that TRIM67 function as a novel negative regulator of NF-κB signaling pathway, implying TRIM67 might exert an important role in regulation of inflammation disease and pathogen infection caused inflammation.

Oral carcinogenesis represents a multi-stage process which encompasses several genetic and molecular changes that promote the progression of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) to oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). A better understanding of critical pathways governing the progression of OMPDs to OSCCs is critical to improve oncologic outcomes in the future. Previous studies have identified an important role of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) in the invasiveness of oral cancer cell lines. Here, we investigate the expression of TNFα and TNFR1 in human OPMDs that progress to OSCC compared to non-progressing OPMDs utilizing fluorescent immunohistochemistry (FIHC) to show increased TNFα/TNFR1 expression in progressing OPMDs. In order to interrogate the TNFα/TNFR1 signaling pathway, we utilized a 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4-NQO) mouse model of oral carcinogenesis to demonstrate that TNFα/TNFR1 expression is upregulated in 4-NQO-induced OSCCs. TNFα neutralization decreased serum cytokines, inhibited the development of invasive lesions and reduced tumor-associated neutrophils in vivo. Combined, this data supports the role of TNFα in oral malignant transformation, suggesting that critical immunoregulatory events occur downstream of TNFR1 leading to malignant transformation. Our results advance the understanding of the mechanisms governing OSCC invasion and may serve as a basis for alternative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to OPMDs and OSCC management.

Yuanyuan Li,1,* Yueqi Song,1,* Leqing Zhu,1,* Xiao Wang,1 Bin Yang,2 Ping Lu,2 Quan Chen,3 Lianghua Bin,4 Liehua Deng5 1Biomedical Translational Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Dermatology, Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Division of Research Informatics Services, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA; 4Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA; 5Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Lianghua BinDepartment of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver, CO 80206, USATel +1-303-270-2055Email binl@njhealth.orgLiehua DengDepartment of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, West Huangpu Dadao, No 605, Tianhe Qu, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-137-25356728Email liehuadeng@126.comPurpose: There is increased type I interferon signature in psoriasis patients. Interferon-kappa (IFN-κ) is a member of type I interferon family that is constitutively expressed by keratinocytes. In this study, we investigate whether IFN-κ is involved in psoriasis etiology.Patients and methods: Twenty healthy individuals, 20 psoriasis vulgaris patients and 10 atopic dermatitis (AD) were included for this study. Immunohistochemistry staining, normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) culture, Ca2Cl-induced differentiation, quantitative reverse transcription (qRT-PCR), ELISA and murine experiments were performed.Results: We found IFN-κ protein expression was extremely low in the epidermis of normal skin, but it was significantly increased in the suprabasal layers of epidermal keratinocytes in psoriatic skin lesions. However, its expression in the skin lesions of AD was similar to normal skin. Additionally, IFN-κ protein was detected in sera from psoriasis patients, but not in sera from normal subjects and AD. We further investigated the regulation of IFNk gene expression in NHEK. We found that IFNk was significantly induced by types of nucleic acid pathogen recognition receptor (PRR) agonists in NHEK. While its expression was significantly induced by itself and IFN-γ, it was inhibited by type 2 immunity cytokines IL4 and IL13; other inflammatory cytokines including IL1 super-family members and IL17A did not alter its expression. Addition of recombinant IFN-κ did not affect keratinocytes differentiation. Using the murine experimental model, we demonstrated that subcutaneous administration of recombinant IFN-κ did not increase skin thickness, but significantly increased the transcription of TNFA and IL17A in mice skin.Conclusion: Increased IFN-κ in psoriasis may be caused by injured cells-released nucleic acids, increased IFN-γ and self-activation. Its enhancement may contribute to the etiology of the disease by enhancing TNFA and IL17A gene expression.Keywords: IFN-κ, psoriasis, TNFA, IL17A, atopic dermatitis

Lifestyle interventions, including exercise and dietary supplementation, can modify DNA methylation and exert health benefits; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we investigated the impact of acute aerobic exercise and the supplementation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) on global and gene-specific (PPARGC1A, IL6 and TNF) DNA methylation, and DNMT mRNA expression in leukocytes of disease-free individuals. Eight trained male cyclists completed an exercise test before and after a four-week supplementation of n-3 PUFA and EVOO in a double-blind, randomised, repeated measures design. Exercise triggered global hypomethylation (Pre 79.2%; Post 78.7%; p = 0.008), alongside, hypomethylation (Pre 6.9%; Post 6.3%; p

Activation of transposable elements (TEs) can cause cellular damage. Cytoplasmic nucleic acid sensing pathways evolved to detect pathogens, but can also serve to cull cells with inappropriate TE activation as TEs can be viral mimetics. Epigenetic silencing of TEs is mediated in part by DNA methylation, but it is not clear if TE activation or the immune system contribute to the cellular damage caused by loss of DNA methylation. Here, we provide mechanistic insight into the observation of an activated interferon response in the liver of zebrafish larvae with deletion in critical components of the DNA methylation machinery, uhrf1 and dnmt1. We focus on dissecting the relationship between DNA methylation, TE activation and induction of an immune response through cytoplasmic DNA and double stranded RNA sensing pathways and identify tnfa as a mediator of cell death in the liver of these mutants. Integrated RNAseq and methylome analysis identified LTR transposons as the most upregulated in these mutants and also the most methylated in control larvae, indicating a direct role of DNA methylation in suppressing this TE subclass. RNAseq analysis from these same samples revealed expression signatures of a type-I interferon response and of tnfa activation, mimicking the pattern of gene expression in virally infected cells. CRISPR/Cas9 mediated depletion of the cellular antiviral sensors sting and mavs reduced expression of interferon response genes and tnfa depletion dramatically reduced cell death in uhrf1 mutant livers. This suggests that the antiviral response induced by DNA hypomethylation and TE activation in the liver is mediated by the signaling pathways activated by both cytoplasmic double stranded RNA and DNA and that tnfa mediates cell death as a potential mechanism to eliminate these damaged cells.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. The aim of the study was to establish an association between TNF-α promoter variability and systemic sclerosis (SSc). The study included 43 SSc patients and 74 controls. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs361525, rs1800629, rs1799724, and rs1799964) located at the promoter of the TNFA gene were genotyped using commercially available TaqMan allelic discrimination assays with real-time PCR. The rs1799724 allele was associated with an increased SSc susceptibility (p = 0.028). In turn, none of the polymorphisms studied were related to the clinical and laboratory parameters of SSc patients, except for a higher prevalence of anti-Ro52 antibodies in the AG rs1800629 genotype in comparison to GG carriers (p = 0.04). Three of four cancer patients had both CT rs1799964 and AG rs361525 genotypes; thus, both of them were related to the increased risk of cancer, as compared to the TT (p = 0.03) and GG carriers (p = 0.0003), respectively. The TNFA C rs1799724 variant is associated with an increased risk of SSc, while the CT rs1799964 and AG rs361525 genotypes might enhance cancer susceptibility in SSc patients, although large observational and experimental studies are needed to verify the above hypothesis.

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate cellular processes by the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, including immune responses. The shift in the miRNA profiling of murine macrophages infected with Leishmania amazonensis can change inflammatory response and metabolism. L-arginine availability and its conversion into nitric oxide by nitric oxide synthase 2 (Nos2) or ornithine (a polyamine precursor) by arginase 1/2 regulate macrophage microbicidal activity. This work aimed to evaluate the function of miR-294, miR-301b, and miR-410 during early C57BL/6 bone marrow-derived macrophage infection with L. amazonensis. We observed an upregulation of miR-294 and miR-410 at 4 h of infection, but the levels of miR-301b were not modified. This profile was not observed in LPS-stimulated macrophages. We also observed decreased levels of those miRNAs target genes during infection, such as Cationic amino acid transporters 1 (Cat1/Slc7a1), Cat2/Slc7a22 and Nos2; genes were upregulated in LPS stimuli. The functional inhibition of miR-294 led to the upregulation of Cat2 and Tnfa and the dysregulation of Nos2, while miR-410 increased Cat1 levels. miR-294 inhibition reduced the number of amastigotes per infected macrophage, showing a reduction in the parasite growth inside the macrophage. These data identified miR-294 and miR-410 biomarkers for a potential regulator in the inflammatory profiles of microphages mediated by L. amazonensis infection. This research provides novel insights into immune dysfunction contributing to infection outcomes and suggests the use of the antagomiRs/inhibitors of miR-294 and miR-410 as new therapeutic strategies to modulate inflammation and to decrease parasitism.

Objective. To clarify the association between HLA-DRB1 and TNFα (-308G>A) genes polymorphism and joint destruction/further progression during 12 months of the follow-up period (FUP) in patients with early (

Mutations in MECP2 cause Rett syndrome, a severe neurological disorder with autism-like features. Duplication of MECP2 also causes severe neuropathology. Both diseases display immunological abnormalities that suggest a role for MECP2 in controlling immune and inflammatory responses. Here, we used mecp2-null zebrafish to study the potential function of Mecp2 as an immunological regulator. Mecp2 deficiency resulted in an increase in neutrophil infiltration and upregulated expression of the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines Il1b and Il10 as a secondary response to disturbances in tissue homeostasis. By contrast, expression of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (Tnfa) was consistently downregulated in mecp2-null animals during development, representing the earliest developmental phenotype described for MECP2 deficiency to date. Expression of tnfa was unresponsive to inflammatory stimulation, and was partially restored by re-expression of functional mecp2. Thus, Mecp2 is required for tnfa expression during zebrafish development and inflammation. Finally, RNA sequencing of mecp2-null embryos revealed dysregulated processes predictive for Rett syndrome phenotypes.

The present article discusses the characteristics and significance of content violation of key pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8, TNFa, MCP-1 and key anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 during pro-inflammatory stage in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), determined by dilated cardiomyopathy (31 patient) and in CHF patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) (29 patients). EIA method with enzyme immune test systems (ZAO "Vector Best") and analyser ACCESS was used to assess the content of cytokines in the blood. The results of the study showed significant reduction of IL-8, increase of TNFa, MCP-1 and IL-10. Violation of adequate response of cytokines in pro-inflammatory stage enables to consider this disorder as a pathogenic unfavorable factor, leading to CHF progression in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and CHD. Comparison of the parameters of cardiac hemodynamics, differential white blood cell count and correlation results proves that heart failure in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and CHD have similar pathogenic origins of chronic inflammatory process. Imbalance of IL-8, TNFa, MCP-1 and IL-10 does not provide protection from inflammatory and bacterial antigens. In case of inadequate and protracted inflammatory reaction, decreased cytokine-producing leukocyte function can destroy myocardium. Results of correlation analysis prove violation of linear connection andformation of atypical correlations between TNFa and TNFa monocytes and neutrophils, IL-8 and monocytes, TNFa and IL-10, IL-10 and lymphocytes, IL-10 and TNFa, IL-8 and IL-10. Increased production of TNFa, MCP-1 in combination with decreased IL-8 and increased IL-10 indicates staging violation accompanied by delay of transition of pro-inflammatory stage into anti-inflammatory one.

Background: Two current theories regarding the neuroscientific bases of mood disorders involve alterations in glutamatergic neurotransmission and excessive activation of inflammatory pathways. We hypothesized that glutamate (Glu) levels and peripheral inflammatory markers would be associated with cognitive function, in patients with Bipolar Disorder Type II (BP-II), and that such factors would be associated with psychological treatment outcomes.Aims: The primary aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the neurotransmitter Glu, cytokines (CRP, IL_6, and TNFa) and neuropsychological and related functioning. The secondary aim was to assess cognitive functioning as a predictor of poor response to psychological therapy.Methods: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy data were acquired from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of 15 participants with BP-II, and 13 healthy controls in a 3T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The Digit Symbol Task (DST) for processing speed, TMT-B for executive function and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) were administered to assess cognitive domains.Results: There was no significant difference in anterior cingulate Glu, or inflammatory markers between groups. Furthermore, we found no significant difference between groups in any cognitive tests. Scores on the DST were found to be significantly associated with poor response to psychological therapy.Conclusions: This study may highlight an association between neuropsychological dysfunction and treatment outcome in euthymic patients with BP-II. We did not find any association between peripheral inflammatory markers and brain Glu levels. This may have been in part due to the small sample size.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) gene promoter (−308G/A TNFA) is associated with higher gene expression. The role of this SNP as a risk factor for spontaneous preterm birth has been assessed in some regions and the findings were significantly different between race and ethnic groups. Aim: To provide the scientific evidence whether allele A within SNP −308G/A TNFA promoter is a risk factor for spontaneous preterm birth among Acehnese ethnic or not. Subjects and methods: In this case–control study, the genotypes of SNP −308G/A TNFA among 40 patients with spontaneous preterm birth and 40 patients with term birth were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The concentrations of TNF-α from blood were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The differences in genotype distributions, dominant and recessive models, and allele frequencies between case and control groups were analyzed with Chi-squared test. Deviation of genotype frequencies from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) was assessed by Fisher’s exact test. Results: This study found that the concentration of TNF-α between preterm and control groups was not statistically different, 5.5 ± 2.9 mg/dL vs. 10.1 ± 17.9 mg/dL, p = 0.112. The level of TNF-α had no strong association with either genotype distribution or allele frequency of SNP −308G/A TNFA. Furthermore, there was no association between mutant genotypes and spontaneous preterm birth (OR: 0.32; 95%CI: 0.08–1.33, p = 0.096) and between mutant allele and spontaneous preterm birth (OR: 0.35; 95%CI: 0.09–1.37, p = 0.105). Conclusion: SNP −308G/A TNFA is not associated with spontaneous preterm birth in Acehnese ethnic group.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a unique form of glucose intolerance, in that it is transient and solely occurs in pregnancy. Pregnancies with GDM are at high risk of developing preeclampsia (PE), a leading cause of fetal and maternal morbidity or mortality. Since PE is associated with excessive activation of circulatory neutrophils and occurrence of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in affected placentae, we examined these features in cases with GDM, as this could be a feature linking the two conditions. Our data indicate that neutrophil activity is indeed altered in GDM, exhibiting pronounced activation and spontaneous generation of NETs by isolated neutrophils in in vitro culture. In this manner, GDM may similarly affect neutrophil behavior and NET formation as witnessed in other forms of diabetes, with the addition of the physiological changes mediated by pregnancy. Since circulatory TNF-α levels are elevated in cases with GDM, a feature also observed in this study, we examined whether this pro-inflammatory cytokine contributed to neutrophil activation. By using infliximab, a clinically utilized TNF-α antagonist, we observed that the pro-NETotic effect of GDM sera was significantly reduced. We also detected pronounced neutrophil infiltrates in placentae from GDM cases. The occurrence of NETs in these tissues is suggested by the extracellular co-localization of citrullinated histones and myeloperoxidase. In addition, elevated neutrophil elastase (NE) mRNA and active enzymatic protein were also detected in such placentae. This latter finding could be important in the context of previous studies in cancer or diabetes model systems, which indicated that NE liberated from infiltrating neutrophils enters surrounding cells, altering cell signaling by the degradation of IRS1. These findings could potentiate the underlying inflammatory response process in GDM and possibly open an avenue for the therapeutic interventions in gestational hyperglycemia.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis with production of aberrant clones and a high cell apoptosis rate in Bone Marrow (BM). Macrophages are in charge of phagocytosis. Innate Immune cells and specific T cells are in charge of immuno-surveillance. Little is known on BM cell recruitment and activity as BM aspirate is frequently contaminated with peripheral blood. But some evidences suggest an active role of immune cells in protection against MDS and secondary leukemia. BM CD8+CD28- CD57+ T cells are directly cytotoxic and have a distinct cytokine signature in MDS, producing TNF-α, IL-6, CCL3, CCL4, IL-1RA. TNF-α; FAS-L, TRAIL... actively induce apoptosis of aberrant cells. On the other hand, TNF-α has ambiguous activity, increasing MDS related cytopenia and myelofibrosis together with TGF-b. IL-32 amplifies NK cytotoxicity but also the vicious circle of TNF-α production. Myeloid Derived Suppressing Cells (MDSC) are increased in MDS and have ambiguous role in protection/ progression of the diseases. CD33 is expressed on MDS and MDSC cells and is directly involved in MDSC activity. CD33 is a potential target for biotherapy. Other MDS stromal cells have feeding activity and can regulate proliferation too. MDS also has impact on Immunity and can favor chronic inflammation and emergence of auto-immune disorders.

The effect of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-37 (IL 37) on host defense against Candida infections remains unknown. We assessed the role of IL 37 in a murine model of disseminated candidiasis using mice transgenic for human IL 37 (hIL 37Tg). Upon exposure to C. albicans pseudohyphae, macrophages from hIL-37Tg mice release 39% less TNFα compared to cells from wild-type mice (P=0.01). In vivo, hIL 37Tg mice displayed a decreased capacity to recruit neutrophils to the site of infection. These defects were associated with increased mortality and organ fungal growth in hIL-37Tg compared to wild-type mice. We conclude that IL-37 interferes with the innate protective anti-Candida host response by reducing the production of proinflammatory cytokines and suppressing neutrophil recruitment in response to Candida, resulting in an increased susceptibility to disseminated candidiasis.

Introduction: our objective was to investigate the effects of the administration of pancreatic homogenates, with or without enzymatic activation, to healthy animals regarding cytokine serum levels and the development of pulmonary distress. Material and methods: 106 male Wistar rats, divided into three groups, were studied: group A, intraperitoneal administration of homogenates activated with enterokinase; group B, homogenates without enterokinase; and group C, control group with administration of physiological saline solution. Each group was divided into 4 subgroups according to the time of sacrifice: 0, 2, 6 and 24 hours. We studied the pulmonary and pancreatic histology, serum parameters of renal and hepatic function, and serum levels of IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNFa. Results: there was no mortality in any group. Pancreatic disorders in A and B groups were noted at 24 hours. These two groups had statistically significant higher transaminase serum levels than those of the control group, as well as statistically significant higher creatinine levels in group A. IL-1ß showed a statistically significant higher level at 6 h in both groups, A and B, but was higher in group A, which also exhibited significant pulmonary histologic damage with respect to controls at 6 h. Conclusions: the higher IL-1ß level in group A may result from production by peritoneal macrophages under the influence of homogenate enzymatic activation. This may be the reason for lung damage.Introducción: nuestro objetivo es investigar, en animales sanos, los efectos de la administración de homogeneizado pancreático, con y sin activación enzimática, sobre los niveles séricos de citoquinas y el desarrollo de lesiones pulmonares. Material y métodos: se estudiaron 106 ratas Wistar macho divididas en 3 grupos: A: administración intraperitoneal de homogeneizado pancreático activado con enteroquinasa; B: homogeneizado sin enteroquinasa; y C: control, con la administración de suero fisiológico. Cada grupo fue dividido en 4 subgrupos de acuerdo al tiempo de sacrificio: 0, 2, 6 y 24 horas. Estudiamos la histología pancreática y pulmonar, parámetros séricos de función renal, hepática y los niveles séricos de IL-1ß, IL-6 y TNFa. Resultados: no hubo mortalidad en ningún grupo. Se observaron alteraciones pancreáticas en los grupos A y B a las 24 horas. Estos dos grupos presentaron niveles de transaminasas significativamente más elevados que aquellos del grupo control. Los niveles séricos de creatinina estaban más elevados en el grupo A. Los valores de IL-1ß fueron significativamente más altos a las 6 horas en ambos grupos A y B, aunque mayor en el grupo A, el cual también presentó más lesiones histológicas pulmonares en relación con los controles a las 6 horas. Conclusiones: los niveles de IL-1ß más elevados en el grupo A podrían deberse a la activación enzimática del homogeneizado que podría inducir la producción de esta citoquina por los macrófagos peritoneales, lo que a su vez podría ser el promotor de las lesiones pulmonares.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease in which pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, play a crucial role. The chronic inflammation, combined with reduced physical activity, leads to muscle wasting whereas fat mass would be maintained; the resulting abnormal metabolic state is described as rheumatoid cachexia. Since the loss of muscle volume would be compensated by the increased fat mass, body mass index (BMI) is reported not to reflect the nutritional status in RA patients. The implication of rheumatoid cachexia for cardiovascular risk and clinical prognosis is not clearly understood, however, adequate control of disease activity in combination with appropriate physical exercise could be the most important strategy to control rheumatoid cachexia and related metabolic problems.

The physiological function of the immune system and the response to therapeutic immunomodulators may be sensitive to combinatorial cytokine micro-environments that shape the responses of specific immune cells. Previous work shows that paracrine cytokines released by virus-infected human dendritic cells (DC) can dictate the maturation state of naïve DCs. To understand the effects of paracrine signaling, we systematically studied the effects of combinations cytokines in this complex mixture in generating an antiviral state. After naïve DCs were exposed to either IFNβ or to paracrine signaling released by DCs infected by Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), microarray analysis revealed a large number of genes that were differently regulated by the DC-secreted paracrine signaling. In order to identify the cytokine mechanisms involved, we identified 20 cytokines secreted by NDV infected DCs for which the corresponding receptor gene is expressed in naïve DCs. By exposing cells to all combinations of 19 cytokines (leave-one-out studies) we identified 5 cytokines (IFNβ, TNFα, IL-1β, TNFSF15 and IL28) as candidates for regulating DC maturation markers. Subsequent experiments identified IFNβ, TNFα and IL1β as the major contributors to this antiviral state. This finding was supported by infection studies in vitro, by T cell activation studies and by in vivo infection studies in mouse. Combination of cytokines can cause response states in DCs that differ from those achieved by the individual cytokines alone. These results suggest that the cytokine microenvironment may act via a combinatorial code to direct the response state of specific immune cells. Further elucidation of this code may provide insight into responses to infection and neoplasia as well as guide the development of combinatorial cytokine immunomodulation for infectious, autoimmune and immunosurveillance-related diseases.