Search

Gamma‐interferon‐inducible lysosomal thiol reductase, the only known lysosomal thiol reductase, is encoded by gene IFI30 and expressed constitutively in antigen‐presenting cells. Our comprehensive study on IFI30 in gliomas found its expression to be high in glioblastomas and in gliomas with a mesenchymal subtype or wild‐type isocitrate dehydrogenase, all of which indicated the malignancy and poor outcomes of gliomas. Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis ascertained that high IFI30 expression conferred poor outcomes. The IFI30 expression levels also showed high efficiency in predicting 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year overall survival. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to define IFI30 as an independent prognostic marker. Biological process analysis suggested that IFI30 was involved in immune responses. ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT were applied to evaluate immune cell infiltration, with results indicating that samples with higher IFI30 expression had higher infiltration of immune cells, including regulatory T cells and M0 macrophages. Correlation analysis showed that IFI30 was significantly positively correlated with immune checkpoints that suppress effective antitumour immune responses. Immunohistochemical staining was also performed to confirm the association between IFI30 expression and the immune phenotype. The suggested correlation between high IFI30 expression and an immunosuppressive phenotype contributes to our knowledge about the glioma microenvironment and might provide clues for the development of novel therapeutic targets.

This study explored the relationship between immunological status and clinical characteristics of aplastic anemia (AA) patients to plasma aluminum levels, which were increased after constant exposure to high levels of this metal. Sixty-two AA patients (33 cases with high and 29 cases with low or no exposure to aluminum) and 30 healthy controls were selected for this study. Aluminum in human albumin solution was measured by inductivity coupled plasma mass spectrometry. IL-10, IL-12, IL-17, and INF-γ levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The distribution of lymphocyte subsets were determined by flow cytometry. The expression levels of immunoglobulins and complement C3 and C4 were also measured. Exposure to high aluminum raised the levels of serum aluminum in AA patients (P P + T cells and the ratio of CD4+/ CD8+T cells in peripheral blood in AA patients with high aluminum exposure were higher compared with control AA patients (P + T cells was significantly lower than that in non-aluminum–exposed AA patients (P P

Background Patients with desmoplastic (angiogenic) histopathological growth pattern (HGP) colorectal liver metastases (CLM) might derive more benefit from bevacizumab-based chemotherapy than those with replacement (non-angiogenic) HGP. This study investigated the association of HGP with the immune phenotype (IP) and clinical outcome after liver resection. Methods CLM of patients treated with perioperative bevacizumab-based chemotherapy and liver resection were investigated. Association of HGP and IP with response, recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) was investigated. Results One hundred and eighteen patients (M/F 66/52, median age 62.3 (31.0–80.4) years, median follow-up 32.2 (5.0–92.7) months) were enrolled. The inflamed IP was associated with the desmoplastic HGP. The desmoplastic HGP was associated with better radiological and histological response compared to the replacement HGP, respectively. The replacement HGP was associated with shorter RFS (8.7 versus 16.3 months, HR 2.60, P = 0.001) and OS (36.6 months versus not reached, HR 2.32, P = 0.027), respectively. The non-inflamed IP was associated with shorter RFS (10.8 versus 16.5 months, HR 1.85, P = 0.029). The HGP but not the IP remained significant in multivariable analysis for RFS. Conclusions The desmoplastic HGP is associated with the inflamed IP and HGP may be a potential biomarker for adjuvant treatment that includes targeting the immune contexture.

Background: Patients with chromosome 18 abnormalities can present with an immune phenotype that resembles common variable immunodeficiency. Knowledge of the genes underlying the immune defects related to chromosome 18 aberrations could improve our understanding of the molecular basis of primary antibody deficiencies. Here we present a patient with ring chromosome 18 affected by primary antibody deficiency and autoimmunity. Methods: Lymphocyte populations were determined by flow cytometry. Specific antibody response to protein vaccines and pneumococcal capsule antigen were measured by ELISA. Genome sequencing was performed using a PCR-free protocol. Case: The patient was diagnosed with ring chromosome 18 for delayed growth and dysmorphic features at the age of 1 month. Array comparative genomic hybridization showed deletions of 18p11.21-pter and 18q21.31-qter. At the age of 10 months, she started having recurrent episodes of otitis media and pneumonia, as well as autoimmune arthritis. Serum immunoglobulins and specific antibody levels were low. The CD19+CD27+ memory B cell and CD45RO+ T cell populations were decreased. Recurrent infections were controlled with parenteral immunoglobulin and autoimmune arthritis was treated with systemic and intra-articular therapies. Conclusions: Selective IgA deficiency is the most common form of immunodeficiency associated with chromosome 18 abnormalities, however patients with ring chromosome 18 may also be affected by specific antibody deficiency and require immunoglobulin replacement for optimal care. These patients might partially share the same genomic loss as in patients with non-syndromic primary antibody deficiency. Statement of novelty: This report highlights an important teaching point about immune deficiency in a chromosomal anomaly that is not infrequently encountered in pediatric hospitals. Furthermore, our investigations provide more insight into the pathogenesis of immunodeficiency among patients with chromosome 18 abnormalities.

HCMV coevolved with humans for millions of years and is now one of the most widespread infections worldwide. For a long time HCMV seropositivity was considered a safe clinical condition. In recent decades both clinical observations and research results indicated that the very presence of HCMV in human organism specifically influences immune system and may affect reproduction as a process greatly dependent on immune cells function. Anti-HCMV IgG, IgG avidity, lymphocyte subsets as well as NK cytotoxicity was investigated in 470 infertile women who were eligible for IVF/ET. 419 patients were IgG anti-HCMV-positive (HCMV-seropositive) and only 51 (10.8 %) were IgG anti- HCMV-negative (HCMV-seronegative). There was not a single case of clinically significant level of low-avidity IgG. HCMV-seropositive patients had significantly increased levels of HLA-DR expression on T-lymphocytes (both on CD3CD8 and especially on CD3CD4 subsets) and HLA-DR expression on NK-lymphocytes (CD56+CD3-), increased levels of NKT-like cells (CD3+CD8+CD56+) but decreased levels of CD8 + NK lymphocytes compared to HCMV-seronegative patients. That difference was caused by significant numbers of individuals with deviated "accentuated" immune phenotypes in HCMV seropositive patients. The latter had increased (7.5 %) levels of HLA-DR expression on T helpers in 136 cases from 419 (32.4 %) while in HCMV-seronegative group this accentuation was observed only in 3 of 51 patients (5.8 %), (OR -5.9, p 0.0003). The number of cases with significantly increased CD56 expression on Tc lymphocytes, HLA-DR on NK and decrease of CD8-positive NK cells was more often observed in HCMV-seropositive group compared to seronegative. Thus, possibly HCMV seropositivity specifically influences immune system and results in pro-inflammatory phenotype formation in part of infected population. It was found that accentuations in immune phenotype of HCMV-seropositive women are very similar to previously described in association with reproductive failures but without HCMV serostatus taken into account.

The solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas is a rare but enigmatic entity occurring mainly in young women. Since the first description by V. Frantz in 1959 the terminology of this tumor has continuously changed but it has remained simply descriptive, because the exact histogenesis is still obscure. Although in majority of cases the survival is excellent, nevertheless, the expected prognosis is not exactly predictable. In this review the authors aim to summarize its clinico-pathological features, the expected biological behavior, the molecular alterations, the immune phenotype and discuss the putative histogenesis. From diagnostic point of view, the salient histological characteristic findings are analyzed that would help to differentiate it from other, look-alike pancreatic tumors, and suggestions are made about the desirable content of the histological report.

Immuno-oncology and in particular checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) treatment has become a novel promising cancer therapy strategy in recent years. However, still a minority of patients respond to checkpoint blockade. Primary and secondary resistance to CPI is a challenge in the daily clinical routine. Combination strategies have been tested in various clinical trials in order to address this issue. Data available from these trials indicate improved activity depending on the tumor type. This review article focuses on the molecular background for resistance to CPI, gives an overview of current clinical data of CPI combination studies and points out potential strategies to overcome CPI resistance depending on the immune phenotype.

The immunosuppressive mechanisms of the surrounding microenvironment and distinct immunogenomic features in glioblastoma (GBM) have not been elucidated to date. To fill this gap, useful data were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), GSE16011, GSE43378, GSE23806, and GSE12907. With the ssGSEA method and the ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms, four microenvironmental signatures were used to identify glioma microenvironment genes, and the samples were reasonably classified into three immune phenotypes. The molecular and clinical features of these phenotypes were characterized via key gene set expression, tumor mutation burden, fraction of immune cell infiltration, and functional enrichment. Exhausted CD8+ T cell (GET) signature construction with the predictive response to commonly used antitumor drugs and peritumoral edema assisted in further characterizing the immune phenotype features. A total of 2,466 glioma samples with gene expression profiles were enrolled. Tumor purity, ESTIMATE, and immune and stromal scores served as the 4 microenvironment signatures used to classify gliomas into immune-high, immune-middle and immune-low groups, which had distinct immune heterogeneity and clinicopathological characteristics. The immune-H phenotype had higher expression of four immune signatures; however, most checkpoint molecules exhibited poor survival. Enriched pathways among the subtypes were related to immunity. The GET score was similar among the three phenotypes, while immune-L was more sensitive to bortezomib, cisplatin, docetaxel, lapatinib, and rapamycin prescriptions and displayed mild peritumor edema. The three novel immune phenotypes with distinct immunogenetic features could have utility for understanding glioma microenvironment regulation and determining prognosis. These results contribute to classifying glioma subtypes, remodeling the immunosuppressive microenvironment and informing novel cancer immunotherapy in the era of precision immuno-oncology.

Human mesenchymal stem or stromal cells (hMSCs) are known for their potential in regenerative medicine due to their differentiation abilities, secretion of trophic factors, and regulation of immune responses in damaged tissues. Due to the limited quantity of hMSCs typically isolated from bone marrow, other tissue sources, such as adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs), are considered a promising alternative. However, differences have been observed for hASCs in the context of metabolic characteristics and response to in vitro culture stress compared to bone marrow derived hMSCs (BM-hMSCs). In particular, the relationship between metabolic homeostasis and stem cell functions, especially the immune phenotype and immunomodulation of hASCs, remains unknown. This study thoroughly assessed the changes in metabolism, redox cycles, and immune phenotype of hASCs during in vitro expansion. In contrast to BM-hMSCs, hASCs did not respond to culture stress significantly during expansion as limited cellular senescence was observed. Notably, hASCs exhibited the increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the decreased secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines after extended culture expansion. The NAD+/NADH redox cycle and other metabolic characteristics associated with aging were relatively stable, indicating that hASC functional decline may be regulated through an alternative mechanism rather than NAD+/Sirtuin aging pathways as observed in BM-hMSCs. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis by mRNA-sequencing revealed the upregulation of genes for pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and the downregulation of genes for anti-inflammatory cytokines for hASCs at high passage. Proteomics analysis indicated key pathways (e.g., tRNA charging, EIF2 signaling, protein ubiquitination pathway) that may be associated with the immune phenotype shift of hASCs. Together, this study advances our understanding of the metabolism and senescence of hASCs and may offer vital insights for the biomanufacturing of hASCs for clinical use.

National audience; The clinical and molecular implications of DNA methylation alterations remain unclear among the majority of glioblastomas (GBMs) without glioma-CpGs island methylator phenotype (G-CIMP); integrative multi-level molecular profiling may provide useful information. Independent cohorts of non-G-CIMP GBMs or IDH wild type (wt) lower-grade gliomas (LGGs) from local and public databases with DNA methylation and gene expression microarray data were included for discovery and validation of a multimarker signature, combined using a RISK score model. Bioinformatic and in vitro functional analyses were employed for biological validation. Using a strict multistep selection approach, we identified eight CpGs, each of which was significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) of non-G-CIMP GBMs, independent of age, the O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation status, treatments and other identified CpGs. An epigenetic RISK signature of the 8 CpGs was developed and validated to robustly and independently prognosticate prognosis in different cohorts of not only non-G-GIMP GBMs, but also IDHwt LGGs. It also showed good discriminating value in stratified cohorts by current clinical and molecular factors. Bioinformatic analysis revealed consistent correlation of the epigenetic signature to distinct immune-relevant transcriptional profiles of GBM bulks. Functional experiments showed that S100A2 appeared to be epigenetically regulated by one identified CpG and was associated with GBM cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration and immunosuppression. The prognostic 8-CpGs RISK score signature may be of promising value for refining current glioma risk classification, and its potential links to distinct immune phenotypes make it a promising biomarker candidate for predicting response to anti-glioma immunotherapy.

Background A dual blockade against the novel immune checkpoint inhibitor lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) and programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) is currently considered in advanced breast cancer. Nevertheless, PD-1 or LAG-3 expression within distant metastatic breast cancer tissue remains understudied. Methods To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the PD-1 and LAG-3 expression in combination with the CD8-based immune phenotype in intrapatient matched primary tumor distant metastases, representing 95 breast cancer patients with metastases occurring at four different anatomical locations. The immune phenotype was categorized into 2 categories: inflamed corresponding to the clinical category “hot” and exhausted or desert consistent with clinically “cold” tumors. Results Metastases of “cold” primary tumors always remained “cold” at their matched metastatic site. Expression of PD-1/LAG-3 was associated with a “hot” immune phenotype in both the primary tumors and metastases. We could not observe any association between the immune phenotype and the breast cancer molecular subtype. Brain and soft tissue metastases were more commonly inflamed with signs of exhaustion than other anatomical sites of metastases. Taken together, (i) the immune phenotype varied between sites of distant metastases, and (ii) PD-1+/LAG-3+ was strongly associated with a “hot” immune phenotype and (iii) was most prevalent in brain and soft tissue metastases among distant metastases. Conclusions Our data strongly support an integrated analysis of the immune phenotype together with the PD-1/LAG-3 expression in distant metastases to identify patients with inflamed but exhausted tumors. This may eventually improve the stratification and likelihood for advanced breast cancer patients to profit from immunotherapy.

Individuals with kidney failure are at increased risk of cardiovascular events, as well as infections and malignancies, but the associated immunological abnormalities are unclear. We hypothesized that the uremic milieu triggers a chronic inflammatory state that, while accelerating atherosclerosis, promotes T cell exhaustion, impairing effective clearance of pathogens and tumor cells. Clinical and demographic data were collected from 78 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) (n = 42) or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) (n = 36) and from 18 healthy controls (HC). Serum cytokines were analyzed by Luminex. Immunophenotype of T cells was performed by flow cytometry on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. ESKD patients had significantly higher serum levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, sCD40L, GM-CSF, IL-4, IL-8, MCP-1, and MIP-1β than CKD and HC. After mitogen stimulation, both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in ESKD group demonstrated a pro-inflammatory phenotype with increased IFN-γ and TNF-α, whereas both CKD and ESKD patients had higher IL-2 levels. CKD and ESKD were associated with increased frequency of exhausted CD4+ T cells (CD4+KLRG1+PD1+CD57−) and CD8+ T cells (CD8+KLRG1+PD1+CD57−), as well as anergic CD4+ T cells (CD4+KLRG1−PD1+CD57−) and CD8+ T cells (CD8+KLRG1−PD1+CD57−). Although total percentage of follicular helper T cell (TFH) was similar amongst groups, ESKD had reduced frequency of TFH1 (CCR6−CXCR3+CXCR5+PD1+CD4+CD8−), but increased TFH2 (CCR6−CXCR3−CXCR5+PD1+CD4+CD8−), and plasmablasts (CD3−CD56−CD19+CD27highCD38highCD138−). In conclusion, kidney failure is associated with pro-inflammatory markers, exhausted T cell phenotype, and upregulated TFH2, especially in ESKD. These immunological changes may account, at least in part, for the increased cardiovascular risk in these patients and their susceptibility to infections and malignancies.

This short review aims at summarizing the current standards of lymphoma diagnostics and some novelties in the recent WHO classification. The importance of close collaboration between clinicians and pathologists to render the correct diagnosis and to find the most appropriate treatment for each individual patient is highlighted. In lymphomas, the diagnostic evaluation of histopathology, immune phenotype and genetics are puzzle pieces that have to be put into a broader context with the help of the information given by the clinical colleagues, such as patient’s age and sex, location of the lesion, previous medical history and medication. An excision of the affected lymph node is always preferable to fine needle biopsies, as—in many instances—only the evaluation of the whole specimen allows for reliable diagnosis, grading and additional investigations. The new WHO classification entailed many changes in the category of diffuse large B‑cell lymphoma and high-grade B‑cell lymphoma. The obligatory specification of the cell of origin in diffuse large B‑cell lymphoma is obtained via additional immunohistochemical stainings. The identification of high-grade B‑cell lymphomas with genetic double/triple hits, requiring a more aggressive management, can only be achieved by the detection of chromosomal translocations (MYC, BCL2 and/or BCL6). Significant changes in the classification of T‑cell lymphomas have occurred due to the recognition of the follicular T‑helper cell origin in some instances, and sharpening diagnostic borders of intestinal T‑cell- and Epstein-Barr-virus-associated proliferations. Finally, the discovery of disease-defining and/or prognostically relevant mutations makes the introduction of proper routine molecular testing mandatory.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the morphology, immune phenotype, and cytokine profiles between myocardial telocytes (TCs) and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and explore the difference between those two types of interstitial cells. Methods: TCs and MSCs were cultured in vitro and cell morphology was observed with a light microscope. The expression levels of CD34, c-kit, and vimentin were detected by immunofluorescence, RT-qPCR, and Western blotting in both TCs and MSCs. The related supernatant was collected and total of 49 cytokine profiles were detected by RayBio Mice Cytokine Antibody Array. Significantly different cytokines were further confirmed by ELISA. Results: TCs have small cellular body and very long prolongations and they were CD34+/c-kit+/vimentin+, whereas MSCs have no telopodes and they were CD34–/c-kit– /vimentin+. Cytokine profile analysis and ELISA showed that 19 of 49 cytokines were increased dramatically in the supernatant of TCs compared with those of MSCs. Moreover, 9 of 19 cytokines were increased 2-fold at least in the supernatant of TCs compared with those of MSCs. Of 49 cytokines, 30 exhibited no significant changes in the supernatant of TCs compared with those of MSCs. Conclusions: Using various technologies, we identified that myocardial TCs and MSCs are significantly different in terms of cell structure and cytokine profiles.

The influence of cryopreservation on growth properties, immune phenotype and differentiation potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) of human and rat was investigated, as well as the ability of human cord blood fractions below 5 kD (hCBF) to affect these indices in thawed cultures. It has been established that introduction of the hCBF with the concentration of 256-400 µg/ml to rat MSCs (rMSCs) culture caused the normalization of the cells growth properties reduced after cryopreservation that was not observed in human MSCs (hMSCs) culture. It has been shown that neither cryopreservation nor hCBF change the immune phenotype and ability for multi-lineage differentiation of hMSCs and rMSCs. The efficiency of low molecular weight fraction dependent on physiological characteristics of cells and its concentration in culture medium was concluded. Probl Cryobiol Cryomed 2018; 28(2): 131–138

Immunologic impairment may contribute to poor outcomes after implantation of mechanical circulatory support device (MCSD), with infection often as a terminal event. The study of immune dysfunction is of special relevance given the growing numbers of older patients with heart disease. The aim of the study was to define which immunologic characteristics are associated with development of adverse clinical outcomes after MCSD implantation. We isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients pre- and up to 20 days post-MCSD implantation and analyzed them by multiparameter flow cytometry for T cell dysfunction, including terminal differentiation, exhaustion, and senescence. We used MELD-XI and SOFA scores measured at each time point as surrogate markers of clinical outcome. Older patients demonstrated increased frequencies of terminally differentiated T cells as well as NKT cells. Increased frequency of terminally differentiated and immune senescent T cells were associated with worse clinical outcome as measured by MELD-XI and SOFA scores, and with progression to infection and death. In conclusion, our data suggest that T cell dysfunction, independently from age, is associated with poor outcomes after MCSD implantation, providing a potential immunologic mechanism behind patient vulnerability to multiorgan dysfunction and death. This noninvasive approach to PBMC evaluation holds promise for candidate evaluation and patient monitoring.

Direct or indirect supplemental feeding of free‐ranging animals occurs worldwide, resulting in significant impacts on population density or altered demographic processes. Another potential impact of increased energy intake from supplemental feeding is altered immunocompetence. As immune system maintenance is energetically costly, there may be trade‐offs between immune responses and other energy‐demanding physiological processes in individual animals. Although increased availability of food sources through supplemental feeding is expected to increase the overall immunocompetence of animals, empirical data verifying the association between supplemental feeding and different immune parameters are lacking. Understanding the potential influence of supplemental feeding on immune phenotypes is critical, as it may also impact host–pathogen dynamics in free‐ranging animals. Using urban stray cats as a study model, we tested for associations between the intensity of supplemental feeding due to cat caretaker activity (CCA); body condition; and immune phenotype (bacterial killing assay (BKA), immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration, and leukocyte counts). Significantly higher bacterial killing ability was observed in cats from high CCA districts, whereas higher IgG concentration and eosinophil counts were observed in cats from low CCA districts. Other leukocyte counts and body condition indices showed no significant association with CCA. We observed varying patterns of different immune components in relation to supplemental feeding. Out data suggest that supplemental feeding influences immune phenotype, not only by means of energy provisioning, but also by potentially reducing exposure rates to parasite infections through stray cat behavioral changes.

T cells engineered with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) have been successfully applied to treat advanced refractory B cell malignancy. However, many challenges remain in extending its application toward the treatment of solid tumors. The immunosuppressive nature of tumor microenvironment is considered one of the key factors limiting CAR-T efficacy. One negative regulator of Tcell activity is lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3). We successfully generated LAG-3 knockout Tand CAR-T cells with high efficiency using CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene editing and found that the viability and immune phenotype were not dramatically changed during in vitro culture. LAG-3 knockout CAR-T cells displayed robust antigen-specific antitumor activity in cell culture and in murine xenograft model, which is comparable to standard CAR-T cells. Our study demonstrates an efficient approach to silence immune checkpoint in CAR-T cells via gene editing.

Aim. Study the effect of recombinant antigens of P. aeruginosa on key effectors of the immune system. Materials and methods. Mice were immunized intraperiotoneally with 25 jig of OprF and 50 jig of anatoxin sorbed on aluminium hydroxide gel with a 2 week interval. 7 days after the last immunization spleen lymphocyte subpopulation structure was evaluated by flow cytometry. Cytokine levels in mice sera were studied after a single immunization with recombinant OprF and anatoxin at 4, 8, 24 hours and 14 days by flow cytometry using FlowCytomix Mouse Thl/Th2 10 plex. Results. OprF recombinant antigens and anatoxin affect molecular-cell mechanisms of immune response resulting in alteration of expression of differentiating and activating molecules as well as synthesis of Thl/Th2/Thl7/Th21/Th22 cytokines in mice that are necessary for effective presentation of the antigen. Conclusion. Complex of recombinant OprF and anatoxin facilitated formation of complete immune response against pseudomonas.

Oligodendroglia are cells responsible for creating myelin sheaths for axons in the CNS. However, pathologies of oligodendroglia other than demyelination are not well understood due to the lack of adequate methods of characterizing pathological conditions affecting oligodendroglia in human tissue. This review discusses three major topics with the aim of clarifying some of the controversies in the study of oligodendroglia. The oligodendroglioma, a relatively indolent form of diffuse gliomas thought to originate in oligodendrocytes, has never demonstrated myelin formation on electron microscopy nor shown a constant expression of myelin-related proteins. Oligodendrogliomas instead share an immune phenotype with oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). Another type of cell that resembles OPCs are oligodendroglia-like cells (OLCs), which occur in many types of low-grade tumors and focal cortical dysplasia. In neurodegenerative disorders, oligodendroglia can be a target of abnormal aggregations of proteins such as tau. Tau-positive oligodendroglial inclusions in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal generation differ from each other morphologically, ultrastructurally and biochemically, suggesting disparate underlying pathological processes despite significant overlapping of the clinical manifestations. To promote the study of oligodendroglia, novel methods for detecting OLCs in situ are urgently required.

Few data are available concerning immune factors involved in the occurrence of new onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT). Our objective was to determine an immune profile associated with the subsequent development of NODAT. The secondary objective was to build a predictive model of NODAT. We studied a prospective cohort of incident kidney transplant patients to determine whether pre-transplant immune characteristics could be associated with the occurrence of NODAT. 818 patients were included. We observed a significant inverse correlation between BMI and recent thymic emigrants (RTE) % at transplant time (p 0.001). 177 (17.3%) of 677 non-diabetic patients experienced NODAT in the first year post-transplant. In multivariate analysis, age, body mass index (BMI), use of Tacrolimus, use of anti-thymocyte globulins (ATG), higher B cell count, and lower recent thymic emigrants (RTE) % were associated with NODAT. A differential effect of immune profile was observed in ATG-treated patients and non-ATG-treated patients. B cell count predicts NODAT only in non-ATG-treated patients whereas lower RTE% was associated with NODAT only in ATG-treated patients. Tacrolimus sparing and B cell depletion may efficiently prevent NODAT in selected patients. We identified an immune profile associated with the occurrence of post-transplant diabetes. Further studies should better precise the exact mechanisms involved in this association. Trial registration NCT02843867, registered July 8, 2016 - retrospectively registered https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT02843867.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a major component of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and are associated with a poor prognostic factor in several cancers. TAMs promote tumor growth by facilitating immunosuppression, angiogenesis, and inflammation, and can promote tumor recurrence post-therapeutic intervention. Major TAM-targeted therapies include depletion, reprogramming, as well as disrupting the balance of macrophage recruitment and their effector functions. However, intervention-targeting macrophages have been challenging, since TAM populations are highly plastic and adaptation or resistance to these approaches often arise. Defining a roadmap of macrophage dynamics in the TIME related to tissue and tumor type could represent exploitable vulnerabilities related to their altered functions in cancer malignancy. Here, we review multiple macrophage-targeting strategies in brain, liver, and lung cancers, which all emerge in tissues rich in resident macrophages. We discuss the successes and failures of these therapeutic approaches as well as the potential of personalized macrophage-targeting treatments in combination therapies.

Previous studies have shown a tissue immune phenotype-altering event occurring on days 2 and 4 in the ceca post-Salmonella challenge. To evaluate the involvement of the cecal microbiota in the phenotype reprogramming, we hypothesized that the addition of subtherapeutic bacitracin (BMD) will affect the cecal microbiota. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if the antibiotic-mediated changes in the microbiota composition influenced the immune phenotype induced by Salmonella enteritidis infection of the chicken cecum. A total of 112 fertile eggs were obtained for each experiment, repeated for a total of three separate times. The ceca and cecal contents were collected on days 2 and 4 post-infection for mRNA expression TaqMan assay and 16S rRNA gene microbiota sequencing. The results demonstrate the effects of bacitracin on cecal composition and its interaction with Salmonella enteritidis in young chicks. There is a preliminary indication of phenotype change in the Salmonella-challenged group provided subtherapeutic BMD due to the shifting cecal microbiota and cecal immune response, indicating the addition of bacitracin during infection altered the cecal phenotype. These data demonstrate the potential involvement of the microbiota in reprogramming immune phenotype (disease resistance to disease tolerance) induced by Salmonella in the chicken cecum.

9056 Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a relatively uncommon malignancy with poor prognosis and no major therapeutic breakthroughs over the past decade. Better understanding of the genomic landscape and distribution of immune biomarkers in this disease has the potential to enable development of novel therapies. Methods: We analyzed molecular profiles of 222 MPM tumors using next-generation sequencing of 592 genes utilizing Caris Life Sciences platform. Genes were grouped into pathways: DNA damage repair (DDR) ( ATM, BRCA2, BRIP1, BAP1, CHEK2, ERCC2, FANCA/D2/E/L, MLH1, MSH6, MUTYH, NBN, PMS2, RAD50/51B, WRN), cell cycle regulation including TP53 ( RB1,CCNE1, CDKN2A, CCND1, CCND3, CDKN1B), chromatin remodeling (CR) ( ARID2, ASXL1, DNMT3A, EP300, EZH2, KDM6A, KMT2C, KMT2D, NSD3, PBRM1, SMARCB1/A4, SETD2), RAS/MAPK ( KRAS, MAP2K1, NF1, NF2), and PI3K/AKT ( AKT, PIK3CA, PIK3R1/R2, PTEN, RICTOR, TSC1, TSC2, ZNF703). Tumor mutational burden (TMB), PD-L1 expression (SP142 IHC, tumor staining), and MSI/MMR were analyzed. Seventy-two cases also had whole transcriptome sequencing data. Differences in alterations were compared for age, gender, and pathways. Results: Median age of patients (pts) was 72 yr (range, 37-90), 73% were male. Gene pathway alterations were seen in 81% of cases. DDR, specifically homologous recombination (HR), was the most commonly mutated pathway (36.9%), followed by RAS (25.2%) and CR (18.9%). Genes mutated in ≥5% of cases included BAP1 (26.3%), NF2 (23.5%), TP53 (15.5%), SETD2 (10.2%). PD-L1 was high (≥50% tumor cells positive) in 11.4% (n = 24), intermediate (1-49%) in 31.4% (n = 66), and negative ( < 1%) in 57.1% (n = 120) pts. TMB was high (≥10 mutations/Mb) in 9.6% of tumors (n = 20). None of the tumors were dMMR/MSI-H. HR gene BAP1 and CR gene SETD2 mutations trended to be more prevalent in pts ≥70 yo (p = 0.02). CR trended to be more commonly mutated in females (p = 0.02). No other significant differences were found in specific gene/pathway alterations, PD-L1 expression, or TMB in the context of age and gender. Distribution of PD-L1 expression was not different among various pathways. No highly recurrent, targetable fusion isoforms were seen among the 85 identified (mean 1.1 fusions/tumor), which have not yet been characterized for pathogenicity. Conclusions: The majority of MPM tumors harbor alteration in one of the key cellular pathways. HR pathway mutations are the most common. The majority of tumors were PD-L1 negative and carry low TMB indicating low immunogenicity. No age and gender specific differences exist except for BAP1 and SETD2 mutations.

509 Background: In TNBC patients (pts) receiving NAST, increasing tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is associated with higher pathologic complete response (pCR) rates. However, since the presence of TIL do not consistently predict pCR, the current study was undertaken to more fully characterize the immune cell response and its association with pCR. Methods: T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing, PD-L1 immunohistochemistry and multiplex immunofluorescence were performed on prospectively collected pre-NAST tumor samples from 98 pts with stage I-III TNBC enrolled in ARTEMIS (NCT: 02276443). TCR clonality was calculated using Shannon’s entropy. PD-L1+ was defined as ≥1% immune cell staining. Response to NAST was defined using the residual cancer burden (RCB) index. Associations between TCR clonality, immune phenotype, and response were examined with the Wilcoxon rank sum test, Spearman’s rank correlation and multivariable logistic regression using stepwise elimination (threshold p > 0.2), as appropriate. Results: The pCR rate was 39% (38/98). pCR was associated with higher TCR clonality (median = 0.2 [in pts with pCR] vs 0.1 [in pts with residual disease], p = 0.05). Notably, the association between pCR and higher TCR clonality was observed in pts with ≥5% TIL (n = 61; p = 0.05) but not in pts with < 5% TIL (n = 37; p = 0.87). Among pts with ≥5% TIL, TCR clonality emerged as the only independent predictor of response in a multivariable model of tumor immune characteristics (odds ratio/0.1 increase in TCR clonality: 3.0, p = 0.021). PD-L1+ status was associated with higher TCR clonality (median = 0.2 [in PD-L1+] vs 0.1 [in PD-L1-], p = 0.004). Higher TCR clonality was associated with higher CD3+ (rho = 0.32, p = 0.0018) and CD3+CD8+ (rho = 0.33, p = 0.0013) infiltration but lower expression of PD-1 on CD3+ (rho = -0.24, p = 0.021) and CD3+CD8+ cells (rho = -0.21, p = 0.037). Conclusions: In TNBC, a more clonal T cell population is associated with an immunologically active microenvironment (higher CD3+ and CD3/8+ T cell; lower PD-1+CD3+ and PD-1+CD3/8+ T cell; PD-L1+) and favorable response to NAST, especially in pts with ≥5% TIL, suggesting a role for deep immune phenotyping in further refining the predictive value of TILs.

Microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, critically influence neural function during development and in adulthood. Microglia are also profoundly sensitive to insults to the brain to which they respond with process of activation that includes spectrum of changes in morphology, function, and gene expression. Ataxias are a class of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by motor discoordination and predominant cerebellar involvement. In case of inherited forms of ataxia, mutant proteins are expressed throughout the brain and it is unclear why cerebellum is particularly vulnerable. Recent studies demonstrated that cerebellar microglia have a uniquely hyper-vigilant immune phenotype compared to microglia from other brain regions. These findings may indicate that microglia actively contribute to cerebellar vulnerability in ataxias. Here we review current knowledge about cerebellar microglia, their activation, and their role in the pathogenesis of ataxias. In addition, we briefly review advantages and disadvantages of several experimental approaches available to study microglia.

The “microbiota hypothesis” ties the increase in allergy rates observed in highly developed countries over the last decades to disturbances in the gut microbiota. Gut microbiota formation depends on a number of factors and occurs over approximately 1000 days of life, including the prenatal period. During this period the microbiota helps establish the functional immune phenotype, including immune tolerance. The development of immune tolerance depends also on early exposure to potential food allergens, a process referred to as nutritional programming. This article elaborates on the concepts of microbial and nutritional programming and their role in the primary prevention of allergy.

Cytokines are cell-to-cell signaling proteins that play a central role in immune development, pathogen responses, and diseases. Cytokines are highly regulated at the transcriptional level by combinations of transcription factors (TFs) that recruit cofactors and the transcriptional machinery. Here, we mined through three decades of studies to generate a comprehensive database, CytReg, reporting 843 and 647 interactions between TFs and cytokine genes, in human and mouse respectively. By integrating CytReg with other functional datasets, we determined general principles governing the transcriptional regulation of cytokine genes. In particular, we show a correlation between TF connectivity and immune phenotype and disease, we discuss the balance between tissue-specific and pathogen-activated TFs regulating each cytokine gene, and cooperativity and plasticity in cytokine regulation. We also illustrate the use of our database as a blueprint to predict TF–disease associations and identify potential TF–cytokine regulatory axes in autoimmune diseases. Finally, we discuss research biases in cytokine regulation studies, and use CytReg to predict novel interactions based on co-expression and motif analyses which we further validated experimentally. Overall, this resource provides a framework for the rational design of future cytokine gene regulation studies.

International audience; Human activities on the shoreline generate a growing pollution, creating deleterious habitats in coastal zones. Some species nevertheless succeed in such harsh milieus, raising the question of their tolerance to environmental stress. The annelid Hediste diversicolor lives buried in the sediments, directly exposed to contaminants trapped in the mud. After verifying the similarity of their genetic contexts, we compared reproductive output and individual immune resistance measures of populations living in polluted vs. ‘clean’ sediments, and related these assessments with measures of phthalates and metal pollution, and associated toxicity indices. Chemical analyses predicted no toxicity to the local infauna, and phenological studies evidenced no direct cost of living in noxious habitats. However, populations exposed to pollutants showed a significantly reduced survival upon infection with a local pathogen. Surprisingly, physiological studies evidenced a basal overinflammatory state in the most exposed populations. This over-activated baseline immune phenotype likely generates self-damage leading to enhanced immune cell death rate and immune failure. Monitoring the immune status of individual worms living in anthropic areas could thus be used as a reliable source of information regarding the actual health of wild populations.

DNA hypomethylating agents (DHAs) play a well-acknowledged role in potentiating the immunogenicity and the immune recognition of neoplastic cells. This immunomodulatory activity of DHAs is linked to their ability to induce or to up-regulate on neoplastic cells the expression of a variety of immune molecules that play a crucial role in host-tumor immune interactions. To further investigate the clinical potential of diverse epigenetic compounds when combined with immunotherapeutic strategies, we have now compared the tumor immunomodulatory properties of the first generation DHAs, azacytidine (AZA) and decitabine (DAC) and of the next generation DHA, guadecitabine. To this end, human melanoma and hematological cancer cells were treated in vitro with 1 μM guadecitabine, DAC or AZA and then studied by molecular and flow cytometry analyses for changes in their baseline expression of selected immune molecules involved in different mechanism(s) of immune recognition. Results demonstrated a stronger DNA hypomethylating activity of guadecitabine and DAC, compared to AZA that associated with stronger immunomodulatory activities. Indeed, the mRNA expression of cancer testis antigens, immune-checkpoint blocking molecules, immunostimulatory cytokines, involved in NK and T cell signaling and recruiting, and of genes involved in interferon pathway was higher after guadecitabine and DAC compared to AZA treatment. Moreover, a stronger up-regulation of the constitutive expression of HLA class I antigens and of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 was observed with guadecitabine and DAC compared to AZA. Guadecitabine and DAC seem to represent the optimal combination partners to improve the therapeutic efficacy of immunotherapeutic agents in combination/sequencing clinical studies.

Summary The immune system is highly diverse, but characterization of its genetic architecture has lagged behind the vast progress made by genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of emergent diseases. Our GWAS for 54 functionally relevant phenotypes of the adaptive immune system in 489 healthy individuals identifies eight genome-wide significant associations explaining 6%–20% of variance. Coding and splicing variants in PTPRC and COMMD10 are involved in memory T cell differentiation. Genetic variation controlling disease-relevant T helper cell subsets includes RICTOR and STON2 associated with Th2 and Th17, respectively, and the interferon-lambda locus controlling regulatory T cell proliferation. Early and memory B cell differentiation stages are associated with variation in LARP1B and SP4. Finally, the latrophilin family member ADGRL2 correlates with baseline pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 levels. Suggestive associations reveal mechanisms of autoimmune disease associations, in particular related to pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Pinpointing these key human immune regulators offers attractive therapeutic perspectives., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • GWAS provides understanding of genetic factors shaping adaptive immune system • Common and less common variants explain 10% of variance in cellular variables • Associations pinpoint key regulators of B and T cell differentiation • Associations offer therapeutic targets for controlling pro-inflammatory traits, Lagou et al. identify genetic factors explaining interindividual variation in composition of the adaptive immune system. Factors pinpoint key human immune regulators controlling B and T cell differentiation and levels of disease-relevant T helper and regulatory cells. These findings shed light on mechanisms of autoimmune disease and offer therapeutic perspectives.

Therapeutic low dose alternating electric fields (TTFields) have been demonstrated to disrupt cells during mitosis leading to aberrant mitotic exit. Cells exposed to TTFields exhibit evidence of endoplasmic reticulum stress, surface expression of immune stimulatory stress marker proteins calreticulin, and the secretion of the Alarmin/DAMP protein, HMGB1. Co-culture of bone marrow derived macrophages with TTFields-treated CT26 cells resulted in the up-regulation of cell surface activation markers that was reversed by the addition of anti-HMGB1 antibodies. Macrophages co-cultured with TTFields-exposed cells also produced increased levels of pro-inflammatory chemokines and the reduction of anti-inflammatory cytokines, further supporting the hypothesis that TTFields induce anti-tumor immunity as part of their mechanism of action. In addition, cells exposed to TTFields exhibited reductions in levels of culture media acidification. Analysis of intracellular metabolites showed evidence for an increase in mitochondrial respiration products, including increased ATP, GTP and phosphocreatine as well as increases in early intermediates from the glycolysis and glutaminolysis pathways. These metabolic changes are consistent with a decreased requirement for lactate production. Exposure to both increased levels of lactate and low pH have been demonstrated to influence the differentiation and stabilization of immunosuppressive subsets of both myeloid and lymphoid cells that promote immune tolerance needed for tumor immune evasion. Thus, low pH within the tumor likely contributes to tumor aggressiveness and has been correlated with poor clinical outcome in glioma patients. Analysis of urine from TTFields-treated patient revealed a correlation between low pH and poor clinical outcome in TTFields-treated patients. Together, these data suggests a novel mechanism by which TTFields increase tumor cell immunogenicity and alter cancer cell metabolism which perturbs immune suppressive functions within the tumor microenvironment facilitating immune recognition and rejection. This model of TTFields action may provide an additional basis to improve treatment efficacy.

The laboratory mouse is the workhorse of immunology, used as a model of mammalian immune function, but how well immune responses of laboratory mice reflect those of free-living animals is unknown. Here we comprehensively characterize serological, cellular and functional immune parameters of wild mice and compare them with laboratory mice, finding that wild mouse cellular immune systems are, comparatively, in a highly activated (primed) state. Associations between immune parameters and infection suggest that high level pathogen exposure drives this activation. Moreover, wild mice have a population of highly activated myeloid cells not present in laboratory mice. By contrast, in vitro cytokine responses to pathogen-associated ligands are generally lower in cells from wild mice, probably reflecting the importance of maintaining immune homeostasis in the face of intense antigenic challenge in the wild. These data provide a comprehensive basis for validating (or not) laboratory mice as a useful and relevant immunological model system., Laboratory mice are the cornerstone of immunology but how well they represent wild mice is not clear. Here the authors compare and contrast various immune parameters between wild-caught mice and laboratory (C57BL/6) mice and identify a previously unknown myeloid cell population specific to wild mice.

Heart failure (HF) continues to have a sufficient impact on morbidity, mortality, and disability in developed countries. Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that microparticles (MPs) might contribute to the pathogenesis of the HF development playing a pivotal role in the regulation of the endogenous repair system, thrombosis, coagulation, inflammation, immunity, and metabolic memory phenomenon. Therefore, there is a large body of data clarifying the predictive value of MP numerous in circulation among subjects with HF. Although the determination of MP signature is better than measurement of single MP circulating level, there is not yet close confirmation that immune phenotype of cells produced MPs are important for HF prediction and development. The aim of the chapter is to summarize knowledge regarding the role of various MPs in diagnosis and prognosis of HF. The role of MPs as a delivery vehicle for drugs attenuated cardiac remodeling is considered.

Mononuclear phagocytes (MNPs) are a highly heterogeneous group of cells that play important roles in maintaining the body’s homeostasis. Here, we found CD301b (also known as MGL2), a lectin commonly used as a marker for alternatively-activated macrophages (M2), was selectively expressed by a subset of CD11b+CD11c+MHCII+ MNPs in multiple organs including adipose tissues. Depleting CD301b+ MNPs in vivo led to a significant weight loss with increased insulin sensitivity and a marked reduction in serum RELM α, a multifunctional cytokine produced by MNPs. Reconstituting RELM α in CD301b+ MNP-depleted animals restored body weight and normoglycemia. Thus, CD301b+ MNPs play crucial roles in maintaining glucose metabolism and net energy balance.

BACKGROUND: Conversion to sirolimus from calcineurin inhibitor- (CNI), azathioprine- (AZA) and mycophenolate-based regimens reduces the risk of development of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (SCC) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Sirolimus conversion may also be protective by permitting beneficial changes in immune phenotype. It is not known how sirolimus will affect immune phenotype in KTRs with SCC. METHODS: Thirty-two KTRs with SCC were enrolled into this single-blinded randomized study and 13 KTRs randomized to sirolimus (4-10 ng/mL) and prednisolone 5 mg/day. RESULTS: Six-month post conversion to sirolimus FOXP3(+) CD127(low)CD25(high)CD69(-), the number of T cells (putative Treg) increased significantly (P = 0.008). Natural killer (NK) and CD56(bright) NK cells also increased significantly (P = 0.039 and 0.02). T-cell number only significantly increased in those KTRs where CNI was ceased as part of the conversion to mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORi's) (P = 0.031) implying CNI cessation rather than mTORi initiation induced an increase in T-cell number. Increases in the NK cell number was only significant in those KTRs where AZA was ceased (P = 0.040), implying AZA cessation rather than mTORi initiation caused the NK cell number to increase. At 6 months, sirolimus conversion reduces new SCC/year, rate ratio 0.49 (95%CI: 0.15-1.63), P = 0.276. On therapy analysis and intention-to-treat analysis over 24 months, the rate ratios were 0.84 and 0.87, respectively, and did not reach significance. CONCLUSIONS: Conversion to mTORi from CNI may reveal a pre-existing high Treg phenotype by unmasking CNI inhibition of FOXP3 expression. Cessation of AZA leads to increased NK cell number. High FOXP3(+) T-cell number on conversion to mTORi may predict those KTRs who continue to accrue SCC.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a hereditary tumor syndrome caused by mutations of the NF1 gene and resulting dysregulation of the Ras-pathway. In addition to peripheral nerve tumors, affected tissues include the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular system. The immune system has recently been suggested as a possible modulator NF1-related phenotypes. Therefore, we determined the immune phenotype in NF1 patients and investigated its relationship with the phenotypic severity of NF1-related tumor manifestations. We quantified global leukocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations of peripheral blood from 37 NF1 patients and 21 healthy controls by flow cytometry. To associate immune phenotype with tumor phenotype, all NF1 patients underwent whole-body magnetic resonance imaging and total internal tumor volume was calculated. The immunophenotypes were compared among four NF1 groups with different total internal tumor burdens and between NF1 patients and non-NF1 subjects. We found that NF1 patients show a generalized lymphopenia. Closer analysis revealed that the CD8(+)/CD27(-) and CD8(+)/CD57(+) effector T cell fractions strongly increase in NF1 patients with low tumor load and decrease to levels below control in patients with high tumor load. Moreover, increased production of IL2, IFN-γ and TNF-α was found in T cells of NF1 patients upon phorbol-12-myristate acetate (PMA) stimulation compared to healthy controls. The data indicate that decreasing CD8(+)/CD57(+) and CD27(-) T cell fractions correspond to increasing tumor load in NF1 patients, potentially making these populations useful marker for internal tumor burden.

Heart failure (HF) continues to have a sufficient impact on morbidity, mortality and disability in developed countries. Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that microparticles (MPs) might contribute to the pathogenesis of the HF development paling a pivotal role in the regulation of the endogenous repair system, thrombosis, coagulation, inflammation, immunity and metabolic memory phenomenon. Therefore, there is a large body of data clarifying the predictive value of MP numerous in circulation among subjects with HF. Although determination of MP signature is better than measurement of single MP circulating level, there is not yet closely confirmation that immune phenotype of cells produced MPs are important for HF prediction and development. The aim of the review: to summarize knowledge regarding the measurement of number of various MPs subsets in HF patients.

The continuous emerging increase in life span has led to vulnerability to a number of different diseases in the elderly. Some of these risks may be attributed to specific changes in the immune system referred to as immunoscenescence. This term aims to describe decreased immune functions among elderly individuals, and is characterized to be harmful age-associated changes in the immune system that lead to its gradual immune dysfunction. An impaired function of the immune system may increase susceptibility to various diseases in the elderly population such as infections, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Although it is unclear how this immune phenotype develops, emerging evidence suggest that it may reflect an exhaustion of the immune system, possibly caused by one or several chronic infections. The main candidate is human cytomegalovirus (CMV), which can induce immune dysfunctions observed in immunoscenescence. Although the immune system is currently considered to be exhausted in CMV positive elderly individuals, it is not known whether such dysfunction of the immune system is a main reason for increased susceptibility to other diseases, or if direct effects of the virus in disease pathogenesis reflect the increased vulnerability to them. These aspects will be discussed in this review.

The prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor dimethyloxallyl glycine (DMOG) has been increasingly studied with regards to stem cell therapy. Previous studies have demonstrated that endogenous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may be mobilized into peripheral circulation by pharmaceutical preconditioning. In addition, our previous study confirmed that DMOG, as a novel mobilization agent, could induce mouse/rat MSC migration into peripheral blood circulation. Therefore, the present study conducted studies to characterize bone marrow‑derived MSCs (BM‑MSCs) collected from mice following DMOG intraperitoneal injection. The surface antigen immune phenotype, differentiation capability, proliferative ability, migratory capacity and paracrine capacity of the BM‑MSCs collected from DMOG‑preconditioned mice (DBM‑MSCs) or normal saline‑treated mice (NBM‑MSCs) were evaluated by means of flow cytometry, differentiation induction, Cell Counting kit‑8, Transwell assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Compared with NBM‑MSCs, DBM-MSCs displayed a similar immune phenotype and multilineage differentiation capability, reduced proliferative ability and migratory capacity, and similar transforming growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor secretion capacity. These results provide a novel insight into the biological properties of BM‑MSCs from mice preconditioned with DMOG. DBM-MSCs exhibited slightly distinct characteristics to NBM-MSCs; however, they may have therapeutic potential for future stem cell therapy. In addition, the present study suggested that DMOG may be used as a novel mobilization agent in future clinical trials as no adverse effects were observed.

Background The existence of a dichotomy between immunologically active and quiescent tumor phenotypes has been recently recognized in several types of cancer. The activation of a Th1 type of immune signature has been shown to confer better prognosis and likelihood to respond to immunotherapy. However, whether such dichotomy depends on the genetic make‐up of individual cancers is not known yet. BRAF and NRAS mutations are commonly acquired during melanoma progression. Here we explored the role of BRAF and NRAS mutations in influencing the immune phenotype based on a classification previously identified by our group. Methods One‐hundred‐thirteen melanoma metastases underwent microarray analysis and BRAF and NRAS genotyping. Allele‐specific PCR was also performed in order to exclude low‐frequency mutations. Results Comparison between BRAF and NRAS mutant versus wild type samples identified mostly constituents or regulators of MAPK and related pathways. When testing gene lists discriminative of BRAF, NRAS and MAPK alterations, we found that 112 BRAF‐specific transcripts were able to distinguish the two immune‐related phenotypes already described in melanoma, with the poor phenotype associated mostly with BRAF mutation. Noteworthy, such association was stronger in samples displaying low BRAF mRNA expression. However, when testing NRAS mutations, we were not able to find the same association. Conclusion This study suggests that BRAF mutation‐related specific transcripts associate with a poor phenotype in melanoma and provide a nest for further investigation., Highlights BRAF and NRAS status was assessed in 113 melanoma metastases by Sanger sequencing and high sensitive allele‐specific PCR.The expression of BRAF‐specific genes categorized the metastases in two divergent groups.The mutant group associated with a poor phenotype.The association between BRAF mutation and the poor phenotype was stronger in samples displaying low BRAF mRNA expression.Functional interpretation of BRAF expression‐discriminative genes revealed pathways related to an unfavorable phenotype.