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Fast-moving, competitive fields often inadvertently duplicate research. In a research environment that values being first over being robust, this results in one manuscript “scooping” ongoing research from other groups. Opportunities to demonstrate the solidity of a result through coincidental reproduction are thus lost. Here, two group leaders, one the scooper and one the scoopee, discuss their experiences under PLOS Biology’s new “complementary research” policy. In this case, submission of the second article followed publication of the first by mere days. Scooper and scoopee discuss how complementary research is good for everyone by expanding the scientific reach of studies that are overlapping but not identical, demonstrating the robustness of related results, increasing readership for both authors, and making “replication” studies cost effective by creatively using resources that have already been spent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding expression levels of proteins and their interactions is a key factor to diagnose and explain the Down syndrome which can be considered as the most prevalent reason of intellectual disability in human beings. In the previous studies, the expression levels of 77 proteins obtained from normal genotype control mice and from trisomic Ts65Dn mice have been analyzed after training in contextual fear conditioning with and without injection of the memantine drug using statistical methods and machine learning techniques. Recent studies have also pointed out that there may be a linkage between the Down syndrome and the immune system. Thus, the research presented in this paper aim at in silico identification of proteins which are significant to the learning process and the immune system and to derive the most accurate model for classification of mice. In this paper, the features are selected by implementing forward feature selection method after preprocessing step of the dataset. Later, deep neural network, gradient boosting tree, support vector machine and random forest classification methods are implemented to identify the accuracy. It is observed that the selected feature subsets not only yield higher accuracy classification results but also are composed of protein responses which are important for the learning and memory process and the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria remains one the world’s most deadly infectious diseases, with almost half a million deaths and over 150 million clinical cases each year. An effective vaccine would contribute enormously to malaria control and will almost certainly be required for eventual eradication of the disease. However, the leading malaria vaccine candidate, RTS,S, shows only 30–50% efficacy under field conditions, making it less cost-effective than long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets. Other subunit malaria vaccine candidates, including TRAP-based vaccines, show no better protective efficacy. This has led to increased interest in combining subunit malaria vaccines as a means of enhancing protective efficacy. Mathematical models of the effect of combining such vaccines on protective efficacy can help inform optimal vaccine strategies and decision-making at all stages of the clinical process. So far, however, no such model has been developed for pre-clinical murine studies, the stage at which all candidate antigens and combinations begin evaluation. To address this gap, this paper develops a mathematical model of vaccine combination adapted to murine malaria studies. The model is based on simple probabilistic assumptions which put the model on a firmer theoretical footing than previous clinical models, which rather than deriving a relationship between immune responses and protective efficacy posit the relationship to be either exponential or Hill curves. Data from pre-clinical murine malaria studies are used to derive values for unknowns in the model which in turn allows simulations of vaccine combination efficacy and suggests optimal strategies to pursue. Finally, the ability of the model to shed light on fundamental biological variables of murine malaria such as the blood stage growth rate and sporozoite infectivity is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blocking cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) at the time of immunisation enhances vaccine induced T cell responses and improves control of tumour cell growth in vivo. However, the effect of an IL-10 blockade on the biological function of macrophages has not been explored. In the current paper, a macrophage precursor cell line, U937 cells, was selected to investigate the differential expression of proteins and relevant cell signalling pathway changes, when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence of antibodies to IL-10 or IL-10 receptor. We used a quantitative proteomic strategy to investigate variations in protein profiles of U937 cells following the treatments with LPS, LPS plus human anti-IL10 antibody and anti-IL10R antibody in 24hrs, respectively. The LPS treatment significantly activated actin-related cell matrix formation and immune response pathways. The addition of anti-IL10 and anti-IL10R antibody further promoted the immune response and potentially effect macrophage survival through PI3K/AKT signalling; however, the latter appeared to also upregulated oncogene XRCC5 and Cajal body associated processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper was to assess indicators of muscle and intestinal damage in triathletes. The study involved 15 triathletes whose objective for the season was to start in the XTERRA POLAND 2017 event (1,500-m swimming, 36-km cycling, and 10-km mountain running). Before the 14-week preparatory period, the competitors’ body composition was measured, aerobic capacity was tested (graded treadmill test) and blood samples were collected to determine markers showing the level of muscle and intestinal damage. Subsequent tests for body composition were carried out before and after the competition. Blood samples for biochemical indicators were collected the day before the competition, after the completed race, and 24 and 48 hours later. A significant decrease in body mass was observed after completing the race (–3.1±1.5%). The mean maximal oxygen uptake level among the studied athletes equalled 4.9±0.4 L·min–1, 58.8±4.5 mL·kg–1·min–1. The significant increase in concentrations of cortisol, c-reactive protein and myoglobin after the competition, significantly correlated with the significant increase in zonulin concentration (post 1h: r = 0.88, p = 0.007, r = 0,79, p = 0.001, r = 0.78, p = 0.001, and post 12h: r = 0.75, p = 0.01, r = 0.71, p = 0.011, r = 0.83, p = 0.02). No significant changes in the concentration of tumour necrosis factor alpha among the examined competitors were noted at following stages of the study. The results of our research showed that in order to monitor overload in the training of triathletes, useful markers reflecting the degree of muscle and intestinal damage include cortisol, testosterone, testosterone to cortisol ratio, c-reactive protein, myoglobin and zonulin. Changes in muscle cell damage markers strongly correlated with changes in zonulin concentration at particular stages of the study. Thus, one can expect that the concentrations of markers depicting the level of muscle cell damage after an intense and long-lasting effort will significantly influence the level of the intestinal barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Naja annulifera is a medically important venomous snake occurring in some of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Accidental bites result in severe coagulation disturbances, systemic inflammation and heart damage, as reported in dogs, and death, by respiratory arrest, in humans. Despite the medical importance of N. annulifera, little is known about its venom composition and the pathogenesis of envenomation. In this paper, the toxic, inflammatory and immunogenic properties of N. annulifera venom were analyzed. Methodology/Principal findings: Venom proteomic analysis identified 79 different proteins, including Three Finger Toxins, Cysteine Rich Secretory Proteins, Metalloproteinases, Phospholipases A2 (PLA2), Hyaluronidase, L-amino-acid oxidase, Cobra Venom Factor and Serine Proteinase. The presence of PLA2, hyaluronidase, fibrinogenolytic and anticoagulant activities was detected using functional assays. The venom was cytotoxic to human keratinocytes. In an experimental murine model of envenomation, it was found that the venom induced local changes, such as swelling, which was controlled by anti-inflammatory drugs. Moreover, the venom caused death, which was preceded by systemic inflammation and pulmonary hemorrhage. The venom was shown to be immunogenic, inducing a strong humoral immune response, with the production of antibodies able to recognize venom components with high molecular weight and to neutralize its lethal activity. Conclusions/Significance: The results obtained in this study demonstrate that N. annulifera venom contains toxins able to induce local and systemic inflammation, which can contribute to lung damage and death. Moreover, the venom is immunogenic, an important feature that must be considered during the production of a therapeutic anti-N. annulifera antivenom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the HIV-1 epidemic in southern Africa still rising, a prophylactic vaccine against the region’s most prolific subtype (subtype C) would be a significant step forward. In this paper we report on the effect of 2 different adjuvants, AddaVax and AlhydroGel, formulated with HIV-1 subtype C gp140, on the development of binding and neutralising antibody titres in rabbits. AddaVax is a squalene-based oil-in-water nano-emulsion (similar to MF59) which can enhance both cellular and humoral immune responses, whilst AlhydroGel (aluminium hydroxide gel) mainly drives a Th2 response. The gp140 gene tested was derived from the superinfecting virus (SU) from participant CAP256 in the CAPRISA 002 Acute infection cohort. The furin cleavage site of the Env protein was replaced with a flexible linker and an I559P mutation introduced. Lectin affinity purified soluble Env protein was mainly trimeric as judged by molecular weight using BN-PAGE and contained intact broadly neutralising epitopes for the V3-glycan supersite (monoclonal antibodies PGT128 and PGT135), the CD4 binding site (VRC01) and the V2-glycan (PG9) but not for the trimer-specific monoclonal antibodies PG16, PGT145 and CAP256-VRC26_08. When this soluble Env protein was tested in rabbits, AlhydroGel significantly enhanced soluble Env and V1V2 binding antibodies when compared to AddaVax. Finally, AlhydroGel resulted in significantly higher neutralization titres for a subtype C Tier 1A virus (MW965.26) and increased neutralization breadth to Tier 1A and 1B viruses. However, no autologous Tier 2 neutralisation was observed. These data suggest that adjuvant selection is critical for developing a successful vaccine and AlhydroGel should be further investigated. Additional purification of trimeric native-like CAP256 Env and/or priming with DNA or MVA might enhance the induction of neutralizing antibodies and possible Tier 2 HIV-1 neutralisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi A are the leading causative agents of enteric fever which cause morbidity and mortality worldwide. Currently, there is no combination vaccine which could protect infection from both the strains. In this paper, we are focusing on the development of a novel bivalent typhoidal Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) based immunogen against enteric fever. We have isolated Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi A OMVs and also characterized OMVs associated antigens. Then we immunized adult mice with three doses of our newly formulated bivalent immunogen orally (25 μg/200 μl). After three doses of oral immunization, we found our immunogen could significantly induce humoral response. We have also found serum IgG against LPS, Vi-polysaccharide etc. OMV immunization induces CD4, CD8 and CD19 population in immunized mice spleen. It also induces Th1 and Th17-cell mediated immunity. We also found bivalent OMVs immunization can prevent more than lethal dose of heterologous Salmonella strains mediated systemic infection in adult mice model. We determined that, the protective immune responses depend on the humoral and cell-mediated immune response. Furthermore, we have evaluated the mode of protective immune response carried out by anti-OMVs antibody by significantly inhibiting bacterial motility and mucin penetration ability. Taken together, these findings suggest that our bivalent immunogen could be used as a novel candidate vaccine against enteric fever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain and inflammation are complex clinical conditions that are present in a wide variety of disorders. Most drugs used to treat pain and inflammation have potential side effects, which makes it necessary to search for new sources of bioactive molecules. In this paper, we describe the ability of LASSBio-1586, an N-acylhydrazone derivative, to attenuate nociceptive behavior and the inflammatory response in mice. Antinociceptive activity was evaluated through acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin-induced nociception tests. In these experimental models, LASSBio-1586 significantly (p<0.05) reduced nociceptive behavior. Several methods of acute and chronic inflammation induced by different chemical (carrageenan, histamine, croton oil, arachidonic acid) and physical (cotton pellet) agents were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of LASSBio-1586. LASSBio-1586 exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity in all tests (p<0.05). Study of the mechanism of action demonstrated the possible involvement of the nitrergic, serotonergic and histamine signaling pathways. In addition, a molecular docking study was performed, indicating that LASSBio-1586 is able to block the COX-2 enzyme, reducing arachidonic acid metabolism and consequently decreasing the production of prostaglandins, which are important inflammatory mediators. In summary, LASSBio-1586 exhibited relevant antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory potential and acted on several targets, making it a candidate for a new multi-target oral anti-inflammatory drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triticum vulgare has been extensively used in traditional medicine thanks to its properties of accelerating tissue repair. The specific extract of Triticum vulgare manufactured by Farmaceutici Damor (TVE-DAMOR) is already present in some pharmaceutical formulations used in the treatment of decubitus ulcers, skin lesions and burns. It has been recently suggested that this Triticum vulgare extract may possess potential anti-inflammatory properties. In the light of these premises the aim of the present paper was to verify the anti-inflammatory role of TVE, using the LPS-stimulated microglia model of inflammation. In particular the effect of different concentrations of TVE on the release of several mediators of inflammation such as nitric oxide, IL-6, PGE2 and TNF alpha was evaluated. More important, the anti-inflammatory effect of TVE was confirmed also in primary rat microglia cultures. The results of the present study show that TVE exerts anti-inflammatory properties since it reduces the release of all the evaluated markers of inflammation, such as NO, IL6, TNF alpha and PGE2 in LPS-activated BV2 microglial cells. Intriguingly, TVE reduced microglia activation and NO release also in primary microglia. Indeed, to verify the pathway of modulation of the inflammatory markers reported above, we found that TVE restores the cytoplasmic expression of p65 protein, kwown as specific marker associated with activation of inflammatory response. The evidence for an inhibitory activity on inflammation of this specific extract of Triticum vulgare may open the way to the possibility of a therapeutical use of the Triticum vulgare extract as an anti-inflammatory compound in certain pathological states such as burns, decubitus ulcers, folliculitis and inflammation of peripheral nerve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the surrounding bone, the human inner ear is relatively inaccessible and difficult to reach for cellular and molecular analyses. However, these types of investigations are needed to better understand the etiology, pathophysiology and progression of several inner ear disorders. Moreover, the fluid from the inner ear cannot be sampled for micro-chemical analyses from healthy individuals in vivo. Therefore, in the present paper, we studied patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS) undergoing trans-labyrinthine surgery (TLS). Our primary aim was to identify perilymph proteins in patients with VS on an individual level. Our second aim was to investigate the proteins identified at a functional level and our final aim was to search for biological markers for tumor-associated hearing loss and tumor diameter. Methods and findings: Sixteen patients underwent TLS for sporadic VS. Perilymph was aspirated through the round window before opening the labyrinth. One sample was contaminated and excluded resulting in 15 usable samples. Perilymph samples were analyzed with an online tandem LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Data were analyzed with MaxQuant software to identify the total number of proteins and to quantify proteins in individual samples. Protein function was analyzed using the PANTHER Overrepresentation tool. Associations between perilymph protein content, clinical parameters, tumor-associated hearing loss and tumor diameter were assessed using Random Forest and Boruta. In total, 314 proteins were identified; 60 in all 15 patients and 130 proteins only once in 15 patients. Ninety-one proteins were detected in at least 12 out of 15 patients. Random Forest followed by Boruta analysis confirmed that alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein (P02765) was an independent variable for tumor-associated hearing loss. In addition, functional analysis showed that numerous processes were significantly increased in the perilymph. The top three enriched biological processes were: 1) secondary metabolic processes; 2) complement activation and 3) cell recognition. Conclusions: The proteome of perilymph in patients with vestibular schwannoma has an inter-individual stable section. However, even in a cohort with homogenous disease, the variation between individuals represented the majority of the detected proteins. Alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, P02765, was shown to be an independent variable for tumor-associated hearing loss, a finding that needs to be verified in other studies. In pathway analysis perilymph had highly enriched functions, particularly in terms of increased immune and metabolic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its strong proliferation-reducing effects on keratinocytes, and also anti-inflammatory properties, the isoflavone genistein has already been proposed as a possible antipsoriatic compound. As there is still no detailed information on this topic, we examined the effects of genistein by using an in vitro model of both, normal and “psoriasis-like” keratinocytes at this stage of our work exhaustively testing the selected flavonoid in a mono-treated experimental design. Gene expression studies revealed transcriptional changes that confirms known disease-associated pathways and highlights many psoriasis-related genes. Our results suggested that aberrant expression of genes contributing to the progress of psoriasis could be improved by the action of genistein. Genistein prevented “cytokine mix” as well as TNF-α-induced NF-κB nuclear translocation, with no effect on the PI3K signaling cascade, indicating the luck of turning this pathway into NF-κB activation. It could have attenuated TNF-α and LPS-induced inflammatory responses by suppressing ROS activation. Regardless of the type of keratinocyte stimulation used, reduction of cytokine IL-8, IL-20 and CCL2 production (both at RNA and protein level) following genistein treatment was visible. Because investigations of other groups supported our commentary on potential administration of genistein as a potential weapon in the armamentarium against psoriasis, it is believed that this paper should serve to encourage researchers to conduct further studies on this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vibrio cholerae causes over 2 million cases of cholera and 90,000 deaths each year. Serosurveillance can be a useful tool for estimating the intensity of cholera transmission and prioritizing populations for cholera control interventions. Current methods involving venous blood draws and downstream specimen storage and transport methods pose logistical challenges in most settings where cholera strikes. To overcome these challenges, we developed methods for determining cholera-specific immune responses from dried blood spots (DBS). Methodology/principal findings: As conventional vibriocidal assay methods were unsuitable for DBS eluates from filter paper, we adopted a drop-plate culture method. We show that DBS collected from volunteers in South Sudan, and stored for prolonged periods in field conditions, retained functional vibriocidal antibodies, the titers of which correlated with paired serum titers determined by conventional spectrophotometric methods (r = 0.94, p = 0.00012). We also showed that eluates from DBS Serum Separator cards could be used with conventional spectrophotometric vibriocidal methods, and that they correlated with paired serum at a wide range of titers (r = 0.96, p<0.0001). Similarly, we used ELISA methods to show that V. cholerae O-specific polysaccharide antibody responses from DBS eluates correlated with results from paired serum for IgG (r = 0.85, p = 0.00006), IgM (r = 0.79, p = 0.00049) and IgA (r = 0.73, p = 0.0019), highlighting its potential for use in determination of isotype-specific responses. Storage of DBS cards at a range of temperatures did not change antibody responses. Conclusion: In conclusion, we have developed and demonstrated a proof-of-concept for assays utilizing DBS for assessing cholera-specific immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We refine and clinically parameterize a mathematical model of the humoral immune response against Shigella, a diarrheal bacteria that infects 80-165 million people and kills an estimated 600,000 people worldwide each year. Using Latin hypercube sampling and Monte Carlo simulations for parameter estimation, we fit our model to human immune data from two Shigella EcSf2a-2 vaccine trials and a rechallenge study in which antibody and B-cell responses against Shigella′s lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and O-membrane proteins (OMP) were recorded. The clinically grounded model is used to mathematically investigate which key immune mechanisms and bacterial targets confer immunity against Shigella and to predict which humoral immune components should be elicited to create a protective vaccine against Shigella. The model offers insight into why the EcSf2a-2 vaccine had low efficacy and demonstrates that at a group level a humoral immune response induced by EcSf2a-2 vaccine or wild-type challenge against Shigella′s LPS or OMP does not appear sufficient for protection. That is, the model predicts an uncontrolled infection of gut epithelial cells that is present across all best-fit model parameterizations when fit to EcSf2a-2 vaccine or wild-type challenge data. Using sensitivity analysis, we explore which model parameter values must be altered to prevent the destructive epithelial invasion by Shigella bacteria and identify four key parameter groups as potential vaccine targets or immune correlates: 1) the rate that Shigella migrates into the lamina propria or epithelium, 2) the rate that memory B cells (BM) differentiate into antibody-secreting cells (ASC), 3) the rate at which antibodies are produced by activated ASC, and 4) the Shigella-specific BM carrying capacity. This paper underscores the need for a multifaceted approach in ongoing efforts to design an effective Shigella vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper investigates the role of Group II Secretory Phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA) as a biomarker for the diagnosis of sepsis and bacterial infection in adults. Sepsis and bacterial infection are common problems encountered by patients in the hospital and often carry adverse outcomes if not managed early. Methods: Two independent reviewers conducted a comprehensive search using Ovid MEDLINE published from years 1993 to 2016 and SCOPUS published from year 1985 to 2017 to screen for relevant studies. The main inclusion criteria included adult subjects, patients with suspected or confirmed signs of infection and relevant outcomes which looked into the role of sPLA2-IIA in detecting the presence of sepsis and bacterial infection in the subjects. Results and discussion: Four studies met the inclusion criteria. SPLA2-IIA was found to be effective in detecting the presence of sepsis and bacterial infection in adults. The levels of serum sPLA2-IIA also correlated well with the presence of sepsis and bacterial infection. Conclusion: This systematic review highlights the role of sPLA2-IIA as a reliable tool to diagnose sepsis and bacterial infection in adult patients. Nonetheless, further studies should be done in the future to provide more compelling evidence on its application in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and is influenced by the interplay of various factors, including a very strong genetic component. For instance, incorrect mitochondrial biogenesis is correlated with increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. Thus, it is important to understand the consequences of changes in both the expression and the correct function of the transcription factors that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis, namely NRF2. Objectives: The main objective of this paper is to characterise the relationship between NRF2 and colorectal cancer by compiling data from an exhaustive literature search. Methods: Information was obtained by defining specific search terms and searching in several databases. After a strict selection procedure, data were tabulated and the relationships between articles were assessed by measuring heterogeneity and by constructing conceptual maps. Results and discussion: We found a general consensus in the literature that the presence of oxidizing agents as well as the inhibition of the NRF2 repressor Keap1 maintain NRF2 expression at basal levels. This predominantly exerts a cytoprotective effect on cells and decreases risk of colorectal cancer. However, if NRF2 is inhibited, protection against external agents disappears and risk of colorectal cancer increases. Interestingly, colorectal cancer risk is also increased when NRF2 becomes overexpressed. In this case, the increased risk arises from NRF2-induced inflammation and resistance to chemotherapy. Conclusion: The proper basal function of NRF2 and Keap1 are essential for preventing oncogenic processes in the colon. Consequently, any disruption to the expression of these genes can promote the genesis and progression of colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) reduces the breakdown of fibrin clots through its action as an indirect inhibitor of plasmin. Studies in TAFI-deficient mice have implicated a potential role for TAFI in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) disease. The role of TAFI inhibition on AAA formation in adult ApoE-/- mice is unknown. The aim of this paper was to investigate the effects of TAFI inhibition on AAA development and progression. Methods: Using the Angiotensin II model of AAA, male ApoE-/- mice were infused with Angiotensin II 750ng/kg/min with or without a monoclonal antibody inhibitor of plasmin-mediated activation of TAFI, MA-TCK26D6, or a competitive small molecule inhibitor of TAFI, UK-396082. Results: Inhibition of TAFI in the Angiotensin II model resulted in a decrease in the mortality associated with AAA rupture (from 40.0% to 16.6% with MA-TCK26D6 (log-rank Mantel Cox test p = 0.16), and 8.3% with UK-396082 (log-rank Mantel Cox test p = 0.05)). Inhibition of plasmin-mediated TAFI activation reduced the incidence of AAA from 52.4% to 30.0%. However, late treatment with MA-TCK26D6 once AAA were already established had no effect on the progression of AAA in this model. Conclusions: The formation of intra-mural thrombus is responsible for the dissection and early rupture in the angiotensin II model of AAA, and this process can be prevented through inhibition of TAFI. Late treatment with a TAFI inhibitor does not prevent AAA progression. These data may indicate a role for inhibition of plasmin-mediated TAFI activation in the early stages of AAA development, but not in its progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paratuberculosis in cattle is a chronic granulomatous gastroenteritis caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratubercolosis (MAP) which is endemic worldwide. In dairy herds, it is responsible for huge economic losses. However, current diagnostic methods do not detect subclinical infection making control of the disease difficult. The identification of MAP infected animals during the sub-clinical phase of infection would play a key role in preventing the dissemination of the pathogen and in reducing transmission. Gene expression and circulating microRNA (miRNA) signatures have been proposed as biomarkers of disease both in the human and veterinary medicine. In this paper, gene expression and related miRNA levels were investigated in cows positive for MAP, by ELISA and culture, in order to identify potential biomarkers to improve diagnosis of MAP infection. Three groups, each of 5 animals, were used to compare the results of gene expression from positive, exposed and negative cows. Overall 258 differentially expressed genes were identified between unexposed, exposed, but ELISA negative and positive groups which were involved in biological functions related to inflammatory response, lipid metabolism and small molecule biochemistry. Differentially expressed miRNA was also found among the three groups: 7 miRNAs were at a lower level and 2 at a higher level in positive animals vs unexposed animals, while 5 and 3 miRNAs were respectively reduced and increased in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs 6 have been previously described as immune-response related and two were novel miRNAs. Analysis of the miRNA levels showed correlation with expression of their target genes, known to be involved in the immune process. This study suggests that miRNA expression is affected by MAP infection and play a key role in tuning the host response to infection. The miRNA and gene expression profiles may be biomarkers of infection and potential diagnostic of MAP infection earlier than the current ELISA based diagnostic tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome (BOS), the main clinical phenotype of chronic lung allograft dysfunction, is poorly understood. Recent studies suggest that epigenetic regulation of microRNAs might play a role in its development. In this paper we present the application of a complex computational pipeline to perform enrichment analysis of miRNAs in pathways applied to the study of BOS. The analysis considered the full set of miRNAs annotated in miRBase (version 21), and applied a sequence of filtering approaches and statistical analyses to reduce this set and to score the candidate miRNAs according to their potential involvement in BOS development. Dysregulation of two of the selected candidate miRNAs–miR-34a and miR-21 –was clearly shown in in-situ hybridization (ISH) on five explanted human BOS lungs and on a rat model of acute and chronic lung rejection, thus definitely identifying miR-34a and miR-21 as pathogenic factors in BOS and confirming the effectiveness of the computational pipeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the purposes of information retrieval, users must find highly relevant documents from within a system (and often a quite large one comprised of many individual documents) based on input query. Ranking the documents according to their relevance within the system to meet user needs is a challenging endeavor, and a hot research topic–there already exist several rank-learning methods based on machine learning techniques which can generate ranking functions automatically. This paper proposes a parallel B cell algorithm, RankBCA, for rank learning which utilizes a clonal selection mechanism based on biological immunity. The novel algorithm is compared with traditional rank-learning algorithms through experimentation and shown to outperform the others in respect to accuracy, learning time, and convergence rate; taken together, the experimental results show that the proposed algorithm indeed effectively and rapidly identifies optimal ranking functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For rapid screening and quantification of an antisera antibody, a nanometer bithiophene-based conductive biolinker can enhanced signal performance and can be used to verify the interaction of an anti-IFN-γ antibody with an IFN-γ protein. The experimental measurements take a generic approach which takes advantage of the functionality of thiophene-based linkers for biosensors. Effects associated with using bithiophene as a biolinker for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy are examined in this paper. By using an atomic force microscope (AFM), it was observed that the morphology of the bithiophene modified gold sensor surface became smoother than the original gold surface. We compared the response and concentration of the anti-IFN-γ antibody on a bithiophene-coated and dextran-coated biochip as well as on different thickness-modified surfaces under SPR relevant conditions. The results indicate that a response to IFN-γ molecules immobilized on a sensor using a bithiophene biolinker improved more than 8-fold when compared to that of a sensor using a dextran biolinker. Furthermore, the regeneration ability of the sensor surface shows good repeatability as only less than a 1% decrease was found after repeating the experimental work over 6 cycles. The characteristics provided us with a good platform for rapid screening, real-time monitoring and quantitative concentration of the autoimmune antibody activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many approaches have been designed to extract brain effective connectivity from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. However, few of them can effectively identify the connectivity network structure due to different defects. In this paper, a new algorithm is developed to infer the effective connectivity between different brain regions by combining artificial immune algorithm (AIA) with the Bayes net method, named as AIAEC. In the proposed algorithm, a brain effective connectivity network is mapped onto an antibody, and four immune operators are employed to perform the optimization process of antibodies, including clonal selection operator, crossover operator, mutation operator and suppression operator, and finally gets an antibody with the highest K2 score as the solution. AIAEC is then tested on Smith’s simulated datasets, and the effect of the different factors on AIAEC is evaluated, including the node number, session length, as well as the other potential confounding factors of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal. It was revealed that, as contrast to other existing methods, AIAEC got the best performance on the majority of the datasets. It was also found that AIAEC could attain a relative better solution under the influence of many factors, although AIAEC was differently affected by the aforementioned factors. AIAEC is thus demonstrated to be an effective method for detecting the brain effective connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression of cancer stemness is believed to reduce the efficacy of current therapies against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Understanding of the stemness-regulating signaling pathways incurred by a specific etiology can facilitate the development of novel targets for individualized therapy against HCC. Niche environments, such as virus-induced inflammation, may play a crucial role. However, the mechanisms linking inflammation and stemness expression in HCC remain unclear. Here we demonstrated the distinct role of inflammatory mediators in expressions of stemness-related properties involving the pluripotent octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) in cell migration and drug resistance of hepatitis B virus-related HCC (HBV-HCC). We observed positive immunorecognition for macrophage chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1)/CD68 and OCT4/NANOG in HBV-HCC tissues. The inflammation-conditioned medium (inflamed-CM) generated by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated U937 human leukemia cells significantly increased the mRNA and protein levels of OCT4/NANOG preferentially in HBV-active (HBV+HBsAg+) HCC cells. The inflamed-CM also increased the side population (SP) cell percentage, green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive cell population, and luciferase activity of OCT4 promoter-GFP/luciferase in HBV-active HCC cells. Furthermore, the inflamed-CM upregulated the expressions of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)/IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) and activated IGF-IR/Akt signaling in HBV-HCC. The IGF-IR phosphorylation inhibitor picropodophyllin (PPP) suppressed inflamed-CM-induced OCT4 and NANOG levels in HBV+HBsAg+ Hep3B cells. Forced expression of OCT4 significantly increased the secondary sphere formation and cell migration, and reduced susceptibility of HBV-HCC cells to cisplatin, bleomycin, and doxorubicin. Taking together, our results show that niche inflammatory mediators play critical roles in inducing the expression of stemness-related properties involving IGF-IR activation, and the upregulation of OCT4 contributes to cancer migration and drug resistance of HBV-HCC cells. Findings in this paper would provide potential targets for a therapeutic strategy targeting on inflammatory environment for HBV-HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancement or inhibition of cytokine signaling and corresponding immune cells responses are critical factors in various disease treatments. Cytokine signaling may be inhibited by cytokine-neutralizing antibodies (CNAs), which prevents further activation of cytokine receptors. However, CNAs may result in enhanced—instead of inhibitory—cytokine signaling (an “agonistic effect”) in various in vitro and in vivo experiments. This may lead to lack of efficacy or adverse events for cytokine-inhibiting based medicines. Alternatively, cytokine-antibody complexes may produce stronger signaling vs. cytokine alone, thereby increasing the efficacy of stimulating cytokine-based drugs, at equal or lower cytokine doses. In this paper, the effect of cytokine signaling enhancement by a CNA was studied in a generic mathematical model of interleukin-4 (IL-4) driven T-cell proliferation. The occurrence of the agonistic effect depends upon the antibody-to-cytokine binding affinity and initial concentrations of antibody and cytokine. Model predictions were in agreement with experimental studies. When the cytokine receptor consists of multiple subunits with substantially differing affinities (e.g., IL-4 case), the choice of the receptor chain to be blocked by the antibody is critical, for the agonistic effect to appear. We propose a generic mechanism for the effect: initially, binding of the CNA to the cytokine reduces free cytokine concentration; yet, cytokine molecules bound within the cytokine-CNA complex—and released later and over time—are “rescued” from earlier clearance via cellular internalization. Hence, although free cytokine-dependent signalling may be less potent initially, it will also be more sustained over time; and given non-linear dynamics, it will lead ultimately to larger cellular effector responses, vs. the same amount of free cytokine in the absence of CNA. We suggest that the proposed mechanism is a generic property of {cytokine, CNA, receptor} triads, both in vitro and in vivo, and can occur in a predictable fashion for a variety of cytokines of the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorylation is a fundamental biochemical reaction that modulates protein activity in cells. While a single phosphorylation event is relatively easy to understand, multisite phosphorylation requires systems approaches for deeper elucidation of the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this paper we develop a mechanistic model for single- and multi-site phosphorylation. The proposed model is compared with previously reported studies. We compare the predictions of our model with experiments published in the literature in the context of inflammatory signaling events in order to provide a mechanistic description of the multisite phosphorylation-mediated regulation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) and Interferon Regulatory Factor 5 (IRF-5) proteins. The presented model makes crucial predictions for transcription factor phosphorylation events in the immune system. The model proposes potential mechanisms for T cell phenotype switching and production of cytokines. This study also provides a generic framework for the better understanding of a large number of multisite phosphorylation-regulated biochemical circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TIPE2, the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-induced protein 8-like 2 (TNFAIP8L2), plays an essential role in maintaining immune homeostasis. It is highly expressed in macrophages and negatively regulates inflammation through inhibiting Toll-like receptor signaling. In this paper, we utilized RAW264.7 cells stably transfected with a TIPE2 expression plasmid, as well as TIPE2-deficient macrophages to study the roles of TIPE2 in LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) and urea production. The results showed that TIPE2-deficiency significantly upregulated the levels of iNOS expression and NO production in LPS-stimulated macrophages, but decreased mRNA levels of arginase I and urea production. However, TIPE2 overexpression in macrophages was capable of downregulating protein levels of LPS-induced iNOS and NO, but generated greater levels of arginase I and urea production. Furthermore, TIPE2−/− mice had higher iNOS protein levels in lung and liver and higher plasma NO concentrations, but lower levels of liver arginase I compared to LPS-treated WT controls. Interestingly, significant increases in IκB degradation and phosphorylation of JNK, p38, and IκB were observed in TIPE2-deficient macrophages following LPS challenge. These results strongly suggest that TIPE2 plays an important role in shifting L-arginase metabolism from production of NO to urea, during host inflammatory response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic non-healing wounds are a major clinical problem. The mechanisms leading to poor wound healing in diabetes are multifactorial but unresolved inflammation may be a major contributing factor. The complement system (CS) is the most potent inflammatory cascade in humans and contributes to poor wound healing in animal models. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) is a transcription factor expressed in immune and adipose cells and contributes to upregulation of some inflammatory chemokines and cytokines. Persistent CS and STAT4 expression in diabetic wounds may thus contribute to chronic inflammation and delayed healing. The purpose of this study was to characterize CS and STAT4 in early diabetic wounds using db/db mice as a diabetic skin wound model. The CS was found to be activated early in the diabetic wounds as demonstrated by increased anaphylatoxin C5a in wound fluid and C3-fragment deposition by immunostaining. These changes were associated with a 76% increase in nucleated cells in the wounds of db/db mice vs. controls. The novel classical CS inhibitor, Peptide Inhibitor of Complement C1 (PIC1) reduced inflammation when added directly or saturated in an acellular skin scaffold, as reflected by reduced CS components and leukocyte infiltration. A significant increase in expression of STAT4 and the downstream macrophage chemokine CCL2 and its receptor CCR2 were also found in the early wounds of db/db mice compared to non-diabetic controls. These studies provide evidence for two new promising targets to reduce unresolved inflammation and to improve healing of diabetic skin wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaplasma marginale is the most prevalent tick-borne livestock pathogen and poses a significant threat to cattle industry. In contrast to currently available live blood-derived vaccines against A. marginale, alternative safer and better-defined subunit vaccines will be of great significance. Two proteins (VirB9-1 and VirB9-2) from the Type IV secretion system of A. marginale have been shown to induce humoral and cellular immunity. In this study, Escherichia coli were used to express VirB9-1 and VirB9-2 proteins. Silica vesicles having a thin wall of 6 nm and pore size of 5.8 nm were used as the carrier and adjuvant to deliver these two antigens both as individual or mixed nano-formulations. High loading capacity was achieved for both proteins, and the mouse immunisation trial with individual as well as mixed nano-formulations showed high levels of antibody titres over 107 and strong T-cell responses. The mixed nano-formulation also stimulated high-level recall responses in bovine T-cell proliferation assays. These results open a promising path towards the development of efficient A. marginale vaccines and provide better understanding on the role of silica vesicles to deliver multivalent vaccines as mixed nano-formulations able to activate both B-cell and T-cell immunity, for improved animal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a putative model of Fasciola gigantica infection, detailed data in Kunming (KM) mice infected with F. gigantica are lacking. In this study, KM mice were orally infected with 15 metacercaria for 8 weeks. Macroscopic and microscopic changes, serum biochemistry, cytokine responses, and changes in parasite-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels were monitored at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 8 weeks post-infection (wpi), respectively. The serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increased after infection, while that of albumin (ALB) decreased, which was positively correlated with the degree of liver damage. Between 5 and 7 wpi, the mice showed symptoms of anemia and weight loss, possibly caused by the decrease of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Moreover, the changing tendencies of the levels of globulin (GLB) and parasite-specific IgG antibody were similar, suggesting a potential correlation between GLB production and adaptive immune response in the host. Coordinated variations in interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin 4 (IL-4) indicated a mixed T helper 1 (Th1)/Th2 cellular immune response. Furthermore, the serum IgG antibody increased after infection and peaked at 5 wpi, and it was positively correlated with the average parasite burdens. The worms collected from mice were approximately 1 cm in length at 8 wpi, their digestive and reproductive systems were well developed, and no eggs were found in the uterus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing detailed histological, biochemical, and immunological indices in KM mice infected with F. gigantica , which provides basic information on KM mice against infection with F. gigantica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum components of sepsis patients vary with the severity of infection, the resulting inflammatory response, per individual, and even over time. Tracking these changes is crucial in properly treating sepsis. Hence, several blood-derived biomarkers have been studied for their potential in assessing sepsis severity. However, the classical approach of selecting individual biomarkers is problematic in terms of accuracy and efficiency. We therefore present a novel approach for detecting biomarkers using longitudinal proteomics data. This does not require a predetermined set of proteins and can therefore reveal previously unknown related proteins. Our approach involves examining changes over time of both protein abundance and post-translational modifications in serum, using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE). 2D-PAGE was conducted using serum from n = 20 patients, collected at five time points, starting from the onset of sepsis. Changes in protein spots were examined using 49 spots for which the signal intensity changed by at least two-fold over time. These were then screened for significant spikes or dips in intensity that occurred exclusively in patients with adverse outcome. Individual level variation was handled by a mixed effects model. Finally, for each time transition, partial correlations between spots were estimated through a Gaussian graphical model (GGM) based on the ridge penalty. Identifications of spots of interest by tandem mass spectrometry revealed that many were either known biomarkers for inflammation (complement components), or had previously been suggested as biomarkers for kidney failure (haptoglobin) or liver failure (ceruloplasmin). The latter two are common complications in severe sepsis. In the GGM, many of the tightly connected spots shared known biological functions or even belonged to the same protein; including hemoglobin chains and acute phase proteins. Altogether, these results suggest that our screening method can successfully identify biomarkers for disease states and cluster biologically related proteins using longitudinal proteomics data derived from 2D-PAGE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paraquat (PQ), one of the most widely used herbicides worldwide, causes severe toxic effects in humans and animals. 1-methylhydantoin (MH) is an active ingredient of Ranae Oviductus, which has broad pharmacological activities, e.g., eliminating reactive oxygen species and inhibiting inflammation. This study investigated the effects of MH on lung injury induced by PQ. A PQ poisoning model was established by intragastric infusion of PQ (25 mg/kg), and the control group was simultaneously gavaged with the same dose of saline. The MH group was intraperitoneally injected with 100 mg/kg once per day after intragastric infusion of PQ (25 mg/kg) for five consecutive days. All animals were sacrificed on the sixth day, and the lung tissues were dissected for metabolomics analysis. The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, TNF-α and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were determined according to the instructions of the detection kit. Compared with that in the control group, the content of LDH, TNF-α and MDA in the lung tissue of the PQ group was significantly higher, and the activity of SOD in the lung tissue was significantly lower (all p<0.05). Compared with that in the control group, the content of LDH, TNF-α and MDA in the MH group was significantly higher, and the activity of SOD was significantly lower (all p<0.05). However, the differences in SOD activity, LDH activity between the PQ and MH groups were not statistically significant (all p > 0.05). There were significant differences in MDA and TNF-α content between the PQ group and MH group (all p<0.05). MH decreased the production of malondialdehyde and TNF-α to protect against the lung injury caused by PQ poisoning, but it had no significant effect on the activity of LDH and SOD. There were significant differences in metabolomics between the MH group and the PQ poisoning group, primarily in bile acid biosynthesis and metabolism of cholesterol, nicotinate, nicotinamide, alanine, aspartate, glutamate, glycine, threonine, serine, phenylalanine and histidine. Therefore, this study highlights that MH has non-invasive mechanisms and may be a promising tool to treat lung injury induced by PQ poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evidence that exposure to ozone air pollution causes acute cardiovascular effects is mixed. We postulated that exposure to ambient levels of ozone would increase blood markers of systemic inflammation, prothrombotic state, oxidative stress, and vascular dysfunction in healthy older subjects, and that absence of the glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1) gene would confer increased susceptibility. This double-blind, randomized, crossover study of 87 healthy volunteers 55–70 years of age was conducted at three sites using a common protocol. Subjects were exposed for 3 h in random order to 0 parts per billion (ppb) (filtered air), 70 ppb, and 120 ppb ozone, alternating 15 min of moderate exercise and rest. Blood was obtained the day before, approximately 4 h after, and approximately 22 h after each exposure. Linear mixed effect and logistic regression models evaluated the impact of exposure to ozone on pre-specified primary and secondary outcomes. The definition of statistical significance was p<0.01. There were no effects of ozone on the three primary markers of systemic inflammation and a prothrombotic state: C-reactive protein, monocyte-platelet conjugates, and microparticle-associated tissue factor activity. However, among the secondary endpoints, endothelin-1, a potent vasoconstrictor, increased from pre- to post-exposure with ozone concentration (120 vs 0 ppb: 0.07 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01, 0.14; 70 vs 0 ppb: -0.03 pg/mL, CI -0.09, 0.04; p = 0.008). Nitrotyrosine, a marker of oxidative and nitrosative stress, decreased with increasing ozone concentrations, with marginal significance (120 vs 0 ppb: -41.5, CI -70.1, -12.8; 70 vs 0 ppb: -14.2, CI -42.7, 14.2; p = 0.017). GSTM1 status did not modify the effect of ozone exposure on any of the outcomes. These findings from healthy older adults fail to identify any mechanistic basis for the epidemiologically described cardiovascular effects of exposure to ozone. The findings, however, may not be applicable to adults with cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Studying the role of the immune system in the interaction between mental and physical health is challenging. To study individuals with an intensive, longitudinal study design that requires repetitive sampling in their daily life, non-invasive sampling techniques are a necessity. Urine can be collected in a non-invasive way, but this may be demanding for participants and little is known about fluctuation of inflammatory markers in urine over time. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of non-invasive sampling, and to explore intra-individual differences in inflammatory markers in urine. Materials & methods: Ten healthy individuals collected 24-hour urine for 63 consecutive days. In a pilot analysis, 39 inflammatory markers were examined for detectability in urine, stability over time and under storage conditions, and daily fluctuations. Multiplex analyses were used to quantify levels of eight selected markers: C-reactive protein (CRP), Fractalkine, Interleukin-1 receptor-antagonist (IL-1RA), interferon-α (IFNα), interferon-γ (IFNγ), Interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP10), Macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β), and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). Cross-correlations were calculated between the overnight and 24-hour samples were calculated, to examine whether 24-hour urine could be replaced by the overnight portion for better feasibility. We examined intra- and interindividual differences in the levels of inflammatory markers in urine and the fluctuations thereof. Results: This study showed that levels of selected inflammatory markers can be detected in urine. Cross-correlation analyses showed that correlations between levels of inflammatory markers in the night portion and the 24-hour urine sample varied widely between individuals. In addition, analyses of time series revealed striking inter- and intra-individual variation in levels of inflammatory markers and their fluctuations. Conclusion: We show that the assessment of urinary inflammatory markers is feasible in an intensive day-to-day study in healthy individuals. However, 24-hour urine cannot be replaced by an overnight portion to alleviate the protocol burden. Levels of inflammatory markers show substantial variation between and within persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial peptides can protect the gastric mucosa from bacteria, but Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) can equally colonize the gastric apparatus. To understand beta-defensin function in H. pylori-associated chronic gastritis, we investigated susceptibility, human beta-defensin mRNA expression, and DNA methylation changes to promoters in the gastric mucosa with or without H. pylori infection. We studied the expression of HBD2 (gene name DEFB4A), HBD3 (DEFB103A), and HBD4 (DEFB104) using real-time PCR in 15 control and 10 H. pylori infection patient gastric specimens. This study demonstrates that H. pylori infection is related to gastric enhancement of inducible HBD2, but inducible HBD3 and HBD4 expression levels remained unchanged. HBD2 gene methylation levels were overall higher in H. pylori-negative samples than in H. pylori-positive samples. We also assessed antimicrobial susceptibility using growth on blood agar. The H. pylori strain Tox+ was susceptible to all defensins tested and their analogs (3N, 3NI). These results show that HBD2 is involved in gastritis development driven by H. pylori, which facilitates the creation of an epigenetic field during H. pylori-associated gastric tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer. The triple-negative subtype of IBC (TN-IBC) is particularly aggressive. Identification of molecular differences between TN-IBC and TN-non-IBC may help clarify the unique clinical behaviors of TN-IBC. However, our previous study comparing gene expression between TN-IBC and TN-non-IBC did not identify any TN-IBC-specific molecular signature. Lehmann et al recently reported that the mesenchymal stem-like (MSL) TNBC subtype consisted of infiltrating tumor-associated stromal cells but not cancer cells. Therefore, we compared the gene expression profiles between TN-IBC and TN-non-IBC patient samples not of the MSL subtype. Methods: We classified 88 TNBC samples from the World IBC Consortium into subtypes according to the Vanderbilt classification and Insight TNBCtype, removed samples of MSL and unstable subtype, and compared gene expression profiles between the remaining TN-IBC and TN-non-IBC samples. Results: In the Vanderbilt analysis, we identified 75 genes significantly differentially expressed between TN-IBC and TN-non-IBC at an FDR of 0.2. In the Insight TNBCtype analysis, we identified 81 genes significantly differentially expressed between TN-IBC and TN-non-IBC at an FDR of 0.4. In both analyses, the top canonical pathway was “Fc Receptor-mediated Phagocytosis in Macrophages and Monocytes”, and the top 10 differentially regulated genes included PADI3 and MCTP1, which were up-regulated, and CDC42EP3, SSR1, RSBN1, and ZC3H13, which were downregulated. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the activity of macrophages might be enhanced in TN-IBC compared with TN-non-IBC. Further clinical and preclinical studies are needed to determine the cross-talk between macrophages and IBC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the wound healing potential of three chitosan-based topical preparations loaded with either tea tree essential oil, rosemary essential oil or a mixture of both oils in vivo. Essential oils of M. alternifolia and R. officinalis were analyzed using GC/MS. Essential oil-loaded chitosan topical preparations were formulated. Wound healing potential was evaluated in vivo using an excision wound model in rats. GC/MS analysis of M. alternifolia and R. officinalis essential oils revealed richness in oxygenated monoterpenes, representing 51.06% and 69.61% of the total oil composition, respectively. Topical application of chitosan-based formulation loaded with a mixture of tea tree and rosemary oils resulted in a significant increase in wound contraction percentage compared to either group treated with individual essential oils and the untreated group. Histopathological examination revealed that topical application of tea tree and rosemary oil combination demonstrated complete re-epithelialization associated with activated hair follicles. The high percentage of oxygenated monoterpenes in both essential oils play an important role in the antioxidant and wound healing potential observed herein. Incorporation of tea tree and rosemary essential oils in chitosan-based preparations in appropriate combination could efficiently promote different stages of wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A physiologically relevant in vitro human-based model could be the ‘gold standard’ to clarify the pathological steps involved in glaucoma onset. In this regard, human 3D cultures may represent an excellent starting point to achieve this goal. Indeed, the 3D matrix allows to re-create the in vivo-like tissue architecture, maintaining its functionality and cellular behaviour, compared to the 2D model. Thus, we propose a comparison between the 2D and 3D in vitro models of human trabecular meshwork cells in terms of cellular responses after chronic stress exposure. Our results showed that 3D-cells are more sensitive to intracellular reactive oxidative specie production induced by hydrogen peroxide treatment, compared to 2D cultures. Additionally, in 3D cultures a more accurate regulation of the apoptosis trigger and cell adaptation mechanisms was detected than in 2D models. In line with these findings, the 3D-HTMC model shows the ability to better mimic the in vivo cell behaviour in adaptive responses to chronic oxidative stress than 2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inflammation has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality in HIV-positive patients. We compared inflammatory biomarkers with dual therapy using lopinavir/ritonavir plus lamivudine (LPV/r+3TC) versus triple therapy using LPV/r plus two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (LPV/r+2NRTIs) in treatment-naïve HIV-positive adults. Methods: This was a substudy among Argentinian participants in the randomized trial GARDEL. We measured hsCRP, IL-6, MCP-1, TNF, D-dimer and sCD14 from plasma collected at baseline, week 24 and week 48. Generalized estimating equations with an identity/logit link were used to model the average impact of dual versus triple therapy on each biomarker over time, controlling for baseline levels. Additional models estimated the average effect of virologic suppression on biomarker levels over time, adjusting for age, sex, and baseline CD4 count. Results: Of 191 trial participants enrolled in Argentina, 172 had baseline and follow-up measurements and were included. Median (IQR) age was 35.5 (28.5, 45) years and CD4 cell count was 310 (219, 414) cells/mm3. Dual therapy was not associated with significantly different biomarker levels over 48 weeks relative to triple therapy. Virologic suppression was associated with statistically significant decreases in MCP-1, TNF and D-dimer levels and an unexpected increase in sCD14 levels. No change was observed in hsCRP or the proportion of participants with undetectable IL-6 levels. Conclusions: In addition to having virologic non-inferiority, LPV/r+3TC dual therapy is generally associated with similar inflammatory biomarker levels over 48 weeks compared to LPV/r+2NRTIs triple therapy in treatment-naïve adults. Further study of dual treatment regimens is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies revealed that antibiotics exposure increases a risk of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) development. It remained largely unknown how antibiotic-induced dysbiosis confers the risk for enhanced inflammatory response. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that SCFAs, their receptors and transporters mediate the antibiotic long-term effects on the functional state of colonic mucosa and susceptibility to the experimental colitis. Male Wistar rats were treated daily for 14 days with antibiotic ceftriaxone (300 mg/kg, i.m.) or vehicle; euthanized by CO2 inhalation followed by cervical dislocation in 1, 14 or 56 days after antibiotic withdrawal. We found increased cecum weight and sustained changes in microbiota composition after ceftriaxone treatment with increased number of conditionally pathogenic enterobacteria, E. coli, Clostridium, Staphylococcus spp. and hemolytic bacteria even at 56 days after antibiotic withdrawal. The concentration of SCFAs was decreased after ceftriaxone withdrawal. We found decreased immunoreactivity of the FFA2, FFA3 receptors, SMCT1 and increased MCT1 & MCT4 transporters of SCFAs in colon mucosa. These changes evoked a significant shift in colonic mucosal homeostasis: the disturbance of oxidant-antioxidant balance; activation of redox-sensitive transcription factor HIF1α and ERK1/2 MAP kinase; increased colonic epithelial permeability and bacterial translocation to blood; morphological remodeling of the colonic tissue. Ceftriaxone pretreatment significantly reinforced inflammation during experimental colitis 56 days after ceftriaxone withdrawal, which was confirmed by increased histopathology of colitis, Goblet cell dysfunction, colonic dilatation and wall thickening, and increased serum levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-10). Since the recognition of the importance of microbiota metabolic activity rather than their composition in the development of inflammatory disorders, e.g. IBD, the present study is the first report on the role of the SCFA system in the long lasting side effects of antibiotic treatment and its implication in IBD development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plasmodium malariae is the third most prevalent human malaria-causing species and has a patchy, but ample distribution in the world. Humans can host the parasite for years without presenting significant symptoms, turning its diagnosis and control into a difficult task. Here, we investigated the immunogenicity of recombinant proteins of P. malariae MSP1. Methods: Five regions of PmMSP1 were expressed in Escherichia coli as GST-fusion proteins and immunized in BALB/c mice. The specificity, subtyping, and affinity of raised antibodies were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Cellular immune responses were analyzed by lymphoproliferation assays and cytokine levels produced by splenocytes were detected by cytometry. Results: We found that N-terminal, central regions, and PmMSP119 are strongly immunogenic in mice. After three doses, the induced immune responses remained high for 70 days. While antibodies induced after immunization with N-terminal and central regions showed similar affinities to the target antigens, affinities of IgG against PmMSP119 were higher. All proteins induced similar antibody subclass patterns (predominantly IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b), characterizing a mixed Th1/Th2 response. Further, autologous stimulation of splenocytes from immunized mice led to the secretion of IL2 and IL4, independently of the antigen used. Importantly, IgG from P. malariae-exposed individuals reacted against PmMSP1 recombinant proteins with a high specificity. On the other hand, sera from P. vivax or P. falciparum-infected individuals did not react at all against recombinant PmMSP1 proteins. Conclusion: Recombinant PmMSP1 proteins are very useful diagnostic markers of P. malariae in epidemiological studies or in the differential diagnosis of malaria caused by this species. Immunization with recombinant PmMSP1 proteins resulted in a significant humoral immune response, which may turn them potential component candidates for a vaccine against P. malariae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This open-label study assessed the safety and immunogenicity of two doses (14 days apart) of an indigenously manufactured, killed, bivalent (Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139), whole-cell oral cholera vaccine (SHANCHOL; Shantha Biotechnics) in healthy adults (n = 100) and children (n = 100) in a cholera endemic area (Vellore, South India) to fulfill post-licensure regulatory requirements and post-World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification commitments. Safety and reactogenicity were assessed, and seroconversion rates (i.e. proportion of participants with a ≥ 4-fold rise from baseline in serum vibriocidal antibody titers against V. cholerae O1 Inaba, O1 Ogawa and O139, respectively) were determined 14 days after each vaccine dose. No serious adverse events were reported during the study. Commonly reported solicited adverse events were headache and general ill feeling. Seroconversion rates after the first and second dose in adults were 67.7% and 55.2%, respectively, against O1 Inaba; 47.9% and 45.8% against O1 Ogawa; and 19.8% and 20.8% against O139. In children, seroconversion rates after the first and second dose were 80.2% and 68.8%, respectively, against O1 Inaba; 72.9% and 67.7% against O1 Ogawa; and 26.0% and 18.8% against O139. The geometric mean titers against O1 Inaba, O1 Ogawa, and O139 in both adults and children were significantly higher after each vaccine dose compared to baseline titers (P < 0.001; for both age groups after each dose versus baseline). The seroconversion rates for O1 Inaba, O1 Ogawa, and O139 in both age groups were similar to those in previous studies with the vaccine. In conclusion, the killed, bivalent, whole-cell oral cholera vaccine has a good safety and reactogenicity profile, and is immunogenic in healthy adults and children. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ; CTRI/2012/01/002354. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Blood collection, transportation and storage remain a problem in countries where infrastructure, laboratory facilities and skilled manpower are scarce. This limits evaluation of immune responses in natural infections and vaccination in field studies. We developed methods to measure antigen specific antibody responses using dried blood spot (DBS) in cholera, ETEC and typhoid fever patients as well as recipients of oral cholera vaccine (OCV). Methodology/Principle findings: We processed heparinized blood for preparing DBS and plasma specimens from patients with, cholera, ETEC and typhoid as well as OCV recipients. We optimized the conventional vibriocidal method to measure vibriocidal antibody response in DBS eluates. We measured responses in DBS samples and plasma (range of titer of 5 to 10240). Vibriocidal titer showed strong agreement between DBS eluates and plasma in cholera patients (ICC = 0.9) and in OCV recipients (ICC = 0.8) using the Bland-Altman analysis and a positive correlation was seen (r = 0.7, p = 0.02 and r = 0.6, p = 0.006, respectively). We observed a strong agreement of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and cholera toxin B (CTB)-specific antibody responses between DBS eluates and plasma in cholera patients and OCV recipients. We also found agreement of heat labile toxin B (LTB) and membrane protein (MP)-specific antibody responses in DBS eluates and plasma specimen of ETEC and typhoid patients respectively. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that dried blood specimens can be used as an alternate method for preservation of samples to measure antibody responses in enteric diseases and vaccine trials and can be applied to assessment of responses in humanitarian crisis and other adverse field settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypervariable T cell receptors (TCRs) play a key role in adaptive immunity, recognizing a vast diversity of pathogen-derived antigens. Our ability to extract clinically relevant information from large high-throughput sequencing of TCR repertoires (RepSeq) data is limited, because little is known about TCR–disease associations. We present Antigen-specific Lymphocyte Identification by Clustering of Expanded sequences (ALICE), a statistical approach that identifies TCR sequences actively involved in current immune responses from a single RepSeq sample and apply it to repertoires of patients with a variety of disorders—patients with autoimmune disease (ankylosing spondylitis [AS]), under cancer immunotherapy, or subject to an acute infection (live yellow fever [YF] vaccine). We validate the method with independent assays. ALICE requires no longitudinal data collection nor large cohorts, and it is directly applicable to most RepSeq datasets. Its results facilitate the identification of TCR variants associated with diseases and conditions, which can be used for diagnostics and rational vaccine design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for ischemic heart disease including acute myocardial infarction. However, long-term effects of hypercholesterolemia in a rodent myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury model are unknown. Therefore, the effects of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia on cardiac function and remodeling were investigated up to eight weeks after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI-R) injury which was induced in either normocholesterolemic (NC-MI) or hypercholesterolemic (HC-MI) APOE*3-Leiden mice. Methods: Left ventricular (LV) dimensions were serially assessed using parasternal long-axis echocardiography followed by LV pressure-volume measurements. Subsequently, infarct size and the inflammatory response were analyzed by histology and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis. Results: Intrinsic LV function eight weeks after MI-R was significantly impaired in HC-MI compared to NC-MI mice as assessed by end-systolic pressure, dP/dtMAX, and -dP/dtMIN. Paradoxically, infarct size was significantly decreased in HC-MI compared to NC-MI mice, accompanied by an increased wall thickness. Hypercholesterolemia caused a pre-ischemic peripheral monocytosis, in particular of Ly-6Chi monocytes whereas accumulation of macrophages in the ischemic-reperfused myocardium of HC-MI mice was decreased. Conclusion: Diet-induced hypercholesterolemia caused impaired LV function eight weeks after MI-R injury despite a reduced post-ischemic infarct size. This was preceded by a pre-ischemic peripheral monocytosis, while there was a suppressed accumulation of inflammatory cells in the ischemic-reperfused myocardium after eight weeks. This experimental model using hypercholesterolemic APOE*3-Leiden mice exposed to MI-R seems suitable to study novel cardioprotective therapies in a more clinically relevant animal model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Various altitude training regimes, systematically used to improve oxygen carrying capacity and sports performance, have been associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation. We investigated whether increased intake of common antioxidant-rich foods attenuates these processes. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 31 elite endurance athletes (23 ± 5 years), ingested antioxidant-rich foods (n = 16), (> doubling their usual intake), or eucaloric control foods (n = 15) during a 3-week altitude training camp (2320 m). Fasting blood and urine samples were collected 7 days pre-altitude, after 5 and 18 days at altitude, and 7 days post-altitude. Change over time was compared between the groups using mixed models for antioxidant capacity [uric acid-free (ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP)], oxidative stress (8-epi-PGF2α) and inflammatory biomarkers (IFNγ, IL1α, IL1RA, IL1β, IL2, IL5, IL6, IL7, IL10, IL12p70, IL13, IL17, TNFα, MCP-1 and micro-CRP). The cytokine response to a stress-test (VO2max ramp test or 100 m swimming) was assessed at pre- and post-altitude. Results: FRAP increased more in the antioxidant compared to the control group (p = 0.034). IL13 decreased in the antioxidant group, while increasing in the controls (p = 0.006). A similar trend was seen for IL6 (p = 0.062). A larger decrease in micro-CRP was detected in the antioxidant group compared to controls (β: -0.62, p = 0.02). We found no group differences for the remaining cytokines. 8-epi-PGF2α increased significantly in the whole population (p = 0.033), regardless group allocation. The stress response was significantly larger post-altitude compared with pre-altitude for IL1β, IL6, IL7, IL13, IL12p70 and TNFα, but we found no group differences. Conclusions: Increased intake of antioxidant-rich foods elevated the antioxidant capacity and attenuated some of the altitude-induced systemic inflammatory biomarkers in elite athletes. The antioxidant intervention had no impact on the altitude-induced oxidative stress or changes in acute cytokine responses to exercise stress-tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection control is necessary for improved burn wound regeneration. In this study contact burn wounds were induced on the dorsum of the rats and were infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (107cfu/ml of saline) and left overnight (12–14 hours) to establish the infection. After 12 hours, the wounds were treated with PEGylated fibrin hydrogel containing 50 mgs of silver sulfadiazine (SSD) loaded chitosan microsphere (SSD-CSM-FPEG). On day 9, SSD-CSM-FPEG treated burn wounds further received adipose derived stem cell (5×104 ASCs cells/ml) embedded in PEGylated fibrin hydrogel. Wounds were assessed for the healing outcomes such as neovascularization, granulation tissue formation, wound closure and collagen maturation. Analysis of bacterial load in the burn wound biopsies, demonstrated that SSD–CSM-FPEG significantly reduced bacterial infection, while overt infection was still observed in the untreated groups on day 14. Sequential treatment of infected wounds with SSD–CSM-FPEG followed by ASC-FPEGs (SSD-CSM-ASC-FPEG) significantly reduced bacterial colonization (9 log reduction) and pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α) expression. A significant increase in neovascularization markers; NG2 and vWF was also observed. Histological analysis indicated the wounds treated with SSD-CSM-ASC-FPEG increased amount of dermal collagen matrix deposition, a thicker granulation tissue on day 21 and more mature collagen on day 28. This work demonstrates that the sequential treatment of infected burn wounds with SSD-CSM-FPEG followed by ASC-FPEG reduces bacterial infection as well as promotes neo-vascularization with improved matrix remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]