Expression and functional characterization of collection-K1 from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in host innate immune defense

Publication date: November 2018

Source: Molecular Immunology, Volume 103

Author(s): Liangliang Mu, Xiaoxue Yin, Xia Bian, Liting Wu, Yanjian Yang, Xiufang Wei, Zheng Guo, Jianmin Ye

Abstract

Collectin-K1 (CL-K1), a multifunctional Ca²⁺-dependent lectin, is able to bind carbohydrates on pathogens and inhibit infection by direct neutralization, agglutination, opsonization and killing, which plays an important role in innate immunity. In this study, a CL-K1 homolog (OnCL-K1) was identified from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and characterized at expression and agglutination functional levels. The open reading frame of OnCL-K1 is 720 bp of nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide of 239 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence has two characteristic structures, containing a collagen-like region and a carbohydrate recognition domain. Expression analysis revealed that the OnCL-K1 was highly expressed in the liver, and widely exhibited in other tissues including kidney, intestine and spleen. In addition, the OnCL-K1 expression was significantly up-regulated in spleen and anterior kidney following challenges with a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen (Streptococcus agalactiae) and a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen (Aeromonas hydrophila). The up-regulation of OnCL-K1 expression was also demonstrated in hepatocytes and monocytes/macrophages in vitro stimulation with S. agalactiae and A. hydrophila. Recombinant OnCL-K1 protein was able to agglutinate both S. agalactiae and A. hydrophila in vitro, and participate in the regulation of inflammatory, migration reaction and promote the phagocytosis by monocytes/macrophages. Taken together, the results of this study indicated that OnCL-K1, possessing apparent agglutination, opsonization and killing ability to bacterial pathogens and participating in the regulation mechanisms of the non-specific cellular immune, might be involved in host defense of innate immunity against bacterial infection in Nile tilapia.

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Effect of a dairy diet on nasopharyngeal mucus secretion

The Laryngoscope, EarlyView.


https://ift.tt/2CgBjf5

Up-regulated lipocalin-2 in pediatric thyroid cancer correlated with poor clinical characteristics

Abstract

Background

The incidence of thyroid cancer is fast increasing in both adults and children. The pediatric thyroid cancer had often already progressed to a more advanced stage of the disease at diagnosis. Early detection of pediatric thyroid cancer has been a problem for many years. Lipocalin-2 (Lcn2) has been reported to be over-expressed in cancers of diverse histological origin and it facilitates tumorigenesis by promoting survival, growth, and metastasis.

Methods

The plasma Lcn2 concentration of 28 Chinese papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) children and 24 healthy controls was measured. Immunostaining for Ki-67 of tumor tissue from PTC children was performed. The expression levels of Lcn2 and NFκB in PTC tissue and peri-carcinoma tissue of PTC children were measured through Western blot.

Results

The plasma concentration of Lcn2 was significantly elevated in pediatric PTC patients compared with healthy controls. Besides, the plasma Lcn2 concentration significantly correlated with clinical characteristics, NFκB level, and Ki-67 positive rate of nucleus in tissue of PTC.

Conclusion

This is the first study to evaluate the plasma Lcn2 in pediatric PTC patients. It is possible that the plasma Lcn2 may be a new biomarker of pediatric thyroid cancer. Further studies are needed to explore the definite role and mechanism of Lcn2 in thyroid cancer, which will help to explore novel diagnostic or therapeutic strategies.

https://ift.tt/2Q4xDQi

Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis with Biologic Drugs

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, pruritic, inflammatory skin disease which predominately affects children and usually clears up during infancy or childhood. However, AD may persist with a chronic relapsing course until adulthood or develop at a later age. AD treatment can often be complicated. Treating moderate-to-severe AD can be challenging: only a few therapeutic options are available, with cyclosporine being the only approved and labeled systemic drug. In the last few years, advances in the knowledge of AD pathogenesis have been made that can provide the basis for developing new topical and systemic drugs. Among them, biologic drugs targeting specific cytokines involved in the development of the disease will probably revolutionize AD therapy. Currently, dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody that binds to the shared alpha chain subunit of the receptors for IL-4 and IL-13, is the only biologic drug licensed for the treatment of AD in adults. However, other biologic drugs that selectively target some key cytokines in AD pathogenesis (IL-13, IL-31, and IL-22) are also being studied. In this review, we discuss all of the biologic drugs that have been studied for AD treatment.

https://ift.tt/2oENSra

Erythropoietin (rhEPOa) promotes endothelial transdifferentiation of stem cells of the apical papilla (SCAP)

Publication date: Available online 3 September 2018

Source: Archives of Oral Biology

Author(s): Anastasios Koutsoumparis, Angelina Vassili, Athina Bakopoulou, Argyro Ziouta, Asterios S. Tsiftsoglou

Abstract

Objective

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have attracted worldwide attention for their capacity to repair damaged tissue, immunosuppression, ability to differentiate into several cell types and their secretome. Earlier studies have demonstrated their angiogenic potential in vitro and in vivo. However, little is known regarding pro-angiogenic inducers of stable endothelial transdifferentiation of MSCs. Here, we employed human MSCs from the Apical Papilla (SCAP) and investigated whether recombinant human erythropoietin-alpha (rhEPOa) could act as such inducer.

Design

Cultured SCAP cells were exposed to rhEPOa and assessed for cell growth kinetics, viability and morphology, as well as their capacity to form capillary tubule structures in selected microenvironments. RT-PCR was used to monitor endothelial markers and activation of EPO/EPOR pathway signaling components; while gelatin zymographies to assess activation of MMP-2.

Results

rhEPOa treatment initially (48 h) accelerated cell proliferation and allowed SCAP to sprout micro-tubular structures. Morphological and biochemical differentiation was accompanied by activation of MMP-2 and upregulation of PECAM-1, VEGFR2, vWF and VE-cadherin/CDH5. SCAP expressed the cognate EPO-R, while rhEPOa-treated SCAP exhibited higher expression of molecules involved in EPO/EPOR pathway (EPOR and JAK2).

Conclusion

rhEPOa is capable of promoting endothelial transdifferentiation of SCAP which may be of clinical value in treating of ischemic disorders.

Graphical abstract

https://ift.tt/2NJgoCE

Erythropoietin (rhEPOa) promotes endothelial transdifferentiation of stem cells of the apical papilla (SCAP)

Publication date: Available online 3 September 2018

Source: Archives of Oral Biology

Author(s): Anastasios Koutsoumparis, Angelina Vassili, Athina Bakopoulou, Argyro Ziouta, Asterios S. Tsiftsoglou

Abstract

Objective

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have attracted worldwide attention for their capacity to repair damaged tissue, immunosuppression, ability to differentiate into several cell types and their secretome. Earlier studies have demonstrated their angiogenic potential in vitro and in vivo. However, little is known regarding pro-angiogenic inducers of stable endothelial transdifferentiation of MSCs. Here, we employed human MSCs from the Apical Papilla (SCAP) and investigated whether recombinant human erythropoietin-alpha (rhEPOa) could act as such inducer.

Design

Cultured SCAP cells were exposed to rhEPOa and assessed for cell growth kinetics, viability and morphology, as well as their capacity to form capillary tubule structures in selected microenvironments. RT-PCR was used to monitor endothelial markers and activation of EPO/EPOR pathway signaling components; while gelatin zymographies to assess activation of MMP-2.

Results

rhEPOa treatment initially (48 h) accelerated cell proliferation and allowed SCAP to sprout micro-tubular structures. Morphological and biochemical differentiation was accompanied by activation of MMP-2 and upregulation of PECAM-1, VEGFR2, vWF and VE-cadherin/CDH5. SCAP expressed the cognate EPO-R, while rhEPOa-treated SCAP exhibited higher expression of molecules involved in EPO/EPOR pathway (EPOR and JAK2).

Conclusion

rhEPOa is capable of promoting endothelial transdifferentiation of SCAP which may be of clinical value in treating of ischemic disorders.

Graphical abstract

https://ift.tt/2NJgoCE

Tumeur de Triton maligne du maxillaire : à propos d’un cas

Publication date: September 2018

Source: Annales françaises d'Oto-rhino-laryngologie et de Pathologie Cervico-faciale, Volume 135, Issue 4

Author(s): W. Elleuch, S. Briki, H. Mnif, M. Abdelmoula

https://ift.tt/2LXzcMI