Immunobiology

Seizures are a common feature of autoimmune encephalitis and are especially prevalent in patients with the commonest autoantibodies, against LGI1, CASPR2 and the NMDA, GABAB , and GABAA receptors. In this chapter, we discuss the classification, clinical, investigation, and treatment aspects of patients with these, and other autoantibody-mediated and -associated, illnesses. We highlight distinctive and common seizure semiologies which, often alongside other features we outline, can help the clinical diagnosis of an autoantibody-associated syndrome...

Prurigo is a reactive, hyperplastic skin condition characterized by pruritic papules, plaques, and/or nodules. The temporal classification includes acute/subacute and chronic disease (≥ 6 weeks), with different clinical variants, synonymies, and underlying etiological factors. The immunology of chronic prurigo shows similarities with atopic dermatitis due to the involvement of IL-4 and IL-13, IL-22, and IL-31. Treatment includes antihistamines, topical steroids, dupilumab, and JAK inhibitors. Several conditions manifest clinically as prurigo-like lesions, and the correct clinical diagnosis must precede correct treatment...

BACKGROUND: We have previously found that enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is correlated with inflammatory infiltration and mucosal cell injury in ulcerative colitis (UC). This study aims to analyze the role of X-inactive specific transcript (XIST), a possible interactive long non-coding RNA of EZH2, in UC and to explore the mechanisms. METHODS: C57BL/6N mice were treated with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), and mouse colonic mucosal epithelial cells were treated with DSS and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for UC modeling...

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have limited efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Macrophages are the most abundant immune cells in HCC, suggesting that a better understanding of the intrinsic processes by which tumor cells regulate macrophages could help identify strategies to improve response to immunotherapy. As signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) family members regulate various immune functions, we investigated the role of specific SLAM receptors in the immunobiology of HCC. Comparison of the transcriptomic landscapes of immunotherapy-responsive and non-responsive advanced HCC patients identified SLAMF7 upregulation in immunotherapy-responsive HCC, and HCC patients who responded to immunotherapy also displayed higher serum levels of SLAMF7...

OBJECTIVE: Analyze the impact of the state research-action project on immunization indicators (vaccination coverage - VC, homogeneity of vaccination coverage - HVC, dropout rate - DR, and risk rating) before and after the intervention in municipalities and priority Regional Health Administrations/Regional Health Superintendencies (RHA/RHS). METHODS: The state research-action project was a before-after community clinical trial conducted in 212 municipalities belonging to eight RHA/RHS in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil...

Immune responses to both SARS-CoV-2 infection and its associated vaccines have been highly variable within the general population. The increasing evidence of long-lasting symptoms after resolution of infection, called post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) or "Long COVID," suggests that immune-mediated mechanisms are at play. Closely related endemic common human coronaviruses (hCoV) can induce pre-existing and potentially cross-reactive immunity, which can then affect primary SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as vaccination responses...

Macrophages are innate immune cells that interact with complex extracellular matrix environments, which have varied stiffness, composition, and structure, and such interactions can lead to the modulation of cellular activity. Collagen is often used in the culture of immune cells, but the effects of substrate functionalization conditions are not typically considered. Here, we show that the solvent system used to attach collagen onto a hydrogel surface affects its surface distribution and organization, and this can modulate the responses of macrophages subsequently cultured on these surfaces in terms of their inflammatory activation and expression of adhesion and mechanosensitive molecules...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a poorly immunogenic malignancy with limited survival. Syngeneic, immunocompetent mouse models of CCA are an essential tool to elucidate the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), understand mechanisms of tumor immune evasion, and test novel immunotherapeutic strategies. The scope of this study was to develop and characterize immunocompetent CCA models with distinct genetic drivers, and correlate tumor genomics, immunobiology, and therapeutic response...

B cell immunity has a penetrating effect on human health and diseases. Therapeutics aiming to modulate B cell immunity have achieved remarkable success in combating infections, autoimmunity, and malignancies. However, current treatments still face significant limitations in generating effective long-lasting therapeutic B cell responses for many conditions. As the understanding of B cell biology has deepened in recent years, clearer regulation networks for B cell differentiation and antibody production have emerged, presenting opportunities to overcome current difficulties and realize the full therapeutic potential of B cell immunity...

Studies over the last 2 decades have identified IL-17 and IL-21 as key cytokines in the modulation of a wide range of immune responses. IL-17 serves as a critical defender against bacterial and fungal pathogens, while maintaining symbiotic relationships with commensal microbiota. However, alterations in its levels can lead to chronic inflammation and autoimmunity. IL-21, on the other hand, bridges the adaptive and innate immune responses, and its imbalance is implicated in autoimmune diseases and cancer, highlighting its important role in both health and disease...

INTRODUCTION: Primary cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCL) are a heterogenous group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas derived from skin-homing T cells. These include mycosis fungoides and its leukemic variant Sezary syndrome, as well as the CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders. AREAS COVERED: In this review, we provide a summary of the current literature on CTCL, with a focus on the immunopathogenesis and treatment of mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome. EXPERT OPINION: Recent advances in immunology have provided new insights into the biology of malignant T cells...

Hematology is a clinical specialty with strong roots in the laboratory; accordingly, the lab can help solve perplexing clinical problems. This review highlights clinical-pathological conundrums addressed during my 35-year hematology career at McMaster University. Heyde syndrome is the association between aortic stenosis and bleeding gastrointestinal (GI) angiodysplasia where the bleeding is usually cured by aortic valve replacement; the chance reading of a neonatal study showing reversible deficiency of high-molecular-weight (HMW) multimers of von Willebrand factor (vWF) following surgical correction of congenital heart disease provided the key insight that a subtle deficiency of HMW multimers of vWF explains Heyde syndrome...

Sepsis is a common and deadly condition. Within the current model of sepsis immunobiology, the framing of dysregulated host immune responses into proinflammatory and immunosuppressive responses for the testing of novel treatments has not resulted in successful immunomodulatory therapies. Thus, the recent focus has been to parse observable heterogeneity into subtypes of sepsis to enable personalised immunomodulation. In this Personal View, we highlight that many fundamental immunological concepts such as resistance, disease tolerance, resilience, resolution, and repair are not incorporated into the current sepsis immunobiology model...

OBJECTIVE: The value of novel biomarkers for DKD has received increasing attention, and there is an urgent need for novel biomarkers with sensitivity, specificity and ability to detect kidney damage.miR-377 regulates many basic biological processes, plays a key role in tumor cell proliferation, migration and inflammation, and can also increase the expression of matrix proteins and fibronectin, leading to renal tubulointerstitial inflammation and renal fibrosis. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2, as an inflammatory marker, is involved in the pathological process of microalbuminuria production and renal function decline, and is a predictive factor of microalbuminuria production and renal function decline, and can be used as an indicator to evaluate the progression of DKD...

Previous studies have shown that complexly shaped nanoparticles (NPs) have their intrinsic radiothermal emission in the millimeter range. This article presents a method for controlling the quality of nanodrugs-immunobiological preparations (IBPs)-based on the detection of their intrinsic radiothermal emissions. The emissivity of interferon (IFN) medicals, determined without opening the primary package, is as follows (µW/m2 ): IFN-α2b-80 ± 9 (105 IU per package), IFN-β1a-40 ± 5 (24 × 106 IU per package), IFN-γ-30 ± 4 (105 IU per package)...

Severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice serve as a critical model for human xenotransplantation studies, yet they often suffer from low engraftment rates and susceptibility to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Moreover, certain SCID strains demonstrate 'immune leakage', underscoring the need for novel model development. Here, we introduce an SCID mouse model with a targeted disruption of the dclre1c gene, encoding Artemis, which is essential for V(D)J recombination and DNA repair during T cell receptor (TCR) and B cell receptor (BCR) assembly...

BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) is a challenging cancer with significant clinical implications. Natural killer (NK) cells have emerged as important players in tumor immunosurveillance, yet their role and potential as prognostic biomarkers in HNSC remain unclear. METHODS: Quantitative analysis using multiple algorithms identified FCRL1, KIR3DL2 and ZNF541 as molecules significantly associated with local NK cell infiltration and patient survival...

Systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs) are a group of rare genetic and nongenetic immune dysregulatory disorders associated with high morbidity and mortality if left untreated. Therefore, early diagnosis and initiation of targeted treatment is vital in SAID patients to control the disease activity and prevent long-term immune-mediated damage. A specific group of genetically defined SAIDs is associated with increased inflammasome-mediated production of active interleukin (IL)-1. Even though progress in immunobiology and genetics has brought forth diagnostic tools and novel treatments that have been described in the literature extensively, many challenges remain in the clinical setting...

INTRODUCTION: Biologics targeting type 2 inflammation have revolutionized the way we treat patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP). Particularly in severe and difficult-to-control cases, these drugs have provided a new reality for these patients, allowing for the effective and safe treatment of extensive diseases that were not completely managed with the typical strategy of surgery and topical medications. OBJECTIVES: The experience achieved with the approval of these medications by ANVISA for use in CRSwNP and the knowledge obtained regarding outcomes, adverse effects, and the ideal patient profile prompted the update of the previously published guideline, with a detailed review of the most recent scientific literature, the personal experiences of experts, and the adaptation to the reality of the Brazilian healthcare system, both public and private...

IgE-mediated food allergy (IgE-FA) occurs due to a breakdown in immune tolerance that leads to a detrimental type 2 helper T cell (TH 2) adaptive immune response. While the processes governing this loss of tolerance are incompletely understood, several host-related and environmental factors impacting the risk of IgE-FA development have been identified. Mounting evidence supports the role of an impaired epithelial barrier in the development of IgE-FA, with exposure of allergens through damaged skin and gut epithelium leading to the aberrant production of alarmins and activation of TH 2-type allergic inflammation...