Local Assessment of the Immunohistochemical Expression of Foxp3 + Regulatory T Lymphocytes in the Different Pathological Forms Associated with Bovine Paratuberculosis

Background Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infected animals show a variety of granulomatous lesions: from focal forms, restricted to the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), related to latency and resistance, to diffuse lesions, with abundant (multibacillary) or scant (paucibacillary) bacteria, seen in clinical stages. Factors that determine the response to the infection and responsible for the occurrence of the different types of lesion are still not fully determined. It has been seen that regulatory T cells (Treg) play an important role in the progress of various diseases where they act on the limitation of the immunopathology associated with the immune response. In the case of paratuberculosis (PTB) the role of Treg lymphocytes in the immunity against Map is far away to be completely understood; therefore, several studies addressing this subject have appeared recently. The aim of this work was to assess, by immunohistochemical methods, the presence of Foxp3+ T lymphocytes in intestinal samples with different types of lesions seen in cows with PTB. Methods Intestinal samples of twenty cows showing the different pathological forms of PTB were evaluated: uninfected controls (n = 5), focal lesions (n = 5), diffuse paucibacillary (n = 5) and diffuse multibacillary (n = 5) forms. Foxp3+ lymphocyte distribution was assessed by differential cell count in intestinal lamina propria (LP), gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and mesenteric lymph node (MLN). Results A significant increase in the number of Foxp3+ T cells was observed in all infected animals, but this increase was only significant in cows with focal lesions and, to a lesser extent, in animals with diffuse paucibacillary forms. The former showed the highest numbers, significantly different from those found in cows with diffuse lesions, where no differences were noted between the two forms. No specific distribution pattern was observed within the granulomatous lesions in any of the groups. Conclusions The increase of Foxp3+ T cells in focal forms, that have been associated with latency or resistance to infection, suggest an anti-inflammatory action of these cells at these stages, helping to prevent exacerbation of the inflammatory response, as occurs in diffuse forms, responsible for the appearance of clinical signs.

SUBCELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF FoxP3 TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATION

The key cellular and molecular factors being involved in the resolution of inflammation following acute myocardial infarction remain poorly understood. T-regulatory (Treg) lymphocytes are characterized by the extreme potential to regulate the strength and direction of immune responses during the myocardial injury. The functional activity of Treg-lymphocytes depends upon the transcription factor forkhead box protein P3 (FoxP3). It may be also expressed in conventional T-lymphocytes at the stage of their activation. Nuclear localization of FoxP3 is a prerequisite factor determining its ability to impact the suppressive functions of Treglymphocytes.The aim of the present study was comparative evaluation of FoxP3+T-lymphocytes frequency and counts, combined with estimation of FoxP3 subcellular localization, in patients with acute myocardial infarction and chronic coronary syndrome and examination of changes of these parameters in the short-term follow-up of patients with myocardial infarction. The study included 14 patients with chronic coronary syndrome (8 males; 6 females; 63.2±9.0 y.o.) and 5 patients with acute anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (4 males; 1 female; 61.4±11.2 y.o.) at days 1, 3 and 7 after the event. The frequency of FoxP3+ conventional and regulatory T-lymphocytes was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells together with estimation of the level of FoxP3 nuclear localization by imaging flow cytometry.Patients with infarction were characterized by the decreased counts of FoxP3+Treg-lymphocytes compared to patients with chronic coronary syndrome, and exhibited even further decrease in the counts of FoxP3+Tregcells at day 7 after infarction, while frequency of Treg and conventional T-lymphocytes did not differ significantly. The level of FoxP3 nuclear translocation was lower both in Treg and conventional T-lymphocytes in patients at day 1 post-infarction compared to patients with chronic coronary syndrome. Absolute counts of FoxP3+Tregs with nuclear FoxP3 localization remained significantly lower both at days 1 and 7 post-infarction compared to patients with chronic coronary syndrome.Thus, here we demonstrated that FoxP3 nuclear localization experiences decrease in the course of acute myocardial infarction and may serve as a more sensitive marker of changes in Treg-lymphocyte functioning than simple evaluation of their frequency.

Simulation model for Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroiditis disease

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT) is a pathology which often causes a gradual thyroid insufficiency in affected patients due to the autoimmune destruction of this gland. The cellular immune response mediated by T helper lymphocytes TH1 and TH17 can induce the HT disease. In this pathologic condition, there is an imbalance between the TH17 and Treg lymphocytes as well as a gut microbiota dysfunction. The objective of this work was to describe the interactions of the cell subpopulations that participate in HT. To achieve this goal, we generated a mathematical model that allowed the simulation of different scenarios for the dynamic interaction between thyroid cells, the immune system, and the gut microbiota. We used a hypothetical-deductive design of mathematical modeling based on a system of ordinary differential equations, where the state variables are the TH1, TH17 and Treg lymphocytes, the thyrocytes and the bacteria from gut microbiota. This work generated a compartmental model of the cellular immune response occurring in the thyroid gland. It was observed that TH1 and TH17 lymphocytes could increase the immune cells activity, as well as activate effector cells directly and trigger the apoptosis and inflammation processes of healthy thyrocytes indirectly. Likewise, the model showed that a reduction in Treg lymphocytes could increase the activity of TH17 lymphocytes when an imbalance of the gut microbiota composition occurred. The numerical results highlight the TH1, TH17 and bacterial balance of the gut microbiota activities as important factors for the development of Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroiditis disease.

Circulating FoxP3+ T-lymphocytes in chronic coronary artery disease: Associations with the severity of atherosclerosis and lipid metabolism

Introduction. The transcription factor forkhead box protein P3 (FoxP3) is a major regulator of T-regulatory (Treg) lymphocytes and may be expressed in T-conventional (Tconv) lymphocytes at the stage of their activation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the quantities and features of FoxP3+ Tconv and Treg lymphocytes and their relationships with the parameters of lipid metabolism in patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) depending on the severity of coronary atherosclerosis.Material and Methods. The study comprised 14 patients (8 men and 6 women) aged 66.5 ± 9.0 years with verified chronic CAD. All the patients underwent coronary angiography and assessment of atherosclerosis severity by calculation of Gensini Score index (GS). Patients were divided into the following groups: group 1 had GS < 20; group 2 had GS ≥ 20. The absolute and relative counts of FoxP3+ Treg and Tconv lymphocytes and degree of FoxP3 nuclear translocation were evaluated in all patients by imaging flow cytometry. Concentrations of insulin, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), and sortilin were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Parameters of glucose metabolism and serum lipid spectrum were determined by the standard methods.Results. Counts of Treg and Tconv lymphocytes did not differ between groups of patients with different severity of atherosclerosis. However, patients with GS ≥ 20 had lower intensity of nuclear FoxP3 fluorescence in Treg and Tconv lymphocytes. GS index in the entire group of CAD patients tended to be negatively associated with the fluorescence intensity of FoxP3 in the nuclei of Treg (rs = –0.476) and Tconv lymphocytes (rs = –0.526). Multiple correlations existed between the quantitative and qualitative parameters of FoxP3+ Treg and FoxP3+ Tconv lymphocytes and metabolic parameters such as concentrations of PCSK9, sortilin, apolipoprotein B, and triglycerides/HDL cholesterol ratio.Conclusion. FoxP3 fluorescence intensity in the nuclei of T conventional lymphocytes was more sensitive marker of immunoregulatory imbalance in chronic CAD compared to counts of FoxP3+ T cells in the peripheral blood, which remained nearly unaltered with the increase in atherosclerosis severity. At the same time, markers of lipid metabolism were tightly associated with both quantitative and qualitative features of FoxP3+ T-lymphocytes.

Immune system in development and progression of viral myocardial damage

This review demonstrates the role of the immune system in the development and progression of cardiac pathology caused by viral infection. The authors describe the role of lymphocytes (T- helper-17–Th17) in the viral persistence in myocardial tissue. They provide the information on increased level of interleukin-17A, the main Th17 cytokine in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, which proves role of these cells in the progression of cardiac pathology. They discuss the role of T regulatory (Treg) lymphocytes in inflammatory heart disease.

Tumor-infiltrating B cells and T cells correlate with postoperative prognosis in triple-negative carcinoma of the breast

Background In this study, we investigated CD20+ TILs in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and their relationship with T lymphocyte subsets (CD4+, CD8+, CD25+, and FOXP3+), including their combined prognostic value using an immunohistochemical staining method. Methods We investigated 107 patients with TNBC for whom a full-face section stained by hematoxylin and eosin between 2006 and 2018 at Dokkyo Medical University Hospital was available. Results The strongest association of infiltrating CD20+ TILs was with CD4+ TILs. There was a significant relationship between CD20+ and CD4+ TILs (r = 0.177; p < 0.001), CD8+ TILs (r = 0.085; p = 0.002), and FOXP3+ TILs (r = 0.0043; p = 0.032). No significant relationships were observed between the CD20+ and CD25+ TILs (r = 0.012; p = 0.264). Multivariate analysis revealed that only the CD20+/FOXP3 ratio was an independent factor for relapse-free survival (p < 0.001) and overall survival (p < 0.001). Patients with tumors highly infiltrated by CD4+, CD8+, and CD20+ TILs had a good prognosis. In contrast, those with tumors weakly infiltrated by CD20+ TILs but highly infiltrated by CD25+ and FOXP3+ TILs had a poor prognosis. Conclusions CD20+ TILs may support an increase in CD4+ and CD8+ TILs, which altered the anti-tumor response, resulting in a positive prognosis. CD20+ TILs correlated with FOXP3+ Treg lymphocytes, which were reported to be correlated with a poor prognosis. Our study suggested that TIL-B cells have dual and conflicting roles in TIL-T immune reactions in TNBC.

GENOMIC AND EPIGENOMIC PREDICTORS FOR VARIOUS CLINICAL PHENOTYPES OF MYASTHENIA GRAVIS

The aim: To evaluate the relationship of certain alleles of HLA class II leukocyte antigens and the profile of antibodies to various subunits of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR), the level of Treg lymphocytes and the serum concentration of anti-inflammatory IL-10 for various clinical myasthenia gravis phenotypes. Materials and methods: We examined 217 patients with thymus-independent myasthenia (n = 42) and thymus-dependent myasthenia, among them patients with thymus hyperplasia (n = 108) and thymoma (n = 67). We used the following methods: ELISA, flow cytometry, light and fluorescence microscopy. Results: Certain genomic (polymorphism of leukocyte HLA-DR antigens) and epigenomic (antibodies to α1 and α7 nAChR subunits, expression of Treg lymphocytes and concentration of cytokines) predictors were identified for various myasthenia phenotypes. The presence of HLA haplotypes DR2 and DR7 in some young patients with M with disease progression led to the development of myasthenia gravis with thymoma (MT) at an older age. The presence of α7 nAChR subunit on thymocyte mitochondria was revealed, which is an additional autoimmune target for autoantibodies in patients with myasthenia gravis. An increase in the concentration of cytokines (IL-4, IL-8, IFN-γ) in all patients with myasthenia gravis was revealed. Conclusions: Estimate the features of the formation of various variants of the immune response in thymus-independent and thymus-dependent myasthenia gravis is a necessary condition for targeted immunocorrection or surgery.

Recreational Dance Practice Modulates Lymphocyte Profile and Function in Diabetic Women

This study aimed to investigate the impact of a 16-week dance-based aerobic exercise program on lymphocyte function in healthy and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) women. We enrolled 23 women: 11 with T2DM and 12 non-diabetic controls. Initially, we performed anthropometry and body composition measurements, afterwards, plasma levels of C-reactive protein, lipids, and glucose were determined. We used flow cytometry to measure the CD25 and CD28 expression in circulating lymphocytes, T-regulatory (Treg) cell percentage, lymphocyte proliferation, and cytokines released by cultured lymphocytes. The T2DM group had a lower proportion of CD28+ cells and a higher percentage of Treg lymphocytes and proliferative capacity at the baseline compared with the control group. After 16 weeks of the program, differences in lymphocytes between the T2DM and the control groups disappeared. The dance program promoted IL-10 increase in both groups. We found decreased IL-4, IL-2, and IL-6 secretion in lymphocytes from the control group and increased IL-17 secretion and IL-10/IL-17 ratio in the T2DM group after the program. The program promoted marked changes in lymphocytes in diabetic women, leading to a balance between the different profiles.

Regulation of recombinase RAG-1 expression by female sex steroids in Treg and Th17 lymphocytes. role of oncostatin M

The effect of estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), and oncostatin M (OSM) on the differentiation of CD4+ T cells to T regulatory (Treg) lymphocytes and T helpers 17 (Th17) was investigated. The possibility of revision of the T cell receptor in these subpopulations by evaluating the expression of RAG-1 recombinase was also studied. E2 at concentrations characteristic of pregnancy trimester I, but no P4 or OSM, increased the Treg level. Combination of sex steroids with OSM increased the percent of CD4+FOXP4+ cells and enhanced RAG-1 expression in these cells, thus promoting the development of immune tolerance during pregnancy. In the study of Th17 such effect of the hormones and OSM was not detected.