Repeatedly activated T helper 1 (Th1) cells present during chronic inflammation can efficiently adapt to the inflammatory milieu, for example, by expressing the transcription factor Twist1, which limits the immunopathology caused by Th1 cells. Here, we show that in repeatedly activated murine Th1 cells, Twist1 and T-bet induce expression of microRNA-148a (miR-148a). miR-148a regulates expressio...

Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) is considered to be an organ-specific autoimmune disease. However, the pathogenesis of GO is incompletely understood at the present time. To clarify the immunological differences between newly diagnosed GO and Graves' disease (GD) without ophthalmopathy or healthy controls (HC), we examined T-cell profile and the Th1/Th2 profile cell balance in GO (n=20), GD (n=20) a...

Johne's disease (JD), a persistent and slow progressing infection of ruminants such as cows and sheep, is caused by slow replicating bacilli Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infecting macrophages in the gut. Infected animals initially mount a cell-mediated CD4 T cell response against MAP which is characterized by the production of interferon gamma (Th1 response). Over time,...

Childhood idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) resolves usually after the first episode, although it may recur, and in 10% to 20% of patients develops into a chronic disorder. Evidence of the immunoregulatory role of Th1/Th2 responses in autoimmune diseases prompted us to perform a prospective study of Th1/Th2 gene expression profiles and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) plasma l...

RATIONALE Forkhead box P3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) are key players in maintaining immune homeostasis. Evidence suggests that Tregs respond to environmental cues to permit or suppress inflammation. In atherosclerosis, Th1-driven inflammation affects Treg homeostasis, but the mechanisms governing this phenomenon are unclear. OBJECTIVE Here, we address whether atherosclerosis impacts Treg pla...

Cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors remain a major class of drugs in rheumatology and their widespread use is expected to continue. The view that a prothrombotic effect explains the increase in myocardial infarction (MI) associated with both COX-2 selective and traditional NSAIDs (tNSAIDs) has been increasingly questioned. We review the evidence that prostanoids direct the immune response away from...

P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1) is a sialomucin expressed on leukocytes that mediates neutrophil rolling on the vascular endothelium. Here, the role of PSGL-1 in mediating lymphocyte migration was studied using mice lacking PSGL-1. In a contact hypersensitivity model, the infiltration of CD4(+) T lymphocytes into the inflamed skin was reduced in PSGL-1-deficient mice. In vitro-generat...