In comparison to adults, newborns display a heightened susceptibility to pathogens and a propensity to develop allergic diseases. Particular properties of the neonatal immune system can account for this sensitivity. Indeed, a defect in developing protective Th1-type responses and a skewing toward Th2 immunity characterize today the neonatal T-cell immunity. Recently, new findings concerning Th1...

One of the most controversial questions in immunology is the molecular basis by which Th lymphocytes deliver activating signals to quiescent B lymphocytes during T cell-dependent immune responses. Recent studies suggest that T cell-dependent activation of quiescent B lymphocytes may involve signaling mediated by direct T helper cell-B cell contact. Since B cell membrane-associated MHC-encoded c...

Previous studies have shown that unprimed or resting T lymphocytes will grow and release lymphokines when stimulated by dendritic cells (DC). We now have examined the stimulatory requirements for antigen-primed or blast-transformed T cells. The latter were derived from dendritic/T cell clusters that developed during the primary mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR). The specificity of the blasts was e...

The transcription factor PLZF [promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger, encoded by zinc finger BTB domain containing 16 (Zbtb16)] is induced during the development of innate and innate-like lymphocytes to direct their acquisition of a T-helper effector program, but the molecular mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Using biotinylation-based ChIP-seq and microarray analysis of both natural kill...

The mechanism of the hypogammaglobulinemia in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was studied by determining the generation of specific immunoglobulin-secreting cells in response to mitogen and antigen stimulation in culture. Normal peripheral blood B lymphocytes from 18 normal subjects cocultured with equal numbers of autologous T cells generated cells secreting 2,542 +/- 695 IgG,...

Disease control or elimination requires the induction of protective immunity in a suffi cient proportion of the population. This is best achieved by immunization programs capable of inducing long-term protection, a hallmark of adaptative immunity that contrasts to the brisk but short-lasting innate immune responses. Long-term immunity is conferred by the maintenance of antigen-specifi c immune ...

BACKGROUND Inflammation and activation of immune cells have important roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We analyzed the involvement of various immune cells in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. METHODS We investigated the presence of foam cells, lymphocytes and killer cells in 11 atherosclerotic plaque specimens removed from Korean patients who underwent carotid endoarterectomy....

OBJECTIVE Survival of immune and nonimmune cells relies on Axl, a receptor tyrosine kinase, which is implicated in hypertension. Activated T lymphocytes are involved in regulation of high blood pressure. The goal of the study was to investigate the role of Axl in T-lymphocyte functions and its contribution to salt-dependent hypertension. APPROACH AND RESULTS We report increased apoptosis in p...

Dr. J. Dufer, J. Bernard, Laboratoire d’Hématologie, Institut Jean-Godinot, BP171, F-51056 Reims Cedex (France) Recently, Chilosi et al. [2] reported heterogeneous expression of the enzyme dipeptidyl-aminopepti-dase IV (DAP IV; EC 3.4.14.4.) in T-cell chronic lym-phocytic leukemia. The authors reached the conclusions that cytochemical demonstration of DAP IV correlates with the expression of th...