BACKGROUND Recent research has demonstrated that circulating peripheral blood mononuclear fractions (PBMC) containing haematopoietic stem (HSC)/progenitor cells have the potential to play a crucial role in regenerative medicine strategies. Work in our laboratory has shown that a peripheral blood mononuclear cell fraction (PBMC) enhances cartilage repair in an osteochondral defect model in sheep...

BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) involves inflammation at the sacroiliac joint and spine attachment site. This study aimed to observe the ratio and function of peripheral regulatory Vδ1 T cells in AS patients to investigate their roles in AS pathogenesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were separated by density-gradient centrifugation from AS patients and h...

One of the major drawbacks limiting the use of synthetic peptide vaccines in genetically distinct populations is the fact that different epitopes are recognized by T cells from individuals displaying distinct major histocompatibility complex molecules. Immunization of mice with peptide (181-195) from the immunodominant 43 kDa glycoprotein of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (gp43), the causative a...

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is highly expressed in the brain and modulates feeding behavior. It is also expressed in some peripheral tissues where its role remains unknown. We have investigated MCH function in human and mouse immune cells. RT-PCR analysis revealed a low expression of prepro-MCH and MCH receptor 1 (MCHR1) but not of MCHR2 transcript in tissular and peripheral blood immun...

Thymoglobulin (ATG) is a polyclonal rabbit antibody against human thymocytes used as a T cell-depleting agent in organ transplantation. Its polyclonal character suggests that its effect may go far beyond just T cell depletion. The aim of this study was to further elucidate possible mechanisms underlying the suppressive activity of ATG. For in vitro studies, human peripheral blood mononuclear ce...

Background The Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network has initiated several clinical trials utilizing T cell growth factors such as IL-15 and IL-7. In support of these trials, we have developed and conducted precision testing of a 12-color flow cytometric assay to characterize the surface markers present on T cells in fresh whole blood and among cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PB...

The spontaneous proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is a hallmark of the human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type-1. Cell proliferation is usually measured using a [(3)H]thymidine incorporation assay. This study aims to quantify the spontaneous proliferation of PBMCs using flow cytometry. PBMCs were cultured for 24 to 120 hours in the presence of 5,6-carboxyfluorescein dia...

BACKGROUND The hepatitis C virus (HCV) Alternate Reading Frame Protein (ARFP or F protein) presents a double-frame shift product of the HCV core gene. We and others have previously reported that the specific antibodies against the F protein could be raised in the sera of HCV chronically infected patients. However, the specific CD4(+) T cell responses against the F protein during HCV infection a...