Melatonin is hypothesized to play a role in neuroimmunomodulation. This study investigated the in vitro effects of melatonin (10(-12) - 10(-6) M) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation and T helper type 1 and T helper type 2 (Th1/Th2) cytokine expression. In vitro doses of melatonin significantly increased PBMC proliferation (p<0.05) and decreased IL-10 production in cu...

The IL-2R is composed of at least two subunits, the p55 (CD25/Tac) and p75 glycoproteins. The p75 IL-2R is expressed preferentially on resting human peripheral blood NK cells, but is not detected on substantial proportions of T and B lymphocytes, monocytes, or granulocytes. Anti-p75 IL-2R mAb substantially inhibits the early events associated with NK cell activation by IL-2, including inhibitio...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Effector T cell activation is particularly important in the initiation of autoimmune uveitis. This pilot study seeks to demonstrate activation of human peripheral effector T cells in response to the uveitis candidate autoantigen, retinal S antigen (SAg), using cytokine flow cytometry (CFC). METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) suspensions from uveitis patients and ...

Virus-specific CD8(+) T cells develop the ability to function in an "innate" capacity by responding to a remarkable array of cytokines in a TCR-independent manner. Although several cytokines such as IL-12 and IL-18 have been identified as key regulators of CD8(+) T-cell activation, the role of other cytokines and the ways in which they interact with each other remain unclear. Here, we have used...

Although it is well established that immature B lymphocytes are exquisitely sensitive to tolerance induction compared with their mature counterparts, the molecular basis for this difference is unknown. We demonstrate that signaling by B cell antigen receptors leads to distinct and mutually exclusive biologic responses in mature and immature B cells: upregulation of CD86, CD69, and MHC class II ...

BACKGROUND Age-associated immune senescence is a catch-all phrase that has been used to describe a plethora of changes to the immune system across the lifespan. Aging is associated with a decline in immune function. Our aim in this study was to investigate how lymphocyte subgroups in peripheral blood are affected by aging among males and females. MATERIAL/METHODS Study participants were 70 he...

The structure-function relationship in group V of C-type animal lectins remains incompletely understood despite the new structures of NK (natural killer) cell receptors that have been solved recently. Recombinant, soluble forms of rat and human NKR-P1 and CD69 that we obtained after in vitro refolding were analysed by Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance MS and heteronuclear NMR ((1)H-(15)...

Oligodendrocytes differentiate to wrap their plasma membranes around axons, forming the myelin sheath. A neuronal cue is one of the regulator elements controlling this process. Here, we demonstrate that VCAM1, which plays a key role throughout the immune system, is also expressed in oligodendrocytes, where it regulates the initiation of myelination. VCAM1 knockout mice exhibit reduced myelin th...

Increased peripheral blood-activated NK cell counts are associated with increased risk of miscarriage and failed in vitro fertilization treatment. However, assessment of activated peripheral NK cells in normal and pathological pregnancies beyond implantation and early miscarriage has not been described. Total CD69 expressing NK cells counts were measured by flow cytometry in healthy women with ...