Natural killer (NK) cells are specialized lymphocytes primarily involved in the response to infection and tumors. NK characterized by presence of specific surface molecules, as well a wide repertoire receptors that impart microenvironment‑dependent effector functions. Among these receptors, Toll‑like (TLRs) can be activated condition either cytotoxic or immunoregulatory phenotype. However, cell...

The neoplastic T cells from five patients with adult T cell lymphoma/leukemia (ATIL). born in the Caribbean. were studied with respect to immunoregulatory activity on pokeweed mitogen (PWM) driven immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis as well as surface-marker phenotypes with monoclonal antibodies. The neoplastic T cells in all patients had an OKT1 4 8 11 M1 Ii 3A1 phenotype. but differed in the reacti...

Previous studies from our laboratory and those of others suggested the possibility that the T-cell antigen receptor alpha (TCR alpha) chain from some T cells can be released in a soluble form and can have antigen-specific immunoregulatory activity. We have analyzed this phenomenon by in vitro transcription and translation (IVTT) of a cDNA encoding a TCR alpha chain (A1.1 TCR alpha) suspected of...

Background Crohn’s Disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterised by recurrent intestinal inflammation [1]. Adipose tissue has metabolic and immune functions regulated through the expression of hormones and cytokines [2,3]. Conventionally, adiposity in CD is believed to reflect disease activity, nutritional status and possibly corticosteroids. Emerging data suggests that adi...

BACKGROUND Different forms of chronic airway inflammation may involve diverse pathogenic elements. In general, deficient defence response is a feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), whereas distorted immunoregulatory mechanisms lead to development of asthmatic symptoms. In addition to diverse effector mechanisms, the cellular and humoral elements participating in the developme...

Human peripheral blood monocytes have been found to undergo a transitory state of high accessory activity before they fully become macrophages. Time kinetics were done to follow this accessory potential. Studying the regulation of accessory activity, we have found that monocyte derived accessory cells (m-AC) pass through two phases of development, both of which are adversely controlled by ...