The salient feature of dendritic cells (DC) is the initiation of appropriate adaptive immune responses by discriminating between pathogens. Using a prototypic model of intracellular infection, we previously showed that Leishmania major parasites prime human DC for efficient interleukin-12 (IL-12) secretion. L. major infection is associated with self-limiting cutaneous disease and powerful immun...

NK cell development is far less understood compared with that of T and B cells despite the critical importance of NK cells in innate immunity. Mice lacking the transcription factor IFN regulatory factor-2 (IRF-2) are known to exhibit NK cell deficiency. However, the role of IRF-2 in NK cell development has remained unclear. In this study we found that NK cell deficiency in the periphery in IRF-...

Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare, progressive disease characterized by chronic non specific inflammation of the retroperitoneum. Although the pathogenesis of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (IRF) remains unclear, IRF has been reported in association with autoimmune disorders. However, few cases of IRF associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been reported. We experienced a rar...

Critical pedagogy (CP) empowers L2 learners to have a voice in the classroom and in the society. This study was an attempt to investigate whether the current classroom discourse  in  Iran  can  endow  the  L2  learners with  a  critical  awareness  to  actively transform their learning processes and creatively engage in collaborative dialogues to construct new knowledge. To this end, the discou...

This study examines the possibility of using IRF (Initiation-Response-Follow-up) sequence teacher-student interaction in Sri Lankan ESL (English as a Second Language) classes for developing longer interactional exchanges which are believed to be useful language development. Usually, classes, teachers ask more display questions and few referential questions. As result, occurs only occasionally t...

The salient feature of dendritic cells (DC) is the initiation of appropriate adaptive immune responses by discriminating between pathogens. Using a prototypic model of intracellular infection, we previously showed that Leishmania major parasites prime human DC for efficient interleukin-12 (IL-12) secretion. L. major infection is associated with self-limiting cutaneous disease and powerful immun...

Intestinal epithelial cell-derived interleukin (IL)-7 functions as a pleiotropic and nonredundant cytokine in the human intestinal mucosa; however, the molecular basis of its production has remained totally unknown. We here showed that human intestinal epithelial cells both constitutively and when induced by gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) produced IL-7, while several other factors we tested had n...

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine produced by dendritic cells (DCs) in response to Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligation. While the mechanisms regulating IL-12p40 chain gene expression are well characterized, molecular events involved in IL-12p35 chain gene activation remain to be clarified. Since IL-12p35 mRNA was induced in human DCs activated through TLR3 or TLR4 but not TLR2, w...