CD40-CD154 interaction is critically involved in autoimmune diseases, and CD4 T cells play a dominant role in the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). CD4 T cells expressing CD40 (Th40) are pathogenic in type I diabetes but have not been evaluated in EAE. We demonstrate here that Th40 cells drive a rapid, more severe EAE disease course than conventio...

Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection is one of the major health problems worldwide. CD4+Tcell count and viral load have been used as important laboratory parameters to evaluate antiretroviral treatment eligibility. Eligibility for antiretroviral treatment in HIV infected patients is determined either by CD4 +T cell count of ˂ 200cells/μl or clinical diagnosis of WHO stage 3 or 4. Since labora...

IFN-A is approved for the treatment of multiple cancers. Its pleiotropic properties include inhibition of proliferation and angiogenesis and induction of apoptosis. Type I IFNs also exert immunomodulatory effects, which make it an appropriate candidate to combine with cancer vaccines. The studies reported herein show that 50% of mice reject established B16 tumors following treatment with the co...

The immune system can recognize virtually any antigen, yet T cell responses against several pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are restricted to a limited number of immunodominant epitopes. The host factors that affect immunodominance are incompletely understood. Whether immunodominant epitopes elicit protective CD8+ T cell responses or instead act as decoys to subvert immunity an...

The effects of media conditioned by leukemic cells from 11 acute myeloblastic leukemia patients on the growth of autologous blast progen itors were studied. First, it was shown that T-cell-depleted leukemic cells from some patients release high levels of colony-stimulating activity into the culture medium, whereas following further depletion of phagocytic cells, the levels of colony-stimulating...

Patients with cancer often show impaired immune functions; however, the basis of this suppression is still not understood. In several experimental systems, human T-cells with receptors for Fc of immunoglobulin G may function as suppressors, and those with receptors for Fc of immunoglobulin M may function as helpers. Peripheral blood as well as tumor tissue infiltrates were examined for proporti...

The immune system is crucially involved in a number of diseascs including microbial infections, allergies, cancer, rheumatism, autoimmunity and degenerative disorders of ageing. While the Tlymphocytes play a key role in the body’s immune defence mechanism, they also act to reject grafted or transplanted tissues. The T-cells comprise only about half the population of lymphocytes; the other half,...

Professor da Disciplina de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia do Curso de Medicina da Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná UNIOESTE, Paraná, Brasil; Professor da Disciplina de Clínica Cirúrgica do Curso de Medicina da Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná UNIOESTE, Paraná, Brasil; Chefe do Serviço de Coloproctologia do Hospital Universitário Cajuru PUCPR, Paraná, Brasil. Infliximab, eternecept a...

Background: Infectious mononucleosis (IM) is a lymphoproliferative disease caused primarily by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. The initial viral infection by EBV occurs in B lymphocytes and is followed by an extensive proliferation of T lymphocytes. Previous studies on immunity to EBV (including IM) have mainly focused on activation of peripheral blood T cells, which are responsible for...

The devastating global impact of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has greatly sensitized the public to the threat of new microbes that are capable of wrecking havoc on the world's population. The HIV virus infects and depletes CD4+ T lymphocytes. However cases have been described with profound CD4+ T cell lymphocytopenia but without evidence of HIV infection, a condition now termed as ...