Mapping the immune cell landscape of severe atopic dermatitis by single-cell RNA-seq.

BACKGROUND: Efforts to profile atopic dermatitis (AD) tissues have intensified, yet comprehensive analysis of systemic immune landscapes in severe AD remains crucial. METHODS: Employing single-cell RNA sequencing, we analyzed over 300,000 peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 12 severe AD patients (Eczema area and severity index (EASI) > 21) and six healthy controls. RESULTS: Results revealed significant immune cell shifts in AD patients, including increased Th2 cell abundance, reduced NK cell clusters with compromised cytotoxicity, and correlated Type 2 innate lymphoid cell proportions with disease severity. Moreover, unique monocyte clusters reflecting activated innate immunity emerged in very severe AD (EASI > 30). While overall dendritic cells (DCs) counts decreased, a distinct Th2-priming subset termed "Th2_DC" correlated strongly with disease severity, validated across skin tissue data, and flow cytometry with additional independent severe AD samples. Beyond the recognized role of Th2 adaptive immunity, our findings highlight significant innate immune cell alterations in severe AD, implicating their roles in disease pathogenesis and therapeutic potentials. CONCLUSION: Apart from the widely recognized role of Th2 adaptive immunity in AD pathogenesis, alterations in innate immune cells and impaired cytotoxic cells have also been observed in severe AD. The impact of these alterations on disease pathogenesis and the effectiveness of potential therapeutic targets requires further investigation.

Stress behavior of FCC metallic thin films during thermal evaporation.

The development of stress in metallic thin films, monitored by in-situ curvature measurements during deposition, is analyzed. Three distinct stress regions including initial compressive, broad tensile, and incremental compressive stress were reported in terms of the film thickness (deposition time) by F. Spaepen. An experimental set-up was assembled for the in-situ curvature measurements utilizing vacuum thermal evaporation and multi-beam laser reflection points arrayed in x- and y-axis. The change in the spacing of laser reflected points was converted to the curvature of specimen, in turn, to instantaneous stress levels in the growing films using Stoney's formula. To investigate the effect on the distinct stress regions, the flux of the depositing metallic atoms was used as an experimental variable in this study. For the lowest flux cases for Cu and Ag, an additional second compressive stress stages after tensile maximum stress was observed in this study. Initial compressive part and tensile maximum stress regions appeared in shorter period of time for the thin films deposited at higher flux of atoms. Thus the flux of depositing atoms may affect the mechanisms of each stage. The initial compressive stress is conjectured to stem from the state of thin film surfaces; dynamic and relaxed surface. A broad tensile region is reported from the fact that the reduction of excess volume associated with grain boundaries and/or the coalescence of grains for high mobility materials. The incremental compressive stress region may be related to surface state and atomic mobilities.

Bicaval anastomosis reduces tricuspid regurgitation after heart transplantation.

The standard surgical technique utilizing two atrial cuff anastomoses has been used in the majority of transplant centers until recently when bicaval anastomoses was introduced. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of tricuspid regurgitation after the bicaval and standard techniques of anastomosis. Heart transplantation was performed in 43 patients at our institution from April 1994 to December 2003: 15 by the standard technique (group A) and 28 by the bicaval technique (group B). No differences in pre-transplant diagnosis, donor age, immunosuppression, rejection treatment, or graft ischemic time were evident between the two groups. The prevalence of tricuspid regurgitation (> or = moderate) was higher after the standard technique (36.4% vs. 10.5%; p < 0.05). Survival rates at 1 and 3 years in group A were 87% and 55%, and 86% and 78% in group B, with a significant difference in the 3-year mortality. The bicaval anastomosis technique was found to be associated with a lower incidence of tricuspid regurgitation during the late postoperative period, and should be preferred for heart transplantation.