Presentación atípica de histoplasmosis diseminada / Atypical presentation of disseminated histoplasmosis

La histoplasmosis es una micosis sistémica producida por una variedad de hongo dimorfo perteneciente al complejo Histoplasma capsulatum. Es una enfermedad prevalente en nuestro medio y sobre todo en pacientes viviendo con HIV con recuento de <200 linfocitos CD4/ml y con cargas virales mayores a 100.000 copias/ml. La presentación de la forma diseminada raramente suele afectar al aparato reproductor; siendo la forma más frecuente pulmonar

Complex associations between cancer progression and immune gene expression reveals early influence of transmissible cancer on Tasmanian devils.

The world's largest extant carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian devil, is challenged by Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), a fatal, clonally transmitted cancer. In two decades, DFTD has spread across 95% of the species distributional range. A previous study has shown that factors such as season, geographic location, and infection with DFTD can impact the expression of immune genes in Tasmanian devils. To date, no study has investigated within-individual immune gene expression changes prior to and throughout the course of DFTD infection. To explore possible changes in immune response, we investigated four locations across Tasmania that differed in DFTD exposure history, ranging between 2 and >30 years. Our study demonstrated considerable complexity in the immune responses to DFTD. The same factors (sex, age, season, location and DFTD infection) affected immune gene expression both across and within devils, although seasonal and location specific variations were diminished in DFTD affected devils. We also found that expression of both adaptive and innate immune genes starts to alter early in DFTD infection and continues to change as DFTD progresses. A novel finding was that the lower expression of immune genes MHC-II, NKG2D and CD8 may predict susceptibility to earlier DFTD infection. A case study of a single devil with regressed tumor showed opposite/contrasting immune gene expression patterns compared to the general trends observed across devils with DFTD infection. Our study highlights the complexity of DFTD's interactions with the host immune system and the need for long-term studies to fully understand how DFTD alters the evolutionary trajectory of devil immunity.

The Antigen-Processing Pathway via Major Histocompatibility Complex I as a New Perspective in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a debilitating gynecological disease defined as the presence of endometrium-like epithelium and/or stroma outside the uterine cavity. The most commonly affected sites are the pelvic peritoneum, ovaries, uterosacral ligaments, and the rectovaginal septum. The aberrant tissue responds to hormonal stimulation, undergoing cyclical growth and shedding similar to appropriately located endometrial tissue in the uterus. Common symptoms of endometriosis are painful periods and ovulation, severe pelvic cramping, heavy bleeding, pain during sex, urination and bowel pain, bleeding, and pain between periods. Numerous theories have been proposed to explain the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Sampson's theory of retrograde menstruation is considered to be the most accepted. This theory assumes that endometriosis occurs due to the retrograde flow of endometrial cells through the fallopian tubes during menstruation. However, it has been shown that this process takes place in 90% of women, while endometriosis is diagnosed in only 10% of them. This means that there must be a mechanism that blocks the immune system from removing endometrial cells and interferes with its function, leading to implantation of the ectopic endometrium and the formation of lesions. In this review, we consider the contribution of components of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)-I-mediated antigen-processing pathway, such as the ERAP, TAP, LMP, LNPEP, and tapasin, to the susceptibility, onset, and severity of endometriosis. These elements can induce significant changes in MHC-I-bound peptidomes that may influence the response of immune cells to ectopic endometrial cells.

Human Papilloma Virus Positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and the Immune System: Pathogenesis, Immunotherapy and Future Perspectives.

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), involves the palatine tonsils, soft palate, base of tongue, and uvula, with the ability to spread to adjacent subsites. Personalized treatment strategies for Human Papillomavirus-associated squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (HPV+OPSCC) are yet to be established. In this article, we summarise our current understanding of the pathogenesis of HPV+OPSCC, the intrinsic role of the immune system, current ICI clinical trials, and the potential role of small molecule immunotherapy in HPV+OPSCC.

Emerging strategies for nanomedicine in autoimmunity.

Autoimmune disorders have risen to be among the most prevalent chronic diseases across the globe, affecting approximately 5-7% of the population. As autoimmune diseases steadily rise in prevalence, so do the number of potential therapeutic strategies to combat them. In recent years, fundamental research investigating autoimmune pathologies has led to the emergence of several cellular targets that provide new therapeutic opportunities. However, key challenges persist in terms of accessing and specifically combating the dysregulated, self-reactive cells while avoiding systemic immune suppression and other off-target effects. Fortunately, the continued advancement of nanomedicines may provide strategies to address these challenges and bring innovative autoimmunity therapies to the clinic. Through precise engineering and rational design, nanomedicines can possess a variety of physicochemical properties, surface modifications, and cargoes, allowing for specific targeting of therapeutics to pathological cell and organ types. These advances in nanomedicine have been demonstrated in cancer therapies and have the broad potential to advance applications in autoimmunity therapies as well. In this review, we focus on leveraging the power of nanomedicine for prevalent autoimmune disorders throughout the body. We expand on three key areas for the development of autoimmunity therapies - avoiding systemic immunosuppression, balancing interactions with the immune system, and elevating current platforms for delivering complex cargoes - and emphasize how nanomedicine-based strategies can overcome these barriers and enable the development of next-generation, clinically relevant autoimmunity therapies.

Helicobacter pylori antigens as immunomodulators of immune system.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most prevalent human pathogens and the leading cause of chronic infection in almost half of the population in the world (~59%). The bacterium is a major leading cause of chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and two type of malignancies, gastric adenocarcinoma and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Despite the immune responses mounted by the host, the bacteria are not cleared from the body resulting in a chronic infection accompanied by a chronic inflammation. Herein, a review of the literature discussing H. pylori antigens modulating the immune responses is presented. The mechanisms that are involved in the modulation of innate immune response, include modulation of recognition by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) such as modulation of recognition by toll like receptors (TLR)4 and TLR5, modulation of phagocytic function, and modulation of phagocytic killing mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO). On the other hands, H. pylori modulates acquired immune response by the induction of tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCs), modulation of apoptosis, induction of regulatory T cells, modulation of T helper (Th)1 response, and modulation of Th17 response.

Vivaria housing conditions expose sex differences in brain oxidation, microglial activation, and immune system states in aged hAPOE4 mice.

Apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOE4) is the predominant genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). APOE4 mouse models have provided advances in the understanding of disease pathogenesis, but unaccounted variables like rodent housing status may hinder translational outcomes. Non-sterile aspects like food and bedding can be major sources of changes in rodent microflora. Alterations in intestinal microbial ecology can cause mucosal barrier impairment and increase pro-inflammatory signals. The present study examined the role of sterile and non-sterile food and housing on redox indicators and the immune status of humanized-APOE4 knock-in mice (hAPOe4). hAPOE4 mice were housed under sterile conditions until 22 months of age, followed by the transfer of a cohort of mice to non-sterile housing for 2 months. At 24 months of age, the redox/immunologic status was evaluated by flow cytometry/ELISA. hAPOE4 females housed under non-sterile conditions exhibited: (1) higher neuronal and microglial oxygen radical production and (2) lower CD68+ microglia (brain) and CD8+ T cells (periphery) compared to sterile-housed mice. In contrast, hAPOE4 males in non-sterile housing exhibited: (1) higher MHCII+ microglia and CD11b+CD4+ T cells (brain) and (2) higher CD11b+CD4+ T cells and levels of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein and inflammatory cytokines in the periphery relative to sterile-housed mice. This study demonstrated that sterile vs. non-sterile housing conditions are associated with the activation of redox and immune responses in the brain and periphery in a sex-dependent manner. Therefore, housing status may contribute to variable outcomes in both the brain and periphery.

The Function of the Immune System, Beyond Strategies Based on Cell-Autonomous Mechanisms, Determines Cancer Development: Immune Response and Cancer Development.

Although cancer remains a challenging disease to treat, early detection and removal of primary tumors through surgery or chemotherapy/radiotherapy can offer hope for patients. The privilege paradigm in cancer biology suggests that cell-autonomous mechanisms play a central role in tumorigenesis. According to this paradigm, these cellular mechanisms are the primary focus for the prevention and treatment of cancers. However, this point of view does not present a comprehensive theory for the initiation of cancer and an effective therapeutic strategy. Having an incomplete understanding of the etiology of cancer, it is essential to re-examine previous assumptions about carcinogenesis and develop new, practical theories that can account for all available clinical and experimental evidence. This will not only help to gain a better understanding of the disease, but also offer new avenues for treatment. This review provides evidence suggesting a shift in focus from a cell-autonomous mechanism to systemic mechanisms, particularly the immune system, that are involved in cancer formation.

Tumor-derived lncRNAs: Behind-the-scenes mediators that modulate the immune system and play a role in cancer pathogenesis.

Having been involved in complex cellular regulatory networks and cell-to-cell communications, non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have become functional carriers that transmit information between cells and tissues, modulate tumor microenvironments, encourage angiogenesis and invasion, and make tumor cells more resistant to drugs. Immune cells' exosomal lncRNAs may be introduced into tumor cells to influence the tumor's course and the treatment's effectiveness. Research has focused on determining if non-coding RNAs affect many target genes to mediate regulating recipient cells. The tumor microenvironment's immune and cancer cells are influenced by lncRNAs, which may impact a treatment's efficacy. The lncRNA-mediated interaction between cancer cells and immune cells invading the tumor microenvironment has been the subject of numerous recent studies. On the other hand, tumor-derived lncRNAs' control over the immune system has not gotten much attention and is still a relatively new area of study. Tumor-derived lncRNAs are recognized to contribute to tumor immunity, while the exact mechanism is unclear.

The Complex Role of Thrombin in Cancer and Metastasis: Focus on Interactions with the Immune System.

Thrombin, a pleiotropic enzyme involved in coagulation, plays a crucial role in both procoagulant and anticoagulant pathways. Thrombin converts fibrinogen into fibrin, initiates platelet activation, and promotes clot formation. Thrombin also activates anticoagulant pathways, indirectly inhibiting factors involved in coagulation. Tissue factor triggers thrombin generation, and the overexpression of thrombin in various cancers suggests that it is involved in tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Increased thrombin generation has been observed in cancer patients, especially those with metastases. Thrombin exerts its effects through protease-activated receptors (PARs), particularly PAR-1 and PAR-2, which are involved in cancer progression, angiogenesis, and immunological responses. Thrombin-mediated signaling promotes angiogenesis by activating endothelial cells and platelets, thereby releasing proangiogenic factors. These functions of thrombin are well recognized and have been widely described. However, in recent years, intriguing new findings concerning the association between thrombin activity and cancer development have come to light, which justifies a review of this research. In particular, there is evidence that thrombin-mediated events interact with the immune system, and may regulate its response to tumor growth. It is also worth reevaluating the impact of thrombin on thrombocytes in conjunction with its multifaceted influence on tumor progression. Understanding the role of thrombin/PAR-mediated signaling in cancer and immunological responses is crucial, particularly in the context of developing immunotherapies. In this systematic review, we focus on the impact of the thrombin-related immune system response on cancer progression.

Exploring the Role of the Gut and Intratumoral Microbiomes in Tumor Progression and Metastasis.

Cancer cell dissemination involves invasion, migration, resistance to stressors in the circulation, extravasation, colonization, and other functions responsible for macroscopic metastases. By enhancing invasiveness, motility, and intravasation, the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process promotes the generation of circulating tumor cells and their collective migration. Preclinical and clinical studies have documented intensive crosstalk between the gut microbiome, host organism, and immune system. According to the findings, polymorphic microbes might play diverse roles in tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and therapy response. Microbial imbalances and changes in the levels of bacterial metabolites and toxins promote cancer progression via EMT and angiogenesis. In contrast, a favorable microbial composition, together with microbiota-derived metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), can attenuate the processes of tumor initiation, disease progression, and the formation of distant metastases. In this review, we highlight the role of the intratumoral and gut microbiomes in cancer cell invasion, migration, and metastatic ability and outline the potential options for microbiota modulation. As shown in murine models, probiotics inhibited tumor development, reduced tumor volume, and suppressed angiogenesis and metastasis. Moreover, modulation of an unfavorable microbiome might improve efficacy and reduce treatment-related toxicities, bringing clinical benefit to patients with metastatic cancer.

Can immunotherapy reinforce chemotherapy efficacy? a new perspective on colorectal cancer treatment.

As one of the main threats to human life (the fourth most dangerous and prevalent cancer), colorectal cancer affects many people yearly, decreases patients' quality of life, and causes irreparable financial and social damages. In addition, this type of cancer can metastasize and involve the liver in advanced stages. However, current treatments can't completely eradicate this disease. Chemotherapy and subsequent surgery can be mentioned among the current main treatments for this disease. Chemotherapy has many side effects, and regarding the treatment of this type of tumor, chemotherapy can lead to liver damage, such as steatohepatitis, steatosis, and sinus damage. These damages can eventually lead to liver failure and loss of its functions. Therefore, it seems that other treatments can be used in addition to chemotherapy to increase its efficiency and reduce its side effects. Biological therapies and immunotherapy are one of the leading suggestions for combined treatment. Antibodies (immune checkpoint blockers) and cell therapy (DC and CAR-T cells) are among the immune system-based treatments used to treat tumors. Immunotherapy targets various aspects of the tumor that may lead to 1) the recruitment of immune cells, 2) increasing the immunogenicity of tumor cells, and 3) leading to the elimination of inhibitory mechanisms established by the tumor. Therefore, immunotherapy can be used as a complementary treatment along with chemotherapy. This review will discuss different chemotherapy and immunotherapy methods for colorectal cancer. Then we will talk about the studies that have dealt with combined treatment.

Melittin as a safe compound to BALB/c mice immune system; a tiered approach immunotoxicity screening.

BACKGROUND: Maintenance of immune system integrity is a vital requirement to protect human body against pathogens/cancers. Natural compounds have long been used due to their benefits for the immune system. One of which is bee venom that contains a peptide called melittin having antimicrobial and anticancer effects. Since a limited number of studies regarding the effects of melittin on the immune system have been carried out, we aimed to evaluate the effects of melittin on BALB/c mice immune system parameters. METHODS: Female BALB /c mice were treated intraperitoneally (i.p) with 0.75 and 1.5 mg/kg doses of melittin for 14 days (5 doses per week). The negative control group received i.p normal saline whereas the positive controls received i.p 20 mg/kg cyclophosphamide (CYP). Immunological parameters such as hematological parameters, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), hemagglutination titer (HA), spleen cellularity, splenocytes proliferation, as well as spleen and bone marrow histopathological assessment were evaluated. RESULTS: Our findings showed that melittin has no gross pathological effect on the spleen and bone marrow. It was also demonstrated that melittin has no any significant effect on hematological parameters. Melittin did not cause any significant changes to proliferation response of splenocytes to PHA and LPS, spleen cellularity, DTH response, as well as the production of anti-SRBC antibodies. According to our results, melittin at 0.75 and 1.5 mg/kg doses could not induce significant changes on immune parameters and as a result, melittin was found to be safe for the mice immune system.

Modulating the immune system as a therapeutic target for myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia.

Modulating the immune system to treat diseases, including myeloid malignancies, has resulted in the development of a multitude of novel therapeutics in recent years. Myelodysplastic syndromes or neoplasms (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are hematologic malignancies that arise from defects in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Dysregulated immune responses, especially in innate immune and inflammatory pathways, are highly associated with the acquisition of HSPC defects in MDS and AML pathogenesis. In addition to utilizing the immune system in immunotherapeutic interventions such as chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy, vaccines, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, mitigating dysregulation of innate immune and inflammatory responses in MDS and AML remains a priority in slowing the initiation and progression of these myeloid malignancies. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current progress of diverse strategies to utilize or modulate the immune system in the treatment of MDS and AML.

Impact of radiation dose to the immune system on disease progression and survival for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy.

OBJECTIVES: Although the effects of estimated dose of radiation to immune cells (EDRIC) in stage III NSCLC, LA-NSCLC, LS-SCLC and esophageal cancer on clinical outcomes have been studied, its impact in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC) is unknown. In this study, we evaluated the role of EDRIC and identified the factors influencing EDRIC in this population. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively analyzed 211 pathologically confirmed ES-NSCLC patients who were treated with SBRT between 2007 and 2020. EDRIC was calculated based on the model developed by Jin et al. and improved by Ladbury et al. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression were adopted to estimate CSS, PFS, LPFS, and DMFS. Pearson correlation was used to assess the correlation between variables. We further validated our findings in an independent cohort of 119 patients with ES-NSCLC. RESULTS: A total of 211 patients were included with median follow-up of 48 months in the training cohort. The median EDRIC was 2.178 Gy (range: 0.426-6.015). GTV showed a positive correlation with EDRIC (r = 0.707, P = 0.000). In multivariate analysis, higher EDRIC was significantly associated with worse CSS (HR = 1.468, P = 0.009) and DMFS (HR = 1.491, P = 0.016). Considering each EDRIC quartile, there was a significant difference in CSS between 1st and 4th and 1st and 3rd quartile (P = 0.000, P = 0.004, respectively); and DMFS between 1st and 4th,1st and 3rd, and 1st and 2nd quartile (P = 0.000, P = 0.000, P = 0.008, respectively). In the subgroup and validation cohort, EDRIC was also the important prognostic predictor of CSS and DMFS using multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: EDRIC was an independent predictor of CSS and DMFS in ES-NSCLC, and it was affected by GTV and tumor location. Though EDRIC is a critical determinant of treatment outcomes, it is quantifiable and potentially modifiable. Additional researches exploring the feasibility of achieving lower EDRIC while maintaining adequate tumor coverage during radiotherapy are warranted.

MDSCs in breast cancer: an important enabler of tumor progression and an emerging therapeutic target.

Women worldwide are more likely to develop breast cancer (BC) than any other type of cancer. The treatment of BC depends on the subtype and stage of the cancer, such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Although significant progress has been made in recent years, advanced or metastatic BC presents a poor prognosis, due to drug resistance and recurrences. During embryonic development, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) develop that suppress the immune system. By inhibiting anti-immune effects and promoting non-immune mechanisms such as tumor cell stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and angiogenesis, MDSCs effectively promote tumor growth and metastasis. In various BC models, peripheral tissues, and tumor microenvironments (TME), MDSCs have been found to amplification. Clinical progression or poor prognosis are strongly associated with increased MDSCs. In this review, we describe the activation, recruitment, and differentiation of MDSCs production in BC, the involvement of MDSCs in BC progression, and the clinical characteristics of MDSCs as a potential BC therapy target.

Immune System and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC): New Insights into HCC Progression.

According to the WHO's recently released worldwide cancer data for 2020, liver cancer ranks sixth in morbidity and third in mortality among all malignancies. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common kind of liver cancer, accounts approximately for 80% of all primary liver malignancies and is one of the leading causes of death globally. The intractable tumor microenvironment plays an important role in the development and progression of HCC and is one of three major unresolved issues in clinical practice (cancer recurrence, fatal metastasis, and the refractory tumor microenvironment). Despite significant advances, improved molecular and cellular characterization of the tumor microenvironment is still required since it plays an important role in the genesis and progression of HCC. The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the HCC immune microenvironment, distinct cellular constituents, current therapies, and potential immunotherapy methods.

Advances in Immunomodulatory Mechanisms of Mesenchymal Stem Cells-Derived Exosome on Immune Cells in Scar Formation.

Pathological scars are the result of over-repair and excessive tissue proliferation of the skin injury. It may cause serious dysfunction, resulting in psychological and physiological burdens on the patients. Currently, mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomes (MSC-Exo) displayed a promising therapeutic effect on wound repair and scar attenuation. But the regulatory mechanisms are opinions vary. In view of inflammation has long been proven as the initial factor of wound healing and scarring, and the unique immunomodulation mechanism of MSC-Exo, the utilization of MSC-Exo may be promising therapeutic for pathological scars. However, different immune cells function differently during wound repair and scar formation. The immunoregulatory mechanism of MSC-Exo would differ among different immune cells and molecules. Herein, this review gave a comprehensive summary of MSC-Exo immunomodulating different immune cells in wound healing and scar formation to provide basic theoretical references and therapeutic exploration of inflammatory wound healing and pathological scars.

The immune system of chicken and its response to H9N2 avian influenza virus.

Influenza A virus is a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus that belongs to Orthomyxoviridae family. Based on the antigenic characteristics of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) influenza viruses are classified into multiple subtypes. H9N2 belongs to the low pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses (AIVs) and is one of the widely spread viruses in poultry, which can pose a threat to humans by directly infecting or providing internal genes for various zoonotic avian influenza strains. It has the potential to directly or indirectly participate in becoming an AIV that causes a human pandemic. When the virus enters a host, the innate immune system is activated first by pattern recognition receptors. The cytokines produced at the site of infection recruit innate immune cells and antigen-presenting cells and those cells subsequently transmit antigenic signals to adaptive immune cells (i.e. B cells and T cells), to trigger specific humoral and cellular immune responses. As a result, humoral and cellular immunity can clear virus and infected cells via antibody-mediated neutralization and cytotoxicity, respectively. Understanding how chicken immune systems respond to H9N2 is a top priority for effectively controlling the virus's spread and designing vaccines. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the role of the chicken immune system in defending against H9N2, and clarify the current limitations in understanding chicken immune responses to H9N2 virus, thereby providing potential directions for future research as research on the chicken respiratory mucosal immune system has been stagnant for more than 20 years especially on how the mucosal immune system in chicken responds to avian influenza.