Dietary assessment can be based on pattern recognition rather than recall.

Diet is the leading predictor of health status, including all-cause mortality, in the modern world, yet is rarely measured; whereas virtually every adult in a developed country knows their approximate blood pressure, hardly any knows their objective diet quality. Leading authorities have called for the inclusion of nutrition in every electronic health record as one of the many remedial steps required to give dietary quality the routine attention it warrants. Existing tools to capture dietary intake are based on either real-time journaling or recall. Journaling, or logging, is time and labor intensive. Recall is notoriously unreliable, as humans are notably bad at remembering detail. Even allowing for the challenge of recall, these dietary intake methods are labor and time intensive, and require analysis at the n-of-1 level. We hypothesize that dietary intake assessment can be "reverse engineered"-predicating assessment on the recognition of fully formed dietary patterns-rather than endeavoring to assemble such a representation one food, meal, dish, or day at a time. This pattern recognition-based method offers potential advantages over existing methods, including speed, efficiency, cost, and applicability. We have developed and provisionally tested such a system, and the results thus far support our hypothesis. We are convinced that leveraging pattern recognition to make dietary assessment quick, user-friendly, economical, and scalable can allow for the conversion of dietary quality into a universally measured and routinely managed vital sign. In this paper, we present the supporting case.

The JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib reduces inflammation in an ILC3-independent model of innate immune colitis.

Innate immunity contributes to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the mechanisms of IBD mediated by innate immunity are incompletely understood and there are limited models of spontaneous innate immune colitis to address this question. Here we describe a new robust model of colitis occurring in the absence of adaptive immunity. RAG1-deficient mice expressing TNFAIP3 in intestinal epithelial cells (TRAG mice) spontaneously developed 100% penetrant, early-onset colitis that was limited to the colon and dependent on intestinal microbes but was not transmissible to co-housed littermates. TRAG colitis was associated with increased mucosal numbers of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and depletion of ILC prevented colitis in TRAG mice. ILC depletion also therapeutically reversed established colitis in TRAG mice. The colitis in TRAG mice was not prevented by interbreeding to mice lacking group 3 ILC nor by depletion of TNF. Treatment with the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib ameliorated colitis in TRAG mice. This new model of colitis, with its predictable onset and colon-specific inflammation, will have direct utility in developing a more complete understanding of innate immune mechanisms that can contribute to colitis and in pre-clinical studies for effects of therapeutic agents on innate immune-mediated IBD.

Development of spontaneous autoimmune peripheral polyneuropathy in B7-2-deficient NOD mice.

An increasing number of studies have documented the central role of T cell costimulation in autoimmunity. Here we show that the autoimmune diabetes-prone nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse strain, deficient in B7-2 costimulation, is protected from diabetes but develops a spontaneous autoimmune peripheral polyneuropathy. All the female and one third of the male mice exhibited limb paralysis with histologic and electrophysiologic evidence of severe demyelination in the peripheral nerves beginning at 20 wk of age. No central nervous system lesions were apparent. The peripheral nerve tissue was infiltrated with dendritic cells, CD4(+), and CD8(+) T cells. Finally, CD4(+) T cells isolated from affected animals induced the disease in NOD.SCID mice. Thus, the B7-2-deficient NOD mouse constitutes the first model of a spontaneous autoimmune disease of the peripheral nervous system, which has many similarities to the human disease, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). This model demonstrates that NOD mice have "cryptic" autoimmune defects that can polarize toward the nervous tissue after the selective disruption of CD28/B7-2 costimulatory pathway.

B7/CD28 costimulation is essential for the homeostasis of the CD4+CD25+ immunoregulatory T cells that control autoimmune diabetes.

CD28/B7 costimulation has been implicated in the induction and progression of autoimmune diseases. Experimentally induced models of autoimmunity have been shown to be prevented or reduced in intensity in mice rendered deficient for CD28 costimulation. In sharp contrast, spontaneous diabetes is exacerbated in both B7-1/B7-2-deficient and CD28-deficient NOD mice. These mice present a profound decrease of the immunoregulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells, which control diabetes in prediabetic NOD mice. These cells are absent from both CD28KO and B7-1/B7-2KO mice, and the transfer of this regulatory T cell subset from control NOD animals into CD28-deficient animals can delay/prevent diabetes. The results suggest that the CD28/ B7 costimulatory pathway is essential for the development and homeostasis of regulatory T cells that control spontaneous autoimmune diseases.

A critical role for B7/CD28 costimulation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: a comparative study using costimulatory molecule-deficient mice and monoclonal antibody blockade.

The B7/CD28 pathway provides critical costimulatory signals required for complete T cell activation and has served as a potential target for immunotherapeutic strategies designed to regulate autoimmune diseases. This study was designed to examine the roles of CD28 and its individual ligands, B7-1 and B7-2, in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a Th1-mediated inflammatory disease of the CNS. EAE induction in CD28- or B7-deficient nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice was compared with the effects of B7/CD28 blockade using Abs in wild-type NOD mice. Disease severity was significantly reduced in CD28-deficient as well as anti-B7-1/B7-2-treated NOD mice. B7-2 appeared to play the more dominant role as there was a moderate decrease in disease incidence and severity in B7-2-deficient animals. EAE resistance was not due to the lack of effective priming of the myelin peptide-specific T cells in vivo. T cells isolated from CD28-deficient animals produced equivalent amounts of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in response to the immunogen, proteolipid protein 56-70. In fact, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production by Ag-specific T cells was enhanced in both the B7-1 and B7-2-deficient NOD mice. In contrast, peptide-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity responses in these animals were significantly decreased, suggesting a critical role for CD28 costimulation in in vivo trafficking and systemic immunity. Collectively, these results support a critical role for CD28 costimulation in EAE induction.

CD28/B7 regulation of Th1 and Th2 subsets in the development of autoimmune diabetes.

CD28 ligation delivers a costimulatory signal important in T cell activation. This study demonstrates that the disruption of the CD28/B7 pathway early in the nonobese diabetic mouse strain, using CD28-/- and CTLA41g transgenic mice, promoted the development and progression of spontaneous autoimmune diabetes. Functional analyses of T cells isolated from CD28-deficient mice demonstrated that the GAD-specific T cells produced enhanced Th1-type cytokines (IL-2 and IFN gamma) and diminished Th2-type cytokine, IL-4. Moreover, there was a significant decrease in serum levels of anti-GAD antibodies of the IgG1 isotype consistent with a profound suppression of Th2-type responses in these animals. Thus, the early differentiation of naive diabetogenic T cells into the Th2 subset is dependent upon CD28 signaling and extends our understanding of the importance of Th1/Th2 balance in the regulation of this spontaneous autoimmune disease.

Differential effects of anti-B7-1 and anti-B7-2 monoclonal antibody treatment on the development of diabetes in the nonobese diabetic mouse.

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is thought to be an immunologically mediated disease resulting in the complete destruction of the insulin-producing islets of Langerhans. It has become increasingly clear that autoreactive T cells play a major role in the development and progression of this disease. In this study, we examined the role of the CD28/B7 costimulation pathway in the development and progression of autoimmune diabetes in the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse model. Female NOD mice treated at the onset of insulitis (2-4 wk of age) with CTLA4Ig immunoglobulin (Ig) (a soluble CD28 antagonist) or a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for B7-2 (a CD28 ligand) did not develop diabetes. However, neither of these treatments altered the disease process when administered late, at > 10 wk of age. Histological examination of islets from the various treatment groups showed that while CTLA4Ig and anti-B7-2 mAb treatment blocked the development of diabetes, these reagents had little effect on the development or severity of insulitis. Together these results suggest that blockade of costimulatory signals by CTLA4Ig or anti-B7-2 acts early in disease development, after insulitis but before the onset of frank diabetes. NOD mice were also treated with mAbs to another CD28 ligand, B7-1. In contrast to the previous results, the anti-B7-1 treatment significantly accelerated the development of disease in female mice and, most interestingly, induced diabetes in normally resistant male mice. A combination of anti-B7-1 and anti-B7-2 mAbs also resulted in an accelerated onset of diabetes, similar to that observed with anti-B7-1 mAb treatment alone, suggesting that anti-B7-1 mAb's effect was dominant. Furthermore, treatment with anti-B7-1 mAbs resulted in a more rapid and severe infiltrate. Finally, T cells isolated from the pancreas of these anti-B7-1-treated animals exhibited a more activated phenotype than T cells isolated from any of the other treatment groups. These studies demonstrate that costimulatory signals play an important role in the autoimmune process, and that different members of the B7 family have distinct regulatory functions during the development of autoimmune diabetes.

Differential up-regulation of the B7-1 and B7-2 costimulatory molecules after Ig receptor engagement by antigen.

Ag-pulsed B cells are potent APCs, in part, because of the ability of the Ig receptor to mediate rapid and specific Ag uptake. However, it is also known that full T cell activation requires signals delivered by costimulatory molecules, which naive B cells seem to lack. This study examines the effect Ig receptor engagement has on the expression and function of a new CD28 counter-receptor, B7-2. Unlike B7-1 (B7), B7-2 was rapidly induced on the cell surface of B cells after engagement of the Ig receptor by either anti-Ig mAbs or hen egg lysozyme (HEL) on normal and HEL-specific B cell receptor transgenic B cells, respectively. Furthermore, B7-2 expression was up-regulated on tolerant B cells isolated from HEL/anti-HEL double transgenic mice after Ag stimulation, although at lower levels than on nontolerant transgenic B cells. No significant cell surface levels of B7-1(B7) were observed under these conditions. Finally, the B7-2 molecules induced by Ig cross-linking costimulated T cell proliferation in a CD28-dependent manner, independent of B7-1(B7) expression. Thus, the effectiveness of Ag-specific B cells as APCs depends on both their enhanced Ag uptake, mediated by the B cell receptor, and immediate up-regulation of a potent costimulatory molecule, B7-2.

A new type of transforming growth factor-beta, TGF-beta 3.

A new type of TGF-beta, TGF-beta 3, has been identified by cDNA characterization. The amino acid sequence of mature TGF-beta 3 and its precursor has been derived from porcine and human cDNA sequences. The human TGF-beta 3 gene is spread over seven exons as in the case of the TGF-beta 1 gene. Comparison with TGF-beta 1 and -beta 2 indicates a strong conservation of the mature sequences, but a relaxed homology in the precursor segments. TGF-beta 3 mRNA is mainly expressed in cell lines from mesenchymal origin, suggesting a biological role different from the other TGFs-beta.

Structural and functional basis for GABAA receptor heterogeneity.

When gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in vertebrate brain, binds to its receptor it activates a chloride channel. Neurotransmitter action at the GABAA receptor is potentiated by both benzodiazepines and barbiturates which are therapeutically useful drugs (reviewed in ref. 1). There is strong evidence that this receptor is heterogeneous. We have previously isolated complementary DNAs encoding an alpha- and a beta-subunit and shown that both are needed for expression of a functional GABAA receptor. We have now isolated cDNAs encoding two additional GABAA receptor alpha-subunits, confirming the heterogeneous nature of the receptor/chloride channel complex and demonstrating a molecular basis for it. These alpha-subunits are differentially expressed within the CNS and produce, when expressed with the beta-subunit in Xenopus oocytes, receptor subtypes which can be distinguished by their apparent sensitivity to GABA. Highly homologous receptor subtypes which differ functionally seem to be a common feature of brain receptors.

Alternative splicing increases the diversity of the human protein kinase C family.

Isolation of two protein kinase C (PKC) cDNA clones containing divergent carboxy-terminal sequences suggested a common genetic origin for these cDNAs. Partial characterization of the hPKC beta chromosomal gene provided direct evidence for the existence of two adjacent carboxy-terminal exons (beta 1 and beta 2) that are alternatively spliced to generate two types of hPKC beta sequences. PKC beta 1 and beta 2 mRNAs are expressed in a selective manner in both human hematopoietic cells and bovine brain tissues.

Sequence and functional expression of the GABA A receptor shows a ligand-gated receptor super-family.

Amino-acid sequences derived from complementary DNAs encoding the alpha- and beta-subunits of the GABA/benzodiazepine receptor from bovine brain show homology with other ligand-gated receptor subunits, suggesting that there is a super-family of ion-channel-containing receptors. Co-expression of the in vitro-generated alpha-subunit and beta-subunit RNAs in Xenopus oocytes produces a functional receptor and ion channel with the pharmacological properties characteristic of the GABAA receptor.

Cloning of decay-accelerating factor suggests novel use of splicing to generate two proteins.

Decay-accelerating factor (DAF), a glycoprotein that is anchored to the cell membrane by phosphatidylinositol, binds activated complement fragments C3b and C4b, thereby inhibiting amplification of the complement cascade on host cell membranes. Here, we report the molecular cloning of human DAF from HeLa cells. Analysis of DAF complementary DNAs revealed two classes of DAF messenger RNA, one apparently derived from the other by a splicing event that causes a coding frameshift near the C terminus. The apparent 'intron' sequence contains an Alu family member and encodes contiguous protein sequence. Two DAF proteins are therefore possible, having divergent C-terminal domains which differ in their hydrophobicity. Both mRNAs are found on polysomes, suggesting that both are translated. We propose that the major (90%) spliced DAF mRNA encodes membrane-bound DAF whereas the minor (10%) unspliced DAF mRNA may encode secreted DAF and we present expression data supporting this. The deduced DAF sequence contains four repeating units homologous to a consensus repeat found in a recently described family of complement proteins.

Structure and nucleotide sequence of a Drosophila melanogaster protein kinase C gene.

Genomic and cDNA clones encoding a Drosophila melanogaster protein kinase C (PKC) homologue were identified using a bovine PKC cDNA probe. The cDNA clones contain a single open reading frame that encodes a 639 amino acid, 75-kd protein having extensive homology with bovine, human and rat PKC and homology with the kinase domains of other serine, threonine and tyrosine kinases. The Drosophila PKC gene is localized to region 53E of chromosome 2. The gene spans approximately 20 kb and contains at least 14 exons. Messenger RNA for PKC could not be detected in 0-3 h Drosophila embryos. Adult flies contain three PKC transcripts of 4.3, 4.0 and 2.4 kb.

Cloning and expression of human apolipoprotein D cDNA.

The amino acid sequence of human apolipoprotein D, a component of high density lipoprotein, has been obtained from the cloned cDNA sequence. The 169-amino acid protein has no marked similarity to other apolipoprotein sequences, but has a high degree of homology to plasma retinol-binding protein and other members of the alpha 2u-globulin protein superfamily. Apolipoprotein D mRNA has been detected in human liver, intestine, pancreas, kidney, placenta, adrenal, spleen, and fetal brain tissue. Tissue culture cells transfected with the cloned cDNA secrete material that reacts with anti-apoD antibodies.

The complete primary structure of protein kinase C--the major phorbol ester receptor.

Protein kinase C, the major phorbol ester receptor, was purified from bovine brain and through the use of oligonucleotide probes based on partial amino acid sequence, complementary DNA clones were derived from bovine brain complementary DNA libraries. Thus, the complete amino acid sequence of bovine protein kinase C was determined, revealing a domain structure. At the amino terminal is a cysteine-rich domain with an internal duplication; a putative calcium-binding domain follows, and there is at the carboxyl terminal a domain that shows substantial homology, but not identity, to sequences of other protein kinase.

Multiple, distinct forms of bovine and human protein kinase C suggest diversity in cellular signaling pathways.

A new family of protein kinase C-related genes has been identified in bovine, human, and rat genomes. The alpha-, beta-, and gamma-type protein kinase sequences are highly homologous, include a kinase domain, and potential calcium-binding sites, and they contain interspersed variable regions. The corresponding genes are located on distinct human chromosomes; the possibility of even greater genetic complexity of this gene family is suggested by Northern and Southern hybridization analyses.